Chapter 66
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: A Lucky Charm Arrives in the Village
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Ever since So-ye arrived at the countryside house, the family's range of activity had widened just a bit.
When Kang-hyun had lived there alone, his world consisted of the house, the spring in the empty lot, and the occasional trip to the back mountain.
But to the ever-curious So-ye, the whole place was an endless playground ripe for exploration.
"Oppa, I'm going for a walk!"
She wasn't alone.
-Hrmuoot!
"Ppoeng!"
Like a pair of knight escorts, Hasuo and Muryong toddled along faithfully on either side of her.
So-ye marched ahead briskly, clutching a small basket in her hands.
"Where to?"
"Over there!"
So-ye pointed toward the rundown village hall at the edge of town.
A few days earlier, she'd tagged along with the neighbor grandma and visited once. It seemed the bustling crowd there had captured her heart.
"Grandma! Grandpa! I'm here!"
As So-ye flung open the door to the hall, every pair of elderly eyes inside turned toward her in unison.
"Oh my, if it isn't our little cutie!"
The neighbor grandma was the first to greet her with open arms.
"We made these with Oppa! Here, have some!"
Grunting with effort, So-ye set down the basket filled with [Golden Corn].
"Goodness me, is this that magical corn I've heard about? So sweet and delicious—how can it be?"
"Her eyes are just like your late mother's back in the day. What a smart little thing."
The village elders, who remembered Kang-hyun's departed mother, showered So-ye with affection as if she were their own granddaughter.
They munched on the tasty corn, heaping praise upon her.
"Such a polite young'un, greeting everyone so nicely and speaking so sweetly."
"It's been ages since a kid this young came to our village. Just seeing her lifts my spirits."
They gazed at So-ye with the warm eyes reserved for their own grandkids.
Kang-hyun was already one of the youngest around these parts, but with an even smaller child in tow, everyone's faces practically dripped with honey-sweet fondness.
And with her innocent, bubbly personality, how could she not win them all over?
Blushing under the flood of attention, So-ye shyly ducked a bit behind Muryong.
"But what's this tiny thing clinging to your leg?"
-Hrmut?
One grandpa pointed at Muryong and Hasuo hugging So-ye's legs.
Only then did the elders notice the odd little creatures stuck to her side, peering at them with wide-eyed wonder.
"Oh, this is Muryong, and this is Hasuo."
"Muryong? What a quirky name."
"Doesn't look like a fleeceflower root at all. More like a little worm."
But the elders didn't make a big fuss.
To them, it was just adorably cute that a tiny girl was toting around these small critters—or maybe dolls?—wherever she went.
Just then, Kang-hyun arrived a bit late to the party.
"Oh my, So-ye's brother is here too."
"Lately, she's been bringing us these treats, saying her brother made them."
Seeing everyone happily devouring the corn So-ye had brought, Kang-hyun scratched his head sheepishly.
"I should've brought some over sooner myself. Sorry for not thinking of it earlier."
"Nonsense, nonsense. Thanks to you two, we're getting to enjoy such fine eats."
"Look at those siblings, getting along so well. Makes my heart full just watching."
The elders beamed at So-ye with contented smiles.
"So, where's So-ye going to school now?"
"I think commuting from here will work fine. I checked, and the top private elementary school in Seoul I had in mind is about a two-hour round trip by car."
"You mean St. Mary's? That's not a place you can just buy your way into."
"Luckily, they said she can enroll."
Lately, he'd narrowed it down to five prestigious private schools in Seoul and inquired about admissions.
Even during her hospital stay, So-ye had kept up with online classes and stayed at the top of her class. Her grades must've impressed them.
In the end, every school had showered them with invitations to join.
"Really now?"
"Oh, our So-ye's so clever—she must be great at her studies!"
The elders' eyes sparkled at Kang-hyun's words.
"What a good girl. Here, So-ye, take this pocket money from Grandma."
"Buy some school supplies with it. You'll need pretty notebooks for school."
They all fished out their crumpled bills, eager to press them into So-ye's hands.
"No, no, elders. Your kind thoughts are more than enough."
"Now, now, you can't refuse. Do we look like the type to just take what So-ye brings and wipe our mouths clean?"
No sooner had the words left their mouths than one side piled up jars of fresh kimchi, while the other loaded bottles of handmade sesame oil.
Kang-hyun politely declined, but they insisted so warmly that he had no choice but to gratefully accept.
"So-ye, what do you say?"
"Th-thank you!"
As So-ye bowed deeply, the elders watched her with misty eyes.
They all shared the same thought.
With no mom or dad, just relying on her big brother—this precious girl deserved the whole village's protection and love.
"That's right! Eat well and grow big and strong. Here, have some more, sweetie!"
"Thank you! I'll eat it all!"
And so the grandmas' and grandpas' love poured on endlessly.
The garden yard had become a peaceful playground.
So-ye gently stroked the chickens' backs, while Muryong and Hasuo dozed off to the lullaby sung by the [Singing Scarecrow].
Rumble rumble rumble—
"Hm?"
Just then, a racket of engine noise announced the arrival of a strange machine into the yard.
"Director No?"
"Jang!"
Atop it sat Director No, looking mighty fine in his sunglasses.
"What's... this?"
"Heh heh, a gift."
What Director No rode in was a cutting-edge cultivator with a futuristic design that stuck out like a sore thumb in this rural spot.
"A cultivator?"
"The latest model from Valhalla, equipped with a Valkyrie engine. Pop in a single mana stone, and it'll run practically forever. Faster than your average truck, too."
Even at a glance, it looked worth the price of a mid-size sedan.
"You'll need one of these for serious farming. Consider it payback for all the crops you've been sending."
He'd been regularly shipping garden produce via Gorani's delivery service.
Gorani's deliveries satisfied both senders and receivers alike, earning it a solid reputation as a reliable option.
Director No hopped off the cultivator and ruffled So-ye's hair affectionately.
"Our So-ye looks much healthier now. That sickly pallor is all gone."
"Hello, Uncle!"
So-ye greeted him brightly, never shy with strangers.
Even back in the hospital, Director No had dropped by often with snacks and check-ins.
Then, a small shadow emerged from behind him.
It was Hellmung-i.
"Kiiing..."
Hellmung-i shrank back at the unfamiliar faces in the yard, letting out a low whine.
Especially upon spotting the massive Gorani lurking in the shed's shadow, its fur bristled all over.
Memories of terror from giant beasts flooded the hellhound's mind.
"Oh? A puppy?"
Despite its bizarre two-headed form, So-ye approached without prejudice, her innate innocence shining through.
Hasuo toddled after her.
"Don't be scared, puppy."
So-ye reached out a small hand and gently petted one of Hellmung-i's trembling heads.
Under that warm, pure touch, the hellhound's wariness softened ever so slightly.
"Hellmung-i, it's okay. Come here."
Director No called, but Hellmung-i remained frozen, still spooked by Gorani.
Kang-hyun approached the little hellhound and spoke softly.
"It's fine. That guy's not gonna hurt you."
He stroked its small head, subtly channeling a trace of internal energy to soothe its anxious heart.
"Gorani, come say hi."
Gorani approached very slowly, lowering its body submissively to show no threat, then lay flat.
Thud!
Gorani placed its most prized possession, the [Griffon's Feather Fishing Rod], before Hellmung-i like a gift.
Let's play together!
The words weren't spoken, but that's what Gorani's gesture meant.
Hellmung-i eyed the feathery toy and Gorani's gentle black eyes alternately for a long while.
"Kku... kkuung..."
Then, very cautiously, it took a single step forward.
They began sniffing each other warily, exchanging greetings.
The deep-seated trauma in Hellmung-i's heart started to melt away, bit by bit.
Midway up the hill behind Director No's estate.
"Hellmung-i, take it slow!"
Oblivious to Director No's distant call, Hellmung-i bounded up the mountain with glee.
Thanks to steadily munching on Kang-hyun's crops, its body had nearly regained its former strength.
And after overcoming its trauma of Gorani, its confidence surged, making its movements even nimbler.
"?"
Then, a familiar ominous scent brushed Hellmung-i's nose.
Crackle!
A small rift was tearing open in midair halfway up the slope.
A few goblin swordsmen were just starting to crawl out from it.
"Grrr..."
Hellmung-i unleashed threatening growls from both heads at the monsters.
"!"
The goblins froze stiff before the hellhound blocking their path.
A B-rank monster hellhound.
But this one looked nothing like the ones they knew.
Overwhelming pressure.
An aura surpassing B-rank—something only felt from top-tier A-rank beasts—poured from this pint-sized hellhound.
"...K-kiak."
"Kieak!"
The flustered goblins glanced at each other, then politely bowed to the hellhound and its companion Director No before scrambling back into the rift.
Swearing under their breaths never to crawl into this world again.
And then.
Whoosh—
The rift closed on its own, as if nothing had happened.
Hunter Management Bureau, Central Control Center.
"Report! D-rank rift detected in the outer Gyeonggi mountains, but it vanished just 10 seconds after appearing!"
"What? It popped up and disappeared immediately?"
The director asked in bewilderment.
"Cause?"
"Unknown, sir. Shall we investigate further?"
The director glanced at the data, then waved it off dismissively.
"Nah. Some high-rank hunter passing by must've handled it."
"You think so...?"
"Tch. Don't sweat it. Less work for us. Focus on next week's joint Korea-US-Japan training."
The training blaring nonstop in the news.
The bureau's one shot at reclaiming its tarnished reputation.
"If we can't win the public with this, we're all done for, got it?"
The chief's voice dripped with urgency.
Ever since Park Jin-su's embezzlement and disappearance, Assemblyman Park Min-cheol had been hounding the bureau daily.
Rumors swirled that failure here could dissolve the entire organization.
This training was their last chance.
"It's our chance to boost national prestige—put everything into it!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Where the hell did that bastard Park Jin-su run off to... Ugh, whatever."
No one mentioned the faint, unstable mana fluctuations rippling through the capital's foundations.
The people who would've analyzed such trivial annoyances and raised alarms were long gone.
Whether they truly didn't know of the looming rift danger, or blinded by immediate results, they turned a blind eye.
Ring ring—
Startled by the shrill phone ring while watering the garden, Grandma Kim straightened up—wait, straightened?—and headed inside.
"Oh, son. Eaten yet?"
It was her boy in Seoul.
-Mom, how's your back? Should I book that hospital I mentioned?
"No need."
-Aw, come on. You can't just tough it out instead of surgery. I'll look into more options.
"I said it's fine."
Guilty about worrying her kid, Grandma hurried off the line.
As she rose to head back to the garden...
"Huh?"
She froze in place.
Something was off.
Normally, she'd groan and hobble up hunched over.
But just now, she'd straightened effortlessly, without a twinge of pain.
"Heh heh."
In disbelief, she bent and straightened her back several times.
The chronic agony that had tormented her for decades was gone—like a miracle.
"What in the world..."
She rushed straight to the village hall.
The sight there was even more astonishing.
"My goodness..."
Grandma Kim's eyes went wide at the unbelievable scene.
Choi and Kwon, who always slumped against walls complaining of bad backs and aching knees, now sat ramrod straight playing go.
And next to them, Grandpa Park huffed and puffed with dumbbells, exercising vigorously.
A bizarre yet wondrous scene unfolded in the village hall.