I Overcome Fear. I Find a Club(?)

The unknown is frightening.

When people can't understand what something is, they feel extreme anxiety.

And now.

Kang Yul was showing extreme signs of anxiety as he stared at the incomprehensible notification window before him.

Ding-!

[You have formed a deep connection with 'Kim Chaeryeong.']

[Your divine power wishes 'abundance' for the being with whom you have formed a deep connection.]

[Your divine power wishes 'success' for the being with whom you have formed a deep connection.]

"…?"

Confused, Kang Yul tried to piece together everything he knew and assess the situation as best he could.

What was divine power, and what did it mean for the blacksmith's abundance and success to be wished for?

Somehow, he pieced things together using knowledge he'd gained from the Gallery and scraps of information he'd picked up while working part-time at a place dealing with supernatural phenomena.

'Divine power… I think I heard about it when I worked at the antique shop.'

An old term for a mysterious, inscrutable power or ability that could accomplish anything—something impossible to explain in words.

For example, predicting the future, seeing through someone's thoughts, making it rain, creating whatever treasures one desired, and so on…

Back in the days before people even had the concept of supernatural phenomena, they discovered that power and gave it a name.

So, if he continued thinking along those lines…

'…Could this be a power from before supernatural phenomena appeared, something like an old-fashioned version of [Class Skills] today?'

Kang Yul defined divine power as an old name for the skills used in an era before [Gates] and [Status Windows] properly appeared.

In modern times, scholars had spent decades researching the question, 'How exactly do skills work?'

Yet they still couldn't grasp the principle, wracking their brains and shouting, "No! Why on earth does this even work?!" Which meant skills and divine power probably belonged to the same general category of things.

So.

'If divine power is something like a skill, then abundance and success must be words describing how that skill activates. Besides…'

…Kang Yul recalled what the blacksmith had said just moments ago.

"Esteemed One, my name is 'Kim Chaeryeong.' It is my honor to form a 'deep connection' with you, the Esteemed One who is both an Earth Dragon and a dokkaebi."

The blacksmith had called Kang Yul 'the Esteemed One who is both an Earth Dragon and a dokkaebi,'

and Kang Yul wondered if that might have something to do with how he'd gained divine power.

To-ryong (土龍) was a word for an earthworm, and the English name for an earthworm was Worm.

And as it happened, Kang Yul had learned how to eat a mountain from Worm.

'And when I consider how useful earthworms are for making soil fertile…'

…the blacksmith's claim that Kang Yul was an Earth Dragon made sense.

It also made sense, more or less, that Kang Yul had gained divine power related to abundance.

And if he continued reasoning in the same way…

'The Dokkaebi Club—Black Jade (黑玉), which Worm made for me—became bound to me.'

In the process, he'd also become able to use the power of a dokkaebi.

Perhaps that was connected to the part about gaining divine power related to 'success.'

Wasn't it a famous tale that dokkaebi could make gold or silver appear in an instant with their clubs?

Considering it in that context, perhaps he'd gained an ability that would let him 'succeed' easily—or guarantee success.

'This part's a little unclear, so I'll ask her later.'

The blacksmith had introduced herself as a dokkaebi's apprentice.

There was a good chance she knew something about the divine power Kang Yul possessed, too.

Anyway.

'Phew… Okay, I think I've got it.'

Kang Yul let out a sigh of relief at having escaped the fear of the unknown.

At first, he'd felt a flicker of anxiety, wondering if gaining some strange power meant he was 'no longer really human.'

But now it seemed he'd only become 'a Hunter with a somewhat special power.' The fact that Kang Yul was human hadn't changed at all.

'I was scared for nothing.'

But that thought lasted only a moment.

"Are you all right, Esteemed One?"

The blacksmith, Kim Chaeryeong, asked, looking at Kang Yul with concern.

'What? Why is she making that face… Oh, right. We were still in the middle of a conversation, weren't we?'

Kang Yul immediately understood why the blacksmith was looking at him that way.

From the blacksmith's point of view, it probably looked like this…

1. Kang Yul suddenly went stiff and broke into a cold sweat.

2. Before long, he frowned, clutched his head, and sank into thought.

3. Then he remained lost in thought for so long that his head was practically overheating.

4. Finally, he slumped in his chair, having apparently reached a conclusion.

…That must have been what it looked like.

'Wouldn't it be understandable if she thought I was crazy?'

Besides, considering what he'd just heard about the blacksmith's high standing in the Hunter industry…

"…I'm sorry for being rude!"

Kang Yul decided to bow his head first.

Whether he liked the blacksmith or not, he had been rude.

And, when you got down to it, she might be a big shot—a senior Hunter and an influential figure in the industry.

'If she's an influential senior with money and a generous hand, I should definitely get close to her.'

Although she did have the major drawback of touching him without hesitation and looking at him as if she wanted to devour him.

Even so, Kang Yul concluded that the blacksmith before him was on the same level as Team Leader Myo—or perhaps even higher.

'A blacksmith the veteran Hunters are obsessed with? I can't let this chance slip by.'

Besides, though he hadn't intended it at all, he was already tied to her by a 'deep connection' formed through his divine power.

So Kang Yul summoned his courage and decided to grab hold of this golden lifeline, while making a change that might make their relationship a little more comfortable.

"Rude? I could never feel that you were being rude to me, Esteemed One."

"Well, that's good, but… um… then, Blacksmith, there's one thing I'd like to shamelessly ask you…"

"As I just said, I could never feel that you were being rude to me, Esteemed One. So please, speak freely!"

"…Then, Blacksmith, I'll be honest. You look older than me, and you're probably a very senior Hunter in a high position in the industry. If you don't mind, could you speak more casually to me? Honestly, it's making me so uncomfortable I could die!"

Right after he'd let out what he really thought in one breath,

he was barely calming his pounding heart, thinking, 'I did it…!'

"………"

Shiver-!

At the blacksmith's gaze—once again fixed on Kang Yul with those uniquely sinister eyes—he trembled like prey facing an irresistible predator.

But.

"Would… would that be all right… Senior Chaeryeong…?"

Rather than retreat, Kang Yul stepped further into the predator's territory.

He thought their relationship was so uncomfortable now that he couldn't back out.

Then.

"Ha, seriously. You're fucking adorable. I could just…!"

"Pardon?"

"No, it's nothing."

The blacksmith murmured something with a sinister look in her eyes, then briefly rubbed her face with one hand.

She soon returned to her usual self and said,

"You want me to treat you normally, like the other Hunters. Is that what you're saying?"

"That's right. I grew up in an orphanage, so being treated like that is really awkward for me."

"Ah, so that's the angle you're going for?"

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing. Anyway, I understand what you mean, Esteemed One. You just want us to be comfortable, like an older sister and younger brother, right?"

"?"

Kang Yul was flustered.

He'd been talking about a senior-junior relationship in the Hunter industry, and the conversation had been going just fine in that direction.

So why had she arrived at the conclusion that they should be comfortable like an older sister and younger brother?

So Kang Yul tried to correct her.

"Uh… no. If anything, I meant a hierarchical boss-and-subordinate relationship like with Team Leader Myo…"

"You just want us to be comfortable, like an older sister and younger brother, right?"

"…Actually, now that I think about it, being like family sounds better. I don't have any family, so I've always wanted an older brother or sister!"

And he got scared and gave in.

He couldn't help it.

The chill he'd just felt wasn't from stepping into a predator's territory. It was more like his head had already been shoved halfway into the predator's jaws.

'I don't know if this is the right thing to do.'

But it was too late for regrets. Kang Yul had already come too far to take it back.

"All right. If that's what you want, your big sister will grant it. I'll call you Yul from now on, so you can just call me Big Sis Chaeryeong, okay?"

"I… how could I possibly…"

"Yul.

That's not the answer your big sister wants."

Hiccup-!

"…Y-yes, Big Sis Chaeryeong."

"Good boy. My Yul."

And that, too, was already beyond the point of no return.

He'd come far, far too far.

"Then… shall we look for the 'club' our Yul lost?"

"What?"

"Don't worry, Yul. Leave it to your big sister, and I'll find the 'club' hidden somewhere on your body."

"W-wait! Big Sis! Big Sis Chaeryeong! I really don't think this is right after all—"

"Gwooooh?!"

In the end, that day, the blacksmith felt every inch of Kang Yul's body.

And in the end, she found the Dokkaebi Club hidden in a discreet place—his palate.

Although…

"Goodness… My Yul carries around such a huge club…? Big Sis doesn't have much experience with this, so I can't say for sure…"

Gulp-!

"…Yeah, this is definitely impressive. Very impressive, Yul."

Things did get a little awkward when, while looking for the 'club,' they found 'another club.'

They decided to keep it a secret between the two of them and pretend they hadn't noticed.