Chapter 49

"Even when I talk to you..."

"You're spilling all this info like crazy, but in the end, it's all because you're impatient."

Impatient.

I'd never been one to check in on my body much even before, but lately, with all these incidents piling up...

I nodded solemnly anyway.

My dongsaeng let out a sigh as she spoke.

"That's why I'm telling you to stop overworking your brain. The guy who never needed artificial tears even after weekly exams is suddenly nosebleeding?"

"If you're worried, just say you're worried."

"What did I say? Don't jump to conclusions—give yourself time to think. Thanks to our chat just now, you actually thought about your body for a few seconds."

"Good job, real impressive."

"Yeah, yeah. So eat up this impressive meat from your impressive dongsaeng. The reporter's coming soon."

I finished my meal with genuine enthusiasm.

In the meantime, I glanced at my dongsaeng idly tilting her beer glass—cider, actually—and spoke up.

"You know what Professor Kim's been up to lately, right?"

Professor Kim Yi-hak, the guy I'd mentioned before with his hypertension expertise.

"The old man?"

"Unlike me, you were close to him."

"Watch your mouth—even if I buttered him up, how could an assistant and professor ever be close?"

Ah.

My dongsaeng gulped down her cider.

She fiddled with her empty glass, looking conflicted, then finally answered.

"He's doing environmental cleanup."

"I heard that much. But no matter how well-connected he is, he's not cleaning the entire Seoul scene."

"You used to butt heads with him all the time in school. What, got some fondness for him now?"

I shrugged.

Relations with Professor Kim weren't great, no matter how nicely you put it.

He probably didn't see me as a good student. The type who looked down on rags-to-riches stories.

My dongsaeng added,

"Setting aside your personal feelings about him—don't go see him if you can help it. He'll chase off other kids with a broom. But you?"

"He'd look at me like I'm worse than trash."

"Unless you awakened to some weird fetish instead of becoming a hunter, there's no reason to go."

"Maybe."

I gave an ambiguous reply and resumed eating. The ten-plus pieces of raw beef had vanished like a crab hiding its eyes, leaving just two.

My dongsaeng watched my eating spree with suspicious eyes, then lowered her voice.

"What is it."

"What."

"Why do you want to meet the professor!"

"My boss, whom I respect, once said if you give everything away, people get spoiled. Gotta build the habit of figuring things out yourself."

"......"

Sorry, dongsaeng.

But it was too early to spill the connection between the professor and the elixir.

My dongsaeng scowled, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠confessed.

"He's not in Seoul. He's working at Incheon Airport."

"A Seoul Republic cheerleader like him, in Pocheon?"

"Citizenship in the Republic costs money. After the professor was forced to retire, he protested the most."

"Right."

"That's when his health tanked."

My dongsaeng grimaced.

"Misfortunes piled up—his wife hospitalized for a chronic illness, and their decent savings melted away."

"I thought his family was well-off?"

"Well-off? You have no idea why he couldn't stand you."

"We never talked much personally."

"True enough. Anyway, don't go. I warned you."

"I won't name-drop you, so don't worry."

I'm not some traitor hunter, after all.

"Whatever. How was the meat?"

"The meat..."

No words came to mind.

Best to compare it to the tastiest thing I'd had lately.

Just then, a sweet sensation bloomed in my vision, rivaling hanwoo.

Leveling up just from eating. Addictive.

30 soon.

Means I can unlock it.

Or...

Got Blood Mirror, which I couldn't buy due to lack of GP.

Levels up and points rise together.

By the trend, level 29 should net enough for Blood Mirror.

If only Luck would go up.

Don't get greedy, Wonseok—might lose what luck I have.

I smiled, lips glistening with grease.

"Tastes as good as the EXP."

"Hunter metaphors now that you're one."

My dongsaeng chuckled.

Soon, Gija-ryeong returned like a peddler, loaded with meds.

"You okay?"

"Beef fixed me right up."

"Hunter-style joke. Glad you look fine, though. Take these just in case."

She startled at my cleaned-up face, then relaxed.

My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dongsaeng brought more meat. We ate and plotted next steps with Gija-ryeong.

I doled out future knowledge in measured doses.

"Let's call it here. I'm beat."

Gija-ryeong itched for more.

With the house owner's advice etched in mind, I used health as an excuse for early exit.

Gija-ryeong's in it for her career anyway.

She'd fill the gaps between info bits.

Never really tested her reporter skills, either.

Stick to logic, not sentiment.

The Surprise Texture Mask made me bolder, somehow.

Thanks to Gija-ryeong, I HTN-carded a bellyful.

Belly full, I crashed hard.

"Yaaawn."

Stretched and rolled out of bed.

Hm, throat scratchy.

"Sparkle, water."

"......"

"Where's that Exkill?"

Sparkle instantly balanced a water cup on its head.

"Wahhh, it's a fleeting humiliation for the fairy alley boss."

Tears welled in its glassy eyes. Crocodile tears.

"Stop faking sadness."

"It's sad."

"Lie again, and you sleep in the toilet starting tomorrow."

Sparkle cut off its sobs.

There we go.

Abyss monsters mimic human emotions.

Even those seeming close to humans, like ghouls, undead, vampires.

Human-like features make acting easy.

Hunters get mentally worn in the Abyss. Gates take days to clear.

When those monsters play human and lure you in.

Your heart melts. Stockholm syndrome exists for a reason.

Demonic beasts ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are cunning.

They erode hunters' guards in every way.

Better to sweet-talk than risk death in a fight.

No gender among them, either.

Some exploit body traits to shake hunters' minds.

Makes me nauseous.

Can't ruin yesterday's good eats.

Sparkle's a low-rank demonic beast, still.

Bound by Eternal Blessing, but could prank me at night.

It'd burst like Hangju goblins, though.

I'd be at risk without emergency measures.

Sleeping with the enemy.

I smacked the floor with my empty cup. Sparkle, now used to it, shouldered another.

"Hng, hng..."

At the sink, it donned custom gloves—fingers cut like thimbles.

"Sparkle."

It half-turned, glaring.

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Wanna be free?"

"......If you're teasing, I won't play. You went to the meat place without me yesterday."

"Fairies are herbivores anyway."

"Scallions! Scallions from the meat house are a delicacy! Saw it on NewTube!"

"You were in Paju yesterday, couldn't go."

"Hmph! That area's got nothing anyway!"

I pretended to ponder, then bit my lip.

"Alright, like this. Sparkle, complete 100 tasks I give you, and you're free."

Living with a demonic beast felt off.

"O-one hundred tasks?!"

"Two hundred."

"One fifty."

Right on target.

Negotiate like this.

"Promise?"

"I keep promises, unlike some. Can use an Eternal Pact Contract if needed."

Sparkle bobbed in midair, conflicted, then refused.

"Don't wanna."

"Fine. Verbal promise from me holds. 150. Do that, you're free."

"Paju trips excluded, right?"

"Yeah, excluded."

"Got it."

Sparkle's face brightened innocently.

See? Purpose brings life.

No point keeping a grumpy fairy around— just anxiety and fatigue.

I smirked inwardly.

"First task."

"Within my abilities!"

"No flexibility?"

I sat at the computer, Sparkle and Hemo flanking me, searching a name.

Scroll, scroll.

Many same-names.

Found it.

Latest article two years old.

Used to do interviews daily in college.

Separate from our feud, my chest ached.

"This guy."

I tapped the smiling, shadowless face on the monitor.

"Go to Incheon Airport, find him."

"Just find and report?"

"Yeah. Get caught, he might dissect you—curious type."

"Time to use stealth magic again."

"Found him? Secretly drop these two cards by his feet."

KBC and HTN emblazoned. Mine and Gija-ryeong's.

Hm, too weak.

Flipped and scribbled words.

"This completes one?"

"Yeah."

One task for Sparkle, massive ripple.

Time to get Professor's handsome face back in the media. Ex-contract, but media-savvy disciple.

Irresistible offer planned.

"Back soon!"

Sparkle shot out the window, stirring cold wind.

Sonic boom draped like a dress at its waist.

Fast.

Demonic beast through and through.

Flight speed shaming birds.

"Car from Goyang to Incheon: 30 minutes. That speed? Under 10."

Homing pigeon talent off the charts.

Poke poke.

Hemo suddenly finned my cheek.

Article?

Hm?

Portal main plastered with text burned into my eyes.

Huh.

No memory of this scoop.

No way I'd forget asymmetric power's cold weather news.

This outlier probably didn't happen last life.

I lowered my eyes.

Arm hairs stood.

"This 'Seo Hunter'... not me, right?"

"Hemo?"

My soulmate Hemo neither affirmed nor denied.