The weather is nice today.
It was the season moving from spring to summer, yet the wind was refreshingly cool.
The two occurrences of the Great Rift and the advent of the Hunter Era had collectively improved the climate and natural environment on Earth. In present-day Seoul, the population was reduced to around five million rather than the previously estimated ten million, contributing to the cooler atmosphere.
Isn’t there a saying that if all the humans in the city suddenly disappeared, the temperature would drop by about two to three degrees?
“Ka-haaa~”
Anyway, Yane, with her mouth half-open, was perched atop a transport drone, savoring the slightly cool breeze.
Normally, large transport drones aren’t meant for humans due to safety concerns, but since Yane was a Bladed Centipede Ascendant rather than a human, she effortlessly squished herself onto the drone like a cat, stabilizing her position as she rode.
Although her figure was remarkable like the Gallery Master Shia’s, the innocence emanating from her gaze and demeanor was something rarely seen in Shia. It seemed the viewers were appreciating this unique atmosphere.
[Yane is cute!]
[Yane!]
[Where are you going now??]
[Yane, where are you headed?]
“Kyie?”
Yane suddenly noticed the holographic chat window floating beside her.
Seeing that they were asking where she was going, she felt the need to respond sincerely, so Yane just blurted out something.
“Outside!”
[We know it’s outside!]
[But where outside? lol]
[This is how kids answer questions, isn’t it? lol]
[For real]
“Outside…. over there… kyie…”
Truth be told, Yane didn’t know either.
She had lived a passive life, simply following Shia and staring at her back whenever she set out, so it was only natural she didn’t know the way.
Besides, it hadn’t been long since she had obtained her consciousness after ascending, and because she didn’t even know how to operate a drone, it was impossible for Yane to know where the transport drone was taking her.
[Searching for suitable dungeon…]
The Hunter Assistant AI connected to the large transport drone would retrace a path Shia had previously taken or, as an assistant drone, head toward an appropriate dungeon for its owner, so there was no need to worry. However, not knowing the destination while broadcasting could be catastrophic.
‘What if people leave again.’
Yane, feeling a moment of unease that her broadcast might be boring or that she wouldn’t be pretty enough, peered cautiously over the edge of the transport drone and energetically stretched her arms wide.
[?]
[What is she doing???]
[I don’t know what she’s saying, but it feels like watching my daughter in a kindergarten play.]
[lol]
[But how could someone with that body be so childish?]
[Honestly, I find her more appealing than Shia with that brown skin.]
[There are no words I can’t say to that kid.]
[Stop the brain damage already.]
“Ah, uh… kyie..!”
Yane still didn’t speak and kept waving her arms enthusiastically.
Since she couldn’t express what she knew with words, it seemed she wanted to convey something through her gestures.
After a while of flailing her arms on the drone, Yane finally seemed to find a suitable expression and spoke up.
“Big, one!”
[Big one?]
[What are you saying? lol]
[What’s the big one?]
[If you only say big, we have no idea…]
“Big one! I’m going to… catch it! Big, big… big one…”
Cutting off all explanations and only talking about the big one made it hard for the viewers to understand what she meant.
[‘Mint-flavored cereal’ donated 10,000 won!]
Is she going to catch a huge monster??
“Yes, yes! That one! Kyie!”
That’s what I wanted to say! As if to show how happy she was, Yane’s tail wiggled enthusiastically.
Her centipede tail, large enough to fill the screen with just a little shake, maintained viewers’ attention.
Some seasoned viewers, who were married with children, managed to clear the curiosity of the others.
[But is she okay?]
[Even if she’s an Awakened One, she seems like a little kid…]
[With a mutated Awakened One being Shia’s underling, she should be at least somewhat strong, right?]
[If she has a tail like that, she’s probably at least B-rank, no?]
[Shia being presumed S-rank means just being B-rank could allow her to teach somewhere…]
[Even if all the weaklings here attacked her, Yane would wipe them out lol]
[For real lol]
[Shia raising the standards for the weaklings is the real problem lol]
“Kyhehehe~”
Well, Yane didn’t even comprehend the rapidly rising chat content, but perhaps she interpreted the many chats as proof that many people were watching her, feeling uplifted just by seeing the holograms lighting up.
[Why are you laughing?]
[No, she’s really cute lol]
[She’s so cheeky…]
[From ancient times, centipedes have been mischievous. It’s even written in old stories.]
[Huh? Where?;;]
[Just take it for granted, kid.]
[lolololololol]
[lololololol]
And with that, Yane thought everything was going well.
○○○○
And a moment later…
“Pu-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ng!!!!!!”
Yane was lost.
It was quite a surprise that Bladed Centipedes had tear ducts, but since she had ascended, it made sense.
[lolololololololol]
[lolololololololololol]
[lololololol]
[LOL lol]
Yane, shedding tears sorrowfully, was spraying them like a fountain; for the viewers, the mere sight was adorable and provided them with laughter, but for Yane herself, it was a serious matter.
Feeling the transport drone stop after entering the dungeon, Yane loosened her “bread-baking” posture and carefully got off the trunk.
What awaited her was a maze-like forest of green and pink colors she had never seen before.
It was unclear if she had arrived at the right place, but to Yane, this green forest was completely unfamiliar.
It wasn’t the droplet lake where Unicorns lived, nor the dark mutation raid dungeon with Walkers, and it wasn’t even the Rotten Mountain, her hometown.
After walking a little in this completely new location, Yane realized she wasn’t on a familiar path and felt a sense of strangeness all around.
“Pu-e-e-e-ene!”
Yane stopped crying momentarily and began to look around.
If Menelapie, Yoonjeong, or even Shia were around, she might be okay, but she had no one to rely on or guide her now. And though it would be better if her damn owner was there, Shia had been busy lately, going everywhere.
Nobody would have guessed Yane had arrived here.
Anyway, Yane was completely alone at that moment, making her loneliness and sadness unexpectedly manifest as sorrowful tears.
“Sniff, hic…”
[lololololol]
[Why is it funny that she’s crying so sadly? lol]
[I just arrived. Where even is that?]
[D-B-rank dungeon, Kuma Kingdom, I think?]
[Isn’t that near Jamsil?]
[Yep, yep, yep,]
[It’s not dangerous, is it?]
[But that drone will guide her through the dungeon’s interior, right? lol]
[She’s just a kid getting nervous because it’s her first time, right?]
[Highly likely]
[So cute…]
[zzzzzzzzzz]
Eventually, after crying for a long time, Yane stopped and began to survey her surroundings.
She realized that crying wouldn’t help her in the current situation.
Besides, she wasn’t truly alone.
Even if it was difficult to understand the holographic chat window, numerous viewers were watching her.
Just knowing someone was keeping an eye on her was enough motivation for Yane to stop crying.
Alright then, let’s keep it up, Yane!
Fighting, fighting.
Wiping her tears with her hands, Yane lifted her heels and began to step softly forward.
Once she took her first steps, it felt easy.
Feeling the soft earth and grass underfoot was surprisingly pleasant, much better than the sensation of concrete beneath her bare feet.
If only there was no sunlight, it would have been nicer, but this place was bright and warm, with appropriate temperatures maintained under the dazzling sunlight. So despite her sorrowful crying, Yane was not in any real danger.
As one viewer said, the Hunter Assistant AI drone not only provided a holographic chat window beside Yane but was also displaying the internal map of the dungeon. (Of course, how well Yane understood the map was another question.)
If there was real danger, someone would have donated over 100,000 won to direct her in the right way, so this wasn’t a serious situation quite yet.
The reason viewers could chuckle without worry was primarily due to Yane being incredibly cute, and second, they knew that Ascended Ones from mutation typically possessed at least B-rank strength.
If Yane were a standard mutation Ascendant, she’d likely be at least B-rank. And even at B-rank, the Kuma Kingdom dungeon was easy enough that anyone could defeat all enemies there aside from the boss alone.
Though deeper parts of the Kuma Kingdom might yield B-rank or higher monsters, usually the surface was an easy dungeon that low-ranking Hunters could profit from.
Additionally, it was a dungeon already tackled by countless Hunters long ago, so strategies and internal maps were circulating, making it relatively safe.
Moreover, the surface of Kuma Kingdom resembled a massive, fully bloomed cherry blossom forest regardless of seasons or temperatures, making it a frequent destination for photographers seeking beautiful scenery. It’s not uncommon for the Hunter Academy to visit this dungeon for practical training and field trips.
“Kyie?”
And noticing the cherry blossoms blooming profusely for the first time, Yane tilted her head.
The vibrant blossoms seemed to attract not only humans but also the heart of the Bladed Centipede…
Crunch!
…or rather, maybe she was just really hungry, as Yane suddenly sunk her teeth into the cherry blossom tree and began chewing.
Naturally, it tasted terrible.
“Wu, ugh….”
[?]
[??]
[What are you doing?]
[lol]
[Yane is suddenly chewing a tree lol]
[What is Yane doing? lol]
[LOL lol]
Although it wasn’t impossible for a Bladed Centipede to chew a cherry blossom tree, after being fed gourmet food like Shia’s and Yoonjeong’s meals, Yane found gnawing on rotten tree roots beneath her dignity.
Yane quickly retched and shook the bark out of her mouth, looking around once more.
The peace of the forest where cherry blossoms intertwined with green was deceptive, for Yane sensed something close with her antennae.
The cool and heavy sensation at the tips of her antennae made Yane’s gaze sharpen.
“Kyie….”
[Oh, what’s that??]
[Her eyes have suddenly changed.]
[What’s with her demeanor? Is she sensing prey?]
[Mutation Ascendants really do seem cool when they catch their quarry.]
[For real.]
Just moments ago, Yane had been crying like a little kid, but now, upon detecting the scent of prey, her expression switched to that of a predator, and the viewers buzzed with excitement at her transformed demeanor.
Growl…
[Whoa, what was that sound…?]
[So cool;]
Yane, now ignoring the chat, lowered her stance.
The childlike, innocent air she had just moments ago was completely gone.
Stopping her bipedal walking, Yane reduced her posture to all fours, beginning to crawl like a beast.
To the viewers, it looked incredibly natural, as if Yane had always been a kind of beast or insect, and she silently advanced, eyes wide as her antennae twitched in expectation.
[Whoa, this is tense…]
[What kind of monster is over there?]
[Ssurface monsters are only C-rank, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous.]
Given how Shia casually dealt with monsters, it was evident that Yane displayed a much more raw aspect of the Hunter and monster dynamic.
Facing an unfamiliar monster, tackling its unique dungeon gimmicks, overcoming risks and hardships — this raw portrayal is why Hunter streamers thrive.
Yane wasn’t showcasing a hundred percent picture-perfect new Hunter streamer vibes, but her instinctive transition into the wild searching for prey sufficiently met the viewers’ expectations.
“……..”
Yane covered her eyes with her back hand.
Her head was buzzing with adrenaline. Her antennae were silently trembling.
The sensations at her fingertips became sharper, and soon the spikes along her centipede tail resembled those of a Bladed Centipede, ready for action.
This signaled that she was ready for the hunt.
Despite the forest overflowing with life from blooming cherry blossoms and vibrant greens, a thick darkness and tension also hung in the air.
It was likely whatever lay beyond the brush was already aware of Yane’s presence.
Both the hunter and the quarry were probing each other’s strengths.
And the innocence resembling a child had vanished completely from Yane’s eyes.
What remained were chilling orbs akin to the cold of a wintry night thick with darkness.
Feeling the air’s flow through her skin, antennae, and fingertips, Yane made her move instantaneously.
Yane had completed her assessment of the situation with her prey.
-….!?!
Caught off guard by Yane’s sudden movement, the prey twisted its body in attempts to escape.
[Oh, she succeeded.]
[Wow, she’s fast?]
[That’s why mutation Ascendants are so cool lol]
[She was invisible.]
[Yane! Yane! Congratulations!]
However, Yane’s speed was beyond what anyone had imagined, and in a split second, she successfully grasped the prey’s neck with her razor-sharp, blood-red hands.
The quarry began to struggle violently with great force, but Yane’s now-beast-like grip crushed it mercilessly, and soon silence fell.
-Nyaoowwwwwng…!
[?]
[What is that?]
[??]
The creature Yane had caught was a deformed monster resembling a mix between a cat and a snake.
[Whoa, is that a Cartoon Cat Snake?]
[For real?]
[Isn’t that generally A-rank?]
[Usually B-rank, but adult ones qualify as A-rank ooo.]
[Why’s it here?]
[Isn’t it all dead?]
[What does that even mean, you nerds.]
[Look it up, you fool.]
[‘Kawaii Horned’ donated 150,000 won.]
Congrats on your catch, Yane!
“Hmhm! Kyie!”
Yane proudly puffed out her chest and shook the captured Cartoon Cat Snake in her grasp.
It still seemed not entirely out of breath, puffy in the face or revealing its teeth, attempting to nibble at Yane, but her strength easily overpowered any resistance.
The Cartoon Cat Snake.
An elongated, thin-bodied monster with the face of a cat.
However, it was utterly different from a typical cat.
-Nyaaaooooon!!!!
[Wow, that looks horrific.]
[Yep, that’s how it usually looks, but it’s scary that it’s still smiling even in death;]
True to its name, the Cartoon Cat looked like a cat-headed mascot, always bearing a twisted, unsettling grin while its wide open mouth stained with something resembling bright red blood.
From its mere appearance, it was far from cute, but its infamous reputation stemmed from its cruel and malevolent nature.
The Cartoon Cat Snake could stretch its body up to five meters long and used this ability to roam freely through the forest’s tight and complex areas, devouring any weaker prey indiscriminately.
Originally, these creatures were notorious for swarming in thousands during the Great Rift, attacking civilian settlements and shelters, causing numerous deaths. They targeted not all humans but would specifically hunt those that were weak. They even hid in significantly weaker F-rank or C-rank dungeons, toying with and killing feeble hunters.
Of course, due to their vicious nature, Cartoon Cat Snakes were exterminated near extinction by the first-generation Hunters, and now they barely existed as a critically endangered species within the Kuma Kingdom.
Now that she had caught her prey, it was time…
“Kyie!”
Yane had to cook it.
After snapping the Cartoon Cat Snake’s neck to knock it out, she started rummaging through the transport drone.
[Whoa, we can see its butt.]
[Ugh; filtering… ]
[Did filters apply so quickly? lol]
[Seriously, I need to weed out all these perverts lol]
[Don’t cross the line for real.]
[Don’t do that to a kid…]
[lolololol]
[Yane’s uncles are getting mad lol]
Yet, delighted by her successful hunt, Yane’s tail poked out from behind the transport drone, shaking intensively.
However, a dilemma loomed.
While Shia could manage at least a basic level of cooking a person might mimic, Yane had no idea how to cook whatsoever.
Without the slightest clue about how to stir-fry or mix seasonings, she would genuinely have to eat raw if it came to that.
“…Kyie…”
In the end, Yane sat down on the ground, looking glumly at the transport drone.
What should I do?
What am I supposed to do?
Am I really just going to eat it as is?
It didn’t seem like it’d taste as good as raw unicorn meat sashimi…
What would my owner do here…?
“Kyieee…”
In that moment, Yane recalled the time Isia first looked for her.
Back when Yane was still a Bladed Centipede, she distinctly remembered the moment she met that monstrous Isia for the first time…
how she had effortlessly torn apart the massive Centipede Dragon of the Rotten Mountain, cooking it and gobbling it up at the same time.
“…………..Fried!”
[?]
[Is Yane going to fry something?]
[What’s frying…?]
[Wait, are you seriously cooking the Cartoon Cat Snake?]
[That wasn’t what I expected when I entered this stream lol.]
[lolololol]
Fortunately, it seemed her memory still remained intact.
Given that moment’s traumatic impact, it would be hard to dismiss the memory of Isia so easily after what she did.
Of course, it was self-evident Yane had no idea how to make fried food.
Yet, she seemed to know how to pour cooking oil into a large fryer, so she started to fill the fryer with oil she’d taken from the transport drone.
Not being sure of how much oil to use or at what temperature to cook it, it was somewhat fortunate for Yane that she had the Hunter AI auxiliary drone with extraordinary functionality.
-Searching basic frying recipes.
-The appropriate temperature for frying is 180 degrees.
-Batter…
Yane, curiously glancing at the holographic instructions displayed by the drone, promptly skipped over any explanation regarding the batter, as she was completely ignorant of its significance.
Temperature, temperature?!
At least she had already poured the oil she’d prepared into the fryer, waiting for it to reach the right temperature.
It’s worth noting that Yane didn’t know how to operate the fryer, so the Hunter AI took care of it for her.
150..
160…
170…
180.
As soon as the fryer dial pointed to 180, Yane wasted no time in plopping the captured Cartoon Cat Snake into the hot oil.
-!?!?!?
At that moment, the Cartoon Cat Snake, with its neck bone cracked by Yane, began thrashing violently as it was submerged in the fryer.
-Nyaoooong!!!!
It appeared that it wasn’t quite dead yet.
Hey, stay still!
Crunch! Squish!
But regardless of its struggle, with a cheerful expression, Yane successfully shoved the Snake’s head into the 180-degree oil.
[Whoa;]
[It’s stronger than it looks…?]
[Yane, do what you want…]
Fizz!
Hissss…!
“Kyhehehe…”
This has to make it delicious, right?
As Yane’s mind buzzed with positives after her hunt succeeded, her viewers suddenly became curious.
[But what about batter…?]
Naturally, there was no batter at all.
There was no seasoning either.
Let alone any form of skinning was done, so wondering if this was going to be okay seemed certainly reasonable.
[How would she make it, lol?]
[But the batter isn’t the issue… Isn’t she supposed to prep it first?]
[lololololol]
[She’s a mutation Ascendant; it should be fine.]
[Right. Mutation Ascendants simply tend to eat creatures alive in emergencies.]
[But she’s just a kid. Is that okay???]
[Things are already looking like a train wreck lol.]
“Hehehe…”
Even so, it seemed that even the malicious net runners felt they couldn’t harshly criticize the adorable Yane.
[As long as she’s cute, it’s fine, right?]
[That’s true.]
After all, whether the cooking succeeds or fails didn’t seem that important to viewers.
As long as Yane was cute, all was well.
Even her scrunched face after taking a bite would sure be adorable.
