Ch.20White Russian 2

“The total price is 100,000 won-.”

I smiled brightly and clenched both hands.

The young swordsman made a troubled expression at the price he just heard.

I thought I was quoting a reasonable price for hiring a healer.

Is it too expensive for a beginner party…?

Just as I was starting to feel a bit sorry, the older man approached me with quickened steps.

Instead of the swordsman, he pressed some bills into my hand.

“Hey, 100,000 won for potions of this quality is actually cheap.”

The older man recited potion market prices he’d heard while working at the Association, giving a speech about how cost-effective my cocktails were.

His companions’ faces gradually lost their vitality, as if listening to a boring lecture from a school principal.

Eventually, the swordsman was convinced and asked when I would come sell potions again.

I told them I usually come on Mondays, when my shop is closed.

The older man was disappointed that he could only buy cocktails once a week.

Especially Seah, who pressed her lips together bitterly while grabbing my sleeve.

She said she had something to give me and pulled something from her pocket.

“This is…”

What the girl held out was a pair of wolf ears.

<Night Stalker’s Ears>

Grade: ★★★☆ (Epic)

Effect: When placed on both sides of the head and focused, one can hear sounds from up to 1km away.

Information: There are rumors that if worn too long, they become one with the head, so be careful.

“This is all I can give you…”

Seah placed her hand over her mouth and spoke softly.

I waved my hands, saying I couldn’t accept such a valuable item.

The Night Stalker’s ears are items that drop with an extremely low probability even among wolves.

Because of this, they’re worth about 200,000-400,000 won.

“You’re a merchant, aren’t you? It would be more helpful for you to have them when you’re traveling around than for me.”

The girl smiled shyly.

Looking at that pure smile, I somehow found the wolf ears already in my hand.

These would certainly keep me safe when walking alone at night.

I wouldn’t need earphones to observe all the surrounding sounds.

“Try them on. We should check if they work properly.”

Seah suggested, curious about the item’s performance.

“Really? Well, I’ll try them on just once…”

Seah nodded with her hands clasped together.

Unable to resist her reaction, I held one ear in each hand.

“Do I do it like this?”

I placed the wolf ears on both sides of my head like a headband and looked at Seah.

She covered her mouth with her hand and gave me a thumbs up.

I definitely feel my hearing becoming more sensitive.

I closed my eyes and slowly focused on the surrounding sounds.

“—.”

I hear something.

Where is it coming from?

It’s from the park.

Someone is quietly talking in the dense forest.

“Did you catch it-?”

“No, we lost it.”

“We have no face to show the Association President…”

I couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation clearly.

But what’s certain is that the conversation is coming from the park.

That place has always been known for frequent monster appearances.

It’s so gloomy and dark that even B-rank hunters don’t dare to go there.

Despite that, the fact that there are people there…

It probably means high-rank hunters are raiding the monsters abundant in the park.

I can’t miss this opportunity.

They could be my second customers.

I removed the ears from my head and blinked.

There was a momentary feeling of dazedness, but the item’s performance is definitely real.

I couldn’t accept such a good item for the price of just two Molotov cocktails.

I tried to return the ears to Seah.

But she quickly turned away to avoid taking them back.

Instead, Seah asked me in a small, mumbling voice.

“In exchange… could I get your number?”

“Huh? Why do you want my number…?”

“It’s nothing special, I just want to buy more Molotov cocktails later…”

She pointed at the Molotov she was holding and stammered.

Well, my special Molotov cocktails do have exceptional performance.

With a satisfied feeling, I wrote down my number for her.

“Come visit my shop sometime. I’ll make you a delicious cocktail.”

Seah, carefully treasuring the number, nodded like a child.

Having finished my business, I hoisted my chubby backpack again.

Unlike before, the bag had become somewhat lighter.

But it’s still not enough.

I still have several potions left, and I need to sell them all to make this long journey worthwhile.

To do that, I need to find the owners of the voices I just heard from the park.

“Well, I’ll be going now. See you next week.”

I bowed politely with the wolf ears placed on both sides of my head.

I needed to track the source of the sound again.

The older man waved with a pleased expression, and the swordsman waved with a grateful face.

As for Seah… I’m not sure.

Her expression has been a bit strange for a while.

On the surface, I can’t tell, but could she have some internal injury?

Her face looks dazed and flushed.

I thought about giving her a potion good for internal injuries, but by the time I voiced that thought, they were already far away.

I watched their diminishing silhouettes.

Though they had their disagreements, someday they would become reliable companions for each other.

Without a doubt.

This is a certainty born from my experience as a former hunter.

“…”

Their shadows disappeared beyond the horizon.

But I waited until I could no longer hear the hunters’ voices.

Afterward, I hurriedly headed toward the park.

If I dawdled any longer, I might miss my second customers.

Fortunately, I no longer heard monster cries around me.

It should be safe to move a bit faster.

I smell something.

The scent of blood that stimulates my nose.

That smell extends along the path of fir trees.

I followed the scent instinctively, bending down with my nose close to the ground.

But suddenly, in the middle of the path, the blood scent disappeared.

And no matter how much I wandered around, I couldn’t see any hunters or hunted monsters.

“That’s strange… it should be around here.”

Could they have already devoured everything and left?

Frustrated, I removed the wolf ears from my head.

It was a bit annoying, but I decided to bend down and examine the ground.

Usually, in such remote paths, human traces tend to remain.

Among the scattered fir leaves, you can sometimes find awkwardly crushed traces where people have stepped.

There must be some here too…

Found it.

Several faint footprints leading toward the bushes.

I followed those traces and leisurely entered the forest.

After pushing through the branches clinging to my body, I eventually came upon a clearing.

There stood a lone electrical tower.

The tower, illuminated by moonlight, gave a strangely mysterious feeling.

But there were no hunters who had finished their raid there either.

“Wasted effort…”

I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

I learned these search techniques in the military, but did I make a mistake?

I rubbed my neck and plopped down in front of the electrical tower.

I was a bit tired from forcibly pushing through the bushes.

I placed my backpack on my knees.

Then I opened the zipper and rummaged around for something suitable to drink.

What would be good?

I’m getting hungry too, maybe a Kahlua milk? Or a cool, clean gin fizz…

I was in the middle of making this small decision.

My hand holding the potion stopped abruptly without my realizing it.

The blood scent that had faded was gradually becoming more distinct.

Clearly, there’s no one around here except me.

Yet suddenly the smell of blood is vibrating intensely when there was no sign before.

This means that something bleeding has started moving because of me.

Sweat runs down my spine.

I slowly take out not Kahlua, not gin fizz, but a Molotov cocktail from my backpack.

And I slowly looked around.

“What’s this, there’s clearly no one…”

My words suddenly stop.

Because something touched my back.

I immediately sensed what that soft touch was.

It was someone’s chest against my damp back.

And that sensation begins to reach for my neck over my shoulder.

Just like in that vision.

Is it because of that memory? My heart is pounding so hard that I can’t hear any other sounds.

Eventually, a blade is held in front of my neck.

The knife was covered with an unknown purple poison and drenched in blood.

“…”

I raised both hands while breathing heavily.

Then, soft hair tickled my cheek.

I know that hair.

I can’t forget that contradictory sensation—both enchanting and deadly.

“How did you get here?”

I swallow repeatedly, in case I might never be able to swallow again.

Then I calmly began to speak.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m here looking for customers.”

“Customers at this late hour?”

I notice the snow-white hand holding the dagger.

That hand is covered in so much blood it looks like she just came from a slaughter.

“I need to work side jobs too. My overdue rent is already four months…”

After my pitiful excuse, there was no response from behind me for a moment.

Instead, the eerie blade that had been targeting me was slowly withdrawn.

Thanks to that, I was barely able to grasp my neck with trembling hands.

And I slowly turned my head back.

“…”

It’s Anna.

Anna Danilova.

A strange woman whose body is white, but who always wears black clothes.

Today, however, she was covered not in black but in red.

Of course, it was a natural look for someone who killed people without hesitation.

But I soon realized.

That the blood soaking her wasn’t someone else’s.

Anna stares at me intently with turbid eyes.

And soon she collapsed weakly toward me.

I fell backward with her on top of me.

“What… what’s going on, why are you like this?”

I held Anna and slowly laid her on the ground.

Her breathing is labored.

Her lips are parched, and there’s no strength felt in her body.

Was pointing the dagger at me her last bit of squeezed strength?

I carefully stepped back as if I’d seen a landmine.

If I carelessly touched her here, she might reflexively slice my body.

Anna didn’t even look at me, just closed her eyes.

And her chest, which had been moving up and down rapidly, suddenly stopped altogether.

Is she dead…?

Given the amount of blood covering her body, it wouldn’t be strange if she died right now.

But she’s such a superhuman ranker that it’s hard to believe.

However, one thing is certain.

This is the only chance to escape.

I already had that strange vision a few days ago.

Getting involved with this woman will surely bring me great trouble.

Right.

Let’s just go.

She’s a villain anyway.

A villain among villains who kills people like they’re insects.

I adjusted my bag and got up from my spot.

I pulled down my hat and put on my mask, ready to leave.

But as I hooked the mask over my ears, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

What if Anna doesn’t die? What happens to me then?

Since I abandoned her and left, she’ll surely come back to question me.

In the worst case, she might kill me like Siwoong and the students…

I turn back to look at her, trembling.

Anna with her eyes closed didn’t look like the madwoman I had seen before.

She just looked pitiful and pathetic.

I’m reminded of Sister Jisoo lying in the ruins.

She too, like Anna, had been mutilated all over her body.

That memory grabbed my ankle and made my body heavy.

“Ah, really… why am I doing this?”

I rubbed my face with both hands.

I just hope this stupid body of mine would come to its senses.