As life grew busier, time seemed to accelerate.
Before I knew it, two weeks had already passed since my forced return to Earth from Veiliah.
“No… it’s really strange, you know? Don’t you think so?”
As Arche Vermilion’s first subordinate, I found myself enduring Sakura’s slurred, drunken rambling.
A first subordinate vampire working a part-time job.
No matter how many times I thought about it, it was truly an ill-fitting combination.
“What exactly is so strange?”
“Well, you know, it’s… the gates closing on their own. It’s happened four times already, you know? Today, a gate even closed by itself when another hunter was on duty, not me!”
Naturally, this was to be expected.
Over the past two weeks, I had secretly cleared exactly four gates.
One E-rank, two D-rank, and one C-rank.
Regrettably, apart from the Environmental Assimilation skill stone I acquired from the first D-rank gate I cleared, I hadn’t obtained any other skill stones.
However, the experience points had been quite substantial.
‘The experience was sweet.’
The total experience gained from clearing these four gates amounted to 81%.
If I were to clear just one or two more gates, my bond’s rank would ascend from C to B.
What would happen once the bond grew to B-rank?
Would my physical capabilities evolve to that of a B-rank hunter?
‘It truly is fast.’
This was a growth rate so violent, so rapid, that other hunters could barely even dream of it.
If I continued to steadily clear gates like this, perhaps I could regain my original power in the not-too-distant future.
“Everyone kept saying they didn’t believe me, but then they saw it with their own eyes and their eyes went wide. Ha, honestly. What a bunch of ridiculous people.”
“Gates closing on their own… that’s quite an unusual phenomenon. I worry something frightening might be happening.”
“Ehehe, don’t worry. Your oppa (TL Note: A Korean term used by females to address an older male friend or brother.) will be protected by me, this super strong A-rank hunter! I’m a public order hunter, after all!”
An A-rank hunter, the very cause of the gate anomaly, proudly puffing out their chest and telling me not to worry.
It was both amusing and unsettling.
“Puhaha. Oh, oppa. Do you know about that?”
Sakura, having taken a small sip of her Blue Hawaii, playfully poked my arm and spoke.
“About what?”
“Lately, there’s… a scary rumor going around. They say a lot of murders have been happening nearby.”
Hearing only half of Sakura’s words, I instinctively realized the truth.
Ah.
This is about me too.
“This area usually has poor public safety, so it’s not surprising, is it?”
“That’s true, but… it’s been happening even more often lately. And the really scary thing is… all the victims are either villains or criminals. That’s why there’s a rumor circulating online.”
“What rumor?”
Sakura, her face flushed, furrowed her brow and gently shook her head as she spoke.
“The rumor is that a crazy murderer who only kills villains has appeared in this neighborhood. Ugh… it’s a little scary.”
Hmm.
That crazy villain murderer, they’d probably lose if they fought you.
Listening silently as an acquaintance described how terrifying I was, the feeling was too bizarre to articulate.
“Well, if they’re only killing villains, wouldn’t that be fine?”
“Still! Recklessly killing people isn’t right! They should be properly apprehended and brought to justice. If you just kill them, things get complicated in many ways, you know? The world will fall into chaos.”
“For once, you’ve said something quite sensible.”
“…Is it really okay for a bartender to tease a customer like that?”
Sakura narrowed her eyes, glaring at me with a pout.
“If you don’t like me, you can just go over to where the boss is, can’t you?”
I shifted my gaze, gesturing towards Gong Wiseon, who was skillfully taking another customer’s order and preparing a drink.
Sakura glanced briefly at where Gong Wiseon stood.
“…I don’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“Hmm… well…”
At my question, Sakura fidgeted with her fingers like a child caught in a misdeed.
Then, she leaned in slightly, carefully whispering into my ear.
Her breath tickled my ear.
“…That ajusshi (TL Note: A Korean term for a middle-aged man.) looks suspicious, you know?”
So, you think so too, huh?
Feeling a strange sense of shared understanding, I let out a small chuckle and spoke.
“He’s kind and friendly, though. You should try talking to him sometime.”
“I’ll do it… slowly… later… Ah! Right! Oppa! Speaking of which, I’m in big trouble!”
“Big trouble?”
“I’ve been staying at a hotel, and now all my money is running out! So I need to find somewhere else to live besides a hotel… can you tell me how to find a place?”
“Well, that’s no problem. But you’re short on money?”
An A-rank hunter should have a decent income; why would they be short on funds?
“Ah, well. Public order hunters usually get paid similarly, regardless of their rank. I guess it’s because their duties are all pretty much the same.”
“Ah, I see.”
Indeed, public order hunters are more akin to patrolling civil servants than true hunters.
“Heeing… I could do well if I went into a gate too.”
As Sakura was not yet a full citizen of the Republic of Korea, she was legally prohibited from entering gates.
There was a clear reason why someone of her caliber, an A-rank hunter, was working as a public order hunter.
Poor girl.
“If you’re not exactly flush with cash, Ms. Sakura, why do you come here so regularly? It must be quite a burden.”
Sakura visited White Deer (TL Note: The name of the bar.) roughly every other day.
While White Deer wasn’t particularly more expensive than other bars, it likely imposed a considerable burden on Sakura, given her tight financial situation.
At that moment, Sakura lowered her head slightly and mumbled.
“…because.”
“Pardon? I didn’t hear you.”
“…When I come here, I can talk to scrawny oppa, you know? Talking to oppa is fun. I can forget all the bad things.”
“……”
“Besides oppa, there’s no one else who listens to me, you know?”
A truly strange feeling settled over me.
Perhaps it was because it had been so long since I’d been treated specially by anyone other than Arche Vermilion.
‘…What a strange turn of events.’
When I had first returned to Earth, I certainly hadn’t imagined I would form any close relationships.
How had I ended up forging such an unusual connection with this innocent girl?
Was it because both she and I were solitary figures?
Truly, no one can predict the course of life.
However, I couldn’t allow us to grow any closer.
If we became any more intimate, I would only suffer heartache upon my eventual return to Veiliah.
“If you ever have something difficult to bear, confide in me. I’ll listen until you’re tired of talking.”
As I shrugged and spoke, Sakura, her face flushed with emotion, closed her eyes tightly and asked.
“Then… are we tomadachi (TL Note: Japanese for ‘friends’)?”
“Tomadachi?”
“Tomadachi. Friends.”
Friends.
The word, upon reaching my ears, sent a sudden ache through my chest.
Unpleasant memories resurfaced.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, shaking my head internally.
It had happened more than a decade ago.
It no longer concerned me in the slightest.
…Phew.
That’s better.
Still, friends, huh.
I pondered for a brief moment.
The deliberation wasn’t long.
If it was merely a casual acquaintance, a friend in passing, there would be no issue.
“Friends are good, aren’t they? Yes, let’s be friends.”
To that extent, I wouldn’t suffer too much heartache when the time came for me to return.
“…Really?”
“Why would I lie?”
Perhaps feeling bashful, Sakura let out a shy giggle and scratched her head.
“…Ehehe.”
It was a truly happy smile.
****
“You worked hard.”
“Yoo Sihyeon, you worked hard too. Please return safely.”
Finally, it was time to leave.
Today had been another grueling day.
After bowing to the boss, I trudged outside.
As the cool night air brushed against my skin, a yawn escaped me unbidden. I then boarded a bus, heading towards the bus stop.
I spent some time staring blankly out the window, then disembarked at the station near my home.
The quiet journey home.
Walking steadily forward, my gaze fixed ahead, I suddenly halted.
“…”
A surge of magical energy was detected nearby.
It wasn’t a gate, nor was it a surge phenomenon.
In that case, there was only one answer.
‘A villain.’
At this late hour, any being emitting magical energy outdoors was typically a villain.
Judging by the magical signature… it seemed to be a single individual.
‘I was feeling rather thirsty, as it happened.’
After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided this was an opportune time to sate my thirst for blood.
I stealthily slipped into a nearby alleyway.
Once I deemed the location suitable, and having confirmed the absence of CCTV cameras, I adopted my combat form.
The moment my attire transformed, a surge of power coursed through my body, rendering it strong and resilient.
‘This way, I wouldn’t be too late.’
I had to track the magical signature and reach the location before the villain ceased using their power.
Activating my Environmental Assimilation skill, I rendered my body semi-transparent and swiftly moved towards the source of the magical energy.
Leaping over walls with ease, I traversed the alleyways, taking the shortest route to reach the villain.
‘If only I could summon my wings and fly.’
It was truly regrettable that my weakened bond prevented me from summoning my wings.
Before long, I arrived at the scene.
“P-please… please spare me…! This is all I have…”
“Really? This is all? Ugh, don’t joke around. It’s not funny at all.”
A villain, brandishing a sword, was extorting valuables from a pedestrian.
I longed to ambush and finish them off immediately, but the problem lay with Environmental Assimilation.
This skill deactivated the moment any external impact was applied to my body, meaning my identity would be revealed as soon as I attacked or was attacked.
A rash move would expose my presence to that pedestrian.
Yet, I was disinclined to carelessly take the life of an innocent passerby.
At first glance, it might have seemed like a frustrating situation with no apparent solution.
‘There’s always a way.’
Fortunately, having grown somewhat accustomed to villain hunting, I knew how to handle such predicaments.
Muffling my footsteps, I cautiously approached the pedestrian from behind.
Then, with a precise, measured strike, I chopped the back of the pedestrian’s neck just hard enough to render them unconscious.
“Urgh!”
At my timely intervention, the terrorized pedestrian crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Concurrently, Environmental Assimilation naturally deactivated, revealing my form.
“What…!”
Though startled by my sudden appearance, the villain quickly assessed the situation and lunged at me with their sword.
However, I had no intention of being struck by such a predictable attack.
I deftly sidestepped the thrust, then struck the villain’s hand with considerable force.
With that, the sword flew from their grasp, seeming to float in the air.
A firm grip on one’s sword was a basic tenet for any swordsman.
This villain was far less skilled than I had anticipated.
Snatching the sword from mid-air, I immediately slashed the villain’s throat.
“…!”
Before the villain could even cry out, I plunged the sword into their leg, subduing them instantly.
Soon after, my fangs pierced their neck, hungrily drawing forth blood.
It was the same familiar repertoire with every villain hunt.
Now, even cutting them down elicited little to no emotion—.
…Hm?
“…?”
Suddenly, a powerful surge of magical energy emanated from nearby.
What was that?
Something was approaching.
Something unknown, possessing immense magical power.
It was coming here, now.
And fast.
What on earth was happening?
Just as a shiver ran down my spine from the inexplicable turn of events—.
-Bang!!
A gunshot rang out.
