Chapter 47

"Fuck."

F-rank porter Cha Ara couldn't stop cursing even for a moment.

"How can life be like this, it's really shitty... In my next life I should be born as the youngest child in a wealthy, harmonious family..."

In the vast and complex ant-hill-like dungeon, Cha Ara was left alone, walking slowly with little energy.

"Those bastards, leaving me behind. I'll fucking curse them."

The place where she was abandoned was a dark cave filled with glowing gems.

You might wonder how it could be dark when it was filled with glowing gems, but it was home to light-eating, dust-like creatures.

The background was faintly visible right next to the brightly shining gems, but nothing else could be seen beyond that.

"......"

Cha Ara was abandoned in such a dark dungeon.

"Fuck."

As expected, it was awful.

"...May you stub your toe on a threshold and rip your fingernails, bleeding as you try to pull them off. May you trip and fall in a crowded place and be utterly humiliated. May you get drunk on late-night emotions, post crap online, and wake up the next day to reflect on it..."

The reason for being abandoned was obvious.

It was good that they had entered the dungeon with ant-sized courage and determination, but they couldn't find a breakthrough. With no results and food running low, morale plummeted and they finally used return stones to escape the dungeon.

Up to that point, it was understandable.

'It's infuriating to waste money and time, but it's better to escape alive than to die.'

They say even rolling in a dog shit is better than dying. Even though it's a C-rank dungeon, a dungeon is still a dungeon. You never know when someone might die, and in such a dark dungeon, mental strength becomes noticeably vulnerable.

Since they'd already seen enough blood, it would have been wise to leave if there was a way out.

"......"

But one return stone was missing.

"Fuck...!!"

Return stones themselves were expensive items, so even if there were enough, they might not have given one to Cha Ara, an F-rank porter. Maybe the claim that there was no return stone was a lie to begin with.

"Ah, this really sucks!! May you get dumped the night before your wedding, cry your eyes out, and live as an unemployed bum for the rest of your life, you fuckers!!"

Cha Ara sniffled, pressed up against a gem as big as her body.

This kind of thing wasn't common. No matter how cold-hearted the world has become, they don't usually abandon a porter so blatantly. They're still supposed to be colleagues after all.

"......"

However, it was just not well-known because hunters hush it up, but it's something that subtly and secretly happens.

'...And the fact that it ever happened is what makes it more problematic.'

This wasn't the first time Cha Ara had experienced such treatment.

'The biggest problem is that this dungeon has extremely few visitors.'

Until now, even if left alone, she could grovel to hunters who came in after and escape together.

'After all, hunters have always need to be mindful of their image.'

Since hunters are a kind of celebrity, they pay a lot of attention to personality controversies, so unless they were exceptionally nasty hunters, they would usually at least take in a pitiful porter who was left alone.

But.

"Ha, really, no, what am I going to do this time..."

This place was the 'Gem's Water Vein'.

Despite being a C-rank dungeon, it had unusually few monsters and poor rewards, so hunters rarely visited.

"They said that if one team comes in a week, that's considered a lot."

The paths were intricately tangled, and due to tiny creatures that absorbed all light from lanterns or anything else, one could easily get trapped and die in this dark maze. Finding the exit was no easy task.

Despite being such a place, the reason hunters occasionally visited was because of a monster that lived in this dungeon.

"......"

A small monster with a gem body that glows softly like a mood light.

Known as the 'Anticat'.

"...Idiots, I should have known something was off when they said they were after that guy..."

Anticat was a cat-like monster, about the size of an adult man's palm or slightly larger.

Despite its cute appearance that charmed people regardless of age or gender, it hated being approached by humans and ran away like the creatures in the cave, while absorbing light and darkening its surroundings, which adds to its rarity.

'And even if they catch it, they shouldn't raise an Anticat.'

Raising a monster is not only strictly regulated nationally, but Anticat is a terrifying monster that burns everything around it with a blue light when angered.

'Well, since it's that kind of monster, there are secretly many crazy people who are desperate to buy it.'

Anyway, she shouldn't have joined such a team. She should have bailed the moment they said they were going to 'Gem's Water Vein'.

If only she hadn't been so desperate for money.

"...What am I really going to do..."

It hadn't even been 24 hours since she was trapped alone inside the dungeon, but her mind felt greatly shaken due to the darkness and silence that swallowed even sound. Though she was clearly inside a vast cave, it felt like she was trapped in an enclosed space.

She heard some prisons deliberately confine inmates in small, dark rooms to torment them—it felt exactly like that. While not as physically uncomfortable as such a narrow prison, it was mentally exhausting.

"Ugh..."

She was starting to get hungry too.

'But it's not like I'm strong enough to clear this dungeon alone. They said the exit here appears under certain conditions, and I think it required multiple people....'

Just waiting for rescue seemed hopeless as well.

"......"

Cha Ara squeezed her eyes shut, then soon got up.

"...Let's try moving around."

Saying it hasn't even been a day sounds simple, but with a clear mind, it felt like quite a long time.

She was tired of just staying still to prolong her life. At this rate, she might go crazy before rescue came, so it seemed better to move her body to avoid going insane.

"Still, Gem's Water Vein has relatively few monsters. I can't dream of conquering it alone without enough food, stamina, or abilities, but if I just be careful of the ghost-like monsters that suddenly appear... it should be okay."

Gem's Water Vein isn't mainly about fighting monsters.

The only strategy is to 'find the escape route', as this place is dark and as complex as an ant colony. It's a dungeon where mental strength matters more than combat ability, so if Cha Ara kept her wits on her, she could get out alive.

"......"

But after about 3 hours, she felt like she was losing her mind.

"Agh, this is driving me crazy."

She was hungry, thirsty, and sleepy, and her limbs were aching. The leg that was injured in the last raid still hadn't recovered and was limping.

At this rate, it was clear she wouldn't be able to run away if a dangerous situation arose.

'But it would be stupid to carelessly sleep in a place full of monsters that suck out your vitality.'

She hadn't learned anything officially, just picked up knowledge from hearing or seeing things, so she didn't know for sure. But at least, she knows that all the monsters living in the 'Gem's Water Vein' have ghost-like appearances.

In the same context, the monsters here attack by draining the hunters' vitality. While their physical attack power wasn't high, if you let your guard down, your lifespan could be cut in half.

'At least when I'm awake I can drive them away if I stay alert...'

As she was trudging along like that...

"......"

In the distance, she saw something faintly glowing. It was a very weak light.

"...A gem pillar..."

It didn't seem like it.

Cha Ara narrowed her eyes. Though her eyesight wasn't bad, the object was so small it was hard to make out.

'What is that?'

She could tell right away. That wasn't one of the glowing gems scattered in the cave.

Much smaller than that, with a perfectly round shape that catches the eye at a glance, and most notably, its four dainty feet moved delicately like a noble young lady.

"Oh."

Pointed ears and a fluffy tail.

"Oh oh..."

Anticat, with a body as small as a kitten's but fur rivalling any other long-haired cat, was a gem-furred cat that could fit snugly in one hand.

"...Damn, I can't believe I'm seeing this."

The hunters who left first would beat the ground and regret it if they knew.

'Just thinking about that fills my tired body and mind with satisfaction. May they all eat shit together.'

Cha Ara observed the Anticat, having gained a bit of energy.

'...There's no way I could catch an Anticat, and I don't even want to.'

Even in a world where one could hush things up, it's illegal to begin with. If wasn't caught, it would be fine, but if caught, Cha Ara, a F-rank porter with no one to back her up, would likely face severe punishment.

So what Cha Ara hoped for wasn't capturing the Anticat.

'I heard those creatures move towards the direction of the exit. It's not certain information, but still...'

The Anticat seemed to notice Cha Ara's presence too and turned to look at her.

"Ah."

"......"

According to rumours, if an Anticat detects a presence, it extinguishes its own light, absorbs all surrounding light, and quietly escapes, but fortunately the one before her eyes didn't do that.

Cha Ara inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

'...I, I survived.'

It was the first time Cha Ara had seen an Anticat emitting such a soft light. No, it was the first time she'd heard of it. She had learned that Anticats usually hide in darkness after devouring all surrounding light to avoid humans.

The Anticat, which had been swishing its tail, soon began to move with dainty steps. Its movements were light and graceful, like a soft balloon bouncing or flower petals fluttering.

"......"

Was it okay to follow?

'...Being a monster, it probably doesn't intend to help humans by keeping its light on, but it doesn't seem to want to attack me either. They say it has habits quite similar to cats, so as long as I maintain a proper distance, I shouldn't suddenly be attacked...'

As Cha Ara cautiously followed the Anticat like that, she noticed something strange.

"......"

"......?"

The Anticat seemed to be checking to see if she was following it.

'... What.'

It could be called a miraculous show of goodwill from a monster, but even with her low rank, Cha Ara was a hunter. She knew very well that monsters wouldn't like humans and wouldn't show genuine kindness.

The Anticat in particular was a monster with a reputation for disliking humans.

'But that behaviour clearly seems like it's trying to lure me...'

Wait a minute.

"......"

Lure?

Just as Cha Ara was about to hesitate and try to run away.

"Hello."

"Ha, haaaaahhhhh...!!"

Thud—!

Cha Ara's legs gave out and she collapsed.

"Wh-wh-wh-what, what..."

"......"

"...Wh-who are you..."

It took her a moment to grasp the situation.

Catching her breath while panting, Cha Ara realized that there was someone in the darkness other than herself.

In this dungeon where nothing could be seen unless right next to a glowing gem, she never thought that there would be anyone beyond where the Anticat was heading.

'It's not... a monster, right?'

Where in the world would there be a monster that speaks?

"Who, who are you..."

Even as she stammered out the question, Cha Ara gathered her courage and awkwardly got to her feet.

In the case of porters, even if the other party is human, they sometimes get killed for fun in dungeons. It was best to be careful of everything.

'Stay calm, you idiot.'

Meanwhile, the Anticat approached that 'someone'. It was emitting a slightly brighter light than before, and the blue but gentle glow and softer movements showed the Anticat's affection.

As its small figure approached, only pitch-black suit pants and pale bare feet could be seen. The Anticat was acting cute, rubbing its body against those ankles.

"......"

It was a ridiculous scene.

"...The Anticat..."

Wasn't the Anticat famous for hating humans?

"Um, excuse me... A, are you perhaps... a trainer? That..."

"......"

"Which guild's hunter are you..."

She asked confidently, certain that someone of trainer level wouldn't work as a freelancer, but there was still no answer from the other party.

A strange silence ensued.

'...Why is he so quiet?'

No, to begin with.

Why didn't I sense his presence?

'No matter how incompetent of a hunter I am, I'm not so useless that I wouldn't notice if someone was this close...'

Cold sweat trickled down Cha Ara's cheeks.

She instinctively sensed that something was wrong. At this point, even the pitch-black dress pants and pale bare feet beneath them felt eerie.

Right, that's right.

"......"

There's no way some crazy bastard would come to a rough cave like this barefoot.

"......"

...Let's think about this.

Anticats hate people.

'They said that was no different even for trainers.'

If it was a problem that could be solved by a trainer stepping in, Anticats would have been sold more openly than this.

However, Anticats extremely abhorred contact with humans, and this was true even for trainers who could form contracts with monsters. It's not for nothing that it has 'Anti' in its name.

'For that Anticat to be acting so affectionate...'

At that moment, the stranger bent down and picked up the Anticat.

Even Cha Ara could see how the Anticat's tiny body fit entirely in those large hands. It didn't resist at all, completely entrusting itself.

"......"

"Hello."

"... Ah, yes."

Ah, could it be?

She had been so flustered that she just glossed over it, but Cha Ara recalled that she hadn't responded to the other's greeting.

'Did I only end up screaming?'

With an odd feeling, Cha Ara awkwardly nods her head.

"Um, ah, hello..."

To suddenly repeat the same words in this situation. Perhaps he was asking again because she hadn't answered his earlier greeting.

It was definitely not a normal reaction.

'Is he someone obsessed with manners?'

Even as she thought this, Cha Ara hesitantly stepped back.@@novelbin@@

That cautious movement, hoping not to provoke the other party, showed that she had already classified the man before her as a dangerous entity.

'...Something's not right.'

The Anticat that hated people was held in the man's pale hands while rubbing its cheek against him.

It was strange, even if it was the result of the man's good training. Just because one made a contract with a monster, doesn't mean it naturally feels affection for its master. Most of their relationships are very dry, or even connected by hatred.

'Besides, I've never heard of an Anticat giving off a soft glow like that in someone's arms. It's such a rare sight that it's never even been photographed.'

That light was like an anglerfish luring prey in the deep sea.

"......"

While there are no cases of Anticats liking humans, monsters often offer tributes to monsters stronger than themselves.

"...Uh..."

Come to think of it, there are monsters in this world that could speak. It was too rare and unusual that she never even dared to imagine, but they definitely existed.

Humanoid monsters.

"My name is Seo Gio."

"......"

"What is your name?"

A face shrouded in darkness, with nothing visible.

His hands holding the Anticat and his chest were faintly visible.

A pitch-black dress shirt, a pitch-black suit, and a cloak even darker than those. Even his large, thick fingers were as pale as a corpse ....

"......"

Cha Ara quietly took it in with her eyes.

Simply hidden in darkness and thus invisible, it felt like a faceless human being.

"......"

And of course.

There are no humans without faces in this world.

"...I, I'm..."

"You seem nervous."

"......"

'Are you afraid of me?"

"......"

'I promise I won't do you any harm."

His voice was excessively polite.

'...What is this.'

It was a chillingly good voice.

Clear and proper like a weather report announcer, gentle yet firm like a teacher instructing students. Cha Ara suddenly felt that the voice was so perfect it seemed unnatural.

Perhaps it took quite a long time to gather her thoughts, as 'it' spoke to her again, as if unsatisfied with the flowing silence.

"Don't be afraid."

Cha Ara realized.

Ah.

That's.

"I'm curious about your name."

Not human.

"......"

"Cha, Cha Ara... it's Cha Ara."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Cha Ara."

In the darkness.

She saw the even darker eyes.