Chapter 67: The Tail that Catches Millions

We spent quite a long time fishing at the creek.

Yet, we couldn’t catch a single Abyssal Fish.

Apparently, they could fetch millions of won apiece during peak demand and there was a reason for that.

‘Ugh.’

With a tinge of disappointment, I perched on a rock by the creek.

‘At least the scenery is nice.’

It wasn’t a complete waste of time, I consoled myself while swinging my feet in the water.

Splash, splash

As I watched the ripples form on the surface, Delphine came to sit beside me.

“Harang, are you giving up on fishing?”

“Yeah. It’s no fun since we’re not catching anything.”

“Really? Then, how about a fishing game with me?”

‘Stop calling yourself my “unnie.”’

I was about to bare my teeth at her in frustration when a toy fishing rod dangled in front of me.

Wiggle, wiggle

The toy fish swayed in the air, stealing my attention.

“O…”

Fine, whatever.

Getting mad and missing out on playtime was worse than settling for a toy fish.

Pounce!

I got down on all fours like a tiger preparing to strike.

Tensing the muscles in my legs, I was ready to lunge at Delphine’s toy fish when

Snap!

“Eek!”

Something yanked my tail.

“What the !”

Turning around, I saw my tail splashing wildly in the water.

It felt like someone or something had grabbed it and was shaking it furiously.

Panic surged through me as I tried to pull my tail free, but whatever had latched on was too heavy to budge.

“Gyaaah!”

Fear washed over me.

What was in the water, jerking my tail around like this?

Unable to stand, I bolted on all fours, running like an animal to escape the water’s edge.

Thud-thud-thud!

I sprinted faster than I ever could on two legs, all the way to the bushes.

But the pressure on my tail didn’t relent.

“What is this!”

With trembling eyes, I glanced back to find a shimmering fish clamped onto my tail.

‘A fish?’

It was oddly beautiful, almost mesmerizing in its vibrant, shimmering hues.

Still, this wasn’t the time to admire it.

The colorful fish wasn’t just hanging on it was trying to devour my tail!

“This…!”

A mere fish daring to eat a tiger?

Unthinkable.

As a predator myself, it wounded my pride.

I wasn’t going to be the meal; it was. That’s the law of nature.

‘You’re my dinner now.’

Though, admittedly, I was too scared to handle it on my own.

“Raxy!”

With the fish still dangling from my tail, I dashed toward Raxy Bora.

She was off fishing in another spot, far away.

“Harang! Did you catch a fish?”

“Yeah, but with my tail.”

When I showed her my tail, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my, that’s an Abyssal Fish!”

“This is an Abyssal Fish?”

I’d heard of them but never seen one before.

We had never even thought of eating such expensive food before.

‘What a foolish fish.’

A fish worth millions of won bit my tail. It was almost laughable.

“Harang, how did you even catch this?”

Raxy Bora asked as she carefully removed the Abyssal Fish from my tail.

“I was just dipping my tail in the water, and it bit.”

“Your tail?”

“Yeah.”

Her gaze lingered on my tail for a moment.

“Harang’s tail does look pretty tasty…”

“My tail…?”

I glanced back and forth between her and my tail, a bit flustered. Suddenly, Raxy Bora grabbed my shoulders.

“Harang, how about we try just a bit more?”

“Huh? Try what?”

She responded with a mysterious smile that gave me pause.

Before I knew it, I was fishing with my tail at her suggestion.

At first, I thought it was a strange request, but after catching one or two Abyssal Fish, I couldn’t deny it anymore.

‘Unbelievable.’

Maybe Raxy Bora’s comment about my tail being appetizing wasn’t entirely wrong.

All I had to do was dip it in the water, and the Abyssal Fish would come biting.

“Got one!”

Splash, splash!

Whenever my tail shook, Raxy Bora would scoop the fish up with a net.

Before long, we had caught ten Abyssal Fish.

By rough estimation, their combined worth was in the tens of millions of won.

‘Is my true calling being a fisher?’

I seriously entertained the thought for a moment but dismissed it.

Fishing wasn’t my only strength I was naturally gifted in all forms of hunting.

My true calling wasn’t as a fisher but likely as a ‘hunter.’

“Hehe.”

Lost in the confidence bubbling up within me, I let out a small laugh.

Raxy Bora, having just finished organizing the fish we caught, approached me.

“Harang, should we call it a day?”

“Yeah. Catching too many wouldn’t make sense since we can’t eat them all.”

Hunting should be done with respect for life, taking only as much as one could consume.

I had no desire to hunt these fish for mere amusement.

“Shall we head back, then?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

As we walked back, I couldn’t help but carry myself with a proud stride, like a general returning victorious from battle.

Leading the way confidently, I noticed Delphine falling in step beside me.

“Harang, you’re really good at fishing, huh?”

“Of course. I’m a hunting genius.”

“A hunting genius?”

Delphine chuckled behind her hand, as if amused by the idea.

‘There’s something unsettling about her…’

Maybe it was my own problem, though.

My instinctive defense mechanism often kicked in around strangers.

‘Still, I need to get along with her somehow.’

Delphine wasn’t as physically intimidating as Kim Eunhyuk, nor did she exude a threatening aura.

With enough effort, I was sure I could get close to her.

After all, we’d be living together for a while.

‘Alright.’

I set my first goal for this rustic life: to become friends with Delphine.

As we approached the villa, I noticed Jinhyang and Yoon Bora sitting on the front terrace, sipping coffee.