Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 98

Chapter 98

“Hmm, approaching it like this doesn’t seem very good.”

The kidnapper, after absentmindedly scratching his cheek with his finger, let out a deep sigh. 

Talking as if it was just an extra effort.

Looking at that sight, it felt as if I hadn’t been kidnapped but left alone with a friend’s younger sibling at a friend’s house.

It was an awkward situation, and I felt the urge to quickly greet and leave.

‘…Should I run away now?’

I doubt I can even have a conversation with this kidnapper… Maybe I should just go back home…

I don’t need to engage in a conversation, right?

And suddenly being kidnapped, there was surely concern from Kang Yoon-soo and the others.

Well, Kang Yoon-soo did witness me disappearing right in front of him, but… still, if I vanished without a word, he would worry.

Having roughly decided, I tried to use the ‘door leading to reality’ to no longer yield to the kidnapper.

However,

“If you leave now, you’ll be in trouble. I did something to bring you over. I don’t want to ask our youngest for such a thing again, so could you just stay quiet?”

Because of that blatant threat, I bit my lips.

‘Is he creating a hostage situation just to kidnap me?’

Have I seen such a crazy person?

I glared at the kidnapper with furrowed brows. In response, he covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled.

“Kidnapping also requires sincerity. You might think this is nonsense, but… if you prepare for kidnapping without any sincerity, unexpected variables always arise. So, I always prepare with sincerity. It’s quite thrilling when the person who has been kidnapped looks at me with contempt as if despising me.”

“…”

“Isn’t this guy insane? Everyone thinks so. I’m perfectly normal.”

With no one looking at him like that, he lightly licked his lips and took a step closer to me. I, in turn, took a step back.

Then he raised both hands, showing them to me as if to calm me down.

“Whoa, don’t be too cautious. I purposely didn’t tie your hands and feet. Where can you find a kidnapper as kind as me?”

“Do you even realize you’re a kidnapper?”

“Yes, I do. Without this much, I can’t do my job.”

“Job?”

“Even this kind of guy has a job, you know? That’s a bit hurtful.”

Disgustingly, he pretended to wipe tears with his sleeve. Although he was a kidnapper and a criminal whose actions were unpredictable, it was unavoidable to feel the urge to hit him once.

But more importantly…

‘…Did he say ‘job’ just now?’

Does that mean kidnapping me is part of the job?

If this is part of a job, it explains why three S-levels are sticking to my house.

‘…If they knew there was such a threat to me, couldn’t they have told me in advance?’

Then I would have been careful, vigilant, and well-behaved…!

Anyway, not saying anything is causing this confusion.

Exhaling a sigh inwardly, I glared at the kidnapper. In response to my suddenly changed attitude, he clapped his hands.

“It looks like you’ve caught on. If you had realized a bit later, I would have explained everything myself.”

“…Isn’t this eavesdropping?”

“Tsk, how did you know? Your intuition is impressively fast… Well, it’s all because those S-levels are fixated on your every move like they’re watching a cracking porcelain doll. I wanted to approach you in a gentlemanly manner, not for kidnapping purposes.”

“…Your gentlemanly demeanor got messed up a while ago.”

“Yeah, well, that’s a shame, because that’s a pretty straightforward response.”

Implying whether he thought I’d use honorifics in this situation, I shot him a look. On the other hand, he chuckled with an amused expression.

“Oh, come on, find it amusing. Is that why S-levels are sticking to you? Because your actions are funnier than comedians?”

“…What the heck?”

“You might just hit you at this rate. Is your hand quite strong?”

I don’t like pain.

That guy seemed to have a talent for annoying people. Even now, he was protesting, asking for a punch. Well, if you’re curious, I’ll enlighten you—it’s only fair.

With my eyes flashing, I clenched my fist and swung it towards the kidnapper’s abdomen. The moment it connected, a sound of wind accompanied the impact.

Thud! With a strong sound, the kidnapper flew far away.

If I had aimed for the kidnapper’s chin, perhaps the ceiling and his head would have exchanged pleasantries.

‘…I’ve gotten stronger, it seems.’

While admiring my strength, I felt something odd.

“…Why can’t I move my body?”

As if paralyzed, my body wouldn’t budge. It was as if cement had been poured into me at the moment of punching.

Confused, I didn’t notice the approaching kidnapper, wiping the blood flowing from his mouth.

“…Ah, darn… Ugh… It hurts.”

“…”

“Oh, did I not tell you? If you touch me, you become temporarily powerless. Hmm, I must have forgotten.”

“…You deliberately didn’t say it.”

“Well, yes. I’m not a fool who would say such things.”

Ah, I must have been a fool. He continuously rubbed the affected area while muttering. Maybe becoming a fool was better, it annoyed me. He sat down on the floor and began to observe me. I, ignoring him, tried to move my body in various ways.

When I realized one particular fact, he muttered in puzzlement.

“Why is everyone obsessed with you over there? Do you have an exceptionally special ability? If we’re going by that, I have quite a splendid ability too…”

“…Huh? Think about your actions right now.”

“Hmm… This is just a bit of charm.”

“…Where exactly?”

“Anyway, what do you think, do you have any charm according to your standards? Ah, I’m not attracted to Gate-related matters. I’m rebelling because I don’t want to get involved with the Gate.”

He shrugged lightly, urging me for an answer. I, ignoring him, replied as I pleased with a raised corner of my mouth.

“I have a house in my name. No debts. It’s even a two-story house. Oh, and a cute pet.”

Even though that house got involved with the Gate, and the pet is a Hatchling, but still.

If my body had moved properly, I would have shown him a thumbs-up.

He laughed heartily, clutching his belly.

“Hahaha! That’s quite charming. It was FFF level on paper, did you work hard?”

“Well, I didn’t have a cow. Everyone was captivated by my legal labor. Different from those who avoid registering as hunters because they don’t want to enter the Gate like you.”

“…Try harder.”

“Yeah, and nowadays, if you don’t want to enter the Gate, they assign you to another department. There’s so much for a hunter to do even without entering the Gate, unlike those who avoid government registration to be a hunter just because they don’t want to go into the Gate.”

“There are weapon-related departments, departments that pay salaries, and… these days, even bodyguards are all hunters, you know?”

Intentionally provoking me, he stood up abruptly from his seat. Holding his fist tightly with a cold expression, he was quite different from the one who had just laughed heartily.

“What do you know? Are you boasting that Seo Yeon-oh’s life is going well right now?”

“You told me to boast, didn’t you?”

“You should do it moderately. Do you not think about your position?”

“Well, this is moderate.”

I’ve been kidnapped by a dragon before…

It’s not like I’m the type to be intimidated just because my body won’t move. I’ve already experienced this…

Thinking back to that time, I let out a wry smile. Then, the kidnapper, with a furrowed brow, tapped my shoulder.

“…Are you crazy that you’re laughing when your body won’t move?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“…Is it popular these days to be crazy?”

“More popular than a crazy woman is someone who has their head screwed on right in at least one thing.”

“…I see.”

Seemingly agreeing with anything, he nodded his head. Whatever realization he had, it was time to end this kidnapping.

‘…Didn’t he take my phone despite kidnapping me?’

He must be basic.

Feeling a faint vibration from my pocket, I grinned.

“Well then, goodbye. Don’t say we’ll see each other again.”

“…What are you talking about? There’s nowhere you can go right now.”

“Yeah, I can.”

Do you know what a trainer does when their Pokémon is afflicted with a status condition?

They use an item to heal it.

In other words, even if you’re under a status condition, you can still use items.

Therefore… it means I can immediately return home through the ‘door leading to reality.’

No matter how that guy flies or crawls, he won’t be able to follow me to my house within the Gate.

And Kang Yoon-soo, who knows well where I come in and out of the Gate, will immediately notice.

So then…

“Goodbye.”

With a bright light, I felt the familiar cushioning beneath me and landed gently.