Hello from the Darkness
“Fuck.”
F-class porter Cha Ah-ra couldn’t go a single moment without swearing.
“How the hell is life like this? This is so fucking shitty… Next life I’m getting born as the spoiled youngest kid in some happy rich family….”
Deep inside a vast, labyrinthine ant-nest of a dungeon, Cha Ah-ra had been left behind alone, limping and fuming.
“Those absolute bastards, dumping me and running. I’m gonna curse the living hell out of them.”
The place they’d abandoned her was a dark cavern packed full of glowing gems.
You might wonder how a cave stuffed with luminous jewels could possibly be dark, but the answer was simple: microscopic creatures that fed on light lived here.
Right next to a brightly shining gem you could make out a faint outline of the surroundings; everywhere else, nothing at all.
“…….”
Cha Ah-ra had been dumped in a dungeon this dark.
“Fuck.”
Yeah. Absolute bullshit.
“…Hope you stub your toe on a doorframe so hard your toenail rips off and bleeds like crazy. Hope you trip in a crowded street and make a total ass of yourself. Hope you get drunk on three-a.m. feelings, post some embarrassing shit online, then wake up the next day and die of self-reflection….”
The reason they’d left her was obvious.
She’d steeled what little courage she had and boldly entered the dungeon, only for the party to find no breakthrough, no results, dwindling food, and morale that had cratered straight into hell. In the end they used a return stone and bailed.
That much she could understand.
Wasting money and time pisses me off, sure, but better to get out alive than die in here.
Even rolling around in a dung heap, the world of the living was still better. A C-class dungeon was still a dungeon. People could drop dead at any moment, and in a pitch-black place like this your mental fortitude frayed visibly.
They’d already seen enough blood. If there was a way out, taking it was the smart call.
“…….”
Except they were short one return stone.
“Fuck…!!”
Return stones were expensive to begin with. Even if they’d had extras, she doubted they would’ve handed one to an F-class porter like her. Hell, the whole “we don’t have enough” story might’ve been a lie.
“God, this is so fucking bullshit!! Hope you all get dumped the night before your wedding, cry your eyes out, and stay broke losers forever, you sons of bitches!!”
Cha Ah-ra pressed herself against a gem as tall as she was and sniveled.
This sort of thing wasn’t exactly common. No matter how cold the world had gotten lately, people didn’t usually abandon a porter this blatantly. They were supposed to be teammates, right?
“…….”
But it was also the kind of quiet scandal that happened more often than anyone admitted—hunters just kept their mouths shut about it.
…The real problem is that it isn’t unheard of at all.
This wasn’t even Cha Ah-ra’s first time being left behind.
The biggest issue this time is that almost nobody visits this dungeon.
Before, even if she got stranded, she could grovel a little when the next party came through and hitch a ride out.
Hunters have to care about their public image, after all.
Hunters were basically celebrities; they watched their reputations carefully. Unless someone was a real piece of work, most of them would take in one pitiful abandoned porter.
But not here.
“Ugh, seriously, what the hell am I supposed to do this time….”
This place was the Vein of Gems.
A C-class dungeon with unusually few monsters and even worse rewards, so hunters rarely bothered coming.
“They said one team a week is already a lot.”
The paths twisted and knotted together, and the microscopic light-eaters swallowed every lantern and glowstick whole. Get unlucky and you could die lost in this dark maze. Finding the exit was no small feat.
The only reason hunters still dropped by occasionally was because of one particular monster that lived here.
“…….”
A tiny creature whose gem-like body glowed softly like a mood lamp.
Commonly known as an Anti-cat.
“…Those idiots. The second they said they were hunting one of those, I got a bad feeling….”
An Anti-cat was a cat-type monster about the size of an adult man’s palm, sometimes a little larger.
Its cute appearance charmed people of every age and gender on sight, yet it hated human contact and spent its life running away. Like the other cave creatures, it also absorbed light and darkened everything around it—traits that only made it rarer and more desirable.
Even if you catch one, you’re not supposed to raise an Anti-cat.
Keeping monsters was heavily regulated by the government, and an angry Anti-cat could burn everything in every direction with blue fire. Terrifying little things.
Then again, monsters that dangerous just make the black-market freaks want them even more.
Anyway, she never should have joined this party. The moment they said “Vein of Gems” she should have bailed.
If she hadn’t been so desperate for money, that is.
“…What the hell do I do for real….”
It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since she’d been left alone, yet the darkness and the sound-swallowing silence made her mind feel like it was coming unglued. Even though she was standing in a wide cavern, it felt like the walls were closing in.
She’d heard some prisons deliberately stuck inmates in tiny pitch-black rooms just to mess with their heads. That was exactly the feeling. Her body wasn’t cramped the way it would be in a real cell, but her mind was exhausted.
“Ugh….”
And she was starting to get hungry.
Not like I’m strong enough to clear this dungeon solo either. How was the exit supposed to appear again? Something about needing multiple people…?
Just sitting and waiting for rescue was its own dead end.
“…….”
Cha Ah-ra squeezed her eyes shut, then pushed herself to her feet.
“…Might as well move.”
Saying “less than a day” was easy; living it felt endless.
Sitting still to conserve her life force had already gotten old. At this rate she’d go crazy before any rescue showed up, so moving her body seemed like the better way not to lose her mind.
“At least the Vein of Gems doesn’t have many monsters. I don’t have the food, stamina, or skills to clear it alone, but as long as I watch out for the ghost-type things that pop up out of nowhere… I should be okay.”
Combat wasn’t the main point of the Vein of Gems.
The entire strategy was simply “find the exit,” which told you everything about how complex and dark the place was. Mental strength mattered more than attack power here, so if Cha Ah-ra just kept her head on straight she could get out alive.
“…….”
Three hours later, that theory was falling apart.
“Ugh, I’m going insane.”
Hunger, thirst, drowsiness, aching limbs. The leg she’d injured on the last raid still hadn’t healed properly, so she was limping.
If something dangerous showed up now, she wouldn’t even be able to run.
But falling asleep in a place crawling with monsters that suck the life out of you would be pure stupidity.
She’d never been formally trained—everything she knew was secondhand or from personal observation—but she at least knew that every monster native to the Vein of Gems looked vaguely like a ghost.
In the same vein, they attacked by draining a hunter’s life force. Their physical power wasn’t high, but if you let your guard down your remaining lifespan could get cut in half.
When I’m awake I can at least stay sharp and drive them off…
She was trudging along with those thoughts when it happened.
“…….”
Far ahead, something glowed faintly. An extremely weak light.
“…Not a gem pillar….”
Didn’t look like one.
Cha Ah-ra narrowed her eyes. Her vision wasn’t bad, but whatever it was was so small she could barely make it out.
What is that?
The moment she saw it properly, she knew. It wasn’t one of the luminous gems littering the cave.
It was far smaller, a neat little round shape that fit perfectly in the eye, and—most of all—it moved on four dainty feet with the light, graceful steps of a well-bred young lady.
“Oh.”
Pointed ears. A fluffy tail.
“Ohhh….”
Its body was only kitten-sized, yet its fur put any long-haired housecat to shame—an adorably tiny gem-furred Anti-cat that would fit in the palm of one hand.
“…Holy shit. I actually get to see one.”
If the hunters who’d ditched her ever found out, they’d be beating the ground in regret.
Just imagining that makes my exhausted body and soul feel full again. Hope you all choke, assholes.
A little energy restored, Cha Ah-ra studied the Anti-cat.
…Not like I could catch an Anti-cat even if I wanted to, and I don’t want to.
Even in a world where a lot of things got brushed under the rug, this was still illegal. If she somehow didn’t get caught, fine—but if she did, an F-class porter with no one backing her would be looking at serious punishment.
So capture wasn’t what she wanted from the Anti-cat.
I’ve heard they always move toward the exit. Not confirmed intel, but still…
The Anti-cat seemed to notice her presence and whipped its head around to look.
“Ah.”
“…….”
“…….”
According to everything she’d been told, once an Anti-cat sensed a human it would extinguish its own light, suck up every nearby glow, and casually vanish. Fortunately, the one in front of her didn’t.
Cha Ah-ra swallowed a quiet breath of relief.
…I’m—I’m alive.
She’d never seen an Anti-cat glowing this softly either. Never even heard of it. Everything she’d been taught said they swallowed every scrap of light and hid in the dark to avoid people.
The Anti-cat swished its tail, then started padding forward again. Its movements were light and elegant, like a soft balloon bouncing or flower petals swaying.
“…….”
Was it okay to follow?
…It’s a monster, so it’s not lighting itself up to help a human or anything, but it doesn’t look like it wants to attack me either. They say these things act a lot like real cats, so as long as I keep a decent distance I shouldn’t get jumped out of nowhere…
She carefully trailed after the Anti-cat—and soon noticed something strange.
“…….”
“…….”
“……?”
The Anti-cat kept glancing back, as if checking whether she was still following.
…What the hell.
You could call it a miraculous show of goodwill from a monster, but even a low-rank hunter like Cha Ah-ra knew better. Monsters didn’t just decide they liked humans and start being nice.
Anti-cats especially were famous for hating people.
But that look… it’s definitely luring me…
Wait.
“…….”
Luring?
Just as Cha Ah-ra hesitated and started to back away—
“Hello.”
“H-hyaaaaaaah…!!”
Thud—!
Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground.
“Wh-wh-wh-what the wh-wha….”
“…….”
“…Wh-who are you….”
It took a moment for her to process the situation.
Panting, catching her breath, Cha Ah-ra finally realized someone else was standing in the darkness beyond the Anti-cat.
In a dungeon where you couldn’t see a thing unless you were right next to a glowing gem, it had never occurred to her that a person might be waiting in the direction the Anti-cat was heading.
Not a monster… right? It can’t be, right?
Monsters that talked didn’t exist.
“Who… who are you….”
Even as she stammered the question, Cha Ah-ra forced herself to stand up carefully.
Porters sometimes got killed for fun even by human hunters inside dungeons. Caution never hurt.
Stay calm, you idiot. Stay calm.
In the meantime the Anti-cat trotted over to “someone.” Its light had grown a little brighter; the gentle blue glow and the softer way it moved made its affection obvious.
When that tiny body reached the figure’s feet, all Cha Ah-ra could see were black suit trousers and pale bare feet. The Anti-cat was rubbing itself against those ankles, openly fawning.
“…….”
It was an impossible sight.
“…An Anti-cat….”
The same Anti-cats famous for hating people.
“Uh, um, are you by any chance… a t-tamer? Or….”
“…….”
“Which guild’s hunter are you….”
She asked because she was sure no tamer of that caliber would be freelancing, but the other party still didn’t answer.
An eerie silence stretched.
…Why is he so quiet?
No—more importantly.
Why hadn’t she sensed any presence at all?
I’m a useless hunter, sure, but I’m not so useless that I’d miss a person standing this close….
Cold sweat slid down Cha Ah-ra’s cheek.
Instinct was screaming that something was wrong. The black suit pants and the corpse-pale bare feet beneath them suddenly looked chilling.
Right. Exactly.
“…….”
No sane person would walk barefoot through a rough cave like this.
“…….”
…Think it through.
Anti-cats hate people.
Even for a tamer that doesn’t change.
If a tamer could solve the problem, Anti-cats would already be sold openly on the market. But they hated human contact so much that even trainers who could form contracts with monsters were no exception. There was a reason the name started with “Anti.”
And this one is fawning that hard….
In that moment the stranger bent down and scooped the Anti-cat into his arms.
Even from Cha Ah-ra’s distance she could see the tiny body nestle completely into those large hands. It offered no resistance; it simply surrendered itself.
“…….”
“Hello.”
“…Y-yes.”
Ah—wait.
She’d been so rattled earlier that she’d completely forgotten: she had never actually answered his greeting.
I just screamed, didn’t I.
Feeling oddly awkward, Cha Ah-ra gave a stiff little bow.
“Uh, um, hello….”
Repeating the exact same words in a situation like this. Maybe he was asking again because she hadn’t replied the first time.
It definitely wasn’t a normal reaction.
Is he obsessed with manners or something?
Even as she thought it, she took a cautious step backward.
That careful retreat already showed she had labeled the man in front of her as dangerous.
…Something’s off.
An Anti-cat that hated humans was rubbing its cheek against the man’s pale palm.
Even if he were an incredible tamer, it was strange. Contracted monsters didn’t automatically feel affection for their masters. Most of those relationships were dry, or even built on pure hatred.
Plus I’ve never heard of an Anti-cat glowing this softly while sitting in someone’s arms. It’s so rare there aren’t even photos.
That light looked exactly like the lure of an anglerfish deep in the ocean, drawing prey closer.
“…….”
Anti-cats never liked people… but monsters did sometimes offer tribute to stronger monsters.
“…Uh….”
Come to think of it, speaking monsters did exist in the world. They were so rare she’d never even considered the possibility, but they were real.
Humanoid monsters.
“My name is Seo Ji-oh.”
“…….”
“What is your name?”
A face submerged in darkness, completely invisible.
Only the hands cradling the Anti-cat and the chest above them were faintly visible.
A pitch-black dress shirt, a pitch-black suit, and a cloak darker still. Thick, corpse-pale fingers….
“…….”
Cha Ah-ra quietly took it all in.
Even though it was only the darkness hiding his face, he looked like a human who simply had no face at all.
“…….”
And of course—
there was no such thing as a faceless human.
“…I-I’m….”
“You seem tense.”
“…….”
“Are you afraid of me?”
“…….”
“I promise I will do you no harm.”
His voice was excessively polite.
…What the hell is this.
It was a voice so good it raised goosebumps.
Clear and precise like a weather announcer, gentle yet firm like a teacher addressing students. Cha Ah-ra suddenly found the perfection of that voice unsettling, almost alien.
Apparently the silence had gone on long enough to displease “it,” because it spoke to her again.
“Please don’t be afraid.”
Cha Ah-ra understood.
“…….”
Ah.
That thing—
“I am curious about your name.”
—wasn’t human.
“…….”
“…….”
“Cha… Cha Ah-ra… I’m Cha Ah-ra.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Cha Ah-ra.”
In the darkness she saw eyes darker still.
“Would you care to talk with me?”
To be continued.