Chapter 16 · 12 min

Chapter 16

Leprechaun

The four hunters scattered in all directions, but as some time passed before he knew it they were gathered at the same place.

Seo I-hyeon quickly eliminated three eyeballs. The headache subsided in an instant.

'Should I have put in the ears?'

The three were having some conversation, but there was a limit to finding out what they were saying with only mouth shapes.

Moreover they were stuck so close as if almost putting heads together so confirming everyone's mouths was also difficult.

So he just watched what they were trying to do.

They each took out one small piece from their bosom. Then held it out. It was pieces dividing something intact into four.

When the four pieces stuck exactly it shone for a moment then something dropped below it.

'Leprechaun?'

Height about an adult's knee, wearing a hat, and the appearance of an old man with a long bushy red beard.

With cunning eyes flashing and an expression as if mocking, holding a small hammer, and wearing a work apron made of leather.

No matter where he looked it didn't look like it would give a pot full of gold.

'Still if catching and asking will it tell?'

No way. Isn't it in cahoots with those four people no matter who looks.

They said something diligently to the leprechaun. Then the leprechaun began to move.

Everyone diligently followed behind it.

After a moment, the leprechaun appeared in the open space. The leprechaun ran exactly toward Seo I-hyeon.

This was a situation where even if he didn't want to catch he had no choice but to catch.

The leprechaun suddenly jumped then threw its body into Seo I-hyeon's bosom.

Seo I-hyeon reached out his hand and grabbed the leprechaun. With arms fully extended so as absolutely not to stick close.

First he didn't take eyes off. Since Seo I-hyeon was watching the leprechaun couldn't move.

If asking where the gold is here will it answer?

Of course Seo I-hyeon didn't question and just looked at the leprechaun. The rest when the four hunters come he should continue.

Not long after the four hunters entered the open space.

They looked at Seo I-hyeon holding the leprechaun and clapped their hands.

"Excellent! Absolutely don't take eyes off. Then we'll handle everything."

The four hunters approached Seo I-hyeon. But as if surrounding they circled and slowly approached.

"You're really not even blinking eyes? Wow, amazing."

Seo I-hyeon was a bit speechless. Isn't this mocking?

Still he didn't turn his gaze to the side and only looked at the leprechaun.

The leprechaun was examining Seo I-hyeon as if licking with its characteristic mean eyes.

Seo I-hyeon's gaze went to the small hammer the leprechaun was holding in its hand.

'If hit by that it will hurt.'

If it swings the hammer he is thinking of throwing it without hesitation. Or breaking the neck before swinging.

He doesn't know if he can kill the leprechaun.

'By the way it's dirty ugly.'

Usually leprechauns reestablished in modern times are on the cute side. They also say it brings luck.

But this guy was absolutely not such a soft existence. At least in Seo I-hyeon's view it was like that.

While doing an eye fight with the leprechaun like that the four hunters approached close to Seo I-hyeon.

In front of Seo I-hyeon was 'Gold hunter', and he looked at Seo I-hyeon and grinned.

"Don't think too badly. We're also doing this to eat and live. Ha, fuck. The leprechaun maintenance cost isn't small so our waists are also bent."

Seo I-hyeon nodded. He thought maybe, but as expected.

"If giving a person as food does it at least throw gold?"

At Seo I-hyeon's question the gold hunter smiled brightly and clapped his hands.

"Exactly that! How much this damn dwarf bastard reveals people. And the taste is also so picky it doesn't eat just anyone."

"It doesn't eat just anyone? Then how do you choose the food?"

"We choose with the community. Only guys who come here deceived by us get eaten."

"Aha, that setting?"

At Seo I-hyeon's reaction 'Gold hunter''s expression became peculiar.

"But you, you don't seem scared? The reaction is somehow a bit lukewarm? Don't you know what the words I said mean?"

How would he be scared.

"I know well. It's not the purpose of catching this guy but the purpose of catching me, right?"

"You know well?"

"So it means I can also catch you guys, right?"

"What?"

The moment the gold hunter frowned hard, Black rose without sound from behind me.

As soon as Black appeared it charged at the three hunters who were on both sides behind me.

It was a terrifying speed, and skill.

Black was holding black swords in both hands, and with that pierced both thighs and both shoulders of the three hunters.

In an instant the three hunters fell.

'Gold hunter' couldn't even react properly during that and was standing blankly.

Thanks to that he now had to face Black.

"T-this, what, w-what is this."

"First time seeing a skeleton?"

"F-fuck."

He wanted to say of course it's the first time seeing but couldn't say a word. 'Gold hunter' only trembled.

"Originally I should cut the neck right away, but what would be the reason I deliberately kept alive?"

At Seo I-hyeon's question 'Gold hunter' shook his head.

"Think well while waiting. Ah, you also shouldn't have arms and legs intact, right?"

Swish swish swish!

"Aaaagh!"

'Gold hunter' who was hit by the sword on the shoulder and thigh screamed and fell to the floor.

Black skillfully held the four hunters with both hands and gathered them in one place.

And stood nearby and watched.

Just in case if trying to do something suspicious the moment Black's sword will punish right away.

Seo I-hyeon quietly examined the leprechaun while Black was catching the hunters like that.

"You, if I ask for gold you won't give it, right?"

"Gold? I buried it under the tree?"

At the leprechaun's answer Seo I-hyeon chuckled.

Before coming here he investigated about the leprechaun a bit through sufficient search.

That's all lies.

Moreover this guy is a guy who eats people.

"This is a bit suspicious?"

Seo I-hyeon said that and scooped up blood from the shadow.

Even without using hands he can scoop up blood. In a dark place like this.

Blood flowed from the back of Seo I-hyeon's hand. Seo I-hyeon moved his hand this way and that and stuck that blood on the leprechaun's body.

Then the leprechaun's expression changed completely.

Eyes widened then it made an ecstatic expression. Then it opened its mouth wide. Sharp pointed teeth like saw blades were packed.

In the uh uh interval the leprechaun bit its own arm with blood stuck hard.

Crunch!

The leprechaun chewed and ate its own arm.

"This crazy!"

Seo I-hyeon was startled. But he didn't miss the leprechaun.

"Delicious!"

It's a crazy fairy.

The leprechaun's mouth opened wide again. This time it chews and eats the remaining arm.

Seo I-hyeon's expression twisted. If it opens its mouth again then the target will probably be his own hand.

But the leprechaun after chewing and eating all the arms smacked its lips and looked at Seo I-hyeon.

"Receive the gold."

The leprechaun opened its mouth wide. But this time there was not a single tooth in the mouth. No, the shape was different to the point of wondering if that's a mouth.

It was an appearance as if a hole was punched through.

From inside gold lumps were pushed out one after another.

Thud thud!

The gold that came out like that fell to the floor.

So it seems if feeding a corpse it spits gold in this way.

The leprechaun looking straight at Seo I-hyeon said.

"Looks delicious."

Seo I-hyeon recited the spell without hesitation.

"Compression. Compression. Compression. Compression. Compression."

The blood stuck on the leprechaun's body began to crush the leprechaun.

Seo I-hyeon instinctively realized that the blood was lacking. More blood poured from his shadow. To a somewhat excessive degree.

"Compression. Compression. Compression. Compression."

The leprechaun began to clump into one.

"Kiiiik!"

It's a grotesque scream sound. Even while the leprechaun's face and body clump into one the scream sound continuously pops out.

He could know that it won't do like this. He changed the spell a bit.

"Weakening. Decomposition. Decomposition. Decomposition."

The clumped leprechaun began to ripple.

"Kigeggek!"

The scream changed. There is effect.

"Compression. Compression. Compression."

Crunch!

It clumps into one in earnest. Now there is no more scream either.

Only the crushed anomaly's lump remained.

"Can this also be used as material?"

He decided to take it for now. He put the lump that was the leprechaun into the shadow.

Now it's time to handle the hunters.

Ah, before that he has to confirm the gold.

Seo I-hyeon picked up the gold that fell on the floor.

There were three lumps in total, and the size was about an adult's fist.

"So this is gold with mystery dwelling, right?"

Seo I-hyeon said that and looked at the hunters fallen on the floor. More precisely he looked at 'Gold hunter'.

'Gold hunter' was sprawled on the floor blankly looking at Seo I-hyeon then flinched in surprise and quickly nodded.

"That's right. Gold with mystery dwelling."

"I have to confirm."

Seo I-hyeon holding the gold went toward the hunters and snatched the pickaxe 'Gold hunter' was holding in his hand.

Bringing the pickaxe head it began to gradually turn into gold from the end part.

"Oh. It's real."

The gold containing mystery was also real, and that the pickaxe can detect mystery was also real.

More than half of the pickaxe head turned into gold. But it doesn't become gold any more. As if that's the limit.

"Does this also display how much mystery is dwelling like a gauge?"

"That's right. But... the gauge rose much more than the gold usually obtained. Usually it's not even half of half..."

That can be guessed. Probably the gold spat out also differs depending on the material.

Seo I-hyeon put the gold into the shadow.

"Ah, I have to remember this well."

He took out the smartphone and memoed what he put inside. He must not forget. The anomaly flesh lump made by clumping the leprechaun. And three gold lumps.

Seo I-hyeon took out a chair from the shadow placed it in front of the hunters and sat there finishing the memo with the smartphone.

Last time since there was no suitable place to sit it was uncomfortable so he prepared a chair in advance.

Seo I-hyeon sat on the chair holding the smartphone crossed his legs then looked down at the hunters with cold eyes.

"Alright, let's finish quickly."

'Gold hunter' looked up at Seo I-hyeon with scared eyes and said.

"Are you going to kill us?"

"Depending on what you do."

As if seeing hope in those words 'Gold hunter' brightened.

"What do you want? Ask whatever. I'll answer everything. Ah! Earlier you asked the information source, right? That's information bought expensively at the black market."

"Black market?"

Seo I-hyeon's eyes were stained with interest. As expected there would be. In this kind of work the black market can't be missing.

"There was a black market too."

"Yes. For people like us to be active properly isn't the black market essential? Hehehe."

'Gold hunter' smiled as slyly as possible. The will to show well somehow and survive was full.

"By the way, aren't you guys too sloppy? Knowing what kind of person will come out doing this kind of work?"

At Seo I-hyeon's words 'Gold hunter' answered smiling hehe.

"That, until now there was really nothing special. No, there couldn't be anything special. We also seem to draw in anyone carelessly, but in fact there are many things we consider. We also don't reveal appearances carelessly."

Seo I-hyeon was a bit surprised at those words. There was such a process? Really?

'Gold hunter' who read that expression quickly added an explanation.

"First in the community we filter all named. If being active for a long time named are clearly visible. And we also run AI in our own way and analyze based on several tendencies including nicknames. With that we filter again."

Seo I-hyeon nodded at those words. Certainly if done in that way filtering himself wouldn't have been easy. Literally a newbie, and a really steaming hot newbie.

'Gold hunter' as if a bit excited continued speaking enthusiastically.

"And even if calling here we don't reveal appearances carelessly. We do confirmation work from afar. Primarily if a face we know comes out we just run away. If an unknown face we confirm with equipment."

"Equipment? With what equipment confirming what?"

"Measurement equipment. Shall we say detecting mystery?"

"There's such equipment?"

"Yes. This was also obtained at the black market. We really paid expensively but the performance is certain. No, we thought it was certain."

It seems when using it on Seo I-hyeon of all people it didn't operate properly.

"Who has it?"

'Gold hunter' couldn't answer right away. Seeing that he just knows. It seems 'Gold hunter' has it.

When Seo I-hyeon stood up from his seat, 'Gold hunter' turned pale and quickly said.

"I have it! It's inside my backpack!"

Seo I-hyeon sat again. 'Gold hunter''s backpack Black brought.

Opening the backpack there were all sorts of items inside. Most were miscellaneous. Wet tissues or travel tissues, bottled water, cigarettes or gum, snacks, candies and such.

Among them what Seo I-hyeon could be interested in was one small knife and one crudely shaped electronic equipment. It just looked like a large electronic desk clock.

Seo I-hyeon took out those two and threw the backpack to the side.

Regret and pity, injustice etc. complexly entangled on the gold hunter's face. His gaze was stuck not on the electronic equipment but on the knife.

Seo I-hyeon confirmed that gaze and examined the knife this way and that.

He doesn't know. This also seems to be a knife with mystery dwelling. He should find out later.

He also put the knife into the shadow and added a memo to the smartphone.

"How do you use this?"

"Just aim the camera at the target and press the button is enough. It simply displays as numbers conveniently."

"It seems to operate from afar too?"

"Yes. The range is about 500 meters."

Looking there is also a button, and something like a dial too.

"What is this dial?"

"It's setting the kind of mystery. It is divided into inner energy, mana, others, and ether."

Seo I-hyeon rolled the dial and confirmed the hunters. But the numbers were a bit strange.

"0.7, 0.6?"

He confirmed two, and it comes out in decimals.

'Gold hunter' answered with an embarrassed expression.

"We are civilians. Somehow we entered this field and live by equipment."

He looked at Seo I-hyeon with a somewhat curious expression and continued.

"So honestly it was a bit strange. Because 0 came out. Even if a civilian about 0.4 comes out."

Seo I-hyeon suddenly felt bad. Wondering if being dull affects even this kind of thing.

Seo I-hyeon who clicked his tongue once this time directed the measurement equipment toward Black.

He was curious how much would come out.