“The teachew said... you gotta teww da twuff. If you don’t say it, nobody gonna know.”

“......”

Ah, fuck!

Serhi bit his lip.

As the silence dragged on, Gidan leaned his back against the bathroom wall and crossed his arms.

“...Yeah, I was worried. I was just trying to look out for you.”

Guru stared up at Serhi, eyes expectant. You too. Answer. Now.

“Uh... y-yeah, I guess...”

Serhi forced the words out, his face flushing bright red.

Guru gave a pleased ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) little nod and smiled.

Serhi squeezed his eyes shut. God, this is annoying!

“But when you started saying we weren’t even friends or whatever, it pissed me o—no, it made me mad, so I said some harsh stuff. Sorry about that.”

At Gidan’s apology, Guru tugged on Serhi’s finger. Serhi bobbed his head a couple of times and stammered out a reply.

“I... just. Like. I’m not really used to people... caring about me... so, yeah...”

He couldn’t bring himself to keep going and bit his tongue in frustration.

Gidan and Guru just listened quietly, but to Serhi it felt like all he could hear was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Ugh, I’d rather just die than keep talking.

As his vision started to spin, Serhi leaned toward the wall, like he was about to bash his head against it—but Gidan pulled him back.

“Alright, alright. I get it. That was enough.”

Still grumbling, Serhi rubbed his burning cheeks with the back of his hand.

Guru and Gidan grinned cheerfully at him.

That’s when it happened.

[Would you like to register ‘Jin Siwon’ as a caregiver?]

Hah?!

Why now?

Guru’s eyes went wide as she looked around—and locked eyes with Jin Siwon, who’d been secretly peeking from beside the bathroom door.

Siwon scratched his chin and gave a gentle smile as he stepped forward.

“Ahem, I didn’t expect Hunter Gidan and Guru to be here. I just arrived, so I haven’t seen anything.”

At his half-baked excuse, Serhi ground his teeth, and Gidan let out a quiet laugh.

Come to think of it, Uncle hasn’t been wegistewed as a caregivew yet!

Uncle Hong-sam should be a caregivew too!

Guru happily completed the caregiver registration.

[You now have five or more caregivers. The filial skill ‘Reliable Daughter!’ has been unlocked.]

[Reliable Daughter!]

Once per cast time, you can lend power to a caregiver! With the power of a reliable daughter, the caregiver’s skill effects are boosted by 100%!

Ooooh!

Maybe she could do some sewious filial piety now!

While Guru was checking out the new skill...

Gidan, having heard a quick briefing from Jin Siwon, suddenly raised his voice.

“An SSS-Class?!”

SSS-Class?

Guru looked up.

SSS-Class was two full ranks above the Malikian they’d taken down before.

Even Gidan sounded skeptical.

“How could something like that get in? It’s not like airports don’t have hunters, and something that strong gives off such sinister energy—there’s no way it wouldn’t be detected, right?”

“We also think the odds are low. But we received a tip, so it’s best to keep it in mind.”

So there was a terrifying monster on Jeju Island.

Guru trembled all over.

—Team Leader Jin! We’ve found the tablet!

Both Siwon and Serhi touched their earpieces at the same time.

—On my way.

—Me too.

They both responded.

“Hunter Gidan, we’re heading to the rendezvous point for the tablet—”

“I’ll go with you.”

Before Siwon could even finish, Gidan answered with a grin.

“We’re already here, might as well knock it all out in one go.”

“If you’re coming, take this.”

Serhi pulled out a spare earpiece and handed it to him. Gidan accepted it.

“Ooh. You don’t even gotta talk to communicate? That’s wild.”

“Ugh, can you not say whatever pops into your head? My brain’s already noisy enough.”

Still bickering, Gidan and Serhi walked off, and Siwon watched them with a faint smile before brushing his chest gently.

And then—

Ding!

[Alert! Caregiver ‘Jin Siwon’ is in danger!]

Guru tilted her head as she looked at the alert floating in front of her.

Huhm?

But Uncwe didn’t wook dangewous at aww.

Guru peeked around Siwon. He was just calmly talking strategy with the others.

Is Uncwe hiding something painfuw? Maybe fow wowk?

If that was the case...

I got da pewfect thing fow dis!

Guru pulled an item out of her bag and slipped it into Jin Siwon’s pocket.

“...?”

Feeling something placed in his pocket, Siwon looked down. Guru smiled sweetly at him, and he smiled back, saying gently,

“Guru, you should head back to your room now.”

“Ehh!”

“Uncle and the others have work to do, so we won’t be able to play with you right now.”

Dun dun—!

Shocked, Guru looked to Gidan and Serhi, but the two quickly averted their eyes toward the ceiling and floor.

Dat’s so mean!

“Uncle’s coworker will take you back. Okay?”

It seemed they’d planned it ahead of time, because right on cue, Yoon Arin appeared and bent down to meet Guru’s eyes.

“Hi! Guru, you remember me from last time, right?”

Guru nodded.

She had met this government agent during the guerrilla dungeon incident, when Serhi had been working part-time in a mascot suit.

“Aww, so cute. I’ll take you back to your room, okay?”

“Okayyy...”

With sad puppy eyes, Guru glanced at Uncle and the others, but they were already dashing off to where they’d been summoned.

Hmph.

Still pouting, Guru took Yoon Arin’s hand and walked along.

Just then, something rustled inside the slightly opened backpack that she’d rummaged through earlier—Mephisto was wiggling, trying to poke his head out.

“Ah-cha! Mephee!”

She’d put him in the bag before the flight and completely forgotten.

She opened the bag and pulled out the chubby baby bird—on his head, a sprout had started to grow.

Dis is it!

Guru’s eyes grew wide.

Mephisto and the snow bunny had fused!

M-Miwacwe Change...!

Her babies had transfowmed!

“Amaaaazing!”

When Guru clapped her hands, Mephisto spread his wings and spun in place, while the sprout on his head swayed and danced in rhythm.

Gotta show Oppaw dis.

Guru plopped the sprouted Mephisto on her head and trotted along beside Yoon Arin.

She couldn’t join this mission, but still—there had been progress between her oppaws.

But Gwuu is a weawwy gweat huntew too...

She’d even been on TV recently.

Guru fidgeted with her fingers, trying to soothe her disappointment.

Ding!

[Due to the effect of (Unknown Title), an SSS-Class Follower without a Master has been detected!]

[Would you like to receive its location?]

Hoom!

Guru stroked her chin, eyes fixed on the mini-map floating before her. It wasn’t far.

And more importantly, SSS-Class... That must be the same monster the grown-ups were talking about earlier.

And Follower...

Based on Ham Honggi’s case...

Follower = Undewwing.

So...

1. Ham Honggi (follower) = SSS-Class (follower)

2. Ham Honggi = Gwuu’s undewwing

3. SSS-Class = Gwuu’s undewwing

4. Make it Gwuu’s undewwing and sowve da gwown-ups’ pwobwem!

At that moment, a lightbulb blinked on above her head.

Awight!

Resolved, Guru looked up at Yoon Arin.

The adults were definitely gonna get in the way and stop her from doing anything.

She cleared her throat, tugged firmly on Arin’s hand.

“Ungnie, Ungnie. Gwuu gotta go potty now!”

“The bathroom?!”

“It’s comin’ out!”

Guru stomped her feet like it was an emergency.

Anyone with a hint of suspicion would’ve seen right through the terrible acting, but since it was Yoon Arin’s first time watching a child, her face went pale as she scooped Guru up and dashed for the bathroom.