Predator in the Dunes
A hunter I'd worked for as a porter once told me something.
The greatest enemy of any hunter isn't the monsters—it's the labyrinth's climate itself.
Back then, as someone who only ever poked around the entrance of the Forest Zone, I couldn't comprehend it at all. But now, having come this far, I fully understood what that hunter had meant.
Compared to the Desert Zone, the Forest Zone truly deserved to be called paradise.
Hot during the day, freezing at night.
The temperature swings were so extreme it was absurd—how could it flip like that?
I'd acquired skills like Heat Resistance and Cold Resistance, but they were still a measly G-rank, offering no real help.
At least dawn and dusk, when day shifted to night or vice versa, were tolerable. Outside those times, I couldn't move at all.
Thank goodness I'd stocked up on energy with Gluttony before entering the Desert Zone. Without it, I might've starved to death flat-out.
'Maybe I'd have gone hunting for prey and ended up like a perfectly dried squid.'
It wasn't even a joke—the odds of that happening were high enough that I couldn't laugh.
So, ever since arriving in the Desert Zone, I'd devoted most of my days to adapting to its climate.
Not that I did much. During the day, I just lay there dazed by the heat; at night, I shivered in the cold, sprawled out.
Definitely not good for a cold-blooded creature like me.
Though I was a monster, not just any animal, but still.
How many days had passed?
Whether thanks to my efforts(?) or not, my resistance skills had finally ranked up.
From G to F.
Just one rank, but it was enough to ease my suffering from the heat and cold considerably.
I still couldn't function properly at the hottest noon or coldest dawn, but otherwise, I could manage to move while enduring it.
What a relief.
My Gluttony-stored energy was still ample, but I couldn't relax forever—I needed to start hunting again soon.
So, now it was time to truly begin life in the Desert Zone.
I hadn't just been lazing around the whole time.
Even half-asleep from heat or cold, barely active, I'd handled what needed doing.
The Desert Zone wasn't all sand—there were sandstone rock formations and rare oases with sparse vegetation.
I'd known this from porter days, but it was my first time actually entering, so I'd surveyed the terrain, comparing it to prior knowledge.
I'd also investigated local monsters, hunter migration routes, and their common hunting spots.
With limited active hours, I hadn't mapped the whole floor, but it was enough for my immediate needs.
The rest could wait—methodically from here on.
My resistance rank-ups had skyrocketed my active time anyway.
The Desert Zone's main monsters were surprisingly undead types.
From low-tier staples like Skeletons and Zombies to mid-tier Ghouls and Wraiths.
True to their "undying" name, they roamed ceaselessly, day or night, without rest.
Usually solitary wanderers across the sands, but infamous for swarming indiscriminately when higher undead like floor or zone bosses appeared.
Hunters and monsters alike—equal opportunity killers.
A Zombie Walker, F-rank bottom-tier undead, shuffled blankly across the desert heart.
Ignoring the blazing sun, it groaned "Uuuuuaaaah—" and trudged endlessly forward.
Watching from afar, I nodded unconsciously.
'My eyesight's gotten seriously good.'
What should've been blurry was crystal clear.
All thanks to the magic stone from Wise Scale earlier.
Through it, I'd gained the Magic Eye skill during evolution.
Though its grandiose name belied a simple effect: enhanced vision.
Early snake days, maybe it'd have mattered more, but now I relied more on my tongue than eyes, so it wasn't hugely useful.
'Still better than nothing.'
A free gift from the lizardmen's goodwill—no complaints.
It shone for observing beyond my tongue's detection range—like this "clairvoyance."
Zombie Walkers lived up to their F-rank weakness.
Normally, no impact on my stats, not worth a glance.
But now? Intriguing.
What would undead taste like?
Visually and instinctively unappetizing—half-rotted corpses.
But unavoidable.
Most Desert Zone dwellers were undead.
Skeletons had zero meat, so Zombies were the lesser evil.
Curiosity piqued (or desperation), I tried one.
Undead tasted like rotten kimchi.
What did that taste like?
Disgustingly bad.
I already missed Surprise Bird eggs as snacks.
And my lush Forest Zone homeland, teeming with options.
A bit melancholic, but I shook it off.
Caving now meant no surviving the road ahead.
Steel myself.
Yeah, let's do this.
Under the guise of replenishing Gluttony energy, I devoured nearby undead.
Tried a Skeleton midway—surprisingly better than zombies.
Nutty, with a decent crunch.
Still flawed compared to normal monsters—relative improvement only.
Spotting a hunter party traversing for prey.
Seeing them recalled the undead's horrors.
Better to eat hunters than undead?
I pondered briefly.
Attacking for food, not just power, pricked my old human conscience a bit.
But I'm a snake (monster).
Snakes have no conscience, as always.
Too many kills for human regrets now.
If remorse hit, I'd have stopped long ago.
Lived differently among humans—or died.
Pondering didn't last.
Shii───
The moon-shadowed snake slithered silently.
One C. Two D. Three E. One F porter-cum-something.
Small seven-man raid party.
The lone C and two D felt threatening, but I didn't stop.
Stealth approach, as always.
Right up close, yet unnoticed.
Nightfall; rushing to safe rest, feet busy—they didn't sense me.
Blitz from behind in a blink.
Targeted strongest: the C-rank first.
"Gaaack—!"
Sudden ambush snapped his neck effortlessly.
"R-Raid leader?!"
"A-Ambush!"
"H-Hiiiik!"
Late reactions, frantic countermeasures—but losing their apparent leader crippled them.
"Everyone, stay calm! Form up and respond coolly…!"
A quick-thinking D-rank tried rallying, but I didn't let him.
Shaa──!
Decent chops? He dodged my lunge with a "Kuh…!" grunt.
"Form up, everyone! It's a C-rank monster! With formation, we can take it!"
His evasion and shout spurred the others into hasty formation.
Many-vs-one. Classic monster-hunt setup.
Seeing it, I realized things weren't going as planned.
'Hunters who push to the Desert Zone, huh?'
Worlds apart from Forest Zone slackers—in response speed especially.
This fight might drag.
My style leaned heavy on initial ambush.
Underestimated them?
"Vanguard with me and Chang-sik! Rest, support!"
Tongue flicked at the D-rank's adept command—probably aspiring leader.
Definitely picked the wrong fight.
Damn appetite. Should've stuck to rotten kimchi.
Regret flickered, but battle spirit surged regardless.
Yeah, I'd steamrolled hunters too easily lately.
Proper hunters ganged up like this.
'Disadvantageous, but I won't lose.'
Shii───
Objectively, win odds solid.
They had numbers, but two D, three E, one F porter.
Missing the C-kill would've meant flee, but this? Worth fighting blind.
Victory gains huge.
Tongue flicked again on rising confidence.
No nearby presences.
Undead and misc monsters, but no hunters.
No reinforcements incoming.
Monsters avoided stronger ones anyway.
Shii───
No holds barred confirmed—I charged the tense, watching hunters.
'First target as always…'
Normal monster: shield-bearing front D-rank.
But I'm no normal monster.
Ex-human. Knew formations, anti-monster tactics from porter days.
'Ideally the leader first.'
But the provisional D-leader eyed me sharply—tough short-term kill.
Targeting him risked heavy losses, retreat.
'Then…'
Shii───
Target locked—Charge engaged.
F-rank hunter first.
Weakest link first: eternal truth.
"It's coming…!"
"I'll block—huh?! It passed?!"
"A-Agro…! D-Dodge!"
F at rear meant scratches en route, but Rapid Regeneration healed them fast.
Mana drain? Gluttony covered. Energy? Devour them all.
"Hiiiik—!"
"No?! Hold position, Kyung-hoon! Where you going?!"
F-rank screamed pathetically, fleeing my charge.
Safer to trust allies and hold, but panic-stricken, not fainting was miracle.
Good call on light Intimidation.
Kwajik—
Overtook others, snagged the fleeing hunter back-first in jaws.
'Kuaaaah!' Pain screams, pleas amid violent head shakes.
Body dangled, whipping wildly.
Then…
Tuk—
F-rank crumpled lifeless on sand. Long silence blanketed the barren desert.
Blood-soaked corpse rolling: visually terrifying.
Gulp—
Someone swallowed dryly as I roared lightly.
Shaaa───!!!
The resounding cry silenced even the provisional D-leader.
Satisfying.