The Predator Becomes the Prey
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Of all the things I'd killed so far, the Orc's blood was by far the stickiest.
It smelled the worst, too.
"Whew..."
I pulled off my blood-soaked T-shirt and wrung it out.
Blood splattered onto the floor in heavy drops.
Maybe I should head back to that restroom and wash it when I get a chance.
But for now, I had no choice but to wear it.
The moment I slipped the damp, sticky shirt back over my head, a message popped up.
You have reached Level 5!
A new skill is available.
Oh.
Level 5 already?
I thought I was only Level 3 or 4 after finishing the tutorial.
Killing that Orc must have pushed me over the edge.
Level 5.
This was the milestone for acquiring a second skill.
In this system, you gained a new skill every five levels.
But the starting skill from the tutorial and the one gained at Level 5 were the most crucial.
They set the foundation for a hunter's entire future.
My starting skill was Talent for Killing.
What would the second one be?
Assigning skill...
...Processing...
Countless words spun rapidly across the system window like a slot machine.
Then, with a sharp click, it stopped.
Heavenly Strike (Passive)
The user's attacks completely ignore the target's defense.
Heavenly Strike?
Was it related to the Heavenly Slaughter Star trait?
Ignore defense?
Wait, did that mean what I thought it meant?
If it ignored defense, that was absolutely insane.
It meant even a poke with a toothpick would deal full damage.
*Shhhk.*
*Wipe.*
I wiped the cleaver clean on the dead Orc's clothes.
I wish I could test this out right away.
I scanned my surroundings, wondering if this Orc had any buddies nearby.
But nothing caught my eye.
"What a waste," I muttered.
A waste?
I had blurted it out without even thinking.
Man, was I developing a split personality or something?
Anyway...
*Clack.*
What was that?
Something rattled inside the Orc's pocket.
I reached in and pulled out a blood-stained card key.
This didn't seem like the kind of thing an Orc would carry around.
"Hmm."
Looking closely, the characters engraved on the card key matched the ones on the cafeteria sign.
Which meant...
"Is this like a meal ticket?"
I hung the card key around my neck.
Maybe this would get me some food.
The cafeteria looked like a buffet-style food court.
*Beep.*
I tapped the card key against what looked like a scanner.
*Flash!*
A green light blinked.
Then, mechanical gears began to whir and hum.
A moment later...
"Whoa!"
The empty food stations suddenly filled with steaming hot food.
Tteokbokki.
Fried snacks.
Soondae.
Fish cakes.
Gimbap.
"Jackpot!"
It was exactly the food I had been craving.
There were all kinds of tteokbokki: thick rice cakes, wheat cakes, cheese tteokbokki, rosé tteokbokki, and even black bean sauce tteokbokki.
The fried section had everything from my favorite seaweed rolls to fried squid, fried shrimp, fried eggs, fried bread, sweet potato fries, and vegetable fritters!
Steam rose from the freshly sliced soondae.
They even had steamed liver on the side.
For gimbap, there were two options: classic and tuna.
And the fish cake soup broth actually had a whole red crab boiling in it.
*Growl.*
My stomach roared, reminding me of the hunger I'd forgotten.
I grabbed a tray and started piling on the tteokbokki.
Time to start with the classics.
I went for the spicy, thick rice tteokbokki, pairing it with seaweed rolls and fried squid.
"Mmmph!"
The tteokbokki was hot, spicy, and perfectly chewy.
The fried snacks were so crispy they practically scraped the roof of my mouth.
I dunked a seaweed roll the size of a gimbap into the spicy sauce and took a massive bite.
*Chomp, chomp.*
This was insane.
It tasted way better than any franchise restaurant back home.
The soondae was wonderfully chewy, perfect for dipping in the sauce, and the liver was rich and savory.
And the gimbap tasted exactly like it was homemade!
*Gulp, gulp.*
The fish cake broth was as refreshing as a seafood stew.
"Ahhh."
This was heaven.
To think I could stuff myself silly with street food like this.
I guess I've finally made it in life!
"Ugh, I'm stuffed."
Even though I had eaten my fill, the food stations hadn't depleted at all.
But the moment I finished my last cup of cola, all the food vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Ah, so that's how it works."
Not just the food, but even the dishes had disappeared.
Still, the feeling of fullness remained, meaning the food was real enough.
I was glad I could fill my stomach like this.
I had thought I'd be forced to survive on tap water the whole time.
"Meeting that Orc was a stroke of luck."
Getting this card key was huge.
Alright, let's make this place my base of operations.
The restroom would just be a temporary shelter.
Since you needed the card key to get food, this place would look like nothing but an empty hall to anyone else.
Securing a source of food and water gave me an overwhelming advantage.
Now that I had a base, I should start exploring the surrounding area.
The guide did say we could find various rewards by searching the interior.
Basic materials were fine, but if I got lucky, I might find items, skills, or even a summon.
Since this was a low-level zone, I wasn't expecting anything legendary.
Just something decent and usable would be nice.
Besides, thirty days was plenty of time.
I might as well search every nook and cranny.
Tucking the card key away and grabbing my cleaver, I stepped out of the cafeteria.
And then...
"Whoa."
I gasped at the sight waiting for me in the corridor.
So this place really is a spaceship...
There was a glass window in the corridor, and the view beyond it was the vast expanse of outer space.
Countless stars drifted closer and receded in a slow, rhythmic dance.
No wonder the architecture looked so sci-fi.
So that's the theme here.
What if a Xenomorph popped out next?
That movie used to terrify me...
But now that I had the Heavenly Slaughter Star trait, maybe it wouldn't be so scary anymore.
I should rewatch it when I get back home.
With those idle thoughts, I continued down the corridor, keeping my eyes peeled.
I spotted a few open rooms.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much of value inside.
Just random junk.
Even when I opened some crates, nothing caught my interest.
I couldn't even tell what most of the stuff was used for.
"Nothing here either."
I had already checked several rooms.
Finding items wasn't going to be easy.
*Creak.*
Well, at the very least, I should change my clothes.
My shirt was still a mess of dried Orc blood.
I pried open the broken door of a wardrobe.
Inside were a few garments.
"Hmm, the sizes are all wrong."
The owner of this room must have belonged to a smaller race, or maybe they were female.
Everything was too small.
Still, I hoped to find at least a loose shirt or something.
After rummaging through the rack a bit more...
"Oh!"
I pulled something out.
Could you even call this clothing?
"Actually, this might fit."
It was a spacesuit straight out of a sci-fi movie.
It was made of a metallic-looking fabric and designed to be form-fitting.
◈ Increases Defense
◈ Increases Strength
◈ Increases Agility
Nexkia?
Was that the name of the alien race that built this ship?
It even had stat boosts!
Talk about a lucky find.
I immediately threw off my blood-stained shirt.
Though the spacesuit looked like a tight bodysuit, it was surprisingly stretchy and easy to put on.
When I pressed a button on the wrist, the slightly loose fabric shrank to fit my body perfectly.
At that exact moment...
"Oh, this definitely feels different."
My body felt lighter, yet sturdier.
Wow, this was great.
Was there a helmet to go with it?
I rummaged through the wardrobe a bit more, but couldn't find any other items.
Well, no point lingering. Time to move on.
I gripped my cleaver and stepped back out into the corridor.
...!
I felt a sudden shift in the air.
Heavy footsteps echoed from a distance.
Judging by the weight of the steps, it was a fairly large species.
Werewolves...
Three Werewolves were walking down from the end of the corridor.
Wait, should I count them as three people or three beasts?
How do you count something that's half-wolf, half-human?
Either way, the three Werewolves were heading straight toward me.
First Orcs, now Werewolves.
The outer dimensions really were crawling with non-human races.
While I was marveling at this, they spotted me.
"Hey! Look over there!"
"A human? It's a human!"
"A human, you say?"
The Werewolves grinned, their eyes locking onto me.
"Heheh. Perfect timing."
"I was getting hungry since we couldn't find any food..."
"And a snack just walks right up to us!"
They burst into cruel laughter.
I adjusted my grip on the cleaver as I stared back at them.
Finally, I get to test what Heavenly Strike can do.
I was the one who wanted to laugh, you mutts.
Thanks for showing up!
It would've been boring if Orcs were the only other species around here.
"*Slurp*..."
The Werewolves licked their chops and closed the distance.
"He's not even running."
"Is he insane?"
"Haha! Insane or not, he'll taste the same!"
Just as they bared their razor-sharp fangs—
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the corridor wall shattered into pieces.
And out stepped a monster.
The Seeker...!
It was a bizarre creature that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi horror movie.
Its skin was a strange texture, neither scales nor hide, coated in a dripping black slime.
With rows of countless teeth, it crushed the three Werewolves in a single bite.
*Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!*
The sickening sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing echoed through the hall.
*Crunch! Crunch!*
In an instant, the corridor was filled with the metallic stench of blood.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
My heart began to beat in sync with the crunching sounds.
Was it out of fear?
No.
It was anticipation. The thrill of a new prey appearing.
That anticipation alone made my chest throb.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
I couldn't hold back.
Even though I knew this was a survival mission, not an elimination quest.
*Dash!*
I lunged forward.
The creature didn't even look at me.
It completely ignored me.
It made sense.
No human would care if a single ant charged at them.
Well, that worked out perfectly for me.
As long as it didn't run away, I was happy.
*Screeech!*
My cleaver dug deep into the creature's flank.
Its hide looked tough enough to deflect any blade, but I could clearly see exactly where to strike.
And on top of that...
I had Heavenly Strike.
"SCREEEEEECH!"
A horrific, skin-crawling shriek echoed through the corridor.
It was a scream of pure agony, not a roar of anger.
This was probably the first time the creature had ever made such a sound.
The Seeker cannot be killed.
Just as the warning in the training manual stated, this creature was supposed to be an 'unkillable' entity.
But as for me...
"You really have terrible luck."
I possessed the Heavenly Slaughter Star.
The absolute killer ordained by the heavens.
In other words, a being capable of killing anything.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Every time I swung the cleaver, I felt it hit dense bone.
My attacks were dealing damage, but severing its limbs in a single blow was too much to ask.
"SCREEECH!"
The creature wasn't just going to take it. Its scythe-like front claw lunged straight for my throat.
*Whoosh!*
I narrowly dodged the strike and ripped my cleaver free.
And then—
*Slash!*
I swung the blade in a fluid motion,
*Splurt!*
And severed the joints of its clawed toes.
Instead of blood, black slime sprayed from the wound.
*Sizzle...*
The slime splattered onto the lower halves of the dead Werewolves, immediately melting them away.
Acidic, huh?
Even with this spacesuit on, I needed to be careful.
"SCREEECH!"
Before its bizarre shriek could even fade,
*Slash!*
I sliced off its other claw as well.
*Splurt!*
Once again, I dodged the acidic spray.
With both of its sharp front claws gone, the creature stared at me in utter disbelief.
Come on.
What's with that look?
You still have your teeth.
"Skr... Skree...!"
Step by step, the creature began to retreat.
"SCREEECH!"
It let out one final shriek, but instead of lunging at me again, it turned and bolted down the hall.
Wait, what?
Since when did the Seeker run away?
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"
I immediately gave chase, but the creature was incredibly fast.
"Damn it! Come back! I said come back!"
I hadn't even landed a proper finishing blow yet!
I ran with everything I had.
Don't leave me!
I chased after it with the desperate intensity of someone trying to win back an ex-lover.
"If I catch you, you're dead!"
*Pant, pant.*
Even with the level-up, was my stamina still not enough to keep up?
Damn it all, I could have actually killed it!
"*Pant*..."
Watching the Seeker fade into the distance, I yelled into the empty corridor.
"I will find you, and I will kill you!"
"Please come back!"