My Dream is to Get My Own House - Chapter 60
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Episode 60
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The current Emperor was someone who condemned useless killings.
Does your heart hurt?
But he couldn’t give up the traditional camaraderie event, the Hunt.
So, he developed a new system by persuading the Grand Mage. It was the Hunt using Image Magic.
- Install image spheres that can monitor the entire hunting ground.
- Each participant captures the beasts and then shakes them towards the sky.
- The image spheres automatically capture their movements.
- Once it is confirmed that the capture is successful, a +1 is added to the magical wristband on their arm.
- After that, the captured beasts are released.
Since it was a newly introduced system, they couldn’t be sure if it would count properly.
Nonetheless, it was much more enjoyable than killing innocent animals.
Dylan and I relied on each other and set out to capture animals together.
I mainly used magical traps to catch the animals.
Once I trapped the hopping rabbits in the net magic, it was over.
“Rabbits are really cute, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they are cute.”
He smiled affectionately.
As I stroked the rabbit’s ears, I shook it towards the sky.
With a ting, +1 was counted on the magical wristband on my arm.
I gently greeted the rabbit as I put it back on the ground.
“Hello, rabbit!”
It was a healing time.
Of course, there were some challenges.
Unfortunately, I was a mage with zero attack power.
I sometimes came close to being attacked by the horned deer because I didn’t properly check my surroundings.
“Ishael, it’s dangerous.”
Fortunately, Dylan guarded my back, and I had already captured ten animals.
‘Am I going to be in first place at this rate?’
As I chuckled with satisfaction, a different thought occurred to me.
“By the way, Dylan.”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you only guarding me too much? Don’t you participate in the hunt?”
I glanced at his wristband. But Dylan still had 0 captures.
“Ah, I understand. I’ll take care of it quickly.”
Dylan drew his sword from its sheath.
With graceful movements, the blade swept through the air.
With just a few calculated moves, he captured numerous animals nearby.
[+23 captures]
I worked hard and caught ten, but…
When I opened my mouth and looked at him, he scratched the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed.
“Capturing them alive is difficult.”
It seems killing is easier.
“Th-that’s fine! Let’s go deeper in. This time, I’ll catch more.”
“Of course. Ishael is brave, after all.”
I clapped awkwardly and started walking again.
We were heading deeper into the dense forest to begin the real hunt.
Before I knew it, we arrived at a dark forest path, surrounded by thick leaves.
It was strange because we could hear people’s voices in the shallow hunting ground.
Walking along the quiet forest path with him made me feel like I was on a date…
“…Ishael.”
“Yes?”
He sent me to stand behind him and whispered softly.
“There are monsters over there.”
“Monsters all of a sudden?”
It was just a date a moment ago.
‘He said there probably wouldn’t be any big blue ones, so I hid Mung Mungi in the townhouse.’
Could it be Mung Mungi, the golem?
I looked at Dylan with tension.
“Yes. I’ll take care of them, so you should avoid them.”
I opened my eyes wide and looked where Dylan was pointing.
When an animal absorbs black magic and goes crazy, it becomes a fierce and ferocious monster.
The terrorist group, “Red Castle,” used to be a loosely organized group of people who set up bombs.
But now, they have discovered a new method – the combination of black magic and monsters.
Thud.
Thud.
The ground shook with a loud noise.
I was frozen as I saw a gigantic rabbit charging towards us.
Thud, I heard another sound nearby.
Dylan blocked my view and said, “I can handle it, Ishael, stay behind.”
He raised his sword and beheaded the giant rabbit in one swift motion.
I held my breath as blood dripped from his blade.
But the rabbit wasn’t the end of it.
Thud thud, I heard the rumbling noise again.
Screech!
This time, a three-eyed eagle-like monster descended from the sky, threateningly close to our heads with its yellow beak.
Fortunately, Dylan skillfully severed the eagle-like monster’s wings.
“Kraaah!”
Right after preventing it from taking flight, he attacked its weak point – the eyes.
The monster wailed in agony as it plummeted to the ground.
I looked at Dylan from behind and murmured, “More reinforcements should be coming soon. Just a little more…”
I gazed at the massive corpse of the monster in front of me and then turned my eyes back to Dylan.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, of course.”
He was an incredible knight.
However, the monsters kept pouring in.
One, two, three…
As we fought about ten of them, we quickly became fatigued.
After dealing with the storm of monsters, Dylan’s breathing became rough as he said, “Now… there are no sounds. Ishael, let’s go outside.”
“Yes.”
I cautiously looked around and followed him outside.
As we emerged from the deep forest, the thud thud rumbling noise was gone, just like before.
I could hear people’s voices again.
“Are there no more monsters now… huh?”
As I half-heartedly said that, I realized.
‘We defeated them all! It’s such a cliché.’
The cliché where right after you claim to have defeated them all, a new monster appears.
And as expected, an evil-looking monster slyly appeared between us.
“Kiiiieek!!”
The gigantic, eerie ant-like monster charged toward us at incredible speed.
No, not us, but rather, it seemed to be targeting me, the weaker one.
“Kyaah!”
It was so creepy!
The acid-laced saliva was dripping right near my mouth, and it looked hideous.
I quickly clenched my fist and tried to activate a protective magic trap.
But the ant was faster than anyone, and it took time to activate the magic.
At that moment, Dylan quickly struck the ant’s neck.
“Kiiiek!”
White blood gushed from its neck.
With a loud thud, the ant monster’s body crumbled into pieces on the ground.
Fortunately, it seemed the ant died instantly. But there was an unfortunate aspect as well.
The venom and dark magic flowing from the monster, the ant, began to corrode one of Dylan’s arms.
He looked down at his arm and grimaced, then clenched his teeth.
Dylan was hurt.
As soon as I realized this, it felt like the ground beneath me was giving way, and I felt dizzy.
I spoke to him in a trembling voice, “Dylan, are you al… alright?”
“I’m fine.”
He wasn’t fine.
I knew that the venom was spreading rapidly throughout Dylan Kyeong’s arm.
I bit my lip and looked down at my own wrist.
It, too, was burning in a different way.
If that’s the case…
“Dylan.”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
He didn’t look fine at all. He tried to hide his half-charred arm with his other hand and chuckled softly.
“Don’t look at this ugly sight.”
“What, what are you saying?”
“You need to stay away from me. If not, Ishael, you will also be in danger. Black magic can be contagious.”
“Even if it’s contagious, I’ll stay with you.”
He spoke to me like he was reprimanding a sulking child.
“Ishael, after leaving this place, you can call for a healer.”
Can I really do that?
The black stain on Dylan Kyeong’s arm was spreading rapidly.
The absorption speed of the dark magic was strangely fast, as if he had already been corroded by black magic or a curse from the beginning.
I tried to grab his arm.
“Dylan, are you really okay?”
He quickly moved his body to prevent my hand from touching him.
“I’m fine. I just wanted to embrace the most magnificent animal in the hunting game… I’m disappointed.”
“Liar. It hurts, doesn’t it?”
When attacked by aggressive dark magic, it’s normal to feel pain.
And on top of that, the acid-like substance melted through the armor on his arm.
He clenched his teeth as he kept the wound covered with his hand.
“Dylan.”
I stared at him intently and said, “You’ll be okay.”
My wrist felt painfully itchy.
My mind turned white like a fatal error.
Reality and illusion seemed to overlap slowly.
‘My hair and eye color might change!’
‘Why, why is this happening… why…’
‘Ugh, I must be trying too hard!’
Beyond the burning house, a brave child hugged the trembling boy’s shoulders and left proudly.
‘When I regain my strength, I’ll confess to you, brother! Wait for me!’
‘Please come. My name is… Because it is.’
Beyond the flames, I saw the girl’s hair color gradually changing.
The illusion disappeared like glass shattering into pieces.
I stared at Dylan and raised my hand.
“Now, I think I can heal you.”
The reason I came to the hunting ground for hunting was one.
It wasn’t because I lacked money, nor did I need attention.
Looking at the Awakening Bracelet,
I felt like I would awaken within the hunting ground today.
‘Awakening in the hunting ground is more spectacular, isn’t it?’
I shook my wrist towards Dylan.
And in that moment.
Boom!
With a small explosion, the Awakening Bracelet shattered into pieces on the ground.
“I, I’ve awakened.”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him.
“Ishael.”
When awakening, sorcerers realize what their abilities are. And my ability is…