Chapter 6: Everthing always starts from the little things

You should always have a backup plan in case the first one fails.

Because life never goes the way you expect.

I probably should’ve thought this through more.
I’m coughing my lungs out, reflecting on my actions.

Why?

“…!”
“…!”

Because I just ran into the last people I wanted to meet.

Honestly, I had no choice.

Who could’ve predicted that killing those elite monsters would tank the Erosion Entities’ combat power?

I glance at the minimap in the corner of my vision.

Hmm.

If I got something wrong, it’s that the Hunters aren’t just wiping the floor with the Erosion Entities.
Before I started fighting, the red dots weren’t disappearing this fast or in such huge chunks.

All I did was break their command structure.

I just wanted to smash the Gate to stop their reinforcements.
And it worked like a charm.

The enemy didn’t swarm me, and the reinforcements stopped, so the Hunters faced the same number of foes.

But now?
Why are the Hunters winning?
And by such a huge margin?

After I killed that thing, the jagged, filthy purple zone vanished.
All that’s left is black soil, barely holding traces of the land that used to be.

Maybe it’s because of the soil…

I’m still so short on info.

“…Hey.”
“!?”

I was too lost in thought.
A voice calls out nearby.
I flinch and look—someone I assume is a Hunter is right next to me.

Fcking hell.

“!!”
“—No way!”

I try to back away, but the Hunter’s already grabbed both my arms, staring at me.

What is this?

My mind goes blank.
Should I use force to break free?
No, I can’t attack recklessly.
I don’t know them.
Enemy or ally?

Nothing’s more dangerous than someone you can’t classify.

But assuming they’re all enemies is the worst move.

I don’t know.

What do I do?

No, no.
My eyes dart around.
I don’t know.
What should I do?
Cough.
Maybe it’s stress, but the coughing won’t stop.
I don’t know.
Someone tell me.

“Oh my, what a cute face! Senior, isn’t she adorable?”
“Han Sua, what are you doing?! You’re scaring her. Let go!”
“Ugh… no way…”

—Thud.

“You…!?”

The small, brown-haired, young-looking woman holding me chats for a bit before pulling me into a hug.

I feel a heartbeat.
Mine or hers?

What is this woman?

“-□□□□□□”
“□□□? □□□□□.”

They start talking.
What about?
No clue.
I’m too frazzled to think straight.

While hugged, I try to calm down and observe them.

The word “Hunter.”
I pictured rough, free-spirited types.
Guess I was wrong.
My bias got shattered.

Too shattered.

Black uniforms.
Practical, designed for movement.
Not couple outfits, obviously.
They’d pick cuter ones if so, and they’re both women.

So, Hunters must be a well-organized group, uniform and all.
Probably with a hierarchy.
Uniting superhumans like them isn’t easy—it’s not some free-for-all.

A tall woman with sharp eyes and long black hair, radiating wariness, catches my eye.
The other’s the small, crazy one with brown hair hugging me.
No idea their ages, but they seem like adults.

Can she let go already?

“…Hmm.”
“Heehee!”

I squirm, but all I get is a smiling face and a gentle wipe of the blood around my mouth.
Just let me go.

The black-haired woman seems to use axes—or various throwing weapons.
She’s probably higher-ranking.
Her commanding tone, strong presence, and mature vibe suggest it.

The weird one hugging me… a crowbar?

“Huh? Oh, this? Picked it up on the way. Keepsake. Want it? Here!”
“…???”

She hands me the crowbar.
What the hell?

She wipes the blood from my mouth again.
So much came off.

This woman’s seriously weird.

“Hey, hey! Who are you? That attack earlier?!”
“Junior, back off now!”
“…”

At this rate, I’ve got no choice but to break free and run.

I didn’t expect that attack to do so much damage.
I thought it’d just break a wall.
Thanks to that, they pinpointed me right away.

Nothing’s going right.

That skill scales with the damage I take.
Including the weapon’s self-inflicted damage.
Guess the Nemesis Staff’s damage was way higher than I thought.

It didn’t hurt, so I didn’t care, but it came back like this.

The minimap shows the blue dots clearing over half—maybe more—of the red dots.
They’ve got room to spare.

If I stall here, I’m screwed.

I don’t know their rank among Hunters, but coming to the lab means they’re probably high up.
Soon, the Hunters who cleared the Erosion Entities might show up.

So.

“…Kid, you okay? Your throat looks hurt. Can you talk? Anywhere else hurt? Are you from the lab?”
“Senior! I saw her first, so she’s mine! Let’s be friends. Secret friends with big sis!”
“Fck…”

“…”

This woman’s a master at getting on my nerves.
The black-haired one seems to have her head on straight, at least.

They think I’m a kid from the lab… or some experiment?
Guess they’re not lab staff or related.
They’re treating me like a child.

“Do you like tomatoes? I love how red they are. They pop when you squish them with your tongue. You’re kinda messy too, like my little sister.”

This woman’s just… off.

Time to slip away when I get the chance.

“Ugh, I just wanna get close to this pretty, strong kid. Why’re you so mean?”
“Shut up, junior. Back off and call the medical team.”
“Yay…”

Her grip loosens slightly.
Thank goodness.
They’re calling for backup.

Last chance.

Their skills… hard to gauge.
Compared to the monsters I fought?
No clue.
Maybe similar.

They seem so weak.
Like picking which of two puppies is stronger.
I could probably take both easily, but it’s hard to compare.
Black-haired one’s like a Jindo dog, brown-haired one’s a poodle?

One thing’s clear.

They’re weaker than me.

Joining them might be fine, but minimizing contact is safer.
I don’t know enough about Hunters.
For now, I escape.
I don’t know them.
Meetings can wait until we know each other better.

For negotiation, both sides should be armed.

Better yet, I’m the only one with a gun.

The junior, still hugging me, reaches for something.
The black-haired woman, now close and looking down at me, sighs in relief.

That’s when I break free and run.

—Whoosh!

“Huh…!?”
“What!?”

I’m outta here!
This is my escape route!

A step back for two steps forward.
My heart aches, but sorry.
If I confirm you’re harmless later, I’ll find you.
With this crowbar.

The hole I blasted open.
Sunlight pours through the exit.
I sprint without looking back, checking the minimap for the path with no Hunters.

But until the end, a creepy voice echoes from afar: “Let’s meet again!”
I ignore it.

She seems nice… but something feels off.

And so, my first meeting with Hunters was a bit weird.

“Hmm… she’s gone.”

I clench and unclench my hand.

The kid who ran off is already out of sight, her shadow long gone.

My senior’s shouting something beside me, but I don’t hear it.

Really…

“What a shame…”