Chapter 516 – Forsaken Hound (1)

Three years prior. Sansuyu had endured a heartbreak.

“Miss, you’re here again today? Who are you awaiting?”

Whenever she spent time nestled on the rusty iron steps of a house, a nameless mother would invariably show concern.

“Yes, I’m waiting.”
“Oh, who could make such a beautiful maiden wait?”
“I’m the only one waiting. No one else is coming.”
“Hmm? Ah… Is that so?”

The homely scent of hearty soybean paste soup wafted to her nostrils, mingling with the steam from the vents. Sansuyu closed her eyes, savoring the familiar ambiance.

She leaned her head on the stairs and persevered in her vigil. In front of that room, that door, those stairs, where she had once lived with him.

Like an abandoned pup unable to forget its last encounter with its master, seemingly circling the same spot.

Sansuyu remained seated there, persistently waiting for him.

‘…Return.’

From the crisp spring that still couldn’t forget him.

“That young lady is sitting there every day.”
“Well, I heard somewhere that it was the room where she lived with her beloved bachelor.”
“Oh my, really?”

The sweltering summer, when the ice cream they were eating fell to the ground, and cicadas wailed their lament.

“As I look at her, I feel sympathy. Should I introduce her to my son?”
“Better not to.”

The autumn, when she used to tap the ground with her toes amidst the falling leaves. Even the winter when she wore a red scarf,

“…….”

Sansuyu maintained her post every day, fantasizing that he might brazenly return here one day.

However, her vigil ceased not long after a year had passed. The government had seized the uninhabited land and buildings, declaring them public property, which led to Sansuyu’s expulsion, the erstwhile guardian of the premises.

“Miss, you can’t remain here.”
“…?”
“We’re under construction, so please move along.”
“???”

Perhaps an end befitting a forsaken hound.

‘Uh… Siheon’s house? That shouldn’t be demolished….’

– Kwaang!

‘Uh?!’

Panic ensued!

Sansuyu, now devoid even of her sanctum of memories, was left powerless.

She could do nothing but rhythmically stamp her feet in despair while witnessing the pitiful demolition of the house.

– Trembling.

Her fury was such that for a moment she considered demolishing the very building herself. However, in the blink of an eye, a large restaurant had sprung up over Siheon’s house.

[Grand Opening ~ Free neck piece with every order!]

A spicy rice cake (Tteokbokki) eatery. After tasting its offerings, she decided it was too good to destroy and forgave it.

‘…….’

Sansuyu, in the end, had to leave that solitary alley. She had lost even the place where she could wait for him. She had truly become a forsaken hound. She still had plenty of money, but the house had been razed. Even if she bought the Tteokbokki place, Siheon’s house would not return. Everything else was futile.

[‘Hunter’ singlehandedly conquers S-class dungeon!]

With the sage’s help, a new status was attained, the ‘Hunter’ position that everyone envied.

Now, money overflows, rotten and useless.

What is its worth without Si-heon?

“I’m looking to step away from all of this,” I muse.

A mentor met through an internet community. An S-rank Hunter, disillusioned with his life as a vampire slayer, chose retirement. Since becoming a sage, I haven’t been able to meet Marronnier. The harsh truth? There’s no one left for me to share my affection with.

Nevertheless, Cornus waits.

No longer the helpless figure of the past, I’ve become a force to reckon with in this world. Now, I have the strength to protect someone.

[The hunter, ‘The Predator’, has claimed the snack bar!]
[Cornus rice cake stir-fry, small 8,000 Won]

I can afford tteokbokki now, even without Si-heon buying it for me. My business thrives, my connections are plenty, my reputation admirable. But despite all these achievements, my heart remains hollow.

“…”

I was happiest when I was with Si-heon.

Waking up to see Si-heon beside me, eating the meals he prepared, and sometimes indulging in our carnal desires. It was wonderful.

These days, when I wake up in bed, my side is cold. Si-heon, who always held me close, is no longer there. If I fall sick once more… Will Si-heon return? Did Si-heon leave my side because I regained my health?

“Foolish.”

Si-heon is already dead.

I’m always too late. My mother, my secretary, Si-heon. Everyone I cherished and who cherished me in return, they all left me. Thanks to them, I’m alive, but it feels as deadening as death itself.

I miss him. I yearn for him. I want to hold his hand, I want to hold him close.

This longing is so overpowering; there’s no space left for thoughts of revenge. Perhaps I need to allow myself to grieve a little longer.

“Hunter. Are you not going out these days? Why do you always go to that place…”
“…”
“Oh, I apologize. A guest has arrived.”
“Who?”

It must have been at that moment. The wise sage from the past taught me how to resurrect Si-heon, how to find him.

“Have you been well?”

I had no choice but to accept his proposition.

* * * * * * * * * *

-Clang!

Gu-seul fired her pistol, soaring through the swirling tempest. Two magic-blocking rods had been pulled from her thighs.

“Please perish!!!”

She injects the mana, extracted through sheer willpower and grit, into the bullet casing.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Gu-seul and Cornus had fought once before. The second battle, following the Forest Keeper Selection. The difference now is that Gu-seul is not a clone, but the real deal. Cornus, on the other hand, is armed with filthier traits and abilities.

[Round 2!]

Whatever the case, it’s a pride match.

In the aftermath of her last humiliating encounter in battle, Gu-seul showed no hesitation in using any means necessary to fight back.

-Tarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

From her machine gun, capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute,

-Taang!

To the anti-materiel sniper rifle, potent enough to bring down even the largest monsters. Gu-seul spared no effort in showcasing her power, the very strength she often boasted about to Lee Si-heon.

“It’s futile.”

Yet, Cornus remained unswayed by any of Gu-seul’s attacks, and her magic seemed to flow seamlessly into Cornus’s body. A horrified Gu-seul cried out,

‘How can this be possible!’

Perhaps there was a mana factory nestled within that ample chest. Or maybe she had consumed something that had left an overwhelming impact.

“Heh.”

Pulling the blocking bar from her right shoulder, Gu-seul sent her mana into a frenzy. Cornus, armed with her sword, was charging towards Gu-seul.

‘Monster.’

Gu-seul could sense the looming crisis.

‘This monster!’

In terms of sheer mana, Gu-seul was unparalleled in the world. The fact that she could load her machine gun with mana and fire thousands of rounds without depleting it was testament to this.

[‘Gu-seul’ unleashed ‘Baptism of Lamentation’!]
[It appears to have no effect on ‘Cornus’.]
[Cornus absorbs the mana!]
[Cornus’ vitality and mana are fully replenished!]

Regardless,
In Cornus’s presence, Gu-seul’s mana was nothing more than a convenient source of replenishment.

‘Her movements have improved.’

If the Cornus that Gu-seul knew from the Forest Keeper Selection was reliant on her intuition for her swordplay, she had now transformed into a much more devious and intellectually formidable opponent. Harnessing her beast-like instincts, she was now a warrior without any weak spots. And yet, Gu-seul could sense that there was still a substantial well of potential waiting to be tapped into.

-Thud!

“Si-heon, where are you?”

Cornus, who had leapt into the air, was now targeting Gu-seul’s neck.

Her swordplay was impeccable, leaving no room for evasion. Gu-seul clenched her eyes shut and withdrew her gun, her grip weakening.

“Damn it…”

She didn’t deserve such treatment. After all, on the eighth leaf, she was the one with power at its zenith.

In the realm of the Three Kingdoms, she was akin to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. Through her narrowed gaze, Gu-seul saw the madness in Cornus’s face, the relentless drive as she charged with her sword, aiming for her neck.

Ah.

‘She’s a Lu Bu.’

Gu-seul closed her eyes.

[‘Cornus’ executed ‘Cornus Swordsmanship, Sword Slash’!]
[The effect on ‘Gu-seul’ was devastating!]
[‘Gu-seul’ was plunged into darkness.]

-Bang!

* * * * * * * * * *

The faithful guardian of the house, akin to a Go player, was swept away.

I had hoped for a win and was rooting for her. As an officer of King Mokryeong, she was powerless to fight back. Gu-seul was unconscious, pinned under the weight of a large dog, her eyes shut. I resolved to pray for her spirit.

‘With her strength depleted to this extent, she must have noticed by now.’

Just as Lee Se-Young had discerned my identity, so had Cornus.

The unpredictability of her actions made flight a risky strategy. And to engage in battle? It would wreak havoc on our surroundings.

“……?”

Cornus had laid Gu-seul on the grassy field, her gaze now affixed on the crowded location where I stood.

An unanticipated reunion. Dressed in my synthetic skin mask, I found myself smirking, a look of disbelief playing across my features.

‘Had she gone to such lengths to find me?’

Cornus was staring at me. She stood up, her disbelief reflected in her movements as she clenched and unclenched her hands.

“Shion?”

But I wasn’t Shion. After three years, it was reasonable to expect that she would have forgotten my name.

Cornus removed her helmet, revealing her concealed, endearing face. Her moistened hair fluttered around, the cold air causing her breath to mist in front of her.

“Leave her be.”

At my warning, Cornus released the grip she had on Gu-seul’s collar.

“Cough!”

Gu-seul had been knocked unconscious by Cornus, lying collapsed on the ground. Cornus began to approach me, one step at a time, even as she sighed.

Cornus’s excited expression was charming. Her soft cheeks, the twinkle in her eyes under the sunlight, all added to her cuteness.

– Thud, Thud!

The cute confusion in her steps, her buttocks twitching like that of a puppy—it was all endearing.

-Tung, Tegurr.

Cornus discarded the helmet she was holding. As she walked, her breastplate seemed to move with each step, as if struggling to contain her ample bosom.

“Shion.”

Approaching me until she was almost touching my nose, she reached out towards my neck. She peeled off my synthetic skin, and just like that, my mask fell to the ground, replaced by a rush of cold air on my skin.

Her eyes sparkled as she took in my face.

“You were alive.”

“……”

Having already realized her suspicions, and having traveled this far, hiding was no longer an option.

I felt the strength drain from my body, and I let out a hollow laugh. I was at a loss for what to do next when Cornus’s arms encircled my neck.

“Shion!”

Like a gigantic puppy, she threw herself at me.

-Thud!

Despite her heavy armor, she knocked me over effortlessly and held me close. It had been three years.

“Shion, Shion… “

How is it that she hadn’t changed at all? Cornus, who kept calling out my name, was innocently rubbing her cheeks. Hot tears streamed down her face.

“Hmm…”

She sniffed, then licked my cheek. She really did resemble a puppy, a large dog swaddled in armor, wagging its tail at the sight of its favorite toy, her speech endearingly just slightly off.

“I wanted to see you.”

There were countless stories about the ‘Hunters’ being intellectual and aristocratic. Were those just baseless rumors spread by other hunters?

[‘Cornus’ used ‘Acting Cute’!]

Cornus was as cute and full of charm as she had ever been.

‘How might I persuade him?’

That was what I contemplated as I ran my fingers through Sansuyu’s hair.

“Sieon, ah… Sheeran….”

She looked so content, I decided to leave her be for a moment. Unlike others, Sansuyu truly must have been alone.

“Not Sieon, but Siheon.”
“Siheon…. Yes, that’s right. My beloved Siheon.”

Sansuyu showed no intentions of disentangling herself from me.

She explored my figure with her hands, inhaled my scent with her nose, pressed her forehead to mine, grazed her cheek against mine, and eventually stole a kiss from my lips.

“Always, I had much to say.”

Having lived as a test subject for the Cornus clan, even offering her life for freedom, would she return to my embrace once more? Sansuyu embraced me willingly.

She hadn’t changed one bit since three years ago. However, there was a slight disconnect compared to the overflowing emotions she displayed right before our parting. Sansuyu, who was once dense and naively charming, now seemed to possess only affection. I worried she might have lost her emotions again, but…

“Siheon is very… beloved.”

…Upon seeing her brimming with affection, it seemed she wasn’t devoid of feelings. I consoled Sansuyu, who clung to me, tears streaming down her face.