The Howling Dachshund
The roar left behind echoed far beyond the walking path, all the way to the city atop the embankment—so powerfully that it was hard to believe its owner had originally been a tiny dachshund. The sound was so thunderous that even Cheok-jeong, who had been knocked down by Lee Jun's lariat, scrambled up in a panic.
"Monster? Why is a monster out here! Did a dungeon break happen in that short time?"
Perhaps it was the hunter in him. Despite his shock at discovering it had once been a dog, he drew the sword that seemed to be his weapon and dropped into a fighting stance.
"I don't know either! The dog suddenly changed like that!"
Min-jeong stopped hammering Lee Jun with her weapon and stood on guard as well, but they were separated by the river and too far away for her to worry about. Mina focused her full attention on the creature right in front of her.
It was true—this thing the dog had become could only be described as a monster.
"Grrrrr."
Even its warning growl belonged to a fierce beast. Just hearing it sent an instinctive chill racing down the spine. With the creature practically at her nose, the smart thing would be to retreat immediately, but—
I can't just run away carelessly.
Monsters were mana-bearing life-forms that appeared through gates, yet they fundamentally retained traits of their corresponding animals. If goblins formed primitive societies, then frenzy bisons resembled wild bison but displayed far more savage dispositions. Turning one's unprotected back on this thing would be especially dangerous.
Besides, an awakened child was present, along with only three B-grade hunters. Abandoning them to flee alone was something Mina could never forgive herself for.
At least a dog can still be considered a wolf.
Though the differences in appearance and temperament were vast, a dog's genes were no different from a wolf's. If a dog reclaimed its wild instincts, it might as well be called a wolf. And what stood before her now was, by any measure, a monster.
Even so...
What is this feeling?
Mina sensed an indescribable unease and simply faced off against it, gripping the rapier she had formed from her mana. Had it been an ordinary monster, she would have sliced it down without hesitation. But because it had once been a dachshund, she found herself unable to swing her blade so easily.
"Hey! What are you doing! You're an A-grade hunter, aren't you? Isn't subjugating monsters your specialty?!"
Finally, Min-jeong, who had been watching their standoff from afar, shouted as if she could no longer contain her frustration.
"Grr!"
Perhaps because of the raised voice, the creature turned its head toward Min-jeong. Mina hurriedly leveled her sword to stop it from turning fully and called out.
"Monster Wiki! Please check the Monster Wiki!"
"Grrung!"
The creature looked at Mina again and raised the thorn-like carapace running down its back.
"Why the Monster Wiki all of a sudden... Fine, got it."
Min-jeong had sounded doubtful at first, but after confirming the monster's appearance again she obediently pulled out her smartphone. As Cheok-jeong moved to her side and peered this way, Mina checked the creature in front of her once more.
It's not in my memory.
There were countless monster species, so she hadn't memorized them all, but during her time as a supporter for A-grade hunters she had needed detailed knowledge of monster types. She remembered nearly every one that mattered. Yet no matter how deeply Mina searched her memories, no monster like the one before her existed.
The closest matches would be the D-grade Cable Hound and the B-grade Rust Wolf.
But the creature in front of her looked nothing like either. The Cable Hound only had the shape of a dog; its entire body appeared woven from wire-like strands. The Rust Wolf, at least on the outside, looked like an ordinary wolf-type monster. That was why she had asked Min-jeong to check the Monster Wiki. It was possible she simply didn't remember it, or that it had been newly discovered.
Still, a monster that mimicked an Earth creature was far too unusual. Since the Monster Wiki updated in real time online, there was a chance information on this one might be there.
"No matter how much I look, there's no monster like that?"
That was the answer that came back from Min-jeong.
"A new species? Are you sure you didn't search wrong?"
"I searched properly! But there's nothing like it!"
"Then try an image search. You never know."
Cheok-jeong, standing beside the flustered Min-jeong, urged her to search again. She seemed to think he had a point and lifted her phone to take a picture, but—
"Grung!!"
"Ugh!"
The creature had no intention of waiting politely. Irritated by the prolonged standoff, it spread its jaws wide and thrust its razor-sharp fangs forward.
-Clang!
"What power!"
Unable to move freely, Mina had thrust her rapier into its mouth to block the teeth. But she felt herself being pushed back by raw strength and gripped the upper part of the blade, struggling to hold her ground. She was not particularly strong among A-grade hunters, yet she should never lose a contest of strength against a large D-grade or lower monster. Her rapier was formed of mana, so the fact that the creature could stop it with its teeth told her something.
"Min-jeong, Cheok-jeong. Even if an opening appears, do not intervene!"
"What? Then you're going to fight it alone..."
"This thing is at least C-grade!"
Min-jeong had been about to complain but shut her mouth at Mina's words. After all, anything C-grade or higher was no place for B-grade hunters to step in.
"Grrung!"
In that moment the creature tried to twist its head and shake off the rapier clamped in its jaws. Mina instantly dissolved the mana forming the weapon and created a new longsword to block it.
"Grrrrrung!"
Watching the creature raise its guard even higher, she tried to steel herself to cut it down at once, yet—
Why does this feel so wrong?
That nagging unease from the beginning kept her from swinging her blade. The strange, hard-to-describe sensation continued to make her hesitate.
She wondered if a newly discovered species might possess some special ability. It wouldn't be the first time—named monsters had similar quirks. Her thoughts grew increasingly tangled.
"Wow! The dog got super big!"
"Kid—hey?!"
"What is she doing?!"
Her thoughts did not last long. Choi Yeeun, who had been quietly watching until now, approached with bright curiosity sparkling in her red eyes.
Both Mina and Min-jeong paled. No matter how gifted, a child was still a child. Without knowing how to fight, this was incredibly dangerous. Mina tried to block the girl's path, but—
"But why isn't it fluffy anymore?"
The girl's physical ability far exceeded imagination. Before anyone could stop her, she had already latched onto the creature. She was stroking its leg—smooth gray skin that clearly showed every rippling muscle. Mina was still reeling in horror when—
"Grung!"
For some reason the creature leapt back as if it had touched something forbidden, putting distance between them in a way that didn't match its massive frame.
"Eh?"
Mina couldn't understand the scene. With that size and those deadly claws, a single casual swipe could inflict terrible wounds, yet the creature looked genuinely terrified.
"Hehe, don't run—play with me!"
Whether it wanted to or not, Yeeun had already chased after it. She appeared at the opposite leg and began touching it again. The creature jumped away once more, trying to create distance.
"It's easier to catch now that it's bigger, but the texture feels weird."
As if she truly hated appearing at its other leg again, the creature went beyond simple hopping. It began kicking wildly with both front and hind legs, thrashing through the air in an attempt to shake off the girl who kept clinging to it.
"Kyahahaha!"
On the contrary, Yeeun seemed to find its struggling delightful. Every time the creature flailed, she simply shifted to its foot or back and laughed with pure joy.
Mina knew she had to pull Yeeun away, but she froze, terrified her sword might accidentally cut the girl if she moved carelessly.
"Grrung!!!"
Perhaps the creature's patience had finally snapped. It shuddered violently and drew in a deep breath. Mina recognized the precursor and rushed toward Yeeun at once. Some monsters could emit breath attacks, and she knew the warning signs all too well. Among monster skills, breath attacks were notorious for their extreme danger.
"Hmm? Sis, why are you suddenly—"
"You can't approach something like that!"
Mina snatched Yeeun away from the creature and dove aside. The girl looked at her in confusion. It was strange enough that a child would casually touch a clearly dangerous monster, but that wasn't the problem. The precursor meant a breath attack was coming.
When Mina looked back, the creature had already finished preparing. Its cheeks were puffed out.
-Kwaaaaaang!
"Ugh?!"
The instant a blinding white light filled her vision, she threw herself sideways again while clutching Yeeun. At the same time she saw it—a beam of light that could only be described as a ray, fired from the creature's mouth. The walkway melted. Dry grass burst into flames. Soil turned pitch black and was gouged out.
The moment the light beam from the creature's mouth stopped, all that remained was that scene of devastation.
"Insane," Cheok-jeong muttered in shock. Mina revised her earlier assessment.
"At this level... it's probably A-grade."
She hadn't expected to encounter a monster of this caliber outside a gate and broke into a cold sweat. She didn't believe she would survive being caught in a breath that powerful.
A brief silence fell over the walkway once the aftermath of the light beam faded. When the creature turned to look at her and the others, Mina tensed and readjusted her grip on her sword. Another breath would be disastrous. She might survive, but Min-jeong and Cheok-jeong as B-grade hunters would not.
Fortunately, her fear did not come true.
"Grrung!"
"Ah, it's running away again!"
Just as Yeeun said, instead of attacking them the creature turned and began to flee in another direction. Mina rose at once to give chase. Whatever else happened, she could not let it escape now. If it headed toward the city it would be a catastrophe. Even on New Year's, some people would still be there.
But before she could move, someone blocked the creature's path.
"Lee Jun? What are you doing!"
Lee Jun, who had been knocked down by Min-jeong's beating, had risen at some point and now stood in the creature's way. Min-jeong shouted at him to move, but he only bent his knees and took a catching stance. Mina watched in disbelief.
She had wondered after he endured Yeeun's extraordinary charge without injury, but could he really stop a charge from something like this?
In the brief moment of anticipation—
"Grung!!"
"Ugh."
"...What?"
Her confidence proved pointless. The creature simply shoved him aside with its head as if annoyed, and he flew back helplessly. Mina was left speechless.
"Sigh, I knew it would turn out like this."
Min-jeong pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head.
Just when it seemed they would have to let it escape—
"What are you all doing here?"
A familiar male voice rang out.