What Kind of Guy Was He Anyway?

Amid a faint undercurrent of anxiety, the endless trek continued. The farther they moved from the World Gate, the more wretched the world became. The green zones still clung to some semblance of form, but the yellow zones were little more than ruins.

“Dear god…”

This was Ines’s first time setting foot in a yellow zone. Given her habit of tackling requests alone without mixing with others, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn’t strange that she had only ever operated in green zones. Still, compared to her usual arrogant bluster, it was downright pathetic. All that swagger and tantrum-throwing, yet she had never left the safety of the green zones. Tsk tsk. Sure, self-preservation mattered, but anyone looking at her track record would shake their head. To outsiders, it reeked of hypocrisy. And considering how far beyond mere duality her personality actually ran, this was a serious issue. It implied that even the bottom-feeders didn’t look quite so bottom-tier anymore.

For Ines, that was a small mercy. But she couldn’t afford to feel too good about it. Shareltea was the place where a hunter’s true worth was laid bare. She had no idea when her own shallowness might be exposed. Besides, the place they were heading toward wasn’t even yellow. It was red territory—perhaps even black. The time had come to show the caged bird the brutality of the wild, which meant far less room for carelessness. All the excuses, the lighthearted approach, and the decision to leave behind auxiliary weapons would return as karmic debt.

That was why Kang Sian had to steer her with subtle guidance, making sure she didn’t stumble into unnecessary trouble. If she died pointlessly now, it could create a distortion in the empty heavens where even the World Tree had never reached. The unbearable vacancy of the throne would vanish. Cheon Mari would rise into the sky under the banner of Nartika. The mere thought of the internet communities being reduced to ash in the aftermath was both horrifying and terrifying.

The one bright spot was that Kang Sian had already racked his brain to prevent such a tragedy.

“Is this path even correct?”

“Shh. Stay quiet. If we get spotted for no reason, everything could go sideways.”

This route had been meticulously planned to account for Ines’s potential stupidity. After gathering data on monster spawn patterns and the knights’ movements, he had charted the safest possible path. Originally he hadn’t intended to go this far—if she had simply brought decent gear. But she had shown up in a state so fragile that a dragon’s cough might separate bone from flesh. He couldn’t afford to take chances. Everything had to be conserved, especially with the return trip in mind.

It might have been excessive worry. There was even a chance this level of caution would backfire. Yet Kang Sian’s experience hunting as a teenager and surviving inside Gray Zone had not been wasted.

What… what is this? Just what kind of guy was he?

He slipped through alleys like a snake. Sometimes he ducked into buildings, sometimes vaulted over walls. After letting a monster pass directly ahead, he darted across open ground. When an ogre blocked the only remaining path, he had no choice but to draw his sword. It was the same blade he had crafted back in middle school and used ever since. There wasn’t a single enchantment on it—the kind any self-respecting hunter would carry. Just plain metal.

Naturally, Ines flinched at the sight.

A budget sword? No, it looks too clean for that…?

Whether it would even work was questionable. Given the combat prowess he had displayed against her before, it was possible—but it certainly didn’t look easy.

“Over there, let me at least—”

Kang Sian gestured for silence. He crouched low and approached the ogre with extreme care. Its back was turned, so it hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t stepped on any leaves or puddles either. Not even breathing, he reached the creature’s back. Then he carefully set his stance and channeled magic power through his fingertips. Blue particles swirled along the blade.

That was when it happened.

“Grung?”

The ogre seemed to sense something. The instant its head began to turn, Kang Sian heightened his senses. Before the motion could complete, he sliced through its head like a flash of light. It happened so quickly that Ines thought he hadn’t even reacted in time. She reflexively gripped her spear, ready to charge—

“Huh?”

The ogre’s head, now fully turned, flopped off with a dull thud. Its body began to topple after it. But noise was unacceptable, so Kang Sian caught the corpse and gently lowered it to the ground.

“Whew.”

He exhaled softly and beckoned to Ines. The scene was so impeccably clean that she could only stare in blank amazement. She had no idea what he had done. She couldn’t understand why the ogre had died so suddenly. Those with exceptional dynamic vision might have caught it, but Ines’s physical abilities were nothing special. She was, and always would be, a country-born hunter. Some might argue that rural life built strong bodies, but that line only worked in the MZ generation. As the hunter industry advanced and the average level rose, simply frolicking in nature no longer cut it. One only had to look at Kang Sian—who insisted Nartika had never applied any biotechnological reinforcement—to see the truth. The age of simple training was over. This was the age of technology. Expecting someone who only knew how to farm, wield a spear, and fire a shotgun to master every element was asking too much.

Still, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was fortunate he hadn’t arrived expecting zero disparity. He possessed enough skill to enter Palaestra Academy and deliver belated payback against the kids who had mocked him as Hispanic. He had been the best in his village, but he understood it was only a village. He had anticipated some gap.

How…?

He simply hadn’t expected it to be this vast.

The reality he hadn’t grasped when he once smashed a clubmate with a rusty dagger was finally sinking in.

“What are you doing? Hurry up.”

“Huh? Oh… right.”

A chill ran down her spine. In every possible way.

Has he been holding back tremendously against me this whole time?

Like staring at a toy. Even now, regarding a precious plaything. It might have been a delusion, but the possibility felt all too real. Ines swallowed cold saliva and pressed a hand to her stomach. She had stuck her head into the maw of a monster that defiled human blood. Her survival instincts finally flashed red. From that moment on, she restrained every complaint and followed Kang Sian obediently.

After all, dying in the current situation would be the most pathetic death imaginable, so it was unavoidable. If he truly meant her harm, the odds of the truth ever coming out were slim.

…That probably won’t happen, but being taken by that guy is still better than dying.

Pride mattered, but an absurd death of that magnitude was even worse. Only after a month and change had etiquette finally begun to sprout inside one southern lady’s head. It would vanish the moment they returned to Earth, but maintaining it here was better than nothing. For a result born from violence, it was a remarkably fine outcome.

Of course, since she never showed it openly, Kang Sian focused solely on the reality in front of him. He did feel a slight sense of unease at her sudden silence, but dismissed it as fear of the unfamiliar environment. They were nearly at their destination; he had no attention to spare. When someone focused on one thing, other details naturally slipped. What else could he do?

They should be appearing any moment now. Why aren’t they— Wait, what?!

After countless steps, the creatures finally appeared in the distance. Green mane wolves were prowling the shadows of the ruined city.

“So I just need to kill all of them, right?”

Ines spoke with unmistakable enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Kang Sian’s plan was nothing like that.

“No. We’re only taking one. And I don’t plan to kill even that one right away.”

“Not kill it?”

“The freshness would drop. Cooking is half about the ingredients. If the material is bad from the start, the result tastes like garbage.”

“Still, this seems way too dangerous.”

“We’ll have to risk it. Besides, considering the weather here and back in Arecibo, it might spoil while we carry it. That would be even worse.”

No matter how much of a professor-Bolshevik she was, he couldn’t serve spoiled food. They also needed to practice before the exam, which meant they would have to eat the meat themselves. The ultimate disease capable of sending S-rank hunters—who could defeat Grand Sword ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Masters who could defeat dragons—straight to the toilet. They might lose their human dignity to ‘food poisoning’ for days. Never mind Cheon Mari mocking them as shitters; they might not even be able to take the test. That horrific scenario had to be avoided at all costs.

“Plus stabbing it would make it bleed all over the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠equipment.”

“…So you’re saying you’ll catch it alive right now? How?”

“There’s a way.”

Kang Sian set down the bag slung over his shoulder. From inside he pulled out something that looked like a snack bag.

According to Cheon Mari, the staff had raved about how delicious it was. Since dogs were a type of wolf, there was no reason it wouldn’t work.

“One of these and the dogs lose their minds.”

Kang Sian possessed one surefire way to maintain both flavor and freshness with ease.