TSOT#1 Chapter 5

The monster, now frenzied in pain, lunged again. Barely dodging its attack, Joo-ah stomped on its leg and leapt high into the air.

 

In mid-air, she fired the taser gun again.

 

Bang—

 

Bang―

 

The monster was only a D-rank. With her usual abilities, a single shot from the taser would have killed it instantly.

 

Grrrr―

 

But Joo-ah’s body was weak. Her attack power was greatly reduced, so even with consecutive shots from the taser, the monster barely flinched.

 

Click, click―

 

To make matters worse, her magic power was low, so the taser gun was depleted after only three shots.

 

“Damn it.”

 

Muttering a low curse, Joo-ah threw the taser gun back into her inventory haphazardly.

 

Watching the monster curl up, she drew her sword.

 

The monster’s fluffy fur bristled into sharp quills, and it rolled its body forward, charging straight at her.

 

As the monster closed in, she sprang into the air again, watching it with a steady gaze. She aimed her blade downward as she rapidly descended.

 

Her sword plunged deep into the monster’s center. With a pained wail, her blade sliced through its body.

 

“Haa…”

 

Breathing shallowly, Joo-ah turned around.

 

The monster lay dead from her sword strike, brutally slain.

 

She put the sword back into her inventory and checked her own stats on the system screen.

 

HP: 23 / 263 (-240)  

Magic Power: 43 / 193 (-150)

 

Exhausted after facing just one D-rank monster…

 

It dawned on her just how frail Seo Joo-ah’s body was.

 

As she caught her breath, an alarm rang in front of her, and a system window appeared, letters forming quickly.

 

[Hidden Quest, “Battle with the Monster,” achieved!]

 

[Secret mode is partially unlocked, and hidden skills are activated.]

 

[Check your “Personal Info” for details!]

 

A hidden quest?

 

Furrowing her brow, Joo-ah reread the letters floating before her.

 

It indeed said “quest.”

 

Normally, quests were given to Hunters when they entered a tower. So why was one appearing in the middle of the street?

 

She immediately accessed her personal info and checked her skills.

 

[Special Skill: Angel’s Blessing]

 

A bright light shone strongly on the special skill section. Joo-ah’s finger touched that part.

 

[Special Skill: Angel’s Blessing]

 

– First Awakening: ??? (Defeat two monsters. 1/2)

– Second Awakening: ??? (Defeat 100 monsters. 0/100)

 

New letters appeared below the special skill.

 

The skill didn’t seem fully unlocked yet; question marks filled the screen. Joo-ah scanned it with a puzzled look.

 

“…What is this?”

 

The constellation, feeling frustrated by her indifferent reaction, opened a dialogue window.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation complains that his contractor is too uninterested in him.]

 

It dawned on her then that the hidden quest was linked to the constellation.

 

Joo-ah flashed an awkward, embarrassed smile.

 

“Oh, no wonder it seemed like a strong skill.”

 

Though her reaction was a bit delayed, the constellation seemed satisfied, filling the status window with text.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation confidently claims that once his contractor fully awakens, she can become the strongest Hunter in both Korea and abroad.]

 

The strongest Hunter…

 

Perhaps, the moment of her second awakening would be the perfect opportunity to face the administrator.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation frets, wondering if she’s being too relaxed.]

 

Caught off guard by his sudden comment, Joo-ah paused at the edge of an alley, a puzzled look on her face.

 

But she soon understood when she saw a huge tree being uprooted in front of her.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation nags her to stay alert, noting that she’s become less sensitive to her surroundings since her body changed.]

 

Joo-ah muttered a quiet curse under her breath. She hadn’t anticipated another monster lurking just ahead in the alley.

 

Boom!

 

The monster’s powerful stomp crushed the tree trunk.

 

Level: B-rank  

Attribute: Earth  

Special Skill: Nail Stab  

Note: This monster appears to have emerged from the 321st floor gate of the fourth tower.

 

The monster, with a grotesque humanoid appearance, turned its head and locked eyes with her. Its feet, which had been facing forward, shifted in her direction.

 

Joo-ah took a step back, her face full of alarm.

 

“W-Wait a minute… Isn’t it cheating to just show up like this? I’m practically out of health and magic power…”

 

She muttered, retreating backward.

 

Her gaze darted around for other Hunters, but most were busy evacuating people or fighting other monsters, paying no attention to her.

 

No one was around to help.

 

Clenching her lower lip, Joo-ah pulled a dagger from her inventory.

 

At least the dagger required minimal health and magic power to wield.

 

The monster charged at her in an instant, using its two legs to approach her with a grotesque expression. It was terrifying.

 

“Damn!”

 

Joo-ah barely dodged the creature’s thick claws and slashed her dagger. But the monster easily blocked her strike, sending her flying with a powerful shove.

 

“Ugh.”

 

She gasped for breath, coughing. It felt like a heavy stone had crushed her chest.

 

HP: 6 / 263 (-17)

 

Her health was almost depleted. Her frail body felt ready to collapse. At this rate, she was afraid she might die without much resistance.

 

“Damn it.”

 

Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to her feet. The monster, from a distance, charged recklessly at her again.

 

She tried to dodge, but its massive foot pinned her down faster than she could react. She could barely breathe.

 

Was this how she would die, defeated by such a weak monster?

 

Clenching her fist, her hand trembled, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

 

Just as her consciousness started to fade, a loud gunshot rang out from behind.

 

Bang—

 

The bullet struck the monster’s head, which was pressing down on her.

 

Boom!

 

The monster fell to the side, instantly killed.

 

Through her blurry vision, Joo-ah saw someone standing at the edge of the alley with a taser gun.

 

Tall and dressed in a sharp uniform.

 

Broad shoulders.

 

An emotionless expression.

 

And… a black eye patch covering his left eye.

 

With that as her last sight, Joo-ah passed out.

 

When Joo-ah opened her eyes, she was in the medical ward within the training center.

 

Staring blankly at the white ceiling, she turned her head to see Yeon-joo yawning beside her.

 

“Oh? You’re awake,” she smiled warmly at Joo-ah.

 

“How’s your body feeling? Yoo Chan-hee picked you up from the alley.”

 

“…Hunter Yoo Chan-hee saved me?”

 

Frowning, Joo-ah raised herself up, and Yeon-joo hurried to support her, her face full of concern.

 

“Are you getting up already? You need more rest.”

 

“I’m fine. But, are you sure it was Hunter Yoo Chan-hee who saved me?”

 

Looking puzzled, Yeon-joo nodded.

 

“Yes, don’t you remember? You were in a standoff with that monster.”

 

“No, not that… Was it really Hunter Yoo Chan-hee who saved me? The last person I saw looked different…”

 

After rolling her eyes, Yeon-joo seemed to remember something.

 

“Now that I think about it, someone mentioned seeing a Hunter standing at the alley’s entrance. The monster was dead too. Was that the person who helped you?”

 

Joo-ah held her breath, her gaze lowering.

 

She hadn’t imagined it.

 

The person who helped her was indeed Se-hyun.

 

That familiar elite uniform. The tall frame. The neatly combed hair.

 

It was all the same.

 

Except for the eye patch covering one eye…

 

Joo-ah let out a hollow laugh.

 

She had never once gone to visit Se-hyun. She didn’t have the courage to face him.

 

She didn’t want to know how broken he might look.

 

If she saw him like that, she feared she might give up on everything as well…

 

Sighing softly, she realized she’d never expected to meet Se-hyun in such a way.

 

Se-hyun must have saved her at the right moment, and Chan-hee, who happened to be passing by, had brought her to the training center’s medical ward.

 

“By the way, you really need to work harder in training. At least be able to protect yourself, right? You are a Hunter, after all.”

 

Yeon-joo clicked her tongue, but she must have stayed with Joo-ah until she woke up as part of the team.

 

Slowly nodding, Joo-ah looked around the ward.

 

“Where’s Hunter Yoo Chan-hee? I want to thank him.”

 

Shrugging, Yeon-joo replied.

 

“He left, grumbling about his date getting ruined. He’s probably in the VIP lounge.”

 

Walking towards the door, she added, “I’ll head back now. You rest and go to the dorm afterward. Training will resume tomorrow.”

 

Waving at her from the doorway, Joo-ah hurriedly thanked her.

 

“Thank you, Hunter Choi Yeon-joo.”

 

Yeon-joo answered with a small smile before leaving.

 

Alone, a quiet stillness filled the room.

 

Joo-ah sighed deeply and lay back on the bed, closing her eyes.