Prank!? Prank!! Part 3
The monster transformation ability that Choi Hyung-min had awakened was called Shapeshifter.
It wasn't some magical spell from a game or a novel that allowed him to transform at will. When Choi Hyung-min turned into a monster, various conditions applied. Fundamentally, he needed a physical part of the monster he wished to mimic.
Of course, there were other methods.
He could ingest the target monster to acquire its mimicry factor, allowing his body to memorize it.
Alternatively, he could insert a conductive wire made of Griden mineral—provided by the Hunter Association—into the roof of his mouth like a plug, connect the other end to the monster's mucous membrane, and forcibly extract the factor to alter his body.
However, that process caused excruciating pain and took a long time, making it completely useless in urgent situations like active combat.
Even then, the monsters he could transform into depended on his mana capacity. For C-grade monsters or lower, a single tooth or claw was enough to transform his entire body. But for B-grade monsters and above, a single claw could only transform his arm from the hand to the elbow.
But in a dungeon, where no one knew what kind of emergency might arise, who had the time to harvest a monster's factor and wait for the transformation to take hold?
Even assuming he activated the ability before entering, Choi Hyung-min's preparation process was far less cost-effective than that of other hunters.
Furthermore, while other hunters could sell the hard-won monster byproducts on the market or at auction, Choi Hyung-min had to keep a portion of them to prepare for the next dungeon. Consequently, the hunters who used to party with him gradually distanced themselves and sought other teammates.
I run dungeons harder than anyone else, yet I'm always the one taking a loss...
Ultimately, despite his meticulous preparations and working harder than most to clear dungeons, his income was bound to be lower than that of his peers. It was this financial reality that had driven him to become a streamer.
While Choi Hyung-min's Shapeshifter left much to be desired as a combat hunter's ability, it was more than optimized for a hunter streamer who churned out content, hidden camera pranks, and malicious prank videos. It was no exaggeration to say he was practically born to be a toxic streamer.
Since pulling pranks on hunters was highly provocative content, public opinion was split down the middle, but his view counts were overwhelmingly higher than those of other streamers.
In fact, Choi Hyung-min welcomed the divided opinions.
Their views ultimately padded his bank account, and his defenders would passionately argue on his behalf. At this point, he felt no need to go through the grueling process of raising his hunter rank.
Currently, his Shapeshifter ability grew stronger the more byproducts of the original monster he possessed, even allowing him to mimic their skills. He had once planned a "monster show" as part of his content.
He eventually canceled it out of fear that it would expose all his cards for his hunter pranks, but with proper preparation, Choi Hyung-min's Shapeshifter was now capable of perfectly mimicking even S-grade monsters.
However, his transformation ability had one major drawback: once activated, he could not undo the transformation for at least thirty minutes.
The Shapeshifter ability altered his body at a genetic level, provided the preparations were met.
Because his body had adapted to the monster's physiology, the factor had to settle fully before he could revert to his human form.
Alternatively, the transformation would break if he sustained injuries severe enough to make maintaining the ability impossible. However, Choi Hyung-min, who possessed the skills of an A-grade hunter, had never been injured badly enough to force a reversion.
What did that mean in this current situation?
Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck!!!
It meant he couldn't undo the transformation and had to keep running for his life.
"Ahaha! Where are you gooooing? Come here!"
Fortunately for Choi Hyung-min, his drone camera was an older model. It struggled to keep up as he fled at full speed to save his life.
Moreover, the Suyol Plains were covered in reeds taller than a person.
Under the dense canopy of reeds that severely restricted visibility, the drone camera could not clearly distinguish who was chasing whom.
Sia's drone camera was facing the same issue.
Although hers was a state-of-the-art model not yet available on the market, Sia was unfortunately a complete tech-illiterate due to her sudden jump from 2024 to 2088.
All she had to do was tap the holographic button for "Combat Mode" or "Dynamic Tracking," but because it was set to "Standard Mode," her drone trailed lazily behind her footsteps.
Even when it tried to get closer, the shockwaves from the clash between Choi Hyung-min and Sia threatened to damage the device.
Hunter-grade drone cameras had an automatic safety feature that forced them to keep their distance if they detected a risk of damage from combat aftermath. Consequently, viewers on both streams expressed their frustration.
At the very least, the distant explosions, monstrous roars, and occasional flashes of light made it clear that a battle—or something similar—was taking place.
Boom! Thud!
Urgh?!
Choi Hyung-min wondered how on earth he had ended up in this situation.
Crash!
Every single blow was incredibly heavy.
He had transformed into an S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier.
With crimson, hardened scales, spikes covering its body like armor, a head capable of breathing fire, and monstrous strength that could easily topple a building or two, the S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier had been a living disaster during the First Great Rift.
The fact that a creature derived from dragons could surpass dragons themselves was an anomaly. Not only was it immensely powerful, but it also possessed human-like intelligence and was highly skilled in tactics and strategy. Even today, when the threat of monsters had waned, the appearance of an S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier would trigger an emergency in the region.
Any ordinary hunter would flee in terror at the mere sight of one. Choi Hyung-min's original plan was to pretend to chase down a target hunter for the thirty-minute duration of his transformation, capturing it all for a prank video.
But what was this?
How could an S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier fail to deflect even a single punch from this woman?
How could such tiny hands unleash a monstrous force capable of crushing dragon scales?
Fuck... Fuck, fuck...!
Sweating profusely, Choi Hyung-min fled at top speed from the mysterious woman.
He had plenty of experience chasing and teasing others, but he had never been the prey.
And he was currently transformed into an S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier!
Is she an S-grade hunter or what?! Where the hell did a bitch like this come from?!
It was a relief he had transformed into an S-grade monster. Had he settled for an A-grade, her very first charge might have ended him.
To be honest, Choi Hyung-min felt it wouldn't be surprising if she caught him at any second.
Even in his S-grade form, he was completely outmatched. He was being tossed around by tentacles she casually whipped at him, not even using her main body.
One might wonder: Why not just clear up the misunderstanding now? Why not reveal it was a prank?
But Choi Hyung-min's Shapeshifter ability prevented him from returning to human form for thirty minutes. To make matters worse, his vocal cords had been altered by the transformation, rendering him unable to speak human language properly.
Perhaps he could have managed once his body fully adapted to the monster's factor, but right now, he couldn't utter a single word. All he could produce were menacing, monstrous roars.
Crunch!
Argh?!
ROAR!
Choi Hyung-min rolled on the ground in panic as a tentacle bit into his shoulder.
Even his scream came out as a dragon's roar, making verbal communication impossible.
Above all, looking at the woman filled him with sheer terror.
"Found... you..."
Bathed in the faint moonlight of the Suyol Plains, the woman was beautiful, yet more ferocious than any monster.
Her silver hair, shining colder than the moonlight, caught his eye first. Then, her eyes—stained with hunger, bloodlust, and greed—glared at him like a wild beast's. Choi Hyung-min was starting to lose track of who the real monster was.
It was no joke. The terror inspired by this white-haired woman was slowly eroding his ability to think rationally.
His stream?
Who cared about that when he was about to die?!
Is that thing even human?!
The tentacles blooming like flowers around her were literally drooling and licking their lips. It was like a scene from a horror movie.
Choi Hyung-min felt like a victim in a cheap horror film.
Grrr...
Damn it, I can't even speak...
And what was wrong with this woman?
Why was she licking her lips at the sight of him?
Was she some kind of zombie?
It was natural for a hunter to defeat monsters, but how could an unknown girl slam an S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier around so easily?
Fuck, I have no choice. I have to attack with everything I've got to subdue her. This is self-defense!
Having made up his mind, Choi Hyung-min gnashed his dragon teeth and swallowed the hot energy rising from deep within his chest.
Dragon's Breath
It was the proof that the S-grade Dragon Tooth Soldier had surpassed the dragon that created it—a breath of pure destruction. A direct hit could prove fatal even to an S-grade hunter.
In Choi Hyung-min's case, since he had transformed using byproducts, his body was essentially in a heavily buffed state rather than possessing the raw power of the original. Still, this single attack should be enough to subdue almost any hunter.
Fuck...! Whatever happens, happens! I'm not the one getting hurt!
She might get seriously injured or die, but his own survival was what mattered most, wasn't it?
ROOOAAAR!
"Oh?"
Seeing the woman's face fill with sudden bewilderment, Choi Hyung-min felt a brief pang of guilt, but he quickly let out a mental sigh of relief.
Judging by her expression, this breath would be enough to subdue her, ensuring his immediate safety.
If things got out of hand, he could just pay her medical bills, apologize, and take a hiatus from streaming for a while. He would get through this somehow.
Boom!
As he unleashed the breath held in his mouth, a crimson flash tore through the Suyol Plains.
The reeds caught in the blast were incinerated without a trace. The woman made no attempt to dodge, her face still wearing the same bewildered expression.
W-Wait, why isn't she dodging?! She'll die if she doesn't...
Crackle!
?!
Immediately after the breath was unleashed, Choi Hyung-min witnessed an unbelievable sight that left him gaping mid-blast.
What on earth was happening?
Did she... just block that with her hand? Her bare hand?!
Choi Hyung-min watched in horror as his proudest attack was stopped dead by the woman's palm.
This is insane...
The woman didn't seem to use any particular skill or ability.
She simply tilted her head in confusion for a moment, then blocked the Dragon Tooth Soldier's breath with her bare, unequipped hand.
The massive mass and destructive thermal energy of the breath should have overwhelmed her, but her hand didn't push back even an inch. Instead, it was Choi Hyung-min who was rapidly draining his stamina to maintain the attack.
...Fuck, I messed with the wrong person... Damn it...
Ten seconds later, as the breath subsided, Choi Hyung-min instinctively took a step back.
No matter how strong a hunter was, surviving a Dragon Tooth Soldier's breath completely unscathed was beyond anomalous.
This was something that simply shouldn't be happening.
Staring down at her palm, the woman slowly raised her head like a doll.
"...This is... a breath?"
Gasp...!
Sia's pale, white palm was slightly singed from the friction of the thermal energy.
However, the mark faded away within seconds, and the tentacles on her back rose once more.
I-I need to run...!
Thud!
ROAR!
"You're not getting away."
Choi Hyung-min screamed internally as a sharp pain shot through his ankle.
Though only a monster's roar escaped his mouth, the long-forgotten sensation of intense pain nearly made him lose consciousness.
What happened? What did she do?
It hurts, it hurts! It hurts so much!
He hadn't done active hunter work in so long that his pain tolerance had hit rock bottom.
Forcing himself to focus, Choi Hyung-min looked down and saw a tentacle that had burst from the ground, biting tightly into his ankle.
She had driven her tentacle into the earth to launch a surprise attack in that split second.
Crazy bitch, these are dragon scales! They're harder than steel... no, harder than Griden ore! And she bit right through them into my flesh?!
He twisted his leg, trying desperately to shake it off, but the tentacle refused to budge.
A moment later, the tentacle began dragging Choi Hyung-min—or rather, the massive dragon soldier—back toward Sia.
ROAR!
Let me go! Let go of me!
No matter how much he screamed, only monstrous roars came out.
"Hehe, hehehe..."
Contrasting with Choi Hyung-min's despair, Sia's expression was bright and cheerful.
Indeed, Sia was incredibly happy.
The prey that had been running away was finally caught.
Now she could eat.
How should she cook it?
Grilled? On a skewer?
Should she melt the meat on a hot stone plate, just like the beef brisket she had shared with Yeonhwa?
Or should she boil it thoroughly to make a soup, like the ox blood soup place near her house?
The scales and bones looked incredibly sturdy.
Simmering them for a long time to make a rich broth would surely taste amazing.
"Hehehe..."
ROAR!
"Come here. Don't go. Don't run away."
Hehe, hehe.
Ah, she was drooling.
It smelled so delicious.
It smelled like human meat.
The Dragon Tooth Soldiers she knew didn't smell like this, but this one smelled incredibly appetizing.
No, she shouldn't call it human meat.
To her, human flesh was the ultimate taboo, a memory and a sin she had to carry for the rest of her life.
But this was a monster, right?
Eating a delicious monster wasn't a sin, was it?
Right, Menelapie?
Right, Theresa?
Right, Yeonhwa?
"Hehehehe!"
ROAR!
The tentacle dragged the creature's leg and brought it right in front of her.
It still tried to swing its claws and fists while roaring at her, but the tentacles bound its limbs. Annoyed by the noisy screeching, she wrapped a tentacle around its dragon-like mouth.
Mmph... Mmph...!
The creature shook its head as if begging her to stop.
So even monsters have intelligence?
But it was no use.
Not when it smelled this delicious.
A monster that harassed humans had practically delivered itself to her on a silver platter. How could she just let it go?
It looked like a highly evolved Dragon Tooth Soldier, much stronger than the usual ones. Even if it seemed strangely weak and clumsy, it could easily kill other hunters if they crossed paths.
She was just a newcomer to this world.
As a newcomer, she had to adapt well and treat others kindly to earn her place, right?
Eating this monster wasn't for her own selfish desires.
It was a dangerous monster, so she was simply disposing of it before anyone got hurt.
Yes, yes. That was it.
That had to be it.
"Hehehehehe!"
Bound from head to toe by tentacles with its mouth gagged, the Dragon Tooth Soldier looked like a beautifully wrapped Christmas present.
Ah, it really was a present for her.
A Christmas feast.
It looked so delicious.
Smelling it up close, it really did smell like human meat.
Ah, so fragrant.
Eating it would surely bring ecstasy.
She would reach nirvana.
Ah, let's eat.
Let's eat.
Let's eat.
She had to cook for her viewers, but sneaking a bite beforehand wouldn't hurt.
High-quality fish was best eaten raw as sashimi, and the finest cuts of meat were served as fresh tartare, weren't they?
Just one raw bite of this wicked monster's flesh...
"Thank you for the food..."
Dear monster.
Dear Dragon Tooth Soldier.
To me, you are a wonderful gift.
Should I hug you?
Yes, I'll hug you.
It will be delicious.
With a smell like this, there's no way it won't taste good...
Squish.
Squish...?
The moment she tried to bite into its shoulder, she stopped, startled by the unexpected texture.
What was this...?
The scales and spiked armor covering the Dragon Tooth Soldier's body shouldn't feel like this.
It should have been a crunchy, crackling chew, but instead... it was incredibly soft.
What was this?
Why was it so tender?
Just before sinking her teeth into the shoulder, Sia realized something was terribly wrong.
And she knew this texture.
How could she ever forget it?
It was her sin.
It was her taboo.
How could she possibly forget?
"Ugh...!"
She quickly pulled her mouth away from its shoulder and retracted her tentacles, releasing the bind.
C-cough! Roar!
Despite only having his shoulder slightly nipped, the Dragon Tooth Soldier thrashed about wildly, either from pain or sheer terror.
"*Pant, pant...* A... human...? You were... human...?"
Sia couldn't comprehend what was happening.
What if she had let the scent blind her and devoured him?
What if she had been just a little hungrier and eaten him in a rush?
*Pant*... Oh no... What did I almost do?! That was a close call...!!
No, no.
Realizing that a horrific tragedy had almost occurred, Sia quickly wiped her mouth.
She finally understood that, whatever the reason, this Dragon Tooth Soldier was undoubtedly a human being.
Sia wiped the drool from her lips and even stopped breathing to avoid catching any more of the fragrant scent.
Since she was undead, holding her breath didn't cause her any discomfort anyway.
"U-Um, I'm sorry. Are you okay...?"
Roar! Screeech!
"..."
S-She had to... calm him down first...
Choi Hyung-min was thrashing around in absolute panic and terror.
Earlier, there had been a glimmer of reason in his eyes, but now he was rolling on the ground like a wild beast. Sia looked at him, deeply troubled.
What should she do...
Ah...
Sia, do you know how to handle a soldier who has fallen into a panic?
I don't know. Should I comfort them?
A soldier gripped by the terror of the battlefield cannot even hear comforting words.
Then what should I do?
Fufu, would you like to hear? It is a calming method I perfected through years of experience. It is so effective that even I use it quite often.
Recalling the advice Menelapie had given her long ago, Sia nodded and opened the backpack slung over her hip.
She had originally intended to use this for cooking, but...
ROOOAAAR! S-Save me...
The Menelapie-style calming method...!
A person will calm down instantly if you smack them on the back of the head with a frying pan.
A strike to the back of the head!
CLANG!
The clear sound of metal striking something solid echoed across the Suyol Plains. A moment later, the human in the form of a Dragon Tooth Soldier collapsed face-first onto the ground, twitching like a corpse.
Seeing him twitch, he was definitely still alive.
Listening closely, she could hear his breathing and his steady heartbeat.
"*Sigh*... Thank goodness."
Sia let out a deep sigh of relief.
That had almost been a disaster...
To think she still found the scent of human flesh so enchanting. She shouldn't be like this... Yet, despite the number of tombstones she had erected in her heart, she had almost succumbed to the temptation again.
Thank you... Menelapie...
Your calming method is truly the best...