Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Shadow Lurkers (1)

Skeletons, also known as boneheads, are undead creatures with nothing left but their bones. Hence, they had no eyes for vision, no cochleas for hearing, and no vocal cords to make sounds.

“My lord...”

Yet Boney 2, no, Sunny spoke.

“M-My lord...!”

Sunny wore an expression of deep emotion.

Incredible.

It was the first time I had seen a skeleton capable of showing expression.

“I can truly see... I can see!”

Moreover, it could see.

Well, it makes sense.

By that logic, a bone creature without nerves and muscles shouldn’t be able to walk and fight.

In truth, this damn ‘hunter’ profession in itself was a fantasy that made no sense.

“Hm.”

I watched Sunny looking around in amazement with a satisfied expression.

A child who lost their sight at birth was abandoned by humanity and erased an entire world of humans as a result.

“Do you like it?” I asked.

“Yes... I love it. It’s wonderful. Ah, so this is what soil looks like. And the weeds growing between the stones look like this...”

Sunny brushed the ground with trembling hands, slowly caressing the soil, enjoying the sensation.

In a way, it was a noble scene.

I wonder what that feels like.

One thing is sure: I couldn’t even begin to imagine the emotions involved.

Anyway.

My summoned creature’s ability to speak was a huge advantage. This meant that we could communicate more accurately in future battles.

“This is amazing,” Gi Soyul also remarked, watching from the side. “A talking skeleton... If other necromancers saw this, they’d be astounded.”

“Did you just say skeleton?” I gave her a serious look.

“Pardon?” Gi Soyul tilted her head.

“Please call it Sunny. They’re my precious baby.”

“Oh, I see...”

She looked at me as if I were a strange person, but she seemed to respect it nonetheless. She nodded without saying much.

However, my feelings were genuine. I considered these creatures not as mere expendables but as family. Over the last three years, I’ve grown very attached to them.

“By the way, Empress.”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure it’s okay for you to stay here?”

Honestly, I was surprised. She returned after exactly six hours and resumed her bodyguard duties. Although it was my request, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t burdensome.

At the time, I thought the Shadow Lurkers would cause trouble immediately. Perhaps because they feared Gi Soyul, there was no trace of them.

She says she’s here to watch my training, but...

It didn’t particularly seem to be of use to her.

It is said that all skills converge at their absolute peak.

Gi Soyul closely watched the movements of the skeletons in every training session. She seemed to be trying to feel out the old man’s essence from within them.

“Don’t worry.” Gi Soyul shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll leave when the time comes.”

“Wow, that’s a bit sad.”

Seeing how I was saying such things to a ranker, I must have become comfortable with her.

“Hmm, I thought the condition you put out was to protect you until you improved enough.”

“That’s true.”

Now that I thought about it, I didn’t specify the exact level of growth.

“For your information, it’s until A-rank.”

“Pardon?”

“Once you reach A-rank, you should be able to protect yourself. It should also be easy to join any major guild. At your current growth rate, it won’t take long.”

“Really?”

That couldn’t be.

[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]

[Alias: X]

[Unique Authority: Cursed Necromancer]

[Rank: D]

I was still D-rank and didn’t even have an alias. What made her claim that I could reach A-rank soon?

“Honestly, I still can’t believe it. When I first met you as a porter, they were five D-rank skele...”

Gi Soyul quickly corrected her words, almost saying ‘skeletons.’

“I mean, just looking at Sunny, it’s nearly B-rank. And you, too, seem to be improving every day.”

“I see.”

What the hell’s wrong with this woman? How did her mind process to come up with that conclusion? It’s like she’s always thinking about how to kill someone.

Actually, she probably is; she’s an assassin, after all.

“Here, have some cup noodles. I don’t know if it’ll suit your taste, but...” I handed her a cup of cheap noodles with hot water.

She silently accepted it.

About two minutes later...

—Bang! Bang! Bang!

“E-Excuse me!” Someone knocked on the door urgently with a loud voice.

It was a young woman’s voice.

But I had no clue who it might be. I had no one who would visit.

I instinctively turned to look at Gi Soyul’s face.

“...”

She shook her head, which meant she didn’t know either.

Judging by her lack of reaction, it didn’t seem to be the Shadow Lurkers. If it were a high-rank hunter, she would have sensed it already.

“Haah.”

The noodles were going to get soggy.

I sighed and opened the door.

—Thunk!

“Who are you?”

A mysterious young woman stood there—a youthful face in a school uniform, she looked like a student.

Is she a resident?

I’d never seen her before.

Oh, before that.

I quickly looked back.

Gi Soyul was a ranker—a figure receiving immense public interest due to her remarkable beauty, making her more famous than celebrities.

Damn, if anyone finds out she’s with me, it’ll be a disaster.

If rumors spread, it’d be terrible.

[Breaking news! Dark Empress Gi Soyul was caught in a scandal! Spending a night with a man?]

[Global attention is paid to Gi Soyul’s dating rumors! Who is the man?]

If such articles appeared...

Yikes.

Even imagining it gave me chills. Gi Soyul would kill me before Giparang did.

“...”

Fortunately, Gi Soyul had already vanished.

To disappear instantly in this tiny studio, she was indeed the queen of assassins.

“Oh, please excuse me! Are you Joo Donghoon?”

“Huh? Do you know me?” I asked, confused.

How did she know me?

“So you are, right? Please, something terrible has happened!”

“Something terrible?”

“Please save my brother. Please,” she sobbed.

The frantic schoolgirl burst into tears as if they were exploding out from holding them in until now.

“...?”

I stepped back slightly.

Gi Soyul, hiding her presence, gave me a faint sense of murderous intent.

She seemed to have a severe misunderstanding. What did this woman think of me?

“Save your brother?”

I calmed the crying schoolgirl. “Kid. First, explain the situation so I can understand. How can I save your brother if I don’t know what’s happening?”

“Oh.” She finally collected herself and handed me a note. She sniffled, “This was left at home.”

“What is this?” I took it and examined it closely. “This is...?” My eyes widened looking at a familiar face.

The photo showed Kim Junseo, the team leader of the mercenary guild Problem Solver tied up and bleeding.

On it, there was scrawled writing.

[Sup?]

[Do you want to save your older brother Kim Junseo?]

[Then send Joo Donghoon to Seonyudo on the Han River by 8 PM tonight.]

[If you report to the association, your brother will die.]

[If another hunter besides Joo Donghoon comes, your brother will die.]

[Joo Donghoon’s address: ■■■ District, ■■■ Dong, 421.]

“...”

These bastards.

I instinctively knew it was the Shadow Lurkers. They had started making moves in earnest.