NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12
Chapter 13
It seems there’s no place unscathed by the explosion of the Gate on this current Earth.
Gates can appear anywhere. The only consistent aspect is that the environment inside a Gate is likely to resemble the area where it appeared, but aside from that, there’s hardly any regularity regarding where they occur.
Moreover, if a Gate isn’t conquered, it will explode, spilling its insides out into the world—like pouring a can of paint, coating the area in its color.
And the monsters inside? They spill out like clumps of paint that had been packed tightly inside. The world may have changed, but that place remains their territory.
Yet, humans aren’t the type to simply abandon places just because they are covered in this mess. Just look at how the Academy has been built right atop where it was once engulfed in an explosion.
Harmony Academy stands where the area previously known as Yongin was. Though it’s now called Harmony City, it’s not even as large as Yongin City used to be. It barely resembles a single isolated island now.
Only major cities like Seoul and Busan could maintain such enormous scales today in Korea.
Naturally, the surrounding terrain is littered with the aftermath of Gate explosions. The Seongseongsan, which Yeon-woo planned to visit, is no exception. It’s just called Seongseongsan because there’s really nothing else to name it; it resembles a mountain range.
Among them, the nameless western forest is actually quite a decent hunting ground for beginner Hunters. The deeper you venture into the forest, the stronger the monsters become, while the ones found on the outskirts are typically only goblins or other creatures of similar danger.
‘Still, caution is needed.’
What kind of creature are goblins? These little green-skinned humanoids are notoriously known for their childlike intelligence.
The more goblins you face at once, the higher the danger, and if a leader appears, that danger increases exponentially. It’s something to be wary of.
In that sense, using a wooden sword for hunting is quite problematic… but then again…
It’s not as if I could just forget the ten years I rolled around in my previous life.
Taking down a goblin without it even having the chance to scream is hardly a challenge.
*
“Crack.”
Five ugly little green-skinned goblins wandered through the thick forest, glancing around. In their hands, they clutched crude stone spears or stone swords.
One seemed to be the leader, wielding a genuine iron sword, albeit a rusty one… which means I need to be cautious to avoid getting stabbed.
“Grrrr?”
Though they are small and not particularly intelligent, these goblins are among the more skilled sub-monsters. Only a handful of lowly monsters possess intelligence akin to that of goblins.
Sniffing the air, one goblin found rabbit droppings fallen among the bushes. After finding one trace, naturally, two or three more appeared. Soon, one of the goblins who spotted a nibbling rabbit succeeded in hunting it using a slingshot hung from its tattered waist.
“Eek!”
Considering the village’s population, one mere rabbit wouldn’t be enough, but today’s off to a good start. Content with its bounty, the goblin drooled as it grabbed the rabbit’s ear, lifting it triumphantly.
“—Ugh.”
Without even a scream, its spine snapped and it breathed its last.
‘I’m still not quite used to the stabbing yet.’
The owner of the wooden sword that precisely pierced the rabbit’s neck was none other than Yeon-woo. He dragged the goblin’s corpse into the bushes.
He laid it upon the ground he had prepared in advance, lightly covering it with dirt. Goblins have a keen sense of smell and can distinguish the scent of their own kin; hence he hid it under another scent.
Naturally, before starting, Yeon-woo had smeared the mud of the forest all over himself.
They can count numbers. The moment one of their kind is killed, it’s a race against time. Fortunately, after a quick survey of the vicinity, there were no goblin groups nearby. To make things easier, he planned to ambush them individually; facing about five should pose no significant issues.
‘So, shall I wait?’
It may be a time attack, but in reality, he could just sit here and wait. Goblins have an intelligence level akin to elementary school students, which merely means they are limited to that level. Unlike humans, they don’t receive any education, so their thoughts can be somewhat silly.
For instance, a human would probably try to gather others to aid in the search after stumbling upon something like this; however, these little guys merely check out areas where the scent has disappeared.
[Wow, it’s real.]
Somewhere along the way, Shar awakened and spoke above Yeon-woo’s head.
Did you sleep well? A lot has happened…
Just then, a goblin that had been sniffing around entered the scene, searching through the thickets. Yeon-woo deliberately left the rabbit’s corpse untouched. This would make it harder for the goblins to grasp the situation. He grabbed the stone spear he had prepped with his left hand and gripped the wooden sword in his right.
Using both weapons in practice was rare for him, but he had trained in such a way that he wouldn’t be at a loss if he ever lost an arm. Thankfully, this was the case even when he was fifteen. Although the thought wasn’t exactly geared towards such severe injuries, he just swung both sides with his dual-wielding training.
[Then I will check where the others are from a higher vantage point.]
‘Thank you.’
Even if it turns into a chaotic battle, there’s no reason to stop his daughter from trying. There’s little chance of injury, so it’s all the more reason. He was a good father who actively encouraged his child’s independence.
[Aha, I see. I’ll send you the image!]
An image? Just as he wondered what that meant, a 3D map unfolded in Yeon-woo’s mind. Dotted lines indicated distance and height, red marked the goblins, and blue was him. It wasn’t hard for anyone to understand, as it presented an intuitive format that left Yeon-woo amazed.
This is possible? It was far more convenient than the mana map that expert hunters had synthesized.
In awe of Shar’s capabilities, Yeon-woo hurled himself at a goblin that was drawn to the faint scent left in the thicket. Pressing down on its throat with the wooden sword, he took it down and instantly mounted it while plunging the stone spear into its heart.
Given that goblins are small, they are also weaker, so the creature met its demise without even a chance to scream as he choked it.
‘That makes two.’
Beep, a buzzer sounded, and the red dot in his mind that had been right in front of him disappeared.
You’ve really done well, huh Shar? You could even pass as a programmer.
[Are you satisfied?]
‘Of course. How could I refrain from utilizing something so effective?’
That said, he couldn’t underestimate his own senses. Who knows when a crisis might arise where Shar couldn’t assist him? The critical part was whether Yeon-woo was capable of using it or not.
As Yeon-woo was about to dispose of the goblin’s body, he suddenly spotted a red dot nearby charging towards him.
Could it have caught a whiff of blood?
He quickly ducked behind a tree from the direction it was approaching while shouldering the corpse, waiting for it to reveal itself to hurl the body at it.
“Keek?!”
A goblin staggered back from the impact, letting out a shout. It’s typical for at least one to make noise. It’s a nuisance, but as mentioned, it’s not a major issue.
He swiftly snatched up the stone spear buried in the ground and hurled it at the creature’s chest. Having mastered handling most weapons in his previous life, spear-throwing was second nature to him. Before regression, he had even been a spear user.
“Kieeek!! Ugh, kik, kaack….”
Thud. The goblin’s scream burst forth with a spray of filthy blood. The goblin struggled to pull the spear out, but the one-packed mana within the spear firmly lodged it into the ground. The rusty sword clattered as it dropped to the floor. It was rather foolish for the head of a hunting pack.
“Only two left now.”
At this point, it’s nothing really. Yeon-woo charged at the two goblins rushing through the underbrush.
The wooden sword in one hand and the rusty iron sword in the other traced different trajectories, decapitating the two goblins effortlessly.
*
“Ugh, gross.”
[Is this what hunters have to deal with…? I wouldn’t want to hatch if it involves this kind of stuff….]
Hey, you guys don’t do this…
Yeon-woo extracted two eyeballs from a head that belonged to the leader-type goblin as well as a small mana stone located near its heart, then used the tattered rag covering one of them to wrap the pieces up carefully.
While there were definitely unsightly parts he had to witness throughout the process, Yeon-woo’s stomach didn’t turn. These things were nothing new to him…
He didn’t want to get his uniform dirty or end up with incomplete payments, so he meticulously wrapped everything up with the tattered rags before turning away.
Having left five goblin corpses, the likelihood of encountering one in this area had significantly decreased, but that was only a possibility, not a certainty. There was no reason to gamble his life on something that wasn’t a hundred percent guaranteed.
‘Shar, what do you want to eat today?’
[Dad has quite an appetite…. Incredible… Pastor, cook or something!]
Oh right, what I just thought was visible to Shar too. I only hoped her appetite would recover before they reached the fortress.
…..
It was when Yeon-woo exited the forest and was galloping along the road that he suddenly heard the hoot of an owl. There was no way he could mishear that unique sound.
“The Night Stalker is around even in this era.”
[What’s a Night Stalker?]
“Where should I start explaining….”
When you receive requests related to the forest from the guild, you become aware of this fact: the forest divides into quadrants, segmented off according to depth while being centered around the middle. And based on those quadrants, there exist four distinct rules.
For instance, in the eastern part of the very forest Yeon-woo had just traversed, one such rule dictates, ‘Leave behind more than half of your prey.’ The reason that rule exists is precisely because of the Night Stalker—the owner of that hoot from a moment ago.
“There are four high-level monsters living in that area. Each claims their territory.”
Starting from the east and going clockwise: the Night Stalker, Ja-young (紫影), the Grand Serpent, and the Elder Tree. It’s rare for monsters to have nicknames, especially when it’s beyond the Gates. Usually, they’re dispatched with a dozen hunters rushing in together.
[But how are they still alive?]
“While it’s true that there’s no immediate need to conquer the western forest, those higher-ups cooperate if humans come to eradicate them.”
[High-level monsters?]
Yeah, that’s right. So when it was time to conquer the western forest in my previous life, countless casualties occurred. If those monsters were engaged in separate fights, it might be manageable, but they cooperated seamlessly to defend against us.
“Though I’ll have to face them eventually, it’s absolutely impossible right now. They are high-tier monsters for a reason. As of now, I could drop dead without even recognizing the Night Stalker’s attack.”
[Th-That’s cowardly.]
“If Shar helps, we’ll be able to take them down in no time.”
[Hehe, of course. Who do you think I am?]
With the wall drawing near, Yeon-woo continued to converse with Shar in his mind as he approached the gate. Tonight, he decided he would treat himself to chicken. Surely, that would entice Shar’s appetite back.
(Continue in the next episode)