Yong-Yong gazed sadly at his bowl, filled with vegetable side dishes.
The melodic voice of the news anchor filled the room.
⌜And now, onto today’s news. Around 3 PM today, more Hunters were reported dead in the residential area of Seongbuk-dong, a designated restricted zone. Among the deceased were four B-rank Hunters, including Hunter Joo Hyun-Jin from the Leon Guild. The cause of their deaths appears to be...⌟
Yoon-Hee watched TV with sympathetic eyes as she ate her dinner. As a prospective Hunter, her job was to roam the Fissures and take down monsters. While it was true that Hunters lived with the constant risk of death, the news of an entire B-rank party being wiped out came as a shock.
⌜This area, which had already been ravaged by monsters in the past, has seen recurring monster appearances even after the first raid. The reason for this anomaly remains unknown, and the Hunter’s Bureau placed a barrier around the area two years ago. Rumor has it that a powerful artifact lies dormant within the area, attracting Hunters like the Leon Guild in search of a fortune...⌟
Unlike Yoon-Hee, whose face reflected serious concern, Do-Jun was enjoying his meal as usual. Whenever incidents came up on the news, Yoon-Hee always reacted in shock.
“Yoon-Hee,” Do-Jun called, glancing at the TV screen and shifting his gaze to Yoon-Hee with a serious expression.
Did he have something to say about the news?
“Could you get me another bowl of rice?”
It had nothing to do with the news.
Taking his bowl, Yoon-Hee walked over to the rice cooker, glancing at him as she scooped another serving. Do-Jun was focused on the TV screen.
⌜Our next story: Tomorrow’s forecast shows clear skies and season-appropriate temperatures nationwide.⌟
However, he wasn’t watching the news. He was observing Yong-Yong, who was staring blankly at the TV.
Meanwhile, in the main conference room of the Hunter’s Bureau, a large group of people had gathered around a round table.
In the dimly lit room, the projector cast images on the screen.
Cho Sung-Koo, the head of the Fissure Management Team, was briefing attendees on the “Restricted Zone” incident that occurred earlier that day. Executive directors and department heads were in attendance.
Cho Sung-Koo pressed the remote, moving the slide to the next screen, where footage from the emergency cam of the late Hunter Joo Hyun-Jin from the Leon Guild played.
“What... what is that?”
Something emerged from a narrow alleyway between collapsed buildings. It was a towering figure over three meters tall, wearing rusted metal plate armor and a skull-shaped helmet, gripping a greatsword as large as itself.
Joo Hyun-Jin and the Leon Guild Hunters muttered anxiously, “A Skeleton Warrior?”
The Skeleton Warrior, a C-rank monster, was known for its tough armor and difficulty in defeating. But this figure radiated an entirely different aura from a regular Skeleton Warrior.
Nobody in the conference room had ever seen this monster before.
The monster charged forward, slashing its massive sword effortlessly.
The camera’s angle shifted skyward. Screams erupted, followed by the sound of the greatsword slicing through the air. Then, the screams ceased.
The massive figure dragged its greatsword along the ground as it returned to where it had come from.
The footage ended, and Cho Sung-Koo took the microphone.
“According to the analysis team, the Fissure’s wave reading at that moment was one thousand eight hundred. Considering the possibility of other monsters being present, the reading might be lower for this particular monster alone. However, if that is not the case, it exceeds twice the strength of an average S-rank boss monster.”
Young-Chul closed his eyes, deep in thought.
The area of concern was affected by the Encroachment, becoming a lawless zone consumed by monsters. The site had effectively transformed into a Fissure.
Two years ago, a team of S-rank Hunters was assembled for a raid, and the entire area was closed off to the public by a barrier. Although it was treated like a standard Fissure, something had to be done regarding an S-rank monster that existed on Seoul’s very soil.
“Do we have footage from any other Hunters’ emergency cams?” Young-Chul asked.
“Yes, sir. The analysis team is currently reviewing the monster’s movement patterns and combat tactics, though the brief duration of the encounters limits our data.”
“Those Hunters who died earlier... they must have fallen to that thing as well,” Young-Chul remarked, and Cho Sung-Koo nodded.
Over the past two weeks, more than ten Hunters had died in that area, not only from the Leon Guild but also independent Hunters. They were all C-rank or higher, far above the usual F or E-ranks encountered in the restricted zone.
Given that, the hulking figure from the footage was the only possible culprit.
Yong-Yong floated lazily in the bathtub, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“A shot at a fortune...” he muttered, recalling the news from earlier during dinner.
It mentioned rumors of a rare artifact hidden in the restricted zone and the Hunters flocking there for riches.
“We’ve been missing some meat on our table recently.”
His favorites, like braised short ribs and chicken, hadn’t been on the menu much. It wasn’t that Do-Jun had been eating out; it was simply that Yoon-Hee had been serving more vegetable side dishes.
Yong-Yong took a guess at the reason.
“Are we out of money?”
Yong-Yong’s expression became unusually serious. He recalled how Yoon-Hee managed their household budget, meticulously recording every expense. Occasionally, she would purse her lips and frown while reviewing the household finances. Was it perhaps due to high grocery costs?
What had been a suspicion was now becoming a certainty.
“I feel good,” Byeol said with a smile.
“Byeol, don’t move around so much, or the soap will get in your eyes,” Karsiel warned her, carefully washing Byeol’s hair.
Yong-Yong rested his front paws on the edge of the tub, peeking his head out, deep in thought.
Karsiel rinsed the last of the bubbles from Byeol’s hair.
“You guys like meat, too, right?” Yong-Yong asked them.
“I like vegetables as well,” Karsiel replied.
“What about dog food?”
“It’s a great snack.”
Yong-Yong sighed deeply.
The following morning, Yong-Yong was up at 6 AM, earlier than anyone else.
“An early dragon catches the meat,” he hummed.
He checked the map he had prepared the night before, which led to the restricted zone where a fortune was supposedly hidden. On the blank, white sheet, a few shaky lines were drawn. A line extended from a spot marked “our house” to a spot marked with an “X.”
It was such a ridiculously simple drawing that one might wonder if it was even a map at all.
Yong-Yong rolled up the map and tucked it into his backpack that was full of snacks, more snacks, and even more snacks.
He jumped to turn the door handle.
When the door shut behind Yong-Yong, the still-sleeping Do-Jun opened his eyes. Glancing at the clock, he checked that it was just past 6 AM.
Reading the note left behind by Yong-Yong, Do-Jun couldn’t help but smile.
The residential area in Seongbuk-dong was surrounded by a translucent blue barrier, restricted under the control of the Hunter’s Bureau.
A staff member from the Hunter’s Bureau stood guard at the entrance. The nearby open parking lot was filled with expensive sports cars and luxury sedans—vehicles that belonged to the Hunters.
Near the entrance, reporters and a crew from a TV station interviewed the Hunters as they prepared to enter the restricted area for a hunt. Most of the Hunters present were C-rank or higher, quite successful individuals in society.
“Did the recent fatalities inside the restricted zone not put you off?” a reporter asked.
One of the Hunters shrugged and replied, “If you’re afraid of that stuff, you can’t be a Hunter. Besides, Hunters die in Fissures all the time; it’s something we all accept. I’m here to eliminate evil monsters for the safety of our nation.”
The Hunter was clearly putting on a show for the camera, something the reporter was well aware of.
Meanwhile, Yong-Yong munched on a chocolate bar he’d brought as a snack as he passed through the crowd, eventually reaching the entrance guarded by the Hunter’s Bureau staff.
“Hide.” As he muttered a spell, Yong-Yong’s body turned invisible, his presence concealed so thoroughly that hardly anyone could detect him.
With ease, he slipped through the entrance and entered the restricted zone.
Inside, the road was a mess, littered with debris from collapsed buildings. Signs of battles were visible everywhere—on the shattered streets and ruined homes. Remnants of monster carcasses were scattered on the ground.
Sweat beaded on Yong-Yong’s forehead as he realized he had no idea what kind of artifact he was looking for or how to find this supposed fortune. He had come here based solely on news reports without any real plan.
About twenty meters away, a Hunter was taking down an orc. The mana bullets fired from his gun shimmered with magical energy. Other Hunters near the entrance were also hunting monsters below C-rank.
However, the fortune the news had mentioned couldn’t be something as trivial as that.
Step by step, Yong-Yong ventured further in.
Monsters appeared occasionally, but not only were they afraid to approach him, but they bolted as soon as they made eye contact with him.
A group of orcs scrambled away as fast as their legs could carry them.
Yong-Yong’s pace gradually slowed.
Unlike ordinary Fissures, it was easy to tell the time here, even without a clock. Despite the barrier, he could see the setting sun, casting an orange glow over the landscape. To make things worse, he had already eaten all his snacks.
His stomach growled loudly.
Yong-Yong plopped down on the spot.
Where on earth was this fortune supposed to be? And what exactly was it?
He had come here filled with excitement about all the meat he could buy once he struck gold. However, as he watched the setting sun, he started to feel a bit down.
“I’m just going to go home.”
At that moment, Yong-Yong noticed the area around him growing dark.
Had night fallen already?
He looked up and found himself staring into the skull-like helmet of a towering monster looming over him.
“I’m home...” Yong-Yong said as he entered the apartment, barely dragging himself in through the front door, only to catch a whiff of something sweet in the air.
Sniffing instinctively, his eyes lit up, and he dropped his backpack on the spot, running to the kitchen.
Yoon-Hee was wearing her apron, busy preparing dinner. Yong-Yong hopped up to check the pot, where chunks of meat were simmering in a rich, brown broth.
“Are you back, Yong-Yong?” Yoon-Hee asked him.
Yoon-Hee chuckled as she watched Yong-Yong’s eyes sparkle with anticipation. She hadn’t made braised ribs in a while, and seeing him smile so widely made her laugh even more.
Meanwhile, Do-Jun picked up the backpack Yong-Yong had left behind, placing it back in its usual spot in the corner of the living room.
The backpack was surprisingly heavy, so he opened it to check inside. He saw a skull-shaped helmet under five empty chocolate bar wrappers.