Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: First Expedition (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I'd only ever been to an amusement park once, on a school field trip, but there's one ride that stuck with me. The roller coaster.
The tension of the climb. The anticipation at the peak. The thrill of the drop. That bizarre rush where your whole body feels like it's floating in midair—something you can only experience on a ride.
Back then, just getting through the day was a struggle, so I vaguely remember lining up over and over, riding it again and again, venting all my stress the entire day.
Recalling that memory, I drew in a deep breath from the excitement and joy welling up from the depths of my chest, then let it out.
"Fuuuuuuuuck!!!"
The cloth tying my waist around her made an ominous ripping sound. I was clinging to Oroji's back like a cicada.
Leaves and twigs whipped mercilessly at my face. Every time Oroji stepped on a thick branch and kicked off, it snapped with a brutal crack crack, sending wooden shards crumbling to the ground.
"You don't have to drag the whole neighborhood's monsters along. Keep it quiet."
"They're already coming...!"
Wind rushed into my gaping mouth, so I buried half my face against her back.
Several meters below, the ground was pure hell. Countless monsters packed together densely, steadily closing the distance.
"You never said anything about running through the trees! What are you, a ninja...!"
"We're about to die—does that matter right now?"
"Goddamn it, seriously!"
I had nothing to say, so I clamped my mouth shut.
She was right. Fleeing through the treetops was more efficient than I'd thought. Orcs and goblins just flailed their limbs and screeched—they couldn't chase her like this.
But that was separate from the visual pressure. The monsters, usually so noisy, pursued us in eerie silence, swarming without a single cry.
And above all, what was driving me insane was...
"N-no, stay back, stay back!!"
I yanked a dagger from my forearm bracer. Keeping one arm wrapped around Oroji's neck, I twisted my torso to glance behind us.
Whoosh!
With a sharp sound slicing the air, the dagger plunged in deep. A bat-like monster tumbled headfirst toward the ground.
But it had been too late to relax for a while now. Behind us, bats had clustered so thickly they blocked the view entirely.
I swatted at the ones lunging close. I bashed the head of a monster trying to bite my arm with the dagger's hilt, then grabbed its razor-sharp claws raking my gut and hurled it away.
"Why don't you help?"
"Of course I'm helping! It's not just me who dies if I don't!"
Unlike my frantic yells, Oroji stayed perfectly calm. I felt her tense her toes with a smirk.
"Hold on tight this time. For real."
I reflexively tensed my limbs, clinging to her like a vise.
Crack!!
Her powerful kick shattered the branch, launching her body high into the air. Slowly, she rotated half a turn, facing backward.
Midair, in a slow spin, she drew a dagger from the belt on her thigh in a flash. Crackle. Blue lightning sparked at the blade's tip.
Boom!!
With a sound that shook the air itself, the dagger flew from her hand, burrowing into the swarm of bats.
As her body swung forward again, a flash erupted from the clustered monsters.
Rumble!!
A thunderclap-like roar filled the air, reeking of ozone. Looking back, I clearly saw that horde of monsters roasted in one go.
"Whoa...!"
An exclamation slipped out unconsciously. The charred corpses plummeting to the ground en masse was quite the spectacle.
...And without even time to marvel. From behind that bat swarm, it appeared.
A pitch-black wyvern smashing through branches with its wings, flying straight toward us.
Despite the growing distance, the beast only looked larger by the second.
"O-Oroji, that thing...!"
Rough breaths came through the back of my hand tapping her shoulder. Her body trembled violently against my legs wrapped around her waist.
...Oroji wasn't in good shape. I'd only gotten bruises and pain, but she'd cushioned my fall from that height. Of course she was injured.
"I know..."
She muttered through gritted teeth. The wyvern closed in relentlessly. Her hand, drawing a dagger while stepping on a branch, shook faintly.
Jumping inevitably slowed you down. If she pulled off that stunt again now, we'd either get caught or fall. Neither was welcome.
I glanced down at my forearm. The densely packed daggers were all gone—only one remained.
Gripping and yanking it free, I bit my lip hard. I fully released the arm around Oroji's neck.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!"
With my arm gone from her neck, Oroji yelled in rare panic. As I straightened my torso, the cloth tying our waists finally ripped apart.
"What are you doing?! Grab on quick!"
I clamped my thighs tight around her waist. Forcing strength into my spine to steady my wobbling upper body, I twisted backward.
"Just run! Hurry!!"
The wyvern had narrowed the gap to mere meters. In the dim moonlight, its bloodied back and bulk gleamed clearly.
"You'll fall like that!"
Strangely, I felt calm. With unusually steady eyes, I gripped the dagger tighter.
'That...'
On the wyvern's brow. A red pattern etched into the black scales.
A geometric design. Like those magic circles middle schoolers were into—packed with intricate shapes inside a circle.
To me, that circle looked just like the bullseye on the log target I'd stabbed countless times in Yang Jihee's backyard.
"You idiot!! You can't hit that!!"
How many seconds until it grabbed us? Its head loomed closer.
Deep breath. I calmed my mind steadily. No rushing in overconfident and screwing up—I waited patiently for it to approach.
Shrieeeek!!
"Grab on already!!"
No matter how fast Oroji pushed, it kept gaining. Now just under 2 meters away, its fangs glinted sharply.
Deep breath.
The world seemed to slow. My mind sharpened unconsciously, a pleasant focus surging through me.
How did Oroji do it earlier? Recalling her motion, I raised my arm.
Shoulder and wrist flexible. Thrusting my pulled-back arm forward like pushing, channeling my upper body's full power. Whipping it like a lash, then...
At the peak force. I released my grip.
Whoosh!
With a air-splitting boom like Oroji's, the dagger plunged into the wyvern's brow, leaving only the hilt exposed—like a horn sprouting from its head.
General Skill: Weak Point Aim (C)
General Skill: Throwing (C)
The massive corpse crashed to the ground. Branches shattered, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
The monsters chasing us to kill froze in place. They glanced around like bewildered humans.
Squeeeeal!!!
One orc let out a pig-slaughter scream, and they scattered in all directions. Fleeing far from the wyvern's corpse, dispersing farther and farther.
Oroji, standing dazed on a thick branch, turned her head.
"You..."
Her gaze toward me clearly read surprise. With no strength left in my body, I gave an awkward smile and wrapped my arm back around her neck.
"...Can we take that with us?"
I pointed at the wyvern's corpse with one arm. Oroji let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"In this situation? Your head works fast. Do that more often."
"Then you're leaving it?"
"As if. It's not pocket change. Worst case, we ditch it and run."
I gave a weak laugh at her words. Oroji stepped off into the air and dropped to the ground. A perfect 100/100 landing.
I slipped off her back quietly. Maybe from overexerting my muscles—delayed pain flooded my shoulders.
Without a word, she unbuckled the belt from her thigh and tossed it to me. I caught it reflexively, staring at her in confusion.
"Wear it till we get out. Who knows what else might pop up."
...Did she just acknowledge me?
My heart pounded. Getting recognized for my skills by another hunter for the first time. Unconsciously, I gripped and fiddled with the belt.
She smirked, twisting her lips up.
"It's been on my thigh—aren't you fiddling too much?"
"No?"
"What do you mean no. You look thrilled. What, want me to strip when we get out?"
"I said no."
"Bras are uncomfortable so I skip 'em. But I've got panties. Want those too?"
"...Fuck."
"Fuck?"
"I'm... fuuucked..."
Should've done that ages ago. She patted my shoulder lightly and walked toward the wyvern's corpse—her steps light and cheerful.
I turned my head away from her, then stealthily cupped the belt in my palm.
...It was warm.
Dragging the wyvern's corpse along, Oroji and I emerged from the forest.
It was full night outside. The night sky after nearly a full day didn't look as purely beautiful as yesterday. The two hanging moons seemed to scold me for relaxing.
"Nothing else will chase us, right...?"
"Who knows?"
I glanced back at the forest cautiously. It was dead silent. Moonlight bathed the woods—no sign of monsters.
Instead.
"Huh...?"
"What? Why?"
Oroji turned too—and her body went rigid.
Deep in the forest. On the straight trail of flattened grass where the wyvern's corpse had crushed everything like a path.
One person in pure white clothes. Staring right at us.