âMove!â
A foot in flat shoes slammed into someoneâs stomach. *Thud!* *Bam!* With a loud crash, the body was kicked aside, rolling to the corner of the room. And right where they had been standingâ
*Boom!*
A massive white tail crashed down. The cement wall shattered upon impact, and dust filled the air. Through the thick dust cloud, a neon-yellow vest came into view. The one responsible for the kick, Yang Hyejin, clicked her tongue and raised her voice.
âHey, you okay?â
âCough... I-I'm fineâ¦.â
As the dust cleared, a rookie hunter, clutching their stomach and coughing, came into sight. Hyejin felt a slight pang of guilt but shook it off. Better to take a hit from her foot than get crushed by that tail. She reached into the air, summoning a pair of red axes. The heavy weight felt just right in her hands.
The monster in front of her resembled a massive bipedal crocodile, except that its entire bodyâdown to every scaleâwas pure white. The creature opened its long jaws, revealing an entirely white mouth.
âIs even the inside of its mouth white?â
Hyejin cracked her neck, loosening her muscles. Since this was a new type of monster, she needed to gather some data. She leapt high into the air, gripping her axes tightly. The first thing to check wasâ¦
**âThe monsterâs durability!â**
With both hands, she swung the axes down hard onto the crocâs neck. *Thud!* Her axes sliced through the scales and flesh far more easily than expected, breaking the bone beneath. White liquid spurted out as the crocodile let out a terrible howl. Hyejin pressed her axes in deeper. Â
**âItâs not as tough as it looksâ¦.â**
In fact, it felt strangely soft. The croc swung its tail in one last desperate attempt, but Hyejinâs axes cut through its neck faster. The massive head fell to the ground with a *thud*, and Hyejin, bracing the giant body with her back, shook off the white liquid on her axes, clicking her tongue.