Chapter 46

Body:

Animals… well, not exactly Jeong Jae-hyun.

He was currently in the midst of researching the fauna residing in the Dungeon, Gates, and Tower. Normally, he’d obsessively focus on one specific subject rather than doing broad research. But…

“An endless stream of things to investigate, and not enough manpower.”

Instead of delving deep into one thing, they were gathering rough info first, then focusing on what seemed valuable.

“Judging from this… this case is extremely unique.”

Typically, due to time constraints, they wouldn’t dig this deep. However, since the fluffy bundle (who was hopping around trying to get to Hae-un) had been reported to possess “special abilities,” it warranted extra attention.

“Peeeee! Peeee!”

Jae-hyun glanced between the fluffy blob smudging itself against the glass and Hae-un getting disinfected before recalling the report about its ability:

“Item enhancement.”

Permanent item enhancement, no less.

“Honestly, when I first heard this, I didn’t believe it for a second…”

But there were verified reports of a hunter’s weapon becoming visibly stronger after giving the creature a snack, so despite being hard to believe, it had to be true.

“And speaking of item enhancement…”

Normally, you needed an incredibly rare Enhancement Stone, and even then, only a handful of Hunter blacksmiths could do the job. Even top-tier hunters struggled with enhancements.

“So if we can tame this fluffy blob and use it for continuous enhancement…”

It would drastically boost hunter power and reduce the massive casualties happening now. With that in mind, he hoped everything went smoothly. Just then, Hae-un entered and picked up the fluffball (Somtul), saying:

“Soomterry wants to live with me.”

“Huh?”

“He said if we don’t let him, he’ll undo all enhanced items.”

Jae-hyun froze at those words.

* * * * *

I giggled while cradling the soft, poofy Somtul in my arms. It felt like a warm, fuzzy hot pack that made my mood instantly better just by holding it. As I prepared to treat it per the request, it suddenly started chirping loudly.

“Peeeee… Peeet!”

Though it spoke passionately, I couldn’t understand “Pee” language, so I just blinked. Still, something made me instinctively guess what it might mean.

“Are you asking me to hold you? Do you like it?”

Since it wasn’t certain, I tilted my head and asked more questions to confirm.

“Did you just ask me to hold you?”

“Peee!”

When it vigorously nodded, I grinned and chuckled, thinking how cute it was. Watching Chae-a talk to animals always made me envious, but now I was thrilled to be conversing with one myself.

“But just to make sure…”

I tested our communication further. Suddenly, Somtul told me it disliked staying here, wanted to live with me, and threatened to corrupt all enhanced items if I refused.

“Could this be the most efficient form of communication ever?” I thought, blinking in amazement as I relayed the message to researcher Jae-hyun.

“Eh, eh? That’s impossible…”

His panicked reaction confirmed the gravity of the situation. While soothing Somtul, I noticed Cha-a eyeing us jealously and subtly asking for pets too.

“Sorry, but that’s out of the question,” Jae-hyun explained. “Soomtul technically belongs to the Hunters’ Guild, and taking him might cause various problems.”

Seeing his serious expression, I understood the situation. Though tempted to throw a tantrum, I tried to accept it maturely. But…

“…”

My lower lip jutted out involuntarily, and tears welled up. Trying to hide my emotions, I bowed my head, but the tears kept falling, and my body began trembling.

“This isn’t good…”

If I acted this way, it’d only cause trouble for them. Sniffling through a stuffed nose, I insisted:

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. This is unavoidable…”

Despite struggling to speak clearly through tears, I managed to convey that I was okay. Han Arin and Jae-hyun exchanged worried glances.

“Jae-hyun, can I take responsibility and give this to Hae-un? I’ll cover any costs…”

“I wish I could, but I need approval from higher-ups…”

As they debated, I tried to stop crying but only ended up shedding more tears. Eventually, Cha-a joined in, sobbing because she hated seeing me sad.

“Hae-un shouldn’t cry… Cha-a is sad.”

Realizing this might escalate into a full-blown tear party, I decided to leave. Handing over flowers I brought, I said:

“Here… sniff… put these here… they’ll help…”

After quickly using Somtul’s healing ability, I attempted to walk away quietly. But both Han Arin and Jae-hyun stopped me.

“Hae-un, it’s okay. Let me handle this. And next time, please tell me instead of bottling it up.”

“We’ll try our best. In the meantime, take the candies and furniture we got for you.”

Feeling even guiltier for causing trouble, I bit my lip as they reassured me. Meanwhile, Somtul clung to my leg, begging not to be left behind.

“Peeeeee…”

Knowing I couldn’t responsibly care for anyone—let alone myself—I closed my eyes and tried to step forward. But my feet wouldn’t move.

“PEEEEEEE!”

The heart-wrenching plea nearly broke me. Just as I prepared to leave despite everything…

“Ah, got it? Then I’ll take him.”

Han Arin had received approval.

“?!”

I blinked in disbelief. From what I knew, decisions like this usually involved hours of meetings, contracts, and discussions. Still sniffling, I wondered if this was really happening when Han Arin smiled kindly and explained:

“It’s sponsored by the Elder Dragons or something. Anyway, it’s fine to take him.”

With that, she placed Somtul on my head.

* * *

“Pee pee pee~”

“Three bears lived in one house…”

True to form, Cha-a quickly befriended Somtul and was now singing and dancing together. Their cuteness made me smile despite feeling embarrassed about earlier.

“Embarrassing…”

Not only did I cry in front of others, but I also caused unnecessary trouble. Any sane person would probably be curled up under the covers right now, shaking their legs in shame. As I trembled from embarrassment, Seorin entered the room.

“Hae-un, I’m here!”

Her energetic voice startled me, and I cautiously peeked out while clutching my tail.

“You cried?”

At her question, I lost my composure, nervously nibbling my tail and shaking my head.