Chapter 6: The Necromancer(6)

“The low-risk monsters are currently under the jurisdiction of the National Police Agency, but for efficiency in resource management, our committee handles some of the issues. This operation is part of that effort.”

Comet nodded slightly at the explanation from the healer.

“You can hunt freely as long as you don’t disrupt the operation, Comet.”

“What do you mean by not disrupting the operation?”

“It means not interfering with the encirclement, such as driving the monsters around.”

“Even though I’m a necromancer, I wouldn’t do that in a situation like this. Don’t worry.”

The healer nodded in agreement and drew lines on the map. A mountain located in Seoul was enlarged on the map.

“Let me go over the plan one last time for clarification.”

Comet focused, paying attention.

“The objective of this operation is to exterminate a small group of monsters occupying the mountain. To do that, we will form an encirclement as we ascend the mountain. Combat teams will consist of two people each. We plan to use flares actively to compensate for the lack of communication and manpower. This is what the flare signal looks like.”

The healer pointed to a picture of a flare shooting into the sky, emitting red smoke.

“Once the encirclement tightens beyond a certain range, each team will reorganize into groups of four, preparing for the potential appearance of high-risk monsters. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I’ll focus less on hunting and join up when I see the flares.”

“Exactly. That would be ideal. It seems we’ve covered everything. Do you have any other questions?”

Comet glanced at the committee members stretching in front of a scenic path and then looked back at the healer.

“Which point is civil servant Dan Ga-yeon in charge of?”

The healer drew a line along the path with the pen.

“Dan Ga-yeon will ascend the path and then leave it at this point, heading in this direction.”

Comet memorized the location and nodded.

“Having sparred with Dan Ga-yeon, I can say she’s skilled. I’ll ascend from another direction.”

The healer blinked in surprise, staring at Comet.

Comet gave a small smile.

#

It seemed accurate to call it a small group of monsters, as Comet found the creatures later than expected.

The monster resembled a wolf, classified as a quadruped.

Comet watched the wolf with a look of anticipation, flicking the knife. The wolf sprinted forward, leaping in an arc.

Observing its speed, which was lower than expected, Comet was disappointed.

Taking two slow steps, she bent her upper body forward.

The knife, raised in the air, sliced through the monster’s belly as it passed by.

The monster died, spilling its guts.

After retrieving the soul, Comet was perplexed.

It was weaker than anticipated.

If Dan Ga-yeon died fighting monsters like these, it would only raise unnecessary suspicion.

The committee didn’t need to strain itself over such a matter; it was somewhat predictable.

Climbing a tree, Comet gauged the slow progress of the encirclement before heading toward the summit, where stronger monsters were likely to be.

Near the summit, the monsters encountered were stronger than the first, but none were at the level of high-risk monsters that could cause fatal accidents for pairs of fighters.

Ignoring the charging monsters, Comet climbed a rock and scanned the surroundings.

Something large was seen sleeping.

Comet quickly leaped down from the rock and approached it. As she got closer, it became clear: it was a bear-like monster.

Comet folded her arms and stared at the bear monster before rolling to the side.

A wolf-like monster passed through where Comet had been and rammed into the sleeping bear.

Feigning ignorance, Comet clasped her hands behind her back and watched.

The bear monster rose and looked down at the wolf monster. Even though the wolf began to back away, it growled, as if trying to maintain some pride.

There was a faint sound of tearing flesh. The bear’s belly was ripped open, exposing ribs that pierced through the wolf.

Comet’s mouth gaped open.

The bear grabbed the wolf with its front legs and shoved it into its belly.

The wolf, crushed by force, was swallowed inside.

At the sound of clapping, the bear monster turned to look at Comet.

Comet waved briefly in greeting before turning and running away. The noise of the pursuing monster was loud.

Comet glanced back at the monster, contemplating.

Delivering it directly to Dan Ga-yeon would cause too much commotion.

It would be better to lure it to an appropriate path and wait for them to encounter each other.

Recalling the route Dan Ga-yeon would take, as told by the healer, Comet changed direction and led the monster away.

Upon reaching a suitable location, she climbed a tree. Hiding among the branches, she kicked one of them.

Silently, Comet flipped her body and landed lightly on the opposite tree, like a ghost, outside the monster’s view.

The tree Comet had climbed was smashed, causing a disturbance.

The monster, swinging its front legs, looked around in confusion when it saw no humans nearby.

Before she was noticed, Comet quietly moved from tree to tree, distancing herself.

After arriving at a safe spot, Comet stretched for a moment before moving again.

Following the expected route, it wasn’t hard to find Dan Ga-yeon.

She was paired with a man, though their conversation was somewhat awkward, suggesting they weren’t close.

They spoke in low voices, likely mindful of the monsters.

“If something goes wrong, this is your responsibility, right, Civil Servant Dan?”

“Yes.”

“I definitely suggested avoiding it.”

“Yes, yes.”

The man looked nervously in the direction of the bear monster’s earlier commotion.

Comet scratched her cheek. Though it wasn’t loud at this distance, it seemed to have attracted their attention.

“I really did object to this.”

“Yes. If it gets dangerous, shoot the flare. I’ll buy us some time.”

“There won’t be any danger if we avoid it.”

“Haha.”

There was a laugh that didn’t sound like a real laugh. Comet blinked. This was the first time she’d seen Dan Ga-yeon act so coldly.

Their conversation abruptly stopped when a wolf-like monster appeared, pushing through the bushes.

Dan Ga-yeon readied her sword while the man moved to the rear. He must have been from a magic division, given his lack of weapons.

As the monster lunged to bite her leg, Dan Ga-yeon adjusted her stance, easily dodging and swinging her sword.

The blade grazed the monster’s side. The wound wasn’t deep, so the stumbling monster attacked again.

An ice arrow flew and struck the creature. Dan Ga-yeon finished it off as it collapsed.

Though ice magic was common, Comet guessed the man was an elemental mage.

“You did well,” Dan Ga-yeon said, smiling kindly at the man.

“Of course. But what were you thinking, dodging like that? What if the monster had come for me?”

Without a word, Dan Ga-yeon swung her sword to shake off the monster’s blood. The splattered blood stained the nearby trees.

As they neared the area where the bear monster was, the occasional conversation died down as they focused.

Dan Ga-yeon carefully led the way, pushing through the bushes, but then came to a halt.

In the silence, they heard the breathing of a beast.

Dan Ga-yeon gestured to the man, sharing the situation. He peeked beyond the bushes at the bear monster.

The two of them quietly backed away to increase the distance. The man whispered to Dan Ga-yeon.

“We can’t win this.”

“What? No, I think we can handle it.”

“No, look closely. That fur has magic resistance.”

“I’ll wound it, then you can hit it with magic. The damage will land.”

“I know that! Who wouldn’t know that? But if you’re the one dealing damage, who’s going to tank?”

The sound of tearing flesh was faint. The bear’s belly skin ripped apart, revealing its ribs, which pierced through the wolf.

Comet’s mouth gaped open.

The bear grabbed the wolf with its front legs and stuffed it into its belly. The wolf, crushed by the bear’s strength, was swallowed.

When the sound of applause echoed, the bear monster turned to look at Comet.

Comet waved briefly in greeting before turning and running. The noise of pursuit behind was loud.

Comet glanced back at the monster and hesitated. Delivering it directly to Dan Ga-yeon would be too chaotic.

It seemed better to place it along the path and wait for her to encounter it.

Recalling the route Dan Ga-yeon would take, as mentioned by the healer, Comet adjusted her direction to lure the monster.

Once she reached the appropriate spot, she grabbed onto a tree and climbed.

She hid in the tree, reaching the top, then kicked a branch. Out of sight from the monster, Comet flipped her body like a ghost and landed lightly on the opposite tree.

The tree Comet had climbed was smashed, causing a commotion.

The monster swung its front leg but, finding no humans, looked around in confusion.

Before she could be noticed, Comet leaped between multiple trees and moved away.

After reaching a safe place, she stretched briefly and continued moving. Following the expected route, she easily found Dan Ga-yeon.

Dan was with a man, though they didn’t seem close, speaking in a detached tone. Their voices were low, likely wary of the monster.

“If a problem arises, it’ll be Officer Dan’s responsibility, right?”

“Yes.”

“I clearly said we should avoid it.”

“Yes, yes.”

The man looked uneasily in the direction where the bear monster had caused the disturbance.

Comet scratched her cheek. Even though they were at a distance, it seemed they were still aware of the noise.

“I really objected.”

“Yes. If it gets dangerous, fire a signal flare. I’ll buy you some time.”

“There wouldn’t be any danger if we avoided it.”

“Haha.”

A laugh, though it hardly sounded like one, echoed. Comet blinked. It was her first time seeing Dan Ga-yeon so cold.

Their conversation halted when a wolf-like monster emerged from the bushes.

Dan Ga-yeon pointed her sword, and the man retreated to the back. Judging by his lack of weapons, he must have been a magic user.

As the monster lunged to bite her leg, Dan shifted naturally, dodging and swinging her sword.

The blade cut into the monster’s side. The wound wasn’t deep, as the staggering monster quickly lunged again.

An ice arrow flew and struck the monster. Dan finished off the fallen beast.

Although ice arrows were a common technique, Comet guessed the man was likely an elemental mage.

“Well done,” Dan smiled kindly at the man.

“That’s right. But what would’ve happened if it attacked me when you dodged?”

Without a word, Dan swung her sword, flicking the monster’s blood from the blade. The scattered blood splattered onto a nearby tree.

As they neared where the bear monster had been, the intermittent conversation ceased, as if they were focusing.

Dan cautiously led the way, parting the bushes, then stopped. Amidst the now-quiet atmosphere, the sound of a beast’s breathing could be heard.

Dan gestured to the man, signaling the situation. He peered past the bushes to observe the bear monster.

Silently, they both began to back away.

The man whispered to Dan.

“We can’t win this.”

“Huh? No, I think we can handle it.”

“No, look closely. That fur has magic resistance.”

“I’ll cause some wounds, and you can follow up with magic to deal the damage.”

“Yeah, I know that. But who’s going to tank while you’re dealing damage?”

Comet twirled her side hair, noticing the bear monster turning its head.

The two who had been whispering also realized the monster had noticed them and took their stances.

The charging monster swung its front leg. Dan dodged easily and swung her sword.

As a wound appeared, a fireball flew in. Flames erupted, and the monster howled.

Taking advantage of the moment, Dan followed up with successive sword strikes, while elemental magic continued to hit its mark.

Comet crossed her arms, tilting her head. She watched the situation for a moment, but nothing changed.

Each time a sword wound appeared, magic would follow. Though the monster hadn’t suffered massive damage, it was certainly accumulating.

It might not look like much damage on the surface, but being in the position of dodging attacks would certainly make someone anxious.

Yet, Dan Ga-yeon remained calm. Her movements indicated she was experienced with such pressure.

It seemed her talk about hunting-focused games wasn’t just empty words.

Comet squatted down and looked for a rock. She calmly selected a stone that was easy to throw and would stagger the target when hit.

After selecting it, she stood up.

By that time, the situation hadn’t changed. However, the monster, seemingly frustrated, let out a furious roar.

Out of nowhere, it smashed a nearby boulder. Despite several ongoing attacks, the monster ignored them and lifted the shattered rock, throwing it at the mage in the rear.

The man, distracted, stared blankly at the flying boulder and was hit squarely.

It seemed that he had forgotten the importance of always being ready to move, even while focusing on dealing damage from the rear.

Dan, caught off guard by the absurd situation, hesitated before quickly rolling. It was a slightly delayed decision.

The sound of tearing flesh followed, as ribs burst forth. One arm was completely impaled and left dangling.

The sword slashed, shattering the ribs. The front leg swung again, sending Dan flying and crashing into the ground.

Comet gently placed the rock down. It was better this way.

The man staggered to his feet at that moment. His shirt was soaked in blood, and cold sweat trickled down his face, making it clear he wasn’t in any shape to use magic.

The man frowned as he saw Dan struggling to stand, using her sword as a crutch, her body in tatters.

“I told you we couldn’t catch it!”

The monster, hearing his shout, turned toward the man. Panicking, the man pulled out a signal flare.

Realizing the danger, Comet picked up the rock again, preparing to throw it, but hesitated.

The direction the signal flare was pointed in was unexpected.

The launched flare left a red trail and struck Dan. As the red trail burst, Dan staggered. The monster’s front leg slammed down on her.

Comet stared blankly at Dan as she struggled to maintain her stance before collapsing.

Her black hair and blood scattered. The monster, looking down at the fallen Dan, let out a deafening roar.

Comet listened to the sound for a moment before chasing after the fleeing man.

The man staggered as he descended the mountain. Comet watched him for a moment before moving ahead to examine the surroundings.

She noticed a tree root jutting out on his path. Kicking it, she broke it into a sharp point.

The man soon passed by. Comet threw the rock. The man stumbled and fell, impaling his upper body on the tree root.

A low scream escaped.

Before long, his hands, clutching the root, trembled, and his legs struggled to find balance.

Comet approached slowly, hands behind her back, and gently placed her foot on his back. His weak scream continued as his body shook before going limp.

“A shameful death.”

Comet plucked a few leaves, tore them, and scattered them over the man’s head. Dusting off her hands, she retrieved a soul orb and collected his soul.

After briefly inspecting the corpse, Comet turned back and walked towards the place where Dan Ga-yeon had fallen.

About halfway there, the sound of footsteps on leaves reached her ears.

Her eyebrows twitched at the unexpected situation. Quickly hiding in the bushes, she watched as Dan Ga-yeon, staggering, descended.

With vacant eyes, Dan followed the trail of blood on the ground.

Her sword was missing, with only the empty sheath tied to her waist. She had wrapped her pierced arm in her coat, but drops of blood still fell in clusters.

Dan Ga-yeon leaned against a tree several times as she moved forward.

Before long, she discovered a corpse and let out a bitter laugh. Her body trembled, and her breathing created a sound as she inhaled and exhaled in disarray.

Dan Ga-yeon exhaled deeply, then approached the corpse and pulled it with all her strength.

The blood-stained tree root was fully exposed, and the body was freed.

Overwhelmed, Dan Ga-yeon collapsed but quickly crawled over and rummaged through the body’s pockets.

A signal flare was retrieved. The trembling barrel was aimed at the sky. The trigger was pulled. A clicking sound echoed.

Dan Ga-yeon, still staring at the pale sky, let her arm drop. The discarded signal flare struck the body and fell to the ground.

Rocks and dirt hit the body in succession and then stopped. The leaves rustled in the wind, crackling softly.

Howling was heard in the distance.

Dan Ga-yeon, holding back her tears, hoisted the body onto her shoulder. Her legs trembled as she stood up.

She staggered for a moment, but soon stood upright. The hem of her coat fluttered. A blood-soaked footprint was imprinted on the ground. One footprint continued down the mountain.

There was nothing more. The fallen body was covered by rustling leaves, which soon settled.

Comet approached Dan Ga-yeon with a blank stare. He cleared the body and turned it so it faced the sky.

Kneeling, he rested the head on his lap.

Glory to a death fulfilled in duty.

Comet closed his eyes.

He could hear the sound of a slowing heartbeat. The wind blew. The grass swayed and rustled.

The passing wind seemed to pause unnaturally, then returned. The sound of someone running followed.

Comet opened his eyes and blinked. A healer emerged through the bushes, followed by a few others.

The healer looked between Comet and the dying Dan Ga-yeon and then used magic.

Comet glanced at the healer, then down at Dan Ga-yeon.

Her complexion was returning.

The shining soul was now vanishing from sight.

Comet felt somewhat displeased.

Such a wicked healer.