Swallowed by Erosion
Now? At this point? It had been a month since I'd become a second-year.
And right around now, the academy runs special training.
Gate experience.
Most cadets who graduate from the Hunter Academy get scouted by guilds or join the association to live the hunter life. That's why, starting from second year, there's a curriculum for practicing responses and strategies inside gates ahead of time.
Today was the day we'd form teams and head into an E-rank Gate. It only had very weak monsters, and all dangers had already been cleared, so the professors weren't coming along.
And then my team was announced.
"C Team: Jeong Ha-jun, Yoo Ji-min, Jang Ji-hu, Kang Yu-na, and Han Min-young. That's five people."
Tank - Jeong Ha-jun
Guard - Yoo Ji-min (me)
Attacker - Jang Ji-hu
Magician - Kang Yu-na
Healer - Han Min-young
A perfectly standard five-person lineup.
With Min-young...
I'd ended up in the same group as Min-young, the girl I'd had a crush on, but I couldn't exactly be thrilled about it. I already knew she despised me. And more than that...
"Ha... fuck, why'd it have to be that bastard..."
"Guard's a super important role, and an unawakened punk like him's gonna help how...?"
The male cadets handling tank and attacker clearly weren't thrilled about me.
"Hey! If you stare at me during scouting, I'll seriously kill you! No gaze-raping! Got it?"
Kang Yu-na, the magician, shot me a look like I was a bug, arms crossed. But this was a situation I'd been through way too many times. I just bowed my head calmly, making my face look as pitiful as possible.
"Yeah... I won't look. I'll work hard..."
"Ha... fuck, just shut your damn mouth!"
No sooner had the words left my mouth than attacker Jang Ji-hu jumped in, face twisted.
"Just fuck off. Your breath stinks anyway."
Even so, all I got back was contempt and curses...
Anyway, our group of five entered the E-rank Gate. My vision shifted in an instant, and we were in what looked like an abandoned building.
The progress itself was no big deal. Hardly any monsters, and the mission was simple: search three rooms inside the abandoned building and retrieve some paper the professors had hidden.
We handled the monsters easily and soon reached a room with three doors.
"Alright, standard procedure. I'm the tank, so I'll go solo. Ji-hu and Yu-na, check that room. Min-young and that villain bastard, search the one straight ahead."
"Okay."
"Got it."
Temporary team leader Jeong Ha-jun, the tank, split us up like that. I didn't bother questioning why everyone else got their names and I was just "villain bastard." That was how they always treated me.
Click—
Han Min-young and I opened the door to our assigned room and went inside. We searched the interior.
......
She didn't say a word the entire mission. Hell, she didn't even look at me. It was like I was invisible.
And a guy like me didn't dare strike up a conversation, so I just kept my mouth shut and searched diligently.
But then.
Suddenly, a weird feeling hit me. Like something unpleasant surging right up—extremely ominous.
"Um..."
I started to speak, and she turned to me with a blank expression.
"I feel something ominous right now..."
"Ha..."
Min-young let out a sudden sigh and said,
"Just hurry up and let's go."
"...Yeah..."
Like my words weren't even worth hearing, she shut down the conversation entirely. We went back to searching every corner of the room.
Then the problem hit.
"Kyaaaaak!!!"
A black shadow erupted from the spot where Min-young was searching. The darkness swallowed everything in its path. And its identity? Infamous.
Gate erosion? Suddenly?
When certain conditions align, gates trigger erosion. The exact cause is unknown, but once it starts, it devours and erases everything—including humans, obviously.
"Dodge!!!"
I yelled urgently, but it was already too late.
"Ah... Ah..."
Her eyes lost focus. Her face twisted in despair.
Min-young's body was already half engulfed by the erosion. Protocol said to leave her, run out, report the situation, and evacuate the rest. That's what the manual demanded.
But I didn't follow it.
Chin—
I rushed over and grabbed her arm. Pulled.
"Uwaaaaa!!!"
I could feel her body inching free bit by bit.
A little more... just a little...
I shoved my other arm under her armpit, wrapped around her waist, and yanked with everything I had. And finally—
Thud—
Min-young broke free and we tumbled to the ground together.
"Fuck... fuck..."
But the erosion's shadow was closing in fast.
I quickly supported the dazed Min-young and headed for the door.
Ssssh—
Before I knew it, the sticky erosion tendrils were climbing up my ankle.
Ah... what do I do...
This way, we'd both get swallowed. No room for choice. The decision was instant; the action decisive.
"Uwaaaaa!!!"
I summoned every last ounce of strength, hoisted Min-young up, and hurled her out the door.
Thud thud—
The other team members had already rushed out after hearing the scream earlier.
"What the hell?"
"Isn't that Han Min-young? Why'd she come flying out?"
"Eh?! Look over there!! It's erosion!!"
"Fuck! Retreat, now!!"
They spotted the erosion and bolted. The tank, feeling some responsibility as leader, helped support Min-young as they fell back. The problem?
As expected, no one's saving a worthless piece of shit like me...
I was already getting swallowed.
Only one leg was in—they could've pulled me out easy. But they didn't even consider it.
Well, yeah... the manual says as much.
No escaping erosion alone. Like quicksand—the more you struggle, the deeper it pulls. And the manual says don't rescue for good reason. One wrong move, and everyone's fucked. Me pulling Min-young out safe was a goddamn miracle.
"Even dying like a total fucking retard..."
What a shitty life. Lost my parents in a car accident in high school, became an orphan. Tested high on mana sensitivity, got into the Hunter Academy. Then framed as a sex offender there—my only memories are bullying and beatings.
In the end, no reversal for my pathetic life...
All my efforts felt so fucking pointless. The erosion had passed my waist, creeping up to my chest. And that's when—
Ding ding dingiri dingiri ding—
A melody rang in my ears. I knew this tune well. I'd been dying to hear it for the past year.
Really? Awakening? Now, of all times?
This melody signals awakening. Word is, it's the sound of connecting to an outer god. Awakening right on the brink of death... talk about timing.
Of course, awakening doesn't magically fix shit. Abilities grow gradually through communion with the outer god. No bullshit like suddenly getting OP powers, smashing everything, and escaping crisis.
Still, maybe not so bad...?
Shitty life, but I saved the girl I'd crushed on from certain death. With that, maybe I'd linger in her memory somewhere.
Eh, that's enough. Got the awakening I'd craved. Whatever power it is, I'd never know now.
At least she wouldn't remember me that badly.
Clinging to that one comfort, I closed my eyes. Moments later, the erosion swallowed me whole.
That was my last memory.
"Huhk!"
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
Where...?
A cozy bed, pristine white interior. Other people lying around nearby.
"You're awake, patient?"
"Ah... yeah..."
A hospital.
"Heard you got caught in gate erosion. Glad you're okay."
"Ah..."
I quickly checked my body. Nothing seemed severed—thank god.
"Um... how long was I out?"
"Hm... about a week?"
A week. Swallowed by erosion, and somehow I got rescued?
"They said the gate closed from the erosion and spit you out. A real miracle!"
"Is that right...?"
Miracle. Yeah, that fits.
Getting caught in erosion isn't a guaranteed death sentence. But even if you're lucky and the gate closes, bouncing you out, the outcome's grim. Mana circuits get wrecked—you're a lifelong cripple. Coming out with intact limbs like me? Extremely rare.
"Cadet Yoo Ji-min, you were really lucky."
"Ah... yeah..."
That's when I finally clocked who I was talking to. Nameplate read "Song Eun-chae," position "Nurse." Blonde big-sis type. Wasn't trying to stare, but our eyes met.
Whoa, she's gorgeous...
For a second, I thought she was a celebrity.
"Um... Nurse sis, the other kids make it out okay?"
"Hehe, no other cadets were admitted besides you, Yoo Ji-min."
"Phew..."
Good. Min-young got out safe.
"Eh?"
But this wasn't the time. I bolted upright.
"Take it slow... Your body's fine, but you've been bedridden a week—you must be exhausted. Doctor'll consult, then you can discharge right away."
"Ah... yeah..."
Right now, my body was crawling with itchiness. Couldn't even stand the short wait. Because...
Oh yeah, I awakened, right...?
I was dying to check my power. See if it was the reversal my pathetic life needed.
Curiosity was killing me.