Chapter 149 – Hongdae Street

‘Should I try using the tracking skill?’

The ghost wolf’s tracking skill simply tracked the scent of a target, but…

‘A strengthened tracking skill might be different.’

If enhanced with the Pet Master characteristic, it might work.

‘I don’t know if this will help, but I have no other options.’

If a dungeon break occurred because he killed Kim Byung-soo, and if numerous casualties resulted from it, it would weigh on his conscience forever.

‘I have to do something.’

If there was even the slightest possibility, it was right to try.

‘Awoo. Come here.’

[Woof!]

The ghost wolf, taller than Min Do-jun himself, approached.

‘First I summon the familiar like this, then say the skill I want to enhance? Tracking Skill Enhancement.’

As soon as he finished speaking, a message window appeared.

[Ghost Wolf’s tracking skill has been changed to ‘Enhanced Tracking’ skill.]

[Skill – Enhanced Tracking]

-Description: Can track all scents in the world. Can remember a target’s scent to detect their location in real-time, or backtrack their path to reverse-detect. However, reverse detection is only possible up to 30 days. Can remember multiple scents simultaneously without limit.

Min Do-jun’s eyes widened when he saw the enhanced tracking skill.

‘Reverse detection?’

According to the description, it seemed he could track not only current scents but past ones as well.

‘Is this a kind of psychometry?’

It differed in that it tracked the past through scent rather than by touching objects, but what mattered was:

‘This is exactly the ability I need.’

Min Do-jun immediately used the skill.

The target was Kim Byung-soo’s phone.

‘Awoo, use tracking skill on the phone. Reverse detect.’

[Sniff sniff.]

Awoo approached the phone, sniffing it with its nose, then raised its head.

[AWOOOOOO!]

[The summon has used the enhanced tracking skill.]

[The summon has memorized the scent.]

[Reverse detecting the path the scent has traveled.]

‘This way I can find out where Pet Master has been over the past month.’

By tracking the paths he had taken, he would eventually find the personal dungeon.

‘Then I can prevent the dungeon break.’

Although there was nothing to gain from preventing the dungeon break, he couldn’t ignore it since it would be a consequence of his own actions.

[Grrrr.]

Awoo, having completed preparations for reverse tracking, gestured with its head as if saying “follow me.”

After burning Kim Byung-soo’s clothes to erase traces of the murder, Min Do-jun mounted Awoo using the riding skill.

There was no time to walk in such an urgent situation.

‘Lead the way.’

[Growl!]

Min Do-jun rode the ghost wolf through the air.

* * *

At a time when lights and signs flaunted their brilliance.

Two women walked out of a fusion restaurant in Hongdae.

“Ah, that was delicious.”

“This place is really good.”

“Right? I told you. You wouldn’t regret it.”

“Hehe, honestly, I was worried it might not taste good. The menu was full of dishes I’d never seen before.”

“Oh my, you silly. That’s why you should stop hunting all day and take care of yourself by eating things like this for a change. Come to Hongdae, see people. What are you saving money for anyway?”

“I’m not doing this for the money.”

“Then?”

“I just… want to become stronger.”

The woman who said this recalled someone.

‘I want to become as strong as that person.’

Overwhelming strength.

When she thought of that man, there was no other way to describe it.

“Su-a, where should we go now?”

“Since we’ve eaten, shall we go to a cafe?”

“Okay. Let’s go, let’s go.”

Walking with her friend, Hyun Su-a looked around.

People of all kinds were laughing and strolling the streets.

‘People watching… It feels strange since it’s been so long.’

How long had it been since she had taken time for herself like this?

She had been so focused on hunting monsters that she hadn’t had time to look at the world.

‘It’s because I’ve been working hard that people can laugh like this.’

Hyun Su-a smiled, feeling somewhat proud.

Though she had started this job for money, not out of a sense of justice or duty, her mindset was different now from when she began.

‘I want to become stronger to protect those around me.’

She knew well the helplessness and emptiness of being powerless.

After all, she had witnessed her fellow hunters being torn apart by an Armored Mantis right before her eyes.

Since then, Hyun Su-a had worked hard for a year.

She put more power into her sword strikes and changed her once passive combat style to be more aggressive.

As a result, she achieved the remarkable feat of growing into a B-rank hunter at level 750 at the young age of 22.

The fact that she had already reached B-rank despite not having a combat characteristic meant she had talent.

‘Something like an Armored Mantis is nothing to me now. But…’

Hyun Su-a wasn’t arrogant.

She wasn’t satisfied with her current position.

Unlike her, who had trembled in fear, there was a young man who had slain an Armored Mantis as if cooking it when he was only level 193.

‘Now he’s level 2,200. He’s in a completely different league from me.’

Despite being the same age, how could there be such a difference in levels?

Every time she saw Hunter Min Do-jun’s ranking change moment by moment, Hyun Su-a steeled her resolve.

That she needed to work harder.

That she was still far behind Hunter Min Do-jun.

The existence who had saved her life and become a milestone in her life.

That’s who Min Do-jun was to her.

Ding-

The two women entered the cafe, ordered coffee, and sat down.

Chatting with a friend she hadn’t seen in a long time, Hyun Su-a somehow felt a sense of unreality.

‘Somehow, dungeons with monsters feel more real.’

Since she spent most of her days in dungeons, reality felt more unfamiliar.

“Su-a. You were looking at people earlier, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Does it feel strange to see people after so long?”

“Hehe, honestly, it did.”

“Oh my, dungeons, dungeons all day. Are you so desperate to hunt monsters? Live a normal life like others. Have some leisure in your life.”

“Maybe it’s because dungeons feel more familiar? It’s not easy.”

“From what I see, Su-a, you’re the type who only listens when someone takes care of you.”

“I admit it.”

“Speaking of which, you dated that guild manager before, right?”

“Yes. We dated for about 3 months and then broke up.”

“How about meeting him again?”

“Ah, no thanks.”

When Hyun Su-a became serious, her friend asked as if she had found something interesting to tease about.

“Why? What didn’t work out with him?”

“Ah, I don’t know.”

“Hm? You never told me why you broke up. Come on, spill the details.”

Finding her friend’s persistence annoying, Hyun Su-a gave in and shared.

“Remember when I told you I almost died?”

“Yes. You said some hunter responded to your call for help and saved you.”

“That person is my lifesaver, but the manager oppa carelessly gave that person’s phone number to someone else. And to someone who had some issues with him.”

“Oh my, really?”

“We fought a lot because of that. Eventually, he raised his voice, not even realizing what he had done wrong.”

“That manager oppa is a regular person, right? Yet he yelled at you? With what courage?”

“Just because I’m a hunter doesn’t mean I can hit people. We can disagree. I couldn’t accept it, so I told him we should break up.”

“Wow, Su-a. So you broke up while protecting your lifesaver? Does that person know about this?”

“No way. I haven’t met him since then.”

“Why? You should have contacted him first.”

“I don’t have his number.”

“Really? But that manager oppa knew it, right?”

“I deliberately didn’t ask.”

“Why? Oh! Could it be…”

Her friend smiled with narrowed eyes.

“You fell for that person?”

“……”

“And you couldn’t ask your boyfriend for the number because you were afraid he’d find out your true feelings.”

“That might have been true then, but now…”

“Hehehe, enough. Stop there. Trying to make excuses in front of me will only make you look pathetic.”

“Hey, I’m telling you it’s not like that!”

“Oh my, as your Hongdae guide, I was planning to end the night at a club, but I guess that won’t work? Since you’re already taken. Hehehe.”

Hyun Su-a’s ears turned red at her friend’s teasing.

Though she denied it, she too felt it.

That her feelings for Min Do-jun were not ordinary.

That’s when it happened.

When Hyun Su-a sensed something unusual.

“What’s going on?”

“What?”

“I think I hear commotion outside.”

Indeed, listening carefully, there seemed to be sounds.

“I’ll go check.”

As her friend was about to get up, Hyun Su-a grabbed her arm.

“Wait.”

Sensing something was amiss, Hyun Su-a’s expression had become incredibly serious.

“What’s that sound?”

“Is something happening outside?”

The customers in the cafe, belatedly hearing the commotion, kept looking at the show window.

The sound grew louder like waves rolling in, and soon distinct voices struck their ears.

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

The commotion was actually screams.

People who realized this all looked out the window.

They could see people fleeing while screaming.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“What’s happening?”

Confused by the unexpected disturbance, customers peered outside, lingering by the door.

“Su-a?”

Tssss-

Suddenly equipped with hunter gear, Hyun Su-a turned to her friend.

“Stay right here.”

That’s when it happened.

Something flying from outside shattered the show window.

Crash!

“Kyaaaaa!”

Amidst the startled people, Hyun Su-a identified what had flown in.

‘A stone?’

Not an ordinary stone.

It was long and pointed, looking threatening.

‘Could it be?’

Hyun Su-a ran to the show window and shouted.

“Everyone, get away from the show window!”

Just then, a man near the show window lost his head with a thud.

He had been hit by the stone and died instantly.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Chaos ensued as people witnessed someone die before their eyes.

Then.

Hisss-

When the rock lizard that had killed the human invaded through the broken show window, the crowd fell silent as if cold water had been poured on them.

They were frozen in place by the situation that defied common sense.

Hisss-

Seeing the rock lizard flicking its tongue, people couldn’t think of anything.

They should have run away, but their feet wouldn’t move.

It was truly a brain freeze.

Amidst this, there was only one person moving.

And this person attacking the rock lizard was none other than Hyun Su-a.

Clang- Clang-!

She was desperately attacking the rock lizard that had suddenly invaded.

‘I must kill it now!’

Hyun Su-a knew that the monster she was facing was an A-rank rock lizard.

Because of this, she also knew she needed to seize the opportunity when the creature was distracted.

‘It’s too much for me as a B-rank. But at least one of them, somehow!’

Her dazzling sword techniques struck the lizard’s face.

Hisss!

She succeeded in provoking it, as the creature swung its tail, smashing nearby tables.

Crash-

Crash crash!

Each time, Hyun Su-a dodged the attacks with dazzling movements while thrusting her sword whenever there was an opening.

It was a combat style clearly different from her once passive approach.

Despite continuing to land effective hits, Hyun Su-a’s expression wasn’t good.

‘It’s hard. Not a good match for a sword.’

Seeing stone fragments fly off, it wasn’t that damage wasn’t being dealt, but…

‘If I had a hammer, I could have caught it more easily.’

Putting aside her regrets, Hyun Su-a unleashed her finishing skill.

‘Sword Dancing!’

Slash slash slash slash!

Brilliant sword strikes concentrated on the lizard’s head.

‘It hit perfectly!’

Though it was a skill requiring a preparatory stance, making timing difficult, after thousands of practices, her accuracy was close to 100%.

Crumble-

Finally, the lizard collapsed, unable to withstand the damage.

She had single-handedly defeated an A-rank monster that normally required someone over level 1,000 to face.

And she did it as a B-rank at level 750.

“Huff, huff.”

Though tired, she felt proud.

Not only had she confirmed that her skills were effective against A-rank monsters, but she had also protected the people in the cafe.

“Wow! You won!”

“Amazing! Hunter!”

“Thank goodness! To think there was a hunter in our cafe!”

People cheered.

But Hyun Su-a’s expression immediately hardened.

“St-stop! If you make such noise…”

Monsters will appear.

She wanted to say this, but as expected.

What she feared happened.

Hisss-

Hisss-

Hisssss-

Three rock lizards that had been roaming the streets heard the commotion and entered the store.

“……”

Silence instantly pervaded the space.

‘One was already difficult, but three…’

Hyun Su-a faced the monsters with her sword.

Facing three was burdensome, but if she backed down, everyone in the cafe, including her friend, would be annihilated.

‘With my Survival Barrier characteristic, I can block a dangerous situation once.’

A barrier that activates in moments of crisis to block attacks, but it only works once.

Once that opportunity is gone, her life cannot be guaranteed.

‘I have no choice but to try.’

As she gripped her sword and was about to approach, she suddenly stopped.

Had she become scared when actually facing them?

No.

Rumble… Crumble-

She was surprised to see the lizards suddenly collapsing.

Primarily because of the lizards.

And secondarily because…

“Do-jun ssi…?”

She had unexpectedly met her benefactor.