Chapter 71
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Hell Hound (2)
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Normally, it should have been shrouded in darkness, but the unnatural horde of gates spewed a yellow glow, illuminating the underground prison's passageway as bright as midday.
Originally, she'd been sitting comfortably in her chair, waiting patiently. But after thirty minutes had passed, Pluto had grown restless, pacing around the gate that Kang Sa-hu had entered.
"What do I do, what do I do, what do I do...!"
Pluto peered desperately into the invisible gate with a tearful face. She even tried jumping in with heavy resolve.
But after slipping futilely through the gate and landing on the other side with both feet, all she could do now was wander aimlessly around it.
"I never should have let him go in...!"
Kang Sa-hu, who would have cleared any other gate by now, hadn't emerged after so long. Pluto's voice cracked with sobs as she blamed herself.
"I know his personality so well...! I thought he might be struggling but hiding it, pushing himself too hard...! All because of my selfishness...!"
To be precise, Pluto had tried to dissuade him from entering, but Kang Sa-hu had stubbornly insisted on clearing just one more E-rank gate.
Deep down, she scolded herself for not stopping him more firmly. Clutching her head with a pained expression, she crouched down and huddled up.
"Waaah, Sa-hu...!"
"Yes, Lady Pluto?"
"Kyaaak!"
A sudden voice from beside her made Pluto yelp in terror, falling flat on her butt.
Kang Sa-hu, just emerging from the gate, saw her tumble and hurriedly supported her in surprise.
"Lady Pluto, what's wrong? Why are you sitting like this?"
"Waaah, you're alive!"
"...?"
Clinging to him and weeping as if he'd returned from the jaws of death, Pluto left Kang Sa-hu utterly bewildered.
Wondering if he'd miscalculated the time, he checked his watch. No, his timing had been spot on.
"It's not even been an hour yet. Why were you so worried?"
"Of course I was worried! You always hunted other gates and came back in under twenty minutes, but you were gone for over forty! You have no idea how anxious I was!"
Pluto huffed indignantly, and Kang Sa-hu scratched his cheek with a troubled look.
"Ah, sorry about that. Something came up inside the gate, so it took a bit longer to check everything."
"Something? What happened? Was it dangerous? You reek of smoke now."
Sniffing the charred scent from Kang Sa-hu's body, Pluto pressed him. He shook his head.
"Not dangerous—actually, something good. And while the others were F-rank gates, this one was E-rank, so it naturally took a little more time."
In truth, for Kang Sa-hu now, clearing F-rank or E-rank gates took about the same effort. But seeing Pluto's eyes glistening with bloodshot tears of worry, he opted for a white lie.
Confirming he only smelled of soot—no injuries, not even a speck of ash marring his usual pristine appearance—Pluto sniffled.
"Good, then I'm relieved. I had no idea what was going on in there. I was so worried."
"Thank you for your concern. And I mean this sincerely—I've grown plenty strong enough now, and I've always avoided overdoing it, so please don't worry too much."
He'd just cleared an E-rank gate, securing not an E-rank Giant Hound but a B-rank Hell Hound as his familiar. He was several times stronger than before.
But judging it wasn't the time to tell the now-calmed Pluto, Kang Sa-hu held back.
Watching him explain calmly and logically without a hint of agitation, Pluto quickly regained her composure too.
"Sigh. I know, I know. But since I can't see it for myself, I can't help but worry."
Pluto slumped into her chair, deflating on her own. Kang Sa-hu suddenly brightened with an idea.
"Lady Pluto, speaking of which—do you know anything about Hell Hounds?"
"Huh? Where did Hell Hound come up in our conversation?"
Pluto blinked in confusion, but Kang Sa-hu grew serious.
"My familiar evolved into a Hell Hound this time."
"...Sa-hu, did you run into a mental-type monster in that gate?"
Of course, the Necromancer Society in the underworld or the magic circle sustaining Pluto's domain—linked to the gates as doors to hell—were real-world phenomena.
But that was entirely separate from mythical beasts like Cerberus, the hell gate guardian, or Fenrir, the slayer of gods and harbinger of world's end.
British legends spoke of Hell Hounds the size of bulls, hunting sinners' souls from hell, foretelling death to those they met, and devouring demons. But they weren't the same as mythical creatures.
Even to Pluto, the Necromancer lord, Hell Hounds and Cerberus were equally absurd—more likely fictional imaginings than real entities.
"I suppose it's easy to think that way."
"It's not just thinking—it's common sense and probability..."
Uncharacteristically spouting wild claims with utter conviction, Kang Sa-hu seemed like he'd fallen victim to a mental monster. As Pluto inwardly concluded just that,
Kang Sa-hu glanced around and stepped to a spacious spot.
"A hundred explanations couldn't match seeing it once. It's safe, but please step back a bit."
"Uh...? Oh, uh... okay..."
Acting so earnestly like he was really summoning a Hell Hound, Pluto didn't know how to react and simply backed away as asked.
Once satisfied with the distance, Kang Sa-hu pulled out his soul core pouch from his pocket.
He tossed one soul core into the air.
Rumble...!
Woof!
"Kyaaak!"
For the first time in seven years—and twice in one day—Pluto screamed, her eyes wide as she stared at Kang Sa-hu's Hell Hound.
Upon manifesting, the Hell Hound spewed fireworks-like flames from its brow to tail tip, then gazed at Kang Sa-hu and wagged its tail happily.
Woof woof!
"Quiet."
Whine...
The Hell Hound, thrilled and wagging furiously, drooped at Kang Sa-hu's rebuke.
Kang Sa-hu's heart softened at the sight. As he reached to stroke its brow,
The Hell Hound perked up again, tail wagging in anticipation. But his hand halted before it got close.
"Hm."
Even wrapping his hand in mana and extending it fully, the heat singed his sleeve tip. Kang Sa-hu withdrew.
Inevitable as it was, the Hell Hound froze in shock, mouth agape, as its master flinched and pulled back from petting it.
"Th-this, wh-what in the..."
After her sharp cry, the stunned Pluto gaped wordlessly.
Every Necromancer.
No, perhaps every human who'd ever lived as long as her—none had seen anything so shocking as this Hell Hound.
"I-is that really a Hell Hound...?"
"Seems like it. That's what the system window says."
She looked wistful at the mention of a system window only Awakeners could see.
But that passed quickly. Her sparkling eyes locked onto the Hell Hound, entranced.
"Incredible. The appearance matches the descriptions, at least. A real Hell Hound..."
Bull-sized, pitch-black body.
A chilling sulfur stench, and with every breath, sulfurous flames bursting from mouth and nostrils—exactly as depicted in ancient tomes she'd read.
Gazing at the otherworldly creature like an excited girl encountering something wondrous, half thrilled and half fearful, Pluto's eyes hardened with resolve.
"I can't let this slide. To confirm for sure, I need to bring out 'that' after all these years!"
"Pardon? 'That' being...?"
He'd only mentioned it casually to introduce his power and familiar, and check if it matched known legends.
But hearing she'd use the ancient treasure called the Necromancers' holy scripture, Kang Sa-hu panicked.
"No, it's not worth that much. I just wanted a quick check."
"No, no! This Hell Hound must be the power you gained from Awakening, right, Sa-hu? We need details! Let's go—right now!"
"Really, it's not necessary..."
Kang Sa-hu tried to dissuade her awkwardly, but after over four hundred years trapped in the underworld's magic circle for the Necromancer Society's survival,
Her world limited to rare visits every few years— this unknown Hell Hound ignited unbearable curiosity and thrilling possibility.
"I hope it's a real Hell Hound! That'd make your familiar a legendary spirit beast! Ah, so exciting!"
'To others, it'd probably be called a yokai or evil spirit...'
Kang Sa-hu thought wryly but, as a Necromancer himself, decided against viewing it through normal eyes.
'Right. To Necromancers, a Hell Hound is like the Round Table Knights' Pegasus, or Sorcerers' Manticore.'
Comparing his situation to other groups, he finally understood Pluto's excitement.
Trapped alone in the dim magic circle for years on end, save for occasional company—suddenly facing a legendary spirit beast.
Moreover, despite centuries passing, her mental age stayed fixed at eighteen.
No matter the time, her endless life hadn't withered her curiosity or worn her personality thin.
'...I'm grateful, actually.'
Thankful for the coincidence of it becoming his familiar, awakening evolution, and turning into a Hell Hound of all things, Kang Sa-hu smiled faintly.
Watching Pluto summon bone golems and skeletons with flushed cheeks, Kang Sa-hu tentatively raised his hand.
"Um, Lady Pluto?"
"Yes? What, what?!"
Overjoyed from the massive stimulus after so long, Pluto replied in an exhilarated voice.
The sight brought an involuntary smile to Kang Sa-hu's face.
"If it's okay, could we prepare for the Death Knight first? The Hell Hound is important too, but I hear making a Death Knight takes a long time."
"Death Knight? Oh! Right! Hm, yeah. Even with the most stable commander spirit and soul prep, forging the vessel and anchoring the spirit still takes time..."
Excited as she was, his practical point snapped her back to reality. She deflated slightly, shoulders slumping.
"Fine, let's prep the Death Knight first. We'll need it for that anyway."
"...Pardon? You need the holy scripture to make a Death Knight?"
Stunned by the revelation, Kang Sa-hu blinked. Pluto stared back like he'd said something absurd.
"Of course. You need that level of power to resonate and link nearly a hundred magic circles, then stabilize them. What were you planning to do, Sa-hu?"
"Just declare the domain and go."
"......"
His unexpected reply left Pluto staring in disbelief.