Gates: Volume 1

Chapter 1

"Can you believe this Jackson? She's insane!" Shroud Maria, a television anchor for CNN.

They had been flying over the dungeon break in Alaska, anxiously following the continued displays of fortitude and power by the S-Rank hunters that had been fending for both their own and the residents' lives. That is, till a bright flash of blue lightning crashed down on the battlefield.

News outlets around the world lit up like wildfire, everyone's anxiousness and worry immediately dissipating as shock found its place. All the other S-Ranks stood there frozen, shocked expressions being held on their faces. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't enter their fight: both monsters being out of their league.

Eunjung's eyes shone a cool blue as sparks of lightning went off all around her. She was cloaked in a brown trench coat, a white collared top and black pants being found underneath. A cold expression was plastered on her face as she let out a sigh, looking at the blue system message in front of her.
<Defeat Hidden Boss Monster [Mythical Knight, Lancelot] and reclaim your territory>

With a steadying of her breath and a summoning of her daggers from her inventory, Eunjung charged at the mythical knight, clashing weapons with a flash of mana.

*1 year earlier*

A black haired girl let out a loud yawn, her being exhausted from all the work she had to do over the week. She could feel her eyes becoming more dull as she looked at the computer screen, along with a stiffness forming within her fingers into her forearms. From all of that she could tell one thing for certain, it was time for a break.

This is Eunjung Han, a 23 year old office worker right out of college. To say the least: it was boring as hell to manage and count all the data. Though, it's not like she cared that much, it was paying the bills and what she was counting at the least being interesting. She worked for a subgroup of the United States Hunter's Association, or the USHA, named "Hunter Shop." A true civil servant, that's what she was.

Now, while there are many hunters around the world, each being able to gain fame and glory from their work, it was the top ranked hunters (the S-Rank hunters) that truly were famous. Like celebrities, S-Rank hunters are known by just about everyone in the world: many starring in movies, going on talk shows, and constantly being followed by paparazzi: each having so many fans it's hard to even think about.

One of those fans happened to be Eunjung. She fell in love with the hunter world the first time she saw it. She could remember the exact moment: watching the top hunter in the world, Raemond Beues, go on his first ever raid. She could remember it clear as day, watching the tall broad shouldered golden haired young man on her phone screen; Raemond walking into the raid and pummeling the ghoul-like boss monster to pulp with his bare fist. Through Raemond and other hunters like him she was brought into the world of hunters: leading her to where she was in life.

Yet, no matter how infatuated Eunjung was with the lives and abilities of hunters, she could never become one. She was a normal human who had never gone through an awakening. The closest she could ever get to the hunter world is by doing what she currently was: collecting and managing data. Well, maybe if she got lucky she could work for a guild or even become a guild master...though those spots were usually reserved for hunters. So she would have to be content with simple collection and management of data, well specifically the management of all resources and items coming out of gates on US land and the buying and selling of items through Hunter Shop.

"Top hunter Raemond Beues, or Hunter Eagle, renews his contract with United States guild, Ares Guild, for another 10 years." Eunjung read from her phone, it being the headline notification of a news outlet she followed. She sighed as she grabbed a fresh cup of coffee from the break room, knowing for a fact she would be up all night reading the article.