Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 45
Ding.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' jolts awake from its nap due to the sudden explosion, asking, "What, what!"]
[It blinks, disbelieving, asking if the snake really just exploded.]
[It scoffs, asking where in the world you'd find an exploding snake.]
'Right here.'
In the past, Yijun had used insects like ants as makeshift explosives.
There was no reason a snake couldn't explode either.
'But attaching exploding entities to hunters.'
Eunha narrowed her eyes slightly.
'Why on earth?'
The Yijun she knew would never do something so dangerous.
He lacked both the malice and the nerve to harm people.
How could he have changed so drastically in 30 years?
But right now, something else was more important.
'What do I do?'
The ceiling and inner walls had crumbled, filling the space with thick, acrid dust.
Eunha focused all her senses on listening.
However, even with her exceptional hearing, she couldn't pick up Minjoo's voice, not even the faintest footstep.
Eunha slowly ran her fingers over the collapsed gate debris.
It seemed the thickness of the rubble was far greater than imagined.
To move forward, she'd have to clear all this debris.
But there was no telling how long that would take.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' gasps upon seeing your right hand.]
[It asks if you were hit by that explosion, lamenting that its sister's hand is all mangled.]
'Ah.'
Eunha glanced down at her right hand.
A scorched hand.
Yellowish fluid oozed from the raw surface of her palm.
It was an injury sustained while pushing Minjoo away just before the explosion.
Being a fire-attribute wielder, Eunha could absorb some of the explosion's impact.
A normal person wouldn't have gotten away with just this burn.
Staring blankly at her right hand, Eunha rummaged through the backpack she'd been given earlier and took out a water bottle and a towel.
She poured water onto the towel and skillfully wrapped her right hand.
She didn't even flinch at the throbbing pain.
As if such wounds were commonplace for her.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' says it will heal the wound and tells you to hold out your hand.]
[It looks extremely anxious about your injury.]
Staring at the trembling yellow message window, Eunha eventually looked away sharply.
This wasn't the time to worry about a minor burn like this.
'There's something I need to do first.'
After securing the wet towel around her right hand, Eunha slowly parted her lips.
"Baek Yijun."
Eunha glanced towards the snake on her shoulder.
The vertically slit pupil stared back at her intently.
"You're watching, aren't you?"
There was no reply.
However, Eunha was certain Yijun was hearing her voice.
"There's been an accident."
"Send reinforcements."
Clearing the debris and making a path would be much faster and easier with more people than doing it alone.
That's why she requested support.
But still, silence.
Perhaps the telepathy couldn't reach due to the collapsed gate debris.
Or maybe, he was intentionally ignoring her.
"..."
Eunha spun around.
As things stood, she had no choice but to head back to the main camp herself and bring reinforcements.
Walking aimlessly along the inner wall past the passage, she saw a giant monster, presumably a mid-boss, snoring loudly asleep.
It was a Dragon-type monster, known for being notoriously difficult to handle.
Its scales were said to be hard enough to shrug off most attacks, and the spines running along its long back looked quite menacing.
'Noona, look at this monster's claw! I think I could make a pretty good weapon with this claw, should I just pull one out?'
'Don't.'
This was the place she had passed with Minjoo earlier.
Proof that she was heading in the right direction.
Just as she glanced at the sleeping beast and was about to turn back towards the main camp—
Thud. Eunha stopped moving.
"Something to say?"
Her calm voice held unwavering certainty.
The certainty that someone else was here besides herself.
After a very brief silence, a low chuckle was heard from a short distance away.
Crunch, crunch. Footsteps approached.
"I noticed last time too, but your hearing seems remarkably sharp."
It was the long-haired man, Mobius.
"What are you doing alone without Trickster?"
"Good timing. I just got separated from my partner too."
He looked straight at Eunha, a smile playing on his lips.
This was his chance.
He had been looking for the right opportunity ever since entering the gate.
Her moving with Trickster had been unexpected, but perhaps the heavens were helping him.
She was alone now.
"Even if Maestro's sleeping effect is on the monsters, it's quite dangerous for an F-Class hunter to wander alone."
"I'll accompany you."
To Mobius's words, Eunha replied instantly, without even pretending to think.
"I refuse."
"It could be dangerous."
"Not at all."
Eunha brushed past Mobius.
Mobius stared at the black hair fluttering before his eyes, his expression stiffening rigidly.
"...Your attitude hasn't changed, I see."
Eunha still didn't respond to his words.
Engaging in a lengthy conversation here was best avoided for several reasons.
The sleeping monster might wake up, and she needed to hurry to rejoin Minjoo.
Perhaps finding Eunha's clear and firm dismissal unpleasant, Mobius's smile cracked.
Mobius hated hunters like her.
The kind who were weak yet ignorant of their weakness, masking that ignorance as courage.
Furthermore, he detested concept hunters who earned money through cheap tricks despite having no real ability.
And the Princess of Dark Flare before him perfectly embodied the two things Mobius hated most.
For the future of the hunter community, such vermin-like hunters had to be judged by their seniors.
"First last time, and now again, you're quite brave for an F-Class concept hunter who doesn't seem to value her own life."
"..."
Only then did Eunha stop walking and turn back.
Her pitch-black eyes slowly moved to gaze at the white snake perched on his shoulder.
"You should watch your mouth."
"What?"
"You never know who might be listening."
After the brief warning, Eunha started walking again, as if she had nothing more to say.
"How arrogant."
Mobius muttered menacingly.
Eunha's warning seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
However, Eunha didn't stop walking.
Just as the click-clack of her heels began to fade into the distance—
Crash!
Something fell from above.
At the tremendous noise, Eunha turned her head.
—Grrrrrrr...
[Lv.50 'Guardian of the Blue Labyrinth' has opened its eyes!]
Its pitch-black pupils darted around, assessing the situation.
It seemed a rock had fallen onto the sleeping monster's head.
Eunha slowly tilted her gaze up towards the gate's ceiling.
There were no signs of collapse or cracks.
'In that case.'
She saw Mobius smiling in the distance.
His unique ability was 'Telekinesis', moving objects without touching them.
Dropping a nearby rock onto the head of a sleeping monster would be something he could do with his eyes closed.
Stopping her steps, Eunha spoke with a hint of weariness.
"What are you trying to do?"
"What am I trying to do?"
At Eunha's question, he half-hid behind a pillar and chuckled darkly.
As if unbearably excited for what was about to happen, immensely pleased.
"I merely wish to ascertain the truth."
"What an F-Class hunter like you can possibly do here."
Mobius, now in his seventh year as a hunter, knew the gates and hunter-related laws well.
Conveniently, there were no CCTVs inside gates.
Therefore, accidents occurring within a gate were not subject to criminal punishment or interrogation.
Furthermore, thanks to Minjoo kindly collapsing the gate, no other hunters would be coming here for a while.
All these facts and circumstances emboldened him.
"Whether you're a concept hunter or a regular hunter, you should just pick one."
His low warning tone was no longer smiling.
"It's disgusting."
Grrrrrr!
[Lv.50 'Guardian of the Blue Labyrinth' has spotted you!]
[Warning. A monster awakened from sleep enters a rage state for a period of time.]
[Lv.50 'Guardian of the Blue Labyrinth's' skill power temporarily increases by 30%.]
[Lv.50 'Guardian of the Blue Labyrinth's' eyes flash sharply.]
[Skill ▶ Frigid Blizzard.]
Whoooosh!
A fierce blizzard raged, making it difficult to even open her eyes.
Mobius had already vanished.
Eunha clicked her tongue briefly.
She could pursue him if she wanted.
Eunha had the ability to evade this monster.
However, Eunha didn't chase him.
If a huge monster like this started rampaging, the other sleeping monsters would wake up too.
Before the damage spread, she had to kill it or incapacitate it.
Eunha extended her left hand towards the monster.
First, she needed to counteract this harsh blizzard.
[Warning. Beware of <Abnormal Status: Freeze>.]
Crack!
Her fingertips began to freeze instantly.
It happened before she could even summon her flames.
She could melt it again, but the monster wouldn't wait for her to thaw her hand.
Her other hand had a minor burn.
Meaning both hands were unusable.
However.
'It doesn't matter.'
Compared to the experience of having her entire arm ripped off, this was nothing.
Being unable to use her hands wasn't a problem.
If she wished it, the flames were always there.
Fwoosh!
Black flames erupted above Eunha's shoulders.
[Warning. Fire-attribute attacks cannot melt the enemy's eyes.]
A system window popped up before Eunha's eyes, as if mocking her.
That would likely be true.
If it were ordinary fire, the blizzard was strong enough to extinguish it like a matchstick.
Yes, if it were ordinary fire.
'I merely wish to ascertain the truth. What an F-Class hunter like you can possibly do here.'
Mobius was probably hiding somewhere right now, watching, expecting Eunha to be crushed by the monster.
If he wanted confirmation, then she would confirm it for him.
Fwoosh!
The black flames flickering around Eunha's shoulders shot forward.
