Chapter 32. The Hunt (4)

"

Huff... Huff...

"

“We're almost there! Just a little more!”

They burst through the thick underbrush, racing toward the safe zone. In the distance, a crowd was gathering. Men, women, and children were packed tightly inside a large green circle painted amid a forest clearing.

“There’s a lot of people,” Ji-Eun commented.

“It seems like there are well over fifty people here, Noonim!” Jae-Hyuk replied.

Eun-Ho felt a chill ripple down his spine as a tense energy, almost electric, buzzed through the branches overhead.

[01:14]

Thankfully, there was still time for him to try something.

“Hold my hand.”

He held out his right hand to Ji-Eun, who stood beside. His left hand was already firmly held by Yul.

“Do we really have to?” Ji-Eun asked, hesitating.

“Yes. Quickly,” Eun-Ho urged.

However, Ji-Eun just stood there, fidgeting awkwardly. Her eyes darted everywhere but to his hand. For someone usually so decisive, her hesitation was unexpected.

Eun-Ho wondered if there was a reason for such hesitation.

Sss—

Then at last, she held Eun-Ho’s hand.

“Ji-Eun,” he said quietly.

“Y-yes?” she jumped, startled like a rabbit hearing thunder.

He said just above a whisper, “Schisandra tea helps, apparently.”

“What? Where did that come from?”

“You’ve got hyperhidrosis, don’t you?”

Her hands were noticeably damp, especially for such a cool day. It wasn’t something she ever talked about, and he hadn’t known either. Then again, when would he have ever had a reason to hold hands with a coworker?

“If we search the remains of a convenience store or market, there might be some schisandra tea left. Let’s look together next time we go scavenging.”

Ji-Eun didn’t say anything and simply lowered her head even more.

Did I just offend her?

Eun-Ho wondered.

“I’m sorry if that was out of line,” he added. “It’s not life-threatening or anything, so if you’re not comfortable—”

“No, it’s fine! Let’s just go already!”

Face flushed like a ripe apple, Ji-Eun shot upright and marched forward, trying to act unfazed. Eun-Ho considered apologizing again to perhaps soften the mood, but time wasn’t on his side.

“Yul, can you activate your skill?” he asked.

“Yup!”

Whoosh!

As soon as Yul nodded, a system message echoed in their heads.

[You have entered the Hide and Seek domain of the Subject Kim Yul.]

[The skill effect will end the moment you move away from the caster.]

Now all of them, hand in hand, moved awkwardly forward like a clumsy human chain.

“Why are we sneaking in, though?” Yeo-Jin asked.

“You’ll see when we get closer,” Eun-Ho said carefully.

He didn’t want to say something like “because you can’t trust people anymore” to a high school girl. Besides, she was about to see it for herself.

“

Huh?

See what?”

“Maybe there’s some kind of enemy?”

Clang! Clang! Thud!

“

Aaaargh!”

The sound of metal clashing and breaking hit them before the sight did. The safe zone was no haven, but a warzone.

“What the hell is happening?!”

“Why are they fighting?!”

Dozens of survivors were attacking one another—brandishing weapons, circling in groups, scanning for threats from every direction.

“Die!”

“

Gaaaahhh!

”

People swung whatever they had, including spears, kitchen knives, even makeshift clubs, desperately fighting like their lives depended on it. In a way, they did.

It was a brutal, chaotic mess.

“But there’s more than enough room in the safe zone!” Ji-Eun shouted, horrified. “Why are they fighting?!”

“Because they need to catch someone first,” Eun-Ho said grimly.

“Catch someone? You don’t mean—”

Eun-Ho didn’t answer, but his silence said enough. Ji-Eun bit her lower lip, hard.

A man stabbed a woman and a young guy slashed at an older man. The scene before Eun-Ho’s eyes was a sickening, pure slaughter. He had imagined things would go wrong, but not like this.

“I didn’t think it would turn into a full-blown war,” he muttered.

Most of the survivors inside the safe zone had already been swept up in the frenzy. Maybe fear had completely overridden reason—the fear that if they didn’t kill, they would be killed.

We have to stop this,

Eun-Ho thought.

If this went on, everyone would end up dead.

“Don’t let go of each other’s hands no matter what,” Eun-Ho commanded.

“Okay!” came the reply.

“And...”

Eun-Ho tightened his grip around little Yul’s hand on one side and Ji-Eun’s on the other.

“Yul, grab Unnie’s hand now.”

“But what about you, Eun-Ho?” Ji-Eun asked quickly.

“Yeah Mister, aren’t you coming?” Yul added with her eyes widened.

Four round, dark eyes stared at him from both sides, nervous and expectant. Their pupils trembled with unease, and he felt the need to reassure them.

“I just need some air,” he said, forcing a small smile.

***

[Time is up.]

[All individuals outside the safe zone will be eliminated.]

“

Gaaargh!

”

“You murderer!”

That was when he realized something. Many people preferred murdering over getting deleted.

“P-please, have mercy. Please!”

“Just four hundred more points... I just need four hundred more!”

It didn’t matter if they were a hiker, a student, or a tourist. When a blade touched one’s neck, even the gentlest soul could become a monster.

[The Crow from the Bureau of Management advises that this isn’t how the game’s supposed to be played.]

[Several observers are eager to see more participants in this bloody brawl!]

[An anonymous observer is curious about Subject Lee Eun-Ho’s next move.]

Fwip!

As if things weren’t bad enough, arrows began flying through the air.

Arrows in the middle of Seoul? If anyone’s still hiding out there, they’ll get caught in the crossfire.

He had to think fast. He needed a distraction—something big enough to grab everyone’s attention. However, the entire place was drowned in screaming and chaos. Shouting over it wasn’t going to help.

There’s only one move left.

“Upgrade shop.”

[Congratulations!]

[Your low-tier shop, Mobile Stall for Newcomers, has been upgraded to the intermediate-tier Everywhere and Nowhere Golden Caravan!]

Whoosh!

The shabby little kiosk that had once hovered around him vanished. In its place appeared a massive golden caravan, set atop sturdy wheels. A shimmering, rectangular structure rose from its base. Even through its semi-transparent sheen, the luxurious golden frame gleamed.

“A caravan?” he murmured.

[10,000 Welfare Points have been deducted.]

He reached out to the caravan’s twin doors as they opened with a soft hiss, then pulled his hand back.

I’m curious, sure. But this is still a battlefield. I can’t afford to browse right now.

His remaining balance was 533 points. He had just sacrificed a full day’s worth, five thousand points, on this one move.

Still, I’m confident I can earn it back.

The real reason he was willing to take that gamble was the First-Time Upgrade Bonus.

[Congratulations!]

[You are the first to unlock an intermediate-tier shop in Sector 13.]

[Choose your First-Time Upgrade Bonus!]

[Skills]

Palm Wind(Lv. 1)

- Unleashes a blast of condensed air from the caster’s hand. Can push objects or people weighing up to 0.1 tons. The farther the distance, the weaker the impact.

- There is a limit in the number of uses. Recharges once every 10 minutes.

- Current charges: 3/3.

There were other options, including a basic shield that could block one hit under the attack power of thirty, or a lightness buff to reduce a target’s weight by ten percent. However, this one was clearly the most practical.

Especially right now.

“Confirm.”

[Palm Wind(Lv. 1) has been unlocked.]

It was a skill that could draw everyone’s attention, strike from a distance, and control a crowd.

I should knock them all down in one go with Palm Wind.

It wasn’t just a distraction, but a way to separate the people tearing each other apart like wild animals. Maybe this skill would be able to even buy a moment of sanity.

“Palm—”

[Due to your Swordsmanship skill tree, Palm Wind has evolved into Blade Wind!]

[The power of your skill and range have increased.]

Huh?

Skill tree? Blade Wind? When was that a thing?

Eun-Ho thought.

Then it hit him. He remembered the system message from the Training Institute, when he first acquired the Basic Swordsmanship skill.

[Unlocking Basic Swordsmanship has opened the Swordsmanship skill tree.]

Guess it actually meant something.

[Checking the skill, Blade Wind.]

[Skills]

Wind Blade(Lv. 1)

- Releases a sharp blast of wind along the arc of a sword swing.

- There is a limit in the number of uses. Recharges once every 10 minutes.

- Current charges: 3/3.

The next moment, Eun-Ho raised his sword, aiming at a nearby tree. Then, he slashed downward in one clean motion.

Swoosh—!

The tree split cleanly in two, top half crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

Wait, what?

His skill affected the man standing next to it, the guy who had been threatening him with a spear, and the woman sneaking up behind them, ready to strike with a rock.

“

Aaaargh!

”

“W-what the hell?!”

“D-did you just hit me?!” the woman yelped and dropped the rock. It seemed like she had smacked her own hand in the fall.

Huh? What the...

Then, Eun-Ho was ready for another test with a bigger target this time.

He turned to an even older tree nearby. Thicker and sturdier, its bark gnarled with age. It looked like it had stood there for decades, unmoving and unshaken. This time, he put more strength into his swing.

Swoooosh—!

His black blade sliced through the air, unleashing a crescent of wind that shimmered faintly as it flew.

Crack—!

The massive tree split like a brittle twig.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The wind didn’t stop there. It carved through the space between a few people locked in a brutal standoff, sending them stumbling back.

This is definitely stronger than I expected.

“

Gah!

I’m bleeding! What the hell?!”

“Damn it! When did you attack?!”

“It wasn’t me! Look over there!”

“Is it that bastard from earlier then?”

Eyes were turning his way now. The invisible blade had rattled the crowd. They were starting to notice.

Good. Then I’ll show it one last time.

Eun-Ho turned toward another group still locked in vicious hand-to-hand combat.

Shwoooosh—!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Baaaam—!

“

Aaaah!

What was that?!”

“W-was that wind?! Did he just fire wind at us?!”

“Who the hell is this guy?!”

[Skills]

Wind Blade(Lv. 1)

- Current charges: 0/3.

People hit the ground like dominos. The once-chaotic mountainside now looked like a clearing, scattered with collapsed trees and stunned people.

That should do it.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Climbing onto one of the clean-cut tree stumps, Eun-Ho made himself visible and said, “Let’s stop this.”

Sure, he had just blasted them back with a skill that could’ve seriously injured someone. However, he just wanted to be firm, not threatening.

Honestly, he’d half expected them to gang up on him, call him a monster, and accuse him of using dark powers or something. However, instead, their focus was somewhere else entirely.

“F-five hundred points?!”

“But I saw it! He was all the way at ten thousand points earlier!”

“Where did it all go?!”

Even with him standing right in front of them, their eyes were glued to the floating number on their maps, tracking his points instead.

Eun-Ho sighed. “Who cares whether I have ten thousand points or five hundred?”

If it were him, and a suspicious person showed up in a place like this, the first thing he would do would be to check their expression, their intentions and their capabilities.

“That’s not what matters right now,” Eun-Ho added.

“Then what matters?!” someone shot back.

“W-wait. You’re not gonna kill all of us to earn your points back, are you?”

Fear rippled through the crowd as their faces turned pale. A few jumped to their feet, gripping makeshift weapons while fixing their wide and wild eyes on him.

“I can easily make five thousand points without killing a single person,” Eun-Ho replied.

“What?”

“How are we supposed to believe that?”

The crowd bristled with suspicion, bristling like porcupines. They were ready to strike at any sudden movement.

“He’s probably leading us off to kill us somewhere! You all saw him attack people earlier!”

“Exactly! He’ll probably drag us into a corner and wipe us all out. You think we wouldn’t figure that out?”

Ah. So it’s those guys from earlier. The ones I blasted,

Eun-Ho realized.

He couldn’t blame them for not trusting him.

“But if I really wanted to kill you, don’t you think I could have done it earlier? You’d know best, wouldn’t you?”

“

Ugh...

”

The real issue was that there was no time to talk sense into each of them. It was 3:05 PM and there were three hours until clock-out. This was as much as he could afford to try.

If they don’t follow, that’s their choice.

“We’ll need an hour to prep. So that leaves us with two full hours, which should be more than enough,” Eun-Ho said.

“

Huh?

What exactly are we preparing?” a girl asked as Eun-Ho hopped down from the tree stump.

It was a girl with big eyes in a school uniform skirt, appearing like a highschooler. She was maybe a college freshman at best.

I doubt you’ll understand this, but...

“Auto-hunting,” Eun-Ho replied.

“

Huh?

”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd with confused stares.

Still, Eun-Ho stated calmly, “Well then... Anyone here know how to use a shovel?”

Half of them watched with wary suspicion; the other half watched with a flicker of hope in their eyes.

***

“Corporal Choi! I want that trench dug in under an hour!”

“Yes, Sergeant!”

Jae-Hyuk’s memory came back all at once. He remembered digging over a meter deep in frozen ground during winter training, constructing foxholes with numb hands and trembling arms.

“You’re still not done?! Are you planning to dig all day instead of training?!”

“N-no, sir!”

Sweat ran down Jae-Hyuk’s back like a stream. His gray t-shirt was soaked, stained dark with effort.

“

Haaa.

I’m dying over here...”

“How long do we have to keep doing this?”

The two men trailing behind him were already groaning and ready to drop. However, Jae-Hyuk looked like he could dig all night. Perhaps it was because he had met his role model today, or because said role model had acknowledged him.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

There was no room for thoughts like “this sucks” or “I’m exhausted.” There was a shovel and dirt, so he dug.

“Are you possessed or something? Did a ghost who died digging trenches take over your body?”

“For real. We’re barely hanging on with more points to earn, but you’ve already hit your quota!”

Jae-Hyuk finally slowed down, just enough for the others to catch up. That was when Eun-Ho approached.

“Jae-Hyuk! How’s it going?”

“All good, Hyungnim! We’re nearly finished!”

They stood in a wide, freshly-dug ring surrounding a smoky black border. It was a trench carved with sweat and determination.

“This is the key to the whole plan, you know that?” Eun-Ho said, grinning.

“Of course! Once we set traps inside, the monsters will walk in and die on their own, right?”

“Exactly. Then we’ll build barricades so those Brown Bears can’t escape.”

“

Whoa...

You’re a genius!” Jae-Hyuk wiped the sweat from his brows, eyes wide in admiration.

“You’ve worked hard,” Eun-Ho said. “Time to switch out.”

“I’m good, really! I met my daily quota thanks to you, Hyungnim!”

“

Huh?

Aren’t you tired?”

“Nope! Not at all!”

Eun-Ho looked mildly surprised but didn’t push it. Instead, he gave Jae-Hyuk a solid pat on the shoulder and turned to address the others.

“Alright, switch out. Buy spears from the shop and coat the tips with poison.”

“Poison? Where are we getting that?”

“Is that something we can buy at the shop?”

They looked around, confused. Eun-Ho pointed with his chin toward a nearby crowd.

There, laid out like some grotesque banquet, were the corpses of Venomous Sky Tigers with their bellies slit open, toxins oozing out.

Squelch.

One by one, people carefully dipped their speartips into the inky black venom.

“You just have to line up there. Hurry!”

“

Ah,

I see. Thank you!”

The guys dropped their shovels as if they were radioactive and hurried over.

“Once the poison’s on, stake the spears in the ground. And keep the spacing even.”

Then, Eun-Ho gripped his sword and headed in the other direction. Without hesitation, he rushed in toward another monster.

“

Grrrr—!

”

Shing!

In one clean slash, the beast collapsed. No matter how many times they saw it, it never stopped being jaw-dropping. Even the new arrivals stood frozen between awe and fear.

“Dude... Who is that guy? Is he some kind of national fencing champion?”

“No way. He’s too strategic. No athlete thinks like that.”

“Right? Who the hell puts together a plan like this, especially mid-battle?”

Jae-Hyuk wasn’t even the one being complimented, but his chest swelled with pride anyway.

Hyungnim is the best!

Besides, that was one of the reasons why he dug harder.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

He dug harder than the time he dug any foxhole in boot camp.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

“Jae-Hyuk, take a break!”

“I’m fine, Noonim! Still feeling good!”

“You’ve been digging nonstop for over an hour now. Aren’t you even tired?”

“

Oh,

it’s been that long?” He genuinely hadn’t noticed. He figured some time had passed, but it felt like he had only just started. “That’s weird. Feels like I just picked up the shovel.”

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

He kept digging, relentlessly, until the ground itself began to feel off. It shifted beneath him, as if it were alive—as if he were the shovel and the shovel was part of him.

Then, a system message echoed.

[Congratulations!]

[Through overwhelming stamina, muscle memory etched from triceps to calves, and an extreme resistance to injury, a Unique Skill has been created!]

[Ultra Regeneration(Lv. 1) has been unlocked by Subject Choi Jae-Hyuk.]