The dark forest path was completely covered by white cobwebs, blocking the way.
'As expected, this Gate is themed around spiders.'
The concept of this Demonic Gate was a "Spider Lair."
While it was confirmed that the third Gate would be a dual Gate, the type of demons that appeared was random.
Well, judging by the fish killed by the venom leaking from the Gate, it was somewhat predictable.
'...Normally, a combination of Spider Lair and a dual Gate is the worst-case scenario. The terrain here is more of a hindrance than the monsters.'
Unlike the lucky draws from the first and second Gates, this one was a dud.
'But it doesn't matter.'
Inside the Gate, I expanded my sensory range to the maximum.
Ahead, I saw my Master and the Demon Slayer Squad seniors moving swiftly as the vanguard. Sticky webs blocked their path in all directions.
Saaaahhh
My Master conjured ice mid-air.
Swishhhh
Rotating octahedral ice cut through the air, severing the webs on all sides. Simultaneously, the webs adhered to the ice.
But it didn't matter.
The moment the ice was deconstructed and reformed, the webs disappeared entirely along with their anchors.
Perhaps giving my Master an elemental skill book for ranged attacks was the best decision I ever made.
The severed webs were then cleared by the seniors.
Even the lively seniors had turned cold and silent once the battle began.
'My Master and the Demon Slayer Squad seniors… They're far better than most sub-parties.'
And I don't mean just by current standards, but even by the overpowered gacha-heavy game mechanics of my past life.
With them clearing the path so effectively, our movements became significantly easier.
Then it happened.
-Everyone, prepare for combat.
Shin Se-hee's voice rang in my ear.
'These spider bastards... They look disgusting.'
The enemy was the offspring of Arakne, a demon. Hideous monsters with spider bodies and human torsos were closing in to surround us.
Shing
We each drew our weapons in response.
"Shin Se-hee, I'll leave the command to you."
-Leave it to me.
Her confident voice over the communicator made me smirk.
"…Miss Shin Se-hee, wh-what should I do?"
Before Utopia encountered their enemies, Lee Min-young whispered to Shin Se-hee in a trembling voice.
"I… I never thought I'd suddenly have to act as the caster like this… I thought I'd be going into the gate..."
"Hmm…"
Shin Se-hee took her eyes off the orb, lightly tapped her lips, and stared intently at Min-young.
"Miss Min-young."
"Y-yes?"
"You're naturally a very passionate person, aren't you?" "P-passionate?"
"Wasn't there a time when you poured your heart into everything you did? When you burned with zeal for the value of justice? But lately, you haven't shown that side of yourself, have you?"
"…Y-yes, that's true."
Min-young nodded awkwardly.
It was embarrassing, but she had once been consumed by the idea of "justice," charging ahead recklessly like an untamed horse.
But that was in the past.
After meeting Shin Se-hee and confronting reality, she learned firsthand that uncompromising justice was often unattainable.
Now, she lived each day overwhelmed by work, like a hollow shell. The "pure justice" she once pursued had faded into "ambiguous justice."
"What do you think of Utopia as a party?" Shin Se-hee asked, breaking the silence.
"…They're fair, upright, and noble heroes who care for the people."
Shin Se-hee nodded confidently.
"Exactly. I operate as an officer for such a group." "…"
Min-young bit her lip.
Truthfully, she envied her.
Although she considered herself a contributor to Utopia as the leader of a sub-party, what Min-young truly wanted was to belong to such a group and actively work alongside them as Shin Se-hee did.
However, as someone who started as an intern, she found herself stuck in the ambiguous role of sub-party leader.
At that moment, Shin Se-hee spoke again.
"You just need to bring out the old Lee Min-young."
"…The old me?"
"Yes, we're doing the work you admire. But don't you think people know far too little about Utopia?"
"…People know far too little about Utopia?"
Min-young instinctively swallowed and nodded.
She agreed.
As a dedicated fan of Utopia's broadcasts, she often found herself dissatisfied—not with the content itself but with the raw, unfiltered comments from viewers.
Judging Jin Yuha solely by appearance, downplaying Utopia's achievements, or outright slandering them. The lack of respect for heroes who were averting global crises.
Every time, Min-young fought back with fervent keyboard strokes, but her voice was easily drowned out by the overwhelming numbers of viewers.
"This is an opportunity. A chance to pursue your definition of justice in earnest."
Min-young's eyes lit up.
"…An opportunity."
"Heh, now you understand why I brought you here."
Shin Se-hee then turned her gaze away.
"Ah, it looks like the Utopia party is about to encounter the enemy. I'll be heading off to oversee the party. I'm counting on you to handle the broadcast. I trust you."
.
.
.
The broadcast showed Utopia surrounded by grotesque spider-like creatures with human torsos.
-Wow… They look insanely disgusting.
-Well, doesn't matter. One-hit kills, anyway, lol.
-Lmao, Jin Yuha's beauty is working overtime today.
-Demon realm? Gate? What's that?
-Just one of those things where they swing a sword a couple of times and it's cleared, lol.
-Move on from the mobs already. Bring out the bosses. Watching them fight mobs is boring…
Bang!
A loud noise abruptly interrupted the broadcast, startling viewers.
-Holy crap, what was that?
-I think it's the temp caster. What's she doing?
On-screen, Lee Min-young was standing, her expression resolute as she slapped her palm on the table.
"Everyone! Humanity is in danger!"
-Danger?
Min-young's eyebrows twitched as her eyes gleamed with determination.
-…What's up with her?
-Mom, this person looks scary!
-She's intense…
-Se-hee, are you sure this person is supposed to be the host?
The audience, accustomed to Shin Se-hee's gentle broadcasts, was bewildered.
"Let me explain the current situation with Utopia!"
Min-young leaned forward, speaking with rising energy.
"A dense forest with visibility reduced to almost nothing! Sticky spider webs hinder every step, and dangerous enemies spew deadly toxins as they close in! It's an absolute crisis! A candle in the wind! A situation on the brink!"
-Um, is it that serious?
-LOL, she's overdoing it.
-Lol, but I kinda like her energy. Se-hee's broadcasts were nice, but they could feel a bit dull sometimes.
Despite her impassioned speech, the audience's reaction remained lukewarm. But Min-young didn't back down.
"Everyone, if Utopia fails to conquer this gate, Korea—no, the world—will face a grave crisis. Remember this! Please genuinely cheer for our heroes who tread the treacherous paths on our behalf! Let your voices reach Utopia! Clap, clap, clap! U-to-pia!"
-LOLLLLL, what is this?
- How are they supposed to hear us in the gate?
-Who is this person? Suddenly appearing like this
-Se-hee left, and now a complete lunatic is hosting
-Is this some nationalist YouTuber or what?
After enthusiastically clapping for support, Lee Min-young focused on the organized documents and screens in front of her and began the broadcast.
"Now, as I speak! Jin Yuha is drawing his sword! And... it's incredible! As the sword unsheathes, half the enemies are split in two, spewing green blood!!"
Thanks to her habit of handling multiple projects simultaneously while following Shin Se-hee, multitasking like this was second nature to her.
"The skill being used is Lampo! A crazy ability that sweeps all enemies within range the moment the blade is drawn! For a melee DPS to possess such a powerful AoE skill... this is insane—I mean, truly amazing!"
Lee Min-young exclaimed passionately.
"But the enemies won't go down so easily! Look at the blood they spew upon dying! The green fumes rising from the floor—it seems they release poison! Ah, Sophia's skill Divine Grace is countering it! It's a protective barrier against negative status effects from the enemy!"
As a sub-party leader, Lee Min-young had always been diligent in combat analysis.
Her ability to recognize extraordinary details, her perspective of seeing through the eyes of an average person, and her regained passion for justice—all these factors combined led the viewers to focus on and agree with her commentary.
-Wow... I don't think anyone's explained Jin Yuha's skills before.
-That's because... Se-hee gets star-struck whenever Yuha shows up and just stops talking, lol.
-Haha, yeah, that was funny, though.
-Sophia's barrier skill—she worked hard to get that after being affected by status effects during the last demon battle.
-For real, these guys are the GOATs
-Bow down to the legends!
Then came the highlight of this battle.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
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