Chapter 28: Encounter (1)

The area of the former Chuncheon City, currently known as the abandoned village, was largely divided into three zones after it became a dungeon.

Zone A, the abandoned factory facilities, is the source of monster spawns and primarily inhabited by monsters with toxic abilities.

Zone B, the amusement park, has ample space, making it suitable for relatively large monsters.

And Zone C, the residential area, where monsters are relatively weak but tend to operate in large groups.

And these three zones are each owned by one of Korea’s top three Hunter guilds: the Ariel Foundation, Eun & Ok Co., Ltd., and the Hunters’ Autonomous Union.

Of course, ‘owning’ only meant ownership of the gate; they didn’t own the entire dungeon, so moving between different zones within the dungeon was entirely possible.

In fact, during large-scale subjugation operations, the three guilds would unite without distinction to eliminate monsters. This abandoned village is a facility where the former Chuncheon City is sealed off by a temporary holy barrier, and if it were to break, it would be a catastrophe in itself.

Therefore, while places like the Black Forest or Peregrine Plains were exclusive dungeons usable only by Union personnel, this abandoned village had a prior agreement allowing hunters from each guild to be dispatched for monster extermination.

And since it wasn’t an exclusive dungeon, it was somewhat possible to encounter personnel from other Hunter guilds within the dungeon.

Of course, generally, there was no reason to hunt in a distant zone instead of a nearby one, and besides, this abandoned village itself was an unpopular dungeon with low traffic, so it was safer to assume you wouldn’t meet anyone from other guilds inside.

‘The profitability just isn’t there. The monsters here.’

The monsters inhabiting Zone A possess toxic abilities, so hunters without resistance would need to rent appropriate equipment.

Monsters in Zone B have high HP and tough durability, making it time-consuming to deal with each one individually.

Monsters in Zone C are mostly C-rank and numerous in packs, making them more dangerous than other C-rank dungeons for similar rewards; it was simply more economical to visit other B or C-rank dungeons.

Frankly, my purpose for visiting this dungeon today was solely to target and defeat a monster called a Treralodon, not to make a profit from today’s hunt.

What I actually needed to be mindful of was the possibility of encountering hunters from ‘other guilds,’ as mentioned earlier. As I said before, this dungeon had an entry warp gate for the company guild too.

‘Well, Hye-eun and Cha Yuri are both A-rank hunters, so the chances of running into them in a B-rank dungeon like this are slim.’

And even if there was a risk of encountering them, my steps wouldn’t have turned elsewhere. The desire to face a Treralodon with my own hands was already unstoppable.

In a way, it was the most immediate goal I wanted to try since becoming a hunter. It might be a bit dangerous for me, still C-rank, but I could at least give it a try.

‘If things go south, I can always run.’

The monsters in Zones A, B, and C often had rock-paper-scissors-like type advantages against each other, so it was characteristic not to move to other areas. If attempting to kill the Treralodon in Zone B proved too difficult, I could just escape back through the warp gate in Zone C where I entered.

With my objective and purpose for the day reaffirmed in my mind, I headed towards Zone B, the amusement park facilities. Not long after entering the park, I encountered a giant iguana that looked exactly like the Treralodon I remembered.

‘Grrrrrrr!’

The creature’s chilling roar, heard for the first time in nearly 12 years, almost froze my legs, but thankfully, hatred for the beast overwhelmed my fear. Just as I was about to charge at the Treralodon with my greatsword, intending to resolve this long-standing grudge…

-Taaat!

‘Keeuuhht!’

I also discovered that the Treralodon I found was currently fighting another hunter.

‘…’

…Right, it’s not like there’s only one Treralodon. I thought my long-held wish might finally be fulfilled, but it seemed a little more time was needed. Stealing someone else’s prey is one of the biggest taboos among hunters.

‘I didn’t expect there to be another oddball visiting the abandoned village at this time besides me.’

With that thought, I moved deeper inside, looking around for another Treralodon, when I heard a dull impact sound. It was immediately followed by a sharp, ear-piercing scream that forced me to stop.

-Peo-eok!

‘Aaaaaaaargh!’

‘…Huh?’

When I quickly shifted my gaze towards the hunter who was fighting, what caught my eye was a blonde female hunter flying through the air in a parabolic arc. No, to be precise, she wasn’t flying; she was falling. She had been hit by the Treralodon’s massive tail club and was injured. It was obvious she’d be seriously injured if she hit the ground like that, and knowing my personality, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

‘Ah, seriously!’

-Tadadak!

Storing my greatsword in my subspace pocket, I sprinted with all my might towards the trajectory of the falling blonde woman. As I got closer and looked up, the signs of her injuries were even clearer. Her clothes were already torn in various places, seemingly from previous wounds. And the most dangerous part was that the Treralodon’s next attack was targeting her defenseless body.

40 meters. 30 meters. 20 meters.

When the blonde woman was only about 10 meters from the ground, I leaped into the air and successfully caught her in my arms.

‘Hey, are you okay?!’

‘W-Wha…’

‘…Huh?’

Wait, looking closely, could this woman possibly be…

‘Duck, you idiot!’

‘…!’

-Hwi-iing!

As soon as I heard the female hunter’s words, which reminded me we were still in the middle of a battle, I immediately ducked down. Simultaneously, a chilling sensation swept past my back as if a giant tail had just swung by. The moment I managed to snatch her out of the air, dodge the attack, and land, the blonde woman cradled in my arms immediately issued her next command without pause.

‘The Treralodon’s weak spot is its eyes! Hurry and bring me to the front of its body! Fast!’

…Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled with the woman’s bossy tone right after meeting her, but finishing off that Treralodon was the priority, so I complied with her plan without showing my displeasure. And frankly, I didn’t expect much. That’s just how women from the Foundation are.

‘I know its eyes are the weak spot. Do you have a means of attack?’

‘Are your eyes made of knot holes?! Do you think I carry this bow around just to play the harp?!’

‘For someone who plays the harp, you seem to be out of arrows…’

‘Who the hell nowadays carries arrows in a quiver like an idiot?! Of course, they’re phantom arrows, you moron!’

We’ve barely known each other for how long, and she keeps calling me a moron. Seriously. Seeing the average personality of a Foundation woman, which I’d only heard rumors about, firsthand made me feel dizzy within ten seconds of meeting her.

‘You, how high can you jump while carrying me?’

‘Maybe about 5 meters.’

‘You just jumped over 10 meters!’

‘Make some sense. My weight increased, so naturally, I can’t jump that high.’

‘A-are you calling me a fat pig right now?!’

‘I didn’t say that.’

Honestly, looking at certain parts, I could say ‘pig,’ but provoking her with such pointless talk would only prolong the conversation. So, I quietly swallowed thoughts about chest fat or butt fat and kindly answered again.

‘Anyway, it’s 5 meters. I can’t jump higher than that.’

‘Then hurry and get close to that monster and jump! I’ll take it down in one shot with close-range firing!’

‘Why don’t you just rest nearby, and let me take care of that monster instead?’

‘A-are you calling me an idiot who can’t even hit a single arrow?!’

‘Haaah, seriously…’

Mustering superhuman patience, I held the blonde woman in my arms and hurried towards the giant monster’s face. Taking advantage of the Treralodon’s inability to pinpoint our location, I moved into a blind spot outside the monster’s line of sight.

-Kkigik.

I heard the sound of a bowstring being drawn from the blonde woman cradled in my arms. The phantom arrow loaded on her fingertips seemed ready to fire at any moment, and for now, I followed her plan, leaping into the air to the maximum height.

-Ting!

About halfway up the Treralodon’s body. The phantom arrow in her hand flew, propelled by elastic force. And the arrow, flying in a near-straight parabolic trajectory, accurately struck the monster’s right eye. A clean hit.

‘Grrrrrrr!’

The Treralodon, hit squarely in its weak spot with a close-range shot, let out a massive scream forward, and with a ground-shaking roar, its huge body collapsed onto the floor.

…Well, I guess we caught it somehow.

‘H-how long are you going to hold me?! You moron-!’

-Cheolpeodeok.

‘Ouch! That hurt! Can’t you put me down gently?!’

I dropped her on purpose. You fat, idiotic lady.