–Ssshhhkkk.
Every time the toad monster spat its milky, toxic saliva, I threw my body to the side, narrowly dodging the attack.
Pop!
That made it five times now.
Even as I rolled to avoid getting hit, a question kept ringing in my head.
"Am I… actually dodging this right now?"
Considering how frail my body usually is, the fact that I could move like this at all was almost miraculous.
Despite the fever raging inside me, my limbs felt strangely light.
But still—no matter how fast I might've gotten all of a sudden—I dodged every single one of that monster's shots?
That stuff flies like an arrow and chases like a viper.
Even with a boost in agility, dodging every single strike? That shouldn't be possible.
–Ssshhhkkk!
I wasn't fighting—I was just scrambling to survive.
My rage was bubbling over, but I kept thinking, kept analyzing.
If I hadn't actually dodged everything… then why was I still standing?
The people who died earlier collapsed the moment even a trace of that stuff touched them.
–Ssshhhkkk.
Tap!
As I rolled to dodge for the sixth time, something clicked—today's medical report flashed through my mind.
'MMPT… Multi-Monster Poison Test…!'
That's right.
They told me I was already infected with seven different monster poisons.
So whatever poison this bastard carries—getting hit by it wouldn't make much difference now, would it?
And that led me to one very simple conclusion.
The poison from that thing is already in my body.
I'm already poisoned. A little more of the same won't change anything.
–Ssshhhkkk.
When the furious toad spat its poison a seventh time, I didn't move.
Part of it was to confirm my hypothesis.
But the other part?
I was just done. I wasn't going to keep rolling around in the dirt for this thing.
Swish.
I already knew its spit always aimed for the face.
I raised my palm to shield myself, and just like I expected, the glob of saliva came flying straight for my eyes.
Smack!
Direct hit.
My hand was now coated in a sticky, disgusting fluid.
But that was it.
Unlike everyone else who bled from every pore and orifice, my body didn't react at all.
–Kiiruurk?
The monster's pupils dilated.
It didn't seem especially intelligent, but some primal instinct must have kicked in.
Something about me wasn't like the others.
"Just as I thought."
I stared down at my slimy hand and murmured with a twisted grin.
The only reason this ugly bastard had been so terrifying was because it was poison-type.
Most monsters that come through Gates are big, strong beasts—but poison-types come in all shapes and sizes.
Size never mattered to them—it was the venom that killed.
But now I knew something new:
I'm immune.
If a small poison-type monster can't rely on its toxic edge…
Then it's not even as dangerous as a stray dog.
"You have your fun, you piece of shit?"
Tables turned.
I grabbed the cane lying beside an old man's corpse.
–Kiiruuk?
Its saliva was fast, sure. But the creature itself wasn't.
Cane in hand, I walked toward the toad, step by step.
Snarling, it spit at me again.
–Ssshhhkkk!
Smack!
But again—useless.
The blob hit my palm, splattered into the air with a casual flick.
Can monsters have expressions?
Because this one looked very confused.
"Let's die together, huh?"
I raised the cane high above my head.
CRACK!!!
–Kiiruk!!
Stunned by its useless venom, the toad didn't even flinch until the cane came crashing down on its skull.
It stumbled backward, convulsed once, and collapsed.
Dead.
The poison-type monster that had killed dozens—defeated with a single blow from a walking stick.
"Haaah…"
I exhaled, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.
Maybe from adrenaline, maybe exhaustion, but I felt dizzy.
The air reeked of toxic stench and blood.
–Kiiruk.
–Kiiruuk…
More toads began creeping in—drawn by the death of their kin.
They must've marked me as their next target.
"One… two… three…"
I began counting the creatures gathering around me.
Their flicking tongues and slithering movement were ominous, but…
They were no longer a threat.
I was terminal anyway—might as well have one last dance before I go.
I tightened my grip on the cane as the monsters swarmed.
THUD!!!
CLANG!!!
"Huff… huff…"
Panting hard, I wiped the sweat from my forehead again.
They were even weaker than I expected.
Is this what it feels like when a newbie hero beats up their first slimes?
I didn't have to do much—just swing the cane and send them flying.
The only real issue was how many of them there were.
By the time I'd finished off dozens, I was practically soaked in their secretions.
No doubt, even a pro Hunter would be in serious danger surrounded by this much toxic gunk.
But for me?
Besides feeling disgusted—there was no effect at all.
"Whew…"
I took a deep breath and pulled out my phone.
No signal.
Probably interference from the Gate's core energy.
"Sis is gonna freak out if she sees the news… I need to get out and call her."
Ordinarily, she'd be at work right now.
But the Gate opened right near the hospital—
She'd definitely drop everything and come running.
I didn't know where the boundary was, but I started walking anyway.
Hoping that the monster he'd just slain would be the last…
Wuuuung.
But I realized it too late.
The pitch-black gate looming above me—it hadn't closed.
And that meant one thing.
There were still monsters nearby.
"Damn it!!"
I cursed, breaking into a full sprint toward home.
Our house was close to the factory where my sister worked, just one bus stop away from the hospital. Running there was more than doable.
It was only because of my usually frail body that I ever bothered with the bus at all.
But just as I was rushing home, my feet suddenly froze.
"…Damn it."
Why is it that ominous feelings are never wrong?
Something had told me this might happen—and sure enough, there she was.
My sister, running straight toward the gate.
"Haeseon?!"
Her face was soaked with tears. She must've cried hard, for quite a while.
Since we were in the outer zone of the gate, it looked like everyone else had already fled. Just the two of us remained—alone in the empty streets.
And seeing her wandering through this hellscape by herself…
Relief wasn't the first thing I felt. It was fury.
When a gate opens, there's supposed to be Hunters stationed in advance. A safe perimeter. Restricted access. That's what they said.
Restricted my ass.
What the hell were those Association bastards doing?
"Shit. Can't they do anything right?"
I spat out another curse—but even through the anger, I sighed in relief.
At least I found her now. If she'd run into a monster on the way…
BOOM!!!!!
And as if to mock my thoughts—
A deafening thud echoed through the air.
I turned my head toward the sound.
-KRRRUUK!!
It wasn't one of the smaller creatures I'd been dealing with.
It was a towering black toad, easily the height of a two-story building.
And it was bounding toward my sister.
"No…!"
My sister's face, already pale by nature, turned ashen with terror.
Why? Why the hell would she come here without a second thought?!
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"RUN!!"
But she was paralyzed—frozen in place by fear.
The massive toad slammed into her like a truck, sending her flying.
THUD!!
"Noona!!"
My vision went red.
I sprinted toward the monster, raised my cane, and swung it with everything I had.
WHAM!
The blow landed solidly against its leg—but the toad didn't so much as flinch.
Of course not.
The monsters I'd fought so far had barely reached 70 centimeters in height.
But this thing? It was massive.
Its hide wasn't slick and rubbery like the others. It was like concrete.
Its limbs—thick as logs. Dense with muscle.
The small ones could be overpowered with sheer force, but this…
This was a different league.
-GRRRUK!!
It let out a guttural snarl—mocking me—
And swung one of its massive arms.
CRASH!!!
I was sent flying, tumbling across the ground like a ragdoll.
"Gah…!!"
Agony. It felt like my body was being crushed from the inside out.
My vision blurred, pain numbed into cold. I could see the black toad,
Lumbering—slowly, deliberately—toward my sister's crumpled form.
It was going to finish her.
My heart felt like it would explode.
Blood boiled in my veins. My rage—uncontainable.
These things…
Not only had they devoured my life…
They were going to take her, too?
The woman who spent her entire life raising me. Supporting me.
She was going to die—because of this gate.
Because of me.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!!"
CRACK.
Something in my head snapped.
And in that instant—every bit of the feverish heat inside me burst out.
FWWOOOOOOSH!!!
The energy surged like a volcano.
Even the giant toad faltered, distracted by the violent shift in air.
-KREEEK!!!!
A dark red, almost black mist erupted from my body, coiling upward like smoke.
It gathered in the sky—twisting, shaping itself.
And then it formed.
-KREEK!!
The thing that emerged was so massive, its shadow blanketed the street.
Its body was lined with sharp, obsidian-red scales.
It moved like silk, but every flicker of its form chilled the soul.
The toad suddenly looked small—pathetic, even.
Because hovering above, in the shape of a serpent…
Was the Red Venom Viper.
Shhhhrrrrrk…
Floating in the air, staring down with blazing crimson eyes.
Its gaze locked onto the black toad.
-KREEK!!
The toad shrieked in terror—but the fear in its voice was unmistakable.
It wasn't crying out in challenge.
It was the raw, instinctive panic of prey meeting a true predator.
A top-tier apex hunter had entered the field.
…How the hell did I summon something like this?
I didn't know.
Didn't matter.
As if entranced, I whispered—my voice lower, colder, and unfamiliar even to me.
"Kill it."
Screeeeeeeeech!
As if responding to the command, the Red Venom Viper plunged downward with terrifying force.
BOOM!!!!!
The viper slammed headfirst into the toad, striking its entire body.
The impact was so powerful, the ground shook as if from an earthquake.
"...!!"
A massive crater opened beneath the spot where the toad had stood.
It looked like a meteor had fallen from the sky.
The massive toad, once so imposing, had vanished without a trace.
"Huff…!!"
A crushing wave of exhaustion washed over me.
Even when I was suffering from the venom earlier, I hadn't felt this drained.
If there had been a bed nearby, I would've dived into it without a second thought.
But now wasn't the time.
"Noona!!"
I couldn't touch her because of the venom on my clothes, so I frantically checked her condition from all sides.
"Mmm…"
Her beautiful face was twisted in pain—but thankfully, she hadn't lost consciousness completely.
We were far enough from the gate that I might get a signal.
I quickly pulled out my phone to call 119.
Or—I tried to.
Thump! Thump!
"...!!!"
And that's when it happened.
The moment that brought the deepest despair I'd ever known.
A giant black toad—taller than the one I just defeated—was closing in.
-Krrrk…
And it wasn't alone.
As if this black toad was some kind of leader, all the remaining toads—big and small—were gathering around us.
"…You've gotta be fucking kidding me…"
I wished I could summon the Red Viper again, but I didn't even know how I'd called it in the first place.
It didn't feel like I had summoned it intentionally—it was more like… it had erupted out of me on its own.
And now, I didn't have the strength left to do anything. Not even to lift my cane.
Shit.
Is this the end?
I barely managed to rise onto one knee before a wave of nausea hit me.
"Ugh…"
Blood, dark red like the viper's aura, spilled from my mouth.
Maybe it was my body sensing the end—
Because just then, my sister, still collapsed, reached out to grab my shirt collar.
"Haeseon… ah."
I instinctively shifted away, just out of reach.
"…There's poison on me, noona."
Thud, thud, thud.
I'm about to die.
Does that even matter?
The massive toad loomed in front of me, almost like it was asking that exact question.
To see its face, I had to tilt my head all the way back.
The horde of toads now surrounded us, big and small.
A living, suffocating arena.
It felt like a public execution.
With the last ounce of strength I had, I lifted my cane.
Tap.
-Krrrk.
As expected, it did nothing.
The giant toad gave a smug little shrug, as if amused.
Then, like swatting a fly, it raised a massive arm and brought it down.
Shit.
This really is the end.
My life flashed before my eyes like a film reel.
BOOOOM!!!!!!
Was the shock so strong that I couldn't even feel it?
Stars burst in my vision—I hadn't even managed a counterattack.
Damn it.
So this is how it ends.
What a shit life.
But then—
-KRAAAAGHH!!
A furious roar ripped through the air.
Was the afterlife really this vivid?
I cracked open my eyes.
Something was wrong.
I should've been dead—but I was still alive.
My entire body still burned with heat. Proof I was still breathing.
"How…?"
As I opened my eyes a little wider, I heard an unfamiliar woman's voice right in front of me.
"You can't just use your power like that, puppy."