Chapter 99

When faced with an unfathomable terror, it’s only natural for all focus to shift solely to survival.

Which is also to say that even the things you usually excel at can suddenly fail you in such moments.

And, of course, this often leads to unexpected mistakes.

…So.

The fact that we left Somtul behind was not intentional.

After running for quite a while, the three of us abruptly stopped as soon as we realized Somtul was missing. After all, Somtul was not only our closest friend but also someone who needed our protection due to their short legs making them unable to run.

Just as we were about to muster the courage to retrace our steps despite the fear, a familiar figure came into view from afar.

“Co, come with me!”

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Seorin. Seeing her running toward us from the direction where the ghost had been, it became clear that we had mistaken Seorin for the ghost.

Realizing this, I explained that it was merely a misunderstanding.

“Seorini got mistaken for a ghost.”

At my words, Chae-a and Yuna stared blankly at Seorin before sighing in relief and speaking up.

“I was scared.”

“Thank goodness. Now let’s go find Somterri.”

With that, Chae-a grabbed my hand tightly and ran over to Seorin, gripping one of her fingers and saying:

“Ah, it’s scary ahead, so Chae-a will guide you. Understand?”

Chae-a had this habit of using honorifics whenever she wanted something, so once again, she respectfully asked Seorin to come along. Of course, if someone else heard her, it might sound like Chae-a was more concerned about Seorin being scared than herself wanting company.

Seorin, upon hearing Chae-a’s request, simply smiled adoringly and nodded, then affectionately ruffled both our heads before replying,

“Alright? But what are you guys doing here so late? Where’s Arin-ssi?”

At her question, we exchanged glances before quietly revealing the truth. After hearing everything, Seorin chuckled lightly while looking at us, then gently poked our cheeks and advised:

“You shouldn’t sneak out like this next time, got it?”

“Unn, I understand. Unni shouldn’t go out too!”

“It’s fine for unni because I’m an adult.”

“But Chae-a is an adult too?”

“?”

“?”

Listening to their conversation, I found it somewhat amusing. However, I quickly snapped back to reality, calmed them down, and brought up the important topic:

“We need to go find Somterri.”

At this, Chae-a vigorously nodded and eagerly said,

“Soomterri might be crying! We have to hurry!”

Seorin agreed with Chae-a’s concern.

“If that’s the case, let’s go find her right away. Come on, hold unni’s hand.”

Holding Seorin’s hand (Yuna held mine), we headed back to where Somtul had been left behind. Along the way, a thought crossed my mind.

‘If Seorin had been the ghost, wouldn’t she have noticed Somtul during her approach?’

Yet she came straight to us without finding Somtul first. Why?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t reach a conclusion, so I simply blinked and kept moving forward.

*

“Peewww!”

When we returned, Somtul was hopping around angrily.

We quickly approached Somtul, apologizing profusely while frantically petting its head to calm it down. However, Somtul continued puffing up its fur to show just how upset it was.

“Miaaah…”

This was the angriest we’d ever seen Somtul. The three of us huddled together, stroking Somtul while continuously apologizing. Eventually, Somtul reluctantly accepted our apology with a disgruntled “Peew” and settled down.

‘Thank goodness.’

Thinking that if Somtul had stayed angry, we would’ve been at a loss, I hugged Somtul close. At that moment, I noticed its fur felt unusually cold.

‘Is it because it’s nighttime?’

Given that it was night and Somtul had been sitting on the cold ground for a while, it made sense that it would feel chilly. Dismissing it as nothing serious, I paid no further attention until Yuna, after assessing the situation, reminded us of what needed to be done.

“Then let’s go check on the seed now. We need to make sure it’s okay.”

“Hurry! Let’s go?”

Though we took a roundabout way to get there, we decided to proceed with our main mission: heading to Lair to inspect the seed under the protection of Seorin. This time, we marched confidently toward my Lair.

*

Would calling it a premonition be accurate?

It seemed that Chae-a’s prediction of loneliness-induced crying was coming true. My planted seed was radiating waves of sadness and loneliness.

Witnessing this, I realized that mana could indeed carry emotions. As I stepped closer, the seed buried in the ground began emitting welcoming mana, erasing the feelings of sadness and loneliness.

‘Good thing we came.’

I wondered if leaving it alone would’ve resulted in the seed getting mad at us, similar to when we left Somtul behind earlier. With a sigh of relief, I picked up a nearby pot and asked the seed,

“Shall we go?”

In response, the seed emitted positive mana, agreeing with my suggestion.

“In that case, let’s take it out for a bit.”

Carefully, I lifted the seed along with some soil into the pot and watered it appropriately using a nearby watering can. Realizing that overwatering could cause it to rot, I gave it just enough moisture. Meanwhile, Seorin observed me briefly before speaking up,

“Then let’s head back now? Arin-ssi will worry.”

Considering how worried she’d be upon realizing we’d gone out, it was best to return before she found out. Just as I nodded in agreement, Yuna gazed intently at the pot containing the seed and mentioned something important.

“The seed has grown a little. There’s a small sprout now.”

Looking down at the seed, I saw that she was right—a tiny yet distinct sprout had emerged. Impressed by Yuna’s keen observation skills, I praised her and decided it was time to head back.

***

Back in the room, we found Han Arin sound asleep on the couch. Apparently, she’d fallen asleep there due to exhaustion from recent mana circulation research.

‘Taking into account that hunters possess superior stamina compared to ordinary people…’

I could only imagine just how much fatigue had accumulated. Quietly tiptoeing past her to enter the room, I noticed…

“Pee?”

Somtul munching on the pile of candy we’d set aside.

“…?”

How did Somtul get here? Weren’t they with us outside?

Unable to comprehend the situation, I looked at Chae-a and Yuna with a perplexed expression, only to find them equally confused, blinking repeatedly as they stared at Somtul.

After observing Somtul carefully for a while, Chae-a tilted her head curiously before approaching it swiftly and picking it up.

“Soomterri, why are you here?”

“Brr.” (I never left.)

Never left? But didn’t we leave together, abandon it, and then it got mad?

What exactly happened?

As everyone remained baffled by the mystery, Somtul happily chomped away at the candy with excitement.

***

The next morning.

Han Arin woke up to find Somtul nestled comfortably in her arms on the couch. Finding it soft and cuddly, she absentmindedly stroked it while lost in thought.

‘By the way, last time Somtul ate a lucky pebble, right?’

That thought sparked another question in her mind—what would happen if a lifeform capable of enhancement consumed a luck-enhancing stone?

Feeling a sudden spark of realization, her eyes widened.

‘Maybe the world tree shining its light onto Somtul’s head wasn’t just a random occurrence.’

If Somtul possessed enhancement abilities, eating the lucky pebble might have upgraded it into something far greater, causing immense luck to naturally gather around Somtul whenever it was present.

‘If my theory is correct…’

It was undoubtedly an extraordinary event beyond imagination. While examining Somtul’s crown, she noticed Yuna emerge from her room holding a dinosaur plushie, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Han Arin met Yuna’s gaze awkwardly, still feeling slightly uneasy due to Yuna’s typically stoic demeanor making conversations difficult. Unsure of what to say, she regarded Yuna with a mixture of kindness and confusion.

Unexpectedly, Yuna approached her directly and sat beside her, stating matter-of-factly,

“Can you stroke my hair too? I want to feel like Somtul, with that swishy motion.”

“Swishy?”

“Yes. Like this—swishy.”

Following her request, Han Arin immediately began gently petting Yuna’s hair. In response, Yuna wagged her tail happily, showing her contentment.

‘So cute.’

Despite the lingering slight awkwardness, Han Arin genuinely wanted to grow closer to Yuna and expressed affection similarly to how she treated Hae-un. During this heartwarming moment, Yuna suddenly brought up an issue.

“I tried eating three ice creams, but after two, my belly got so bloated I couldn’t eat anymore. What should I do?”

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