Damn Hunter Life Chapter 33
Ja Hyeong-woo was hopeless, but his whole body was telling the truth. This bastard can’t lie well.
‘Won’t it eventually get to the point where how many times I went to the bathroom, what I ate, and what I did all gets reported?’
Squeaky needs to learn to keep his mouth shut urgently.
As we headed toward the gate’s center where we had promised to meet up with Won Ha-ri’s group, we caught all the snakes we encountered. I shot arrows and Ja Hyeong-woo used long-range talismans.
I glanced at his profile as he concentrated.
‘If it had been Hae Mi-jun or Jin Seol-woon next to me, I would have suggested making a bet on who could catch more.’
Either way, isn’t Ja Hyeong-woo one of the few people around my age near me?
But when I imagined myself laughing and fooling around with Ja Hyeong-woo, my brow naturally furrowed.
‘It’s kind of cringey. Will such a day ever come?’
Casual conversation like we just had was rare between Ja Hyeong-woo and me. I had never once sought him out, and Ja Hyeong-woo also didn’t approach me on purpose.
Ja Hyeong-woo’s concern for me would be genuine. Because he has a nature full of compassion. Just like the original protagonist.
‘He would have cared about anyone else, not just me.’
However, unless you’re an idiot, you can’t help but notice that he’s especially more excessive toward me.
No matter how much of a troublemaker he is, we were childhood friends. …And almost the only friend in Ja Hyeong-woo’s life.
‘Only by desperately treating him badly can I manage to create even this much distance.’
Being slow, I kept falling behind. Ja Hyeong-woo matched my pace, reducing his stride and walking slowly.
Far from being frustrated, I could feel his consideration as he silently waited for me, which made me uncomfortable instead.
“At least curse at me once for being slow as hell.”
My breathing was labored, probably because I’d run out of arrows and was shooting ones made with earth abilities. I barely managed to move my mouth while trying not to pant too heavily.
Then Ja Hyeong-woo, who had been walking ahead, stopped abruptly. I almost bumped my forehead against his back.
“If I make you that uncomfortable, I’ll do as you want.”
If he was going to get angry, he should have done it earlier, but Ja Hyeong-woo seemed to explode at strange points.
“Right now we can’t go separate ways. You endure it.”
His words, spat out meticulously without showing his expression, subtly scratched at my insides.
“Ah…!”
Ja Hyeong-woo had been kicking away all the stones in front of me, but even that wasn’t enough—I stumbled on flat ground. I barely managed not to fall.
Ja Hyeong-woo quickly turned around.
“Watch where you’re stepping properly. Do you want to fall?”
Since he was already heated, his tone was harsher than before.
“If you want me to carry you on my back, keep doing that. But know that I won’t put you down even outside the gate.”
What kind of novel provocation is this? It’s groundbreaking for Ja Hyeong-woo.
“Who do you think would be scared? Go ahead and carry me.”
Originally, if we had gotten on each other’s nerves this much, we should have parted ways appropriately, but the problem was that we couldn’t distance ourselves since we were inside this damn gate.
That’s why you shouldn’t have followed me for practical training.
“If that’s how you’re going to be, I won’t end it just with carrying you on my back. I’ll carry you out in my arms.”
“Ah, go ahead and try.”
The thought gave me chills, but I deliberately pushed harder. As Ja Hyeong-woo’s training stimulus, I couldn’t be flustered by such petty tricks.
“What more can you do to me, huh?”
At those words, Ja Hyeong-woo stares at me with a strange look. Soon, his lips were opening as if to say something.
“You’re making noise to lure the boss, right? Right?”
A high, clear voice interrupted.
We must have reached the center where we were supposed to meet Won Ha-ri’s group. Myo Cho-hui approached with a bright smile. Her hair, which was usually in twin tails, was roughly tied into one and swayed.
Won Ha-ri, who would have moved alone with Myo Cho-hui, seemed to have faced no particular crises and was quietly waiting in the distance. Snake bodily fluids were on the blade she was holding.
“What Gang-hyeon should have done with Hyeong-woo was practice engaging in combat while protecting and covering the healer. Did you do that?”
…Who’s supposed to cover whom? Me covering him?
‘How am I supposed to cover that huge guy? You’re good at jokes, Successor Myo Cho-hui.’
Myo Cho-hui was kind even to a troublemaker like me. Dimples bloomed brightly on both sides of her mouth. It was exactly the smile that South Korean people go crazy for.
“……”
I wasn’t used to it, so I cleverly averted my gaze.
“If you’ve gotten used to it, let’s start the gate conquest. It’s not good to leave gates unattended for long periods either.”
If gates are left alone for too long, energy spills out beyond the cracks. Then trees, buildings, and the surrounding environment all get damaged. Extended citizen control is also troublesome.
“We haven’t found the boss monster yet, so should we split up again to search? This time, how about Ha-ri goes with Hyeong-woo and Gang-hyeon comes with me?”
I could tell that my face had probably turned even paler than before. Myo Cho-hui, who was so small she didn’t even reach my shoulders, grabbed my sleeve while grinning.
A gentle and harmless appearance wherever you looked.
However.
‘Having read the original work and knowing about Myo Cho-hui…’
I think Ja Hyeong-woo would be better than being alone with Myo Cho-hui.
“No.”
I thought I had just spoken out loud.
It wasn’t me but Ja Hyeong-woo. With that large frame of his, Ja Hyeong-woo looked down at Myo Cho-hui as if he would crush her and said firmly.
“Gyeon Gang-hyeon will continue to stay with me. Let’s maintain the search groups as they are.”
Myo Cho-hui raised the corners of her mouth a little more and smiled brightly. It could have looked like a cheerful appearance that wasn’t displeased even with opposing opinions.
But she showed not even a hint of bewilderment, making her look somewhat doll-like.
“Shouldn’t Ha-ri also get used to the feeling of accompanying a healer? What do you think, Ha-ri?”
“Huh? Oh, I’d like to try practicing various things too.”
Won Ha-ri, who becomes an obedient youngest member to other successors except me, flinched in surprise before timidly expressing her opinion.
It was a natural answer since they were colleagues who would need to work together in the future. There was no longer any legitimate reason for me not to go with Myo Cho-hui.
Ja Hyeong-woo just turned around without looking at me. Won Ha-ri quickly followed after such Ja Hyeong-woo.
I just stood there blankly, then followed behind when Myo Cho-hui took the first step, saying “Shall we go too?”
‘It’s surprising that Ja Hyeong-woo, that bastard, tried to stay longer with me whom he dislikes—’
It was surprising but understandable. Well, Ja Hyeong-woo was an early member of the successors like Myo Cho-hui.
It’s probably because he knows Myo Cho-hui… well.
We continued searching the gate. A rabbit doll hanging from a string on Myo Cho-hui’s weapon—a glaive larger than her own height—swayed.
Perhaps finding just walking boring, Myo Cho-hui started talking to me. The conversation topic she brought up was about me at the Busan Gate.
While Myo Cho-hui praised me for saving the healer at that time, I had nothing else to look at so I watched that doll.
“I knew you would awaken someday. To fight so magnificently right after awakening.”
“Yes, well.”
It wasn’t that I was giving a shy answer because the praise was unfamiliar. Myo Cho-hui’s praise was genuinely uncomfortable.
“See, you’re someone who can do it when you try. You’ll show us more amazing things in the future, right?”
“…Yes.”
I couldn’t go much further before I stopped.
“Could I… rest a bit? I’m tired.”
All that talk about amazing things just died.
It wasn’t just because I was reluctant to be with Myo Cho-hui for long—my legs were genuinely strained. The more I continued walking, the more it felt like my leg ligaments were being squeezed. Eventually, I declared surrender to Myo Cho-hui.
“Mm, let’s do that! Will you really be okay if you rest?”
“I can’t guarantee it.”
“Then I’ll look for the boss. But it’s dangerous to leave you alone, so let’s do this.”
While I was sitting on a rock to rest, I flinched at the sensation of something climbing up my ankle.
It wasn’t a snake monster. It was Myo Cho-hui’s green wooden vines.
“This way, I can monitor your vital signs from far away. If monsters attack, I’ll move the vines to help you dodge. This way it’s safe.”
The wooden vines didn’t stop and continued growing, climbing up my body.
“Is this right?”
“This way it’s safer! Well then, rest up, I’ll be back.”
Myo Cho-hui spun her glaive around to get a better grip and shot out like an arrow. I didn’t have a chance to stop her.
And I, left alone—
“Huh.”
Was fidgeting because of the wooden vines that had somehow grown into three strands and were gripping me even tighter.
‘I can’t move?’
The vines wrapped around me and moved my limbs as they pleased. My arms and legs were spread wide apart.
They definitely said they would protect me, but judging by the position alone, it looked like I was telling monsters, ‘Please catch me.’
“Successor Myo Cho-hui? Noona?”
Myo Cho-hui is older than me. I called several times, but it remained quiet.
At this moment, the ground beneath where I was tied and suspended began shaking uneasily, then caused an earthquake.
Rumble—. The ground visible in my field of vision writhed. Small stones flew in all directions, and the wooden vines and my clothes fluttered together.
The resonance of some gigantic life form digging tunnels underground and writhing as it approached.
Very, very ominous. I shouted loudly.
“Successor Myo Cho-hui!”
However, the owner of the wooden vines didn’t appear immediately, and only the earthquake grew stronger. Now my whole body was shaking so much that my teeth were chattering.
This, no matter how I think about it, leads to only one conclusion.
Objectively, if I were to see my situation and appearance from a third-person perspective.
‘Myo Cho-hui used me as bait to quickly draw the boss monster out of the ground.’
To make good use of me even when I’m exhausted and can’t move.
While she was praising me and packaging it nicely, this is the extent of the value Myo Cho-hui places on me.
As the vibrations grew stronger and a large life form rose from underground, I broke out in a cold sweat.
Even though I knew from reading the original work, seeing it in reality was scary.
Not the cheerful image known to the public, but the true nature of the person called Myo Cho-hui.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
