Ch.24The Saint Didn’t Know

Fighting in a monster colony was a taboo act for close-combat hunters.

No matter how strong they were or how specialized their abilities were for extermination, hunters who primarily used close-combat tactics were advised to avoid engagement upon discovering a monster nest.

The reason was simple.

Every substance that came from monsters acted as poison to humans.

If blood from dead monsters entered wounds, if flesh stuck to skin for too long, or if one inhaled blood powder floating in the air, the body would gradually be consumed by poison.

One might not die immediately, but there were no fools who didn’t understand what sudden deterioration of condition during battle could lead to.

Even D-rank hunters knew this information.

Then, the blood-covered woman before his eyes.

The woman eating a goblin.

The woman standing perfectly fine despite the thick scent of blood in the air.

“What are you?”

What on earth was she?

“……”

“……”

Silence fell.

Monster blood acts as poison to humans?

That’s absurd.

She had been eating it for four years with no adverse effects.

If it truly had been poisonous, they would have been in the Lord’s embrace long ago.

Eila briefly wondered if it was because she was from another world, but then remembered that the Hero had also eaten monster meat without any issues, so she kept her mouth shut.

She couldn’t understand the situation.

How should she react to learning that the food she had been eating naturally all this time was actually poison?

“I won’t ask twice. What are you?”

One thing was clear: the man in front of her was suspicious of her.

“W-what is this…?”

“W-what’s going on? How are you still alive?!”

The other two, noticing something strange, came in and faced Eila.

“How are you fine after being covered in that much blood?”

Seong Sin-yeong exclaimed in shock.

“[Purify].”

Actions speak louder than words.

Eila moved quickly.

With a snap of her fingers, a pale green light swept over her body.

Before the others could react, all the blood covering Eila’s body disappeared without a trace.

“See?”

“…Magic?”

“Something similar. That’s why I can withstand a certain level of toxicity.”

“S-so that’s it…”

Choi Jin-sung’s suspicious gaze remained, but he sheathed his sword nonetheless.

At the same time, Ha Yu-ra, who had collapsed earlier, got up with Gu Ha-jun’s support.

“Hee… Huh? Wait? I’m sure she was covered in blood…”

“If we’re done here, let’s head back. I got a communication earlier saying another team found the core.”

“Just a moment.”

Eila dashed into the source of the blood bath.

From the center of the cavity, where blood flowed and corpses were piled, Eila retrieved something.

When she returned, she was holding what looked like a staff in one hand and a sword in the other.

“That, could it be…!”

Seong Sin-yeong pointed at the staff in Eila’s hand.

Eila answered briefly.

“It seems to be an artifact. They probably used this artifact’s ability to hide the passage, right?”

“Then what about that sword?”

Choi Jin-sung showed interest in the sword.

Probably because he used a sword himself.

“Who knows? I just took it because the goblins were using it. Could this be an artifact too?”

“Oh, ohh… How was its cutting power?”

“Not bad. It was stuck in my arm, after all…”

“What?”

Gu Ha-jun interjected.

For a moment, he doubted his ears.

What was stuck in what?

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ve healed it.”

Eila answered nonchalantly.

Gu Ha-jun closed his mouth after hearing her response.

“…Then let’s get out of here. I’m exhausted…”

“Yeah, let’s do that…”

“Sounds good…”

At Ha Yu-ra’s whining, everyone prepared to leave.

But unlike their bodies, their gazes were honest.

Choi Jin-sung and Seong Sin-yeong couldn’t take their eyes off the artifacts in Eila’s hands.

“…Do you want them?”

“Really?!”

“Is that okay?!”

As soon as Eila offered the artifacts, the two quickly responded.

“…Well, I don’t really need these things anyway…”

Eila placed the artifacts in their hands.

The sword for Choi Jin-sung, the staff for Seong Sin-yeong.

The two stared blankly at the artifacts in their hands.

“A-are you sure? You’re the one who found these artifacts.”

Seong Sin-yeong said.

Her tone suggested it wasn’t necessary, but she couldn’t hide her twitching lips and curved eyes.

And for good reason—what she held in her hand was an artifact.

How much would this sell for at auction…?

Artifacts could be sold for high prices.

They might be purchased for a collector’s collection, bought for research somewhere, or acquired by another hunter at a premium.

For low-ranked hunters with limited income opportunities, artifacts were like money-making lucky charms.

There was no way someone would give away such a valuable item without conditions—

“Well, they’re useless to me… They should be used by someone who can use them properly.”

Eila answered matter-of-factly.

It was only natural.

If she couldn’t use an artifact, it was right to give it to someone who could use it more effectively.

To begin with, Eila had no concept that artifacts could be traded for money.

Since there had been no one to buy artifacts she found before, this was natural.

To Eila, artifacts were just like ownerless items found while walking down the street, nothing more.

“Oh, ohh…”

“Thank you…!”

Choi Jin-sung gazed at the sword with exclamation, while Seong Sin-yeong bowed her head while hugging the staff tightly.

“Let’s hurry up!”

“Ah, coming!”

A loud voice came from the distance.

The other two had already gone back to their previous location.

The remaining three quickly returned the way they came.

“What happened to you all? Why are you so late…?”

“Let’s head back quickly. We’ll be late at this rate.”

“Got it.”

The five headed back toward the dungeon entrance.

When Eila slightly turned her head, she could see the path to the cavity.

Had the concealment of the passage been lifted?

Well, since the situation was already over, it didn’t matter anymore.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

While walking, a voice came from the front.

After clearing his throat a few times, Gu Ha-jun slowly opened his mouth.

“Thanks for… helping me.”

“…Pfft!”

Choi Jin-sung burst into laughter.

The others were also twitching their lips, just not laughing out loud.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing, I was just wondering what you were going to say…”

“I’m alive thanks to her. Can’t I say thank you?”

Gu Ha-jun replied grumpily.

Indeed. Seeing someone with his build and expression speaking so shyly was quite amusing.

“Um…”

Feeling someone tapping her back, Eila turned around.

Ha Yu-ra was poking her back.

‘She’s like a small animal.’

“H-how old are you…?”

“I’m 17.”

“Eh?! Y-you’re young… Then, can I speak casually to you?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Hmm… Then Eila, earlier you threw a stone toward the passage.”

“Yes.”

Was she referring to when I threw a pebble to provoke them because I sensed they were about to ambush us?

She probably didn’t see me fighting in that nest.

“How did you know…? I didn’t notice anything.”

“…Well, didn’t you just get a feeling?”

“…You’re saying it was intuition?”

“I guess so?”

Ha Yu-ra closed her mouth.

She couldn’t detect monsters that even her enhanced vision missed, just by intuition?

“Like, magic or maybe an artifact…”

“I’m not sure. Didn’t you feel something tingling?”

“I didn’t feel anything like that…”

Eila tilted her head.

They didn’t notice that?

And she’s an archer?

Eila looked at Ha Yu-ra.

She wasn’t expecting her to calculate the distance to the target, wind direction, humidity, or temperature, but shouldn’t an archer at least be able to sense if enemies were nearby?

That’s what archers are supposed to do.

‘Even considering how good Ms. Pinel’s intuition was, this is a bit…’

Eila slightly lowered her evaluation of Ha Yu-ra.

It was unfair to Ha Yu-ra.

How could someone who had been an archery athlete until last year develop the intuition of a veteran who had spent four years in dungeons?

‘Come to think of it, the others are also a bit…’

Eila’s gaze shifted to Gu Ha-jun.

Did he not know the ceiling would collapse?

Or was he confident he would be fine even if it did?

Judging by his earlier thanks for helping him, it was probably the former.

Doesn’t that mean he failed to properly check the safety of his path?

It was fortunate it was just a simple cave-in; if it had been a trap that gave her no time to intervene, he would be a cold corpse by now.

Eila significantly lowered her evaluation of Gu Ha-jun.

‘As for the remaining two…’

Eila’s gaze now shifted to Seong Sin-yeong and Choi Jin-sung.

Those two… she wasn’t sure.

She hadn’t seen them fight, so there was no way to know.

If a few goblins jumped out, she could gauge their skills, but unfortunately, no monster presence could be felt nearby.

Still, the fact that they used those two as vanguard and scout suggested the remaining two had similar skill levels.

Eila slightly lowered her evaluation of the two stroking their artifacts.

She didn’t yet know that they were promising talents scheduled to be promoted to B-rank soon.