_______________________________
[Second Scenario – Food Acquisition]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Directly hunt the monsters that can be used as food and cook them.
Time Limit: None
Compensation: 500 coins
Failure: ???
_______________________________
. . .
. .
.
꧁⎝𓆩༺✧ Ethan's POV ✧༻𓆪⎠꧂
The scenario message materialized before us mere seconds after we stepped into the tunnel that led to Yaksu Station. No one spoke of it. Not a single word. We simply kept moving, our footsteps echoing in quiet rhythm against the damp concrete, swallowed almost instantly by the oppressive dark ahead. Dokja and I took the lead without discussion, falling into place as though we'd done this a hundred times before. Heewon stayed close beside me, nervous but steady, while Hyunsung-ssi positioned himself next to Dokja like a shield. Behind us, the others followed in a loose, tense formation; their footsteps were almost giving away how nervous they were.
As we pressed on, venturing deeper into the yawning black void that stretched endlessly before us, my thoughts began to drift away from the present. An odd, unshakeable sensation crept up along my spine and settled somewhere deep in my chest—the distinct, prickling awareness that I had been here before. Not here, exactly. Not this tunnel, but a tunnel like it. A place that mirrored this one in ways I couldn't quite name. The feeling was so vivid, so intimately familiar, that it nearly stole my breath. No matter how frantically I searched through the corridors of my own mind, I could not pull forth a single clear recollection of ever setting foot in a tunnel before. So why, then, was the déjà vu this fierce? Does it have something to do with the Gacha?
I shook my head, trying to dispel the uncomfortable weight of it, the deeply unsettling sense that I was missing something vital, something that belonged to me in a way I couldn't explain, and forced my attention onto something else to distract from it.
'Should I open the rest of my rolls now, or save them for when I'm in some sort of trouble…'
I had a few low-quality roles remaining. Perhaps, I should open those, and leave the level 6 one for trouble…
'No. There's no telling what I could get from even that. If I save just one and get in trouble, the chances of getting what I need would be lower than opening multiple.'
Saving them for now was the best option.
We finally stopped moving after reaching some sort of black barrier ahead of us. Despite Dokja's attempt to look beyond it with a flashlight, there was nothing there. It reminded me of those veils from JJK...
Heewon finally spoke up, her expression a mix of worry and exasperation.
"You two, wait a minute. Isn't it really dangerous from here on out?" she said, stopping beside me. "Are we really going this way? No matter how I look at it, it seems like a suicide mission. What about Gilyoung?"
"I had been worried about that too... It's not too late, so how about we leave Gilyoung behind? And if possible, the women..."
Then Hyunsung-ssi spoke up. I still cringed slightly at his words, though. If I were the person I was before all this shitshow, I probably would have agreed with him.
"Lee Hyunsung-ssi, I may not be as strong as you, but I still know how to fight. I used to take some kendo lessons," Heewon almost snapped back.
Though "some" kendo lessons greatly understated how skilled she actually was, I could somehow tell.
"But..."
Before Hyunsung-ssi could dig his own grave any deeper, Dokja finally spoke up.
"Lee Hyunsung-ssi. I already told you this before. The world has changed. It is simply biased to believe that a woman is physically weak. Right now, anyone can become stronger by raising their stats."
Heewon looked slightly smug. Dokja noticed but continued speaking as though he hadn't.
"But Jung Heewon-ssi, there is also a problem with your words."
"...And that is?"
"Just as a woman can be strong, a child can also be strong. Ethan-ssi is living proof of that, right?"
Heewon almost looked offended.
"Are you seriously calling THIS guy a child??? I almost forgot he was younger than me," she said, pointing at me accusingly, as if my existence was a crime against humanity as a whole.
I stayed quiet since I wholeheartedly agreed with her.
Dokja also seemed to ponder it for a solid three seconds before nodding in agreement.
'Excuse me? YOU'RE NOT ANY DIFFERENT, SQUID FACE!'
"My fault, wrong example. Gilyoung, why don't you show them?"
Gilyoung nodded, looking slightly amused but also somewhat thoughtful about something. He then looked around, bent down, and reached out a hand toward a—
"Oh my gosh... What is that?"
"A cockroach. You don't look so brave now, Heewon-ssi. What happened to all that bravado?" I couldn't help but tease her.
Before she could retort—
"A cockroach?!?"
Mister Spectacled Bait couldn't help but shriek. My guy, you're an adult. Grow a pair.
A trail of light connected Gilyoung's fingertips and the cockroach's tiny insect leg. It looked cute, holding onto the light like some sort of little dog. Then Gilyoung opened his mouth and spoke...
Gibberish.
The cockroach merely nodded and scurried away.
"My attribute is Insect Collector. There is nothing in front of us. It is safe for 100 steps forward."
The gang had expressions of varying bewilderment. And as if that wasn't enough to embarrass them alone, he spoke again.
"Thank you for your concern. But I didn't follow all of you, just for you to take care of me." Having said that, he went over to Dokja, letting him pat his hair.
Heewon had a slightly sour expression, but she didn't say anything. We continued, passed some barrier, and ventured into the darkness.
[You have entered a dangerous area.]
"Y-Yoo Sangah-ssi. It is dangerous, hold my hand while we walk."
"…You look more afraid than I am?"
"Y-you're just imagining it!!"
I half-heartedly listened to two bicker while mentally preparing myself to witness what was about to come. I had thought freezing an entire cabin of people would desensitize me enough to at least look at a corpse without feeling nauseous. But I underestimated just how…
Disgusting and horrific, it actually was.
"Reduce the light," Dokja said to Sangah-ssi, and she complied. She placed her hand slightly in front of the flashlight on her phone, allowing us all to witness what was on the ground, mere feet ahead.
. . .
It was... more nauseating than I had anticipated.
And my senses only made it worse.
The tunnel's humidity clung to my skin like a second layer, damp and suffocating. The putrid stench of blood invaded my nostrils, thick enough to taste. Just ahead lay the torn remains of people. Their bodies twisted into unnatural shapes, flesh ripped open, dark blood smeared across the ground and walls.
And their expressions...
Some still looked terrified. Others seemed frozen in confusion, as if they hadn't even understood what had happened before they died.
I almost couldn't breathe.
It felt as though the tunnel's oppressive dampness was drowning me, trapping me inside a bubble filled with that musky, metallic reek. My hand instinctively shot up to cover my nose and mouth, and I deactivated Haki in an instant.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to process the gore hidden behind the feeble curtain of my eyelids.
It didn't help.
"Ugh..."
[Exclusive skill, Ice Age Lv. 5, has been activated]
[Exclusive skill, Thought Acceleration Lv. 1, has been activated]
A thin layer of barely visible frosty air surrounded my head. It blended in well with the air around us, and in the dark, it wasn't visible to the others. Though they themselves seemed to be coping with the sight.
"Eugh... Don't shine the light downwards." I think Heewon said that. My mind was running at high speed, trying to snap myself out of the trance I was in.
And trying to hold me from vomiting.
"There is something here that isn't human." Gilyoung, who was somehow faring better than I, pointed out.
Trying to distract myself, I also took a look at the thing he was pointing at. It was…
A weird wolf-mole-hedgehog-looking creature. There were many of them, actually.
"…Who the hell could have done this?" Heewon asked with a deep exhale. The 'rats' looked like they had been beaten to a pulp with just fists. Sheesh…
Dokja and I shared a pensive look; he seemed to be thinking of something else, too. Though it was very obvious to the two of us who had done this.
We surrounded the dead creatures, taking a closer look at these monsters from some sort of fairytale.
"Dokja-ssi, can we use these for food?" Hyunsung-ssi asked what was on the minds of the others as well.
"The scenario condition specified that we have to 'hunt' it ourselves, so this won't be enough to clear it. We can probably eat it, though."
"…That's unfortunate. How do we even cook this thing, though? Are we supposed to roast it over a fire?"
'Hmmm…'
I looked at the creatures in deep thought. If I remembered correctly, Dokja would make weapons from their bones. I should pay close attention to the process. Learning how to make weapons from animal bones seemed like a useful skill to have.
"Heewon-ssi, you said you were good at kendo, yes?"
"Uh, it's a bit much to say I am 'good'… What are you doing?"
And we all watched Dokja stab the ground rat's body, intending to reach for its spine.
I should pay close attention.
[Exclusive skill, Adaptive Mind Lv. 1, has been activated!]
__________
Attributes Window
Name: Ethan Callas
Age: 19.
Sponsor: None
Exclusive Attributes: Nerd (Legendary), Soft Hearted (Rare)
Exclusive Skills: Chaos Gacha Lv. ?, Teleport Lv. 6, Observation Haki Lv. 5, Heavenly Restriction Lv. 5, Ice Age Lv. 5, Thought Acceleration Lv. 1, Logical Deduction Lv. 1, Info Gathering Lv. 1, Adaptive Mind Lv. 1, Calculation Lv. 1.
Overall Stats: Physique Lv. 10, Strength Lv. 15, Agility Lv. 15, Magic Power Lv. 20
__________
[Coins Possessed: 10,340 C]
[Rolls available]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
◆ Uncommon ◆ (7 remaining)
◆ Elite ◆ (2 remaining)
◆ Rare ◆ (1 remaining)
◆ Legendary ◆ (1 remaining)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
{-Items-}
Cookie Jar {1.0} -Common
The Straw Hat {0.7} -Trash
Pip-Boy 3000 {2.4} -Uncommon
Heavy Blade {2.9} -Uncommon
Playful Cloud {4.1} -Elite
Captain's Shield {4.3} -Elite
Great Swamp Ring {2.9} -Uncommon
Stamin Up {1.8} -Common
Eochaid's Dancing Blade {2.2} -Uncommon
.
. . .
. . . . . .
(AN: Oki so, I am going to keep chapters short-ish for now, and I'll keep the 'Im back' chapter up for u guys to vote and stuff. If a large sum of u guys want short chaps, like this one, or slightly longer ones, vote short chapters. Long ones are like 9k words. Take this, while I edit the first few chapters. Next chapter will be long, so, uh, expect it a little late.
How was this one btw. No continuity error right. Makin sure.
And I left the attributes window with all the rolls and items he has currently, too.
See ya ﾍ(￣ー￣)ﾉ
. . . . . .
. . .
.