Wild Sanctuary 05: Gotta Take Care of This Too!
“Gotta take care of this too!”
With Shin Gaon’s shout, a barrage of massive arrows rained down like an avalanche. Thanks to her quick wits, they had plenty of ammo now.
Kraaaargh!
A werewolf burst out from the pierced tunnel. The lead one leaped straight at Yeonwoo, jaws gaping fearlessly.
The instant it charged—thwang! The ballista’s thick bowstring snapped forward. With a piercing whistle, a gigantic arrow speared right through the werewolf.
Before that colossal force, the beast was utterly helpless. Not even a sound escaped it. No trace remained.
It simply vanished along the arrow’s path.
Of course, the arrow didn’t stop there.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud—!
The massive projectile punched through wolf after wolf, carving a wide-open swath through the tunnel in a frenzy of razor-sharp momentum.
Grrrrowl!Yelp! Grrk! Yap!
The commotion drew their attention again. Even after shattering that translucent wall with everything they had, the tunnel was narrow, and the wolves were endless. Even werewolves were squeezing through now.
“So damn many!”
Yeonwoo hurriedly scooped up arrows and loaded them into the ballista. Reloading was simple—no need to draw the arm-thick string; just slot the arrow upward.
And again—thwang! Another massive arrow pierced the wolves.
Thwang! Thwang! She fired repeatedly. She’d slain hundreds in seconds, yet the blue tide showed no sign of slowing, let alone stopping.
There was no countering that insane numbers game. These things came in waves of over a thousand each time.
In the end, it was just buying time.
“That’s the most important part!”
And that time-buying was crucial. Plus, she had to make as much noise as possible. She needed to show the wolves bunching up on one side—this horrific spectacle of them swarming.
Thwang! Thwang! Thwang! Thwang—!
Yeonwoo kept firing. When the number of wolves disintegrating midair hit the thousands—
“The wolves are massing on one side.”
“They’re moving. What the—crossing between zones?!”
“That’s the castle side, right? So… Hunter Yeonwoo’s area?”
The other hunters finally turned to look. Not at the front, where they had to defend against the encroaching horde, but at the rear—supposedly just a dead end.
They already knew about the massive castle’s presence. But the thousands-strong blue wave surging toward it was an overwhelming sight in its own right, rivaling the fortress.
And standing alone, plugging that tide, was one person.
Yeonwoo.
“Everyone, gather here!”
Yeonwoo gritted her teeth and bellowed, her slender frame shaking with the effort.
“Get over here!”
Her shout finally carried. But acting on it wasn’t so easy.
“……Why?”
“What’s going on?”
The hunters exchanged puzzled glances with their teammates. Defending your own zone was obvious. That was the system, the event.
Especially when they were too busy holding their own to even check elsewhere. They hadn’t had time to survey like Yeonwoo, wide-eyed and adapting to the shifted conditions.
They just defended blindly.
“Damn it.”
An unexpected snag? Or entirely predictable? Yeonwoo’s face twisted in frustration.
Yeah. I wouldn’t go either if I were them!
In a sanctuary defense event, a sudden “gather up” order—plus punching through a wolf-choked tunnel? Unrealistic. And the ones who needed help most were pinned down, their houses intact but them savaged by wolves.
The badly wounded couldn’t move. They might really die like this.
Dying pathetically in an event? Wrong. Someone’s mistake, maybe. So someone had to fix it.
Just a little.
She didn’t need many. A few movers would do.
People are like that anyway.
She’d grabbed attention—step one success. If even a few shifted now, the holdouts would waver.
One shake, and she could drag the rest. Borrow her power, the castle’s, whatever pretext worked.
“How?”
There was a way. “Even three can conjure a tiger that isn’t there.” And she wasn’t some imaginary beast—she was real, well-known, powerful.
Yeonwoo took a deep breath.
“I’m the Saintess, and I’m ordering you to gather—!”
She’d admitted it herself. Embraced the title.
“……Huh?”
“Gasp.”
“Sis! I’m coming right now!”
“Oh no, what folly have I…!”
“Blinded by this stupid event!”
The Saintess of the Ant Nest’s command snapped the Ant Nest kids out of it. Absolute obedience.
It was just an event anyway. No way they’d break their oath to the Saintess over it.
They bolted from their houses, charging the rear tunnel. Mingling with the blue tide, swinging weapons, advancing fiercely.
“I’m going!”
“Yeah, there’s gotta be a reason.”
“She’s got a plan for sure!”
These were the ones she’d saved before. Without her, miserable deaths in the Ant Nest. And for a mere event? Reason to follow? Didn’t matter—they had none not to.
“Wait, am I seeing this right?”
“What’s… no, are they all crazy? Why are they doing that?!”
The momentum sparked questions. Even the Ant Nest kids—promising new gens with that nickname—abandoning solid brick-mixed houses, ditching the event, all heading tunnel-ward like clockwork. Eyes turned.
“Yeah, hurry up!”
Yeonwoo grinned despite herself. Relief brought a natural smile.
Ping! She fired the ballista like celebratory fireworks. Thwang! To welcome them. Thwang! To clear space.
Ping! But no matter how much she shot, it only pierced the tunnel-clogged wolves.
To gather hunters, she needed to open a clear path closer up.
Thwang! Relentless wolf-smashing filled her inner power to the brim.
“After that much shooting, of course!”
Over a thousand wolves massacred. Event-spawned or gate natives—who knew the difference. But this many kills? Time to fill up.
Weight Reduction
Now at Tier II, stage 5. This time, a new trait blared loud and clear.
“Ah, this one!”
Familiar, too. Weapon-related, one she’d had back in her Weapon Expert days.
Performance as named.
Weight Reduction
Halves the perceived weight.
A passive letting her wield heavy weapons lightly. “Perceived” to retain the weapon’s weight-based advantages fully.
“I’ll clear the path!”
A way forward at last. Yeonwoo kicked a pile of scattered arrows on the ground. Massive ballista bolts rolled fiercely toward the tunnel opening—ready to fire from that line anytime.
She slotted one into the ballista.
“Hup.”
Deep breath. She wedged the giant ballista between her side and arm, eyes squeezed shut, and hoisted it up.
“Heav… whoa……!”
Her body quivered slightly. But bearable. Key was mindset. Pain from overload—the dragging arms, trembling body, dizzying strain through waist and legs—was just sensory feedback.
Halved perception-wise. Territory she could endure with Pain of Loss.
Clench. Clench.
Teeth gritted, Yeonwoo stepped toward the tunnel. Heavy footfalls shook the ballista, clanking.
Toward the wolf tide. Finger on the trigger.
Did it even have a trigger? Whatever.
“Pierce them—!”
Yeonwoo pulled the trigger, teeth bared.
Thwaaaang—!
The massive arrow launched. Its whistle didn’t just pierce air—it shattered it, hurtling forward.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The arrow impaled everything in its path. Piercing, shredding, crushing, smashing, pulverizing, disintegrating, annihilating, breaking through.
Different. Holding and firing changed everything—power, trajectory.
The ballista’s path cleared a void.
But recoil differed too.
“Hah, haaah……”
It gouged a long scar as Yeonwoo’s body skidded back far. Ballista still skyward, her frail frame heaved visibly with ragged breaths.
“……Whoa.”
“What is that? A monster?”
“Should we… really head that way…?”
“Maybe… I dunno.”
Impossible not to stare. That thunderous boom, raw power. The surreal scene stole minds.
And in that daze, a meeting formed.
“Saintess!”
“Whoa! Saintess is carrying a ballista!”
“Sis, you’re so pretty……”
“So, what’s the play this time?”
The Ant Nest kids finally reached their Saintess. Genuine joy, cheers—watching them, it felt inevitable to join.
That overwhelming power paired with fragile beauty. Contrasting emotions swirled; gazing left you entranced.
“Hold this spot. Head to the castle—some weird woman there’ll explain. And……”
Yeonwoo trailed off, recalling. Picking standouts from the Ant Nest.
“You guys. And you. Hold at the tunnel entrance like this.”
Memory jogged, she selected six—including the “sis you’re so pretty” culprit.
“An honor.”
“Haha, she knows!”
“Roger.”
“Kinda nervous.”
“Then bail.”
“Nah, good nervous. Time to show results!”
The chosen beamed even before the wolf pack, grins near-clownish, gripping weapons in excitement.
“Damn it, this close and……”
“Not enough yet. Gotta get stronger. Stronger.”
“Fucking wolf pups. I’ll kill ’em all!”
The unchosen, heading to the castle, clenched fists in frustration. But resolve burned in their eyes—next time, they’d be picked. Etched bone-deep.
Seeing the split fervor among Ant Nest kids, their Saintess smirked.
Why the fuss?
Just absurd. Or really—
Embarrassing……
Being the center, drawing fervent cheers and expectations? Unfamiliar, maddening.
“Heh.”
“What a sight.”
“Let’s do this.”
“Good eats today.”
Her face flushed with shy embarrassment. Watchers of the bashful Saintess rubbed noses warmly. Rub rub rub rub rub rub—noses wearing thin, hard to watch.
“Anyway! Move out!”
“Yes!”
“Let’s go!”
Hunters mobilized at her word. Elite six followed her into the tunnel; rest secured the castle.
Even before the wolf tide, their poise shone.
“……Should we go too?”
“But… honestly, no clue.”
“Bet there’s a reason she’s calling.”
The tide turned. Onlookers’ judgments tipped from doubt to “gather,” slowly but surely.
Yeonwoo’s feats made it inevitable. Such power, yet desperately fighting for others? It evoked some ineffable philosophy.