Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 44

Chapter 44

In the dark abyss, fragmented pieces emitted light, revealing scenes within. 

A figure, clad in a black robe, examined each piece one by one and sighed.

“Haah, no usable pieces. It seems there’s no potential here. They said this place was the last hope, but I should quickly search elsewhere.”

A neutral voice, neither distinctly male nor female, emanated from under the robe. Even the skeletal fingers glimpsed between the robe’s folds gave an impression that the being beneath wasn’t human.

At least for a moment.

“…Huh?”

The robed figure approached the largest fragment in the abyss. Inside it, an individual that’s been observed seemed to be contemplating something, lips sealed in deep thought.

“All right, what will you show this time?”

Would it perfectly understand their intentions again? Or would it disappoint them by following the mundane thought process of a simple life form?

With curiosity, the robed figure focused on the human beyond the fragments.

Then it happened.

Paaat.

A brilliant golden light poured out from the center of the abyss. The robed figure shifted its gaze from the fragments to the golden light.

Emerging from the dazzling brilliance was a figure with blond hair and faint features. Although the neatly dressed appearance seemed vaguely familiar, it was hard to pinpoint where.

The robed figure casually greeted the newcomer and initiated a conversation.

“Are you here already?”

“Yeah.”

“There’s still work to be done, isn’t there?”

“This is not the right time to reveal our identity yet.”

“Hmm.”

The figure under the robe sighed as if disappointed. Shortly after, it redirected its gaze to the significant fragment. Simultaneously, the newcomer’s eyes followed the same direction.

They silently observed the actions of a person within the fragment. After a while, a satisfied laughter flowed from under the robe.

“Well, that’s it.”

They’ve decided to act in that way.

The figure under the robe slowly raised its hand over the fragment. Then, several windows appeared in front of the being.

“Yes, that’s it.”

For making the right choice, a reward should be given.

As the bony fingers tapped the windows a few times, a woman inside the screen looked at something with surprised eyes.

Soon, the woman, who initially appeared small within the fragment, gradually enlarged and became clear.

The woman within the fragment was none other than Seo Yeon-oh.

* * *

[Your growth is infinite!

A special quest has been created just for Seo Yeon-oh.

A shift in thinking leads to another form of growth!

Hunter growth is not solely achieved through hunting. Growth methods vary!

Seo Yeon-oh’s method of thinking is correct!

?Befriend the Griffin (A) Boom-ba.

Note that the Griffin, unlike the Hatchling, has low intelligence and cannot serve its owner.

Success Rewards: Boom-ba’s familiarity, Boom-ba’s egg.

Failure: Hostility with the Griffin.]

“…Hm.”

I furrowed my brow as I glared at the system window in front of me.

“What on earth is this?”

Is the system now able to read my thoughts? Or does it automatically generate quests based on my actions and what I’m likely to do?

Even if that’s not the case, it was still confusing. How does it provide such perfectly timed skills and quests? While it’s useful to know and exploit, it’s also a bit eerie.

As I pondered over the system window, or rather, stared into space, Han Seung-hoo approached me suspiciously.

“What’s wrong, Sister?”

“Ah… it’s nothing.”

“…What’s nothing? Now I feel like I can read your mind just by looking at you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

As if to say to spill the beans, Han Seung-hoo looked at me, and he began to speak effortlessly.

“I see you shaking your head while staring into space, and it looks like the system gave you something. It seems to be quite related to the nonsense you’re doing now. Hmm, the expression is similar to when you received a quest before… Did you receive a quest to tame the Griffin?”

… This guy’s deductive skills are no joke.

Compared to Detective X-nan, his deduction skills are unmatched. Han Seung-hoo shrugged as if to say he wouldn’t be fooled.

He had already made up his mind.

…Can’t I control my expressions that well?

I rubbed my face with my hands and nodded slowly to Han Seung-hoo. In response, he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.

“It’s quite exquisite for a coincidence.”

“…I think so too.”

“I reluctantly listened to you because I couldn’t beat your stubbornness, but now the system is completely supporting your actions, saying they’re correct.”

If this is a coincidence, it doesn’t make sense, right?

Despite the tone of suspicion towards the system, Han Seung-hoo seemed quite pleased. He looked much happier than when I expressed my thoughts to him.

‘…At that time, Seung-hoo was scarier than Jung Tae-il.’

…Yeah, it was scarier. 

Why was it so frightening? Well, the situation was like this. As soon as I expressed my thoughts, Han Seung-hoo started tearing me apart. 

“Sis, are you crazy? Such thoughts are something even monster tamers wouldn’t entertain. But how does a sister without any taming skills plan to tame a griffin? Did you think you could tame that stupid griffin as easily as Arvani?”

At this moment, Han Seung-hoo, who always sent sparkling and lovely glances my way, was looking at me almost like human garbage. 

“I’ll say it again, what you did to Arvani is almost like a miracle. It’s disrespectful to other tamers for a sister without taming skills to boast about taming a mere cow. Do you understand?”

Every word he said felt like a dagger stabbing into me. He probably wanted to stop me even if it meant doing this. 

Honestly, even I thought it was a crazy idea. Nevertheless, I calmly tried to persuade Han Seung-hoo.

“Seung-hoo, trust me this time as well. Griffins that go crazy for meat rarely appear in front of me for no reason. There’s a reason the system wants this. Finding that reason is my job. The role of that griffin is likely to be a stepping stone for my growth. But it doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be through hunting.'”

While saying this, I shared information about the <Combat Flight> acquired through flying with Arvani and the ‘Windproof Jacket (S).’

[<Combat Flight>

– Boosts the user’s combat skills by 200% during flight.

– Efficiency increases when used in conjunction with <We Are One!>.

– Helps catch up with the speed of other flying monsters.

– Used as a passive during flight.

However, it can only be used with the target of <We Are One!>.]

[Windproof Jacket (S)

– Blocks even the strongest winds.

– Equipped with self-healing abilities.

– Gains resistance to wind-related mana.

However, self-healing will not activate if the damage rate exceeds 30%.]

All of these skills and items are focused on ‘flight.’ So, the system gave me these to grasp how to fly, avoid damage, and perform attacks when riding a griffin in combat. 

After explaining everything, Han Seung-hoo reluctantly nodded. 

Afterward, Han Seung-hoo and I were capturing a monster that the stupid griffin liked. More precisely, while Han Seung-hoo was making the monster sit, I was playing the role of supporting from behind…

During this, the system even gave me a quest that affirmed my thoughts. Han Seung-hoo was genuinely dumbfounded. And now, I was smiling faintly, perhaps because he realized my stubbornness was not baseless.

“…It’s a relief.”

It still felt a bit bitter knowing that I was still weak, causing concern to those around me. 

That’s when it happened.

After our conversation, Han Seung-hoo, who had briefly stepped away to capture the last horse monster, approached me with a carefree smile.

“Sister Yeon-oh, it seems like you have enough horse meat by now… Are you going to move alone?”

“Yeah, it’s more convenient for me to move with Arvani alone. Arvani thinks the same way.”

Arvani, who had changed his appearance slightly, responded with a playful “Kyu!” from my side.

“…Okay. How could I stop you, Sis? Even if Jung Tae-il comes, I won’t be able to stop you, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Still, I’m kind of happy that I’m doing something like this with you without Jung Tae-il knowing. Sister knows how thrilling it is to have a secret, right?”

“…Uh, yeah.”

“Alright then.”

Han Seung-hoo opened his inventory and handed me the horse meat he had collected. Arvani seemed momentarily interested, but he quickly turned his head, showing that it might not be to his taste.

I stacked the meat neatly in my inventory and climbed back onto Arvani, who had returned to his original form.

“Alright, I’ll go feed the griffin.”

Originally, it was supposed to be a way to get closer by feeding them.