Chapter 138: Going Home (1)

Since I had been dealing with the monster wave since early morning and even defeated the S-class monster Kraken, the time was just past 1 PM even after that desperate battle ended.

Of course, since it was mealtime and not a situation where I could leisurely eat lunch, I had to just fill my hunger with a simple chocolate bar.

After that, I returned to the villa and simply washed off the traces of battle stained on my body with water.

It would be fortunate, if anything, that the Kraken couldn’t reach the villa in the center of the island.

With that, the situation somewhat settled, and after changing into clean clothes, I briefly explained to Do Sihee and Eunbyul that I was a multi-awakened individual.

To put it accurately, since I could no longer hide it now, it was closer to saying I revealed it.

“Those many wounds really all….”

“…Certainly, this power seems like the ability of recovery-type awakened individuals.”

If things continued like this, as soon as we left the island, Do Sihee and Eunbyul would take me to an awakened individual with recovery abilities, and if that happened, it was inevitable that I would be naturally discovered as a multi-awakened individual.

If seen by the eyes of an awakened individual with recovery abilities, there was also the risk of them noticing that I possessed the same ability.

Besides, if I showed the remarkably faint wounds compared to the battle fought to others, they would find out anyway, so it was better that I revealed it first before being suspected.

Anyway, I had intended to reveal it to Do Sihee someday, so the timing was quite appropriate.

Informing even Eunbyul, who I had only met a day ago, was an unexpected event.

“I’m telling you just in case, please don’t tell anyone else that I am a multi-awakened individual.”

“Of course. In the first place, the existence of male awakened individuals is like a mythical creature, and if you add multi-awakened individuals, even a five-year-old child probably wouldn’t believe it?”

“I too promise to absolutely keep silent regarding Kim Sungchul-nim’s awakened abilities.”

The reason I believed even Eunbyul’s words, which were relatively less trustworthy compared to Do Sihee’s, without much worry was simple.

It was because after I defeated the Kraken, a heart signifying the expected acquisition points had bloomed next to her face for the first time.

The fact that the number of the bloomed heart was the small number 10 wasn’t very important.

The fact that it appeared itself was what was important.

When a heart didn’t appear, it could be seen that the other person considered having sex with me unpleasant, or an act they had no interest in at all, but

the fact that it changed to a plus, even a tiny bit, meant her feelings towards me were also improving.

At least, just knowing this feeling made the number 10 that bloomed next to Eunbyul’s face hold great significance.

Even if it didn’t develop into a relationship where we had sex, the fact that people with favorable feelings towards me were increasing wasn’t a bad thing at all.

And if that person would be someone I’d see often in the future, Do Sihee’s exclusive attendant, even more so.

Anyway, for now, let’s focus on maintaining that faint favor that bloomed as 10.

Don’t unnecessarily bring up strange things like repaying a favor with a relationship and risk diminishing that precious favor that bloomed after killing an S-class monster.

“By the way, Sungchul-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“What do you plan to do with the Kraken’s corpse that Sungchul-ssi hunted?”

“…I can’t handle it. What ability do I have?”

At one point, I thought about stuffing it into my spatial pocket, but given its size, the answer that it was immediately impossible came back from Esila.

「If you use all 400 slots of the spatial pocket’s capacity, you can store about two legs of the Kraken.」

‘…Right, then let’s stop.’

「Understood.」

In reality, the Kraken’s material itself cannot fetch a very high price.

It’s just ridiculously large, but in reality, it’s nothing more than a tougher, more tasteless squid.

It obviously cannot be used for consumption, and due to issues with decay or weight, it’s meaningless even as material for armor, etc.

The only thing was its highly viscous ink, which was occasionally purchased at a high price at high-end Italian restaurants, but that was really its only value.

Excluding the monster core that can be used as a power source, in reality, the disposal costs would likely exceed its value.

“…This is only when an ordinary person obtains this material, but that’s the case.”

“Please handle it yourselves, Sihee-ssi or the Dokyung Group. As for compensation for me, it’s fine if there isn’t any.”

S-class monster corpses themselves are usually always bought by research facilities, so if it’s Do Sihee, she would surely be able to contact facilities wanting this monster’s corpse.

Besides, if it’s the Dokyung Group, which has many industrial facilities that use monster materials, there was also the possibility of the group utilizing it themselves.

Rather than being used for some mediocre pocket money for ordinary people, it would be much more useful if it went into her hands.

Of course, Do Sihee did not readily accept my saying I would give up the reward, I who had the greatest contribution.

“We cannot exclude compensation for Sungchul-ssi, who contributed the most in dealing with the Kraken.”

“Furthermore, since you protected the island owned by the Dokyung Group, which could have undergone dungeonization, Kim Sungchul-nim is fully qualified to receive ample compensation just for that alone.”

“To be honest, I’m not entirely uninterested in that compensation, but…”

“Just name it! If it’s this much, even my mother would give Sungchul-ssi anything!”

“Just the fact that you two are safe is enough compensation.”

“…Huh?”

“…”

As if they didn’t understand what I was saying, I honestly conveyed what I wanted to say to the two stunned people.

“This is something I don’t usually tell others, but actually, when I was young, my parents died due to monsters.”

“…What?”

“I was a victim of the ‘Abandoned City Dungeonization Incident’ which happened 12 years ago.”

Perhaps because of that, my life’s goal has become to prevent people from dying to monsters, like my parents.

“…”

“So actually, just by finishing what happened today, I already obtained more than enough compensation for myself.”

Unlike how my parents died due to monsters, I was able to prevent Sihee-ssi and Eunbyul from dying in the monster wave, and furthermore, by stopping the monster wave, I also prevented a new dungeon from being created.

“If this isn’t sufficient compensation for me, then what is?”

Hearing my past, Do Sihee’s eyes gradually reddened.

“S-Sungchul-ssi… you have such a past…”

“…I see. I have understood well what Kim Sungchul-nim said.”

“It’s already a distant memory, so you don’t need to worry too much about it, but I plan to live my life with the goal of people no longer dying to monsters.”

“At least, within the reach of my hands.”

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After revealing my somewhat heavy past story to the two people, it was concluded that the disposal of the materials would be handled by Do Sihee herself.

They hadn’t decided yet whether it would be used as research material as is by the Dokyung Group or sold to other facilities through the Ariel Foundation, but

They asked if I wanted to take even just the Kraken’s core, but this time, I politely refused.

Because I didn’t particularly need it.

And if I took only the S-class monster’s core, the Kraken’s corpse would have its value as research material plummet, so it was better off remaining attached.

“In that case, I will discuss the compensation regarding the Kraken materials with you separately later.”

“I’ll know the disposal direction after discussing with my mother, but either way, an amount you won’t be disappointed with will come to Sungchul-ssi.”

“Surely you won’t refuse this too?”

“…Understood. If you insist that much.”

“It’s not just the Kraken’s materials.”

“The cores of the Krael or Dustkelp too, given this amount, will be a considerable sum, so excluding disposal costs and fees, I’ll return the full amount to Sungchul-ssi.”

“It must be troublesome, but is it okay for you to do that much?”

“Compared to the value of one island and villa, it’s cheap.”

Hearing that, it made sense, so I quietly nodded.

With that, the talk about material disposal also ended after dealing with the monster, so now it was really time to leave the island.

Since one wave had already ended, perhaps the same thing wouldn’t happen again in this area, but as long as the Kraken’s corpse remained on the island, we had to leave the island quickly in another sense.

Before the giant squid’s corpse rotted, there was a need to quickly bring in holy-related awakened individuals from outside the island, preserve the monster corpse, and rebuild the damaged holy barrier.

Sensing she would probably become the person in charge of this matter, Do Sihee let out a low sigh.

“After rising to A-class Hunter and being busy for a while, I thought I could finally rest, only for work to pop up again on my vacation…”

I felt regret that I had to part with her again, so how much more must she feel.

If things had gone as planned, my plan to spend the whole day with Do Sihee, regardless of points or anything else, regrettably, was thwarted.

“It can’t be helped. There’s always a next time.”

“Next time…. another next time….”

Words to cheer her up didn’t come to mind anymore, so this time I turned the conversation to Eunbyul.

“Eunbyul-ssi. Speaking of which, you mentioned earlier that the means to enter and exit the island were not just helicopters, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Now, could you please tell me what that method is?”

“It’s not a particularly special means.”

“It’s just a matter of going by sea if not by air.”

“…By sea?”

After saying that, Eunbyul opened the door to the large garage in the villa’s backyard and went inside. Soon after, she came out driving a large truck.

Behind it, a quite sizable sailing yacht was loaded onto a trailer.

“Compared to a helicopter, the travel time will take a bit longer, but right now, as an emergency means of transport, we’ll ‘have no choice but’ to use it.”

Eunbyul’s voice, after saying that, although very slightly, sounded somewhat delighted.