Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Virgin Hunter (3)
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The sun had set, and night had fallen.
While Park Sun-woo was mapping out plans for the next day and submitting his application to the Mirage Guild,
Choi Da-eun crouched with her weapon, the Thorn Whip, gripped tightly in her hand.
>'It still hurts like hell.'
She had been raped the previous dawn.
She had clearly been sleeping in her room, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a gray chamber.
There, she encountered a man, and he had forced himself on her.
It was an unforgettable memory.
She wished it had been a horrific nightmare instead.
Unfortunately, what Choi Da-eun had endured was all too real.
Choi Da-eun had lost her virginity.
He had groped her untouched body, the one no one else had ever laid a hand on, and torn through the hymen she had fiercely protected from countless lechers.
The bastard who had brutally defiled and toyed with her first experience.
Choi Da-eun was convinced that trash rapist would come for her again today.
A horny mutt like that wouldn't stop at just once.
So she was fully prepared and lying in wait.
The next time they met, she would rip off his mask and confirm his face.
Then she would uncover every one of his crimes and throw him in prison.
No, she would just tear him apart right there on the spot.
Choi Da-eun's face twisted into a demonic snarl.
Just thinking about what happened yesterday made her rage boil over.
She wanted to grow stronger.
She had to get stronger.
It was the perfect motivation.
She had never felt this kind of drive before in her life.
The sneers from the Milky Way Guild members who looked down on her, or Hwang Deok-su's leering gaze that scanned her up and down, hadn't provoked her this much.
Life had just flowed by like water.
She hadn't exactly sucked up to her superiors like some people,
but she had kept her temper in check quite a bit.
If this had happened back in her bitchier middle and high school days, she would have quit the Milky Way Guild ages ago.
Choi Da-eun knew the reality.
The only way for a nobody like her to succeed was to get stronger.
At least awakening as a hunter gave her some hope.
But it hadn't lasted long.
She had only just started running, while others soared through the skies...
She had been half ready to give up.
Then the rapist gave her a reason never to quit.
If she stayed weak, the same thing would happen again.
She would just get violated and fucked by him, unable to kill him herself.
She needed to get stronger.
Her rage was the most reliable motivator of all.
Not some vague goal like "I want to succeed" or "I want to get stronger."
She wanted to kill that bastard.
A clear, vivid target pushed her forward.
For the first time in ages, she felt fired up.
She waited for the trash rapist who had stolen her virginity to show up.
That was how Choi Da-eun spent the sleepless night with wide-open eyes.
Since Park Sun-woo had gone to bed early, it felt like a pointless vigil.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I got up early in the morning and prepared to head out.
I grabbed my only piece of equipment, the shield, and made my way to Gwanghwamun Square.
Gwanghwamun Square had long been a hangout spot for hunters.
That's where I spotted the Mirage Guild members.
They were such a ragtag bunch that it was impossible to miss them.
The Mirage Guild was a small guild of ten members total, but two had bailed due to sudden circumstances.
Thanks to that, I got the spot.
>Hunter Factory is a community site that verifies your ID, hunter license, and criminal record before granting access.
People you meet there are usually trustworthy enough.
Though you still run into the occasional psycho.
"Hello."
I approached confidently.
After my explosive growth over the past week, I had nothing to fear from other F-Rank Hunters.
Could a small guild like this even handle me?
If they tried some power play or something went wrong,
I'd punch any F-Rank guy hunters and fuck any F-Rank girl hunters.
"Hunter Park Sun-woo?"
The Mirage Guild members greeted me warmly.
Though one or two shot me displeased looks.
The gender ratio was 5:3.
Five guys and three women.
"Thank you for applying, Hunter Park Sun-woo."
"No problem."
One of the Mirage Guild bunch stepped forward to greet me.
His demeanor suggested he was the Guild Master.
The Mirage Guild's master was a man, it seemed.
"We almost couldn't enter the Tower with two tanks missing, but thanks to you filling the front line, we're good to go."
"We're still short one, aren't we?"
The Mirage Guild had said two spots were open.
I thought we'd assemble a full party of ten, but the vibe suggested we'd dive as is.
"We couldn't find anyone else. You were the only applicant, Hunter Park Sun-woo..."
"Ah."
Flash parties like this aren't popular.
Only bottom-tier F-Rank hunters do it often.
I was here personally to test my growth, so it was a different story for me.
"So, we heading out?"
"Yes, you're the last one, Hunter Park Sun-woo. We're all set—just need to enter the Tower."
"Got it."
We exchanged quick introductions.
Not with everyone, just the ones worth remembering.
Like the Mirage Guild Master, Kim Sung-hyun.
A couple of ranged dealers and supporters.
One face even looked familiar.
Who did she remind me of?
"Ahaha..."
Her name was Han A-ra.
An F-Rank hunter like me, but she resembled some famous figure.
Kim Sung-hyun explained my curiosity for me.
"A-ra is the younger sister of S-Rank Hunter Han So-ra. She joined our Mirage Guild to make it on her own without her sister's help. You could say our guild has a bright future ahead."
Kim Sung-hyun laughed heartily, boasting about the Mirage Guild's prospects.
Something about receiving subsidies from the Youth Hunter Support Program and growing steadily.
"I've talked too much. Let's get going."
I entered the Tower with the Mirage Guild.
The nine of us headed to the Skeleton Labyrinth on the Tower's 1st floor—a dungeon swarming with endless skeleton soldiers.
Just hunt carefully, watching out for Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Wizards.
Nothing else to worry about.
The 1st floor was the Tower's lowest level, a zone you could clear with a light heart.
Even F-Rank hunters shouldn't chicken out here.
Ridiculous.
"Sun-woo, you not in any guild?"
"A guild? I am."
On the way, the Mirage Guild members tossed casual questions my way.
I appreciated them not letting me feel like an outsider.
"Which one?"
"...Milky Way Guild. I'm an apprentice."
I had to specify apprentice.
There was a massive gap between full members and apprentices.
Bigger than regular vs. contract work, headquarters vs. subcontractors.
"Ah, got it."
The Mirage crew understood the situation and moved on.
Why was I, all alone, joining a flash party for a dungeon?
My answer just now explained it.
Trust levels plummeted between us.
They'd brought me along, but they didn't trust my skills.
They'd probably hunt while keeping a wary eye on me.
My half-broken shield didn't help.
They'd been eyeing me suspiciously from the start, and now my answer sealed it.
'Whatever, it's just for today. As long as I don't screw up.'
I had come alone to test how much I'd grown.
No need to impress the Mirage Guild.
"Here it is. Skeleton Labyrinth. Pretty creepy."
A massive gate shimmered with a portal.
Beyond it lay a passage leading underground.
The Mirage Guild had permits for today's hunt.
We crossed the portal right away.
The air shifted in an instant.
We were in the dungeon. A thrilling tension wrapped around me.
I secured my shield and advanced.
I'd joined as a tank, so I stuck to the role.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ How the hell did this happen?
"Huff, huff!"
"Fuck! What the hell is this?!"
"Why are Warriors suddenly pouring out? Is this how the Skeleton Labyrinth normally is?"
The Mirage Guild members couldn't believe what was happening.
Fleeing desperately from the stampeding Skeleton Warriors, they racked their brains.
Things hadn't seemed bad right after entering the dungeon.
Park Sun-woo's skills were better than expected, so they steadily progressed through the labyrinth.
But at some point, the atmosphere turned sour.
The number of Skeleton Warriors increased, their defenses got tougher.
The gap became too wide to handle.
"M-Master, the Master...!"
"No choice! We gotta run!"
Kim Sung-hyun, who had been holding the front line for the Mirage Guild, was dead.
He tried blocking the Skeleton Warriors from advancing on the rear, but couldn't withstand their attacks.
The Skeleton Labyrinth was popular with 1st-floor F-Rank hunters.
It wasn't overly dangerous, perfect for safe leveling.
But it didn't guarantee survival 100%.
Variables could pop up anywhere, anytime.
And this was one of those times.
The Mirage Guild found a hiding spot inside the Skeleton Labyrinth.
A place to catch their breath, however briefly, from the skeletons' assaults.
"Ah, up ahead! More Skeleton Warriors!"
One of the supporters shrieked.
It was an unmanly, frail scream.
"Kwaaaak!"
A Skeleton Warrior's rusted sword came crashing down on a Mirage Guild member's head.
Even their strongest, Kim Sung-hyun, hadn't been able to hold off the skeletons.
Could the survivors handle the Warriors?
Impossible.
One by one, they fell to the Skeleton Warriors' blades.
Most of the men went down first.
Playing the hero, protecting the women.
Only Park Sun-woo was still fleeing at the front.
Tasting the benefits of stamina built through sex, feeling every bit of his growth in his body.
Why was that guy the only one unscathed?
It felt like he got stronger the fewer male hunters there were.
More precisely, when he helped or saved the female hunters.
"R-Run! Fall back for now!"
They couldn't get cornered in a dead end.
While scrambling through the dust until they were filthy, they spotted a hole under a broken stone slab.
Big enough for a person to crawl into.
Skeleton Warriors were closing in from behind.
Time to choose.
"G-Go in!"
Han A-ra shouted.
She stepped up.
In a critical moment, entrusting your life to someone else.
In a life-or-death situation,
few could make the call themselves.
The Mirage Guild members scrambled into the hole one after another.
Didn't matter if they got dirty—just survive.
Fortunately, four of them crammed inside.
"......"
Skeleton Warriors prowled outside.
The four held their breath, exchanging glances.
Ranged dealer Han A-ra, supporter Kim Ji-eun, supporter Lee Joo-yeon.
And tank Park Sun-woo.
All the Mirage Guild men were dead.
Because of the Skeleton Warriors.
"Sniff."
The supporters started sobbing quietly.
That's when Park Sun-woo pulled out his smartphone.
"L-Light, turn it off...! Wh-what if they spot us."
"Ah."