章 3: Elegant Parasol
The monsters have been cleared!]
[The exit is activated.]
….
….
[Warning. An unknown error has occurred.]
[Resetting the gate.]
It happened again. It was already the third time. The cause, however, was unknown, but—
'I'm trapped.'
Eunha boldly accepted that fact. She had already noticed right away that the gate was somehow different from the ones she had cleared until now.
In a normal gate, a boss monster appears when a certain number of monsters are defeated. And when Eunha got the nucleus of the boss monster, the gate closed. That was a common gate strategy.
But this gate was different.
No matter how many monsters were killed, the boss monster did not appear, but rather, the monster that was killed would respawn or regenerate.
There was no strategy.
'If you don't want to die, keep killing.'
That was what the gate seemed to say.
Eunha decided to look for a place where she could rest for a little while. There was some time until the next battle.
The area near Eunha's left rib was scratched by a sharp claw and she knew she had to hurry to stop the bleeding.
After finding a suitable place, she looked at the backpack she was carrying on her shoulder. It was a backpack that Yijun dropped. There had to be something useful.
Yijun was very meticulous and thorough. In addition to his water bottle and emergency food, he also brought along his extra shoes and underwear, and was often teased by Eunha who used to say 'Are you going camping?'.
"…As expected."
Eunha found an emergency treatment kit while searching through the bag and smiled.
In addition to the 'red pill', known as a panacea, there were also necessary first aid supplies such as sterile gauze, bandages, physiological saline, tweezers, and scissors. Yijun's attentiveness was very helpful when they traveled. Just like it was now.
After disinfecting the wound, Eunha began to suture the opening of the wound with a medical thread and needle. It wasn't as good as an expert, but she was pretty skillful. It was possible because Eunha was a hunter who was on the brink of death countless times over the past three years.
"Ugh."
Eunha bit her lower lip at the pain which seemed to run all over her body. She wasn't used to it, even after three years.
Eunha looked around after she roughly treated herself.
'… I'm thirsty.'
The inside of the gate was similar to a typical cave. Stalactites in the form of icicles hung from the ceiling, and transparent water drops could be seen dripping from the ends.
Eunha opened the lid of the water bottle and placed it where the water was dripping. When it came to food ingredients, they could be eaten as long as they were cooked well under the assumption that there was no poison.
But that wasn't the case for water. If she got an upset stomach by mistake, it was game over. First of all, it was necessary to check if the color changed over time or not.
'Food is also a problem.'
There were only two packs of emergency food in Yijun's backpack. It was an absurdly small amount.
Eunha put the water bottle on the floor and checked the rest of the backpacks. They belonged to the rest of her dead teammates. Most of her teammates were eaten by monsters down to the bone, but there were about three or four intact backpacks.
While she was searching through them one by one, Eunha's fingertips brushed over a piece of paper.
'She's my girlfriend. Isn't she pretty?'
It was a picture of one of her teammate's girlfriend which he was so proud of. The drops of blood smeared across the picture were turning brown, but the girl was still smiling lovingly.
"…"
Eunha put it back in the backpack and rummaged through another bag. There was an amulet said to have been given to one of her colleagues by his father right before he was drafted. Eunha remembered him as someone who talked about his father a lot.
An almost used up sunscreen. That would be Hyejoo's stuff. They were a sweet child who always meticulously applied sunscreen on the backs of their colleagues' hands before training.
The last thing Eunha discovered was a TOEIC workbook that a colleague, who always carried it in their arms, said they would one day quit being a hunter and find a new life.
tl/n: TOEIC = Test of English for International Communication
"They brought these along on a mission…"
If Eunha had known they brought such useless things along, she would've had a very bittersweet word to tell them. But she couldn't do that anymore. If she did, they wouldn't be able to hear it.
Eunha slowly got up from her seat with a sad expression.
She hoped that she'd die while fighting the monsters, but dying of starvation like that was a huge no. That was where her colleagues died and Eunha knew she had to tear the tigers apart right in front of them.
To do that, she had to eat first. And stay alive.
'If this is a cave, there must be mushrooms or at least moss.'
Eunha couldn't wait for her wound to heal. She wasn't in a hospital room, it was literally a death ground.
tl/n: had a hard time figuring this 'death ground' thing, but it's related to the art of war by sun tzu, and the 'death ground strategy' which is: cut your ties to the past, enter unknown territory where you have to fight like hell to get out alive.
Eunha decided to get up and explore the surroundings. Unfortunately, however, there was no food.
Ring!
The notification sound, which had been quiet for a while, rang again. Before long, a blue message window appeared in front of Eunha.
[The gate reset has been completed.]
[—Loading—]
[Lv. 30 'Red-Eyed Black Tiger' is attacking!]
'What?' As soon as she turned her head, Eunha met the pair of red eyes which were shining in the dark.
'Why at a time like this?'
Eunha grabbed her left side. A tingling pain spread throughout her whole body.
A hunter had superior self-healing powers to those of ordinary people, but to heal such a deep wound, she needed at least a day's rest.
In other words, the situation she was in was the worst. But hesitation would lead to death.
Eunha stretched out her hand, which was covering her wound, towards the monster.
A small, hot flame flared up over her open palm.
'If you don't kill, you die.' That was the first thing 'Hunter Cha Eunha' learned.
***
How much time had passed since then?
The inner wall of the cave was full of lines carved with sharp stones. There were some who were cut off halfway through. The wireless pager's battery had run out, so there was no way to know time.
'The last time I engraved was the 320th day. I'm not sure, but it's been over a year by now.'
"…Ptui."
Eunha spat out the meat she was chewing.
The tiger's meat had no taste. That's one of the things she'd learned the hard way over the past year. In particular, the tendons were tough and difficult to chew.
It was possible to cook and eat it in that cave even if there was nothing else because of her unique fire ability, but it wasn't delicious since she had to grill it over the fire without any seasoning.
For the first week, Eunha ate it and vomited it later over and over again, but humans were adaptable animals. In order to survive, she had no choice but to eat the meat.
Eunha put the water bottle that was only half full back down.
The water dripping from the stalactites made it possible to obtain drinking water, but it was by no means sufficient. It took almost half a day to fill a bottle of water. Therefore, if she was very thirsty, Eunha had no choice but to drink the blood of the monster.
The base of the hut was simply made with the bones of the monster, and the tent and the roof were made with leather. Eunha used the corpses of the monsters as fuel to set fires around it. It was a pretty effective way to temporarily stop the raids.
That way, Eunha was able to survive within the gate for a long time.
As much as she was grateful that nothing happened today, tomorrow was going to be difficult. That fact was no different from outside the gate.
A battle in which a moment's mistake would lead to death. Repeating such battles, Eunha gradually evolved. It was development in exchange for life.
Ring!
[The gate reset had been completed.]
[—Loading—]
[Lv. 30 'Red-Eyed Black Tiger' smelled blood.]
[Lv. 30 'Red-Eyed Black Tiger' will track your location.]
Eunha stood up after tearing off the monster's leg, which was almost fully consumed.
As soon as she escaped the hut, three monsters showed their teeth as if they'd been waiting. Their eyes were burning as if they were going to avenge their friend's death.
When Eunha spread her palms to create a flame, the beast-like monsters flinched. At that moment, a faint smile spread on Eunha's face under the shadows.
"Come on, you bastards."
They were no longer a threat to Eunha.
The fireballs created by Eunha chased the monsters' tail, looking as if they were shooting stars.
A monster was hit by the fireball and roared sharply, soon turning into a lump of charcoal.
Grrr…!
The other monsters, who were furious at the death of their friend, roared loudly and began to rush towards Eunha.
Eunha lowered her hand that was outstretched towards the monster, and the fireball hit the ground instead.
After confirming that the soil was turning black, Eunha raised her head. The moment the tiger was closing in on her, she kicked the ground hard.
Whoosh!
At the tip of Eunha's shoes, the soil on the ground rose like waves, temporarily blocking the field.
The burned soil turned to black ashes, and Eunha grabbed the monster's head without hesitation.
Boom!
With the sound of the explosion, the battle ended very shortly.
Eunha was checking the corpses of the monsters that turned into lumps of charcoal when she suddenly raised her head.
'Come to think of it, there were definitely three of them. Did the other one run away?'
At that moment, the question came suddenly.
Ring!
The blue window appeared in front of her with a notification sound.
[Warning. A huge mob is approaching.]
[Lv. 68 Mutant 'Red-Eyed Black Tiger' appeared.]
[Lv. 68 Mutant 'Red-Eyed Black Tiger' has found you!]
—A sudden mutation? No, more than that…
'Level 68?'
Eunha's senses were warning her. She was certain of it because she almost died dozens of times. The opponent behind her was dangerous.
When she slowly turned her head, there was a monster that was about twice as large as the Lv. 30 monsters she had encountered so far.
Elite monster.
It must have been a semi-boss monster, also known as a 'named monster'.
A low, menacing growl was heard that made Eunha tremble. She was feeling overwhelmed by the growl alone.
'I have to kill it as soon as possible.'
She just barely finished one battle. It wasn't a good idea to drag it for too long. Eunha slowly opened her curled fist, and a small flame lit up like a candle in the center of her palm.
At that moment, the impatient monster rushed in before Eunha could even throw the flame.
Aaaah!
A deep mark was left on the wall where the huge claws, which looked like elephant's ivory, scratched. It looked authentic enough that Eunha was sure it was hollow inside.
Eunha looked down at her palms with anxious eyes.
If she put all her energy into it, she could create a flame that was a little bigger than usual, but if she did, her stamina would be exhausted immediately after using it three or four times.
'But I have no choice.'
She had to stay alive.
Eunha spread her hands, determined. The tiny sparks, like fireflies, gradually gathered to form a small sphere in her hand.
The moment the little sphere flew towards the monster and touched its forehead.
Booom!
There was a huge explosion. Soon, a more intense howl was heard. Clouds of smoke filled the cave in the aftermath of the explosion.
Looking back, the monster's red eyes gleamed.
'Was that not enough?'
Cold sweat ran down Eunha's chin. The monster rubbed its forehead on the floor, then exposed its teeth again.
'One more time.'
Bang!
'Once more!'
Boom! Boom!
'Once more…!'
'You won't be able to stand up this time.' Eunha couldn't even catch her breath because of the thick smoke as she stepped through it.
Grr…
At the soft cry heard through the smoke, the strength in Eunha's legs was exhausted. That was her limit. Her mana was emptied.
'It seems that the tiger is also close to its limit. Its attacks have changed.'
If they were to face each other without any weapons or flames on Eunha's side, the result would naturally be the victory of the huge monster.
'…No.'
Eunha's expression changed. There was only one way to defeat it. She stopped worrying for a second, raising her head as she made up her mind. The tiger's mouth was wide open, as if it was torn apart.
A monster with skin harder than steel. Its unique weakness…
'The soft flesh in its mouth.'
Eunha reached out with all the strength that she had left.
"Close your mouth."
Eunha pushed her hand deep inside the tiger's mouth and the moment the tiger's mouth closed, a cracking noise was heard.
Arghhh—!
Along with the roar, a huge explosion broke out fueled by Eunha's right arm.
A large burst of flames crawled out of its tightly closed snout and smashed its head like a watermelon.
The monster's teeth, blood, and flesh splattered everywhere. The tiger's body, which had lost its head, fell like a piece of paper next to Eunha.
Ring!
[You killed the first Named!]
[Update in progress!]
[—Loading—]
As soon as the message window appeared, Eunha collapsed to the floor.
"…"
She barely lifted her head and checked her right arm. Only half of her forearm was left and the bottom of it was torn off and bleeding. As she watched the blood gushing out like a fountain, her mind wandered.
Eunha's body felt heavy like steel and breathing was burning her throat.
In the midst of her mind drifting away, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
'This is enough…'
She fought and killed a lot.
'This is enough. You did well.'
Eunha squeezed out her remaining strength and reached around her neck and touched the dog tag. If one day someone were to find her there, she would need it.
As she pulled it out of her shirt so that the dog tag could be seen clearly, her eyes fell on her left wrist. Hanging precariously on her scarred wrist—
'…The bracelet.'
Her mother's wish bracelet. It was so old that it would break if she pulled it a little.
'Why?'
As soon as the bracelet came into view, her eyelids that were closing involuntarily stopped suddenly.
The sound of her molars grinding filled the cave. Eunha was trying to squeeze out a force that wasn't there as she raised her upper body. Then, she tried to calm down her trembling left hand and spread out her palm.
Pat.
A small flame bloomed in her palm like a match. The shabby flame shook dangerously along with her frantically trembling hands.
Without hesitation, Eunha pressed it on her right forearm.
"Ugh…!"
Eunha bit her lower lip until it burst open, drops of blood dripping down her chin.
The disgusting smell of burning flesh pierced her nostrils. A hunter's self-healing power was superior to that of a normal human, but it was not enough to help her cut off arm from which blood was pouring out like a fountain. That was the only thing Eunha could do to stop the bleeding.
Eunha refused to extinguish the flame, even if she was rolling on the ground in pain.
"Argh!"
The most awful pain a person can feel was being burned. Eunha held back and bit her lower lip until blood vessels popped and it turned blue, but she couldn't suppress her screams.
"Aaaaah…!"
In the empty, silent gate, only her desperate scream echoed in the distance. It was so painful that death would've been a better choice.
By the time her skin turned black, the blood finally stopped flowing.
Ring!
[Update completed.]
[A reward will be given.]
A cheerful BGM was heard in her ringing ears, making it even more painful.
tl/n: BGM = background music
'Re…ward…'
Just before she lost consciousness, Eunha's fingers flinched. Something cold and sharp seemed to touch her fingertips.
…
…
[Congratulations! You obtained the 'Elegant Parasol' of 'The Princess of Black Flare'!]
週次パワーステータス
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