Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 112
#112. Colony of the Dead (4)
2022.11.20.
Eunha glanced at Clown Ahjussi.
Meeting him on the mountainside, his nose was red and his body trembled faintly.
It was clear at a glance that his body was frozen from the cold.
If he had been constantly fighting, he would have generated heat and wouldn't be in such a state.
Eunha guessed that he hadn't managed to collect many cores in the past 3 hours.
And that guess was correct.
"I've only managed to collect 3 so far."
Clown Ahjussi smiled bitterly, warming his frozen hands by the crackling bonfire.
The pitch-black bonfire before them was one Eunha had quickly made by gathering nearby branches.
Since she was planning to take a short break anyway, it was a consideration to allow him to warm his body, however briefly.
Beside the blazing fire, marshmallows skewered on branches were roasting appetizingly.
Clown Ahjussi had brought them beforehand.
He grabbed the most deliciously roasted marshmallow and handed it to Eunha.
"Eat."
"Thank you."
Eunha accepted it without refusal.
As it happened, she was feeling a little hungry.
Eunha, unfamiliar with such qualification tests, hadn't thought to pack food.
During training or subjugations, the unit always took care of emergency rations, and after returning to the modern era, Jehwi had always been by her side.
However, Clown Ahjussi, who had actually brought it, didn't touch the marshmallow and just stared at the bonfire with a complicated expression.
"I've felt it since the last filming..."
Clown Ahjussi, who had been staring at the black flames fluttering in the air, glanced elsewhere.
Eunha's side.
Looking at the bundle, seemingly about to burst with cores, he carefully spoke.
"Young lady, why do you do concept hunter work when you have that much combat ability? Ah, of course, this work isn't bad, but... with your skills, young lady, it seems you could make a good living just by clearing gates."
Eunha, chewing on the marshmallow, answered shortly.
"I am not a concept hunter."
"Huh?"
Clown Ahjussi, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, turned his eyes to Eunha.
Dressed in a pitch-black dress, she once again calmly denied it.
"Everyone just misunderstands."
"Misunderstands?"
"Yes."
Eunha, having finished the marshmallow, threw the stick towards the bonfire and added.
"I've never introduced myself as a concept hunter."
"Ah..."
Clown Ahjussi, closing his mouth for a moment, recalled the situation at that time.
Certainly, she had been sitting with him in the concept hunter section back then.
Though it was a few months ago and had become hazy, he had no memory of seeing her go to the PD or writer to question them.
"Then why didn't you say anything on the broadcast back then? If you had said you were a regular hunter, the broadcasting station might have taken some measures."
Slowly lifting her head, she smiled faintly at Clown Ahjussi.
"Being a concept hunter isn't a bad thing, is it."
Perhaps because of the bonfire, in this place where even sunlight didn't reach, her white face was particularly bright.
"I don't think there's such a thing as concept or regular hunters."
"..."
Clown Ahjussi just blinked blankly before her, as if at a loss for words.
But that too was momentary; the corners of his lips also curved into a faint smile.
"...Yeah, that's right. You're right, young lady."
Lowering his gaze to the bonfire, he stared at the crackling flames for a long time.
'This young lady... perhaps.'
Clown Ahjussi somehow felt certain.
If he just swallowed his pride and asked her for help, she would help without asking for reasons or conditions.
However, this was a test, i.e., a 'competition'.
Moreover, she had already swept up that many cores by herself.
It meant she was that skilled.
In terms of combat, it was obvious he would be of no help to her.
No, far from helping, he'd be lucky if he didn't just drag her down.
So, if he wanted her help, he had to appeal his usefulness somehow.
Clown Ahjussi, who had been staring at the bonfire, finally, as if resolved, lifted his head and looked at Eunha.
"Young lady, would you perhaps consider forming a party with me?"
"A party?"
Eunha too glanced towards Clown Ahjussi.
"I don't particularly need a party..."
"Besides this, I have plenty of food. My wife packed various things for me."
Clown Ahjussi opened his backpack and held it out for Eunha to see.
Inside his backpack were not only various snacks like cookies and candies, but also kimbap, bottled water, and even emergency medicines like digestive aids.
"As you can see, there's so much that it's hard for one person to eat it all."
"..."
Eunha stared blankly at the contents of the backpack.
She hadn't thought anything of it before, but now that she saw the food, she felt a little hungry.
There were about 7 hours left until the end of the test.
Of course, she wouldn't die if she didn't eat anything, but it was natural that it would be better to eat meals on time if possible.
"And..."
Clown Ahjussi put away his backpack and this time pointed to Eunha's bundle.
"It seems you have quite a lot of luggage, but I can serve as a reliable porter. While I wasn't working as a concept hunter, I made a living as a porter, you see."
Besides that, he added that with his skill called Surprise Trap, he could lure monsters into traps.
A skill of just that much, to incapacitate them for a very short time by obscuring their vision with rainbow balloons or blaring a loud trumpet sound.
Though it didn't have the power to defeat monsters in one blow, if traps were set up nearby while resting, they could be detected before they arrived, and it could also buy time.
Eunha, quietly listening to Clown Ahjussi's words, fell into thought.
If she refused here, he probably wouldn't be able to find a proper party.
To put it coldly, Eunha had no obligation to consider that far, but...
'Certainly, if both hands are free, combat will become much more convenient than now.'
Given the situation where it was difficult to empty her inventory immediately, and considering that the number of cores would increase further.
Moreover, it would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted by the food in that backpack.
The moment she smelled the sesame oil wafting from the kimbap, her stomach had been growling since earlier.
However, it would be difficult to expect combat support from him, whose combat power was significantly lower than Eunha's.
Meaning, it would be like adding more 'luggage' in a different sense.
Eventually, Eunha decided to ask about the most important point.
"What are your thoughts on distribution?"
"Just give me 5% of the cores the young lady acquires. No, even 1% is fine."
"...Is that enough for you?"
"More than enough."
From what she heard on the bus, other parties seemed to follow a distribution ratio of 50/50, or at least 60/40.
5% meant that if Eunha obtained 100 cores, she would give him 5 of them.
At that rate, for Eunha, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Eunha, who had been lost in thought while silently watching the flickering dance of the flames, finally, slowly parted her lips.
"Alright. But there's one more condition."
Eunha's pitch-black eyes glanced towards Clown Ahjussi.
"During combat, you must follow my orders without question. Because you might get seriously injured."
Seriously injured?
By skeletons that are only Level 5 to 10 at most?
No matter how E-Class, a hunter is still a hunter.
She said there's no such thing as concept or regular hunters, but perhaps this young lady was also wearing colored glasses...
Though such thoughts inwardly arose, Clown Ahjussi didn't show it and nodded with a smile.
"I promise."
And about 30 minutes later.
Clown Ahjussi clearly understood why Eunha had set such a condition.
'Wh-what in the world is that...'
Clown Ahjussi stared at the scene unfolding before him with a bewildered face.
Clatter, clatter...
Skeletons swarming like bees.
Clown Ahjussi and Eunha had already been surrounded for a long time.
He knew their numbers increased rapidly as they went deeper into the forest, but he hadn't expected this many.
Clown Ahjussi, seeing a number far exceeding his expectations, observed Eunha standing beside him.
"Step back."
Flash.
Eunha extended her right hand towards Clown Ahjussi.
The moment he, startled, took a step back.
[Lv.5 'Skeleton' has locked onto a target. Preparing to fire.]
Creak...
Ranged attacker skeletons aimed their crossbows this way.
Pshooo—
At the arrows fired simultaneously in the same direction, Clown Ahjussi didn't even have time to scream and squeezed his eyes shut.
Towards them, raining down like a shower, Eunha swung her parasol wide.
And.
Thududududuk...
The pouring arrows were broken in half by the sturdy parasol and fell.
A short, concise, single movement.
That was enough.
Eunha, stepping on the pathetically shattered arrows with her heels, glanced back.
"..."
Clown Ahjussi, staring this way with a dazed face.
He seemed uninjured.
Eunha, after confirming his safety, finally turned her head back towards the creatures.
[A powerful force of domination imbues Lv.5 'Skeleton'. ▶ Regenerate]
[A powerful force of domination imbues Lv.5 'Skeleton'. ▶ Regenerate]
[A powerful force of domination imbues Lv.5 'Skeleton'. ▶ Regenerate]
Skeletons, forming a large circle around Clown Ahjussi and Eunha.
The moment they let their guard down, the creatures' arrows would fly again without hesitation.
Never mind Eunha, it would only be a matter of time before Clown Ahjussi was riddled with holes.
She couldn't just keep suppressing the incoming arrows indefinitely.
Fighting while protecting one's back is trickier than expected.
Moreover, since the creatures would regenerate endlessly, she had to finish them off quickly, without giving them a chance.
Over 20 of them, in a single blow.
Crack...
Eunha tightened her grip on the parasol.
On her bloodless, pale white hand, blue veins bulged.
"Stay down."
"...!"
At Eunha's short remark, Clown Ahjussi hastily ducked his upper body, almost prostrating himself on the ground.
There was no time to ask why.
And the very next moment.
Whoooosh!
Eunha, holding the parasol, spun around in place.
Swish—
A movement as if dancing.
The dress, made of ebony, billowed out like a round umbrella, and the pitch-black parasol, even larger and rounder, cut through the air.
A round afterimage left by the parasol.
Black hair fluttering over it.
However...
'The parasol isn't reaching the monsters.'
Clown Ahjussi, who had ducked his upper body and was watching the situation with only his eyes, swallowed hard.
The parasol's length was too short; it couldn't possibly reach the skeletons surrounding them.
Click.
One of the skeletons aimed its crossbow again.
As Eunha, who had spun around, stopped in place with a thud, the creatures, without any signal, began to fire all at once, as if by agreement.
Pshooo!
'Ah, no!'
It was the moment Clown Ahjussi snapped his head up.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang—!
A tremendous roar, heard a beat later.
The aftermath of the previous attack?
No, it was the cat's strike, mimicking Eunha's attack.
At the tremendous aftershock, the nearby withered trees trembled.
When Clown Ahjussi cautiously opened his eyes again, there...
"Are you alright?"
Only the Princess of Dark Flare, with a serene face, stood forlornly.
Naturally, there wasn't a single scratch.
Neither on Eunha, nor on Clown Ahjussi.
"Ah, ah... Thanks to you, I'm completely fine."
Clown Ahjussi muttered blankly.
What just happened?
It all happened in such a short time that his mind was in a whirl.
However, he saw it.
The arrow fragments scattered like fallen leaves under her black heels.
The pitiful bone fragments, shattered beyond recognition.
And in her hand, the pitch-black parasol, perfectly intact without a single microscopic scratch.
Clown Ahjussi finally seemed to understand.
'During combat, you must follow my orders without question. Because you might get seriously injured.'
The true meaning of those words.
