Chapter 67: The Tail that Catches Millions
by AfuhfuihgsWe spent quite a long time fishing at the creek.
Yet, we couldn’t catch a single Abyssal Fish.
Apparently, they could fetch millions of won apiece during peak demand and there was a reason for that.
‘Ugh.’
With a tinge of disappointment, I perched on a rock by the creek.
‘At least the scenery is nice.’
It wasn’t a complete waste of time, I consoled myself while swinging my feet in the water.
Splash, splash
As I watched the ripples form on the surface, Delphine came to sit beside me.
“Harang, are you giving up on fishing?”
“Yeah. It’s no fun since we’re not catching anything.”
“Really? Then, how about a fishing game with me?”
‘Stop calling yourself my “unnie.”’
I was about to bare my teeth at her in frustration when a toy fishing rod dangled in front of me.
Wiggle, wiggle
The toy fish swayed in the air, stealing my attention.
“O…”
Fine, whatever.
Getting mad and missing out on playtime was worse than settling for a toy fish.
Pounce!
I got down on all fours like a tiger preparing to strike.
Tensing the muscles in my legs, I was ready to lunge at Delphine’s toy fish when
Snap!
“Eek!”
Something yanked my tail.
“What the !”
Turning around, I saw my tail splashing wildly in the water.
It felt like someone or something had grabbed it and was shaking it furiously.
Panic surged through me as I tried to pull my tail free, but whatever had latched on was too heavy to budge.
“Gyaaah!”
Fear washed over me.
What was in the water, jerking my tail around like this?
Unable to stand, I bolted on all fours, running like an animal to escape the water’s edge.
Thud-thud-thud!
I sprinted faster than I ever could on two legs, all the way to the bushes.
But the pressure on my tail didn’t relent.
“What is this!”
With trembling eyes, I glanced back to find a shimmering fish clamped onto my tail.
‘A fish?’
It was oddly beautiful, almost mesmerizing in its vibrant, shimmering hues.
Still, this wasn’t the time to admire it.
The colorful fish wasn’t just hanging on it was trying to devour my tail!
“This…!”
A mere fish daring to eat a tiger?
Unthinkable.
As a predator myself, it wounded my pride.
I wasn’t going to be the meal; it was. That’s the law of nature.
‘You’re my dinner now.’
Though, admittedly, I was too scared to handle it on my own.
“Raxy!”
With the fish still dangling from my tail, I dashed toward Raxy Bora.
She was off fishing in another spot, far away.
“Harang! Did you catch a fish?”
“Yeah, but with my tail.”
When I showed her my tail, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh my, that’s an Abyssal Fish!”
“This is an Abyssal Fish?”
I’d heard of them but never seen one before.
We had never even thought of eating such expensive food before.
‘What a foolish fish.’
A fish worth millions of won bit my tail. It was almost laughable.
“Harang, how did you even catch this?”
Raxy Bora asked as she carefully removed the Abyssal Fish from my tail.
“I was just dipping my tail in the water, and it bit.”
“Your tail?”
“Yeah.”
Her gaze lingered on my tail for a moment.
“Harang’s tail does look pretty tasty…”
“My tail…?”
I glanced back and forth between her and my tail, a bit flustered. Suddenly, Raxy Bora grabbed my shoulders.
“Harang, how about we try just a bit more?”
“Huh? Try what?”
She responded with a mysterious smile that gave me pause.
Before I knew it, I was fishing with my tail at her suggestion.
At first, I thought it was a strange request, but after catching one or two Abyssal Fish, I couldn’t deny it anymore.
‘Unbelievable.’
Maybe Raxy Bora’s comment about my tail being appetizing wasn’t entirely wrong.
All I had to do was dip it in the water, and the Abyssal Fish would come biting.
“Got one!”
Splash, splash!
Whenever my tail shook, Raxy Bora would scoop the fish up with a net.
Before long, we had caught ten Abyssal Fish.
By rough estimation, their combined worth was in the tens of millions of won.
‘Is my true calling being a fisher?’
I seriously entertained the thought for a moment but dismissed it.
Fishing wasn’t my only strength I was naturally gifted in all forms of hunting.
My true calling wasn’t as a fisher but likely as a ‘hunter.’
“Hehe.”
Lost in the confidence bubbling up within me, I let out a small laugh.
Raxy Bora, having just finished organizing the fish we caught, approached me.
“Harang, should we call it a day?”
“Yeah. Catching too many wouldn’t make sense since we can’t eat them all.”
Hunting should be done with respect for life, taking only as much as one could consume.
I had no desire to hunt these fish for mere amusement.
“Shall we head back, then?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
As we walked back, I couldn’t help but carry myself with a proud stride, like a general returning victorious from battle.
Leading the way confidently, I noticed Delphine falling in step beside me.
“Harang, you’re really good at fishing, huh?”
“Of course. I’m a hunting genius.”
“A hunting genius?”
Delphine chuckled behind her hand, as if amused by the idea.
‘There’s something unsettling about her…’
Maybe it was my own problem, though.
My instinctive defense mechanism often kicked in around strangers.
‘Still, I need to get along with her somehow.’
Delphine wasn’t as physically intimidating as Kim Eunhyuk, nor did she exude a threatening aura.
With enough effort, I was sure I could get close to her.
After all, we’d be living together for a while.
‘Alright.’
I set my first goal for this rustic life: to become friends with Delphine.
As we approached the villa, I noticed Jinhyang and Yoon Bora sitting on the front terrace, sipping coffee.
Their picturesque scene left me momentarily stunned.
It was as if I were looking at a celebrity photoshoot.
“Boss! Yoon Bora!”
I waved enthusiastically and ran toward them. I couldn’t wait another second to show them the results of my proud hunt.
“Oh my, Harang. You’re soaking wet!”
“Yeah, I was playing in the valley.”
“Ah, I see.”
Yoon Bora produced a towel from who-knows-where and began drying me off.
She focused on my ears, hair, and face, blocking my vision with the towel.
“Yoon Bora, stop for a second. Hold on!”
“No way. What if you catch a cold?”
“Ugh.”
I wanted to brag about the Abyssal Fish I caught, but she wasn’t letting me.
Growing impatient, I shuffled my feet in frustration.
“What’s gotten into Harang all of a sudden?”
“I caught a ton of fish!”
“Fish?”
“Yeah.”
I pointed toward Raxy Bora, who was holding the Abyssal Fish.
“Is that an Abyssal Fish?”
Jinhyang, who had been sipping her coffee, asked curiously.
“Yes, I caught ten of them. All by myself.”
“Impressive…”
Jinhyang’s genuine admiration made my tail wag furiously.
It wagged so fast it seemed like it might create afterimages.
“Even I have a hard time catching those.”
“Even you, Boss?”
“Yeah. Abyssal Fish are practically invisible underwater, and their magic suppresses any trace of their presence.”
“Ah.”
Now it made sense. Looking at the valley earlier, I hadn’t seen a single fish.
I couldn’t hear or smell them either.
It was likely a survival strategy the Abyssal Fish had developed to avoid predators.
“How in the world did you manage to catch them? Even a seasoned angler would be lucky to catch one after a whole month of fishing.”
“That rare…?”
“Absolutely. I thought you’d be lucky to catch even one.”
“Wow.”
No wonder Abyssal Fish were said to be worth more than money could buy.
Their rarity made sense now.
“So, how did you catch them?”
“I just used my tail.”
“Your tail?”
Jinhyang froze, her coffee cup mid-air, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.
“Yes. I guess my tail must look appetizing because they kept biting it.”
“Really? Is your tail okay?”
“It hurts a little.”
It wasn’t a biting pain, though more like the muscle soreness you feel after exercise.
“Let me take a look.”
“Okay.”
At Jinhyang’s gesture, I placed my tail onto her outstretched hand.
“There don’t seem to be any injuries…”
“No, there aren’t any wounds. It’s just sore from overuse.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I nodded earnestly at Jinhyang.
Sometimes, I noticed just how much she worried.
Whenever something happened, her first instinct was always to check on my condition.
“If you feel unwell, let me know right away. There’s no hospital nearby in the mountains.”
“Yes, I’ll definitely tell you if I’m hurt.”
I nodded to reassure her, though I doubted I’d ever get sick or injured.
My wild, resilient body was far too sturdy for that.
‘I’m invincible.’
I could hunt skillfully, work efficiently, and was undeniably strong.
At times, I’d even taken on the role of Huntress Tower’s leader.
‘I’m a top-tier asset, aren’t I?’
Buoyed by confidence, I clenched my fists tightly.
At that moment, Yoon Bora returned with a fresh towel and began drying me off again.
“I have to admit, Harang, your tail does look pretty appetizing. If I were a fish, I’d probably bite too.”
“R-Really…?”
“Yep.”
Both Raxy Bora and Yoon Bora seemed to find my tail irresistibly tempting.
Did my tail really look that tasty?
Curious, I brought a mouthful of my own tail to my lips.
“Huh?”
What I tasted wasn’t my flavor.
Instead, my mouth filled with the distinct fishy taste characteristic of the Abyssal Fish.
It seemed their scent had seeped into my tail.
“Wow.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, trickling down my cheeks.
It wasn’t sadness it was sheer awe.
This was a flavor so transcendent, no human language could adequately describe it.
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