Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 138

Chapter 138

A chilling aura hung frozen in the air. 

Dark mana roiled fiercely around the Black Dragon.

At the sight of the creature, a sense of discomfort crept over me, as if it might attack at any moment.

Yet, I had to suppress such petty emotions. The true adversary wasn’t this unsettling creature but the mastermind behind it, capable of creating it incessantly.

So, facing the Black Dragon, grinning with a hint of shock since our encounter, I provoked her once more.”

“Why the silence? Feeling intimidated, perhaps?”

“.…”

“Or maybe you’re afraid of being consumed by the light?”

“Ha!”

My taunt seemed to have struck a chord as the Black Dragon shot me a menacing glare. Had I not been surrounded by Evan’s light, I might have been consumed by darkness in that instant.

‘I must not falter. Stay focused.’

I reminded myself. Any lapse in concentration and her darkness would devour me.

I bit back the tender flesh of my inner cheek, exerting all my willpower to resist her dominance. She seemed to acknowledge my effort, or perhaps she grew tired of me, as she finally spoke, her words dripping with cold disdain.

“Are you insane? Well, humans are frail creatures, easily frightened… If you dare tread in my domain, you’ll go mad soon enough.”

“Ha-ha. I think the madness is contagious. From where I stand, you seem crazier.”

Madness indeed. The way she pondered my words brought a strange satisfaction. It almost felt pure in its oddity.

“It seems you rather enjoy being called insane.”

“I’d loathe to deny such a beautifully grim description. Yes, insane to live and breathe. Only a life form incapable of enduring even a hundred years could understand. So… you came to stop me, not even understanding your motives.”

Accompanied by the weighty atmosphere, her final words carried a chilling anger. My already labored breaths grew even more constricted.

The faint light, the only thing keeping the darkness at bay, allowed me to barely hold on.

‘I must end this before I collapse.’

Just as Evan warned me, his fading light whispered in my mind.

As I listened to Anna’s story and turned to face the Black Dragon, Evan reached out to me again, not through the system, but directly into my mind.

-You’re resilient. I’ll teach you how to wield the light. The light I’ve lent you is fragile, and it might disappear the moment it touches her.

I wanted to protest, to ask for more guidance, but the heaviness of the situation kept me silent. It was as if I was demanding to be taught how to handle the light as quickly as possible.

-As you’ve experienced, my light can counter her darkness. But with too little light, it’s ineffective. So, there’s something you must do.

“What is that?”

-Awaken the owner of the body she inhabits. If you exploit the gaps that arise when their wills clash, even with this limited light, you may achieve your goal.

“How do I awaken her?”

-You already know that. Also, remember the light surrounding you now. Even if it fades, it can bloom again. I implore you, resilient one.

With a soft voice as his final words, Evan disappeared, leaving behind a warmer light than before.

As I recalled my conversation with Evan, I let out a long sigh inwardly. 

“What method do I know of?”

How could I awaken Ellie, who was completely possessed? Moreover, even now, the darkness was stealthily devouring the light, significantly dimming it.

…The method, the ability I already possess… If only I could grasp a single clue…!

As I remained silent, gazing at the Black Dragon, she tilted her head and revealed a bright smile.

“Where’s that confident demeanor? You seem scared now. Well, it’s about time Evan’s light fades away. It’s a pity I can’t fully utilize my power against you.”

“…”

“Nevertheless, as fate would have it, I’ll give you a gift.”

As the gentle darkness tinged with death gestured, the black mana surged vigorously. They coalesced, dispersed, melted into the air, then suddenly solidified.

As if…

‘…Like water?’

Ellie’s mana resembled water. No, it was intimately connected to water. When Ellie manipulated her mana, it seemed as though she was manipulating water.

And I had… dealt with Ellie’s water mana before.

‘Ah.’

I see. That must be the method he mentioned.

Since the Black Dragon was borrowing Ellie’s body, the mana she wielded was essentially Ellie’s. More precisely, it was Ellie’s mana imbued into the Black Dragon’s mana.

Which meant, I could separate Ellie’s mana from the Black Dragon’s…

‘…Ultimately, I can awaken Ellie.’

Because it would mean the black mana suppressing her would disappear.

‘But then, I need to turn the space where the Black Dragon and I are into a safe zone.’

As my thoughts raced toward a precise direction…

Swish!

A sharp form made of black mana flew toward me. I blocked it with the White Ego Sword and leaped backward with force.

It was just enough to create some distance.

Because something caught my eye.

It was… a small, destroyed piece of tent that had turned into rubble. Quickly seizing it before it flew any farther due to the swirling mana, I immediately shouted.

“<Automatic Recovery>!”

This tent had already undergone an upgrade. Meaning, it was registered for automatic recovery.

Normally, it should recover on its own without the need for the skill. However, due to the extent of destruction with no trace of its original form left, I had to use the skill.

Well, that was enough to do the job.

To change the situation in an instant, all it took was using one more skill.

As I shouted the skill’s name, a bright light burst from the tent fragment in my hand. At the same time, scattered pieces around the Black Dragon swiftly flew towards her.

Soon, the tent returned to its original state.

In its pre-setup form.

“…Playing tricks, are we? Thinking you can stop me with just that?”

“…Well, even such tricks are worth trying. There’s a saying that even a worm will wriggle when stepped on. Watch closely; my tricks may be more effective than you think, even if they’re less significant than a worm.”

Finishing my words, I threw the tent towards the middle where the Black Dragon was. The tent expanded with a bright light, covering us both and the surrounding area.

It became larger and sturdier than its original size, effectively enveloping us. The Black Dragon looked bewildered at the sudden turn of events.

“…Well, you’re quite skilled at trickery.”

“Well, it’s thanks to those skills that I’ve survived until now.”

“I’ll give you that.”

“Thanks, I suppose. But hey, you mentioned earlier that you can’t fully use your power right now, didn’t you? So how about just going back?”

Perhaps thinking my provocation was petty, she gracefully swung the Ego Sword she held in her hand.

A black blade shot towards me, but before it could reach me, it dispersed in an instant.

“…<Save Water and Electricity!>”

Because I used a skill.

The blade, menacingly flying towards me, split into two momentarily. One became transparent and clear water, while the other became the darkness of the Black Dragon.

Starting from the blade, the black mana that had been invading the tent began to separate.

At that moment, I realized it was the time Evan mentioned, the moment to unleash the light.

So, as the separated water swiftly moved towards the bottle I had previously thrown…

“…”

The darkness, momentarily wandering after being separated from the parasitic mana, was devoured by the light I had unleashed.

Since the tent was a confined space, the light couldn’t escape, which aided in the process.

In an instant, although I lost my footing, the Black Dragon showed no expression. There was no sign of anger towards the underestimated worm, nor any contempt for her carelessness.

Simply put.

“…I see. Well then.”

Muttering as if understanding something, she closed her eyes as if there was no reason to stay here any longer.

Then, with a thud, Ellie’s body plummeted towards the ground.