Chapter 38: Fishing

Deep beneath the surface, there were fish—far more than he’d expected. They swarmed aggressively, clashing with the construct Cheon Areum had shaped from his energy, driving it away as if defending their territory. Strangely enough, they weren’t monsters he needed to eliminate to clear the dungeon.

Which made things… personal.

“I’m going to fish every single one of you up. I’ll cook you. And I’ll eat you.”

Cheon Areum declared war on them solemnly, glaring down at the glassy lake. He adjusted his stance at the water’s edge and reshaped his energy construct, compressing it down until it formed a small, harmless-looking sphere—a perfect lure. Letting it hover just beneath the surface, he waited patiently for the fish to bite—fully committed to the act.

Taking a seat at the edge of the lake, Cheon Areum settled in with surprising patience. He let his energy hover just above the water’s surface, shaped into bait, and, as he had guessed, the fish were attracted to his energy, biting the sphere with enthusiasm—not knowing that they were about to be eaten by him. Cheon Areum watched them calmly, eyes narrowed in quiet focus, already deciding which one would be first on the menu.

Once a whole horde of them had clamped down together, competing greedily for the energy, Cheon Areum yanked them out in one swift motion and tossed them onto the empty ground beside the lake. The fish flopped helplessly, eyes wide as they withered outside the water. He stared at them for a long second. The plan had been to eat them—see if consuming dungeon creatures might replenish his energy even a little. But the moment the overwhelming fishy stench hit his nose, his expression twisted in immediate disgust.

“Nevermind.”

Without hesitation, he kicked every last one of them straight back into the water. The smell lingered stubbornly in the air, thick enough to make his head spin for a brief moment. Dizziness washed over him, but he forced it down, steadying his breathing until the world stopped tilting.

Clicking his tongue, Cheon Areum moved away from the lake entirely and sat down in one corner near the gate, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the offending scent. Some experiments, he decided, were absolutely not worth repeating.

“This is so disheartening… I miss Yoon Seoyul…”

Cheon Areum mumbled softly to himself. His hand drifted to his belly, rubbing it absentmindedly, seeking a bit of comfort.

Do you miss your daddy too?

Only then did he notice the deep cut across his palm was bleeding again. Blood had soaked into the fabric of his clothes, staining it a dull red where his hand rested. He stared at it for a moment, oddly detached, before curling his fingers slightly. He had seen so much blood—the new awakener’s mostly—and yet he didn’t really lose his control this time around.

At first, he thought it was because of Yoon Seoyul’s pheromones still on him, calming him down. That was also true, but even after they were gone, he was still very in control of himself. Did he lose it randomly sometimes? It might not be because of negative energy or an influx of it.

“Is it you, Cheon Areum?”

Could it be that he had lost control to Cheon Areum in that one moment? The reason Cheon Areum was prone to losing control was because he was unstable himself. So if that was the reason, that meant Cheon Areum—a part of him—even now was unstable. He should be careful not to startle Cheon Areum anymore.

Wrapping his bleeding hand in a makeshift bandage formed from his own energy, Cheon Areum pushed himself back to his feet. He walked over to where the man lay unconscious against the rocky outcrop and grabbed the back of his shirt collar, lifting him with little effort. Thankfully, he’d already converted his wings from raw energy into solid matter. They rested heavily against his back now, no longer draining him unless he chose to dismantle them—something he’d deal with after getting out of here.

Using his wings, Cheon Areum took off and flew straight over the lake, bypassing the still waters that held no monsters. The air rushed past him as he crossed the distance in seconds. He landed in front of the metallic gate, one foot touching down first, the other following a moment later. He annoyingly tossed the unconscious man onto the dirt, letting the body hit the ground carelessly, then stepped forward and shoved the gate open.

Warm light spilled across Cheon Areum’s face as the gate opened, revealing a cityscape on the other side. Rows of glowing bulbs illuminated narrow streets packed with food stalls, their lights casting a golden haze over the night. It seemed to be a night food market with stalls selling different dishes, but the smell of fish was strong.

Crowds packed the narrow streets, people lining up eagerly at the stalls, waiting for their turn to receive plates piled high with fish dishes. Laughter and chatter filled the air, but the smell—that smell—clung to everything. The people also reeked of a fishy scent, but it wasn’t the normal scent of fish—it was as if the fish meat was spoiled and being boiled. That’s why it appalled him so much.

He lifted a finger to the unconscious man behind him as he shot a line of energy that wrapped around the man’s arm. With a sharp tug, Cheon Areum dragged him forward and into the city with him, disappearing into the crowd and the nauseating haze of the night market.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen! Over here!”

A man with a bulging belly and a neatly groomed mustache stepped into Cheon Areum’s path, his face stretched into an eager smile. He gestured animatedly toward a nearby building, clearly trying to usher him along.

“Come, stay at our hotel—rooms are free for today only! A once-in-a-lifetime offer; you won’t want to miss it.”

The man edged closer as he spoke, enthusiasm bordering on desperation, already reaching out as if to grab Cheon Areum by the arm and drag him along with him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep