Chapter 3

A tall woman stands before me.

Despite the weather, her coat flutters dramatically.

Well, I can't really talk since I'm wearing a hoodie too.

Next, I notice her tanned skin and alluring face.

And the empty sleeve of her coat.

“Who...?”

Even in this life-or-death situation, I can't help but ask.

Who are you?

Instead of answering, she sticks out her tongue and licks her red lips.

As if she's found something incredibly delicious.

Surprisingly, she is holding up the weight of the toad with her remaining arm.

Seeing her support the toad's arm with her thin forearm, I can hardly believe my eyes.

“Would you use a cattle knife to kill a chicken? That's not how you use Black Ether.”

She says something incomprehensible, then pushes with a “Hah!”

Bang!!

Then something incredible happens.

The giant toad is forced back a few steps.

Even if this is happening in a game, it's a scene that would make you complain about the physics engine.

“...!!”

What does she mean by the knife and what is Black Ether?

I have so many questions, but there's one thing I need to say first.

“Thank you for helping me...”

Even though my life is limited, she saved me from immediate danger.

And with her abilities, she might be able to save my sister too.

She scans me up and down with a strange expression, then smiles.

“You're awfully kind, aren't you?”

I can only look at her with a puzzled expression.

I've never really thought of myself as a particularly kind person.

Cursing my condition was a daily routine.

But she is looking at me with a deeply moved expression.

Hmm.

It feels like there's more to her gratitude than just the thanks.

“Are you Hae-seon?”

“Yes.”

“I'm Kiril. I'm also a Poisoner type.”

Poisoner?

I think I've heard that term somewhere before.

They were active in the past but have since disappeared...

“Traitor...”

The words slip out without me realizing, and Kiril's eyes turn cold.

But then she flashes a provocative smile.

“Haha. I'll let it slide because you're a fellow Poisoner. Next time, I'll pinch you if you call me that.”

“...”

“Let's clear up the misunderstanding later. For now, we need to clean up those guys, right?”

Poof!

Kiril disappears from my sight.

Did she use teleportation?

No, she just moved incredibly fast.

“Listen up, puppy.”

Not just me, but all the monsters' attention is drawn to the rooftop of a building.

The city is eerily quiet, devoid of cars and people.

That's why Kiril's voice is so clear.

“You can become like this too soon.”

Whoosh.

I jump in surprise.

It's not because of what Kiril said.

I don't know how, but an overwhelmingly powerful aura is surging from her.

Despite her being the one who saved me, the intensity makes me shiver.

I look at Kiril with a mix of fear and admiration.

Whoosh.

Kiril raises her arm, and her palm faces the sky.

Then, a dark red vortex erupts from her palm.

“!!!!!”

Whoosh.

The vortex stretches into the sky and splits into several streams that fall in all directions.

A sinister, dark red rain from the sky!

Each stream pierces the bodies of the monsters surrounding Hae-seon.

Crack!

- Kuruuk!

- Keeeek!

Even the large monsters nearby are not spared.

The toad, which had been glaring at her, leaped from the ground but was soon pierced by dozens of streams and let out a terrible scream.

- Crack!

Bang!!!

After the toad hit the ground,

No living toads were visible.

With a single gesture, Kiril had wiped out the surrounding monsters.

‘Did she... kill all the monsters with a single gesture?’

Maybe it's because I witnessed such overwhelming power.

My body trembles.

“...”

When you're too shocked, you often lose your words.

I couldn't say anything until Kiril reappeared before me.

“Poison Rain. It's the only technique I've named.”

* * *

“Tell me your home address.”

After retrieving something from the toad's corpse, she slung my sister over one arm and leaped from building to building, reaching my home in no time.

From a distance, it looked more like she was flying than running.

I have so many questions about Kiril.

How did she find me in this chaos?

What is the source of her overwhelming power?

Why did she help us?

When I finally arrived home, Kiril said with a smirk,

“Pretty fast, right? It's called Poison Step. It's the only technique I've named.”

I understand one thing.

She's definitely a bragger.

“Earlier, you definitely used Poison Rain...”

“Huh? What? I can't hear you.”

She pretends not to hear, putting her hand to her ear.

Her actions are clearly innocent, but each one exudes a strange allure.

“Thank you for saving us. Thanks to you, Kiril, we're alive.”

“Drop the honorific. We're not that formal.”

We just met today, and she's already acting like we're close.

She treats me like a nephew, even though she's more like a younger aunt.

“Pleasantries aside. I still have a service to offer.”

“Service?”

“Yeah. Your sister is in a dangerous condition.”

I jump in surprise and look at my sister lying on the bed.

I thought she was just in pain, but now I see her complexion is poor.

Could she have been poisoned in the Gate area?

Kiril sits next to the bed and places her hand on my sister's forehead.

Shimmer.

Golden light flows from Kiril's hand and spreads through my sister's body.

I've seen this before in a VTube video.

When a Healer-type Hunter heals Knights, it looks exactly like this.

But she clearly called herself a Poisoner.

How can someone who handles poison also have healing abilities?

Does that even make sense?

“Opposites attract, you know.”

It's as if she can read my mind.

Kiril starts to explain.

“Poisoners carry various poisons in their bodies. Some people say they're immune to poison, but that's all nonsense.”

“Nonsense...?”

“Yeah. Complete nonsense. No matter how much of a Poisoner you are, you can't live by metabolizing poison. We are constantly healing the poisons in our bodies. While eating, defecating, and even while sleeping. The purified poison is Black Ether, the source of a Poisoner's power.”

I've never heard such a story.

Actually, there's almost no information about Poisoners in the world.

Except for the rumor that they once betrayed humanity.

Kiril turns to me and gives a suggestive look.

“First, take off your clothes.”

“Excuse me?”

Taken aback by her sudden suggestion, I lean back.

“Haha. Why are you blushing? Do you think I'm going to do something?”

“...Ah.”

Kiril's gaze sweeps over me.

How long are you going to wear clothes soaked in poison?

That's what her look means.

If my sister is really poisoned, my presence could be a threat.

I soon realize her intention and scratch the back of my head.

By the time I put my clothes in a garbage bag, Kiril removes her hand from my sister's forehead.

“Friend, what's your name?”

“Chun Song-hwa...”

“She's been poisoned and has a few broken ribs. And... she's extremely fatigued. It seems to have accumulated over a long time.”

Poison and fatigue.

Those two words make me feel like the world is collapsing.

“She's been working a lot of overtime at the factory. Because of my medical bills...”

“Tsk tsk. If we had been any later, she might have ended up in the hospital. Anyway, the immediate danger is over. Her bones will heal soon, and she needs rest from now on.”

“...Thank you so much.”

I bow deeply, genuinely grateful.

When the large toad approached my sister and me, I experienced a despair I had never felt before.

But thanks to Kiril, my sister and I survived the Gate, and she even healed our injuries.

Considering she's a complete stranger, it feels like a miracle.

So.

On the other hand.

I can't help but ask.

“This might not be the right time, but my sister always told me something.”

“Huh? What?”

“If you keep receiving one-sided kindness, there will come a time when you have to give something in return.”

“...”

Kiril pouts and stares at me intently.

Her beauty is always breathtaking.

“Song-hwa, you look like you're in your early twenties, but you talk like an old man who's seen it all.”

Kiril smiles and places her hand on my forehead.

Shimmer.

Like when she healed my sister, golden light flows from her hand into me.

A warm yet refreshing sensation, something that shouldn't coexist, seeps in.

My swollen arm gradually returns to its normal shape.

A pleasant drowsiness.

I've experienced a similar feeling before.

When my symptoms were so severe that I had to take narcotic painkillers.

At that time, I felt an indescribable drowsiness, but now it's several times stronger.

As I get lost in that blissful feeling, Kiril's voice breaks through.

“Right. There will come a time when you have to repay this favor. But that's a distant future.”

“It might be too late then.”

I smile bitterly while being healed.

“Why?”

“I don't have much time left.”

Kiril blinks her large eyes a few times.

After all, I have a life expectancy of only a month.

If she needs something from me, she should hurry.

Suddenly, Kiril's expression turns mischievous.

She moves her hand from my forehead to my cheek and gently pulls it.

“Acting all wise for a greenhorn. You little brat.”

“Ouch! (It hurts!)”

“Don't worry. You won't die.”

“Huh?”

“You won't die. Your condition worsened because of your awakening.”

Awakening.

A miraculous talent bestowed by the heavens to hunt monsters.

Awakening is the rite of passage for becoming a Hunter.

But I've never heard of anyone going through such a painful awakening like me.

Usually, people suddenly become stronger or gain the ability to use mana.

“Poisoners are special and unique. The awakening process is different from lower types. Asking the quacksalves at the hospital won't help. Even the guild's research institute wouldn't make much difference.”

Kiril is saying something, but I can barely hear it.

Thump thump.

Her words are stirring my heart.

“Can I... live?”

Embarrassed, I ask with a trembling voice.

Kiril's eyes widen, then form a crescent.

“Yes. Puppy. You won't die. And...”

She says with shining eyes.

“Soon, you'll become the strongest being in this world.”