Too Close in the Moonlit Ruins
Thanks to that, the scene looked downright peculiar. In a deserted corner of the ruins, illuminated only by moonlight, two women were plastered right up against each other. Shin Gaon was tall to boot. Her massive frame clung tight to Yeonwoo as she kneaded the hand gripping her side firmly. And Yeonwoo—pfft. She hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth. To stifle the laugh threatening to burst out. Beneath her palm, she ground her teeth.
‘Snap that finger off…’
But the relentless touch made even that thought fizzle away. A thick hand pressed hard into her waist. The fingertips even traced the curve of her side. With low pressure, as if counting her ribs one by one, stimulating the nerves.
“Eep.”
Yeonwoo’s waist twitched. Something shot up her spine with a sharp zing! Her back arched taut like a drawn bowstring without her even realizing it.
‘……Why.’
Her mind reeled in utter confusion. It was force majeure, plain and simple. A sensation she’d never felt in her entire life. It was leagues beyond the time Yeonseo had accidentally poked her side. Hell, even getting stabbed with a knife wouldn’t have hit like this. She’d lost her entire side to the queen ant in battle, but it hadn’t choked off her breath like this. She really felt like she was dying, in every goddamn sense. So she wanted to kill this woman instead. That was the only option left.
“What’s wrong?”
But Shin Gaon just asked casually, like it was nothing. If she’d been brazen about it, Yeonwoo could’ve grabbed onto that and ripped her a new one. No, this was a perfectly innocent question from someone who genuinely had no clue why. Leaving Yeonwoo the only one flustered.
‘Ah, shit, am I imagining it?’
She couldn’t get a read on it at all. Sure, the touch felt sticky, but there wasn’t a hint of lewd intent in Shin Gaon’s words.
‘Damn. Gotta test it out to know.’
Her life as a veteran hunter had been all about rolling in the dirt like a dog—she had zero experience seducing or being seduced. No benchmarks, no know-how. A fatal flaw for a vet who navigated by gut instinct alone.
“Did you get hurt or something?”
“N-no!”
Emergency retreat first. Yeonwoo spun away quick, shrugging off the clinging arm like shedding a coat.
“What’s her deal?”
But Shin Gaon came right after her with long strides, reaching out again.
“C’mon, let’s walk together.”
This time, it stopped at her shoulders. Just draping an arm around like it was no big deal.
‘What’s the play now?’
Yeonwoo tensed, waiting for the next move. If it was funny business, she’d smash that arm without mercy.
“……”
But Shin Gaon just kept walking forward. No more flashy moves. So Yeonwoo got dragged along by the arm.
That was it.
‘……Is this normal?’
She had no clue about women’s personal space. Guys slung arms over shoulders all the time, sure.
‘Yeah, women do have different boundaries.’
Just look at the streets—women sat on each other’s laps in public, hugged hello, snapped selfies pressed cheek-to-cheek, or lounged practically on top of one another. Moves that’d get a guy punched, but everyday life for them.
‘Ah, this is tricky.’
Thinking it over led nowhere. The more she pondered, the messier it got. And per a street-dog veteran’s wisdom, stewing over unsolvable problems just screwed you over in the end.
‘It’s not like it’s wearing out.’
Shoulders were fair game. Yeonwoo shrugged and settled her mind with resolve. Learn as you go—that was the veteran hunter way.
Maybe that bold mindset kicked in.
‘Wait, why am I the one dodging?’
Suddenly, she felt indignant. So Yeonwoo reached out too, planting her hand on Shin Gaon’s shoulder.
‘Solid. And……’
Too damn high. The height gap stretched her arm awkwardly. Her shoulder opened wide, her right side swung along, and naturally, her right-side presence leaned right into Shin Gaon. No sports bra could contain that.
“……!”
Yeonwoo’s eyes bugged out. Pupils darting wildly in circles. They’d touched. Soft on soft, no doubt.
‘N-no touching…….’
She slyly dropped her hand. Now her arm had nowhere to go.
‘This is hard.’
Living as a woman. Today, it felt especially brutal.
* * *
Still, humans adapt, or so they say. Having an arm around her shoulders soon felt normal. Shin Gaon not trying anything shady helped.
“That parking lot’s insane, seriously.”
“Ahaha. Yeah?”
They even fell into natural chit-chat. Polite speech was fine—even to juniors—but the sweet tone was a bit much. Still, with the weapons she’d scored, Yeonwoo couldn’t ditch the gratitude.
“Might as well peel stickers off in front of the station.”
Shin Gaon grumbled. Yeonwoo learned just how murderous gate-front parking fees were.
‘Parking’s always the killer.’
Her own-car dreams evaporated. Midway through the small talk, curiosity hit about earlier.
“You said you fought before?”
Yeonwoo probed gently. Wondering why a well-synced party had clashed.
“Me?”
“The other two said so.”
“Ah.”
Shin Gaon grinned. But as she did, she stroked Yeonwoo’s shoulder softly. Skinship smooth as flowing water.
“They keep bitching that I snag all the finishers.”
“Hm.”
Illusion shattered. Not about roles, apparently.
“If it bugs ’em, they finish it themselves. Weakasses.”
“Ah.”
Yeonwoo nodded. Not out of empathy, but understanding.
‘Yup, certifiable lunatic.’
She got the key point. Contribution and loot squabbles were common. But fists and spit? Straight-up psycho. Especially hogging all the wolves solo. Her fault, plain as day.
Sure, those hunters had shady motives, maybe recruited her with intent. But not Yeonwoo’s problem.
‘Time to bail.’
She just wanted to be alone. Her shoulder was about worn to the bone.
“Thinking about it pisses me off. Telling me to leave my wallet and fuck off…”
That’s when it happened. Shin Gaon stopped mid-sentence, mid-step.
A figure emerged from the ruins. Her most welcome words yet cut short. The arm even lifted off her shoulder.
“Ha, you bastard. Finally found you.”
Not human. A dog bastard, as Shin Gaon said. A bipedal elite “Crystalline Wild” werewolf.
“Now I can finally loosen up.”
No bluff in her tone. She rolled her shoulders, summoning her twin axes from her wrist bracelet—the hunter’s hallmark Bag.
“Watch for a sec.”
She even patted Yeonwoo’s head reassuringly before dashing forward.
‘What the?’
The attitude—like Yeonwoo was her little sis—was baffling. She didn’t even go that far with Yeonseo. But she’d said watch, so she would. Just a sec, she’d said.
‘Bide my time and snag the finisher.’
Elite werewolf. Perfect for stacking superiority as a Gate Liberator with Species Annihilator.
‘I came here to get stronger, not watch this crap.’
So. Watch a bit, then steal the kill.
‘Just say I was gonna help.’
Bonus: scout her skills.
—Awooooo—!
The werewolf spotted Shin Gaon and bellowed thunderously. Elite menace dwarfed regular wolves.
“Hahat, you mangy mutt!”
But Shin Gaon’s ferocity topped it. Fangs bared in a wide grin, she swung her axes down instantly.
Clang!
Sparks flew. The werewolf’s claws shot out, blocking head-on. Elite indeed—tanked the strike that’d decapitated wolves in one go.
But Shin Gaon’s follow-up was spectacular.
“That all you got?!”
The moment her strike was parried, she dropped the axes. Zero hesitation.
‘Crazy bitch!’
Yeonwoo swore inwardly as—Wham!
Shin Gaon kicked the werewolf square in the solar plexus, her hands free.
—Kheung……!
Unforeseen primitive blow. The werewolf crumpled defenselessly.
Whoosh— The axes tumbled forward too. Shin Gaon stomped and snatched them mid-fall.
Crunch!
—Yelp!
Her foot pinned the ankle. Not shattered, but immobilized.
“Die! Croak! Pathetic! You, fucking mutt!”
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Shin Gaon hammered down repeatedly. Screaming like a demon, but her lips curled in obvious glee.
‘Whoa. Psycho.’
Yeonwoo was floored. Skill aside, the brutality froze her—sucked into the fight, finisher forgotten.
Something more vital surfaced.
[It starts as solo, but switches to teams later. No clue the format, but you two will pair up for sure.]
Mikael’s words echoed. Key: for sure. Event rules meant teaming eventually.
‘No one else I know anyway.’
But she was a nutjob. Moves, mouth, fighting—all insane. Even sexual harassment.
Yet undeniably strong. This display proved it.
‘Why.’
‘Don’t I know her?’
This strong. This memorable.
‘No memory at all.’
One answer: culled. Perfect prey for accidental death—gates or people.
“Hey, cutie.”
Shin Gaon called then. Yeonwoo snapped up at the annoying nickname.
“……”
Speechless at the absurd sight.
—Grrr, grr, khe……!
“Be a good boy. Stay put, mutt. Yeah?”
Shin Gaon had her arm around the trembling werewolf’s neck. A chokehold, grinning wide.
“Wanna finish it off?”
Casual as offering a smoke. She dangled the killshot lightly.