Beast Hunt
Of course, just because they'd set up an encirclement didn't mean the hunt would wrap up in a day or two. Push too hard, too fast, and instead of driving the prey into a trap, it might panic and barrel straight through the net to escape. This wasn't some ordinary animal—it was a tiger that had already mauled humans multiple times. To it, fighting people wasn't some absolute taboo; it was just the more annoying, exhausting option B.
Bang!Bang-bang-bang! The thunderous roar of gunpowder weapons and their acrid stench were primal symbols of terror etched deep into every earthly creature. Proof undeniable that the human threat was all too real—more than anything else. Even mana-awakened beasts couldn't erase that instinctive revulsion, so these blasts would prove highly effective in herding the tiger.
Gunfire erupted at pre-planned, coordinated points, just as agreed. The organized encirclement tightened bit by bit, steadily funneling the tiger toward a single point. Meanwhile, the hunters pressed on with battling monsters.
Modern forests and mountains were monster territory. With such a massive force barging in, guns blazing no less, the beasts weren't about to sit idly by. Monsters popped out at every turn, turning the raid into far more action than the hunters had initially bargained for. Relatively speaking, of course. With so many bodies thrown into the mix, the burden on each individual was lighter than their usual hunts.
Bang!Bang! The sharp crack of gunfire assaulting his ears and the biting, sulfurous tang seeping into the air made B-rank hunter Kim Gyu-sik wrinkle his nose.
It was a lax site, rotating in three shifts between combat and rest. He'd just wrapped up a fight and switched with the rest crew, so the shots ruining his sweet downtime grated on him.
"Fuckin' things are all noise and no substance, and that smell's like shit."
"Can't argue there."
To modern hunters, firearms were outdated relics for the unawakened masses. Every shot burned cash with minimal payoff, all while blasting eardrums and stinking up stealth ops—true relics of a bygone era.
"They should've just given us that ammo money instead."
"What're we gonna do with pocket change?"
"Buy cat food for my place, at least."
"Cat food... you're insane. kekeke"
Kim Gyu-sik bantered with his impromptu teammate, stretching out the break.
"But seriously. With two S-ranks in the mix, why not just let them handle it? Smash and grab."
"Handle what?"
"I mean, it's just one tiger cub. Running a full 'raid' for that feels like overkill."
"Guess it's not your average kitty."
"Ah, come on. S-ranks for this? Two of 'em?"
Kim Gyu-sik ranted on to his colleague, who brushed it off like water off a mountain—mountains are mountains, water is water.
"If they were gonna deploy S-ranks anyway, why drag our asses out here for this bullshit?"
"Tsk tsk. We're doing the bullshit so their highnesses deign to show."
"What kinda nonsense is that?"
"We're wrapping it up nice with a bow and spoon-feeding it. That's why the S-ranks are bothering to swoop in and eat."
"Uh...?"
"You think those S-ranks would comb every inch of these endless mountains chasing some maybe-there tiger cub? They'd tell you to fuck off."
Kim Gyu-sik felt instantly convinced. When did this guy get so sharp? The logic hit hard.
"Quit bitching about the overkill. Just knock out the mandatory quest, rack up raid cred, and call it good."
His colleague wrapped it up like that, then swish-swish started maintaining his gear. Well-worn but gleaming metallically in the sunlight even post-fight—it screamed how seriously the guy took upkeep.
"Damn, you're clean as fuck."
"Yeah. You're filthy as hell. Piss off."
Kim Gyu-sik looked away from his germaphobe buddy, as usual. Surroundings had gone quiet; monsters must be cleared. He thought back to the female hunter he'd brushed past during shift change. Big tits, horse-like thighs full of bounce—damn, she looked tasty.
"Maybe I could... hit that?"
Battle-fresh, her body'd be all heated up, cooling down now. Kim Gyu-sik scanned for returning hunters, eyes darting.
"Huh...?"
Something was off. The space buzzing with combat heat and chatter moments ago felt like winter had doubled down—dead silent. No more rest-talk or gear-clinks.
"Wh-what the...?"
Panicking, he checked where his colleague had been fussing over cleanliness. Gone. No one. Not his buddy, not the soldiers firing from afar, not the other hunters prepping gear for shift...
"Hey! You fuckin' kidding me?!"
Cursing, he stumbled toward his teammate's spot. Unseen by him, his legs shook like aspen leaves, stamping confused prints in the dry dirt.
Then he saw it. Colleague frozen mid-maintenance—one hand on gear, the other on oil rag. Perfect bullseye hole through the chest.
"Shiiii—"
Before madness could scream from his throat.
Shunk! Something pierced his chest.
"Uh...?"
Looking down: a jagged blade protruding. What? When?! Black particle dust, sucking in light, trickled pat-pat from the edge. Even impaled, his body felt oddly numb, hazy—hard to grasp if it was real. Consciousness faded; vision grayed, then darkened.
He recalled a senior's ghost story. One he'd dismissed like a bad-luck typhoon or quake...
"Huuuuh..."
But Kim Gyu-sik never finished recalling it.
The sole exit in the encirclement—the hunt's target zone. Seong Ye-han, Park I-rae, and Ha Yeon-ah killed time awaiting the prey.
Sun had set; night fallen. Normal hunt, they'd have a campfire. But to snag a hyper-alert tiger, the trio ambushed by moonlight and stars alone, deep in the woods.
Small mercy: they'd piled thick snow into an igloo-like hide. Shielded from winter's biting gale. All top-tier awakener, they could've toughed bare chill no issue—but no need to invite frostbite.
The snug shelter held cozy comfort; thick winter blankets plus mana kept it toasty. The mood among them, though? Icy winds minus the wind—thanks solely to Ha Yeon-ah.
"Senior. Did you do something wrong?"
Seong Ye-han shook his head at Park I-rae's whisper from his arms.
"I swear, nothing."
Whisper-whisper. Snug as lovers, trading secrets. Seong Ye-han cradled her openly now, sharing warmth—no hiding needed.
Both he and Ha Yeon-ah knew their goals aligned: stick with I-rae this raid. Seong Ye-han figured she'd clocked his closeness, so no holds barred.
Clueless or ignoring how it irked her, they savored the rare alone-time, glued like gum.
Squirm.
"I-rae, you...?"
"Hee-hee."
Mid-bliss, Seong Ye-han jolted inwardly—her hand snaking like a serpent past his armor.
Even pitch-black midnight, buried in quilt-thick blankets—this was bold as hell. With an S-rank right there? A guildmate acquaintance, no less!
"It's fine. Sis can't even imagine this stuff, right?"
Nearly breathed, her whisper. Hand slinking below waist, savoring his abs piece by piece, dipping lower.
"Senior. Tense your abs a bit more."
Ignoring her sticky tease, he rolled his eyes toward Ha Yeon-ah. S-rank physique pierced the gloom; her face crystal-clear.
Classic ability-type awakener: mana/ability maxed, physicals maybe below I-rae. Meaning: in this dark, she couldn't see shit.
Yet her icy glare pinned him—like she knew exactly what they were up to.
"Ahem..."
Unnameable thrill of wrongness, electric risk. Legs quivering with pleasure—was this the outdoor-play allure? Eyes opening to new horizons—
Crackle. Radio buzzed.
⊳ Tiger cub sighted at 12 o'clock position.
Nearby observers, hidden like them, monitoring via optics. Seong Ye-han snapped taut from pleasure-lax haze. Park I-rae flipped mood instantly, grabbing her spear like the tease never happened.
"Uh... Yeon-ah-ssi?"
"Yes."
"Something on your mind...?"
"Nothing."
Ha Yeon-ah stared them down long, then snap—head away.
Cold.
I-rae's warmth gone—goosebumps? Seong Ye-han shook off the chill up his spine, steadying for battle. Heart thumping nicely.