---

Chapter 114

From a distance, Claire, who had been eavesdropping with her transcendent eyesight and hearing, tapped her forehead with a serious expression.

“I told you not to do anything reckless…!”

Of course, I understand that being a Hunter means accepting risks, but that doesn’t mean you have to poke your head into every hole you come across!

I knew Yeon-woo was a curious little kid, but I still hoped that he would think twice, at least recalling my face from just moments ago.

But, watching from afar, Yeon-woo looked less like he was having second thoughts and more like he was ready to dive right in, excited.

It was almost grotesque how he brought out a golem covered in disgusting flesh, speculating where it came from as if it were a regular conversation.

“Wait, how does he know so much…?”

Was it Shar educating him, or did he learn such things at the Academy?

Certainly, the report card Yeon-woo showed me was excellent, after all…

It felt rewarding to see that knowledge is power, but still, I couldn’t understand why he was so fixated on those ruins. I sighed, feeling a twinge of the confusion a parent might feel.

“Should we leave now…? No matter what, it’s not like he’s an alien god, right, Yeon-woo…!”

Unbeknownst to Claire, who was caught in her whirlpool of thoughts, the four of them, including Shar, were discussing what to do.

“…And that’s the situation.”

Yeon-woo concluded his explanation as he shoved the golem back into a corner of the storeroom. It was only natural that Killian and Ludiger’s expressions sharpened upon hearing those words.

They were Hunters before they were members of the Crescent Moon Order. They could easily foresee the potential dangers behind the information that boy spoke and knew what might happen if it wasn’t resolved quickly.

“Let’s have a quick chat.”

“Sure.”

As Yeon-woo said that, he took Shar with him and stepped back to sit near the campfire. Meanwhile, Ludiger and Killian began their conversation from a distance where only their silhouettes were visible.

‘They’re probably going to suggest something reasonable.’

[Shall we pull back for now and return to the guild?]

Yeon-woo nodded.

That was definitely what they would do. And Yeon-woo planned to accept that suggestion.

Because, originally, he had no intention of taking them back for another exploration of the ruins.

“I think it’s better to report to the guild and bring the nun over or assess the situation first.”

[The nun should definitely be able to handle the ruins. I agree with that. But what about those people?]

“I’m sorry, but until we return, we need to make sure that golems don’t wander outside. Except for the one we’re taking with us, not a single one should be allowed out.”

It might also be wise to check if there are any golems that might have slipped away while surveying the area.

“I’d prefer not to go searching myself…”

As those thoughts ran through Yeon-woo’s head, Killian walked over with a heavy sigh.

As Yeon-woo looked up at him, Killian spoke.

“Let’s head back for now.”

At that, Yeon-woo smiled brightly.

The next morning.

After organizing the situation, including bringing back Raxi, who provided precise directions to the ruins and nearby oasis, Yeon-woo set out first.

Killian sighed as he packed up the tent.

“What were we doing here again?”

“We came to pick up that guy…”

I’m sure that was the case; it’s just that I can’t figure out how it ended up like this.

Even as Killian continued to sigh deeply until everything was packed, his expression suddenly changed.

“Well, since it turned out like this, there’s no other choice. Ludiger, did you remember the scent? I’m leaving the search for any golems that might have leaked outside to you.”

“Um… Of course, with my sense of smell, I can find them even in the desert, but what are you planning to do in the meantime?”

“Well, I have to guard the entrance to the ruins. Not a single one can crawl out.”

“…Are you saying you’ll just sit around doing nothing?”

“Why do you put it that way? Do you think you can take down multiple golems without touching that fleshy mass? Even if I offered to sacrifice myself for you, that’s just unacceptable for you, isn’t it…?”

“Ugh! Fine, I get it, I’ll stop talking!”

Phew, successfully passing off this troublesome task.

*

After that, things went smoothly.

Instead of riding Raxi, I ran with a posture that looked like I was inside it, igniting my mana and aura, and somehow managed to arrive at Harmony City in just half a day.

After briefly leaving Raxi with the trader who sold him, Yeon-woo headed straight for the guild.

“These are the teeth. And this is the mana stone. Please check them out. Oh, the teeth will exceed the total amount, so if you could handle that on your own…?”

“Yes, yes.”

As Yeon-woo handed over the bag containing the materials along with his student ID, the plain receptionist hurried to start checking them out.

After all, the sandworm’s teeth aren’t particularly useful, so it was easier to offload them to a reliable guild.

“Yes, everything checks out. Hunter Choi Yeon-woo, two out of three requests you took on have been confirmed completed.”

“Alright, about that last one. Is the branch manager here right now?”

“Uh? Well… he should be here. What do you need him for?”

“There’s a situation with the ruins. I brought evidence. Can I take it out here?”

The receptionist, taken aback by Yeon-woo’s rashness, managed to maintain some composure.

Taking a calming breath, the receptionist focused her eyes sharply.

“Could you show me the evidence for a moment? If it seems valid, I can call for the guild leader.”

That was a reasonable suggestion.

Nodding, Yeon-woo leaned forward eagerly, cupping his left hand over his right as he spoke.

“It’s a bit unpleasant to look at, so let me cover it.”

“Y-Yes.”

The receptionist, stunned into silence by Yeon-woo’s actions, regained her composure and then froze as Yeon-woo fiddled with his ring.

Suddenly, the left arm of a golem that still had flesh clinging to it appeared inside the counter, seeking to grab the remaining parts for itself.

“Oop, this is…!”

“This is not a joke, it’s a real emergency. Please call for the guild leader immediately.”

Seeming unwell, the receptionist quickly covered her mouth and hurried to grab the phone at the reception desk.

Beep, beep, her trembling fingers punched in the numbers, and it seemed like something was connected before it hung up.

“You can go up to the reception room, Hunter. If you wait a moment, he will be with you soon.”

“Thank you.”

Thank goodness it’s not someone who can’t communicate. If they saw something this outrageous and didn’t believe it, they would have to have pretty thick skin.

“I’m taking this with me.”

“Uh, y-yes, thank you….”

Avoiding the horrified receptionist, Yeon-woo reached out and touched the golem’s left arm. As the grotesque arm faded into the storage, Yeon-woo headed towards the stairs next to the reception desk.

“Go up to the second floor and the leftmost room, Hunter.”

As he kept that voice behind him, Yeon-woo advanced to the reception room.

It was a neat room.

It might also function as a meeting room, for there was a large table in the center that could seat several people, and a projector sitting on top.

It wasn’t very distinctive, but it served its role faithfully.

As he waited while playfully messing around with the children, the door swung open, and someone walked in.

…Someone? No, it wasn’t a person. How could this be! I felt like a speciesist for a moment.

“Yawn. So, you requested a one-on-one meeting, huh?”

A massive bear walked in, yawning lazily while scratching its belly.

Usually, there aren’t bear beastmen in martial arts, and in Alkeion, a bear beastman typically refers to someone large with bear ears, but this was just a bear.

As the bear greeted him in a deep voice, Yeon-woo, surprised, quickly stood up to greet back.

“Hello, Guild Leader. I’m D-rank Hunter, Choi Yeon-woo.”

“Hmm. I’ll be up shortly. So, what’s going on? I heard it’s serious, so I rushed over, cutting my nap short. I’m the guild leader, Danjae-woo.”

Wow, shaking paws with a bear’s paw felt pretty unique.

In a typical martial arts narrative, this kind of anthropomorphic character rarely appears, so it was an oddly fascinating sensation.

“Could you please take a look at this first?”

“Sure, let’s see. That ring is an artifact, isn’t it?”

Oh, he has a good eye. Expecting someone capable, a glimmer of hope arose.

Yeon-woo nodded and fidgeted with the ring before dropping the golem’s body on the floor.

Thud, it made quite a loud noise, but Danjae-woo paid it no mind.

“…Ohhh.”

“I discovered this golem at the ruins in the White Sea Desert. There were a total of five floors, and only Stone Golems were present until the second floor. I faced numerous Stone Golems, and they all had this appendage.”

With a sense of purpose like a briefing, Yeon-woo continued explaining.

Characteristics, speculations, he disclosed most of what he knew to Danjae-woo.

From the moment he began explaining, Danjae-woo’s eyes had already sharpened, yet he continued to listen without interrupting.

“…For these reasons, I speculate that a foreign god exists on the fifth floor. Right now, I’ve made sure knowledgeable individuals are guarding it to prevent the golems from emerging, but once major forces start coming out, they might struggle to handle it.”

“I see. A research facility from another realm, huh….”

Danjae-woo raised his front paw and rubbed his nose.

I wondered if his claws would get stuck in his body.

Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, the bear grinned widely.

“Alright, as I listen, it doesn’t seem wrong, and you have confidence. Normally, they’d say judging solely by appearance isn’t good, but still, this visage is… quite peculiar.”

“Haha.”

That’s certainly true. It could look menacing, but it could also be a benevolent deity in disguise. However, for Yeon-woo, there was no choice.

If the desire to converse was present, they would’ve initiated the conversation themselves, right?

It wasn’t easy for a Hunter to approach a creature of unknown intent first.

“So, what will you do? Will you tackle this yourself, or would you prefer the guild to take it on? I’ll give you the choice, but of course, the guild will prepare for contingencies regardless.”

“Is it hunting rights? I plan to assess the situation for now…”

“Then, if you feel it’s necessary, do let me know. If I go more than four days without contact starting tomorrow, I’ll assume you’re dead and move in.”

This significantly improved the situation.

Should any unforeseen events occur, the guild would take action, and as long as Claire could be persuaded, they could likely advance to the fifth floor in one go.

‘Alright, I’ll name this operation “Hogahooui” (狐假虎威).’

[A dirty operation that even foreign gods would weep over.]

Hey, why so harsh? Let’s call it a safety-first initiative.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

---