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“……”

Thanks to the power of intimidation, it seems I’ve extracted about all the info I needed. If only I had one more tail to interrogate, I could have gathered even more details and verified their credibility. That’s a bit of a letdown.

As I ponder this, the tail, which was overwhelmed by intimidation, starts to snap back to reality and realizes its blabbering. Now it’s just wallowing in self-hatred; not that it really changes anything.

‘…There are more infiltrators in the clan than I thought?’

I doubt a single tail could know everything. Considering that, just how many are hiding in the clan? The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Still, having gotten the info, it’s basically like I’ve uprooted them all.

‘If one gets tangled up…’

Eventually, the rest would follow suit, like fish caught in a net. At that moment, I heard something crumble, like it was all about to fall apart. The tail, lost in confusion and self-loathing, perked its head up as if it had found the light.

It seemed to have a sudden realization. Hope—or maybe poison—was swelling in its expression.

“You’ll end up dead too…!”

A mix of venom and madness. What flickered in its eyes turned to fear when it met the gaze of the wolf. It thrashed and struggled, seemingly unable to accept that. But with all its tendons cut, there was nothing it could really do. Eventually, the tail flailed meaninglessly until it collapsed, never to rise again.

“……”

I got everything I needed. No need to stick around for the enhancement, but that earlier noise was still nagging at me. The sound I just heard definitely resembled something big crumbling and falling into the water. Based on the direction it came from and the deafening noise, it’s highly likely.

‘Did something collapse the bridge?’

That’s the only thing that makes sense. Thinking about safety, retreating to the fantasy world might be the right call, but then again, it could also be a golden opportunity to grab more of their tails.

‘Also…’

The presence I feel near the bridge is enormous. It’s highly likely it’s a monster…

‘…It wouldn’t hurt to check it out.’

With that, the wolf dashed toward the presence.

***

“It’s getting tough to go any further from here.”

“That’s fine.”

Hong Yu-ri, after doing the math, tilted her head as she got out of the taxi. The reason the car could go no further? Because the bridge was broken. There were quite a few people gathering around, as if they were sightseeing.

“……?”

When Hong Yu-ri approached to see what was broken about the bridge,

“Everyone! Step back… kid. It’s dangerous, so take a different path.”

“Huh…?”

The hunter controlling the crowd stopped Hong Yu-ri. She frowned, clearly taken aback. So, they saw her as some kind of kid…? Just before a slew of curses came flying out, she sensed a ripple of magic. Though it was quite a distance away, she could clearly see a splash rising.

Her expanding magic caught the presence of two beings fighting underwater. As she confirmed one of them to be the wolf she had been searching for, the corners of her mouth twisted in a smirk.

“Found you.”

***

[Abyssal Fish]

[Length 45.6m] [Height 11.4m] [Weight 251t]

[Strength 514] [Agility 250] [Health 501]

‘This level…’

The massive monster that brought down the bridge—its appearance looked more like a combination of a pufferfish and a whale than a fish.

‘The stats seem high, but…’

While strength and health are impressive, its agility is low, and most importantly, it lacks magic. For someone like me, who is amphibious, it just looks like a giant punching bag.

‘Perfect for leveling up.’

It would easily fill the remaining 30,000 experience points. I dove into the water, and despite the splashes, the stealth held, and the abyssal fish failed to notice me. Even as I neared, it remained oblivious to my presence.

‘Let’s start with the eyes.’

Just like before, the tentacles and gusts of wind created whirlpools. Picking up speed, I swiftly positioned myself right in front of it. Shooting spines at it, the monster finally noticed me and opened its massive mouth.

“――?!”

This is why it’s called an abyssal fish. My view turned black as its wide mouth gaped open. Suddenly, it began sucking in water with incredible force. The spines I shot lost their momentum and got swept away by the current. The water it swallowed drained back through its gills, propelling it forward.

‘No way…!’

It approached with terrifying velocity. That enormous shadow slowly closed its mouth. It was challenging to resist the flow of water. Using magic and elasticity, I pushed forward against the current—slipping through its gills and out.

‘Did I underestimate it too much?’

Even so, I still didn’t think taking it down would be too difficult. However, the only thing I could confirm through perception was merely its stats, and I wondered if I may have been a bit overconfident.

‘No. It’s not overconfidence.’

A monster moving with propulsion from water flowing through its gills? Who could even conceive of such a thing? Just how strong are its gills? It probably collapsed the bridge using that very propulsion.

‘Fighting it head-on is dangerous.’

I need to use its sides and rear. I shot spines while circling around it, but the water’s resistance and its massive size rendered my attacks barely effective.

‘This won’t work.’

I’ll need to deal more substantial damage. Creating whirlpools around it, I produced as many spiny tentacles as possible. Even with its massive size, I could outpace it as I circled.

‘My speed is incomparable.’

It’s fast only when expelling water from its gills. In a straight line, not so much. I hardened each spine to make them even tougher. Combining the shadows of the tentacles with their effect made countless blades, continuously feeding from the points of contact.

‘Done.’

The devaluation drained its health, and the status boost from fullness applied. When everything was ready, the abyssal fish writhed in pain.

‘This should do it.’

As I surged forward with the whirlpool created by the gusts, I tore through its scales, shredding flesh underneath in dozens of places. As it spat out water in agony, it propelled itself split apart.

“―――!”

The surrounding sea turned crimson with the abyssal fish’s blood. Seeing the creature’s enormous form and its remaining health of 500, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration.

‘Persistent…?!’

I had to quickly evade as it lunged toward me, an ominous chill coursing through me.

[Weak Instinct (E) Lv.4 has reached maximum proficiency. Weak Instinct (E) Lv.4 → Weak Instinct (E) Lv.5]

The moment I quickly retreated, the sea turned red again. Not from its blood…! The surrounding water temperature shot up by dozens of degrees. At some point, I saw the abyssal fish charred black.

‘……!’

A surge of magic that’s impossible to forget. I sliced through the water, diving deeper. The recently submerged abyssal fish sank to the bottom.

‘Hong Yu-ri.’

This magic is undoubtedly hers. Above the surface, her red magic drifted like clouds, with Hong Yu-ri floating above it. I could quickly figure out how she had followed me.

‘Tracking Magic Eye.’

Now, everything, including skills I couldn’t see before, was in plain sight.

[Hong Yu-ri (Human)]

[Height 143.6cm] [Weight 32.7kg]

[Strength 221] [Agility 247] [Health 281] [Magic 643]

[Skills]

[Tracking Magic Eye (B)][Magic Enhancement (C)][Magic Concentration (C)][Magic Regeneration (D)][Intuition (E)][Insight (E)][Weak Poison Resistance (F)]

Hong Yu-ri, the greatest mage of dawn. Her true identity was finally revealed.

Though her other stats were comparable or even lower than mine, her magic was leagues beyond anything I could measure. Sure, she might not possess overwhelming power, but her skills shone brightly. It seemed she had most skills connected to magic.

[You have consumed the abyssal fish. Experience and fullness increase.]

Her scarlet eyes glowed like embers, locking onto me. It felt as if she could pierce right through.

‘…….’

The only ones I oppose are the scoundrels. Not hunters, but traitors. Hong Yu-ri is a hunter of dawn, and when I think logically, there’s no reason for me to fight her.

‘In the first place, the odds are against me.’

Coldly evaluating, I was now at the level of an A-class hunter. But Hong Yu-ri was beyond any ordinary A-class. Her strength lay in the magical power that isn’t reflected in stats. No matter how I looked at it, there was no reason to fight her. I knew it was right to resolve matters through dialogue.

But—

“You’re not coming out? Then this means I can kill you, right?”

—Her words flipped a switch. I had tried to hold back. I had already come to terms with everything back at Lee Hyun Park. She was merely doing her job as a hunter when she tried to kill me at Waterside Park. I had tried to see it as her fulfilling her duty. So I had resolved to tolerate it. But then…

“―――!”

My teeth clenched, and my breath became ragged. The moment I saw Hong Yu-ri smirk, her hand lifted to reveal Fairy trapped within the red magic; it all came crashing down.

‘……!’

I stared blankly upward. My mind raced with images of Fairy’s death, reiterating Hong Yu-ri’s words over and over in my head. Seeing Fairy helplessly dangled in the red magic triggered the last strand of reason I had left.

I had held back. I had understood her reasoning. A fight she had started. I even understood her casting magic. She was a hunter. There was no way around it. I thought I could rationalize it. It was unavoidable. But suddenly—

“Kyuuuuuuut…!”

—Seeing Fairy trapped in magic turned my mind blank. Everything accumulated until then. My considerations for future actions. Thoughts about the scoundrels. All those calculative thoughts flew out the window. One by one, the strands of reason began to sever. My heart raced uncontrollably. My blood surged, boiling, heating up my veins. When that boiling blood surged through my body, the final thread of reason holding the wolf dissolved completely.

“―――!”

***

I already knew about the fairy-type monster. The clan lord of Sage’s Forest Clan said that the fairy-type was being threatened by the alpha, but Hong Yu-ri didn’t think so.

‘That airhead should have witnessed this outcome.’

If the fairy was genuinely being threatened, there was no way it would help the alpha. If that were the case, she would have captured it long before meeting Kang Tae-ho in the forest dungeon. Hong Yu-ri was convinced that the alpha and the fairy-type had a cooperative relationship, and she thought capturing the fairy-type first was a priority. That way, it couldn’t escape.

‘Yeah. That’s correct, but…’

…It seems too accurate. In the first place, the order in the clan was to capture alive, so there wasn’t any intention to kill it. She just wanted to keep it from escaping to open up a chance for dialogue…

‘…What a hassle.’

There was no longer a shred of reason in the alpha’s eyes. More than anything—this chilling aura told me the creature would never retreat.

“Hey…?”

Even trying to say something fell flat; there was no response forthcoming.

Reverse Scale. It seems it hit far, far too close to home. It wasn’t a simple collaborative relationship but possibly a familial or even deeper bond. At some point, her red magic started to be repelled as black flames erupted. As the chilling aura spread and the malevolence flared, a fleeting thought crossed Hong Yu-ri’s mind. Was she making a mistake?

“Damn it…”

With a strained look, Hong Yu-ri raised her magic.

 

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