Chapter 29: Chapter 29

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Chapter 29: Hunting (1)

Sigh.

A bounty of 5,000 points.

That’s the equivalent of catching 100 Venomous Sky Tigers, each worth 50 points.

"So, all they need to do is take me down to hit the jackpot, huh?"

【The Raven of the Administration Bureau suggests wiping out all challengers while they're at it.】

【Prince of the Investigation Bureau clicks his tongue, saying even the best players can't handle 500 enemies.】

【An anonymous observer wonders how this situation will be resolved.v

This is bad.

I've become a tempting prize, the kind you can't resist going after.

A sort of… lottery ticket.

“What should we do, hyung?”

“It’s best to avoid people.”

Jieun and Jaehyuk exchanged anxious glances, apparently thinking the same.

I wanted to believe there weren’t many out there who’d commit murder just to gather points.

But, of course…

“Hey, you guys!”

A group appeared, led by a burly man flanked by two scruffy companions.

One was worth 1,500 points, while the others were worth 800 each.

The burly one looked like he worked out a lot, while the two weaker-looking guys seemed like they were along for the ride.

“You’re pretty skilled, huh? And this lady here too.”

It seemed like they’d been watching us fight earlier.

And as soon as the mission was announced, they made their approach.

…How predictable.

“Hmph.”

The burly one scanned the three of us, particularly Jaehyuk and Jieun, from head to toe.

His intentions were clearly not good.

Sensing this, Jieun’s voice turned uncharacteristically sharp as she asked,

“What do you want?”

“Oh, we’re just passing by and thought we’d say hi. Why so defensive?”

“Stop it.”

The burly guy took a step toward Jieun, and I quickly stepped in front of him.

It wasn’t just his leering grin that irritated me…

“If you’re just passing by, then keep moving. We’re busy.”

We really were busy.

“Jaehyuk, grab your bag. Jieun, you too.”

“Yes, hyung!”

“Already packed. Let’s go.”

We needed to get out of here before we became easy targets.

There was no time to waste dealing with thugs like this.

“And who are you to butt in and—”

Just as they started to mouth off—

[Project 'Hunt.' The first mission begins.]

[You have 10 minutes. Please evacuate to a safe zone!]

[Those outside the safe zones will be eliminated.]

The merciless mission announcement echoed, as if mocking us.

“!!”

“Safe zones?!”

Damn it.

The rules were designed to force people together.

Whether you were the prey or the hunter, you had no choice but to gather and fight.

【The Raven of the Administration Bureau says it’s advantageous to wipe out groups of enemies all at once.]

【Prince of the Investigation Bureau nods, saying it’s possible to defeat 500 enemies if they’re divided into smaller groups.]

[Safe zones have been created.]

“What do we do? There are multiple safe zones!”

“Most of them are near Samgakji and Itaewon. Let’s head for Namsan.”

We were at the base of Namsan.

The closest safe zone was a clearing halfway up the mountain.

Judging by the location and size, it was likely a bus stop.

「09:10」

Plenty of time, a conveniently close safe zone, and enough stamina despite the morning skirmish.

From a mission standpoint, things seemed manageable.

But the real problem was…

“…Should we… go after…?”

“Then… maybe?”

The three men following a few steps behind us, whispering nonstop.

“…The dark one… the red mark… the girl?”

The dark one.

The red mark.

The girl?

Ah.

‘They think either Jaehyuk or Jieun is the one with the red mark worth 5,000 points.’

The four of us were within a 100-meter radius.

But they weren’t sure which of us was the high-value target.

‘They probably assume it’s one of the two since they saw them fighting earlier.’

The burly man gestured with his chin at the two of them in turn, while his lackeys hesitated, whispering among themselves.

I could almost hear their brains creaking as they tried to figure it out.

So…

‘What happens once they decide who it is?’

What then?

“Huff… we made it!”

「02:27」

We stepped into the green safe zone with two minutes to spare.

Me, Jieun, Jaehyuk, and the three men.

And then…

“Kyaaah! What do we do? They’re still chasing us!”

“We’re almost there! Just keep running!”

“Huff… I feel like my heart’s about to burst!”

“If it does, I’ll fix it, so just run faster!”

Down below, familiar faces in checkered school uniforms were sprinting toward us.

Sola and Yeojin.

“!!”

“Damn it! What’s that?!”

…With a massive shadow right behind them.

“Huff… we’re sorry…! It kept chasing us…!”

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Just as the two, pale with fear, sighed in relief upon seeing us—

A massive figure loomed over them.

—Grrrrrrr…

A giant beast with snarling teeth appeared.

Thick, stubby legs.

A hulking, dark-brown, furry body like a moving mountain.

A bear?!

“What the hell did they bring here?!”

“It’s coming this way!!”

Roarrrr—!

A heavy, resonant growl echoed through the space, tinged with a metallic screech as the pitch rose.

The cry of a ravenous beast, having found tender prey.

「00:57」

"One minute left!"

"Quickly, over here!"

"Yes!"

Sola and Yeojin hurriedly moved their trembling feet, fear gripping them.

Clatter!

Suddenly, three men, who had been watching disapprovingly, stepped forward and blocked their path.

"Summon!"

"!!"

They thrust sharp spears at them, as if ready to impale.

Those guys... could it be...?

"W-What is this?!"

"Move out of the way!"

"Hey, those things are chasing you, aren't they?"

"That's..."

Yeojin bit her lip as her eyes darted between the sharp spear pointed at her and the safe zone ahead.

"If you drew them here, then take them and get lost! Don't cause us trouble!"

"W-What did you just say?!"

"Move it, you crazy bastards!"

Sola shouted in frustration, her voice cracking.

Spears in front, a monster closing in from behind.

「00:30」

And there were only 30 seconds left.

If they didn’t make it into the safe zone, the two of them would be "deleted" right there.

"Will we still get paid if they die?"

"Probably not? We didn't kill them ourselves, right?"

"Then should we just finish them off? They're going to be deleted anyway."

【‘Prince of the Investigation Bureau’ asks if the hunt is about to begin.】

【‘The Raven of the Administration Bureau’ suggests catching those two first, eyes glinting with anticipation.】

Sigh.

What to do with these guys?

"Are you going to deal with this, or should I...?"

"Sola, enough."

There was no time for words.

Stepping forward to calm Sola, I shouted immediately:

"Jieun, draw the monster's attention!"

"Got it!"

Whoosh— Swish!

Jieun's blue dagger rose, emitting a resonant hum.

Her pale face twisted into a grimace.

The weapon sliced through the air.

The dagger shot unerringly towards the bear's forehead.

Roarrr—! Thud! Thud! Boom!

Although the dagger was no more than a gnat to the massive bear, it was enough to catch its attention.

As the dagger struck repeatedly, the beast shook its head and swiped its paws in annoyance.

"Whew! That short-haired girl's ability is top-notch!"

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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"Whoa, that's insane no matter how many times I see it!"

Meanwhile, on this side—

"Do you want to join us...?"

—Slice!

I pointed my sword at the men.

Three spears gleamed sharply as they reflected the light.

Though the spearheads were deadly and the wooden shafts looked sturdy—

—Slash!

—they were effortlessly cut down.

"Arghhh!"

"W-What the hell?!"

[10 seconds until the time limit expires.]

The spearheads, meant to pierce into prey, lay pitifully on the ground.

And then—

"You son of a bitch!"

"Why the hell are you interfering, you— Gah!"

"Move."

—Thud!

A stone-hardened fist struck the men hard.

They ended up just as pitifully sprawled on the ground as their broken weapons.

[Time limit ending shortly.]

[5, 4, 3...]

"Hurry, get inside!"

"Yes, sir!"

Sola and Yeojin dashed into the green zone.

Thump!

In the process, Yoon Sola didn’t forget to step on the sprawled-out men.

"Ugh... That b—!"

[Mission complete.]

[Choose your mission reward.]

* * *

"Fuck...!"

Park Chuljung and his gang stared in despair at their broken spears.

They had painstakingly scavenged those spears—starting with a wrench, moving on to rusty blades and rotten shafts, and finally acquiring decent ones.

"How the hell...?"

How many people had they threatened or killed to get those spears?

They had dominated Huam Market and made it this far with them.

But now...

"Fuck, what kind of weapon cuts through spears with a single gesture?!"

Those spears had stabbed and killed countless victims.

Not that there hadn’t been those who resisted.

Even the son of a rice cake shop owner, known for his strength, couldn’t break them.

…But they’d been sliced like tofu.

"Chuljung! What do we do now?"

"That guy's no ordinary man! He's not someone we can take on!"

The two men looked between Park Chuljung and the broken spears, trembling.

They glanced occasionally at the 5,000-point man, who was still confronting the bear as though they didn’t exist.

"Men, scared of this...?"

Getting this far only to cower now.

Park Chuljung thought bitterly as he fumbled for his lighter.

But—

Click! Click! Click!

"Damn it, why won't it work?!"

The lighter clicked uselessly.

His trembling hands refused to cooperate.

"Fuck!"

He threw it to the ground in frustration.

The damn lighter wasn’t cooperating, and it felt like his insides were on fire.

That guy... If he had wanted to, he could’ve cut off their arms.

The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.

“Anyone got a light?!”

“Oh! H-here!”

Fwoo—

His throat felt dry, so he took a drag from the cigarette.

The acrid smoke filled his lungs, then escaped as he exhaled, finally calming his nerves a bit.

“That guy’s a lost cause.”

He was too strong.

Unlike all the fools he’d dealt with so far, this opponent was on another level entirely.

If he got involved recklessly, he’d just end up being preyed upon in a single strike.

“Y-yeah! That’s the smart move, Chuljung!”

“Let’s get out of here! Once that guy’s done with the bear, he’s bound to come after us…”

“Instead.”

Chuljung stubbed his cigarette out against a nearby tree and said,

“We’ll just take down those girls and leave.”

“What, what?!”

Those insolent high school girls.

He hadn’t gotten a good look at them earlier, but one was worth 2,000 points, and the other 1,200—a decent haul.

Who knows what skills they had to rack up those points?

“They’re too busy dealing with the bear to notice us. Let’s go now.”

There was no way he could just walk away.

Not when such a tempting prize was right in front of him.

* * *

ROAAARRR!

With my sword raised high, I stood before the raging bear.

Thwack! Thud! CRASH!

The bear, now enraged thanks to Jieun’s interference, was swinging its massive paws, smashing trees and objects in its path.

Its destructive power was overwhelming, almost like a natural disaster.

Still, it wasn’t too intimidating.

“Hyung! Let me help!”

“No need. I can handle this on my own.”

It was just big.

It wasn’t as precise as a doppelgänger or as fast as a carnivorous plant.

An opponent like this wasn’t too difficult.

But the real problem was—

“Kyahhh!”

“S-Sola! Yeojin!”

“You bastards! Let them go, now!”

—the group of thugs I thought would run away.

They were holding broken spearheads against Sola and Yeojin.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I dodged the enraged bear’s claws and asked.

The thug sneered as he replied,

“It’s hunting, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“You hunt monsters, and I hunt these girls. Same thing, right?”

“…You’re shameless.”

“Shameless or not, it doesn’t matter if—ugh!”

Sola had plunged a scalpel into the thug’s thigh.

He staggered.

It was a solid attack, but the blade barely pierced his muscle, thanks to his enhanced strength.

SNAP!

“You little bitch…!”

“Cough! H-hunting people? Are you even human?!”

“Doesn’t matter! The weak get preyed on, whether it’s me or someone else! You’d have been dead already if it wasn’t for us!”

Sigh.

That was the one thing I hated hearing the most.

The three thugs, holding the high school girls hostage, slowly started backing away.

They were planning to deal with the girls and escape while I was occupied with the monster.

But the thing is—

【‘Prince of the Investigation Bureau’ sighs, lamenting the poor strategy.】

【'The Raven of the Administration Bureau’ glares, muttering that common sense seems to be lacking.】

“I was planning to deal with you anyway.”

They’d just been lower on the priority list.

But now, well—

“You’ve crossed the line.”

FWOOSH!

A streak of blood splattered from Sola’s pale neck.

With that move, they sealed their fate.

“Accelerate.”

“Aaaaaahhhhhh!”

TAK! TAK!

Leaping off a nearby bench, O soared high.

Onto the bear’s massive, furry body.

And then—

SLASH!

[You have defeated the ‘Starved Flame Bear’!]

[You have earned 100 Welfare Points!]

A single, clean strike.

Nothing more, nothing less.

THUD!

The bear, as massive as a car, toppled over, its head severed cleanly from its body.

And with that—

[You have upgraded the skill Accelerate (Lv.3) to Accelerate (Lv.4).]

[Duration increased: 1 second = 20 seconds.]

Twenty seconds.

Short, if you thought about it, but absurdly long when you stood still and counted it out.

Which meant…

“…Oh, fuck.”

“Petrification.”

Plenty of time to turn three scumbags into statues.

THUD!

I twisted the wrist of one holding a spear, breaking it.

CRACK—

Carefully, I moved the girls to safety.

Sliiide—

And gripped my sword tightly.

“Weak people get preyed on, huh?”

Fine, then.

“Let’s see how it feels, you bastards.”

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