First Blood in the Jungle
Having descended a bit from the mountain and arrived at the portal, Taemin listened to Yoon Ji-young's precautions.
"Once we go inside, stick close behind me."
"Got it."
Yoon Ji-young entered first, and Taemin followed right after.
Stepping into the portal, Taemin's mouth fell open at the unfolding scenery around him. He'd seen it on broadcasts, but experiencing it firsthand was beyond imagination.
Towering trees that seemed to pierce the sky, and a dense forest thick with unknown threats lurking within. A jungle. The backdrop was straight out of a tropical rainforest.
'I really came in here.'
His awe was short-lived. The thought of what might jump out at any moment brought a wave of tension crashing over him. Taemin quickly pressed close behind Yoon Ji-young. It was embarrassing, but this was the best he could do right now. She was a top hunter on a level he couldn't even touch.
Reading his unease, Yoon Ji-young spoke in a reassuring tone.
"Don't be too tense. The only monster here that strikes first is the Double Snake. The rest are passive—if you don't touch them first, they won't attack."
Her words eased his nerves a little.
"Follow me."
"Yes."
Taemin stuck to Yoon Ji-young's back as she led the way, scanning their surroundings. About ten minutes in, she stopped and pointed ahead, asking Taemin,
"See that moth-looking thing up there?"
"Huh? Where? Whoa!"
At her words, Taemin looked ahead and sucked in a sharp breath in surprise. Just as she said, there was a moth—a massive one the size of a small fridge.
He'd heard about moth monsters on TV, but there was a world of difference between seeing them on screen and facing one in person.
'That's a total monster.'
As Taemin froze at the sight, Yoon Ji-young smiled and said,
"That's a Tinkerbell, a moth monster. It looks intimidating, but it's not that dangerous. Let's take it out first."
With that, she extended her hand toward the moth. A golden light shimmered from her palm, shooting forward. It circled the moth before forming into aura chains that bound it tight.
It was Ring of Binding, a skill exclusive to mages.
With the job done, Yoon Ji-young turned to Taemin.
"There. All set. Go finish it off."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Like I said before we came in—partying up for hunts is great, but our level gap is too big, so you won't get any EXP."
"Oh... right. But I'm new at this. Can't you show me a demo or...?"
Taemin hadn't worried much before entering. But now that he was inside, everything hit differently—way beyond what he'd imagined. Even bound, the thing's wriggling made it seem like it could break free and charge at any second.
And that wasn't the only reason he hesitated. He'd never killed anything that big in his life. At most, summer mosquitoes, flies, or ants. But this Tinkerbell was on another level. Insect or not, it was practically a large animal.
As he kept waffling, Yoon Ji-young urged him on.
"I get what you're thinking, Taemin. But you know what? The first time's always the hardest. Once you do it, it's no big deal. And you have to get past that first one to live a real hunter's life. Just close your eyes and stab."
Her words put Taemin in a spot where he couldn't back out. Dodging now would be embarrassing, and rude to someone who'd come to help. Worst case, she might get annoyed and leave.
'Fine. It's gotta happen sometime.'
Taemin forced his reluctant feet forward, inching toward the Tinkerbell. He paused once midway, but squeezing out courage he didn't know he had, he finally faced it.
Up close, the Tinkerbell was pure nightmare fuel. Thick fur like on a beast, antennae over a meter long. Fist-sized eyes, mysterious tentacles—his heart clenched, goosebumps erupting all over.
'How the hell do I kill this...?'
No answers came; he just stared blankly. Then, encouragement rang in his ears.
"Taemin, just stab it! Close your eyes!"
Buoyed by Yoon Ji-young's cheer, Taemin gripped his dagger tight in his right hand.
'Yeah, first time's the hardest. If I can't do this, no hunter life for me. You're a man— you can do it. You can.'
Hyping himself up, he finally lifted his leaden arm. Squeezing his eyes shut, he plunged the dagger into the thing's body.
Puuk!
With a bristling sound, the Tinkerbell thrashed wildly. Startled, Taemin yanked the dagger free and stumbled back. A hole gaped where the blade had been, spewing green fluid like a fountain.
Shwaaa!
It sprayed for a while, wings fluttering to the end before it went limp.
Acquired 100 EXP.
The alert chimed as Taemin collapsed, utterly spent. The pent-up tension had evaporated.
Yoon Ji-young helped him up, encouraging him.
"You did great. That's all there is to it. After a couple more, it'll be routine. Took me over a month for my first—it was brutal. You're doing amazing."
Taemin waved it off at her praise.
"Nah, you made it possible. Alone? I'd have been terrified. TV doesn't do it justice..."
He meant every word. Solo, he'd have bolted at first sight. The monster's ugliness was off the charts.
"Alright, let's keep the momentum going?"
They pressed on. The second monster was a Yam—rat-like, but the size of a medium dog. No mistaking it for a normal rat; it was a monster through and through.
Same drill: Yoon Ji-young bound it with Ring of Binding, Taemin stabbed. Despite his first success, killing still felt wrong, tense as ever.
But experience is everything. Approaching cautiously, Taemin steeled himself faster this time and jammed the blade into its neck.
Acquired 200 EXP.
"Better EXP from this one."
The hunt continued for another three hours or so. Beyond Tinkerbell and Yam, Taemin took down various monsters—including the Wild Dogs needed for his tutorial quest.
Pushuk!
As he felled the last one, Yoon Ji-young spoke up.
"Morning hunt's done—let's eat and rest. Bring lunch?"
"Nah, didn't expect it'd take this long... Thought I'd just grab five Wild Dogs and bounce. I skip meals anyway, so one miss is fine..."
"No way—hunts run on full stomachs. Gotta eat big for energy. Share mine; packed plenty."
She led the sheepish Taemin to a shady tree. Sitting, she pulled a small pouch from her inventory, reaching in to extract four hefty lunchboxes.
Taemin watched in awe. From a pouch half the size of a file folder came boxes that should've been impossible. Magic, right before his eyes.
Curiosity piqued, he asked,
"Lunchboxes just keep coming from that tiny pouch."
"Oh, it's a Down Pocket item. For when inventory space runs out. Looks small, but holds about 50 liters inside. Lightweight enchantment makes it super portable."
"Ah, makes sense. Gotta be handy for all sorts of stuff."
"Totally. Materials and loot pile up fast—inventory alone can't cut it sometimes. This saves the day. Dig in. Good thing I brought two rice portions. Oh, no guarantees on taste—I'm a terrible cook..."
Taemin took the shyly offered chopsticks and box, thanking her.
"Thanks, I'll eat well. Really grateful for everything."
"No biggie."
They ate mostly in silence. Reaching for a side, Taemin unconsciously glanced at her face. In the rush, he hadn't noticed—but she was stunning. Perky nose, big monolids. Slim jawline with elegant poise, slightly plump lips. She matched his ideal type perfectly. Caring, straightforward personality too.
'A girl like this actually exists.'
He stared a beat too long before shaking his head, snapping back.
'What am I thinking? Focus on the hunt. Not the time for distractions.'
Love took skill—and his poor past had taught him that well. He had to at least match her level for balance.
Steeling himself, he averted his eyes and focused on eating.
After a short digestion break post-meal, they dove back in. With three hours under his belt, Taemin now slew monsters without hesitation. No more waffling—he severed necks cleanly. A huge leap from the start.
Deeper in, away from the entrance, the monsters changed. Mostly Wild Dogs and giant monitor lizards called Powersitters.
Powersitters had a rep as tough for beginners, but bound by Ring of Binding, they were harmless.
An hour of Wild Dogs and Powersitters later, the tutorial completion alert sounded.
Completed the fifth tutorial.
Reward: +600 EXP.
Seeing the glow around Taemin, Yoon Ji-young offered formal congratulations.
"Congrats. Level 6 now? Keep this up, you'll hit 8 by evening easy. Let's push a bit more."