Chapter 1184: The Type of Gates
Mason escorted Aldrian and his wives to the fortress. The military had already detected them through radar and intended to question them, with the commander himself, an SSS-rank powerhouse, coming in person. However, the moment he saw the face of the leader of the Hunter Association, he was stunned.
"Mister Mason? What are you doing here and..." The SSS-rank general then turned to look at Aldrian and his wives, his expression shifting to astonishment.
’Aren’t these the otherworlders mentioned in the notice from headquarters? How are they with Mister Mason?’ he thought.
"I brought our guests here to look around, and I would like to see the portal, General," Mason said.
The man felt uneasy about granting these otherworlders access to such a restricted area.
But what could he do? Mason, as a hunter, held far more seniority. Although he was not part of the military, the established hierarchy placed Mason above him. Moreover, he possessed privileges—privileges agreed upon by both the Hunter Association and the military.
With that authority, Mason and Aldrian’s group were allowed to approach the portal under the escort of the general.
After a few moments, under the watchful eyes of many soldiers, Aldrian finally stood near the portal and observed it from close range.
"In this world, gates are separated into two categories. They are called Type One and Type Two. Even then, they are further separated into gates hostile to Earth and gates capable of forming amicable relationships with Earth." Mason explained.
"Type One gates are those that fully connect our planet to other planets. These gates can be cleared by killing all the beings inside, but doing so will not sever our connection to those worlds,"
"The Type Two category consists of gates that are also connected to other strange worlds, but on a much smaller scale. Their numbers may be greater or fewer than Type One gates, but once we clear them, the gates will collapse shortly after, cutting off the connection. However, we must do so within a limited timeframe. Otherwise, an incident known as a gate break will occur." Mason took a deep breath and released it.
"The gate break will cause the beings from the connected world to be thrown out into ours. This would be a complete disaster if it happened in a populated area."
"We still do not know why this rule exists for this type of gate. Well... at least that was the case until recently, when some Type Two gates did not collapse even after we cleared them."
"This Land of Blood gate is a Type One gate. Beyond it lies a hostile civilization that has already attempted to invade us several times. They are powerful and possess many SSSS-rank beings." Mason paused as he continued observing the gate in detail.
Aldrian, who had been listening the entire time, finally gained a clearer understanding of the gates. However, compared to the knowledge held by the people of Earth, he understood far more. He could see and sense the deeper intricacies of these "gates."
In essence, they were no different from ordinary portals that connected one place to another. The concept itself was similar to warp gates, except these formed naturally and could link entirely different worlds.
When the changes from the First Heaven finally reached the Outer Realm, they triggered phenomena that had never occurred before. One of them was the appearance of these portals, linking different worlds, something that even the worlds within the Inner Realm found extremely difficult, nearly impossible to achieve.
The Day of the Apocalypse’s Descent marked the moment when the effects of the First Heaven’s change reached Earth, turning a world once filled with mortals into a battlefield for other races.
Especially those already under the influence of Tarius.
The distinction between Type One and Type Two gates lay in what they were connected to. Type One gates connected to complete worlds, truly different planets, while Type Two gates led to secret realms whose connections could collapse far more easily.
Aldrian could clearly sense, across the entire world, which gates were Type One and which were Type Two based on the strength of the spatial connection between the two points.
The connections to secret realms were much weaker compared to those that linked to different planets.
Since the connection to these secret realms was unstable from the very beginning, such gates would naturally collapse much faster. When a gate collapsed, it could create phenomena such as spatial rifts that would pull many beings from the other side into Earth.
The gate break phenomenon was essentially a chaotic form of transportation that forced beings from the other side, who were accidentally sucked into spatial rifts, into this world.
Type Two gates would inevitably collapse, but the same did not fully apply to Type One gates. The connections of Type One gates were far more stable and could persist for much longer.
However, Aldrian knew that ever since he made the First Heaven his domain, another change had taken place. The space across the Outer Realm had begun to stabilize. This strengthened the connections of Type Two gates, causing them to gradually transform into Type One gates.
If the space continued to stabilize and grow stronger, then all existing gates could remain connected, while the appearance of new gates would gradually decrease until none appeared at all.
This was the consequence of the First Heaven restoring order after the disruption caused by the invasion of Tarius’ followers.
Earth had already entered an era from which it could not return since the Day of the Apocalypse’s Descent.
"What kind of civilization is inside?" Aldrian asked.
"There are various civilizations, but the ones posing the greatest threat and constantly targeting Earth are humans from the other side. However, they are extremely strong, with a terrifying aura that can drive people insane," Mason replied.
"In fact, that power is not limited to humans. Some other races possess the same aura, and they are just as powerful. Their strength can rival several people of the same rank, which is extremely dangerous for us. If not for the united efforts of countless hunters since the gates first appeared, we would likely have already been occupied by them." His expression turned furious.
"They are a savage bunch that does not hesitate to spread destruction wherever they appear. They do not hesitate to destroy, to kill, to plunder, to kidnap, to rape, or to do anything that spreads chaos and disorder." He took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing.
"There are many gates connected to these kinds of beings with this strange power. Many have already been cleared, and many are still active." He looked at the gate.
Aldrian nodded in understanding. What Mason described was none other than devils, and the gate before him connected to a world already under Tarius’ influence.
He knew this because he could sense the devil’s energy seeping out from the gate and could see the world on the other side, already occupied by devils.
"I see," Aldrian replied. He then turned to Mason.
"Mister Mason, can otherworlders clear the gates as well?"
Mason looked at Aldrian and nodded. "Of course. They only need permission from the rulers of the area where the gate is located and must coordinate with the local hunters. In fact, this is not uncommon."
"Some otherworlders who have good relations with us face similar problems, with gates appearing in their worlds as well. We sometimes assist them in clearing those gates, creating mutual benefits for both sides."
Aldrian looked at the gate for a few moments before turning back to Mason.
"Mister Mason, may I try to clear this gate?"
Mason and the general standing behind him were stunned. They blinked several times before their eyes widened in shock. Mason’s expression quickly shifted, his eyes lighting up as he answered in an excited voice.
"Of course, Your Excellency. If you truly can clear this gate, then I—no, the entire people of America will be deeply grateful."
How could he not be happy?
The being before him was someone far stronger than an SSSS-rank. If Aldrian could clear this gate, the one that felt like a hidden blade hanging over his head, then nothing could be better.
He had already passed the stage where his pride made him want this gate to be cleared by hunters from the US alone. What mattered most now was ensuring that these dangerous gates were dealt with and that no catastrophic incident occurred while he held the position of Master of the Hunter Association.
As for the general, he could only follow Mason’s decision. Although the military was responsible for guarding this gate, with Mason personally present, the highest authority naturally fell to him.
All he needed to do was report everything that happened here to headquarters in Washington.
Aldrian smiled upon hearing Mason’s response and turned to his wives, who had been watching the exchange with interest.
"My love, would you like to try this gate?"
The three women smiled.
"Well, I think it’s a good time for some warm-up. It has been quite a while since I last used my techniques with the intent to kill," Baek Jimin replied.
Sylphia nodded. "It is also good. We can help make Earth a safer place."
Angelica did not say anything, but she agreed with her sisters.
Aldrian nodded with a smile. "Good."
He then turned to Mason. "So we just need to enter the gate, right?"
"Wait, Your Excellency, may I follow you inside?" Mason asked.
Aldrian raised his eyebrows before nodding. "Of course, Mister Mason."
Mason’s expression brightened, but he spoke again. "My apologies, but could we spread the news that you will attempt to clear this gate to the public? I believe they would be glad to know it may be cleared."
Aldrian smiled at him. "You are quite confident that we can clear this gate?"
Mason smiled. "I simply feel that Your Excellency and the ladies can definitely clear it. From what I know about this gate, it should not be difficult for you."
His tone was filled with confidence.
Aldrian approached the gate. "Suit yourself," he said.
