47. The Company’s Hunting Dogs (2)

[Available Items for Purchase]

[1. Level Measurement]

[Details: Allows you to roughly quantify an opponent’s strength in numerical values. Displayed as levels.]

[Price: 1000P]

[2. Shadow Race]

[Details: When worn, it adheres to the skin and becomes one with the wearer. By infusing magic power, it lowers presence and reduces air resistance, enabling extremely fast movement. Consuming additional magic can enhance physical abilities by over 2 times.]

[Price: 4000P]

[3. Book of Immortality – The Eternal Flesh]

[Details: Creates a separate core of life, granting an immortal body. However, you must steal the lives of others to maintain extra lives. The Book of Immortality disappears after being read 3 times.]

[Price: 10,000P]

“Fuck.”

All three are good. But the last item is seriously broken. As expected of a broken item, it disappears after 3 uses.

‘Who else would read it besides me?’

There’s no one else to read it, right?

Ah, I can have Number 2 read it. Since I was planning to use Number 2 recklessly anyway with their regeneration ability, making them learn this would allow me to use Heart Extraction indiscriminately without them dying. That’d be great.

I need to extract a ton of hearts to properly use abilities like Tentacle Manifestation or Flesh Wall Creation given by the Hunting God. Yeah, in short, I’ll turn Number 2 into an undead heart-producing machine.

Extract the heart, heal them. Extract again, heal again. If I stockpile a bunch of minion hearts, I can use those abilities whenever needed.

‘Well, I’ve got a new goal now.’

Save up 10,000 coins.

The method was surprisingly simple.

“If I destroy Pax Company, I can get 10,000 points.”

Just take out 10 hunters affiliated with Pax Company. Then I’ll immediately get 10,000 points.

“Huff. Huff.”

My breathing quickens. Just by killing 10 people, I can obtain an immortal body. And the more humans I kill, the more extra lives I gain. Perfect.

‘And Shadow Race.’

This is one of the defensive items the protagonist obtains later. I think he gave it to an assassination-type heroine.

‘Its performance is insane.’

Ridiculous instant acceleration and physical enhancement that can tear apart power suits like paper. It’s also amazing how it fuses with the skin so seamlessly you don’t even feel like you’re wearing it.

“Haah. I fucking want it.”

If I want it, I gotta work for it. Then I can wear it and hunt hunters.

“Let’s live diligently.”

I took out the Blood Magic Book and started reading.

I’ll finish this quickly and head back to the other world. Endure for 24 hours, get 2,400 points, then buy Shadow Race right away.

******

[Acquired Blood Arrow.]

[Acquired Blood Explosion.]

“Okay.”

Got another new attack method. Of course, once a fight starts, I usually just smash everything, but it’s good to learn skills in advance for emergencies.

“For now…”

I currently have 2,915 points.

First, I bought Level Measurement. This way, I can identify which monsters give more points. Higher level means more points, right?

Now, 1,915 points left.

Time to enter the other world.

“Retry!”

Let’s go.

******

“Hoo.”

About 17 hours since entering the other world.

During that time, I hunted various monsters and collected over 2,000 points. Now I have 3,948 points. Just a little more and I can buy Shadow Race. Almost there.

“Cough… Fuck.”

Wish I could’ve gathered points faster to reach 4,000.

Now it’s gotten tough.

I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth.

‘How much time has passed since 17 hours…? What time is it now?’

Last I checked, it had been 17 hours. Still 7 hours left to exit.

But what time is it now?

No idea. More importantly, I don’t even know where I am.

My head hurts. My vision spins, and blood pours from my nose.

This is insane. To think I’d get caught in a place like this.

“Hey, Miss. You awake?”

“Cough.”

I’m currently captured by masked men of unknown origin.

They ambushed me while I was splitting a Scissor Ghost’s head.

I don’t know who they are, but I can roughly guess from the patterns on their masks.

‘The largest villain organization in the North. The Gatekeeper.’

The Gatekeeper, the one who opens doors.

This disastrous naming sense belongs to the main villain of this world.

They’re the ones who arbitrarily open Gates to cause monster waves or commit terrorism, the bastards who brought down North Korea and turned the northern region into lawless land.

Yeah, one of the main culprits behind this unprecedented disaster is part of this group, and their underlings captured me and dragged me somewhere in the other world.

“Hey, Miss. How did you get here? What’s the method? There’s no Gate trace. How can you freely enter and exit the other world? Why does your hand smell of the other realm? What is it? Answer me. Huh? We’re curious. Answer well, and we can be on your side. Okay? Miss. Look me straight in the eye and tell me the truth. Let’s share. Each other’s secrets. Okay? Maybe you got a ‘Fragment of the Other Realm’? Right? Tell me. Huh?”

“Cough. Don’t know, fucker. You talk too much.”

“Hoo. Since you’re being uncooperative, we have no choice but to use violence. It’s all your fault. Is sharing secrets that hard? I’ll tell you mine. So tell me yours. Huh? Why won’t you understand me? Hey, Jin. Hit her harder than before.”

“Ugh.”

WHAM!!!!

A guy named Jin punched me in the face.

Blood gushed out.

“Cough… Fucking bastards.”

“Why won’t you tell usss!!!! We couldn’t find any trace of how you entered!!! Just say it!!! You can open Gates, right? You got a Fragment of the Other Realm!!!! Just say it!!! Let’s be allies!!! Huh? I’ll treat you well!!! Don’t ruin that pretty face!!!! Tell me the truth, you fucking bitch!!!!!!”

The man who introduced himself as ‘Chain’ threw a violent tantrum when I refused to talk.

Probably one of the Gatekeeper’s underlings. Seriously, unbelievable. I was careful, but I didn’t expect to get ambushed.

By the way, Chain’s ability is a restraint even my strength can’t break. It seems there are many conditions to activate it, but once it’s on, it’s extremely hard to remove.

And his name is Chain because his ability is restraints? How original.

I’m bound by such a simple bastard.

All my weapons are taken. My whole body is tightly wrapped, unable to move. Looks like I’m done for.

‘Jin isn’t a physical enhancer but more like a modified human.’

Judging by the drool dripping from under his mask, his brain must’ve been tampered with.

The woman in the corner fiddling with a knife is probably an assassin-type.

The guy eating bread at the far end seems to have an inventory-type ability since he spits things out.

‘Individually, they’re nothing special.’

Three Blue Cross Group hunters could’ve slaughtered these bastards in under 30 seconds.

If I hadn’t been ambushed, I could’ve killed them all and taken their points.

I got too careless. The price of carelessness is being dragged to their hideout and tortured.

“Hoo. Okay, Miss. Maybe we were too humane in trying to get you to talk? You’re tougher than we thought. Are you discriminating against me because I’m Asian? Is that it? Huh!!!! Answer me!!!! You’ve just been listening to me rant!!!! Fuck!! Fuuuuck!!!! …..Danbo. Bring it out.”

“Ugh.”

So the bread-eating pig is named Danbo.

Anyway, he finished chewing his bread and spat out something squirming.

“Let’s see if you can keep this attitude after this enters your ear.”

It looked like some grotesque parasite. They’re gonna put this in my ear?

Too greedy. We’re not that close.

‘Might as well do it now.’

I’ve been gathering blood while getting beaten.

All weapons are taken, can’t open inventory, and even if I wanted to summon a Shadow Shikigami, both hands are tightly bound.

Plus, Abanjel’s Magic Book was taken, so to use magic, I’d need to chant, but the moment I try, a knife stabs my thigh.

Only one method left.

Bleeding. Getting stabbed and beaten to bleed.

I got beaten splendidly. Thanks to that, I’ve gathered enough blood.

This is why you should learn as many miscellaneous skills as possible.

They all come in handy.

“Heh. Hahaha. Hehehe.”

“Laughing? This crazy bitch finally lost it? Too late now. Once this enters your ear, you’re…”

“Shut the fuck up. You’re breaking my concentration.”

“Huh?”

“Explode.”

BOOM-!!!!!

All the blood droplets on the floor detonated.

The chair I was sitting on shattered, and the restraints binding me loosened slightly. The cuffs around my hands also tore.

“Gyaaaa!!!!”

“Huff!!!”

Chain, caught in the Blood Explosion, clutched his torn face and screamed.

Blood Explosion deals more damage to others.

Since my blood is the medium, it’s better not to use it, but it’s perfect for turning the tables.

“Haa!!!”

The woman fiddling with the knife charged at me. Reacting quickly to the chaos.

I activated Scale Skin Armor to strengthen my arm and swung my right arm at the knife she thrust at me.

Thud!

A slight flesh wound. That’s it. She must’ve maximized her attack power with her ability, but my Scale Skin Armor was tougher.

“Wha-!? What the!?”

Not bad for just a tiny wound-her knife blade shattered.

I swung my fist to smash the panicking woman’s face…

THUD!!!!

“Fuck!!”

Jin, the modified human, tackled me, making me miss the chance to crush the assassin woman’s face.

“You fucker!!!”

Worse, Chain, recovering from the Blood Explosion, aimed a pistol at me with one hand while clutching his torn face.

If he regains focus, he’ll bind me again. Need to kill him first.

Still no weapons, can’t open inventory.

But I have plenty of blood.

Die.

SPLAT!!!!!!!

“Huh? Wha-!? Gyaaaaaa!!!! My sooooon!!!! My sooooooon!!!!!!”

I used the blood on the floor to shoot a Blood Arrow, blowing off Chain’s wrist.

Lucky he wasn’t focused enough to dodge.

“Kyaaaaaa!!!!!”

Ignoring Chain collapsing in pain, I turned intangible to escape Jin’s grasp. Then I phased my arm into his chest before solidifying again.

BOOM!!!!!

Two objects occupying the same space caused an explosion.

Naturally, Jin’s chest blew apart. My arm, wrapped in Scale Skin Armor, was mostly fine.

This armor is tougher than I thought. High performance indeed.

[30 Points Acquired]

“T-this can’t be…”

“Ugh…”

Chain, with his wrist blown off by the Blood Arrow, was wailing on the ground. Jin just died with my arm in his chest.

The assassin woman was backing away to escape, and Danbo was frozen in fear, staring at me.

Danbo’s just pathetic. Just need to deal with the woman.

“Hey, come here.”

“No!!”

The woman frantically ran up the stairs.

Not letting her go.

I lunged and grabbed her left wrist.

She desperately tried to kick free, but I used Other World Infiltration on her wrist first.

“Gyaaaaaa!!!!!”

The woman screamed in agony.

Before she could suffer more, I mercilessly slammed her spine.

-CRACK!!!!!

“Guh!?”

Her lower body gave out. As she collapsed like a paraplegic, I caught and threw her back into the basement.

Oh right, this is a basement. Soundproofed, I guess-no one’s coming down despite the screams. Were there only these four?

Why did they capture me to interrogate me about my abilities?

They kept asking about Fragments of the Other Realm. Are they collecting them?

I’ll find out by beating it out of them.

“Alright, friends. Let’s have a little chat. First… Danbo.”

“U-ugh…”

“Spit out all my stuff.”

As I picked up a knife from the floor and glared, Danbo tearfully started vomiting out all the items he’d taken.

An inventory-type ability. Interesting.

Danbo finished vomiting everything.

I immediately sprayed high-quality healing potion made from Goblin Shaman on Chain’s severed wrist.

This should stop the bleeding. Can’t let him die yet.

Gonna torture him more before killing him.