The Human Hunter
On October 3rd, 6:11 AM.
With the raid preparations complete, the Kang-jun Team climbed aboard the van with their manager and headed for the 37th Zone Dungeon.
Hye-mi was buzzing with excitement over the slogan of this being the last 3-class dungeon. She looked like she finally saw herself moving past the greenhorn stage, now that her level had crossed 100.
Of course, the Kang-jun Team had long since shed the leather of that stupid newbie squad from before. Everyone now pulled their weight according to their own talents… at least when it came to 3-class dungeons.
From 2-class onward, the story changed. There were so many players hovering around level 170-180 that Kang-jun stepping aside meant the others could barely handle even one of them. One mistake could mean real death. Still, they had faced groups of 200-level monsters together with Belita and Jang Hwa-young in the 50th District, so they could hold their own.
The van tore through the cool dawn air along the road. The morning sun was already low enough that it wasn’t sweltering, though it was warmer than the crisp autumn air. Late summer was giving way to early autumn—the season of colorful maple leaves.
Good weather for outdoor sex, he thought, then clicked his tongue at his own corruption. He no longer remembered when the habit of linking everything to sex had started.
“Hey, how about we have a picnic after this? Out in the mountains—”
Hye-mi was already counting down the day off after the raid. Everyone else was probably daydreaming about a fun outing too.
Kang-jun didn’t crush their happy illusions. Earlier he would have scolded them for wasting time on fantasies instead of doing their jobs, but now that everyone had basic competence, maybe that positive energy was exactly what they needed.
He watched the scenery rush by and mentally slotted his schedule. After this week’s raid, the next week was completely free—time to meet the girls and have his fill…
While he was already lining up who he’d take first, the van veered off the main road. They drove a little farther and found a wide open lot. The waiting area right in front of the 37th Zone Dungeon entrance.
The team hopped out and stretched their stiff bodies. Members carried in the exploration gear one by one.
Other waiting teams stared at them, wide-eyed. Especially since the women were so pretty.
“Everyone, please come back safely after the raid—!”
The manager waved cheerfully with a bright smile. “See you next time, unnie~” Hye-mi grinned back and waved enthusiastically.
The Kang-jun Team finished their final inspection and formed a line: Kang-jun, Chul, Hye-mi, Trol-guy, Ogre-guy in that order.
At 7:37 AM, they passed through the gate of the 37th Zone Dungeon. The barricades piled high like a mountain were already scuffed by monster claws. Just like every other dungeon entrance, monsters had come out here repeatedly and caused chaos more than once.
More people were still filing in behind them. Kang-jun glanced back once, then slowly continued forward.
The air grew icy the moment they went deeper. They stepped down the painted steel stairs into the waiting area with a clank-clank. Even though he wasn’t a first-timer, Kang-jun still found the place fascinating.
Trash littered the ground—half-decomposed plastic bags rolling in the wind, paper still fresh enough to read. Because this wasn’t a Hero Branch dungeon, maintenance was sloppy.
They passed the last waiting area where the dungeon teams huddled together and entered the labyrinth slowly. Chul tossed one hot pack into his right breast pocket and it immediately warmed up.
“Everyone, stay sharp.”
“Yes—!”
Kang-jun encouraged his team. The energetic Hye-mi answered the loudest.
Inside the 37th Zone Dungeon it was damp. The cave walls glistened under the lamp light from the moisture. Stalactites hung everywhere. Kang-jun wished there were some edible things around—the recent spending had left him cash-strapped.
He walked while checking the electronic map. He planned to take the shortest path straight to the deepest floor without circling. Day-trippers passed through here, so there was little to scavenge, and the monster levels were low, which meant little experience anyway. To make the most of the limited time, they had to skip boring areas quickly.
From the 3rd region straight to the 7th and 10th.
Of course the route had been mapped out before they started. He was just double-checking.
“Walk faster. If it gets too hard, signal me.”
“Okay.”
Kang-jun picked up the pace. He still had plenty of energy, so a faster walk wouldn’t be a big strain. Normally they matched the porters, but there were no monster bones to worry about now.
The team quickly cleared the 1st region and entered the 3rd. They exchanged light greetings with the returning dungeon team, just like hikers bumping into each other on the trail.
At 10:01 AM, Kang-jun took a short break. They had almost finished the 3rd region—only a little farther to the 7th.
His gaze kept drifting toward the path they had come from.
After the short rest, they started walking again. By chance they ran into a single monster on the trail. Level around 140. One that any of the team could handle easily without Kang-jun even stepping in.
They spent about thirty minutes butchering its bones. Then they walked a little farther and took a proper break at the passage to the 7th region.
They quickly finished lunch and took a short nap. Twenty or thirty minutes was enough—better for both body and mind. When they woke they’d feel groggy, but walking would bring them back to full speed in no time.
After squeezing through a narrow tunnel-like passage, they walked for a long time before finally reaching the 7th region. The time was 2:49 PM.
They seemed to have arrived at the planned campsite a couple of hours earlier than expected. The Kang-jun Team stopped for rests along the way.
They met a monster again—this time an arthropod with no food value. It was finished by Chul’s perfectly timed strike, and Kang-jun gave it the final blow.
At 5:00 PM, Kang-jun reached the pre-marked campsite. It wasn’t bad for overnighting. The space was a little cramped, so other teams didn’t have room to set up.
They pitched their individual tents and gathered together near the lamp light.
Kang-jun’s gaze drifted again… and a bad feeling rose inside him.
His intuition was right.
The team following them looked suspicious.
Of course it could be coincidence. But he had always been thorough about preparing for every possibility.
“Everyone, come here.”
Kang-jun called his team over. They squeezed close to the lamp light. Their faces looked like floating skulls under the illumination.
He scanned their pale faces and spoke.
“You’ve heard of Hunter Teams, right?”
Everyone frowned the instant he said it. Only Chul seemed to understand.
“W-well… people-hunting teams… you mean those?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Hye-mi jumped in surprise when she heard the word “people.”
“You’re saying they hunt humans? Who?”
“They’re just urban legends, I guess…”
Chul thought Hunter Teams were just another city ghost story. But Kang-jun shook his head firmly.
“No, they exist. They disguise themselves as dungeon teams and raid other groups. The loot, the evidence wiped out—everything here is perfect for them.”
Everyone gaped in disbelief and looked at one another.
“But… why suddenly bring this up?”
“Y-you’re starting to tell scary stories!”
Hye-mi still hadn’t fully grasped the hidden meaning, though the others looked equally tense.
“It’s not confirmed yet. But the team behind us is acting weird.”
“Really?!”
“It might be real Hunter Teams. So don’t let your guard down.”
Small-hearted Hye-mi and Chul clung closer together, mouths wide open. Chul, however, kept his face perfectly calm and said,
“So should we take night watch in pairs tonight?”
“Yeah… I’ll have to rearrange the schedule. One-on-one is too risky… don’t worry. Fear is what kills you.”
Hye-mi’s eyes were full of tension. She could handle monsters easily, but hearing humans kill humans made her genuinely scared.
“Chul, put me in the middle.”
“Yes.”
Kang-jun snapped his fingers to gather everyone’s attention.
“Just stay careful. That’s all.”
“Yes…”
“When you take night watch, use more mana than usual. It’ll be tough, but it’s safer—right?”
Everyone nodded without hesitation.
“Then everyone, rest up.”
They headed back to their tents. Only Kang-jun and Chul remained near the lamp light.
“It should be fine, right…?”
“Who knows.”
Kang-jun prayed his bad feeling was wrong.
· · ·
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on Kang-jun’s tent. He snapped awake.
“Senior, time’s up.”
“Yeah… got it. I’m up.”
The shadowy silhouette drifted away from the lamp light. Kang-jun wiped his face with his palm and checked the time. It was 11:55 PM. His shift ran from midnight to 3 AM. He didn’t know who his partner was. Probably not Hye-mi.
Kang-jun emerged from his tent. Hye-mi and Trol-guy had handed over the watch uneventfully. Chul’s tent flap opened with a creak right after.
“You two go get some sleep. You must be tired.”
“Yes.”
Hye-mi yawned with her mouth stretched wide, then remembered Kang-jun’s presence and froze. Had she been too unfeminine?
The first two split off to their own tents. After a moment of rustling, everything went still. They had fallen asleep the second they lay down.
Hana sat on the ground in front of the lamp light, still half-asleep. She stared blankly at the rocky floor for a while, then rubbed her eyes with her palms.
“If you’re too tired, go back to your tent. You don’t have to stay up alone.”
“No way. I’ll be fine.”
She was sitting with her knees drawn up on a sleeping bag. Chul broke the silence that had stretched for a moment.
“Um, Team Leader.”
“Hm?”
“Why are there teams like Hunter Teams?”
Kang-jun looked at Chul. Even if she harbored perverted desires, the innocent girl still didn’t know the real reason they existed.
“There are several reasons.”
“Several?”
“Expensive gear, monster bones, and… well, girls like you.”
“What?”
Kang-jun smirked crookedly.
“Rape. Murder. People who get off on that don’t exist?”
Ha.
“Those kinds of guys. Now you get it?”
Hana nodded slowly.
“It’s not just rumors. Hunter Teams really exist. They’re just not well known yet.”
“…I see.”
“This is a dungeon. They use it. If they don’t come out, they just disappear. The bodies will be cleaned up by the monsters anyway.”
Kang-jun’s twisted thoughts formed those Hunter Teams—
The conversation ended there. Hana hugged her knees for a while in silence.
Time passed. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes… Hana kept yawning as sleep crept in.
Then she suddenly lifted her head and witnessed something.
Kang-jun was staring intensely into the darkness.
“Hana.”
Hana’s heart dropped. His voice was sharp with thorns.
“Yes.”
Chul answered in a choked voice and immediately swallowed hard.
Then, hearing the next words, her eyes widened.
“Wake everyone. They’re coming.”