Plato’s lessons about monsters surfaced in my mind.
The Ghost Tiger was a creature capable of moving freely across cliffs, trees, swamps, and even water. Its ability to traverse dangerous terrains with ease earned it the name "Ghost Tiger," as it would often vanish and reappear so suddenly that it seemed like a ghost to those who encountered it.
Several soldiers around Dory had also fallen victim to the Ghost Tiger's attack. Though they seemed to be alive, many bore claw marks and lay sprawled on the ground.
“No!”
Dory, who was still caught in the monster’s jaws, disappeared limply over the cliff’s edge.
As chaos broke out among us, with soldiers scattering in confusion, someone in front of the cliff suddenly sprang into action.
“Altair!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Altair threw off his gear, drew his sword from its scabbard, and leaped down the cliff. It was unclear whether he fell or landed on purpose, but his figure vanished in an instant.
And that’s when it hit me.
‘The Ghost Tiger is a trap!’
It was so obvious that it was almost stupid to overlook.
Once Altair defeated the Ghost Tiger and thought, “I’ve dealt with it,” the Skarper would undoubtedly appear and take him down immediately after!
“No!”
There was no time to hesitate. Like Altair, I flung off my gear and clutched my rifle tightly as I sprinted toward the cliff.
“Altair!”
The cliff was steep, but if I stepped carefully, it was possible to descend without tumbling to my death.
Below, Altair stood with his sword drawn, facing the Ghost Tiger. The creature still had Dory in its jaws, though Dory seemed to have lost consciousness from the shock.
‘The Skarper will show up soon...’
My eyes darted nervously, scanning the surroundings. Beside me, a senior from Beta Platoon shouted toward the soldiers below.
“Only corporals and above! Get down there now!”
“Yes, sir!”
‘...It must’ve happened like this in the original story too.’
The corporals were unaware that the Skarper would appear. Even if I warned them, no one would believe me. I had to act on my own.
‘Damn it, let’s just do something crazy.’
I let myself slide down the cliff just as Altair had.
Thud!
The moment I landed, I heard another impact beside me. Turning my head, I saw Winter, who had landed gracefully, staring down at me with an incredulous expression.
“Salvia, you really...”
Winter shook his head in disbelief.
“You’re utterly fearless.”
“....”
“We’ll talk later about how you ignored orders to stay back.”
He looked at me like I was some reckless daredevil, but he quickly snapped into action, moving like the ace he was. In a flash, he was at Altair’s side. Groaning, I pushed myself up as more senior soldiers descended the cliff after us.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing here?!”
A senior from Gamma Platoon, who had ordered only corporals and above to descend, shouted at me. But it hardly mattered. Soldiers from our platoon, including Aquila, Karon, Ishina, Sanchez, and Benny, were also making their way down the cliff, as long as they were fit to move.
Together, we ran toward where Altair was locked in a standoff with the Ghost Tiger. Altair, gripping his sword with both hands, turned to glance at us and smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth.
“Really, you all went this far for me...”
Unbelievable. Even when facing death, he had the nerve to strike a pose.
‘The male leads could learn a thing or two from this guy’s confidence...’
Dory, who had been carried off by the Ghost Tiger, was now lying a short distance away. The creature had dropped him, likely preparing to fight off its attackers.
With Winter, Altair, and the corporals joining forces, they began their assault. Their swords flashed as they coordinated their strikes, and the monster started to falter under their combined efforts.
“Damn it, why do we have to deal with this crap in the middle of a march?” Altair muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. Yet his expression was cheerful as he turned to the others.
“Thanks for coming down, everyone. Let’s wrap this up and finish the march!”
“God, you scared us!”
“I thought something serious had happened.”
Despite their earlier exhaustion, the soldiers now looked invigorated after rescuing a comrade and defeating the monster.
Everyone, that is, except for me.
‘Why hasn’t it shown up yet?’
I was sure that after the distraction caused by the Ghost Tiger, the Skarper would appear. That’s how it was supposed to go, according to the novel’s rules.
‘Is this not the right timing?’
The soldiers, now relieved the situation was over, began climbing back up the cliff. The atmosphere had shifted to one of closure.
Winter approached the Ghost Tiger’s corpse to inspect it, while Altair appeared to be preparing to carry the unconscious Dory back up.
“Uh, um...”
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Just as I was about to ask Altair and Winter if there was a chance another monster might appear—
“Ah.”
Finally, the thing I had been waiting for appeared.
The monster that smelled blood and came running.
The one I had been repeatedly trained to recognize by my seniors.
The one that killed Altair in the original novel, Four Obsessed Madmen Cling to Me.
The omnivorous scavenger of this mountain. A second-tier monster.
“Skarper.”
A creature that would devour anything bleeding.
Its massive, grotesque brown body was covered in thick fur, obscuring its eyes. Its enormous mouth was capable of swallowing anything in one gulp, and whiskers protruded around its maw like sinister appendages.
The Skarper’s entire body was horrifying, but what made it truly terrifying wasn’t its appearance.
The Skarper had no legs. It moved silently, gliding across the ground like a phantom, its slippery tentacles dragging food into its maw. To aid in its digestion, its mouth excreted acidic saliva, and the tentacles secreted acid to neutralize the struggles of its prey.
‘Ah, so that’s why it came here.’
I realized what had drawn the Skarper to this location.
It was the blood dripping from Dory’s wounds, inflicted by the Ghost Tiger.
The moment I saw the Skarper’s tentacles slithering toward Dory’s body, I acted faster than ever.
I pulled back the lever, chambered a round, and fired.
Bang!
As the bullet flew, Altair spun around to see what had happened. Winter, who hadn’t noticed the Skarper until now because it moved so silently, grimaced when he saw it.
The Skarper’s tentacle, which had been hovering over Dory’s head, recoiled after being struck by the bullet and dropped to the ground.
“Damn it!”
Altair immediately threw himself over Dory’s body, shielding him.
‘I have to destroy its head!’
The bullet hadn’t hit its head, so the Skarper was still alive. I adjusted my aim, preparing to target its head, but then I saw its next move.
The Skarper, dripping acid from its gaping maw, lunged at Altair, attempting to swallow him whole.
‘In the original, the Skarper attacked Altair faster than Salvia could shoot its head!’
If I tried to go straight for its head, I might not make it in time. I needed to drive it away from Altair first.
Bang!
My next shot struck the Skarper’s massive body, causing it to tremble. Winter followed up with a precise strike, slicing through several of its tentacles with his aura blade.
Under the onslaught, the Skarper shifted its focus, prioritizing the threat over its meal. It withdrew from Altair, giving us an opening.
This was the moment. Now was the time to end it.
Even as the Skarper extended a tentacle toward me, I refused to back down. My eyes locked on its head, unwavering.
The acid burned as it splattered onto my skin, sending searing pain through my arm, but I gritted my teeth and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet pierced through the Skarper’s head, shattering it. Its enormous body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
“You...”
Altair, still shielding Dory, turned to look at me with wide, shocked eyes.
My legs gave out, and I sank to the ground. My head was spinning.
‘I did it. I stopped it.’
Altair lifted Dory’s limp body and carried him away from the Skarper’s corpse. Winter, his face filled with concern, hurried toward me.
Ishina and Yuri, who had just begun climbing back up the cliff, must have heard the gunshots. They practically fell back down, landing with hurried steps.
“What the hell just happened?!”
Even the usually composed Yuri was stumbling over her words as she smacked Altair’s shoulder. She glanced at his dazed expression before rushing over to me.
“Salvia, are you hurt—”
“Hngh.”
A stifled sob escaped my lips. I tried to suppress it, pursing my lips tightly.
It hurt.
Now that it was over, the pain in the burned skin on my arm from the acid began to register. It was unbearable.
“Wait, wait, where are you hurt?” Yuri asked, her voice frantic as she began sweating nervously.
But when you’re on the verge of tears, talking becomes impossible. I wanted to speak clearly, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Hnngh, ah, it hurts, it—waaaah!”
Suddenly, it all came crashing down on me.
Why the hell was I suffering like this in this godforsaken world?
All those rules about "no tears in the Border Defense Army"? To hell with them. None of it mattered anymore.
The tears broke free, and I began to sob openly, overcome with frustration, pain, and exhaustion.