TSOT#1 Chapter 11
by RenJoo-ah clenched her sword tightly, biting down on a curse.
She let out a sigh of frustration at the scene before her.
“One against many, isn’t that a bit unfair?”
She muttered quietly as she looked at the numerous monsters converging toward her.
Then, the monster she had first faced let out a loud roar once more.
It was only then that she understood.
The loud roar was a call to its comrades.
Hearing the sound, other monsters had gathered here.
“Damn it.”
Joo-ah swiftly turned around and swung her blade at the first monster she had engaged. Its weakness was in its head.
Her giant sword struck the monster’s head accurately, and it collapsed on the spot.
But the battle was only beginning.
The other monsters rushed at Joo-ah all at once. Without taking a breath, she swung her blade in a blur of movements.
Amidst the chaos, a blue system window popped up before her, accompanied by a cheerful chime in her ear.
【Hidden Quest, ‘Duel with Monsters’ achieved!】
【First Awakening unlocked.】
【For more details, check ‘Personal Information.’】
She remembered her contract with the Constellation that she had momentarily forgotten.
Maybe the skill she just unlocked could help her deal with this horrible situation more easily.
Pushing away the monsters with her sword, Joo-ah quickly tapped the system window.
【Special Skill: Blessing of the Angel】
― First Awakening: Divine Protection
― Second Awakening: ??? (Defeat 100 monsters. 0/100)
She tapped on “Divine Protection.” A detailed description of the skill appeared before her.
【Divine Protection: Gain invincibility for a brief period with the help of an omnipotent god. (Requires full mana)】
“Wow, this is awesome.”
At her exclamation, the Constellation replied.
【The Anonymous Constellation proudly remarks that you still don’t fully understand who you’re contracted with.】
“If you’d told me it was this good, I would’ve learned it sooner by taking out any random monster.”
【The Anonymous Constellation playfully says it’s your fault for not being interested before and finds you adorable.】
“Your standards for what’s cute are weird. Get a grip.”
While fending off one monster with her sword, Joo-ah kicked another in the gut as it lunged at her with sharp teeth.
For now, buying time was crucial. She needed her mana fully restored to use Divine Protection.
The healing magic she used on herself only increased her health. To recover mana, she had to buy enough time for it to recharge naturally.
― Mana: 179 / 193 (+1)
Because of her low level, her recovery speed was painfully slow.
She could see more monsters charging at her. Joo-ah cursed under her breath.
“This skill feels like a pie in the sky. Trying to use it once might send me to heaven first.”
Just as she was barely dodging an attacking monster and preparing to resume her assault, a gunshot rang out from the opposite side.
Bang—
Bang—
A bullet shot from somewhere struck each monster’s head with perfect accuracy.
When Hunters kill monsters, the bodies usually remain until the boss is defeated.
Bang—
But the taser gun’s bullets not only killed the monsters but also made their bodies vanish entirely.
This meant that the shooter’s rank was so overwhelmingly high that monsters couldn’t even compare.
“I didn’t expect to run into you here, Seo Joo-ah.”
Tae-jun approached, putting the taser gun back into his inventory. The many monsters around her had already disappeared without a trace.
Joo-ah looked at him in shock.
“…Chairman?”
“Are you hurt?”
Still stunned by Tae-jun’s sudden appearance, she nodded, unable to hide her surprise.
“No, thank you for helping me.”
She placed a hand over her chest, calming her startled heart.
She’d nearly revealed to him that she was a contracted Hunter with the Constellation.
“What were you doing here alone?”
Tae-jun asked, looking down at her curiously.
She put her sword back into her inventory and answered.
“A monster tricked me by pretending to be human, and I ended up here.”
“Intelligent monsters will use all kinds of tactics to harm people. They can even call their allies with loud sounds, so be careful.”
“Yes, I was so surprised when the monsters suddenly swarmed.”
Joo-ah forced an awkward smile and lowered her head.
“Thank you again. I’ll head back to the training center now.”
Since he suspected her of being a contractor, it was best to keep their interactions brief.
As she moved to pass him, Tae-jun called out from behind.
“Seo Joo-ah.”
She paused, turning back with a curious look. He held her gaze for a moment before speaking.
“You’re left-handed, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“I saw you holding the sword with your left hand.”
When had he noticed that?
Joo-ah frowned slightly, answering in a serious tone.
“No, I’m ambidextrous.”
Tae-jun’s lips curved into a smile as he placed his hands in his pockets.
“It’s common to find ambidextrous Hunters. It’s easier to fight monsters when you can use weapons flexibly with both hands.”
“…”
“However, for most Hunters, ambidexterity is developed later, and they tend to favor their dominant hand.”
He tilted his head slightly, adding.
“Just like how you seem to favor your left hand.”
He was right. Most ambidextrous Hunters favored their right hand due to developing the skill later.
“I also knew a Hunter who was skilled with her left hand.”
Joo-ah held her breath at his next words.
“She’s currently in a coma in the hospital.”
It wasn’t hard to guess who he was referring to.
Someone Tae-jun knew well, someone who used her left hand and was currently hospitalized.
Kwon Eun-young.
He was talking about her.
“I’m not sure why that Hunter came to mind just now. Maybe it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve seen someone use their left hand.”
With that, Tae-jun walked ahead.
Joo-ah watched him leave, stunned to hear her own name come up.
The sun, previously hidden behind clouds, began to reappear. With the boss defeated, the monsters that had threatened people were gone.
She stood in place for a while before finally moving her feet.
Joo-ah’s steps halted as she approached the entrance to the elite training room.
“…Oh, Chan-hee oppa…”
She had stumbled upon a man and woman entangled on the couch inside the room.
The woman’s top was half off, and the man above her was leisurely pressing his lips to her skin.
Joo-ah hesitated, gripping the doorknob.
Should she quietly leave as if she hadn’t seen anything, or should she ignore Chan-hee’s blatant disregard for public spaces and head straight to the training room?
Today was the day her team was returning to the training center.
Usually, Joo-ah arrived at the elite room early, but today, she took her time, arriving around the same time as her teammates.
Was that the problem?
She’d walked right into an unexpected scene before Jae-rim and Yeon-joo had even arrived.
“Heh, that tickles…”
The woman giggled, her face flushed, and pulled Chan-hee closer to her.
Holding her wrists, he muttered a curse under his breath and kissed her even more passionately.
Joo-ah stared in disbelief. How absorbed were they that they didn’t notice her entering? It was hard to approach them in this situation.
Finally, Joo-ah sighed softly and started to leave the elite room. She had no choice but to wait in the hallway until Yeon-joo and Jae-rim arrived.
But just then, Chan-hee, who was tangled up with the woman, stopped moving abruptly. Joo-ah, halfway through closing the door, glanced back.
“Oppa, don’t stop…”
The woman’s playful voice filled the quiet room.
Joo-ah forgot about leaving and looked at the woman curiously.
Chan-hee, who had been kissing the woman’s collarbone, lifted his head. His eyes met Joo-ah’s immediately.
“What’s wrong? Did someone come?”
The woman tried to turn toward the door.
“No one.”
Chan-hee grabbed her face with his large hand, directing her gaze back to him.
His lips curved in a smirk.
“No one’s here.”
Without missing a beat, he resumed kissing the woman passionately, all while keeping his eyes on Joo-ah.