Chapter 12

When they entered Yumi's house, they were greeted by the smell of all these different scents that smelled incredibly tempting. It felt like walking into your grandparents' house. Love and comfort abound.

"Holy, the smell of food is the best!" Seungjae said as he inhaled the wonderful aroma.

Yejoon added, "Especially after a mission!"

[YUMI'S P.O.V]

The guys approached the living room with a sense of anticipation and enthusiasm. But as soon as they walked in, it wasn't just the food that welcomed them, but also the creatures that I had taken home to care for, who were curled up beside the fireplace under a blanket.

It wasn't every day that you'd find two fabled beasts sleeping in your living room. Even in a magical world, seeing one was exceptional and rare.

"Is that a Pegasus with a Fenrir?" Heric exclaimed, surprised. I whacked him on the upper arm right away, causing him to grunt in agony.

"Don't shout. You'll wake them up," I scolded.

"I'm sorry, but I heard these two beasts are rare to find here," he said in amazement.

"Are they on the verge of going extinct?" Joseph wondered.

"Unfortunately, yes. Bad hunters hunt these beasts down for their top-tier crystal and fur, which sells for millions," Heric explained.

Which was the truth. Pegasus and Fenrir aren't the only beasts on the verge of going extinct; there are plenty more. And the reason? Heric had previously mentioned.

There will always be greedy hunters, even if there are decent hunters like us. This world, like Earth, has a black market that assigns missions to those nasty hunters to seek out these beasts.

Diamonds—hundreds of them—as a reward.

But here's the thing: These beasts serve a purpose in this world. They are the forest's protectors, and they solely exist to do good. To preserve nature, which allows farmers to grow wonderful food.

Without them, people around the world would be unable to obtain new food and would likely starve. Nonetheless, these hunters continue to strive and allow their greed to take control.

It’s an awful world we live in.

I begin to tell them how I came across these critters and why I've decided to care for them. Of course, I won't keep them forever. I'll let them go till the Pegasus' wound heals.

My voice must have been too loud during our chat because it seemed to wake up the Pegasus. He became concerned when he noticed the boys assembled in the living room.

He felt I had betrayed him and seemed like I ordered more personnel to take him away. Joseph, on the other hand, approached the horse quickly and reassured the Pegasus that everything was well.

When the critter understood and realized what he had said, he was taken aback. And he was able to calm down thanks to Joseph’s power. resting back on the ground next to Fenrir, who was still fast asleep.

Joseph explained everything to the Pegasus and struck up a little chat with him. The creature had explained how they had arrived and why they were in the forest this morning.

They discovered that he was returning to the location where he and his kind live. But on the way, he came across the baby Fenrir, who was surrounded by hunters.

Worse, the baby creature looked exhausted and was resting on the ground. Making every effort to stand. When the Pegasus saw this, he couldn't leave the infant alone, so he soared down and protected it.

It now made sense to me that two well-known beasts were in a forest near where humans lived because beasts like them don't generally travel near locations where they know people live.

They may appear stupid, but they are quite intelligent. Perhaps even more clever than a human.

I inquired, "Does he know how the baby got there?"

"He said he didn't know, and he was also surprised to see a baby Fenrir out in the woods near humans, which Fenrir's never do unless they have permission to," Joseph replied.

We were all stunned. We had no idea what we could do to help them because this was our first encounter with mythical creatures.

"They'll just rest here for a while and then leave tomorrow morning," Joseph explained.

"Is the place where they live far away?" I inquired.

Heric realized what I was up to in the blink of an eye. He shifted his gaze disapprovingly toward me.

"Don't tell me you're going to send them off to their place," he worrisomely said.

Angela immediately supported Heric. She advised me that it wasn't a smart idea because that place is never exposed to average people like us.

Only the royal family has the pleasure of engaging with them, and who knows what they'll do if they see someone who isn't from the royal family?

I couldn't object because I agreed with Angela's warning. Nonetheless, this feeling made me nervous. I won't be able to sleep until I see these critters safe and sound in their own territory.

I know no one asked me to, but I felt compelled to shield them. And I intend to do so.

—4:00 am—

It's early in the morning, yet I awoke sooner than usual. I decided to pack some items for the trip later on, as well as some snacks.

I haven't told anyone, not even the Arkane boys, about my journey. Even if I die a lot, at least I have some abilities that can help keep me alive.

It's not that I don't like or trust them. This is an adventure in which I have decided to partake. Plus, the trek to the beast's region will be dangerous, as Angela predicted, so I'm not going to drag my pals along for the ride.

I crept to the back door with the beasts after finishing loading my belongings in my mini-backpack. Expecting nothing but nature, suddenly I saw my friends stretching and getting ready for the departure.

My surprised demeanor revealed that I had not expected them to be up and, even more so, to be waiting for me outside. But it made sense that I couldn't hear a single snore from the room they were sleeping in.

"Why are you guys awake?" I inquired.

"Do you think I'll just leave my best friend alone on such a dangerous journey?" Angela said.

"Even if it was only for a short time, we know you, and we expected you to be this reckless," Heric added.

"You thought you'd be going by yourself, huh?" Seungjae's sudden comment made me sputter as I searched for words to respond. Jaeseong sighed as he saw my stunned expression.

"You shouldn't bury all the responsibilities on yourself, Yumi; there's nothing wrong with asking for assistance," he added, and the Pegasus neighed in return, making Joseph snicker.

"You're welcome," he said, smiling.

I've always dealt with my issues on my own. Even though I had people on whom I could rely, I couldn't bring myself to seek their assistance.

This has to be one of the benefits of having to survive alone at such a young age. My parents died when I was only 16 years old. I had no siblings, and my grandparents had passed away by the time I was born.

I wasn't sure if I had any cousins because I hadn't met them. So I was alone throughout my parents' funeral. It's a good thing I had a part-time job back then, but I couldn't support my education and dropped out at an early age.

I was always a bother to my parents when they were still alive. I was a spoiled brat who never apologized for my wrongdoing.

But, because of these mistakes that have haunted me for years, I've been dealing with my difficulties on my own until now since I didn't want to be a nuisance any more.

But as a result, I became depressed and felt worthless. Not until I met these people, that is. I felt a wave of relief when I realized I was permitted to ask for aid and bother them about my problems.

I was no longer alone. But why? Why do I still feel that hint of loneliness inside me?

We were in the air in a matter of seconds. The others rode in Sujin and Seungjae's vehicles, while I rode on the Pegasus.

I was concerned about balancing at first, but I couldn't fall even if I tried. The Pegasus's power allowed me to remain in position, which reassured me that I was safe. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about falling.

We acquired the names of these beasts from Joseph on the way to their domain. The Pegasus' given name is Prico, while the baby Fenrir's given name is Fneir.

The fact that he was able to communicate with animals made all of us envious, and we wished we had it instead.

"So, is your home far away?" I inquired.

"He said it's a little far from here," Joseph responded.

Milton inquired, "Is it easy to get there?"

"Flying to the place, yes; getting inside, not so much," he replied again.

"Enemies, right?" Yejoon guessed as Joseph nodded and sighed.

That's correct. Even beasts like Prico and Fneir have foes, but they are not the same as the foes we face as humans.

For us humans, monsters are the enemies we are up against. But for rare mythical beasts like them, we were up against other humans.

"Do we really need to kill them?" Angela wondered.

"I don't want to kill anyone," Jeongmin said emphatically.

"Well, it's just a game," Jaeseong reasoned, shrugging.

"If it's a game, then why aren't there any things up in their heads like in the Sims?" Jeongmin questioned.

"Game or no game, I'm not going to kill anyone; I'll feel terrible if I do," Minjoon stated.

"Why not?" the clown wondered.

"I don't think someone who literally KILLED ME would understand," stressed Seongho.

Jaeseong laughed. "Aye, you're still salty about that? You're still alive, aren't you?" he said, eliciting a frightened look from Seongho.

"Demon," he grumbled.

The majority of us didn't want to battle these humans, so we devised several tactics to avoid them while still bringing Prico and Fneir back to their region without being noticed.

"We can just sneak past them," I reasoned.

"Won't the hunters see us?" Heric wondered.

"I mean, how many hunters could there be?" I pondered, and when we arrived at Prico and Fneir's home, the entryway was swamped with hunters looking for any rare creatures of all kinds.

It wasn't even a couple that you could count on your fingers and toes. With roughly 50 of them protecting the hidden entrance, it was like watching a new boy band's fan meet and greet.

They seemed to know the location of these uncommon beasts based on rumors, but they seem to not know where the entrance is.

Despite the fact that there were so many personnel on guard, they still had a large transparent dome covering the hunters from any air strikes.

It was a magical barrier that appeared to be extremely difficult to destroy. We were all flabbergasted, while some were a bit bemused as well.

"They must be expecting someone like us to attack them from the inside," Heric reasoned.

"To prevent us from entering the Rare Creatures Land so they could take the prize for themselves," Angela sneered, "Greedy Bastards."

"Isn't a magical barrier like...impossible to break?"

I sighed at Sujin's words, knowing that they could be true. I wasn't even sure if we were strong enough to break through their defenses.

However, just in case, I summoned my partner and asked her to go inspect the barrier for any flaws. This is so we can make a solid start by inflicting damage using its weaknesses.

Art did what I asked, and Jeongmin did the same for Moon. The two fairies flew out to complete their minor task. They returned after a while to report what they had discovered.

Force appears to be capable of breaking down the barrier. So if we keep throwing heavy objects at it or shooting at it, it will break within minutes. A magical barrier, on the other hand, has a rather long lifespan. So, you won't be able to destroy it on your own.

With that information in hand, we all began debating our strategy. Choosing who will stay and who will leave, what attack to use, and an escape strategy after the barrier has been destroyed.

Because knowing that these hunters will try to fire down the attackers after they've burst through the barrier, we have other members on standby to get them back to safety before Jeongmin and I utilize our wind power to suck them all up for the finale.

Yejoon was the first to charge the barrier and inflict damage with his machine guns. Thousands of them were floating above the barrier, pointed directly at it. Then there was the sound of hundreds of gunshots being fired in a matter of seconds.

Jiwoo, Duram and his Pimkins (tiny creatures), Don Kon (A gorilla), and Ryo (A Fighter) work together to pound on the barrier from above, while others ride on Sujin's vehicle.

Jaeseong cloned himself, allowing Jun and Milton to ride on his vehicle and attack separately.

Jun levitated rocks, boulders, and everything else he could use to physically harm the barrier as he tossed it onto it. Milton, on the other hand, launches numerous arrows at once, pouring all of his energy into the barrier.

Jiho, while riding his paintbrush vehicle, painted the circle-cross symbol all over the barrier. He chanted, whether small or large. "Bomb," causing it to explode and further damage the barrier.

The more they collaborate, the more the barrier is breached. The hunters within were afraid and easily irritated by what we were doing as they prepared their bows, arrows, and even firearms above them.

Until a few seconds later, when my crew succeeded in breaking the barrier, the hunters opened fire. But before any of their weapons could reach them, we backed away as quickly as we could with the support of the members, who have great speed.

Minjoon, Seongho, Yuto, Heric, and Jaeseong, with the help of Stripes, Joseph's familiar.

With everyone back in the safe zone, Jeongmin and I teamed up to create a large tornado. Our abilities merged into one, charging ecstatically as we aimed it towards the terrified hunters.

The colors on our pupils turned into rainbows, allowing us to use our abilities far more effectively, resulting in a tornado the size of a giant.

They spotted the impending calamity and attempted to shoot us down, but our defenders, Seungjae and Seongho, deployed their powers to shield both of us.

We softly but deeply chanted "Tornado," releasing our creation as the large tornado we created slid towards the hunters, sucking them all in.

Their cries were like music to our ears as the hunters were dragged into their doom and transported far away from the beast's area one by one.

Although we were able to intimidate and remove several of these hunters from the entrance, others managed to survive the attack.

And so, I unleashed another, smaller tornado that could identify the hunters who were hiding from our presence. While all this was going on, we plummeted to the ground, and I began constructing a jail. Ideal for those hunters to stay in.

As we laid them inside, our plan succeeded in the blink of an eye.

"That should do the trick!" I remarked, dusting my hands. When the hunters observed the Pegasus and Fenrir behind me, they exclaimed in surprise.

They rejoiced joyfully as they thanked the Lord for their discovery.

"Hallelujah!"

"Imagine how much money we'll be able to make with their fur and hearts!"

"Let's half the price!"

I raised an eyebrow at their sudden celebration. These hunters were money-hungry, and it showed. It disgusts not only myself but also the rest of my hunt-mates.

"Hate to break it to you, but we're NOT going to kill or sell these creatures," I told them, and they weren’t happy at all.

"We're bringing them home to where they belong and keeping them safe from greedy hunters like all of you," Angela continued, and again, these hunters did not like the sound of that.

"Come on, let's find the entrance to this place," I remarked, turning around and walking over to Prico. It was a waste of my time to even speak with these people.

The hunters were enraged, and I was foolish to be naïve, since as soon as I turned back, the hunter with whom I had spoken immediately grabbed my partner, injuring her.

Art's scream quickly alerted me. I ran over to her, grabbed the hunter's hand, and elbowed his arm, causing him to groan in agony.

I then reached inside the small jailhouse for the man's shirt and grabbed him by the collar, his face pressed against the bars.

"Hurt my partner again, and you won't have hands anymore, understood?" I warned him. This time, I was enraged.

My body was taken over by rage, and the only thing on my mind was to protect my familiar. Because of my fury, my grip was trembling, and the hunter nodded his head in terror.

He couldn't breathe well and was hoping our conversation would be over soon. Seongho and Jiwoo assisted me in getting my hands off the hunter. And when I did, he gasped for air and took deep breaths.

Everyone had a menacing expression on their faces as they stared at the hunters inside. Jeongmin converted the only window they had into a two-way window so they could still breathe before leaving, but not see where the entrance was at. The mirror on their side was a reciprocal mirror that appeared reflective and transparent on our side.

When we arrived at Prico and Fneir's territory, everything went smoothly. It was a relief that the entrance was nowhere near the hunters. Knowing how eager they are for money, I don't want them to see the entry.

Goodbyes aren't typically my favorite, but for once, I'm glad we got these creatures back home safely. And I hope someday we'll meet again in the future.