Anomaly. 03: Defying the Horde
Piiing— Yeonwoo continuously drew her bow. Paang! It was a bow fired not just with both hands, but with her entire body. Each shot was packed tight with killing intent, slowing her firing rate. And stamina wasn't infinite. Her strength drained steadily.
"Hoo." Yeonwoo exhaled deeply. Part of her wanted to just flop down right there. 'Not yet.' She couldn't let her guard down. Even if things were going too smoothly, she couldn't relax. The precursor had been that vibration.
"That ain't it!" Paang!Kwaduduk! The arrow Yeonwoo loosed pierced another winged ant. The winged ants' existence was a surprise in itself. She hadn't even known such things lurked in the Ant Nest.
'What the hell is this anomaly?' True to its name. The number in the sky, 【12】, hadn't budged, nor had the massive chains coiling around the Ant Nest.
'But.' Strangely, something squirmed in her gut. A primal instinct she could afford now that she'd returned to the past. 'The Ant Nest Gate Liberator hasn't shown up yet.'
Greed. That's what stirred. 'First things first, clean up.' Everything had its order. A hard lesson learned from rolling in the dirt like a dog in her past life. Right now, monitoring the vibration's progress was priority one.
"Everyone. Lend me a hand for a sec."
"Huh?"
"Of course!"
"Just leave it to us."
No sooner had Yeonwoo spoken than volunteers lit up, eyes gleaming. From below, looking up at her.
"...Ugh."
Yeonwoo let out a deflated groan. Being perched atop people hit differently now. And there weren't even any tools propping her up. Once she noticed, it felt absurdly embarrassing.
"Uh, gimme a boost!"
The hunters cupped their hands at Yeonwoo's request, then hoisted their arms in sync. Whoosh— Yeonwoo timed her leap perfectly, launching her light body skyward.
"Whoa."
From on high, the anomaly-wracked Ant Nest looked even more dire. Chains stretching to the horizon. Winged ants ferrying soldier ants. And thousands upon thousands kicking up dust clouds as they surged forward.
"Insane."
It was crawling with them—enough to choke even a veteran hunter.
'What do we do about that?'
'What do we do?'
Yeonwoo's body plummeted. Like reality dragging her down into despair. 'No.' No fall—she landed safe in the hunters' arms.
So she had to think. A hunter who gave up possibilities was done. 'How'd I handle it before?' Right before becoming a hunter in her past life. If the same had happened in the Ant Nest...
'We'd have gotten wiped, and something big would've blown up.' Plus, the Ant Nest was blatantly for Tier I hunters. Newbie massacres would've made world news. But it hadn't. Why?
'...Because it's the Ant Nest.' Gates claimed lives nonstop, sure. But not like this one. Did she need to overthink? Ants in the Ant Nest.
"Run."
"Huh?"
"We gotta hit camp ASAP!"
Yeonwoo landed lightly. Camp was close now. "If you don't wanna end your life here... Wait, that's not right anymore. Anyway, everyone—bolt for camp!" No more playing crazy. Yeonwoo waved her arms, urging them on.
"Uh, got it."
"Let's move!"
The tables had turned. The hunters followed her lead without question. Ranged types who'd ridden shoulders stopped intercepting and dropped down. Nearby winged ants were mostly cleared. Pure sprinting would get them to camp faster.
Kugugugu—
The vibration closed in as they broke into a full run. "Huh?" Someone glanced back, naturally.
"What the—! That's... no way. All ants?!"
"Wha'd you see...?"
Those who turned paled. "What's up? Something behind... uh...?"
"What the hell? We're screwed."
Curiosity spread; heads turned, faces drained. But it spurred them too.
"Run! Just run!"
"Urk, uwaaa!"
Hunter feet pounded frantically. Rookies learned what "all-out" meant firsthand.
"W-what do we do?"
"How the hell...!"
But could running shake them? The sole exit was fused with massive chains.
"Camp first! Get to camp no matter what!"
Yeonwoo shouted, dropping to the rear. Stamina lagged, but speed? She trusted hers. Twisting, she peppered approaching winged ants with arrows. To block them, sure. But also deeply personal reasons.
'Almost full!'
Even in chaos, EXP ticked up. Downing winged ants netted crashing soldier ants' shares too. And her title doubled it! 'Gotta grab what I can!' Veteran flexibility.
She'd done all she could. Kwajak! Another winged ant down—
A fresh surge of power welled inside.
Stage 4 unlocked a new trait. 'Even a body trait?'
Body traits ranked above passives. Unlike simple buffs, they warped physical form or senses in vague ways. Take "cutting power"—passive might boost muscle; body trait could extend arms or reduce joint friction for centrifugal force. Some bordered on body mods.
'Gyroscope?' Yeonwoo's first body trait.
[Gyroscope]
Does not lose cognition amid any physical laws.
Vague as hell. Sounded amazing, but hard to grasp. Plus, mid-sprint, her head felt unusually clear.
'Details later.' Camp loomed.
Kugugugu— Ant swarm visible now too.
"Ugh, huwaaa...!"
The lead hunter hit camp. No stark line from outside, but familiar tents brought relief.
"Kuh."
"Heok, hek..."
One by one they entered. Yeonwoo last.
Kugugugugu—
And the ants...
"Uh..."
"They... stopped..."
Halted dead at camp's edge. Like reaching a destination, the horde dispersed across the wasteland. Camp's invisible safe zone gleamed amid the teeming mass.
"We lived."
Someone muttered. Then it sank in.
"We lived!"
"Thought we were goners, you ant bastards!"
"Ha, haha. Whew..."
Survival's rush—blood boiling with relief.
'They stop here.' Advance or quit? Yeonwoo's first hunter gate. At least they'd reached it alive. 'Dying in some Ant Nest? Way too lame.'
Yeonwoo ruffled her hair, eyeing the chain spearing camp's center. Gate entrance gone without trace. Seemed 【12】 unsolved meant no exit.
'Gate Liberator.' Solve it, claim that power.
"Thanks! You saved us!"
"...Huh?"
Breath caught, hunters gathered round Yeonwoo.
"Pretty girl with killer skills!"
"Knew those soldier ants weren't dropping easy."
"Th-thank you, sis. You were so cool."
"We'll repay this debt—just say the word!"
Genuine thanks and praise poured in.
"Uh."
Yeonwoo blurted. Not a reply—just mouth agape from unfamiliarity. Had anyone ever thanked her like this?
'No.' Hence the awkwardness. Play it cool? Smirk and banter?
"If you're really grateful..."
Words failed, so...
"Got any spare weapons?"
* * *
Same time. Mikael sought Yeonwoo post-camp arrival. Women unsettled him. But skipping thanks? Worse. Especially after mistaking her for a thug—proper penance needed.
"..."
But finding her, surrounded by those she'd saved... he couldn't approach. Instead, he slowly crossed himself, hands clasped toward her politely.
"Pieta."
Yeonwoo had fulfilled her duty, saved them. She deserved their thanks and love. No right to interrupt.
With that, Mikael turned—
"Huk, heok. Mikael-nim!"
A fellow Eden priest panted up. "A-ants everywhere! So...!"
"Calm down. We're safe in camp, so..."
"Wounded! Too many hurt!"
"What?"
"This way! Hurry!"
No breather—the priest bolted again. Mikael followed, leaving Yeonwoo behind. At camp's opposite side...
"My... my leg...!"
"Heok... urk."
"Priest-nim, it hurts..."
The opposite scene. Blood reeked. Escapees were shredded; some missing limbs.
Kugugugugu— Still coming. Distant swarms. Paddududuk! Unchecked winged ants filled skies, dropping soldiers on fleeing hunters.
Kwajak! Kwaduduk!
"Aaaak!"
"Hweok!"
Impacts flung ants and hunters. Crawlers dragged toward camp.
"Hic, stay back! Stay away!"
"Save me! Please, help—uwah!"
Not all made it. Heavy wounds slowed desperate crawls.
"A, aa. Please... uwaaa!"
Some froze, wailing.
"Don't leave me! We fight together!"
"C-can't help it. S-sorry!"
Fleers, abandoned, approaching ants.
"Ah. Aaa..."
Mikael's eyes quivered. Unholy air gripped him. She wasn't here. That's why this mess.
"Hurry... those people..."
Couldn't abandon them. But Mikael couldn't move. Arrogant Cardinal's Gate Liberator perk let him enter beyond tier—but no physical interference.
No way to shoo ants and save them.
"Someone... help them..."
He trailed off. Impossible. Tier I rookies at the starting line—couldn't demand they risk all. Anomaly too. Lives mattered; charging was suicide.
"Urk."
Powerlessness clenched his fists. As a hunter, he knew: hunter world's harshest, absolute rule.
'...No choice.'
Mikael closed his eyes, looked away. To save, not ignore. Camp had wounded too, some critical.
And as he turned fully—
"Ah."
They crossed. Familiar figure blatantly overtook Mikael. Ignoring survival rules. Defying the anomaly.
She charged back against the flow.
"Wha...!"
No name to call.
"Hunter-nim!"
Mikael called the one dashing past—Yeonwoo. How'd she get here? Followed? No time to ask.
Yeonwoo didn't stop. Sprinting, she drew her bow.
Piiing—!Whoosh!Pak!Kwak!
Arrow downed a winged ant. Bow sharpened to spear—thrust hard.
Kwajak!
Soldier ant lunging at a fallen hunter impaled on her spear.
"Ah."
Mikael clasped hands in sigh. An anomaly. Defying providence, flaunting survival instinct. Her lone fight against swarming ants—desperate salvation, chillingly beautiful.
Beautiful enough to unconsciously reach out. Clouding judgment. Drawing others into reckless bravado.
"Screw it, let's try!"
"Too early to die—we haven't even started!"
"Eit! Lived once, twice ain't harder!"
"I can still fight...!"
They crossed again. One. Two. Hunters overtook Mikael, breaching camp's edge. Those following Yeonwoo. Even hesitators steeled resolve.
An anomaly, clearly.