S-Class Hunter Heals with Monsters - Chapter 166



Only Noblemtl

Episode 166: The Power to Reverse Side Effects

Cheon Do-woon examined the blanket and asked.

“When did you meet that puppy?”

“When I was 10 years old.”

The old man answered, recalling old memories.

It rained heavily that day. Having lost her parents, she went into a nearby building to escape the rain.

It was an abandoned building that could collapse at any moment, but it was better than being outside in the rain.

“I met Jaerong there. He was lying down injured. I felt bad for him, so I gave him some water and bread that I had.”

That was how we ended up hanging out together. The old man said that with a gentle smile.

On the other hand, Cheon Do-woon had a puzzled expression on his face.

‘You met when you were 10?’

The elderly person’s age is at least 80 years old or older.

If the puppy I met when I was 10 was still alive, I should have known that it was no ordinary dog.

‘And you still believe it’s a puppy?’

Well then, there is only one thing to think about.

The abilities that the chimera possesses. Hallucinations, visions, and confusion of cognitive abilities.

This must be because Jaerong had manipulated part of the old man’s mind. The old man, who did not know Cheon Do-woon’s thoughts, opened his mouth again.

“The strange thing is, I’ve hardly ever encountered a monster since I met Jaerong.”

“Really? Didn’t Jaerong come back injured a lot when he was little?”

The old man’s eyes widened at his question. His face looked like he was asking how he knew that.

“That’s right. He would suddenly disappear and come back injured. I think he got into a fight with a stray dog ​​while trying to get something to eat….”

He must have fought a monster, not a stray dog. That’s what Cheon Do-woon thought.

I secretly dealt with the monsters on the road to protect my master.

“This is a picture of our talent. I brought it here in case it helps you find it.”

The old man handed over a photo along with a blanket.

Cheon Do-woon stopped when he saw the photo. His siblings were the same.

“My child hates having his picture taken, so I could only take this one.”

The photo showed a chimera, not a puppy.

‘Is it a plant-type chimera? It looks like a thornbush. I guess it’s from that lineage.’

A photo of vines bunched together to resemble a quadruped animal.

Although it was obviously not a puppy, the old man said it was a joke and showed the photo.

‘That’s for sure. It has the power to manipulate minds.’

This photo also had that power.

It didn’t work for Cheon Do-woon and his siblings, so they only saw the original appearance in the photo.

To the old man, it looked like a picture of a fluffy, gray-haired puppy.

“I’ll take the photo. I think it’ll help me find it.”

“Car, can you find it?”

“Okay. I’ll wait.”

Cheon Do-woon said this and broke the return stone.

Even after they entered the gate, the old man stood there for a long time.

I haven’t found Jaerong yet. But I felt strangely reassured by Cheon Do-woon’s confident voice.

I hope my little puppy can come back to me, the old man thought with tears in his eyes.

* * *

Cheon Do-woon returned home through the gate.

Kim Na-ri, who was drawing a mural in the yard, saw Cheon Do-woon and ran towards him.

“The uncle is here!”

“Yeah. I’m back.”

“But what is that blanket?”

“Something that a dog used.”

Cheon Do-woon handed the blanket to Kim Na-ri.

“I need to find the dog that used this blanket. Can you analyze the smell on it and track it down?”

“I’ll give it a try.”

Kim Na-ri took the blanket and started analyzing it. The siblings who saw it had puzzled expressions.

“Can’t you just search for energy using mana?”

“I’ve already tried it. But I can’t get the hang of it. Is it because the opponent’s strength is too weak, or is there another factor?”

Other factors. If you are already dead and cannot feel the energy.

Although he didn’t say anything, the siblings understood. In the meantime, Kim Na-ri, who had finished analyzing the blanket, approached.

“Sir, the analysis is complete. There’s an exact same smell coming from over there.”

Kim Na-ri pointed beyond the forest. Cheon Do-woon looked puzzled at that.

“The smell is coming from inside the gate?”

“Yes. The wind was blowing so I found it right away.”

Cheon Do-woon laughed in vain.

This explains why no energy was detected in Gold City.

How did it end up inside the gate? Whatever it is, if it’s here, it’s easy to search.

Cheon Do-woon began searching based on the energy remaining in the blanket and the photo.

“Found it.”

The location is a cave area. It is a chimera made from thorny vines, so it must have gone back to its hometown.

‘You’ll know when you go.’

As Cheon Do-woon gestured, Blue, who was nearby, came towards him.

As Cheon Do-woon got on, Kim Na-ri also got on behind him as if it was only natural.

The siblings who saw this brought Joseph’s communication medicine from home and threw it at him.

“Take that. You might need it if your opponent is a plant-type chimera.”

“You guys aren’t going?”

“We’ll get out. If we go with more people, we’ll just be more alert. If it’s a cave area, we won’t have to look down and search.”

“Yeah. That’s true. Then I’ll go.”

Cheon Do-woon put the medicine in his fanny pack and tapped Blue’s neck.

Blue, his personal shuttle, spread his wings and flew into the sky.

* * *

While riding the Blue towards the cave area, Kim Na-ri’s eyes widened at the distant scenery.

“Look at that, mister! It already feels like spring over there!”

The place Kim Na-ri pointed to was near the cave area.

The snow had already melted there and grass was growing.

“The snow hasn’t melted in my yard yet. But it’s already spring over there.”

“That’s right. If the buds have sprouted over there, spring will come to the forest area within ten days. Spring in the Demon World usually starts first in the cave area.”

“I see.”

Kim Na-ri’s face became curious.

It feels like only yesterday that I met everyone, but when did the time pass so quickly?

“We’re almost there. Should we start running around here?”

Cheon Do-woon jumped down with Kim Na-ri by his side.

As we entered the cave, something peeked out from behind a stone pillar.

It was a green thorn vine.

The vines swayed one of their stems as if dancing, and a black coat hung on the tip of it.

“Uh, that’s… that’s your coat!”

The coat that Cheon Do-woon gave me as a token of his promise to bring it back someday.

Kim Na-ri, who had been nervous, relaxed her expression when she saw the coat.

“That’s the vine that Dodak picked flowers from!”

“Yeah. That guy from back then.”

A vine that promised to come and pick me up when spring came. An adult plant that was three months old.

‘Come to think of it, this is also that guy’s habitat.’

Cheon Do-woon smirked and took out Joseph’s communication potion. He dropped a drop of it on the vine and a golden phrase appeared.

[I’m excited!]

The first thing that came to mind was a phrase that sounded like a child’s excitement.

[I’ve been waiting. I’ve been waiting. You’ve kept your promise. Now that it’s spring, you’ve come to get me. Right?]

The vine’s emotions were fully revealed in the text.

Cheon Do-woon looked at those vines and laughed.

“Have you been waiting long?”

[I waited a long time! But it’s okay. I waited well. I left this here. I’ll come get it. I believed and counted the days.]

The vine handed the coat to Cheon Do-woon.

[I kept it very well!]

The coat was riddled with holes from the thorns of the vines. Seeing this, Cheon Do-woon smiled slightly and nodded.

“Yes. You’ve preserved it very well. But I can’t take it with me yet. The snow hasn’t melted yet where I live.”

[uh…?]

“There’s still snow in the yard. If you go now, your body will melt.”

At Cheon Do-woon’s words, the vine became gloomy. He quietly pulled the coat that had been held out to him and brought it back.

[Then I can’t give it to you yet. I’ll give it to you when you come pick me up.]

Cheon Do-woon laughed at the vine’s words.

Why are all the plant-type monsters so childish? he thought to himself.

“I came here today to look for someone. Please wait a little longer.”

[Who are you looking for?]

“A vine chimera in the shape of an animal. Well, I guess I’ll be going now.”

Cheon Do-woon passed through the thorny vines and headed towards the place where he could feel the energy.

The vine gazed at such a heavenly cloud.

[I know who that kid is. I saw him. He came a while ago.]

A golden phrase floated above the thorn vine. The vine hesitated and then said.

[It won’t be of any use even if I go. That kid… That kid will die soon.]

Even though I told them so, those who left did not see the phrase.

* * *

Cheon Do-woon, who was heading to his destination, stopped walking halfway.

‘It’s in there.’

He saw a small cave.

It was dark so I couldn’t see anything, but I felt energy.

The problem is that the energy is too weak. It will die before it can be taken to the old man.

“Sir, why are you doing that?”

Instead of answering, Cheon Do-woon looked at Kim Na-ri.

“Kim Na-ri, you went to the thornbush and played with it.”

“Why?”

“That thornbush said it was lonely. It will want you to play with it.”

Cheon Do-woon handed the thread he had pulled out from his fingertips to Kim Na-ri.

If you have this thread, you won’t get lost even in the labyrinthine cave area.

“Just in case, I put a thread on the thornbush. Just follow it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Kim Na-ri accepted the thread and nodded.

When Kim Na-ri went away, Cheon Do-woon went into the cave.

There was a growling sound in the dark, but he paid it no attention.

“Don’t be alarmed. I came here at your master’s request.”

The hostile voice stopped. What I felt in that moment were hesitation, confusion, and joy.

“I don’t know how they got through the gate… Well, I have a rough idea. There are a lot of hunters in Gold City. They must have sneaked through when they opened the gate.”

Cheon Do-woon sat on the floor. In front of him was the talent the old man had been looking for.

No, it was something of a joke.

What lay before him was a pile of vines spread out on the ground, unable to hold their shape.

“Is this why you left your master?”

Cheon Do-woon asked. He dropped the communication potion on the vine, but there was no answer.

“You don’t even have the energy to talk?”

A pile of vines. A chimera that the old man named Jaerong.

The little chimera was weakened.

As he grew older and more frail, he became unable to tolerate the side effects of the chimera experiments.

The stem is rotting. The roots are rotting.

Now I don’t even have the strength left to dress up like a puppy.

“I was scared of showing my true self.”

A pile of vines once called Jaerong. The stems trembled finely.

[You’re right.]

For the first time, the communication drug took effect.

[If he saw me now, he would be afraid of me.]

The vine was scared of that, so it ran away.

In the old man’s memory, the vine wanted to remain a happy puppy forever.

“I don’t think he cares what you look like.”

I know. I’ve thought about it before.

But still, the one in a million chance made the vine a coward.

[He’s afraid of monsters. Because he went through the old days with me.]

The old man lost his family to monsters. He hated monsters.

I couldn’t show this to my close friend.

If an old man sees you and is afraid, if he is disgusted, if that happens… .

[Because that’s so sad.]

I probably can’t stand it.

So the vine ran away when it lost its power to appear like a puppy.

He left the old man’s side before showing his original form.

Anyway, I don’t have much time left. Rather than being hated in the end, it would be better to leave.

“Do you really think so?”

Cheon Do-woon asked. There was no answer.

But the thin, trembling stems gave the answer instead.

Actually, I wanted to be by your side.

Since we’ve walked through life together, I wanted to walk the last path together too.

The vine muttered a wish it could not fulfill.

Cheon Do-woon opened his bag after looking at the vines.

Inside, a sleeping Todak was hugging the World Tree staff.

‘The power of the World Tree may not be omnipotent.’

It’s probably not going to be enough to resurrect the dead, but it might be possible to restore stamina.

If your stamina returns, the vines will be able to suppress the side effects on their own.

It’s worth a try.

Cheon Do-woon took out a pair of scissors and a branch from his bag.