“Hehehe. You don’t need to leave anymore. Shia, you just have to stay in my house from now on!”
Alright.
Surely the ‘Piper of the Dead’ had worked its magic.
If it hadn’t, Isia wouldn’t be sitting quietly in my dark room.
Now, Isia is mine.
No one can stop me!
Hehehe…
But wait.
“Is there no more?”
Why do I feel like I’m the one losing out…?
“Huup! Gulp, give me some more kimchi! It’s delicious!”
-What’s up with the streamer eating more than usual? LOL
-Did I only think that?
-For real, LOL
-Isn’t the stalker intentionally eating more to destroy the house?
-What if it’s true?
Si-hun had reasonably expected that Isia would eat a lot.
He had been watching Isia’s broadcasts constantly. He had been so obsessed that he had even acted on his stalking and kidnapping of her.
So he was well-prepared.
Although he couldn’t prepare the monster meat or weird ingredients Isia usually ate, he had prepared more than enough food quantity-wise.
By going to the discount mart meant for hunters, he could buy a large amount of frozen food, snacks, and beverages at cheap prices. Even for Park Si-hun, who wasn’t financially well-off, he managed to scrape together some money to sustain his hermit lifestyle.
“Hey, it’s Lava Chicken Noodle. This is alright. Do you have canned tuna and eggs?”
“I don’t have eggs…”
“No, you have no taste. If you bought Lava Chicken Noodle, you should mix it with rice, canned tuna, and egg and eat it. Isn’t that the universal law?”
What kind of universal law is that?
-Wow, the streamer really knows her food.
-But unless she’s a returnee, how does she know that? LOL
-She seems like a veteran soldier.
-What? Don’t you know PX rations? A pack of ham with instant rice, a cup noodle, and frozen chicken with either orange juice or cola—that’s the sex!
-Uhm, no…
-Hey….
-Oooh, a veteran Seongnyeo…
-What if that veteran Seongnyeo was my senior?
-What are you talking about? That would be hell.
-LOL.
“…Huup, gulp. Delicious. Eating junk food like this after a long time feels good. Hehe.”
“……”
-Oh my…
-She really is so pretty.
-She’s beautiful when she smiles… when she smiles…
-For real, LOL.
Still, that smile is truly beautiful.
While Si-hun was dumbfounded watching Isia devour the food he prepared in an instant, he felt like that smile could solve everything.
She was really pretty.
Her chest was huge, and she looked innocent to the extent of being sacred.
And the thought that she was his still felt surreal, like being high on drugs.
Yes, now she’s mine.
Isia is mine…!
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Is there no more?”
“…What?”
Grrrr…
With a sound as if she hadn’t eaten for a week, the adorable Isia’s stomach growled.
What’s this…?
She had already eaten way more than she usually did on broadcasts… but still, seeing her devouring food like a glutton made Si-hun feel a cognitive dissonance.
They say seeing something in person is different than seeing it on a broadcast, but he never expected it to be this extreme.
“Oh, the broadcast? Actually, I always eat before I go live to relax!”
“Eh?”
Si-hun unknowingly responded to Isia in formal speech.
No way… She had devoured over fifty servings of seonjigukbap during the broadcast.
And those giant centipede fries and wyvern egg stew she had eaten weren’t consumed on an empty stomach?
You mean she had eaten other things before, making her more than half full before she ate all that?
“Ah, got it…”
In that case, Si-hun had to pull out the kimchi and side dishes that his mother had sent him and stored in the fridge and veranda’s kimchi fridge.
Fortunately, now, the only leftover food was ramen and some scraps of frozen foods, so he thought he could match some of Isia’s appetite with the broth, instant rice, and other various stuff.
“Huup, mmm. Delicious. This kimchi is well-fermented!”
“Hehehe…”
Sure, she eats a bit much but…
“Give me more!”
“….”
“Give me more!!”
“Isn’t that enough yet?”
“No!”
Now that he thought about it, besides the kimchi that his mother had sent from his hometown, there were also apples and tangerines sent by the village chief from his hometown…
Wait, when did she eat that?!
She literally tore into it without the skin! I haven’t even had a taste…
W-Well, it’s okay.
If Isia is now mine and my possession, then spending this much is surely something I can handle…
“Hey, you know.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Do you like me?”
“Of course!”
“Hmph, liar.”
What is she saying now?
“Then why is this all you prepared for me?”
“Huh?”
“If I can simply stay with you and don’t have to go anywhere, and you tell me that, then why aren’t you taking care of my food? Am I all you can afford?”
“Ah, no… But now all the food in the house is running out…”
“What? Are you joking?!”
Isia’s serious expression made Si-hun break out in a cold sweat without knowing why.
Why am I so nervous?
Isia was definitely brainwashed by the Piper of the Dead.
If that weren’t the case, she would have killed or knocked him out already and escaped.
It’s safe. It’s safe, but…
Why does it feel so eerie?
“If you’re running low on food, you need to go out and buy more!”
“….I-I have no money.”
Though his bank balance didn’t register an absolute 0, it wasn’t enough to consistently accommodate Isia’s appetite.
Shouldn’t Si-hun also think to eat first to survive?!
“What? No money? No food? Are you even making any money?”
-Here comes an instant hit! LOL
-LOL.
-Sorry, Mom, I’m sorry!
-Stop the wide area bombardment!
-It’s the Bombardment Seongnyeo!
“….I-I’ve earned it! Right now, I’m just taking a short rest…”
“Do your parents live with you? You don’t live alone, do you? If so, do your parents know you’re not earning anything? Are you a hunter or not?”
“…..”
-That little brat’s a loser! LOL
-You can tell he’s a loser hunter who couldn’t rank up and ended up stalking the streamer. LOL
-But how did he manage to kidnap her? LOL
-He’s just pretending to be kidnapped. LOL.
“You told me that I’m all you need to be okay. Do your parents know that? What if they show up here?”
“Wait, if I just go out…”
“You told me I don’t need to leave, right?”
“…..”
As Isia spoke gently, Si-hun began to lose his voice.
She wasn’t wrong at all.
Although he acted impulsively, Isia’s (brainwashed?) words had enough convincing power to nod along.
“Oh!”
If Isia is mine, then her things are mine too!
Isia is likely an S-class returnee hunter!
Just by clearing dungeons and the bounties from hunting monsters, the Hunter Association will churn out an unfathomable amount of money compared to Si-hun, not to mention the enormous donations and sponsorships she must have earned from her broadcasts.
Yes, that should cover all food costs. He might even be able to escape this dark little room!
“So if I use what’s in your account…!”
“Is it okay to use my money?”
With a sigh, Isia crossed her arms and glared at Si-hun.
As he felt a shiver run down his spine from her gaze.
“Are you serious? You said you’d take responsibility for me, that I don’t need to leave, and now you want to live off my money?”
“Is-Isia! You are mine! Then what’s yours is obviously mine too…”
“Okay, let’s say you can use my account. But it won’t last more than a month… no, if I’m lucky, at most two months’ worth of food!”
“Wha…..?”
-Streamer = About a month’s worth of food, roughly in the hundreds of thousands.
-For real, LOL.
-How would he cover that? LOL.
“What happens when the money runs out? Am I supposed to just go out and earn more?”
“W-Well…”
“Earlier, you said you didn’t need to leave, and now your story’s not adding up.”
“………”
Thud!
Suddenly, as Isia slammed her hand on the table, Si-hun flinched and trembled.
No matter how much Isia had become his, his low self-esteem and Isia’s pressuring words made him feel increasingly pitiful.
○○○○○○○
“Frrhhhrrr, gulp… Hah… So…”
Before he knew it, Isia was sitting at the table, drinking the leftover broth from the instant noodles while having a conversation with Si-hun.
No, it was more like a brutal verbal assault.
“Your hunter equipment was bought with your father’s retirement pay! Then you need to work hard and earn money. Huh!!”
“Th-That’s… the guild takes a huge cut, and when they say they’ll do maintenance, there’s nothing left…”
“Are you blaming the guild now? The guild doesn’t take 100% of the cut. Basically, you’re saying you couldn’t even hunt or gather any byproduct!”
-Stop it, please!
-Please!
-Aaahhh!
-Sorry, Mom!
“No world will change by blaming others! No! Wrong! Change starts with you! You need to change for your surroundings to change!”
“……No, that’s…”
“What?! Is what I’m saying wrong?! Have you ever thought about wanting to change yourself?!”
“Of course…!”
“Don’t you dare say that’s obvious! How long have you been holed up in your room after saying that?! You haven’t even cleaned or opened the windows! Are you the child of darkness? A servant of the Demon King? It’s the middle of the day, so why aren’t you opening up the curtains? People need sunlight to feel energized!”
-Daughter of darkness? That’s hilarious! LOL.
-LOL, it’s driving me nuts! LOL.
“Is this a life coaching broadcast?”
-The unfilial child cries.
-I’m sorry, Mom! I’m sorry, Mom!
“No, wait! Isn’t the stalker being scolded? Why are we also getting roasted?!”
“Please stop, streamer!!”
How cowardly of Isia.
Only hitting with brutal facts…!
“Have you ever trained properly after gaining your ability? Do you know how to use it?”
Of course, he did.
He practiced!
He tried hard!
But how could he escape C-class after living decades into this age?
“Are you sure about that? Are you confident?”
“W-What?!”
“Alright, let’s start from basics! What’s your ability? What tier is it?”
“…….My, my ability is hypnosis… it’s an illusion debuff…”
“Yeah? Then how do you use it?”
“I-I can make goblins confused or stop when I make eye contact, and then I could hunt them in between…”
“What about monsters without eyes?”
“…….”
Of course, he couldn’t put any hypnosis on them.
Like the eyeless sandworms or even the fast wind wolves, their eyesight is nonexistent, and before he could even cast the stopping hypnosis, they would attack first!
It wasn’t just because of his negligence that Si-hun had been stagnating as a C-class for years.
He was painfully aware of the limitations of his abilities.
“Hah, who told you that your ability only works when you make eye contact?”
“Th-That’s…”
Nobody told him.
He learned that making eye contact was necessary to activate his ability when he sparred with the goblin caught by the academy professors.
Moreover, his ability was a rare awakening ability in the illusion debuff category.
However, being rare didn’t mean it was strong.
Especially since most professors at the academy had abilities for physical enhancement or attack. There wasn’t a system to cultivate his abilities thoroughly, which meant he mostly had to rely on himself.
Yeah, it was all because of others.
No one was there to teach him.
Nobody to develop his abilities…!
“Nobody has told you? Do you think none of your classmates from Hunter Academy have worked on developing their abilities themselves?!”
“What…?”
“You have to put in the effort to stand up on your own!”
“How many students have abilities identical to the professors at the academy? Nope! Hunters are all different! How many people are willing to train their apprentices? Almost none! You may reference something about techniques or combat methods from other hunters, but the number of awakening abilities is as many as the number of humans! Just because one looks similar doesn’t mean they’re the same!”
“…..”
With Isia’s nonstop fact attacks, Si-hun’s head sank lower and lower.
It was clear that she was right.
“Ah! I talked too much, now I’m hungry. Let’s finish eating first.”
“…We don’t have money for food…”
“What?”
At that comment, Isia sighed dramatically.
Clearly, Isia was mine… so why was this happening?
“You know who I am, right?”
“Y-Yes…”
“And you’ve watched my broadcasts.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Then you know how much I eat. Haven’t you thought about it?”
-No, isn’t that just you smashing that food? LOL.
“So you kidnapped me without a plan?”
“Uh, uh…?”
What? How did she know that she was kidnapped?
The Piper of the Dead had clearly worked its magic.
If it hadn’t, Isia would’ve escaped by now, and he wouldn’t be here unscathed.
Could it be that this flute provides some recognition alteration too?
“This won’t do. Stand up.”
“Eh..?”
“Now!”
“Y-Yes, ma’am…”
Y-Yeah… She must still be under brainwashing, right?
Right?
“Okay, we’re going to the dungeon from now on.”
“A-Ah, that’s no can do!”
I can’t go out there.
I don’t know what will happen, and I’m not sure if the brainwashing by the Piper of the Dead has been fully set…
“What do you mean ‘I can’t go’? Are you losing your mind? Is reality so easy?! Huh? Gear up and let’s go right now!”
-Wow, is she a veteran Seongnyeo?
-She really is a veteran soldier.
-What’s with her reprimanding skill…
-Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry!
“I want to eat chicken.”
Sure, I know.
Two weeks ago, Isia said she could eat 10 to 20 chickens a day on her broadcast.
“And you have no money to buy chicken.”
“W-Wait…? You don’t mean we’re going to catch dungeon monsters to eat chicken, right?”
“Exactly! So we’re going to eat chicken!”
“No! Where do you think you’re going to get the chicken from…!?”
“Where do you think? I told you we’re going to the dungeon. Didn’t you hear me?”
-LOL!
-LOL!
-I was wondering if the stalking broadcast was serious but this is hilarious! LOL!
-LMAO!
-That guy, LOL, look at him getting dragged away!
-For some reason, I feel bad for the stalker; is that normal?
-Bbbbbip. It’s not.
With Isia’s terrifying strength, Si-hun was quite literally treated like a sack of potatoes and dragged along.
What is happening? What’s going on?
He was utterly confused both at home and after being dragged out now.
“I like people who can go through rehabilitation, but I don’t like stupid people. Why? Because I’m an idiot. Remember that.”
“…..?”
What nonsense is she spouting now!?
And then, Isia yanked Si-hun by the scruff of his neck and leaped between buildings.
Fortunately, a sky road exclusive to hunters stretched between the tall buildings, making it easy for her to traverse.
After about 15 minutes of transcendent speed with Si-hun in tow, Isia finally reached a quiet dungeon in the outskirts of Seoul.
For reference, because of Isia’s sheer speed, the drone camera in stealth mode only managed to appear 10 minutes later after she had already arrived in front of the dungeon.
-Streamers are so fast! LOL.
-Witness how the drone camera couldn’t catch up.
-Hey, isn’t the streamer in trouble again?
The drone captured the image of Si-hun, half-collapsed and gagging at the dungeon entrance, while Isia continued to press him.
-LOL.
“Alright. Let’s go!”
“No, hold on a minute…”
“Are you wasting your life and wasting time?”
“…..!”
“Are you able to stand up or not?”
“I-I can get up, but I’m shaky…”
“If you have the strength to stand, then not now! Get up!”
“Y-Yes…!”
If that’s what it sounds like when determination arises, then…
Not only Si-hun but even the viewers who heard Isia seemed to feel a sudden jolt of firmness in their waists.
After showing the temporary hunter ID to the trainee personnel guarding the dungeon, Isia and Si-hun were granted permission to enter through the shimmering gate.
Of course, throughout that journey, Si-hun’s mind was bombarded with numerous thoughts.
Had he truly been brainwashed?
Could it be that he had never been under its influence?
No, that couldn’t be true… What kind of dumpy, socially awkward loser would Isia willingly follow?
That was clearly due to the magic of the Piper of the Dead.
He must have initially been sedated by the hunter-exclusive drug, which is why Isia didn’t kill him and let him off the hook.
Yeah, that must be it.
Was he still somewhat inexperienced with the control methods of the Piper of the Dead…?
“Hey! Stop spacing out!”
“Hah!?”
“Look over there! Do you see that big chicken-looking thing?”
“Eh…?”
Upon that remark, Si-hun lifted his head to see the chickens far away on the hillside.
They weren’t just any chickens.
They were the Crazy Scarlet Birds.
In Korean, it’s the Frantic Red Chicken.
It didn’t look like a real chicken, but fundamentally it resembled one and tasted similar to chicken.
However, their size almost grows infinitely depending on their survival time, and they are known to have a temperament so frenzied it warrants the “crazy” distinction—they’ll attack viciously even if stronger predators approach.
Moreover, these things had been C-class monsters since they were young, and on rare occasions, B-class mature Frantic Red Chickens could be discovered.
Fortunately, it seemed that these were still juveniles, probably only about 1 to 2 meters tall…
“So, then you just need to catch one of those…”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I’m not going to catch it!”
Isia smiled while pointing her finger at Si-hun.
“M-Me!?”
“Yep!”
“H-How am I supposed to catch that!?”
“How? Hmm, that’s something you’re going to have to think about the moment!”
No! That’s impossible!
“Let’s go for it!”
Thud!
“AAAAAHHHHH!”
-LOL!
-What a hilarious kick! LOL!
-What did she just say?!!
-DAMN! It’s too funny!
Before Si-hun could even finish speaking, Isia kicked him from behind.
As a result, he slipped down the hillside and fell right into the field where several Crazy Scarlet Birds were resting.
“AAAAAHHHHHH!”
“Oh dear, can you not scream so? If you shout like that…”
Boom!
“Ugh…”
“Shouting like that will attract the friends around you!”
“….Eh…”
As Si-hun lifted himself up, he realized that the Crazy Scarlet Birds were glaring at him with menacing eyes.
He had a quick assessment.
If he remained idle like this, those hard beaks would definitely peck him to death.
“Ugh, AAAAAHHHH!”
[QUIKIIIIIIICK!!!]
[KWAEEEEEKKK!!]
[KYAAAACK!!]
[KIYAWWWW!!!]
“AAAAHHH! No! Think about your abilities! Consider how to use them!”
Never-freaking-mind that! My abilities aren’t meant for wide-range combat, you crazy girl!!
But he had no opportunity to voice those thoughts.
Not when the accursed chickens were flapping toward him, screeching to smash his head in with their beaks.
If only one or two were chasing him, he might find a way to deal with it, but with at least eight elementary-school-sized birds after him, it wasn’t surprising Si-hun was scared.
“Hey, watch out for the one coming from the right!”
“AAAAAAHHHH!”
“Good! Keep dodging!”
Of course, whether Si-hun was in danger or not, Isia was comfortably seated on the hilltop, casually grooming her nails while watching.
“U-Help me!”
“Help you? Nope, not at all. As you know, I’m a Seongnyeo, right?”
What?
“I won’t let you die, right?”
“…Damn it!! You’re strong! You can deal with these things easily; why leave it to me?!!!”
“Isn’t it pointless for me to catch them for you?”
“AAAHH! Stop talking nonsense! Thwack!”
In the meantime, Si-hun had an opening and was bitten in the side by a chicken.
This was the end.
Once you allow any attack, a wound follows.
And the onset of a wound means a decrease in strength.
Si-hun was losing combat ability before even getting the chance to fight, and if this continued, the chances of being pecked to death by the crazy feathered monsters would rise.
[b]
[/b]
[b][Miracle – Great Healing][/b]
Of course, from afar, Isia immediately cast the Great Healing Miracle, alleviating his pain and healing his injuries, even restoring the stamina he had spent running.
“Hah, I thought I was going to die…”
“Is there time to consider that?”
“Huh…”
“They’re coming from behind again!”
“AAAAHHHH!”
“Exactly! Dodge like that! Go left from there!”
“Help me, I’m screaming!”
Si-hun felt completely overwhelmed, even unable to scream out.
As he finally swung Hunter’s taser stick bought with his father’s retirement, he barely electrocuted one of them and was able to push it away.
However, there were still eight remaining.
“No, I kidnapped you, Isia! You’re mine, so why am I in this mess now!?”
“Kidnapped? Heh, do you think that’s important right now?”
Isia smiled affirmatively and crossed her legs.
Wait, did she come out not dressed up…?
“Hey, hey. If your head gets bitten off, I can’t promise to save you.”
“Eh…?”
“Look behind you. Behind.”
Punk!
“Ugyaaaaaaah!!”
[Miracle – Great Healing]
“Hey! You need to dodge!”
“Argh! These chicken-headed bastards!”
[Kuyaaaa!]
[Kiyaw!]
“That’s right! Keep dodging like that! Left side! Right side! Haō Muki Dashite—Patapatpa~!”
“AAAAHHH! Someone save me!”
“Terēkusainde~!”
For crying out loud!!!
