My Item

7. Father, or Mother?

The eagle stopped near a cave on the side of the mountain. Placing Cale down on the handmade straw nest. There were large white-spotted eggs there too.

Cale was almost foaming at the mouth. He felt dead, all the energy inside him was depleted. He didn't even have to strength to get up.

The eagle looked at him, a vicious gaze.

Cale shivered, realizing it wasn't the time to be lazy, he was going to die!

It walked closer to him.

Cale flinched, 'why's it coming closer?! Go away you giant eagle!' He tried to back up, only to become surrounded by the oddly large eggs.

Crack...

'Huh? What's that noise?' Cale turned his head around.

There was a crack on the egg... did he.. break it...?

Cale gasped, his mouth hanging wide open out of shock.

The eagle no longer had their gaze on Cale, it was more focused on its newborn baby, immediately heading towards the egg to embrace it.

Cale realized this. 'My chance to escape!' Was what he thought.

Crack!

The egg broke...

A cute little eagle hatchlings opened its eyes, seeing the world for the first time, seeing Cale for the first time... "Kaaa!" It sounded excitedly, running into Cale's arms.

'Huhhhhh....?'

Even the father seemed shocked, moreover betrayed.

"Ka!" The adult eagle said, getting Cale's attention.

'Shit.. he's really going to kill me now...' Cale misunderstood.

The newborn snuggled warmly into Cale's chest.

"Ka!" The adult eagle said again.

Surprisingly, Cale did not die... the eagle nudged their forehead onto Cale's cheek instead...?

'What..?' Cale became even more confused.

Together.. they looked like a loving family...

"Cale-nim! Are you—" Choi Han paused at the entrance, witnessing a new sight in front of him. "What- what happened, Cale-nim?!" He stood still, marveled.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Hyunjae asked, landing next to Choi Han. He looked up, noticing Cale. Hyunjae fell silent, "are you cheating on me?"

"What?" Cale asked back in disbelief.

Hyunjae furrowed his brows, "it isn't good to cheat on someone right in front of them." He shed one single diamond tear.

Choi Han smacked Hyunjae. "Don't stain Cale-nim's dignity!" His face was wrinkled from anger, his glare was sharp like a dagger.

Cale sighed. "Choi Han, stop it."

His face lightened as he heard Cale's voice, immediately turning back to his puppy self. "Yes, Cale-nim!"

Cale got up from the floor, leaving the baby below and the eagle to stop. "We should head back to the others." Cale suggested.

"Alright, Cale-nim." Choi Han agreed.

"I don't think it'll be that easy." Hyunjae interrupted.

Cale glared at him, not wanting to hear his nonsense again.

Hyunjae chuckled. "Well, I don't think those eagles will leave you alone if you just left." He pointed at the two clinging onto Cale.

"What do you mean?"

"See how friendly they are with you?" Hyunjae asked, not giving time to reply, he continued, "because they imprinted you."

Cale let out a "huh?"

"This is just my guess but, since dungeon monsters are similar to animals, just with extraordinary abilities, the newborn must've mistook you as their mother, and the father accepted you as their wife for the sake of their newborn." Hyunjae explained.

"..." Cale curled his fist into a tight ball, he really needed someone to hit, and the person wants to hit is right in front of him. 'This shit is getting really irritating.'

"Cale!"

Yoojin and the others arrived.

"Did something happen? It's been really quiet." Yoojin asked. "And.. is that the eagle...?" Despite being a monster tamer himself, they were never kind to him.

"They imprinted him." Hyunjae explained shortly.

Yoojin's jaw fell open. "Wait- wait! Does that mean Cale tamed those beasts?!" Even with his attributes, he had never tamed an s-class monster ever, he only raised them to s-class, which is why he was completely speechless.

"Waaa!" Yerim's face lit up. "Can I pet him??"

"It's too dangerous." Officer Song stopped her from approaching the beast.

"You're no fun." Yerim perked her lips out, sulking like a child.

"Hunter Cale," Taewon spoke, "please keep it under control or else we'll have to take careful measures."

'What should I do?' Cale dreaded. He didn't even know how to take care of such a large beast... he did take care of Raon.. but Raon listened to him.

Hyunjae smiled, seeing an opportunity, "if you join Jupiter, we can provide everything needed for your little pet."

Cale tiredly looked up at him, frowning. "No thank you." Same response as last time. "But what should we do, does this mean we cleared the dungeon or not?" Cale asked, not like it mattered, he didn't want to keep this eagle that kidnapped him, but keeping him would've been nice as well, if it behaved.

"Kaaa." The adult eagle tilted his head cutely.

The infant followed his actions.

"Taming the boss monster was never heard of." Hyunjae said. "Let's go back to the entrance and see if the portal has opened back up. If not, then we'll just have to kill it." Hyunjae spoke with an evil smile. 'You're stealing Cale away from me.' He glared at the eagle.

"..."

"Let's go..."

They shortly reached where they came from.

"Tsk." Hyunjae clicked his tongue.

Cale looked at him, wondering why he had done that.

Hyunjae put back his sparkly smile instantly as he saw Cale turn to him.

'What's wrong with him?... Actually, he was always weird.' Cale looked away as if nothing happened.

They exited the dungeon, with the eagle and infant.

"Guildmas- what is that?!" The assistant's voice became shakey. "You brought back the boss monster?!"

"Yes." Hyunjae smiled brightly for the camera. "Hunter Cale tamed the beasts, so we were able to quickly finish the raid." The informed the press. 'I wish it'll just die already.'

'Please don't put the spotlight on me.' Cale became nervously sweaty.

"They must get going now. The hunters must be tired from the long journey." The bodyguards, practically useless if not to protect the citizens from them, pushed the crowd away, making room for the hunters to leave.