Another Reason to Get Stronger
Another reason to get stronger had just been born. Thud thud thud!Crunch crunch crack! Massive thorns the size of a cross-driver embedded themselves into the shield. The mana-steel shield, capable of blocking even C-rank monster attacks, now looked like a kid's eraser stabbed full of pencil leads.
Sizzle—! On top of that, the corrosive bodily fluids coating the thorns seeped in, and the mana-steel shield wore away in an instant.
Vrrrrmmm—! The B-rank monster – Steel Needle Hornet, a giant hornet-type monster that fired venom-laced thorns like bullets from the holes in its tail stinger.
"Ugh, uwaaaak!"
"The shield...!"
"Why the hell do we run into a Steel Needle Hornet here of all places?!"
Corrosive poison, ranged thorn attacks, and lightning-fast mobility. The Steel Needle Hornet was a B-rank monster even upper-tier hunters found tricky.
With the arrival of such a powerful beast, the C-rank Bulldozer Team fell into panic. This was the C-rank Dungeon: Red Ant Nest. Normally, it was just filled with swarms of D-rank monsters, the Giant Red Ants.
But what they were facing now was a B-rank monster: Steel Needle Hornet.
"Ugh, urk! Who the fuck was it that said we should go into the hidden room?!"
That was because they were in a hidden room.
Hidden Room. A new space that appeared with very rare probability after successfully defeating and conquering a dungeon's boss. If you got lucky, you could score artifacts or massive resources.
But the Bulldozer Team wasn't lucky. They'd entered the hidden room chasing dreams of striking it rich, only to run into a higher-rank monster.
"You agreed too, you bastard!"
"C-can't we, can't we run away!?"
"You idiot, if you encounter a monster in a hidden room, you can't leave until you take it down!"
"Everyone shut up! Fighting comes later! Right now, just focus on surviving!"
The Bulldozer Team's leader, C-rank hunter Kwon Hyukpil, firmly seized control of the shaken atmosphere. Stuck at the C-rank wall with no further growth, he was still a 15-year veteran hunter. He'd learned through experience that even if a tiger bit you, you could survive if you kept your wits.
"I'll block its thorns no matter what it takes, so find a way to take it down in the meantime. Got it?!"
"Ugh... Y-yes, Team Leader!"
"If we're gonna die anyway, might as well try everything before we go!"
"We trust you, Team Leader!"
Their skills might lag, but their unity was top-notch—that was the Bulldozer Team. Kwon Hyukpil gripped the shield handle tight, sweat beading on his brow but the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Alright, then..."
But there was one thing he was overlooking. What Kwon Hyukpil and his team faced wasn't a tiger, but a B-rank monster: Steel Needle Hornet. A beast that could turn a tiger into a meatball in three seconds flat.
Sizzle—!Clang clang!
"...Huh?"
"T-Team Leader... the shield."
Kwon Hyukpil's mana shield couldn't withstand the corrosive poison on the thorns. Shattered fragments rained down to the floor. All that remained in his hand was a cute little handle.
The Bulldozer Team had lost their shield in an instant.
Vrrrrmmm—! With all team members speechless, only the Steel Needle Hornet's noisy wingbeats echoed through the hidden room. The faces of the team members, who had pinned all their hopes on Kwon Hyukpil's shield, went deathly pale.
Click. The Steel Needle Hornet's tail aimed at them once more.
Its thorns were too fast to react to, and it fired 11 in a burst. Plus, this hidden room was a complete open field with nowhere to hide.
"F-fuck..."
Even Kwon Hyukpil, the only one holding onto his sanity, was about to squeeze his eyes shut in despair—when.
Step. Step.
"What, a Steel Needle Hornet? Why's that here? You guys in a hidden room or something? It's bad to just barge into hidden rooms like that. You could die."
A young man's voice, utterly relaxed, brushed past the Bulldozer Team's ears. Unfamiliar to the team members, but to leader Kwon Hyukpil, it was a familiar—and oh-so-welcome—voice.
Kwon Hyukpil snapped his eyes open and grinned wide. "Jinseong, you bastard!"
Black dress shirt, black slacks, belt-style holster—he was Kang Jinseong. And Kwon Hyukpil was a temporary member of the Safe House, subscribed to Kang Jinseong's "Daily Hunter Rescue Insurance."
"Cover your ears, member. It's gonna be loud."
At Kang Jinseong's words, Kwon Hyukpil reflexively plugged his ears. Immediately after, the muzzle of a black matte pistol embroidered with pure white floral patterns aimed at the Steel Needle Hornet.
Hunter-exclusive automatic pistols used mana bullets, guaranteeing a baseline power but with no upper limit. That was why conventional wisdom held that they didn't work on B-rank or higher monsters... but.
Kwon Hyukpil wasn't worried at all.
"Team Leader, who's that guy? Who shows up out of nowhere and pulls a gun...?"
"What does he think he's gonna do against a Steel Needle Hornet with just a pistol?"
"Ha, you idiots. Didn't you hear him just now?"
Instead, he smirked and told his team members.
"He said cover your ears. Do it."
BOOOOM!!!
※
"Got it on camera good?"
Yes, perfectly recorded.
"Fuck yeah, this is it. This is how real hunters live."
I walked back through the white corridor I'd entered to rescue the Bulldozer Team, replaying my feat in my head.
"Still, that first shot missing was a close call."
The Steel Needle Hornet was a B-rank monster, so it had reacted to my Man-gae-hwa bullets. It dodged, and the shot just grazed its wing.
"But hosing it down with full auto ended it quick."
But the hidden room I entered was an open field, and my Gun-hwa was an automatic pistol. Full auto meant at least one hit was inevitable, and the moment it connected—boom. Its whole body exploded from the shockwave petals.
The look on the Bulldozer Team's faces when the Steel Needle Hornet burst from a single bullet? Priceless.
"Getting 50% of the dungeon haul like this... isn't this business straight-up fucking honey?"
I'd wrapped up the business launch successfully. Using my unique ability to save a comrade from crisis and take down a strong foe—I'd finally done the hunter work I'd always dreamed of.
"Gotta jerk off hard when I get home and upload to NewTube... Hm? Wait a sec."
A sudden question hit me as I walked, fantasizing about that ritual jerk-off session.
"Why wasn't the member on the brink of death this time? Come to think of it, there weren't even any wounds to heal."
Unlike when I'd rescued Yoo Seo-ah or Baek Ji-an before, Mr. Kwon Hyukpil had been fine, no major injuries.
He was in a crisis, sure, but not mangled head to toe or dying like before.
If I could rescue them before they got hurt, that'd be ideal—like with Seo-ah or Ji-an.
"What's this? Why special treatment for just Kwon Hyukpil?"
I furrowed my brow slightly and asked the system.
The Safe House places great importance on the safety and peace of its members, but before that, it prioritizes the life of the house owner, the service provider.
"Prioritizes my life?"
First time hearing that. The Safe House system continued.
In Yoo Seo-ah member's case, the house owner's combat power wasn't sufficient to rescue her, so it required meeting the conditions for the "Emergency Rescue Function."
"So the condition for that Emergency Rescue Function or whatever was the member being on death's door?"
Yes, because it's the "Emergency Rescue Function." It can only be used in true emergencies.
"What about Ji-an? If I'd gone before she ate that Monster Dragon egg thing, I could've pulled her out before the internal injuries."
No. Baek Ji-an member needed to be neutralized for Baek Gonghyuk to let his guard down and create an opening.
"What?"
If Baek Ji-an hunter had been unharmed when the house owner burst in, you'd only have hindered her, and both of you would have been killed on the spot.
"......Holy shit."
Listening to the system's explanation, I finally understood why this time was different.
Yoo Seo-ah and Baek Ji-an had only been rescued after suffering that much because I was weak.
Because I was too weak to qualify for rescue, it had to twist the situation somehow to create an opening.
"......"
Don't be discouraged, house owner. You did your best. And you rescued both members perfectly.
"The system gives pep talks now? Do other unique ability systems do this too?"
No. The Safe House is special. It always aims for perfect service.
"Damn, impressive. Anyway, no worries. I wasn't discouraged."
That stuff happened because I was weak back then? Doesn't matter. Being weak isn't a sin to begin with.
Refusing to improve when you know you're weak—that's the sin.
So, no regrets about my weak past self.
"Actually, I feel even better now."
On the contrary, I was thrilled. Another reason to get stronger.
"If I get stronger, I can rescue Seo-ah or Ji-an before they get hurt next time they’re in crisis. Just like today."
Yes, exactly.
"Perfect. My path forward's just clearer now. Nothing changes."
Gaining more motivation is always a good thing. Motivation fuels life, after all.
Compared to my half-ass D-rank stalled days, the now-me who can grow is basically heaven.
"Alright, time to head home."
With light steps, I opened the front door.
Slam—!
"If I tie 'em like this, can I carry 'em all at once?"
"Hmm, isn't that knot a bit loose?"
"Oh, yeah."
Squeeze—!
"This good now?"
"Hmm, yeah, that looks solid!"
I came face-to-face with Baek Ji-an and Yoo Seo-ah, tying up Baek Gonghyuk and his Black Sword Squad goons with some rope from god-knows-where.
What the hell is this?