Otherworld Constellation Gallery Chapter 10

Otherworld Constellation Gallery

Chapter 10

The blade filled my vision. 

Even if I twisted my body or leaned back, my face would get slashed.

Even in this urgent moment, my mind remained cold.

‘Blocking it would be best.’

Then what do I block it with? The frying pan?

 No. Seeing the speed of that blade, I’m not confident I could quickly slip it into the gap. Maybe with my hand.

‘Wait, my hand?’

Yes. My empty left hand is the best option.

I didn’t hesitate and raised my left hand.

SLASH!

The incoming dagger sliced into my palm. At that moment, from the center of my palm to the back of my hand, a wave of heat surged up.

The Blood dripping down was just a bonus. The heat quickly spread into a stinging pain.

“SSSUP…!”

At the too-intense pain, I involuntarily swallowed my saliva.

‘Well, at least I blocked it.’

No more carelessness from now on.

I clenched my left hand that had blocked the dagger.

I could feel the blade digging into my skin, but it didn’t matter.

Rather, if I held it loosely and pulled it out, my fingers might all fly off.

So I gripped the dagger even more tightly.

“You fucking bastard.”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

While firmly gripping the dagger, I struck the ghoul’s head with the frying pan. But something was strange. Usually, regular mobs fall after three hits… but I could still feel resistance from the dagger I was holding.

“What the hell is this bastard? Why won’t it die?”

Once more.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Before I could properly put strength into the third strike, the ghoul lost its weight and collapsed.

And then a different notification window appeared compared to before.

[Ghoul (Intermediate) Elimination Reward: 20 Gold Acquired]

“Intermediate ghoul?”

No wonder. Even though we were in conversation, it was strange that I couldn’t hear the ghoul’s peculiar creepy breathing despite it approaching this close. And there was also the matter of my hand.

‘…It’s more intact than I expected?’

The flesh was definitely cut. Blood flowed too. But I clearly caught a blade with my bare hand? For that, isn’t this injury quite minor?

Moreover, looking at it now, that intermediate ghoul’s dagger… it’s not the rusty dagger that lower ghouls used. It’s a proper dagger with a sharpened edge.

Even though I blocked it head-on with my bare hand… why am I only injured this much?

I spread open my palm. The skin was slightly split open, showing the inside. But that was it.

‘Is this what it means for durability to increase?’

If that’s the answer, then if I had made the same judgment without increasing my stamina, my hand would have been torn to shreds.

I was already prepared to drink a potion, but with this level of wound, I probably don’t need to.

“……”

I clenched my fist and then opened it. Of course, it’s fucking painful and fucking stinging. More precisely, it’s similar to the pain when your skin gets sliced by paper and the inner flesh is exposed.

‘It’s better than being torn to the point of needing stitches….’

Even a small pain is equally shitty. 

But more than that, I need to know the characteristics of this shitty ghoul that gave me this stinging pain. Even if I have to post about it.

[Title: Newbie Intermediate Ghoul Question] Is it normal for those things to make no sound? First Hunter almost died lolololol Can’t even tell when they’re coming from behind lololol And the dagger looks a bit different too? How do you distinguish them?

ㄴYou idiot, do humans have eyes on the back of their heads? 

ㄴIf you notice it, that means your intelligence is high.

ㄴNewbie, First Hunter currently has intelligence 1, so that’s normal.

ㄴFFS. So tell me if they normally make no sound and how to distinguish them, idiots.

ㄴI’ve already explained ~.

ㄴI’ve sent it to your constellation mail.

ㄴGhouls almost make no sound and are treated like corpses, but intermediate ghouls don’t make any sound.

ㄴInfo) If the teeth are greenish, it’s an intermediate ghoul.

Posting as if I were a third party seems to have worked since hooks didn’t get planted in me like last time. And I got some minimal information about intermediate ghouls.

‘So it was thanks to increasing my stamina after all.’

But why is the blade of a higher-grade ghoul cleaner?

 Couldn’t a rusty dagger cause tetanus? Is it the difference between hardness and sharpness? Or is it because everyone gets tetanus shots in this era? Fuck, who cares.

“A-Are you okay?”

The child’s voice cautiously rang out. I glanced at my blood-stained left hand and calmly answered.

“No, I’m not okay.”

If anything, I should be the one asking if she’s okay.

The child trembling on the bed didn’t seem like she would adapt to this situation any time soon.

“As time passes, pretending to be dead here won’t be the best strategy for you.”

The kid flinched.

“That monster just now has evolved beyond what I knew.”

The child kept her mouth tightly shut. Well, it must be hard for a kid who just witnessed humanity’s extinction for the first time to accept it easily.

Even if all of humanity believed in the apocalypse .

“Go home.”

I said firmly.

“There’s no one here to protect or heal you anymore. Right now, your home is safer.”

The child’s face darkened with worry. She couldn’t say anything and avoided my eyes.

I clicked my tongue inwardly. She looked  young, and to face such a shitty world before even growing up… But there was no time to think about how pitiful it was.

‘That’s fucking it, it’s the same for me too.’

What can I do? I’m in a position where I’ve abandoned all modern civilization and am watching the world I was just getting used to perish. It’s truly a motherfucking situation.

‘I can’t take them along out of sympathy either.’

Staying in this hospital means she was not in good health. What would happen if I took her along?

Not only would movement be hindered, but the risk factors would also increase.

‘And like werewolves, you never know when they might suddenly transform.’

Without a definite shield, I couldn’t act rashly.

“Then do as you wish.”

I turned my back.

“I’m leaving.” 

“Th-Thank you for saving me.”

I replied without even turning my head.

“I didn’t save you. I was trying to save myself.”

I have no intention of endangering myself with a moment of sympathy. Having thought this far, I was about to move.

[Title: I wish First Hunter would save that girl] Using a high-grade bio-recovery agent could easily cure human diseases.

ㄴAs if he’s going to save her.

ㄴSomeone who doesn’t even consume low-grade potions because they’re too precious for himself is hardly going to give one away lolol .

ㄴWriter arrested in heaven.

ㄴThe hypocrisy smell from those angel-type bastards reaches hell from even their post.

ㄴAt least sponsor a potion before barking lol.

ㄴFFS. There’s no guarantee he’ll use it on that child even if sponsored.

ㄴFFS. From the beginning, I was thinking of sponsoring something bigger if First Hunter gives a potion to the child.

“…?”

My eyes narrowed automatically. Sponsoring something bigger? Really? My ears perked up. 

The dilemma began. Should I give this or not? 

Since I got it for free, I’d have nothing to lose, but… 1500 gold is too much. 

With that money, I could raise stats I haven’t raised yet by two levels, a huge sum.

‘I’ll be super pissed if I’m being baited and lose it.’

They clearly said they only post facts. 

And looking at it objectively, even if I save her now, she’ll soon knock on the door of death again if I don’t take care of her.

 She doesn’t know where to find food, where to hide, or how to survive in this world of monsters.

‘Well, I don’t mind as long as I can definitely get the reward.’

Just then, a new post appeared in the gallery.

[Title: First Hunter will eventually need to collect reliable companions too] Isn’t it too hard to face both monster and human groups alone, even with a contract with a decent constellation?

ㄴFirst Hunter will figure it out.

ㄴHow would I know? It’s not like he’s going to contract with me .

ㄴTrue lol .

ㄴTrue lol.

ㄴFirst Hunter is so cautious that he might not be able to survive past the middle stages lol.

ㄴTrue, with First Hunter’s personality, he seems like the type to get a mental disorder from suspecting even his companions.

“……”

Setting aside all other words, ‘companions are needed’ caught my attention. 

Right. Later on, they say even guns won’t work.

 I have no idea what level that will be… but taking everything on alone might be suicidal.

‘I need to recruit someone trustworthy now.’

Even if she’s a patient now, according to them, she’ll get healthy after drinking the potion.

 Even if she’s a female, she can still raise her stats when she  awakens. 

Then she could be of some small help.

After deliberation, I summoned a potion from my inventory. A transparent glass tube appears smoothly on my hand. A high-grade potion containing a golden liquid, which I’ve never drunk myself.

‘Sigh… good deeds in this world. So cheesy.’

But if it’s an investment for rewards and companions, I should try. Even if I can’t recover my investment, I’ll have to bear that risk.

I turned around again. And then I held out the potion to the child.

“Drink it.”

She looked up at my hand.

“…What?” 

“Take this and gulp it down. It might hurt a bit when you drink it, so be prepared.”

Only then did the child see the object in my hand and widened her eyes.

“What… is this?” 

“It’s medicine. Whether you trust it or not is up to you.”

She received the glass tube with trembling hands. Those small fingers reflected the golden liquid as they shook slightly.

After swallowing dryly and contemplating for a while, She finally seemed to gather courage and opened the cork stopper.

‘She won’t faint, will she?’

While I was thinking that, the child drank the potion in one go. And I couldn’t believe what happened next.

“…What are you?”