Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Tickle, tickle.

Mmw… Mmw!

I felt someone licking my cheek. 

They licked vigorously, but whatever they were trying to achieve didn’t seem to happen, so someone even nuzzled gently to prevent it from hurting.

Only then could I regain my senses.

“…!”

As I slowly opened my eyes, Arvani, the ‘someone,’ was squeaking and happily licking my cheek to cheer me up.

“…Arvani, that’s enough.”

At this rate, my cheek will disappear… Does he know his tongue is surprisingly warm? 

He’s not a cat, so why is his tongue so rough?

I murmured while stroking Arvani’s back as if he were a person deeply asleep.

Suddenly.

“…Ah!”

I remembered what happened to me.

Arvani bit my hand, and suddenly, the ground beneath my feet vanished.

After that, I lost consciousness.

“…Oh my god.”

What on earth is happening…

Did Arvani betray me? Did he decide to kill me because I was too pathetic to be his owner?

Many thoughts raced through my mind in a short moment. However, looking at Arvani, who was nuzzling my face, I realized how foolish my thoughts were.

“…Yeah, Arvani would never betray me.”

If he didn’t want to serve me as his owner anymore, the system window would have appeared.

I bet the titles I earned would disappear first, blah blah.

I tried to calm my mind as much as possible and got up. Then, I looked around.

It was a vast space filled with darkness.

Blue crystals were embedded here and there, emitting light. For some reason, I felt like I was alone in the universe, left in a lonely and desolate place.

If it weren’t for Arvani making more noise than usual to emphasize his presence, I would have probably merged with the emptiness of this place.

“…Arvani, come here.”

Mmw!

“…I’m glad you’re here.”

I hugged Arvani tightly. His usual high body temperature was soothing.

Not because this place was unfamiliar, not because it was my first time here, not because I suddenly encountered this space, but simply because the atmosphere and intimidation of this space made my heart uneasy.

“…Let’s calm down. Let’s think about getting out of here quickly. Seo Yeon-oh, you can do it.”

Despite all the bizarre things that happened, I survived. So, it’s okay.

After several self-mind controls, I was finally able to get up from my seat.

As if waiting for me to get up, the darkness slowly parted, creating a path in between. Simultaneously,

?Come this way.

A commanding voice, dominating the darkness, echoed in my mind.

‘…This isn’t telepathy, though?’

There was a skill called <Telepathy>, perfect for sharing secret conversations. It allowed communication directly between minds.

<Telepathy> wasn’t an extremely rare skill, often obtained by support-type hunters or those in the assassination field. I had the chance to use <Telepathy> when going on missions for the government, so I was familiar with the feeling.

This, however, felt completely different from <Telepathy>.

I couldn’t exactly describe it, but I could be sure that it was different. While still bewildered by the unfamiliar sensation in my mind, the voice spoke again.

?Your steps seem heavy.

The unknown entity perceived difficulty in easy movement as a sign of having heavy steps.

Kindly enough…

[Exposed to <Uncontrollable Wind!>

?Your body becomes as light as the wind, allowing you to fly with the blowing wind.]

They explained it to me.

However, to me, this felt like a disaster.

[Warning!

?With the current stats of Seo Yeon-oh, you cannot withstand <Uncontrollable Wind!>]

[Warning!

?Unbearable wind is blowing!]

[Warning!

?Protect your body!]

The system window loudly expressed concern about my survival.

However… it was already too late.

“Aaahhh!”

As my body had already started flying at an incredible speed with the wind,

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

My hair flew wildly, and I couldn’t close my mouth. Nevertheless, wearing the ‘Windproof Jacket (S),’ my body didn’t ache even at the speed of the wind.

Lucky for not being undressed… Who cares!

Was this the time to praise my past self? I urgently grabbed Arvani tightly in my arms and shouted.

Even though my voice was blocked by the wind, kwoo!

Holding tightly!

Fortunately, <We Are One!> activated properly. Thanks to it, even in this emergency, Arvani understood my command and increased his size.

And I quickly climbed onto his back.

“Huuaaack! This speed is a piece of cake!”

Was I slower than when playing with firecrackers?

I smirked, not just for show. The situation was far from that.

I had ridden Arvani without a saddle, so any mistake could result in breaking my neck. But what I needed now was the confidence to face anything head-on.

There were two things in the world that couldn’t be defeated—one was a guy with overwhelming strength, and the other was a crazy bastard with twisted eyes.

“Let’s go, Arvani! Let’s go see the face of the guy calling me like this!”

Whether my madness was properly conveyed to Arvani or not, he roared as he rode the wind. Then, he moved his wings vigorously.

Thanks to that, Arvani gained even higher speed, and due to the wind blowing from behind, the acceleration became unbelievably intense.

I could proudly claim to be faster than a bullet.

[Warning!

?Unbearable speed.]

This time, the system warned of a different danger.

But this, too, was what I desired.

Life is all about heading straight for the unknown!

Kraaaah!

* * *

“…Fut.”

A man with a faint impression in the deep abyss couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Seo Yeon-oh, amidst the fragments, was flying through the vast space at an overwhelming speed, almost as if going insane.

Of course, not everyone found this situation enjoyable.

“…Are you laughing right now?”

“…It’s unexpected. Honestly, isn’t it beyond your expectations?”

“……”

“Admit it or not, it seems like she passed the test you set for her.”

“…Hmph.”

The presence, dressed in a deep robe, furrowed its brow as if displeased. However, unable to refute words, it sighed.

“…Still, I think you’re immature.”

“Until you gain proper strength.”

“…I don’t have time to wait until then.”

Right now, there’s not much time left for their race.

The woman murmured. Watching Seo Yeon-oh, still riding the Blue Hatchling like a mad person amidst the fragments, she reached out her hand.

“I can’t risk everything on that child.”

“Why not give it a try.”

“Believe in either you or that child.”

“That child.”

“…If your answer is so, then there’s nothing I can do. I will test that child once more.”

So, stay quiet here for now.

The figure within the determined robe slowly moved its hand to untie a knot.

Tuck.

As the robe fell to the ground, the surroundings twisted. The deep abyss had transformed into a place filled with blue crystals. Among those crystals, there was a throne reserved for only one person, resembling the sharp winds intricately carved.

The presence moved slowly towards the throne. The woman, the one who brought Seo Yeon-oh into this space, elegantly sat down, crossing her legs.

The space seemed to welcome the return of its owner, emitting an even more intense blue light. The atmosphere was now filled with pure and powerful magic.

As if reminiscing something dear, the woman took a deep breath. Her exhale turned into crystallized fragments that gently scattered and transformed into new crystals where they touched. Like the others, these crystals praised her deeply.

The woman, familiar with the sound, slowly rested her chin on her hand.

Seo Yeon-oh would arrive here soon.

Would her momentum remain the same even when facing a being from a different dimension? Or would she collapse with foam in her mouth?

She hoped she would take actions completely different from what she anticipated.

If she acted predictably, she would kill her on the spot.

The corners of the woman’s mouth twisted upwards.

“Now, come quickly.”

With her child.