Chapter 33 : Fanatic Hunt (2)

“Let’s go.”

As Do Yoon stood up, taking the Goblin Warlord’s curved sword, the sight of the Object smiling brightly beside him caught everyone’s eye.

Although Do Yoon had been commanding the group for some time now, no fool appeared to express doubt or rebellion.

‘Hidden Piece reward.’

Because everyone knew by now.

That in the current situation, he held all the initiative and keys to the trial.

‘Maknae, maknae. You can’t fall behind when you go, okay? You can’t get hit either. You know that if you’re not the best, you’re useless, right?’

A tribe that served and worshipped the Black Dragon.

A hunter from a group that revered strength silently watched his back.

Cannot tolerate weakness.

Being weak means becoming a burden to the tribe, meaning you’re trash that can’t pull its own weight.

Weakness is death.

Lakia Vels chewed on her solitude alone.

The position that received everyone’s gaze, the position that everyone trusted and followed.

Leader.

Her place should have been right there.

One who broke through the monsters of the Forbidden Zone, saved the team from crisis, and even possessed the wisdom to pass the trial.

‘Kim Do Yoon.’

Really, was he the hunter from that weak background?

According to the information her sisters had told her, something that should never have happened was clearly happening.

“What are you doing? We have to go.”

A hunter from behind nudged Lakia Vels, urging her.

“Let’s go get our reward. If it’s a Hidden Piece, it’s going to be no joke.”

Lakia Vels read the greed in the hunter’s eyes.

 where they didn’t even think about who was leading them, as long as there was a reward.

Yes, this was the true nature and truth of the Tower.

Eventually, after standing in place for a long time, she trudged towards where Do Yoon was leading.

Do Yoon thought as he walked through the Forbidden Zone.

Everyone has a name.

Therefore, this Object too, not just a role like ‘young Jinjo’.

It must have had a name from the place where it was born and raised.

“What’s your name?”

“Eung…?”

The Object, who had been playing around, holding Do Yoon’s arm and shaking it here and there as if at an amusement park, looked up at Do

Yoon.

Through ruby-red eyes, Do Yoon’s face was reflected.

“Name…”

The Object, who had been struggling in place for a while, finally let its small shoulders droop and sighed.

“Hiyuu…. I don’t remember.”

“Heehee, will Oppa-ya give me one?”

A sudden naming game.

‘Is that okay?’

Do Yoon briefly recalled the future appearance of the young Jinjo.

The name of a certain moderator who was currently fighting alone against the rumors about the Object in real time.

Come to think of it, he had never been particularly curious about other elements like names just because she was the Tower Master.

Which hunter in the world would be curious about the name of a terrifying boss monster?

They might think about weaknesses they could exploit, though.

‘Name…’

Do Yoon pondered for a moment with his uncooperative brain.

Since he was giving it to a person, he had to avoid names like Hayangi or Huindungi at all costs.

Seeing the subtle gaze, the Object was clearly expecting something from him.

‘Eira.’

Do Yoon recalled a word he saw in a fairy tale book when he was growing up in the orphanage.

The story was faint and not memorable, but the appearance of a character who was a snow fairy in it remained vivid.

“Eira, how about that?”

The name of a fairy, white and pure like the Object in front of him now.

As he uttered the name that came to mind, the young Jinjo’s eyes sparkled in response.

“Eira…! It’s pretty!”

“Is it okay?”

“Yes, yes, from now on, my name will be Eira!”

‘That’s a relief.’

If she hadn’t liked it, he would have had to rack his brains to think of something else.

Seeing her happy made Do Yoon feel good too.

“Oppa-ya, Unni-yas! I’m Eira!”

Eira turned around and shouted loudly at the hunters following them.

Thanks to that, the startled hunters looked at Do Yoon with bewildered eyes.

-Nod.

Having nothing particular to say to that, Do Yoon nodded with an awkward expression.

“Eira.”

“Yes?!”

“Can you tell me where the fanatics are?”

“Yes! The fanatics smell similar to me…!”

Smell.

It probably meant she could sense mana.

“I also smell the person who tormented me a lot!”

‘The fanatics’ leader, perhaps.’

It seemed that catching him would not only clear the trial but also open the boss room.

“Let’s go.”

At Do Yoon’s words, Eira took his hand and led him.

He had already told the following hunters to follow at a reasonable pace.

They would either deal with the monsters in the Forbidden Zone themselves or widen their search area to find other fanatics.

As he was being guided, feeling the touch of grass brushing against his ankles, Eira’s steps gradually slowed.

Turning his head towards her, Do Yoon found Eira’s expression, her lips curved into a wide smile that seemed to reach her ears.

“Found them.”

However, unlike when she first attacked him and the other hunters, she looked at Do Yoon with a cautious expression.

“Oppa-ya.”

“Huh?”

“Can I…?”

Ah.

Do Yoon belatedly realized the meaning of the question.

He had definitely conveyed it that way between unconsciousness and reality when the contract was being formed.

That he would take care of revenge himself, so she didn’t have to suffer anymore.

-Grip.

Do Yoon, gripping the handle of the curved sword, drew the blade.

-Sreung.

The curved blade revealed itself with a cool resonance.

The Object, realizing the meaning of his action, smiled brightly.

She no longer had to dream of revenge alone.

She had a reliable ally by her side.

There was someone who listened to her story, got angry with her, and grieved with her.

‘Do Yoon.’

He was Eira, the Object’s, most precious supporter.

-Tat.

After a brief exchange of glances.

Do Yoon immediately ran in the direction Eira pointed.

After cutting down the bushes obscuring his vision, in the brightly lit scenery.

He saw a fanatic looking this way with a flustered expression.

A white robe that reeked of heresy, and a mask covering their face.

With an atmosphere that screamed ‘I’m a bad guy’ at first glance–

Before Do Yoon swung his curved sword, he kicked the fanatic in their unguarded abdomen.

He glared at a fanatic who let out a terrified moan beside him and said.

“Move and you die.”

Besides the fanatics writhing on the floor, there were a total of three more on site.

“Eira.”

Seeing them, who seemed to have already given up any thought of escape, Do Yoon called the protagonist of the story.

-Sabak. Sabak.

Beyond the darkness Do Yoon had crossed, a girl unsuited for the place stepped lightly on the grass and revealed herself before them.

“J-Jinjo…!”

“Jinjo, how-“

“Why? You’re the ones who called me.”

Eira was born because of them.

They forcibly engraved powerful magic circles onto her tender skin.

They conducted experiments to the point where she lost her memories due to pain.

In that process, Eira imprinted their faces into her memory–

And had been wandering the Forbidden Zone, anticipating only this day that would someday come.

‘Originally.’

Originally, the story was supposed to be about cooperating with other hunters to subdue the Object.

But everything changed.

It was all because of the existence of one man.

“Th-This shouldn’t be happening..!”

One of the fanatics shouted, looking at Do Yoon.

Meanwhile, his eyes met with other hunters, but he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of despair as he saw them slyly avert their gazes.

“Do you even know what you’re keeping by your side right now!”

“Object, young Jinjo, and a good child.”

“Exactly! You don’t know…?”

The fanatic who was about to immediately refute stuttered.

Because Do Yoon was already speaking, knowing everything.

“That monster, knowing it…”

-Kwajik!

The head of the fanatic who called her a monster was crushed.

Splatter! Receiving the gushing blood, the remaining fanatics stared blankly at the lump of flesh.

“Hiiiik…!”

“Bad words, bad.”

Spit them out carelessly, and you’ll go to hell.

Only then did the fanatics understand the being Do Yoon had brought.

That the monster was barely restraining its killing intent.

And that too, because it was conscious of the man beside it.

“Do you even know what you’re doing right now?!”

“Tag.”

Additionally, one more fanatic breathed their last.

“…Ugh.”

A hunter watching the scene secretly turned their head and swallowed a dry heave.

“Are the remaining ones good fanatics who communicate well?”

It didn’t matter to Do Yoon either way.

They were the ones who had done terrible things to this small child first, and he just had to help such a child with delightful revenge.

-Jeobeok.

Do Yoon approached the fanatic who was so scared they had wet themselves, and opened his mouth.

“Spill everything about where the others are.”

“I, I don’t know…!”

Leaving the now-docile fanatic behind, Do Yoon turned his gaze to another fanatic.

“The other guys are all circling the outskirts of the Forbidden Zone, and only the High Priest remains in the center, preparing to suppress

the… Object.”

This one was quick-witted; he seemed to value his own life.

“Suppression?”

“Yes. The remaining ones are insignificant, but the High Priest is dangerous. He has the ability to handle demonic beasts, so he could pose a

threat to you through kobolds…”

So the fact that this stage was overflowing with kobolds was all the doing of that ‘High Priest’ fellow.

Do Yoon, understanding part of the story, grabbed the shoulder of the fanatic who was trembling with tension.

“And you know where that guy is?”

“If you spare my life, I will guide you there myself.”

The fanatic, without giving a single glance to his colleagues who were looking at him with dejected expressions, pledged allegiance to Do

Yoon.

More accurately, he was conscious of the Object standing beside him.

“Yes, good.”

“Th-This is…”

The other hunters watching this were dumbfounded.

Originally, the combat power of the fanatics was strong.

One-on-one, they might have a chance, but when fanatics were in a group like this, their danger level increased severalfold.

But the scene he was seeing now.

“Don’t try to understand. Just think of it as gaining a reliable ally.”

The skinny hunter nearby offered the most efficient and helpful advice.

A reliable ally.

The Object, which was once their greatest trial as they hunted them–

Was now a hunter’s most reliable ally, personally carrying out the trial.