If my guess was right...
That veil was actually the entrance to a dungeon.
And all the dungeons I had conquered so far had one major rule.
“A dungeon doesn’t let you leave until you’ve defeated the boss.”
Until it was cleared.
Anyone who entered would be stuck inside.
“You’re not trying to lure me into a trap, are you?”
I asked, my tone cautious.
Maybe the boss inside was ridiculously powerful.
Maybe it was trying to bait me in since it couldn’t win in a direct fight.
—A dungeon? Ah... You mean an Erosion Zone?
“Erosion Zone?”
That was... unexpected.
—Don’t worry. This place is different from those. If you doubt me, you may check for yourself.
At its words...
I slowly stepped closer to the veil.
Just close enough for my hand to reach it.
[Fragment of a Ruined World – Gate Discovered]
A system message filled my vision.
A fragment of a ruined world?
[A world shattered beyond recognition, drifting in the void of space.]
[This is a gateway leading there.]
[No one knows what caused this world’s destruction.]
[It could be a land ravaged by plague, where the moment you step in, you cough up blood and die.]
[Or perhaps, it holds invaluable treasures.]
[The choice to enter is yours.]
“...So it’s not a dungeon—it’s a Gate.”
A Gate.
I had heard of these before.
[Gate Summoning Ticket]
Back when I returned [The Deviant Eater] to his human form, one of the rewards I received was an item labeled as such.
I wasn’t sure of all the details.
But unlike a dungeon, this place didn’t have a rule saying you couldn’t leave after entering.
However...
There was another phrase that caught my attention.
[Fragment of a Ruined World]
“A ruined world...”
I glanced back over my shoulder.
The high mountains where Myohyangsa Temple was located.
And beyond them, the desolate ruins of a city.
A ruined world.
That phrase...
‘Feels a little too familiar, doesn’t it?’
***
“Oh! You really can come back out!”
—Did I not tell you? I have no reason to make a lie that would be exposed so easily.
Now that we had confirmed it wasn’t a dungeon...
One of the soldiers had volunteered to enter as a test, then immediately stepped back out.
The result?
The entity’s claim was true.
“In that case, I’ll go in next.”
With the safety check complete...
The soldiers began entering one by one.
“I’ll go first, Sergeant Shin.”
“Go ahead.”
Eventually, even Gwangil stepped inside.
Finally, just as I was about to enter—
Pak.
A thin, eerily emaciated hand suddenly shot out from within the veil.
This must have been the hand Monk Seungju mentioned.
“What? A betrayal at the last moment?”
—Hardly. I value my life just as much as you do. I’m fine with teaching martial arts. However... I have one condition.
I scoffed at its arrogance.
“You think you’re in a position to demand conditions?”
—I know I’m not. And I don’t mean something like holding your people hostage.
“Then what?”
—If my condition isn’t met... I’d rather die fighting than accept it.
This thing...
Just moments ago, it had seemed terrified of death.
Yet now it was claiming that it would rather die if this condition wasn’t fulfilled.
Scratching my head, I sighed.
“Well, let’s hear it.”
—Thank you. My request is simple.
What kind of condition was so serious that it changed the whole atmosphere?
—You may do whatever you wish to me. But do not harm the others inside.
...Others?
There were more inside this thing?
“So let me ask—do these ‘others’ have any chance of attacking us?”
—None. Even if such a situation arose, I would personally intervene. If they do become hostile toward you, then you may consider my request void.
“Hmm.”
—But if they don’t, I ask that you do not harm them.
“Well, that’s not unreasonable.”
It wasn’t like we had come here to start a fight.
—Then. I need proof.
“What proof?”
—Rid me of the stench of blood.
The stench of blood?
—At first, I didn’t notice. But when you approached the veil, I felt it clearly. That overwhelming scent of blood and metal—it belongs to the ones you control, does it not?
Technically, Kkamangi wasn’t controlled.
More like... tamed with food.
But yeah, I could see why it’d feel the same.
—The metallic scent is fine. It exudes an overwhelming presence, but it doesn’t reek of indiscriminate slaughter. The blood scent, however, is another matter.
“My subordinate obeys my orders. She won’t cause trouble.”
—Even if that’s true, I do not wish to allow something that reeks so foully of blood inside. I hope you understand.
Understand?
I frowned.
What if I trusted its words and entered, only to be attacked?
“Cut the crap—”
“Master.”
I was about to reject it outright.
But then...
A woman emerged from my shadow.
Ariella.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea to comply.”
“...What?”
Brushing back her hair, she shot an annoyed look at the hand.
“Getting turned away at the door is annoying, but realistically, I wouldn’t be able to do much inside. If martial arts training takes time, I’d be better off handling something else.”
“...I suppose that’s true.”
“The other soldiers and Mak can guard you. I have a separate task in mind.”
A separate task?
More than anything, I was surprised that she was suggesting something.
She was bound to obey my orders.
Yet here she was, taking initiative.
“I’ve actually had this in mind for a while. Would you like to hear it?”
“...Alright.”
After listening to her plan.
One thought filled my head.
‘Why didn’t I think of this sooner?’
It was something she wanted to do.
And at the same time—
“I like it.”
“I thought you might.”
It was something that would benefit our unit greatly.
She grinned.
“I’ll handle things here. Master, go ahead.”
“Fine. I’m leaving it to you.”
With my approval, she smiled.
“Prepare a feast for me when I return.”
“Yeah, I’ll cook you some blood pudding.”
“Hehe.”
Then she vanished into a mist of blood.
The vampires followed her.
“Is this enough?”
—I appreciate your concession.
Satisfied, the hand withdrew into the veil.
I stepped inside.
[Gate – Entering Celestial Mountain Martial Hall]
Then.
A new world unfolded before my eyes.
And what I saw—
Was shocking.
A towering mountain, sheer cliffs rising impossibly high.
Scattered across its slopes were massive pavilions, remnants of an era long past.
Though worn and crumbling with time, they still hinted at their former splendor—once magnificent structures that must have dominated the landscape.
And beyond it all...
“...What the hell is this?”
Outside the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) mountain’s boundary.
An endless expanse of space stretched into the void.
A single floating mountain, adrift in a vast cosmic abyss.
Surrounding it were fragmented chunks of land—shattered remnants of a world that had long since ceased to exist.
So this is a Gate...
The descriptions I had read.
I now understood them instantly.
A lone mountain.
And the pavilions upon it.
Everything else—completely obliterated.
No.
...A fragment of a world.
I turned my head.
And there.
A man in a mask stood before me.
"Welcome to my homeland," he said.
His voice was calm. Almost indifferent.
"This isn’t exactly the kind of place you’d joke about being ‘nice,’ but... well. I hope you enjoy your stay."
