The Empty Village of Mul
With that message, the place that had only moments ago been inside a building suddenly became a village with the atmosphere of a medieval civilization.
The scenery felt like something out of a comic or a movie.
Wooden stalls crowded every alley, and people of every race wandered among them, peeking at the goods on display.
Not only humans and elves, dwarves, and other fantasy races one often sees in stories.
There were beastmen who looked half human and half animal, and others that walked on two legs like animals.
And many wore clothes that were distinctly different from each other.
Some seemed dressed for a developed civilization like Earth, with outfits similar to Do-hyeon and Hanarin’s, while others looked like they had come from an even more advanced world, wearing futuristic clothes that reminded one of sci-fi.
Most, however, wore fantasy-style clothing, but each piece looked completely fresh and strange to Do-hyeon, Hanarin, and Ji Yu-chan.
“……Wow.”
“Whoa.”
“How amazing.”
Do-hyeon had scanned through countless people and tried to acquire their skills quickly, but perhaps because he had gone over them too fast, he missed out on the details.
[Analyzed multiple status windows.]
[Gained 320 AP in total.]
Just a quick scan of the streets and he already had 320 AP? That seemed way too profitable.
Since he couldn’t study them closely enough to learn the skills, he had to move on without acquiring any, but he decided not to worry too much, as this wasn’t his first chance anyway.
While Do-hyeon was happily earning AP by scanning the crowd, Hanarin and Ji Yu-chan were also looking around in amazement.
Hanarin, the mage, was immediately taken aback by the abundant mana that filled the air, and Ji Yu-chan was surprised by the surging qi energies all around him.
Neither overwhelming pressure nor overwhelming mana was visible at first glance, but the sheer variety of races must have made the feeling stronger than any ordinary qi.
As the three of them were still looking around, the leader of the guide party, Cheon Seong-min, came over to stop them.
“Please don’t stare too much. Newcomers get targeted by the local roughnecks.”
“……What?”
“Targeted?”
“Huh?”
The trio had thought combat was forbidden inside the safe zone village, yet here was the suggestion that they would be attacked.
Do-hyeon, Hanarin, and Ji Yu-chan all turned to Cheon Seong-min, who began explaining as he led them toward the guild building.
“This is the Mul safe zone, so fighting isn’t allowed inside, but there are villains who target anyone who steps outside and keeps an eye out.”
“There was even a villain attack recently, so be careful.”
One of the other guide parties, Bang Yoo-rin, added to the warning.
All three of them nodded firmly, deciding to keep the warning in mind from the very start of their journey.
Suddenly Do-hyeon felt something strange and turned his head, only to see Ji Yu-chan and Hanarin looking at him in curiosity.
“Why are you staring?”
“Is there something you’re worried about?”
Do-hyeon shrugged casually, brushing off the question as if it were nothing.
“No, it’s nothing.”
The odd feeling in their stomachs made Hanarin and Ji Yu-chan exchange glances, but they decided to let it go for now.
The party that had stopped walking now followed the guide party’s instructions and entered the guild building.
It wasn’t as cramped as expected, and the interior was surprisingly clean for a medieval-style building, so they were satisfied.
They had braced themselves for some discomfort because the outside looked medieval, but nothing felt overly awkward.
Plus there were almost no other people around, which made the place feel even more comfortable.
“This is your accommodation. After you finish hunting around here, you can use this building in the safe zone village. There are a few other hunters here, but with so few of them, you’re free to use it as you like.”
“Oh? It’s not as crowded as I thought.”
Ji Yu-chan asked the guild hunter, who answered with a smile.
“This building is only for hunters who belong to the guild. Other guild members can’t use it.”
True enough. Using the guild building for lodging wasn’t something other guilds would do anyway.
Ji Yu-chan felt a slight pang of disappointment at the thought of not being a proper guild member, yet he was more than happy with the unexpected comfort.
Do-hyeon and Hanarin also looked the room over with satisfied expressions.
After they had enough time to explore the accommodation, they returned to the common area, where the guild hunters warned them once more.
“As I said earlier, villains who target Earth hunters have been appearing lately.”
“Hmm, targeting Earth hunters?”
“Yes. Hunters from weak or powerless dimensions seem to be the main targets.”
“Ugh.”
“I heard about this in class, but seeing it up close is different.”
Ji Yu-chan’s final remark earned nods of agreement from the guild hunters.
The simple fact that Earth hunters were easy targets, no matter where they were, somehow irritated Do-hyeon’s mood.
In other words, they were easy prey.
As he recalled the stares they had felt before entering the building, Do-hyeon fell into thought.
They were indeed villains, as the Analysis had revealed.
While Do-hyeon was still pondering, Hanarin also grew thoughtful and asked the guild hunter.
“Is there any way to deal with them?”
“Knowledge is power, right? Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself means you can fight a hundred battles without fear.”
Hanarin asked the question, but the reply was disappointingly vague.
“All we know is that they target hunters after the hunt is over.”
“They’re too sneaky to track easily, and they appear every time.”
“Their signature is that they move like assassins, and among the various species that live in this safe zone, there are too many who can act like them, so…”
“We can’t single anyone out, and forcing every party to hunt together is inefficient.”
“Guild members are paired with their safety officers, which has kept incidents from happening lately.”
Listening to the lukewarm explanation, Do-hyeon’s expression, followed by Ji Yu-chan’s and Hanarin’s, grew steadily gloomier.
They had heard the environment was tough for Earth hunters, but seeing it in person made the reality sink in painfully.
Uncomfortable stares from strangers continued to linger in their minds, and the guild hunters looked back at them with understanding nods.
Since this was only an F-grade zone, higher-tier hunters couldn’t come, and locals with stronger abilities would suffer heavy loads without guild protection.
That was why the guild’s own hunters had taken some hits, and the guild staff looked visibly annoyed.
“That’s why we’ll always accompany you when you hunt.”
“The locals don’t usually mess with anyone who has a decent number of people.”
“Please follow us even if it feels inconvenient.”
The three of them knew their own strength better than anyone, but the guild’s policy left them no choice, so all the guide party members said the same thing.
Hanarin and Ji Yu-chan nodded in understanding, while Do-hyeon gave a strange smile yet still nodded.
Though he had seen something earlier, Do-hyeon showed no special reaction.
Instead, he watched Hanarin and Ji Yu-chan burning with motivation.
After a moment, he chuckled softly to himself and fell into thought.
He was staying here for more than a week anyway.
So the first thing he debated was whether to hunt on day one or not, but the decision came quickly.
‘Why not.’
There was no point in wasting time resting right away.
That was why Do-hyeon’s mysterious smile made Hanarin and Ji Yu-chan tighten their expressions, as if they had guessed his meaning.
“Can you show us the hunting grounds?”
Do-hyeon’s sudden outburst left Hanarin and Ji Yu-chan sighing softly, as if they had expected it.
The guide party leader, Cheon Seong-min, looked at him with a nod.
“Follow me.”
* * *
The landscape of Mul, often called the Mul village, was a barren wasteland.
More precisely, it was a highland formed in a wasteland, resembling America’s Grand Canyon.
The view was breathtaking, so breathtaking that anyone who saw it would be speechless.
The beastmen who had come from other dimensions were also amazed by the scenery, proving that it was truly spectacular, even by their standards.
Because of the harsh environment, the resources and supplies in Mul were limited.
Food was at least available from edible monsters, but everything else required self-sufficiency in this village that had appeared after the Black Gates had been open for fifteen years.
Six Earth hunters, drawn to this zone for its low points, formed a party and watched distant dust being kicked up by a pack of lizard-like creatures with dusty skin running across the wasteland.
“Stone lizards. They have scales as hard as stone, so their defense is high.”
“Focus on attacking the gaps in their scales.”
“Especially watch out for their tails. They’re as tough as iron maces, and one hit will leave you in pain.”
This was Do-hyeon’s party, the first to venture out with the guide party.
Even though it was their first battle inside the Black Gate, none of them showed the tension or fear that newcomers usually felt.
Instead, they looked confident.
Especially Do-hyeon.
He stared at the ten Stone Lizards charging straight at them, and then the notifications appeared one after another.
[Analyzed 『Stone Lizard』.]
[Found weaknesses.]
[Analyzed skill 「Hardening [F]」.]
[Skill level is below the standard.]
[Acquired the skill without consuming AP.]
[Obtained skill 「Hardening [F]」.]
[Obtained skill raises permanent Health by +1.]
Do-hyeon relaxed his body after seeing the satisfying messages.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
“I’ll start.”
With those words from Hanarin, magic circles bloomed in the air.