Farewell to the Hunters
Just looking at my current stats, it feels like I'm close to evolving, but I can sense that in reality, it's still a bit further off.
I can't pinpoint exactly how much, but I think I need a little more time.
That said, quite a bit of time has passed since my last evolution, so I'm hoping it'll happen soon.
Of course, I'm trying not to get too impatient.
Not that it's yielding any results.
If undead were the most common sight in the Desert Zone, then orcs are the ones you'll run into most often in the Plains Zone.
Just like with the undead in the desert, you don't have to go far to spot them.
The difference is that even without any higher-ranking individuals around, they always move in groups.
These guys never travel alone, no matter what.
At least a dozen or more are always together.
And their ranks are at least C-rank at minimum.
They're as strong as your average hunter in combat, so even I can't just charge in recklessly.
I pick off the occasional straggler that's fallen behind, but with their massive numbers and impressive breeding rate, it doesn't make a dent.
For someone like me who can't handle that sheer volume, it's actually a relief.
In any case, if orcs are the most common in the Plains Zone, the next most frequent encounters—at least surprisingly—are hunters.
Not that I see them constantly, but there are that many of them. Either way, after orcs, hunters have the highest encounter rate here.
Which means I have no choice but to stay more vigilant about my surroundings than ever.
One slip-up, and they could discover me, leading to a monster extermination party just like with any other beast.
As always, I need to move carefully, staying hidden.
With the already foul weather stressing me out, the hunters' presence only ramps up my tension even more.
I'd planned to blow through the Plains Zone quickly anyway, but now I feel the need to do it even faster.
I really need to stick to the bare minimum actions to get out of here.
Otherwise, the stress will break me first.
I've reached the 46th floor.
Unlike the other floors, there's no fierce typhoon here.
Is this paradise?
It's not completely free of storms—just no typhoon—but the sky is still overcast, and the wind blows hard.
Even so, compared to the reports from the other floors, this is much better weather, so for the first time since entering the Plains Zone, my mood lifts.
Though that feeling doesn't even last a full day.
It was only like that on the first day I arrived. Soon enough, the 46th floor starts raging with a typhoon just like the rest.
Thunder and lightning crash down as if it's the most natural thing in the world, striking my heart with the same fury.
Of course.
Should've known better than to jinx it.
There's no such thing as paradise in this world.
47th floor.
I run into hunters.
They seem to be a scouting party dispatched from an expedition of about a hundred people to check the surroundings.
Three in total.
All B-rank.
One of them must have some impressive detection skill, because he spots me right away even in stealth mode.
Naturally, we clash the moment we spot each other.
One tries to bolt midway to call for backup, but I don't let him escape, even if it means taking a few hits.
I can't let him go.
How am I supposed to handle a horde of hunters swarming me at once?
A few scratches are no big deal—regeneration will fix them.
They were all B-rank, but specialized in scouting over combat, so the fight itself wasn't too tough.
Didn't take long either.
If not for the pounding rain and wind, it might've ended even faster…
I've fought in sandstorms before, but these storms are on another level. I just can't get used to them.
Can anyone really adapt to storms like this?
The Plains Zone and I really don't mix well in any way.
The hunter fight ends without issue, but I overlooked a few things.
An expedition that size won't have just one scouting party, and they'll be hyper-sensitive to missing hunters.
To find me—or rather, their missing scouts—they comb the vast plains with all hundred of them.
Luckily no S-rank hunters, but there are a fair number of A-rank ones.
Running into them would mean instant death.
Alright, time to bail.
I try to slip quietly to the next floor, but another problem crops up.
First, I haven't found the warp gate yet since arriving recently.
Second, the fierce rain and wind are dulling my tongue's senses more than usual.
Third, I was more rushed than normal.
And just as I'm wandering around searching for the gate, I run into orcs.
An A-rank elite specimen—the rare upper-tier kind.
And not just any orc, but a Red Orc breed.
They're about three times faster and stronger than regular orcs.
Bad matchup.
The Plains Zone really doesn't suit me.
The Red Orc Berserker and its entourage of Red Orc Warriors.
That's no small number.
Easily over sixty.
I could maybe handle one berserker, but that horde? No way.
Running is obvious, but the question is how…
Ah.
No good options.
"Grroooaaar—."
"Snort— guh—."
The red pigs licking their chops as they eye me are terrifying.
If there'd been a manageable number, they'd have been my meal. But now? I'm on their menu.
"Where the hell did they go? Don't tell me something happened… Huh?"
"They'll be fine. Their combat's weak, but they're pros at running aw— Huh?"
Still-searching hunters for the missing ones.
They pop out from the tall grass and spot the red pigs right in front of them.
"Snort—?"
The red pigs notice the hunters late.
Silence falls between the two sides for a moment.
And in that gap, I…
Find my answer.
No need for me to do anything—the hunters and orcs crash into each other.
I quietly pull back as they start brawling fiercely in seconds.
Perfect. Time to slip away.
Just as I'm easing out, a sudden thought stops me.
Isn't escaping like this a bit of a waste?
What about all the humiliation I just endured?
Forget the rest—those red pigs? Absolutely unforgivable.
How dare mere swine see me as food?
Out of spite alone, I'll devour them deliciously.
I sneak into the fray during the intensifying battle between the two sides.
Sticking to the outskirts, away from the berserker's rampage.
I gobble up one of the ones that was eyeing me earlier.
Three times stronger than normal orcs, huh? Surprisingly, the taste is about the same.
Hunter or orc victory doesn't matter to me, but from the vibe, hunters look like they'll win.
They outnumber the orcs overall, and their total firepower is superior.
As the fight stalls into a stalemate, I finish my all-you-can-eat red pork buffet and slip away.
I didn't fully settle the score for my humiliation, but it's satisfying enough.
Plus, it was a good binge after so long.
Now, really time to head to the next floor.
Hurry and find that warp gate.
Luckily, post-battle, the hunters don't keep searching.
Maybe fatigue from the fight, or they assume the missing ones got eaten by orcs.
Whatever the reason, it's good for me.
No need to rush desperately for the warp gate right now.
It was starting to worry me since I couldn't spot it anywhere, so this is a relief.
The gate that was nowhere in sight when I was frantic shows up the moment I relax a bit.
I almost laugh at how it pops up like it was waiting.
I can feel the world's malice… no, the labyrinth's ill will.
Anyway, I make it to the 48th floor.
48th floor.
Nothing special.
The typhoon with thunder and lightning still rages annoyingly, orcs fly about.
Hunters patrol and hunt monsters.
I focus solely on finding the warp gate without any real trouble.
49th floor.
There's a floor boss.
A Unicorn, no less—the rare kind you hardly ever see.
Unicorns are usually depicted as sacred beasts, but the ones in the labyrinth are monsters at the end of the day.
They're relatively milder than other monsters, but that's just comparative—still merciless to hunters.
If anything, as a special variant far stronger than same-rank monsters, it's even more dangerous.
The unicorn floor boss clashes with hunters.
They were already here when I arrived, probably spotting it during their expedition.
Nearly sixty charge in to take it down.
Less than an hour.
That's how long it takes for the unicorn to wipe them all out.
The pure white unicorn dripping red hunter blood from its forehead horn looks nothing like the legendary sacred beast.
It's just a monster.
I want to stick around and watch until the full extermination team arrives to tackle the unicorn, but I don't.
To take down an S-rank unicorn, they'll send equivalent numbers and power—and a ton of hunters will swarm in.
I have no confidence in escaping that many properly.
I haven't forgotten what happened back on the 37th floor.
No desire to flee in a nail-biting scramble like that again.
Especially not just to spectate a fight.
Even if it's no ordinary brawl.
50th floor.
The mana density around here changes drastically.
Up until now, I could ignore it if I tried, but from the 50th floor, it's unmistakably different.
I can feel the ambient mana swirling around without even focusing.
The thick, oppressive mana presses down like a weight, making my scales bristle all over.
Tension rises unbidden.
Unlike my initial high-strung arrival, there's nothing particularly off about the 50th floor.
The foul weather persists as ever—no need to explain that—and orcs are still around.
The main difference? No hunters.
As a deep floor not far from the Lava Zone—the current frontline of the Seoul Great Labyrinth—it's no surprise there are few hunters.
Only a handful of elite hunters and guilds operate in the lava zone to begin with, so naturally, this nearby area has even fewer.
'Ah, and the floor boss showing up on 49 probably scared them off too, huh?'
That explains why there are zero hunters on the 50th.
It's a strange feeling.
I've constantly seen hunters, like it or not, but now realizing that from here on, not seeing them will feel more natural? It's oddly surreal.
A mix of regret and relief.
At least I won't have to worry about those monstrous hunters coming to exterminate me anymore.
No more fretting over them discovering me.
A strange sense of liberation washes over me.
Safe from hunters relatively speaking, but no room for complacency.
The hunters are gone, but the threats aren't.
From monsters to the labyrinth's unpredictable climate.
Deadlier dangers lurk below than hunters—plenty of them.
In some ways, even worse than hunters.
No—definitely worse.
This is the hellhole even the mighty 'Seong Jae-myeong' never returned from.
I tighten my loosening tension against the untimely relief.
Nothing's over yet.
Like always, stay alert and cautious.
And get stronger.
Strong enough that I never have to watch my back again.
I can do it.
Definitely.