Chapter 74
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Night Hunt
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Crimson Sea Cliffs.
I'd heard in advance about the monsters that appeared here.
Harpies dwelled on the cliffs, and Borakua lurked in the waters, both lying in wait for chances to devour humans.
'The problem is, I don't know what shows up at night.'
Harpies didn't even hunt at night to begin with, and the survivors here had insisted it wasn't them.
All I could confirm from the sound of flapping wings was that they were flying mobs.
No one knew for sure.
In other words, anyone who hadn't hidden in a cave had died without exception.
'Hmm, might not have enough time to reach that cave I scouted earlier.'
Darkness had already fallen, and the flapping grew closer. After some deliberation, I immediately turned direction. I quickly installed anchors on the wall, grabbed the rope, and rappelled straight down.
Right below was the cave one of the players who'd tipped me off about hiding spots had mentioned, standing out plainly.
I planned to take shelter there for now.
'Alright, landing complete.'
The entrance looked about two meters wide.
Entering the S-shaped passage, I found a space roughly 100 square feet, where eight women sat leaning against the walls, resting.
They jumped to their feet at my presence, ready for a fight, but relaxed with sighs of relief upon recognizing my face.
"What brings you here?"
Their voices still held a hint of wariness.
They hadn't fully dropped their combat stance because I was a man. This was the typical reaction of women toward men in trial zones.
"Sorry about this. I was heading to my camp, but time got tight... Mind if I impose for a bit?"
"Oh... If that's the case, sure. Come on in."
Understanding dawned on their faces.
Though guarded, since I'd helped them before, they obligingly shifted aside to make room.
Maybe because I'd just seen that couple earlier, their kindness stood out in comparison. I waved it off, saying I was fine.
"I'm good for now, but I'll take you up on it later. Got something to do near the entrance first."
"What are you up to?"
"Whatever it is, it's dangerous. Stay inside."
'Curious, huh? Wonder what mobs show up at night on the Crimson Sea Cliffs.'
Even after rolling through the selection process for ten years, there was still so much I didn't know about this world. Strictly speaking, what I didn't know probably outnumbered what I did.
I installed anchors inside the cave and wrapped the rope securely around myself.
'Good, safety's locked in.'
The presence was already noisily stirring the darkened night sky.
"You've been rustling around out there for a while—what are you doing?"
Apparently, the strange noises from an unknown man at the entrance were getting to them. One woman poked her head out and asked.
I didn't reply and simply drew my sword.
Shing.
"Wha—?"
The woman startled and backed away from me.
"Um, hey..."
Terror on her face. I could guess what she was imagining, but sorry, I had no interest in her right now.
Flap!
And rightly so—unlike her, there was something else desperately craving me.
A sharp whoosh cut through the air toward my ear. Without hesitation, I dodged sideways and swung at where I'd been standing.
Slash!
Kieeeeeek!
An ear-piercing shriek. Red blood sprayed as whatever had rushed at me slammed into the wall with a thud.
"Eh, huh?"
The woman's eyes went wide. I flicked her forehead with my finger to snap her out of it.
"That's why I said stay inside. Go on, get back."
"O-okay!"
She scurried inside in a panic. The ensuing commotion suggested she was pretty shaken.
I approached the corpse, picked it up, and frowned. It was a giant bat about half human-sized.
'Isn't this the kind that swarms out at night on [Rudwen Plateau]?'
The infamous mountainous zone where "rock ghosts" appeared.
The trial area where those near-raid boss elite mobs—the ones I'd summoned with the letter envelope in the Lair of Evil Spirits, nearly killing Shin Seo-yeon—roamed.
In short, mobs you'd encounter in the fourth trial zone, where thousands of them swarmed in hordes. No joke—nights there, everyone hid in rock crevices or caves and never stepped out.
The moment they got detected, they'd get dragged off in seconds and torn to shreds by the Borakua schools below, just like prey in the sea.
'Fortunately, not that many here.'
I glanced outside. The number flying in the night sky wasn't thousands.
At most a few hundred. Still a lot. The darkened sky churned with black wings, drowning out even the waves.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"Gahhhh!"
Screams erupted instead, booming across the cliffs. The bats flew around attacking every survivor they spotted.
"Get off! Get off me!"
Those who hadn't found shelter.
So the ones resting on protruding ledges or diligently climbing even in the dark became prime targets.
"Damn it! What the hell are these things?!"
The bats were half adult male size. Fangs as long as a pinky finger. And shockingly fast—targets got overwhelmed before they could resist.
"Let go! Let me go... Gack. Cough cough."
Snatched by a giant bat, thrashing until it bit a vital spot like the throat, spewing blood as it became a meal.
"Die! Die die die! Gyaaaaah!"
Some resisted desperately, broke free somehow, only to plummet straight into the sea and become Borakua snacks.
"P-please! Spare me! Aaaah! Sob. Sniff. Blech."
Weaker women trembled as their heads were eaten alive, piss and shit streaming down their legs.
And now the bats charged me at the cave entrance without hesitation.
'No wonder no one's ever seen them.'
Greedy as if in competition—they'd tear off limbs mid-air and fight over them, or charge blindly at any prey in sight.
And their overwhelming numbers.
Kieeeeeek!
For players barely clinging to the cliffs, nothing could be more nightmarish.
But I didn't flee. I gripped my sword tight.
Suuuuck.
One gliding through the air spotted me and shot straight at me. I brought my sword down vertically.
Slaaaash!
'One down.'
Kieeeeeek!
More spotted me and swarmed. I ignored them, gripping my sword and slashing relentlessly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
'Definitely fast.'
Worthily from the fourth trial zone. Agile, aggressive movements. Not even comparable to the skeletons.
'But that's it.'
Slow to me.
My stats? Bonus points alone nearly 400.
Equivalent to level 40.
No matter their infamy in the fourth trial, they were level 4 trash mobs to me.
Whoosh!
Timing my swings to their speed, they couldn't dodge even if fast. Slashed in half, splattering blood on the rock face before crumpling.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I'd just touch the flying chunks and reset them instantly.
'Even the dumbest harpy uses cunning like a fox when hunting.'
Not just for show with their human heads.
But these bats? Pure instinct. Charge stupidly at any prey spotted.
'Thirty-two already. Plenty of time to learn.'
Yet they kept charging dumbly.
Opposite of harpies, who ambush from hiding if you stay put.
They kept coming.
Until the hunt succeeded. Dumb trash mobs that charged on sight.
'But sometimes, that brute force is more threatening.'
"Aaaah! Wh-what are these things?!"
"S-save me!"
Nearby screams made me click my tongue. Sounded like from the cave those guys had gone to earlier.
'Oops, guess they got curious from the noise outside and peeked out.'
These bats detect fast. Spot you before you notice, charge in. Once they see your face, they swarm right into the cave.
"S-save me! Someone... Aaaah!"
"Block them! Somehow!"
'Sorry, they're done for.'
Even in my first run, their existence stayed secret to the end.
Meaning anyone who peeked out tonight to see them faced total annihilation.
'Hope the girls are okay.'
For a moment, I worried about my women, but shook it off.
Three S-Ranks. High stats.
With Shin Seo-yeon and Han So-hee there, no way they'd fail. The prudent chaebol heiress would command just fine.
'If things get really dire, the Saintess will summon me.'
No point worrying. I just methodically handled the ones charging me.
Kieeeeeeek!
My sword strokes halved the giant bats, which rolled on the ground before vanishing in reset.
'71, 72, 73...'
Like sword training, I swung calmly on timing. The night sky screamed, but my actions stayed serene.
Whoosh!
"Incredible."
Admiration from behind. One woman peeked out, watching. Curious type, more than scared, even in the chaos.
"Dangerous. Get back inside."
"Y-yes! But how are you so strong?"
...Chatting mid-fight.
Clueless girl, but it showed my composure.
"Is it the weapon?"
"Who knows."
Maybe.
The [Giant Slayer] was only obtainable in the twelfth trial, after all.
Kieeeeeeek!
"Huh?"
Then their movements changed.
"What now! They're switching tactics!"
No longer charging straight—they crawled walls, poking heads into the cave competitively.
"Not tactics. Just impatient."
They'd gathered sniffing blood even without spotting me.
Once detected even once, no escape—they keep swarming.
Kyat!
One crawled bug-like, fangs out. I stomped it.
Squish!
"Whoa? With your foot...?"
Just a light stomp, yet its head burst, body limp.
They kept coming from all sides, but when sword was awkward, I casually smacked with hands or feet.
Kueeek.
Heads exploded instantly, like balloons. [Hunter] title effect.
[Hunter (Common): 30% extra damage to all beasts.]
With my strength and 30% bonus, barehand hunting worked fine.
"Whoa, you're amazing at this."
"Enough gawking. You're in the way. Go inside."
"O-okay! Got it!"
Her curious eyes finally retreated. I glanced at the bats wedged struggling at the entrance, then down.
'Tch, all junk loot.'
Useless trash littered the ground.
Hoped a decent mob might drop something good... but no such luck.
Sigh.
As I sighed, something caught my eye.
Hard to see in the dark, but focusing, a finger-joint-sized black stone rolled among the junk.
'A mana stone?'
Item
Name: Mana Stone
Grade: Lowest
Description: A mysterious stone infused with mana.
Unlike trash like [Specter's Spirit Stone], this was highly useful.
Crafters used it for magical engineering, personally for mana recovery, or even to lure/bait monsters.
Not rare, but versatile—high supply and demand.
'They start dropping these sparingly once trials ramp up.'
Truly sparingly. Quality improves up the trials, but not quantity, so they fetch good money.
Not as good as [Whispering Silvervine], but always cashable, in-demand cash item.
'Dropping better than expected. Was the drop rate always this good?'
Question answered quickly.
'Right, villager perk: 10x drop rate.'
Then...
I scooped up all the mana stones rolling around, grinned, and eyed the bats. Moments ago mere nuisances, now different.
"Hey. Any of you with mana stones in your guts, step forward."
I advanced sword-first, carving them faster than before.