Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Thud-.

She drops the already-open lock onto the floor and slowly lifts the box lid.

Clunk-.

Sssss-!

Pure white smoke escapes from inside the box.

Eun-hee recoiled in surprise.

Whoosh-!

The white smoke swirled and began to take shape.

Approximately 155cm tall.

A plump, round face.

A woman with a cute appearance appeared.

“Long time no see, Han.”

Briasilius, who had somehow returned to Dojun’s form, greeted him warmly.

The woman who appeared here was none other than the Seeker, Han.

She had emerged from the box Briasius had sealed so tightly.

“For me, it was just a moment ago? How many years has it been?”

“About two or three hundred years?”

“I see. Not as long as I thought, huh?”

“Don’t say that. While the other dragons were in hibernation, I couldn’t sleep a wink because of you.”

“Thank you.”

Hani flashed a fresh smile.

She slowly turned her head and spotted Eunhee.

“A human? There was still a human left in Tranfeion!”

Han strode over, grabbed both of Eunhee’s hands, and bounced up and down, spinning around in circles.

Eunhee was startled at first, but Han’s warm hands and bright expression warmed her heart, and she soon found herself bouncing along too.

“But wow, you’re wearing some really strange clothes? Did a new fashion trend start in the last 200 years? Anyway, they look comfortable!”

“No, Han. That human over there isn’t from Tranfeion. She’s from another dimension.”

Han flinched in surprise.

She scrutinized Eunhee from head to toe.

Then she stepped back, placed her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest.

“Ahem! I’m Han the Seeker. Pleased to meet you!”

Han pinched the hem of her blue dress slightly, curtsied, and bowed elegantly.

Eun-hee, who had been staring blankly, snaps out of it and bows back.

“Hello, Han. Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Eun-hee.”

“Jung Eun-hee! What an unusual name? Hehe.”

Han let out a peculiar laugh as she took Eunhee’s hand and shook it.

Seeing Han’s lively, childlike demeanor, Eun-hee happily shook her hand back.

“Anyway, it seems the Elatras succeeded! So this woman is the adversary?”

“Han… Do you see this human as the adversary?”

Han turned to ask, and Briasilius sighed before answering.

“No?”

“Is that right?”

Han looked around, then closed his eyes tightly.

Then, after a moment, he opened his eyes again and shook his head.

“I can’t see it! What can I do? I’m no different from an ordinary human now. I see nothing.”

Han tried to sense the energy of the other seekers but felt nothing, her face falling.

She had expended most of her essence creating the golem’s core, leaving only a fraction behind—insufficient to be called a god.

“For an ordinary human, you left quite a lot of mana behind.”

“Who knows what might happen? You gotta be prepared, at least minimally!”

“Anyway, the real adversary is someone else. That bastard Lee Do-jae. He’s a despicable creature.”

“Irritating? Heh heh…”

Han chuckled softly.

If Briasilius says he’s despicable, he must be quite a bad person.

“I can’t wait to see him. That rival, Lee Do-jae!”

Han couldn’t hide his excitement, filled with anticipation.

The golem’s core, forged by pouring all his power into it to completely annihilate Gelahan.

He wanted to meet the one who possessed that golem’s core.

“But first, we must keep our promise. I kept my promise to bring a useful one.”

“Oh, right! I didn’t expect you to bring a human, though!”

Pssst-!

Han removed the ring with its large gemstone.

After shaking it a few times, the gem popped out with a click.

As Han infused it with mana, the gem gradually grew larger.

Pop-.

“Ah…”

Eun-hee was startled by the sudden growth of the gem.

Because inside that gem, a woman was sleeping.

Snap!

Briasilius snapped his fingers.

Water droplets formed around the gem and slowly began to melt.

It wasn’t a gem at all, but transparent ice.

Thud-thud-.

Briasilius approaches the ice.

The rapidly melting ice created a puddle around it, and Briasilius snatched the woman into his arms.

“Violettia…”

Briasilius’s gaze was deep and intense, unlike anything seen before.

It was an enigmatic expression conveying both adoration and longing.

Swoosh-.

Violettia, held in Briasilius’s arms, opened her eyes.

Her eyes trembled as she spoke in a voice thick with steel.

“B… Brian?”

“Violetta… I missed you.”

“Me too…”

Tears streamed down Violetta’s cheeks.

Briasius gently stroked her head once before murmuring softly.

“Sleep.”

Violettia’s eyes slowly close once more.

As Briasilius flicked his fingers again, her form vanished without a trace.

“Thank you, Han.”

“What! I’m the one who should be thanking you. Kishish!”

A thank you bursts from the dragon, the very epitome of haughtiness and arrogance.

Then, Briasilius hurriedly heads toward the dungeon entrance.

Han followed eagerly, his footsteps quickening, while Eunhee struggled to grasp the situation and trailed behind.

***

“Wow! So Eunhee didn’t cross dimensions? This place is an entirely new dimension…!”

Han, holding Eunhee’s hand, gazes excitedly at the city lined with skyscrapers.

The three, having exited the dungeon, were on their way back to the guild.

“You… aren’t you going in with Eunhee?”

“Already? Can’t we just breathe some fresh air outside?”

“How long was she sealed away? She doesn’t even remember that time anyway.”

“Still! There’s a feeling, you know? I want to see this kid, Lee Do-jae, for myself.”

Han was delighted, watching the people passing by, the cars whizzing by, the city full of life.

She looked like a princess stepping outside the palace for the very first time.

“Well, I’ll be going then.”

Briasius headed off somewhere.

Leaving Briasius behind, who vanished without revealing his destination, Eunhee and Han headed for the Guardian Guild.

During the journey, Han’s curiosity knew no bounds, and Eunhee, tempered by her time with Do-young, calmly answered all his questions.

“So that guy Dojae rejected Eunhee’s confession? What a jerk! Why did the other seekers choose such a guy as their adversary?”

“No, Han! It’s not like that… Mr. Dojae probably did it to fulfill his role faithfully. I must have made him feel burdened…”

“Eun-hee! Even so, a man shouldn’t act like that! That jerk…! I’ll have to teach him a lesson!”

Eun-hee and Han had walked to the vicinity of the guild building before they knew it.

Han stormed into the building entrance with a sulky face.

Thud!

“Who the hell is Lee Do-jae?!”

“Han…!”

Han shouted, eyes wide, and Eun-hee, flustered, covered her mouth.

The guild members in the lobby turned their gaze toward Han, but when Eun-hee gave an awkward smile, they all ignored it and moved on.

“Waaah…!”

Sshhh-.

“Why?”

Han pulled Eunhee’s hand away from her mouth and asked with bright, curious eyes.

Eun-hee took her hand and led her up to the fifth floor.

Do-jae was nowhere to be seen, and neither were Young-jin nor Ji-yoon.

“Huh? Who’s that kid?”

Jung Hoon-hyun emerged looking disheveled, scratching his head vigorously.

Spotting Han, he rummaged through his pocket and handed over an old-looking piece of candy.

“Want one?”

“…Eun-hee, this feels kinda off. Can I hit him?”

“No…! Master, this person isn’t a child…”

“Huh?”

Eunhee moved Han, who was clenching his fist, behind her back.

Then she gave a brief explanation about her.

“Whoa! Is this the… the seeker Bu-gil-ma mentioned?”

Jeong Hoon-hyun was so startled he dropped his candy.

But Han seemed interested in the candy. He picked it up and made a gesture toward Eun-hee as if to put it in his mouth.

Eun-hee peeled off the sticky wrapper and placed it in Han’s mouth.

“Mmm… Sweet! Hey, human man. Got another one?”

“Yes! Just wait a moment! Oh, Eun-hee! I’ll contact Bugilma right away, so please take the Seeker downstairs and wait there for a bit.”

Jung Hoon-hyun hurriedly made a call and dashed into the office.

Eun-hee, satisfied, took Han, who was sucking on the candy, and headed back down to the break room.

***

A moment later.

Jung Hoon-hyun stood restlessly, holding a basket overflowing with various snacks.

Han kept stuffing new snacks into her mouth, and in front of her lay a mountain of empty wrappers.

“Earth’s snacks are truly stimulating! They’re incredibly delicious!”

Han poured a carbonated drink into a paper cup, drank it, then furrowed her brow before breaking into a refreshing smile.

Jung Hoon-hyun felt relieved that she was enjoying the snacks and drinks.

Just as Eunhee was wiping the crumbs from Han’s mouth with a wet wipe one by one…

“What’s going on?”

Do-jae entered the break room with a relaxed expression.

Jeong Hoon-hyun’s expression brightened instantly as he rushed over to Do-jae.

“Oh! You’re here! Why so late?”

“Huh? Is something wrong?”

“Of course there is! Come here for a sec.”

Jung Hoon-hyun pulls Do-jae toward Han and Eun-hee.

Do-jae felt slightly awkward seeing Eun-hee’s face, but his mood changed completely when he saw Han beside her.

A subtle yet palpable divine aura.

A profound mana, no less than that of a dragon.

And the welcoming voices of the other seekers.

– Oh! Han! Long time no see!

– Han! Where’ve you been? Vanishing without a word! I missed you!

– Han, huh? It’s getting a bit embarrassing to call you a seeker now. Heh heh.

Han set down the snack he’d been eating.

Then he approached Dojae.

Smack!

Han, standing on tiptoe, swatted Dojae’s cheek.

Doh-jae, flustered beyond words, couldn’t even react, just staring blankly at her.

“What… what the hell are you doing?”

“So you’re Lee Dojae? The one who made our Eunhee so upset?”

“…”

Without a word, Do-jae rubbed his sticky, stinging cheek.

The greasy cookie crumbs clinging to Han’s hand mixed with saliva and stuck to Dojae’s cheek. As he slowly brushed them off, the spot stung.

Even if a fully awakened adult man struck him with all his might, it would feel like a feather’s touch to Dojae. Yet Han’s palm left a red mark, the pain palpable.

“Damn it, you good-for-nothing brat. To think I poured all my power into you, a worthless creature like you. You’ve got no sense of shame, not even a shred!”

“You… You’re Han?”

Dojae cautiously asked Han, who was fuming with rage.

He feared provoking her further might earn him a handprint on his other cheek.

“Yes! I am Han! I created that core inside your chest!”

Han pointed at Dojae’s chest and declared triumphantly.

Her fingertip pointed precisely at the location of Dojae’s ‘Golem’s Heart’.

“I see. You’re just what I needed. Seeker Han, come to me.”

Though her power and authority were nearly depleted, Han was the Seeker who created the ‘Golem’s Heart’.

Because the other seekers also favored her, she was inevitably a pivotal figure to Dojae.

But Han’s response left Dojae flustered.

“I don’t want to?”