Chapter 21: Nightmare

“So, What do you want to talk about with me?”

Apparently, Ji-woo wanted to ask about his sister. But, changed to some casual talk.

“Where do you live?”

“Around here, 5 minutes walk.”

Ji-woo knew Hwang Eun-bi must be living not far from his mother’s stall since she always came with just a walk.

Also, it took 10 minutes to walk from the Street food stall to Ji-woo’s house.

Both Ji-woo and Eun-bi’s place were in the opposite direction. That was why they never met on their way back and forth from the street food stall.

“Why asking?”

Ji-woo sighed helplessly. “Just asking.”

Eun-bi stared at Ji-woo for a moment, then asked her doubt. “Are you sure?”

Ji-woo shrugged.

Although Eun-bi didn’t comply with Ji-woo’s answer, she wanted to inquire more but got interrupted by Ji-woo’s mother.

“Eun-bi~ya, here your Gimbap and Odeng. Take it.”

“Ah. Yes, Imo.”

Eun-bi abruptly took out her money and paid for her food.

“Don’t tease Eun-bi too much Ji-woo~ya. She was Eomma’s chat partner here.” Ji-woo’s mother smiled and reminded Ji-woo to treat Eun-bi better.

“Um? Yes, mom.” Ji-woo casually answered his mother.

“Imo, I didn’t get teased.” Eun-bi awkwardly denied it.

Eun-bi’s answer made Ji-woo and his mother look toward her.

“Yes, yes. I’m just joking, Eun-bi~ya. Ji-woo~ya, can you take her home?”

Now, Ji-woo was taken by surprise listening to his mother’s words, while Eun-bi got flustered by Ji-woo’s mother’s request.

“Ah. No need, Imo. I can go back by myself.” Eun-bi tried to reject it and lowered her head because she was embarrassed.

“See, mom? She will be okay. She’s not a kid.”

Ji-woo refused it immediately. However, his mom still insisted on him doing it.

“Mother wanted to visit her house a long time ago but didn’t have a chance for it. So, you can do it in exchange for me.”

Ji-woo took this occurrence to convince his mother to take a rest.

“Alright, I do it, mom. Later let’s visit her house together. And mom needs to take a break from working first.”

His mother only waved her hand to indicate Ji-woo for just doing it and not bothering with her working schedule.

And for Eun-bi, she didn’t say any words. And obey what Ji-woo’s mother asked for it. She already thought of Ji-woo’s mother as her mother. So, she rarely refused Ji-woo’s mother’s wish.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah, right. Imo, I go back first. Thank you, Imo. See you tomorrow Imo.” Eun-bi smiled happily while saying goodbye to Ji-woo’s mother.

When they walked, Eun-bi spoke first.

“Sorry, it must be uncomfortable walking me home since we’re not close.”

Eun-bi tried to apologize to Ji-woo.

But, Ji-woo just nodded and waved his hand.

That kind of act from Ji-woo was the one that Eun-bi didn’t like the most.

“Utter jerk!”

Ji-woo didn’t care for being called like that. However, that made Eun-bi curious about Ji-woo.

“Why do you look like someone that doesn’t really care, whether you get asked or accused?”

“Because an answer or an explanation is not the end.”

Eun-bi got confused.

“See it now?”

“What?”

Ji-woo sighed, “When get asked, a simple answer would never be enough. It will lead to another question. And if I do a long talk to explain and the other side is not happy with the answer. They will change the words and ask another question with the same meaning. Endlessly.”

Eun-bi couldn’t refute it because it was like what Ji-woo said.

Some people were never getting enough with a simple answer. Sometimes they would keep asking questions until it satisfied them. If the answers don’t match with what they were hoping for it. Then a lengthy explanation was meaningless.

“But… But…, that’s how you make a conversation. And also, if you didn’t explain, how can the other understand your meaning?”

“A conversation should not be a source of offense. And you are really an idiot, didn’t I say that a moment ago? Even if I explain, if the other side is not happy with it, it will be a waste of time to talk.” Ji-woo 

“I’m not an idiot!”

“This is what I mean, the conversation that can lead to conflict. You are angry at the words that I said.”

“That… That…, you are going overboard with your words!”

Ji-woo sighed again, “That’s why, in the conversation, people need to keep the boundary and not cross the line when talking. Speak when it’s necessary. And stop if the other didn’t want to answer or respond to it. Don’t force your ego.”

Eun-bi lowered her head. She felt like being lectured by an elder.

“I thought I was just talking to an older person.”

“In fact. I am old.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Didn’t your age is 23?”

Ji-woo wanted to say he was 47 years old. But that was in Magical worlds. Not on Earth.

“I’m old. Older than you, for sure.”

Hmmph–

Eun-bi was speechless at Ji-woo. Just because the age gap was two years, she was being treated like a teenager by Ji-woo.

“I’m 21 years old. I’m not a kid! Heh!” Eun-bi talked back at Ji-woo and did the Merong thing to him.

Ji-woo just smiled at Eun-bi behavior.

On their way back, Eun-bi kept talking, and Ji-woo sometimes answered it, sometimes not.

But, Eun-bi already knew Ji-woo a little bit. So, she didn’t mind it anymore.

“Thank you. That’s my house. Next time, come visit me with Imo.”

“Alright. Did you live alone? Is it okay?”

“Tch! Who dares to rob a hunter house? I’m a D-rank hunter, don’t you remember?!”

“Ah…”

It didn’t mean Ji-woo wanted to judge something by appearance, but the appearance really showed that Eun-bi was just like a young woman. It made him forget that Eun-bi was the same rank as the squad leader of the Ganjang guild from earlier.

“Bye.”

“Bye Ji-woo~si. Take care and be careful on your way.”

Ji-woo turned back and walked away while waving his hand up in the air.

—- —-

04.00 PM, Ji-woo’s phone vibrated. He checked, and that was the notification text from his bank account.

“This is not bad. The payment is really different from the other jobs.”

Ji-woo just got his payment from part-timer porter work. The payout was 1.1 million Won. He combined with the money Eun-bi gave to him. The amount reached 1.2 million Won.

Of course, it was still low. But, it was enough for a while and let Elijah take 1 or 2 days off from work.

‘Should I keep going to the Portal Gate?’

Ji-woo began to hesitate again about the dungeons. Even though the work this time around went smoothly. So far, the Nullifier that worried him was not showing a sign of being back to its old self.

“Forget about it. Let’s do it like before.”

Ji-woo had thought. In order to work at the Portal Gate, he needed to become stronger or at least retrieve back his true strength like his former self. But, great power came with great responsibility.

Such transcendent power would undoubtedly drag him onto the world stage. In his previous life alone, his true strength couldn’t save some of his comrades in arms and couldn’t defeat the Underlord. How about this life now? Where he still didn’t know how great the world’s most capable hunter was. And he also didn’t grasp how the creatures at tier-6 Portal Gate were.

Ji-woo didn’t want to act rashly without information. Unless, indeed, the situation forced him to do so.

However, Looking at his current situation, Ji-woo honestly didn’t need to force himself to do that. His family was not in danger, although they were short of money for living.

Ji-woo, too, wasn’t interested in becoming a hero. It was because it was exhausting being dictated by people. What he could do; What he couldn’t do. Too much restriction on his freedom was the most annoying thing for him.

Ji-woo wanted a quiet life in this time with his family. He would try to work like everyone else. And if he didn’t have any choice, he would pick a part-time job as a guild porter again like before.

—- —-

—- —-

{… “Help! Help us!”

Arrghhh–

Kyaaa–

Eeerrghh–

In the middle of the night, in a small village.

There were many screams and cries for help from any other direction of the village.

The wooden house was on fire, and the ground was shattering.

There were several human corpses in the vicinity.

Strangely, there was a demon’s dead body and beasts’ corpses mixed with it.

And someone was sitting on it happily atop a pile of demons, beasts, and human corpses.

Hahaha–

“Hey, why are all of you running around. Came back here, watch the show.”

The person smiled broadly.

“Geez, if I’m not going easy on them, it will end too fast. If I show mercy, they run away from me.”

Hehehe–

Another man walked from behind and approached the man that sat at the top of demons, beasts, and human corpses.

“Magina… “

The man who was sitting on top of all the corpses looked back.

“Oh, Stormrage, you are here. You are late. You should come from the beginning and see their despair. It is a beautiful sight.”

Hahaha–

Stormrage shook his head. “Your joy is not matched with your tears, Magina.”

Magina’s bloodied face got washed a little bit from the tears.

Hhshs, Huahahahaha–

“Stormrage, Help me. It feels good for me.”

Huahahaha–

Magina kept laughing while shedding his tears.

Stormrage sighed, his heartache so much seeing his sworn brother become the devil like that.

“I know it’s not you, the one that killed the human from this village but still laughing and no sympathy after seeing their dead body. You need some beating, brother!”

“Paladin Hellreaver!”

Stormrage summons his Greatsword. A tempered steel double-edged, two-handed sword appeared in the air.

“Woah, the strong opponent is what I’m hoping for it. Compared to these ants, the pleasure of fighting you is enjoyable.”

Huaha, Huhahaha–

While laughing and grinning, Magina pleaded to Stormrage with his tears. “Brother, save me.”

Hahaha–

Stormrage closed his eyes for a moment and muttered some words. “An existence and the Obedience that walks upon the bloodshed of their comrade and enemy.”

Haaa–

Stormrage jump with his Greatsword and close the distance in the blink of eyes…, }

—- —-

—- —-

In the middle of the night, at Ji-woo room.

Uawahhh–

“That’s… a nightmare?!!”