Sweeping the Ant Nest 02
Mikael's complexion was poor. He had finally spat out the secret he'd hidden for so long, but it brought him no relief whatsoever. It was the misery and helplessness of having to admit to a woman—out loud, no less—that women made him uncomfortable. And he couldn't even fathom why he'd confessed it to a total stranger.
"Yeah?"
Yeonwoo tossed out a casual response, as if it were no big deal.
"Ahh, so that's it." Instead, she now understood why Mikael had acted that way. She even felt a twinge of sympathy. "Same here."
"......Pardon?"
Mikael narrowed his eyes and stared at her intently. He couldn't grasp what she meant by "same."
"Men... make you uncomfortable?"
And yet here she was, speaking so bluntly after all that. Was she cruelly mocking him now that she'd found his weakness?
Mikael clenched his priestly robes again.
"No, idiot—women." Yeonwoo snorted with laughter. The idea of a man being scared of other men was so absurd she almost let a rough word slip. Still, it was true that she—a woman now—felt uncomfortable. She still couldn't get used to the mirror, and just today she'd gone through hell trying to buy underwear.
"What blasphemy is that?!"
"Wanna get used to it? You can't live like that forever. What a waste of a pretty face."
Yeonwoo chuckled as she approached Mikael. It was pure mischief. The guy was cute when he grumbled, and his prickly attitude despite being younger felt downright cheeky.
"Lord, why do You inflict such trials upon this lamb?"
But above all, his reactions were hilarious. Tossed into a group of veteran hunters, he'd be fawned over plenty. And as a rare healer-type, he was precious cargo to boot.
"Ugh, uuuugh."
Mikael, meanwhile, was in full panic mode. Seeing Yeonwoo's body pull such pranks was downright unfair. Eden had its share of beauties, sure, but the woman before him was different. Her looks went without saying. It was the aura she exuded—something utterly unfamiliar, unlike anything he'd encountered.
"D-don't come any closer!"
Mikael backed away from her, only to trip over a stack of supply crates with nowhere left to retreat. He collapsed in a heap.
"Uncomfortable? No idea what to do about it?"
Yeonwoo strode forward. She even leaned over the fallen Mikael. An angel's face. A devil's smile. And finally, a violent shadow.
Mikael could barely think straight.
"Ahh, Lord, intervene on my behalf! Let me escape this wicked, seductive plight. Intervene, I pray!"
Mikael clasped his hands and prayed fervently. Yeonwoo, unperturbed, simply reached out.
"Oh yeah, apple flavor."
And pulled a green calorie bar from the supply crate. She inspected it fondly, like an old friend. Expiration date: plenty of time left.
"Pardon......?"
Mikael blinked at the unexpected move.
"Apple's the best. Unlike the other dried fruits, the apple bits are soft—no choking hazard."
"Th-that may be true, but."
"I'll take these with my thanks."
Yeonwoo dove into the supplies in earnest, sifting through the mountain of calorie bars to cherry-pick every green apple-flavored one and stuff them into her bag. Her movements were so expertly greedy. Mikael watched, dumbfounded, as she looted the crates.
Of course, duty soon snapped him back.
"If you take that many, the others—!"
"There's tons. Plenty left over anyway."
"At least take a variety! Every soul deserves the fair blessing of apple flavor..."
"Why? Can't I?"
Yeonwoo grinned and took another step toward him.
"Hic!"
A hiccup escaped Mikael's lips. It was the only response he could muster.
"Fine, fine. Amen to me."
Confirming Mikael's utter defeat, Yeonwoo ransacked the supplies for real. She crammed a free-issue sandwich straight into her mouth first.
"This place does 'em right."
She chewed busily while grabbing practical gear: portable fire starters (flints), raincoats, bottled water, portable filters, jerky—you name it, she packed it all thriftily.
Glancing around for more loot, her eyes landed on weapons propped in the tent corner. They'd blended into the shadows due to their dark hue.
"Why leave these lying around?"
"Wait, why are you touching things without permission?!"
Yeonwoo checked them out immediately. One was a dagger thick with rust. The other, a sword with a darkened blade.
◈ [Corroded]
◈ [Curse of Sharpness]
Neither was usable, naturally. The dagger's blade was fully corroded—useless for cutting or stabbing. The sword was a grade higher, but true to its name, cursed. Curse of Sharpness: It sharpened the blade at the cost of debuffing the user's physical stats.
"You don't use these, right? If you're tossing 'em, I'll take 'em."
"No! Even in poor condition, their value belongs to Eden's property..."
"What? Can't hear you."
Yeonwoo took a bold step toward Mikael.
"T-take them!"
"Yeah. They're junk anyway—I'll dispose of 'em for you."
Yeonwoo pocketed the dagger and sword. The penalties were too harsh for fusion, so storage for now.
"Lemme see."
She'd grabbed everything worth taking.
"Thanks for the feast. Amen."
Still feeling a bit unsatisfied, she stuffed both hands with extra sandwiches before exiting the tent.
"Ha, haha. Ahaha......"
Mikael, buried in the supplies, let out a hollow laugh laced with defeat and self-loathing.
"Ahh, Lord. Why such trials?"
He couldn't hold back, crossing himself repeatedly.
After Yeonwoo left, Mikael finally regained his composure. Forehead pressed to his neatly clasped hands, he sank into grim reflection. No women around, so no prickly scowl.
"Why. Why did I do that, Mikael?"
He was interrogating himself. The bizarre feeling that hit only after the beauty departed washed over him fully.
"Why did I confess so readily?"
His discomfort with women. He'd never spill that normally. Outside a few in Eden, he avoided entanglements altogether—instinctively repelling them with coldness.
Yet he'd blurted excuses. Got swept up in her brazen vibe. And she wasn't ordinary: stunning first-time sight, utterly fearless antics.
"Pieta’s Mary."
Michelangelo's sculpture sprang to mind unconsciously. She was that beautiful. His gynophobia should've roared louder, proportional to her allure—but oddly, they'd even chatted.
Yet he didn't know her deal or name.
"If I stay here, she'll come back someday."
Mikael was certain. That insatiable greed snatching sandwiches to the last— she wasn't a one-and-done type.
"......!"
His eyes flew wide. He frantically crossed himself.
Whoosh! Swish! Swipe! Flutter!
A top hunter's sincere crosses whipped up wind. Nearly ten per second. Only that could quell his impious thoughts.
'Do I... want that rogue to return?'
Confusion reigned. No, impossible.
"Purely for verification."
To figure her out. What made her different. Plus, she'd hogged too many apple bars.
"......"
Mikael's gaze drifted to the tent flap. On second thought, ministry worked fine outside. Healing the wounded on foot? Far more blessed. Just a bonus spotting her.
That's what he told himself.
Preparations done, Yeonwoo promptly left the Ant Nest entrance. The wasteland sprawled in all directions from it, so she headed where crowds thinned.
Of course, eyes followed her everywhere.
"What're you staring at?"
"Those sandwiches look too good. Where do they sell 'em?"
A plain mashed potato-and-ham sandwich looked gourmet in Yeonwoo's hands. And this beauty was devouring handfuls like she couldn't get enough.
"Think it's Eden's? Tastes like ass. Barely edible survival food."
"Hah, bullshit. Your shitty tastebuds are the issue. Guess I'll hit Eden up now."
Thanks to her, Eden's sandwiches sold hot today. No cash profit, though. And honestly, they sucked—no real winners.
Gazes trailed her even exiting the safe zone. Her looks, sure—but going solo stood out more.
"Didja see that girl just now?"
"Whoa, her vibe was insane. So aloof and badass. Beautifully lonely? Or lonely 'cause she's beautiful?!"
A prepping hunter group gawked at Yeonwoo, praise and swooning included.
"......Huh? Lonely? Why?"
"Y-yeah. Why's she going alone?"
They clocked the oddity her aura had masked. Her weapon? Just a basic iron sword from the Hunter Center.
"Should we stop her?"
"Wait, she's already engaging!"
Clack-clack, scrape—
A ant swarm charged Yeonwoo, massive jaws clashing. Lowliest Ant Nest fodder—Ants—but man-sized monsters in packs. That's why hunters partied up too.
"Totally noob, right? Frozen stiff!"
As the hunters fretted, Yeonwoo stood motionless, iron sword ready, eyes fixed on the pack.
"Oh shit, big trouble!"
The hunters rushed to save her—then.
Slash—
Yeonwoo moved. Pent-up power erupted.
And.
Thud. Plop.
The lead Ant's carapace split clean, halves crumbling aside pathetically.
"Wha—huh?!"
"What was that? Did you see? What just happened?!"
"Don't ask me—I dunno either!"
"How do you one-shot that?!"
The would-be rescuers froze instead. Initial confusion and doubt.
Whoosh. Crunch!
"Kieeeek!"
But as Yeonwoo truly unleashed, all doubt turned to awe and reverence.