Ch. 2 - Chapter 2

-Chwiiik.

Every time the toad spat out its opaque saliva, I rolled my body in a way to avoid it.

Splat!

This was the fifth time.

Even as I desperately dodged, a thick question mark rose in my mind.

‘Am I avoiding this properly right now?’

Considering my usual weak and frail physical condition, the fact that I was rolling my body like this was itself a miraculous thing.

Despite my body burning with heat, my arms and legs felt surprisingly light.

However, no matter how much faster I've become, did I really dodge that damn spit five times?

That creature's saliva was as fast as an arrow and relentlessly came at me like a venomous snake.

No matter how light my body became, was it really possible to dodge all of it?

-Chwiiik!

I was too busy running away, so I was not even able to land a hit on the monster.

My frustration rose, but I kept thinking and thinking.

If I couldn’t dodge everything, then why am I still unharmed?

The people who died earlier, didn’t they instantly perish with even the slightest touch?

Chwiiik.

Thud!

When I rolled my body for the sixth time, the test results I received at the hospital today came to mind.

‘MMPT (Multi Monster Poison Test)……!!’

Right.

I was definitely told that I was poisoned by seven different poisons.

No matter what poison that creature had, maybe it wouldn't make a difference if I got hit by a new poison.

So, I came to the following conclusion.

I already have that creature’s poison inside my body.

Since I was already poisoned, what difference would it make if I get hit once or twice more? 

-Chwi-iik.

When the toad, whose poison had filled its mouth, spat out its saliva for the seventh time, I no longer moved.

There was a reason to confirm the hypothesis I had just established, and I didn’t want to roll around on the ground because of that damn bastard anymore.

-Swiik.

I know from experience that its saliva targets only the face.

So I covered my face with my palm, and as expected, the saliva flew directly at my face.

Splat!

Direct hit.

My palm became sticky with the unpleasant liquid.

But that was all.

Unlike the others, who were bleeding from every hole in their bodies, there was no change in mine.

-Kiruruk?

The toad monster's pupils dilated greatly.

It didn’t seem to have high intelligence, but its instincts were being awakened.

The man in front of it was different from other humans, that's what it was telling it.

“That’s right.”

I murmured quietly, staring at my palm with a strange smile.

The ugly toad in front of me was threatening because it was a poison-type monster.

Monsters that come through the Gate are usually large and powerful, but poison-types vary in size.

Since it wasn’t about killing humans with physical force anyway, size didn’t matter.

But the fact I just realized.

I was a human free from the monster's poison.

‘Then…’

What if you remove the poison, the danger, from a small poison-type monster?

It meant it would become a threat no greater than a mere puppy.

"Did you have fun? You damn bastard." 

I grabbed the cane next to a fallen old man.

-Kiruruk?

The saliva it spat out was fast, but its body itself wasn't quick.

I held the cane and walked steadily toward the toad.

Seeing this, the toad nervously spat out its saliva again.

-Chwi-iik!

Splat!

But once again, it was useless.

The saliva blocked by my palm scattered into the air with a single gesture from me.

Do monsters have expressions?

The toad seemed to be visibly flustered.

"Today, both you and I, will die."

I lifted the cane with both hands before bringing it down sharply toward the toad.

Bang!!!

-Kirook!!

The toad, which was confused because the poison didn't work, was hit in the head.

The staggering creature soon fell backward and stopped moving.

The poison-type monster, which had killed dozens, was easily taken down with just a single strike from a cane.

"Huuu..."

I felt a slight dizziness, perhaps because I had used up all my strength.

The smell of poison and human blood already filled my nostrils.

-Kirook?

-Kiruruk.

The other toads, having confirmed the death of one of their kind, began to gather one after another.

It seemed they recognized me as the first target to kill.

"One... two... three..."

I slowly began counting the number of creatures gathering.

The momentum of them approaching while flicking their tongues had a rather menacing appearance, but they were no longer a threat to me.

I was living on a limited lifespan anyway, so wouldn’t it be okay to dance with the sword once before I die?

I tightened my grip on the cane as I watched the approaching monsters.

* * *

Thump!!!!

Baang!!!!

“Haa…… Haa…….”

I panted for breath, which was coming out in wheezes. I wiped the sweat from my hand with the back of my hand.

The small poison-type monsters were much weaker than I had expected.

Is this what it would be like if a novice warrior caught a slime?

All I had to do was keep swinging my cane at the toads.

The only problem was that there were more of them than I had anticipated.

While I was taking down dozens of monsters, I had to shower in their secretions.

I was pretty sure even for a hunter, this amount would be dangerous.

However, there was no particular effect on me other than the feeling of being dirty.

"Huuu."

After taking a deep breath, I took out my phone.

But the signal wasn’t coming in, perhaps because of the core energy surrounding the Gate.

'If my sister hears the news, she’ll worry... I need to get out of here quickly and contact her.'

Normally, it would be the middle of her work hours.

But wasn’t the Gate opened near the hospital?

If it were my sister, she’d rush out of her workplace and come here without hesitation.

I didn’t know where the boundary line of the Gate was, but for now, I started walking.

Hoping that the monster I had killed would be the last.

Woo-woo-wooo.

However, I realized something too late.

The pitch-black Gate hovering above my head.

The fact that it hadn't closed meant there were still monsters remaining in the area.

“Damn!!”

Cursing, I ran toward my way home.

My house was very close to the factory my sister worked at, and it was just one bus stop away from the hospital, so it was definitely within running distance.

I usually took the bus because of my frail body.

As I was running toward home, I suddenly had to stop in my tracks.

“Damn it…….” 

Why is it that ominous feeling is always right?

I had a feeling that this would happen, but my sister was running toward me.

“Haesun?!”

Seeing her face covered in tears, it seemed she had cried a lot in worry.

Since this was the outskirts of the Gate, everyone around her seemed to have run away, and it was just my sister and me here.

Seeing my sister wandering alone in the empty neighborhood, anger surged within me before any sense of relief.

Normally, when a Gate opens, hunters are stationed in advance, and a safe line is established around the area to restrict passage.

Restricting passage, my ass.

What the hell are the association members even doing?

“Fuck. They can't do a single thing right.”

I cursed, but on the other hand, a sigh of relief escaped me.

At least I was fortunate to meet her halfway; if she had encountered a monster on the way, who knows what could have happened….

Thump!!!!

At that moment.

As if mocking my thoughts, a loud thudding sound echoed.

I turned my head toward the source of the sound.

-Kerreuk!!

It wasn’t a small creature like the ones I had been facing; it was a gigantic black toad, easily towering over two stories high.

It was hopping toward my sister, thudding with each bound.

"Ah...!!"

My sister's face, which had always been pale, turned even more ghostly white.

I knew it, what the hell was she thinking, coming in here so recklessly!

I shouted at my sister until my throat was hoarse.

"Run!!"

However, my sister, consumed by fear, froze in place, and as the toad’s massive body collided with hers, she was thrown back as if hit by a truck.

Bang!!

“Sister!!”

Sparks flew from my eyes.

I ran toward the black toad and swung the cane with all my strength.

Smack!

There was a dull thud as it hit the toad’s leg, but the toad didn’t move an inch.

It was actually to be expected.

The monsters I had taken down so far were at most 50 to 70 cm in size, but the black toad was several times larger than that.

Unlike the slimy skin of the smaller monsters that were slippery and shinny, its skin was as hard as concrete, and its limbs were long and thick like logs.

It was possible to subdue smaller ones with just human physical strength, but now, that strength was no match for it.

-Kreuk!!

The toad let out a sound as if mocking me, then swung its thick arm.

Bang!!!

I was sent flying several meters and crashed to the ground.

"Cough...!!"

My whole body felt like it was breaking apart.

The excruciating pain snapped me back to my senses, but gradually, my consciousness began to fade.

In my blurry vision, I could see the black toad’s figure.

As if it was going in for the kill, the toad slowly began moving toward my sister.

It felt like my heart was about to explode.

Like my blood was rushing backward.

Those bastards.

Not only has it slowly eaten away my life, but now it was trying to kill my sister.

She’s someone who has devoted her whole life to taking care of me, her younger brother.

And now, because of a monster, because of me, she’s about to die.

“AAAHH!!”

Bump.

I heard something snap in my head.

At the same time, the boiling heat within me erupted all at once.

Fwoooosh!

The energy was so intense that it even made the black toad turn its gaze.

-Keruk!!!!

A dark red energy surged from my body, shooting up into the sky.

It formed dark red gas, like blood, and gathered above in the sky and slowly began to take shape.

-Keruk!!

The shape was so massive that its shadow spread out, covering the entire area around the toad.

Sharp, dark red scales densely covered its entire body.

It moved smoothly, yet with an eerie sense that sent chills down my spine.

The creature, so large it made the toad seem almost cute, resembled the form of a serpent.

Sshhhiiiiiik.

The Red Poison Snake (赤毒蛇) slowly floated down from the sky, looking down below.

Its eyes, burning red, fixed on the toad.

-Keruk!!

The toad tried desperately to make a sound, but there was an undeniable fear in its cry.

The primal fear of a herbivore facing a top-tier predator.

It felt exactly like that.

How could such a terrifying power have been unleashed?

I didn’t know how either, but that didn’t matter.

As if possessed by something, I murmured in a voice unlike my usual one.

"Kill."

Sooooowwsh!

As if responding to the command, the Red Poison Snake began to descend with terrifying speed.

Boom!!!!!

The Red Poison Snake descended headfirst, and collided with the toad's entire body.

The power was so immense that the ground trembled as if an earthquake had occurred from the impact.

“……!!”

A large hole formed beneath the ground where the toad had been standing.

It looked as though a meteor had fallen from the sky.

The giant toad, once boasting its massive size, disappeared without a trace.

"Haa...!!"

An overwhelming sense of exhaustion suddenly washed over my entire body.

Even when my symptoms were bad due to the poison, I never felt like this.

If there was a bed in front of me, I’d want to dive into it right away.

But I couldn’t afford to do that now.

“Sister!!”

I couldn’t bring myself to touch her because of the poison on my clothes, so I looked around to check her condition.

"Hmm..."

Her beautiful face was twisted in pain, but fortunately, she hadn't completely lost consciousness.

Since we were a bit away from the Gate, there might still be a chance for the signal to reach.

I hurriedly took out my cell phone and called 119.

No, I was about to.

Thump!! Thump!!

“……!!!”

At that moment.

This must be the situation when I felt the greatest sense of despair in my life.

A massive black toad, even bigger than the monster I had just taken down, was approaching.

-Kirr...

And that wasn’t all.

The black toad, as if it were the leader, was gathering the other large and small toads that remained in the area toward me.

"...This is fucking ridiculous...."

It would be great to call the Red Poison Snake again, but I wasn’t sure how I had summoned it in the first place.

Rather than saying I called it intentionally, it would be more appropriate to say that it had come out on its own.

Crucially, right now, I didn’t even have the strength to pick up a cane, let alone summon it again.

Shit.

Is this the end?

As I barely managed to lift one knee, a wave of nausea surged up.

"Ugh."

Dark red blood left my mouth, similar to the color of the Red Poison Snake I had summoned earlier.

Perhaps she sensed the final moment coming.

My sister, who had collapsed, raised her hand, trying to grab the collar of my shirt.

"Haesun... ah."

I subtly moved my body, avoiding my sister's hand.

"... I'm covered in poison, Sis."

Thud, thud, thud.

I'm about to die anyway, does it even matter?

The giant toad's face seemed to be asking that question.

The size of the creature, which had approached so close, was truly enormous.

I had to tilt my neck all the way back just to see its head.

Around the giant toad, both large and small creatures surrounded me and my sister.

The way they were acting made me feel like we were about to be publicly executed.

With all the strength I had left, I lifted the cane.

Thwack!

-Keruk.

I knew it would be like this, but the blow had no effect on the toad whatsoever.

The giant toad shrugged its shoulders, as if finding it all amusing.

Then, with the motion of swatting a fly, it brought down an arm the size of a pillar.

Damn it.

Is this really the end?

Scenes from the past slowly flashed through my mind like a fading memory.

Boom!!!!!!

Is it that when the impact is too strong, you can't even feel it?

Without being able to make a proper counterattack, stars flickered before my eyes.

Shit.

So this is the end.

What a damn shitty life.

However.

-Kurarak!!

I could vividly hear the sound of crying filled with rage.

Is the afterlife really this real?

I slowly opened my eyes, which were closed shut.

That's strange.

I thought I was dead for sure, but I was still alive.

The searing heat all over my body was still confirming that I was alive.

"How...?"

When I opened my eyes a little wider, a strange woman's voice echoed before me.

"You shouldn't use that much power, little puppy."

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