hotmtlnovel Chapter 112
Chapter 112
The plan of Han Jae-young and the so-called "Jeong Da-on Rescue Team" was simple.
They would track Jeong Da-on’s trail with the help of a summon with gray fur.
As for transportation, they could just borrow a vehicle owned by the embassy.
But reality was not as easy as it seemed.
"Hey, pup. That’s an alley where cars can’t pass. Can't we take another route?"
"Woof!"
The dog barked several times with an expression that seemed to say it couldn’t understand.
The puppy, resembling a wolf, couldn’t fathom why humans, who had machines with wheels, insisted on going around tall buildings.
This had already happened several times.
It was one thing to look at the map and turn around, but every time the summon scratched the seat and tried to communicate that this wasn’t the right path, it was beyond frustrating.
"Leo seems pretty smart..."
"Woof!"
The summon scratched its ears with its hind leg, as if it had heard something it shouldn’t have.
Judging by its behavior, it certainly had a high intelligence, but it seemed that the concept of roads was unfamiliar to this otherworldly creature.
"I think we should just ditch the car and walk."
"Yeah, that’s probably better."
After an hour of moving with the summon, Han Jae-young decided they couldn’t even leave Manhattan at this rate, let alone track down Jeong Da-on, so they chose to abandon the car.
Yoo Han-ul, with a serious expression, surveyed the surroundings.
"We’ve already left Manhattan and made it to Brooklyn. We’ve traveled more than 50 kilometers... But, usually, this would be the maximum distance for teleportation magic, right?"
"Considering how the Hunter Association is fumbling with the chase, they might have used teleportation magic several more times to shake off the pursuit."@@@@
He sarcastically remarked about the Association members' struggle to track them, but secretly, he thought there might be a reason why the pursuit was difficult.
"Lopez isn’t someone to underestimate. Someone like her couldn’t last more than ten years at headquarters."
"If she’s hiding in East New York, it could get tricky..."
East New York, part of Brooklyn, was a relatively poor area where workers lived.
The public safety was poor even before the dungeon appeared, but since the dungeon’s arrival, things had gotten worse.
Many of the dungeons in the area had no economic value, so there was little to manage.
Luckily, most were low-level D to F grade dungeons, but the eerie possibility of encountering low-level monsters in the alleyways caused people to leave the area in droves.
As a result, East New York’s abandoned houses had surpassed several hundred.
‘Of course, it’s not difficult for us to search since we have the summon...’
But what if, upon being discovered, Leila, in a state of despair, took the hostage into one of the nearby dungeons?
As Yoo Han-ul had said, that would certainly cause a lot of trouble.
"Are we too late?"
Lee Pyeong-hwa asked nervously, handing the dog a jerky snack.
"They say kidnappings have a golden time until they’re rescued, right? It’s already been half a day..."
"I did tell the Hunter Association the same thing," Han Jae-young shrugged.
"From the summon’s state, we can guess the condition of its master. This one’s still calm. It means everything’s fine."
If Jeong Da-on’s condition had been bad, the summon wouldn’t just be scratching the seat; it would have broken the window and run out.
Especially since the summon was one of Jeong Da-on’s creations.
As Han Jae-young had said, Jeong Da-on’s summon was relatively calm.
"And since it wasn’t a killing but a kidnapping, it must have a purpose, so she should be fine for a while."
"...That sounds reassuring."
At that moment, Han Jae-young’s phone rang.
The number wasn’t recorded, but...
There was only one person who would call him at this timing.
"Ugh, I don’t want to answer."
"Han Jae-young Hunter."
"Alright, alright."
If Yoo Han-ul hadn’t been there, he would have ignored the call, but it couldn’t be helped.
Han Jae-young reluctantly picked up the phone.
"Getting in touch a bit late, huh?"
I’m sorry to hear about what happened.It’s sincere.I heard they’re conducting their own investigation.I’m not asking to hinder you, I’m asking to help. If you need help with the investigation, just let me know. I’ll cooperate so that there’s no issue with your identity or procedures later.Leila stole some items, and the victim in this situation is Hunter Da-on. And now, she’s even been kidnapped. Honestly, I feel responsible.If you need help rescuing Hunter Da-on, we won’t hold the Hunter Association accountable for any accidents.I must have misjudged the situation.According to the report, Leila... took a bomb from the item storage while fleeing. We need to stop the situation from escalating.If you need help, contact me at this number. I won’t let her die before midnight. That’s it.
"Even after committing so many crimes?"
"Yes, because she’s one of her own, she would have tried to fix it somehow. Plus, the U.S. is a place where money can solve many problems more than in Korea."
Estella cared about her subordinates.
But strong emotions always have their shadows.
"Well, maybe after taking a bomb and kidnapping someone, Estella decided she couldn’t trust Leila anymore..."
Or maybe Estella decided Jeong Da-on was an important asset worth saving, even if she had to give up Leila Lopez.
After all, she had even tried to scout her personally.
At that thought, Han Jae-young suddenly turned to Yoo Han-ul.
"By the way, Yoo Han-ul, why didn’t you tell me that Estella visited Da-on’s hospital room?"
"Ah."
Yoo Han-ul blinked slowly.
It seemed he had completely forgotten about that event.
"Sorry. I forgot."
"...It’s clear you haven’t been in your right mind since the last dungeon. When we get back to Korea, you need a thorough check-up."
Regardless, it was a good turn of events that Estella had allowed them to investigate so freely.
Now, all that was left was to find Jeong Da-on.
Han Jae-young kneeled down to make eye contact with the summon, which was alert and guarding the passersby.
"Alright, little summon. Do you understand the concept of traffic lights now?"
"Sniff?"
The green-eyed summon stared at Han Jae-young, clearly confused.
It was obvious that it had no idea what he was talking about.
Han Jae-young looked up at the sky.
"This is going to take forever..."
As expected, it was true.
It was almost dawn by the time the three of them arrived at a small, abandoned house in East New York.
A small house that seemed on the verge of collapsing.
The three of them held their breath and hid by the house’s fence.
"Is this the place?"
The summon wagged its tail silently, panting.
Yoo Han-ul kept still, carefully listening to the sounds inside.
"There are two people inside. One seems to be injured."
"How do you know that?"
"The footsteps are uneven. It seems like they’ve hurt their leg."
At those words, Lee Pyeong-hwa bit his lip, growing anxious.
"An injury... It hasn’t been long since they were discharged."
"Doesn’t seem like there’s any magical barrier. This is odd."
Han Jae-young, who had been scanning for magical traps, tilted his head.
Logically, a mage like Leila wouldn’t have left a hiding place unprotected.
But no matter how much he stretched out his magic and examined it, there didn’t seem to be any traps.
"Did she use up all her magic on teleportation?"
The three of them quietly passed over the fence and into the garden.
After putting noise-reducing patches on the door handle and hinges, Han Jae-young quietly opened the door with his shield held at chest height.
The door opened without a sound.
Through the dark hallway, the living room light was visible.
The three of them crept toward the light, keeping their steps as silent as possible.
And when they peered into the living room...
"Are you here?"
A calm voice rang out.
Jeong Da-on was lying on a worn but comfortable-looking sofa, waiting for them.
She looked nothing like someone who had been kidnapped. Instead, she looked like a typical office worker spending a casual Sunday afternoon.