I immediately pulled out my smartphone to check the capacity limits of the fixed Gates managed by the Association nearby. Perhaps because F-Rank Gates were unpopular, they were wide open, but the E-Rank Gates wouldn't have an available slot for another six hours.
'...Let's put going to an E-Rank Gate on hold for now.'
The crowd was one issue, but the bigger problem was that I was a man known by the derogatory nickname "Glass Cannon." If someone saw me suddenly spamming skills, they might report me, suspecting the use of illegal drugs.
'Since F-Rank Gates don't always produce mana stones, nobody comes because it's not cost-effective...'
I left the house and headed to an F-Rank fixed Gate managed by the Association, and as expected, there was no one in front of it.
'Since no one looks for them, there isn't even any management personnel.'
Thinking that this was actually better, I entered. Immediately, an F-Rank monster, a goblin, came into view.
"Magic Missile 10%." —Shuwoong! Pung!
[You have defeated a monster.] [Experience for Innate Ability: ??? Lv.2 increases by 0.2%.] [Experience for Magic Missile (D) Lv.2 increases by 4.2%.]
For starters, I knew I could kill an F-Rank monster in one shot, though I couldn't tell if it was an overkill. However, one thing was certain: I no longer had to run as a mercenary while enduring power trips.
'An F-Rank mana stone is 20,000 won, and on average, 15 to 20 stones drop in an F-Rank Gate.'
Since thirty monsters appear in an F-Rank Gate, it meant I could enter twice when my mana was at its maximum.
'Then my monthly income will more than double, and I can effectively train both my innate ability and my skills.'
If I used my skill at least sixty times a day and applied the three-day cycle it took for my mana to recover...
'My innate ability level will rise on the 17th Gate entrance.'
Since I had already used close to 15 mana earlier today, I had to go home after finishing just this Gate. In that case...
"24 days from now. The level of my innate ability will rise."
The effect was already this significant just from reaching Lv.2, and my income level had increased at least twofold. Effectively, the reason to give up the Hunter life had vanished.
'Now the only thing left is whether I should inform the Hunter Association.'
What the Hunter Association had invested in me were four A-Rank elixirs. Since they were elixirs worth 200 million won each, I had no choice but to sign a debt contract.
'...It's better not to inform them.'
If possible, it was better to sell only as many mana stones as I needed and store the rest. If I suddenly started paying back the debt rapidly, the Association might notice something was wrong just from that.
'For now, I should clear the Gate, go back, and draw up a proper plan.'
**
On my way back after clearing the F-Rank Gate, I stopped by a convenience store and bought a small notebook. I intended to record my plans by hand, just in case.
'Is this too much?'
I slowly shook my head and wrote down all my circumstances and my current position. After weighing the risks, returns, and public perception, the result was clear.
'Entering an E-Rank Gate is a bad move.'
It wasn't just a matter of being misunderstood for using illegal drugs. If a report was filed, the Association would try to investigate me. If I made even a small mistake in that process...?
'I haven't tested it yet, but if I pump in double the mana, the power will likely double as well.'
If the power, which was already around B+ to A- at the previous 100% state, doubled... The Association would measure it at A+ or higher. Then, they might try to exploit me under the guise of helping me pay off my debt quickly.
'Even if I use double the mana, I can still use the skill three times just like before.'
They would likely forcibly take me to the Gate Disposal Unit operated by the Association and make me kill mid-bosses and bosses of B-Rank Gates or higher.
'In the worst-case scenario, I have to consider being forced into even higher-level dungeons.'
Therefore, I would give up on E-Rank Gates and enter F-Rank Gates every time my mana recovered. It wouldn't hurt to wait until I reached Lv.3 and confirmed the changes before making a move.
'...Before long, I'll be able to strip away that derogatory "Glass Cannon" nickname.'
**
Three days later, I began repeatedly running F-Rank Gates in earnest. The only problem was that monsters in fixed Gates only respawned after five or more days.
'Well, there are dozens of fixed F-Rank Gates in Seoul alone anyway.'
Only my travel time increased; clearing the Gates themselves took only an hour or two.
'Growth is what I want, not just profit.'
Thus, I ran a Gate once every three days and came home to record the types of monsters caught and the number of mana stones obtained. Through this, I discovered that among F-Rank monsters, undead monsters dropped mana stones most frequently.
'Gates with undead monsters drop as many as 23 mana stones.'
The Gates with the lowest drop rates were those where beast-type monsters appeared. Up until today, the 15th day, I had entered such Gates twice, and both times only 12 stones had dropped.
'It seems the "15 to 20" range I knew was just an average.'
The reason other Hunters didn't seek out F-Rank Gates was that they preferred party play for minimum safety. When three people clear an F-Rank Gate and split the loot, they sometimes don't even earn 100,000 won.
'They could just enter Gates consecutively like me, but entering three or four times is a stretch for most.'
There were physical stamina issues, and one would have to account for travel time to make a profit similar to mine. However, the story changed if one went to E-Rank Gates instead of F-Rank.
'E-Rank mana stones are 100,000 won each.'
Only thirty monsters appear, just like in an F-Rank Gate, but unlike F-Rank, the drop rate is 100%. This meant that even clearing just one E-Rank Gate a day would result in a higher income than mine.
'That's why F-Rank Gates are abandoned, but for the current me, it's a blessing.'
Thinking thus, I continued my Gate runs. On the 18th day, I entered goblin Gates back-to-back.
'...Something is strange.'
The second Gate I entered was one I had visited since reaching Lv.2, but I noticed something different from the last time.
'The state of the goblins has subtly changed.'
About 16 mana stones dropped, similar to last time, but I felt as if they were detecting me from a much further distance than before.
'An Irregular? Or a precursor to a Gate evolution?'
An increase in a monster's detection range was a phenomenon that occurred before the birth of an Irregular monster or a Gate's evolution.
'That is, assuming the safety training I received from the Association is true...'
So, after clearing all the goblins inside the Gate, I went to check the Gate Fixing Anchor installed by the Association. There was a recommendation to "report after checking," after all.
'Even if I find a problem, I can't report it.'
I would have to reveal that I cleared an F-Rank Gate alone or lie and say I cleared it with someone else. To say I cleared it alone, I needed to be prepared to act the part convincingly.
'If I say I cleared it with others, they'll obviously tell me to bring those people in.'
Thus, I decided not to return to this Gate next time. I went home and meticulously recorded everything. Sure enough, on the 21st day, as I was about to leave the house, I heard the loud sound of sirens.
'...It's coming from where that goblin Gate was.'
I had planned to go elsewhere anyway, but I walked over for a moment to check the situation. Upon arriving at the scene, I saw Association employees and Association-affiliated Hunters gathered in droves around the Gate.
"Is something going on?" "Are you a Hunter?" "...I'm only F-Rank, but yes, I am a Hunter." "Let me check your ID."
After checking my ID, the Association employee nodded indifferently, muttered "Glass Cannon" under his breath, and explained the situation.
"An energy wave exceeding E-Rank has suddenly started emitting from the F-Rank Gate we were managing." "...Does that mean the Gate has evolved?" "We won't know for sure until the internal scouting is finished, but it looks like an Irregular monster has been born."
If a Gate simply evolved, an exact mana value would be displayed. However, they said the Association's monitors were currently showing ambiguous values between E and D-Rank.
"Ah... I see. Thank you for letting me know." "Not at all."
I had intended to head somewhere else today anyway, but I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret at the mention of an Irregular monster.
'I heard that if you kill an Irregular monster, you can gain a massive amount of skill experience.'
I might have been able to ignore the experience that was stuck at 76% today and gone straight to Lv.3. That would have shaved three or four days off my schedule, allowing me to move on to the next stage quickly.
'...There will be another chance.'