Chapter 47
“Fuck.”
F-class porter Cha A-ra could not stop cursing for even a second.
“How the hell did my life end up like this? This is seriously fucked... In my next life, I’m going to be born as the youngest child of some happy nouveau riche family...”
Inside a vast, complicated dungeon shaped like an ant nest, Cha A-ra was left alone, dragging herself around miserably.
“Those dogshit bastards, leaving me behind. I’m going to curse the shit out of them.”
The place where she had been abandoned was a dark cavern full of glowing jewels.
One might ask how a place full of glowing jewels could possibly be dark, but this place was inhabited by dustlike creatures that ate light.
Right around the glowing jewels, the background could be seen faintly, but beyond that, nothing was visible.
“...”
Cha A-ra had been abandoned in a dungeon this dark.
“Fuck.”
It really was dogshit.
“... Stub your toenails on a threshold, rip a fingernail, pick at it, and bleed. Trip while walking down the street and fall somewhere crowded so you embarrass yourselves to death. Get drunk on late-night feelings, post some bullshit online, then wake up the next day and have a crisis of self-reflection...”
The reason she had been abandoned was obvious.
They had marched into the dungeon with a shred of courage the size of an ant’s tear, which was all well and good, but they had failed to find a breakthrough, their food had been running out with nothing to show for it, the mood had hit rock bottom, and in the end, they had used return stones to leave the dungeon.
She could understand that much.
‘Even if wasting money and time is fucking infuriating, it’s better to get out alive than to die.’
They said even rolling around in a field of dog shit was better than the afterlife.
Even if it was only a C-rank dungeon, a dungeon was still a dungeon.
You never knew when people might start dying, and in a dark dungeon like this in particular, mental fortitude weakened noticeably.
They had already seen more than enough blood, so if there was a way out, leaving was the wise choice.
“...”
But they had been one return stone short.
“Fuck...!!”
Return stones themselves were expensive, so even if they had had enough, she had no idea whether they would have given one to Cha A-ra, an F-class porter.
Or maybe the claim that they were short one return stone had been a lie in the first place.
“God, this is seriously dogshit!! Get dumped the day before your wedding, cry your eyes out, and live the rest of your life as unemployed losers, you fucking bastards!!”
Cha A-ra huddled right up against a jewel as large as her own body and sniffled.
This kind of thing was not common.
No matter how cold the world had become these days, people did not usually abandon porters this openly.
Weren’t they supposed to be companions, in their own way?
“...”
But it was only not widely known because Hunters hushed it up; incidents like this did happen more often than one might think, in secret.
‘... The bigger problem is that this isn’t something that never happens.’
This was not the first time Cha A-ra had suffered something like this either.
‘The biggest problem is that this dungeon gets almost no visitors.’
Until now, even if she was left behind alone, she had been able to escape with the Hunters who came in afterward by groveling to them.
‘Because, naturally, Hunters have to care about managing their image too.’
Hunters were a kind of celebrity, so they paid a lot of attention to avoiding personality scandals, and unless they were particularly rotten-tempered, most Hunters would take in one poor porter left alone by herself.
But.
“Ha, seriously, no, what am I really supposed to do this time...?”
This place was the “Jewel Vein.”
It was a C-rank dungeon, one with unusually few monsters and poor rewards, so Hunters rarely visited.
“They said if one team comes in a week, that’s a lot.”
The paths were tangled in a complicated mess, and because of the microscopic creatures that absorbed all light, whether from lanterns or anything else, one wrong move could leave you trapped in this dark maze until you died.
Finding the exit was no easy task.
The reason Hunters still visited a place like this from time to time was because of one monster that lived in this dungeon.
“...”
A tiny monster with a jewel body that glowed softly like a night-light.
Commonly known as the “Anti-Cat.”
“... Idiots. I knew something felt off from the moment they said they were after that thing...”
The Anti-Cat was a cat-type monster about the size of an adult man’s palm, or slightly larger.
Despite its adorable appearance, which charmed men and women of all ages indiscriminately, it hated being approached by people and ran away, and the fact that it absorbed light like the creatures of the cave and darkened its surroundings added to its rarity.
‘Even if they did catch it that way, they shouldn’t keep an Anti-Cat.’
Raising monsters was heavily regulated by the state, and the Anti-Cat was a terrifying monster that, when angered, burned everything around it in blue flame.
‘Well, because it’s that kind of monster, there are a lot of crazy bastards dying to buy one under the table.’
In any case, she should never have joined a team like this.
She should have run the moment they said they were going to the Jewel Vein.
If only she had not been so desperate for money.
“... What am I really going to do...?”
It had not even been twenty-four hours since she had been trapped in the dungeon alone, but perhaps because her surroundings were dark and even sound seemed to be swallowed by the silence, she felt as if her mind were being badly shaken.
She was clearly in a wide cavern, and yet it felt as if she were trapped somewhere blocked in on all sides.
She had heard that among prisons, some deliberately locked inmates in narrow, dark rooms to torment them, and this felt exactly like that.
Her body was not as uncomfortable as it would have been in such a cramped cell, but mentally, she was exhausted.
“Ugh...”
She was starting to get hungry too.
‘But it’s not like I’m strong enough to clear this dungeon on my own. What situation was the exit supposed to appear in again? I feel like it needed several people...’
And yet simply waiting for rescue was just as hopeless.
“...”
Cha A-ra squeezed her eyes shut, then soon got up from where she was sitting.
“... Let’s just move around, whatever happens.”
It was easy to say it had not even been a day, but while fully conscious, it was a fairly long time.
She was sick of doing nothing but sitting still to prolong her life.
At this rate, she would go insane before rescue came, so even if only to keep from losing her mind, she thought it would be better to move.
“Still, the Jewel Vein has relatively few monsters. I don’t have the food, stamina, or ability to even dream of clearing it on my own, but as long as I watch out for the ghostlike monsters that suddenly appear... I should be okay.”
The Jewel Vein was not mainly about fighting monsters.
The entire strategy for clearing it was “find the escape route,” and that was because this place was as complicated as an ant nest and just as dark.
It was a dungeon where mental fortitude mattered more than attack power, so as long as Cha A-ra kept her wits about her, she could get out without dying.
“...”
But after about three hours passed, she felt like she was going to lose her mind.
“Ugh, I’m going crazy.”
She was hungry, she was thirsty, she was sleepy, and her arms and legs ached.
The leg she had injured in the last raid still had not healed, so she was even limping.
At this rate, it was obvious she would not be able to run away if a dangerous situation came.
‘But peacefully sleeping in a place crawling with monsters that suck out your life force would be stupid.’
She did not know much, since she had never learned properly and only knew what she had heard here and there or seen for herself, but at the very least, she knew that every monster inhabiting the Jewel Vein had a ghostlike appearance.
Along the same lines, the monsters here attacked by sucking away Hunters’ life force, and while their physical attack power was not high, if you let your guard down, your lifespan might be cut in half.
‘When I’m awake, I can at least keep myself together and drive them off...’
That was when she was trudging along.
“...”
Far in the distance, she saw something glowing faintly.
It was an extremely weak light.
“Is that... a jewel pillar...?”
It did not seem like one.
Cha A-ra narrowed her eyes.
Her eyesight was not bad, but the other thing was so small that she could not make it out clearly.
‘What is that?’
She knew the moment she saw it.
That was not one of the glowing jewels spread throughout the cave.
It was much smaller, with a round shape that caught the eye at once, and most of all, four feet moving with light, dainty steps like a well-bred young lady.
“Uh.”
Pointed ears and a fluffy tail.
“Uh, uh...”
Its body was as small as a kitten’s, but its fur was as luxuriant as any long-haired cat’s, and it was a dainty little jewel-furred cat that could fit snugly in one hand.
It was an Anti-Cat.
“... Holy shit, I actually got to see one.”
If the Hunters who had left first found out, they would be beating the ground in regret.
‘Just thinking about that has filled my exhausted body and soul right back up. All of you can go fuck yourselves together.’
Cha A-ra gained a little strength and watched the Anti-Cat.
‘... There’s no way I can catch an Anti-Cat, and I don’t even want to.’
In a world where people could just hush things up and be done with it, it was still illegal from the start.
If she did not get caught, that would be one thing, but if she did, there was a high chance Cha A-ra, an F-class porter with no one to cover for her, would be punished severely.
So what Cha A-ra wanted was not anything like capturing the Anti-Cat.
‘There was a story that those things move in the direction of the exit. It isn’t reliable information, but still...’
The Anti-Cat must have noticed Cha A-ra’s presence too, because it suddenly turned to look her way.
“Ah.”
“...”
“...”
According to what was known, if an Anti-Cat noticed someone nearby, it would extinguish the light in its body, absorb all the light around it, and leisurely run away, but fortunately, the one in front of her did not do that.
Cha A-ra inwardly swallowed a sigh of relief.
‘... I-I’m saved.’
This was also Cha A-ra’s first time seeing an Anti-Cat give off such a gentle glow.
No, it was the first time she had even heard of one doing so.
She had learned that Anti-Cats usually avoided humans by devouring all the light around them and hiding in the dark.
The Anti-Cat swished its tail, then soon began moving with quick little steps.
Its movements were light and elegant, like a soft balloon bouncing up, like petals fluttering.
“...”
Was it telling her she could follow?
‘... Since it’s a monster, I doubt it’s keeping its light on because it wants to help a human, but it doesn’t seem to intend to attack me either. They also say it’s a monster that resembles a cat quite a bit in temperament, so as long as I keep a suitable distance, I probably won’t be attacked out of nowhere...’
Cha A-ra carefully followed behind the Anti-Cat, then noticed something strange.
“...”
“...”
“...?”
The Anti-Cat seemed to be checking whether she was following.
‘... What is this?’
She could have called it a miraculous act of kindness from a monster, but no matter how low her rank was, Cha A-ra was still a Hunter.
She knew very well that monsters did not like humans and would not show them genuine goodwill.
The Anti-Cat, in particular, was a monster famous for hating humans.
‘But that definitely looks like it’s luring me...’
Wait.
“...”
Just as Cha A-ra hesitated and tried to run away.
“Hello.”
“H-Hyaaaaaaaaaah...!!”
THUD!
Cha A-ra’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
“Wh-what, what what what, what the wha...”
“...”
“... Wh-who are you...?”
It took her a little time to grasp the situation.
Panting as she steadied her breathing, Cha A-ra realized that someone other than her was there in the darkness.
This was a dungeon where nothing could be seen unless it was right next to a glowing jewel, so she had not even imagined there might be someone beyond where the Anti-Cat was headed.
‘It’s not a monster... right?’
What monster in the world could talk?
“Who... who are you...?”
Even as she asked haltingly, Cha A-ra mustered her courage and awkwardly rose to her feet.
In the case of porters, even if the other party was human, there were occasional cases of them being killed inside dungeons for amusement.
It was better to be careful about everything.
‘Please stay calm, you idiot.’
Meanwhile, the Anti-Cat approached the “someone.”
It was giving off a slightly brighter light than before, and from its blue but gentle glow and its even softer movements, the affection the Anti-Cat held was plain to see.
When that small body drew near, all that came into view were black suit pants and pale bare feet, and the Anti-Cat was rubbing itself against those ankles and acting cute.
“...”
It was an absurd sight.
“... An Anti-Cat...”
Wasn’t the Anti-Cat famous for hating people?
“Ah, um, by any chance... are you a tr-trainer? Um...”
“...”
“Which guild’s Hunter are you...?”
She asked because she was certain someone skilled enough to be a trainer would not be working freelance, but the other person still gave no answer.
A strange silence continued.
‘... Why is he so quiet?’
No, to begin with.
Why had she not sensed him there?
‘No matter how useless a Hunter I am, I shouldn’t be so bad that I can’t tell there’s a person this close...’
Cold sweat ran down Cha A-ra’s cheek.
Instinctively, she sensed that something was wrong.
At this point, even the black suit pants and the pale bare feet beneath them felt eerie.
Yes, of course.
“...”
There was no way some crazy bastard would come barefoot into a rough cave like this.
“...”
... Think about it.
Anti-Cats hated people.
‘They said that was no different even with trainers.’
If it were a problem that could be solved by having a trainer step in, Anti-Cats would have been sold much more openly than this.
But Anti-Cats detested contact with people to an extreme degree, and that was the same even for trainers, who could form contracts with monsters.
There was a reason the word “anti” was in their name.
‘For that Anti-Cat to act that affectionate...’
At that moment, the stranger bent down and lifted the Anti-Cat into his arms.
Cha A-ra could see the Anti-Cat’s tiny body fit snugly into his large hand.
It did not resist and completely entrusted itself to him.
“...”
“Hello.”
“... Y-yes.”
Ah, could it be?
She had been so out of it that she had simply let it pass, but Cha A-ra remembered that she had not answered his greeting.
‘I think I only screamed.’
Feeling strange, Cha A-ra awkwardly bowed her head.
“Um, ah, hello...”
To repeat the same words out of nowhere in a situation like this.
Perhaps he had asked again because she had not answered his earlier greeting.
It was absolutely not an ordinary reaction.
‘Is he someone obsessed with manners?’
Even as she thought that, Cha A-ra edged backward.
That cautious movement, hoping not to provoke him, showed that she had already defined the man before her as a dangerous being.
‘... Something is strange.’
The Anti-Cat, which hated people, was nestled in the man’s pale hand and rubbing its cheek against him.
Even if it was the result of the man training it well, it was strange.
Just because a monster had made a contract did not mean it naturally felt affection for its master.
Most of their relationships were extremely dry, or were even connected by hatred.
‘And I’ve never heard of an Anti-Cat giving off a gentle light like that in a person’s arms. It’s such a rare sight that not even a photograph of it has ever been taken.’
That light was like an anglerfish luring prey in the deep sea.
“...”
There were no cases of Anti-Cats liking people, but monsters often offered tributes to monsters stronger than themselves.
“... Uh...”
Now that she thought about it, speaking monsters did exist in the world.
They were so rare and uncommon that she had not dared to think of it, but they certainly existed.
Humanoid monsters.
“My name is Seo Jio.”
“...”
“What is your name?”
A face sunk in darkness, with nothing visible.
She could faintly see the hand holding the Anti-Cat and the front of his chest.
A pitch-black dress shirt, a pitch-black suit, and a cloak far darker than either.
Even the large, thick fingers that had gone pale as a corpse...
“...”
Cha A-ra quietly took it all in.
Although it was only hidden by the darkness and could not be seen, it felt like a human without a face.
“...”
And of course.
There was no such thing as a faceless human.
“... I, I’m...”
“You are nervous.”
“...”
“Are you afraid of me?”
“...”
“I promise I will not harm you in any way.”
His voice was excessively polite.
‘... What is this?’
It was a chillingly good voice.
It was neat and clear like an announcer reporting the weather, and gentle yet firm like a teacher instructing a student.
Cha A-ra suddenly felt that the voice was so perfect it was, instead, alien.
Perhaps she had taken quite a long time sorting out her confusion, because as if the flowing silence did not satisfy “it,” it spoke to her once more.
“Do not be afraid.”
Cha A-ra realized.
“...”
Ah.
That thing.
“I would like to know your name.”
Was not human.
“...”
“...”
“Cha, Cha A-ra... I’m Cha A-ra.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cha A-ra.”
In the darkness.
She saw eyes darker than the darkness.
“Will you speak with me?”
