Chapter 211: Blue’s Move (1)
— Prrrng!
The white and black unicorns chased each other in a lively race. The yard was fairly spacious, yet it felt almost too small for their speed and energy. Whitey dashed across the grass in an instant.
Thud!
He leaped up, kicked off the wall, and bolted in the opposite direction as if he were flying. If he wanted to, he could easily clear a two-meter-high wall with a single bound. And the most impressive part was that he wasn’t even using any skills—it was pure physical ability.
‘Should I build a track or something around here?’
If I laid down a path around the breeding facility, they could run to their heart’s content. Or maybe it would be better to move Whitey and Blacky somewhere even more spacious.
[Hunter Park Yerim is scheduled to depart for Japan tomorrow.]
Yerim-related news was playing on the TV mounted on the breeding facility wall. The footage showed excited people already waving banners and cheering in support.
“That’s the school Yerim used to go to.”
A huge banner wishing for Park Yerim’s victory hung above the school’s main gate. The students rushed forward, crowding in front of the camera, their faces all beaming with joy. Their bright, high-pitched voices seemed to ring out beyond the TV screen.
A smile formed on my face, but then the phone rang. It was Do Hamin. When I answered, he said he had almost finished investigating the information I had requested and told me to come pick it up.
“…Uh, after I get back from Japan.”
I told him I’d grab it then and ended the call. But a cold chill ran down my spine. The thought of facing those people in person made my insides twist. Even apart from fear, the lingering emotions clawed at my chest.
Had I been too naive? I thought that even if I faced those I had lost, I would be okay now. But instead, even my relationships with Seok Gimyeong and Kim Seonghan, which had been fine until now, were growing more strained.
Seong Hyunjae’s words resurfaced in my mind. He had said I had merely painted over the cracks. And right now, those words cut even deeper. He was right. He was absolutely right. Painfully right.
‘…Just avoiding and covering things up is never the right solution.’
But then, what else was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to do? As soon as I realized something was wrong, should I have immediately taken action, raised my voice, and corrected everything? Sure, in an ideal world, that would be great. Everyone would want that.
But not everyone can resolve every problem so easily. In reality, most people can’t. They hold back, fearing that stepping forward will only make things worse. That the situation will spiral out of control, becoming too big for them to handle. That things will get even more tangled in the process.
And I had always been a weakling who couldn’t easily speak up—before, and even further back.
‘It’s okay, Yuhyun.’
How old had I been? When I hugged my little brother and whispered those words?
I had always known there was a wall between our parents and us. There was no way not to know. But keeping that wall intact was the only way to protect my brother. Yuhyun and I were still too young, still reliant on our parents’ care and support.
So, our family had to be normal and peaceful. Our parents had to have a good relationship. My brother and I had to get along well. We had to be a perfectly fine, harmonious family.
‘I took care of everything myself. We’re doing well. There’s no problem at all.’
As long as I ignored the problems, as long as I left the flaws untouched, everything would be fine. Even if things weren’t fine, if I poked at them the wrong way, we could lose everything. If our parents gave up on us completely, abandoning us entirely, there would be no way to fix it.
What could a child possibly do?
And even now, it was the same.
The piled-up mess—how was I supposed to deal with all of it? When? How long would it take? It wasn’t as if the world would wait for me.
Dragging everything out into the open, examining it, comforting it, healing it—one or two years wouldn’t be nearly enough. And even then, there was no guarantee that things would ever go back to normal.
So, I had no choice but to paint over the cracks and keep moving. There was no other option. When something broke, I had to patch it up and repaint it. That was the only way. I had to pretend I was fine, act as if nothing was wrong, and keep moving forward, even if it was out of sheer stubbornness.
…If there was a better way, I’d like to know it. I really would.
— Biiing.
“…Huh?”
Sorok tugged at the hem of my clothes with his mouth, then flopped down. Sprawled out on the grass, he stretched his neck and nibbled on my pant leg this time, pulling at it.
“What, you want me to sit with you? Alright, I’ll sit.”
The grass was still fresh and green. As I sat down, the scent of the earth grew even stronger. Sorok rested his head on my lap. I gently stroked his soft ears and the two round spots where his future antlers would grow.
He ate dried fruit well enough, but that was only useful for training purposes. There was a limit to how much he could eat, and I couldn’t just let him overindulge.
“I gave up on training you. Hunter Hyunah said it was fine to take it slow, too. You should be grateful to Blue.”
Since she was the one going into dungeons in his place. Not that Blue seemed to mind—if anything, she seemed to prefer it.
Sorok’s snowy white ears twitched. The young fawn, with his eyes half-closed, stretched out lazily, as if nothing in the world could bother him. He was like a floating, drifting cloud.
Just watching him made me feel relaxed, as if all the tension had been gently unraveled.
“You’re still going to grow into an amazing deer, Sorok. Things that are built slowly, steadily, and patiently become the strongest. You’ll be magnificent—unshakable and always composed.”
A grand stag with a crown-like pair of majestic, beautiful antlers appeared in my mind. His deep black eyes would be warm and gentle.
A breeze stirred the air. The rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed in the distance. I felt like I could sit here for days. But I had to get up. Right on cue, my phone rang again—this time, it was from Haeyeon.
“Yes, I’ll bring her over right away.”
Blue had grown too large to stay in the breeding facility’s garden indefinitely. That’s why we built a new breeding area near the advanced hunter training center. For now, it was just an open field with a shelter for Blue, but eventually, other fully grown monsters would be moved there—except for those like Peace, who could shrink in size.
I had even proposed to the association that we use the entire mountain nearby as a dedicated space for monster mounts to roam freely.
When I stepped outside and called for Blue, she quickly swooped down from above.
— Kyah!
As always, she was full of energy. I stroked her beak affectionately.
“You’re moving today, Blue. I wish you could understand me.”
Since she couldn’t speak, I wasn’t sure how well she’d adjust. But the people who had been feeding her and cleaning her shelter were moving with her, so that should help. Visitors from the nearby hunter training center would probably play with her, too.
The new place was much better than here. She wouldn’t have to worry about space and could fly freely over the mountains.
“…And why are you here?”
When I arrived at the building’s parking lot with Blue, I found Yuhyun waiting alongside a container truck. Since Blue wasn’t officially part of Haeyeon, I had only borrowed the vehicle and a driver.
“I wanted to check out the new place since Haeyeon’s monster mounts will be moving there eventually, too.”
Whitey and Blacky would end up there once they were fully grown, but the facility wasn’t even fully equipped yet. And here he was—the guild leader himself.
He had been sticking around me so much lately that even Seok Gimyeong had asked me to subtly remind him to return to work at the guild. I had sent him back just last night, and yet, here he was again after only half a day.
“Aren’t you swamped with work?”
“I finished all the urgent stuff. Besides, everyone’s attention is on Hunter Park Yerim right now, so even my new S-rank dungeon clear record barely made the news.”
Had it really been overlooked, or had someone made sure it was? Either way, at least he had gotten some work done.
Yuhyun followed me into the container with Blue. The trip would take nearly two hours, even with no traffic. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable ride. I had padded one side of the floor and brought cushions, but still.
The container door shut, and the truck began to move. Blue lay down quietly and let out a long yawn.
“Yerim was so excited about going to Japan. The match is important, sure, but this is also her first proper international trip. Kind of like a family vacation, too.”
She had been insisting that I join her and Hyunah to shop for swimsuits. It took some effort to refuse.
“And for us, it’s a first, too.”
I turned to look at my brother sitting beside me. We had never really had the chance to travel. We simply couldn’t afford it. Aside from that one trip to Hong Kong, this was the first time.
“If nothing had happened, I was thinking we’d go after your college entrance exams.”
These days, international travel had declined, but back then, it was common for people to go abroad.
For this Japan trip, they had arranged a private jet and booked an entire hotel for security reasons. Of course, it would be a top-tier luxury hotel, and everything would be extravagant.
If it had just been the two of us traveling normally, we would’ve taken a regular flight and stayed in a modest hotel. Maybe even something small and cheap, trying to save as much as possible, simply cherishing the fact that it was our first overseas trip. And yet, that would have been really nice, too.
“We can go anytime, Hyung. As long as it’s not somewhere too far, taking a few days off isn’t a big deal. Hunter Kim Seonghan is about to become vice guild leader, and Hunter Park Yerim is around, too, so you can step away for a bit. You can even change your appearance and travel quietly.”
“Yerim would get mad.”
“I’m your brother, Hyung. She’ll just have to deal with it.”
His casual certainty made me chuckle. Yeah, my brother is you, Yuhyun. It’s only ever been you. Only you. …My brother is—
“Hyung.”
Yuhyun called me hesitantly.
“I think I misspoke earlier.”
“Hm? About what?”
“When I told you not to worry too much about me and Hunter Park Yerim. Even though you have high-ranking skills and get support from others, your actual stats are no different from an ordinary person’s. Because of your fear resistance skill and how much you know about dungeons and hunters, I assumed you were fine without thinking deeper about it.”
“I really am fine.”
“No, Hyung.”
If anything, I had more experience than him.
“And there’s also a possibility that your skills caused some side effects. There are cases similar to yours.”
“…Cases similar to mine?”
“Yeah. It’s something that happens a lot with mid-rank hunters. When they first awaken, some struggle to fully grasp reality. Their normal world suddenly changes, and they start feeling like they’re dreaming or playing a game. So, outwardly, they seem fine, fearlessly entering dungeons and acting like proper hunters. But then, one day, reality suddenly hits them.”
I had heard about this before. I had even encountered similar cases firsthand.
“They say that after a few months, when reality suddenly crashes down on them all at once, all their past experiences turn into fear. Some can’t overcome it and end up retiring. That’s why guilds have started paying special attention to newly awakened mid-rank hunters.”
They call it ‘special attention,’ but wasn’t that just a way of pushing rookies hard in their first dungeon raid so they’d quickly grasp reality? It was the most effective method, after all.
“The fear resistance skill might be affecting you in a similar way, Hyung. It could be keeping you from fully sensing reality. Lately, you seem more uneasy, too. And considering the nature of mental resistance skills, the possibility is high. If you’re open to it, would you consider turning off the skill and talking to a counselor?”
“A counselor?”
“Yeah. There are specialists who work with hunters. This one was already a qualified and experienced counselor before awakening, and they’ve been a hunter for over two years now.”
Yuhyun had looked into it in advance. He assured me that confidentiality was guaranteed.
“…No, I’m fine.”
What would I even say if I went? There was nothing to talk about. Not to a counselor, not to anyone. Even if I wanted to let it all out, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“If you ever change your mind, just tell me. I can make sure no one else finds out.”
“Really, I’m okay. Sorry for making you worry.”
Yuhyun looked at me silently for a moment before speaking.
“Don’t say sorry. I’m glad I can worry about you. …I know it sounds a bit strange, but I really am.”
“…You’re something else.”
I didn’t know what to say. Yu Myungwoo’s words suddenly came to mind—Just say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ That’s all it takes. Yerim had said something similar. So had Noah.
“…Thanks.”
Yuhyun smiled brightly. His eyes curved softly, and warmth filled my chest, sweet and comforting. Unable to resist, I pulled him into a tight hug and ruffled his hair.
“Why are you still this cute at twenty?”
Holding him close like this—I could manage. It was just five years. I could endure. I was used to ignoring things, enduring them, avoiding them. I had survived on my own before. I could do it again. Another five years… somehow, I’d get through it.
It would be fine. I wasn’t alone. I just had to hang on a little longer.
“I love you, little brother.”
Just a little longer.
The truck came to a stop.
When I stepped out of the container, the unfinished walls of the new breeding facility came into view. It was designed to be spacious enough for fully grown monster mounts to roam freely. A large artificial lake was also planned, with water drawn from a nearby source. We had to prepare for whatever monsters we might bring in.
The first structure completed was Blue’s home. The training grounds and other facilities were still far from finished, but it didn’t matter—Blue was a flying type, so walls were pointless for her anyway.
“Blue, that’s your new home.”
At the far end of the area stood a tall, tower-like structure. The top featured a sturdy platform with a nest-like house shaped like a giant pot. A broad landing pad extended in front of it.
“A home, you know? Home.”
— Kyawoo.
Blue tilted her beak slightly before soaring into the air. She landed on the platform and poked her head into the nest to inspect the interior. Then, satisfied, she hopped inside.
The size seemed perfect. It could easily fit two golden griffons. Maybe I’d bring in another griffon someday. They lived in groups, so she’d probably enjoy having a companion.
“Director Han! You brought your brother along, too?”
An engine rumbled nearby, followed by a familiar voice.
Moon Hyunah.
A convertible jeep pulled up beside us. Instead of using the door, she just vaulted over the side to get out.
“What brings you here?”
“Well, I heard Blue was arriving today, so I came to check out the place. Not that there’s much to see yet.”
She added that she was also here to inspect the construction of Sorok’s home. She gazed up at Blue, who had poked her head out of the nest, and nodded approvingly.
“Yerim said her flight speed is insane.”
“We haven’t measured it officially, but she has a flight skill and can reduce air resistance, so she must be pretty fast.”
With S-rank stats and powerful wings, she could probably reach several hundred kilometers per hour. Even regular birds could fly at speeds around 150 km/h, and with her skills, she’d be even faster.
Hearing that, Moon Hyunah grinned.
“If her diving speed is even faster, she might break the sound barrier.”
She was still a living creature, so I doubted she could reach that level… but who knew? Some people had already proven capable of blowing up massive cruise ships.
“Since you’re here, do you want to take a tour, Hyung?”
Moon Hyunah opened the backseat door of her jeep. I nodded and got in with Yuhyun.
–TL Notes–
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