Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Human Hunt
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As I brought up the merit rankings floating right in front of my eyes,
Lee Yoo-ri nodded mischievously, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Hmm, didn't I mention it?"
Lee Yoo-ri had grown comfortable enough with the two of us by now.
Fighting side by side and sharing meals had brought us closer, it seemed.
"No, you didn't. More importantly, why am I in first place?"
"In this region—or hell, this whole country—how many people do you think could take down a boss solo?"
From what I'd heard, bosses were usually hunted in groups.
If a region couldn't manage that, everyone just died.
"Plus, the boss we took out was several ranks tougher than the standard ones."
"So stronger ones give more points?"
"Pretty much."
The boss's generous rewards had been nice.
But I hadn't imagined things unfolding like this.
"Whoa, that's still impressive, right? The two strongest people in the region are right here!"
Hye-na, who'd just caught up on the messages, exclaimed in awe.
It didn't feel bad hearing it put that way.
'But if word gets out and others latch on, that'll be a problem.'
Realistically, plenty of survivors were probably still out there.
But they couldn't all be powerhouses like Lee Yoo-ri.
Most would be weaklings who'd survived on luck alone.
And there was no guarantee they were good people.
'If those types mistake me for strong and beg for protection, it'll be a hassle.'
Of course, I'd turn them down flat if it came to that.
I had no spare time or reason to help for free.
Best to nip annoyances in the bud.
'Gotta keep my name under wraps for a while.'
Luckily, the messages only showed names—no identifying details.
That alone wouldn't pin me down.
"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"
"Got it."
"Yeah! It'll be our secret!"
They both nodded, clearly getting the hint.
"Survivors, huh... This might trigger that quest after all."
"Quest?"
It was right as Hye-na asked Yoo-ri about it.
A message popped up in front of us.
I wondered what a main quest even meant.
As I stared at it with mild curiosity,
Something felt off about how this was playing out.
Soon, a quest appeared before us.
Human Hunt
Type: Emergency
Difficulty: E
Kill other survivors by any means necessary.
All Doom Coins from slain targets go to the killer.
Penalty: If you fail to hunt at least 1 person within 24 hours, you die.
"Th-this can't be real..."
Hye-na was the first to show sheer horror on her face.
Actually, she was the only one shocked.
Yoo-ri, who'd likely seen it coming, stayed calm.
And I didn't feel much either.
'Is this the Metafiction trait at work too?'
This trait that let me perceive the world like a novel.
The word "murder" didn't hit hard because of it.
At some point, I'd started seeing lives as mere numbers.
"This just got annoying."
Yoo-ri spoke up after a moment, her expression purely irritated rather than hesitant about killing.
"Finding three people in this huge place is a chore in itself."
"According to the quest, there should be plenty of survivors, no?"
"That's just from the doom's perspective. Proportionally, it's a drop in the bucket."
She had a point—it was a pain.
Unlike monsters, humans had brains.
In modern society, if someone really tried to hide or run...
Finding them would be impossible.
"Hmm, you think people will run if they see us?"
"At least they'll be on guard. Or they might attack first. Either way, no one can be trusted."
"Yeah, with a quest like this staring you down, you'd suspect even your allies."
In apocalypse stories, people usually banded together.
Forming groups was human instinct, after all.
The protagonist might be the exception, but ordinary folks made up the majority.
And most of them would crumble under this quest.
"Ugh, that's horrifying! S-so people we fought with yesterday might kill each other?"
"Are you planning to kill us?"
"Hye-na... you're scarier than I thought."
"Don't even joke about that!"
Hye-na's eyes welled up for real, and Yoo-ri quickly soothed her.
The idea of murder must've hit her hard.
'...Yeah, that's the normal reaction, I guess.'
Yoo-ri and I were the abnormal ones.
We wouldn't blink at killing.
And this novel was a world where psychopaths like us thrived.
Once Hye-na calmed a bit, she spoke in a still-teary voice.
"I'd rather die myself than kill you two to survive. I couldn't live with that."
"Don't worry. We'll all make it to the end."
I said it with conviction.
I had my reasons to believe it.
'We're not the only ones who have to kill.'
The quest had hit everyone.
Groups especially would be desperate.
With so many survivors, that meant plenty to hunt—but miss the deadline, and they'd have to turn on each other.
'They'll rush to find sacrifices, even if it means forcing it.'
Plus, Yoo-ri and Hye-na looked fragile at a glance.
Strangers would underestimate them and strike first.
If some average joe rushed Yoo-ri?
I'd bet it wouldn't take ten seconds for him to die.
'And some will kill extras just for the coins.'
Guaranteed. I'd stake my ten years of webnovel experience on it.
The situation favored us heavily.
Having thought it through, I made a proposal.
"How about this? I'll chill somewhere visible as bait. Yoo-ri hides and takes out anyone gunning for me first."
"Th-that means you'd be the bait, Ji-hoon?"
Hye-na furrowed her brows sharply, ready to object to anything risky.
"Not that dramatic. Just pulling aggro. We're the attackers here, so low chance of me getting hurt."
"Hmm... I suppose?"
Same difference, really.
But words mattered.
"This way, we don't have to hunt around. Way easier on stamina."
"Setting a trap, eh? Not a bad idea."
Yoo-ri nodded in agreement, though her eyes narrowed like something still bugged her.
"But I object to one thing."
"What?"
"I'll be the bait in that case. You two are too at risk."
I shrugged lightly.
She was the strongest, so it made sense.
"Works for me. They're the ones coming at us first—no guilt there."
"If you two are cool with it, so am I."
I was about to detail the plan when Yoo-ri suddenly drew her sword.
"Sorry, but no chance to test it."
"...Huh?"
Hye-na and I followed her gaze.
A faint rumbling reached my ears.
'Something's coming?'
It soon entered our view.
Motorcycles.
Three bikes roared toward us at full throttle.
In normal times, maybe we'd talk.
But the timing was too perfect.
'Rushing here right after the Human Hunt quest drops.'
Naive to think they came in good faith.
Even Hye-na gripped her dagger tensely.
I tightened my hold on the baseball bat.
-Vroooom!
The bikes screeched to a halt right in front of us.
Up close, all three riders were guys.
Roughly our age, maybe.
No helmets—instead, they clutched steel pipes and wooden bats.
"Whoa, exactly three of 'em."
"Worth the morning ride, huh."
They didn't look friendly.
Neither did we.
Three on our side, three on theirs.
Perfect matchup, even.
'First good break in this shithole world.'
She hid it well, but Yoo-ri's lips twitched upward too.
Whether they sensed our thoughts or not, they ogled us and yapped.
"Damn, check out the redhead. Jackpot."
"Celebrity level, right? Fucking hot."
"Yo, too good to waste quick. Let's have some fun first. Plenty of time."
Their eyes locked on Yoo-ri and Hye-na.
Both had looks famous across school.
With no cops or society left...
Their intentions were obvious.
"Every world has trash like this."
"Worlds are all the same that way."
Yoo-ri seemed unfazed by their blatant stares, used to it.
Hye-na just frowned a little, no fear.
Made sense—she'd bashed zombies; no reason to fear these punks.
"I'll take the samurai chick first."
"Then I get the cute one after."
"Fuck! Leaves me with the dickhead!"
Their gazes finally hit me late.
Their faces twisted upon seeing mine.
"Ptoo! Ugly fucker."
"Leech brother type."
"Shit, pisses me off seeing him with girls even now."
Yoo-ri stifled a laugh beside me.
"See? No clue about personality, but their eyes work fine."
"Hey, in guy world, that's a compliment."
Truly unfair.
I'd been called an otaku plenty, but never ugly.
Anyway, neither of us planned to humor their chatter.
"Want me to move?"
"Nah, I'll do it. You can't hold back—you'd go overboard."
Lee Yoo-ri drew her sword.
Then it was over.