Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Returning to the present.

While using <Mana Detection (A)> gained from Kang Yoon-soo’s enlightenment, I was diligently searching for a place with a container.

“…Something feels strange.”

Does it make sense that there’s not a single monster inside this pirate ship?

Since entering the pirate ship by poking a hole, I had not encountered a single monster as I penetrated deeper into the warehouse.

It was more accurate to say that there were no undead except for liches in this pirate ship, rather than saying I hadn’t encountered any monsters.

At first, I doubted if I wasn’t noticing them properly, but it was genuinely empty.

Thanks to that, I could move around comfortably.

Well, it was comfortable, but it was suspicious.

Shall I come up with a reasonable hypothesis?

While continuing to use <Mana Detection>, I walked and slowly contemplated the situation.

…There was something Seung-hoo said before that might be related to this.

“It’s a bit fascinating. How is sister enduring in such a dense mana environment? Even for an ordinary hunter or monster, it could be difficult to breathe. Oh, it’s not to the point where it’s hard to breathe now.”

Seung-hoo had almost praised me, saying that.

At that time, I thought it was because I had a constitution that could use others’ mana or the surrounding mana.

But now, thinking about his words in this situation, there was something.

‘Am I particularly resistant to mana?’

But isn’t Kang Yoon-soo the same?

…Well, I’ll have to ask Kang Yoon-soo when I meet him later.

It’s a question that I, alone, can never solve, so it would be much wiser to ask our instructor.

It was when I roughly organized my thoughts in my head.

“…!”

In this pirate ship filled with hundreds of thin mana lines, one mana line reacted strongly.

A dense and eerie feeling, almost suffocating, was transmitted to me.

…This is it.

Instinctively, I realized that what I felt now was the vessel containing the lich’s life force.

And its location.

‘…I need to go a little further in from here.’

It was hidden very well at the deepest part of the ship.

Huh. I took a deep breath and quickly moved my steps. I knew the location of the vessel; I needed to finish my task quickly.

There were still people fighting outside, drawing the attention of the lich.

The weight of the heavy responsibility made my shoulders feel burdensome.

As I approached the location of the vessel, the space became so dark that I could barely see.

A sinister mana thickly clung to my body, and a sense of dread about death awakened.

“…Huff, huff.”

The closer I got, the more the fear of strangulation gripped my throat, making it difficult to breathe properly.

This wasn’t a mental issue.

…It was a natural reaction to being alive.

“…Ugh. Ah, this is maddening.”

Just a little more walking, and if I opened the door ahead, the vessel I was looking for would be right there…

My body didn’t move as I wished.

‘…I’ve experienced this feeling somewhere before.’

Where did I experience it…?

Ah, it was like this when I first encountered the Blue Dragon.

Yes, it was even more severe back then.

Now, I could still breathe a bit and move my fingers a little, but back then, all I could do was wait for the Blue Dragon’s permission.

…Hmm.

Thinking about it, it was nothing now.

I wondered why I was so scared.

“…Hmm, let’s calm down.”

Seo Yeon-oh, you were a confident woman even in front of an untouchable existence.

Getting scared by just the vessel of the lich’s life force would ruin your image.

Ah, this is a piece of cake.

For some reason, the deathly fear that had been pressing on me until a moment ago wasn’t felt anymore.

I breathed properly, and my body moved smoothly, joint by joint. Still, just to be sure, I did a simple stretch to check my physical condition.

After confirming that everything was fine, I clenched my fist resolutely.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

Towards the place that looked like a door to hell, I walked slowly.

* * *

Meanwhile,

In the vast abyss, a new presence revealed itself.

The places touched by light were dark, and the areas untouched by light emanated a mysterious red hue—a man of enigma. 

It seemed like it had been a long time since a visitor arrived, as the distant abyss welcomed him with undulating darkness. However, he casually waved his hand as if bothered.

“I’m busy right now. If you have a business, come back later.”

He walked briskly towards a large crystal in the center, nonchalantly placing his hand under his chin. Instantly, the crystal displayed connected scenes.

He nonchalantly sat in front of it, watching the images. When a particular scene appeared, he applauded sincerely.

“Hmm, not bad for an amateur.”

That’s when it happened.

A blue light flashed in the distant abyss, revealing a figure in a black robe.

She effortlessly took off the robe and moved slowly.

“You’ve come.”

“…When did you call me? Seeing you in this state now. Are you aware that you’re the administrator?”

“I might be late. Do you know how much work there is?”

“Well, that’s also considered work.”

“Hey, what I do is important. Continuously scrutinizing the focus of management is quite bothersome.”

“…Hmph.”

The one emitting the blue light furrowed their brow as if displeased. Whether in the past or now, they muttered complaints about the habit of playing around.

Their ears were sharp, but unable to find a reason to respond, they lightly ignored it and turned their head towards the bright light. Then, with a gesture of familiarity, they raised their hand for a shake.

“Oh man, it’s really hard to see your face.”

“If you don’t call, I won’t come.”

“Oh, right… let’s not nitpick about that.”

The casually ignored red presence, feeling a sting in the heart, scratched their cheek with an affected air.

One wonders when that one will gain some weight, though the faint figure, filled with a gaze that contained a sense of welcome, as they slowly brought up the main topic.

“Since everyone seems to be here, let me tell you the reason we gathered.”

“Huh? Everyone’s here? Did I misjudge the two missing ones?”

“She said she’s not coming because she’s not feeling well. And he has some separate business to attend to, so he couldn’t make it.”

“Hmm… What could be wrong with her health? I seem to handle all the recovery.”

She swept her long blue hair as if in disbelief and looked back at the faint figure.

“Do you plan to meet her in person now?”

“Yes. It seems like the time has come.”

“She still hasn’t passed my test. Shouldn’t we observe a bit more?”

“Don’t worry about that. It seems like she’s finally using some tricks.”

At those words, everyone’s gaze shifted to the large crystal.

Seo Yeon-oh was still trapped inside the crystal. Her figure bravely entering the ominous darkness was visible.

The faint figure chuckled slowly, closed their eyes, and then opened them again.

“Your growth is faster than I thought. We should start preparing, too. And I can guarantee that your test will pass soon.”

“…”

“Sometimes that gasbag has something insightful to say. Living in this world for a long time, you’ll see things.”

“Could you at least fix that vulgar way of speaking?”

“If this is vulgar, it’s a bit problematic.”

“Enough.”

A mellifluous voice easily subdued them. The faint figure sighed before shifting their gaze back to the crystal.

“Oh.”

“Do you have any concerns?”

“The mana energy in the world is unusual. I hope you investigate that.”

“Leave that to that vulgar person. He seems to have nothing else to do.”

“Yeah, right! I’m busy watching that young one all day long.”

“…Please.”

“Ugh.”

He expressed his dissatisfaction with a click of his tongue, but no one paid him any attention. It seemed like they were used to it.

The faint figure, having finished speaking, muttered slowly.

“There’s not much time left until we meet again.”

Finally, to see her again.

A gentle curve appeared on the faint figure’s face. It was a smile that naturally formed, having waited for the day they would meet again.

What reaction would she show when they faced each other again?

Anticipation bloomed.

Although they had lived for a long time, this sense of anticipation was unfamiliar.

Whether it was because of repeated disappointments and falls into the abyss…

“Please, may you fulfill our wishes.”

The faint figure, now transformed into a man with radiant golden hair and a suit, spoke with that voice, slowly leaving the distant abyss.