Episode 13: Dungeon Cleared"A fucking building! Modern civilization, goddammit!"
I was overwhelmed. This wasn't goblin civilization.
Real human-made civilization of concrete and steel.
The sight of skyscrapers after so long made me emotional.
"Fuck..."
If I still had eyes, I would've cried.
That's how uncontrollable my emotions were.
Even as a monster, my longing for civilization remained unchanged.
I raved like a madman for a while.
Time passed. Gradually, my emotions subsided.
"Phew. Alright... time to figure out what to do next."
I calmed myself.
Rationality returned.
Practical problems emerged.
How would a monster like me survive in modern society?
At my current stats, I'd be hunted immediately upon discovery.
Though strong compared to ordinary people, I'd be like a child's plaything before high-level Hunters.
'First, maximize my combat potential.'
No clear solution presented itself.
I temporarily shelved the problem.
For now, strengthen my capabilities.
I opened my Status Window.
[Name: Lee Chan-hwi]
[LV1]
[Class: Predator]
[Strength:41.0001]
[Stamina:41.0001]
[Agility:41.0001]
[Mana:1.0001]
[Vitality:MAX]
[Traits Acquired]:[Rainbow Shell×3],[Sturdy Insect Shell×5],[Insect Shell×23],[Tenacious Vitality×9],[Rapid Metabolism×3],[Agile Body++][Agile Body+],[Exceptional Mutation],[Weak Body×150],[Average Physique×70],[Superior Body×30],[Superior Body+×12],[Superior Body++×2],[Superior Body+++×3][Superior Reproduction×423],[Stamina King×70][Mana Familiarity×50][Mana Affinity×9][Mana Domination×1],[Swordsmanship Factor (Goblin)×125],[Swordsmanship Factor+(Goblin)×55],[Swordsmanship Factor++(Goblin)×15],[Swordsmanship Factor+++(Goblin)×1],[Magic Factor (Goblin)×70],[Magic Factor+(Goblin)×9],[Magic Factor++(Goblin)×3],[Magic Factor+++(Goblin)×1]
[Equipped Traits]:[Superior Body+++++][Sturdy Insect Shell][Exceptional Mutation]
[Characteristics]:[Prey's Intuition][Hardness]
[Items]:[Trait Enhancement Voucher×3]
First, I checked the traits gained from the final battle.
The exceptionally strong Hobgoblin Captain had given me Superior Body+++++.
A remarkable trait that boosted Strength, Agility, and Stamina by 40 each.
The five plus signs truly delivered on their promise.
The last Hobgoblin I killed had been an anomaly even among goblins.
I hadn't obtained a single four-plus trait before, let alone five.
The Magicians provided Mana Familiarity and Mana Affinity.
Both traits helped accumulate mana more efficiently.
They boosted my Mana stat, but I'd never used them due to limited trait slots.
Factors didn't increase stats when equipped.
Useless despite their quantity. Not worth enhancing.
Traits gained from conquering the Underground City were mediocre.
All the strong ones had died in the final battle.
"Should I use the vouchers?"
I scanned my traits. Nothing worth enhancing.
Exceptional Mutation lacked lower-tier materials for enhancement
Superior Body 5+ didn't have enough lower-tier materials.
'No. I'll save them. The vouchers are too precious to use now.'
Dimensional Gates contained traits incomparable to goblin trash.
It was too early to use enhancement vouchers.
"No choice but to head down for now."
I moved. Headed straight toward the building.
At least reaching the city should be possible.
Vroooooom.
Drive straight, you motherfucker!
The building grew closer. Car noises and curses faintly reached me.
I passed through bushes. A wide road and narrow sidewalk came into view.
I'd reached the city outskirts.
'Huh... where to now?'
Heading for the city had been good.
But now that I'd arrived, I didn't know where to go.
'Should I go where I used to live?'
My old studio apartment was nearby. Just an hour's walk.
I moved.
Sticking mainly to deserted back alleys and secluded paths.
Whenever Prey's Intuition warned me, I froze.
Prey's Intuition gave near-prescient warnings about life-threatening situations.
Currently in a monster's body.
Discovery meant instant death.
Each time humans approached,
Prey's Intuition screamed violently.
The setting sun helped too.
"Made it."
I reached the studio. A cheap chicken-coop of a room, barely 100 square feet.
To others, a suffocating dump not worth taking for free. To me, the most precious nest imaginable.
Back when I lived as a human.
I scaled the exterior wall. Peered inside through the window.
The layout matched my memories. But my belongings were gone.
"Cleared out everything. Am I dead?"
Had the human me died?
Well, that would explain being reborn as a monster.
For some reason, the human me had died.
Then reborn as a monster through unknown means.
"How empty. After all that struggling to survive..."
The consolation was that nobody would mourn my death.
I never had parents. An orphan from birth.
In earlier times, this would've been tragic. But in this era of Gates, orphans were common.
My school had three orphans like me per class.
My introverted personality preferred solitude, so I had no friends.
No friends. No family.
Perfect for crossing lines. If anyone pointed fingers, I could just ask if they knew me.
"Time to find some beauties."
I regained motivation.
Fulfill one of humanity's three primal urges.
Do what I couldn't as a human, now that I'm a monster.
Not bad. Actually exciting.
I leaped onto a streetlight. Hid atop its glow, watching passersby below.
'Nope. Not this one.'
I scouted for prey. A beautiful woman living alone.
Of course, she had to be an adult.
'Found one.'
A woman approached across the street. Streetlight illuminated her.
Distinct features. An oval face.
Though worn with fatigue, her natural beauty remained undimmed.
"Uhyo, wait for me, I'm coming."
I timed my jump to when she reached the streetlight's base.
Couldn't let her sense anything. Just before landing. Wrapped tentacles around the lamppost.
Slowed my fall to land silently inside her bag.
My small size helped.
Cramped inside the bag, but I managed to squeeze in.
'What? A Hunter?'
Monster byproducts.
A dagger caked with blood.
Pistol and ammo clips.
Combat rations and miscellaneous items.
The bag contained things ordinary people couldn't easily obtain.
'Fuck, should I bail?'
I'd voluntarily entered the bag of a Hunter I'd been avoiding.
Wondered if I should escape now.
'Wait... high-grade Hunters wouldn't use firearms, right?'
I came to my senses. Inspected the bag thoroughly.
Higher-grade Hunters rarely used guns.
Many reasons, but mostly because they couldn't easily channel mana through them.
A minority did use custom-made firearms as main weapons.
Those Hunters carried personally crafted guns.
No Ministry of Defense markings on this one.
'Seems like a bottom-tier Hunter.'
A low-tier Hunter.
Not even qualified to enter Gates yet.
A scavenger Hunter killing low-tier monsters in controlled zones.
I saw the controlled zone access pass deep in the bag.
Freshly printed, ink barely dry.
Only after confirming her grade did I relax.
'F-Grade is manageable.'
Barely worthy of being called Hunters.
F-Grade meant I could completely overpower her.
I hid at the bag's bottom.
Waited for my moment.
* * * *
"So tired..."
Eyelids heavy.
Limbs weighed tons.
Wanted to do nothing tomorrow.
Just lie in bed all day.
But couldn't.
Rent. Food.
Living expenses demanded constant work.
An orphan with nobody to rely on.
If money ran out, she'd end up on the streets.
'Need to find part-time work.'
Downloaded a part-time job app.
Wanted to rest, but as an orphan, she had no safety net.
Had to earn while she could.
Few parties accepted a half-baked Ability User like her.
Beep beep beep.
Entered the passcode.
Door opened.
Her welcoming home greeted her.
Already felt attached after just three days here.
Dropped her backpack in a corner.
Quickly washed up.
Body felt ready to collapse.
Changed clothes and collapsed into bed.
Sleep dragged her under.
'Need to...find work...'
Contrary to her thoughts, consciousness faded fast.
"Saeaaek."
Only soft breathing echoed in the quiet studio.
* * *
Saeaaek.
Soft breathing sounds reached me. I crawled out from the bag.
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