44
044 ― Treasure Hunt
In the past, when Mahiri was still A-rank.
She was being chased on the 4th floor.
"Huk…… Huk huk……."
She ran frantically through the darkness. With the thought that she would die if she stopped even for a moment, she ran and ran again.
All the guild members who had entered together were dead. They were like family who had been together for a long time.
The monster behind had torn apart and devoured everyone, and was now targeting her, the last survivor.
"Heuk, heuuk……!"
She swallowed her tears and ran and ran again. She couldn't even tell whether the liquid being swallowed down her throat was tears or snot.
That's when she discovered it.
"A, a Red Portal!"
A Red Portal, not the blue one she desperately wanted.
On the 4th floor, a Red Portal meant an entrance to the 5th floor.
The 5th floor. A dangerously perilous place where, at her current level, she might die the moment she set foot inside.
But if she didn't move forward, she would 100% die to the monster chasing her from behind.
'Th, there's no other way!'
She had no choice but to enter. If she hoped for even the slightest chance of fortune.
Please let there be a Blue Portal right in front of my eyes as soon as I enter. Praying thus, she leaped into the portal.
―Oh?
She encountered that existence.
A pair of eyes shining in the darkness. But one whose presence alone made all living beings tremble in terror.
Red Dragon Kalesian.
―Human wench. Do you have a wish?
The dragon asked her for a wish, and in a state where she wasn't in her right mind from crying and wailing, she answered.
Please let me live. Please spare at least my life.
―That's an easy matter…… But that's a bit weak.
"Wh, weak?"
―It means there's change left over. I'm thinking of demanding your soul, but if the price of a soul is just one life, the scales don't balance.
"So, soul!"
Devil! Satan! A devil that plunges people into the pit of ruin by taking souls as payment!
She was horrified, but the dragon shook its head.
―I'm sorry, but the only thing you have that's worth paying me as a price is your soul. I understand your life, so try wishing for more additionally. If you don't like it, leave my lair.
Telling her to leave meant telling her to die.
Would she die like this, or would she give up one soul and take everything?
"Th, then…… Please save me…… Sniff, please also avenge my guild members. And I want to earn lots of money, become famous, and……."
Shedding tears profusely, she begged. Life, revenge, wealth, and fame too. She said everything good that came to mind.
―Good. All of it shall be fulfilled.
Only then did the dragon smile with satisfaction.
***
"That's how it happened. Hahaha! Isn't it interesting?"
Though she wasn't sure where or how it was interesting, red-eyed Mahiri, no, Kalesian laughed heartily.
Using a man's speech pattern with a woman's face made it incredibly awkward.
At the same time, Jin-woo also learned why Mahiri had suddenly become proficient in Korean.
'Did he make her learn by controlling her in the meantime?'
Perhaps he had made her learn all the languages she could learn from the beginning.
How simple it was. Just by controlling, knowledge could be stuffed into the brain automatically.
"Are dragons…… Even hatchlings like you so powerful? Powerful enough to dominate an A-rank Hunter without anyone knowing?"
Johan had also dominated Cheon Ju-hyeok, but Cheon Ju-hyeok was B-rank. Moreover, it wasn't long-term control, just brief control in the Gate.
But Kalesian had been controlling Mahiri for several years already.
According to him, Mahiri hadn't regained consciousness even once since then. In other words, he had been dominating her continuously for years, 24 hours a day.
It was something that might not be possible even if Johan's previous life descended, let alone Johan himself.
"Comparing it to forceful domination, black magic is insulting. Why else would demons, who are experts in this field, take the form of contracts? Keuk keuk, you should also be careful when stamping contracts."
Even so, my contract is much more merciful and fair compared to a demon's. Kalesian claimed so.
He had truly fulfilled all of Mahiri's wishes. He saved her life, killed the monster on the 4th floor in the most painful way to honor the souls of her guild members, and she rose to S-rank Hunter to gain wealth and fame.
Only Mahiri's own soul was missing from those wishes.
"I don't see how you're different from a demon."
"Very different. At least I didn't say I'd keep her soul for life. I said I'd keep her only until I feel like it, then release her. Really."
"Until you feel like it, by any chance, what is a dragon's lifespan?"
"About ten thousand years or so."
You are a demon…….
How was this different from the God of Ice Valley dragging away Johan's soul and laughing that he could use him freely for about ten thousand years?
Of course, Johan went to hell while Mahiri was enjoying all kinds of wealth in this world.
"And I'm not a hatchling. It's been quite a while since I became an adult. Though not at the level of an ancient dragon."
"Then is that appearance transformation magic?"
"No, it's my true body. I've never molted even once since I was young."
Molting? Do dragons also do something like molting?
"As you know, the physical body and mind of living beings are much lower in rank compared to the soul. Newly born dragons are no different, being in a state where only the soul's rank is high."
"Then molting is a stage to raise the rank of the physical body and mind?"
"Something like that."
Dragons grow and strengthen their bodies through molting while training their minds. Eventually, when the elevated rank becomes equal to the soul, they finally become complete beings.
Usually, the balance of the trinity is completed in the adult state, and the age at that time is about 2,000 to 3,000 years old. There are some individual differences.
"Why didn't you do that good molting?"
Hearing the story made it even more puzzling. Why didn't he do such an act that would easily make him stronger?
"Well, that's……."
Mahiri's body moved and pulled out a soft ice cream from thin air. Even though her soul was dominated, she was still an awakened soul. The inventory connected to that soul was also intact.
Mahiri fed the ice cream she pulled out to Kalesian. Strawberry-flavored ice cream topped with colorful chocolate chips.
Kalesian swallowed everything, including the cone, in one bite, then chewed with a satisfied expression.
"Have you ever tried this ice cream?"
"Something similar."
"How was the taste? Good? Or did you get tired of it?"
"Ice cream is always delicious whenever you eat it."
"Even though it's something you can commonly see in this world?"
"I haven't eaten enough to get tired of it."
"I was tired of it. Of my world."
He didn't mean he was tired of ice cream. He meant Kalesian was tired of the world he lived in, the 5th floor.
"I wanted to see another world. Since I was young, continuously. But if you molt normally and raise your rank, you become unable to pass through portals. So I didn't molt and suppressed it."
"Did you want to see this Earth?"
"Whether Earth or somewhere else, anywhere. I wanted to see a completely different world, not the tiresome 5th floor."
Curiosity.
That was Kalesian's origin and desire that he was born with from birth.
He gave up the growth of his body and mind by abandoning molting, and instead maintained a body that could go to other worlds.
However, even so, his soul was of the 5th floor. Unless he connected with a soul from another world, he couldn't cross over.
While waiting like that, what do you know? The very soul he had longed for appeared in front of his lair?
Thus, the contract mentioned earlier was made.
"That's how I arrived here."
Those were the circumstances of how a dragon came to Earth. Though growth had stopped at the hatchling stage.
'Another world.'
Jin-woo glanced at the Ego Sword at his waist. He, too, had been to the Elf world with the Ego Sword's soul.
From the perspective of the Elves in Belen Village, he would be no different from Kalesian. A being from another world, not of this world.
Thinking about it that way, the dragon being here, swallowing soft ice cream and laughing with satisfaction, didn't seem awkward.
"Fascinating."
"Fascinating indeed."
"Then Mahiri is……."
"As I said, I plan to release her anytime I get tired of this world. She's not dead, so don't worry."
Though it was a trap, not knowing whether that getting tired would be hundreds or thousands of years.
"More than that, human boy. Since this is also fate, how about doing some work with me?"
"Work?"
"Have you heard the story that dragons like glittering gold and silver treasures?"
"No."
It was the first time he had heard such a story. In the first place, this was the first time he had talked with a dragon.
"Let's go treasure hunting once."
Kalesian spoke with eyes curving in amusement.
***
A little later.
Jin-woo and Kalesian, held in Mahiri's arms, were walking around an ultra-luxury department store in New York.
Queensfield Luxury Hall, a luxury goods store located in Herald Square.
Kalesian walked around there like it was his own home and purchased items as he saw them.
"This was what treasure hunting meant?"
"Ahahahahaha!"
Perhaps because of other people's eyes, the baby dragon's true body was well-behaved, and Mahiri's body expressed emotions instead.
With a smile that clearly showed she was delighted beyond measure, she visited every store.
"Ma, Mahiri, you've come!"
"We'll escort you this way."
"The person beside you, if it's not rude to ask, aren't you Hunter Kang Jin-woo?"
The luxury store staff were flustered, clearly indicating she was a VIP customer. Attention also fell on Jin-woo beside her, and since Jin-woo was also a person of recent interest, there wasn't a staff member who didn't know him.
"He's my friend. Please treat him the same way you treat me."
"Of course!"
"Is this your first time at our department store? We'll guide you."
Handsome and beautiful staff members also attended to Jin-woo.
The first place Mahiri dragged Jin-woo to was jewelry stores selling gems, and she was more serious and careful than ever when looking at jewels.
"Do you like jewelry?"
"Of course. You could say it's love."
She had almost all the accessories in the display case taken out and laid out while pondering. Then a staff member approached and asked.
"How about this necklace? I think it would suit you well, would you like to try it on?"
"Oh my, I'd like that."
The staff member prepared to put on the necklace, but Mahiri didn't extend her neck.
What she extended was the baby dragon that was Kalesian's true body.
"P, pardon?"
"Please hurry. Fitting."
The baby dragon had a plump and cute appearance, but it was still a dragon. To put it bluntly, it looked like a lizard with wings.
For reptile enthusiasts, the body curves and glistening scales would be eye-rollingly beautiful, but to ordinary people, it was nothing more or less than just a lizard.
"Y, yes……."
The staff member hid their half-crying face with a forced smile and put the necklace around Kalesian's neck.
So the luxury store staff had to cater even to the madam's pet. Did I become staff for this? Though they felt emptiness, they couldn't show even the slightest displeasure.
"How is it, Jin-woo?"
"How is what?"
"Does it suit well?"
Jin-woo looked at Kalesian wearing the necklace. He was sitting on the display counter like a dog, lifting his head proudly as if showing off, and it actually suited him quite well.
A mysterious red diamond necklace with a reddish tint.
"Compared to the scales of this child that shine like stars, it's a considerably faded jewel, but isn't it adequate as a supporting role? Having such supporting jewels makes Kalesian's beautiful scales stand out more."
"……Aren't you embarrassed?"
"Oh my, why would I be embarrassed when praising my child?"
It's not praising your child, it's putting gold on your own face.
For Jin-woo, who knew that all of Mahiri's words and actions were controlled by Kalesian, it was simply absurd.
Nevertheless, Mahiri hugged and petted Kalesian, and from the side, she was unmistakably an owner deeply infatuated with her pet.
The actual Kalesian's true body was busy admiring the diamond necklace from all angles, seeming quite accomplished in acting, no, controlling.
"It's nice, I'll take this one. The staff member's recommendation was good."
"Ah! Thank you!"
The staff member who had been trembling just moments ago was completely relaxed by Mahiri's single comment. Having caught the eye of Mahiri, the store's VVIP, meant a guaranteed bonus!
"Could you recommend others, too? Something that would suit this child."
"Leave it to me!"
The staff member who had been disgusted by reptiles now looked at Kalesian with the most affectionate eyes.
They were thinking of nothing but somehow hanging accessories all over that baby dragon's body to sell everything. Now they saw it not as a baby dragon but as a bonus jar.
"That's nice. Give me that too. Ah, that one as well. That one over there looks good, too."
She purchased a load of jewelry for every recommendation the staff made, then headed to the next store.
With that momentum, she swept through the luxury store like a typhoon, buying clothes, bags, wallets, watches, and so on.
"This outfit seems like it would suit Jin-woo well, would you like to try it on?"
"No, I'm……."
"We'll escort you to the fitting room!"
A staff member with ghost-like quick perception took Jin-woo to the fitting room.
Though he had no interest in expensive clothes, it would be awkward to refuse the recommendation outright.
He took off all the cost-effective Uniqlo clothes he was wearing and coordinated everything from top to bottom with the store's clothes.
"Wow! It really suits you!"
"The coat is good, but the clothes are just so-so. Let's just buy the coat and go."
The staff member who sold only one coat to Mahiri, famous as a big spender, made a tearful face and hung their head.
Leaving him behind, the two headed to another store. Mahiri continued shopping, visiting every brand in the luxury store without exception.
Sometimes she seemed to buy thoughtlessly, but other times she sharply refused, showing she had quite firm standards.
'Since it's a dragon's eye, it must be trustworthy.'
Since he declared himself as a creature that likes treasures, he would surely have much better judgment than himself, an ordinary human.
"Let's buy this too. I'll give it as a gift."
Kalesian swept up all the luxury goods in the stores and also gave expensive gifts like clothes and watches to Jin-woo, but when he refused, feeling burdened, he told him to just accept them.
"Money from this world doesn't mean much to me. I have to convert it all to treasures while I can use it."
Certainly, dollars or won would have no meaning to Kalesian. That's currency only used in this world.
So she, no he, said he spent most of the income from S-rank Hunter activities on shopping and such. Especially since he was scheduled to receive a large reward from New York for the Ireland incident, he could splurge this much.
That was the same for Jin-woo, but he wasn't particularly interested in luxury goods. Rather, he liked food if anything.
After finishing their storm-like shopping, the two sat in a hotel restaurant.
The waiter showed no change in expression even seeing the baby dragon, probably because an announcement had gone to all staff in the department store since they were shopping. Since Mahiri had come, refrain from rude behavior.
At a seat where New York's night view could be seen at a glance, Jin-woo tasted the restaurant's steak.
"Ooh!"
This meat was also exquisite in taste. It was cooked so tenderly that just placing a knife on it would make it go right in.
That didn't mean it lacked chewing texture, so the balance was very exquisite.
The visual elements like plating, aroma, and of course, taste were amazing, but providing the pleasure of texture as well was worthy of being called a first-class restaurant.
"Jin-woo seems more interested in meals than jewelry or luxury goods."
"Was I found out?"
"Your eyes sparkled differently from earlier."
Conversely, Mahiri seemed to have little interest in the meal. As if it were merely an act to consume nutrition.
It was natural since it was Kalesian controlling Mahiri's body. Whatever Mahiri's tongue felt had nothing to do with Kalesian.
"How was today?"
"It was good. Thank you for the gifts, too. They're all expensive things."
"If I can gain your favor with that, it's cheap."
Jin-woo made a puzzled expression.
"You seem to evaluate me quite highly, is it because of the Ireland?"
"That's part of it, and there are other things too."
"What?"
"I said earlier, didn't I? Didn't you eat my kin?"
Clatter.
Jin-woo, who had been cutting meat, tensed the hand holding the knife. This was also a blade. He could strike immediately if necessary.
"I can smell kin from your soul. But you're human. In the end, it means there's a kin's soul inside you…… Isn't the expression 'ate' appropriate?"
"……I didn't kill it directly."
Would he be angry about killing kin? Thinking so, Jin-woo tried to explain in his own way. He had only absorbed a soul that was already dead.
But Mahiri shook her head, saying it wasn't like that.
"I was just explaining why I think highly of you. Dragons are solitary, complete beings. Even kin are as distant as other species."
"Then……."
"You have enough skill, so you'd be sufficient as a partner, how about it. Do you feel like going treasure hunting with me?"
Treasure hunting? Wasn't the shopping they just did treasure hunting?
"Let's go to the 3rd floor with me and try plundering the treasures of the 13 Gods once."
Sweeping through the luxury store was not even at the level of an appetizer for her, no, him.