“Uh… so, that guy’s territory… his home… where he lives…”
“Yeah. Let’s sneak up to where that guy lives and check out what kind of creature he is, what he’s up to.”
“…….”
I understood her words.
But I couldn’t immediately act on the weight of what they meant, so I just blinked. Seeing this, Kang Do-hee emphasized again.
“Look at the remaining time for the quest. It’s time to start figuring out how to tackle it.”
“…….”
[Time limit: 8 days 19 hours 49 minutes]
I’d checked the remaining time occasionally, but seeing it again now, it was worryingly short.
No, actually, we had 14 days at first. The problem was that I’d wasted most of those 14 days, or close to it.
Thinking about it made me feel even more ashamed.
But Kang Do-hee didn’t seem to care about that and shared her thoughts.
“Even though I heard a rough explanation, hearing about something and seeing it firsthand are completely different. We know too little about that monster.”
She’s right.
“We need to experience firsthand what its habits are, how it moves, how it targets its prey—only then can we decide whether to take it down or not. So, let’s go scout first.”
That’s absolutely correct too.
There’s nothing to be gained by just fearing an enemy we don’t even understand.
My body tensed up, stiff with nervousness. But this was a problem we had to face. So I nodded and replied.
“Okay. Are just the two of us going?”
“To avoid trespassing into the tiger’s territory, we’ll need to take Bamtol too. It’d be troublesome if the water ghost shows up again midway.”
“Grr. Grrr.”
“Gamja, you stay and guard the house this time. You’re too big and would stand out.”
Gamja, who had raised its front paw eagerly as if to say it wanted to go, plopped down on the floor.
I’m no bear behavior expert, but its expression looked sulky, like it was deeply disappointed.
Kang Do-hee, seemingly thinking the same, shrugged at Gamja and said,
“It’s because we plan to go as stealthily as possible. Understand?”
“Grr…”
Fair point. Gamja was so massive, it made you wonder if moon bears were supposed to be that big.
It did seem impractical for stealth scouting. Of course, we couldn’t ignore its animal instincts, but safety comes first.
“Gamja, please take care of the elder, Biyeong-noona, and the kids at home.”
“Groar.”
I talked as if we were leaving right away, but I wasn’t planning to go scouting immediately.
There was something I wanted to take care of first.
“So, Noona, before we go scouting, can I complete my quest first?”
“The one that gives gold?”
“Yeah. Given when this quest appeared, I think it might help when we face the boss monster. Though I’m not entirely sure.”
Honestly, I couldn’t say for certain since there were no clear conditions for using the reward.
I didn’t even know what the gold could be used for—maybe it’s not even for a shop. But I felt we should check.
Luckily, Kang Do-hee didn’t object to my suggestion.
“Do it, then. I was going to teach you hunting anyway. Lee Hayul, we’re taking you too, so stop looking like that.”
“…!”
Hearing my brother’s name, I turned around in surprise, following Kang Do-hee’s gaze.
Behind me, standing there—who knows for how long—was Hayul, arms crossed, glaring at me intensely.
“Hyung, you heard, right? I’m going too. I’ll learn to shoot a bow and how to hunt. So don’t even think about leaving me out again.”
“Uh, uh…”
“And I’m going scouting too.”
“What? Wait, Hayul, that place—”
“Hyung, you’re not the only one with a quest.”
“…!”
Cutting me off, Hayul reminded me of a fact I already knew.
Then he began listing, one by one, the truths I’d been ignoring, pretending not to know, and trying to avoid.
“I got a quest too, which means I have to move with you when we take down that bug or whatever. Like Noona said, we don’t even know how big that monster is or how it moves. Do you think I could fight it if we just rushed in?”
“…….”
“I get why you want to leave me out. It’s obviously dangerous. And maybe I could get hurt.”
“…….”
“But I’m going anyway. I can’t keep relying on you, Noona, and Do-jin forever. So I’m going to move with you.”
“…….”
“If it feels too dangerous, I’ll run. I can learn how to escape well too, right?”
‘That’s true, but if possible…’
I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
Despite knowing we all had to work together to overcome this challenge, I realized I was still thinking of excluding Hayul.
It wasn’t because I dismissed or underestimated him. It was just my shameful, selfish desire to keep him safe.
Unlike me, who could only purse my lips in turmoil, Kang Do-hee readily accepted Hayul’s request.
“Alright. Let’s go scouting together.”
“…!”
“Great. I’ll get ready to go. Noona, teach me how to shoot a bow too.”
“Sure.”
With Kang Do-hee’s approval, Hayul went back to the room. He seemed to be talking with Kang Do-jin, but their voices were too low to hear.
I turned back to Kang Do-hee with a somewhat dazed expression.
“Noona, how about we take him scouting next time? After we check it out first…”
“Haje.”
“Yes…”
“I understand you’re worried about your brother. But you know you can’t keep him tucked away in a safe place forever.”
“……”
I know. I know all too well.
But knowing it in my head and the overwhelming anxiety in my heart were two different things.
“And in a place like this, pushing him to face things is better for him than coddling him. If you only shield and protect him, and he’s left clueless while we all die, what happens then?”
“…!!”
She wasn’t joking in the slightest.
Kang Do-hee was saying, so easily and calmly, that such a thing could happen.
“We just got lucky with how things turned out, but survival is inherently brutal. Even the strongest, most experienced people can meet absurd deaths just for letting their guard down for a moment.”
“…….”
“So don’t assume you’ll always be able to protect your brother. Same goes for me. One stupid mistake, and I could die before you.”
“…….”
Yeah, there’s no order to when we go.
No matter how much I vow to protect someone forever, I know better than anyone that it’s all futile if that person suddenly dies.
After all, haven’t I experienced death directly myself?
On my way to the police station, I was only thinking about what to say during the investigation, what I knew, and what happened to the field guide author—mundane worries about reality. I never imagined I’d die in just a few minutes.
That’s how death comes for most people.
It strikes unexpectedly, leaving you powerless to do anything but accept it.
A violent, reckless ending.
Knowing this made Kang Do-hee’s words feel even more terrifying and dreadful.
Because death isn’t something you can always prevent, no matter how much you prepare or brace for it.
“You’re right, Noona. It’ll definitely be good for Hayul to learn from you. For his sake moving forward.”
“Good. Now that you get it, let’s get ready to go. The sun’s starting to come out.”
As Kang Do-hee said, the rays of light filtering through the window were growing stronger.
The clouds were clearing.
★★★
“Be careful out there.”
“I’ll have some steamed potatoes ready, so don’t come back too late.”
“Yes, Elder. We’ll be back.”
Everyone except Jubi-yeong, the elder, and Gamja, along with Bamtol, left the house.
This was the first time we’d all gone out together since arriving here.
“The rain’s almost stopped.”
After days of gloom, the sun was emerging, and the rain was reduced to a light mist, like a spray bottle.
Then, Bamtol, perched on my shoulder, pointed toward the backyard.
“Kya!”
“Bamtol-ah, should we go that way?”
“Kya!”
Leaving the backyard, we carefully crossed a stream swollen by rainwater, practically a creek now.
A few days ago, the water barely reached my ankles, but now it was deep enough to sink to my knees.
The tall grass field across the stream, which had reached chest height, was flattened by days of heavy rain.
While the clear view was nice, I worried it’d make finding animals harder, but my concerns were unfounded.
“Kya!”
“Oh my…”
Proving my worries unnecessary, Bamtol spotted a wild boar.
Not just any boar, but one collapsed near the stream’s bushes, trembling and near death.
“That’s sad.”
Hearing Hayul’s murmur, I nodded slightly.
The boar, impaled through the abdomen by a broken tree, let out pained groans.
From its condition, it seemed to have been swept away by the swollen stream and crashed into the broken tree.
“It must’ve held on like this for a while.”
As Kang Do-hee muttered this and approached, the boar, which had been limp, began thrashing and squealing desperately.
Its dying state weighed heavily on my heart, but seeing its gruesome condition, I felt it needed to be put out of its misery quickly.
Kang Do-hee clearly thought the same. She approached without hesitation, gripping the long kitchen knife she’d brought from the house.
But then,
“Noona, wait.”
Hayul stepped forward. Instead of asking why, Kang Do-hee let him pass.
As Hayul approached, the boar thrashed even harder. The more it struggled, the wider the wound gaped, spilling red blood onto the ground.
Worried it might charge if the tree broke, I tried to stop him, but Kang Do-jin grabbed my arm.
“Don’t provoke it unnecessarily. Just watch for now.”
“……”
I barely nodded and turned my gaze back to my brother.
Approaching the boar slowly, Hayul extended his hand with deliberate movements and spoke.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. You’ll be alright soon.”
“Grreeek, greeeek!”
“It must’ve hurt a lot and been so scary, enduring this alone. It’s okay now.”
As Hayul spoke in a soft, gentle voice, the boar’s violent movements gradually calmed.
Just moments ago, it had been writhing in pain and fear, but now, locking eyes with Hayul, it shed tears.
Its gaze settled, though its snout still trembled, likely from the pain making it hard to breathe.
Approaching the visibly calmed animal, Hayul reached out and gently stroked its quivering snout.
“I’ll make it quick and painless. Close your eyes. It’ll be over soon.”
His whisper was so tender, even I, standing nearby, felt at ease.
It carried a strong conviction that closing your eyes would end all pain, and an expectation that peace would follow.
The boar, shedding tears as it looked at Hayul, slowly closed its eyes. It clearly felt the same emotions I did.
Kang Do-hee approached slowly, but the boar didn’t open its eyes or show aggression.
Thud—shunk.
With a swift, precise strike, Kang Do-hee ended the boar’s life.
Freed from Kang Do-jin’s grip, I first checked on my brother. As expected, Hayul’s expression wasn’t good.
But he wasn’t crying or overly shocked either.
His face simply held deep compassion and pity for an animal that had suffered alone in such a state.