I’m no stranger to waiting.
I can handle waiting an hour for food delivery without batting an eye, and even the long downtimes during Hunter Land updates don’t bother me much. That’s because I don’t just sit there twiddling my thumbs—I keep myself busy, and the time slips by.
But some waits are harder to stomach.
Take, for example, being stuck in an elevator when you suddenly need to pee. That’s pure agony because you’re powerless to do anything else. You can’t distract yourself—just stand there, praying for the doors to open.
Waiting for my hunter card at the Association felt a lot like that.
It wasn’t something I could shrug off. No hunter card means no hunting! That’s a massive issue for me. And hunting without a license? That’s a one-way ticket to punishment from the Association. So, I had to wait a full day.
Fair enough, I suppose—it’s no different from poaching. Poachers get punished in the real world too, and it’s the same here.
Which makes me wonder: what I did before this—was it poaching, or just survival?
Honestly, I’m a little on edge.
I’m living in a game world, in a body that isn’t mine. And to top it all off, I’m a different gender now. It’s not exactly something I can chat about over tea—it festers inside me, stirring up anxiety.
Those seven days in the Floodlands were suffocating and lonely. The terror of being stranded, surrounded by eerie roars echoing from every direction.
It was enough to make anyone lose it. But whenever dark thoughts started creeping in, moving my body chased them away.
So, I swung my greatsword aimlessly in that cave. Watching its smooth arc, feeling my heart pound, wiping the sweat from my brow—it sent an inexplicable thrill through me.
That’s how I got accustomed to this body and the greatsword. To survive, I hunted docile monsters for food. The instant a hunt succeeded, the joy was beyond words.
They weren’t big shots like Lugarak or Pienos—just small fry.
Even so, taking them down gave me a sense of achievement and calm. Yeah, hunting was what soothed my mind.
When I faced Lugarak, when I battled Pienos, I was utterly at peace.
Confronting a powerful enemy forces you to shove all your troubles aside and pour everything into the fight. There’s no space for stray thoughts—you’re too busy reading the monster’s moves, anticipating its next step, plotting your counter.
I love that kind of fight.
Turns out, I’ve got a natural knack for this!
So, come on already—hand over my hunter card.
“Is it good?”
“Mhm.”
The food here’s delicious too. But no money, no eating. And to earn money, I need to be a hunter…
After the test, I met Noah in the Association lobby.
When I told her the results, she was ecstatic and went in for a hug—until she saw me drenched in blood and promptly sent me to the showers.
The Association has shower rooms for hunters. Even though I’m a woman now, being around other women’s bodies felt awkward, so I washed up fast. I returned the blood-soaked gear and slipped back into the oversized clothes Noah lent me.
Still too roomy around the chest… I need to get my own clothes soon.
Then, I ate a refreshing meal.
Yeah, food’s great. Out of nowhere, Chailer popped into my mind.
That gruel he made in the cave—looked odd, but it was a party for my taste buds.
Chailer always cooked for us.
“For hunters, meals are everything. They restore your energy and stamina. No matter what, always eat first. Without strength, you’re useless.”
“Mmm-hmm…”
“Are you listening?”
“Y-Yeah, I am.”
“Guess you are.”
Noah, taking her role as my senior seriously, lectured me about hunter life over our meal.
Meals matter. It might sound like a simple “eat well, stay full” spiel, but in Hunter Land, eating before a hunt is non-negotiable. Not for the flavor, but for the buffs it gives you.
Stamina regeneration boosts, better aggro pull, higher defense, increased attack power… the list goes on. Different ingredient combos yield different bonuses. Not sure if that holds true here in reality, though.
It’s kind of funny to think food could do all that. Probably not in this world—that’s just game logic.
Still, meals are key. If you’re starving, you might collapse mid-fight from hunger.
I set down the massive bone I’d been gnawing on. The portions here are huge, which I love. One chunk of meat fills you right up.
“Delicious, right?”
“Yeah, it’s good.”
“Hehe. This place is tasty. The owner’s an ex-hunter, so he’s a pro at cooking monster meat.”
An ex-hunter chef—sounds like something out of a novel.
In safer cities packed with civilians, most people never see a monster. But in remote spots like Antico, hunters dominate the population. The Hunter Association sets up shop in these outskirts because monsters are easier to come by here.
Uncharted frontiers are risky, but they’re also ripe with chances to encounter new beasts.
Speaking of which, is Noah an Antico hunter? I wondered why she came to the Floodlands to hunt Lugarak.
“Noah.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you a hunter from here?”
“Oh, no, I’m not from Antico. I’m from another region—just here for a mission. But since I’m around, I’m handling some other stuff too. I’ll be active here for a bit.”
“I see.”
She must have business in Antico. Hunters don’t usually plant roots in one place; they roam for experience. I let it drop.
“What do you want to do once you’re a hunter, Alice?”
“Hunting.”
“Yeah… I figured. Making you do other missions would be a waste of talent…”
Noah mumbled.
“So, do you have a goal?”
A goal?
I chewed on some bread, mulling over Noah’s question.
My real goal should be getting back to my own world. I left a lot behind. But I don’t know how, and it’s not like I can say that out loud.
“I’ll raise my rank.”
“Mm, rank’s important.”
“And hunt more monsters.”
“…Really?”
For now, I’ll go full throttle in this world, just like I did in the game.
Taking missions, hunting monsters one by one—maybe I’ll stumble on a clue. Sitting still won’t get me anywhere.
As a hunter, I’ll find answers the hunter way.
So, I’m planning to take on missions like a machine. Climb the ranks, aim for high-difficulty monsters.
Easy ones like Pienos? They’re not satisfying to cut down.
They’re just punching bags.
—
In Hunter Land, every hub has lodgings for hunters, and Antico’s no exception.
The Association figures that since valuable manpower comes to these remote areas, they ought to provide decent accommodations.
Given the job—high turnover from death, injury, or long missions—lodgings see a lot of coming and going.
After dinner, Noah booked a room with Alice. She planned to stick around the forest city for a while.
Once in the room, Noah unpacked and hit the shower.
Humming, she scrubbed herself clean. Bubbles clung to her toned frame.
Mid-wash, she glanced at the mirror. Her black bob was soaked, looking like a drowned rat, but her upturned lips gave her a bright, lively air. It was an oddly thrilling moment.
The reason? Alice, obviously.
Hunters chase what they admire. Some aspire to be like legendary hunters of old. Others follow today’s master hunters. Some are inspired by the deeds of nameless hunters.
But Alice’s goal? Just to hunt monsters. Simple, yet cool. It’s the hallmark of a born hunter.
Noah felt herself drawn to Alice.
It was fandom. Who wouldn’t fall for her after watching her fight? People shine brightest when they’re devoted to their craft. In that sense, Alice is the epitome of a hunter.
Suddenly, Noah thought of the cave where Alice had lived.
Alice focuses only on her goal—nothing else.
That single-mindedness feels fragile. Her emotionless eyes remind Noah of cherry blossoms—gorgeous but fleeting, destined to scatter.
Is hunting monsters her way of clinging to some faint emotion, tied to her lost memories?
What made Alice hate monsters so much?
What happened to her memories?
Noah dried off and slipped into her underwear. She hung up the wet towel and peeked out of the bathroom.
Alice was sprawled on the bed, limbs stretched out, savoring the softness. Her slightly flushed face stood out.
Ah, she’s adorable.
Is the berserker who slays monsters the real Alice, or is this innocent girl the true her? Noah liked both.
“Alice.”
“…You’re out?”
“Were you waiting? Let’s sleep together!”
“W-Wait, put some clothes on…!”
Whatever she is, Noah just wanted her to be happy.
Tomorrow, when Alice gets her hunter card, Noah would give her the Lugarak essence too.
Would Alice like it? Noah chuckled and hugged her. Alice flailed, begging to be let go, but Noah wasn’t about to relent.
—
Unbeknownst to Alice, her arrival shook things up.
No, “shook” doesn’t cut it.
It was a jolt—a storm tearing through the forest city of Antico.
Antico’s crawling with monsters, so hunters are everywhere. Rumors fly thick and fast, mostly about hunters.
It was only natural Alice’s story would come up. A white-haired warrior with a greatsword—she was prime gossip material.
Hunters are a restless bunch. They don’t linger in one city long, always chasing new experiences. That’s why rumors spread like wildfire.
Even if the storyteller didn’t mean to hype it up, gossip is a hunter’s lifeblood.
The buzz spread through pubs, restaurants, everywhere.
From Chailer’s mouth, from Ethan’s, from Scudo, Sophie, Naev…
Plenty of people talked about her, and the tales grew wilder with each retelling, fueled by excitement.
A fearless berserker.
A rookie who soloed a monster.
A human in monster’s skin, scaring off beasts.
The blood-drenched demon of the Floodlands.
Rumors twist and leap, losing their original shape.
But they all agree on one thing: the star is a beautiful woman with a greatsword.
That detail only fanned the flames.
The hype was bound to snowball.
How far the stories would spread, no one could say.
