As she received the staff's congratulations, Castorice heard the chime of a text message and offered them an apologetic smile.
"Please excuse me for a moment—it seems my friend has arrived."
"Of course, take your time."
The staff member who'd been interrupted didn't seem the least bit upset.
In his eyes, the fact that she hadn't simply ignored him without a word was already a touching gesture of respect.
Only then did Castorice pick up her phone.
Traffic jam… because of a gate? And she plans to enter the dungeon?
A slight frown touched Castorice's brow.
Though she knew it wasn't her place to worry over much about another's fate, the two of them had shared a brief connection and even called each other friends.
To say she wasn't concerned at all would be a lie.
Even if she doubted the girl would be reckless enough to take foolish risks, she couldn't truly rest easy without confirming it herself.
Though in this world she held the power to command life and death, even to resurrect the fallen, death was never a pleasant experience. As a lesson for a high school student, it was far too harsh.
With that thought, Castorice lost any desire for further small talk. Sending a quick message to Han Song-Yi, she bid the staff farewell.
Castorice: 'Song-Yi, I've just received my Hunter license. Since it's my first time entering a dungeon too, why don't we go in together?'
She worried that saying something like 'I'm concerned for your safety' might wound the girl's pride or ignite a rebellious urge to prove herself. So she chose a gentler approach.
Yet her message received no reply.
Not looking at her phone? Recalling her own experience earlier and the brief explanation from the staff—Hunters weren't permitted to enter a gate without Association authorization.
In other words, if Song-Yi had been allowed in, it likely meant the gate wasn't particularly dangerous…
Still, better to check quickly.
Leaving the Hunter Association building, Castorice prepared to travel back the way she'd come, but a voice suddenly stopped her.
"Castorice-ssi, a pleasure to meet you."
It was a man in a red overcoat and black rectangular glasses.
Judging by his mana, his strength far surpassed those around him.
Though not on the level of Chairman Go Gunhee, he still stood out like a crane among chickens—likely one of Korea's nine S-Ranks.
"I am the Guild Master of the Hunter Guild. I came here to discuss…"
Before Choi Jong-in could finish, Castorice had already lost interest in listening.
In full view of the crowd, she leaped into the sky.
Before anyone could react, a twenty-meter-long ash-purple dragon appeared beneath her, swiftly carrying her into the distance.
The entire motion flowed seamlessly, leaving behind only the words, "My apologies, sir. I have urgent business to attend to," and a deeply embarrassed Guild Master.
The dramatic display drew even more eyes from the surroundings, deepening Choi Jong-in's discomfort.
Forcing an air of composure, he turned and walked back the way he'd come.
However…
'A dragon summon of that size… a Summoner? But for a Summoner, even an S-Rank, her physical capabilities just now were far too astonishing…'
As he silently assessed Castorice's actions, a sense of pressure settled over him.
Unaware of Choi Jong-in's thoughts, Castorice had memorized the route map on her way here. Coupled with the speed of her death dragon, Pollux, she arrived at the Hangang Bridge in under thirty seconds.
Something's wrong. Very wrong.
This mana reaction was nothing like the gate she'd seen earlier. It was even more intense than any gate within dozens of kilometers… And why was the gate red?
While Castorice observed the gate below, the citizens below were observing her.
A dragon that massive flying in the sky couldn't possibly go unnoticed.
People raised their phones to take pictures, chattering curiously about the giant dragon overhead, with no intention of turning to flee.
This level of nonchalance was absurd… even more relaxed than the last world…
Castorice couldn't simply land because the crowd was too dense.
She worried a single misstep might send them straight to the underworld. But it seemed even a death dragon couldn't clear enough space.
Fortunately, the staff on-site noticed the situation and quickly directed the surrounding citizens to step back a safe distance.
They still stood around gawking, but at least they'd cleared what Castorice deemed a sufficient perimeter.
And so, the death dragon dissolved into a flurry of butterflies high in the sky, while Castorice landed gracefully on the ground.
The impact from a fall of several hundred meters merely bent her knees and waist slightly. It lacked the dramatic hero's landing, but carried a natural elegance of its own.
"You are…?"
The staff member didn't recognize the girl before him. A dragon summon of that size suggested formidable strength—someone he should know. But upon noting Castorice's appearance, he understood.
A foreign Hunter.
"I'm Castorice, the Hunter here to handle this gate."
She held up her newly acquired license. The staff member instinctively moved closer to inspect it, but Castorice gestured for him to keep his distance.
Another Hunter with quirks. Probably quite powerful, then.
Obliging, the staff member stayed where he was, his eyes scanning the document.
Name: Castorice (Thanatos Castorice Polyxia)… Definitely a foreign Hunter. An exchange student, perhaps?
License Number: 401058191746.
A number starting with 4010… Korea? Oh, right. Probably rated during her studies here. Must've been recently, then.
Rank: S.
Just as I thought, quirky Hunters are usually strong… Wait a minute.
"S… S-Rank?"
The staff member's eyes widened.
"S-Rank? That young lady?"
"She looks like a college student. S-Rank at her age?"
"What does age have to do with it? Cha Hae-in was S-Rank in college too, and she even entered dungeons back then."
"She looks younger than the Dancer was back in the day…"
"Do we have a ninth S-Rank Hunter in the country now?"
"Isn't it the tenth?"
"It's nine. There's that Hwang Dong-soo who went to the States to be a Hunter. Korea doesn't recognize dual citizenship, same for Hunter licenses."
Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Castorice pressed on, "May I enter now? My friend is inside. She might be in danger."
"Uh…"
Hearing this, the staff exchanged glances, now certain she was a novice Hunter.
One of them explained, "Well, an S-Rank Hunter certainly has the authority, but with a red gate, you can't exit without defeating the boss inside. Similarly, no one from outside can enter either."
"…"
She had tried to keep her expectations low regarding this world's understanding of mana, but she hadn't imagined it would be this rudimentary.
It was just a slightly encrypted gate.
In her previous world, any magical girl or mage who could cast teleportation spells would encrypt their gates as a basic precaution.
And breaking such encryption was equally fundamental for mages and magical girls.
"If there's no issue, then I'll head in now."
Even if it were against the rules, Castorice would have entered anyway. But since it was permitted, she had even less reason to hesitate.
With those words, she stepped into the red gate—said to bar all from the outside world—leaving the stunned crowd gaping behind her.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.