A delicate web of light, so fine that it was hard to notice unless one looked closely.
I have seen something like this before.
The monster that was about to attack As suddenly flinched.
"Rrrrrr…!"
It twisted its body and screamed, but the web of light only tightened around the monster, becoming more intricate.
Thud!
The giant fell to the ground.
The particles of light began to form a shape, and soon a person appeared in the air.
She had slightly long black hair, a tall figure wrapped in a coat, white cheeks, and black eyes that held a glimmer of light.
I called out her name with joy.
"…Yuhyeon!"
Thud!
Ki Yuhyeon landed lightly on the ground, looked around, and asked.
"What… is going on here?"
I want to know that too…
Teleportation? Or summoning? I didn’t expect Ki Yuhyeon to suddenly appear, even though she said it was like a security bell.
Still, I was so grateful and relieved that I almost cried, thanks to her.
I explained that As and I had come to Yongsan Station and were attacked by monsters, and that we had suddenly been trapped in this space.
"And…"
As remained calm. He looked like he was about to say something along the lines of "It’s just a matter of the body dying," but I couldn’t let him say that again. I spoke in a low voice.
"The monster is targeting As."
Ki Yuhyeon’s expression turned serious in an instant.
"Ah, so that’s why something different from the past is happening."
She muttered, as if she had some idea.
"Leaving here and going to the evacuation zone doesn’t seem like a good idea."
I agreed. The people in the evacuation zone might be in danger, and conversely, As might be put in danger because of the people.
"Yes, then…"
At that moment, the fallen monster let out a roar and got up.
It merged with a new monster that emerged from the ground, becoming even larger. Its limbs extended in bizarre directions, making it look grotesque. It tore through the web and, with surprising ferocity, tried to attack As again.
"…I handled it poorly."
Ki Yuhyeon, who didn’t seem fazed at all, gestured toward the monster. The web of light tightened around the monster, almost cutting off its breath.
Then I noticed something.
A piece of cloth was wrapped around the monster’s body, barely visible due to the black slime.
A piece of cloth? No, it’s a piece of clothing.
The monster was wearing a tattered, torn piece of clothing.
But that elaborate design, reminiscent of a peacock, seemed familiar…
Where have I seen such a distinctive piece of clothing?
I grabbed Ki Yuhyeon’s hand in a hurry. I had noticed something inside the monster’s semi-transparent body—a figure that looked like a person, wrapped in slime.
Ki Yuhyeon, startled, stopped her skill. I managed to move my trembling lips.
"Yuhyeon, haven’t we seen that… before…?"
I remembered.
The hunter we met in the tutorial dungeon, Jihun.
He was definitely wearing that distinctive piece of clothing.
But that was a long time ago. Maybe I just saw it wrong. There’s no way that monster could have swallowed a person…
Ding.
At that moment, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[Character information obtained.]
[Name: Kim Jihun (Hunter name: Jihun)
Rank: C
Class: Swordsman
Detailed information: (More)]
The system window, blinking before my eyes, pointed directly at the fallen monster. Upon closer inspection, the body, originally human, was entangled in black slime.
"This, this monster… ate… no, merged with a person. How, how could this happen…"
Without answering, Ki Yuhyeon looked at the monster. Her silent gaze continued, as if she was using a skill to read the information. She then sighed softly, her calm expression unchanged.
"…Ah."
That reaction alone was enough to tell me that she had seen the same thing I did.
A monster that swallows people and makes them part of its body—something I had never heard of.
Moreover, why is this monster trying to kill As, of all people?
And what about that black gate in the sky?
"Ugh…"
My breathing quickened due to extreme tension. A hand grabbed my shoulder, gasping for breath. It was Ki Yuhyeon.
"Lee, calm down."
"How can I calm down now…!"
"Look at me."
Thud, Ki Yuhyeon snapped her fingers to get my attention.
Particles of light in the air formed a rectangular space. This prison of light surrounded the monster and gradually shrank, eventually fitting snugly around its body.
The monster writhed, trying to escape from the prison of light, but the prison was solid.
"I understand the situation. I know what you’re worried about, Lee. But we don’t need to decide everything right now."
"…"
"I’ve set up a simple barrier. The black monsters are searching for the boy’s presence, but they won’t be able to break through the barrier. The gate in the sky also needs time to fully open. So, for now, calm down."
Looking up at the sky, a system notification appeared. A countdown was visible.
[Gate of the Faceless □□□□□
Time remaining until full opening: 05:27:10]
Calm down. She’s right.
Yes, no matter what the monster originally was, I can’t know or solve everything. Matters that require force are in the domain of stronger hunters.
So, let’s focus on what we can do. What I can do.
The most important goal is to get As and me back safely.
There are many things I don’t understand about this situation, but more important than understanding is this goal.
Narrowing my focus, my mind finally calmed down.
With a clearer head, I could view the situation more objectively. Thanks to Ki Yuhyeon, we had avoided immediate danger. I could find a way out during this respite.
At that moment, a system window caught my eye. I selected [More] to check the details.
[Detailed information: Family relations - Mother, Sister (Kim Jina)]
What? The human merged with the monster is Jina’s brother?
I had heard from Jina that she had a troublesome hunter brother, but I didn’t expect it to be this hunter.
But why is the system showing me this information?
This question was answered when I saw the next notification.
[Warning!
Target: If the Cursed One dies, it may affect the progress of future quests.
Please exercise extreme caution.]
"…!"
The notification felt like a clear warning. The cautionary message, almost like a threat, flashed in red.
Wait, this means…
The human is still alive.
And the system wants this human to stay alive. It’s trying to appeal to my conscience and compassion by revealing the family relations.
'I get that, but…'
What do you want me to do?
As if in response to my question, another notification appeared.
[Warning!
The power of the Faceless □□□□□ is active.
It will deactivate if the following conditions are met.
Do you want to check the related quest?
Yes / No]
Of course, I chose [Yes].
[Main Quest: Stop the Chaos!
This is serious.
The power of the Faceless □□□□□ has been activated by the counterfeit 'Shining Trapezohedron'.
If this continues, the chaos spreading through the city cannot be stopped.
Prevent the gate from opening and save the city.
Reward: The gate will be destroyed, and the monsters in the city will disappear.
Ethereal-Wiki update
Café Lee (E) rank increase
???
Time limit: 05:11:10]
[There are two ways to complete this quest. Choose the method you prefer.]
[1. Death of the Incarnation Asmodeus (Difficulty: Easy) ☜ Recommended
2. Sealing the gate (Difficulty: Special Hard)]
"Are you kidding me…"
A curse slipped out of my mouth reflexively. But I quickly swallowed the rest of my words when I felt the gazes of the two people standing next to me.
Who is this Incarnation Asmodeus, anyway?
I didn’t have time to wonder. An explanation was immediately added.
[※Hint: The Incarnation Asmodeus is currently using the name Kim As (17 years old).]
…What?
Of course, it’s option 2. There’s no way I’m choosing option 1.
[Once chosen, the result cannot be changed. Please choose carefully.
Option 2 is extremely difficult and is not recommended. Do you really want to proceed?]
Of course!
The system window displayed the same content three times before finally moving on to the next part.
[1. Protect the Incarnation
Target: If the Incarnation Asmodeus dies, the quest will fail.
Protect the target in a safe place.
Hide the target in a safe place: (Incomplete)
Note: An additional person can be granted access to this space.]
…So, hide him in a safe place.
"…Yuhyeon."
"Yes?"
"Is there a way for us to get back to our shop from here?"