Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
“Wow…”
It was truly magnificent. The tree that Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim described with words beyond my inexperienced vocabulary was incredibly beautiful.
I had never seen such a large tree in the world before. However, if it was only the size that was impressive, I wouldn’t have been so captivated.
‘The leaves have a subtle blue hue, giving a mysterious feeling.’
I wondered if it would feel like encountering the mysterious and gigantic tree from the Japanese animated movie, “My Neighbor Totoro.” Of course, the tree in front of me was even more beautiful than the one in the movie.
The magical aura was also extraordinary. The mana enveloping the tree was even denser than the magic I felt from Arvani. As a result, the tree itself felt like a giant mana stone.
Even a clueless novice would guess that this place is incredibly mystical, possibly appearing only in legends.
I couldn’t help but think that if I hadn’t come here, I would regret it for the rest of my life.
‘…No wonder Cha Jae-joon was making a fuss and urging us to hurry from the morning.’
In the morning, after parting ways to get some sleep, Cha Jae-joon deliberately set off a noisy alarm outside the vinyl house. Ellie Kim and I had no choice but to wake up with displeased expressions.
“Come on, hurry up. We have a lot to do today!”
He pulled out various foods, whose origin and acquisition time were uncertain, and prepared a simple breakfast for Ellie Kim and me. Then, like a counselor at a high school training camp, he pressured us to quickly get ready.
Ultimately, we were able to depart quickly as Cha Jae-joon desired. Oh, the vinyl house was left as it was, just in case there was a need for refuge again.
One fortunate aspect was that the weather, which had been the biggest concern yesterday, seemed calm today. So, jokingly, I said I don’t know how I knew I would have good weather on the day I’m going.
Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim appreciated my joke, responding like new employees receiving jokes from their boss.
…Those rascals.
Anyway, I felt somewhat grateful that thanks to his urging, I could see this magnificent scene without wasting a few seconds.
“…Ahem.”
Whether he noticed or not, Cha Jae-joon cleared his throat, meaning he wanted praise.
“…It’s truly an amazing place. If I had seen this place first, I would choose it no matter what threats there were.”
“I vouched for it. I’m sure Ms. Yeon-oh will like it.”
“Well, but you also need the heart to yield in a match, Jooni.”
“Honestly, at this point, I think I won, Ellie.”
“What Yeon-oh chose is me.”
…That’s not the point now.
Ellie Kim, who had become more intimate after spending the night with me, hugged my arm and confidently asserted.
“Ugh, that’s cheating.”
“Humph!”
“…I, I can be Ms. Yeon-oh’s dog! Please pet my head.”
“…No. Why on earth is the conversation going in that direction, Jae-joon? And Ellie, stop it. If you fight more here, I’ll bury you.”
Heeek! Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim, making a scared sound, shook hands for show.
“Yeah, isn’t it better for everyone to get along well?”
“Yes!”
“That’s right!”
They nodded their heads in unison, as if rehearsed. Really, I can’t stop them. I sighed, shaking my head.
“So, let’s settle the fight for later. Mr. Jae-joon, where is that hole you mentioned?”
“Oh, you can come this way. The tree is so big that you have to take a little detour. Is that okay with you?”
“Don’t worry about it. I have decent stamina too.”
“As expected, Yeon-oh! Haa, I want to put you in my inventory and take you home.”
“….”
While we might call that kidnapping…
I moved on without bothering to correct Ellie Kim, who looked at me with innocent eyes. She seemed relentless, talking energetically beside me.
“Come to my house later. I’ll prepare a party for Yeon-oh.”
“…Isn’t your house in the United States?”
“Of course! There’s even a pool at home. Arvani will love it. And I’ll introduce you to the hunters I know!”
“…Ahaha.”
“How about it? You’ll come, right?”
Ellie Kim enthusiastically appealed that her friends were also skilled. Well, if you’re S-level… everyone around you must be high-leveled too…
It’s a good opportunity to expand friendships, but I already have connections with people I can barely handle.
“Later. When I have time… later.”
“Okay!”
While it might have meant refusal for a Korean, Ellie Kim accepted it positively, saying her house is the most beautiful in the summer, and it would be perfect to have a party then.
It felt like trampling on pure goodwill, and guilt started to accumulate gradually.
“….!”
It was a fleeting moment, but something was felt.
A momentary sensation of being scrutinized by a colossal presence. No, it was more like an overwhelming surge of mana that was beyond expression, pressing down on me.
My heart raced uncontrollably. I couldn’t distinguish whether it was fear or anticipation. The only certainty was…
“Yeon-oh, do you like champagne? I have a favorite drink, too. Let’s have it together… Huh? What’s wrong, Yeon-oh?”
“What’s going on?”
The unsettling feeling was something only I seemed to experience. Even the S-levels, whose senses were sharper than mine, didn’t feel anything.
“Did anyone else feel anything?”
“What are you talking about? There was nothing dangerous. No monsters around, no poisonous plants. Did you sense something?”
“Hmm? What happened, Yeon-oh?”
“…Wait, you didn’t feel this?”
It was a fleeting moment, but the aftermath still had my heart pounding like crazy. Holding onto the fabric near my heart, I furrowed my brows.
“Did I imagine feeling something?”
It felt too vivid for it to be a hallucination…?
Let’s calm down and think. I can’t do anything in my current state. Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim were looking at me with concern. I didn’t want to burden them with unnecessary worries.
“Phew, phew… I’m fine, let’s keep moving.”
“…Are you okay?”
“Yes, Yeon-oh! Your face looks pale now! You should rest when you need to.”
“No, I think it’s better not to do anything like this.”
With my firm resolution, they exchanged glances without saying a word. After a while, Cha Jae-joon reached out his hand to me.
“Instead, hold my hand. It helps to hold someone’s hand at times like this.”
“Ah, thanks.”
I smiled slowly and tried to take his hand.
However, I couldn’t catch it.
Kyu!
“…Ugh!”
Arvani, who had been trotting along beside me, suddenly jumped up and bit my hand.
When everyone was taken aback by Arvani’s unexpected action.
Pahat!
A blue light erupted from Arvani’s body. It was a light entirely different from when Cha Jae-joon took a piece of the Blue Dragon’s claw to Arvani’s body.
Simultaneously.
“…!”
I felt the ground beneath my feet disappearing. And by the time I realized it, my body was already being sucked into the distant darkness.
* * *
Silence flowed.
The sudden turn of events left Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim frozen in place.
The light emanating from Arvan’s body vanished, and with it, an unimaginable event occurred: Arvani disappeared along with Yeon-oh.
No matter how much they racked their brains, there were no signs that such an incident would happen. Could they have ever imagined that Arvani, who adored his master so much, would do something like this? Why on earth?
Cha Jae-joon’s thoughts became increasingly complex. But one thing was certain.
“We need to find them.”
“I agree, Jooni.”
Their usual playful demeanor, full of mischief, had transformed into an atmosphere that others dared not approach.
“Then let’s go the other way. If we still can’t find Yeon-oh, let’s enter this tree.”
“But we couldn’t enter yesterday.”
“We couldn’t because of the barrier. Well, what if we break it?”
Certainly, when they had come to check the tree again yesterday, the entrance through the hole had been sealed by a powerful enchantment. So, they thought that bringing Yeon-oh and Arvani might make a difference.
“I was careless. I should have left Yeon-oh at home and only brought Arvani.”
Cha Jae-joon drew his Ego Sword, and the Black Dragon’s Ego Sword began emitting a dark energy that was intense enough to blaze. Ellie Kim trembled in the face of that energy.
“Be careful not to get devoured, Jae-joon.”
“Let’s first find Yeon-oh and then think about the rest.”
The icy light in Cha Jae-joon’s eyes gradually faded.