Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Princess Can't Live Without You
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After leaping over the rooftop of an empty high-rise building, I landed on top moments later.
"Grrr..."
It was a high-rise quite a distance from the barren field where we'd first met.
In the distance, toward the mansion's location, rescue helicopters and countless relief workers were heading that way.
Meanwhile.
"......"
I'd fooled everyone's eyes.
Now, how was I supposed to fool Yoo Cheol-ran's?
For starters, the moment my identity was exposed, I'd basically kidnapped her by force.
If my secret got out from here and spread worldwide like wildfire, I'd be cut off from human society forever.
And if things went south, everything I'd done so far...
Assaulting the Hunter Branch chief, deceiving the daughter of one of the world's top ten families—those charges could stack up, branding me a traitor to humanity, a full-blown 'freak'.
'I can't let that happen... Not the 'Freak Squad' route, please, anything but that...!'
Humans treated as monsters.
Commonly known as freaks.
They were arch-villains plastered across international wanted posters.
Not only stripped of their human rights, but hunted relentlessly until death by the World Government, formed by Hunter Associations and nations everywhere.
And the organization those freaks formed was the 'Freak Squad', the signature evil group in the [Hunters Blood] universe.
'Even in the original game, they sold most characters as later DLC, and I'd only actually met a few...'
A literal den of 'villains with tragic backstories'.
No one-dimensional bad guys—just a gathering of sympathetic antagonists with tear-jerking tales.
And in the original story, the fates of the Freak Squad members I met were all grim.
As if the game devs were yelling 'stop the washing machine!', they all met pathetic, explosive ends.
'If I end up on the Freak Squad route in real life, my sanity wouldn't survive it.'
Above all, the Freak Squad route was an ultra-hardcore path for veterans only.
And the ending? Always a bad one.
Even if you scraped by to the conclusion, your Freak Squad allies were already wiped out, leaving humanity itself extinct in the worst possible finale.
...That was the confirmed open-ended bad route.
"Grrr!"
'I'll convince Yoo Cheol-ran somehow!'
I'd kneel before her here and beg for my life if I had to—anything to survive.
"Um... Shin-woo. Could you put me down first?"
"Kruk!"
'Sure!'
I carefully set Yoo Cheol-ran down on the rooftop as she asked.
Then our eyes met awkwardly.
"Shin-woo."
"......"
"We can't talk like this, right?"
"Kruk."
Nod nod.
Even as a humanoid monster, my jaw wasn't built for human speech—my replies were always the same old 'kruk'.
So I nodded that it was impossible.
"Then, could you turn back into a human first?"
She wanted to talk, so she was asking me to revert to my original form.
...Was this a trap?
If I turned human now, would a fist slam into my solar plexus the second I did?
If so, I'd be dead for real—no exaggeration.
But in this situation, I had no real choice.
So for the second time today, I exhaled black smoke from my body and reverted to Han Shin-woo.
Sure enough, Yoo Cheol-ran—who'd told me to do it herself—stared wide-eyed in surprise when I actually did.
"...! It really works. The transformation..."
"Yeah, pretty much..."
"Have you been like this since birth?"
"Yeah. That's how it turned out..."
A short exchange, then a few seconds of silence.
I'd braced for an interrogation, maybe even being treated like a criminal, but this was unexpected.
'Why isn't she asking anything?'
Or was this leading to summary execution? Planning to kill me right here?!
If I'd known, I should've possessed a different hunter class instead of Monsterization Hunter—regret was creeping in.
"Your identity being exposed would put you in a real bind, right?"
"...Huh?"
Yoo Cheol-ran suddenly asked about my situation.
I nodded in agreement.
"Got it. I'll keep it a secret, then."
"......What?!"
Just like that, she took my side.
I was utterly baffled—what was going on?
Hell, from the hunters' perspective, I could pass as a monster pretending to be human.
Was she really going to let someone like me go, like some wild gorilla?
Why?
I was so curious that, even though staying quiet would've ended it, I couldn't resist my veteran habits and asked her directly.
"Why are you letting me go?"
Her eyes widened at my words.
Then, after a moment, she looked away and said something out of left field.
"...Do you remember me?"
"......Huh?"
Of course I did.
She was my mom's apprentice—how could I forget?
Besides, between acquaintances, what was there to 'remember' all of a sudden?
My response was delayed.
"...Never mind."
"......?"
"I just... I feel like I can trust you, Shin-woo. I believe you're on humanity's side, so I'm turning a blind eye."
She turned back to me with a bright smile, declaring her trust in me—half-monster though I was.
"You're on humanity's side, right, Shin-woo?"
"...!! Yes! Of course!"
"Hehe. That's all that matters. Come on, let's head down before anyone gets suspicious."
"Ah, yeah!"
With that, Yoo Cheol-ran opened the rooftop door and stepped inside the building first.
And behind her, Shin-woo.
More precisely, as she glanced back at the Jamsil Monster who'd saved her and her family that day...
"You've always been my role model, Shin-woo."
Yoo Cheol-ran murmured her quiet thanks, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
The lobby on the first floor of the Korean Branch.
The place was in chaos from the sudden appearance of Russia's national-level hunter and the Kurumi Princess kidnapping incident.
"......"
Amid it all, one person sat huddled alone, keeping even hunters at bay—no one dared approach.
It was Kurumi, the princess, in full panic mode despite the supposed protection, surrounded by humans.
"Eek... Eek...!"
She couldn't even lift her head, curled up tight like an armadillo.
Hunters had cleared a five-meter radius around her, sweating bullets—they knew they had to do something, but were powerless.
Lee Jin-ah, the acting branch chief, was no exception.
"Branch Chief, what should we do?"
"Nothing we can do. Just stand by and wait."
They wanted to help, but getting close would only make it worse—no solution in sight.
Case in point, right beside her.
The lobby was extra crowded today with all the chaos, and though experienced, Sophia—another Beast Hunter like the princess—was suffering the same.
"Ugh... Urgh..."
"Sis, you okay?"
".......Yeah."
Lee Jin-ah could only sigh as she watched Sophia trembling in the corner, comforted by her summoned baby monster.
'What a mess... But we can't just leave a VIP like her sitting on the floor until the mansion's fixed...'
Worse, prolonged panic like this could lead to permanent panic disorder.
This was a diplomatic crisis between Korea and Japan.
Should she clear all hunters out of the lobby as a stopgap?
'...No, that defeats the purpose of bringing her here.'
Seemed like they were stuck.
If the princess hated humans that much, summoning her Lancelot for comfort might help—but too many people around for that.
For now, all they could do was watch.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
As Lee Jin-ah let out a quiet sigh...
"Sophia, you okay?"
"...! Han Shin-woo!"
"......Han Shin-woo?"
A cheerful voice from the corner where Sophia had been moments ago.
Could a Beast Hunter make that sound in such a crowd? Turning around, there he was.
"Ah, that kid..."
The daughter Rolling had picked up ten years ago, comforting the trembling Sophia.
"You okay? Not hurt anywhere?"
"Dummy! That's what I should be asking you!"
"Haha. Guess so?"
"Oppa, come here!"
"Yeah. I'm home, Ria."
Lee Jin-ah's eyes widened at the sight of the two and their monster.
'Never thought I'd see a Beast Hunter look like that...'
She'd only heard the story at drinks before—seeing it for real was something else.
If she ever got to meet Sophia properly, she'd planned to ask why the lab's baby monster became her familiar first.
'Got me curious on a personal level.'
Meanwhile.
Step step.
"...! Urgh, urgh...!"
"Ria, what's wrong?"
Lee Jin-ah started heading straight for the trio.
As she got right up close, Ria recalled bad past trauma and hid behind Shin-woo's back.
Only then did the other two realize who it was.
"Hello, you two."
"Ah, Branch Chief..."
"......"
"Truth is, I'm personally interested in you both. Especially you, Han Shin-woo, right? You're even more intriguing."
"...Is that so?"
This was Shin-woo's first time meeting Lee Jin-ah as a human, so he tried acting like it was their initial encounter—awkward and all.
But recalling the battle from just days ago, he couldn't hide his hostility.
'Hm? He's glaring daggers. Did I do something to him?'
Lee Jin-ah tilted her head at Shin-woo's glare.
But that wasn't important now.
Regardless of his reaction, she flashed a smile, extended her index finger, and pointed to her left—toward Shin-woo.
"Mind taking care of her for me first, Shin-woo?"
"...? Her?"
"Yeah. Leave her like that, and she might develop panic disorder—could even regress mentally."
"......?!"
Only then did Shin-woo spot the cleared space amid the crowd.
There, huddled on the floor, was Princess Kurumi.
"Wh-why me...?"
Sophia clung tighter as Shin-woo's hand slipped from hers, throwing a bit of a tantrum to keep him.
But by the time she spoke...
Pat pat pat.
He was already dashing toward the one person who truly needed him.
"Princess."
"...Eh?"
If he could help one of his own, Shin-woo stretched out his hand with the brightest smile.
Amid the red haze of loathing, only he emanated pure white light, offering his hand.
The moment she grabbed that heavenly lifeline...
"H-Hwaaaahhh!"
"There, there."
Kurumi clung to him, trembling as if she'd truly been terrified—wishing for death—teeth chattering, tears and snot streaming unbecoming of her noble blood.
She unleashed all the tears she'd held back in her anxious heart.
"I-I thought you died...! I-I know...! I-I'm sorry...! So...! Sc-Scary...!"
"Don't worry. I'm alive and well."
Meanwhile, the lobby crowd watching the scene.
Hunters, receptionists, even Shin-woo's senior Meisters—all stood slack-jawed in shock.
All but one.
"S-Sis..."
Ria looked up worriedly.
For some reason, only Sophia's eyes brimmed with indignant tears.