How to Get on the Main Character’s Flower Path

 

“I can do anything for my family, you know?”

 

The face of the Oracle, or rather the body whom they possessed, who was grabbed by the collar was stained with embarrassment.

 

“But I see you kept using that to mess with my people? Making someone angry. That’s why I did it. Got it? This is all because of you.”

 

I could tell without looking in the mirror.

 

That I was smiling brightly at the moment.

 

“This is a warning. I won’t tolerate it if my family suffers because of you one more time. If you touch mine, be prepared to get bitten.”

 

Anytime I did that. I could do anything to protect what was precious to me.

 

“Do you understand? You son of a bitch?”

 

When I growled and threatened Oracle, then I let go of their collar, they took a deep breath and sighed.

 

“…I know. I was rude.”

 

“If you do, that’s enough.”

 

“Still, cooperation with the Wild Hunter is—”

 

“You and them both suck! Screw off.”

 

“…”

 

Oracle opened their mouth as if trying to say something, yet they kept their mouth shut as if they had nothing to say.

 

Soon, the body possessed by the Oracle fell towards the ground.

 

I grabbed the body and laid him down on the floor. Although I feel sorry, this person will go home on his own. I also wanted to go home.

 

Wild Hunter has been defined as a criminal group by Black Libra, so they will never be able to invade the orphanage again. I feel safe with this.

 

“What kind of trouble is this…”

 

The sun was already setting. It’s a shame I called and said I’d be back late, I almost worried them.

 

I walked out of the illegal residents’ village. As I walked for a while, the illegal residents’ village gradually became a dot in the distance.

 

When I saw that, a strange feeling came up.

 

Nostalgia for the past?

 

Not sure, if I were to be specific, it was… It was almost like looking at the scar and remembering the painful times.

 

As I walked down the street, I absentmindedly fell into memories of the past.

 

***

 

“Nahyun, look at this! How pretty!”

 

Mom smiled proudly as she showed me the shiny, multi-colored machine parts.

 

“Why don’t you show the child something that she recognizes?”

 

Choi Garam grumbled, yet not trying to stop her and assembled the parts for the gun.

 

I was at the research institute where Mom went.

 

The research institute she attended was founded by the hero ‘Erentos’, who was part of the Savior raid, and is said to be a place where various research is actively conducted.

 

From the entrance, the strange state-of-the-art equipment humming and collecting data made me feel like this was a future research lab from science fiction.

 

“Now, let’s go to the shooting range!”

 

Although I could only see a few areas in the name of a field trip, I thought it was amazing to see all kinds of strange-looking objects listed even to my ignorant eyes.

 

“Will it work today?”

 

“Not sure.”

 

Choi Garam and Mom whispered and chatted together while holding a gun. The colorful parts shown earlier were installed in the gun.

 

When Choi Garam took her stance and fired, dolls of various colors fell down. However, some dolls were standing still. Mom sighed.

 

“Is it really a problem between holy attributes and non-attributes…!”

 

“The holy attribute requires too much magic stone. The none attribute… it seems like the filter wasn’t able to filter out all the attributes, so some came out and looked bad.”

 

“Uhm… Instead of replacing the filter, should I just put in the magic stone separately? To allow the general public to use it…”

 

After seeing the two of them whispering, I played with the doll next to me. The doll, which looked like two spheres glued together, had a really funny appearance, as if it had been roughly made.

 

“Then let’s go to the beta version…”

 

I walked away, leaving the adults who were having a serious conversation alone.

 

There were only a few places I could go with the tour permit hanging around my neck anyway. I would find my way on my own. The gate-related room I saw while passing by looked interesting, so I’ll have to go there and check it out.

 

“Huh, a baby, it’s a baby!”

 

“I guess she came on a field trip! Do you want some candy?”

 

I wandered around here and there, receiving affection from people I didn’t know.

 

Then, as I entered an area I wasn’t supposed to enter, I was suddenly lifted and carried away.

 

I remember seeing a famous person through the window of the forbidden area at that time.

 

“Sir Erentos, about gate reduction research…”

 

I tried to listen, yet I couldn’t hear very well.

 

I got tired of walking around, so I sat down on the sofa and started dozing off.

 

And when I opened my eyes again,

 

“Save me!”

 

“AAAAGH!”

 

The world was hell.

 

People were screaming or crying in fear as they were crushed by the collapsed debris.

 

Some people were frantically crawling on the floor, trying to escape from something.

 

I looked around and saw that everyone was running towards somewhere.

 

The person who hugged me was barely following behind the crowd of people.

 

“Mom?”

 

That woman managed to throw herself aside and enter what appeared to be a shelter.

 

Thud—!

The shelter door was closed. I was almost thrown along with her, but due to inertia, I barely stopped rolling over and over again.

 

After pulling herself together, she helped me up and tried to reassure me.

 

“Hello, baby. What is your name?”

 

“Kang Nahyun.”

 

“So it’s Nahyun. Nahyun’s mom is a little busy right now, that’s why this older sister decided to take care of Nahyun.”

 

I thought as I watched her try to smile at me with her trembling body.

 

It’s a lie.

 

But I wasn’t a child who couldn’t tell the difference between a white lie and a simple lie, so I just pretended to understand and nodded at her.

 

“What should we do now?”

 

“Since Erentos is here, the gate will close soon. The problem is the monsters that poured out—”

 

At that time, the shelter door was slightly crushed along with a thud.

 

For a moment, a terrifying silence engulfed the shelter. The howl of an animal could be heard through a slightly open gap.

 

“Um, is there anyone who can fight? Even if it’s a weapon…!”

 

Thud.

 

The door became more distorted.

 

The hideous shape of the monster began to be clearly visible through the door. A huge snake with three heads was aiming at us with its tongue lashing out.

 

“Hydra…!”

 

“I-It’s a high-level monster…!”

 

Confusion engulfed people. People faced the wall, pushing and stepping on each other to get even a little bit away from the door.

 

We were pushed out by people.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“It hurts…”

 

Thud.

 

A snake head slithered through the door. It looked down at us, its tongue lashing out.

 

The moment it opened its mouth and tried to swallow us—

 

Bang—! Bang—!

 

Two gunshots were heard. It failed to achieve its purpose and threw back its head, writhing in pain.

 

KIEEEEEKH!

 

At that time, when I was trembling and lowering my head from the wildly swinging head, I heard a loud voice.

 

“This is a threat to someone’s daughter!”

 

Bang—!

 

One more gunshot was heard, and its head fell into the distance. After that it never moved again.

 

“Brat, are you okay?”

 

“…Mhm.”

 

Choi Garam, covered in the blood of all kinds of monsters, was looking at me from the door and shouting.

 

It was a shame because I wasn’t a real child. It was a scene that any child would have cried if they had seen it.

 

“Then let’s go! Mom is waiting!”

 

Garam Choi picked me up and tried to leave right away. Then the researchers in the shelter protested.

 

“Wait a minute, aren’t you a hunter? Then you must protect us!”

 

“Huh? I’m also a researcher, though? Remain here or follow, choose for yourself!”

 

When Choi Garam growled fiercely, the group of researchers immediately cowered.

 

Meanwhile, I held on tightly to the hem of the older sister’s lab coat, who had hugged me all the way. Choi Garam, who was trying to pull me, looked at my fingertips in confusion.

 

“What?”

 

“Nahyun?”

 

“Let’s go together. Else, don’t wanna.”

 

I know Choi Garam’s skills. She’s an awakener who is said to have easily held a key position in any guild if she hadn’t chosen the path of a researcher.

 

So, rather than staying here, it would be safer for this person to go with Choi Garam.

 

She nodded her head with a puzzled expression at my words.

 

“Gosh, do whatever you want.”

 

Garam Choi looked reluctant, but she seemed to have decided to do as I asked.

 

She glanced at the researchers and saw that everyone had quietly come this way, as if they thought that their chances of survival were higher if they followed Choi Garam rather than staying in the holey shelter.

 

“Everyone, follow along.”

 

As Choi Garam hugged me and started running, everyone started chasing Choi Garam, even though they were shaking.

 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

 

A few more gunshots rang out. Fortunately, we were able to move without anyone dying.

 

This was also possible because someone had already killed the monster all at once.

 

Choi Garam spoke harshly.

 

“Sir Erentos got into trouble.”

 

“Sir Erentos…! What happened to the gate?”

 

Choi Garam trailed off at those words.

 

“What was open at the research center was closed, but other places…”

 

Everyone’s complexions darkened at those words.

 

“But if you go outside, the hunters will protect you.”

 

It seemed like everyone was pinning their hopes on Choi Garam’s words.

 

When we safely arrived outside the laboratory, what we saw were hunters and soldiers moving in a hurry, and countless holes in the sky.

 

“Come here!”

 

“Are you researchers?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“We will quickly transport you to the middle zone! Please get in the vehicle!”

 

Choi Garam moved forward, pushing through the crowd of hunters and soldiers. At the end of the road she created, there was Mom talking to someone.

 

“What happened, Ahyeon?”

 

“It’s a success! We signed a sponsorship agreement for mass production. The beta version filter has already proven its effectiveness and productivity, so there was no problem!”

 

Mom greeted us with a big smile, as if she had had some useful conversation.

 

“It was lucky that the gate opened at that moment!”

 

That smile was so bright. So much so that it didn’t fit into this terrible situation at all.

 

So I suddenly felt that she was creepy.