* * *
At eight in the evening, I heard the front door open. I went straight outside and saw a familiar face entering the house. It was Uncle.
“Heewon!”
Uncle ran to me as soon as he took off his shoes, his face full of worry.
Despite the chaos caused by the dungeon break, he had come rushing over, worried about me.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Really okay?”
“Really, I’m fine. Are you okay, Uncle?”
“There’s no reason for me not to be.”
Despite his words, Uncle’s face showed undeniable signs of fatigue.
The Hunter Administration Bureau often gets criticized for its incompetence in identifying the G.O.
However, thanks to Uncle, a key figure in the bureau, I’ve managed to remain unidentified.
One of Uncle’s abilities is [Persuasion].
It’s an A-rank attribute that has allowed him to consistently persuade the higher-ups at the bureau that it’s more beneficial to leave the G.O unidentified rather than actively searching for it.
Uncle’s usual charisma and his attribute ensured the success of his persuasion.
Of course, there must have been some reasons attached to his arguments that I’m unaware of, but thanks to him, the bureau hasn’t put much effort into tracking the G.O.
There are individuals who track the G.O independently, but I also create alibis and pretend to exert G.O’s powers in various places to avoid detection.
So far, my identity remains undiscovered.
“Get some rest, Uncle.”
“Yes, I need to rest… Oh, Gunho, you’re here too.”
Baek Gunho, who had barged into my evening commute and followed me home, emerged from the room and approached me with a diligent smile.
“Hello, Uncle. I’ll set the table, so please wash up.”
“Oh, did Gunho make this?”
Uncle sniffed around and asked. The house was filled with the subtle scent of kimchi stew and stir-fried pork that Baek Gunho had cooked earlier.
“Thank you for always taking care of Heewon.”
“It’s nothing, Heewon is my friend.”
Baek Gunho’s obsequiousness made my skin crawl. This guy, who isn’t even affectionate towards his own parents, was strangely courteous to Uncle.
While Baek Gunho reheated the stew, I scooped the rice and took out side dishes from the fridge. As soon as I set the table, Uncle came out of the bathroom.
I sat next to Baek Gunho, who was peeling fruit across from Uncle. As expected of an S-rank sword wielder, Baek Gunho peeled the apple with impressive precision and thinness.
“How have you been lately?”
Uncle asked, looking warmly at Baek Gunho after his first bite. Even though he knew worrying about Baek Gunho was the most useless worry in the world, it was a kind question.
“Thanks to you, Uncle, I’ve been doing well.”
Baek Gunho replied, splitting the apple in half and removing the seeds. He then sliced the apple into bite-sized pieces and handed one to me with a fork.
“Uncle, you seem really busy these days. Are you okay?”
“I’m managing.”
“I heard the Hunter Association has been bothering you lately. Should I deal with them for you?”
“Just hearing you offer is enough. They’re just doing their jobs, it’s fine.”
“Please let me know if you ever need anything.”
“Sure, sure.”
Uncle graciously accepted Baek Gunho’s fawning. After quickly finishing his meal, Uncle got up from the table.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Okay, take care.”
As soon as Uncle appeared, Baek Gunho retreated as if nothing had happened, though he had been vigilantly watching over me all this time.
Of course, once he stepped out,
Baek Gunho: Let me know immediately if anything happens.
Gunho sent a message.
Ignoring the message, I sat next to Uncle on the sofa. As he flipped through TV channels, Uncle spoke up.
“Shinhae asked you to stop by.”
“Is it urgent?”
“No… seems like he has something to give you.”
“Alright, I’ll stop by.”
“Mm.”
Uncle briefly responded and stopped at a drama channel. It was airing a popular drama these days.
Watching the commercials, Uncle murmured seriously.
“I missed the last episode.”
“The male lead awakened after seeing the female lead attacked by a monster.”
“Really, finally?”
“Yes, it ended right there…”
Right on cue, the commercials ended, and the drama began. Uncle and I sat together, engrossed in the show.
After the drama ended, Uncle went to his room early. He must have fallen asleep quickly, given how busy and tired he always was. I also returned to my room and collapsed on my bed.
Baek Gunho: Nothing unusual?
There was another message from Baek Gunho. Normally, he would’ve sent more messages until I responded, but he must have sent only one more because Uncle was with me.
I briefly replied [ㅇㅇ] and tossed my phone aside.
“Sigh…”
As I lay on the bed, memories of the morning flooded back, making my face flush. Baek Gunho’s breath and warmth lingered persistently.
I silently screamed and punched my pillow.
‘Baek Gunho, you bastard!’
This jerk, who doesn’t know anything, just kept stirring up trouble. He kept adding fuel to the fire without giving me a chance to calm down. It was just like him to attract attention everywhere.
Even after causing such a ruckus, he could’ve left me alone for a day, but no, Baek Gunho had to come find me right after work.
If Uncle hadn’t shown up, he would’ve stayed by my side, draining me until I went to bed.
“Seriously…”
Just as I sighed softly, something moved at the foot of my bed.
…A bug?
I looked down in surprise and was startled.
“…Dust?”
It was too big to be dust. Looking closer, it seemed like a tiny black kitten wriggling on the floor. But it wasn’t a real kitten. The ends of its fur were flickering like tiny sparks.
It was a monster.
“How did you…”
I murmured unconsciously, then quickly closed my mouth, remembering Uncle was in the house.
It would be better to handle this on my own than to bother Uncle.
“…..”
I made eye contact with the monster. It looked like a kitten on the outside, making it hard to use my skills against it.
In that moment, the monster widened its eyes and burrowed into the floor. It melted into the shadows, leaving no trace.
But I could faintly sense it since I had detected it once. It was hiding in my shadow.
‘Is that why Baek Gunho said he smelled a monster in me?’
I guessed that the monster had hidden in my shadow during the recent dungeon break.
It had cleverly avoided Baek Gunho’s probing. Probably, it chose my shadow because of my attribute.
I summoned my system window for the first time in a while.
Name: Seo Heewon
Rank: S
Attributes: Villain’s Qualities (EX)(EX), Unbloomed (SS), Tamer (B)
Skills: Telekinesis (S), Stronghold Building (B), Sage’s Eye (B)
Tamer (B): Can tame living creatures. Additionally, gains favor from creatures that can be targeted by the skill.
The Tamer attribute is quite convenient in combat. Monsters influenced by this attribute attack me a bit slower.
Of course, sometimes monsters I didn’t intend to attract end up sticking to me, like today.
I took out my phone and searched the monster guide. After inputting a few keywords, I quickly found the information I needed.
Name: Black Dust
Rank: F
Danger Level: C
Description: A monster that camouflages itself as a nearby living creature. It is characterized by its mist-like, wavering surface. It hides in shadows and is extremely adept at it, making it almost impossible to find without special skills.
Although it has no significant abilities, its high danger rating is due to its difficulty to detect.
“So it’s not a dangerous monster…”
That was a relief. I decided against killing the monster.
Monsters that come out of dungeons can’t survive long outside. Higher-ranked ones can last longer, but an F-rank would disappear within a few days if left alone.
It’s not dangerous.
Even knowing it was a monster, I felt uneasy about killing something that looked like a small animal.
If it had disguised itself as a cockroach or something, maybe, but this was an animal familiar to humans.
It didn’t feel right. I decided to leave it alone and let it naturally disappear.
However, as if mocking my thoughts, the monster didn’t disappear even after several days.
* * *
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Thank you for the chapter
Hi, thank you so much for translating this!!
Thank
Thanks for the chapter
I wanna see how the monster looks like
A pet can change a monotone life
Hehe he’s got a pet ^^
I like op mc