"Aaaah!!!"
"What do we do?!"
The people running towards him were ashen-faced, as if they'd seen a ghost.
"What the hell?"
Shi-woo quickly assessed the situation.
"Kyaaak!"
"Aaaah!"
The screams were coming from behind the fleeing crowd.
THUMP-THUMP-
Something the size of a bull was charging towards them at an alarming speed.
Fleeing people.
A massive beast.
A chilling sensation crept through his body.
The threat of death!
No need for deep thought, the situation was clear.
"Yikes!"
Why waste time thinking?
TAT-TAT-
Shi-woo bolted in the opposite direction.
Just then,
"It's a… a monster!"
"Run! It'll kill you if it catches you!"
Monster!
The word sent shivers down his spine.
How could a monster appear on Earth?
It was common knowledge that monsters couldn't pass through the Gates.
Shi-woo, working for a Hunter-related company, knew this well.
And it hadn't been reported even once in the seven years since the Gates appeared.
Yet, a monster was now standing in the middle of Seoul!
'Was it just a bull? Is it just the darkness?'
Shi-woo glanced back, hoping it was a mistake.
WHOOSH-HOOSH-
It had blood-red eyes.
Sharp, jagged horns covered its forehead.
And it had six legs, not four!
'It's… it's not an Earth creature!'
Even a quick glance told him it was a monster.
'But I don't think there's a monster like that in the encyclopedia…'
Of course, with countless Gates and dimensions, there were bound to be undiscovered monsters.
But that wasn't the priority now.
'Ugh!'
He felt a burning sensation in his gut.
Shi-woo remembered a Hunter he'd met at work.
"Those monsters know how to kill living things brutally. They make it agonizing. Hearing my comrades' screams when they're caught is unbearable."
Right!
Monsters that tear people apart!
And one was charging towards him.
A jolt of fear ran through him.
'Run! I have to run!'
Meanwhile,
ROAR-CAW-
THUMP-THUMP-
The chilling sound of metal grinding grew closer.
'This won't do!'
Shi-woo focused his mind.
Survival instinct kicked in.
He'd thought his body would freeze in this situation, but he was wrong.
'I have to find a way out!'
He couldn't shake off the monster in a crowd.
SWISH-SWISH-
He quickly scanned his surroundings.
Then,
'There!'
An alleyway, perfect for hiding, came into view.
TAT-TAT-
Shi-woo didn't hesitate.
WHOOSH-
He darted into the alley.
TAT-TAT-
He hid at the end of the dark alley.
His instincts were right.
GRAAAH-
THUMP-THUMP-
The bull-sized monster ran past the alley.
A six-legged beast!
"What the hell… Haa… haa…"
He let out a sigh of relief.
SHIVER-
Then his body trembled.
He was still tense.
"Phew…"
A deep breath calmed him down.
Shi-woo shook his head.
A monster in the middle of the city!
Was this real?
'What about the police? The military?'
Safety was his first thought.
If a monster appeared, it would have been reported, and someone should be here to handle it.
But if no one was coming?
It meant the monster hadn't been here long.
How long would he have to hide before the military arrived?
They'd bring Hunters, right?
Could Hunters even use their powers on Earth?
He knew their powers were significantly weaker outside the Gates.
"Whew…"
Shi-woo looked towards the alley entrance.
Then,
GRRRR-
He saw the monster's red eyes.
"Wh-what?"
His heart froze.
He'd thought he was well hidden, so why?
STEP-STEP-
Shi-woo backed away.
GRAAAH-
As if reading his movements, the monster slowly entered the alley.
Like a predator stalking its prey!
"Huu… huu…"
His heart pounded, and he couldn't breathe properly.
Panic.
Fear.
The sudden brush with death.
THUMP-
Shi-woo's back hit the wall.
'Ah…'
Nowhere to run.
Shi-woo stared at the monster, eyes wide with fear.
GRRRR-
The monster, now close, bared its jagged teeth.
WHOOSH-
Its breath smelled acrid.
It was that close!
GULP-
Shi-woo swallowed hard.
Was this how he'd die?
Was this the end?
His heart pounded faster.
Then,
GRAAAAH-
The monster opened its mouth wide.
What?
Was it going to bite his neck?
THUMP-THUMP-
His heart raced, and the world seemed to slow down.
He had to do something…
Even in this situation, Shi-woo imagined things.
GLANCE-
He imagined reaching into his pocket and pulling out his fountain pen.
With the cap off.
He held the sharp tip down, clenching his fist.
Then,
GRAAAAH-
He dodged the monster's teeth.
The monster's eyes widened in surprise.
Now!
PIERCE-
Shi-woo stabbed the monster's red eye with the pen.
And that wasn't all.
PIERCE-SLICE-
He quickly retracted the pen and stabbed the monster's ear and jaw.
KWOAAAAH-
The monster roared in pain, shaking its head.
SHWOOSH-
Clear liquid sprayed from its wounds.
"Ptooey! Puagh!"
Shi-woo was the closest.
"Cough… huu…"
How could he feel the liquid?
Wasn't this just his imagination?
Did he actually stab it?
Then,
KHEAAAH-
The monster fled, howling in pain.
"Wh-what…"
Shi-woo touched his face and body.
He felt the cold liquid.
"Huu… huu…"
He looked at his other hand.
The one holding the pen.
"D-did I do that?"
Seeing the liquid dripping from the pen, he knew it wasn't a dream.
"This is…"
SLUMP-
His legs gave way.
THUMP-THUMP-
His heart was still racing.
SHIVER-SHIVER-
His hands and feet trembled.
He couldn't bring himself to stand.
"Haa… haa… I… I survived."
Shi-woo sat on the ground, grateful to be alive.
WEE-WOO-WEE-WOO-
After some time, police sirens blared.
'They're finally here?'
Shi-woo was still on the ground.
How long had it been?
Five minutes? Ten?
He didn't know.
He was just relieved to be alive.
But how did this happen?
Shi-woo replayed the events.
'I hurt a monster.'
He knew Earth was different from the Gate worlds.
Like the Hunters.
A Hunter in the Gate world was different from one on Earth.
Their abilities were amplified in the Gate world.
Of course, that only applied to Hunters who could use mana.
Was that why he could hurt the monster?
'Right, the monster was weakened on Earth. That's why I could hurt it.'
He stroked his chin.
"Wait."
Something was off.
SWISH-
Shi-woo checked his body.
"What?"
His body, soaked with the monster's liquid, was now dry.
As if he'd just put on clothes fresh from the dryer.
Unbelievable.
GLANCE-
Shi-woo stood up.
He looked around.
The monster's liquid was gone.
He felt dazed.
'Did it evaporate? Or did I imagine it?'
Even so…
Shi-woo looked at the pen in his hand.
He'd definitely stabbed the monster's eye.
"Phew…"
He sighed.
He put the pen back in his pocket.
He needed to investigate.
STEP-STEP-
Shi-woo left the alley.
TAT-TAT-
He saw police officers and people in blue jackets.