Kiiiiing—The sound of an electric drill lingers in my ears all day. It's the second day of my stay at Dr. Jin's house. During that time, I spent my time browsing Hunter-related materials on Dr. Jin's PC or controlling the Black Ether in my body.
“Huuu….”
Now that I've finished my Awakening, I understand. Just how venomous and powerful the poison rampaging inside my body is. Only a minuscule portion of that powerful energy, generated day by day, was converted into Black Ether.
The only silver lining, perhaps, is that I no longer feel any particular pain. What was strange was that my condition had improved significantly after coming to Dr. Jin's house.
“Slurp.”
For the past few days, all three of my daily meals had been canned food. It's not that Dr. Jin was a poor host. It was just that the only food here was canned.
Unlike the magnificent equipment and advanced devices hanging on the walls, Dr. Jin's staple diet was incredibly meager. The reason was the trauma Dr. Jin carried.
“Since settling here, I haven't stepped outside for five years.”
Was it because he felt sorry? As I was finishing the last of the pineapple from the can, Dr. Jin spoke with a bitter smile.
“After nearly being killed by people from the Hunter Association, I developed symptoms of paranoia.”
“Paranoia…?”
“It felt as if everyone was dying to kill me. Even people who had no actual ill will. I was constantly doubting and running away on my own. It was impossible to lead a normal life.”
“So that's why… you've been extremely avoidant of meeting people.”
“Yes. To avoid meeting people as much as possible, I sought out foods with long shelf lives, and ended up stocking up on large quantities of canned goods like this.”
Although it's been a short time, the impression I got of Dr. Jin was that of a very warm-hearted person. For such a person to isolate himself so extremely. The years must have felt terribly harsh.
“Weren't you bored?”
“Bored… When I'm developing a device, the days feel short. Besides, I have the pet right next to you.”
A pet?
What is he talking about? I followed Dr. Jin's gaze, looking at my left shoulder. -Kkuwang!
“Ugh!”
Shit, that startled me. I seriously almost cursed out loud. No matter how small it is, how can it sit there without any presence? -Kkuwang?
Even though I flinched, the creature managed to stay on my shoulder. What on earth should I call this creature? A thumb-sized black body with peanut-sized legs.
Tiny wings and brilliantly clear yellow eyes. If you were to shrink a dragon from imagination, would it look like this? One thing was for sure, it was a creature that did not exist in 'this world'.
“Hahaha. Why is a man who doesn't even blink at deadly poison so surprised?”
Seeing Dr. Jin clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter, my reaction must have been quite funny. But it was understandable.
After absorbing the Black Ether from the core extracted from the toad, my five senses had become somewhat sharper than an ordinary person's. Unless it was a Hunter who knew how to hide their presence, I could feel most people nearby. But forget nearby, I hadn't even noticed it climbing onto my shoulder.
So it was no wonder I was surprised.
“Indeed. It's true this one is elusive. Its name is Ppori.”
“A name as cute as it looks.”
Was it spurred on by the word 'cute'? The tiny dragon, Ppori, tapped my shoulder with its fingernail-sized tail.
“That doesn't hurt, you little rascal.” -Kkuwang!
“Ppori is a creature Kiril brought back from a dungeon. Basically, they say it's a Poison-type Monster.”
“What? Then, Dr. Jin, you….”
Kiril and I might be different, but there's no way Dr. Jin would be resistant to poison. However, Dr. Jin waved his hand as if to say it was fine.
“Unlike other Monsters, Ppori is a species that can be raised by humans. It is very loyal to its master. And as for its poison, at most it's just a little itchy.”
“Aha…” -Kkuwang!
It was certainly different in many ways from the Monsters I knew. If there were a world where humans and Monsters peacefully coexisted (?), it definitely had the looks to be the number one pet choice. I was told that not only its presence, but also its poison, is not released unless it wants to.
A strange little creature.
“It seems this little one has taken a liking to you. It hasn't left your side for two whole days.”
“What, for two days?”
What a surprise. I swallowed a dry laugh and slowly stroked it with my finger. -Kkureu…. It made a different sound than before, as if it was pleased.
Dr. Jin watched Ppori and me with a warm smile, then suddenly clapped his hands together.
“Oh! Come to think of it, the spots have faded just a little.”
“Really? I couldn't tell.”
“No. It's definitely better than when I first saw you. Hmm… by any chance.”
“Yes?”
“Have there been any changes since you came to my house? For example, feeling full of energy. Things like that.”
“Mm… I definitely feel a bit more refreshed. Especially this morning when I woke up, my condition was great.”
“Hahaha. So it's true. It is.”
Whatever was so funny, Dr. Jin's wide mouth stretched from ear to ear. Hey, Dr. Jin. Let me in on the reason so I can laugh with you.
“It seems a new master has appeared for Ppori. Well, I suppose you could tell just by how it's been clinging to you.”
“A master?”
Is he telling me to take this little guy home? I had to list out how contradictory Dr. Jin's story was.
“So, you're telling me to take a Monster to Gaebang District, where a Gate opened and people died in droves?”
“Haha. Don't worry. This one can hide its appearance whenever it wants.” -Kkuwang!
It raised its voice as if in answer. But where did it go? The creature that was on my shoulder had vanished without a trace.
“Where did it go?”
“It's probably still on your shoulder.”
Right.
Faintly, I can feel its weight. I couldn't see it, but Ppori was definitely on my shoulder.
“My gosh….”
In short, it's a Monster that can use the Stealth skill. A rare technique that only the highest-ranking Espers among Hunters could use, and even then, only through epic items. And this tiny creature can use it so casually.
“You. What on earth will you become when you grow up?” -Kkuwang!
With a powerful (though barely audible) cry, it revealed itself again.
“Your improved condition is probably related to Ppori. It was the same with Kiril back then.”
Back when Kiril had just finished her Awakening. That is, when her body was also covered in spots. After meeting this creature, Ppori, her spots are said to have disappeared rapidly.
“We came to a conclusion back then. That this creature has the ability to absorb its master's poison.”
Absorb.
“In that case… are you saying this creature is currently eating away the leftover poison that I couldn't turn into Black Ether?”
“That's highly probable. Your spots have indeed faded slightly, and you said your condition was good, didn't you?” -Kkuwang!
Ppori roared once more, as if telling me to serve it well.
Oho.
If what Dr. Jin said was true, there was no reason not to take this creature in.
“You're a bit gaunt from being thin… but you, Hae-seon, you're handsome as a sculpture. Once the spots disappear, you'll probably make many women cry.”
Dr. Jin said that and then got up from his seat. He said the work on the device would be finished by tonight. He urged me to learn as much as I could from the information on the PC in the remaining time.
“Hmm….”
Even without Dr. Jin telling me to, I had managed to accumulate a considerable amount of basic knowledge about Hunters over the past two days. Including high-level information that outsiders wouldn't know. The head that had been clouded by the Strange heat sickness had become completely clear since the Awakening.
I crammed as much information from the PC into my head as possible, and took notes when necessary. How I should live from now on. It was information that offered a direction for that. -Sister.
How are you feeling? Do you ache anywhere? -Yes.
I'm fine.
I know you're worried, but aren't you calling a bit too often?
Hoho.
Kiril had already healed my sister's poison. Dr. Jin had spoken with conviction, but I couldn't quite put my mind at ease. I called my sister every morning and evening, and just from her voice, I could tell she was recovering. -I think I can come home tomorrow.
We can finally have dinner together. -That's right. Since it's the day Hae-seon is coming home, we should eat something delicious, right? Kimchi stir-fry made with pork hind leg.
It's the special (?) dish my sister and I love the most. A dish made with the cheapest cut of meat because we couldn't afford much. It was a dish I'd always liked, but at this moment, I craved it desperately.
Just how many consecutive meals of canned food have I had? How did Dr. Jin endure it for five years? -Just you wait. I'm going to eat three bowls. -Hoho.
I'd be happy if you could just finish one bowl properly. My sister ended the call, saying she would buy more meat than usual.
“……”
She's such a thoughtful person. Right after surviving a near-death experience at the Gate, her younger brother was now staying out overnight, something he never did. She must have been full of questions and suspicions, but my sister didn't ask me anything.
There was only one thing we asked each other. About each other's well-being. I gave my sister a vague excuse, saying, 'I'm at the house of a Hunter I met during the Gate incident'.
「Hmm… is that so?」
My sister didn't seem to completely believe me, but she didn't press me with questions either. Whatever I said, she would 'choose' to believe it. The words of her only younger brother.
Dr. Jin's PC was filled with the Association's data that ordinary people couldn't access. Because time was limited, I couldn't check everything.
But.
I knew what I had to do right now.
‘From now on, I will…’
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. It's the first time I've left the house empty like this.”
I wanted to talk more with Dr. Jin, but reassuring my sister was the priority. And to be honest, now even the sound of a can being opened makes me want to gag. As I got ready to go home, Dr. Jin's expression seemed quite regretful.
Was it because the guest (?) he'd met for the first time in five years was leaving? Right, now that I think about it, Ppori is coming with me too.
“I'll visit often, Dr. Jin. I'll bring lots of delicious food.”
“Haha. Your words alone are enough to make me grateful. But we won't be able to see each other for a while.”
“What?”
“Now that an outsider has set foot in this area, I have to move my residence. Once a place is decided, I'll contact you through a device.”
“Ah… You can trust me. I'm good at keeping secrets.”
“Hahaha. That's not the problem. Quite a few of the Hunter Association's lackeys have already gone missing around here. It will be discovered soon enough.”
“Then please wait a little. I'll come and help…”
“There's nothing to help with. I just need to pack these devices into boxes and move them to another residence. I have over ten such places across the country.”
Traps that can kill people. Over ten residences with those installed? Dr. Jin's paranoia seemed far more severe than I had thought.
“The devices I gave you are undoubtedly top-quality. They can compare with the technology of any guild, not just in the Republic of Korea, but in the entire world.”
Dr. Jin spoke with a rare sense of pride, and I nodded. I could tell even without hearing him say it. The three devices he had given me.
No matter how much I searched, I couldn't find anything similar. Because all of these were made for a Poison-type.
“What will you do now?”
“First, I will build up my strength until the next quarter's Hunter qualification test.”
“A Hunter… As you know, the Hunter Association won't look kindly on a Poison-type.”
Right.
That's why I'm going to hide the fact that I'm a Poison-type.
“I'm going to take the Hunter Qualification Test as a different type.”
“Hmm… right. With your body enhanced by Black Ether, you could probably be a low-tier Knight…”
“No.” At first, that was my plan.
However, this strange creature sitting on my shoulder. With Ppori by my side, the plan changed.
“I will take the test as a different type.”
“Not even a Knight?”
“No.” The most important existence within a group of Hunters who move as a team.
But also the weakest existence among them. Therefore, the one least likely to be suspected.
“I… will become a healer.”