The Kobold's Wrath
The place had a higher monster spawn rate than most, but because it was so open, it wasn't ideal for hunting Big Boars. After an hour of searching for a suitable hunting ground—neither too exposed nor too cluttered with obstacles—I muttered, "Maybe I should just use bait? Funny how nothing shows up when you're actually looking."
Despite our enthusiasm, Big Boars weren't as numerous as goblins, so encounters were rare. Most people imagined a hunter's life as endless combat, but in reality, the time spent actually fighting inside dungeons was surprisingly short.
"Let's just hunt goblins then."
Compromise was inevitable. Following the stream we'd passed earlier upstream, we soon came across a pack of goblins. There were only six of them, but since I wanted to see what the kobold could do, I held back. The kobold swung its stone hammer wildly at any that approached Yeonhee, keeping them at bay.
It's not hitting much with swings like that, but... not bad.
Yeonhee's expression had grown noticeably more relaxed, and she seemed satisfied. A summon that simply narrowed the angles of incoming attacks was already valuable. After dispatching the goblins with ease, we reached the area near the exit and followed the sound of an argument.
Step, step—
Four people who looked like Blue Eye members were facing off against three unfamiliar hunters.
"You crazy bastards! How many times do we have to tell you not to set up altars inside the dungeon? And you still don't listen!"
"Please go on your way. We haven't harmed any of you, so why interfere?"
"You ever think about how your little rituals mess with everyone else? Selfish pricks. The Management Bureau banned this crap, didn't they?"
"How dare government dogs criticize and forbid our sacred rites? They too shall face judgment one day."
"Ugh—let's just go, hyung. Talking to lunatics only gives you a headache. We can report them on the way out; they'll be banned for a while."
The three hunters spat on the ground a few times before leaving. The Blue Eye members resumed their ritual as if nothing had happened. Cutting the heads off Big Boars and goblins, placing them on a square platform, and praying over them didn't look sane no matter how you looked at it.
(Ugh—what the hell are they doing?)
Yeonhee whispered, then covered her mouth as nausea hit her. We watched the ritual for a moment before slowly backing away.
(Ilwol, let's go too—)
I nodded.
Then it happened.
The kobold, which had been sitting idly behind us, suddenly lunged forward and smashed its stone hammer into the back of one man's head.
Whoosh—!!
What the—?!
Yeonhee was just as shocked, but she immediately ordered the kobold to return. For some reason, it ignored the command and kept swinging. She had no choice but to unsummon it. The Blue Eye cultists, who had just been attacked by a monster, turned on us.
"Ghh—What the hell was that?!"
"Who are you?! Were you with those guys from earlier?!"
How did it come to this? That damn kobold...
"W-we're sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen—the summon just ran out on its own..."
Yeonhee explained exactly what had occurred, but of course the cultists didn't believe her. Their hostility was palpable. The humiliation they'd suffered from the previous hunters probably made them even quicker to bare their fangs. And we were only two people.
Four of them... too many variables for a fight...
Besides, their cloaks had special abilities that made striking first difficult.
Magic cloaks. They can pull in shadows to attack nearby enemies.
Blue Eye equipped even their lowest members with gear close to artifacts. How they managed that had remained a mystery until my death. At this point, probably only Jo Giman and I knew about the cloaks' functions. If those earlier hunters had known, they wouldn't have picked a fight.
The cloaks' appeal was exactly why the weak flocked to them.
—Haa... Those guys might still be nearby, so restrain yourselves.
The one who seemed to be their superior calmed the others and poured a potion over the head of the man who'd been struck. The injured cultist trembled with rage.
Those damn bastards...
But he only glared at us under his superior's restraint.
Calling himself a superior when he's only F-rank... but their hierarchy is solid. Like a military unit.
"I really am sorry... I'm still not used to controlling my summons..."
"A summoner... I've heard of it. The first of its kind in this 'world.'"
The way he emphasized one word felt ominous, though I couldn't tell why. Yeonhee simply nodded. The man gave a small nod of his own.
"I heard you've already signed with the White Knight Guild. We'll claim compensation for damages, including medical fees, from them. We have things to do today, so how about we part ways here?"
Yeonhee flinched at the mention of the White Knight Guild but agreed and turned toward the exit without hesitation. The encounter ended without further conflict, yet her expression was grim. She had once again incurred a debt to the White Knight Guild.
I never saw rituals like that during my active days... So they were doing this around this time. What exactly are they trying to achieve?
The reason was unclear, but since Jo Giman and these people were enemies, he would eventually crush them anyway. Still, the curiosity lingered.
"Ilwol, see you later."
Watching Yeonhee speak weakly near the exit left a bitter taste in my mouth.
We even got an artifact, but it doesn't feel satisfying at the end.
Inside the Dark Space, I lay before the massive door and sank into thought. The Blue Eye wasn't an immediate concern. Preparing for tomorrow would be far more useful.
Rainy's ability was excellent. But even with the artifact, I can only maintain it for a few minutes. The mana consumption is too high for a mid-tier summon.
In contrast, the kobold had shown unexpected usefulness—until it ruined everything at the last moment.
Why did it do that? Aren't a summoner's orders absolute?
Even I could only refuse to enter this space; I couldn't disobey her commands otherwise. So what made the kobold so special?
I replayed the moment it had charged. Its mismatched eyes, long and ugly, came to mind.
Its eyes... it completely lost its mind. Like it was furious.
If the kobold had been angry, what had triggered it? The Blue Eye members brutally bisecting monsters? But they weren't even its kin. Or had something about the ritual itself offended it?
The ritual was reaching its peak...
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't pinpoint the reason. What mattered now was whether we would continue using the kobold.
Using it only when no humans are around is ridiculous, but we'll have to make do for now.
We still needed to run the Big Boar dungeon a few more times to push Yeonhee into the early level twenties before moving on.
Next time, it'd be nice if we could steal the Big Boar's trait too. It might not have one, so I shouldn't get my hopes up...
Creak—!!
The door opened and I was pulled through, arriving in Yeonhee's studio apartment.
"Oong?"
"...?"
"Why do you look so serious?"
Though my skeletal face couldn't show expression, she read my mood perfectly—perhaps she'd started sensing my emotions too.
"You know—"
The moment I appeared, she sat me beside her and poured out everything that had happened. The Blue Eye members had immediately requested compensation from the White Knight Guild, and the guild had paid without complaint.
"It's all debt I have to repay, sob sob—"
She made a crying sound, but the ache in my chest was real.
"Still, we got an artifact today! Hehe—It's so pretty I can't stop staring at it."
Wearing the necklace, she spun in place, showing off her beautiful form to me.
Beautiful...