Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Swoaah.

Swoaah.

“……”

“…This is something.”

In a place where the sound of cool waves could be heard, two people lost in thought sat on the sandy beach.

With the sun shining intensely and seagulls passing right above our heads… and even the waves approaching with white foam.

It was a truly peaceful paradise.

However…

“…Is this inside the gate?”

“Even if I want to deny it, I can’t, Ms. Yeon-oh.”

“…How did we end up inside the gate?”

“Well, since a gate appeared under Ms. Yeon-oh and my feet…?”

That’s right.

As Kang Yoon-soo just mentioned, we couldn’t avoid the suddenly appearing gate beneath our feet and ended up falling with our eyes closed.

… Yeah, this experience was familiar.

It was a sensation I felt every time we came out of reality at home.

Fortunately, it was soft sand under our buttocks, not a cement floor… should I consider it lucky? 

Or should I be grateful that there happened to be an S-level hunter next to me when I fell into the gate?

Haha, I have no idea… damn.

The confusion was confusing, and…

For now, I still had to quickly deal with the live octopus I was holding in my hand.

After all, I couldn’t afford to let the fresh purchase go bad.

I swiftly used <Upgrade> and <Enhancement> to put the live octopus in the inventory.

Kang Yoon-soo, who was closely watching, narrowed his eyes.

“What did you do to the live octopus? It’s imbued with mana.”

“…You can see that?”

“I can’t be fooled when it comes to mana. Um… now that I think about it, all the items at Ms. Yeon-oh’s house were imbued with mana. Are those also Ms. Yeon-oh’s creations?”

“……”

“I thought it was strange. But… I somewhat overlooked it, thinking it was a phenomenon that occurred when the house entered the gate. Turns out, I was wrong.”

He looked at the live octopus still not in the inventory with interest.

“May I take a look?”

“…It’s not difficult.”

“Thank you.”

He took the bag of live octopus from me and examined it here and there, using skills as if confirming something.

‘…Did Seung-hoo not tell him?’

About my ability to enhance items?

And that I can combine enhanced items for use, too.

I became curious in an instant.

Soon, I found a suitable assumption.

‘…Come to think of it, only Seung-hoo knew that I could enhance.’

Did he keep my skill a secret?

It was a mannerly behavior among hunters, not to disclose another person’s skill to a third party.

A crafty guy.

When my mouth corner lifted in admiration for Seung-hoo, Kang Yoon-soo handed me the live octopus.

“I saw it, Ms. Yeon-oh. That’s interesting… I heard about you using Seung-hoo’s mana before.

I was really surprised at times… but this is also possible.”

“…Seung-hoo told you?”

“He asked if it was possible. Since I’m the expert in mana.”

“……”

Seriously, stealing my thunder.

If he’s going to keep it a secret, keep it a secret…!

I could understand Han Seung-hoo, but it still left me feeling a bit disappointed. Kang Yoon-soo, sensing that somehow, playfully shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“Seung-hoo tried to protect your abilities in his own way. He didn’t mention anyone, so I assumed it was only you. But honestly, you’re the only person that came to mind… blame my quick wit.”

“…Got it.”

“Well then, shall we get out of the gate? Based on the roughly sensed mana, this dungeon seems to be at least A-level or higher… Unfortunately, both you and I are not optimized for combat, and it’s a pity to stay here. No need to unnecessarily drain our energy in a fight.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kang Yoon-soo was suggesting we escape the gate through the ‘door connecting to reality.’ I quickly agreed because I also thought it was a good idea.

Even though I fell into a strange gate with a ‘door leading to reality,’ I wasn’t bewildered. It seemed the same for Kang Yoon-soo.

After putting the live octopus into my inventory, I gently grabbed Kang Yoon-soo’s arm. Then, I recalled my home in my mind while manipulating mana.

However,

“……?”

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

…Why? Why isn’t it working…?

I’ve been traveling back and forth between home and reality like this until now. Did I not properly imagine my home? I wondered and tried to picture my home in my mind again.

But…

Only one system window appeared before my eyes, and both Kang Yoon-soo and I were still on the sandy beach.

I had never imagined a situation where the ‘door leading to reality’ wouldn’t properly activate.

Therefore, I quickly blinked my eyes, revealing my confusion. Kang Yoon-soo, who was quick-witted, seemed to notice that there was an issue and silently watched me.

“…Wait a moment.”

…Alright, let’s calm down and check the system window first.

[Warning! 

Due to Seo Yeon-oh’s insufficient stats, the ‘door leading to reality’ cannot be activated in this world.]

What?

…What?

Before reading the system window, I was just a bewildered person, but now, I was on the verge of fainting due to a mixture of astonishment and confusion.

‘…There were conditions for using this?’

No, wait, I’ve never seen such information!

In a hurry, I lit up my eyes and quickly opened the item window to check.

[Door Leading to Reality

A door that connects the gate and reality.

?Currently assigned to Seo Yeon-oh.

Usage: Open the door while thinking of the desired location to move to that place. Alternatively, you can return by recalling your home and using magic in reality.

However, opening the door without a designated location may lead to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, when used in a location without installation, it requires the user’s stats.]

…Why is there additional information that wasn’t there before?

Then how did I come out of the gate with the Blue Dragon…?

Could it be because the Blue Dragon permitted it…?

The confusion deepened.

Seeing me muttering like a malfunctioning clock, Kang Yoon-soo grabbed my forearm strongly.

“…Ugh!”

“Um, Ms. Yeon-oh? Can you tell me what the problem is? No… tell me right now.”

It was a voice that felt both gentle and assertive. Thanks to that, I could regain composure by running my hand through my hair.

“I can’t use the door right now.”

“Hmm.”

“In other words, we have to clear this gate to get out.”

“I see.”

He remained silent for a moment, contemplating, and then slowly spoke.

“Is there any way to call Arvani here?”

“…That’s difficult.”

“Then it will be more troublesome.”

…It probably be that troublesome.

If I hesitate too much, it might end up with me dying like this…

Biting my lip, I rolled my head as if experiencing a headache that could cause a migraine. Then, it occurred to me that I could use a phone to contact Arvani.

‘…But it seems that won’t work either.’

The reason was the same.

…Darn.

That’s when it hit me.

“…Ah!”

“Hmm?”

“If it’s Mr. Cha Jae-joon, he might be able to come here.”

“You can call him?”

“I have a communication stone I received from Mr. Cha Jae-joon before.”

Right, with that, I could use the ‘door leading to reality’ to bring him directly here. I just needed to use the door while thinking of my current location.

“If he’s the owner of the Black Ego Sword, we don’t need to doubt his skills.”

As if relieved, Kang Yoon-soo showed his characteristic warm smile.

But strangely… I felt like he was satisfied with this situation. It was odd because, until now, Kang Yoon-soo had only mentioned it being troublesome, never mentioning the danger.

Well, considering Kang Yoon-soo is an S-level hunter with a lot of experience, it might be understandable… but there was something uneasy about it.

‘Ah.’

I see.

That was the moment I started feeling this uneasy vibe.

‘…It’s been like this since Mr. Jae-joon’s story came up.’

Until then, I felt a sense of ‘It might be a bit challenging’ from Kang Yoon-soo, but the moment I mentioned Cha Jae-joon, his atmosphere changed a bit eerily.

Like someone who discovered prey.

‘…It’s not about me, but about Cha Jae-joon.’

…Why?

Kang Yoon-soo could be considered the least related to Cha Jae-joon. Before Cha Jae-joon entered the ‘Overflow,’ maybe there was some connection, but after that, there shouldn’t have been any particular ties.

‘Besides, Mr. Jae-joon was marked as deceased inside the gate.’

This meant that Kang Yoon-soo had no reason to be interested in Cha Jae-joon. Of course, he could be interested because Cha Jae-joon was the owner of the Ego Sword. Yes, that’s plausible.

But then he should show interest. Why does he give off a vibe as if he’s about to hunt something?

That was the moment.

A certain fact crossed my mind.

‘…Could he be targeting another Ego Sword?’

The fact that Cha Jae-joon has a quest to find another Ego Sword… I, Jung Tae-il, and even Han Seung-hoo knew about it.

Which means…

…Ah, Seung-hoo. How much did you share, really?