Hunted by the Blue-Haired Elite
I'd talked a big game about charging at any hunter I came across and picking a fight, but I had no real intention of doing it.
It was just something I'd said to vent my frustration. No real plan behind it.
But they say words can plant seeds, right?
As I slithered around searching for decent prey, I suddenly crossed paths with a group of hunters.
A pair of eyes locked straight onto me, piercing through my ever-active Stealth like it was nothing.
The hunter was a woman with long, rare blue hair.
And her rank? A solid B-rank.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but no—she was definitely staring right at me.
Having my Stealth seen through was practically a first, so I couldn't help feeling rattled.
My Concealment skill had already surpassed same-rank levels, hitting A-rank.
If she could spot that, it meant she had detection skills on a similar level.
And then, before I could even react to the blaring warning from my Crisis Detection, the blue-haired hunter blocked my path.
"What the hell is this? A snake in the Desert Zone?"
She muttered it under her breath like she was talking to herself, then swung her sword without hesitation.
It was a lightning-fast strike, leaving no room for response.
I twisted away in a panic, but my Crisis Detection screamed even louder.
I pulled back harder than I'd planned.
And right as I did, a sharp sting shot through me.
Glancing down, I saw one of my scales deeply gashed.
Regeneration knit it back together quickly enough, but if I'd only dodged halfway like my instincts first urged, I'd have been sliced in half.
A chill raced up my spine in that instant.
"Ho? Dodged that, huh?"
Not bad.
Her low voice echoed calmly, like she was mulling over lunch options.
She flicked the blood off her blade and grinned at me.
"Things have been dead around here ever since 'Seongho' cleared out the good stuff not long ago. No decent game to be found... but look at this. Talk about perfect timing. Nice to meet you, monster?"
She flashed a bright smile, but from my perspective, it looked like the grin of a demon straight out of hell.
My Crisis Detection kept blaring for me to run, but in this situation? No chance.
"Cha Ye-ji Hunter! You can't just charge off like that! It's dangerous!"
While I faced off against the one called Cha Ye-ji, the other hunters she'd been with started catching up, one by one.
Five in total, including her.
Not a huge number, but their ranks were the problem.
Three Cs. One D.
Even ignoring the B-rank right in front of me, this was a force I wouldn't dare provoke first.
Just escaping the B-rank alone would be a gamble for my life, and now her buddies showed up? Odds of getaway were basically zero.
"Dangerous? Me? You saying I'm the one in danger? This is the Desert Zone, not some hellhole."
She laughed it off at the hunter scolding her, then glanced my way.
Her eyes sparkled with some twisted anticipation.
Whatever she was feeling, I didn't care.
The real issue was how the hell to get out of this mess.
"Sigh... Even a hunter as skilled as you can't afford to get careless in the labyrinth. You know how fickle it is."
"Tch... I hear that from the raid leader all the time. Enough nagging."
"If only Cha Ye-ji Hunter would act a bit more cautiously..."
"Park Pil-lip Hunter."
"Y-yes?"
"Knock it off."
"...Yes, sorry."
The hunter who'd been lecturing her shut his mouth with an apology under her sharp glare.
I stayed silent, listening for any opening, but Cha Ye-ji stood there casually with no gaps in her guard.
She wrapped up the exchange effortlessly and turned back to me with a beaming smile, like she'd never dropped the act.
Anyone watching would think she'd bumped into an old friend.
"Alright. The peanut gallery's gone, so let's play, monster?"
She stepped forward with obvious glee.
The other hunters edged closer too.
Damn... Target the D-rank first?
Normally, I'd take out the strongest upfront, then mop up the weaklings.
But not here. Not now.
Problem is, no openings anywhere.
Not a single gap in all five of them.
Some big guild's crew?
Now that I looked, their gear was all top-shelf.
Especially Cha Ye-ji's sword up front—it screamed high quality just from a glance.
She looked young too. Some guild's prized super rookie?
A flicker of curiosity rose, but no time to dwell.
The hunters closed in slowly.
"Everyone, back off."
"Huh? What do you—?"
I tensed as they approached, but Cha Ye-ji suddenly waved off the others.
They stared at her, dumbfounded.
She continued flatly. "This one's mine. I'll take it solo."
Her eyes gleamed at me quietly.
The others looked stunned.
"B-but Cha Ye-ji Hunter!"
"Park Pil-lip Hunter. I said knock it off. I'm not your subordinate."
"Urk..."
Pil-lip looked older—way older—but he couldn't muster a word against her biting tone.
Made sense. In the hunter world, age meant squat. It was all about rank and raw power.
And it wasn't just him keeping quiet.
Her teammates just watched nervously, no arguments.
This situation... it was turning weird.
Weird in a good way for me.
Even a B-rank solo? I might have a shot.
Plus, she seemed green. A fight would create openings for sure.
If enough gaps opened, escape would be easy.
Hell, maybe even turn the tables and hunt her.
"B-but Cha Ye-ji Hunter! It's dangerous!"
Park Pil-lip, who'd seemed cowed, spoke up again for some reason.
For me, craving her one-on-one? This was risky. What if his warning changed her mind?
But my worry was for nothing. She didn't budge.
If anything, his "dangerous" jab bruised her ego—her face twisted in a scowl.
Told me plenty about her personality.
"Park Pil-lip Hunter! Me? Dangerous? Give me a break! Against some C-rank monster? I'm B-rank, B-rank!"
"B-but...!"
"Hmph! Sure, for someone like you who's been stuck at C-rank for over ten years, even a C-rank monster must seem scary!"
"Cha Ye-ji Hunter—!"
Did she hit a nerve? Pil-lip's face crumpled as he raised his voice.
Cha Ye-ji snorted dismissively. "Don't compare me to you—ten years as a C-rank. I hit B-rank in three months. Unlike some, I'm an 'elite.'"
"Urk...!"
"And do you have to talk to me like that? I might end up your boss someday."
Pil-lip went dead silent, sneering grin be damned. He just hung his head, swallowing his rage.
His clenched fists trembled.
She snorted at him again, then turned to me—face blooming with a bright smile totally different from before.
"Sorry for the wait. That annoying old guy's been in the way."
Her faint smile was downright chilling.
From watching, yeah... this chick was a little unhinged.
"Don't take it too hard that I kept you waiting so long. I'll make it fun for you. And..."
Shing—
She raised her sword; sunlight glinted off it blindingly.
"In return, you better entertain me plenty."
She lunged with a feral grin, and inwardly, I confirmed it.
Yeah. Total psycho.
Cha Ye-ji lived up to her own hype. A seriously formidable opponent.
First time tangling with a B-rank hunter, but I got why she called herself "elite."
Blocking her relentless barrage made it obvious.
She had to be top-tier among B-ranks—raw talent on another level.
Otherwise, no way she'd solo a C-rank monster, rank gap or not.
Shiiik—
Her sword sliced the air toward my neck.
Mana—or "aura" or "sword ki," whatever—flared at the tip, menacing me.
I yanked back desperately; she pursued without mercy, unleashing a storm of strikes.
Before her savage blade, my high-durability Tough Scales meant nothing.
This was a B-rank hunter.
Just one rank up, but way too strong for me right now.
I'd taken down plenty of C-ranks, so I'd figured solo B-rank might be doable.
Reality check: no.
I was outclassed.
For what felt like tens of minutes, she toyed with me relentlessly—one against one.
"Whoa! You're tough! I swung for the kill, aiming to bisect you clean!"
She'd half-sliced my torso and beamed like it was great.
I poured mana into Regeneration to heal, but the agony of my body nearly split open throbbed in my skull.
Rapid Regeneration A has activated.
Tenacity A has activated.
"Whoa, and top-notch regeneration too? I love you! I wanna drag you back and make you my personal punching bag!"
Psycho bitch.
Not even turning me into a pet—just a damn sandbag.
I'd thought it before the fight, during it, and now confirmed: total nutcase.
The moment she paused, I whipped my tail at her.
Tail Strike A used.
She dodged my whip-like lash with a casual "Whoops," then nodded approvingly.
"Still got fire in your eyes after all that? Most monsters would be broken by now. Pure venom in there. Hmm, snake thing, maybe?"
She muttered nonchalantly, ignoring my glare.
Utterly relaxed.
Convinced she was untouchable?
Crunch—
Pathetic as it was, she was right. Nothing to say.
Short fight, but I'd been on the ropes the whole time.
This wasn't a fight.
I was getting thoroughly "hunted."
Goddamn...
When was the last time I'd felt this humiliated?
Not as a monster, not even as a porter.
Had I ever harbored this much raw killing intent toward anyone?
I wanted to rip Cha Ye-ji apart right now, but I lacked the power.
Rotten psycho bitch...
All I could do was curse her silently inside.
Powerlessness crushed me.
And with it, the voice I'd been ignoring rang in my head.
-Kill.
The Labyrinth Will, whispering the second I spotted hunters, like always.
I'd sworn never again after last time, ignored it, but it persisted relentlessly.
-Kill.
Accept it, and I'd get power like before.
No guarantee I'd overwhelm her, but at least I wouldn't just be her plaything.
Might even land a hit on that smug face.
-Kill.
Just once more? For that alone, maybe worth it.
To see her smugness shatter, hear her scream in agony.
To chew her flesh and swallow.
Just once... wouldn't it be fine?
Regeneration had patched me, but blood loss blurred my vision.
Residual pain scrambled my thoughts.
And through it, the Labyrinth Will whispered.
-Kill.
One thing sharp amid the haze:
Cha Ye-ji's face, still smiling leisurely at me.
The moment our eyes met—her sadistic glee, eyes alight with ecstasy—I finally gave in to the Labyrinth Will....