Magical Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! Episode 014
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Watching a nine-year-old try her best to hold back tears made me feel like my conscience and sympathy were being tortured simultaneously, even though I hadn't done anything wrong.
"I'm sorry. To think an adult is my partner, *sniff*, *sob*……."
"That’s not the problem! First of all, dungeons are way too dangerous!"
"I only go to the safe spots, being super careful…… I’ve even cleared two dungeons, *hic*, I thought that would be enough to, *sniff*, become your partner……."
"You cleared two of them? Whoa, that’s amazing. Huh? You’ve got talent! So, when you’re older—"
My soulless praise was cut off instantly by the child’s retort.
"Don't force your praise. You think everyone is beneath you anyway……."
"Beneath me? Where did you learn a phrase like that!"
"From the Hunter community……. Everyone says that about you……."
"……."
For the first time, Si-heon pondered the negative impact of the internet on a child's development.
In front of Si-heon, who couldn't even offer a rebuttal, the tear factory hit the accelerator.
"It’s true, isn't it……. *Sniff*, *sob*! You think your partners are all trash, too? I’m sorry for asking you to be my trash……."
"That’s not what I meant! Hey, wait, sit down. Wipe your tears!"
Did she have a tissue? Jin Si-heon reached for his pocket, only to feel awkward as he ended up just stroking the rabbit’s belly.
"W-will this do?"
"Your rabbit ears?"
"I don't have any tissues. It’d be a waste to wipe them on that pretty outfit."
"*Sniff*……."
At the mention of her pretty outfit, Iji stopped crying for a moment. When Si-heon actually held out his rabbit ears, she even let out a small smile.
For the first time, Si-heon was glad he had turned into a rabbit.
‘If I had told her not to cry with my original face, I would’ve looked like a kidnapper threatening a kid!’
While Iji fiddled with his rabbit ears and sniffled, Si-heon desperately re-evaluated his reality.
He had no power to stop the kid from entering dungeons.
He had no money to end her dungeon exploration, either.
He had no obligation to stop her, but—
‘If something happens to that kid, something might happen to me, too.’
The current Jin Si-heon was a Magical Girl’s magic rabbit.
The moment Iji got hurt or lost her life, he might be trapped back in that horrific crystal.
There was only one conclusion.
"Shin Iji. Take your hands off my ears for a second and listen."
"Ah, okay!"
"I’ll join you on your dungeon explorations."
"Join me……?"
"I’m saying I’ll be your partner in the dungeon. However—"
Si-heon poured his magic into one of his front paws and slammed it into a nearby rock.
*CRACK!*
The rock shattered like broken honeycomb.
Iji’s jaw dropped.
"Whoa…… that’s super strong!"
Si-heon shook his aching paw, pretending it was perfectly fine, and said,
"As you can see, I’m very strong, so leave any troublesome work to me. Got it?"
"Yes! Thank you, I’m counting on you!"
Iji gave a polite, formal bow.
The warmth in his chest from that sight lasted only a moment.
Grimoire sighed in Si-heon’s ear.
[To see a man in such a desperate position acting so high and mighty makes my internal organs twist in disgust.]
"……."
[I will assist you if Iji wishes. But do not mistake me for a free guide.]
"I know. Don't worry, I won't act like you owe me anything."
It was only natural.
‘I don't even know what this book really is.’
The kid seemed to trust the book blindly, but an adult shouldn't be so naive.
While Si-heon was having a strange war of nerves with the book called Grimoire, Iji yawned until her mouth seemed like it would split.
"Haaah…… that’s weird, I’m so sleepy……."
[It seems your magic has reached its limit. Let’s go get some rest.]
"Ah, but I have to attend the tea party!"
[Those guys' tea party lasts forever, so you can go later.]
"Then……."
Iji looked down at Si-heon with worried eyes.
"Um, I’m going to close the skill now. I’ll call you again when my magic recovers, so hang in there."
"Don't worry about me, just focus on recovering."
Si-heon swallowed his embarrassment and added one more sentence.
"……Thank you."
"Hehe."
Iji said, struggling to keep her eyelids open.
"Because we’re partners!"
With those words, Grimoire blocked Si-heon’s vision with its pages.
Beyond the darkness, chaos unfolded once more.
All sorts of stimuli violently poured back into his senses—sight, smell, touch, and more.
Having tasted a brief moment of freedom, the pain was even more intense, but…….
Si-heon realized something had changed.
‘I’m sure there were six types of worlds visible until just a moment ago?’
Now, there were only five in total.
The section where the White Rabbit and the card soldiers were running wild had disappeared.
The gray color reflecting underneath like the base of a puzzle was…….
‘Looks like a normal Korean hospital ceiling.’
It was a much more stable landscape than a dungeon.
His sense of touch and smell also felt less chaotic than before.
‘Grimoire said my soul was scattered into six pieces and trapped in dungeons, right?’
It seemed that every time he recovered a piece of his soul, the dungeon stimuli felt by that soul disappeared as well.
That wasn't the only realization.
‘The dungeon noise is completely gone!’
His ears heard only sounds typical of a hospital.
The hum of machinery, the distant beep of an EKG, and so on.
Si-heon instinctively realized.
His physical body was currently lying in a hospital bed.
He still couldn't move a finger, but his mind felt at ease.
‘Every time I save a soul, the stimuli decrease, and my body in the hospital recovers its five senses one by one?’
The first soul he saved must have been in charge of hearing.
Jin Si-heon.
A 27-year-old who had long thought the world was total crap.
For the first time in a while, he felt that life was beautiful.
Right now, he felt like he could even love the person who asked him, "Do you know about the Tao?"
Just then, a voice was heard near what he presumed to be his hospital room.
"Nurse. They said that patient is a special disaster case and has no sensation. They can't even hear voices."
Closer. Someone answered softly.
"I know, but I’m doing it just in case."
"Don't overdo it."
The distant voice faded further away, and the soft voice drew closer.
"Hello, patient. Today is March 2x, 202x."
He felt like he could answer, but Si-heon didn't try. He wanted to hear the voice more.
"You were found on Inwangsan Mountain last December. Since identity verification and vital measurement are impossible, you are currently on bed rest and receiving conservative treatment. It seems there was a problem in a dungeon somewhere."
All of it was information Jin Si-heon needed.
‘Then again, since December.’
Had this nurse been talking to an unresponsive patient for three months?
‘Must be a kind pers…….’
"The high temperature today is 11 degrees, fine dust is at 85, and it’s estimated that there will be an influence of yellow dust."
‘…….’
"The KOSPI index closed at 4980.11 points yesterday. The exchange rate is 1,325 won per dollar."
‘……Is she kind?’
"The professional baseball opening game is the day after tomorrow at Jamsil. I won't tell you the results."
With those words, the nurse’s footsteps faded away.
‘Do people usually say things like that to an unconscious patient?’
Nevertheless. The moment he heard that nurse’s voice, he could forget the violence of all other stimuli.
— — —
* * *
After the rabbit Jin Si-heon disappeared, Iji instinctively looked back at the crystal. But the crystal was empty.
"Where did the rabbit mister go?"
[The soul must have instinctively gone to a comfortable place. If he went outside the dungeon, I can't track him, but don't worry, you can summon him anytime.]
Grimoire opened wide to show the middle of the book.
♧Friend List♧
No. 1
Jin Si-heon
Below the name, a black rabbit was drawn. The fierce look in its eyes, unlike a typical rabbit, looked exactly like Jin Si-heon.
[If you open this page and shout 'Summon Jin Si-heon', your friend will appear.]
"Wow! It’s really like a Magical Girl!"
[I’m glad you like the summoning method.]
Iji imagined calling her friend in her heart.
And then she hit a small snag.
[You don't look happy. Is there a problem?]
"Calling an adult by just their name is a bit……."
[Hmm. Shall we change it to something else?]
*Whoosh*, the text on the paper changed.
No. 1
Manure
"No! Bad words are not allowed!"
[Tch.]
The word 'Manure' changed back to Jin Si-heon. The handwriting looked strangely even more crooked than before.
‘Grimoire, you’re childish.’
Since it spoke like a school principal, I thought its mental age would be high.
But it acts just like the second-grade boys at Chamsae Elementary School.
[Then what do you want to change it to?]
"Hmm…… since he’s a Magical Girl’s partner, I’ll give him a cool stage name!"
[I’m sure he’ll love that.]
"Right! What should it be?"
[Take your time. Don't you still have to choose one more thing to decorate with the 'Gardener’s Song' skill?]
"Ah, right."
[Please, make a normal choice for the last one. Don't go picking up another chaotic friend!]
"……."
[We should be leaving the dungeon soon…… why aren't you following?]
Iji finished her brief contemplation and answered.
"I’ve decided what to decorate with 'Gardener’s Song'."
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