The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 10 Black Minotaur’s Charcoal-Grilled Tenderloin 1

– Exactly one year before the Dead Saintess ‘Isiah,’ a Hunter and streamer of some repute, failed to make Emperor Goblin head stew.

After the Great Rift, an S-rank Hunter, known as the hero of the Rift, was still revered as a legend.

In the early days of the Great Rift, there was much chaos and war, but there was a severe lack of personnel to handle it.

The first S-rank Hunter, ‘Yeonseo,’ earned the title of the Knight of Silverlight and became known as the hero who protected humanity and the world from the Great Rift.

Most of the S-rank Hunters born in the early days of the Rift either retired or perished in the endless battle to save humanity.

However, Yeonseo was a living legend who had recently participated in the conquest of new dungeons and remained a hero of the Great Rift.

When people thought of S-rank Hunters, they immediately thought of Yeonseo.

He was the one who shaped the image of S-rank Hunters as heroes.

Even now, the positive image of Hunters—protectors of humanity and helpers of the weak, rather than lawless outlaws—was largely due to the influence of Yeonseo, the first S-rank Hunter.

In the renowned ‘Yeon’ family of that hero, a new genius was born.

And on that day, Yeonhwa was diligently attacking a dungeon.

She was working to fulfill the family elders’ long-held desire for a new S-rank Hunter from the Yeon family, following in the footsteps of her grandmother.

[Binghwa Nanmu]

“Huff, huff…!”

Krr, rr…grk…!

The tooth-filled flower, frozen solid, couldn’t even scream properly as it shattered into pieces before Yeonhwa.

Normally, a frozen boss monster wouldn’t stop all its life functions.

Just as Hunters have mana, dungeon bosses also have mana, giving them considerable resistance.

However, when the monster’s core—the magic stone that powers its strength and life—was frozen completely, there was no resistance left, and it would collapse.

‘I got lucky…’

[-B-rank dungeon, Eroded Dungeon Boss Snowfang has ceased life activity. Deep Snowfield conquest confirmed. Thank you for your hard work, Hunter Yeonhwa.]

Yeonhwa, having beheaded the dungeon boss Snowfang, took a deep breath as the AI drone camera coldly read out the notification.

“It’s still not enough…”

Eighty years ago, the Yeon family was founded by Yeonseo after the Great Rift, and they had been involved in the Hunter Association ever since.

With the simple but clear motto of “Strength for humanity,” proclaimed by the first S-rank Hunter Yeonseo, the family established its banner.

Even those who didn’t have awakened abilities and couldn’t become Hunters worked in the Hunter Association or related fields as members of the Yeon family.

And then there was the Hunter known as Icicle Nine.

A month ago, she successfully advanced to A-rank at the age of 21.

Her real name was Yeonhwa.

Yeonhwa, the granddaughter of Yeonseo, was the greatest prodigy the Yeon family had seen in decades, with a confirmed potential to rise to S-rank.

From a young age, she had received the expectations, encouragement, and support of many, taking the direct path to becoming an elite Hunter.

Some elite individuals become arrogant in the face of the environment and expectations they are given, neglecting their efforts, but that wasn’t the case for Yeonhwa.

Yeonhwa was not one to be complacent about the expectations of others, nor was she easily satisfied with her circumstances.

Even before the elders praised her for resembling her grandmother, Yeonhwa had been pushing herself relentlessly to catch up to her idol, Yeonseo, honing her abilities as a Hunter.

She had no holidays.

Since her days as a student at the Hunter Academy, she pushed herself to the limit, training her abilities and body until she bled.

She trained her ice abilities until she ran out of mana each day.

And when she was completely drained of mana and started bleeding from her nose and eyes, already half-exhausted mentally, she would begin physical training.

The method of training—forcing the Hunter’s abilities to grow stronger in the face of exhaustion—yielded excellent results, but the physical and mental strain it caused was beyond what an ordinary person could handle.

Despite that, Yeonhwa always pushed herself.

Even before graduating from the Academy, Yeonhwa had gained experience as part of teams hunting monsters in C to D-rank dungeons.

While most Academy graduates started as F-rank Hunters, Yeonhwa was issued a C-rank Hunter license immediately after graduation.

From the start, Yeonhwa had the talent to eventually rise to the same S-rank as her grandmother, Yeonseo.

Combined with her obsessive effort, her Hunter rank skyrocketed.

The prodigy of the Yeon family appeared like a comet.

As a result, the Hunter Association and media showed great interest in Yeonhwa.

The fact that she was the granddaughter of the first S-rank Hunter, Yeonseo, was enough to garner attention, but with her terrifying growth, Yeonhwa quickly became one of Korea’s most popular next-generation S-rank Hunters, despite her young age.

“Hah…this isn’t enough…more…huff… AI, search for the next dungeon.”

[Searching…]

Although it was a B-rank dungeon, it wasn’t easy for an A-rank Hunter to tackle it alone.

B-rank dungeons generally required at least five B-rank Hunters or a party of three, including two A-rank Hunters.

A-rank dungeons recommended a party of three A-rank Hunters, and S-rank dungeons weren’t accessible unless the team had significant power.

In a B-rank dungeon, the monsters ranged from C to B-rank, and in addition to the numerous monsters, the dungeon was filled with dangerous terrain, traps, and unpredictable variables that threatened the lives of Hunters.

Occasionally, a dungeon boss might appear that was stronger than the dungeon’s rank suggested, leading to situations where overconfident young Hunters ended up calling for rescue teams or, in the worst cases, losing their lives.

Yet Yeonhwa, as usual, entered the dungeon, clutching her ice-imbued sword, seeking to challenge her limits or even surpass them.

[Hunter, extreme fatigue and exhaustion detected in your vital signs. Immediate withdrawal and rest are recommended.]

“Shut up and just search…”

[Command received…]

Though a pricey Hunter support AI drone, it was annoyingly talkative at times.

Yeonhwa relentlessly pushed herself.

It was as if she was addicted.

Her obsessive drive to conquer dungeons had become a hot topic among the Association, the media, and her fans.

One media outlet even published a special article about Yeonhwa.

“If you push yourself to the limit, the constant pain you feel suddenly disappears.”

“Studies have shown that the Hunter’s brain releases powerful addictive chemicals during excessive fatigue and physical or mental exhaustion. People addicted to exercise also experience such dopamine release, but in Hunters, it’s several times more potent.”

“As nerves become paralyzed, a sensation of floating in the sky is coupled with a euphoric thrill throughout the body.”

“Each time she reaches her limit, Yeonhwa, the next-generation S-rank, might feel the ice at the tip of her sword move as freely as her own hands and feet, giving her a sense of complete control.”

“Is Yeonhwa, the next-generation S-rank Hunter, a genius, or is her family’s strength due to this obsessive focus on dungeon conquests?”

When Yeonhwa first became addicted to extreme training and dungeon conquests wasn’t clear.

Perhaps it began with her admiration for her grandmother, Yeonseo, as a hero.

However, pushing herself to the point of self-destruction out of mere admiration wasn’t normal.

Maybe, as the media speculated, Yeonhwa had experienced a Hunter’s unique euphoria—the release from physical constraints and the opening of her true power—when she reached the critical moment in battle, surrounded by monsters and danger.

A blend of physical and mental pleasure.

The duty of a Hunter to protect humanity and slay monsters.

The powerful rush of chemicals in the brain when overcoming a life-threatening situation.

The admiration and passion to catch up with her idol.

Yeonhwa laughed at the media’s nonsense.

‘What a joke.’

But the truth was quite different.

Yeonhwa was simply a child who had never escaped the shadow of losing her sister.

It was an unknown fact to the public, but Yeonhwa once had an older sister named Yeona.

Yeona, uninterested in media attention, often operated under a pseudonym.

However, Yeona had also inherited the strength of the Yeon family, and even under an alias, she had become an A-rank Hunter at a young age without relying on the family name.

But her sister had been caught in a sudden Rift alongside Yeonhwa.

That event was known as the Second Great Rift, a massive global dungeon invasion that occurred simultaneously across the world following the First Rift.

While the Hunter Association and skilled Hunters were plentiful, the Second Rift didn’t bring as much chaos and death as the First.

Yet young Yeonhwa, powerless at the time, fell into a dungeon with her sister.

It was a desert dungeon, with no food, shelter, or warmth.

The rescue teams couldn’t reach Yeonhwa and her sister due to the overwhelming manpower shortage caused by the simultaneous Great Rift.

Naturally, the question arose.

Would the Association send a rescue team to save an A-rank Hunter and her young sister?

Or would they prioritize the hundreds or thousands of civilians sucked into a dungeon while riding the subway?

With limited resources and Hunters, the Association logically chose the latter.

Even Yeonhwa understood that decision today.

Her sister protected her desperately.

In the desert dungeon, they had no idea where the exit was, and her sister gave all the scarce food and water they managed to find to Yeonhwa.

And when the two were exhausted and starving, the dungeon boss attacked, targeting Yeonhwa’s sister, an A-rank Hunter, and focusing its minions on her.

A long time later, when the rescue team finally arrived and retrieved the two of them from the dungeon, Yeonhwa’s sister had sustained critical injuries and passed away after nine hours of fighting, even after being taken to the hospital.

Yeonhwa survived, completely unharmed, thanks to her sister’s sacrifice.

The young Yeonhwa was devastated, but she blamed her own powerlessness even more than she mourned.

If I had been strong like my sister.

No, even if I hadn’t been as strong as my sister, if I could have at least protected myself.

If I hadn’t been a burden, maybe my sister would still be alive.

And so, Yeonhwa wanted to become stronger.

She constantly sought to surpass her limits.

To others, it seemed reckless, like she was teetering on the edge, but Yeonhwa always found a way to survive. Her obsession with dungeons was mistaken for an addiction to the thrill of it all.

But Yeonhwa didn’t bother to correct the rumors.

That wasn’t her style.

As a result, both the Association and the media had begun painting Yeonhwa as a talented, obsessive, and battle-crazed future S-rank Hunter.

[Search results. No suitable dungeons found nearby.]

“…Change the search criteria.”

[Please specify the changed criteria.]

“Include A-rank dungeons. No intruding Hunters.”

[…Search complete. Three dungeons found.]

“Phew, good…”

And with that, Yeonhwa set off for the closest A-rank dungeon.

Whether it was youthful folly or a stroke of luck or misfortune, time would tell.

●●●●●●●●

“Ugh, grrk!!”

[UOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!]

The monster Yeonhwa was facing in the ‘Great Forest’ type dungeon was a Minokentaur.

The Minokentaur had the upper body of a muscular, horned minotaur, but its lower body was that of a horse, combining the minotaur’s raw power with the destructive leg strength and speed of a horse. Yeonhwa had encountered the Minokentaur as a dungeon boss several times in B-rank dungeons.

“Is it because this is an A-rank dungeon…? It’s on a whole other level…!”

Speed was Yeonhwa’s specialty.

She would dodge the heavy attacks of powerful enemies, using her agility and reflexes to find openings and deliver ice-infused critical strikes.

However, the Minokentaur presented a significant challenge.

Its sheer charging speed was greater than Yeonhwa’s.

In some cases, a Minokentaur could be classified as a near S-rank threat even on its own. Its resistance to mana was substantial, so even if hit directly by her freezing attacks, only parts of its body would be affected.

“It’s fast and strong… but at least it only knows how to charge in a straight line.”

[UOOOOOOOOOO!! OOOOOOO!!!]

With a terrifying roar, the Minokentaur swung its massive axe and charged at Yeonhwa again.

After dodging several more charges and counterattacking, the Minokentaur became enraged.

The constant resistance from this weak female drove it into a frenzy, and it charged at her with bulging eyes.

‘Its upper body is too muscular and resistant to freeze… but if that’s the case…’

Yeonhwa ducked under the charging Minokentaur’s attack and struck its legs with her ice-imbued hands.

Though the force from its powerful legs sent a jolt of pain through Yeonhwa’s hand, the effect was clear.

“Krr, rgh!!!”

[UUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!]

In exchange for her injured hand, the Minokentaur’s leg froze solid.

Under its own weight and the force of its charge, the frozen leg shattered.

The beast roared in pain and confusion as it collapsed.

Yeonhwa didn’t miss the opportunity. She drove her sword into the fallen creature’s head and twisted it.

“Hah, hah, hah…hah…hah….!”

After killing the monster and retrieving its magic stone, Yeonhwa finally realized how exhausted her body was.

She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

“Hah, hah, hah… ah… cough!”

But she had killed the dungeon boss, so everything should be fine…

[Dungeon in progress, Nafthar Great Forest…]

“…?”

Something was off.

Why hadn’t the AI support drone declared the dungeon cleared after she killed the boss?

What was going on?

The AI support drone wasn’t malfunctioning—there was no way.

This meant there were two possibilities.

Either this was a settled dungeon, where monsters spawned endlessly after it fused with reality.

Or the Minokentaur she had just defeated wasn’t the boss but merely a ‘mob.’

No way, that can’t be.

That thing was strong enough. It should’ve been an A-rank…

“Don’t tell me… AI, what’s the danger level of Nafthar Great Forest?”

[Analyzing, analyzing…]

Yeonhwa had searched for an A-rank dungeon and chosen Nafthar Great Forest.

If a dungeon had a boss stronger than the Minokentaur, her life was in serious danger.

[Analysis complete. Nafthar Great Forest, erosion level A, danger level…S-rank.]

“…What?”

At the AI’s message declaring the dungeon’s danger level as S-rank, Yeonhwa realized.

She had entered an A-rank dungeon, but upon reanalyzing the danger level, it was now classified as S-rank, which meant…

“Dungeon Overbreak…”

Dungeon Overbreak occurred when external forces or changes in mana density caused a sudden rise in the dungeon’s danger level.

It was, naturally, not a normal occurrence.

When a sudden influx of mana caused the dungeon’s danger to skyrocket, the entire ecosystem of the dungeon would transform, mutating the monsters and bosses within.

This mutation threatened the dungeon’s stability. If Overbreak occurred while Hunters were inside, it could turn into a disaster.

[MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!]

“…!”

From deep within the forest, Yeonhwa heard a terrifying bellow.

It wasn’t a normal sound.

Not only was it louder and more menacing than the Minokentaur she had just fought, but the mana wave carried in the sound was enough to drain Yeonhwa’s will to fight.

“…If that’s the boss…gulp…what did I just kill…?”

[Danger, danger. Dungeon mutation confirmed. Exit unavailable. Exit unavailable. Recommend securing Hunter’s safety.]

“………”

And Yeonhwa realized.

Her recklessness had put her in a situation far worse than she could have imagined.