The Association is in Chaos
For a while, Cardia looked up at me with teary, emotional eyes. After a moment, as if she had made a firm decision, she knelt before me.
"Master."
"?"
"This maiden shall hide her form for the time being."
"Oh. Alright."
"However." Her red eyes flashed. "I shall respond immediately to your call."
"Yeah, I understand."
She widened her eyes and declared with confidence, "The moment anyone in the world outside the Tower touches you!"
Whoosh—!
Crimson flames bloomed from the tips of Cardia's fingers. "I will burn them all to ash."
"……."
I realized it once again. This woman—no, this dragon—is dangerous. To everyone except me, of course.
Soon, Cardia slowly stood up and pointed to the transparent Subspace Pocket hanging at my waist. "Am I to enter that?"
"I suppose?"
"Hmm." She poked the pocket with her finger. Instantly, the pocket glowed red, and a message appeared.
Contracted Dragon-exclusive space is being generated.
The Crimson Lotus Dragon, Cardia, is now able to reside within the Subspace.
"Oh. It has a feature like this?!"
The next moment, Cardia leaned in close, blowing her hot breath against my neck and face. 'Hooo—!' The scent of her sweet breath made my head spin once again. And then, a kiss followed. Chu.
"……!"
She pulled back after lightly brushing her lips against mine. "Then, this maiden shall take her leave."
Cardia's body transformed into red flames. And just like that—pop!—she was sucked into the Subspace Pocket.
"……."
I stood there in the silence, blankly staring at the spot where she had been. It was so quiet, it was hard to believe a Calamity-class dragon had been standing there just moments ago.
A moment later, Cardia's blissful voice drifted from inside the pocket.
[This place is filled with Master's graceful scent…….]
"……."
[Cardia is so happy, heeheehee…….]
'I can hear everything you're saying, you know?'
Regardless, I'm worried about the future. I know I have to live without letting anyone find out about Cardia's existence, but it’s only been a few seconds since she left, and I already miss her like crazy.
I let out a deep sigh and whispered to myself, "Right. It's time to return to reality."
I walked toward the exit made of light. Stopping just before the portal, I took one last look at the ruined city. It was a place where I almost lost my life just a while ago, but now, it was the place that had completely changed my life.
I slowly stepped into the portal.
Whoosh!
Light enveloped my entire body. And the next moment, I felt the air of the real world. Easy difficulty, 1st floor plains.
"……I'm back."
That was when it happened.
"Hey, you bastard!!!"
Someone rushed over and struck me on the head without a word. Thwack!
"Ouch?!"
I staggered and looked ahead. It was the C-rank hunter, Park Seongcheol. He glared at me with a furious face.
"Hey, where the hell did you go to only show up now?!"
"No, that's just……."
"Do you have any idea how much time we wasted because of you, you jerk?!"
Suddenly, the memory of just before I was dragged into the Nightmare difficulty came back to me. The monster byproducts I was holding had spilled all over the floor. Park Seongcheol's party must have wasted time picking them back up. Come to think of it, I really was a nuisance. I tried to apologize, admitting my fault.
"I'm sorr……."
That was the moment. Creep, creep. Something ominous began to leak from the Subspace Pocket at my waist.
"……?!"
Something very hot and savage, something close to murderous intent. My spine turned cold. 'N-no way!'
It was Cardia, inside the Subspace Pocket. An angry voice echoed in my head.
[How dare…… he strike our precious Master?]
'Wait! Calm down!'
But it was already too late. Whoosh—! Crimson flames began to leak through the gaps of the Subspace Pocket. At the same time, Park Seongcheol's face turned deathly pale.
"H-hieee?!"
He suddenly began to tremble violently, as if he had encountered some immense entity. His legs gave out, and he fell backward. Thump!
"W-what the?!" Park Seongcheol looked up at me with terror-stricken eyes. "W-w-w-what was that just now?!"
I hurriedly stroked the Subspace Pocket and whispered, 'Cardia! No!'
[But that bug attacked Master!]
'Even so, you can't kill someone just for hitting me on the head!'
[I haven't killed him 'yet'.]
'You would have killed him if I'd left you alone!'
[D-did you notice?]
Park Seongcheol crawled backward while still trembling on the ground. "Y-you……!" His terrified pupils shook. The look in his eyes toward me was no longer the way he used to ignore me as an E-rank porter. It was instinctive fear—the look of a beast encountering an apex predator.
"A-anyway!" Park Seongcheol hurriedly got up and ran for his life. "D-don't expect a share today, you bastard!"
He disappeared as if fleeing.
"……."
While I was blankly watching his back, Cardia's satisfied voice drifted from inside the pocket a moment later.
[Hmph.]
"……."
[Don't ever treat Master carelessly again!]
"……."
I should…… praise her, right? "Yeah. You held back well."
[Is that praise for this maiden?]
"Yeah."
Instantly, the Subspace Pocket emitted a red glow as if it were happy. [This maiden, I don't know what to do with myself. Haaah!]
What was that moan just now? I let out a deep sigh and thought. It hasn't even been long since I came out…… I really have a long way to go.
The moment I opened the exit and stepped out of the Tower.
"Excuse me……." I turned my head toward the familiar voice.
"Yoo Harin?"
The person who called me was Yoo Harin, a famous S-rank hunter who was one of the top five in South Korea, known for her long silver hair. South Korea's only ice-type S-rank hunter. To think I'd see her here, the woman who was called the Ice Flower and was beautiful enough to appear on television frequently…….
……But is it my imagination that the Subspace Pocket at my waist feels hot?
Then, Yoo Harin spoke up cautiously. "Um……."
"Ah, yes!"
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you……."
"Ah, no!"
At the same time, I realized that too much attention was being focused on us. Come to think of it, it was natural. The 4th-ranked S-rank hunter in South Korea was talking to a nobody E-rank porter.
"Who is that guy?"
"Why is Hunter Yoo Harin with an E-rank?"
"Is he a relative?"
Whispers could be heard from here and there. I awkwardly scratched the back of my head and spoke. "But…… what brings Hunter Yoo Harin here?"
"Ah." Yoo Harin pointed to the giant tower behind her. "I came for the 43rd-floor Hard difficulty raid."
If it was the 43rd floor, it was the highest floor currently pioneered by the South Korean team. Anything above the 44th floor was an unexplored territory that no one in the country had reached yet.
'Oh…… then is the strongest party in South Korea gathering here?'
As if reading my mind, Yoo Harin nodded. "That's right. I'm waiting for the other team members right now."
"Really?"
She smiled shyly and added, "Yes. But that's not the only reason I came here."
Just then, as if she had remembered something, Yoo Harin rummaged through her bag and handed me a small bottle. It was an intermediate recovery potion. A pretty expensive item for an E-rank like me to buy recklessly. Yoo Harin blushed shyly as she handed me the bottle.
"Y-you worked hard today, too."
"……."
Come to think of it, it was strange. After awakening, whenever I finished the 1st-floor Easy difficulty raid and came out, Yoo Harin would hand me a potion as if she had been waiting. I thought it was a coincidence at first. But not once, but every time? And that too, from the 4th-ranked S-rank hunter in South Korea?
I asked cautiously, "But……."
"Yes?"
"Why are you being so good to me?"
Instantly, Yoo Harin's face turned bright red. "T-t-t-that……!" She muttered in a very small voice, "B-because you're handsome……."
"Pardon?"
"I-I-I-I-it's nothing!!!"
Whoosh! The next moment, the body of the Ice Flower, Yoo Harin, disappeared like ice mist.
"……."
While I was blankly staring at the spot where she had disappeared, the Subspace Pocket at my waist was already burning hot. Whoosh—! It was a very dangerous heat. Cardia's voice echoed in my head.
[This maiden cannot forgive someone who tries to seduce Master!]
'N-no! Calm down!'
I could guarantee it: no matter how high-flying an S-rank hunter might be, they wouldn't even be able to keep their bones intact in front of an angry Cardia.
I hurriedly left the spot and shouted, "L-let's go home."
South Korea, Seoul Hunter Association Headquarters.
Despite it being nighttime, the internal atmosphere was heated. It was because of a single phrase that appeared on the large hologram in the center of the control room.
[Republic of Korea, Seoul 1st Tower]
[Nightmare difficulty clear reaction detected]
"Is that…… an error?"
"Did Nightmare difficulty actually exist?"
The control room door opened roughly, and Association President Kang Taehyeok appeared.
"Report the situation."
An analyst said in a trembling voice, "A-a Nightmare difficulty clear reaction has been detected on the 1st floor of Seoul!"
"Is it an S-rank raid team?"
"No. It is listed as a solo clear."
"The name?"
"That, it is only recorded as 'UNKNOWN'."
The Association President's eyes shone as he shouted, "They must still be near the Tower. Find them. Even if you have to search all of Seoul. You must!"