Starting a Reversal in Life From the Time of Release

9 – The Suspiciously Round Gate (3)

Like animals that are classified and divided from small to large, masoo is also divided from large to small.

The red pheasant that was just hunted is naturally small.

In terms of swordsmanship, the size of the stone horse, which could be considered my level, is naturally small, and the amount I can obtain is also small.

Nevertheless, I decided to gather it because I could make pocket money by selling it, but I just left it buried in the ground to rot.

The purpose of rehabilitation is also significant, and it is worthwhile to extract the stone horse if it becomes a large masoo.

“Just throw it away.”

“That’s right. We didn’t bring the gathering team with us either.”

Nana Seo, Ha-Neul Yi, and Yeoreum Seo are not desperate for money.

Mr. Alberto also seemed surprised, without showing any signs of greed.

“Is the gathering team the job you are recommending?”

While walking towards the deep forest again, Alberto, who was following behind me, asked.

“Yes. After the hunter defeats the masoo like now, there are people who handle the aftermath. They drain the blood, extract the stone horse, and separate other materials accordingly.”

“Are they all doing it on-site? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Yes. That’s why the processing of the masoo is done outside the gate. There are also specialized workshops that only dismantle the masoo, and sometimes we leave it there.”

“Well… in a way, it’s like a butcher shop.”

“Um… yes?”

It wasn’t completely wrong to compare it to a butcher shop, but the analogy was surprisingly fitting, which surprised me.

“But… is what you’re holding a weapon? For a weapon, it looks quite bizarre….”

He actively asked as if trying to get all the questions that came to mind at once.

As I thought it was natural for him to ask that, I intended to answer as sincerely as possible.

However, instead of me, Seo Ha-Neul, who was guarding beside Alberto, answered.

“Mr. Sihu’s weapon is called a vibrating needle.”

“A needle? Is that big thing a needle?”

“Yes. Did you see it vibrating earlier? That’s because Mr. Sihu vibrates the needle and throws it.”

Hunters who hunt masoo each have their unique abilities, and before they obtain the qualification of a hunter, they are classified as ordinary awakened individuals, who have different abilities than ordinary people.

Seo Ha-Neul unexpectedly became an assistant professor and briefly explained the process from awakening to becoming a hunter.

“I have the ability to manipulate plants, and Yeoreum here handles light.”

“Light? Can you manipulate light?”

Alberto’s eyes widened at the mention of manipulating light.

They all have distinctive abilities, but it seems that the ability to manipulate light is more astonishing.

“Can I show you? It’s fortunate timing.”

As I turned my head cautiously, Yiyeon swung the knife in her left hand, smiling.

Then, the loud thumping sound that had been shaking the ground gradually decreased, followed by a noise resembling the falling of a colossal object.

The sound of a large beast falling to the ground was distinct.

“It looks like the blade tip shone for a moment….”

“Yes, that’s right. There’s no need to hold a knife, but it makes it easier to use our abilities.”

Yiyeon pointed her knife end towards the fallen blue bear in front of us, laughing.

The bear was lying dead, diagonally sliced from its right shoulder to its belly button.

It was a trace left by Yiyeon with her light.

“Unbelievable….”

Alberto couldn’t close his mouth, disbelief written all over his face.

In the meantime, I carefully searched for the touch of the blue bear, flipping through its fur.

Normally, beasts like bears would have a magic stone near their neck, so I looked around its neck area.

“Found it.”

When I showed the size of the magic stone, resembling a cellphone, in my tired but triumphant hand, the others laughed awkwardly.

“You should wash your hands and the magic stone.”

Seo Haneul took out a water bottle from the backpack he had been carrying on his back and poured it onto my hand.

Even though it was precious drinking water, with Seo Haneul around, we didn’t have to worry about it.

As long as we grew coconut trees and they bore fruits.

[Crunch….]

Perhaps it was because the blue bear had made a loud noise.

Or maybe it was because the strong scent of blood had stimulated the nearby beasts.

It was hard for me to come to a conclusion, but it seemed certain that our actions had attracted the attention of the nearby beasts.

Beasts are also known to be more excited by the scent of the same kind of blood.

“What should we do?”

Seo Haneul pounded the ground with the iron rod in his hand, asking.

While I quietly observed the wriggling plants below my feet, my gaze turned towards the side.

The trees were densely packed, perfect for hiding.

“I’ll go ahead. Just keep an eye on Alberto, you two.”

After briefly setting the plan, I flew towards the area where the beasts were roaming.

That young man…I knew he was someone who hunts monsters, as they say in this field.

Among those who manipulate mana like knights or wizards, he is one with a unique way of manifesting it.

Through the humble yet calm attitude of that young man, I could see that he was quite skilled.

Furthermore, even in the midst of being falsely accused and imprisoned, he showed consideration for others, which made me like him even more.

However, the Shifu I saw today was extremely rough, to the point where I wondered if he was really that gentle young man.

With bloodstains all over his body, he pierced the weak points of the monsters with a weapon resembling thorns, causing the ground to tremble and the balance to collapse.

Even the moments when sharp thorns or fists collided with the monsters, they were instantly stunned or exploded.

Although I had realized that men in this world were rough and sharp, he took it a step further.

Moreover, it was even more shocking considering his originally gentle nature.

“Mr. Shifu!”

The woman named Haneul who was guarding by my side shouted desperately.

It was because a small cat-like creature with its claws raised flew towards Shifu’s back.

Furthermore, the fact that the cat’s color was green made it look overwhelmingly ominous.

The woman who controlled light was too busy getting rid of the small monsters and couldn’t reach out her hand.

Haneul was also busy getting rid of the approaching black dog.

However, when Shifu put his left hand under his right armpit and flicked his fingers,

[Kyaaak!!]

The air vibrated roughly, bouncing off the green cat.

“It’s okay.”

He replied briefly in a low voice and brushed away the cat that fell to the ground.

The cat that was kicked in the stomach flew up into the sky and crashed into a tree, shattering into pieces.

The sight of flesh and blood scattering in all directions was extremely shocking.

If I hadn’t experienced war before, I might have knelt down on the ground and vomited.

What was even more surprising was that the expressions of the two women remained unchanged.

They calmly and nonchalantly defeated the monsters with a slightly tense demeanor.

“Should we camp here today?”

Shifu, who had slaughtered the monsters, walked casually and asked.

The two women nodded and took off the heavy backpacks from their backs.

“That sounds good. Since the sun is setting anyway.”

“Just wait a moment. I’ll prepare.”

The two women took something resembling a small cylinder out of their backpack, and threw it onto the ground. Surprisingly, the cylinder stretched out like a flying squirrel and turned into a tent.

“I’ll install the alarm. You go wash up, Yoo Sihu.”

“Okay.”

The summer woman took something out of her backpack and left her spot, while the sky woman approached Sihu with something small and slender in her hands.

“Mr. Sihu, please take this.”

“Thank you.”

Sihu accepted the stone, holding it lightly in both hands. Suddenly, it emitted a blue light, cleansing the blood and sweat from his body.

It felt as if time was reversing.

“What is this…?”

I asked in an astonished tone, and Sihu smiled gently in response.

“It’s a purifying stone. It’s an artifact that cleanses only the dirt on the body when mana is blown into it.”

“Did such a thing exist?”

“Yes. It’s almost a necessary item for hunters who frequently stay outdoors. If you can’t wash, your discomfort and fatigue will only increase.”

“Oh…”

While I was amazed, Sihu pressed the shining purifying stone against my body.

Instantly, my sticky sweat was washed away, leaving me feeling refreshed.

“It also works when applied to the body like this.”

Sihu demonstrated it himself and then handed the weakening purifying stone to the sky woman.

“Thank you for using it. You’re welcome.”

As the sky woman cautiously accepted the purifying stone, the weakening light grew stronger again.

“Are you done using it? Give me some too.”

Meanwhile, the summer woman, who had left with empty hands, returned.

As I wondered what was going on, I noticed that small stakes were arranged in an irregular circle around the tent.

“What are those stakes around the tent?”

“They’re like burglar alarms. They make noise to alert us if a monster comes nearby. It attracts other monsters too, but anyways, if a monster comes, we’ll have to fight a big battle.”

The summer woman, who had been cleaning herself with the purifying stone, sighed helplessly as she answered.

We watched the sun set red and had a simple meal before lying down in our tents.

The women shared one tent, and the men shared another.

There was a device that alerted us when enemies were approaching, so there was no need to take turns keeping watch.

“I’ll go scout for a moment.”

As I was laying out my sleeping mat and about to lie down early, Shi-hu stopped to fix his black boot lace.

“Scouting? At night?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, there’s no concern of getting lost. If something happens while I’m gone, go straight to the women’s tent.”

“…Alright. Take care of yourself too.”

“Yes. Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll be back.”

As Shi-hu left the tent, I found myself alone inside.

Even though the tent was spacious for two, the empty space felt lonely.

“Hmm…”

I managed to lay down on my bed, but sleep eluded me.

I’ve been camping often, so it’s not that I’m afraid, but I was worried about what might happen to that young man.

If I only go by the shocking sight I saw today, he shouldn’t get hurt…

One hour. Another hour.

With each passing minute on the wristwatch, my anxiety grew.

I even considered waking the women up to search the surroundings together.

While I was tossing and turning, unable to sleep or settle down,

“I’m back.”

Finally, the man I had been waiting for entered the tent.

“Why did you scout for so long? It’s been more than four hours since you left.”

As I pointed at my wristwatch, conveying both worry and complaint, Shi-hu smiled coolly and answered.

“I’m sorry. But something important came up. I’ll tell both of you tomorrow.”

“What happened?”

When I asked, tilting my head, Shi-hu took off his black jersey and answered.

He said he used his ability to manipulate vibrations to scout the surroundings, similar to how bats use ultrasound to perceive their surroundings.

There were wild animals, and there were horses.

While using vibrations to scout the wide area, he suddenly sensed something strange in the vibrations.

Even though it wasn’t visible to the eye and there wasn’t any noticeable movement.

“So?”

“Well, while I was looking around, I suddenly saw a gate.”

“What?!”

A gate, if left unattended, is a den for demons to pour out from. So, it made sense to close it if there were any demons inside.

“But isn’t it usually quite sudden for a gate to appear?”

“Yes, it is. However, the gates I know always manifest by tearing open the air. But this one was different. It seemed like it had been hidden from the start, and it just quietly emerged. It had a different appearance too.”

It was a blue gate that formed a perfect circle, not the usual crack-like rift on the wall.

Shiho, upon seeing this gate suddenly appear, hesitated for a moment and then quickly decided to escape. He was originally responsible for reconnaissance within the team and had no hesitation when it came to inspecting the inside.

“However…”

However, he said that the gate he saw this time was different from what he had seen before.

An endless horizon, peaceful meadows – it looked like a peaceful rural village.

“So?”

“Well, there was no sign of demons coming out, so I decided to examine the surroundings further.”

He left his traces on the trees around while suppressing any signs of his presence, in case he needed to return to his position even after going far for reconnaissance.

If the story had ended here, it would have been a bit strange, but it could have been concluded with an odd feeling.

However, what Shiho revealed later shattered the peace of mind.

“Women, not men, were plowing the fields and carrying wood on their shoulders,” he said.