[ Today's news. The number of Hunters dying in Donjins this year has doubled compared to last year. It's the highest number since the Great Cataclysm , and the management agency has launched an investigation to find out the cause of the sudden increase in deaths. Meanwhile , the number of applicants to become " Tracers" is decreasing day by day , so the officials are gathering a number of rankers to support the top-ranked Tracer , Akshat...]
The sound of the news spread through the bar.
Although it was quite important news that the number of Hunters' deaths had risen significantly , people seemed indifferent , either pretending not to care or not paying attention at all. They kept talking, listing off everything they wanted to say while drinking .
The only person paying attention to what the anchor was saying was the bar owner , who was wiping glasses.
"My cousin is a hunter , you know ? He got a job offer of 30 lakh rupees from Karma Guild." Person A
"That's a lie. I heard D- rank hunters get paid around Rs 8 lakhs nowadays." Person B
" Didn't I say it ? My cousin has been promoted to C- rank this time. Our grandmother was so proud , bragging that he has the highest output in our family. It's driving me crazy. " Person A
" Oh , if he is C- rank , I accept his output. With a big loan , he can buy an apartment in no time. "
"That's right. He's planning to take out a big loan and move to Gangnam. I envy him." Person A
The group looked like a college gathering , and one young man's cheeks were red because he had been drinking. Their conversation revolved around the Hunters and their stories from start to finish.
" I wish I could wake up as a Hunter and run 10 meters like Hunters , and fight monsters too. " Person C
" Why ? Is there a rule that common people can't join ? I wish I could wake up and make a fortune! " Person D
" Who said you can't ? The proportion of " F-rank " hunters is 50 percent. Isn't it too much to ask for more than that ?" Person C
" Well , it's better to get a job in a big company where you don't have to risk your life fighting monsters while gaining some good skills. " Person D
The conversation was filled with meaningless comments and laughter.
Despite this , the enthusiasm of the youth born of ignorance did not seem disturbing , because their lack of knowledge was obvious.
" I don't think I can risk my life fighting monsters. How crazy do you have to be to risk your life just to make money ?"
" Aren't you curious ? He has abilities that ordinary people can't even imagine. "
" I said it's only 0.1 percent. The ratio of F-ranked Hunters is 50 percent. Isn't it a luxury to ask for more than that ?"
" Well , this is a realistic story . They can't even graduate , let alone wake up , so no one will listen to them . "
-- Conversation --
" Hey , look there. "
" Why ?"
" Look , just look over there. "
One of the young men , who was drinking his beer , was pushed by his friend. The friend's finger was pointing towards the end of the bar table.
" Why there ?"
" Do you see the man sitting there ?"
" Where ? At the end ? Why ?"
" Do you even know who he is ?"
" Who is he ? I've never seen that person before. "
" Ah , are you the president of the Hunter Encyclopedia Society or what ? That man is Tracer Shin Yohan. "
** "Tracer" is a profession for Awakened individuals whose job is primarily that of a tracker. **
" Aah ?"
As the friend spoke , the young man squinted his eyes. When he focused his blurry vision , the man sitting at the end of the bar table became more clear.
The man looked clean and tidy, with a warm and gentle aura. Drinking a glass of beer with a fish cake in soup , he was undoubtedly a familiar face.
" Ah , it's done ?"
The young man's voice echoed through the now quiet bar. Although his friend immediately shut the young man's mouth , the timing was unfortunate as everyone had no choice but to hear it , as it happened right after the anchor finished speaking.
" Hey , shut up! Are you crazy ?"
His friend looked around, trying to assess the situation.
Meanwhile , Yohan , known as "Shin Yohan," finished the remaining four glasses of beer and ate a fish cake.
[ Meanwhile , the management agency has announced that it will launch a campaign to encourage " tracers " later this month . They will increase commission fees and provide safety equipment free of charge, among other things, to support tracers. Tracers across the country are on high alert in response to the announcement.]
The young man lowered his eyes and sipped his beer. He was a sensible man , and realizing that he had spoken without thinking , he felt uneasy , hoping that no one had heard him.
" Guys , I will go first. Tell me the bill , and I will send the money later. "
" I will stay with you guys for a little while longer. My mother suddenly asked me to come home. "
" Why are you all behaving like this ?"
The rest of the people, sensing the unusual atmosphere, got up from their seats and wanted to avoid any possible trouble.
Only the young man and his friend were left at the table , who prevented him from speaking.
"I'll pay."
After finishing his food as quickly as possible and breathing heavily , Johan stood up and held out his credit card. The bar owner looked at him disapprovingly and frowned.
The sounds of shaking ... -
Realizing what those sounds meant , Johan lowered his head.
Seeing the total amount of Rs 23,000 on the cashier's monitor , he hesitated for a moment , but now he could not back out.
" For how many months ?"
" Ummm , I'll pay it all at once. "
His hand was shaking slightly as he handed over the card.
They looked at each other. The owner sighed softly and scolded him.
" Don't be harsh ."
Johan accepted the card with a warm smile. Then he walked slowly towards the table where the young people were sitting.
" Hey , hey. Why is he coming here ?" the young man asked his friend, preparing for a possible fight. Although it was actually a question , he had no choice but to know the reason.
" I asked because I don't know. Judging by his expression , you might get punched. "
" Oh , maybe. I should definitely apologize , right ?"
" Of course , friend. It'd be a relief if you only got punched , wouldn't it ? You might even die. "
The young men were whispering in low voices , nervously shaking their beer glasses.
Seeing them cover their mouths , as if thinking about something , Johan muttered, trying to regain his balance.
"Hey , I will have to eat only instant noodles for a week."
Whatever he said , the young man's bill was such a huge amount that it required a speech on the need to save .
Dressed in black, Johan ran with all his might , trying to escape the people chasing him.
,
Nearly a meter tall and with scaly skin , the strange creature called a "Kobold" swung its sharp , jagged stone axe to kill Johan .
He increased his speed and narrowly avoided the axe. But he kept stumbling again and again because of the tangled grass under his feet.
Two meters , one meter , 50 centimeters , 30 centimeters.
The creature was slowly moving forward, closing the distance. Its red , bloodshot eyes were craving for flesh and fresh blood.
Finally, when the distance reduced to 10 centimetres, the creature confidently thrust its axe into the ground.
He was confident that his axe would rip apart a man's back.
"You old cucumber-like bastard. Did you think I would get killed ? "
Yohan suddenly laughed and flew into the air at an angle.
The creature swung its axe in the air , and Johan swiftly tumbled to the ground.
- thunk -
He activated something , which he pulled out from his spatial pouch . The creature was surprised by the sudden appearance of the object.
That was the last moment he saw.
blast!
There was an explosion. Hundreds of iron fragments flew into the air. The kobold disappeared. More precisely, it shattered into pieces, leaving no trace.
Only one child's nail was left at the spot.
"Dude , this is more expensive than feeding a whale."
Johan picked up the nail in despair. The folded skin had no value , so the nails of these creatures were the only value.
He had summoned the leader of the Kobolds here for this very purpose , but it seemed that the "Cromer" he had detonated might cost him far more.
Swoosh – Swoosh –
Hearing the noise , more kobolds ran in. It seemed there were at least three of them.
" Open spaces are dangerous."
If he had stood quietly , he would have been attacked from all sides.
He quickly retraced his steps and climbed the hill , from where he could see clearly.
Hiding his body behind a large birch tree , Yohan pulled out a bow and arrow from his dimensional bag.
A black , huge long bow.
After placing an arrow on the string of the sturdy bow , he silently waited for the kobolds.
The sound of footsteps was rapidly getting closer.
Shock!
A scream was heard. The cunning creatures scattered in different directions , trying to surround Yohan.
They were smarter than he had expected , and if he kept hiding , he would not be able to escape their circle.
" You're next. "
A long ear stuck out from between the bushes. The evil creature could not hide its ears completely.
Thok –
Johan pulled the bowstring with all his strength.
With a ' swoosh ' sound , an arrow shot out like a streak of light.
Thank you –
The arrow stopped in the middle of the bushes. The stopped arrow slowly bent and fell to the ground.
At that moment , a Kobold appeared. It was the same one that had been shot in the forehead. He couldn't even scream and fell down lifeless.
A rustling sound was heard from the other side of the bushes.
Swoosh –
He shot another arrow towards the moving bushes. This was a bait to draw them out.
Frightened, the kobolds decided to move on rather than hide.
It hit!
The arrow passed just above the head of the fleeing kobold, axe in hand.
Without panicking , Johan unfurled his bow.
Tang –
The long bow , which had been stretched to its limit , instantly transformed into a staff.
Strum!
He blocked the axe thrown by the creature with tremendous force. His hand was pushed back due to the powerful force.
' Unnecessarily strong. '
Even though they were low-level demons , he could not underestimate them.
The strength of these dwarf-like creatures was just as strong as that of a normal adult.
Rattle! Rattle! Rattle!
He parried the axe's attacks with his stick , waiting for the moment when the creature would be unable to resist and would stumble.
"Now!"
Thad –
The creature , whose head was pierced by the end of the stick , fell lifeless to the ground.
" Get a grip on yourself. " He swung the shaft of his sword at the man , who, unable to collect his thoughts , bared his unique fangs into the air.
" You worthless hard-skinned bastard. "
He thrust the dagger into the struggling creature's neck , and took a deep breath as its body struggled and finally accepted its fate.
The remaining kobold was the last remaining creature. It looked like it was alone and probably preparing to flee.
" I can't let that happen. My precious asset. "
After taking back his bow , he pulled out a machete. He hoped that this strange creature was not just a mutation , but a new species. If he could prove it and report it , he could earn at least Rs 10 lakh .
" Even if it's just a mutation , I can make (millions) , but I would expect much more than that."
He followed the creature stealthily into a secret cave. The kobold went inside and the hunter kept watching him.
"It's so quiet here. It feels weird."
A faint light was shining in the cave and a faintly illuminated figure was visible on its walls , which looked like a human being.
"I wonder if it's a painting or something."
He was unsure of the significance of the glowing figure on the cave walls , but he knew that the primary concern was the kobold he was pursuing.
" Maybe it's just a coincidence." Hunter cautiously moved forward and reached the Kobold , who was sitting at the end of the cave praying. "If there is something in this cave , then that is another chance to make money."
He readied his dagger and silently approached the kobold , preparing to attack. But as he got close , the creature suddenly vanished , turning to dust before his eyes.
" What … my 10 lakh rupees ?"
Dejected, he sat inside the cave , realizing that his dreams of wealth were shattered.
"Damn life…"
Feeling defeated , he took a deep breath , thinking that today was not his lucky day.
"Incredible."
Disappointed , he walked out of the cave. But as he did so , he saw a glowing figure on the cave wall looking at him.
" I might be seeing some things. "
With a heavy heart, he came out of the cave and returned home after handing over the knife to the gatekeeper at the gate.
"Let's forget about the fish. I'll just make some noodles."
Although his dreams of riches were shattered , he did earn three magic stones from a kobold. If he sold them for a good price , he could probably buy another ' Kromer ' .
While returning home , she bought " canned silkworm treats " as a small reward for herself . For dinner , she planned to eat "spicy silkworm stew" with onions and green peppers , along with some beer and an OTT drama.
He reached his home unaware of what had happened to him .
However , as soon as he reached there , he saw the glowing figure of that "mysterious" creature once again on the wall of the cave , but this time it appeared before his eyes.
To find out what is this unknown danger that is stalking Johan , keep reading 'Coffin Hunter'.