NOVEL WEB Chapter 140
“Ptooey!”
Perry spat out the coffee he couldn’t handle the bitter taste of, and the wolf chuckled while wiping his mouth.
“Kyu!”
With an expression that seemed to question why anyone would drink such a terrible brew, I totally understood where he was coming from, but it was Perry who asked for it. Watching me drink it seemed to spark his curiosity… When I pulled out some cocoa for the teary-eyed critter, he sniffed and looked skeptical.
“Give it a try.”
Still, it smelled sweet enough that Perry’s eyes widened as he cautiously tasted it.
“Kyu~! Kyu! Kyu kyu!”
As if he had already forgotten what coffee tasted like, Perry was now relishing the sweet flavor. I wondered if I should share a bit more, but considering what he usually eats, it was a drop in the bucket.
“Is it good?”
No verbal answer, but the way his wings flapped while his head was buried in the paper cup told me everything. He quickly drained the cup and smacked his lips, clearly wanting more, so I gave him the cocoa I had prepared earlier, and he spat it out.
“It’s still too hot.”
As I warned him to be careful, Perry began to sip it ever so cautiously, like a cat.
“Kyu~!”
Watching him, I realized I couldn’t imagine my days without this little guy anymore. I was deep in thought when suddenly—I noticed the danger level!
[Destruction Probability 84.15% → 84.13%]
[You’ve gained a 0.02% boost]
After briefly pondering the sudden drop in the destruction probability, I figured it out: the meat from the Volcano Ceratops Perry had left to the White Deer. Perhaps the Dragon Worms had begun to metamorphose. It would take some time, but…
‘If the Fairy-type Monsters eat something corrupt…’
They might just become useful when the time comes.
“Heh.”
The sound of laughter suddenly broke my thoughts, and I turned to see Euna waving at me.
“Long time no see?”
“Yeah.”
It had been almost ten days. She sat down next to me and began to pet me.
After a moment of absent-minded stroking, she spotted the pile of paper cups and broke into a sheepish smile.
“So, coffee’s your thing?”
I was about to nod but ended up shaking my head. Let’s be real, it wasn’t that great. I drank it mostly because it was cheap… Not that it mattered since it wasn’t even my money. If I had to pinpoint it, it was probably just to kill some boredom.
“Sometimes I wish I could go to a café… Ah.”
She seemed to suddenly catch herself, covering her mouth. She couldn’t go out, and even if she could, a pup couldn’t order or eat anything.
Using transformation wouldn’t make it impossible, but it seemed unnecessary.
“…Sorry.”
What was she even sorry about? As I shook my head to convey it didn’t bother me, she nodded back in response.
“So should I bring you something? What do you like?”
Had she ever tried anything? Realizing her blunder, she stammered. Had she always been this scatterbrained? Yes, she probably was. I told her to get me anything, and her face lit up.
“Sure!”
Clearly, I was the pup in this situation… Anyway, I unexpectedly scored a coffee delivery! Meanwhile, Perry, who had his head buried in the cocoa cup, wrapped his tail around Euna’s neck. Looking like a little ruffian…
“Huh?”
Perry whined lowly as if to warn her, before finishing off the rest of the cocoa. Watching them play, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
Then I recalled a thought I had in the fantasy world earlier.
“…Will she not ask? Where have I been?”
“Huh?”
“It’s a place called the Fantasy World. A land with Fairy-type Monsters like Perry and other mystical beasts.”
“Fairy-type Monsters…”
Her gaze met Perry’s, and curiosity began to spark within her.
“It has a particularly high density of magic, which could be advantageous.”
Of course, it couldn’t compare to Baek So-yul, but someone like Euna should do just fine. Adding one more talented hunter to our team would only be beneficial.
What’s more, I wanted to conduct one particular experiment.
‘Without me, no matter how many dungeons you clear, the destruction probability won’t decrease.’
The reason being that without the protagonist, Dan Se-hyuk, contributions had to be equal to what he accomplished in this world.
Consequently, when other characters from a parallel world stepped up, their actions didn’t count towards our reality.
But.
‘What if it’s Euna and Baek So-yul?’ What if Euna, who presumably would have died in that parallel world, and Baek So-yul, who was destined to become a witch? I was the one who saved them after all.
Perhaps these two could be different… I held onto that hope.
‘Though I can’t say for sure…’
In the last dungeon, my involvement was heavy, so for confirmation’s sake, I needed to help Euna grow. So I began to share more details about the Fantasy World with her.
***
“…Understood.”
As Hong Yu-ri breathed a sigh after ending the call, Baek So-yul immediately spoke up.
“Teacher.”
“…?”
“I want to learn more magic.”
“I’ve been teaching you.”
“No, really.”
When her serious gaze met Hong Yu-ri’s, she frowned slightly.
“What are you hoping for?”
“…I want to go to the Square.”
“You can go once you graduate, right?”
It’s not rare for academy students to go to the Square, in fact, most exceptional students aim for it. Knowing Baek So-yul right now, they might even invite her to the Square.
She’d be graduating in February, so it was merely a matter of time. But it was this very timing that was the issue. Baek So-yul shook her head.
“I want to go as soon as possible.”
Her words carried a palpable sense of urgency that made Hong Yu-ri raise her eyebrows.
“Why?”
This wasn’t the usual Baek So-yul. She put effort into her studies, but something undeniable was missing. Back then, Euna honed her skills due to misunderstandings from illusions and hatred for Alpha, but Baek So-yul lacked that drive. Though she worked hard, she lacked a clear objective, making her passive in her endeavors.
But now, it was different.
The longing in her eyes was unmistakable.
However, there was another layer to this.
It wasn’t that something new had emerged; she was simply reclaiming what she had lost.
The young shepherd girl, who struggled to escape the nightmare, was found by the wolf without her consent.
‘The witch’s disasters won’t occur.’
‘I’ll stop it, no matter how many times.’
Unexpected salvation—of course, it was a good thing. It signified the heavy burdens she had carried her whole life were lifted. But it was also the reason her desire was snatched away.
Because she was saved, her struggles ceased. Thus, she could only grow more slowly. That was something no one could give her.
And so, the desire once lost, which had been snuffed by the wolf,.
“I’m counting on you.”
Was rekindled and began to blaze anew, this time, because of the wolf.
“……”
As she lowered her head deeply, Hong Yu-ri frowned. Why was she acting this way after returning from the Fantasy World? It was undoubtedly because of Alpha.
Things had gotten a bit complicated.
I wanted to ask why she was trying so hard, yet at the same time, I didn’t want to. I felt that if I asked, things would change unavoidably.
“…Fine.”
Baek So-yul’s face lit up. When she looked up and our eyes met, I could see her longing still burned bright.
“You know, you won’t be able to learn the third part, right?”
Only those who were part of the Square could learn up to the second part. Even then, only a few recognized by the Square could go through to the third part.
But, naturally, Baek So-yul had never been recognized in that way. I had initially planned to teach her and reveal this later.
“So it’s necessary for you to go anyway…”
As Hong Yu-ri said this, her gaze on Baek So-yul became peculiar, and she shook her head.
“The departure is two days from now. If there’s anything you need, prepare… no, forget that.”
“…! Yes!”
It was a strange coincidence. She had no way of knowing, yet, strangely enough, Alpha was also heading to the Square. Hong Yu-ri herself had just learned this through the call.
As such, she stood there for a moment, glancing at Baek So-yul’s retreating figure.
***
Once I finished explaining what the Fantasy World was like, Euna nodded.
“Yeah. But…”
Her autumn-colored eyes reflected the setting sun. They were eyes filled with a mix of expectation and doubt, and I found myself just watching my own reflection in them.
“Why’re you telling me this…?”
In her cautious inquiry, I nodded.
“Are you interested in going to the Fantasy World?”
“……”
Her fingers intertwined as if contemplating. Then, she soon nodded.
“I want to go. I really want to… but…”
Trailing off, Euna let out a short sigh.
“…I can’t go.”
She mentioned the things she had to do in her clan, saying that it wasn’t a decision one could make lightly. While Euna spoke, the wolf turned its gaze towards Perry.
As the fading light threw a crimson hue across the scene, the wolf extended its tentacle and grasped Euna’s hand.
In that moment, Euna felt her surroundings shift.
“W-What…?”
Before she realized it, the red glow of the sunset had vanished, replaced by a bluish, dreamlike world—Euna gasped in astonishment, taken aback once more.
The sheer volume of magic in the air was unlike anything she had felt before.
“It’s definitely different from the real world.”
The essence and quality were on a different level altogether. What Alpha had said was true… but in the next moment, Euna was back in reality.
The wolf smiled faintly at her dumbfounded expression, as if to say.
‘Well, here we are.’
“Kyu~!”
Perry’s cry seemed to ask how she felt about it, and Euna swallowed hard.
“This is… this is the Fantasy World…”
Was it a dream? Or just some phantasm? She was confused, but it couldn’t be false. Right before her, Alpha was still urging her for an answer. The wolf sipped its coffee, its gaze earnest.
It seemed to say there was no need to ponder anything else. Just do as you wish.
With that, another nervous swallow passed through Euna’s lips, and she finally spoke up.
“Then… may I ask you for a favor?”
Under the twilight sky, the wolf nodded, just like always.