"Ma'am, no matter what happens, you must stay here," Elena said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the chaos outside.
They were inside a small church building, one of the few places that still stood intact. The elderly woman nodded slowly, her frail hands gripping the edge of the wooden bench as distant explosions echoed through the air, followed by low, monstrous roars that made the walls tremble.
Even from this distance, it was impossible not to feel it.
"If something happens, head toward the sea," Elena continued, lowering her voice as if that would somehow calm the situation. "Don't go into the city, it's more dangerous there."
The woman looked at her with anxious eyes but nodded again, trusting her words without question.
Elena lingered for a brief moment, making sure she was truly settled before turning away. There was no time to hesitate, not when people were still out there.
She ran.
Elena knew she wasn't strong, not compared to the others fighting at the front lines, but standing still while everything burned around her felt worse than fear itself. Even if she couldn't change the outcome, she could at least help someone, and that thought alone was enough to keep her moving.
As she ran, she finally forced herself to look at the rewards she had been avoiding.
It had been there for a while now, hovering at the edge of her vision, something she deliberately ignored because even acknowledging it made everything feel too real. The system, the battles, the blood, none of it was something she wanted to accept, yet here she was anyway.
The blue screen flickered into view.
『 You have earned the following rewards: 』
‣ Skill: Aerial Healing (S)
‣ +10 Luck
Elena slowed slightly, her brows knitting together as she read the words again, as if they might change the second time.
"Aerial Healing...?" she murmured under her breath, confusion settling in almost immediately.
An S rank skill.
For her?
It didn't make sense.
She was only an F rank, someone who could barely defend herself without relying on others, so why would the system give her something so far beyond her level?
The question lingered in her mind, especially when she remembered what they had just faced.
It's better not to think too deeply into it.
『 Aerial Healing (S) 』
A rain of light will descend and heal those it touches. *Must be cast from elevated ground to be effective.*
...Huh?
Elena blinked at the description, reading it twice as if the words might suddenly change into something more reasonable, but they didn't, and that only made it feel even more absurd.
"This is... kind of broken, isn't it?" she muttered under her breath, her brows knitting together.
She glanced at the familiar screens that hovered around her.
"Hey, don't you guys think this is weird?" she asked.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
It is yours, I see nothing wrong with it.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
What's weird about it? This is a good thing!
『 Above The Broken World 』
You should learn offensive skills too. What a stingy system.
Elena frowned slightly, still unconvinced as she crossed her arms, her gaze lingering on the glowing text.
"I mean, it's an S-rank skill, how am I supposed to use this?" she said. "I'd probably pass out before I even finish casting it."
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Do not worry. You can use it once.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Just use it once. Although, it might take a toll on your body. Goodluck!
『 Above The Broken World 』
You need something to protect yourself. Make a contract with me.
Elena let out a small sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly as she closed the window with a flick of her hand, forcing the glowing messages out of sight.
One chance...?
When she returned to the scene, everything had changed so drastically that it barely resembled the place she had left behind.
Buildings were reduced to rubble, smoke rising into the air as monsters roamed freely through the streets. Hunters shouted over one another, their voices overlapping in desperation as they called for support, directions, anything that could keep the situation from completely collapsing.
Civilians ran in panic, guided by a small group of hunters trying to lead them toward safety, but even that felt fragile, like it could break apart at any moment.
"Civilians, come this way! The emergency shelter is this way!" one of the hunters shouted.
Elena heard it, but didn't go there.
Her eyes swept across the battlefield instead, scanning the chaos with growing urgency.
Where...?
Where would be the best place?
She only had one chance.
Just one.
If she could use it properly, she could save people, maybe even turn things around just a little.
"We need backup over here!"
"C-rank monster spotted! We need a tanker!"
"There's too many, I can't hold them off—!"
The voices kept coming, louder and more frantic as the pressure mounted. The hunters were being pushed back, step by step, their formation slowly collapsing as more monsters poured in.
Amid the chaos, Elena moved, her gaze searching for higher ground, her mind racing as she tried to find the perfect spot to activate her skill.
And yet something was strange.
The hunters around her, those who were clearly exhausted just moments ago, seemed to regain a bit of strength. Their breathing steadied, their movements became slightly sharper, and even their expressions looked less strained.
It was subtle. So subtle that no one questioned it.
No one realized that it was her.
Her passive ability, Gentle Heart, was quietly taking effect, easing their mental fatigue and dulling the pounding headaches that had built up from the relentless battle.
Elena didn't notice it either.
She was too focused.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Behind you!
The sudden message snapped her out of her thoughts.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
She dropped.
Her knees hit the ground as something passed right where her head had been a second ago, the air slicing sharply as the attack missed her by inches.
"...What—"
She turned quickly, her breath catching.
A grotesque creature stood behind her.
Its body resembled a bloated frog, its skin slick and uneven, but its mouth was filled with sharp, jagged fangs like a predator's. A long tongue flicked out intermittently, thin and quick like a snake's, glistening with something that didn't look safe.
"...What is that...?" Elena whispered.
A chill ran down her spine.
Instinctively, she checked its status.
『 Mutated Poisonous Frog (C) 』
『 Spreads poison from its body when threatened. Uses its snake-like tongue coated with C-rank poison to subdue its prey. 』
Her grip tightened slightly.
"...C-rank..."
And it was looking straight at her.
Since Seo Elena was a low-rank hunter, far below the creature in front of her, it made sense that it didn't see her as a threat. The realization sent a wave of relief through her, even if it was small and fragile.
Thank god...
I need to leave. Now.
Her eyes quickly scanned the area before landing on a small hill in the distance. It wasn't that far, but with the current situation, distance didn't matter nearly as much as survival did.
If she ran without stopping, it would take around ten minutes.
Ten minutes.
Under normal circumstances, that would be nothing.
But here?
Surrounded by monsters that would tear her apart the second they noticed her, ten minutes felt unbearably long, almost suffocating in its weight.
At this scale of invasion, there wouldn't be anyone available to help her. Even if there were hunters nearby, they were already overwhelmed, barely holding their own positions.
She was on her own.
As Elena calculated her chances, the frog suddenly flicked its tongue forward.
Her eyes widened.
It was longer than she expected.
She barely managed to step back in time, the tip slicing through the air where she had just been standing. The speed alone made her heart race, her breath catching in her throat.
...That was close.
She could've died had she not dodged that. In that moment, all she could think about was her 'luck' that's unusually high.
But that stupid 'luck' stat did nothing. Just how exactly is she lucky in this situation? Until now, she still wonders if that part of her stat is a typo..
If anything, it felt like a joke.
She didn't have time to dwell on it.
Elena turned and ran. It was her only choice anyway.
Her steps were unsteady as she rushed through the debris, broken concrete and shattered remains of buildings littering the ground. She tried to keep her balance, but in her haste—
She tripped.
"Ugh—!"
Her knee slammed against the ground, pain flaring instantly as the rough surface scraped against her skin. The sting spread quickly, but she didn't even get the chance to focus on it.
Something moved above her.
Her head snapped up.
A ball of black mist hovered in the air before shooting forward, slamming into a nearby building.
The moment it made contact, the wall began to dissolve.
Like it was being eaten away by acid, the structure melting into nothing and leaving behind a gaping hole that exposed the inside.
Elena's breath hitched.
Holy... I almost died.
If I hadn't tripped, that would've hit me...
She forced herself to move, ignoring the pain in her knee as she pushed against the ground, trying to stand.
But she was too slow. By the time she lifted her head, the frog was already in front of her.
Her body went cold.
No.
No, no—
There was no time to run.
No time to think.
Elena squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for what was coming.
Poison wouldn't kill her instantly. She would feel it first instead.
The burning, the pain spreading through her veins, her body shutting down slowly until her heart finally gave out.
The thought alone made her chest tighten.
Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
If I'm going to die anyway... can't it just be quick? Her hands clenched tightly.
Curse these dungeons!
Curse these monsters!
Curse this stupid system!
How am I supposed to fight something that's a rank higher than me, is faster and scarier than anything else I've seen, and is literally disgustingly stinky!
It's not fair...
But as time passed, nothing happened.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Did it... miss? Or did her body already give up before she could feel anything?
Slowly, hesitantly, Elena cracked one eye open.
A tall and familiar figure stood in front of her.
When she fully opened her eyes, Han Jinhyuk was standing there, his back facing her.