Chapter 31
Chapter 31
31.Night of Despair (2)
“Let’s move.”
There was no time. Problems arose before we could even find a base.
I had considered the possibility of Monsters swarming, but I hadn't anticipated a medium-sized Gate appearing.
“Huh?”
Moreover, the Gate behind us was ominous. Normally, a Discharge-type Gate takes some time to activate and release Monsters.
But perhaps because we were inside the Gate, it was activating faster than it would outside.
Instant Gate activation.
This had only happened once before, when the first Gate opened on Earth ten years ago.
“I’ll increase the speed!”
I switched from walking to running, while keeping an eye on our surroundings. Kim Seung-tae, Seo Min-jae, and Lee Shin-hee were keeping up well.
Even for those in the rear, stamina was essential for a Hunter.
“Is it okay to run like this?”
Lee Shin-hee asked from behind, scanning the surroundings. She was wary of Monsters hiding between the buildings.
It was a valid concern. That was why we had been cautiously walking while guarding our surroundings until now.
However, I wasn't increasing the speed for no reason. My Spatial Sense hadn't detected any enemies during our movement.
“It seems Monsters are only coming from that Gate. I’m keeping watch.”
Even so, the probability of there being none around was high. The appearance of a medium-sized Gate was already absurdly difficult.
If Monsters were already swarming, wouldn't the Level restriction be 26-30? There was no time for lengthy explanations.
“Crazy.”
Just then, Kim Seung-tae, who was looking behind us, cursed. Naturally, the group's attention turned to the rear.
And we could understand why he cursed.
-Kuaaaaah!
An Ogre, over 3m tall, emerged from the medium-sized Gate and roared.
-Krrr!
Yong-yong, held in Uncle’s hand, growled softly at the roar. It seemed displeased.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Even as Uncle hastily soothed Yong-yong, smaller Monsters were pouring out after the Ogre.
Goblins, Orcs, as well as animal-type creatures like spiders and wolves.
I quickly gestured to Uncle.
“I’ll check the situation for a moment, go ahead in my place!”
Simultaneously, I used Leap repeatedly to climb onto the buildings above and survey the enemies.
I was worried, but fortunately, there was only one Ogre.
Perhaps because it was inside the Gate, it was only the same size and not like the medium-sized Gates I had experienced on Earth.
The Monsters that followed didn't immediately chase us either. They seemed to be scattering around the Gate.
Some Gates have Monsters that chase you as if they know your location, so this was a relief.
‘Do you know anything about this place?’
-This is my first time experiencing this place.
I asked Chunbae, but the expected response came back.
The setting is Earth. The Gates in Chunbae's past world wouldn't have included future events.
-However, it is clear that this is an abnormally difficult Gate. If you are going to be with your team, I recommend focusing on survival rather than combat.
‘I will.’
That was obvious. If I were alone, I would have taken the experience points with a one-sided attack, but combat was absolutely impossible now.
Even in a situation where only survival was required, an Ogre over 3m tall had appeared in a Level 15-20 Gate.
Even with my Leap Skill, I had to avoid facing it head-on. Ogres weren't just strong.
They were incredibly fast. If I trusted Leap and got grazed by a punch, it would mean instant death.
-Awoo!
Also, the Ogre wasn't the only thing to be wary of right now. We needed to be careful of the Sniffers falling from the Gate.
Sniffers were wolf-like Monsters, about the size between a dog and a wolf.
-Han Hye, you need to move quickly.
It was a Monster that Chunbae advised me about separately. Especially in this kind of survival situation.
Because they were Monsters specialized in tracking, with a sense of smell that surpassed dogs.
Individually, they weren't difficult to deal with. Hunters around Level 10 could easily handle them.
However, in a place like this, they were more troublesome than Ogres.
‘I see why there were problems before.’
Sniffers were vile creatures. When they found humans nearby, they didn't choose to fight but let out a high, long howl.
That howl attracted the surrounding Monsters, and when the Monsters killed the humans, they would also stick their snouts in.
They were like hyenas. It wasn't simply a matter of hiding out of sight.
Perhaps the Hunters who had entered before were also attacked by the Ogre, drawn in by the Sniffer's howl.
“How is it?”
When I went back down, Uncle Cheolgi, who was seriously watching our surroundings, asked.
“They’re not coming this way right away.”
“They’re not tracking us? That’s a relief.”
“I don’t know. A lot of Sniffers were falling too.”
“Sniffers?”
Kim Seung-tae was startled. Lee Shin-hee, with a calm face, opened her mouth.
“It seems like making a base will be difficult.”
Her judgment was accurate. They were Monsters that tracked with a sense of smell several times better than dogs.
The logic was that even if we made a base, it would be destroyed by the Ogre.
“I agree. Shouldn’t we go somewhere other than Jangchung Gymnasium?”
Kim Seung-tae also chimed in. But I had a different idea.
“No. Let’s go to Jangchung Gymnasium for now. Either way, we’ll get caught by the Sniffers if we keep moving.”
“It’ll be the same even if we go to the gymnasium…”
In response to Kim Seung-tae’s words, I opened my Subspace. I silently took out a Deodorant.
It was an item made for Hunters, used to avoid being tracked.
“Isn’t a little Deodorant not enough?”
It was a reasonable question. Sniffers were Monsters specialized in tracking, and there were cases where they chased even after Deodorant was sprayed.
To escape, you had to spray a lot, but Deodorant wasn't an item that ordinary Hunters carried much of.
“Don’t worry.”
But I was different.
Especially since I had received a massive supply of materials when entering this Level-restricted survival gate.
-Just in case, I brought everything in abundance.
Park Seo-woong, the Association President’s direct secretary, had made extensive preparations to support me.
To the extent that he even provided specially made boats and Magic bombs, saying that he didn't know what kind of environment would unfold.
Deodorant was one of those items. I didn't just bring one for emergencies like other Hunters.
He gave me so much because it was a survival-type Gate that I could have started a business with it.
‘Sniffers are the kind of guys who smell through Deodorant?’
Could they really do that even in the face of overwhelming Deodorant?
What can you guys do?
Swish-
“I, is this all…?”
“Yes, it’s Deodorant.”
I put down the boxes in response to Kim Seung-tae’s concern. The worried voices disappeared completely in the face of the overwhelming amount of Deodorant.
At this point, even if Sniffer’s grandfather came, he wouldn't even notice.
“Everyone, take some. Let’s spray it all over our bodies. Think of it as taking a shower since there’s so much.”
“I’m using Deodorant lavishly for the first time in my life…”
And for a while, only the hissing sound was heard.
-Awoo!
Occasionally, the Sniffer’s howl was heard in the distance, but we were able to reach Jangchung Gymnasium without being chased.
* * *
We settled down in the office used by the staff below Jangchung Gymnasium.
Even if problems arose, there were stairs connecting up and down next to it, making it easy to escape.
After smearing Deodorant all over our bodies, we sprayed it all over the front hallway and door.
I sprayed so much that I wondered if they wouldn't come because they couldn't smell anything.
“How about it, should we set up a barricade too?”
Uncle asked with his back to the door. Night of Despair. Because it was a Gate where enemies swarmed, I had also stored things that could be used as barricades in my Subspace.
Lee Shin-hee expressed her opposition.
“Barricades are not a good idea. There is a risk of blocking the escape route.”
“Yes. Let’s watch the situation for a bit.”
I had the same thought. If they were moderate guys, I would have installed them right away. We could use barricades from the hallway and defend.
But the Monster that appeared now was an Ogre. It was far away, but it looked strong at a glance.
“I guess so. Ogres are guys who destroy buildings too.”
Literally, barricades were meaningless in front of Ogres. Although it was a size that couldn't even enter this hallway in the first place...
It was a guy who could pull out telephone poles or trees and break walls.
As Lee Shin-hee said, barricades could rather become obstacles blocking our retreat.
“Is there a place to run away to if we get caught here?”
“Escape? Shouldn’t we use the Escape Secretary if an Ogre appears?”
I asked Uncle, but Kim Seung-tae expressed his doubts.
“I was thinking we could run away first before the Ogre arrives and then shake it off.”
When the Sniffer’s howl sounded, we would run away before the Ogre came. In a situation where a head-on fight was impossible, it was the only possibility.
Uncle, who had been contemplating, opened his mouth.
“A narrow alley in front of the school would be better? The Ogre won’t be able to chase easily either.”
The group nodded. In a narrow alley, the Ogre’s movement would be restricted, and even if a battle broke out, it would be difficult to exert full force.
It was a wise decision. However, I was concerned about what I felt below with my Spatial Sense.
“What’s under here? I feel a passage connecting somewhere.”
“Ah, that? It’s a subway connecting passage.”
Subway? Something flashed in my head. It was good to head to a narrow alley against the Ogre.
However, in that case, there was a high probability of being surrounded by Sniffers, Orcs, or Goblins during the escape process.
But the subway was a different story. First of all, the large Ogre couldn't easily rampage.
And it was clear that the Monsters that followed the Sniffers would enter this subway.
“How about going into the subway instead?”
“That’s good. The other stations will be empty.”
Lee Shin-hee noticed my intention and her eyes lit up. The other members tilted their heads, so I continued to explain.
If all the Monsters here rushed to this side, it meant that there were no Monsters in the other stations.
It meant that we could go out to another station and hide once again. Even if the Ogre followed, I could block the tracks with my Subspace to buy time.
Either way, the situation was better than being surrounded while running away on the ground.
“Oh?”
“That’s good?”
The party members nodded at my explanation.
“Then let’s hide here and break through to the subway if a problem arises.”
Either way, the Ogre would appear soon after we were caught. Then it would be difficult to go down.
It was better to break through as soon as we were discovered.
“Everyone, rest and replenish your stamina since we don’t know what will happen. Don’t be too nervous.”
An unexpected medium-sized Gate had opened and an Ogre had popped out, but it wasn't a life-or-death situation yet.
Because we had the Escape Secretary.
It was a shame that we couldn't clear it together if a problem arose, but we wouldn't die unless we did something wrong.
If necessary, the plan was to send everyone out and then use my Subspace to solo the Gate.
About 30 minutes passed like that.
Other than the occasional Sniffer’s howl in the distance, there wasn't anything particularly dangerous.
-Krrr!
Each time, Yong-yong complained softly, so I soothed it, but it was the moment when the conclusion of ‘Deodorant vs Sniffer’ was reached.
As I expected, even in the face of overwhelming Deodorant, the Sniffers couldn't find us.
“Let’s spray Deodorant one more time each.”
I had brought sixteen boxes of Deodorant. Even if we sprayed it every 30 minutes, it would be enough until the Gate ended.
It meant that we were safe from Sniffers unless Monsters directly searched the area and found us.
“Oh, when I saw the Ogre, I thought we were in big trouble…”
After another hour had passed, Kim Seung-tae smiled awkwardly. The dark and tense face from before had disappeared.
“I know. When they said there were Sniffers too, I thought we had to use the Escape Secretary as soon as we entered.”
Seo Min-jae also nodded.
Ogre, Sniffers, and a considerable number of Monsters. It was the worst combination for us.
If there was only an Ogre or only small fry, we would have set up a base and defended or hid in Subspace and fought with a one-sided attack, but…
“Huh?”
It was at that moment, while we were talking. Something was caught in my Spatial Sense above.
When I quickly turned my head and focused, the group became quiet in an instant. Their faces were tense again.
“Why? What is it?”
Uncle whispered softly. I observed the top and let out a hollow laugh.
“It’s not a big deal, or is it a big deal? The situation has become a bit strange.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember the Giant Spider that came out of the Gate earlier?”
Giant Spiders that could be in a foreign movie, bigger than people. In English, they are called Giants Spiders.
“I remember.”
“Those guys are up there?”
“What?”
“Ugh, spiders?”
Lee Shin-hee frowned. She had a face that showed goosebumps, which was the biggest expression of emotion since I met her.
Considering that she maintained her composure even when the Ogre appeared, it seemed she particularly hated spiders.
“They didn’t come to track us, they must have settled inside the gymnasium. They’re setting up webs up there now.”
“……?”
Looking at the situation, they hadn't come to chase us. It seemed they had come to find a nest.
Monsters didn't fight each other, but they usually didn't touch each other unless it was necessary.
That's why they sometimes divided areas and acted separately even inside the Gate.
Perhaps Jangchung Gymnasium was spacious inside, so they came here.
“Well, it might not be so bad.”
There is a saying that the darkest place is under the lamp. They wouldn't think that we were hiding under the spiders' nest.
Orcs, Goblins, and Sniffers trying to search wouldn't come to the spiders' base either. The smell would be more hidden too.
And.
Six hours and thirty more minutes passed. Contrary to the worries I had earlier, nothing happened.
“Haaam……”
Occasionally, there was a rustling sound from above, but that was it.
The Giant Spiders didn't come to the hallway where we were.
About eight hours had passed since we entered the Gate.
We rested here without doing anything. We sometimes chatted.
“This is the first time I’ve spent time so quietly in a survival-type Gate.”
“That’s because you don’t usually carry four boxes of Deodorant.”
Lee Shin-hee replied to Kim Seung-tae’s impression, but there was an error, so I corrected it.
“Four boxes? That’s what I took out to use right away. There are twelve more boxes in Subspace.”
“Twelve boxes?”
“……I think we should just be grateful to Han Hye.”
The bathroom was right next door, so I could check it with my Spatial Sense and go, so there were no problems.
As time passed, we took out sleeping bags and rested.
I was on guard since I could rest in Subspace.
However, I was a little concerned about Lee Shin-hee. Unlike the others who took turns sleeping, she kept staying awake.
“Why don’t you get some rest?”
“It’s okay. I’m not that sleepy.”
Lee Shin-hee shrugged. She was keeping a bit of distance even in the room. She didn't talk much when we chatted earlier either.
She wasn't basically an extroverted person, and she was stiff, so it didn't seem easy to get close to her.
‘But it’s not bad.’
Her personality wasn't bad, and even when we were talking about strategy earlier, she had an eye for seeing the situation coldly.
It would be good to recruit her as a team member. Lee Shin-hee, who had been silent after my answer, opened her mouth.
“Honestly, you’re more than I expected.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s easy to move because you don’t have to carry luggage, and it’s good to rest like this. You also sense enemies, so we don’t have to be on guard separately.”
“That’s a relief.”
It seemed Lee Shin-hee also evaluated us well. It was when I was smiling at the not-bad situation.
[There has been no combat for 8 hours.]
[Remaining time, the starving Monsters become more ferocious.]
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
“Wh, what’s going on?”
Kim Seung-tae, Seo Min-jae, and Uncle, who were sleeping, were startled and woke up at the sudden notification.
And…….
-Kyaaaaak!
-Kyaaaa!
Suddenly, the angry cries of Giant Spiders were heard from above.
Thud thud thud-.
The sound of thick carapaces hitting the floor too. I could tell even without checking with my Spatial Sense.
The Giant Spiders were coming this way.
“Wake up! Wake up! Run!”