I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 330: Not Scared of Ghosts

"Master! Master!"

Gaeul pointed at the campfire.

Having just seen the fire scene, she looked quite urgent.

"Gaeul, this is a safe fire."

"Safe?"

"Yeah. It's a fire we're controlling."

Gaeul stared at the flames with blank eyes before plopping down beside me.

Even without detailed explanation, she trusted my words completely.

"Even if something is scary and powerful, if you can control it, there's nothing to fear."

Gaeul nodded as if she understood.

She swung her stretched-out legs back and forth, seemingly trying to enjoy the campfire.

As quiet settled in, other thoughts started creeping in.

'When are the guild members coming back?'

We'd spent one night apart - would we have to spend another?

A wave of longing hit me, not knowing how many more days we'd have to wait.

Since they prevented me from leaving pheromones, I didn't even know where my family had gone.

'I wish they'd come back soon.'

Though I wasn't too lonely with the other family members here, I still wanted everyone together.

In movies, situations like this led to dramatic reunions.

I guess reality is different from movies.

Just as I was sighing with disappointment while poking the campfire with a stick-

"Is Gyeoul making tea?"

"Huh...?"

My ears perked up at Yeoreum's voice in the distance.

When I turned toward the voice, I met Yeoreum's eyes as she walked over.

"...!"

My tail started wagging reflexively.

I tossed aside the stick and ran toward Yeoreum.

"Oh my?"

I jumped into her arms and nuzzled against her.

Though we'd only been apart for a day, seeing her felt like a reunion after years.

"It makes your sister so happy to have someone greet me like this right away."

"Yes. I'm happy too."

"Hmm... but what should we do? I have to leave again."

"Y-you're leaving...?"

"Yeah. I just came to see your face quickly since I was worried you'd be lonely if we were apart too long."

Ah.

Though it was disappointing, I was glad to see her face even briefly.

I smiled and snuggled into Yeoreum's embrace.

"Gyeoul, did something happen today?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The fire department contacted us suddenly. They said they wanted to give you a certificate of appreciation."

They must have seen us helping people at the accident scene.

I felt a bit proud.

"Encia should get that. She rescued people from the burning building."

"I heard you were the one who found them."

"Yes, but I only found them."

"Come on, early detection is really important too."

"Hmm... is it?"

I chatted with Yeoreum about various things now that she was home.

We ate together with the children too.

Though Yeoreum left again, it was nice to spend even a brief time together.

That's how I was able to end another happy day.

**

The next day.

While I was preparing to go to a dungeon, Levinas approached me wearing a pot on her head.

"King, can I come with you?"

"You want to go to the dungeon too?"

"Yeah! Levinas even wore a helmet so she won't get hurt!"

So that pot was supposed to be a helmet.

I wondered how much protection it actually provided.

After some consideration, I nodded in agreement.

Going to a Level 3 dungeon with Levinas should be fine.

That was my conclusion after carefully assessing our capabilities.

"Shall we go together then?"

"Yeah!"

After finishing our preparations, we headed toward the dungeon.

Since Levinas was coming along, maybe a goblin dungeon would be good.

As I was thinking this while walking, somehow Encia and the children had started following behind us.

Did everyone suddenly want to go to the dungeon?

Since it's more fun together, I didn't stop them.

When we arrived at the goblin dungeon, Kim Min-jun, the dungeon management civil servant, welcomed us.

However, he looked troubled for some reason.

"Hello."

"Ah, Gyeoul, you're here?"

"Yes... is something wrong?"

"No, nothing..."

As he shook his head, his gaze landed on Encia.

Gasp.

Surprised, he changed from shaking his head side to side to up and down.

"Well, it's nothing major, but something did happen."

"What happened?"

"Three dungeons suddenly appeared in this area. It's become quite troublesome."

"Ah."

It must be annoying as a dungeon manager.

In that sense, adventurers had it easier - we just had to clear them and leave.

"Two Level 3 dungeons and one Level 4..."

"Oh? If they're Level 3, could we do them?"

"You think you can handle it?"

"Yes, I can clear Level 3 dungeons alone. With Encia here, we're practically invincible."

I grabbed Encia's hand.

Her gently swaying tail touched mine.

"Then I'll leave it to you. Please help us out, Encia."

"Yes, just trust me. I'll make sure to handle it well."

"Ah, that's reassuring."

We walked for about five minutes to the location Kim Min-jun guided us to.

Seeing the rippling grey portal, Saebyeok narrowed her eyes.

"This is..."

"Saebyeok, what's wrong?"

"The smell is familiar somehow. But it's Level 3, so it should be fine, right?"

"Yeah. We'll be okay with Encia here. But let's not get careless."

After some light stretching, we entered the dungeon.

Inside was...

A very old, dilapidated mansion.

**

It was a mansion shrouded in darkness.

Moonlight filtered through the windows - beast-kin eyes could see far with even this dim light.

"King, this place is kind of scary..."

"Yeah..."

It was the kind of house where ghosts might appear.

Looking around, we spotted cobwebs and spiders hanging from the high ceiling.

Gaeul must have noticed them too, as she pointed at a spider.

"Master, Kkamang."

"Um... it looks similar to Kkamang, but that's not them."

"Huh?"

Even in this eerie mansion, Gaeul acted like her usual self.

Thanks to her, I could shake off some of my fear.

"Encia, what kind of dungeon is this?"

I asked while tugging on Encia's clothes.

For some reason, her body was trembling slightly.

"I-I think this dungeon doesn't suit me well..."

"Why? What kind of dungeon is it?"

"Well..."

For Encia to be scared in just a Level 3 dungeon.

What kind of dungeon could this be?

My curiosity and tension increased.

"I know this one. It's a ghost dungeon."

"G-ghost?!"

I see.

So it had ghost-type monsters.

Now I understood why Encia was scared.

After all, there weren't many people in the world who weren't afraid of ghosts.

"How do we fight ghosts...? Don't physical attacks not work?"

"Don't worry. I have divine magic items."

Encia took items from her bag and imbued them with divine magic.

My bow and arrows gained a white glow - I could feel Chae Juyeon's mana.

This would let us fight ghosts, right?

I wet my dried lips before walking through the mansion with everyone.

"K-King, can Levinas keep her eyes closed...? This is too scary for Levinas..."

"Yeah. Hold onto my tail."

Of all the dungeons, it had to be one with ghosts.

This was really bad compatibility.

Ugh.

I turned my groan into a sigh as we walked down the mansion's long corridor.

After walking a bit, we stopped at the sight of a faint figure in the distance.

"T-there..."

A translucent figure floating at the end of the corridor.

Though I expected a grotesque appearance, it looked like a normal young girl.

"Too young to be a banshee... This is something I haven't seen before."

"A banshee?"

"Yes, it's one type of ghost monster..."

As Encia and I were talking, the creature noticed us and started floating toward us.

"Oh."

Startled, I aimed my bow at it.

But something felt off.

I couldn't sense any hostility from the floating creature.

"Gyeoul, you need to shoot."

"No, it's..."

The creature stopped abruptly about ten steps away.

Did it not want to fight?

It felt wrong to shoot.

Just as I was loosening my drawn bowstring, the creature raised its hands to its head.

And then.

Pop-!

It performed the shocking feat of separating its head from its body.

"Nyaaa!"

"...!"

"! What is that! What is that?!"

Startled, we all turned and ran as if on cue.

Encia carried the slow Saebyeok and the eyes-closed Levinas as we fled.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

We ran back the way we came together.

But I noticed Gaeul wasn't among those running.

"Gaeul?"

Looking back while running, I saw Gaeul frozen in front of the ghost.

Tremble tremble.

Her ears and tail were shaking.

"Gaeul!"

I turned back and ran toward her.

At that moment, Gaeul found some courage and reached out toward the ghost.

"Yah...!"

With a shout, Gaeul performed the finger-cutting magic trick I had taught her.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh-

As if trying to show she could separate body parts too, she repeatedly detached and reattached her finger.

Her reaction suggested body separation was no big deal.

"...?"

A look of confusion appeared on the separated ghost girl's face.