The Third Companion (1)

"Don't do this anymore. You can't satisfy me."

Whoosh— A howling wind swept through the heavy silence.

With eyes trembling as if an earthquake had struck, she stared at me, utterly unable to comprehend what she had just heard.

"...What? No, pardon?"

Did I say that too harshly? ...But when she looked at me with those hollow eyes and asked, 'How was it this time?' I had no choice but to be firm. Those eyes of hers made it absolutely clear that she wouldn't let me go until my fatigue was completely gone.

Of course, I could have lied and told her it was the best kneading massage ever, but I had a feeling lies wouldn't work on a Girin.

Thud. Girin collapsed weakly to the ground, looking up at me.

"...Am I being abandoned, then?"

"What are you talking about all of a sudden? Calm down and listen to me."

But Girin only hung her head and spoke pitifully.

"I cannot read your thoughts, but I can sense your general aura. I do not wish to hear those words from your own mouth."

No, I'm saying we're making a contract! Granted, my expectations had been sky-high, so I couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of disappointment. Because of that, I couldn't exactly argue with her...

"It's not that..."

"Today... just for today... could you please leave without saying anything else?"

And so, I was practically kicked out of Girin's territory. I could have cleared up the misunderstanding right then and there, but the situation was so absurd that I just left for the time being.

I sought out Arin's territory and cautiously asked her about it.

"I heard that Girins are wise. Is she acting like this because of her task?"

"Her task?" Arin nodded as she emerged from the lake. "Yes. We are given tasks from the moment we are born, and the Girin's task is quite famous."

"What is it?"

"If she doesn't choose a master before she fully matures, she dies. That's why she temporarily halted her growth and went to see the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ruler of the East. I heard she wanted to be like him."

"Then is the Ruler of the East her master?"

Arin walked over to the rock where I was sitting and shook the water off herself. "No, it still hasn't been resolved. But looking at it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now, it seems the target of her task is you, Yoo-cheon."

"Ah..."

So that's why she said she had been waiting for me. Come to think of it, even the 'bear ants' in that F-class gate exhibited incomprehensible behavior the moment they saw Yugi. And Arin herself had burst into tears when she first laid eyes on him.

If even kaijus feared death, they couldn't possibly remain rational in its presence. That aside, this concept of a 'task' was rather intriguing.

"Then do you have a task too, Arin?"

At that, Arin struck a rather provocative pose and flashed me a sly smile. "Yep. My task is to make sure you don't form a Contract with any other kaijus, Yoo-cheon. If you break that rule, I'll... *gasp*, die."

Look at this little rascal. Ever since I gave her a smartphone, her Korean has improved leaps and bounds, and she's become a total sly fox.

"My, how terrifying."

"I-I'm serious!"

"I guess I'll have to come by tomorrow to check if you've kicked the bucket."

"...You're mean, Yoo-cheon."

After gently coaxing Arin, who was puffing out her cheeks, I returned home alone. Even though Arin whined about dying without me, she still needed time to manage her own territory.

It was my first time having some peace and quiet in a while. I wasn't particularly sleepy, but my mind was so exhausted I felt like I was going crazy. It seemed Girin's kneading massage hadn't done much for me after all.

In any case, I planned to postpone the Contract with Girin for about a day. She needed time to calm down, and I needed to shake off the subconscious disappointment I was harboring.

As long as this disappointment lingered, Girin might not even listen to what I had to say. Hoping to enjoy a rare moment of leisure, I closed my eyes, but sleep eluded me.

The sun was high in the sky. Looking out the window, the streets were so bustling that I wondered if this was even the quiet countryside town I used to know. Such a lively street was a rare sight, and it served as a strange source of motivation.

Right, I couldn't afford to just laze around yet. Shin Won-chul had mentioned that building a mansion in Gangwon-do would require an astronomical amount of funds.

With residential expansion, repairs, and reconstruction booming in major cities like Seoul, the construction industry was having a golden age. What construction company in their right mind would venture all the way to Gangwon-do, where safety couldn't even be guaranteed?

I didn't know how massive the compensation being discussed by the Association would be, but the point was that I couldn't just sit around and wait.

Thus, I headed back to Arin's territory. Although the gate leading to Gangwon-do was located there, I planned to go with Arin today instead of Yugi. If I brought Yugi along, there wouldn't even be a corpse left of the monsters.

"Arin, let's go for a quick walk."

Despite having just insisted she needed to manage her territory, Arin abandoned everything the moment I asked, eagerly following me. And a short while later, I suddenly found myself in possession of a bag stuffed to the brim with gold bars.

Meanwhile, contrary to its shabby and run-down appearance, Yoo-cheon's neighborhood was packed with people. Most were wanderers seeking Yoo-cheon's protection, but among them were also sleek, well-equipped hunters who looked completely out of place in this rural town.

They were hunters belonging to major guilds in the Seoul metropolitan area. Even though Yoo-cheon had declared he wouldn't join any organization, they simply couldn't afford to give up on him.

However, ever since his last encounter with the Association, Yoo-cheon hadn't stepped foot outside his house. If it had been just a day or two, they would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have understood, but it had already been nearly a week, leaving everyone in a state of utter confusion.

*I mean, he has to at least show his face for us to try and get on his good side!* Thanks to his reclusiveness, the only ones enjoying themselves were the merchants who had set up shop to cater to the waiting crowd.

"...Why on earth isn't he coming out?"

"Could those rumors actually be true?"

"What rumors?"

"The ones saying China or the US have already made contact with Park Yuchen."

Unable to bear the suspense any longer, the hunters began to voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their anxieties openly.

"..."

"I'm not the only one thinking this. If he were doing some kind of raid, I'd understand, but he's been holed up in his house for days. It's like he's preparing to leave the country."

"I thought he would at least establish a new guild."

"I wish he would. This is just too bizarre."

Their worries weren't entirely groundless. In fact, several global superpowers were actively plotting to approach Yoo-cheon. Given their geographical proximity, China had long since dispatched agents to Yoo-cheon, wielding their massive capital. Meanwhile, the United States watched these developments with folded arms.

Their strategy was to analyze Park Yuchen's inclinations and execute a preemptive interception. They weren't making these moves simply because of the news trickling out of South Korea.

The 'Black Domain' that Yugi had unleashed was so powerful that any awakened hunter who had reached a certain level—even those without detection abilities—could feel its crushing pressure and terror. Despite the immense distance, the vivid image of that power was practically etched into their minds.

This was an unprecedented anomaly. To possess the raw martial might to single-handedly obliterate a 4th Grade Kaiju in the blink of an eye? International relations be damned; no country could afford to ignore him. When their own nations were on the brink of ruin, who had the luxury to worry about diplomatic etiquette?

Naturally, the South Korean government was growing increasingly anxious over the movements of these superpowers...

"This all happened because you people failed to manage your hunters properly! And now you want to hand over the entire territory of Gangwon Province to him, with absolute authority? What kind of utter nonsense is this?!"

Before the roaring Minister, the Association President bowed his head.

"Yes, yes, you are entirely correct. However, Minister, have I not explained this to you? Ceding the land of Gangwon-do to Park Yuchen is currently the only way for the Republic of Korea to survive."

And strictly speaking, Gangwon Province was no longer truly South Korean territory anyway. While a few counties and cities remained intact, the vast majority of the region had already transformed into kaiju territory. Now that Kim Hosung was dead, was reclaiming that land even a remote possibility? But the Minister, completely ignorant of the grim reality on the ground, could only spout frustrating nonsense.

"W-What incompetent drivel! Is this truly the best the Association can do? Park Yuchen's demands are practically a tyrannical violation of our constitution! Arrest him immediately—"

Just as the Association President clenched his fists to suppress his rising anger, the heavy, luxurious wooden door creaked open, and a secretary stepped in with a deep bow.

"Minister, I apologize for the interruption. There is an urgent matter to report."

The Minister gestured for him to proceed.

"It appears a Chinese hunter, who visited Korea under the guise of an exchange program, went off-grid and made contact with Park Yuchen."

The Association President's eyes widened. "...Give me the details."

"According to CCTV footage, he was carrying a heavy bag before the meeting, but he left empty-handed..."

The Association President bit his lower lip. *Did Park Yuchen accept the Chinese hunter's proposal?* Sensing the suffocating tension in the room, the secretary quickly finished his report and shut the door. *Thud.* The Minister gestured in frustration.

"Arrest Park Yuchen this instant—"

*Grab.* But the Minister couldn't finish his sentence. The Association President had reached out and violently grabbed him by the jaw. A cold, razor-sharp fury burned in the President's eyes.

"Listen to me, Minister. How long are you going to keep flapping that useless mouth of yours? Tearing your pathetic lips apart would be child's play. I only wanted to preserve the peace of this nation, but now it seems everything is ruined. Make your choice. If you utter one more syllable about arresting him, I will tear you limb from limb right here."

Thirty minutes prior. While Yoo-cheon and Arin were hunting for useful kaijus to make some quick cash, a Chinese S-class hunter made his presence known and approached them.

"Greetings."

As Yoo-cheon flinched and took a defensive stance, the Chinese S-class hunter raised a hand. "There is no need to be on guard. I have merely come to make a proposal—"

But he suddenly trailed off, standing completely frozen. With vacant, unfocused eyes, he walked over to Yoo-cheon and politely offered him the heavy bag.

"...?" Though a bewildered Yoo-cheon had no idea what was happening, Arin nudged him in the ribs, prompting him to reluctantly accept the bag. The Chinese hunter then turned around and walked away.

"...What is wrong with that crazy bastard?"

Yoo-cheon unzipped the bag, only to squint at the blinding golden glare reflecting off his face. Unbelievably, the bag was packed entirely with solid gold bars.

"Wait, why did he give me this?"

Then, his eyes fell upon Arin, who was grinning ear to ear beside him.

"Arin? Tell me it's not what I think. You didn't just rob him using mental manipulation, did you? Come on, no matter how much you like gold, surely you wouldn't..."

"...But I did. He was going to give it to us anyway! So it's mine... I mean, yours, Yoo-cheon."

"..."

Park Yuchen let out a deep sigh and opened a dark purple gate. He turned to Arin. "Arin, throw all of those guys in first."

And just like that, the kaijus they had carefully selected (for the sake of money) were converted entirely into experience points for Yugi.

Meanwhile, the S-class hunter returned to China via their secured route. Upon seeing his empty hands, the Chinese Association erupted in cheers.

"Did Park Yuchen accept the advance payment?!"

China was planning to offer Park Yuchen a contract worth nearly a trillion won. However, that was a discussion for when he actually set foot on Chinese soil.

For now, to win his favor, they had dispatched the hunter to Korea with ten billion won worth of gold bars as a mere down payment. Putting the formal contract aside, they wanted to give him a taste of their wealth first. Thus, whether Park Yuchen had officially accepted their proposal wasn't immediately important.

And the Chinese hunter had returned empty-handed. This meant, at the very least, they had achieved their initial goal.

"Yes, he accepted it."

"And his response?"

"Who knows."

"?"

But the returned hunter's demeanor was incredibly bizarre. He had never been this kind of person. Was his tone always so flat?

"...E-Explain in more detail."

"I just gave it to him."

"What kind of utter nonsense is that?! You must have said something when you handed it over! What did he say in return?!"

"He didn't really say much."

That day, more than a few officials at the Chinese Association collapsed from high blood pressure.

And upon hearing of this development, the United States reacted immediately.

"...We have confirmed that China delivered ten billion won worth of gold bars to Park Yuchen."

"So he's the type who can be swayed by money? Excellent. From here on out, it's a war of capital. We will send thirty billion won as an advance. Hurry. We must secure him before he finalizes any contract with China."