Holy B-Class Life

#010

In the center of the safe zone, there was a pit dug as deep as a human’s height.

It was wide enough for five people to lie down side by side, and it was evident that it had been meticulously crafted using refined stonework. Its exact purpose was unknown, but it certainly wasn’t meant for its current use.

The pile of hunters’ corpses in that pit was a horrific sight. It was difficult to discern their original forms, as if monsters had been at them before the two arrived.

Yoon Pa-ran had seen countless deaths in his struggle to survive after awakening. However, even for him, witnessing so many people die at once was a first.

“The smell of blood gets seriously intense from here on.”

In contrast, Dan Joo-hyuk’s expression was quite composed.

About a meter away from the pit, Dan Joo-hyuk slowly moved his feet. His steps were as cautious as someone solving a mystery.

Yoon Pa-ran unconsciously followed him before freezing in place again. From the specific point Dan Joo-hyuk mentioned, the smell of blood intensified dramatically. As if there was an invisible barrier.

Regardless of Yoon Pa-ran’s shocked state, Dan Joo-hyuk moved back and forth along what he deemed to be the boundary. He even lightly tapped the ground at the edge with his toes.

Dan Joo-hyuk’s feet stepped unhesitatingly in front of the sticky pool of blood.

“Seems like there’s some kind of barrier in this space.”

“……”

“How many do you think there are in total?”

For a moment, nausea rose, but Yoon Pa-ran bit his lip and held it back.

“I… I’m not sure.”

His throat went dry from tension.

Reflexively looking back into the pit at Dan Joo-hyuk’s question, he couldn’t bring himself to count how many there were. He barely realized that there were monster corpses mixed in as well.

Quite a few monster corpses were scattered around the pit as if they had invaded. It made it look like the hunters had gathered in that space to face the monsters.

Why was there such a pit, and why did all the hunters have to gather there?

Why did the effect of the safe zone suddenly disappear? Everything was puzzling.

“Are you scared?”

Dan Joo-hyuk suddenly asked. His face wore its usual grin, but strangely, the question felt quite dry.

His attitude didn’t match the background at all. For a moment, he seemed like someone genuinely curious if Yoon Pa-ran was really scared, but Yoon Pa-ran wasn’t fooled.

Why is he staring at me like that again?

A sense of crisis flashed through him. Not knowing exactly what this crisis was directed at, Yoon Pa-ran tensed his eyes.

Then, following his instincts, he spat out as if grinding his teeth:

“Of course. Only a madman would be calm seeing this.”

It was half directed as an insult to Dan Joo-hyuk. After all, Dan Joo-hyuk calmly talking about boundaries really did seem like a madman.

Provoking him now didn’t seem like a good decision. But words that flowed out like water couldn’t be taken back.

“I suppose so.”

Unexpectedly, Dan Joo-hyuk readily agreed with Yoon Pa-ran’s answer. A deeper smile filled his face.

…Surely, he couldn’t have liked that answer?

This reaction made Dan Joo-hyuk seem even more unpredictable and crazy. What the hell is wrong with this bastard’s head?

“Let’s pick up the pace a bit. To the next safe zone.”

The following words sounded somewhat normal. So much so that Yoon Pa-ran didn’t even think to raise any objections.

To think the person he had to break through this treacherous gate with was someone so unhinged. While inwardly sighing, Yoon Pa-ran prepared to run.

At least the madman was good with a sword, that was one fortunate thing.

❖ ❖ ❖

Was it really fortunate?

“Huff, huff.”

Yoon Pa-ran breathed heavily, his waist half bent. Even so, sensing a presence behind him, he quickly swung his sword.

Crack!

One of the approaching monsters fell, spurting blood from its neck.

“Phew……”

The breather was brief. Yoon Pa-ran once again imbued his sword with sacred energy and rushed towards another monster that was separated from the group.

If he didn’t have this skill, he would have fallen behind long ago.

Dan Joo-hyuk, who had said he would ‘slightly’ increase the pace, started breaking through the gate like a madman afterward.

Unlike before, monsters occasionally sprang out on the path ahead. Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t show the kindness of regrouping or giving warnings. He simply cut down any monsters he encountered on the way.

Because of this, Yoon Pa-ran was in agony. It was fortunate that Dan Joo-hyuk dealt with most of the swarming monsters; otherwise, he would have surely died.

Nevertheless, Yoon Pa-ran didn’t complain once. From the middle, he moved with the thought that he’d rather collapse while running. Thanks to Dan Joo-hyuk’s charge, they managed to rescue quite a few hunters who had been isolated throughout the gate.

The hunters skilled enough to survive even with the safe zones neutralized were all A-rank. And even then, there were only twenty-two of them.

As more hunters joined, they encountered more monsters. Disregarding this, they relentlessly pushed through the gate.

However, those who survived at the last safe zone finally had to face a grim situation.

“Damn it. There are monsters here too!”

“Shit! Why isn’t it working?!”

A-rank gates usually have about four safe zones. Unfortunately, all the safe zones in this gate were not functioning.

The attack party, which should have steadily pushed back monsters with a stable number, had already disintegrated upon entry.

Moreover, this gate entry was peculiar in many ways.

They said coordinates don’t usually get this distorted. Even if separated from the main force upon entry, one should enter between the entrance and the first safe zone.

Additionally, there was an even bigger problem.

Not only the transfer locations but also the time each hunter spent here was distorted.

Yoon Pa-ran had wandered the gate with Dan Joo-hyuk for only about two hours. However, the barely rescued hunters who joined them each reported different perceptions of time.

Inside the gate, all machines boasted by modern civilization were unusable. To function properly here, everything had to be made from gate byproducts.

Therefore, clocks usable in gates were quite expensive. They were very tricky to make despite not being directly related to survival.

One of the rescued A-rank hunters had a clock. Comparing it with Dan Joo-hyuk’s clock showed a three-hour difference in gate entry time.

“Ugh.”

Yoon Pa-ran thrust the final blow into the monster’s side, bringing it down. Soon after, other hunters finished their fights one by one.

All the creatures that had been lurking in the last safe zone now lay on the ground. The hunters who finished fighting each shouted in agitation.

“Damn… Fucking monster bastards!”

“All my guild members, they’re all dead! Shit!”

It had already been well over a day since Yoon Pa-ran entered the gate.

Originally, they should have utilized the safe zones as much as possible to conserve energy, but that wasn’t feasible. Rest always came with tension and was brief. They didn’t know how many more hunters might be isolated ahead.

Naturally, the hunters were twice as tired as usual, and Yoon Pa-ran’s condition was even more serious than theirs.

He had used up all his stamina running to this point. If he hadn’t recklessly used his sacred energy skill just enough to avoid detection, he might have collapsed on the ground long ago.

“Hunter Yoon Pa-ran, are you alright?”

At that moment, one of the joined hunters asked, noticing Yoon Pa-ran’s complexion.

It was that A-rank hunter with the clock. What was his name again?

“Please don’t overexert yourself. You’ve been keeping up really well so far.”

Though not someone he was familiar with, there was no contempt in the speaker’s tone.

Yoon Pa-ran, breathless and preoccupied, had no time to pay close attention to the other person. Since the other showed no hostility, he simply waved his hand as if to say he was fine.

The man stood in front of Yoon Pa-ran for a while before disappearing.

Regardless, Yoon Pa-ran finally straightened his bent back after completely catching his breath.

“Phew……”

He heard another presence from behind.

He thought it might be the person who had just spoken to him, but the presence felt different. Sure enough, an unpleasant voice was heard.

“I don’t have a hobby of carrying men, so this is troublesome.”

Dan Joo-hyuk said regretfully, looking back and forth between the broken statue in the safe zone and Yoon Pa-ran.

Seeing that, a curse flew out before he could restrain himself.

“What the hell do you want me to do, damn it.”

Who asked you to carry me?

The curses directed at Dan Joo-hyuk became somewhat uninhibited. At this rate, it seemed dying while fighting or dying by Dan Joo-hyuk’s sword would be similar.

Of course, after spitting it out, he felt a bit nervous. Not wanting to show that, Yoon Pa-ran took his water bottle and took a small sip. To clear his mind as well, he unhesitatingly sprayed the rest on his face.

Feeling the water droplets trickling down his chin, Yoon Pa-ran declared:

“I have no intention of becoming a burden.”

He was the only B-rank hunter among the survivors.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, meeting Dan Joo-hyuk right after entering the gate could only be described as lucky. If he had been isolated alone, it would have been difficult to survive.

So, in this situation where only the boss remained, he couldn’t afford to hold them back.

Of course, he had no intention of dying and leaving his siblings alone in this harsh world.

“……”

Dan Joo-hyuk was unexpectedly silent. Figuring he was probably looking at him disapprovingly, Yoon Pa-ran didn’t bother to turn around.

Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been emitting an annoying presence, soon turned his body and spoke to the hunters.

“…We’ll rest briefly and then tackle the boss.”

“Ha……”

As soon as the order for a short rest was given, the sound of people collapsing on the ground was heard here and there.

Although the safe zone was neutralized, they had defeated quite a number of monsters so far. Everyone could easily guess that only the boss ahead remained.

And the boss monster would be trapped within the gate’s final boundary.

Yoon Pa-ran absentmindedly looked down at the ground, his thoughts drifting. He planned to sit down for a moment, avoiding the spot where he had spilled water earlier.

It was then, just as he unconsciously let go of the tension he had been holding onto:

“Uh oh…?”

Along with someone’s ominous exclamation, his vision was filled with a status window full of noise.

[■■!]