“By the way, Cheon Yooseong, what am I supposed to do now? I’m just a D-rank Hunter with nothing but skills.”
On top of that, I was in a beggar’s state with not a single weapon or piece of armor. How was I supposed to survive here?
『Seo Aru, for now you need to team up with a high-ranking Hunter. At least B-rank or higher.』
『Fortunately, today there was an Awakeners’ Human Rights Education program held in Seocho District. Which means those people must’ve been dragged into this dungeon as well.』
『Find them and ask for protection. In an emergency like this, rescuing civilians brings in hefty compensation, so there’s a good chance they’ll agree.』
“Hold on. If they’re Hunters who were forced to take human rights training… doesn’t that mean they’re the Awakeners who caused some major incidents?!”
Before I realized it, I had shouted at the top of my lungs!
‘…Crap, the sound didn’t leak out, did it?’
My heart dropped, and I hunched down, glancing nervously around.
『…Please be mindful of noise.』
『And as I was saying earlier, it’s true that some Awakeners have serious moral issues, but…』
『At the end of the day, they’re still human. Better than monsters that can’t even be reasoned with.』
Cheon Yooseong’s pixel character floated a text bubble with an expressionless face.
‘So basically, I need to get out of this building and find those Awakeners forced into human rights training…’
But how was I supposed to cut through those monsters?
I was a freshly Awakened D-rank, completely unarmed…
“What about hiding in this abandoned building for a few days? What if I run into monsters while looking for people outside?”
『Seo Aru, you said you saw those shadowy, sluggish monsters earlier, right?』
『Those things are blind. But they react sharply to sound and track it.』
『Luckily it’s raining now. Small noises will be masked by the rainfall, so they won’t notice you passing nearby.』
『As long as you don’t scream, you can get through without fighting.』
‘…Monsters that react to sound? So that’s why the people who screamed earlier died instantly?’
Then Cheon Yooseong explained why I couldn’t stay here.
It looked relatively safe now, but since this was an A-rank dungeon, sooner or later monsters that could track even into buildings would appear.
That meant now was the perfect time to make contact with high-ranking Hunters.
『I really want you to survive, Seo Aru.』
『The magistone disease… the clue to solving the crisis faced by Awakeners worldwide has finally appeared. I can’t let you die here.』
His little pixel character raised its brows and pumped out text bubbles one after another.
‘But what if I go out and it’s even more dangerous? One mistake and I’m dead…’
For him, Korea’s rank 1 Hunter, strolling between monsters probably meant nothing. But for me, one touch meant instant death!
I eyed the shrunken, three-head-tall pixel version of the rank 1 Hunter. The trustworthiness was gone, leaving only cuteness.
At that moment—
Paaaah!
Out of nowhere, a blinding light burst in through the window, flooding my vision white.
‘What the—? Some kind of firework just shot up?’
Strangely enough, it made no sound at all.
It looked like a rescue signal… no, more like a call saying “Come here, we’ll rescue you.”
“Cheon Yooseong, a light just went up nearby! Oh, there it is again. I think that’s a rescue signal…!”
『Perfect. Seo Aru, hurry and join them.』
『As long as you don’t make loud noises while moving, you should be fine.』
“Ah…”
Fine, I’ll go. No choice. I’ll give it a shot…
Before leaving the abandoned building, I searched every corner just in case there might be items.
‘I heard dungeons sometimes drop equipment or potions.’
Clatter… tap!
I opened drawer after drawer, careful not to make noise. But all I found was dusty trash.
‘…Guess there’s no way an item would be in this rundown place. I should head out before it’s too late.’
Hmm… still, just in case.
Maybe one last drawer?
Unable to leave it alone, I opened the final drawer.
…Thunk!
‘Huh?’
It felt unusually heavy, and inside was an old-looking gun.
‘No way, there really is an item?!’
[You have obtained 【Faded Shotgun-type Magun】!]
I quickly picked up the gun and stored it in my inventory.
At last, I had a weapon!
‘But wait, a Magun? So it runs on mana instead of gunpowder?’
I’d heard that monsters protected themselves with unique mana barriers, making them resistant to modern firearms.
‘That’s why Hunters wrap mana around their blades to cut monsters, and why they use Maguns instead of ordinary guns.’
That way, the mana barriers got neutralized and attacks landed properly.
Of course, the same principle applied to Awakeners too. Since they protected themselves with mana barriers, they could hurt each other the same way.
Some even said that monsters and Awakeners were fundamentally the same kind of existence…
‘Anyway, that’s not what matters now.’
It was time to leave the building. At least my scavenging had paid off with a usable weapon.
Sure, firing it would draw every monster nearby with the gunshot, so it was practically sealed away. Still, better than nothing.
I forced my trembling legs down the stairs of the abandoned building.
[Skill 【Courage (D)】 is currently activated.]
‘Thank god I have a skill that boosts my courage.’
Would stacking more of these kinds of skills actually change my personality and mindset?
Anyway, keeping my head clear, I slowly descended until I finally reached the first floor.
But there, an unexpected guest awaited me.
‘Huh? A dog?’
A little dog, drenched in rain, was lying shivering outside the glass door. It must’ve been sucked into the Gate like me.
‘So you’re in the same boat as me, huh.’
…If I left it there, it would die.
‘Maybe I should store it and save it? If I just walk past and it barks, I’m screwed.’
I quickly opened the glass door and reached toward its back.
“Woof!”
Whoa—
[You have obtained 【Loud-Mouthed Puppy】.]
I immediately shoved the puppy into my inventory and bolted!
‘Crap, crap, crap!’
I ran on tiptoes so even my footsteps wouldn’t be heard, fleeing as far from the building as I could.
I ran, and ran, and ran…
‘This should be far enough, right…?!’
At last, I turned around.
Shaaah—
Through the pounding downpour drenching the ruined world, I saw black figures swarming into the first floor of the building I’d just left.
[Calculating acquisition probability of the target…]
[Estimated probability of acquisition: 5.21%]
They were the same monsters that had been eating people earlier.
My hands shook violently in the air, directionless. Cold sweat, tears, or raindrops—some liquid pooled under my chin.
Just now, I almost died.
『Woof woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!』
I almost died just now…
『Grrr… woof! Woof!』
『Rararara! Grrr! Woof!』
But then, the puppy I’d stored in my inventory suddenly started barking like crazy. With terrifying force!