episode_0245

( “What do you think the human brain capacity is?” )

( “Focus on the TV news. It might help a little.” )

A story told by [Bug Princess] in the middle of an apartment hallway where monsters roam.

Eunha lay on the living room sofa with a tired face and rubbed her sore back.

It was because I suffered for about two hours due to the mischievous princess’s ‘pranks’ in front of the pumpkin bee.

‘I’m watching because Fly is cute. I thought my back was going to burst.’

Even after [Bug Princess] was satisfied and left, it was hard to get rid of ‘Fly’, who kept digging into her arms.

In the end, we somehow broke up and returned home… but I don’t want to get up from the sofa, maybe because of the headache that’s been going on since yesterday.

It’s even worse because I strangely have no strength in my legs.

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Beep. Beep.

A story about an exciting but noisy world.

I tossed and turned on the TV volume while rolling on the soft sofa.

Because [Bug Princess] told me to pay close attention to the TV news.

( “Severe things are mixed together.” )

( “Focus on the TV news. It might help a little.” )

Instead of talking about ‘mixed things’, why are you suddenly focusing on the news?

But so far, I have never suffered a loss by listening to [Bug Princess].

Wasn’t [Grandpa Park], who helped Mana awaken, also a monster that the princess introduced?

So I thought wisely.

It’s said that you have to lose to get what you deserve.

And here, the main event means meeting [the black person] while in a sound mind.

‘Surely something big will happen if I watch the news?’

Click-.

Still, it’s better to prepare for any eventuality.

Eunha, who struggled to get up from the sofa, takes something out of the black carrier next to her.

An ’emergency escape button’ that I received from the [Happy Convenience Store] in front of my apartment one day… A ‘Derringer pistol’ that was shining black.

He checks the one bullet loaded in the chamber and places it on the living room table.

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Now you can escape safely no matter what pops up on TV.

No matter how talented a monster is, he won’t be able to follow the fortune teller to the [black person] shop.

Eunha thought wisely.

Thanks to my positive mindset, I feel relieved and my heart feels heavy.

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Eunha sat down on the back of the sofa and watched a news program called [Hunter 24].

The world where hunters and monsters fight each other and villains is more exciting and fun than the breaking news of some animations.

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Look at this too, there was a reporter named ‘Baek-Heop Yoo’ who used the [Transparency] skill to infiltrate a mid-sized guild.

The news screen with the headline [The main culprit of global warming discovered!] clearly showed the female hunters holding hands affectionately and disappearing into a dark alley.

It seems like there are rumors of a romantic relationship between two hostile guild leaders.

Eunha focused on the news while eating a few energy bars she had stockpiled in the fridge for dinner.

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New and exciting stories every day.

But why did [Bug Princess] tell her to focus on the news?

I’ve been watching TV for over ten minutes now, but I still can’t figure out why.

<< Next news. In Euncheon-gu….. Chijijik…… 16 casualties due to a truck driver's drowsy driving. ■■ It happened on Daehak-ro near University…』

but,

Like clothes getting wet in a drizzle.

『Here's the news. There are 7 casualties due to the rampage of monsters that came from the border. Afterwards, thanks to the sacrifice of C-class Hunter Kim Man-seok of the Hunter Association, the monster hunting was successful.』

Little by little. Little by little.

It starts to deliver a different type of 'news' than before.

『Here's the news. … … casualties in … … .』

As if giving a weather forecast,

A news anchor who speaks about future events rather than the past.

The TV screen had turned red at some point, and was broadcasting the tragic events of a traffic accident without any mosaics.

Blood pooling on the asphalt.

A pure white fog that obstructs vision.

The silhouette of a huge bell tower is faintly visible beyond the thick fog.

Daaengㅡㅡㅡ.

The camera, which was filming the horrific scene of a traffic accident, starts to shake as if it were struck by an earthquake when a bell is heard in the distance, and then moves on to the next 'news'.

『Here's the news. A woman in her 20s attempts suicide with a pistol at her home.』

Is this what it feels like to watch a realistic horror movie?

Eunha straightened her posture, which had been disturbed by the news atmosphere that had changed in an instant.

"There was no such rule in [the black book]… Is it telling us what will happen in the future?"

Ugh…!

I tapped my temples as the headache started again.

Eunha endured her headache as she recalled the 'gray pill' that [the black man] had given her.

Here was some real news.

Eunha, who realized that this was what [Bug Princess] had been talking about, picks up the 'Derringer Pistol' that was left on the living room table.

A pistol for self-defense.

If you get hit, it hurts.

"Just try to pop anything out. I'll shoot you in the head and kill you instantly."

My head hurts.

He put the muzzle of the gun to his throbbing temple.

As if to respect the galaxy's determination, the red-tinted TV screen quickly changed and sent new 'news' to 'room 904'.

"Here's the news."

"Here's the news."

"Here's the news."

So many 'news'…

Has a future passed where someone dies?

『Here's the latest news. [Changcheon Sword Master] Kim Ha-yang's only daughter, D-class hunter Kim Sa-rang, has been found dead in the [Euncheon Academy] gymnasium.』

Suddenly popped out,

But a familiar name that shouldn't have popped out… came out of the 'News' announcer's mouth.

… … .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4-1. Twilight is the time of the wise.

– When the time comes, a wise person will approach you.

– If you are well-mannered and behave properly, you will be able to borrow his wisdom.

​

– However, the conversation with him must end before the sun sets.

– After dusk, the sound of dawn will take everything away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am always grateful to the monsters.

If 'those things' hadn't existed, Euncheon-gu Malrang Fist would have lived forever, caressing his F-class hunter ID and wallowing in self-loathing.

Even noisy human relationships like the ones we have now haven't been created…

No, maybe I was kidnapped by 'someone' a long time ago and became a lab rat who had my blood drawn every day.

'Thinking back now… I was lucky.'

He took out the [Black Book] from the carrier and stroked it, smiling complicatedly.

A painful but happy life.

A life of hanging out with tough but kind-hearted neighbors and cousins.

This is better.

… … Well, since I’m sick already.

Just hoping for a little more help from my neighbors,

Is this too selfish a desire?

I don't know.

So I decided to take action.

Because forgiveness is usually quicker than permission.

I decided to think wisely.

『Here's the latest news. [Changcheon Sword Master] Kim Ha-yang's only daughter, D-class hunter Kim Sa-rang, has been found dead in the [Euncheon Academy] gymnasium.』

I don't know if that 'news' is true.

But it must be real.

They are monsters who only have a grudge, but they are not the kind of people who lie at the expense of human lives.

That is, Kim Sa-rang will die in the near future.

I don't know why. I don't know the time.

The 'news' that a close friend would die soon was harder to accept than I thought.

News of the future.

Is it possible to change the future where Kim Sa-rang dies like in the movies?

My head hurt.

Dooroooo…… Beepㅡ.

Eunha, holding a 'Derringer pistol' in one hand, made a phone call to someone.

The phone rings with an out-of-range signal, and connects to somewhere in less than 3 seconds.

"Hello. Can you call Grandpa?"

– I realized one day that if you ask for something from someone you care about, time will appear where it didn't exist before.

"Oh… How is it? How much time do you have now that I called you?"

– As dusk ends and the next dusk rises.

The voice of a shabby old man.

The wrinkles that resemble night vision engraved on the hand of 'that thing' holding the phone seem to be felt even from the other end of the phone.

Eunha chose her words slowly as she greeted the old tree rooted deep in the ground.

… … .

"Grandpa. The reason I called you was…"

– It must be to find wisdom. As always.

But the old man began to speak as if he knew everything.

There were no questions, for wisdom is like a river that flows from above to below.

All you have to do is pick up the grains of wisdom that float down the river, one by one.

Daengㅡㅡㅡㅡ.

A bell rings from somewhere.

Eunha looked out the window, her shoulders shrugging in surprise.

It's been thirty minutes since sunset, but outside the window a beautiful twilight is painting the horizon red.

Twilight is the time of the wise.

Eunha absentmindedly looked down at the back of her hand, but there wasn't a single wrinkle on her soft skin.

– Don't worry. You are mixed up with me now, so this is clearly no different from talking to yourself.

He still has a frown on his face at the unknown [Grandpa Park]'s training.

Does this mean that you won't be sucking up other people's time like last time?

As Eunha took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa with her legs crossed, a gentle laughter flowed out like fog from the other end of the phone.

– You saw a piece of the future. There must be someone you want to save.

[Grandpa Park]'s first words, as he caught his breath at the same time as the galaxy.

The old man told the reason why Eunha called.

– It's like when you drop a ball, you 'expect' it to hit the floor.

"… … ?"

– It simply contains all the wisdom in the world and 'anticipates' everything that will happen in the future.

"Oh please. My head hurts."

– However, such 'expectations' are limited to 24 hours. The wisdom we have accumulated has not yet reached the heavens.

"So, Kim Sa-rang, who was on the 'news' earlier, will die at [Euncheon Academy] within the next 24 hours?"

– You're so smart, I wonder who you're mixing with.

"Anything else?"

– It's not like you can see it whenever you want.

The second breath makes the galaxy's anxiety concrete.

As [Grandpa Park] continued to speak, a dizzying headache began to creep up on me.

If I explain it a little more simply, what is missing?

I thought wisely.

If I stay by Kim Sa-rang's side all day tomorrow, won't I be able to save her?

I thought that while hugging my throbbing head.

– It looks difficult.

"Okay… Can I save you?"

The question is whether you can save him.

There was no answer in return.

All I could hear was a worried sigh from the other end of the phone.

The kind voice of an old man pats Eunha on the back.

– With that head, you'll do well.

Thud. Thud.

Immediately afterwards, I wiped the black blood flowing from my nose,

Eunha wiped the smile from her face.

… … .

… … .

( "What do you think the human brain capacity is?" )

Block your nose.

The stench of blood numbs the sense of smell.

Eunha looked down at her phone with a stiff face.

Boom. Boom…

A drop of blood falls weakly and hits the smartphone, leaving a mark.

"… … What is this?"

– How mixed up have you been lately?

"I don't know."

sick.

Is this what it feels like when your brain bursts through your skull?

I don't know where I hurt myself, but my leg won't move.

'I don't have time for this. What are you doing all of a sudden?'

I wiped the blood from my nose with trembling hands.

The twilight seen outside the window slowly fades and returns to the night sky.

– What color pill did you get from that guy?

"… … [Black person]?…… I got the gray pill."

– That's why. You gave it to me too often and too hastily.

I handed it over in a hurry…

So, what [Grandpa Park] is trying to say is, is [the black man] giving him the 'gray pill' for no reason and giving him a headache?

It seems like my brain can't handle anything but the 'pure white pill'.

I would at least tell you to be careful in advance, so you shouldn't eat food given to you by others without permission.

I thought it was a different flavor because they suddenly gave me a pill of a different color.

– Someone once said, "If you know you can't reach something when you stretch out your hand, you should know when to put it back."

"… … ."

– If a person's head is damaged, he or she cannot move. It will get better after a few days of rest.

Cold words.

Hidden in that coldness is concern for the galaxy.

Concerns directed only at her.

The wise tell the galaxy to close its eyes.

'… … Then what… Are you telling me to pretend I didn't see it? Our youngest, tough part-timer who came in today?'

But unfortunately,

I watched the 'news' coming out of TV.

How can you just sit still when there are people who can be saved with just a little effort?

(Become a great hunter.)

If life is going to be painful anyway, let's live it with a smile.

Eunha raised the corners of her mouth despite her splitting headache.

"Grandpa… I'll say it again. Can love save us? What about the other people on the news?"

– I'll say it again, despite the pain of the saw. With that head…

"What's wrong with my hair?"

Crunch.

I had no thoughts.

The worries were short.

Eunha picked up the 'Derringer pistol' that had been placed on the living room table and aimed it at her temple.

– Sleep…

Taang-!!

A majestic bell rings out in the quiet living room.

… … .

… … .

"Ahㅡㅡㅡㅡ… I feel better now."

I thought positively.

My head was pounding like it was going to explode after taking the 'gray pill' and mixing with [Grandpa Park].

Well then, why don't we just blow it up once?

Fortunately, it was a success.

My hair turned white and my headache went away.

Blood flowing down the cheek.

Galaxy sighed as she was free from her headache.

I haven't met [the black man] yet, but I don't know if the bullet deflected him or if he has good resilience… but whatever.

My head that was hurting has returned to normal,

Now it's time to go save our stone-headed part-timer.

'Was it true that if you shoot at the side of the head you won't die? Next time let's shoot at the roof of the mouth.'

Thin blood flows out.

A refreshing laugh flows out.

My head is light, so my mind is at ease.

Indeed, the products from [Happiness Convenience Store] that buy and sell happiness are effective.

"Whew…Whew……Thanks for calling, Grandpa. But I'll take care of it whether it hurts or not."

– Hehe. I don't know anymore. Do whatever you want.

"Yesㅡㅡ…"

– When I'm with you, nothing goes as planned. I learned something.

[Grandpa Park's] tired sigh can be heard over the phone.

Eunha, who had roughly cleaned up the bloodstains in the living room, put the [Black Book] and the pistol into the carrier.

It was a bit of a long story, but

Anyway, I'm going to save him.

The goal is to create a person like Kim Sa-rang.

I hope that [Changcheon Sword Master]'s only daughter, who has less than 24 hours left to live, will live long and prosper.

'The news' said that he was found dead in the academy gym…

Tomorrow I'm taking a break from cafes and going to [Euncheon Academy].

'There's a weirdo at school… I can't stand it.'

My heart is already pounding at the thought of memorizing the guidebook.

In that way, Eunha walked unsteadily, packing up her things to take to the academy tomorrow.

… … .

"It's turning yellow, yellow~."

『… … Hey. You crazy bitch.』

"That's good."

"What are you?"

[The Forgetful Saintess] and [The Red Woman] sticking their heads out from the veranda railing,

He shook his head and went back downstairs.

It was a harmonious evening.