The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 9

* * *

 

“This is strange.”

 

Seo Kanghyun examined the fallen boss monster’s corpse. But no matter how much he looked through it, the core was nowhere to be seen.

 

Between the burnt, shriveled hyphae, there was only an empty hole.

 

The gate, too, remained open.

 

“Kanghyun-ah, is there a problem?”

 

Yoon Taegyeom approached carefully. However, Seo Kanghyun didn’t answer.

 

The ‘Reproductive’ trait he had seen in the information window flashed through his mind. 

 

Seo Kanghyun raised a hand and covered one eye. A flame flickered in his light gray pupil.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Skill ‘Eyes of Haechi (SS-rank)’ activated. Sees through the essence of things.>

 

A red info window filled his vision.

 

【SYSTEM】  

< Monster Information >

<Current Status: Empty Shell (No Core)> 

<Special Note: An entity possessing the ‘core’ has been generated after autonomous proliferation. >

 

As expected.

 

Seo Kanghyun pressed down on his eyeball, which throbbed with a burning pain.

 

“This is just a shell. The main body is still in this building.”

 

At that moment, someone came running from behind, panting heavily.

 

It was the employee who had been in charge of Hana’s test.

 

“E-Excuse me! You’re Hunter Seo Kanghyun, right!”

 

“Didn’t you hear the evacuation order? Hurry and get out of the building! It’s dangerous because the boss monster is still here!”

 

“Wait!”

 

He grabbed Yoon Taegyeom’s arm, who was trying to evacuate him, and panted.

 

His terrified face was drenched in sweat.

 

“There’s still a person inside the simulation room! A sticky lump-like thing just went that way!”

 

At the rambling explanation, Seo Kanghyun’s expression distorted.

 

He thought he knew where the main body had headed.

 

“Which way is the simulation room?”

 

“Th-that way!”

 

Seo Kanghyun immediately turned around.

 

At that moment, the gaping rift of the gate trembled slightly.

 

As if boasting that it was still going strong. 

 

* * *

 

“Isn’t this a bit too realistic for a virtual monster?”

 

Maintaining a certain distance, Hana carefully observed the unfamiliar creature.

 

A damp, gloomy green light, completely different from the transparent and sparkling slime.

 

Every time it moved, vibrations that shook the floor traveled up from the tips of her toes.

 

Just a moment ago, it had felt like a simple interactive game, but now the atmosphere itself was entirely different.

 

From the violently writhing tentacles and the thick, sticky mucus, to the strangely humid air.

 

“Then again, I did think it was a bit too boring for a test.”

 

Was the ‘Completion Notice’ from before just a simple bug?

 

A moment of doubt crossed her mind, but Hana nodded, thinking this was all part of a more sophisticated test.

 

It was then.

 

The monster swung its massive tentacle and slammed it into the floor.

 

Crash!

 

A section of the floor shattered, sending concrete fragments flying in all directions.

 

Hana instinctively dodged the incoming debris and, even in the midst of this, couldn’t hide her amazement. 

 

“At this level, there’s practically no difference from reality, is there? Modern technology is amazing, huh?”

 

After lightly tapping her way across the rubble, she readjusted her stance.

 

Her gaze, a mix of caution and curiosity, remained fixed. 

 

A few more attacks flew her way, but Hana agilely dodged them each time.

 

As its attacks continued to miss, the boss monster seemed to get annoyed and grew increasingly ferocious.

 

Thrashing its tentacles, striking the walls, and scattering hyphae everywhere, its size was also expanding.

 

“Oh, is it angry?”

 

Well, she couldn’t just keep dodging forever.

 

Hana stepped a little closer, attempting a close-range attack.

 

Then, she noticed.

 

That the soles of her shoes, which had touched the mucus, were melting away.

 

Hana stared blankly at her toes for a moment before shouting.

 

“These are my professional farmer’s boots that I bought with such resolve not too long ago! I haven’t even worn them a few times yet!” 

 

After shouting aggrievedly, Hana soon calmed down.

 

This was because she remembered the explanation that any injuries sustained during the test were only part of the simulation and would not affect the real world.

 

If that explanation held true, her real shoes would be safe.

 

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Hana sniffled awkwardly.

 

“Anyway, it looks like I shouldn’t touch it directly.”

 

Then what should she do?

 

Just as she was about to throw herself back to buy some time to think.

 

Hana immediately faced the next attack.

 

As the tentacle was violently brought down, Hana’s silhouette flashed like lightning, twisting her body to dodge right before impact.

 

“Ack, is that monster really an F-rank? Why is it so strong?”

 

Despite her words, however, Hana’s movements were remarkably light.

 

She used the wall as a foothold to spring up, glided smoothly across the floor, and deftly slipped through the tentacles that brushed dangerously past her.

 

“Wait. Why am I so good at moving my body…?”

 

However, without even a moment to resolve her doubts, another barrage of attacks poured down.

 

As the time dragged on without any progress, Hana grew anxious.

 

Naturally, Hana thought that like the slime, this monster would also have a time limit.

 

“At this rate, I won’t be able to take care of it within the time limit, will I?”

 

What happens then?

 

Surely her rank wouldn’t drop even further, would it?

 

“Wait. Is there even anywhere lower than F to drop to?”

 

At that moment, a familiar system window popped up in front of Hana’s eyes.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Are you playing tag with the monster? I didn’t raise you to be this weak, User. ( •́ ‸ •̀ )>

 

“What, are you mocking me right now?”

 

Hana frowned and glared sourly at the system.

 

At that moment, a tentacle flew at her once again.

 

“Gasp!”

 

She reflexively threw her body, doing a mid-air flip to evade it.

 

Her body, which had soared upward, landed on the floor as light as a feather.

 

A smooth and precise motion.

 

It was an execution so flawless it was hard to believe it was a movement pulled off with zero preparation.

 

“…What the. Did I just spin in mid-air?”

 

Hana looked back and forth between her hands and legs. She wore a look of utter disbelief.

 

“I think I’m actually really talented? Did you help me by any chance?”

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Seeing as you’re asking useless questions, you must still have some breathing room!>

 

She asked just in case, but the system window neatly ignored her, as if telling her to stop sprouting nonsense.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Do you perhaps need a weapon?>

 

“You can do that too? If you’re giving one, that’d be great!”

 

【SYSTEM】 

<It can be exchanged for 1 cherry tomato. Shall I issue a weapon?>

 

“Where would I get a cherry tomato right now.”

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Credit is also available! But with an interest of 9 tomatoes!>

 

What a loan shark.

 

Hana thumped her chest in frustration.

 

“Fine. I’ll give you 10 when I get home!”

 

【SYSTEM】  

<Would you like to summon the weapon ‘■■■ ■■’ (User Bound) (■-rank)? [Y/N]>

 

Just as she was about to press YES, Hana suddenly stopped her finger.

 

“But is there even a weapon suited for a farmer?”

 

Don’t tell me, something like a trowel is going to come out?

 

It was a rather reasonable suspicion. But was now the time to be nitpicking over such things?

 

Hana went ahead and pressed the button.

 

【SYSTEM】

< Commencing the summoning of the bound weapon. >

 

Even before the system’s announcement finished, the entire space began to shake.

 

Whooooosh.

 

A swirl of white and golden effects wrapped around Hana’s right hand.

 

The tip of the sphere made of light stretched out long.

 

The silhouette that could be briefly seen looked like a massive spear, or perhaps a long gun.

 

Whatever it was, it wasn’t shaped like a trowel, at least.

 

“Oh, I think this is way better than I expected?”

 

Hana looked at her hand with a face full of anticipation.

 

However, expectations are just expectations.

 

Crack—.

 

After an intense flash flared for the final time, the light scattered in all directions like falling shards.

 

And the weapon that appeared was…

 

“…A toy gun?”

 

It was a toy gun with the quality of something you’d get out of a capsule toy machine in front of a stationery store.

 

A handle that looked like it was carved from wood, an orange plastic trigger, and a rubber band mechanism slightly visible from the muzzle.

 

No matter how she looked at it, it was a child’s toy. 

 

“This is a weapon? You’re not joking?”

 

She was briefly frustrated, but Hana soon accepted it.

 

“No, wait. For an F-rank, even this is something.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Hana aimed the toy gun. 

 

As she carefully pulled the trigger, the rubber band snapped with a creaking friction sound.

 

With a ‘thwip’ of escaping air, a bead no larger than a fingernail flew out.

 

Just looking at it, it didn’t seem like much.

 

However, the moment the bead touched the center of the monster, a shockwave erupted from the inside with a bang.

 

The spot hit by the toy gun scattered like dust.

 

The monster lost its balance and staggered, before collapsing to the floor just like that.

 

“I did it! It was just big; it wasn’t that difficult!”

 

Having finished its job, the toy gun vanished along with a golden light, as if it had never existed.

 

But her joy was short-lived.

 

From the monster’s exploded body, hundreds of spore seeds fluttered away like dandelion puffs.

 

Swarming like fluffy clouds, the spores engulfed Hana.

 

“…W-w-w-wait?!”

 

A few of them stuck right onto Hana’s arms, shoulders, hair, and clothes.

 

“Ugh, cough, cough. What is all this!”