~ Chapter : 05 ~
“Huh?”
Suddenly, everything behind her became quiet again.
Just a moment ago, she could clearly hear the loud sound of wolves scratching the ground with their claws as they chased her.
Hyoji stopped running and turned around.
From deep inside the dungeon, a thin plant stem shot out, then split into many branches, forming a net. The wolves were trapped inside it, struggling as if caught.
“Is this because of my passive?”
Still, it was a relief. Even if it couldn’t kill monsters, it could at least stop them.
While she was catching her breath, her phone kept ringing nonstop.
It was Hunter Lee Chanyoung.
—Hyoji, are you okay?! I’m coming right now. How far have you gone? Are you deep inside?
Questions poured out the moment she answered.
From the broken flow of his voice, it seemed he had entered the dungeon as soon as he got her call.
“The monsters stopped, so I’m okay for now—”
Just as she was about to say she was fine—
Snap—
The thin plant net broke apart.
That meant all those monsters were ready to run at her again.
—Hello? Hyoji, are you really okay?
“Um…”
—I’ve come pretty far in, but I can’t find where you are.
His urgent voice came through the phone.
Hyoji dropped the phone.
“I don’t think I’m okay.”
“Grrr…”
The wolf monsters licked their lips while looking at her.
With tears in her eyes, she opened her skill window again.
[Run Faster]
It was sad that this was the only useful skill she had.
Hyoji pressed [Confirm] as if she had given up.
“I guess I’ll just run again…”
Holding her basket, she started running again without thinking.
“What’s the point of using plants freely?! This is so useless! Aaaah!”
To avoid being caught, she kept running and running.
Her breath was heavy, but she had no other choice.
‘Please stop chasing me!’
While running desperately, she saw a familiar figure.
“Hunter Lee Chanyoung?!”
“Hyoji!”
As she got closer, she could see his bright brown hair.
‘I’m saved.’
She almost died because of this stupid awakening system.
Hyoji ran toward him, crying like a child.
“Please save me, Hunter!”
Chanyoung looked surprised for a moment, then quickly changed his expression when he saw the monsters chasing her.
“Hyoji, come here.”
He held out his hand, and she grabbed it at the perfect moment.
In an instant, he pulled her behind him.
“It’s dangerous. Stay back. I’ll handle this.”
“Hunter…”
Hunters also had ranks.
Even if they were both awakened, their abilities were different.
‘Will he be okay?’
She didn’t know his rank.
What if he got hurt because of her?
Hyoji quickly searched through her basket.
“Hunter, take this!”
She threw him a plant potion she had brought just in case.
Chanyoung caught it instinctively.
“…What is this, Hyoji?”
He stared at the potion, confused.
It looked like a potion, but the color looked more dangerous than poison.
“It’s a potion. I thought it might help.”
Hyoji spoke in a small voice.
She felt sorry giving him something with uncertain effects, but it was the best she could do.
“I’ll be fine without this.”
Chanyoung smiled kindly and put the potion in his pocket.
‘At least he didn’t throw it away.’
Hyoji awkwardly scratched the back of her neck.
Will he be okay alone?
Usually, dungeons were cleared in teams.
Could he really handle this many monsters alone?
But her worry was unnecessary.
The moment Chanyoung drew his sword, he became a completely different person.
‘He’s a combat-type Hunter.’
Every time his large sword cut through the air, monsters fell helplessly.
“Wow…”
It was her first time seeing a Hunter fight.
‘He’s amazing.’
So this is what it means to be strong.
Hyoji suddenly felt how pitiful her own class was.
“Graaah!”
“Argh!”
Chanyoung quickly cleared everything.
He really didn’t need the potion.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
He smiled while looking at Hyoji, who had collapsed from exhaustion.
“N-no.”
Hyoji stared at him blankly.
It was a strange feeling.
Her heart was beating fast, and her chest felt full.
It was something like admiration… or lingering emotion.
‘Is it because I saw hunting for the first time?’
Even when he held out his hand, she couldn’t move.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
She avoided his gaze.
“I’m not hurt. Thank you so much.”
While she felt he was amazing, she also felt bitter.
They were both awakened, yet so different.
“If it’s hard to walk, I can help you.”
“No, I’m okay. Are you hurt?”
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
He joked lightly.
“That’s a relief. I was worried you might get hurt because of me.”
“Then buy me a meal.”
“…What?”
“A meal. Since you’re thankful.”
Hyoji was speechless.
Well… if he asked…
She had to treat him.
* * *
“Thank you for the meal.”
Treating her lifesaver to an expensive meal didn’t feel like a waste.
It was just… a bit expensive.
‘I don’t want to look poor in front of him.’
But she still checked the prices and calculated in her head.
‘I hate myself for this.’
After today, she would probably have to eat dungeon plants for a while.
“You’re not eating?”
Chanyoung looked at her while eating.
“I am eating!”
This costs a lot—of course she had to eat.
She smiled awkwardly and kept eating.
“Today was really dangerous. You know that, right?”
“I know. I’m sorry you had to go through that because of me.”
“Can I ask why you entered a B-rank dungeon?”
She couldn’t tell the truth.
“I was hoping to find good loot… my situation is a bit difficult.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it sounded a bit pitiful.
“Oh, right.”
Chanyoung took something out of his pocket.
It was the plant potion she gave him earlier.
“What is this?”
He’s really curious…
What should I say?
Plant potions didn’t exist in the world.
Potions were sold in Hunter shops, but not plant ones.
Dungeon plants were usually considered useless decorations.
“It’s a potion I got from a cleaner I know.”
“Oh, so it is a potion.”
He had doubted it.
“Huh?”
“I’ve never seen this color before. Is it a mana potion? Or health?”
“Well…”
She had been extracting plants regularly.
‘I thought the color would improve as my level increased…’
But it didn’t.
“…It increases strength.”
“What? I couldn’t hear you.”
“It… increases strength.”
Her voice was too quiet.
“Can you say it again?”
“It increases strength!”
Her face heated up for some reason.
She had never actually tested it.
She just saw it in the description.
She had also made potions that reduced skill cooldown or increased mana.
Though the effects were small.
“Hahaha, a strength stat potion? That doesn’t exist.”
Chanyoung laughed.
Most potions restored health or mana.
Only top Hunters had access to rare stat potions.
‘And they didn’t look like this.’
He looked at the potion carefully.
No matter how he saw it, the color looked suspicious.
“I think your friend misunderstood. Normally potions only restore health or mana.”
“…What?”
“Oh, you might not know. There are other types in high-level shops, but they’re not efficient.”
“Ah… I see.”
Hyoji couldn’t understand.
Her plant potions were free to make.
‘Then what about mine?’
Was it because they weren’t from shops?
Or because her skill level was low?
While she was thinking—
Chanyoung opened the bottle.
“Ugh.”
“Oh! Are you okay?”
She forgot to warn him about the smell.
“What is this—ugh!”
His face turned pale.
‘It’s not that bad…’
But—
“Ugh!”
Even Hyoji covered her nose.
An awkward silence fell.
His expression clearly said:
‘Did you try to assassinate your lifesaver?’
“Haha…”
Hyoji could only laugh awkwardly.
“This is really a potion, right?”
“It should be…”
This won’t work.
She held out her hand.
“I gave it to help earlier. Please give it back. You shouldn’t drink that.”
If something went wrong—
She might end up on the news.
‘Hunter Lee Chanyoung’s murderer.’
Chanyoung scratched his neck, feeling a bit sorry.
Still—
“Well… it just smells bad. The taste should be fine!”
Before she could stop him—
He drank it.
“Huh?!”
Hyoji froze.
‘It’s not tested yet!’
She might have just caused the death of a Hunter.
She closed her eyes and grabbed her hair.
‘Call an ambulance… my phone…’
Oh right. She dropped it.
She lowered her hands in despair.
“Why are you like this, Hyoji?”
Chanyoung asked—completely fine.
“A-are you okay? Any pain? Headache? Anything strange?”
“Hahaha, did you really give me poison? I’m fine. Look!”
He swung his arm to show he was okay.
Crash!
“……”
“……?”
With one swing—
The table next to him flew away.
