Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Meanwhile.

Stumble, stumble.

Cha Jae-joon lifted and lowered his eyelids blankly while lying down. 

He wanted to move his fingers at least, but his body was too heavy. If he were to place a large rock on top of him, would this be the sensation, or is it the weight attached to the blood flowing through his body? 

One thing for sure was that Cha Jae-joon had experienced this sensation once before. 

Before his breath completely ceased. 

Still, the difference between then and now was that he could move his fingers and toes and his senses seemed to be functioning properly. So, this wasn’t a big deal. 

People faint sometimes. They can get back up and experience life again. 

That moment.

Beep.

It started with a ringing in his ears.

And soon.

“…Kukkk! Kukkk!”

His hand, hastily covering his mouth, was filled with crimson blood. It came up with a strong cough that pressed on his abdomen… 

Blood came up with it. 

While an ordinary person might have panicked, thinking they were about to die, Cha Jae-joon remained calm. He stared at the dead blood in his hand and then calmly took out water from his inventory to wash it away as if it were a familiar routine. 

It wasn’t the first or second time. 

“… How many times has it been already?” 

He had vomited blood so many times that it had become a routine. Swallowing the bitter taste of blood rising from his throat had become nauseatingly familiar now. 

Cha Jae-joon closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again and raised the black shirt he was wearing. The area closest to his heart was soaked in black.

Furthermore.

“… The gold has gotten worse.” 

Several sharp golden lines appeared on the blackened chest as if they were about to pierce through. When did this happen? It was probably since the day he woke up as the owner of the Black Ego Sword. Back then, it was merely a string, but now it had become so deep that he felt like his body would soon break. And it was getting worse. It didn’t progress this fast originally. 

Thinking back to when it started getting worse… it was after clearing the quest to find the Blue Ego Sword. As these memories came back, Cha Jae-joon hastily opened the quest window and checked. 

And he found it. 

“… The quest to find the Red Ego Sword has also been cleared.” 

Things got even worse.

Cha Jae-joon lay down on the grassy plain again. If he continued searching for the Ego Sword like this… the worst-case scenario lingered in his mind. 

“… Facing death might be faster than going on a rampage.” 

…Haha. Despite the bitter smile, Cha Jae-joon’s eyes were coldly sober. 

He had already experienced death once. …Such a cruel system.

If you’re human, you know the basic common sense that humans die, but it felt unfair to experience it not once but twice. It would have been better to just die back then. 

What’s the point of keeping him alive just to cling to this pathetic life? Tears welled up from the unfairness. 

Cha Jae-joon, who had been staring blankly at the sky for a while, murmured as if possessed.

“Yeon-oh. I need to go to Ms. Yeon-oh.” 

Being with her felt like these phenomena happening to him would disappear. No, more accurately, it felt like she could put an end to this miserable life.

A life bitterly lonely, manipulated by the sword and the system. Suddenly, this thought occurred. As if someone had implanted it. However, Cha Jae-joon didn’t bother to doubt even this. If this is also the system’s manipulation, it would be hard to resist.

With a purpose in mind, Cha Jae-joon got up as if nothing had happened. He tidied his clothes and meticulously checked if there was any blood elsewhere.

“Arvani and Yeon-oh have good noses.” 

Thinking of them, the warm breeze felt like it was thawing his cold body. Like a spring day.

* * *

“….”

“Ahaha.”

“…Ha, sis. Are you really going to do this to me?”

“…Seung-hoo. Because there’s no one else I can trust but you.”

“…That’s too much.”

Han Seung-hoo frowned heavily, pursed his lips, and exuded a sulky air. I avoided his gaze discreetly as if saying, ‘How could you do this to me?’

“…Sorry. But in this situation, Seung-hoo, I had to call you because you’re the only one I could think of.”

“Still. How can you ask me to be a mover for that guy? You know damn well we’re not on good terms.”

That was true. The reason Han Seung-hoo was properly upset now was precisely because…

“How could you deceive me like this?”

Because I tricked him with sweet words inviting him over.

And that too, without mentioning that I wanted him to move the unconscious Jung Tae-il by himself.

There’s no excuse.

Because the intention was impure from the beginning, I couldn’t even make excuses. It was changing the sequence of events, saying, ‘I called you, but suddenly something came up and Jung Tae-il collapsed.’

‘Once is enough for a lie.’

If lies pile up two or three times, then it’s irredeemable.

That’s why instead of excuses, I chose an accurate judgment. With just a hint of audacity.

“…How am I supposed to move Mr. Tae-il? It’s not like I’m going to be able to carry him to Arvani or Boom-ba. Our builds are different.”

Dragging him would be a drag.

As I spoke, I also imagined it. Jung Tae-il being carried on my back, dragging his legs… This was something that needed to be stopped, even for the sake of one person’s human rights.

“Now do you understand? The reason why I called you over…? But still, you left in a hurry.”

“…If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to enter the house in the first place. And if you hadn’t brought me here, meeting up would have been essential.”

“You’re smart.”

“Did you think of me as too gullible?”

“Why are you saying things like that so sullenly? You were the only person I could think of.”

Han Seung-hoo, who had been dragged to where Jung Tae-il had collapsed, looked at me with a more relaxed expression than before.

“Was there no one else? You could have called someone else too. Like Brother Yoon-soo or… well, the members of Jung Tae-il’s strategy team also know each other.”

“I feel most comfortable with you.”

“Hmm.”

“To be honest, I thought you’d come running to me if something happened, so I called you.”

There wasn’t a single lie in what I said to him. The person who first came to mind to resolve this awkward situation was Han Seung-hoo, and the thought that he would come running first… 

I didn’t say it out loud, but Han Seung-hoo was the one I felt closest to. It was probably because he had a somewhat cute side, which made my guard come down first.

Kang Yoon-soo was someone I couldn’t trust because I couldn’t understand him and he had used me in a deal. Jung Tae-il was someone I could trust my heart with… to some extent. Cha Jae-joon… was a lunatic with a backstory.

Well, anyway… among them, I felt most comfortable with Han Seung-hoo. Maybe it’s because he’s my only younger brother.

I glanced at Han Seung-hoo, who was moving his eyes around and patted him on the shoulder. He seemed to be thinking hard about something, but he also looked quite pleased.

Because the wrinkles on his forehead, caused by sulking, had somewhat smoothed out.

While I was inwardly sighing with relief, Han Seung-hoo asked me slowly.

“Really? I’m the most comfortable and liked?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Don’t be ambiguous. Be precise. Am I your favorite?”

“Yes, Seung-hoo.”

Han Seung-hoo, who had persistently asked, smiled brightly, as if he had received the answer he wanted, and squinted his eyes.

“Great. I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, be sure to tell me precisely.”

“…Sorry. And thank you.”

“No problem. So, how do you want me to move Tae-il? It’s quite a distance from here to your place.”

Perhaps recalling the memory of riding Boom-ba, Han Seung-hoo tilted his head.

“Um, one person should carry Tae-il from the front or back and take him to the house. We’d have to walk from here, and we might have to spend the night on the way.”

“…Seriously?”

“…Or maybe Arvani or Boom-ba should carry him by foot.”

“…That might be better for Jung Tae-il.”

“He’s a patient.”

“Just leave him. He’ll wake up on his own. Jung Tae-il won’t die at this level. Well, it’s surprising he hasn’t gotten up until now.”

After giving a neat response, Han Seung-hoo looked at me as if to say, ‘Let’s just leave him.’ I gave him a look that said, ‘Then the reason for calling you disappears,’ with my eyes.

Upon seeing this, Han Seung-hoo sighed deeply and approached Jung Tae-il. He then surrounded Jung Tae-il like a porter and patted his face.

“What did this guy eat to become so heavy? Oh, Sister. Who should I ride? Should I ride Boom-ba like earlier?”

“No. Arvani. Boom-ba probably can’t handle two sturdy men.”

“Well, Arvani is better for me.”

Nodding lightly, Han Seung-hoo turned towards Arvani. After naturally loading Jung Tae-il onto Arvani, who now had an adult form, Han Seung-hoo effortlessly climbed on top.

As I also climbed onto Boom-ba’s back and exchanged signals as if to say, ‘Please take care,’ Han Seung-hoo suddenly called me, perhaps remembering something he had forgotten.

“Oh, Sister Yeon-oh.”

“Yeah?”

“When we get home, please tell the story of Arvani turning into an adult.”

“…Sure.”

Well, that’s how it should be.

How come nothing is going according to my plans at all…