Bunny Girl Heading for the Summit (1)
Something rough and bristly brushed against my lips.
A slender yet coarse sensation — bristles sweeping across my wet tongue.
Then a hard column pushed steadily into my mouth.
Maybe the column moved wrong. The flesh of my right cheek bulged outward for a moment before the thing hastily withdrew.
The rod advanced again, thrusting back and forth inside my mouth.
I kept my lips sealed tight around it, accepting the intrusion, until the tip neared my throat and the foreign sensation made me gag.
“Eup— uugh.”
My waist naturally folded forward. I somehow held back the saliva trying to surge up, and my gaze drifted ahead of its own accord.
In the mirror stood a girl of startling beauty.
Even in Korea, hair colors other than black were no longer rare. Still, that pure silver hair seized the eye at once. A face that leaked sensuality even with a vacant expression. Because of her translucent skin, her cheeks always carried a faint flush; looking at them made a strange thought rise unbidden.
So I really have to live the rest of my life looking like this?
The idea left me feeling oddly unsettled.
Objectively, the appearance was beautiful. Staring at it long enough, I could understand why actors earned nicknames like “the face of a thousand faces.” When beauty reaches an extreme, the smallest change transforms the entire atmosphere.
Simply changing clothes made her look like a different person; if she were laid out on a sickbed, she would seem to carry every tragedy in the world.
Even now — drooling whitish saliva from the corner of my lips — the sight remained beautiful. Half-lidded eyes held something indescribable…
Ah, this isn’t the time. It’ll get on my clothes.
I hurriedly wiped the corner of my mouth. The milky residue on the back of my hand carried a clean herbal scent.
I wasn’t a child; nearly drooling toothpaste while brushing was embarrassing. No matter how strong the body became, it seemed a human still couldn’t defeat morning. I’d jabbed my cheek three times because I was brushing half-asleep.
“Gurgle-gurgle. Ptooey.”
Anyway, after various mishaps, the brushing was finished. The moment I spat out the last of the toothpaste remaining in my mouth—
I had arranged to take lessons from Jeong Chae-rim twice a week. The sessions were genuinely useful. A professional really was different. Even in that short time I could feel myself improving.
Right now I still wasn’t fully utilizing my potential. My fundamentals were a mess, so I applied force wrong and strained my body. My body was sturdy, true enough — but my muscular strength far exceeded its durability. Unconsciously I held back power to avoid injury, and as a result my overall performance dropped.
According to Jeong Chae-rim, simply mastering the basics would make me several times stronger than I was now. At first I thought she was exaggerating, but after experiencing it myself, it seemed to be true.
“Well then… today I’ll head somewhere that’ll actually count as a workout.”
My hunter rank was still stuck at E-rank. My record had become rather flashy against my will, but the Hunter Management Bureau was still a government agency. Things never moved that quickly or flexibly.
What did that mean? There was a minimum probation period that had to be filled. No matter how stuffed with achievements your file became, there were no exceptions.
Anyway, as an E-rank hunter the jobs I could take were limited. Most were things like guarding specific zones or regular patrols into well-known urban legends.
The job I chose was this one.
Danger Level:E
Identification Number:BPA-LOC-I-020
An anomaly that randomly abducts people near the mountain. In the early days after discovery it produced numerous deaths and disappearances. Most of its information has now been uncovered, making relatively safe escape possible. After Investigation Record 927, its danger grade was lowered from A to E. It continues to be managed without major incidents.
Because roughly 70% of South Korea’s land is mountainous, avoidance is effectively impossible. The Anomaly Management Bureau deploys regular patrols to rescue abducted citizens.
This guide has been prepared for regular patrol personnel deployed to Hoewolsan. All regular patrol guides must be received through official procedures with the Anomaly Management Bureau. If you have obtained this guide by any other means, discard it immediately. Unauthorized removal or distribution of this guide may result in summary punishment under relevant law. Bringing this guide into Hoewolsan itself is prohibited. Memorize its contents thoroughly before entering the urban legend.
1. If you received this guide through official channels, you will be issued 44 brass coins, 3 lumps of human flesh, 1 pill, and emergency rations. Prepare the pill so it can be taken at any moment before entering the mountain. It will prevent you from experiencing the worst-case scenario. The anomalies of Hoewolsan do not simply eat people. However, if a flashlight is among the issued items, immediately abandon the patrol mission and notify the Anomaly Management Bureau. If you discover a flashlight after already entering Hoewolsan, discard it on the ground along with the pill.
2. Upon entering Hoewolsan, beware of light and sound. Regardless of real-world time, a new-moon night will continue. Waiting for day is meaningless; the anomalies of Hoewolsan are sensitive to light and sound. Regular patrol personnel for Hoewolsan are selected exclusively from Awakened capable of operating smoothly in darkness. If this does not apply to you, immediately abandon the patrol mission and notify the Anomaly Management Bureau.
3. Movement within Hoewolsan must always follow the hiking trails. No matter what happens, do not leave the trail. Even if something blocks the path, it is safer to wait until it disappears. Everyone who left the trail to bypass an obstacle has gone missing.
4. As you climb you will encounter old shrines and stone towers. Offer as many brass coins as there are stone towers at the shrine and perform six bows. You are safe while bowing, so do not react to surrounding sounds. There is a very low chance that an excessive number of stone towers will appear. In that case, offer all 44 brass coins together with the 3 lumps of human flesh. The towers will collapse and open the path. If the path still does not open after completing the above procedure, cover your eyes and ears and crouch down. You will instinctively know how long to remain that way.
5. Beyond the shrines is the zone where anomalies actively operate. Even if you hear a human voice, never respond. The Anomaly Management Bureau instructs all survivors to make no sound. The probability that it is not human is extremely high; even if it is human, it will be a situation you cannot rescue. Additional anomaly characteristics are recorded in the [Appendix]. Memorize them thoroughly, just as you did this guide.
6. When you encounter a fork, prefer the narrower, darker path. Every path connects to an exit. Remember, however, that the anomalies of Hoewolsan are sensitive to light. From a bright place you cannot see into darkness, but from darkness a bright place is perfectly visible. If at a fork you see a gold thread and a Dangsan tree, enter and check the Seonangdang.
7. Survivors may be hiding inside the Seonangdang. Identify yourself as Anomaly Management Bureau personnel and rescue them. A backpack has been placed beneath the Dangsan tree. Place the rations issued by the Bureau into the backpack and retrieve whatever food was already inside. If the food has been consumed, recover even the trash. Survivors sometimes leave messages on the gold thread of the Dangsan tree, beneath the stone towers, or inside the shrine hall. If the content is not clearly abnormal, recover it. The Bureau will verify and pay additional compensation.
8. Inside Hoewolsan you must operate only under a codename. Even if a survivor asks, never reveal your real name. Be sure to give survivors nicknames as well before continuing activity.
9. The exit of the urban legend is the summit of Hoewolsan. Once the summit comes into view, you will very likely encounter a certain animal. Avoid provoking it if possible and grant its request. It will not demand anything too unreasonable. Once you fulfill the animal’s request you will receive a single wine cup. Place the empty cup before the summit stele and bow twice. You will return to the entrance of Hoewolsan.
Rabbits are said to be crepuscular animals. Not fully nocturnal, but most active around twilight. They still get around quite well in the dark.
And the name of my physical enhancement skill was Max Level Rabbit.
As long as there was even faint moonlight, my vision suffered no restriction.
I confirmed the issued supplies exactly as the manual described. I had memorized every rule to follow and every confirmed anomaly. All that remained was to step into the urban legend myself and rescue any survivors who might still be inside.
“All right. Let’s go.”
A new moon rose into the dark night sky.