Chapter 9

"R... Run!"

I shouted sharply, but James didn’t move.

He merely glanced back and waved his hand.

“Squeak!”

A sharp wind blew, and in the next moment, the Flame Squirrel split into two.

The situation ended in an instant. James smiled calmly and reassured Gina and me.

"Don’t worry. I can take care of this monster."

Thank goodness.

I was worried it might be a large-scale dungeon break, but it turned out to be just one monster.

Unlike before, we avoided the crisis. Seeing the Flame Squirrel completely split in two, my heart finally calmed down.

Gina said she would contact the main office and left for a moment, and James asked me,

"More importantly, where can I buy this fantastic coffee?"

"Huh? If you come anytime, I’ll treat you to coffee."

"I’m returning home in four days. The thought of not being able to taste this perfect flavor makes me not want to go home. Please tell me."

It’s just a mix of coffee. The kind you can find in most supermarkets in Korea.

I just used the 'Cafe in My Hand' skill.

But, overwhelmed by James’s enthusiasm, I ended up answering.

"You can find coffee in these packets at the supermarket. Yeah? Ah, I’ll write down the address and name, so if you ask the staff... "

I wrote down the address of a nearby supermarket and the name of the coffee mix on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

But right at that moment.

Thud.

The monster’s claw pierced through James’s chest.

Rip.

A bone-chilling sound, like something being crushed, accompanied the gush of blood.

The monster’s large mouth opened, and its sharp teeth bit into James’s arm.

Drip, drip. The blood mixed with the monster’s saliva dripped down.

What? What’s happening?

My mind couldn’t process it.

I was scared. Instinctive fear made my body tremble, and I couldn’t move properly.

The large mouth with sharp teeth. The monster that appeared was not a C-rank Flame Squirrel.

It was much larger...

“Ugh, cough, ugh... cough!”

James groaned and tried to cover his wound with his hand, but it was futile against the gushing blood. The wound was clearly fatal.

"Run. I’ll hold off this monster."

James, staggering, used a skill.

“Squeak!”

The monster screamed as it was cut by the blade-like wind. Was it over?

But even after the wind died down, the monster was still intact.

“Ugh...”

‘Disgusting...’

The monster in front of me resembled a bear, but it was incomparably larger and more terrifying than a regular bear.

Its fur was as hard as steel, and its head almost touched the ceiling of the shop. Horns protruded from the monster’s head, almost piercing the ceiling.

A-rank?

The system notification, which appeared late, delivered a despairing piece of information.

“Roar!”

The Cave Bear roared and swung its front paw.

Crack! The table, cut in half by the sharp claws, fell to the side, blocking James and me.

I could hide behind the table, but it was only a matter of time before I died. An old wooden table would turn to dust with a few more hits from the monster.

James’s wound was clearly fatal.

I had no confidence in escaping the monster’s attack, even if I tried to run with James. No, even if I tried to run alone. No matter how I managed to get outside, the monster would chase me and tear me apart.

Ugh, being torn by the monster’s claws is really painful. Believe me, as someone who has experienced it. It’s an experience I never want to go through again.

“...!”

Crack.

The heavy front paw tore the table like a piece of paper. It was only two steps away from tearing me apart.

Am I going to die again? So pointlessly?

Memories of the few days since I returned to this place flashed through my mind.

It was such a short second life.

Was the fate of dying to the monster unchangeable, and was the regression just a different way of dying?

Such pessimistic thoughts dominated my mind.

“Ugh...!”

Anticipating the pain to come, I squeezed my eyes shut. At that moment, a translucent barrier of light appeared in front of me. It was James’s skill.

Relief was short-lived. When the Cave Bear hit the barrier, it started to crack.

Failing to break the barrier in one go, the monster rammed it with its horns.

Bang!

The barrier shook as if it were about to break at any moment.

“This can’t be...”

James muttered, his face filled with despair. He seemed to be in great pain. His face was pale, and his lips, which he had bitten hard, were almost blue.

Determined to let me escape, he said in a rough voice,

"Run. I can’t move."

But I couldn’t leave a dying hunter to his fate, and there was no way to escape anyway.

‘Miyum, is there any way out? Miyum!’

I called out to Miyum, hoping for a last straw.

The system’s agent... whatever it was, it wasn’t just a regular cat.

“Meow (Why is such a thing here...).”

‘Miyum?’

‘...’

But Miyum didn’t respond.

She just hissed and growled at the Cave Bear, standing with her fur on end. I had hoped she had some secret skill to resolve the situation, but it seemed there was no other way.

Agent! Not just a regular cat!

“Why is such a thing here... This is not a C-rank Flame Squirrel. It’s a cursed seeker bound to a sealed higher being.”

Miyum?

‘Hey, can you explain in terms I understand?’

I had no idea what she meant by higher being or seeker.

It was like a world from a fantasy novel.

And with the monster’s claws about to tear me apart, it was not the right time for such a conversation.

‘The Cave Bear is not an ordinary monster. Long ago, □□ did □□□□...’

‘Miyum?’

Again, some of Miyum’s words sounded like noise. Moreover, a red system window flashed in front of me.

Miyum and the system window, both of which I gained through awakening, were of no help in this crisis.

It was fortunate that Gina wasn’t here. At least one person could have escaped. She shouldn’t have to see this.

Just as I was preparing for my second death.

A flicker of red light caught my eye from the inner wall.

Red light was seeping through the door leading to the other space.

Was it originally that color? It was usually blue.

No, that wasn’t the time to think about it. I had to get into the other space. The monster wouldn’t be able to follow, and I could hold out until another hunter came to rescue us.

“...”

Thinking about what to do calmed my mind.

It was too early to die. I had gone through the trouble of regressing and hadn’t even completed the tutorial quest!

“Let’s get up.”

“Leave me and run.”

“Hurry. We need to move before the barrier collapses.”

I slipped my arm under James’s armpit to help him up. His heavy body made my legs tremble.

During this time, James’s condition worsened. I was terrified he might die right there.

No, there was still time. If we could get through the door into the other space, we could survive. I helped him, supporting his large body, and moved toward the door.

Just a little more. Just a little...

Crack.

After taking a few steps, the barrier, which had been on the verge of breaking, finally shattered with a tearing sound.

Roar!

The Cave Bear roared and charged at me.

The red light-emitting door was right in front of me. But it was too late. The Cave Bear would tear me apart before I could reach the door.

“Ugh...”

Miyum said something at my feet, but I had no time to respond. I just hoped this death would be less painful.

“...Huh?”

The Cave Bear, which had been charging at us, suddenly stopped and took a step back. It still dripped saliva and bared its teeth, but it showed no signs of attacking.

Why was it doing that?

The Cave Bear seemed to be afraid of something. It looked at me, or rather, the wall behind us, with a terrified expression.

The gate in the wall, emitting red light.

Suddenly, an immense pressure was felt from beyond the wall. My heart pounded with an indescribable sensation.

Something was there. Something very terrifying.

I couldn’t identify it, but the primal fear of something terrifying dominated my body. Cold sweat dripped down my face.

But what could be inside? When I met Miyum, there was just a blue sky and a cozy grass field. The unfamiliar space itself was surprising, but there was no sense of danger.

Then, a voice echoed in my mind.

【There is a creature that dares to intrude into my □□.】

A system message? No, it was different. Similar to a system message, but much deeper and more resonant... a voice that deeply penetrated.

I shuddered. James didn’t seem to hear it, showing no reaction.

Did only I hear it?

Am I... do I need to see a doctor?

【Go back, seeker. This is my □□. You have no place here.】

Someone laughed.

Very roughly.

The voice faded, and almost simultaneously, a flash of light appeared.

Bang!

The Cave Bear fell.

“...”

“...”

The Cave Bear turned to ashes and disappeared. Only soot and dust remained where its massive body had been.

What happened?

The situation was too sudden to understand. The monster suddenly disappeared. Was it really dead?

Just as I was full of questions, a cool male voice echoed from the entrance.