A Veteran Player is Needed in the Apocalypse

Chapter 16. Hunting

Hunting.

Of course, hunting exists in this apocalyptic world as well.

The quarterly hunts serve a significant purpose of securing safety and obtaining food supplies, but hunting in this world is merely a pastime for the upper echelons.

In some ways, it can be said that hunting here has the same significance as hunting in reality.

In a tower prepared for high-ranking officials, shooting distant monsters with a sniper rifle.

That is hunting in this world.

The usual way is to place bets on who can hunt more monsters within a safe area and time limit.

But the hunting I am about to do is different from that.

I am going to engage in real hunting.

Hunting with the genuine purpose of obtaining meat, not for amusement or betting.

“I don’t intend to boast about dishes made from meat hunted by others while staying safe within the zone.”

“Are you serious?”

Meursault, dressed in thick clothes, asked repeatedly as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Going outside the zone to hunt? Just the two of us?”

When I dressed up firmly to go hunting, Meursault must have thought I was merely indulging in the romance of hunting like a child.

Even when he reported to Commander Hayden that we were going hunting, he couldn’t have imagined the kind of hunting it would turn out to be.

It wasn’t until we moved from the tower to the outskirts of the zone, and then further out, that Meursault, seeing me, asked, “Where are we going now?” and I answered, “Hunting,” did he realize the reality.

“No way… With just a single gun… And this kid…….”

As we stepped out of the zone and trudged through the accumulated snow, I kept hearing Meursault’s pitiful muttering from behind.

Naturally, I was skilled at such hunting, familiar with the surrounding geography, and knew the habitats of monsters that even a ten-year-old could hunt in the safe zones.

But Meursault, who had no idea how much I knew, was understandably panicked.

If he had known in advance that I was going for real hunting, Commander Hayden would never have allowed it.

“Meursault, we haven’t even come out that far from the zone yet.”

“I was at the rearmost in the subjugation battle.”

Ah, right.

This guy is a strategist type.

But still, even as a soldier, is it okay to show fear in front of a kid?

“If Hayden gets hurt, I’m really dead……!”

Ah, it’s not the monsters he’s scared of, but the commander’s wrath.

I had no choice but to start making things up to calm Meursault down.

“Since the days of the slums, when food was scarce, I used to go hunting with the kids. I know where it’s safe and what kind of monsters a kid like me can catch, so don’t worry.”

“Is that so……? Ah, that’s why your shooting skills… Huh? But you said it was your first time……”

Although I flinched, I didn’t lose my composure.

“Where would you find a gun in the slums? We caught monsters with clubs or iron pipes.”

Of course, today I brought a gun because a club or pipe wouldn’t do.

Finally, Meursault seemed convinced and quietly followed behind me.

Actually, I wouldn’t have had any trouble hunting without Meursault.

If I disappeared suddenly, it would cause an uproar, so I brought him as a formal protector.

And I needed someone to witness my heroics.

Anyway, I wanted to join the subjugation battle as soon as possible.

To do that, I needed to prove it.

That I was a warrior worthy of participating in the subjugation battle.

“This looks like a good spot.”

We stopped walking when we reached a place where small footprints, presumably those of a small monster, were visible.

Seeing the footprints, Meursault’s expression noticeably brightened.

“Indeed, if they’re this size, they shouldn’t be dangerous.”

I smiled at Meursault and built a snow fort large enough for two people to hide beside the path the monster had taken.

After making the fort, I walked deliberately far away and then walked back, careful not to disturb the footprints.

This was to avoid arousing the monster’s suspicion by having broken footprints.

After covering ourselves with snow and fixing the gun in the hole of the sturdy snow fort, we were ready for the hunt.

…Was it just my imagination, or did Meursault seem somewhat excited lying next to me under the snow?

Well, it was a new experience for him too…

“I’ll do the hunting, so Meursault, only act if the monster doesn’t die from a single shot.”

“But I’m not very good at shooting.”

“As long as you can shoot its legs or make warning shots to keep it from getting close, that’s enough.”

“That much, I can handle.”

We had placed biscuits as bait in front of the fort, so now we just had to wait for the prey to appear.

“……”

How much time had passed?

Surprisingly, despite this being Meursault’s first time hunting this way, he held his position for a surprisingly long time without breaking his posture.

But as more time passed, even he, trying to hold out as a soldier, began to tremble with the gun in his hands.

Then, at that moment, the monster appeared.

It was larger than a normal rabbit.

No, it was almost the size of a dog.

A rabbit with antlers on its head started approaching us, following the remaining footprints, sniffing around, and then began eating the biscuits we had left out.

“Oh… We could catch that with our hands.”

Such a hunting newbie.

‘Be quiet.’

I signaled Meursault to be quiet, holding my breath as I watched the monster.

The antlered rabbit cautiously approached, sniffed the biscuits, took a nibble, and started eating slowly.

‘Why is it eating so slowly?’

Meursault mouthed the question, and I mouthed back.

‘Checking for poison.’

These small monsters are incredibly intelligent.

Large monsters don’t need to use their brains because they are physically strong, but small monsters need to be quick-witted to survive.

After confirming that the biscuits were not poisoned, the antlered rabbit started eating them faster.

As I watched, Meursault looked at me with a puzzled expression.

‘Aren’t you going to hunt it?’

‘Not my prey.’

‘What?’

‘Wait.’

Although Meursault looked bewildered, he stayed quiet.

My real target wasn’t these small monsters.

What I really aimed for were the medium-sized monsters that feed on these small ones.

And those medium-sized monsters are attracted to the smell of blood.

While the antlered rabbit was preoccupied with the biscuits, I took out the knife I had hidden in my sleeve.

“Are you crazy!”

Meursault exclaimed in shock as I pulled out the knife, wondering what I was about to do.

Startled by the noise, the antlered rabbit tried to run away, but it was too late.

By the time Meursault made a sound, I had already hidden and grabbed the antlered rabbit by its horns.

“Kyiek!”

As the antlered rabbit struggled in my grip, the scent of blood from my hand started to spread across the snowy field.

How long did the rabbit struggle?

Thud, thud, thud…

The sound of heavy footsteps, attracted by the smell of blood, came from beyond.

This area is relatively safe because it’s inhabited by a territorial monster.

The hippo-pig, with the body of a hippo and the hooves of a pig, devours everything in its territory.

The antlered rabbit was lured by the biscuits because there was nothing else to eat around here.

But the hippo-pig flees at the sight of humans, so we have to lure it using small monsters.

I used my blood instead of Meursault’s for this reason.

Monsters can gauge the size of the bleeding creature just from the smell of blood.

If I had used Meursault’s blood, it would have approached cautiously and might not have come close.

The same logic applied to not using the antlered rabbit’s blood.

If we had fired the gun, the smell of gunpowder would have kept it away.

Just as now, it was necessary to make a noise to draw its attention and quickly locate us.

The hippo-pig, judging that a small injured creature was wandering in its territory, was charging straight toward us, unaware it was running into a trap.

The red jewel embedded in its forehead glistened as it caught the sunlight while it charged at me.

Five seconds until the hippo-pig came within my shooting range… 3 seconds… 1 second.

[Activating the title ‘Magic Bullet Shooter.’]

I released my grip on the antlers and stood up from behind the fort, aiming my gun at the charging hippo-pig.

As soon as the hippo-pig spotted me and slowed down in surprise.

Bang-

One shot was enough to shatter the jewel in the middle of its forehead.

Its massive body collapsed to the side, and Meursault looked at me with a mix of shock and awe.

I smiled at Meursault.

“What are you doing? Go drag it over here. Our first feast

is going to be a pork belly party.”

* * *

There was a reason I chose pork belly for the first feast.

Players who fall into this world are mostly Koreans, unless a foreign user in Korea coincidentally visited that convenience store.

Naturally, I thought they would respond to Korean food.

Even though players can’t enjoy meals.

That’s why the distinction between NPCs and players will be clearer.

Players faced with a pork belly party they can’t enjoy would certainly have a sorrowful expression.

Preparing a dish that any Korean in this world couldn’t help but react to was the obvious choice.

I also thought about chicken…

But since there’s a Chicken Zone, it would be a loss of face for the Cola Zone to make chicken.

And I’m not very good at cooking.

Compared to that, how simple is pork belly?

You just cut the meat and grill it.

Although Meursault asked what pork belly was, I ignored him.

Finally, the day of the pork belly party… No, the dinner with kids my age arrived.

Commander kept his promise and arranged a meal with kids my age.

Since there weren’t many kids my age, the barbecue party was held inside the mansion.

We chose to serve the grilled meat while standing instead of sitting at a table.

I asked the staff to pretend not to know me during the meal.

The reason, on the surface, was to make the kids comfortable while eating, but the real reason was to make it easier for BangguseokYeoBo and TaejongTaeseBeyonce, who knew my face, to approach and talk to me.

“You’re quite clever. Thinking of such a thing.”

The first to approach me was BangguseokYeoBo.

It had only been a few weeks since we last met, but BangguseokYeoBo, who initially seemed so immature, had grown a bit more mature.

Seeing that he had become somewhat responsible, I introduced TaejongTaeseBeyonce, who looked sorrowful in front of the pork belly.

“What? TaejongTaeseBeyonce?”

BangguseokYeoBo immediately started freaking out.

“You mean I’m not the only supporter? He entered the mansion before me? Then I didn’t need to enlist, damn it……!”

This guy hasn’t matured at all.

—

**New Elements and Characters:**

– **사슴뿔토끼 (Antlered Rabbit):** A small monster resembling a rabbit with antlers on its head. (It)
– **하마돼지 (Hippo-Pig):** A territorial monster with the body of a hippo and pig hooves. (It)