《How a D-Class Alchemist Avoids Death》 CH 1 The world turned upside down in an instant. Or maybe I had gone insane. There was no other way to explain this situation. Otherwise, there was no way I could be here, when I was supposed to be on a stakeout with my partner, Detective Kim, trying to catch the drug kingpin Kim Deok-Pal. ¡°Mom, I love you¡­¡± ¡°If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have argued this morning¡­¡± ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t lose hope! The healers are on their way, and the rescuers are heading to the shelter!¡± Strange words were being uttered around me. ¡®Healers? Shelter? What do those words even mean?¡¯ What were healers and what did they mean by a shelter? ¡°Oh Lord, this suffering is also given by you¡­ Why did this have to happen to me¡­ Damn you, God!¡± Some people were praying with their hands tightly clasped, while others were weeping and raging as if the apocalypse had arrived. ¡®What on earth is happening?¡¯ Feeling bewildered, I looked around. Through the crowd, I could see a large TV. The screen showed a grotesque scene I had never seen before in my life¡ªa monster with long tentacles tearing people apart as they tried to escape. However, the words ¡®Breaking News¡¯ seemed all too real to assume it was just a movie. That¡¯s when a red subtitle appeared beneath the terrifyingly surreal yet realistic scene. [Seohyeon-dong, Buyeon City: Monster Wave Occurrence / Noeul Guild Dispatched] ¡®Monster Wave? Guild?¡¯ They were words that should not be heard in reality. However, they were not entirely unfamiliar. ¡®No way¡­ No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ For a moment, an unthinkable imagination crossed my mind. ¡°Ha, this is ridiculous. It must be a dream. It has to be a dream.¡± I tried to open my eyes wider, denying reality. I slapped my cheek and pinched the back of my hand. The illusion I had thought to be a dream persisted. ¡®Could this really be ?¡¯ I put my hand in my pocket. It was hard to accept the truth, but I intended to call my stakeout partner, Detective Kim, to confirm. However, instead of my old, battered phone that I had used for 7 years, I found a brand-new smartphone I had never seen before. I furrowed my brow. ¡°Whose phone is this? Why is it in my pocket?¡± I searched my pocket again for my phone, but all that came out were unfamiliar smart car keys, a wallet, and what appeared to be house keys. The wallet was not my cheap one with threads sticking out everywhere, but one with a large, luxury brand logo. ¡°Excuse me, sir. May I borrow your phone for just one call?¡± Even if I could unlock the phone, I failed to unlock the pattern. In the end, I asked a passerby who was watching the TV to borrow their phone. I then dialed Detective Kim¡¯s number with ease. But. ¡ªThe number you have dialed does not exist, please check again¡­¡ª ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t exist?¡± I checked the number I had dialed. The number I had been in contact with just before dozing off was entered correctly without any mistakes. But it said the number did not exist. ¡®Argh, seriously.¡¯ Suppressing my flustered emotions, I began to randomly dial numbers that I could remember. However, none of the numbers for my senior, the head of the Violent Crime Unit 3, or even the office were available. ¡®Maybe I didn¡¯t slap myself hard enough to wake up from this.¡¯ In that moment, thinking that I needed to wake up from this dream, I slapped my cheek with a much stronger force. ¡°¡­Damn, that hurts.¡± But all I felt was the burning pain on my cheek and the numbness in my palm, and my surroundings remained the same. An unfamiliar landscape and an unknown monster, and a situation where all the numbers I knew were missing. ¡°No, Kim Hae-Ah, get a grip. You can feel pain in dreams too. That¡¯s right, let¡¯s sleep here. When I wake up, it¡¯ll be over.¡± I didn¡¯t want to admit it. No, I couldn¡¯t admit it at all. It was at that moment when I tried so hard to deny reality. Unknowingly, I gripped my phone tightly and the touch must have worked, as the camera turned on. And the face reflected in the camera was¡­ ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± It wasn¡¯t my face amidst all of this. Neat facial features with brown hair, a mole under the right eye, and odd eyes in orange and purple. I recalled the day I scoffed at the description, wondering where on earth someone would have such eye colors. ¡°Shit. Could it be¡­ No way?¡± Yes, all of these characteristics belonged to the character ¡®Seo Go-woon¡¯ from the fantasy novel I had read during my vacation a few days ago. The rascal who broke the nose of a security officer at the desk without any problem. The one who had single-handedly spent the entire annual budget of a guild in a department store, and it was a daily routine for him to pick fights with strangers he saw for the first time and beat them up, despite not having problems with him. The only reason he could still breathe despite living such a pathetic, trashy life was because of his younger brother. ¡®Noeul Guild¡¯s Deputy Guild Master, Seo Taeju.¡¯ Seo Taeju, an SS-rank Hunter and deputy guild master of the Noeul Guild, which was always among the top 5 guilds in the country, was his brother. Although they were not related by blood, Seo Taeju, who was adopted by Seo Go-woon¡¯s parents, did his best to be a good child. No matter how much Seo Go-woon hit him, tormented him, or caused trouble, Taeju endured it all simply because they were the children of the same parents. This continued even after Taeju had awakened as an SS-rank hunter and after their parents had passed away. Despite hating his trashy older brother, Taeju didn¡¯t abandon him. Although it was because of their parents¡¯ last request, Taeju fulfilled his duties. Thanks to that, Seo Go-woon continued his reckless behavior. The reason I ended up reading a novel with such a frustrating protagonist was very simple. At the time, I was awarded a special promotion and a reward vacation for capturing the notorious robber that had been causing a stir across the country. Instead of giving me money as a reward, they granted me a vacation, which I grumbled about. Detective Kim lent me a book that he had borrowed but hadn¡¯t yet read, telling me to read the whole thing through to the end. That book was ¡°Cradle of Apocalypse,¡± a novel featuring the infamous Seo Go-woon and his younger brother, Seo Taeju. ¡°I reluctantly read it because he asked me to at least give a summary of the plot, even if the content was terrible,¡± I thought. ¡®But now, here I am, living the life of an insignificant character, a mere extra who¡¯s neither the protagonist nor important, and who¡¯s destined to die soon.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. ¡°There¡¯s no way this can be real. It must be a dream,¡± I said, trying to escape from reality by laughing. But the middle-aged woman who had lent me her phone slapped my arm. ¡°Young man! Get a grip! What will you do if you go crazy here?¡± she scolded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Goodness, you¡¯ve lost your mind. Now, look at this.¡± She pinched my cheek hard. I felt a sharp pain in my cheek. ¡®Why does it hurt if this is a dream?¡¯ As if reading my mind, the woman replied, ¡°Is this your first time experiencing a wave in reality? You keep saying it¡¯s a dream, but look. It hurts, doesn¡¯t it? This is not a dream; it¡¯s reality.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s impossible? Monster waves have been around for more than a day or two, but don¡¯t worry too much, Noeul Guild is coming. That hunter Seo Taeju has saved me several times already. Young people like you shouldn¡¯t be so scared,¡± she clucked. I couldn¡¯t find the words to argue with her. Was this really not a dream? Then what was going on? Had I truly become Seo Go-woon, that useless character? I pulled at my hair in frustration, thinking about the absurd situation, and the woman hurriedly stopped me. ¡°No, young man, don¡¯t be so afraid, what will you do if you hurt yourself?¡± ¡°Does transmigration even make sense? Where in the world does that kind of thing happen?!¡± ¡°Huh? Transmigration? What are you talking about? Young man, you shouldn¡¯t lose your mind like that. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not it. I need to use the restroom for a moment¡­¡± ¡°Alright, go wash your face or something. It¡¯s a shame for a young person to be so faint-hearted.¡± Clucking her tongue, the middle-aged woman walked away as I slumped down in a hidden corner. ¡°Hey, novels are all about things that can happen in reality, you know. So, if I transmigrated, I¡¯m never coming back. How cool would it be to live in a fantasy world?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cool. I like my life as it is now.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s why you¡¯re a failure. What kind of young person doesn¡¯t have dreams and hopes?¡± The image of Detective Kim, who had been berating me, and our conversation sprang to my mind as if it had just happened. But I had never even considered that I had transmigrated. To be honest, who would think they could transmigrate into a novel? Moreover, the biggest problem right now wasn¡¯t me being transmigrated. ¡°Why did it have to be this guy and this situation, of all things?¡± Seo Go-woon. He was the adopted brother of the novel¡¯s protagonist, Seo Taeju, and a nuisance character who only caused trouble for Seo Taeju. It was a given that he would scream at Seo Taeju to give him money, get drunk and assault ordinary people, and show off using the name of the Noeul Guild and Seo Taeju. If he saw an employee he didn¡¯t like, he would threaten to fire them using Seo Taeju¡¯s name without any remorse. Depending on the situation, he would not hesitate to use violence with his abilities. Seo Gowoon was a despicable human being. And now, if my memory served me right, this situation was one of the famous scenes from the novel ¡°Cradle of the Apocalypse.¡± It was the part where Seo Gowoon, the nuisance character and the official screw-up guy, got caught in a monster wave and ¡®died¡¯ due to the collapse of a shelter. ¡°Damn it.¡± I was happy when Seo Go-woon died, thinking that the nuisance character had finally met his end. ¡°If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have been so happy. Sigh.¡± A deep sigh welled up from the pit of my stomach. I wanted to complain about how I got transmigrated, why it had to be me, and who was responsible, but the most pressing issue was the death of Seo Go-woon, the character I had become. If I could die and return to reality, I would gladly do so. However, as was the case with many characters who found themselves inside novels, dying here could mean facing real death instead of returning to reality. ¡°¡­Die? Me, here?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a hollow laugh. How had I lived my life? I had persevered with the single-minded determination to achieve my goals, and now I was going to die like this? ¡®Yongdungpo¡¯s crazy dog, me, Kim Hae Ah?¡¯ ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t die. No, I won¡¯t die.¡± If it was my fate to die, then I would twist that fate, survive, and escape this novel. I quickly reviewed the novel I had read with determination. ¡± Seo Go-woon was definitely killed in the shelter.¡± Although I had never revealed it to anyone, I possessed a perfect memory, recalling situations, locations, and even the text itself. I had thoroughly read , whether willingly or not. If I wanted to, I could remember every sentence and even every word. And now, I was in a shelter. The novel clearly stated that there was one shelter in each neighborhood, and since Seo Go-woon had died in a shelter, it was my fate to die here as well. But I knew. ¡°If only we could destroy the Gateway, this situation would end.¡± The monster wave wouldn¡¯t stop until the Gateway was destroyed. In the novel, Seo Taeju arrived late and managed to find and destroy the Gateway, but Seo Go-woon had already died by then. So, my only way to live now was to escape this place, which would soon become a tomb, before dying. But there was a problem. ¡®Even if I survive by leaving here, what about the people here¡­?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t the only one in the shelter. There were easily hundreds of people here at a glance. Could I just abandon these people and save myself? ¡®That¡¯s impossible.¡¯ I was a police officer whose priority was to ensure the safety of the people. I had to revise my plan. ¡®Should I take everyone with me?¡¯ I shook my head at the sudden thought. That¡¯s impossible. These people had gathered in the shelter, believing it to be the safest place. If I were to tell them that this place would soon become a graveyard and that they had to go outside where monsters roamed. ¡®I¡¯d be lucky if I don¡¯t get stoned to death here.¡¯ So, there was only one option left. ¡®The only way is for me to end the wave before the people in the shelter die¡­ There¡¯s no other choice.¡¯ Not by escaping the shelter, but by destroying the Gateway. The location of the Gateway wasn¡¯t important. I knew that too. But the problem was¡­ ¡°The issue is the monsters that will appear while I¡¯m on my way.¡± I rummaged through my pocket again. ¡°Ugh¡­ What a piece of trash.¡± I thought that being a hunter, he would at least have a weapon, but all I found were the car key, wallet, and some other keys I had found earlier. ¡°What¡¯s this useless guy carrying around?¡± I ruffled my hair, frustrated by the sudden surge of irritation. Unlike other hunter stories, the novel did not have an inventory function. So, hunters used an item called the Infinity Pouch to carry necessary items, but the self-proclaimed fashionista Seo Go-woon was an inconsiderate character who didn¡¯t even carry the Infinity Pouch around, claiming it would ruin his fit. ¡®With that money, I could have bought another luxury item.¡¯ I bit my lip nervously. There were weapons like axes and hammers inside the shelter. Thanks to my military experience in the special forces, I was confident in hand-to-hand combat and weapon handling, but only hunters¡¯ abilities or weapons made by awakened individuals could deal damage to monsters. Even if I were to carry one of those weapons, it would only serve to draw attention rather than kill the monster. ¡®Why doesn¡¯t this Seo Go-woon guy have a single weapon as a hunter¡­¡¯ At that moment, an insight suddenly flashed through my mind. ¡°Ah! Isn¡¯t Seo Go-woon is a hunter too?¡± That¡¯s right. Seo Go-woon was also a hunter. He had a hidden skill that allowed him to defeat A-class monsters despite being a D-class, a skill that only one person in the world could awaken. ¡®Alchemy.¡¯ He did die pathetically here due to some novelistic devices, though. ¡°What if I can use Seo Go-woon¡¯s abilities?¡± Although his rank was low, Seo Go-woon was a hidden hunter. The current monster wave was C-class, so this guy¡¯s abilities should be more than enough to handle it. As long as no more novelistic absurdity occurred. ¡°Right. Whether I die like this or like that, it¡¯s better to try something and die.¡± ¡®If I stay here blankly, I¡¯ll end up crushed under the building debris. It¡¯s better to take a chance on the unknown rather than a certain outcome.¡¯ ¡°Everyone, run away quickly! If you stay here, you¡¯ll all die!¡± I shouted to the gathered civilians in the shelter and hurriedly left the underground refuge. Meanwhile, the streets outside the shelter were eerily quiet, as if witnessing a scene from an apocalypse. However, not far in the sky, there was a hole, as if space had been torn apart, and monsters continuously poured out of it. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d see CGI-like scenes from movies in real life.¡¯ I chuckled and began stretching my body. ¡ªCrack. Hearing a noise while stretching, I quickly hid my body against the building wall. A lizard with bipedal movement appeared when I peeked my head out. A lizard with sharp spikes on its back and holding a spear in its hand. ¡®If the description is correct, that guy is a Thorned Lizard.¡¯ The Thorned Lizard was the most common monster in the monster wave, a monster with low intelligence but capable of throwing spears for long-range attacks. However, it was described that they have weak defenses, so if their heart is pierced with something sharp, they die immediately. ¡®I can only see one, so should I give it a try as a test?¡¯ Fortunately, the method of using alchemy, Seo Go-woon¡¯s ability, was described in detail in the novel. Although alchemy requires an equivalent exchange, it¡¯s actually a product of imagination. As long as there were materials, alchemy could create anything you could imagine. I placed my hand on the ground. And just like when Seo Go-woon used his ability in the novel, I imagined a sharp cone rising from the ground in my mind. ¡°[Create].¡± In an instant, along with a churning feeling inside my body and the sensation of something being drained, a grayish cone sprouted from the ground, piercing the spiny lizard¡¯s chest. ¡ªCrunch! With a short, sharp cry, green blood flowed down from the cone. [You have acquired experience points.] ¡°¡­This is insane.¡± CH 2 I looked down at my hand. In novels where the protagonist possesses another character, everyone would use the possessed character¡¯s abilities to their heart¡¯s content, so I tried it even though it was a bit suspicious. However, I didn¡¯t expect the ability to be this strong. ¡°How could he let this power go to waste?¡± If I really had this ability, I would have caught all the criminals long ago. ¡®Can¡¯t I take this ability back to my world? It would make catching criminals much easier.¡¯ Of course, the important thing right now wasn¡¯t the criminal but Gateway[1]. Shaking my head, I reminded myself of my goal and cautiously moved forward as before. As I got closer to the building with the gateway, I encountered more thorned lizards, but using my experience in infiltration investigations, I hid behind cover and eliminated them one by one. ¡ªGukk? ¡°[Create].¡± [You have gained experience points.] ¡®How long have I been struggling in this tense situation?¡¯ Finally, after dealing with the thorned lizard at the end of the alley, I saw the building with the gateway. The problem was¡­ I also saw the monster that I had seen on the TV at the shelter. ¡°That must be poison toad.¡± The poison toad was a monster with a long tongue. It seemed to be searching for people, sticking its long tongue through the windows of the building. I moved toward the building, muffling my footsteps as if I were raiding a crime scene. ¡®A convenience store in the building right next to where the monster wave occurred.¡¯ To be precise, the Gateway was a cash register inside the convenience store. The gateway of the monster wave that killed Seo Go-woon was revealed to be a cash register after the shelter was attacked by the thorned lizards and a hunter fighting the poison toad fell onto the cash register. ¡®It wasn¡¯t intentional, but it broke when they fell, so the Gateway was dealt with anyway.¡¯ The protagonist, Seo Taeju, despaired, thinking that Seo Go-woon wouldn¡¯t have died if he had known a little earlier, but I didn¡¯t think so. There was no way to know the location of the gateway when a monster wave occurred, Seo Go-woon could have protected himself using his skill even when monsters attacked. ¡®Go-woon¡¯s death was his own fault for being stupid. Or maybe the author just wanted to get rid of him quickly.¡¯ Tsk tsk, I clucked as I looked around. I then saw the convenience store with its door wide open, as if people had evacuated in a hurry. ¡®There it is.¡¯ I hurriedly moved inside the convenience store. The interior was a mess, probably because the poison toad¡¯s tongue had already swept through the place at once. However, the cash register, which I presumed to be the gateway, was still intact. ¡®If they were going to destroy it, they should¡¯ve destroyed the cash register too. Do these creatures know what the gateway is? Well, whatever, [Create].¡¯ As soon as I used my ability, the marble floor in front of the counter transformed into a cone shape, piercing the cash register. With a cracking sound, the cash register, which was the gateway, broke, and a rumbling noise came from outside. It was the sound of the monster wave closing. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ It was at this moment, that I felt a chilling sensation on my scalp, accompanied by the sound of the wind being cut. I rolled to the side in a hurry and narrowly avoided the whip-like tongue that grazed my side. ¡°[Create]!¡± As I shouted while propping myself up, a sharp cone sprouted from the ground, stabbing it¡¯s tongue. However, unlike the thorned lizard that had been pierced like tofu, the venomous toad¡¯s tongue momentarily crumpled like jelly before flying toward me again. ¡°Damn, [Create]! [Create]! [Create]!¡± I rolled on the ground, continuously creating cones. Even though I frantically creating the cones, I failed to deliver a fatal blow to the monster¡¯s tongue. Its tongue evaded the cones skillfully, still charging toward me. ¡®No way, it doesn¡¯t even have eyes on its tongue, but how is it dodging so well?¡¯ ¡°[Create]!¡± This time, I finished manifesting the cones against the wall. The cone that sprung from the wall pierced the tongue that was flying toward me. A high-pitched scream that could tear one¡¯s ears rang from outside. The monster¡¯s tongue, which had been pierced by the cone, drooped limply. ¡°Hah. Hah. Hah.¡± ¡®Wow. I thought I was going to die.¡¯ Even though I had rolled and tumbled, my body trembled from exhaustion and soon was out of breath. ¡®Does using my ability also depletes my physical strength? If I hadn¡¯t stretched myself earlier, I would¡¯ve been in big trouble. What are those bastards from Noeul Guild doing? Can¡¯t they quickly get rid of a venomous toad?¡¯ As I barely leaned against the wall and cursed Noeul Guild, I heard the sound of the wind being cut again. ¡°No way¡­ This is crazy!¡± ¡®Was there more than one tongue on the venomous toad?¡¯ Multiple tongues shot at me like sharp spears. ¡°Son of a bitch. [Create]! [Create]! [Create]!¡± Without a moment to catch my breath, I touched the wall and endlessly shouted ¡°Create,¡± creating more cones. The emerging cones pierced the approaching tongues. Before I knew it, I had caught on to the pattern and was left with only one. ¡°[Create]!¡± As I rolled on the ground, I squeezed out all my strength and shouted Create.¡¯ But, [Create skill failed due to insufficient mana.] The skill failed. ¡°Ah? Damn¡­¡± Before I could finish cursing, the venomous toad¡¯s tongue wrapped around my waist and yanked me. ¡°Gah!¡± The whip-like tongue coiled around me with enough force to crush my ribs. Unable to struggle, the pressure made it difficult to breathe. I heard a faint whistling sound in my ear, as the monster was trying to take me away. Moreover, because the path its tongue was passing through was narrow, my body continuously collided with something. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ I felt my consciousness fading away as I struggled to breathe properly under the pressure. Suddenly, with a loud crack, the pressure disappeared, and my body, which had been floating in the air, fell to the ground. ¡°Click. Click. Clang.¡± As I coughed from the sudden rush of air, a cold voice came from above, ¡°You idiot, you said you were at the shelter. Why the hell are you here?¡± Catching my breath, I looked up to see a man glaring at me. Curly black hair, dark double-lidded eyes, a prominent nose, and red lips. A face that could be considered handsome but with an androgynous beauty frowned at me. Then, I remembered reading a passage describing these facial features. ¡°Hah¡­. Hah¡­ Seo¡­ Taeju?¡± ¡®You¡¯re different from me. You¡¯re an adopted son, aren¡¯t you? Do you really think you¡¯re my family because you became Seo?¡¯ A suspicious voice asked, and the man¡¯s expression crumpled for a moment, overlaid with a past he didn¡¯t want to recall. ¡°A useless brat. A brat who only leaves stains on my life,¡± Seo Taeju spat out curses, just as I had imagined him to be. However, I felt relief just knowing that Seo Taeju had come. ¡®Did I manage to avoid death?¡¯ I lost all my strength and collapsed on the floor. Whether he misunderstood something or not, Seo Taeju grabbed my arm and pulled me up. ¡°Ouch! What! Are you doing!¡± ¡°Quit your whining and get up.¡± ¡°Hey. Damn it. Let go, you jerk! I¡¯m in pain!¡± At my words, Seo Taeju scowled again and slung me over his shoulder. My chest, which was already throbbing with pain, was now compressed, making it difficult to breathe. ¡°Hey¡­ Damn it. Let¡­ me down! I¡¯ll walk¡­ myself!¡± Even though it was difficult to speak, Seo Taeju paid no attention. If I could, I would struggle to free myself, but doing so would only increase my pain. I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Put me down!¡± As I mustered all my strength to yell at Seo Taeju to put me down, a blonde-haired man quickly ran up to him. ¡°Deputy Guild Leader! You shouldn¡¯t go alone like this¡­ Huh? What? Why is the kid who was supposed to be at the shelter here?¡± At the blonde man¡¯s question, Seo Taeju paused for a moment and then answered, ¡°What do you think, you moron? This idiot did something idiotic. Anyway, I¡¯m going ahead. You guys handle things here.¡± ¡°Are you going? Alright. Anyway, this damn Seo Gowoon, acting like a complete imbecile¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. Who are you to badmouth Seo Gowoon?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± After finishing his conversation with the man, Seo Taeju opened the car door and tossed me onto the passenger seat. ¡°Cough! You¡­ damned¡­ jerk.¡± Whether I was gasping in pain or not, Seo Taeju started the car. Ever since I decided to become a detective, I had never broken the law. But now¡­ ¡®Am I going to die if I don¡¯t buckle up right now?¡¯ Feeling that the seatbelt might actually be more dangerous, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to buckle up and instead hunched my body as much as possible to brace for any jolting. And that choice turned out to be a wise one. ¡®If I were a cop here, I would have given you tons of tickets. You damn jerk.¡¯ The jerk¡¯s driving was aggressive: sudden acceleration, sudden braking, sudden turns. Tickets weren¡¯t the issue. If I were a detective here, I would have wanted to throw this jerk in jail for reckless driving. ¡®If it¡¯s going to be like this, you should have just left me to die.¡¯ Now, as my vision flickered and I struggled to stay conscious, the car suddenly stopped with a screeching sound. ¡°Get down.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Quit whining.¡± Moving any further would probably kill me. However, under the intense glare of Seo Taeju, I mustered all my strength and painfully got out of the car. ¡®Wow, this is driving me crazy.¡¯ My body must have been under enormous strain, as even closing the car door made every part of me scream in agony. As I struggled to get out of the car, I said, ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ a hospital?¡± I assumed we¡¯d come to a hospital since I was so injured, but a house stood before me. ¡®This bastard. If someone is this injured, shouldn¡¯t you take them to a hospital?¡¯ ¡®Regardless of the protagonist being my half-brother, or even if Seo Go-woon did some terrible things, would you really kill a person like this? You should have just left me alone. What¡¯s the point of this?¡¯ ¡°Come on! What, do you want me to drag you by the hand?¡± ¡°I told you I can¡¯t move, you bastard¡­¡± ¡°You really have a lot of complaints. If you want to be dragged on the floor, then stay like that.¡± Even if it was a joke, it was a brutal one. No, it didn¡¯t even feel like a joke. Since the jerk who didn¡¯t even blink at my groans from the car wouldn¡¯t kindly drag me, moving on my own was the best choice. But I really didn¡¯t want to walk. No, I couldn¡¯t walk. Even when I was shot and had a hole in my stomach, the pain wasn¡¯t this bad. ¡®Even though we¡¯re not blood siblings¡­¡¯ I gritted my teeth, recalling my difficult military service that I endured through sheer willpower. Then, with the last of my strength, I stepped towards the gate of the single-story house. With every step I took, I felt a stabbing pain, as if a knife was tearing through my body. Cold sweat dripped onto the floor, but Seo Taeju didn¡¯t even think about helping me, and just entered the door in a swoop. ¡®In the novel, he acted like a pushover, but why is he treating me like this¡­¡¯ I entered the open door, unable to straighten my back or take a deep breath. Before I could even sigh with relief that I had finally arrived, Seo Taeju grabbed my collar and pushed me against the wall. The impact on my already aching body turned my vision blurry. ¡°Are you crazy? Or have you lost your mind? Do you want to die that badly? If you¡¯re going to die, don¡¯t bother others and go to a discreet place and die quietly!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ you¡­ bastard¡­ let¡­ me¡­ go.¡± ¡°Damn it. You crazy bastard. Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? Stay still! Do nothing! Live quietly while spending the money I give you!¡± His contemptuous gaze, accompanied by murderous intent, made my hair stand on end and my body tremble. ¡®Tae-ju, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t treat you better. Go-woon isn¡¯t a bad kid. Can¡¯t you understand that he was just jealous that we were giving our affection to you? You¡¯re mature, Taeju.¡¯ ¡°¡­If it wasn¡¯t for our parents¡¯ will, I would¡¯ve killed a thing like you a long time ago.¡± I heard the sound of his teeth grinding. ¡°If you really want to die, act like this one more time. I¡¯ll show you what I can do.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ let¡­ go¡­¡± ¡°This is your last warning. Don¡¯t act like an idiot, and live quietly like a dead mouse. Got it!¡± Seo Taeju yelled before storming out. I heard the car engine start and leave, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. The only good thing was that my pain had reached its limit, and I was numb to it. ¡°Wow, Seo Go-woon. He¡¯s quite something,¡± I thought, my mind numb. Even though he was like that, he still managed to be an impressive person. ¡°If only he had used that kind of willpower to be a hunter, he wouldn¡¯t have been such a burden,¡± I thought, forcing a bitter laugh. Fortunately, my tremors stopped quickly, but as if waiting for this particular moment, the pain soon rose again, suffocating me. ¡®Am I really going to die like this? I need to call 119. I have to call for an ambulance.¡¯ Gradually, the pain became unbearable like a tidal wave, and even my breathing, which had been smooth for a moment, became choked. But even after rummaging through my pockets with all my strength, I couldn¡¯t find my phone. ¡®Did I drop it?¡¯ a groan escaped my lips along with my labored breaths. ¡®I had managed to survive by eliminating the monsters and even closing the gateway, but now am I going to die like this? No, I can¡¯t die like this. I¡¯ve managed to survive, after all.¡¯ Immediately, a brilliant idea suddenly came to my mind. ¡®Yes, there¡¯s no rule that says a person must die.¡¯ With all my remaining strength, I crawled into the house. ¡°Damn¡­ it. Am I supposed to, die at home, huh?¡± I gritted my teeth and slowly crawled towards the sofa. Each time I moved my body, pain flashed before my eyes, and cold sweat dripped down. On top of that, tears streamed down as the cold sweat got into my eyes. ¡°Damn, it.¡± It seemed like a short distance if I could walk, but why does it feel so far? I want to give up. Should I just rest for a bit? ¡®No. If I rest like this, I might be discovered as a corpse. I can¡¯t give up.¡¯ Ignoring the devil¡¯s whisper to rest for a while, I crawled diligently towards the sofa. ¡°Hah. Hah.¡± When I finally leaned my body against the sofa, my rough breaths burst out. Whether it was because of the relief of arriving or not, my barely collected consciousness became hazy, and drowsiness swept over me. ¡®I can¡¯t sleep. If I sleep, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ I opened my eyes wide and struggled to reach my hand under the left seat of the three-seater sofa. Footnote [1] Please note that it¡¯s mentioned as ¡®Gateway¡¯, English sounding word in the raws. CH 3 Inside the novel, Seo Go-woon committed all sorts of assaults, yet he took great care to protect his own body. Whenever he was even slightly injured, he would not only go to the hospital but also shamelessly visit the guild to receive healing from a healer. However, both the hospital and the healing were only possible under Seo Taeju¡¯s implicit approval, so Seo Go-woon bought ridiculously expensive healing potions and hid them all around the house as insurance. What I thought of was a potion. ¡®Ah, damn it, you bastard. When will I ever beat you up?¡¯ As I searched for the potion, every movement sent a tidal wave of pain rushing through me. Despite gritting my teeth and enduring the agony, I finally found what I was looking for ¨C a cold glass bottle within reach. Inside was a top-grade healing potion, colorless with shimmering silver pearls floating in it. It was infused with holy water and had the ability to mend any injury, as long as it wasn¡¯t fatal. ¡®Who would have ever imagined that a potion that expensive would be hidden under the left seat of the sofa?¡¯ I gathered my last strength to open the potion¡¯s cap and drank it down in one go. As soon as the tasteless potion entered my body, all the pain I felt with each breath disappeared. ¡°Wow¡­¡± I cautiously moved my body to check the healing effect. Even the slightest touch used to make my hair stand on end with pain, but now I felt no pain at all. There was no pain even when I got up. ¡°I almost died,¡± I sighed with relief as I sank into the sofa. ¡°So, I really did enter the novel.¡± Ever since leaving the shelter, I had fought monsters with the sole purpose of staying alive, but I was unable to grasp the reality of the situation. The pain had clouded my senses, preventing me from understanding the gravity of my situation. But the potion had cleared my head, and the harsh reality dawned on me. Placing the empty bottle on the table, I rose to my feet. While the potion had healed my injuries, it seemed to have no effect on muscle soreness, as I felt a faint ache throughout my body. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m sore from just running. This would have been a breeze if I still had my original body.¡± Grumbling to myself, I loosened my stiff muscles and set out to find Seo Go-woon¡¯s room. ¡°What a terrible fate. What kind of misfortune is this? Tsk.¡± The house was very spacious and had many rooms, probably because it was once a home where he lived with his parents. I had to be cautious because if I chose the wrong room, I would face Seo Taeju¡¯s terrifying aura when he returned home. I opened the door to the first room that I saw. ¡°Ha, there¡¯s no need to look for this one.¡± Upon opening the door, I was greeted with the sight of expensive-looking designer clothes and jewelry scattered across the floor. ¡°I could buy weapons with this money,¡± I muttered as I made my way into the room. Not wanting to step on the luxury items, I carefully pushed them aside and settled into a chair in the corner. ¡°Anyway¡­ this is driving me crazy.¡± I sighed heavily, feeling more hopeless than I had during months of chasing down a single target. Despite having many leads, each clue was something I didn¡¯t want to face. ¡°Transmigration, huh¡­¡± I haven¡¯t read many novels, but generally, the characters who transmigrated always seem to die in reality. Some are hit by a truck, others by a motorcycle. That¡¯s why terms like ¡°reincarnation truck¡± and ¡°transmigration motorcycle¡± were coined. However, I never experienced being hit by a truck, nor did I hear someone say, ¡°Wake up, hero.¡± ¡®So why am I possessing this body?¡¯ ¡°Could it be that I died?¡± Although it would make sense if I died, considering the clich¨¦ of transmigration stories, but it¡¯s unlikely that I wouldn¡¯t remember my own death. Right before I opened my eyes, I had dozed off only for a moment. If this were a movie, a gangster who noticed the detective¡¯s stakeout would have planted a bomb on the car, and it would have exploded in the blink of an eye. However, in reality, gangsters can hardly obtain a gun, let alone a bomb. Besides, most of the cars used for stakeouts are hastily acquired from the used car market, making it almost impossible for the gangsters to know about them. ¡°How on earth did I get transmigrated? No, no¡­ Right now, the important question isn¡¯t why I got transmigrated, but how do I return?¡± Most protagonists in novels have no lingering attachments to their original world. But I am different. My name is Kim Hae-ah, which means ¡®child of the sea.¡¯ I was a baby abandoned by the seashore during a typhoon and tsunami warning. If a worried fisherman hadn¡¯t found me tied to a boat on the pier, I would have died. I was named Hae-ah and grew up in an orphanage. Because of my fierce appearance, I was never adopted and faced all sorts of ridicule while attending school. One day, I met the person who changed my life. He was the most righteous, strongest, and gentle person I knew ¨C a detective in the violent crimes division. He was my benefactor, who saved me from false accusations and wearing handcuffs due to my orphan background. I wanted to be like him. After being discharged from the military, I passed the police exam, and the only thing left for me was to join his team and become his partner. But now, should I give up the goal of my life, my whole existence, and the culmination of all my efforts just because of this one obstacle called transmigration? That would be denying my entire life. ¡°I will return. Somehow.¡± But the problem is that I have no idea how to go back. ¡°Ugh¡­ This is really frustrating.¡± I calmly reviewed the contents of the novel. The novel ¡°Cradle of Apocalypse¡± was a fantasy story about hunters fighting against the Tower¡¯s trials given by God. ¡°Come to think of it, there was a god in this novel, right? Should I meet Him?¡± The setting of this novel was like the modern world, but with gods actually existing. The problem, however, is that¡­ ¡°¡ªthe god never descended.¡± In the novel, the god only conveyed messages through the saintess and never appeared directly. Moreover, the saintess, who was the only one able to communicate with the god, never left the temple. She didn¡¯t even lift a finger to help with the ¡®Cradle¡¯ strategy, which would lead to the destruction of the world if failed. So, the remaining option is¡­. ¡°I must join the party that¡¯s attacking the cradle,¡± I voiced, tapping my desk with my index finger. The hunters in the novel attacked the cradle not only because the penalty for failure was the destruction of the world, but also because they could obtain a bead that would grant their wishes if they succeeded. ¡°It¡¯s infuriating when I think about it. Why did I have to possess this character?¡± Fortunately, I remembered all the contents of the novel. ¡°It¡¯s better than being in a novel I know nothing about. Phew.¡± I recalled the description of the cradle after calming my mind. In the novel, the cradle itself was the final stage; which is the first and last SSS-rank dungeon. But there¡¯s one problem. In the novel, the attack on the cradle failed, and the world was destroyed. was truly a hopeless, bad ending, and a failed work. ¡°Was the failure of the cradle attack due to the lack of competent hunters?¡± Yes, the failure of the cradle attack was due to a single reason¡ªthe absence of high-ranking hunters. ¡°Then I need to save them before they become ¡®corrupted.''¡± In the novel, high-ranking hunters died from an unexplained explosion of power in the early stages of the story. Later on, it was revealed that their deaths were due to a unique setting in this work, called ¡®corruption.¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t tell them not to kill monsters either.¡± The corruption that occurs when killing monsters is not visible on the surface, but gradually accumulates. When the corruption completely covers their bodies, they either go berserk or die instantly. The higher the rank of the monster, the more corruption accumulates. In the end, high-ranking hunters who hunted such monsters all died from corruption. ¡°In the end, the only solution is ¡®purification.''¡± From the middle of the novel, information related to ¡®corruption¡¯ and items that could purify it were revealed. However, by that time, most of the high-ranking hunters who could have been core members of the cradle attack party had already died. In the end, the party made up of the strongest hunters at that time was annihilated, and the protagonist, Seo Taeju, also died along with the cradle attack party. But at this point, no hunter had died yet. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡®If I save the hunters necessary for the attack, there might be a small chance of success. And if the attack succeeds¡­¡¯ ¡°I might be able to return to my world.¡± ??? Having set a goal, I first called up the status window to understand Seo Go-woon¡¯s exact situation. Level: 4 Job: Alchemist Grade: D Age: 27 HP: 300 / MP: 2,000 Attributes: Strength C / Stamina C / Agility D / Magic A / Dexterity S+ / Attack F / Defense F Unique Abilities: [Disassembly] / [Synthesis] / [Comprehension] ¡°¡­ Quite low level, huh.¡± Seo Go-woon awakened at the age of 20, but his level was still only 4. What on earth has he been doing? Well, judging from the descriptions in the novel, it¡¯s fortunate he even managed to reach level 4¡­ ¡®Ah, mandatory dungeon training.¡¯ Seo Go-woon, who was afraid of monsters, wouldn¡¯t dare enter a dungeon, so he must have gained levels through the mandatory dungeon training that all awakened hunters receive. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? The fool wouldn¡¯t go into a dungeon on his own. However, there was something even more serious than his level. ¡°His HP is a total mess.¡± Even after drinking the highest-grade healing potion and fully restoring his HP, it was still only 300. Wow, this is a pathetic amount of HP. Is it because of his low level? Or is it just garbage to begin with? ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s nothing I like about this guy, no wonder I disliked him. Let¡¯s check the skill window.¡± ¡°¡­At least he seems to have used his skills quite consistently.¡± Attribute levels increase by killing monsters and gaining experience, but skill levels increase as they are used, not by experience points. Considering his attribute level of 4, the fact that his Disassembly and Synthesis skills are at levels 8 and 9 shows that Seo Go-woon has used his skills to some extent. ¡°What about passive skills?¡± Seo Go-woon died early as an extra, so the original novel mentioned his skills, but not even a word about his passive abilities. As a result, there was still no way to know exactly how these abilities were used. ¡®Hmm. I can roughly grasp the truth and the continuity, but I don¡¯t know what amplification is. Well, I¡¯ll figure it out as I use it.¡¯ My goal was to return to my original world. There was no need to understand everything, as I wasn¡¯t going to live my entire life as Seo Go-woon. I closed the skill window and fell into deep thought. ¡°Um. The strategy for the cradle¡­¡± The reason why the strategy team that first entered the ¡®Cradle¡¯ in the novel was flustered was because the attribute of the ¡®Cradle¡¯ was darkness. Darkness had a certain resistance to all attributes except light. Higher ranks could overcome attributes, but one couldn¡¯t ignore it¡¯s complete superiority. During the cradle strategy, there was even a scene where the protagonist Seo Taejoo muttered that it would have been better to bring a B-rank light attribute hunter instead of an A-rank fire attribute hunter if he had known that the dungeon¡¯s attribute was darkness. ¡°Then I have to find someone with a light attribute first. Hmm. Light attribute¡­¡± Many names came and went in the novel, which had a large number of characters. However, in the latter part, most high-ranking hunters were dead, so the highest light attribute hunter who appeared frequently was about B-rank. The rarity of the light attribute itself also played a part. In the end, a new thought came to my mind. ¡°Since there aren¡¯t many A-rank or higher light attribute hunters, should I look for a dual attribute?¡± In ¡°Cradle of Apocalypse¡±, there was a unique setting with multi-attribute hunters, nicknamed ¡®Multi,¡¯ who had two or more attributes. The abilities of multi-attribute hunters were divided into primary and secondary, in which if the primary ability was high, the secondary ability was often high as well. ¡°If it¡¯s a Multi with light¡­ Ah, Shin Soo-ha.¡± When I thought of Multi, Shin Soo-ha came to mind immediately. Shin Soo-ha was the strongest character in the early and mid-novel, ranking first in strength, but was the unfortunate character who was the first to leave as the story emphasized the risk of corruption. ¡°Right, even in the novel, it was mentioned that it would have been great to have Shin Soo-ha as one of the party members.¡± Shin Soo-ha was an SSS-rank, on par with the Cradle, and a multi-attribute hunter with the main ability of telekinesis and a secondary ability of light, making him the most suitable candidate for the Cradle. ¡°I must save Shin Soo-ha no matter what.¡± As Shin Soo-ha was not the protagonist but an extra, his death scene was not directly shown. It was just slightly exposed as if to give a hint, and the first time it was mentioned was¡­ ¡°Seo Taejoo heard the news at the funeral¡­ Huh?¡± Funeral. Seo Taejoo, the chief mourner, heard about Shin Soo-ha¡¯s death at the funeral. Seo Taejoo was the chief mourner at only one funeral. Seo Go-woon¡¯s funeral. In other words¡­ ¡°¡­Shit, it¡¯s today.¡± Translator¡¯s Notes Please be minded that there¡¯s a loooooooooooooot of profanity in this chapter. Same with the next ones. Apart from that, I hope you enjoy reading about MC¡¯s comedic yet unfortunate situation. CH 4 As I stood there, I couldn¡¯t help but recall the vivid description from the novel that I had read. [After clearing the 7th floor all by himself, Shin Soo-ha lay dead, his body torn apart by his own rampage. The only indication of how long he had survived was the timestamp on which he had cleared the floor.] I clicked my tongue in frustration and glanced at my phone to check the time. It was already 5:10, which meant that Shin Soo-ha had cleared the floor two hours earlier. I knew that time was running out, but if I hurried, I might still be able to purify him even in his unconscious state due to the rampage. ¡®Quite the spectacle from day one,¡¯ I grumbled as I got up from my seat. ¡°Ugh.¡± My body was in so much pain from just a little running. ¡®Seo Go-woon. This damned body.¡¯ ¡°Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll exercise,¡± I promised myself. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to build my body.¡± I knew that with my current physique, I wouldn¡¯t even dream of joining a cradle strategy party. In fact, I might as well be caught by a passing monster and die screaming. For now, I needed to focus on saving the hunters that I could, while simultaneously working on building up my own body. ¡°First, I¡¯ll change my clothes¡­¡± Scanning the floor, I searched for the outfit I had been wearing while I was dragged by the poison toad. However, my mouth clamped shut as I took in the sight of the primary-colored clothes strewn around me. It was as if Seo Go-woon had a personal grudge against bright colors. I stared at the clothes lying on the floor that looked like something even a beggar would reject. Eventually, I turned away from them and decided to explore Seo Go-woon¡¯s wardrobe instead. However, upon opening the closet, I immediately closed it again. ¡®Could there be¡­ side effects to the healing potion?¡¯ I rubbed my eyes and opened the door again, only to be greeted with an even more alarming sight. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. This is even worse.¡± The wardrobe was filled with ostentatious clothing that was painful to look at. The bright primary colors and large luxury brand logos were enough to make me feel like a walking billboard. ¡°What kind of peacock taste is this? Why on earth does he have a T-shirt with fluorescent fur attached?¡± I clucked my tongue and searched until I found a navy-colored shirt tucked away in a corner. ¡°¡­This one is the least bad.¡± It was devoid of any luxury brand logos and had a rather subdued color. The shirt was riddled with wrinkles, indicating that it had been neglected by its owner. Judging by the lack of a brand tag on its collar, the shirt appeared to be what Seo Go-woon had worn before buying luxury clothes, precisely before he started acting out against Seo Taeju. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got the top¡­ now for the bottom¡­¡± I rummaged through the drawers and found a pair of slacks tucked away in a corner. Unfortunately, all of Seo Go-woon¡¯s hats had luxury brand logos on them, so I had no choice but to pick the most modest black hat available. ¡®I¡¯m definitely buying new clothes tomorrow,¡¯ I thought to myself as I shuddered while changing. After grabbing my wallet and keys, I hailed a taxi and requested to be taken to the tower. ¡°Oh my, going to the tower means you¡¯re a hunter, right? It¡¯s my first time meeting a hunter. Can I have a handshake?¡± Feeling slightly awkward, I shook his hand. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m having a lucky day, meeting a hunter and all.¡± ¡°Ah, well, yeah.¡± In this novel, hunters were held in high esteem, much like doctors or lawyers. Even elementary school students dreamed of becoming one, not only because there were few awakened individuals, but also because hunters who fought monsters displayed flashy skills and earned a lot of money. Before long, we arrived at our destination. ¡°Here we are. Could you please wait for me here for a moment? You don¡¯t have to turn off the meter,¡± I said as I stepped out of the taxi. ¡°Ah, you must be here to get your gear. It¡¯s better for me if the meter stays on. I¡¯ll park here and go have my dinner. Take care of your business.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied before stepping out of the taxi and gazing up at the tower. The structure was so tall that I couldn¡¯t see the top, and it felt as though it was looking down on me. [Climb] As with most works of fiction, the tower had a compulsory setting that included penalties for those who couldn¡¯t break through. In this case, monsters poured out from the uncleared floors, and even from the cradle, hunters had to contend with these creatures. Like in most works, the tower had a compulsory setting, and there were penalties for those who couldn¡¯t break through. The penalty set on this tower was monsters pouring out from the uncleared floors. ¡°Even from the cradle, monsters eventually poured out,¡± I recalled. Since the tower would not stop sending out monsters until the corresponding floor was cleared, all hunters tried their best to clear the missions, regardless of the sacrifices made. However, because the points obtained when eliminating monsters from the tower were reflected in the hunter ranking system, hunters from all over the world steadily climbed the tower. The obsession with rank was a commonality among all nations, but I couldn¡¯t waste time sightseeing the tower and risk missing the opportunity to save Shin Soo-ha. ¡°Well¡­ for now, this isn¡¯t what¡¯s important,¡± I thought, quickly moving inside the tower. The first-floor lobby had only the gate and a hologram-like electronic display, just as described in the novel. ¡°Fortunately, the timing was just right,¡± I breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering that the mission on the 7th floor had already been completed, as indicated by the blue electronic display. I moved toward the wall behind the electronic display, determined to save Shin Soo-ha. ¡°I think it¡¯s around here,¡± I said, looking around. With a click, the bricks stacked haphazardly against the wall started to move, revealing a small opening that widened enough for a person to enter. ¡°This must be it,¡± I said as I stepped into the dark space, a faint light emanating from the floor. ¡°I found it, the elevator.¡± It was common knowledge that hunters had to pass through the first floor of the tower, making it a lengthy process to reach specific floors. However, a hunter who had clashed with Seo Taeju accidentally stumbled upon an elevator mid-way through the novel. This elevator offered direct access to any cleared floor, making my journey significantly shorter. But the first place I needed to go wasn¡¯t the 7th floor where Shin Soo-ha was located, but rather the 5th floor. ¡°I almost failed from the start if I hadn¡¯t found it,¡± I muttered to myself. Even if I managed to locate Shin Soo-ha quickly, I couldn¡¯t save him with just my bare hands. ¡°First, I need to find something to purify his corruption level,¡± I reasoned. And that item was located on the 5th floor. As I opened my eyes after shielding them from the sudden burst of light, I saw a massive stone door. ¡°Just like in the novel.¡± Shin Soo-ha had cleared the 5th floor on his way to the 7th floor without knowing about the existence of the elevator, so the door was wide open. I stepped inside. ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± I muttered, taking in the scenery. Unlike the outside, where there was only a door, dense grass, humid air, and the sounds of insects filled the space. It wasn¡¯t just a decorated jungle caf¨¦; it felt like the environment had truly transformed to embody the unique humid air and grassy scent of a jungle. The 5th floor resembled a dungeon that had been transported from the era of the Mayan civilization. ¡°It¡¯s like a time machine.¡± The dungeon was incredibly fascinating. ¡°I wonder if all the other places are like this too?¡± I wondered aloud as I passed through the jungle and peculiar buildings. After walking for a while, I stumbled upon a cave-like place, and that¡¯s when I saw it¡ªa Moai statue embedded in the center of a crossroad. ¡°Here it is.¡± The first to clear the 5th floor was the protagonist, Seo Taeju. After that, many hunters had passed through the 5th floor, but most of them hadn¡¯t discovered the purification item, as their goal was a quick strategy. It was only mentioned in the latter part of the novel that an adventurer in a party had stumbled upon the item accidentally while using a treasure-finding skill. However, they had some difficulty retrieving the purification item from the Moai statue. ¡°I don¡¯t need to do that.¡± I put my hand on the Moai statue and muttered, ¡°Dismantle.¡± The Moai statue disappeared, and a pile of sand appeared in its place along with wet watermarks. Inside the sand pile, there was an egg with a white surface and brown spots. Description: An egg of unknown origin. The exact time of its birth is uncertain, but it has maintained its egg-like form for hundreds of years. A faint warmth emanates from it. ¡°Is the passive skill automatically activated?¡± Thanks to the unintentional activation of the passive skill, I obtained unexpected information. Although it was marked with a question mark, I already knew the identity of this egg. The word that would replace the question mark was ¡®Purification¡¯, meaning it was an egg of purification. This egg was an item that would purify corruption level when held by a hunter. ¡®The warm energy probably signifies purification.¡¯ I picked up the egg of purification. Perhaps it was because the purification ability only activated for hunters with accumulated corruption, but I didn¡¯t feel anything special from it. ¡®Well, Seo Go-woon didn¡¯t do anything like being a hunter, so he¡¯s probably doesn¡¯t have any corruption accumulated inside him.¡¯ At that moment, a message appeared in front of me with a ding-dong sound. ¡°Diagnosis? What¡¯s diagnosis?¡± As I spoke, a description window for diagnosis appeared. ¡°Ah.¡± It was a skill that allows me to check corruption levels. Although the adventurer in the novel did acquire the egg of purification, there was no mention of a passive skill is obtained. Since the adventurer didn¡¯t acquire it, I can only guess that the skill might have arisen due to Seo Go-woon¡¯s alchemy ability. ¡°Everything seems to be happening. But¡­ it¡¯s better than not having it,¡± I muttered as I rolled the egg of purification in my hand and headed back to the entrance instead of the exit. Then, I went to the 7th floor through the secret elevator. Upon entering the widely-opened 7th-floor dungeon, I saw a new landscape different from the 5th floor. An endless desert and pyramids in the shape of polyhedral. If I had to compare, it reminded me of the deserts of Egypt. ¡°Hunters don¡¯t really need to travel the world, huh.¡± Unlike the 5th floor where I heard the sound of bugs, the 7th floor was silent except for the sound of the wind blowing through the sand. ¡®I always wanted to go on an overseas trip at least once, but I never thought I¡¯d come here like this.¡¯ Chuckling to myself, I walked through the sinking sand. Eventually, the desert ended, and I found myself in front of a pyramid with two monsters standing guard. ¡°What is this, Hansel and Gretel?¡± There was no need to worry about how to find Shin Soo-ha. Just by looking at the dead monsters, I could tell which way he had gone. I walked for a while, admiring the lizards, spiders, cacti, and even unidentifiable monsters. Finally, a door with geometric patterns came into view. It looked like a boss room door to anyone, so I cautiously pushed my body through. In the center of the semi-circular boss room, beside the corpse of a Sphinx-like boss, a single person was lying unconscious. ¡°¡­This must be Shin Soo-ha. Is he unconscious?¡± Shin Soo-ha was already heavily corrupted. ¡®Still, just in case.¡¯ There was a chance he wasn¡¯t fully unconscious, so I approached Shin Soo-ha with muffled footsteps. Unlike other hunters who wore combat uniforms made of by-products, the man who always insisted on wearing a suit was now lying with his eyes closed, wearing a clean suit as if he had never fought. ¡°He¡¯s not sleeping, is he?¡± As I got closer to Shin Soo-ha, who looked like he was asleep, a ding-dong sound rang out, and a message window appeared. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not too late,¡± I said as I kneeled beside him and placed the Purification Egg in his hand. However, due to his unconscious state, his hand couldn¡¯t grip the egg, causing it to slip and roll away. I tried again, but the egg slipped from his grasp once more. ¡®Tsk. How annoying.¡¯ Picking up the constantly falling egg, I placed it back in Shin Soo-ha¡¯s hand and then held his hand firmly. ¡°This is troublesome.¡± As our hands clasped and the corruption level continued to drop, I looked at Shin Soo-ha with a slight grimace on my face. Although he had never made a proper appearance as an extra, he was the character I was most curious about after Seo Taeju, the protagonist. ¡°He¡¯s good-looking, but compared to Shin Soo-ha, he¡¯s a bit¡­¡± I trailed off, unable to finish my thought. Even after his death, Shin Soo-ha¡¯s name was always brought up in comparison to other hunters when it came to strength and appearance. I wondered just how good-looking he must have been, but as soon as I saw his face, I finally understood. His hair was like pure silver, his deep-set eyes foreign-looking, his chiseled nose like a sculpture, and his lips as plump as cherries. Although his body was generally thick, his jawline was sharp enough to cut through a veil, causing me to let out an involuntary sigh of admiration. ¡°Seo Taeju is good-looking too, but there¡¯s something different about Shin Soo-ha.¡± But what I envied about Shin Soo-ha wasn¡¯t his good-looking face, but his body. His broad shoulders and thick thighs were perfectly proportioned. Even though he was wearing a suit, his body was clearly full of muscles due to the tight fit. ¡°If I have to possess someone, I¡¯ll choose this guy.¡± Ever since I made the decision to become a detective, I never missed a single workout session. In fact, I had even formed close relationships with some of the elderly people who frequented the gym, which was situated right next to the police station. Despite my consistent efforts, my natural physique prevented me from developing muscles as massive as those of Shin Soo-ha, despite having some well-defined lean muscles. ¡°He can¡¯t be a balloon, right?¡± I muttered, feeling envious. I couldn¡¯t help but poke Shin Soo-ha¡¯s arm with my finger to test its authenticity. To my surprise, my finger didn¡¯t even leave a dent on his arm. ¡°I knew it, it had to be this body,¡± I confirmed, examining his muscles. His triceps, biceps, brachialis, and forearm muscles were all in the ideal shape that I had been striving for. ¡°¡­Why did I have to possess someone like Seo Go-woon?¡± ¡°Argh¡­¡± Just as I was admiring Shin Soo-ha¡¯s flawless musculature, he began to stir and groaned in pain, slowly regaining consciousness. CH 5 Feeling envious, I reached out and touched the magnificent muscles, only to snap out of it when I heard a groan. [Shin Soo-ha ¨C Corruption Level 15%] ¡®He¡¯ll probably wake up soon as the corruption level drops. I need to get going.¡¯ I snatched the egg out of Shin Soo-ha¡¯s hand and walked through the boss room¡¯s exit portal. ¡®I¡¯m not even sure how to explain the situation if we meet now.¡¯ The same flash of light from the gate greeted me as before, and I was once again treated to a view of the ground floor. Fortunately, the taxi I had asked to wait for in front of the building was still there. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯d like to go back to where we left off earlier.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Fortunately, Shin Soo-ha did not follow me. ¡°Phew. I have to keep doing this¡­¡± I stretched my tired body as the taxi finally took off. Although I had obtained a purification item in order to save the hunters, I had no intention of informing them beforehand. The main reason for this was hunters would feel pain as corruption builds up within them. Although they could choose to ignore it while their corruption level is low, the pain would soon become intolerable as the corruption level rises. Therefore, hunters who had already experienced a sense of tranquility through the purification egg, they would be driven mad and become obsessed with the item, almost as if they were addicted to it. As a result, a gruesome bloodbath among hunters took place in the novel¡ªwith hunters slaughtering one another for control over the purification egg. ¡®In the end, it¡¯s always about greed.¡¯ It is said that the conflict between the hunters at the time nearly escalated into an international war but was resolved only when the adventurer hunter who had possession of the purification egg gave it to his own country. Nevertheless, there was a reason why stories about human greed and the endless cycle of making the same mistakes are being told repeatedly. ¡®Only because the same thing is likely to happen this time. However, I have no plans to engage the hunters I rescued in such a futile conflict. They are people that I will use for me to return back to my own world. So, I don¡¯t really want my plans to fall through for no apparent reason.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°I appreciate it.¡± Despite the passage of time, the inside of the house remained exactly as I had left it. ¡®That son of a b*tch, he can¡¯t be coming back after leaving like that, can he? I¡¯d rather it be that way, though.¡¯ I entered the bathroom with a light smile. The home with the gushing hot water was better than paradise. ¡°I wonder what problems that conceited jerk Seo Go-woon had living in a place like this,¡± I thought to myself. In truth, I had never liked him even though he was just a fictional character from a book. After finishing my hot water shower, I took the purification egg from my trousers pocket. Despite referring it to as an egg, its outer appearance actually appeared to be a solid, stone-shaped egg. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it would crack as easily as it did in the book,¡± I mumbled to myself. However, despite how it looked, the egg would actually crack for a completely absurd reason. It was all because of the President¡¯s greed, wanting to sell the purification ability as a potion. At the time of the incident, researchers conducted a series of lab experiments on the egg, but they still couldn¡¯t understand how the purification process worked. At some point, the President who become frustrated with the researchers¡¯ incompetence, accidentally knocked the egg and it soon fell off the desk before breaking into pieces. When they looked inside the broken egg, there was nothing inside despite its original appearance. To top it off, the purification ability also vanished. In the end, the item had inevitably turned into ¡®a shell of its former self.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s when the President was replaced,¡± I sat on the bed, recalling his resignation due to widespread criticism. ¡®But where do I hide this and keep it well hidden?¡¯ I thought as I looked around. ¡°The desk drawer? No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡®If Seo Taeju happened to search through the drawer and touch it, I¡¯d definitely be caught.¡¯ ¡°Between the clothes? Hmm, that¡¯s not right either.¡± It could fall out accidentally and that would be disastrous. ¡°The bed is also risky. Where should I hide it?¡± As I pondered where to hide the purification egg, I heard a notification sound from somewhere. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s additional information,¡± I remembered and called up my skill window to check my active skills. ¡®As of now, I have four skills that I can use.¡¯ Disassembly, Creation, Comprehension, and Appraisal. Disassembly and Creation are obviously not the right skill to use right now, so what¡¯s left is Comprehension and Appraisal. ¡°Comprehend?¡± As soon as the message appeared, I felt something rushing out of my body. At the same time, the message box appeared again. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡®An incomprehensible item?¡¯ I checked the description of the ¡®Comprehension¡¯ skill again. ¡°Then are you saying this thing¡¯s an item without any background, or that you have no knowledge of its background?¡± I furrowed my brows at the unfriendly explanation and used the Appraisal skill this time. I felt something rushing out of me, and the message box appeared again. Description: An egg of unknown origin. It has maintained its egg form for hundreds of years and emits a faint warmth. Something was odd. The description hadn¡¯t changed except for the disappearance of the question marks. ¡°Did the skill Appraisal fail?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. The Purification Egg¡¯s detailed information window lit up for a moment, revealing a new sentence. ¡°Growth? What do you mean the egg is growing? And what does it mean that it needs an owner?¡± If there hasn¡¯t been anything born from the egg that has maintained its shape for hundreds of years, does it mean the egg is getting bigger? But an owner? How is that determined? After checking for additional information, I feel like I¡¯ve fallen into a deeper mystery. ¡°I¡¯m stumped.¡± My head ached and I soon opted to lie down on the bed after feeling not wanting to use my brain anymore. In addition, the warmth of the hot shower I had taken earlier was making me drowsy. Since I already had completed all my tasks for the day, exhaustion washed over me as I looked back at the long day. ¡°How am I supposed to take care of this trash-like body¡­.¡± I muttered, drowsiness settling in while feeling like I could drift off to sleep at any moment. ¨CDing. Suddenly, a sound rang in my ears. ¨CDing. Ding. Ding. I can¡¯t hear it. I can¡¯t hear it. I can¡¯t hear it. ¨CDing. Ding. Ding. ¡°¡­It¡¯s so damn noisy.¡± Unable to bear the noise any longer, I jolted myself awake. ¡®As if I wasn¡¯t already tired enough.¡¯ As soon I opened my eyes and looked around, I saw a blue message window in front of me. It was a window that said ¡°Quest¡± on it. In a flash, I was wide awake. ¡°Quest? What kind of quest is this all of a sudden?¡± I wasn¡¯t even immersed in a game, and I¡¯ve never seen anything like this in a novel. ¡°And if I fail, the Purification Egg will be destroyed.¡± I alternated my gaze between the quest window and the Purification Egg. ¡°Is this because I¡¯m a hidden hunter? Or because I¡¯m a person who¡¯s been transmigrated?¡± In the novel, there was only a mention of ¡°a hunter with a skill.¡± So I couldn¡¯t tell if this was originally part of the story, or if it was because of my transmigration. ¡°Should I ask him?¡± After all, Seo Taeju is the vice-guild master of the Noeul Guild. He must have known a lot about Hidden Skills since he¡¯s seen so many hunters, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± I shook my head, remembering the disdainful look and criticism that the guy threw at me earlier. There was no way he would give me a straightforward answer. That guy would probably hurl insults at me again and wonder what I was thinking. ¡°Tsk, how annoying. Anyway, to wake up the cradle, I have to break off any relationship with that b*stard, no matter what.¡± It would feel satisfying to give him a beating for what he did earlier, however, Seo Taeju¡¯s ability had the greatest effect during the cradle. That¡¯s why he was able to maintain control over a feeble group which was mainly composed of A-rank and B-rank hunters, until the final boss battle. ¡°Sigh, how can I break off this damn relationship?¡± I exclaimed while clutching my head and collapsing onto the bed. I decided to put aside my relationship with that guy for now and focus on the quest that had suddenly come up. ¡®If quests were characteristic of Hidden Hunter, then there should be a designated quest window, similar to the information and skill windows.¡¯ With some hesitation, I immediately murmured to myself, ¡°Quest window.¡± Suddenly, a blue quest window appeared in front of me, displaying all the quests. ¡°¡­Is this really a game?¡± I still couldn¡¯t figure out how it worked exactly. However, it was an unchanging truth that the more clues I had, the better. Forgetting my fatigue, I carefully examined the quest window. Seeing the window divided into quests in progress and completed quests, I was able to see the quests that Seo Go-woon had completed before I possessed his body. [Completed Quest] [Quests in Progress] I clicked on each completed quest one by one. The basics included Disassembly and Creation skills, whereas the intermediate level comprised of utilizing Creation skills without employing Disassembly, and as for advanced alchemy, it was a repetitive quest of learning Creation skills by increasing its precision. ¡°Hmm, so being an alchemy expert means completing quests at an advanced level or higher.¡± ¡®The previous quests seem really rudimentary, and not worth doing if you didn¡¯t have to.¡¯ Although it was a relief that the completed quests were less cumbersome, the problem righ now was the sudden quest that had popped up. ¡°¡­But how the hell am I supposed to inject mana?¡± ??? ¡°Hah, hah.¡± I collapsed into my seat, gasping for breath as if I were about to explode. Although I cursed myself for having such a weak body, I didn¡¯t realize that this body was so trashy. My heart felt like it was about to explode as I made my way running around the neighborhood. The body that I am currently inhabiting now felt like nuclear waste. ¡°If I¡¯m this weak even after awakening as a hunter, how weak was I before?¡± After gulping down a bottle of water I had brought, I stood up and stretched myself. No matter how urgent things are, exercise is essential, and I can¡¯t afford to rush and risk getting injured. When I was about to head towards the door after stretching meticulously for tomorrow¡¯s exercise, it was then I saw Seo Taeju, fully dressed in a suit, outside. As our eyes met, he immediately gave me a contemptuous look. Although I wanted to ignore him¡­ ¡°I clearly told you to stay home, didn¡¯t I?¡± Seo Taeju grumbled, seemingly determined to pick a fight. My mind soon became muddled, hesitating what to say in response. After a short pause, I greeted him, ¡°Are you heading to work? Your outfit suits you well.¡± With the goal in mind to improve my relationship with Seo Taeju, I ultimately chose to avoid confrontation with him as much as possible. ¡®Oh, I have to mention that the reason why I avoid him isn¡¯t that he was scary, but only because the situation itself is irritating.¡¯ If I don¡¯t provoke him, he¡¯ll realize that I don¡¯t have any intention to start a fight. ¡°Besides, they said there¡¯s no one who spits on a smiling face, which was why¡­ I greeted him as kindly as possible, like when dealing with a troublesome customer. However¡­ ¡°Bullsh*t. Did you take some kind of medicine this morning? Who said you could talk to me?¡± With a spitting sound, Seo Taeju spat and hit my shoulder before leaving the house¡¯s entrance. Huh, I guess the thing about the words being the elder¡¯s wisdom was all lies. They said no one would spit on a smiling face[1], but look at how this guy did it so perfectly. ¡°Bear with it.¡± I suppressed the anger that was rising inside me. If it were up to my temper, I would nail him to the ground right away and ask where he learned to act so arrogantly. But what can I do? Everything is my fault for transmigrating as Seo Go-woon, and in this situation, where I can¡¯t clear the game without Seo Taeju, I have no choice but to be docile for now. ¡°Only until I find someone more useful than him.¡± To survive as a weakling, one must know how to adapt to the strong when necessary. Footnote [1] Being friendly and kind to others is generally well-received and unlikely to provoke negative reactions CH 6 I washed my sweat-soaked body and sat down in the chair at my desk. Then, I took out the Purification Egg that I had put away in the drawer. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± I sighed as soon as I saw the Egg. It¡¯s been a week since I received the quest to inject the Egg with mana, but I have yet to make any progress. In truth, as Kim Hae-Ah, not the hunter Seo Go-Woon of this world, I was just an ordinary person more familiar with science. Therefore, there was no way I could have known how to use magic that I¡¯d only seen in novels. Because of this, I tried to find some hints by reviewing my previous quests, but there wasn¡¯t a single word related to magic. ¡®When I use a skill, it feels like something is being drawn from me in pieces¡­ But how am I meant to transfer that into this?¡¯ Thankfully, there was a place where I could get a hint. [HunterNet] This large-scale community website, joined by nearly all awakened hunters, provided information on everything hunter-related. Even the peculiar hunter Seo Go-woon was a member, so I searched for articles, research papers, and posts about magic infusion on HunterNet while working out. Numerous descriptions were available, but the most striking one likened magic to blood. It stated that magic flowed through a hunter¡¯s body similarly to blood. ¡°Hmm.¡± I looked down at the Purification Egg in my grasp. ¡°Should I attempt to draw some blood?¡± However, if drawing blood was necessary to infuse mana, it would mean that a magic gun, which transformed magic into bullets and shot them, would also require blood. I pictured having to extract blood every time I fired a magic bullet and shook my head. ¡°I must have lost my mind, thinking of such absurd theories.¡± If I had to draw blood to use the gun, I would likely die from excessive blood loss before being slain by a monster. I searched HunterNet once more, but I couldn¡¯t find any details on magic infusion. Instead of the nonexistent handcuffs, I now rolled the Purification Egg in my hand, lost in thought. ¡®Mana infusion. Mana infusion.¡¯ All of a sudden, something happened. I momentarily sensed something inside me shift, and light radiated from my fingertips. Then, I heard a ¡®ding¡¯ sound in my ears again. [Become an Alchemist Expert 1] ??? ¡°¡­How straightforward.¡± I couldn¡¯t resist a sardonic chuckle at that point. The notion that infusing mana didn¡¯t necessitate a unique technique, and that this method was all it took. ¡°Status window.¡± A pinkish status window materialized beside the quest window in response to my instruction. The status window validated my suspicions by revealing a 100-point decrease in my mana. Furthermore, upon channeling mana into the Egg, I could clearly sense the mana coursing through my body. The mana I had been grappling to comprehend was, as depicted in the tales, flowing within me like blood. ¡°Phew.¡± The tension in my body soon subsided. It had been quite a while since I had been ignorant of how to transfer mana. It was to the point that I couldn¡¯t even sleep, fretting about what would happen if I misplaced the purification object like this. ¡°Can I infuse mana without speaking, though?¡± I pondered channeling mana into the item silently. At that precise moment, a ¡®ding¡¯ noise resounded. As I opened my eyes, the number in the quest window shifted from 1 to 2. ¡°Just thinking is sufficient, it seems.¡± I hastily channeled the remainder of my mana. My mana displayed in the status window soon fell to 0, while the quest window¡¯s number altered to 20. However, the quest was far from finished. ¡°¡­How tedious.¡± I felt it back at the gateway too, but whenever my mana depleted, my body¡¯s energy was drained along with it. ¡°It felt just like when I was in undercover for seven days straight.¡± I had wanted to soothe my exhausted body and mind, but there was still much to do. Later, I picked up the pillow and walked to the desk. ¡°First, I need to organize the information¡­¡± By carefully placing the Purification Egg on the pillow so it wouldn¡¯t crack, I then took out the notebook I had stored away in the drawer. [Cradle¡¯s Strategy Guide] While searching for information on mana for the quest, I had jotted down major events from the novel in my notebook. I intended to only get involved in events related to the people needed for the Cradle strategy. In this notebook, I jotted down all the remaining information about the necessary people I had thought of, how they died, and what incidents took place. Before I knew it, two hours had passed. My depleted mana had become full once again. ¡°It should be enough this time,¡± I muttered, picking up the Egg next to the pillow. With 20 times of mana infusions already completed, only 15 remained until the quest¡¯s completion. I carefully infused my mana yet again and watched as the quest¡¯s number count increased. After finally finishing the last 35th mana infusion, a green quest window popped out. [Become an Alchemist Expert Part 1] [A reward will be given.] Suddenly, the Egg in my grasp shifted. ¡°What?¡± I was taken aback. Concerned about dropping the Egg, I set it on the pillow, and it soon started to move, squirming its round form on the pillow. ¡°This wasn¡¯t mentioned in the book.¡± A wave of anxiety washed over me, wondering if something had gone awry. After all, the Purification Egg was a crucial element in the forthcoming plan. The appearance of an unforeseen variable was something I hadn¡¯t anticipated and should not have occurred. Without warning, the vigorously wriggling Egg rolled off the bed and headed towards the floor. ¡°Ah, shoot¡­¡± I muttered, just barely catching the Egg before it struck the ground. As it rested in my hand, the Egg¡¯s movement grew more intense, and it cracked with a snapping noise. ¡°I definitely caught it, but why¡­ Did I grip it too tightly?¡± If the Purification Egg were to shatter, there would be no way to rescue the rampaging hunters. Feeling sheepish, I began rummaging through my drawers for some adhesive, just in case. ¡°Ppi.¡± All of a sudden, I heard the sound of a bird. I quickly glanced around. There were no open windows, so where could the bird¡¯s noise be coming from? ¡®Could a bird have entered and stolen the Egg¡­?¡¯ That¡¯s when it occurred. I, who was attempting to calmly devise a solution, couldn¡¯t help but tense up in astonishment. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± While I briefly scanned the area, the center of the Egg had already been punctured. ¡°Ppi ppi.¡± From that punctured spot, something tiny resembling a pincer emerged and emitted chirping noises. ¡°A ¡­hatchling?¡± Incredulous, I set the Egg back on the pillow. Seizing the opportunity, the Egg rolled about in various directions. ¡°Is it truly hatching? All of a sudden? Why? There¡¯s no reference to this in the novel?¡± As I babbled on, observing the Egg, it continued to roll and ultimately shattered into fragments. And then. ¡°Ppi ppi.¡± A tiny bird with a long tail emerged from the egg. The bird shivered once and looked at me with its round, black-bean-like eyes. ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± [Quest reward received: Purification Bird] My eyes widened at the sudden message. So, this is a quest reward? [Passive skill ¡®Truth¡¯ is activated.] ¡ù Additional information can be found through other existing skills. ¡°A Purification Bird¡­¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± The Purification Bird, which seemed to think that I had called it, flew to me while chirping and tilting its head. Its small wings fluttered busily. ¡°You¡­ do you know how to purify?¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± Whether it was really understanding and answering or just crying, I couldn¡¯t tell from the bird¡¯s unintelligible language, so I asked it again, ¡°Is your name Purification Bird?¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°Were you just born now?¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± With every question, the Purification Bird suspiciously chirped synchronously. Then, as if feeling my gaze, it cried out, ¡°Ppi-ppi,¡± seemingly annoyed. I opened my palm and said, ¡°Come sit here.¡± Perched atop on my palm, the Purification Bird tilted its tiny head slightly. ¡°You really understand what I¡¯m saying, right? If yes, then chirp twice; if no, just chirp once.¡± Since it kept chirping, I decided to take two chirps as a positive response. The bird, which had been tilting its head, opened its beak. ¡± Ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°Is this a coincidence, or do you really understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± the bird fluttered up and pecked at my head with its beak. As I furrowed my brows from the stinging pain, the bird pecked at my eyebrow this time. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m being attacked by a bird. No, this is more like an ambush than an attack.¡¯ I tried to catch the angry bird, but it dodged my hand and continued attacking me. ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. I know you understand what I¡¯m saying.¡± Finally, the bird stopped pecking and landed on the pillow. Then it began to diligently groom its feathers. It seemed to know that the pillow had been its spot when it was still in the egg, as if that place belonged to it. I sighed and sat down beside the pillow, lamenting whether the sudden appearance of a bird not mentioned in the novel was a blessing or a curse. I continued to stare at it for a moment before asking it again, ¡°Can you really purify?¡± The bird, which had been burying its face in its feathers, suddenly turned its head and looked at me. Its eyes were the same as before, like black beans, but its gaze seemed strange. It couldn¡¯t possibly be looking down on me, could it? ¡°Ppi.¡± Whatever its gaze meant, the bird¡¯s answer seemed positive, indicating yes to what I had just said. I then asked what the main question I had in mind, ¡°How will you do it? Before, all I had to do was hold your egg form in my hand, right?¡± At my question, the bird fluttered up and landed on top of my head. ¡®What does this mean? Does it mean I just have to let it sit on my head?¡¯ As if it could read my thoughts, the Purification Bird perched on my head chirped. ¡°Does having you sitting on top like this will start the purification process?¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± Does the purification occur just by the bird sitting on my head as if I¡¯m holding an egg like before? If its like that, then the bird hatching from the egg is indeed a blessing for me. I was anxious about not knowing when the egg would break, but a bird won¡¯t break like an egg. Of course, I still need to be cautious in my own way. ¡®Right, isn¡¯t there an additional information mentioned earlier?¡¯ I spread my palm to check the additional information that I couldn¡¯t see when I viewed the Purification Bird¡¯s information using Truth skill. ¡°Hey, come down here for a second.¡± I used the skill toward the Purification Bird that landed on my palm. ¡°Appraisal.¡± When I used it, the same information as before appeared. However, a burst of light glimmered soon after, revealing a detailed information that I couldn¡¯t confirm earlier. ¡ù It will not leave its master¡¯s side, and has a strong homing[1] instinct. ¡ù It can grow larger by absorbing its master¡¯s mana. ¡°Master? Who¡¯s the master?¡± As I kept repeating the word ¡®master,¡¯ the Purification Bird, which had been preening its feathers, raised its head. ¡°Ppi-ppi-ppi!¡± As if trying to explain something, the bird moved its beak continuously, making chirping sounds. After making strange noises for a while, the Purification Bird sighed upon seeing my expression. ¡®Do birds sigh too?¡¯ Even if I had misunderstood its weird condescending look, a sigh is still unexpected, right? Then, with a ding sound, another message appeared. Footnote [1] relating to an animal¡¯s ability to return to a place or territory after traveling a distance away from it: ¡°a strong homing instinct¡± CH 7 ¡°Name? Are you talking about a new name for this bird?¡± ¡± Ppi-ppi!¡± ¡°Peepers?¡± As if it disagreed with the name I chose, the Purification Bird, which had been rubbing itself happy previously, flew up and pecked at my eyebrows again. ¡°Ouch, stop it.¡± ¡± Ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Peepers? It¡¯s straightforward and cute since it keeps chirping.¡± My head was already a mess. I had never thought that a bird would be born from a purification item, and I certainly had never considered that I would have to name it. ¡± Ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi Ppi-ppi-ppi!¡± I eventually caught the bird, which continued to peck at me as if it didn¡¯t like the name. ¡± Ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi Ppi-ppi-ppi ¡± As I held it, it struggled, seemingly in protest. ¡®How annoying.¡¯ In the end, I suggested a new name for this irritating bird. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s call you Salt.¡± ¡°Ppi?¡± ¡°You¡¯re white like salt.¡± Except for its black bean-like eyes and red beak, the bird¡¯s whole body was white. It was also true for white sugar, but given the bird¡¯s current personality, salty Salt seemed more fitting. As soon as I released the now calm bird, it flew onto my face like a prisoner. And then, it pecked at my forehead with its beak. A stinging sensation was brief, followed by a warmth that enveloped me. [The ¡®Purification Bird¡¯ has been registered as the pet ¡®Salt.¡¯] [You have become the owner of Salt.] ¡°Pet?¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± Salt, who had landed on the pillow, answered with one wing raised. ¡°You¡¯re a pet?¡± ¡°Ppi-¡± Salt, who didn¡¯t seem to care about my incredulous expression, was busy preening its feathers. Just then, I heard the sound of the door opening from outside. ¡®Seo Taeju must have left work early.¡¯ Thinking about the morning incident, it was right not to care whether he came in or not. ¡°Still, he¡¯s necessary for now,¡± I muttered as if brainwashing myself before hearing a thump outside as I was about to get up. ¡®This guy, is he trying to vent his anger now that he has shown his face in the morning?¡¯ ¡°You stay put and don¡¯t come out,¡° I earnestly ordered Salt, who was grooming its fur, and went out to the living room. I thought that the jerk would appear as soon as I went out, but the living room was just the same as before when I entered the room. ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t that Seo Taeju who came in?¡± As soon as I stepped out, I expected to see the burly guy, but the living room looked exactly the same as before I entered my room. ¡®What? Didn¡¯t Seo Taeju come in?¡¯ Wondering if I had misheard, I scratched my head and walked towards the entrance, where I saw someone lying on the floor. ¡°What¡¯s with you? Why are you lying here? Are you drunk or something?¡± I approached the guy who was unresponsive and having a t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte[1] with the floor. ¡®There¡¯s no smell of alcohol, but maybe he got poisoned in the dungeon? Or is it overwork?¡¯ As I was making various guesses, a message window suddenly appeared before my eyes. [Passive ¡®Diagnosis¡¯ is activated.] ¡°D*mn it.¡± There hadn¡¯t been any issues with Seo Taeju¡¯s corruption level or appearance when I encountered him this morning. Even if something had happened, it shouldn¡¯t have deteriorated this badly in such a short time. But out of nowhere, his corruption level is at 94%. ¡®Why did the level suddenly shoot up like this? What did he do while he was outside?¡¯ I bent down to check Seo Taeju¡¯s condition. Pale face and blue lips. It was clearly the same symptom of contamination that Shin Sooha had shown. ¡°Why is this happening all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t ¡­ worry¡­ about¡­ it¡­ Just¡­ leave.¡± Seo Taeju¡¯s face was full of cold sweat, gritting his teeth as if the pain was severe. ¡®He didn¡¯t ignore my question; although he couldn¡¯t answer properly. What a foolish guy.¡¯ In the novel, the pain from corruption was described as if the whole body and internal organs were being scraped by shards of glass. It was so painful that even breathing made one want to die, I remembered reading that description. As if to prove those words, Seo Taeju¡¯s fists were tightly clenched, and the tendons in his hand were bulging, trying to suppress his groan. ¡°What did you do to end up like this?¡± ¡°Leave¡­ me¡­ alone.¡± Seo Taeju eventually passed out, unable to finish his sentence. I grabbed Taeju¡¯s feet and dragged him towards the sofa. No matter how much Seo Go-woon had worked out, it was impossible for him to lift Taeju¡¯s body with his arms that couldn¡¯t even hold a plank position for 10 seconds. After dragging Seo Taeju onto the living room rug, I went to the room to pick up Salt. ¡°Don¡¯t chirp from now on.¡± ¡°Ppi?¡± ¡°Shh. Just purify quietly, got it?¡± Without waiting for an answer, I rushed to Taeju and placed the Purification Bird on his forehead. ¡°Ppi.¡± ¡°Hey, I told you to be quiet.¡± Salt, looking sulky, stretched out over Taeju¡¯s head like a rice cake. ¡®Did it get faster?¡¯ I opened my eyes wide at the distinctly faster speed compared to when purifying Shin Sooha. It was written in Salt¡¯s explanation that it could purify more than it did when it was an egg, but I didn¡¯t expect 10% to be purified at once. As I watched the purification speed in astonishment, a big hand suddenly grabbed mine. ¡°Let go, it¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing right now?¡± As Taeju got up, Salt almost fell off and quickly flew up. ¡®But why does his expression look like that?¡¯ His sullen expression made me suddenly angry. It wasn¡¯t like I saved him from drowning and asked for a bundle in return, but his expression didn¡¯t sit well with me at all. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll endure it for now. After all, he¡¯s necessary.¡¯ I forcibly suppressed the rising anger within me. Right now, my goal is to avoid causing any trouble with this guy as much as possible. If I get angry here, it won¡¯t do me any good. ¡®He¡¯s a difficult complainant. A complainant. If you offend a complainant, you¡¯ll end up on the national complaint center¡­¡¯ As I repeated to myself that he was a complainant, my heart quickly calmed down. Just like in my days as a police officer, I wore the brightest smile I could muster and spoke, ¡°I moved you because you were lying down. What did I do wrong?¡± ¡°F*ck, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about right now! What the hell did you just do?¡± ¡®F*ck? What the hell did I do?¡¯ I shook off Seo Taeju¡¯s hand. I knew I had to endure, but the words had already escaped my lips, ¡°So¡­ You know, f*ck. I moved you here so you could rest more comfortably. Does that warrant such a f*cking scolding, you ungrateful bast*rd?¡± For a moment, Seo Taeju¡¯s eyes turned icy. ¡®But¡­ What does he want?¡¯ My eyes also sank coldly, just like his. ¡°¡­¡± The awkward silence that ensued was broken first by Seo Taeju. ¡°Are you trying to dodge the question on purpose? What the hell are you talking about? That¡¯s not what I asked!¡± ¡°The bullsh*t is what you¡¯re spewing right now. You were whining and all, but now you¡¯re going nuts.¡± ¡®Could it be that this bast*rd noticed the purification after he woke up from fainting?¡¯ I clicked my tongue inwardly. I knew that purification could be achieved through Salt¡¯s purification, but I didn¡¯t know exactly what the sensation of being purified felt like, so I couldn¡¯t tell how or what he had noticed. ¡®It¡¯s annoying, but should I just play dumb? Judging by his personality, he probably won¡¯t let it go, though.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to explain the truth, so I was wondering what to do when Seo Taeju continued to glare at me. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± With a heart of steel, I summoned Salt. Salt, who had been flying around the wide floor, chirping, landed on my head. ¡°If you¡¯re in pain, go to the hospital. Don¡¯t take it out on innocent people.¡± Just as I was about to get up, pretending nothing was wrong, Seo Taeju grabbed my wrist as I tried to rise. ¡°What are you doing? Let go!¡± ¡°Sh*t, what did you just do? Tell me honestly before you go!¡± ¡°Ah, seriously, this guy¡­ Why do you make a fuss even when I try to help you? Is it a crime that I moved you to the living room because you looked like you¡¯d freeze to death? Or is it so wrong that I came out of the room?¡± ¡°Stop talking bullsh*t, sh*t. What the hell are you? And what is this energy I¡¯m feeling from you? What the hell are you up to?!¡± ¡°Energy? What kind of nonsense is this¡­¡± Energy? No way¡­ As if to confirm my suspicion, the corruption level of the rude guy, which had not budged until just now, was dropping significantly. ¡®No way, is he being purified through me because Salt¡¯s on my head?¡¯ Meanwhile, Seo Taeju, thinking that I had hit the nail on the head with my muddled words, began to interrogate me again. ¡°Tell me what you did. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll cut off all support.¡± I gritted my teeth and let out a hollow laugh at the sight of the man threatening me. It didn¡¯t matter whether he cut off support in my current situation. I had no particular need to spend money, and if I needed money, I could sell the luxury items that Seo Go-woon had hoarded like an ant. ¡®Is this a threat? Should I just ditch this guy and gather the others?¡¯ Seo Taeju, who was growling as if he was about to bite me, still looked young. Just like me when I was young, bristling with thorns towards everyone. ¡®Right, he¡¯s like that because he¡¯s been wronged by Seo Go-woon a lot. He wasn¡¯t a bad guy originally.¡¯ ¡°Let go first. You¡¯re making me sick.¡± Even a police officer using such force during an interrogation would have been illegal. And I was more on the side of being handcuffed than handcuffing, which was close to repulsive. ¡°Let go.¡± In response to my words, Taeju dragged me to the couch and forced me to sit down. Currently, Taeju¡¯s corruption level is at 0%. Even though he no longer needed purification, he didn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t annoy people and let go.¡± When I tried to shake off his hand roughly, this time Taeju gave me a suspicious look. ¡°Let go nicely, you bast*rd.¡± Proving that it wasn¡¯t a joke, Taeju finally released my hand with a sincere voice and sat on the sofa opposite me. ¡°You always saying irritating things.¡± As I held onto my wrist in anger and scowled, Taeju pointed to Salt, who had flown over as a captive. ¡°Speak. What is that?¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± As if the word ¡®that¡¯ offended him, Salt poked Taeju¡¯s finger with his beak. But perhaps the guy¡¯s tough steel body didn¡¯t feel anything, and Taeju stared at me without caring about being pecked on. I picked up Salt, who was expressing his anger with ¡°Ppi ppi! Ppi!,¡± and placed him on my knee. ¡°Quiet down.¡± As I spoke briefly to Salt, who didn¡¯t seem to be calming down, he soon became quiet. ¡°Simply put, this is the newly born Purification Bird named Salt. His ability is to purify corruptness. You just received purification as well.¡± ¡°Corruption? What are you talking about? Explain it clearly. What corruption did I get?¡± The exact nature of the ¡®corruption¡¯ that hunters experience has not yet been fully explained. Originally, it was something that was supposed to reveal after Shin Sooha¡¯s death, who had been researching about it at that time. But since Shin Sooha didn¡¯t die, corruption was only known externally as a side effect experienced by hunters. ¡°In simple terms, high-level hunters accumulate corruption in their bodies every time they kill monsters. Salt is the one who purifies that. The ¡®energy¡¯ you mentioned is called purification.¡± ¡°How did you know that? And where did he come from?¡± ¡°¡­I found out by chance and obtained him by chance.¡± The protagonist, Seo Taeju, was originally a hunter whose corruption level was not high until the middle of the novel. So I didn¡¯t think I would ever have to show Salt to anyone, so I didn¡¯t bother to come up with an excuse. ¡°I¡¯ve transmigrated into this body, I know because I read it in the novel,¡± I couldn¡¯t say that. That¡¯s why I used the word ¡®chance.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re talking like it¡¯s just a coincidence. Where did you steal him from?¡± At this instant moment, I momentarily forgot that there was not an ounce of trust in this guy. This bast*rd. CH 8 In this situation, the best response I could give to that guy is to remain as calm as possible. ¡°What are you so curious about? I didn¡¯t steal it, and it¡¯s none of your business, so mind your own.¡± Although Seo Go-woon, the character in the novel, was a good-for-nothing and trash, he wasn¡¯t the type to steal. ¡®How could a cowardly little guy like him who¡¯s too scared of monsters to even enter a dungeon steal something?¡¯ At best, he had relied on Seo Taeju, the vice-guild master of the Noeul Guild and also an SS-ranked hunter, to spread some false rumors about himself among the public. Stealing was only possible if his guts had disemboweled out of his body. ¡®It¡¯s like the saying that ¡®even if the great thieves of history were caught by the police, it wasn¡¯t without reason that they were so confident.¡¯ On the other hand, even Seo Taeju, who knew that Seo Go-woon wasn¡¯t that capable of such things, which was he kept his mouth shut while staring at me intently. Although the disdainful gaze I saw this morning was gone, the guy still seemed to be suspicious of me. I later raised both of my hands and spoke, ¡°What do you get from staring at me like that? Fine, to make it short, this thing was legitimately obtained by me from the Tower.¡± ¡°The Tower?¡± ¡°Yeah. The Tower.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ve been to the Tower?¡± Seo Taeju snickered at my explanation. ¡°Tell me something more believable, like a dog stops pooping. I¡¯ll only believe you if you make sense.¡± ¡°Dog stops pooping¡­ you really have the nerve to say that¡­ Fine, think whatever you want. I¡¯m tired of entertaining you.¡± ¡°Fine. If there¡¯s any problem, I¡¯ll just ignore your last words or whatever.¡± ¡°Sure. Do as you please.¡± ¡®He may not know this, but I don¡¯t have time for causing trouble right now. I need to train this weak, short-lived body of Seo Go-woon, save the hunters who are destined to die, and soothe and appease the people I¡¯ve saved so they can climb the Tower as quickly as possible.¡¯ Just thinking about the predicament I was in made me breathless. Seo Taeju, who seemed unsatisfied with my docile response, asked again, ¡°¡­Have you ever shown that bird to anyone else?¡± Surprised by the unexpected question, I raised my eyebrows, to which he frowned once more in return. ¡®What an annoying personality, seriously. I remember him not being the kind of person who pays attention to others. He should¡¯ve just maintained his indifferent-to-the-world concept.¡¯ ¡°Hey, are you not going to answer?¡± Seo Taeju couldn¡¯t stand the brief moment of silence, and pressed me again. ¡°No. I never intended to show it to you either.¡± Although I purified Shin Sooha with the Purification Bird, the bird actually had just transformed from an egg, so it wasn¡¯t totally a lie. ¡°Then don¡¯t show it to anyone other than me from now on. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Taeju, who was described in the novel as being incredibly smart, detected the danger that the Purification Bird, or more accurately, the value of the bird could bring with just one purification. I agreed with him on this point, so I nodded. ¡°I know that too.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t know what it feels like to be purified.¡± ¡®What on earth is he blabbering about? Purification isn¡¯t just ordinary? Does it have a certain feeling?¡¯ In the novel, it was described as feeling like one¡¯s body was submerged in warm water, but it seemed that the person experiencing it had their own unique sensation. ¡°What does it feel like?¡± ¡°It feels like I want to kill you right now and make that thing mine.¡± For a moment, I saw a familiar look in his eyes. A hateful gaze that felt entitled to snatch something from others and possess it¡ªthe look of a criminal. The eyes of Taeju in front of me, who was speaking, sparkled eerily to which I sensed he was being 100% truthful. ¡®This guy, who has almost everything, feels this way?¡¯ I looked down at Salt, sleeping with its head resting on my palm. ¡°This bird is registered as your pet, right?¡± ¡°Uh? Yeah.¡± ¡°Then you could be in danger too. Because of its homing instinct.¡± In the case of a bonded item, others could not use it, and if someone took a pet away, the pet would eventually return to its owner on its own. If someone forcibly stole Salt, this little thing would also return to my side due to its homing instinct. ¡°Use your head and think about it. How does someone else use a bird with a homing instinct?¡± ¡°They¡¯d kidnap me. You don¡¯t need brains to know that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And they¡¯d force the bird to be used.¡± I had seen many similar things in my previous life. Of course, I knew the implied meaning behind the word ¡®force.¡¯ Kidnapping would lead to everyday violence, and in the worst-case scenario, one might no longer appear human. To prevent escape, cutting off legs would be nothing to a kidnapper with no conscience. But obtaining the Purification Egg wasn¡¯t just for Shin Sooha and Seo Taeju. There was another hunter I had to save using the Purification Egg. ¡°I¡¯m not going to save you. Whether you die or get used, I¡¯m going to leave you alone. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Fine. Please do that. Just stop caring.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯ve kept our parents¡¯ will to the best of my ability.¡± In the novel, Seo Go-woon¡¯s parents left a will to Seo Taeju before they died. It was a will asking the latter to take care of his reckless brother. As a result, Seo Taeju couldn¡¯t ignore the will of the parents who cherished him like their own son. That¡¯s why, even when Seo Go-woon did such reckless things like plundering money, Taeju held back, thinking of the will. ¡°I got it. And you don¡¯t have to observe their will anymore. Why are you still keeping their will like a fool?¡± I just blurted out my true feelings. If Seo Go-woon hadn¡¯t died in the novel, this guy would have been under Seo Taeju¡¯s control for his entire life. Even though I possessed Seo Go-woon¡¯s body and this guy was being a jerk to me, Seo Taeju himself was actually a good guy. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are you still keeping such a foolish promise? It¡¯s because you act like that, this kid¡­ no, I mean me, grew up to be a good-for-nothing.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it if you don¡¯t understand.¡± As someone who read the novel to the end, I know that. In the plan, only a few people absolutely needed to be saved through purification. I saved one of them, and the rest could be purified sneakily like what I did with Shin Sooha when the opportunity arises. ¡®This guy has been through a lot too, so there¡¯s no need to make him suffer more. If it doesn¡¯t work out, there will be at least one other person who can take his place.¡¯ On the other hand, Seo Taeju, who had frowned at my words for a moment, looked at me suspiciously for a while before standing up from his seat. ¡°Whether you believe me or not, I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± Hearing my words, he looked down at me with the same expression he had when he said, ¡®a dog stops pooping¡¯ earlier and then walked towards his room. I let out a sigh and sank into the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m tired of all this. It would be great if I could just go back to reality after sleeping,¡± I tried to think positively. But there was no need to even think positively; since I could feel it¡ªthere was no way for me to return. ¡°Purification.¡± Taeju, who plopped down on the sofa, held out his hand. [Passive skill ¡®Diagnosis¡¯ is activated.] ¡®Did this guy entrust me with his purification?¡¯ I looked at the insolent guy as if he were ridiculous, sighed, and called for Salt, ¡°Salt.¡± Salt, who had flown from my room as a prisoner, now sat comfortably on Taeju¡¯s hand. Taeju let out a lazy sigh and sank into the sofa. Purification must have been good for him, as Taeju came home for lunch every day to receive it. However. [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination level 0%] ¡°Ppi ppi!¡± When the purification was over and Salt returned to me, the insolent Taeju left the house without even saying a word as if he only had that one task. ¡®I wonder if he¡¯s trying to clear all the dungeons in our country by himself since he acts so busy.¡¯ Tsk tsk, I clicked my tongue as I finished hanging up the laundry. I had told him that I had grown up now and didn¡¯t need his protection, so I would take care of the housework, and he should mind his own business. Hearing my words, Seo Taeju had scoffed, seemingly waiting to see how long I would last. ¡®Did he think I would give up after a day or two?¡¯ On the contrary to Seo Taeju¡¯s expectations, he would have never known that cleaning came second after my first hobby, which was shooting. In fact, there was no activity as calming as cleaning. Moreover, since the house became cleaner as I moved around, I ended up killing two birds with one stone. On top of that, this house was spacious, which allowed me to have plenty of time to think. A wide, sparkling clean house ¨C even imagining it was nice. ¡°Finished.¡± After tidying up all the towels, I returned to my room and opened the wardrobe. ¡°I need to sort out my clothes too.¡± I couldn¡¯t adapt to Seo Go-woon¡¯s taste at all. Seeing the bright colors made me shudder every time I saw them. I would wash the clothes I wore when I went to the tower in the evening and wear them again in the morning, but I could only last like this for a day or two. While it didn¡¯t matter now since I had nowhere to go, however, considering the people I had to save in the future, I needed to buy clothes as soon as possible. ¡°I should visit the supermarket tomorrow,¡± I sat at my desk, thinking about the location of the supermarket I saw during my morning run. Then, I opened my notebook to check who I had to save next. ¡°Anyway, the next one in line was¡­ Michael, right?¡± I picked up a pen and circled Michael¡¯s name. He was the guild leader of one of the top three guilds in the country, the Holy Spirit Guild, and currently the most virtuous figure in this country who could cast a protective barrier with his holy power. ¡°I remember him dying during the early monster wave.¡± The problem was, I didn¡¯t know the exact date of Michael¡¯s death. In the novel, it was only described as ¡°A monster wave occurred in the middle of Gangnam. Michael, who was saving people, died after his mana was completely exhausted.¡± ¡°Since the exact monster wave that kills Michael isn¡¯t mentioned, I can¡¯t close the Gate right away.¡± I tapped my diary with my pen and pondered. ¡°How can I save this Michael guy?¡± The monster wave that killed him progressed in less than an hour but resulted in countless sacrifices. The number of monsters that poured out was as many as those in an average monster wave that lasted for several hours, and the monsters that could only be seen in S+ dungeons came out in droves. ¡®It would¡¯ve been nice to save him since he¡¯s a good guy.¡¯ Michael, who didn¡¯t know that fact, spread a protective barrier to protect ordinary people. His intention was to hold out just until other hunters arrived. However, the number of monsters that poured out for 40 minutes was too overwhelming. The late-arriving hunters tried their best to kill the monsters, but it took time to eliminate all the S-ranked monsters. ¡®It¡¯s a waste to just let him die.¡¯ In the end, Michael¡¯s protective barrier disappeared when his mana was exhausted, and the monsters circling the barrier immediately carried out a massacre. Even the description in the novel depicted the scene of the massacre as hellish. ¡°Hmm, should I casually bring it up to Seo Taeju?¡± CH 9 Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light... No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t come up with a good idea. I unconsciously mumbled about asking Seo Taeju for help before shaking my head vigorously. Seo Taeju, as the protagonist of the novel, was a character with a relatively righteous inner self. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would refuse to help if Michael was in real danger. ¡®But, what should I say to ask for his help?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t really say, ¡°I read in a novel that a monster wave will occur here,¡± nor could I say, ¡°I saw the future, and a monster wave will soon erupt, so would you like to join me in hunting monsters?¡± ¡®I¡¯d probably be treated like a madman and locked up at home.¡¯ I briefly envisioned being imprisoned at home and vigorously shook my head again. ¡°That bastard definitely will do it. Yeah, he definitely would.¡± In addition to imprisonment ending as the possibility, on the day Michael would actually face the monster wave, Seo Taeju would be fighting in the S-rank dungeon in Busan. Since the Busan S-rank dungeon was where Seo Taeju would acquire an essential item, I couldn¡¯t really stop him from going there. ¡°Hmm, what should I do?¡± I circled Michael¡¯s name and pondered again. ¡®If I could summon a large amount of water, considering the monsters¡¯ fire attribute, I could end the scenario. However, where do I draw such large amount of water?¡¯ It would be great if there were a hunter capable of summoning enough water to eliminate all the fire golems, but the best water-attribute hunter in the novel was B-rank and a foreigner, so I couldn¡¯t bring them along. Plus, ordinary water wouldn¡¯t work against monsters from dungeons either. ¡°What was it? What items appeared in the novel? I feel like there¡¯s something that can summon water¡ª¡± Suddenly, an item came to my mind. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it.¡± The item that resurfaced in my mind was called ¡®Blue Cloud.¡¯ It was discarded in the cradle as it was deemed useless later in the story, but it was more than enough, no, a perfect item to eliminate the fire golems. ¡°So, that¡¯s it¡­¡± I searched for the Seoul dungeon map on my newly bought-phone a few days ago. ¡®Why are there so many dungeons on this narrow piece of land in Seoul?¡¯ Tsk-tsk, as I clicked my tongue and narrowed the places to forest-attribute dungeons, the number of dungeons I needed to go to drastically decreased from 72 to 10. Next, I searched for dungeons with Forest Keeper as a boss monster, leaving only one dungeon remaining. ¡°Found it.¡± C-rank Seoul Forest Dungeon. It was a difficult dungeon for me, a D-rank with lacking stamina, to enter. However, I already knew everything about the dungeon through the novel, including what monsters would appear and how to defeat them. Although I couldn¡¯t kill all the monsters in the dungeon with alchemy, if I brought a few items, it would be more than enough to clear up to the boss room. ¡°I should drop by the item shop on my way to the mart.¡± I then looked at the hideous clothes hanging in the wardrobe. ¡°I need to sell them all.¡± ??? ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Breakfast,¡± I yawned leisurely and held out the egg-dipped toast I¡¯d made. Seo Taeju looked back and forth between me and the toast with a strange expression. But, even though I showed him kindness, he looked at me as if I¡¯d given him poison. ¡°There¡¯s no poison in it. No drugs either.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Seo Taeju must have been suspicious that there might actually be poison in the toast. Because, after he frowned at my words, he snatched the plate with the toast and threw it into the sink. The sound of the plate shattering resonated loudly. ¡°You¡­¡± For a moment, my vision turned white. Truthfully, I hadn¡¯t hoped for a cheerful atmosphere while eating. I would have been fine if he had just ignored it. But still. ¡®To throw it away? Right in front of the person who made it?¡¯ Before becoming a police officer, I struggled through life, barely eating one meal a day. And he dared to throw away food right before my eyes. In an instant, the anger I had been barely holding back exploded. ¡°Damn it¡­ I can¡¯t believe this. What the hell are you doing? Do you think food is a joke?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you any more money because you¡¯re broke. No, I won¡¯t. I know you¡¯re desperate.¡± ¡°What, money? This is ridiculous¡­¡± ¡®Does this guy really think I¡¯m a beggar? What? Desperate?¡¯ My anger surged at the treatment I¡¯d never experienced, even as an orphan from an orphanage. On the other hand, the person responsible for igniting my anger seemed to have no interest in it. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re feeling high and mighty because of the Purification Bird, but don¡¯t act so arrogant. Just facing you is disgusting,¡± he remarked and bumped into my shoulder before walking out. ¡°What did he just say?¡± I was a reader who always cursed Seo Go-woon, who was constantly causing trouble for Seo Taeju, when reading the novel. That¡¯s why I perfectly understood that it was natural for Seo Taeju to act hostile towards me from the perspective of someone who¡¯d possessed the said perpetrator¡¯s body. Needless to say, I had assumed that our relationship had progressed sufficiently for us to confront each other following Salt¡¯s purification treatment. With this thought in mind, I¡¯ve decided to make toast for the guy I didn¡¯t like, while staying up all night planning how to conquer the forest dungeon. ¡®Sunshine Policy? It¡¯s all canceled.¡¯ The strategy was ultimately related to the survival of humanity. We didn¡¯t need to be close to make it work. ¡®There¡¯s no need to be friends with that guy once I meet the god through the Wish Bead and return to my world.¡¯ ¡®He can mind his own business, and I¡¯ll mind mine. There¡¯s no reason to reconcile with him anymore. And what, the guy reminding me of my childhood? It¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡¯ Even though I had my defenses up, I never did such a thing. ¡°You used to be a crazy dog that bit anyone, but now that you¡¯ve grown up, you¡¯ve become more human than you were back then?¡± I recalled the words of the head of a gang I used to fight with, and ignored them regardless. Noticing my stillness, Salt tilted his head quizzically. ¡°Ppi?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s just sleep. I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Even though I liked cleaning, I didn¡¯t want to clean up the broken dishes in this mood. ¡®The one who broke them should clean up, why should I do it?¡¯ Pretending not to see the messy sink, I yawned loudly and was about to sluggishly head back to my room when the doorbell rang. ¡°Who is it?¡± On the intercom screen, a man with red hair was making a displeased expression. ¡°No way, Seo Go-woon, this jerk. He didn¡¯t borrow any money from the loan sharks, did he?¡± Although it was a ridiculous thought, the Seo Go-woon from the novel could have easily borrowed money from loan sharks. For a moment, I wondered what to do if he really had borrowed money. I couldn¡¯t ask Seo Taeju for money now. That¡¯s when my thoughts were interrupted. Growing impatient as I didn¡¯t open the door due to my conflicted feelings, the doorbell was pressed repeatedly. ¡°Whew, who is it?¡± With the intention of identifying the person, I pressed the intercom¡¯s call button and spoke. An irritated response came from the other end. -Who else would it be! I¡¯ve come to run errands for Taeju hyung, so open the door now! Taeju hyung? In the novel, Seo Taeju would talk to others but never let them get close. The only people he considered close were a few party members who accompanied the guild leader together. ¡®But if this guy referred to him as hyung, could he be from the guild? But why would Seo Taeju send this guy to run errands? He should have come by himself.¡¯ Feeling irritated by the guy¡¯s face that came to mind, I let out a sharp retort through the intercom. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re a guild member, say you¡¯re a guild member. What¡¯s with the attitude?¡± -What? ¡°I said I¡¯ll open the door. This brat.¡± Grumbling, I opened the door. In no time, the red-haired man entered through the front door, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s so hot I could die, and why the hell you¡¯re taking your time opening the door!¡± The man, who was visibly angry, entered the house without hesitation. ¡®Whether it¡¯s the vice-guild leader or a guild member, just do your errands quickly and leave. I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ Feeling fatigued due to the lack of sleep from preparing for the morning, I was soon feeling overwhelmed. ¡®Ah, should I skip going to the item store and just sleep? Why do I have to waste my time possessing this body in such a place? I need coffee, coffee.¡¯ Thinking of having coffee in the living room once that shabby man left, I absentmindedly stared at Seo Taeju¡¯s room when the man came out holding a document envelope. ¡°Hyung has really got himself into a mess. Taejoo hyung sure is having a hard time.¡± ¡®What does it have to do with me that Seo Taeju, that dam*ed bastard, is having a hard time? I shrugged my shoulders and waved my hand dismissively. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. If you¡¯re done with your business, just leave.¡± As I was about to head to the kitchen to get a coffee, annoyed at having waited for no reason, the man grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. ¡°Damn it. Hey, is that all you have to say with that big mouth?¡± ¡®What¡ª the hell is this guy¡¯s problem? Treating someone nicely only makes them take you for granted. Who does he think he is to talk like that? If you¡¯re going to do it, at least do it quietly like me.¡¯ The man¡¯s expression crumpled mercilessly as I furrowed my brows. ¡°¡®What¡¯? Did I just hear a ¡®what¡¯ from your mouth?¡± ¡°So, when a stranger curses at you, you say, ¡®Ah, thank you for cursing at me.¡¯?¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯ve really gone mad.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re freaking out, but you should leave while I¡¯m being nice. I¡¯m pretty annoyed right now, too,¡± I argued, pushing the guy away and turned my body back around. Even though I possessed Seo Go-woon¡¯s body, I wasn¡¯t Kim Hae ah¡¯s Seo Go-woon. There was no reason for me to take any abuse simply because I had possessed Seo Go-woon¡¯s body, regardless of what kind of accident he had caused. That¡¯s when the man shouted sharply. ¡°Do you know how much trouble my hyung went through because of the Seohyeon-dong monster wave?!¡± ¡®Seohyeon-dong? Wasn¡¯t that the monster wave I eliminated after possessing this body by closing the Gate? What does that have to do with anything?¡¯ As I turned around, puzzled by his nonsensical words, the man with an angry face gritted his teeth and spoke, ¡°Taeju, my hyung, was in the middle of a dungeon raid with the people from the Association that day! If it weren¡¯t for you, he wouldn¡¯t have had to give up on the dungeon! He got into debt with the Association because you sent a message! Because of trash like you!¡± ¡®The Association. The government operates Association like an army in order to supervise dungeons that they are running themselves. So the Association that this guy is talking about must be that.¡¯ I snorted at the ridiculous passing of responsibility. ¡°How is that my fault?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t know if Seo Go-woon had sent a message before I possessed him. But is that important?¡¯ ¡°Whether he received a message or not, it was Seo Taeju who made the choice, wasn¡¯t it? Even if he received a message, if he didn¡¯t want to be indebted to others, he shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane, is that really what you¡¯re saying now!¡± ¡°If I begged for help in a message, if he didn¡¯t want to, he wouldn¡¯t have come, right?¡± ¡°Wow, seriously. You¡¯re a real psycho. Now I really thought you are as trash.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯m a psycho. Instead of dealing with a psycho like me, if your precious hyung is so important, why don¡¯t you worry about how he¡¯s going to repay the debt he owes to the Association?¡± I clicked my tongue and turned my body around. I was feeling exhausted from being harassed by two people since morning. ¡®Is my luck terrible today, or why do these crazy bastards keep barking?¡¯ ¡°I feel sorry for Taeju hung, having a guy like you as his brother.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks. So, if you¡¯re done, get lost already.¡± As I tried to shake the unruly guy off, I could hear the sound of the guy stomping his feet, unable to contain his irritation from behind me. His behavior looked somewhat cute, so I chuckled while sipping my coffee. ¡®He¡¯s not even a Chihuahua. His owner must¡¯ve taken care of him well,¡¯ I mused. It almost seemed like I could see an imaginary tail wagging behind him CH 10 Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light... After the red-haired Chihuahua left the house, I also went outside. My destination was a luxury thrift store that would neatly organize Seo Go-woon¡¯s extravagant tastes. ¡°Even if you come back later, we don¡¯t return items that have been bought once. You know that, right? If yes, please sign here.¡± I half-listened to the thrift store owner¡¯s voice while signing the sales agreement. I didn¡¯t know if Seo Go-woon would wail if he saw this if he ever returned after I left his body. ¡®It¡¯s none of my business. I needed the money right now, anyway.¡¯ ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve deposited the money,¡± the owner, worried that the heart of a gullible customer like me might change, showed me the deposit transaction and took the signed agreement. Since all the items sold were a limited edition, and the owner had bought it at a relatively low price, it was understandable that he wanted to quickly finish the transaction. However, unrelated to the owner¡¯s impatience, I was happy to have obtained more money than expected. ¡°Where is the nearest item store?¡± Thinking about my now fattened bank account, I asked the owner about the location of an item store. ¡°Item store? For a small shop, you can use the one right next door, and for a larger shop, head down the alleyway. But is sir a hunter yourself?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for your help,¡± I quickly finished my greetings and left the store. Preferring luxury items was a common practice for ordinary people, but most hunters favored items that would protect them. As a result, it was natural for the owner not to recognize Seo Go-woon¡¯s background as a hunter. Which hunter would invest more money in flashy, design-focused luxury items rather than equipment that could actually protect them? Seo Go-woon, had awakened as a hunter but didn¡¯t live a proper hunter¡¯s life, was the odd one. ¡°It really is huge.¡± The item store was not only beautiful, but also enormous. Since items were available for general use, many people were coming and going. I picked up a guide map and slowly entered the building. All the items displayed were being displayed under dazzling lights, accompanied with serene classical music playing in the background. Hmm, it has a similar vibe to the department store I visited to buy a gift for my class president.¡¯ I looked at the products sold on each floor and took the escalator. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Seo Go-woon?¡± ¡°Really? It is Seo Go-woon.¡± ¡°Why did he come to the item store? Is he here to cause trouble again?¡± ¡°Last time, he kicked out all the customers, even renting the whole place, only to return everything he bought.¡± ¡°They say that the guild leader of the Noeul Guild personally came to handle the refunds.¡± Hunters were rare, but unless they were Rankers, they usually went unnoticed. Seo Go-woon wasn¡¯t even a Ranker, plus he wasn¡¯t even properly active as a hunter. Yet people still recognized him. ¡®How infamous is he as a troublemaker?¡¯ I covered my face with my hand, embarrassed. I didn¡¯t know what Seo Go-woon was actually like since the novel only mentioned his ¡®troublesome acts¡¯,¡¯ but the fact that hunters recognized his face was surprising. ¡®I need to buy something and get out of here quickly.¡¯ Pretending not to hear anything, I got off the escalator and entered the first store I saw. My joy was not in luxury shopping but in shopping for items. However¡­ ¡°What do you need¡­ Ahh!¡± The moment he saw me, the man was so startled that he fell, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel depressed. With his slicked-back hair, well-dressed suit, and even a neat smile, the man, who was clearly an employee here, shuddered as if he had seen a loathsome creature. ¡®What did I even do for him to scream like that¡­?¡¯ I looked at the employee with a bewildered expression. The way he was trembling made me feel like I was a robber or something. ¡®Could it be that Seo Go-woon had caused trouble here too?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Another employee who had been in the store¡¯s warehouse rushed out. Judging by the gold name tag he was wearing, he seemed to be the manager. The employee who had hastily run out asked me with a stiff expression on his face. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I came to buy items at the item store, what else?¡± ¡°I apologize, but no matter how much you intimidate our employee¡­¡± ¡°Intimidate? He screamed and fell down by himself just by making eye contact with me. As I said, I¡¯ve come here to buy items,¡± I replied irritably to the employee who seemed ready to capture a living person. ¡°Jeong-hwan, I¡¯ll handle this. You can go inside.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry, manager.¡± After the manager helped the trembling employee up and led him inside, he spoke, ¡°If you need anything, please let me know.¡± I handed the list I had prepared in advance to the manager, who had a determined expression on his face, as if to say, ¡®I alone will stop you.¡¯ After briefly examining the list, the manager¡¯s determined expression disappeared, and he asked with a puzzled face. ¡°¡­Are you, by any chance, going to the dungeon?¡± ¡°Do I need to disclose where I¡¯ll be using them?¡± As I frowned, the manager became flustered and waved his hands, ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s just that it will take some time to prepare. If you could wait a moment¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to another floor and come back.¡± As I handed over my card, the manager calculated the amount and returned it. ¡°Your card has changed. From the Noeul Guild card to Mr. Seo Go-woon¡¯s personal card.¡± ¡°You talk more than I expected. This and that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­We will have everything ready while you¡¯re away.¡± I nodded and headed to the 5th floor. The crowd had grown larger and louder, but I didn¡¯t care. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t see these people once I returned to my world. What¡¯s the point of caring?¡¯ I decided not to care about what anyone said, as I had given up on improving my relationship with Seo Taeju. Upon arriving on the 5th floor, the floor and above were restricted to hunters only, so the entrance was blocked by a metal door. I approached the employee in charge of checking hunter IDs. ¡°Hello. This is¡­ Hunter, Seo Go-woon?!¡± His reaction screamed after seeing the word, Hunter. When someone said Hunter to someone else, it usually meant out of recognition for their abilities, but¡­ It was different for me since it would have a different meaning. I then clicked my tongue and pointed at the iron gate with my finger. ¡°Can I go in?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, you, you can go in.¡± Ignoring the flustered attendant, I went inside. There was no separate store on this floor, unlike the second floor. It was a private area just for Hunters. ¡®I think Seo Taeju bought a sword here.¡¯ I could tell even from reading the novel that the private room for Hunters was very simple. ¡°Welcome, Hunter Seo Go-Woon. We are pleased to have you in our private room. Please, come this way.¡± The personal shop attendants were much friendlier than the outside attendant. The room they led me to, bowing deeply as if they were treating me with utmost respect, was brimming with luxury, unlike the simplicity outside. As I sat down on the plush sofa the attendant guided me to, a golden potion was placed on the table. ¡®Oh, they give potions in places where only Hunters can enter?¡¯ In the novel, potions had different colors depending on their effects. Silver for healing, gold for fatigue recovery, blue for mana recovery, and so on. The potion in front of me was a fatigue recovery potion. ¡®I wonder what this tastes like.¡¯ Having only ever consumed silver healing potions to avoid dying, I picked up the potion out of curiosity and spun it around. The attendant lowered their posture and spoke, ¡°If you tell me what you need, I¡¯ll prepare the catalog right away.¡± ¡°No, just give me all the catalogs. I have a lot to buy today,¡± I gestured, putting the potion down and leaned back on the sofa. Then I grinned, a smile Detective Kim absolutely despised. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to smile like that because it makes you look evil?¡± ¡°Are you Mr. Seo Go-Woon?¡± I had smiled to imply that I would cause trouble if the items weren¡¯t good, but the attendant took it differently. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you catalogs of items even more valuable and stylish than luxury brands,¡± the attendant said before quickly getting up. ¡°Ah, but before that, bring me the Infinity Pouches.¡± A satisfied smile crossed the attendant¡¯s face. ¡°Of course.¡± ??? I momentarily lost myself as I gazed at the enormous forest that seemed to be filled with the scent of phytoncide. ¡°How can it be like this?¡± Unlike the tower that revealed another world once inside, the dungeon¡¯s landscape changed in the blink of an eye. The soil beneath my feet and the fragrance in the air were all reminiscent of a real forest. ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve come to the mountains to catch a rogue dr*g dealer.¡± In the past, way before I possessed Seo Go-woon¡¯s body, I had been dispatched deep into the mountains to find a runaway dr*g dealer. I had no reason to refuse then since I was in a position where I had to comply if ordered. ¡®Did it take about two nights and three days back then?¡¯ As I walked, thinking of those times that have now become memories, I finally noticed a place that matched the description in the novel. Next to the grassy trail, there was a patch of weeds that reached up to my waist. In this weed patch, which seemed natural for a forest, albeit somewhat out of place, monsters were hiding. I bent down and touched the ground. ¡°Refine.¡± As I muttered the skill inwardly, a sharp cone emerged from between the weeds, piercing the belly of a squirrel-like monster. With a squeak, blood splattered on the weeds and a message appeared. Using skills had become as easy as breathing. [You have gained experience points.] ¡°One down.¡± I used my skills to eliminate monsters whenever I saw a weed patch, making my way to the boss room. The forest dungeon was quieter than I expected. In contrast to regular forests, the only sounds in the dungeon were my footsteps and the movements of monsters. There was not even the noise of insects. I then looked at another weed patch that appeared and touched the ground. As I watched a squirrel-like monster die from being pierced in the belly, I frowned, ¡°Hmm, there are fewer monsters than I expected.¡± The dungeon ¡®Animal Forest Pandemonium,¡¯ as described in the novel, was full of monsters. It was fair to say that every animal one could find in a forest, such as squirrels, badgers, and rabbits, had been turned into monsters. However, the only monsters I had encountered so far were the squirrel-like ones hiding in the weeds. There were no signs of field monsters like badgers or rabbits that should have been present. ¡®It¡¯s been about a month since it was last cleared according to the search results, so most of the monsters should have respawned by now. Why aren¡¯t they appearing?¡¯ ¡°Could it be that someone came here before me?¡± Today, while in the forest dungeon, I intended to check how much mana was consumed when using alchemy, and how much rest I needed to recover it. However, due to the long intervals between defeating monsters, my mana was fully restored, making it impossible to accurately measure. ¡°Sigh. Can¡¯t be helped.¡± Since this dungeon is not privately owned by any guild but shared by all hunters, there¡¯s no way to hold anyone accountable for sneaking in and out. ¡®It must not be my day,¡¯ I shrugged my shoulders and aimed my skill at the patch of weeds in front of me. ¡°Refine.¡± ¡°Kiee-!¡± The ground within the weeds transformed into sharp cones, piercing through the monsters¡¯ bellies. Green blood and entrails slid down the cones. [You have gained experience points.] ¡°Anyway, the more I use it, the more fun it gets.¡± ¡®Refining¡¯ was an intriguing skill the more you knew about it. As the proficiency of the skill increased, more intricate decomposition was possible, and if materials were available, it allowed me to create necessary items through alchemy. ¡°Why did Seo Go-woon do such foolish things when he had this power?¡± The more I utilized the ability, the more pitiful Seo Go-woon seemed. With a power like this, why did he resort to steal from others? ¡®Well, that¡¯s why he died early, I guess.¡¯ I shook my head and stopped walking. The trail had come to an end. ¡°So it should be around here¡­ Ah. There it is.¡± I looked at the five patches of weeds a little further away. This was the last barrier to the boss room and the primary habitat of the squirrel monsters. I raised my hand above the ground, observing the five patches of weeds on both sides. It was my first time attempting to use ¡®Refine¡¯ on not just one but five patches at once, so I felt a bit nervous. ¡°Refine.¡± Unlike before, my mana drained in one go, and five cones simultaneously burst forth from the ground. With a thud, something was pierced, followed by the monsters¡¯ screams in succession. ¡®Based on the screams, have they all died?¡¯ [You have gained experience points.] [You have gained experience points.] [You have gained experience points.] [You have gained experience points.] ¡°Huh? I¡¯m missing one?¡± While looking at the experience gain message, I saw a monster rushing out of the weeds and desperately shouted. ¡°Refine!¡± This time, instead of a cone, a stone wall was created in front of me. The charging monster couldn¡¯t avoid the emerging stone wall and collided head-on. I hurriedly touched the stone wall and activated ¡®Refining¡¯ skill again, and the spikes that sprouted in the middle of the wall pierced the monster¡¯s body. ¡°Arrgh.¡± A short scream and a thud were heard. [You have gained experience.] With a slight delay, the experience message window appeared, and I disassembled the stone wall. The monster was dead, its body riddled with holes as if it had been stung by a porcupine. ¡°That was close. Was my aim off? Or is it because the skill level is still low?¡± Scratching my head, I continued walking. As the path disappeared, a messy trail filled with countless flowers and weeds, reminiscent of an untouched forest, emerged. However, the flowers and weeds seemed trampled as if someone had passed through. ¡°I hope that place hasn¡¯t been looted yet.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if someone arrived before me and defeated the boss monster. Rather, it would be a good thing for me, as I wouldn¡¯t have to engage in unnecessary battles. But if that person had targeted my item¡­ ¡°Please.¡± There was no choice but to pray that my ominous thoughts would miss the mark. CH 11 Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light... With a nervous heart, I began to run. It appeared that someone had already cleared the way before me, as the tree limbs were trimmed, making it simpler to traverse the woodland path. Eventually, I came upon the stone door that signified the boss room¡¯s entryway. The door, seemingly carved from an enormous boulder, was bound with vines, and I needed to remove them all to gain access to the boss chamber. ¡°Time to open the door. Time to open the door.¡± Despite possessing the Disassembly skill, I couldn¡¯t use alchemy to dismantle the vines since they were plants. Humming a melody, I cautiously retrieved an object from my cross-body bag¡ªa lighter infused with fire-elemental magic. Although disposable, it was ideal for eliminating the vines, as it would vanish only after incinerating everything in its way. ¡°Flames, arise and consume.¡± The fire rapidly devoured the vines, and once they were no more, the stone door unveiled an etching of the entrance gate to the forest dungeon. I quickly pushed the stone door open, aware that if I hesitated, the vines would regenerate. ¡°Ugh¡­ this is¡­ too heavy.¡± My strength and stamina were both depleted, making the stone door too heavy for me to move. After a few grunts, I managed to open it just enough to slip through. Instantly, the vines started growing back, covering half the door. I hurried into the boss room before the door was completely covered, and it closed behind me with a resounding thud, losing its push power. As the door shut, the room grew darker, but a light emanated from the boss¡¯s location. I followed the vine-laden path, reaching into my cross-body bag as I walked. At the end of the vine path, I encountered the ¡°Death Apple Tree¡± or simply ¡°Death Tree,¡± a tree monster known as the dungeon boss of the ¡°Animal Forest Pandemonium¡± dungeon. Though its attack power wasn¡¯t particularly high, it was still a challenging foe, as it attacked using its leaves and roots. However, at its core, it was a wood-type creature. Like all trees, the Death Tree was weak against fire. I planned to follow Seo Taeju¡¯s team¡¯s strategy from the novel, hiding in a corner and setting fire to everything until it all burned down. Gripping the lighter tightly, I stepped into the boss¡¯s lair. I was about to throw the item at the tree when suddenly¡­ ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ [Passive skill ¡®Diagnosis¡¯ has been activated.] [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination level 28%] Diagnosis was activated as soon as I saw Shin Sooha, but I couldn¡¯t see the message. ¡®What could possibly bring someone of Shin Sooha¡¯s rank to a C-rank dungeon?¡¯ My eyes quivered as I gazed upon the felled Death Tree, upon which Shin Sooha was perched. I always considered he handsome even with my eyes closed, but now, with my eyes wide open, it felt like his good looks had doubled. His ruby-red eyes, in particular, exuded an almost otherworldly air. At this moment, Shin Sooha was the epitome of beauty, meticulously crafted by the hand of a god. ¡°Why here¡­¡± Although I was taken aback, Shin Sooha remained composed, as though he anticipated my arrival. In fact, he appeared to be waiting for me. ¡®There¡¯s no way he could have spotted me in the tower, could he?¡¯ ¡°Seo Go-woon, the Hunter.¡± I had discovered, during a visit to the department store, that Seo Go-woon was well-known among hunters. Still, I hadn¡¯t expected Shin Sooha to be aware of this. He spent more time abroad than in Korea, and the novel described him as disinterested in people. Momentarily pushing my astonishment aside, I courteously greeted him, as he was one of the party members I needed to complete the ¡®Cradle¡¯ with. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°What brings you here?¡± Then, the answer escaped my lips before I could stop it, as I hadn¡¯t anticipated running into anyone in the dungeon, ¡°¡­I came to investigate the dungeon.¡± Shin Sooha¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. He appeared displeased with the term ¡®investigate,¡¯ but there was nothing I could do since I had already spoken. I simply offered the most innocuous smile I could muster. ¡°Seo Go-woon, here in the dungeon?¡± ¡®Yeah, you probably wouldn¡¯t believe it either.¡¯ If the novel had mentioned Seo Go-woon coming to the dungeon, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it either. ¡°Yes. I also¡­ need to get used to the life of a Hunter, so I¡¯m trying to get familiar with dungeons.¡± My answer to Shin Sooha was half true. To clear the ¡®Cradle,¡¯ I needed to level up and get used to killing monsters in dungeons. ¡°What item you¡¯re holding?¡± Shin Sooha¡¯s gaze shifted to the item in my hand. I nonchalantly put the item in my crossbody bag and said, ¡°You might not know this, but I¡¯m still a D-rank. It¡¯s for self-defense.¡± Before Shin Sooha could speak again, I quickly changed the subject, continuing, ¡°But why is Guild Master Shin Sooha here?¡± ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°Is there anyone in Korea who doesn¡¯t know Guild Master Shin Sooha?¡± Even if his abilities as a hunter were secondary, the man was none other than Shin Sooha, the guild master of the top-ranked guild in South Korea, who possessed otherworldly looks, wealth, and power, along with a prestigious family background. Even if you were to ask any ordinary person, ¡°Do you know Shin Sooha?¡± Those who didn¡¯t know him would be treated as spies. And he¡¯s asking me this question? Shin Sooha chuckled at my incredulous tone, replying, ¡°I just came to warm up a bit.¡± Warming up in a C-rank dungeon¡­ I, on the other hand, had to come here with insufficient alchemy abilities, bringing items. I stared at Shin Sooha, speechless. ¡°Are you here to watch?¡± I asked, after sensing his gaze. ¡°I am.¡± I clicked my tongue inwardly and pretended to look around as if I had really come to observe the dungeon. I then sneaked a glance at Shin Sooha. Fortunately, he only killed the boss and seemed unaware of the item I had intended to retrieve. I sighed with relief and pretended to be even more engrossed in observing. I didn¡¯t know why he had come here, but I couldn¡¯t search for the item through the secret passage in front of Shin Sooha. However, he just stared at me without moving. Why is this guy, who killed the boss, not leaving? There¡¯s no more monsters coming out anymore after the Death Tree, right? As I stole a glance at him, our eyes met, and he asked, ¡°You ever seen a boss item? Want me to show it to you?¡± Huh? He wants to show me an item out of the blue? I knew from the novel that a large magic crystal would come out of the Death Tree, but I was a beginner hunter who had never actually done any hunter work. In this situation, I should naturally want to see it. ¡°¡­If you¡¯d like to show me.¡± Contrary to my answer, Shin Sooha, who had waited for me to approach, cleaved the Death Tree in half with the sword he was holding. Inside the hollow body of the Death Tree, the magic crystal was embedded in its center, like a heart, entangled with its own branches. After cutting off all the branches with his sword, Shin Sooha took out a fist-sized magic crystal. I had only known about it through descriptions, but seeing the actual magic crystal for the first time, it emitted a mysterious light. I didn¡¯t know about other people, but seeing the magic crystal for the first time was fascinating to me. [The passive skill ¡®Truth¡¯ is activated.] [Death Apple Tree¡¯s Magic Crystal] Description: A magic crystal that transformed an ordinary apple tree into a Death Tree. It inherited the traits of the apple tree and contains the energy of the forest. Holding it makes the body feel refreshed. ¡ù There is additional information available through your existing skills. The passive ¡®Truth¡¯ skill activated automatically when looking at an item, and once an item had been checked, the information was added to my system list. So, even if you looked at the same item again, it wouldn¡¯t activate again, but you could check the detailed information about the item later through the list. Strangely, while looking at the magic stone, Shin Sooha suddenly chuckled, ¡°Wow.¡± An exclamation burst out. A laughing Shin Sooha was a thousand times more dazzling than an emotionless Shin Sooha. It felt like the joke that the gods had made him while fasting from food and drink for a thousand days was actually true. No, should a person really be that good-looking? If you stand next to him, you wouldn¡¯t even be treated as a squid, let alone an octopus. ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± ¡°But? Can I touch that?¡± The magic stone didn¡¯t exist in my reality, and it wasn¡¯t a very common item here either. I was curious about how it would feel to touch the magic stone. ¡°Sure,¡± Shin Sooha nodded and slowly walked towards me. The first time we encountered each other, he was lying unconscious, and I hadn¡¯t realized how tall Shin Sooha was since he had been far away before. But as he drew nearer and I gazed at him, my head instinctively tilted upwards. ¡®Height has never been an issue for me then, but ever since I possessed Seo Go-woon¡¯s body, I find myself constantly being pushed back. In fact, I¡¯ve always been overpowered by muscles, but this is the first instance where I am being overpowered by someone¡¯s towering stature. This feels a bit strange. Did the original author have a grudge against Seo Go-woon? Creating a character that gets pushed back physically too.¡¯ Shin Sooha, who had come right in front of me, grabbed my hand. ¡®So it¡¯s true that big hands and feet come with height.¡¯ Seo Go-woon has small hands for his height, so when compared to Shin Sooha¡¯s hands, they felt like a child¡¯s hands. Shin Sooha opened up my palm entirely and placed the magic stone on it with a thump. As soon as the magic stone touched my palm, my body felt refreshed, just as the description stated. It felt like I had taken a shower with phytoncides. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Since you seem to like it, please take it.¡± I frowned. ¡®Why is he giving this to me? Did he think I wanted it and was waiting for him to give it to me? What does he take people for, making such a misunderstanding?¡¯ I might have possessed Seo Go-woon¡¯s body, but inside I was Kim Hae Ah. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Think of it as a souvenir.¡± ¡°A souvenir? No thanks, if I get used to freebies, I¡¯ll go bald.¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡®Huh? Salt?¡¯ Suddenly, a bird sound similar to Salt¡¯s cry came, making me turn my head in the direction of the noise. At that moment, a white bundle flew rapidly towards me from the boss room¡¯s door. ¡°Ppi-ppi!¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± As the white bundle hit my chest, I reflexively caught it with my hand. ¡°Salt?¡± The white bundle that I thought sounded like Salt was indeed him. Salt, sitting in my palm, shed tears from its bean-like eyes. ¡®Why is this little one, who was sleeping well at home, here?¡¯ ¡°Salt, why are you here?¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi!¡± Salt¡¯s chirping voice was filled with sorrow as if something was upsetting him. Unaware that Shin Sooha was staring intently at Salt, I stroked Salt¡¯s head with my finger and said, ¡°I¡¯m just going to go out briefly while you were sleeping.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. From now on, I¡¯ll take you with me wherever I go, okay? Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Ppi?¡± ¡°Yeah, for real. So, calm down and stop crying. I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Ppi. Ppi-ppi,¡± Salt, who seemed to say it would forgive me just this once, finally relaxed. Seeing its lack of energy, it seemed that Salt had been startled when it woke up and found me gone and had flown all the way to the dungeon. ¡®I had taken him in my pocket when I went to the department store, but I couldn¡¯t do that in the dungeon. I didn¡¯t expect it to follow me here. Is it because of its homing instinct? But how did it get into the dungeon?¡¯ Placing the limp Salt on top of my head, Shin Sooha looked at it with curious eyes. ¡®Why is Shin Sooha interested in Salt? That couldn¡¯t be, right?¡¯ For a moment, a bad premonition swept over me. Because, Salt was too much of an aggro magnet. CH 12 I brought up the topic of the magic stone that Shin Sooha had promised to give me, in order to divert my anxious gaze. ¡°Are you really going to give this to me?¡± It was then that Shin Sooha, who had been focused on Salt, nodded his head, ¡°Yes. Please take it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I promptly expressed my gratitude. There was no need to reject what he was willingly giving, and I thought that if I accepted the stone, he might leave. But contrary to my expectations, even after I accepted the magic stone and put it in my bag, he just stood there nonchalantly. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°Are you planning to explore more?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®You¡¯re done here, so go on your way.¡¯ Contrary to my wish for him to quickly exit the dungeon, he stared at me intently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave together.¡± ¡°No, you must be busy. Go ahead. There¡¯s no danger since the boss monster is dead. I¡¯ll explore a bit more and then leave,¡± I replied, forcing a smile and pointed to the exit gate. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The man smiled again. I squinted reflexively at his smile, which was brighter than when he first smiled. ¡°Even if the boss monster is dead, there may be cases where the minions regenerate. You said you¡¯re a D-rank right? So I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡®What kind of nonsense is he saying? In a state where unless the boss monster regenerates first, how can its minions regenerate beforehand? It¡¯s clearly written that the boss monster creates the minions. After all, I¡¯ve read the novel with my own eyes.¡¯ I stared at him, who was lying without batting an eye. The shameless man was even sporting a bright smile. ¡°I have this item and, as you said, although I¡¯m a D-rank, I¡¯m still a hunter, so I can handle the monsters. So, don¡¯t worry and go ahead.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel burdened. I have guild work to do after I leave, so it would be good for me to rest here for a while.¡± He looked as if he had no intention of leaving until I did, and I sighed, ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Shin Sooha was so busy that I even believed we wouldn¡¯t meet until the cradle appeared, other than the coincidence of running into each other today. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a look around.¡± I cautiously moved toward where the boss monster was, while watching him. At the whereabouts where the boss monster felled which was rooted to the ground, the item I was looking for was actually deep in its root¡¯s nest. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Even to my own ears, my voice sounded awkward. ¡®Now I understand why the squad leader told me not to even dream of involving myself in stakeout investigation. I really have no talent for acting.¡¯ I glanced at Shin Sooha with a sense of defeat. I expected him to give me a strange look, but his expression was unchanged, as if my acting was not as awkward as I thought. ¡°Should we explore here too?¡± I jumped into the Death Tree¡¯s pit. Inside the pit, as gigantic as its body, there were several holes dug out, as if they were where its roots had once been. ¡®The novel said it¡¯s in the moistest soil, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ I reached out and felt all the dirt in front of the holes. I touched it trusting the description of it being inside the moistest soil, but I had a slight feeling of unease. ¡®This isn¡¯t moist, it¡¯s sticky?¡¯ Feeling the muddiest soil in the dugout hole, I plucked Salt from above my head. If I were alone, I would have left Salt behind and gone back, but there was Shin Sooha, a high-level hunter who it could purify, so I had no choice. ¡°I have to go in there, so stay in the bag for a while.¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± ¡°Just for a moment. I have to crawl in there.¡± Pointing at the hole with my finger, Salt reluctantly flew into the bag. It¡¯s fortunate that Salt was able to understand me. Otherwise, it would have been quite a hassle to persuade him. Once Salt settled in the bag, I crawled into the hole without hesitation. As I went further in, the light was blocked and I couldn¡¯t see ahead, but I kept crawling, feeling my way with one hand. And when I touched the hard wall, I sat down and dug through the soil. After a few minutes of crumbling and digging through the falling dirt, I finally felt something hard in my hand. And then the Truth skill activated automatically. [The passive skill ¡®Truth¡¯ is activated.] [Blue Cloud] Description: A stone with the power of water. It¡¯s about to crumble from being forcefully drained by Death Tree. ¡ù There is additional information that can be confirmed through the possessed skill. ¡°Found it.¡± According to the verification provided by ¡®Truth,¡¯ the object I discovered was undoubtedly the ¡®Blue Cloud,¡¯ an item of SS-grade quality capable of summoning water. Thanks to the water-summoning ability of the Blue Cloud, even the Fire Golem would not present a challenge. I turned around in the narrow space, clutching the Blue Cloud, which was cool to the touch, and crawled toward the light. The distance felt very long when I entered this dark place, but it felt very brief when I departed the space. As soon as I crawled out of the hole and jumped down into the pit, I heard a voice from above. ¡°Are you done looking around?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will help you up.¡± Seeing Shin Sooha reaching out, I was about to extend my hands but soon stopped myself for doing so. After crawling inside the slimy hole and digging through the dirt, my hands were a mess. ¡°No, I¡¯ll climb up on my own.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± As Shin Sooha made a small noise in his throat and moved his hand, I felt my body floating up. ¡®This crazy bast*rd.¡¯ ¡°You could have chosen other methods, you know.¡± ¡°Is that so? You seemed to be having a hard time. Be careful next time.¡± Even though we were out of the pit, my feet still didn¡¯t touch the ground. In the midst of this, Salt, startled by my shout, flew out of the bag, circling around, chirping noisily. It might have been my imagination, but it sounded like Salt was screaming to save me. I quickly waved my hand, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ppi ppi?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m really okay.¡± Salt¡¯s eyes stared straight at me. I¡¯m not sure how this tiny creature could save me, but the moment Salt behaves differently than a normal bird, Shin Sooha would become curious about Salt. Given that I had to hide Salt¡¯s identity as a bird of purification, he had to appear as a normal sparrow to others. ¡°Guild Master Shin Sooha. Please put me down now.¡± But my voice, trembling slightly with humiliation, must have sounded strange because Salt tilted its head. ¡°Ppi ppi. Ppi.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± Unlike the swift ascent I experienced earlier, the descent towards the ground was noticeably slow. Salt, who had been observing me with a quizzical expression, seemed to sense my well-being and eventually settled on my head. Simultaneously, my feet reached the solid ground, taking me by surprise and causing a slight wobble in my body upon contact. Then Shin Sooha wrapped his arm around my waist to support me. ¡°This is a bit humiliating.¡± At the moment of humiliation, as if I had turned into a baby, his expression was strange while he tried to control the color of his face. On top of that, the message window kept appearing in front of me. But if I read the messages here, Shin Sooha would sense something strange, so instead of reading the messages, I asked him, ¡°Why? Is it your first time seeing someone feel humiliated and powerless?¡± ¡°¡­No. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Will I be okay? What do you expect when you suddenly lift someone up like that?¡± ¡°I apologize. I thought you didn¡¯t like holding hands.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like holding hands, it¡¯s just that my hands¡­¡± As I lost strength in my legs, Shin Sooha and I were pushed close together as he held me. Worried that Salt and Shin Sooha might touch, I hastily shook off his hand and took a step back. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to because my hands were dirty¡­ but it seems you¡¯re already dirty.¡± However, as I stepped back, I could see Shin Sooha¡¯s suit, had already become a mess due to the mud. ¡°Guild Master Shin Sooha, your clothes are worse off than mine. I intentionally didn¡¯t touch you because of the mud.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay for me.¡± Despite my efforts to remove the mud from the suit using my hand, the result was a suit even more soiled than before. Frustrated by this, I relinquished my attempt and proceeded to retrieve my crossbody bag. I knew that to find the Blue Cloud, I had to go inside the cave, so I had prepared something. ¡°A cleaner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What I extracted from the crossbody bag was, without a doubt, a ¡®cleaner,¡¯ exactly as he had described. It proved to be a disposable item imbued with the power of water, proficient in removing grime from both the body and garments. Notably, it was also a product commonly employed by regular individuals, and of all the items I had procured, it held the highest price tag. Seo Go-woon, who didn¡¯t have a driver¡¯s license, had to take a taxi to and from the dungeon. Knowing that I would definitely be refused service if my clothes were dirty, I had no choice but to buy the cleaner. ¡®What a waste, my one million won.¡¯ With a tear in my eye, I handed him the cleaner, ¡°Please use it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No, please use it, it got dirty because of me.¡± He replied with a smile, ¡°I can¡¯t because it¡¯s a non-washable suit.¡± Ah, right. Suits require dry cleaning. I was so flustered that I forgot about such an obvious fact. ¡°Then let me at least pay for the cleaning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wash it at home, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°How can you wash it at home¡­ oh.¡± I must have really been flustered. I had forgotten again that Shin Sooha was from a wealthy family. Being from a wealthy family, he could certainly afford to do dry cleaning at home. ¡®But still, it got dirty because of me¡­.¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it. It¡¯s my fault for using my psychic powers without your consent.¡± That¡¯s true. I could have climbed out of the pit myself, but he pulled me out with his psychic powers, so it wasn¡¯t my fault. Still, I felt uneasy. I hope this won¡¯t lead to a misunderstanding later. ¡°Have you finished looking around?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to leave.¡± ¡°You need to take this with you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shin Sooha picked up the ¡®Blue Cloud¡¯ from the ground and offered it to me. ¡°Uh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say whether it was mine or not, and just awkwardly held my mouth open. ¡®Why did I overlook that? And why isn¡¯t he asking about it?¡¯ I stared at him with trembling eyes. Without any hesitation, he handed me the Blue Cloud and gently pushed my waist. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, we should get going quickly.¡± As he pushed me onto the escape gate, a blinding light appeared and disappeared, revealing the forest dungeon entrance gate I had entered from. ¡°Shin Sooha-ssi?¡± ¡®We definitely stepped onto the escape gate together. Where did he go?¡¯ I called his name, looking around, but there was no response. ¡°Did he leave already?¡± When I told him to go, he wouldn¡¯t, but as soon as we got out, he disappeared. I shook my head and cleaned myself up with a cleansing wipe I was carrying. The cool water wiped away the dirt and mud that had stained my clothes. After making sure I was perfectly clean, I slowly walked and called a taxi. Dungeons always maintained a safe distance due to the risk of explosions. Once I got out of the safety zone and took a taxi that was waiting, I arrived home to see Seo Taeju getting out of his car. As our eyes met, his face twisted in displeasure. ¡®That¡¯s also a talent.¡¯ It took energy to hate someone. So instead of hating, I usually chose to ignore, but he always expressing ¡®I dislike you¡¯, ¡®I hate you¡¯. [Using the passive skill ¡®Diagnosis¡¯.] [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination 0%] ¡®Seeing that his contamination level hasn¡¯t changed, it seems like he didn¡¯t go to the dungeon, but why does he go to the guild if he doesn¡¯t go to the dungeon? The novel said he only went to the guild when he had to the dungeon. Could it be because I¡¯m at home?¡¯ While I was contemplating whether to greet him or not, Seo Taeju went into the house first. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t want to get along with you anymore, you bast*rd.¡± Even unrequited kindness had its limits. CH 13 Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light... I returned home, biting my tongue. The house was quiet, and Seo Taeju seemed to have already gone to his room. I was exhausted, perhaps from the tension of my unexpected encounter with Shin Sooha. I took little Salt out of my crossbody bag and flopped down on the bed. The Blue Cloud fell to the floor with a clink and rolled away. ¡°Ah, the Blue Cloud.¡± ¡®I had gone through a lot of trouble to get this, only to forget about it. I must be really something, huh?¡¯ The Blue Cloud, which I had washed with my cleaning supplies, was a stone with an odd mixture of blue and green hues. It looked more like a gem than a pebble at first glance. I picked up the Blue Cloud from the floor and used my appraisal skill on it. ¡°Huh? Partial?¡± Description: A stone that is imbued with the power of water. It¡¯s currently on the verge of breaking due to its strength being weakened by the Death Tree. ¡ù Summons a large amount of water at once. ¡ù If returned to ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¯s ¡ö, you will receive ¡ö¡ö¡¯s blessing. ¡ù You can obtain ¡ö¡ö¡ö of ¡ö¡ö at ¡ö¡ö time. ¡°Even though my appraisal skill is at its maximum level, there is still some information that is obscured. Does this mean that there is information that cannot be found out even with my appraisal skill?¡± I gave up pondering while staring intently at the item window. Unlike Salt, ¡®Blue Cloud¡¯ was only useful for dealing with the monster wave, so the hidden information was not important. ¡°Hmm, I wonder if it will summon water if I inject mana into it?¡± It would be good to test it, but the water ¡®Blue Cloud¡¯ summoned was like a tsunami. I could not control the amount, so I would have to wait until the monster wave to rescue Michael to test it. ¡°Ppi ppi.¡± Salt perched on my finger, looking at the Blue Cloud. Then it started to peck at it. ¡°It¡¯s not food.¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not food,¡± I said, grabbing little Salt and placing it on the pillow. I leaned back against the headboard and checked my information window. My Alchemy level had increased to 7 thanks to the quest, but I still hadn¡¯t reached the level-up mark from killing monsters in this dungeon. I thought killing C-level dungeon monsters would raise my D-level by about one level, but it seemed like a lot of experience was needed to level up. The skill window was the same. Disassembly was at level 10, but Refining was still at level 9. ¡°Hmm¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for Shin Sooha, I would have definitely leveled up by now.¡± Even non-hunters with a good amount of courage could try hunting in the forest dungeon if they brought a bunch of items. It was considered one of the easiest C-level open dungeons. Even if Seo Go-woon was weak, he could fight enough to level up once, but since Shin Soo-ha killed all the underling monsters and the boss monster, the experience gain was too low. ¡®Come to think of it, Shin Soo-ha¡¯s contamination level¡­¡¯ I regretted not paying attention to the message that popped up when I got close to Shin Sooha. My Diagnosis skill had been activated, but I had not seen what it said before it disappeared. ¡°I should have looked at it,¡± I said to myself. The forest dungeon was a C-rank, but that did not mean it did not accumulate contamination. It accumulated less than when I killed high-ranked monsters, but I was still worried about Shin Sooha¡¯s contamination level. Even if everyone else gave up, Shin Sooha was the most needed existence from the cradle, so I was more concerned. ¡°Should I carry around an elephant tranquilizer gun?¡± I wondered. ¡°Should I knock him out with a tranquilizer gun whenever we accidentally meet and then purify him? Or should I send Salt? It has the homing instinct to return home, so it¡¯ll come back on its own, right?¡± I shook my head. Shin Sooha had been watching Salt closely in the dungeon. Even if he didn¡¯t have a perfect memory like me, he was smart enough to recognize Salt once he saw him. ¡°So what should I do?¡± As I was fiddling with the Blue Cloud and worrying about Shin Sooha¡¯s contamination level, a quest alert rang in my ear. ¡°Huh? A quest?¡± [¡ïSurprise¡ï Don¡¯t forget to infuse mana!] Remember the first quest where you had to infuse mana into an item? This is a surprise quest for you, who forgot to do it while you were busy disassembling and refining items! This time, try infusing mana into the Blue Cloud! Something mysterious will happen! Infuse mana into Blue Cloud (0/100) Reward: Acquisition of ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö. I sat up straight. ¡°Infuse mana? What does that mean? I thought it was supposed to summon water when mana was infused?¡± In the novel, it definitely said that a tremendous tidal wave was summoned whenever mana was infused into the Blue Cloud. However, the reward for the quest was to acquire something obscured, just like when I acquired Salt. ¡°If something hatches like Salt due to mana infusion, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the upcoming monster wave.¡± Anxiously looking at the Blue Cloud, I infused magic into it, thinking that at worst, I¡¯d break even. ¡°Haah.¡± I let out a sigh of relief and chose option 1. Unlike the time with Salt, I could feel a huge amount of magic draining away. My already tired body felt like it was sagging, and when I checked the status window, my magic was at 0. ¡°Huh? My mana is¡­ 0?¡± Using the Comprehension skill once consumed 10 mana points, but I was the type to recover mana quickly. So, when I infused mana, mine should have been full at 2,000. ¡®Is the system saying that Blue Cloud consumed all 2,000 of my mana?¡¯ ¡°This thing is a total pig.¡± ¡®It¡¯s not even a useful item like Salt, but an item that consumes 2,000 of my mana?¡¯ ¡®If the monster wave to save Michael had broken out much later, it might have been fine, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to infuse magic until then.¡¯ ¡°It can¡¯t be that it takes this much mana to summon water, does it?¡± I was planning to use it all at once, but I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that there might still be a Fire Golem left. ¡®It¡¯s really one problem after another. As soon as I solve one, another crops up. It seems like my life doesn¡¯t get any easier even after reincarnating. Maybe I should perform some good deeds when I return to my world.¡¯ Just then, my phone chimed. ¡°A text message?¡± In the novel, Seo Go-woon didn¡¯t have any friends. The only people he communicated with were those who siphoned off his money or exploited him. So it was quite a sight when a barrage of messages arrived as soon as I got a new phone. Asking for loans, offering ¡®good¡¯ dr*gs, inviting him for a drink¡­ Simply seeing these was enough to make one¡¯s eyes rot, so I blocked every number that popped up. ¡®Had I missed any?¡¯ I took out my phone from my pocket and checked the message. Guild Contract Renewal Notice. Hello, Hunter Seo Go-woon. We¡¯re sending this message to remind you that the renewal date for your guild contract is approaching. We kindly ask you to visit the guild by XX of X month, even if it might be a bit bothersome. Documents required for renewal: Hunter¡¯s License, Resident Registration Card, Resident Registration Certificate, and a copy of your bank account. Thank you. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s that time again, the contract renewal. Seo Go-woon¡¯s parents¡¯ memorial day falls around this period.¡± ¡®Now I knew why Seo Taeju hadn¡¯t come home.¡¯ Seo Go-woon¡¯s parents suffered severe injuries while trying to save Seo Taeju from a monstrous wave. Upon witnessing this, Seo Taeju, who was an ordinary person at the time, awakened as a hunter and fought off the monsters. However, his adoptive parents, who were critically wounded, breathed their last breath after entrusting Seo Go-woon¡¯s care to him. Two years later, Seo Go-woon joined the guild, which served as a reminder to Seo Taeju of his parents¡¯ wishes on their Memorial Day. ¡°Tsk, tsk. He must be feeling distressed.¡± Losing something you once had is always painful. ¡®I, who have no parents, wouldn¡¯t understand, but he had them and lost them because of himself. How tormenting that must be.¡¯ Once again, I clicked my tongue and entered the room. It was better to confine myself to the room rather than instigating him and causing pointless violence. ¡°Ppi!¡± Ignoring Salt¡¯s chirping near my ear, I put on a shirt. As I looked at the wardrobe, which used to be filled with luxurious items but now contained affordable yet decent clothes, a sense of relief washed over me. ¡®That¡¯s right, the best kind of clothes are from the mart,¡¯ I nodded and closed the wardrobe door. ¡°Ppi, ppi, ppi!¡± Salt flew in front of my face, protesting with its chirping. ¡°No. If we go out, they might discover your true identity.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi-¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I told you, I¡¯ll just step out for a bit.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what it was trying to convey, but I spoke firmly to Salt, who seemed to be causing a commotion. However, Salt remained adamant. Instead, it nipped at my lips as a counterattack. ¡°I told you, you can¡¯t hide in my pocket. You¡¯re not getting in there, it¡¯s a no-go. Ouch!¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll take you with me!¡± Upon hearing my outcry, Salt stopped nipping and sang in satisfaction. ¡°How can it be so pleased after biting its owner? I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m the owner or the servant. Damn it.¡± ¡°But remember, you have to stay quiet. Got it? If not, I¡¯ll lock you up in a birdcage.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi-¡± It¡¯s chirping, resembling singing, didn¡¯t inspire much trust. However, I had no choice but to let Salt perch on my head. It was somewhat rebellious, but I was worried that it would follow me alone into the forest dungeon. ¡®Being controlled by a mere sparrow-like bird, will I really be okay?¡¯ ¡°Promise you¡¯ll behave?¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± As if telling me to stop repeating myself, Salt pecked at my scalp. Feeling a tingling sensation, I stroked my head and entered the taxi I had called. Never did I imagine that after my reincarnation, I would find myself heading to the Noeul Guild, the guild of the protagonist. In the novel, Seo Go-woon¡¯s visit to the guild was only to extort money from Seo Taeju. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The Noeul Guild stood tall like the headquarters of major corporations competing for the top spots in the real world. In reality, the guild was established by Seo Taeju¡¯s high school senior and was barely being operated by a small number of people. However, after the protagonist, Seo Taeju, joined and started rapidly conquering high-level dungeons, the guild¡¯s capital skyrocketed, and it quickly grew in size. Now, it had become one of the three largest guilds in the country. Observing the glass-encased building, memories of Seo Taeju¡¯s struggles through dungeons after his awakening flooded my mind. ¡®Even if he couldn¡¯t acquire everything, approximately half of the building¡¯s shares would come from the value of the monster by-products that Seo Taeju obtained.¡¯ Contemplating the description of him never taking a day off and relentlessly delving into dungeons, I made my way toward the lobby. Being one of the top three guilds in the country meant there was a constant flow of people coming and going. ¡°Where should I go from here?¡± The message only instructed me to come to the guild without specifying a particular location. ¡®Where do I go?¡¯ ¡°Hmm,¡± I surveyed the surroundings and approached the security guard stationed at the reception desk. ¡®When in doubt, asking is always the best option.¡¯ ¡°*Ga-gasp*. Seo, Seo Go-woon-ssi?!¡± ¡®But why is this person reacting like this?¡¯ The guard¡¯s face turned pale as soon as he saw me. I brushed my hand across my face, trying to decipher his expression as if he had encountered a monster. ¡®Seo Go-woon, you basta*rd¡­ How much did you bother this guard to elicit such a reaction?¡¯ This damn former owner body of mine, was utterly useless. Damn it all¡­ CH 14 Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light... ¡°Are you okay?¡± I simply asked because he didn¡¯t look well. However, he seemed to be so terrified by my question that tears welled up in his eyes and his body trembled. I raised both my hands, hoping the security guard wouldn¡¯t be frightened anymore, and wore the most comforting smile I could muster. Yet¡­ ¡°I¡¯m here to renew my contract-¡± ¡°Heu-heu-heuk. I have children to support! I promise I¡¯ll do better, so anything but firing me¡­¡± ¡®No way. Why is he crying? Normally, I would understand if he cried out of fear because a detective, who he thought he would never meet, came looking for him. But right now, I am Seo Go-woon. Even though Seo Go-woon is notorious for causing trouble, all I said was that I came to renew the guild contract. Is he that upset because Seo Go-woon (me) is renewing the contract?¡¯ ¡°Ppi-ppi?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything. And, Salt, you promised to stay quiet.¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡°Shush! Be quiet. Please¡­ don¡¯t cry, just tell me where I can renew the contract and I¡¯ll take care of¡ª¡± ¡°Heuk. Please let me work here for a long time. *Heu-heu-heuk*.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi~.¡± The sound of Salt¡¯s mocking laughter reached my ears. This is crazy. This security guard cries whenever I speak. How is he supposed to guard the building like this? I gave up on asking the guard and looked around, thinking of asking someone else instead. However, as if a cockroach had emerged, the area around the guard and me was completely empty. ¡®Is Seo Go-woon not an alchemist but a poisoner, after all?¡¯ Suddenly feeling a headache, I pressed my forehead. Just then, someone shouted furiously, ¡°Hey! Seo Go-woon! Are you messing with Mr. Cheolmin again?!¡± Lowering my hand, I saw the red-haired guy who had come to my house on Seo Taeju¡¯s errand running towards me. ¡°Oh, Red Hair!¡± ¡°My name is Kang Dohoon!¡± I thought he would be a young guy since he consistently calls 24-year-old Seo Taeju ¡®hyung¡¯, but seeing this guy who revealed his own name in response to simple provocation, I chuckled. ¡°Okay. Kang Dohoon. It¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re here.¡± Kang Dohoon¡¯s face contorted abruptly. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± I approached Kang Dohoon, placed my arm on his shoulder, and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to renew my contract. Show me the way.¡± ¡°Let go! What, renew? Why are you renewing a contract! Just get lost! Stay away from Taeju-hyung and go get crushed somewhere!¡± Kang Dohoon yelled as he tried to shake off my arm. But his effort to lift my arm was pitifully weak. ¡®Is Kang Dohoon not a Hunter? Well, what does that even matter. Once I finish with the cradle mission, I¡¯ll return to my original world anyway. So, whether Kang Dohoon is a Hunter or not, what does it matter?¡¯ ¡®When I gently pressed down on Kang Dohoon¡¯s shoulder, signaling him to stop struggling, he let out a small groan as if it hurt. ¡°Let¡¯s go nicely. You scared the security guard when you shouted.¡± I wasn¡¯t lying; the security guard, who was pleading not to be fired a moment ago, was staring at us wide-eyed. Kang Dohoon muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°Causing a ruckus here will inconvenience your beloved Taeju-hyung, so just show me the way.¡± ¡°¡­Let go.¡± Upon releasing his shoulder, Kang Do-hoon stepped forward irritably. ¡°Why the hell would you renew the contract if you¡¯re not doing anything related to Hunter work?! Are you trying to leech off Taejoo hyung again?! Didn¡¯t I tell you to back off from him?!¡± ¡°The way you¡¯re yapping on¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It feels like you¡¯re his wife.¡± ¡°What?! Wife?!¡± Kang Dohoon, who had been walking ahead, turned around and looked at me with an astonished face. ¡°That¡¯s right. What you¡¯re doing feels like a wife telling a mistress to back off from her husband.¡± ¡°W-what! You¡¯re spouting nonsense!¡± Kang Dohoon, who had been yelling, quickened his pace as if alarmed. However, our destination was only the elevator. While waiting for the elevator, I glanced at Kang Dohoon. ¡®A boy barely 21 years old. As an innocent young man who still doesn¡¯t know the ways of the world, I should interrogate him. I need to find out what Seo Go-woon has been up to here.¡¯ ¡°I have no idea why the security guard was crying over what I did.¡± At my nonchalant murmuring, Kang Dohoon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?! Are you serious?!¡± ¡°What have I done?¡± ¡°Wow. You really have some nerve. Last time you came, you threatened to get rid of Cheolmin because he didn¡¯t greet you! You even used your abilities on a civilian when he pretended not to hear!¡± ¡®¡­Whoa. That guy really had a good reason to cry.¡¯ It seemed like Seo Go-woon¡¯s skill level had increased diligently, but it had probably risen automatically from using it for such crappy whims. ¡®Seo Go-woon¡¯s antics had truly exceeded my imagination.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not all, right? You smashed the lobby door because you didn¡¯t like it! You even brought a monster from somewhere and released it! How could you do such a lowly thing?¡± With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Even as we boarded the elevator, Kang Dohoon¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t stop. ¡°If that¡¯s it, phew! Seriously, why¡¯d you even have to borrow money? Do you have any idea how much crap Cheolmin had to deal with because of those loan sharks hunting you down?¡± Loans. ¡®Right. I suspected Seo Go-woon might resort to loans, but I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d actually use them. How does his behavior not deviate an inch from my expectations? Even calling him garbage seemed too kind. His very existence was nuclear waste, pure nuclear waste.¡¯ ¡°Because of a piece of trash like you, Taeju hyung is always falling behind Shin Sooha! If it weren¡¯t for you, he could¡¯ve been the number one Hunter in Korea!¡± ¡°Sure, sure. That¡¯s too bad.¡± I responded nonchalantly to Kang Dohoon and exited the elevator. Even though I was interrogating him, I couldn¡¯t understand why this guy talked so much. Kang Dohoon¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t stop until we arrived at the contract renewal office. ¡°Hey! Listen properly!¡± As soon as we arrived at the door, I turned towards Kang Do-hoon. Taken aback by my sudden attention, Kang Do-hoon scowled and spoke, ¡°What! What is it!¡± I reached out and grabbed Kang Do-hoon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dohoon, no matter a loser I am,¡± as I put strength into the hand holding his shoulder, a groan escaped from Kang Do-hoon¡¯s mouth, ¡°I¡¯m your hyung, you know that, right?¡± ¡°W-what, let me go!¡± ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you know how to respect your elders?¡± ¡°You crazy bast*rd.¡± ¡°Hehe. Looks like this little puppy still doesn¡¯t know how scary a day-old tiger can be.¡± With the change in societal atmosphere, the police officers and detectives were instructed by the Police Chief to refrain from using profanity. Even if gangsters cursed at them, the detectives had to smile and say, ¡°Sir, if you curse at us, it might disadvantage you in court. Hehe,¡± or otherwise, they would face disciplinary action. But the current me wasn¡¯t a detective anymore. I pulled Kang Dohoon¡¯s shoulder closer and whispered into his ear using the words I learned from police training back in my day. ¡°You damn son of a bit*h. Do you think I¡¯d let you off the hook after pulling off such a damn stunt? Don¡¯t act all high and mighty. Before I put you in your place, shut up quietly. Got it?¡± Kang Dohoon¡¯s face turned pale. Seeing his dilated pupils, I felt a sense of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s speak properly and use decent language. It¡¯s better for both of us. Dohoon, let¡¯s meet again sometime.¡± I patted his shoulder and then opened the office door to renew the contract. ¡°You shitty bastard.¡± I raised my middle finger at Kang Dohoon¡¯s face. ¡°You madman! Hey, you!¡± Ignoring the fuming Kang Dohoon, I walked inside, and a staff member who was looking at the monitor stood up. ¡°Oh! Hello, hunter Seo Go-woon. You came earlier than expected. I thought you¡¯d come close to the deadline, just like last year.¡± ¡°Yes, hello.¡± ¡®Seems like not only that guard earlier in the lobby, but even this employee acted like she knew me when he laid eyes on me.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll remember my name again this year. I¡¯m Lee Yeoreum, the team leader of the contract team.¡± And when I accepted the business card that was held out, Lee Yeoreum looked surprised. ¡°It¡¯s the first time you accepted my business card.¡± Her cheerful face resembled that of a young puppy. Even if she was on high alert, it seemed like she could easily let her guard down. I wondered what kind of nonsense I had said to this kind person that made her remember me. ¡°Please have a seat here.¡± As I sat where Yeoreum pointed, not much time passed before a stack of documents and a pen were placed in front of me. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ppi?¡± As I sat down, I noticed Salt standing nearby, seemingly interested in the stack of documents in my hand. ¡°Is this the contract?¡± Not wanting to talk about Salt, I grabbed the stack of documents, and Yeoreum nodded as she sat across from me. ¡°The contract details are the same as before. The only difference is¡­¡± While listening to Yeoreum¡¯s explanation and trying to read the contract, a piercing siren suddenly blared. ¡°Aigoo, these monster waves have been getting stranger lately. I¡¯ll finish explaining the contract. If you look at this section here¡ª¡± Yeoreum continued with the explanation, as if it was nothing special. However¡­ ¡°A monster wave has been confirmed in the vicinity, classified as fire attribute. All available hunters are requested to respond.¡± Just as Yeoreum¡¯s explanation was getting into more substantial details, a keyword brushed my ears. ¡°Fire attribute monster wave? Could it be?¡± ¡°Once again, we would like to inform you that a monster wave has occurred at Exit 3 of XX Station. All available hunters, please respond immediately.¡± ¡°Damn it. Today of all days.¡± ¡°Hunter Seo Go-woon, is something wrong?¡± There was no time to listen to her explanation. I had to act quickly. I picked up the pen and quickly signed the contract, took out the documents from my bag, and stood up abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll come back later to pick up the documents.¡± ¡°Hunter Seo Go-woon!¡± Ignoring Yeoreum¡¯s voice, I rushed out of the guild building towards Exit 3 of XX Station. As I got closer to the station, the sound of buildings collapsing and people screaming grew louder. ¡°Ah-ahh! Help me!¡± ¡°Run!¡± Pushing through the crowd of panicked individuals, I eventually arrived at Exit 3, where ominous black fissures tore through the fabric of space, unleashing fire golems. The asphalt bubbled furiously, resembling chunks of molten coals that is shaped like a human, while the melting streetlights added to the nightmarish ambiance, evoking a scene straight out of hell. CH 15 Despite the guild¡¯s broadcast calling for action, the hunters had yet to mobilize. The golems, enveloped in flames and burning fervently, were destroying buildings and streetlights. ¡°Where is it? Where¡¯s the protective barrier?¡± A massive body of water could stop these fire golems, yet it was capable of sweeping even Michael away. I looked around before leaping inward. It felt as if my body was roasting in the intense heat, but I couldn¡¯t stop here. What was fortunate was that the golems moved slowly, taking time to pursue me even after they spotted me. As I looked around for a while, a little bird, Salt flew to the right above my head. ¡°Salt?¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± As if it was motioning me to follow, the bird paused briefly in its movements before flying off again. I followed behind Salt. My whole body was drenched in sweat, and my eyes involuntarily shut due to the intense heat. Breathing became increasingly difficult, and running seemed to take several times more energy than usual. When I paused to catch my breath, a bright light hit my eyes. It was a silver barrier, radiating an undeniable sacredness. Inside the shield, alongside terrified people, a struggling hunter was maintaining the barrier. The hunter with waves of golden hair. ¡°I¡¯ve found you.¡± ¡®The hunter that I needed to save.¡¯ Michael was inside. I thought he could hold out fine for a day or two, but from a distance, the silver barrier seemed dangerously close to dissipating, possibly due to his lower-than-expected mana levels. ¡®It¡¯s not time yet.¡¯ In this novel, there are only two opportunities to use the ¡°Blue Cloud¡±. If I use it both times, the Blue Cloud would break. Without a quest, it would be different. But now that I¡¯ve received a surprise quest, I need to wipe out the monsters all at once to prevent the Blue Cloud from breaking. ¡®That means I have to use the Blue Cloud at the end of the monster wave.¡¯ I gripped the cold Blue Cloud tightly, observing the gap where the space was torn and monsters were pouring out. ¡°Ppi ppi.¡± The chirp of Salt calling me sounded from a distance. It was evidence that my consciousness was beginning to blur due to the heat. My sight was becoming hazy due to the unbearable high temperature, and the fiery golem flickered like a flame. Finally, the gap in the air that had been fluttering like torn paper began to close. ¡°Now.¡± [¡®You have infused mana into the ¡®Blue Cloud¡¯.] [Choice selection is activated.] [1. Proceed with the quest] [2. Summon Water] ¡°Of¡­course, it¡¯s number 2.¡± When I opened my mouth with difficulty, my body¡¯s mana drained out all at once. And with a cold sensation from behind, the surroundings darkened. I didn¡¯t look back but instead grabbed a heated streetlamp, grinning cheekily. Despite the pain in my palm from the heat-radiating lamp, laughter naturally escaped my lips. ¡°Salt, fly!¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù Seo Taeju, who had been reviewing the documents, leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes, his vision blurring. For days, he had been unable to sleep properly, and exhaustion was creeping in. But he couldn¡¯t afford to sleep during this period, knowing it would only lead to nightmares. Much time had passed, but the memories from then were still vivid. Monsters charging in. He, himself, frozen, unable to move a single step. His parents who had held him, just as he was. ¡°Sigh.¡± Parents he never thought he could have. Even if they had shown him a small amount of love because he wasn¡¯t their biological child, he would have been grateful. But his parents had loved Seo Taeju just as they did Seo Go-woon. They made no discrimination and always watched him with affectionate eyes, no matter what he did. And they had given their lives for him, despite not sharing any blood ties. The problem, however, was Seo Go-woon. ¡®You¡¯re different from me. You¡¯re an adopted son, aren¡¯t you? Do you really think you¡¯re my family because you became Seo?¡¯ (refer to Chapter 2) ¡®You became a hunter? Show me your hunter license. Why? Oh, I need some money. This can get me a good collateral loan, right? What? You crazy bastard, of course you have to pay it back. It¡¯s your hunter license.¡¯ Unlike his warm parents, Go-woon was a damned child who only gave him grief. Taeju, reminded once more of his blood-soaked parents, was clenching his chest, churning with anger. -Knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened and Guild Master Seo Moon Noeul entered, handing documents to Taeju who had just stood up. ¡°These are the list of dungeons the center requested strategies for because of the last incident.¡± Seo Taeju looked at the documents and sighed.The greedy Association handed over dungeons they couldn¡¯t handle, claiming it was all for the people and forcing the guild to provide free service. Fortunately, the requested dungeons were all ranked from D to C, so they willingly accepted the unpaid service as it allowed the novice hunters to improve their skills. But today¡¯s list was different. It had a list of 11 dungeons ranging from B to S+ rank. ¡°They say not to touch the items, just get rid of the monsters.¡± At the disgruntled voice, Seo Taeju sighed and nodded his head. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°Taeju, you can¡¯t keep living like this. That loan shark incident, too. How long are you going to clean up after that bastard?¡± ¡°Noeul noona. Please stop.¡± Seo Moon Noeul frowned. He usually respected her as the guild master, but always called her ¡°noona¡± when it came to Seo Go-woon. She knew she was weak to the word ¡°noona¡±, so it was a cheap shot. But this time, she couldn¡¯t just let it slide. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. You gave him money, and you found him a job. That¡¯s enough to fulfill your parents¡¯ will. How long are you going to clean up after that bastard?!¡± ¡°Noona, please.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t just let this slide this time. You, who could start a guild on your own, why are you the vice-guild master? Does Seo Go-woon even know? And do you think that trash Seo Go-woon will change his ways? You¡¯re deluding yourself. The saying ¡®what you sow, so shall you reap¡¯ applies to plants, not people.¡± As Seo Taeju bowed his head and covered his face with his hand, Seo Moon Noeul patted his shoulder and spoke, ¡°I understand your feelings. But, it¡¯s hard for me too, just watching. You¡¯re suffering so much because of that bastard, and he doesn¡¯t even know it. Look at him today, he came to renew the contract without a care.¡± Seo TaeJu looked up at Seo Moon Noeul. The look in his eyes was asking whether she had anything to do with the contract renewal. ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thankful, please make this the last time you interfere in Seo Go-woonn¡¯s affairs. You¡¯ve kept your promise just by regularly paying his salary even though he doesn¡¯t do any dungeon work.¡± After Seo TaeJu awakened, he received a flood of scouting offers from many guilds. He, who had the capability and ranking to even start his own guild if he wanted to, was offered a plethora of conditions that were advantageous to him. However, Seo TaeJu refused all those beneficial conditions and presented only one: To have his brother Seo Go-woon join the guild and to pay him the salary that he received. Seo Go-woon was a trash figure known in the Hunter community to the point of rumors that he was a human parasite in the guild he had previously joined. Even then, all the guilds were reluctant as they did not believe Seo Taeju was in a position to take in Seo Go-woon despite his superior abilities. And the one who seized the opportunity at that time was Seo Moon Noeul, who was barely managing a small guild. Believing that someday Seo Go-woon would come to his senses and become like an ordinary person. But she didn¡¯t think that after some time, Seo Go-woon would exploit everything from Seo Taeju, not just his liver and gallbladder. Then, a knock was heard again. ¡°Come in.¡± At Seo Moon Noeul¡¯s call, instead of the room owner, the door opened and Lee Yeoreum entered the vice-guild master¡¯s room. ¡°I heard that the guild master is in the vice-guild master¡¯s room, so I came here.¡± ¡°Ah, I had something to say to Taeju. Is the contract over?¡± ¡°Yes, he signed the contract but¡­¡± At Lee Yeoreum, who was dragging on, Seo Moon Noeul frowned. ¡°Why, what did that bastard ask for again?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Approaching the desk, Lee Yeoreum laid down Seo Go-woon¡¯s hunter¡¯s license and ID. ¡°He left these behind.¡± Seo Taeju picked up the hunter¡¯s license and the ID. Like his father, even when Seo Go-woon took an ID photo expressionlessly, it looked like he was smiling because his lips were turned up. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Seo Moon Noeul, looking displeased at the two IDs held by Seo Tae-Ju, asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. After hearing the siren, he just left?¡± ¡°Siren? The monster wave dispatch alert from earlier?¡± ¡°Yes, he suddenly said ¡®Damn. It was today.¡¯ and just signed and ran out. He said he would come back for those later.¡± When Seo Moon Noeul looked at Seo Taeju as if saying ¡®You don¡¯t mean¡­¡¯, Seo TaejJu was also looking back at him with the same expression. Then, Seo Taeju, who suddenly got up, ran out of the vice-guild master¡¯s room, leaving Seo Moon Noeul pulling her hair out. ¡°Seo Go-woon, you piece of trash. What kind of grudge do you have against Taeju from your past life that you¡¯re doing this!¡± ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù -Whoosh! Whoosh! The summoned water swept away everything in its path like a tsunami, including the fire golem. Even I, the caster, was no exception. My body was violently shaken by the pressure created by the massive surge of water. However, I had to endure the pain. Being swept away by the water would allow me to top the list of those escaping the world of the living, after all. Water filled my eyes and nose, and the breath I¡¯d been holding reached my throat. My waterlogged ears felt stuffed, yet I couldn¡¯t stop the roaring sound created by the furious water. ¡®I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m suffocating.¡¯ Just when I thought I might die not from the fire golem, but from the water I summoned, the water level around me started to decrease. It was not absorbed or drained, but gradually receded on its own until it was calf-high, at which point I released my grip and slumped down on the spot. I was so drained that I couldn¡¯t even stand. At that moment, Salt flew down from the sky towards me. ¡®Not again¡­?¡¯ I hastily blocked the incoming Salt with a strike to its vitals. ¡°Ppi!¡± Although it was a bird with no facial expression, its beady black eyes seemed to express displeasure. ¡°No. If it hits you there, it¡¯ll hurt.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± Salt whirled around me with a sigh-like tweet. It seemed to be checking my injuries. ¡°Ppi-ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay.¡± Maybe because I had just survived a near-death experience in an attempt to save someone, I responded listlessly to Salt¡¯s rebuke. ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± Salt protested, realizing that I wasn¡¯t really listening, but I ignored it and stared up at the sky. Whether there was satisfaction from waiting, the crack that had been in the sky was now nowhere to be found. As I saw the clear sky without any torn spaces, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°No, my head is wet¡ª Ugh.¡± I tried to stop Salt, who was about to perch on my head, but I felt my hair against my palm. A sharp pain made me wince as I looked at my hand. My palm was not only burned but also scraped, and the skin was so cooked that it was torn in places. ¡®I need to drink a healing potion.¡¯ The thought of having to drink another expensive healing potion made me frown. ¡®I could have asked a healer for help, but there¡¯s no way Seo Go-woon, who hasn¡¯t even properly lived as a hunter, would know a healer. ¡°Ppi-ppi!¡± ¡®Seeing Salt fluttering around cluelessly in an alarmed manner, it must have seen my hand just now.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s okay, it just looks bad, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Being a detective, one inevitably becomes familiar with pain. It wasn¡¯t as if a bullet had pierced my stomach, if I were to say I was in pain over something like this, I wouldn¡¯t be fit to be a detective. Considering what I¡¯ve endured from the Poison Toad, this was merely equivalent to a scratch gotten from a random walk. ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± I smiled to reassure Salt, who gave a chirp and flew back up over my head. ¡°Wait, are you trying to perch on my head again? No way, my hair is wet right now.¡± ¡°Ppi! Ppi!¡± ¡°No matter how much you chirp, it won¡¯t help. What can¡¯t be done, can¡¯t be done.¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll start chirping when your feathers get wet, asking me to dry you.¡± I swung my arm to deter Salt, who was trying to sit. Then, the sound of someone walking through the residual water, ¡®splish-splash¡¯, reached my ears. Turning my head, I saw a man who appeared a bit weary. [The passive ¡®Diagnosis¡¯ is activated.] [Michael ¨C Contamination 28%] As soon as I saw the man, I knew he was Michael due to the diagnosis message that appeared, but even without the message, he was a man whose appearance suggested he was Michael. Golden hair and gray eyes. Born to a British mother and a Korean-British father, Michael looked more like a foreigner than a person of mixed heritage on the outside. One droplet of water was pitifully clinging to his golden eyelashes, matching his hair color, making him look as if he was crying. CH 16 ¡°¡­Hello.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. Hello.¡± Once I focused on his clumsy Korean, Michael gave a shy smile and spoke, ¡°Thanks for a while ago, I was having a tough time.¡± Even though the man¡¯s Korean was awkward in the novel, I didn¡¯t feel it was awkward because it was written in characters, but hearing it directly, the pronunciation and intonation were definitely foreign. ¡°But how did you do it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Water suddenly gushed out. Was it a skill?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°Then something else? An item? Or a scroll?¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°Are you a hunter? What kind of ability do you have? Ah, what¡¯s your name?¡± Michael asked a series of questions without giving me a chance to answer. ¡®Hey, you. Give me time to answer.¡¯ ¡°Why? Is it difficult to answer? Is it a secret? My name is Michael Bernard. My Korean name is Kim Michael. I¡¯m the guild leader of the Holy Spirit Guild.¡± ¡®I also know that you¡¯re the guild leader. Don¡¯t think that¡¯s all I know, I know how you become naturalized and how you formed a guild. So please give me some time to answer.¡¯ ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± After finishing all the questions he wanted to ask, Michael¡¯s eyes shone expectantly for the answer. ¡®Huh? Does he not know who I am?¡¯ Michael is a naturalized individual, so he doesn¡¯t have many acquaintances and the news is slow, but not knowing who I am is too slow, isn¡¯t it? ¡°I am¡ª¡± ¡°Huh? Your hand¡­?¡± ¡®Let me answer. Why do you keep asking questions and not listen to the answers?¡¯ If Salt, who had been making noises all day, were to be made human, it would be Michael. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a burn? Ouch, there¡¯s a blister. There¡¯s blood here. Are you okay? But is this your pet? Why is it sitting on your head?¡± Michael pointed to the top of my head with his finger. Usually, my curly hair would have covered it, but now it had soaked up the water and sunk down, revealing the white Salt. When did it sit there? ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really cute when it chirps. Can I touch it?¡± ¡°No. You can¡¯t.¡± I hastily shielded Salt with my hand. My palm felt hot and painful, but it was more important to prevent Michael and Salt from touching. With the topic changing rapidly like Michael, I told him about Salt in case he touched Salt in the meantime. ¡°It¡¯s shy around strangers and doesn¡¯t like touching unfamiliar hands. Salt, don¡¯t stay there, fly up.¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± ¡°Quickly.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi¡ª¡± Although it chirped in displeasure, Salt flew back into the sky. ¡°I see, it¡¯s shy, sorry.¡± ¡®Phew, that was a close call.¡¯ Michael¡¯s contamination level was safe. There was no need to purify him, and I didn¡¯t want to reveal Salt¡¯s identity for no reason. Especially with a talkative type like Michael, it would have been only a matter of time before Salt¡¯s identity got out. ¡°I see. But doesn¡¯t your hand hurt?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay.¡± Although it hurts, the wound would heal once I go home and apply or drink a potion. But whether he didn¡¯t believe my words or not, Michael was about to grab my hand. ¡°Seo Go-woon!¡± From a distance, a completely soaked Seo Taeju was running toward us. ¡®Why is he wet? Did he get swept up by the water I summoned?¡¯ As I tilted my head and looked at Michael, his pupils were trembling uncontrollably as he looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Seo Go-woon?¡± When I nodded to his finger pointing at me, Michael¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®Ah, I see. He knew the name but not the face.¡¯ Now I understand why Michael¡¯s reaction was friendly unlike others. He really didn¡¯t know I was Seo Go-woon. ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Seo Taeju, who roared loudly, blocked my path and bowed to Michael, ¡°I apologize. If there¡¯s any damage to be compensated or any problem, please contact the Noir Guild-¡° ¡®What? He thinks I caused an accident now?!¡¯ Unlike me, who was incredulous, Michael seemed quite surprised, his eyes wide open and his hands fervently waving. ¡°Ah, no! There¡¯s nothing like that!¡± ¡°Do you think of me as a child who only causes accidents? I haven¡¯t done anything¡­¡± Just as I was about to protest that I hadn¡¯t done anything, Seo Taeju¡¯s hair, soaked to the core, caught my eye. ¡®Hmm. Well, I did do something, but still¡­¡¯ ¡°You idiot, the water was to eliminate the fire golem!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m very busy. If you have any complaints, please contact the Sunset[1] Guild.¡± ¡°Bullshit. Why would he complain? What did I do wrong? Hey, Michael, tell me. Did I do anything wrong?¡± Michael, who had previously been chatting away happily, now started to hiccup, his eyes wide in surprise. The timing was such that it looked like he was hiccupping in fright because of me. Seo Taeju, who had just raised his head, grabbed my wrist. Because he was pulling so hard, my palm was scraping against the ground, and I yelled out in pain. ¡°Hey, let go. It hurts.¡± ¡°Follow me!¡± ¡°Let me go. I can walk on my own.¡± Although our conversation was becoming aggressive, and everyone around us was watching, this guy didn¡¯t seem to care. I tried putting more strength into my legs and struggled to free myself, but there was no way a D-class could overpower an SS-class hunter. In the end, I was dragged all the way to the underground parking lot of the Sunset Guild. Upon reaching his car, he flung my hand away as if it was trash and snapped. ¡°Why did you go there! What makes you think you can handle it? Are you tired of the world? Are you so disgusted with me that you want to see your parents again?¡± ¡®Arguing with an angry person only escalates the situation.¡¯ I tried to explain the situation calmly. Our relationship was already strained, but I couldn¡¯t make it worse. ¡°Why are you overreacting? I just thought I could handle the situation.¡± ¡°Ha, and what exactly can you do? Disassembly? Or making a knife out of handcuffs?¡± ¡®Ah, Seo Go-woon. Did you make a knife out of a guard¡¯s handcuffs? I knew from reading that you were wasting your energy on useless things, but with alchemy, the possibilities are endless, and you wasted it on that?!¡¯ ¡°Get a grip! What gives you the right to act this way!¡± Sure, Seo Go-woon was a useless piece of trash who couldn¡¯t grasp the situation, but I wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t pride in Seo Go-woon¡¯s abilities, or confidence that I could solve everything. It was simply that I stepped forward because I knew I could handle it if Blue Cloud was with me. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m not like that¡ª¡± People began to gather in the underground parking lot, one by one. ¡°Fine. I might look like a piece of shit to you. After all, I¡¯m the enemy who killed your parents. But if you really cared about your parents, you wouldn¡¯t act like this! Aren¡¯t you sorry for your parents who worried about someone like you and died?¡± I hardened my expression. I knew that the parents Seo Taeju was talking about weren¡¯t my parents because in reality, I don¡¯t have parents. But even if I didn¡¯t have parents, mentioning them was crossing the line. Even if Seo Go-woon is a piece of trash, isn¡¯t this a bit too much? ¡°You seem to be crossing a line.¡± ¡°Crossing a line? Damn it, I give you money, tolerate your trouble-making, even clean up your messes, and you¡¯re saying I crossed a line? You¡¯re the one who disgraced our parents, not me!¡± ¡°Hey, I was really trying to do something. If you would just look¡ª¡± The slightest movement of my hand into my pocket caused a pain akin to being stabbed by a knife. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead and down my back, but I didn¡¯t stop moving my hand. ¡°No need, I don¡¯t need to hear it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to justify yourself again. Have I not seen enough of your accidents and excuses?¡± ¡°Hey, I get what you¡¯re trying to say, but at least hear me out¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to our parents, but I think I¡¯ve done enough. I¡¯m going to give up on you. Go to the dungeon and die, or get swept away by a monster wave, do whatever you want. At this point, even our parents wouldn¡¯t blame me for giving up on you.¡± ¡°Seo Taeju.¡± ¡°I guess I had hopes without even realizing it. That you¡¯d change now. But you didn¡¯t. You¡¯re still trash.¡± Ever since Seo Taeju threw away the toast I made, I had given up on the Sunshine Policy. But seeing him struggle because of the deadline was too pitiful. Reminded of the sorrow I felt when reading about Seo Taeju¡¯s life in a novel, I hoped to wrap things up nicely and return to before the toast incident. That would make us merely lukewarm colleagues. But this is not it. ¡®Why should I listen to this jerk who doesn¡¯t listen to me and only says what he wants?¡¯ ¡°Hey. Didn¡¯t I say it¡¯s not me? Can¡¯t you listen to what people say? I¡¯m not a kid, why are you judging on your own terms without listening to me?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t feel the need to listen. Do I need to hear you when you¡¯re just going to spout nonsense? Let¡¯s live like strangers from now on. No, actually, you always said we¡¯re not family but strangers. Yeah. We¡¯re strangers.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The guild? If you want to leave, then leave. Support? I¡¯m going to cut everything off. Whether you enter a dungeon or get caught in a monster wave, don¡¯t contact me. I¡¯m not going to come to rescue you. You say you¡¯ll die? Then just¡­,¡± Seo Taeju¡¯s face, as he dropped his hand, was cold, ¡°¡­drop dead.¡± Despite having been subjected to numerous harsh words and contemptuous gazes, I had never seen a face like today¡¯s, looking at me as if I were something worthless. Facing that gaze, I felt no need to make excuses anymore. ¡®If that bastard isn¡¯t joining the Cradle Party because of me, we can just replace him with someone else.¡¯ On top of that, pretending to be a family when we aren¡¯t even real family was a joke in itself. ¡°Damn it¡­ Fine, I got it. I don¡¯t know anymore, so just do whatever you want.¡± Hearing my response, Seo Taeju climbed into his car. With the vroom of the engine, I watched as Seo Taeju¡¯s car drove off. ¡®To drop dead? Such an impudent jerk¡­¡¯ I felt a sense of relief, but also a slight hint of regret. ¡ù¡ù¡ù ¡°Dungeon?¡± At my question, the dungeon access officer nodded his head while shaking uncontrollably. ¡®If he¡¯s in charge of dungeon access, he shouldn¡¯t have run into Seo Go-woon, so why is he so terrified?¡¯ I cocked my head, looking at the documents the officer presented to me. A D-rank crystal dungeon. Given that it didn¡¯t appear in the novel, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t a particularly unique dungeon. After looking over the documents detailing the monsters, map of the dungeon, and the estimated time to conquer it, I placed it back on the desk. ¡°But why do I have to go to a dungeon?¡± Although I had joined the Sunset Guild using Seo Taeju¡¯s power, Seo Go-woon had never set foot in a dungeon before. The guild had only included Seo Go-woon as a condition of inducting Seo Taeju, never intending to send Go-woon himself into a dungeon. ¡®Is this Seo Taeju¡¯s doing?¡¯ A few days ago, that jerk had said he would cut off all support. If that support was to prevent me from going into a dungeon, it made sense that the guild was now suddenly forcing me to enter one. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s stated in the, the contract, uh¡­,¡± the officer started crying mid-sentence. ¡®What¡¯s with these guys? They cry the moment they see my face.It¡¯s not like I¡¯m eating them alive, swearing, or threatening them. I¡¯m just innocently asking, so why all the tears?¡¯ Suddenly, the previous interaction with that rude guy came to mind and I felt my anger surging. But I couldn¡¯t afford to lose my temper. ¡®Seo Go-woon¡¯s reputation was even worse than I thought.¡¯ Psycho, social disaster, freak Seo Go-woon. With such a reputation, it was no surprise that I was chased away and denied even being near Cradle, let alone joining Cradle¡¯s party. After mulling it over for a few days, the first thing I needed to do wasn¡¯t to save hunters, but to improve the tarnished reputation that Seo Go-woon had left me with. ¡®Ugh, of all the people to possess, it had to be Seo Go-woon.¡¯ No matter how much I lamented or resented it, nothing changed. I let out a sigh internally, then mustered the softest smile I could. I figured they might spit at a smiling face, but they wouldn¡¯t be scared of it. However. ¡°Heeek!¡± The officer was even more terrified. Even though Seo Go-woon¡¯s features were slightly cat-like and harmless when smiling¡­ ¡®Just what kind of outrageous things did this guy do?¡¯ As I sighed softly, a now-familiar voice drifted over. ¡°Hey. Are you threatening the officer again?¡± Red hair that you¡¯d remember even after just one glance. It was Chihuahua. Footnote(s) CH 17 From somewhere, Kang Do-hoon rushed over as if he¡¯d had an epiphany and shouted. ¡°What the. I did nothing but laugh. But, do you like me or something? Is your jealousy towards me, not Taeju, the reason you¡¯re telling me to back off?¡± ¡°What, what nonsense are you talking about!¡± ¡°No, really. Whenever I come to the guild, you always show up. It¡¯s like you¡¯re always waiting for me.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about!¡± Kang Do-hoon¡¯s face flared up, turning bright red. In a teasing manner, I subtly scooted away from Kang Do-hoon on the sofa. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t accept you.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense! Why would I like you! I absolutely hate you! I would rather like a monster than you!!¡± I muttered ¡®yeah, yeah¡¯ and nodded. ¡°I mean it! I don¡¯t like you!¡± ¡°But why do you come to find me every time I come to the guild?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because! I am your watcher!¡± ¡°Watcher?¡± Kang Do-hoon nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m the watcher who watches you to make sure you don¡¯t tarnish the guild¡¯s name!¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I gave Kang Do-hoon a careful once-over. He was about the same height as Seo Go Woon, but Kang Do-hoon had a more slender build. His exposed wrist was also too thin for a hunter. Besides, when I grabbed his shoulder before, he said it hurt, so he seemed more like a regular person than a hunter? ¡°You seem too weak to be a watcher?¡± I pointed at Kang Do-hoon from head to toe with my finger. ¡°How am I weak!¡± Whether being called weak was a sore spot, Kang Do-hoon jumped up from his seat and protested. ¡°You¡¯re just a regular person. Do you think you can handle me with that frail body?¡± ¡°Who, who says! Who says I¡¯m a regular person! I¡¯m a hunter?!¡± I looked at the color of Kang Do-hoon¡¯s hair. Unlike the bright hair color of the hunters, he had red hair and brown eyes that seemed dyed. Even if he dressed up his hair and eyes like a hunter, he looked just like a regular person no matter how I looked at it. ¡®Does he not like being a regular person.¡¯ ¡°Hmm, okay. Congratulations on being a hunter.¡± Whether he liked my congratulatory remark, Kang Do-hoon¡¯s face lost color. I ignored Kang Do-hoon and spoke to the person in charge. ¡°So, how long do I have to do this?¡± Between my bickering with Kang Do-hoon, whether the person in charge had calmed down, or it was because Kang Do-hoon was by my side, the person in charge spoke with a slightly less fearful face. ¡°You have to go within a week.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± I picked up the documents and got up from my seat. There¡¯s no one who needs saving right now, and I need to level up anyway, so it wouldn¡¯t be bad to go to the dungeon. The guild might think this is an excuse to kick me out, but for me, this is an opportunity. Those bastards may have told me to quit the guild if I want to, but why would I leave a well-paying sweet job like this. Moreover, there probably wouldn¡¯t be a guild that would welcome Seo Go-woon, who was infamous for his absurdity. ¡®It¡¯s sweet just staying here.¡¯ As I got up from my seat, shaking my head, Kang Do-hoon followed me. ¡°When are you going?¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯re coming along?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I stopped and looked at Kang Do-hoon. ¡®Does he¡­ really like Seo Go-woon?¡¯ Even though Seo Go-woon was a troublemaker, if one were to judge by face alone, he had a pretty decent look. His skin was good, his upward-slanted eyes were cat-like and softened when he smiled. You could like him just by looking at his face¡­ But isn¡¯t that a quick way to ruin your life? Isn¡¯t it weirder for someone to hold onto a ticking time bomb, knowing it could explode at any moment, based solely on its appearance? As Ifell into deep thought, Kang Do-hoon nudged my shoulder. ¡°But are you sure your hands are okay?¡± ¡°Huh? My hands?¡± ¡®Why is he talking about my hands, all of sudden?¡¯ I looked down at my hands. Unlike my original, rough hands, Seo Go-woon¡¯s hands were white, long, and slim. ¡°You severely injured your hand, right?¡± ¡®Did that son of a¡­ spiledl the beans?¡¯ On top of spewing foul words, he didn¡¯t even come home, and after three days of being off the radar, he seemed to have finally sobered up? ¡°Who did?¡± I asked, pretending not to care. ¡°Michael, the Guildmaster of the Holy Spirit Guild.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The sound of the streamer¡¯s ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± that I often watched flashed across my mind. While I was feeling embarrassed inwardly, Kang Do-hoon grabbed my hand and twisted it here and there. ¡°But your hand looks fine?¡± ¡°It was injured, but I applied a potion, so it¡¯s fine now.¡± Kang Do-hoon looked at me with shocked eyes. ¡°A potion?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded dryly and pressed the elevator button. ¡°A healing potion?!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard! Do you know how expensive that is to apply on your hand!¡± For a moment, I looked at Kang Do-hoon, taken aback. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you have such a potion, you should¡¯ve given it to Taeju hyung!! Why are you applying it on your hand!¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my stuff. I¡¯ll use it as I want, what¡¯s it to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a potion that should be used on Taeju hyung, not on your hand! Do you know how expensive that is!¡± Ignoring the furious yelling, I stepped into the elevator. ¡°Hey! Where are you going! Are you going to make a scene somewhere?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m just going out quietly. You don¡¯t need to follow.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t trust you.¡± Just before the door fully closed, Kang Do-hoon pressed a button, and it opened again. He stepped into the elevator. ¡°You¡¯ve scammed me more than once or twice! I¡¯d rather believe that a dog meows than believe your words.¡± ¡®Did he have something against the dogs in the Sunset Guild?¡¯ ¡®That bastard was saying a dog wouldn¡¯t take a dump, while Kang Do-hoon was saying a dog would meow.¡¯ With a shrug, I conveyed that he could do as he pleased. ¡°¡­Hey, do you have more of that potion?¡± ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not giving it to you.¡± Seo Go-woon had a total of five potions stashed at home. I¡¯d used two, so there were three left. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to coax you! Give it to Taeju hyung! Taeju hyung!¡± ¡°Why should I give it to a guy who doesn¡¯t even come home?¡± I had no intention of giving it anyway. ¡°That¡¯s because Taeju-hyung is currently touring dungeons.¡± ¡°Dungeon touring?¡± With a ding, the elevator doors opened. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Taeju hyung is in debt to the Center because of you. He got an official notice to clear the dungeons managed by the Center.¡± ¡°Debt? Oh.¡± At my response, Kang Do-hoon frowned. ¡°¡®Oh¡¯? All you have to say is ¡®Oh¡¯? Taeju hyung is suffering because of you!¡± ¡°Who told him to leave the dungeon without permission? As I¡¯ve said before, isn¡¯t it only right to fix what you¡¯ve messed up yourself?¡± He could have ignored the message or sought me out after conquering the dungeon. The one who ran off on his own was that bastard Seo Taeju. Why is it my fault that that bastard messed up? ¡°Wow. You really are a piece of trash.¡± ¡°Right. Since I¡¯m trash, stop following me and go do your own thing,¡± I waved my hand dismissively as I exited the elevator. I thought he wouldn¡¯t follow once I reached the lobby on the first floor, but Kang Do-hoon got off the elevator after me. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡± ¡°Would I?¡± ¡°Why are you following me then?¡± Kang Do-hoon frowned as he replied, ¡°Shit. It¡¯s not like I want to follow you.¡± Fine, fine. Do as you please. Ignoring Kang Do-hoon, I strode through the lobby. I heard people murmuring and cursing at Seo Go-woon amidst the crowd, but I simply ignored it. After all, I wasn¡¯t really Seo Go-woon, so the insults didn¡¯t affect me. ¡°When are you going to the dungeon?¡± Kang Do-hoon asked, upon reaching the front door of the lobby. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Why? Because I have to follow you, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°What? Why do you have to follow me to the dungeon?¡± ¡°Because I told you I¡¯m your watcher!¡± Kang Do-hoon exploded. ¡°What, you¡¯re going to monitor me even in the dungeon? Seriously? Why? If I get into an accident and die in the dungeon, that¡¯s on me, so why the surveillance?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®surveillance?¡¯ I¡¯m just making sure you¡¯re exploring properly. You lied about clearing the dungeon when you didn¡¯t. Have you forgotten how much backlash the Sunset Guild received when the dungeon exploded back then?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡®Seo Go-woon, this bastard.¡¯ He really was up to unimaginable antics. I sighed and raised my hand, ¡°I¡¯m going to the dungeon now. Follow me if you want to.¡± ¡°Now? Aren¡¯t you going to prepare?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pathetic D-class dungeon. What¡¯s there to prepare for?¡± I left the lobby and got into the waiting taxi. Perhaps anticipating I would leave, Kang Do-hoon squeezed into the seat next to me. He tried to push me away, but he lacked the strength. ¡®With this level of strength, he couldn¡¯t even push a desk.¡¯ Moving over to the other seat in sympathy, Kang Do-hoon quickly climbed into the car. ¡°Driver, please take us to this address.¡± I handed the driver the address of the D-class crystal dungeon given by the person in charge while ignoring Kang Do-hoon. ¡°You¡¯re really thinking of going into the dungeon, right? You¡¯re not just going to turn around when we get there, are you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been wanting to go to the dungeon.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Kang Do-hoon shouted in surprise. ¡°Hey, keep it down.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disturb the driver.¡± Realizing we were inside a taxi, Kang Do-hoon clamped his mouth shut with an ¡°oh¡± expression. ¡°I understand you don¡¯t trust me, but let¡¯s be quiet while we¡¯re moving.¡± I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. There¡¯s no point in talking anyway since he wouldn¡¯t believe me, and I didn¡¯t feel like chatting. Perhaps sensing my mood, Kang Do-hoon did not try to start a conversation. As the dungeon was located in the heart of Seoul, it didn¡¯t take long to get there. After paying the driver, we got out to see a towering concrete wall, unadorned and tall. ¡°Hmm.¡± Forested dungeons located on the outskirts of Seoul, where people rarely visit, didn¡¯t usually have walls, but places with a high population like central Seoul often erected concrete walls like this due to fears of dungeon outbreaks. As I was looking for the entrance to go inside the wall, Kang Do-hoon, following behind me, asked, ¡°You¡¯re really going in?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you¡¯re scared, stay here. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± ¡°Sc¡ªscared! I¡¯m a hunter too, why would I be scared of this!¡± ¡®He didn¡¯t seem too convincing with his slightly trembling voice. And when is he going to stop pretending to be a hunter? We¡¯re past the point where the staff was around, aren¡¯t we?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re not a hunter.¡± ¡°What? I am a hunter.¡± ¡°You? A hunter? But what kind of hunter is so weak?¡± From what I knew, hunters, regardless of their awakened abilities, had better stamina than the average person. Their defense was the same. If he had awakened as a hunter, even if he wasn¡¯t overly muscular, he wouldn¡¯t be in pain from a slight touch, would he? ¡°So you¡¯re strong, then? You¡¯re weak as well, aren¡¯t you?¡± His sharp words left me speechless. As an awakened hunter, Seo Go-woon was indeed weak. Compared to other hunters, he was practically fragile. However. ¡°You¡¯re weaker than me, you¡¯re in no position to talk.¡± Even so, Seo Go-woon was in better shape than Kang Do-hoon. Kang Do-hoon, who had been incessantly bickering, clammed up at my remark. After finally finding the entrance and inputting the number written in the document, the metal door opened with a rumble. Entering the metal door, we could see the gate in the center of the collapsed buildings. Around the gate, small crystals emitting a purple light seemed to grow, indicating the attribute of the gate. Before stepping into the gate, I looked at Kang Do-hoon, ¡°You¡¯re really going to follow? I can¡¯t protect you.¡± ¡°Who asked for your protection?! I¡¯m strong enough to navigate a D-class dungeon on my own!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I suspiciously stared at him before nodding. ¡®If he¡¯s in trouble, he¡¯ll leave on his own.¡¯ Even then, I didn¡¯t know how my slight complacency would bring about such a great danger. CH 18 The Crystal Dungeon was beautiful. The dungeon, in the form of a cave, wasn¡¯t dark due to the soft, multicolored light emitted by the crystals. Rather, it had a dreamy atmosphere, so much so that it elicited exclamations of awe as soon as one entered. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really pretty.¡± Even Kang Do-hoon, on his first visit, looked around in awe, repeatedly expressing his admiration. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go.¡± I gave Kang Do-hoon a light tap on the shoulder and started walking deeper into the cave. As beautiful as it was, we had a job to do. ¡°Have you been here before?How can you not exclaim in admiration after seeing this fantastical sight?¡± ¡°Does admiring the scenery put food on the table, or give us rice cakes? Isn¡¯t it strange for you to be so rustic and keep exclaiming over what we¡¯ll be seeing the whole way?¡± At my response, Kang Do-hoon shook his head in disbelief. ¡°You really lack sentimentality.¡± ¡°So, does that make me a piece of trash?¡± Just then, a chirping sound came from above. ¡°Did it wake up?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s going on!¡± Kang Do-hoon looked around in panic. ¡°Ppi?¡± At the sight of Salt, who had hopped down from above to my forehead, Kang Do-hoon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°A bird?¡± ¡°Yeah. Its name is Salt.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re raising a bird too? Coo coo, come here.¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± Though I couldn¡¯t see it, I imagined Salt turning its head sharply in refusal. Initially, I thought Salt disliked people. It had never approached or acknowledged others. It was the same with Seo Taeju. It would sit on his hand during purification, but as soon as that was over, it would immediately fly back onto my head. And then it would endlessly chirp and babble. But after the fourth purification, instead of coming back to me, it started to flutter around Seo Taeju. It seemed like it had decided it was no longer wary of him and would act as it pleased. Salt didn¡¯t dislike people, it was just shy around strangers. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should call this bird-like behavior, or more human-like. ¡°Hey, my head is fluffy and comfortable too. Try sitting here.¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡°Ah, such an insolent bird, just like its owner.¡± What¡¯s so rude about expressing dislike when you dislike something? Kang Do-hoon avoided my questioning look. Avoiding my gaze wouldn¡¯t make him right. I scrunched up my forehead and asked, ¡°Why is being shy considered insolent? Are all shy people rude? And where did you learn to insult someone¡¯s pet in front of them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kang Do-hoon, who had been arguing relentlessly, now firmly shut his mouth. Right, he had nothing to say. If he argued here, he¡¯d end up looking worse than Seo Go-woon. With a tut, I started walking again. ¡°Ppi-ppi. Ppi.¡± After some time, Salt began to sing, maybe it was finally feeling better after the spat with Kang Do-hoon. Kang Do-hoon, who had been keeping his mouth shut and observing the mood between me and Salt, once he realized that Salt had relaxed, sidled up to me again. ¡°Has it been on your head the whole time?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t I notice?¡± ¡°Because it was hidden in my hair.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it uncomfortable when you move?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Salt had gotten clever. When I moved my head slightly, it would brace itself by twisting strands of my hair around its claws. I noticed this when some of my hair got tangled in its claws. ¡°Fascinating. Its name is Salt?¡± Kang Do-hoon couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Salt. Feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze, Salt stopped chirping and flew upwards. ¡°Huh? It flew away-. Oh, it didn¡¯t.¡± It then landed on my shoulder, causing Kang Do-hoon to chuckle awkwardly. I tutted and started walking again. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t run away even without a leash. Did you clip its wings like a parrot?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But why doesn¡¯t it fly away? Can¡¯t it fly?¡± ¡°No, it just likes being with me.¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± ¡°Oh, really? It¡¯s so cute!¡± As Kang Do-hoon approached Salt after hearing the chirp, Salt quickly hopped over to the other shoulder, away from him. Even if Salt, such a hamster, was quite averse to strangers, it wouldn¡¯t avoid someone so extremely like this. It seemed as if the comment I made earlier about not being able to go had rubbed Salt the wrong way. ¡°He really hates people.¡± Does it hate people or is it just shy around strangers? I thought about correcting Kang Do-hoon¡¯s misunderstanding, but then I thought I might suggest seeing him more frequently until Salt is no longer shy, so I just kept my mouth shut. I wasn¡¯t particularly eager to meet either the Question Mark Murderer or Kang Do-hoon, who would always criticize me out of nowhere. Kang Do-hoon, as if understanding, nodded his head but then again, he approached closer towards Salt resting on my shoulder. Kang Do-hoon approached, Salt evaded; their endless game of cat and mouse began. ¡°Enough. Hey, if you¡¯re going to interfere, just get lost. It¡¯s getting on my nerves.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± At my irritated words, Kang Do-hoon quickly apologized. ¡°Salt, you too, stop messing around.¡± Knowing that Salt would climb to the top of my head if he was truly upset, I scolded him sternly. ¡°Ppi.¡± Salt, looking sulky, flew up to the top of my head with a small flutter. Feeling the warmth of Salt, who was no larger than my thumb, I started walking again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°Scared of what?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Kang Do-hoon indicated our surroundings. What¡¯s scary all of a sudden when he was calling this place beautiful and fantastic just a moment ago? ¡°No, since we¡¯ve come quite far into this place, who knows when a monster will pop out.¡± ¡°That thing?¡± I pointed at a spot where crystals were abundantly piled up. ¡°That¡¯s a crystal.¡± I looked at Kang Do-hoon with a pitiful face. Is this guy really a hunter? Could he have dyed his hair and deceived us to get in here? I clicked my tongue and placed my palm on the ground. ¡°Refine.¡± In an instant, multiple black cones emerged from the place where the crystals were. Along with the sound of crystals breaking, a short cry could be heard. ¡°What, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? It¡¯s catching a monster.¡± I strode towards the place where the crystals used to be. Among the broken crystal fragments, a cone had pierced the belly of a spine-shaped monster, a ¡®Cave Hedgehog,¡¯ which was bleeding green. ¡°H-how did you know?!¡± ¡°Know what?¡± I cut off the tail of the cave hedgehog, which was curled up like a pig¡¯s tail, and held it in my hand. Cutting this off served as proof that I had conquered the dungeon and defeated the monster. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s bloody.¡± Kang Do-hoon dodged out of the way as if he was disgusted. If I had known it would get bloody, I would have brought a bag with me. Looking at the green blood on my hand, I then turned my gaze towards Kang Do-hoon. Seeing my gaze, Kang Do-hoon took a step back with a queasy expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°What are you saying I shouldn¡¯t do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about smearing that blood on me!¡± ¡°Are you nuts?¡± I had no such intentions. Clicking my tongue, I looked around to see if there was anything I could use to store the tail. In the dungeons managed by the guild, since hunters continuously came and went, it was often described that many would leave their belongings behind. Even in the middle of the novel, there was a scene where Seo Taeju, the healer of the party, left behind vacuum-sealed jerky for the next party. So, I thought there could be something here too. ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± Perhaps because it was a D-rank dungeon, there was nothing in the vicinity. All that was left on the ground were shards of broken crystals. ¡®Why isn¡¯t there any light coming out of the crystal fragments?¡¯ The crystals, which had previously shone brightly in a variety of colors, had lost their light upon shattering. Moreover, the fragments, which had been so transparent that they could reflect everything, now seemed opaque. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Having decided that I wasn¡¯t going to smear the blood on him, Kang Do-hoon approached and looked at the crystal fragments together with me. ¡°No, do you know what this is?¡± ¡°Crystal.¡± ¡°I mean, do you know what this crystal is made of?¡± ¡°Crystals are made of crystal. What else would they be?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Right. I¡¯m the fool for asking you. Giving up on asking Kang Do-hoon, I held a fragment of the crystal in my hand. The more I looked at it, the stranger the crystal seemed. Judging by the quietness of my passive Truth Skill, it didn¡¯t seem like an item, but it didn¡¯t seem like a simple crystal either. ¡°Why are you picking that up? What for?¡± Instead of replying, I started muttering an incantation to myself. [Shard of the Balanced Crystal] Description: Shard of a crystal formed by hardened slime produced by Balanced. It is an opaque shard with no particular function. ¡°Balanced? What is that? Do you know?¡± Kang Do-hoon shook his head. Even I, who had read the novel to its end, was hearing this name for the first time. This time, I used appraisal on the shining crystal. [Balanced Crystal] Description: Crystal made from hardened slime excreted by Balanced for the purpose of protecting its eggs. In its transparent form, it emits its own light. When used, one can experience a potent hair growth effect due to the characteristics of Balanced. ¡ù The effect can only be seen when it is heated rapidly while shining. ¡ù For alchemists, it can be collected and dissected by infusing magic power. ¡°What¡¯s so weird? What are you doing right now?¡± Kang Do-hoon shook my arm, as if he found me gazing blankly into the void rather peculiar. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°¡®I¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out!¡± ¡°What?¡± I grabbed Kang Do-hoon in a tight hug and started to dance joyfully. ¡°Yuck! What is it! Get off me!¡± ¡°Ppi! Ppi! Ppi!¡± Salt (my pet) was protesting from atop my bobbing head, and Kang Do-hoon, caught in my embrace, was complaining, but I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement. I¡¯d discovered a way to solve a worldwide problem, a seemingly impossible puzzle, all in one go! How could I just let this pass? ¡®Financial aid?¡¯ Don¡¯t make me laugh. Now I¡¯ll be the rich one!¡¯ The ones who could gather crystals were alchemists. In other words, it was only possible for me. The dungeon may belong to the Sunset Guild, but if mining and disassembling weren¡¯t possible, it would just be a pie in the sky. If I played my cards right, I could become the richest person of the century. ¡°Crazy, let go of me!¡± Releasing the disgruntled Kang Do-hoon, I reached out again for the small pile of crystals that resembled a puffball mushroom. Upon infusing them with magic, a clinking sound was heard, and the bottom of the crystal pile broke off. Unlike the lightless fragments from before, the ones I¡¯d collected after infusing with magic were transparent and still radiated light. ¡°Huh? How did you do that?¡± Kang Do-hoon, dusting off his clothes, reattached himself to my side. Without responding, I placed the shattered crystal pieces and the newly harvested crystal pile into my crossbody bag. Just looking at them filled me with a sense of confidence. Smiling wryly, I looked at Kang Do-hoon. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Not sure exactly what was happening but seeing that I seemed pleased, Kang Do-hoon was attempting to lift a crystal that was half his size. Unlike the other crystals that emitted a single color, this one shifted colors intermittently. ¡°I¡¯m also, ugh, taking this. Huh!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to work just beca-¡° Suddenly, a clear cracking sound filled the air. ¡°Huh?¡± The crystal shattered like dust, emitting light as it fell to the ground. Looking dumbfounded, Kang Do-hoon cleared his throat and spoke, ¡°Did I use too much strength?¡± Though Kang Do-hoon tried to shrug it off, I sensed something strange. When I¡¯d broken the crystals while fighting the hazards, they had broken into pieces, not turned into dust like now. ¡°But why did it turn into dust unlike the others?¡± ¡°Well, because I used too much force. That¡¯s why I try not to use my strength. Everything gets ruined when I do. Got it?¡± While looking at the defensive Kang Do-hoon in disbelief, it happened. Salt, who had been quietly sitting atop my head, started to beep loudly. ¡°Ppi Ppi Ppi Ppi! Ppi ppi ppi!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As Salt¡¯s chirping stopped, the ground began to shake. Thump-thump-thump-thump. As the sound echoed and dust rained down from overhead, we saw something massive at the end of the cave. ¡°What, what is that?!¡± Kang Do-hoon shouted in horror. And as if on cue, that massive something began charging towards us. In that moment, the description of the crystal came to mind. ¡®It said the crystal was formed from the hardened mucus that the Balanced expels to protect its eggs¡­ Wait, was that thing an egg just now?¡¯ ¡°Hey! Hey! What is that?!¡± ¡°Shut up and run first.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was, but one thing was certain. We had to run. CH 19 A low growl of a beast echoed in the serene crystal cave. A wolf, its red eyes gleaming ominously, was cautiously scanning its surroundings in search of its prey. Given the name ¡®Balrans¡¯s Egg,¡¯ one would naturally think of a bird or an insect. However, in this damned novel, where logical consistency seemed to have been thrown to the wind, Balrans was in fact, a wolf. Moreover, it was a wolf the size of a house. With a sigh, I pulled out my phone. No matter how softly I whispered, there was no way I could hide my voice from the wolf, so it was a risk I chose to take. [Are you a Hunter?] Kang Do-hoon looked at me with shaky eyes. The look in his eyes was questioning whether we should fight or not. I nodded, typed in a reply, and handed it over to him. [The hidden boss doesn¡¯t disappear until it¡¯s killed] Originally, the only monsters in the crystal cave were cave hedgehogs and venomous bats, and the boss monster was an Arachne spider. But the appearance of a wolf, namely Balrans, implied that this wolf was a hidden boss in the dungeon. In the novel, there was an episode where Seo Taeju nearly died when he encountered a hidden boss in a water dungeon. The hidden boss would chase after the hunter who had awoken it until it was killed. If the hunter left the dungeon, the hidden boss would follow him out as well. [Tell me quickly, are you a Hunter?] Kang Do-hoon hesitated at my impatience and lowered his head. Whether it meant that he couldn¡¯t speak or that he couldn¡¯t help, I couldn¡¯t tell. I frowned. Kang Do-hoon bit his lip and took my phone. He typed something with a few taps and handed it back to me. [I¡¯m not a Hunter, I¡¯m a civilian] ¡®I knew it. He didn¡¯t look like a Hunter at all.¡¯ Leaving aside the claim of being a Hunter, I wondered what made him follow me into the dungeon in the first place. I sighed inwardly. If Kang Do-hoon was a civilian, it meant that I had to catch Balrans alone. ¡®I don¡¯t know the weakness of a monster that wasn¡¯t in the novel.¡¯ Feeling anxious, I started to run my hand through my hair, but I stopped when I felt the touch of Salt, my pet. Perhaps understanding the gravity of the situation, Salt wasn¡¯t making its usual beeping sounds and stayed quiet. As a gesture of reassurance, I patted Salt and then turned my attention back to Balrans. Its gigantic body filling up the cave, its sharp teeth, and the drool dripping from its mouth seemed to be some kind of acid, as it sizzled and melted the floor every time it fell. ¡®Can I identify it through Comprehension?¡¯ Even though the skill description said ¡®object,¡¯ I used my Comprehension skill out of desperation. [You used the Comprehension skill.] [The use of Comprehension has failed.] [The target is not eligible for Comprehension.] I clicked my tongue in frustration. I tried using the Truth skill, but just like Comprehension, the message indicated that the target was ineligible for Truth. ¡®It seems like I have no choice but to tough it out.¡¯ Each monster has its weaknesses, but most monsters die when their stomachs are pierced. That¡¯s why I used alchemy to create a cone to pierce through a monster¡¯s stomach. Before using the skill, I typed a message on my phone and handed it to Kang Do-hoon. [When I signal, run to the entrance] Kang Do-hoon looked at me, seemingly surprised by my words. Then, he roughly took the phone from me and started typing. [I¡¯d rather die together] [Are you crazy? Why die? Go call for help] Seeing my flaring eyes, Kang Do-hoon awkwardly smiled and nodded. ¡®Who¡¯s going to die? I¡¯m definitely not going to die. I¡¯m definitely going back to my world.¡¯ [When I count to three, run] Without waiting for Kang Do-hoon¡¯s response, I let go of my hand that was covering my mouth. And instead of voicing out, I mouthed the words. ¡®One, two.¡¯ ¡°Three! Refine!¡± As Kang Do-hoon sprinted out, a cone sprouted from underneath Balrans. However, Balrans¡¯s stomach wasn¡¯t pierced. Instead, the cone I created with Refine shattered. As I ran in the opposite direction of Kang Do-hoon to distract Balrans, I yelled out ¡°Refine!¡± Balrans, torn between two targets, started to run towards me. ¡°Refine!¡± I created a hill to stop the charging Balrans, but Balrans easily jumped and landed in front of me. ¡°Refine!¡± To slow down Balrans, I sprinted, constantly chanting Refine. Obstacles made of stone blocked Balrans¡¯s way, but it didn¡¯t stop. Rather, it was coming towards me, smashing through the obstacles. ¡®Damn it, is his body made of steel or what?¡¯ Quickly, I turned back and touched the ground. ¡°Refine!¡± A massive stone wall sprung up from the ground.The thick stone wall was visibly unyielding. Thud. Thud. Listening to the sound of crashing into the stone wall, I checked my crossbag. I had brought very few things with me on this spontaneous dungeon run. A crystal fragment and pile of crystals I picked up earlier, and the magic stone given by Shin Sooha. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this will work.¡± But it¡¯s alchemy, so why wouldn¡¯t it? I took everything out of the bag, held it in my hand, and chanted Refine. Perhaps due to the magic stone, light burst from my hand. And the familiar feeling of a gun handle was caught in my grip. A .38 caliber handgun made of transparent crystal. It looked just like the gun I used when I was a detective. ¡°You have no idea how much I missed this.¡± Just as I was about to touch the gun with a choked-up feeling, the barrier shattered with a loud noise. ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper fight!¡± I fired the gun at Balrans. The gun that uses the magic stone¡¯s power instead of my mana¡­ ¡ªBang!! ¡°Wow.¡± It had almost the power of a bomb. Despite the smoke billowing around, I maintained a tense posture, ready to fire again, Balrans charged through the smoke. ¡°Why the hell is he still fine¡­¡± In a state of panic, I fired a series of magic bullets. However, even after getting hit by the magic bullets, Balrans didn¡¯t slow down. ¡°Damn it.¡± While shooting magic bullets and avoiding Balrans, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of the yellow-eyed gaze. ¡°Damn¡­ it.¡± Just my luck that the fork in the road I chose leads to the boss room. ¡®Can my luck be any worse than this?¡¯ I bit my lip. If I took another step, the venomous bats that had suddenly appeared and were watching me would obviously rush me. But if I hesitated here¡­ ¡°Grrr.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really testing me.¡± The sound of a beast growling behind me made cold sweat trickle down my back. I couldn¡¯t move forward, nor could I retreat. I was trapped. ¡°Salt.¡± ¡°Ppi?¡± Balrans¡¯s snout flinched. It seemed like it was considering when to attack me. ¡°Fly!¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± As Salt flew up, I touched the ground and chanted Refine. But even before the barrier could be fully activated, Balrans jumped over it. I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡ªSwish. ¡®¡­Did I die?¡¯ No matter how long I waited, the pain that should naturally follow wasn¡¯t there. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Balrans¡¯s face rolling on the ground. And next to it, a man wiping off the blood on his sword. [The passive ¡®Diagnosis¡¯ is activated.] [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination 54%] ¡°Shin Sooha¡­ -ssi?¡± ¡®Why are you here again?; While the Forest Dungeon was a public dungeon, the Crystal Dungeon belonged to the Sunset Guild. As the guild master of another guild, there was no way Shin Sooha could be here. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± At the overly calm greeting, I was at a loss for words. ¡®How could you casually stroll into someone else¡¯s guild-owned dungeon, defeat the hidden boss, and act as if nothing happened?¡¯ While I was fumbling over where and how to start my words, Salt, who was buzzing around, rushed toward me. ¡°Salt, didn¡¯t I tell you not to do this?¡± I caught Salt, who was heading straight for my vital spot. Salt, with teary eyes like small beans, continued to buzz in distress. Although I didn¡¯t understand, it seemed like he was expressing his worry for me. I stroked Salt¡¯s head with my finger and said, ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s dangerous. You¡¯re so small that you could get hurt easily.¡± ¡°That seems to be the case for Hunter Seo Go-woon as well.¡± At the heavy voice, I lifted my head. When did he approach? Shin Sooha was standing in front of me. Salt, resembling a sparrow, was smaller than an adult¡¯s fist, even smaller than a five-year-old¡¯s fist. Even if Seo Go-woon is smaller than other hunters, comparing him to Salt is nonsense. With a puzzled expression, I asked Shin Sooha, ¡°But why are you here?¡± ¡°I was just passing by.¡± That sounded like Salt¡¯s bark. ¡°This is the Sunset Guild¡¯s dungeon, you know?¡± ¡°I am aware.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it wrong for Guild Master Shin Sooha to be here?¡± Shin Sooha tilted his head. It seemed like he didn¡¯t understand what I meant. I was too bothered to explain. Shin Sooha defeating the hidden boss is something for the Sunset Guild Master to deal with. ¡°Are you planning to leave?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you planning to defeat the boss?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course. Although Kang Do-hoon came as an observer, I came here to clear this dungeon. The hidden boss was merely a bonus. It had nothing to do with the actual dungeon raid. ¡°I will help you.¡± ¡°No, this is my job. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°You will have a hard time on your own.¡± Instead of replying, I fired a magic bullet from my crystal-made barrel at the venomous bats that were glaring at me. With a bang, the magic bullet that was shot pierced their chests. [You have gained EXP.] ¡°I¡¯m good at shooting, as you can see.¡± Suddenly, the venomous bats simultaneously flew up. ¡°Just watch.¡± ¡ªBang There was no hesitation in the hand shooting at the soaring venomous bat. The act of firing magic bullets at the monsters was so steady that it seemed like a lie that he was once scared of them. Shin Sooha crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, staring intently at Seo Go-woon. ¡®The more I watch, the more amazing it is.¡¯ Shin Sooha didn¡¯t know about Seo Go-woon, who became widely known as a crazy character. Caring about someone¡¯s reputation or rumors was a worthless task for the busy Shin Sooha. But Shin Sooha became interested in Seo Go-woon after conquering the 7th floor tower. Other hunters thought that Shin Sooha went to conquer the 7th floor first, but Shin Sooha and his close associates thought it would be his grave. Shin Sooha knew his body was decaying due to contamination, unlike other hunters. From one day, Shin Sooha suffered from inexplicable pain every time he defeated a monster or returned from a dungeon. At first, it was a mild headache and indigestion. The pain, which was trivial at first, began to gradually intensify every time Shin Sooha returned from the dungeon or stopped a monster wave. Shin Sooha¡¯s parents tried to find out the reason by assigning a research team that studied hunters and monsters instead of incompetent medical staff to cure their beloved youngest son. And the result was very shocking. Every time Shin Sooha killed a monster, his ability became entangled like a lump of thread and wouldn¡¯t unravel. The research team called this phenomenon ¡®contamination¡¯ of the ability, and Shin Sooha pushed the research forward by offering himself as a test subject. However, no matter what method they used, the contamination did not improve, and they only found out that the end of the contamination was a rampage of ability. The family wanted Shin Sooha to quit being a hunter, but Shin Sooha raided dungeons and responded to monster waves more fervently. He thought it was better to die sooner than to live on addictive painkillers in pain. And so, the final destination of Shin Sooha was the 7th floor of the tower. After killing the boss monster Sphinx, Shin Sooha, feeling the pain of his whole body falling apart, took a drug that paralyzed all his nerves and lay in the boss room as if asleep. Because the tower would be intact even in the rampage of an SSS-class hunter, he could meet a death that wouldn¡¯t harm anyone. As Shin Sooha lay in the boss room, waiting for his death, Seo Go-woon appeared out of nowhere. CH 20 Returning to the guild building after a whopping seven days, Seo Taeju sprawled on the sofa in the vice-guild leader¡¯s office. Trying to soothe his troubled mind, he had frenziedly cleared dungeons but only to have the pain he had forgotten for a while come back to him. Mild fever, headache, and muscle pain. The more the pain worsened, the more he agonizingly recalled the figure he wished to forget along with the memories of purification. ¡®I don¡¯t want to think about anything.¡¯ ¡°Did you come?¡± At that moment, the door flung open, and Seo Moon-no-eul entered the guild. Looking at Seo Taeju lying on the sofa and covering his eyes with his arm, she clicked her tongue. ¡®I knew it from the moment I prepared the potion.¡¯ It was a mistake to commit to clearing everything when the deadline for strategy wasn¡¯t even that urgent. Even if he¡¯s an SS-rank, rushing to conquer eleven dungeons nonstop is just like a suicide. She had warned, but the man wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°Tsk tsk. Hey, are you dead yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead.¡± ¡°Yeah, seems like your mouth is still alive.¡± Sitting across from Seo Taeju who closed his mouth tightly again, Seo Moon-no-eul said, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No, I just want to rest.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul, who came to talk about Seo Go-woon due to Seo Taeju¡¯s plead, hesitated for a moment. She felt guilty and had come to talk, but if she didn¡¯t ask¡­ ¡®Right, there¡¯s no need to specifically tell him. He might just end up getting leeched by Seo Go-woon again if I bring it up.¡¯ Since Seo Taeju didn¡¯t ask, Seo Moon-no-eul justified herself that there was no need to speak first and stood up. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll give you a break for a while, so forget about guild business and rest.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul decided to give Seo Taeju a vacation under the guild leader¡¯s discretion and attempted to leave the room. ¡°¡­And hyung?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the faint voice¡­ ¡°Do you still want to call him hyung?¡± There was no answer to the sharp question. Seo Taeju sat up, let out a sigh, and said, ¡°Did he cause another incident? What does the Holy Spirit Guild have to say?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Seo Taeju ran his hands over his face a few times. Seeing his tired look, Seo Moon-no-eul sighed and sat back down on the opposite sofa. ¡°If you decided not to support him, just let it go. Why do you want to hear news about him again?¡± ¡°¡­Noona. I¡¯m really tired now. Just tell me.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul roughly scratched her head. She really didn¡¯t want to tell him, but she had contemplated the matter all the way here and finally decided. Ah, damn it, Seo Go-woon. ¡°There¡¯s been no accident so far.¡± ¡°What about that contact from the Holy Spirit Guild?¡± ¡°Not the guild, but the guild leader, Michael, contacted us saying he owed Seo Go-woon a favor and that he would like to meet him later to show his gratitude.¡± Seo Taeju raised his head with a shocked look on his face. ¡°Grateful?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know the details. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but Seo Go-woon managed to create water and wiped out all the golems before Michael¡¯s shield broke.¡± ¡°What does that mean? Seo Go-woon created water? And with that, he wiped out all the golems?¡± That¡¯s what an alchemist does, which was what Seo Go-woon was. But alchemists are a profession that creates something in exchange for something else, they can¡¯t summon water. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Michael said he didn¡¯t know the details either. He just knew that water was summoned from behind Seo Go-woon.¡± Seo Taeju frowned. He heard what Seo Moon-no-eul said, but it didn¡¯t register in his mind. Could Seo Go-woon really have summoned water, was that even possible? Suddenly, the words Seo Go-woon said that day flashed through his mind. ¡®I just went because I could handle the situation.¡¯ ¡®Hey, I really wanted to do it because I could. If you see-¡® Seo Taeju¡¯s vision suddenly blacked out. That day, Seo Go-woon was trying to prove that what he was saying was true. He was trying to explain it to him, who kept swearing and expressing his disappointment. But the one who cut off all those words was Seo Taeju himself. At the sight of Seo Taeju¡¯s face falling into despair in an instant, Seo Moon-no-eul was about to say something. A loud bell sound rang out. Seo Moon-no-eul, who pulled out her cell phone, tilted her head. It was a call from her younger brother, who didn¡¯t want to show he was her family and went to and from work separately. ¡°Yes, Do-hoon.¡± -Sob, noona, s-sob, help me, sob. Even though she didn¡¯t put it on speakerphone, her younger brother¡¯s voice echoed in the vice-guild leader¡¯s room, it was so loud. ¡°What! What happened? Did you have an accident? Are you hurt?¡± -Sob¡­ Seo, sniff, sob. Seo Go-woon seems like he¡¯s going to die¡­sob, it¡¯s all my fault, hurry up and help. Sob. Even before Seo Moon-no-eul could ask Kang Do-hoon what he meant, Seo Taeju snatched the phone and shouted, ¡°Where are you?!¡± -Sob, Taeju hyung. ¡°Where!¡± -Seohyeon-dong, sob. Soojung, Crystal Cave, sniff sob. I came here with Seo Go-woon¡­¡­ ¡®Seo Go-woon? Is he really trying to die?¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t feel the need to listen. After all, you¡¯re just going to spout nonsense, why should I have to listen? Let¡¯s just live like strangers now. Ha. Right, you¡¯ve always told me we¡¯re not family, we¡¯re strangers. Yes. We¡¯re strangers.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t contact me whether you¡¯re entering a dungeon or caught up in a monster wave. I won¡¯t come to save you. You¡¯re going to die? Well then¡­ just die.¡± Seo Tae-ju stumbled and dropped his phone. ¡°Tae-ju? Are you okay?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ no. Hyung!¡± ¡°Hey! Seo Tae-ju!¡± Seo Tae-ju, who had been sitting down, suddenly rushed out of the guild master¡¯s office. Seo Moon-no-eul, who had been in a daze from the sudden turn of events, came back to her senses at the loud sobbing noise and picked up the phone. ¡°Do-hoon. Stop crying and explain clearly. What happened?¡± As he quickly exited the guild master¡¯s office, Seo Moon-no-eul asked Kang Do-hun. -Sob, I, the crystal, sob¡­ broke, sob, the hidden boss. ¡°We¡¯re doomed.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul let out a sigh at the mention of the hidden boss. No matter the grade of the dungeon, a hidden boss was always S-class. There was no way D-class Seo Go-woon could handle it. Then, a car¡¯s sudden departure could be heard from outside. ¡°Crazy!¡± Seo Moon-no-eul, who was looking out the window, spat out a curse. ¡°Seo Tae-ju! What are you doing leaving the teleport behind!¡± Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s voice, shouting against the window, regrettably did not reach the departed Seo Tae-ju. ¡°Whew.¡± After seeing the last poisonous bat burst, I relaxed my tense body. ¡®This is kind of fun?¡¯ A moving target. Plus, it wasn¡¯t a human, so there was no guilt, which made it more fun. But it seems like I forgot something¡­ ¡®Ah. Shin Soo-ha.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just forgot for a moment¡­ Huh? Where did he go?¡± I turned my head toward where Shin Soo-ha had been, but there was no one there. What? He was quiet so I thought he was watching me for sure. Where did he go? Was he bored and went somewhere else? Unless you go to the entrance gate, you can¡¯t get to the escape gate without defeating the boss. ¡°Well. He¡¯ll come back.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and went inside. Unlike the narrow path, the boss room was very spacious. I could see a giant spider hanging from thick web ropes. Not only was the balanced size absurd, but the boss, the spider, was also not easy. ¡°Hmm.¡± With my current condition, it¡¯s too much to fight with a sword, and how much magic bullet is left? ¡°Check.¡± [Crystal Magic Gun] Description: A gun made by an alchemist using balanced crystals and magic stones. It uses the magic power of the magic stone, not the user¡¯s magic power, to shoot magic bullets. Usable Count: 0/50 ¡°All used up.¡± I thought it wasn¡¯t infinite, but I didn¡¯t expect I could only shoot 50 times. I wanted to make a magic gun that uses my magic power instead of crystals. ¡®It¡¯s my lack of imagination.¡¯ The gun structure I knew required loading bullets. It was possible to make one with magic stones, but it was difficult to imagine creating a gun that uses my own magic power as bullets. ¡°Sigh. How am I supposed to beat it without this?¡± As I was putting the gun back in the bag, I heard a beeping sound in the distance. ¡°Right. Salt.¡± I was thinking about Shin Soo-ha, but I forgot about Salt. Due to the bats, Salt, who couldn¡¯t come closer, came into the boss room and circled around me, shedding tears like chicken droppings. ¡°Ppi-ppi-ppi. Ppi-ppi-ppi. Ppi-ppi-ppi.¡± Its monotonous squeaking was awkward, but it was too cute to see it shedding tears. However, if I laughed here, the pecking from hell would start, so I tried my best to keep the corners of my mouth down and looked pitiful. ¡°I intended to call you after defeating them all.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°No, I just forgot. I really intended to call you later. And stop worrying. Look at this. I haven¡¯t been hurt at all, only they diligently died, right?¡± Salt¡¯s tears stopped. My words were getting through, so I needed to drive home the point here. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly get rid of that one and go home.¡± As I reached out my hand to Salt, it came into my hand. ¡®Phew. It fell for it.¡¯ Heaving a sigh of relief internally, I lifted Salt up over my head. ¡®Ack.¡¯ Judging by the strong grip on my hair, he was still feeling a bit miffed. Alright, alright. It¡¯s only natural if his temper hasn¡¯t fully cooled down yet. Striving to maintain a compassionate attitude, I looked back at the spider monster. ¡®But how am I going to eliminate that thing?¡¯ The only thing I have left is my crystal magic gun, which can no longer fire bullets. The only fortunate thing is that the boss monster hasn¡¯t moved yet, independent of the venomous bats. ¡°Will it work if I just bash it with the horn?¡± The fur-covered body looks hard and shiny like the back of a beetle, the horn might just bounce off. ¡°Should I give it a try? What do you think, Salt?¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± Look at that brutal tone of voice. What kind of pet talks back to its owner like that? If I ask once more, it¡¯s going to grow bigger and eat me. It¡¯s going to eat me. Grumbling words I couldn¡¯t say, I looked around. ¡®Is there anything that could be used as a weapon? But the boss room seems a bit different?¡¯ Since I entered the dungeon, all I¡¯ve seen are glowing crystals and rocks, but strangely, the boss room had a bunch of grass and flowers. Since the dungeon is a lower version of the tower, it should have a consistent atmosphere like the tower. ¡®Grass in a crystal cave.¡¯ No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s strange. I walked towards the grass. There was enough distance from the boss spider that the sleeping spider didn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Hmm.¡± The grass doesn¡¯t look different from what¡¯s outside. Why does it only grow here? There must be a reason, since it¡¯s bugging me. ¡°As the saying goes, a detective must look at and question everything, even the smallest things. That¡¯s how you find the traces left by the culprit.¡± ¡®Yes. The evidence that catches the criminal usually comes from trivial things.¡¯ ¡°Appraisal.¡± [The appraisal skill has been used.] [The appraisal has been successful.] + [Wild Spider Grass] Description: A communal plant that sprouts from the droppings of the Giant Spider, Arachne. If you crush the grass, a deep juice comes out, and this juice works as poison to Arachne. + Sprouts from droppings. So that¡¯s why the grass grows so lushly here. ¡°It works as poison.¡± So, I should kill the Arachne spider using this. I can make the juice with alchemy, but how should I attack with thie juice? I looked around again. There must be something, but all I could see was the wild spider grass. ¡°I¡¯ll need to gather some crystals.¡± I collected the crystals that were immediately visible upon leaving the boss room. After I had collected enough to fill both hands, I used alchemy to form beads. I made a total of 10 beads, and with the remaining crystals, I made a teapot. ¡°Appraisal.¡± + [Precarious Crystal Bead] Description: A crystal bead made by an alchemist. There¡¯s a hole to contain liquid. It is very thin and breaks easily with a small impact. + [Crystal Teapot] Description: A teapot made by an alchemist that can hold liquid. The part where you put water is wide, but the spout is very narrow, which can be frustrating to use as a normal teapot. + ¡°Great. They turned out just right.¡± Humming a tune, I returned to the boss room with the beads and teapot in hand. ¡°Let¡¯s pluck some grass. Pluck some grass.¡± Detective Kim always said that¡ªWhen you¡¯re doing simple labor, humming a song is the best. And he was right. It¡¯s quite uplifting. Indeed. The words of adults always come back to benefit us in the end. ¡°I think this should be enough for now. Now what I need is a stick.¡± I took out my crystal gun, now useless. ¡°Refine.¡± The crystal gun transformed smoothly into a sleek stick, just as I had imagined. As I had imagined the end to be flat, every time I pounded with it, juice seeped out from the spider grass. ¡°Hmm. Should this be enough?¡± I carefully poured the green juice into a crystal bead. ¡°Ppi-ppi?¡± ¡°This is to chase the spider away.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi. Ppi-ppi. Ppi-ppi-ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°I know you could catch it, but that won¡¯t work. I need evidence that you can catch it.¡± I answered nonchalantly, but a question suddenly arose. Salt can only chirp, so why does it sound like words in my head? Even though I¡¯m the owner and he¡¯s the pet, he understood even before I named him. ¡°Is it a characteristic of Salt?¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi?¡± What are you talking about? I¡¯m just talking to myself. I used to talk to myself a lot when I was young, but after becoming a police officer, I didn¡¯t talk as much. Oddly, I¡¯ve become more talkative since I fell into this place. The answer flashed in my mind for a moment, but I ignored it and continued to fill the crystal beads with the remaining juice. The tenth crystal bead was only half full, but the other nine were filled to the brim. That should be enough. ¡°Salt, let¡¯s catch it quickly and go.¡± ¡°Ppi.¡± If it gets hit, it might charge, so keep a safe distance. ¡°If you feel like it¡¯s dangerous, fly away.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± ¡°Listen to me. That way, I can run away too.¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi-ppi.¡± It always takes one more statement for him to listen. Although it was a complaint, he gave an answer that meant he would comply, so I took one of the crystal beads in my hand. ¡°Here I go.¡± CH 21 With all my strength, I hurled the half-filled crystal bead. The target was big, so it wasn¡¯t hard to hit. Contrary to my worry that it might not break, the crystal bead shattered with a clear sound as soon as it struck the body of the spider. ¡°Kieek!¡± The shriek from the Arachne spider was so shrill it made my ears tingle. The Arachne spider twisted its body and turned its head towards me. As soon as its nine eyes locked onto me, I threw the remaining bead quickly. Every time the clear sound rang out, the Arachne spider thrashed about, and at some point, its body began to melt. I never knew poison worked like this. If I had known, I would have thrown a big one from the start. Feeling regret for a moment, the last remaining crystal bead shattered on the spider¡¯s eye. ¡°Kieeek!¡± ¡®At this rate, my ears are going to die before this thing does,¡¯ I covered my ears and stared at the Arachne spider. The cave seemed to crumble each time the creature with melting eyes writhed. The fallen Arachne spider, detached from the spider web, trembled as if an earthquake had occurred, making a thunderous noise. ¡®Can it rise again here?¡¯ If it attacks, I guess I¡¯ll have to create a shield and somehow hold out. Anticipating any possible situation, I placed my hand on the ground, and at the same time, the Arachne spider stopped moving. ¡°Is it dead?¡± The silence was so profound I could hear the sound of my throat swallowing. ¡°Huh?¡± Salt seemed curious about the unmoving creature and called out to me. ¡®Just in case.¡¯ The moment I uttered the incantation in my mind, a cone sprang up from the ground where the Arachne spider lay. With a thud, its belly was pierced, a purple liquid trickled out, and a purple escape gate appeared behind the rope-like spider web. [Your level has increased.] [Lv 4 Lv 5] Finally, a level up! Even in the Forest Dungeon, my level didn¡¯t rise, so I didn¡¯t expect anything in the Crystal Dungeon. ¡°Should I check what stat has increased? Status window.¡± The novel said that every five levels, stats would greatly increase. I wonder by how much they have increased. + [Seo Go-woon] Level: 5 Occupation: Alchemist Rank: D Age: 27 Health: 301 / Mana: 2,001 Attributes: Strength C / Endurance C / Agility D / Magic Power A / Dexterity S+ Attack Power F / Defense Power F Unique Abilities: [Dissambly] / [Transmutation] / [Comprehension] + ¡°¡­..Are you kidding me?¡± They definitely said it would increase significantly. But only my health and mana have increased by 1. If an increase of 1 is considered significant, then that means at level 6, they won¡¯t increase at all. ¡°Being an alchemist sucks.¡± I wanted to slap myself for praising alchemy just a moment ago. While I was grumbling and checking the status window, suddenly, a noisy sound came from behind. ¡®Is Shin Sooha coming?¡¯ That¡¯s too noisy to be Shin Sooha. As I turned my body to see who it was, I saw the tear-streaked face of Kang Do-hoon. ¡°Seo Go-woon!¡± I mean, I told him to go get people. Where was he hiding and crying? Why have his eyes become as big as a frog¡¯s? ¡°What¡¯s up with you? I told you to bring people.¡± ¡°Whooa, you¡¯re alive.¡± Kang Do-hoon, who had run up to me, hugged me and started to sob. Crazy, what¡¯s going on? Why is he like this? ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°I thought you were dead, wo-hooo!.¡± Why is he making a fuss about me being dead when I¡¯m clearly alive? Frowning, I was about to shove Kang Do-hoon away when I heard another voice. ¡°Hunter Seo Go-woon!¡± ¡®Who¡¯s that?¡¯ A woman with blue bobbed hair and crimson eyes. ¡®She¡¯s a character who¡¯s never been mentioned in the novel. Who did Kang Do-hoon bring?¡¯ ¡°Are you okay?! There was a wolf monster outside. Are you injured anywhere?!¡± The woman, who I was seeing for the first time, tried to reach out to me with a puzzled face, but someone else had already grabbed my shoulder. ¡°Seo Go-woon!¡± The one sighing heavily was Seo Taeju. [The passive ¡®Diagnosis¡¯ is activated.] [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination level 64%] ¡®This bastard¡¯s contamination¡­¡¯ I had no time to read the suddenly appeared message. ¡°Ppi!¡± When Seo Taeju¡¯s strong grip shook his body, Salt¡¯s figure flew up in protest. However, Seo Taeju was spinning him around, not caring at all. ¡®Uh-oh. What¡¯s this, a new kind of torture?¡¯ ¡°You crazy bastard, stop. I¡¯m dizzy¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ppi!¡± He inspected thoroughly while spinning me around. ¡®What¡¯s up with this bastard appearing out of nowhere and doing this?¡¯ ¡°Hey! You!¡± ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why is he screaming and making a fuss again? Is it my fault that I came to the dungeon because the guild told me to? Why is he making a fuss again when he said he wouldn¡¯t care anymore?¡¯ ¡°Shut up and let me go, you bastard.¡± As he tried to shake off the hand on my shoulder, Seo Taeju embraced me first. ¡®What is this another trick¡­.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hyung. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± What, what is this? Did he go crazy? Did he eat something wrong? Why is he acting like this suddenly? Hyung? My fault? The abrupt change in attitude felt extremely strange. ¡°Hey? Did you eat something wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Until a few days ago, he was cursing me to die, why is he acting like this all of a sudden. Could it be¡­ is he acting this way because the contamination is severe? I don¡¯t remember reading about a hunter who went crazy due to contamination in the novels. What was his contamination level? As I leaned in to see Seo Taeju¡¯s contamination level, I could feel some dampness on my shoulder along with the shivers coming from Seo Taeju¡¯s body. ¡°What are you doing? Are you crying right now? Hey.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hyung. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡®Wow. What the hell is going on. Seriously. Why is this bastard crying. What happened. He should at least tell me why.¡¯ Looking at Kang Do-hoon, wondering what happened, I could see that he too was already out of his mind. Although the only person I could ask was him, the man also looked quite confused. Is he really acting this way because of the contamination? There are a lot of observers here, so I can¡¯t really purify him. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t die. Okay? It was my fault. Hyung, don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Did you get shot in the head?¡± What the hell is he talking about? His mental state seems quite severe today. A hunter or a civilian lied about going into the dungeon and caused a major accident. And a crazy bastard misunderstood that I came into the dungeon to die. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe it. Why do you think I came to the dungeon to die? Do people go to the dungeon just to die? Didn¡¯t you think that people come here purely to conquer it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡®Okay, I knew that Seo Taeju didn¡¯t listen to my words, but he confirms it again like this. But what on earth did Kang Do-hoon say that made this guy, who wouldn¡¯t even show me the back of his heels, act like this?¡¯ ¡°Hey, Kang Do-hoon.¡± ¡°Huh, huh?¡± ¡°What did you say when you called this guy?¡± ¡°Huh, huh. Well¡­.¡± ¡°I called him saying, ¡®Seo Go-woon seems like he¡¯s going to die, help us.''¡± The answer came from beside the crying Kang Do-hoon. I roughly understood how the situation unfolded. ¡®These crazy bastards. I told them to call a hunter, not to advertise that I¡¯m dying.¡¯ I sighed as I looked at Seo Taeju crying from the shock of the communication failure. ¡®Well, if Kang Do-hoon told him that Seo Go-woon seemed like he was going to die, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable for him to rush over, all pale.¡¯ The Seo Go-woon in the novel might not have known, but Seo Taeju did consider Seo Go-woon as his real family. After Seo Go-woon¡¯s funeral, Seo Taeju roamed the dungeons like a person who wanted to die. All of his close hunter friends tried to stop Seo Taeju, but the only thing that stopped him, who wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone, was a word from the Saintess he happened to see. [The wish orb, which can revive the dead, can be obtained when clearing the Cradle of Despair.] With this one sentence, Seo Taeju decides to clear the Cradle of Despair. And then. ¡®He entered the Cradle of Despair and died.¡¯ Anyway, it¡¯s an ending I really dislike. If it weren¡¯t for Detective Kim¡¯s plot summary, I wouldn¡¯t have read it until the end. ¡°Hunter Seo Go-woon? Are you really okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± I waved my remaining hand to assure them of my safety. But this guy¡¯s so heavy. It feels like I¡¯m about to die from the weight, with such a hefty guy clinging onto me non-stop. ¡°Hey, could you let go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made a mistake.¡± Seo Taeju continued to repeat ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ as if he was a recording device. I wonder what he¡¯s apologizing for. It¡¯d be nice if he could just let go. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m asking you to let go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Hey, I said you¡¯re heavy. Let go.¡± Seo Taeju slowly lifted his head to look at me. I sighed at his gaze, trying to gauge whether I was asking him to let go because he was really heavy, or because I disliked him. ¡®Ha¡­ I hate that kind of look.¡¯ All the kids from the orphanage where I used to stay would look at adults with the same gaze. A pitiful gaze, trying not to be abandoned no matter what. I hated getting that look every time I visited the orphanage, which felt like home, so I ended up just sending money. ¡®Seo Taeju, you damned bastard. Why are you giving me that look?¡¯ I felt more comfortable with his previous hate-filled look. ¡®Who would have thought this arrogant, albeit slightly insane guy from the book would change like this in front of me?¡¯ My head began to ache. ¡°Sigh.¡± At my sigh, Seo Taeju¡¯s shoulder flinched. Having possessed this body, I¡¯ve been doing all sorts of things. I had no plans to start a family in my world, so why should I have to comfort this guy? The things he¡¯s done already make my blood boil. ¡®It¡¯s my karma.¡¯ No, let¡¯s think positively. He was the one who intended to treat Seo Taeju well due to the sunshine policy. So, this must be a good thing. Yes, a close party relationship would be better than a cold one when trying to capture the cradle of despair later. Yes. It¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s a good thing. Suppressing the sigh that threatened to escape once more, I gently hugged the observant Seo Taeju. ¡°Hyung¡­¡­.¡± ¡®He said I was a stranger before.¡¯ The large body leaned on me again. The man¡¯s body shivered intermittently, and the sobbing sounded like he was about to cry once again. Ah, this is more tiring than eliminating boss monsters. ¡°Excuse me, are you Hunter Seo Go-woon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did Hunter Seo Go-woon defeat that boss monster over there?¡± Seo Taeju¡¯s companion, who had been quietly observing the situation, pointed outside. It seems like she¡¯s talking about the hidden boss. She seems to have visited the crystal cave to admire it, not to explore. But this place is a dungeon owned by the Sunset Guild. Should I claim I defeated it or confess honestly? After a moment of thought, I decided to tell the truth. ¡°Guild Master Shin Soo-ha was here.¡± ¡°Shin¡­ Soo-ha Guild Master?¡± She looked suspiciously outside, then back at me. Of course, it was hard to understand. I didn¡¯t understand it either. But that was the truth. I spread my hands wide to show my innocence. ¡°I can¡¯t use that sword.¡± ¡°¡­Huh, that¡¯s true.¡± Kang Do-hoon, who had been sobbing next to me, also nodded in agreement. What does this guy know about me to be nodding? His statement is indeed true, but it somehow irritated me. ¡°What about these bats and spiders?¡± ¡°No, I took care of those.¡± Her eyes that were looking at me narrowed in an instant. It was a gaze as if she was trying to catch a lie. ¡®Doesn¡¯t it sound more like a lie that Shin Soo-ha was here and left? Why is she doubting more that I killed the monsters? I feel slightly offended¡­¡­¡¯ As if sensing my slight annoyance, the person who stopped her piercing gaze was Seo Taeju. ¡°What does that matter right now? Hyung, let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah.¡± Seo Taeju, who had let go of me, tightly grabbed my wrist. The look of anxiety as if he might lose me again if he let go made me sigh. What happened while I wasn¡¯t around? With the sudden turn of events, I had no choice but to be wrapped up in serious thoughts. CH 22 I had been lost in thought, observing Seo Taeju for a while now. And for a good reason ¨C the change in his demeanor was so drastic it was hard to comprehend with a normal mindset. Could this kid possibly have some sort of mental illness? How could a person change so drastically in a blink of an eye? ¡®Why did that bold and foul-mouthed brat suddenly turn so mellow?¡¯ Could it really be due to the contamination? While being pulled along by Seo Taeju, I checked the contamination level floating above his head. [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination 64%] While it was quite high, it wasn¡¯t at a severe level. He had been restless at not being able to capture me when it was at 79%, so 64% couldn¡¯t possibly hold any special significance. ¡®Argh, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason. Shaking my head a few times, I decided to focus on purification since I had the opportunity, and summoned Salt. ¡°Hmm, Salt.¡± Salt, which had been flying in circles above my head, landed on top of my head with a beep. [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination 44%] [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination 24%] [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination 4%] [Seo Taeju ¨C Contamination 0%] The contamination was quickly purified as we left the cave. Seo Taeju¡¯s pale face quickly relaxed, so he seemed to be in a better state. Seeing that the purification speed through me is faster than Salt¡¯s direct purification, it seems one of my passives enhances the purification effect. ¡®But how long do I have to hold onto him?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as dragging as the day I met Michael, but being dragged around by another man¡¯s hand, no matter how good the relationship, felt a bit off. I called out to Seo Taeju who was leading the way. ¡°Hey, wait a moment!¡± ¡°Hyung?¡± He turned his head at my call. Seo Taeju¡¯s face was still tear-streaked. ¡®Is he going to cry all day? What did I do?¡¯ Before Seo Taeju could misunderstand, I quickly got to the point, ¡°I have something to take from here.¡± ¡°The items dropped by the monsters will be handled by the collection team¡­¡± ¡°Not that.¡± I shrugged off the weakly held wrist. Seo Taeju¡¯s expression changed to one of despair, but I ignored it and headed towards the shimmering cluster of crystals at the entrance. My lovely golden geese that will turn into gold in the future. I would be an idiot to leave you guys behind. Why would I leave them? ¡°Hyung? Do you need that? Then let me get it for you.¡± Seo Taeju, who quickly approached, tried to pick up one of the crystals. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t touch it!¡± ¡°Hyung?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, just come here.¡± Fearing that he might break one, I grabbed Seo Taeju¡¯s hand and placed him beside me. Seo Taeju, who had been stiff for a moment, suddenly chuckled. ¡®This guy is definitely nuts. I might need to take him to a mental hospital.¡¯ That¡¯s when I heard the voice again from behind. ¡°Seo Go-woon-ssi? What are you doing there?¡± Unlike me, who was almost running to get out of the dungeon, the lady and Kang Do-hoon, who had been pressing me earlier, arrived leisurely. ¡°I, sniff, know. He, sniff¡­ sniff. He said there¡¯s something there, sniff.¡± Is he still crying? He¡¯s not a child, but an adult. How can he have so many tears? Tsk tsk. Both Seo Go-woon¡¯s parents and his must¡¯ve had a tough time for different reasons. ¡°What¡¯s in the crystal?¡± Instead of answering her question, I continued mining the crystals. There¡¯s no need to tell her about the crystals that will turn into flesh and blood by the time I return to my world, especially since she¡¯s not a guild leader. By the time I finished mining until my bag was full and turned around, Seo Taeju, as if waiting, grabbed my wrist again. This kid has some dirty habits. He¡¯s not a detective, yet he¡¯s always grabbing my wrist? ¡°Hyung. Let¡¯s go now. Noona. Please find a healer.¡± ¡°Why do we need a healer?¡± The woman who was referred to as ¡°noona (sister)¡± by Seo Taeju tilted her head and asked. That¡¯s right, why do we need a healer? There¡¯s no one injured, is there? ¡°Well, hyung might be injured.¡± What? Me? Why a healer, I checked thoroughly, there¡¯s no need for a healer. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not injured.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be sure of that.¡± Seo Taeju firmly cut off my words. ¡°Ugh, too overprotective,¡± she grumbled at Seo Taeju¡¯s behavior, but the latter pretended not to hear and led me all the way to the gate. Upon opening my eyes that had been closed due to the blinding light, I saw an entrance surrounded by concrete walls. ¡°Where did you park your car? Let¡¯s go to the guild together.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going without a car.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Is he going to walk? The guild is quite a distance from here, isn¡¯t it? Before I could express my doubts out loud, Seo Taeju pulled out a long crystal. ¡°You¡¯re not going to use that, are you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With a crack, the crystal shattered, and for the first time in my life, I experienced motion sickness. ¡°Ugh.¡± I feel nauseous, as if I could throw up any second. I¡¯ve never read about this side effect from a return crystal, why now? ¡°Ugh.¡± The healer who was holding my hand and casting heal flinched away from me. ¡°Vice Guild Master-nim. I¡¯m sorry, but motion sickness can¡¯t be cured by healing.¡± ¡°We should at least try something!¡± I grabbed the hand of Seo Taeju, who was unnecessarily getting angry, and waved the other hand fiercely. The healer, understanding my gesture, ran out of the office. As soon as she left, I laid down on the sofa, groaning. I don¡¯t even have the energy to argue with Seo Taeju. If I knew it would be like this, I would have gone straight home instead of coming to the guild. ¡°I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m sorry, I forgot that first-time users often get motion sickness.¡± Every time I hear that guy¡¯s apologies, it feels like my nausea gets worse. Ah, I¡¯m really going to die. If I travel by return crystal again, I won¡¯t be Kim Hae-ah but Seo Go-woon, Seo Go-woon. ¡°Have some cold water.¡± A moment later, unlike us, the perfectly fine Kang Do-hoon and the woman entered Seo Taeju¡¯s office and naturally offered us water. After gulping down the cold water that was cool enough to condense on the glass surface, my stomach started to feel a bit better. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem, but what¡¯s with the crystal?¡± Wow, she¡¯s really curious, isn¡¯t she? To the point of following me here and even bringing water? Looking at her, she smiled and sat down on the sofa. She wouldn¡¯t leave until I answered, huh? What a persistent woman. ¡°In that case, could you call the guild master for me?¡± ¡°The¡­ guild master?¡± At my request, she and Kang Do-hoon wore a startled expression for a moment. ¡®Why do they look so shocked?¡¯ Is there a reason why it would be problematic if Seo Go-woon looked for the guild master? I was about to ask Seo Taeju when the problem occurred. ¡®This guy has the same look as Kang Do-hoon.¡¯ Is there something strange about Seo Go-woon looking for the guild master? Unable to understand their reaction, I was about to ask Seo Taeju when he spoke first, ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Noona here is the guild master. The guild master of Sunset Guild, Seo Moon-no-eul.¡± ¡°What?¡± That woman is the guild master of Sunset Guild? I knew her name, but I didn¡¯t know her face, so I had no idea that the person who has been interrogating me was the guild master. As I looked at her in surprise, Seo Moon-no-eul wiped off her startled expression from a moment ago and gave a pleasant smile. ¡°Haha, since you didn¡¯t sign the contract with me, you wouldn¡¯t know. I just realized this is the first formal introduction I¡¯ve made. I¡¯m the guild master of Sunset Guild, Seo Moon-no-eul.¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry.¡± How embarrassing. I felt like one of those troublesome customers who yelled for the manager. But why on earth did the guild master rush to the dungeon because a guild member was in danger? I thought she was just a member of the trainee team at best. Not even imagining that she could be the guild master resulted in this disaster. ¡®If you¡¯re meeting me for the first time, you should have introduced yourself.¡¯ Feeling my face grow hot under her scrutinizing gaze, I hurriedly pulled out one of the crystal clusters from my bag. And then I looked around. To alleviate this embarrassment, I needed to shift the topic of conversation as quickly as possible. The most suitable topic happened to be the crystal of this Balrans. As I diligently examined the surroundings to demonstrate how to utilize the crystal, Seo Taeju, who seemed significantly more relaxed than before, asked me a question: ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± In response to Seo Taeju¡¯s question, I drew a somewhat large semi-circle with my finger and said, ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes. By any chance, do you have a container that can hold water and a lighter that contains fire attributes?¡± ¡°Huh? Just a moment!¡± Kang Do-hoon, who was tilting his head to one side, surprisingly didn¡¯t make a fuss and brought over a flowerpot water dish that was on the window sill. ¡°How about this? It does have sand on it, though.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡± Why are they all widening their eyes like that? Is it strange for me to express gratitude? Ah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m Seo Go-woon. It might indeed be strange for Seo Go-woon to be saying thanks. ¡°And the lighter?¡± ¡°Why do you need that? There¡¯s a Hunter here who can produce fire?¡± At Kang Do-hoon¡¯s words, this time, the guild master Seo Moon-no-eul waved her hand. ¡°Yes, yes. Here¡¯s a human lighter.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What do you need me for?¡± ¡°Yes, just a moment.¡± I pulled out a tissue, wiped off the sand from the flowerpot water dish, and placed it on the table. Then I piled up the crystals on it. ¡°What? Are you just going to use it as a decoration?¡± Of course, this crystal would look pretty even if used as a decoration as Kang Do-hoon mentioned, but would I really use such a precious item for such a worthless purpose? ¡°Can you melt it with the highest heat you can produce?¡± ¡°Melt it?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like holding fire to ice.¡± As she tilted her head, flames sprouted from the guild master¡¯s hand. The intimidating feeling of the blue flame, not red, suggested it could melt anything upon contact. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s really melting?¡± As soon as it touched the fire, purple liquid began to drop from the side of the crystal. Melting the pile of crystals with fire was done in an instant. In no time, the sparkling pile of crystals had turned into water with sparkling purple pearls. + [Special Hair Growth Tonic] Description: A hair growth tonic that contains the characteristics of the Balrans. The mucus-like substance melts like water to create a powerful hair growth effect. A very valuable item that instantly gives you abundant hair. The properties of an alchemist and the effects of powerful fire prevented it from hardening. ¡ù Effects: Immediate hair growth effect upon application. + ¡®Oh, it worked. But the description seems a little weird.¡¯ The message that had always delivered information tersely now felt somewhat more subjective. ¡®Is it my imagination? But that¡¯s not important now! Hair growth tonic! My cash cow!¡¯ It¡¯s not just a hair growth tonic. It¡¯s a hair growth tonic that instantly gives you abundant hair. A highly valuable item that any balding person with a receding hairline would pay big money for. ¡°Oh my, the color is beautiful. What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hair growth tonic for treating baldness.¡± ¡°What? For treating baldness?¡± Everyone looks at me with surprised faces. Yes. I knew they would be surprised. Whether in my world or in this novel¡¯s world; Baldness is an unsolved mystery. They would naturally be surprised and incredulous at me suddenly melting a crystal and then saying the resulting liquid is a hair growth tonic. The most definite thing was to demonstrate the effects in person. ¡°You can try an experiment if you like.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it harden again once it cools?¡± ¡°No, once melted, it won¡¯t harden again.¡± At my words, Moon-no-eul, who had been momentarily contemplating, spoke to Kang Do-hoon, ¡°Hmm. Do-hoon, go and call No-hyun and Han Jae.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as the guild master¡¯s order dropped, Kang Do-hoon immediately left the room. Because of his fluffy-like hair, his appearance reminded me of a puppy that had received a command to fetch. ¡®Is it a poodle? No, Pomeranian?¡¯ While I was thinking about a dog similar to Kang Do-hoon, I suddenly heard a knock. As I turned my head toward the sound, I saw the guild master tapping the table. Seo Moon-no-eul seemed to have something she wanted to ask me, as she was staring intently at me. As I met her gaze, Seo Moon-no-eul, as if she had been waiting, opened her mouth, ¡°But how¡­ How did you know about this?¡± Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s voice had become noticeably serious. CH 23 While the question came from Seo Moon-no-eul herself, who sensed the tense atmosphere, I was not obliged to follow her pace. I satisfied her curiosity with a light-hearted tone. ¡°Because I¡¯m an alchemist.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re an alchemist?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a skill. It lets me know more about alchemical information that ordinary people can¡¯t grasp.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul finally seemed to understand. Well, it was understandable she might have forgotten. How many people could you find who knew about Seo Go-woon¡¯s profession, even if you were to ask every hunter passing by on the street? More likely, there would be more people asking, ¡®Isn¡¯t he a nutcase?¡¯ Just then¡­ ¡°Guild Leader-nim, did you call for me?¡± With the knock on the door and the words, ¡°Excuse me,¡± the door to the guild master¡¯s office opened, and two sturdy men appeared. One of them had a bald head, which seemed to indicate he was there for a test, and the other one¡­ ¡°Oh, No-hyun-ah. Could you cool this down?¡± ¡°This?¡± The one with a full head of hair seemed to have been summoned to cool down the hair growth potion. Upon receiving her direction, the one called No-hyun touched the pot stand. In an instant, frost formed on the pot stand and the heat disappeared. If Seo Moon-no-eul was an Awakened with fire attribute, No-hyun seemed to be one with an ice attribute. He quickly handed the cooled down pot stand to No-eul. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Han Jae, you come here.¡± As Seo Moon-No-eul gestured, the one called Han Jae sat next to her. The evening sunlight from the window reflected off the man¡¯s bald head, dazzling to the eyes. ¡°You have alopecia, right?¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re the Guild Leader, I can¡¯t forgive personal attacks.¡± Seo Moon-No-eul chuckled and reached for the cooled pot. I quickly blocked her hand. ¡°If you touch it bare-handed, you¡¯ll turn into a furry beast.¡± ¡°Is it that potent?¡± ¡°Yes. As soon as you apply it, hair will grow.¡± Perhaps not wanting to turn into a beast, Seo Moon-Noeul withdrew her hand from the hair growth potion. Just then, Kang Do-Hoon pulled out a pair of plastic gloves from his pocket. ¡°Noona, here.¡± That guy calls Seo Tae-Ju ¡®Hyung,¡¯ and he calls the Guild Leader ¡®Noona¡¯. But why does he call me Seo Go-woon? Is he discriminating against me? ¡°Thanks.¡± While Seo Moon-No-eul was generously applying the purple potion to the gloves, Han Jae, who had been rolling his eyes, began to look upset. ¡°You mean to apply this hair growth potion¡­ to me?¡± ¡°Yep, do you dislike it?¡± ¡°¡­Any side effects?¡± Seo Moon-No-eul looked at me. ¡°There are none.¡± If there were side effects, it would surely pop up in a message window. The fact that nothing was specified means there are no side effects. Anyway¡­ ¡®Why does that guy look at me like that? Did he also¡­ no, did Seo Go-woon do something to him?¡¯ The gaze of the one called Han Jae looking at me was extremely uncomfortable. His eyes, tainted with disgust as if he was looking at a con artist, made me feel a little uncomfortable. In response, I lightly tapped the table and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, quit. Guild Leader-nim, isn¡¯t there anyone else? I don¡¯t want to offer mine to someone who I doesnt trust.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, it¡¯s not good to force someone who says they can¡¯t trust the maker. I guess I¡¯ll change to another person. Well, since I¡¯ll only need to test this once, I do need to be careful about the subject. Han Jae-ah, you can go. Do-Hoon-ah, go and call Moon Jun.¡± And Seo Moon-No-eul¡¯s decision was swift. Contrary to my expectations of her taking the side of this guy called Han Jae, she chose to send him away. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ah, no, please! Let me, me!¡± As soon as Kang Do-hoon stood up upon Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s instructions, the guy named Han Jae erupted. ¡®Useless to show off when you¡¯re not worth a damn.¡¯ As Kang Do-hoon looked at Seo Moon-no-eul wondering what to do, Seo Moon-no-eul seemed to leave the decision to me, staring back at me. I nodded. ¡®Just because you don¡¯t believe me, it doesn¡¯t change the effect, so it¡¯s better to get it over quickly.¡¯ ¡°Okay, then, lower your head a bit.¡± ¡°Please apply it thoroughly, leaving no areas untouched.¡± With a snort, Seo Moon-no-eul started to smear Han Jae¡¯s head, which was helpless against the hair-growth formula smeared on her vinyl gloves. Then a little while later. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Wow, amazing.¡± ¡°What! Why! What¡¯s happening?¡± Wherever the hair-growth formula touched, hair began to grow like grass. Though her hand was rough, thanks to her meticulous application even to the scalp, Han Jae¡¯s head had turned from bald to lush with hair. ¡°It works well.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul, with a change of look, nodded as she took off her vinyl gloves. Though the woman sometimes looked playful or light, Seo Moon-no-eul was the leader of a massive group called the Sunset Guild. It was clear that she recognized the value of the item I had brought. Meanwhile, Han Jae, who only asked about the situation amidst everyone¡¯s admiration, urgently exclaimed, ¡°Can I stand up?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The hair-growth formula was absorbed instantly upon contact, so there were no worries about it dripping. As Han Jae raised his head and reached for his hair, his face quickly started to turn red. ¡®He¡¯s not crying, is he?¡¯ ¡°Wow, I never thought I¡¯d touch my hair again in my lifetime¡­.¡± A man sobbing. Suddenly my stomach, which had been fine, started to churn. Ugh. Seo Taeju or Kang Do-hoon was fine, but his sobbing is upsetting my stomach. ¡°Does¡ªdoes this last forever once applied? Or does it end once applied?¡± Whether the guild master was curious about Han Jae¡¯s question, she looked at me. ¡°Just once.¡± ¡°Wow! Thank you!! I¡¯ll remember your kindness for a lifetime!¡± Just as Han Jae, who had abruptly stood up, tried to grab my hand, Seo Taeju pushed Han Je¡¯s hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my hyung.¡± Wondering why he was suddenly defensive, I looked at Seo Taeju, and he gestured above his head. ¡®Ah, Salt.¡¯ I had forgotten about Salt¡¯s existence because it was sleeping quietly. Salt might purify him. But it wouldn¡¯t purify anyone unless the person¡¯s S rank or higher. Is that guy S rank or higher? ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Whether Han Jae was intimidated by Seo Taeju¡¯s rebuke, he shrank back. As the atmosphere suddenly chilled, Seo Moon-no-eul clapped to change the atmosphere. ¡°Both of you can leave now. Do-hoon, you can take a break too.¡± ¡°Why, I want to stay here.¡± ¡°We have something to discuss among ourselves. So, please go.¡± ¡°No, let Kang Do-hoon stay.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I nodded, and so did the guild master. This woman seems to be going along with my words for now. ¡°Then only you two should leave.¡± ¡°Yes, call us if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Han Jae, now with a full head of hair, bowed to me several times before leaving the guild master¡¯s room with No-hyun. As soon as the two left, as if she had been waiting for them to leave, Seo Moon-no-eul asked me as soon as the door closed, ¡°Why did you reveal this? You could have kept it a secret if you wanted to.¡± ¡°Well, to make money?¡± Isn¡¯t it obvious? When you see a gold nugget, you should naturally dig. If there¡¯s an owner of the mine, it¡¯s only natural to ask for permission. CH 24 5 chapters coming right up! ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that even if diluted, as long as it accumulates, the effect is the same?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± As she said ¡®great,¡¯ the idea of utilizing the hair growth formula, crafted with the crystal of Balrans, was indeed excellent. In a modern society that didn¡¯t differ much except for this place, the tower, and the existence of hunters, I had seen how people were struggling to save what little hair they had left. Hospitals, medicines, injections, scalp massages, even machines. Investing big money was a routine matter if it meant hair could grow back. But now, all those processes could be bypassed just by applying this regularly? Even if the price was ten million won, anyone would want to buy it. Suddenly, Seo Moon-no-eul, who looked as if a gold mine had opened before her eyes, turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s a 5:5 split, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s 7:3.¡± The smooth forehead of Seo Moon-no-eul, just moments ago, crumpled in an instant. ¡®Ah, she¡¯s quite expressive.¡¯ However, Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s expressiveness and the ratio were two separate issues. She seemed to have misunderstood something. And my suspicion that she had misunderstood was correct. ¡°If Seo Go-woon does the gathering and the guild does the rest, isn¡¯t a 7:3 split too harsh a deal?¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding. The 7 parts mentioned is for the guild, and I¡¯m the 3.¡± At my words clearing up her misunderstanding, Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. It was a reasonable reaction. We were initially discussing a 5:5 ratio, and now suddenly I¡¯m offering 2 more to the guild¡¯s side. Seo Moon-no-eul, who is both a senior close to Seo Taeju and also a guildmaster, would undoubtedly have known all of Seo Go-woon¡¯s actions up until now. She must have thought that such a statement couldn¡¯t possibly come from the mouth of Seo Go-woon, a wasterel outlier. Instead of explaining this to her, I merely returned her penetrating gaze with a small smile. And Seo Moon-no-eul, proving her worth as the head of a large guild, quickly grasped my intent. ¡°Do you have any other conditions you desire?¡± ¡®Yes, I was waiting for that question. Whether I make 100 million or 10 billion here, it¡¯s money I can¡¯t take with me when I return to my world.¡¯ I had already made enough to live comfortably as Seo Go-woon, and there was no risk of starving, so I was fine with taking just 30% of the profits from the hair growth formula business. What I needed was¡­ ¡°I¡¯d like an increase in the number of dungeon entries.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Just a condition that would be beneficial for clearing the Cradle. Seo Moon-no-eul briefly furrowed her brows at my words and then leaned in as if she had misheard. She must have thought she heard wrong. ¡°I¡¯d like to start actively exploring dungeons to level up. As I¡¯m D-rank, I don¡¯t get many assignments, but I¡¯d like to participate in dungeon raids three times a week. Could that be arranged?¡± ¡°No.¡± The reply came from the side. ¡°No.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®What is this quiet guy saying all of a sudden?¡¯ As I stared at him with surprise, Seo Taeju frowned even more. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you suddenly want to start exploring dungeons, but no, I can¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? ¡®Allow,¡¯ you say. Why do you need to ¡®allow¡¯ me to go to a dungeon?¡± This body, originally Seo Go-woon¡¯s, is ultimately possessed by Kim Hae Ah, which is to say, mine. I should be responsible for what I do. Besides, from Seo Taeju¡¯s perspective, shouldn¡¯t he be overjoyed and welcome me with open arms if Seo Go-woon, who has been nothing but a freeloader up until now, starts to do some Hunter work? However, contrary to my expectations, Seo Taeju seemed to have a completely different view. He took my hand and said, ¡°I acknowledge that I¡¯ve been harsh until now. And I¡¯m sorry. But I can¡¯t, or rather won¡¯t, let you go dungeon exploring. Just keep living as you have been, spending money and enjoying life. I¡¯ll give you as much money as you need¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, enough with your nonsense when I¡¯m trying to reason.¡± ¡°Seo Go-woon!¡± ¡°Do you have some kind of disease? Why are you so inconsistent?¡± The kid who had been tearfully calling me ¡®brother¡¯ just moments ago now screamed at me. I momentarily worried if he was actually sick, but regardless of his condition, my future was for me to decide. It was appropriate for me to assert my intentions here. ¡°Hey, Seo Taeju. Who are you to approve or disapprove of my affairs? Money? As you have seen, I will have a lot coming my way. Why the uproar when I say I¡¯ll go? Why?¡± ¡°Just live comfortably! You¡¯re a D-rank. Not even an offensive class but a production class. Barely a D-rank, yet you¡¯re insisting on going into the dungeon! You nearly died there today!¡± ¡°So did I die? I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I? Plus, it was Kang Do-hoon, this guy here, who summoned the hidden boss. If he hadn¡¯t been there, I would¡¯ve cleared it by myself and left quietly.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the guarantee that such a thing won¡¯t happen again!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the guarantee that such a thing will happen again? No, that¡¯s not even the main issue right now. So who are you to talk about approval or disapproval to me?¡± Seo Taeju¡¯s pupils quivered. ¡°Did I look like your toy because I accepted your crying? Did I look like your emotional trash bin because I put up with your tantrums?¡± ¡°Damn it. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying!¡± ¡°Hey. I can curse too, you son of a b*tch. Why are you swearing all the time?¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯re swearing more than Taeju-hyung!¡± ¡°You should just shut up. Can¡¯t you read the room?¡± Kang Do-hoon flinched at my sharp retort. Why the hell is he acting like that? Can¡¯t he discern when to interfere and when not to? Who does he think he is, meddling here? In the meantime, as I was silencing Kang Do-hoon, Seo Taeju, who had briefly gone silent, spoke again, ¡°Whether I approve or not, I can¡¯t allow it. This is a decision I¡¯m making as a vice-guildmaster, not as a guardian.¡± Seo Taeju, with a smirk on his face, was asking what I was going to do. ¡®Ah, so you¡¯re going to press me down with your authority? Then I¡¯ll just have to go all out.¡¯ What a ridiculous situation. I shook off Seo Taeju¡¯s hand and stood up. ¡°Guildmaster, let¡¯s pretend this conversation never happened. I¡¯m leaving the guild. I haven¡¯t even signed anything yet, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with me leaving, right?¡± ¡°Are you insane, Seo Go-woon!¡± Seo Taeju, who had abruptly stood up, grabbed my arm as I was about to leave the room. ¡°Hyung, please.¡± The word that came out of his mouth had gone from ¡®Seo Go-woon¡¯ back to ¡®brother¡¯. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I had to accept his plea. ¡°Let go, you jerk. You said you couldn¡¯t stand to see me entering the dungeons. So I¡¯ll leave the guild, oh, and I¡¯ll move out, too. Wouldn¡¯t it be simple if I¡¯m out of sight?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Please, what? His grip was so strong that I could feel pain in my wrist. It was absurd that the guy begging ¡®please¡¯ was holding my wrist this tightly. Just as I was about to shake off Seo Taeju¡¯s hand again, Seo Moon-no-eul clapped loudly. ¡°Alright, Hunter Seo Go-woon-ssi. You seem to be quite upset. Why don¡¯t you sit down for a moment? Seo Taeju, you need to get a grip. Why are you trying to exert authority in front of me, the guildmaster? Do you think I¡¯m a joke?¡± When Seo Taeju continued to stand still despite her stern words, Seo Moon-no-eul made eye contact with me and gestured toward the sofa. She wanted me to sit down again. It was not a mere verbal suggestion. The heat gradually radiating from behind Seo Moon-no-eul was a demonstration of her power, proving how she had climbed to her current position. Sighing, I had no choice but to sit back down. On the other hand, Seo Taeju, having seen me sit down, started arguing with Seo Moon-no-eul again. ¡°Noona, I can¡¯t allow it. I absolutely cannot approve.¡± ¡°Seo Taeju-ah. No matter if he¡¯s family, Hunter Seo Go-woon-ssi is an adult and technically a guild member under me. You don¡¯t have a say over this issue.¡± Sure, I¡¯m not a minor, but a full-fledged adult. Naturally, I should decide on my own matters. Seo Moon-no-eul. As I¡¯ve felt earlier, unlike some lunatics, she was a person of sound judgment. No wonder she managed to grow such a large guild with such people. ¡°Seo Go-woon, the Hunter. Your rank is D, so it¡¯s difficult to place you in higher ranks. However, I will consider up to B rank for you.¡± ¡°Noona!!¡± Seo Taeju snarled and scowled at the sight of Seo Moon-no-eul, who was intent on continuing the deal, ignoring his own opinion. Kang Do-hoon, holding onto Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s arm, said, ¡°Sis, listen to what Taeju-hyung has to say¡ª¡± ¡°Kang Do-hoon, what are you butting in for? Go-woon-ssi said it earlier. Can¡¯t you read the room? And Seo Taeju, if you interfere one more time, you¡¯re the one leaving the guild.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll go with hyung¡ª¡° ¡°What are you talking about? If you leave, I¡¯ll stay here, won¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seo Taeju looked at me with a betrayed expression at my casual addendum. What had happened between us that was so significant to warrant such a look? He was the one who had discarded the peace-offering toast and refused my olive branch. Yet, overnight, his attitude changed so drastically. No matter how I thought about it, he was unquestionably an unpredictable fellow. ¡°What will you do? Will you leave Hunter Seo Go-woon behind and just go? Or will you stay quiet?¡± ¡®Oh¡­ she¡¯s being quite tough, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s threat was quite harsh, considering that Seo Taeju, who made up 80% of the guild¡¯s growth, was being chased out. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Taeju and the guildmaster started a silent staring contest. I didn¡¯t care who won¡­ but if I had to choose, I¡¯d prefer to support Seo Moon-no-eul. It¡¯s a hassle to look for another guild, even though I said I¡¯d leave. An awkward silence persisted for a while. ¡°¡­Sigh, alright.¡± In the end, it was Seo Taeju who was lost in the silence. Heaving a deep sigh, Seo Taeju asked me, ¡°Are you really going to the dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m against it?¡± His eyes were serious. But my answer doesn¡¯t change. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s stick together.¡± ¡°What kind of crazy¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the crazy one.¡± The words I wanted to say jumped out of Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s mouth, not mine. Indeed, she was a person with sound judgment. As the woman interrupted and nodded, Seo Moon-no-eul spoke with heightened emotions, ¡°Hey, you crazy bastard. Are you saying you¡¯ll go to a B-rank dungeon with your current rank? Is that what a vice guildmaster should say?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll quit being a vice guildmaster. I just want to be a Hunter now.¡± ¡°You, you¡ª!¡± ¡°Sis!¡± Kang Do-hoon, who had grabbed Seo Moon-no-eul as she seemed to be choking from her blood pressure rise, was stomping his feet as if he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡®The guild sure is running smoothly.¡¯ I never thought Seo Moon-no-eul, the master of the Sunset Guild who survived till the end of the novel, would experience this. Looking back and forth between the guildmaster and Taeju with a dumbfounded expression, Seo Moon-no-eul, who had regained some color, seemed to gesture at me to somehow fix the situation. But. ¡®Why should I? Is there anything bad for me to tag along with an S-rank? He might be annoying, but¡­¡¯ There wasn¡¯t only disadvantage in Seo Taeju coming with me. Strictly speaking, the difficulty of leveling up would drop dramatically just by having a balance destroyer beside me. Seeing my grumpy expression, Seo Moon-no-eul, as if this wouldn¡¯t do, threw out a remark. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll just let you, Hunter Seo Go-woon kill the monsters?¡± Ah, I didn¡¯t think of that. That madman wouldn¡¯t even let me go into the dungeon because it was dangerous. ¡°Seo Taeju.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You do you, and I¡¯ll do me. Okay?¡± ¡°No. If you¡¯re going to the dungeon, come with me. I¡¯ll kill everything.¡± ¡°What kind of¡­¡± I held back from yelling at his response and took a deep breath. And I pulled out the Sunshine Policy that I had abandoned in the corner of my heart. ¡®I¡¯m the sunshine. Yes, I¡¯m the sunshine.¡¯ ¡°No, Taeju, you idiot. Listen. I¡¯m not going to the dungeon for sightseeing, but to level up. If I go with you, will I be able to level up? Or will I just be a spectator?¡± Seo Taeju scowled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you kill the high-rank monsters.¡± Is that even a thing to say? Isn¡¯t it better to just hit him once? I feel like he¡¯ll come to his senses if I smack him on the back of his head. Phew, sunshine. I¡¯m the sunshine. XX. How can a person be sunshine? Damn, this bastard. Phew, no, he¡¯s a citizen. A citizen who threatens to report to the national petition. Regaining my composure, I spoke gently again, ¡°How am I supposed to kill those? Even when I tried alchemy in the crystal cave earlier, it seems like no damage is inflicted unless it¡¯s something trivial, so¡­¡± ¡°Then you just have to watch me kill.¡± A ping¡ª like sound echoed in my ears as if a screw had just fallen out. It was the sound of my patience snapping. CH 25 I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what specifically had struck a chord in me. But one thing was clear: something in his words had deeply irritated me. ¡°Crazy. Okay, fine. Let¡¯s say I go with you. If you¡¯re planning on single-handedly conquering S-rank dungeons, then why would I even join in? Think before you speak. Am I just an accessory to you?¡± ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s go to a B-rank dungeon.¡± Upon hearing the somewhat crestfallen decision of Seo Taeju, the next to explode was Seo Moon-no-eul. ¡°Hey! Get a grip! Are you really going to drag a high-end SS-rank down to a B-rank dungeon?!¡± Seo Moon-no-eul, who was taking deep breaths to lower his blood pressure, yelled out again and grabbed his throat. I too hoped that this pointless debate would end sooner rather than later. ¡®I just want to get out of here and return to my life. I¡¯m tired, so tired.¡¯ ¡°Hunter, Seo Go-woon! Instead of making that pitiful face, deal with this guy!¡± Why was I expected to resolve what she couldn¡¯t? Anyone looking might think Seo Taeju always listens to me. He¡¯s not listening anymore, as everyone saw just moments ago. What should I say to convince him? The guy who wanted nothing to do with me just yesterday, is now restless because he can¡¯t stick to me. I never foresaw this situation, so I never thought about how to respond to it. ¡°Taeju, let¡¯s finally decide. Should I leave, or will you give up?¡± ¡°Hyung!¡± My last resort was to persuade him to give up as gently as possible. In response to my question, loaded with core implications and spoken in a calm tone as if everything was over, Seo Taeju¡¯s expression hardened once again. Regardless of his expression, what was needed here was a decision. ¡°Pick one and call me that. Hyung, Seo Go-woon, or crazy bastard. I¡¯m getting confused.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my fault¡­¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s your fault, so make a choice. Should I leave, or will you give up?¡± Seo Taeju bit his lip. What on earth was he deliberating about? It wasn¡¯t like I was heading off to die. I was just talking about leveling up. ¡°Hey, choose in 3 seconds. One. Two.¡± ¡°Okay. I give up on going together.¡± ¡°Good, then it¡¯s settled¡ª¡± ¡°But let¡¯s join a party.¡± ¡°What?¡± If nonsense had a limit, this was it. It¡¯s always one problem after another. What kind of ridiculousness was this? ¡°¡­Are you joking? Did you not understand what I said?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give in anymore. It¡¯s too dangerous to go alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying. You and I will go together¡­¡± ¡°No, not with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you can join a party with the members I approve of, then I¡¯ll give up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really something else.¡± Hearing such absurdity, my voice was surprisingly calm. The problem was that my emotions weren¡¯t. Unconsciously, my body moved. ¡®I swear, today I will kill this bastard.¡¯ Just as I grabbed Seo Taeju¡¯s collar and was about to punch him, ¡°Do-hoon, stop him!¡± Following Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s order, Kang Do-hoon hastily came and blocked my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t hit him, hyung!¡± Seeing the weak boy clinging onto me with both arms, my anger instantly cooled. ¡°You¡¯re really something else.¡± The strength drained from the hand gripping his collar and the fist that was ready to strike. After confirming that I had somewhat calmed down, Seo Moon-no-eul cautiously spoke to me. ¡°Seo Go-woon-ssi, calm down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already calm. I¡¯m just astounded.¡± ¡°I understand why you¡¯d be upset, but joining a party isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, if we form a party, we might be able to assign you better dungeons than what you mentioned. And, originally, our guild rules state that dungeons aren¡¯t meant to be tackled alone but in parties.¡± Guild rules? I hadn¡¯t heard of such rules before, so I asked Seo Moon-no-eul as I stared at her. A counter to these so-called rules was standing right in front of us. ¡°But Seo Taeju is doing it alone, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because Taeju is SS-rank. You¡¯re not SS-rank, are you? Plus, forming a party will even help you level up faster, which is what you want. Parties get experience bonuses in dungeons.¡± ¡®Party EXP bonus? I don¡¯t remember that in the novel.¡¯ It was a system I¡¯d never seen in the book. Perhaps it was because I seemed a little shaken. Seo Taeju seized this opportunity to add, ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. If you party with people of similar ranks, there¡¯s a 10% bonus,¡± and then looked at me, seemingly waiting for a reaction. His smug face, acting triumphant as though he¡¯d already won, made me want to punch him. Doing my best to keep calm, I swallowed back my rising anger and contemplated what the guildmaster had said. ¡®A party bonus, huh.¡¯ Rather than struggling alone in a lower-level dungeon, it¡¯d be better to go through several higher-level ones. There¡¯s a reason for the saying ¡®the more, the merrier.¡¯ Especially if there¡¯s a 10% experience bonus. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I let go of Seo Taeju¡¯s collar, which I had been clutching rather weakly, and shrugged off Kang Do-hoon, who was clinging to my arm. I thought that if it didn¡¯t work out, I could always negotiate with the guildmaster behind Seo Taeju¡¯s back. For now, I decided to go along with their suggestion. ¡°As for the party members¡­¡± At this, Seo Taeju, whose face had brightened at my words, quickly spit out his response, ¡°I¡¯ve already figured it out. Hanjae, Jeongwoo, Min-hee, Ga-eul, and Emily as the healer.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The one who raised their voice at Seo Taeju¡¯s words was Seo Moon-no-eul. I wondered why Seo Moon-no-eul was upset, but her following words quickly made it clear. ¡°With that lineup, we could even take on S-rank, not just A-rank dungeons! Our guild isn¡¯t that big, so why are you cramming so many members into one party?¡± Despite her objections, Seo Taeju just laughed. ¡°Even if we could tackle S-rank, aside from Hanjae and Emily, everyone else is a newbie. I wasn¡¯t planning on assigning them to a fixed party, anyway.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s a waste of resources¡­¡± ¡°If we stick them in the existing fixed parties, they won¡¯t be able to learn properly. You know that too, right, guildmaster?¡± Apparently, even a well-organized guild like ours had its share of cliques. Our police department also had officers who threw their weight around. I remembered the troubles caused by the hotshots who got in through special hiring. A memory of the hardship I endured to keep their arrogance in check surfaced. Meanwhile, as I was reminiscing, Seo Taeju and Seo Moon-no-eul fell into another silent staring contest. After what felt like an eternity, ¡°You¡¯re really annoying.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± This round of the unyielding staring contest went to Seo Taeju. ¡°Do you think I joined the guild to party with a nutcase?!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, Jeongwoo.¡± ¡®This party is off to a great start.¡¯ I clicked my tongue as I watched a guy named Jeongwoo stubbornly standing in front of the gate. Jeongwoo and two people who seemed to be his peers looked at me and Jeongwoo alternately, unsure of what to do, and Emily, the healer, hadn¡¯t even shown up yet. What was Seo Taeju thinking when he put me in this party? At this rate, rather than gaining more, we¡¯ll struggle to clear even a single dungeon in a day. ¡°He doesn¡¯t plan to make a fool out of me, does he?¡± Looking at the current situation, it seemed plausible. ¡®But considering what that jerk has been up to these past few days, it doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡¯ Since the Crystal Dungeon incident, Seo Taeju had been regularly coming home without causing trouble. In fact, he¡¯d taken care of many things for me to the point where I wondered if his previous behaviors were all a dream. Even though I was suspicious, I didn¡¯t refuse what he gave me. ¡°I won¡¯t go, I won¡¯t! I¡¯m not joking, I really won¡¯t go!¡± ¡®Alright. Let¡¯s deal with this first.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure what Seo Taeju wanted, but what mattered now was that I needed to start clearing dungeons soon. I approached Jeongwoo who was losing his temper in front of the gate. ¡°What, what do you want?!¡± ¡°You, go home.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Go home.¡± What would be the point in forcing someone who doesn¡¯t want to go with me into the dungeon? If anything, it would just be a hindrance. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to go? To go home?¡± ¡°You said you don¡¯t want to go to the dungeon with me, right? So, go home, I¡¯m letting you go.¡± ¡°Do you really think the guildmaster will let me go?¡± When he was fussing about not wanting to go, he seemed so adamant. Now that I told him to go, is he suddenly afraid of Seo Moon-no-eul? ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s CCTV in the dungeon. How would the guildmaster know whether or not you entered the dungeon? Besides, I¡¯ll tell her we don¡¯t work well together and you need to be transferred to another party, okay?¡± ¡°What will the guildmaster think of me!¡± ¡°What she¡¯ll think? She¡¯ll probably just see you as another guild member. Even if we don¡¯t get along, would she blame you, a newcomer, or me, who was given a ridiculous position from the start?¡± At my words, he looked at me with suspicious eyes. Under his scrutiny, as if checking for hidden motives, I waved my hands dismissively. ¡°If you¡¯re going to quit, then quit already. I don¡¯t have time to deal with your whining.¡± ¡°Hey, Go-woon-hyung.¡± Hanjae tried to stop me, it seemed. I ignored him and spoke to the other two remaining hunters. ¡°If both of you feel the same, then go with him. I have no intention of dragging along anyone who¡¯s unwilling.¡± Had it been an A-rank dungeon, perhaps I would have thought differently, but today¡¯s dungeon was B-rank. Although a B-rank dungeon might be a bit challenging, it would be manageable for me alone, especially considering the gear I brought. In my already exhausted state from dealing with Seo Taeju, I had no patience for this whimpering. From the start, I never intended to form a party with Seo Moon-no-eul when I proposed the deal. If they decided to leave, it would actually be more beneficial from my standpoint. ¡°Hanjae, if you want to go, then go.¡± The same went for Hanjae, whose previously bald head had sprouted a decent amount of unruly hair. I initially thought Hanjae would be older because he was bald when we first met, but he turned out to be just 23. I don¡¯t know how he ended up bald at such a young age, but now with his hair grown out, he looked his age. ¡°Of course I¡¯m going with you, hyung!¡± Was it my words that hurt his pride? Hanjae bellowed at me. He had treated me like a benefactor ever since the day I helped him regrow his hair, so moved by the act. Now, nodding my head at Hanjae who was looking at me with bright eyes, I turned to the two others. ¡°What about you two?¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s better to join another party than¡ª¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°Ga-eul?¡± Ga-eul, cutting off Jeongwoo¡¯s words, stood in front of me. ¡°I want to go.¡± ¡°Then stay.¡± I didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but I had no intention of stopping him if he wanted to go. With a chin gesture, I indicated a spot next to me, and Ga-eul stood next to Hanjae. Now, only two people were left. ¡°So, are you two leaving?¡± ¡°No, I, I want to go to the dungeon too.¡± This time, it was Min-hee, one of the two remaining people, who stood next to Ga-eul. Now, only Jeongwoo remained. As I stared him down, the once-brave boy eventually turned away. ¡°Hmph! What good is a dungeon run with such a ridiculous party¡­¡± ¡®What¡¯s with the hmph. Goodbye, pest.¡¯ I flipped him off in my mind, looking at his retreating back, then turned my attention to the remaining hunters. ¡®Hanjae, Min-hee, Ga-eul¡­ I still don¡¯t know.¡¯ The three of them weren¡¯t mentioned in the novel, so I had no information about them. All I knew from Taeju¡¯s profile was that Hanjae had a water attribute, Ga-eul a plant attribute, and Min-hee a lightning attribute. Their ranks were all higher than mine, but the difference wasn¡¯t substantial. Hanjae was C-rank, Ga-eul was B-rank, and Min-hee was C-rank. ¡°Let¡¯s form a party first. I¡¯ve heard that the healer usually takes on the role of the party leader.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have a healer right now, I¡¯ll be the party leader.¡± ¡°What about the orders?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle the orders as well.¡± While it doesn¡¯t matter when I¡¯m soloing a dungeon, when running it as a party, individual combat can lead to death. In parties, there is a role of a leader who decides the overall direction, and an orderer who commands the finer details during battle. The role of the orderer is often taken by healers. They can view the entire situation from the back, and because they are not directly involved in combat. In the event that there¡¯s unavoidably no healer, the order is usually taken up by the most experienced member of the team. But in this current party¡­ ¡®Experience? There isn¡¯t even anyone who has properly ventured through a dungeon.¡¯ Even Hanjae, who has the longest tenure among us, has never been able to properly fight a monster due to the constant pressure from his seniors. Even after two years in the guild, that¡¯s the situation. In the end, all that¡¯s left is me. ¡®Well, I do enjoy the freedom of doing things my way.¡¯ Of course, I was also a beginner just like them. But at least I¡¯ve been through a few dungeons, fought monsters, so I couldn¡¯t be considered exactly the same as them. Despite what I felt internally, the anxious gazes from the three of them looking at me spoke volumes. Not knowing my abilities, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for them to look at me that way. ¡°¡­Order, are you really sure it¡¯s okay?¡± Finally, Hanjae asked as if he was worried. I appreciated his concern, but¡­ ¡°Do you want to take over then?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± There was no real alternative plan either. ¡®These guys, pretending to be worried when they can¡¯t even do it.¡¯ Instead of painstakingly convincing them about my orders, I pulled out a party scroll from the Infinite Pouch I¡¯d purchased, one that Taeju had prepared for me. I¡¯d brought them along, after all the nagging Taeju had given me, saying ¡®just in case, take these¡¯. I didn¡¯t anticipate I¡¯d have to use it right from the start. ¡°Everyone, gather around.¡± Whether it turns out good or bad, it was time to officially start the preparations for survival. CH 26 The party members gathered around me, their bodies tense. Their expressions were fraught with nervousness. Even if I¡¯m known as a screw-up, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat them. Is there really a need to be that tense? ¡°Okay. I¡¯m forming the party now.¡± As soon as I ripped the scroll, a party window popped up in front of my eyes. + [Party has been formed.] [Party Leader ¨C Seo Go-Woon] [Party Member List] Lee Hanjae ¨C Grade C / Lv 10 Kang Ga-eul ¨C Grade B / Lv 2 Kim Min-hee ¨C Grade C / Lv 2 + ¡®They¡¯re all just so average.¡¯ It¡¯s understandable for Kang Ga-eul and Kim Min-hee, who only recently awakened, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much for Hanjae? ¡°Hyung, your level is quite high.¡± At Hanjae¡¯s comment, Ga-eul and Min-hee nodded. ¡®Do these guys think Lv 5 is high?¡¯ I clicked my tongue inwardly and moved towards the gate. The three of them scurried after me like chicks following their mother hen. It made me chuckle. ¡®Right. I was also like that once.¡¯ I was lost in thought reminiscing about the good old days when the gate activated. When I opened my eyes after shielding them from the blinding light, an old building came into view. ¡°¡­What kind of dungeon is this?¡± Min-hee, scared, stuck to my side. Ga-eul and Hanjae did the same. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you read the dungeon guide?¡± Upon my question, all three of them opened their eyes wide and nodded. To top it off, Ga-eul added, ¡°My senior colleague at the company who joined at the same time as me told me that we should learn from experience and not read the dungeon guide in advance¡­.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± Was that something to say to a newbie? Learn from experience? I was so flabbergasted that I stared at Ga-eul who recoiled and hid behind Min-hee. But the towering and hefty Ga-eul could hardly hide behind the not even 5ft tall Min-hee. ¡°That son of¡­ no, f*ck¡­ no, sigh.¡± Angry, I let slip the crude language I used during my days as a detective to suppress the rowdies. But if I speak without filtering, it would only serve to confirm the rumors about me being a screw-up. Normally, when former gangsters start a new life, the first thing they change is their language. Even Yoon Taek of the White Tiger Faction, who used to not be able to utter a word without swearing, didn¡¯t he start to use refined language after becoming a bakery owner? ¡®Right, it¡¯s time for a makeover of Seo Go-Woon¡¯s screw-up image.¡¯ I suppressed my boiling anger and put on a good-natured smile. ¡°Those jerks¡¯ words are not even worth listening to. Unless it¡¯s a newly emerged dungeon, you should always read the dungeon guide.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Why do you think the guild would waste money, manpower, and time to make a dungeon guide if it¡¯s not necessary? Right?¡± Ga-eul and Min-hee seemed to agree with my point. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡®Hanjae, you bastard. What good is a two-year veteran like you agreeing now?¡¯ I sighed. I could smell Taeju¡¯s scheme from a mile away. He probably thought that if he made me deal with these clueless kids, I¡¯d surely give up on the dungeon. If I were the spineless screw-up Seo Go-Woon, I would have indeed done just that. ¡®But I¡¯m different.¡¯ While working part-time to make ends meet, I had often encountered clueless newcomers. I was the one who had been there the longest, the one who taught those newbies and turned them into useful part-timers. ¡®You¡¯ve underestimated me, you bastard.¡¯ ¡°Too slow! You need to kill it faster!¡± Ga-eul, who grabbed the rushing goblin with a nunchuck, shuddered at my shout. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you killing it quickly?!¡± ¡°Ye-yes!¡± The nunchuck tightened around the goblin¡¯s waist. The goblin¡¯s moan was cut short by a cracking sound, and an experience point message appeared. I approached Ga-eul. ¡°If you¡¯re this slow, you¡¯re dead if you meet a ghoul. You do know that ghouls are faster than goblins, right?¡± ¡°Ye-yes.¡± ¡°Use your skills frequently to level up, got it?¡± ¡°Ye-ye-yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t draw out your words.¡± I frowned, stirring my hand back and forth. Ga-eul, who was on the brink of death, hastily retreated. ¡°Hanjae, come over here.¡± Hanjae, his face pale, walked over slowly, as if his feet were heavy. ¡®This bastard. It¡¯s all for his own good.¡¯ I felt a surge of anger, but I bit it back and pointed at the last remaining goblin. ¡°Go and kill it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Using his skill, Hanjae called up water to attack the goblin. I observed his actions closely. We¡¯d entered the dungeon in a rage, intending to teach that punk Taeju a lesson, but I had many worries about whether the three of us could properly fight. I thought it would be fortunate if they didn¡¯t just run away at the sight of a monster, but when asked, they followed orders and effectively used their skills, like top students. After several failures, Hanjae quietly approached after killing the goblin by obstructing its breath with a perfectly formed water ball. His expression seemed to say, didn¡¯t I do well? Slap! ¡°Ouch, it hurts, hyung!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to level up your water skills while I¡¯m on standby?!¡± Hanjae, who was slapped on the back, hopped around touching his back. I swung my hand again, smacking his back. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°What do you think happens if you cancel the skill there?!¡± ¡°I caught it! I caught it!¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Hanjae dodged my hand and ran away. As a hunter, he ran faster than I did, and I was left panting, sinking to the ground. ¡®I¡¯m definitely going to work on boosting Seo Go-woon¡¯s stamina.¡¯ Catching my breath, I beckoned the three over. ¡°All of you, come here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to hit us, right?¡± Hanjae, hiding behind an icicle half his size, asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hit, don¡¯t come.¡± The three of them rushed towards me like bullets. I was done with making any further comments. ¡°You all know it¡¯s the boss room now, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you mess up.¡± I drew a line across my throat with my hand. I wasn¡¯t really planning to kill them, but they needed to be scared straight. As I¡¯d predicted, all three of them nodded fervently. Especially Ga-eul, who had let a monster run wild by missing the timing for a moment, was now deathly pale. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I led the group of kids who acted even more like kids than kids to the boss room. The boss room, as small as a single room, was being dug up by worker ants as if they were creating an ant nest, while soldier ants patrolled the area. ¡®Didn¡¯t they say we need to get rid of those to make the boss appear?¡¯ ¡°Ugh, I really hate bugs.¡± ¡°But those are insects?¡± ¡°Shut up, anything with lots of legs is a bug!¡± At Min-hee¡¯s comment, Ga-eul pouted. That bastard, unable to win, kept retorting, making me want to slap him. ¡°Everyone, focus. Whether they¡¯re bugs or insects, they¡¯re still monsters, so stop your nonsense. Hanjae and Min-hee, you¡¯ll take down the worker and soldier ants together. Hanjae, summon water.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± As Hanjae activated his skill, water formed on the floor everywhere except where we were standing. The water created by the skill didn¡¯t enter the ant nest, but was slightly floating above the floor. ¡°Should I add more?¡± ¡°No, this is just right. Keep it like this.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°Everyone, get ready.¡± Tension was visible on the faces of all three. ¡°Lightning.¡± With a crackling sound, lightning erupted from thin air and struck the water. The worker ants and soldier ants that had been in the water were all electrocuted and died with a sizzling sound. However, this was just the beginning. Whether they had a separate communication system or not, as soon as the ants outside died, ants began to spring out of the nest like a fountain. ¡°Min-hee, again!¡± The ants rushed towards us at a rapid pace, but Min-hee¡¯s lightning was faster. The smell of burning ants quickly filled the small room. ¡°Wow, so we can do it like this.¡± ¡°Yeah, really.¡± I made a dumbfounded face at Min-hee and Ga-eul¡¯s words. No matter how little time they¡¯ve had since their awakening, wouldn¡¯t the guild teach them about their inherent abilities and how to use them? Why are they so amazed by this? Not knowing how Sunset Guild¡¯s works, I couldn¡¯t say anything, so I shook my head and spoke to Hanjae. ¡°Hanjae, cancel your skill.¡± After the soldier ants, no more ants appeared. All the pawn ants had died, which meant it was time for the true boss to emerge. And as if it had been waiting, the queen ant broke through the ground and showed herself. Squee-e-eak- The queen ant, who appeared fluttering her massive wings, was so overwhelmingly large that she took up half the single-roomed space. ¡°Ga-eul!¡± Ga-eul created a vine that restrained the queen ant¡¯s body. ¡°Hanjae and Min-hee!¡± Hanjae poured water over the queen ant¡¯s head, and Min-hee struck it with lightning. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± Min-hee¡¯s lightning struck the queen ant accurately. However, only the vine restraining its body burned; the queen ant was unharmed. ¡°Ga-eul, again!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As if it hadn¡¯t forgotten what happened once, the queen ant flew into the sky to avoid the vine. And it flew towards us. ¡°Aargh!¡± ¡°Kyaa!¡± ¡°No!¡± The three of us screamed and fell down in that spot. I clicked my tongue, touched the ground with my hand, and shouted, ¡°Refine!¡± A thick stone wall emerged in front of the charging queen ant. The queen ant, unable to slow down, slammed into the stone wall. Kwaaaang- The small boss room shook as if there was an earthquake. ¡°Has everyone lost their minds?! Ga-eul, again!¡± ¡°Huh? Yes!¡± While still sitting down, Ga-eul hastily made the vine again to hold onto the queen ant. I quickly began to dismantle the stone wall. The restrained queen ant could be seen through the crumbling stone wall. But as it seemed to be about to break the vine any second, I hurriedly pulled out a gun from the Infinite Pouch. The Crystal Power Gun I made during the Crystal Dungeon raid was so convenient I had planned to make another one. And while I was at it, I planned to make a gun that could exchange mana stones like exchanging a magazine. ¡®I never imagined it would be so expensive.¡¯ The novel mentioned that mana stones were expensive, but since Shin Sooha casually gave me the mana stones he got from bosses, I assumed they were affordable. ¡®The hell they are affordable. They¡¯re even more expensive than a house in Gangnam.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even get something the same size as what Shin Sooha gave me, and even a piece smaller than a baby¡¯s fist was more expensive than I could imagine. Moreover, unlike the mana stones I used for the Crystal Gun, the mana stones available on the market could only fire up to 3 shots. ¡®1,300,000 won per shot!¡¯ Muttering the price, I shot the gun towards the queen ant¡¯s mouth. Bang-! The ground shook and the air vibrated. -Sque-e-eak! The queen ant, squirming and shrieking, had one side of her mouth torn open. ¡®It¡¯s not immune to attacks.¡¯ ¡°What are you doing! Start attacking quickly!¡± ¡°Huh? Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± I stopped struggling and began to dodge the queen ant lunging at me. Explosions were heard from behind, a result of the attack unleashed by three of us, but I ignored them and kept running around the narrow boss room. ¡°Hyung!¡± At Ga-eul¡¯s shout, I turned around and fired another magic bullet. Screech! An arm of the queen ant aiming at me shattered into pieces, revealing its white innards. ¡°Min-hee, over there!¡± Throughout the day, whether it was worth the effort, Min-hee struck lightning exactly where I wanted. The queen ant hit by the lightning collapsed with a thud. ¡°Ga-eul! Your seed skill! Tree!¡± Before starting the strategy, I requested the most necessary skill among those we had prepared. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Use your skill!¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Ga-eul used his skill, albeit questioningly. A seed was planted in the place that had turned black from the lightning. The queen ant started to wriggle, as if regaining consciousness. ¡°Hanjae, water it, Ga-eul, growth skill!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hanjae watered the seed, and Ga-eul used his skill. As soon as the seed sprouted, it started to grow rapidly. The queen ant shrieked and writhed. ¡°Dodge!¡± I led the kids and avoided it by running to the corner of the boss room. From the bag of infinity, I pulled out the defensive item that the Infinite Pouch handed me and broke it. A transparent but blue barrier surrounded us. ¡®Good timing.¡¯ As soon as the barrier wrapped us, the ceiling began to collapse due to the queen ant¡¯s struggle. ¡°Wow, your skill is killer.¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know it could be used like this.¡± Of course, they wouldn¡¯t know. This was one of the special skills used by the Plant Hunter, a character from the novel who had had a disagreement with the protagonist, Taeju. Awakened plant hunters mostly prefer to get jobs in botanical gardens or open flower shops, living relatively peaceful lives rather than venturing into dungeons. They didn¡¯t need to risk their lives hunting monsters when they could live comfortably and receive respect. However, the Plant Hunter who had clashed with Seo Taeju maximized the use of his unique skill to clear dungeons. One of these skills was planting seeds. This skill, which seemed peaceful as it merely planted a small seed in the ground at first glance. ¡°Pierce it!¡± A root burst out from the queen ant¡¯s flank with a woody sound. That was just the beginning. The tree, having completely taken over the queen ant¡¯s body, grew rapidly, taking nourishment from the monster¡¯s bodily fluids and flesh. And then, [Your level has increased.] [Lv 5 Lv 6] [Your level has increased.] [Lv 6 Lv 7] ¡®Good.¡¯ My level started to grow rapidly as well. CH 27 Indeed, it was the right decision to come to a higher-level dungeon. I levelled up by two levels in a single go. ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve gained three levels!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± The three of us, experiencing level-ups for the first time, were in the mood to break out into a dance. I chuckled and pointed to the escape gate that appeared behind the queen ant¡¯s corpse. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± No matter how drained we were, the smell of the fluid that came out with the roots vibrated in the boss room. ¡°I really didn¡¯t think I could win.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°I feel like a real hunter now.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you already going to the dungeons?¡± ¡°No, I was only assisting.¡± The three of us, who wouldn¡¯t stop talking even while stepping onto the escape gate, continued to chatter non-stop after getting outside. ¡°Hunter Seo Go-woon.¡± As we stepped out of the dungeon¡¯s concrete wall, Seo Moon-no-eul ran up to us. He then carefully examined the three of us. ¡°Guild master!¡± ¡°Hello, guild master!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± They naturally called out to Seo Moon-no-eul as if greeting someone they hadn¡¯t seen in a while. I had heard it was a guild with a familial atmosphere, but wasn¡¯t it supposed to be more ¡®family¡¯-like? ¡°We¡¯ve cleared the dungeon!¡± ¡°I can handle my skills now.¡± Min-hee, did you leave your conscience in the dungeon? ¡°I thought the boss would be scary, but it was no big deal.¡± Ga-eul, you hesitated when the queen ant charged, you shouldn¡¯t be the one to say that. ¡°I think I can use my skills better because I have a lot of hair.¡± Hanjae, that¡¯s just your illusion. It¡¯s all in your head. Although I had a lot to say, I approached Seo Moon-no-eul, who was nodding her head in agreement without killing the kids¡¯ excitement. ¡°Hello, did you come to check our raid?¡± ¡°Well, two birds with one stone?¡± Two birds with one stone? What¡¯s she talking about? ¡°You¡¯re going to report to the guild, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡®Is it because of the hair growth formula?¡¯ I nodded my head. Unlike when we first gathered at the dungeon, we rode in a minivan that Seo Moon-no-eul had prepared to go to the guild. The kids, still high on the successful raid, kept talking about the dungeon until we arrived at the guild. ¡°Hyung! We¡¯re going to stay in the same party, right?¡± As soon as we got out of the van, Hanjae, who got off first, rushed towards me. ¡°Hey, back off.¡± When I pushed Hanjae away, this time it was Ga-eul. ¡°Hyung! You¡¯re not going to abandon us, right?¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t push!¡± ¡°Oppa, don¡¯t tell me. No, right?¡± I staggered, not from the cicada of the ginkgo tree, but from the two bulky men clinging to me. How strong were they? They didn¡¯t even move when I pushed. ¡°Alright. I get it!¡± When my approval finally came out of my mouth, the two let go of me. I should have kept my distance like when we first met. I inadvertently used informal speech out of frustration, and it seemed to have made me more approachable to them. ¡®I¡¯m getting old, really old.¡¯ The words that the deputy chief often said popped up in my mind. ¡°I¡¯ll make the report, you guys can clock out now.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul waved her hands at the three. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once Seo Moon-no-eul gave permission, the three of them cheered and ran towards the subway station. ¡®With that much energy, they should be able to run two dungeons a day.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I followed Seo Moon-no-eul to the guildmaster¡¯s office. The guildmaster¡¯s office was no different from the office of Taeju¡¯s brat that I had entered before. ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± ¡°No.¡± As soon as I sat on the sofa, Seo Moon-no-eul sat opposite me. And then she stared at me intensely. ¡®Why is she staring at me like that?¡¯ Her gaze was strange. It wasn¡¯t a look of contempt or disregard, it was more like ¡®what is this¡¯ kind of look. I also looked at Seo Moon-no-eul. Taeju¡¯s senior was younger than I thought. She felt about my age. ¡°I thought the hunter Seo Go-woon wouldn¡¯t participate in this raid.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I was expecting her to talk about the hair loss remedy I brought up, but she didn¡¯t say anything for a while. I frowned at her explanation, suspecting that she was saying she didn¡¯t trust me. ¡°Because Jeongwoo is back.¡± Jeongwoo? Oh, I remember. The annoying guy who refused to form a party. ¡°So, did you come here earlier to help?¡± ¡°Yes, according to Jeongwoo, there was no healer when your group got assembled, but I checked the entry record and found that you all had entered the dungeon.¡± I instantly grasped the situation. A dungeon, in a way, is a mission assigned by the guild, and one can¡¯t abandon it at will. Though I did go because I was nagged to, from her point of view, I must have unilaterally abandoned the mission and returned to the guild, surely claiming that I couldn¡¯t join the party because of the mess I¡¯d caused. ¡°Jeongwoo will be warned for leaving on his own.¡± Whether he received a warning or not didn¡¯t bother me, so I just nodded. ¡°I have explained everything clearly, so in the next party¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass.¡± That guy already discontent with the party. It¡¯s uncertain whether he will follow my leadership, and if he were to act out on his own, our lives could be at risk. Why would I carry a bomb that could go off at any time? ¡°Having too few members-¡° ¡°There won¡¯t be much difference in our power if we¡¯re short of one member. But why didn¡¯t the healer come?¡± Seo Moon-no-eul sighed heavily. ¡°Upon checking, it turns out Emily didn¡¯t come for the same reason as Jeongwoo.¡± Is it because it¡¯s a company-like family, or is all guild life like this? As someone who had been a powerful public servant, I couldn¡¯t understand such actions, which should be criticized. ¡°Do you have any new healers?¡± ¡°Newbies? Well, we do have newbies, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend them. No role is as critical as a healer. That¡¯s why we usually send new healers to parties with experienced members who can survive even if the healer misses a timing.¡± I know that. But who is an experienced professional from birth? People become experienced professionals over time through learning. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Just send me someone docile, whether a newbie or a professional. But.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Someone who can accept that I am the party leader.¡± What if they refuse to go after hearing my reputation, protest, or simply don¡¯t listen? The strategies differ when there is a healer and when there isn¡¯t. If anything goes wrong with a healer in the plan, no matter who made the mistake, I, with my rotten reputation, would bear the brunt. Hence, it¡¯s better to meet someone who doesn¡¯t mind having me as the leader of the party. ¡°I¡­ understand.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul nodded with a nervous expression. I was about to get up from my seat but sat back down. ¡°Why? Is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°Is it possible to adjust the dungeon raid schedule?¡± ¡°Adjust?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is the interval too short?¡± Seo Moon-no-eul pulled up my schedule on the electronic pad. My dungeon schedule was one place every two days, mostly composed of C-rank and B-rank. ¡®As the level increases, more experience will be needed, so it will be impossible to join the cradle party with this schedule.¡¯ ¡°No. I want to make it shorter.¡± ¡°Short¡­er?¡± ¡°Yes, please eliminate my rest days. And I heard before that each guild has a quota for state-owned D-rank dungeons that must be cycled through. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct but¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll also undertake those in our party.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul, whose eyes were nearly invisible like a desert fox, widened her eyes. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Clearing one a day is too little. It seems like the time would be right if I clear a B or C-class, and then a D-class after that. Is that possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ possible.¡± ¡°Then, since the kids have a break tomorrow, please adjust it like that starting the day after.¡± Seo Moon-no-eul made a strange face. Did I say something weird? Why is her expression like that? ¡°Is there something you want to say?¡± ¡°¡­I heard you¡¯ve changed, and you really have.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve grown up.¡± The truth is that my soul has changed, but if I tell her that, I¡¯d be immediately taken to a mental hospital. The most plausible excuse I have is that I¡¯ve grown up. ¡°I¡­ see.¡± At her answer, which seemed somewhat flustered, I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the hair growth formula, right?¡± Seo Moon-no-eul¡¯s expression changed in an instant. It was the same expression as the businessmen I occasionally met during my police life. ¡°Ah, yes. For now, the hair growth formula is awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration. We plan to start selling as soon as it gets approved.¡± Hmm, there¡¯s an FDA here too. Even when reading novels, despite being fantasy novels, there were parts that seemed strangely realistic. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. I¡¯ll adjust the schedule and message you again.¡± I nodded my head and stood up from my seat. ¡°Oh right, you know that Taeju went to the U.S, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This morning, while getting purified by Salt, Seo Taeju had grumbled about not wanting to go to America. He said he wouldn¡¯t have said he was going if he knew it would be like this, and started a huge fight with me for no reason, blaming everything on me. ¡®Isn¡¯t it possible that Seo Go-woon¡¯s twisted behavior is not because of a bad temperament, but because Taeju keeps bullying him?¡¯ It was a very possible theory. Ever since that day, the returned Seo Taeju had been doing his best to torment me. He made me eat a spicy tofu soup that tasted burnt in the morning, and suddenly decided to do the laundry, turning the laundry room into a sea of foam. The successive memories made me scowl. ¡°Why? Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Phew, no. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°If you need anything, the guild can support you, so please let us know.¡± ¡®Magic stone?¡¯ I shook my head. There¡¯s no way a big magic stone, which I couldn¡¯t even purchase in the item shop, is in the guild, and even if it was, it feels wrong to ask for it under the name of ¡®support¡¯. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be going then.¡± Support, support¡­ Even as I moved, the word ¡®support¡¯ wouldn¡¯t leave my mind. Detective Kim always told me to take everything I can from the government since they wouldn¡¯t give me anything. When I was a detective, it was the government since I was a public official, but now I¡¯m a guild member. I should naturally take from the guild. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to take, really.¡± The Sunset Guild I saw in the novel was big, but it wasn¡¯t a rich guild since they focused on nurturing hunters. Because they didn¡¯t receive external investments like other guilds, the items supported by the guild were described as not being cost-effective. ¡®Ah, it would have been nice if I could¡¯ve gone to the Shin Sooha Guild.¡¯ The Taesan Guild, which Shin Sooha created, and has a world-class corporation as a mother company, had guild member support that was second to none. ¡°It feels like Taesan would have it.¡± ¡°What does Taesan have?¡± Startled by the sudden voice, I looked up to find Shin Sooha looking down at me. CH 28 [Using the Passive Skill ¡®Diagnosis¡¯.] [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination Level 68%] ¡°Ah, Guild Master Shin Sooha. Hello.¡± They say if you speak of the devil, he appears. I thought of Taesan, but I didn¡¯t expect its guildmaster, Shin Sooha, to show up. ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What an unexpected question. Seo Moon-no-eul did the same, and now Shin Sooha. Do I look like I need something? Why does everyone keep asking me if I need anything? ¡°Earlier, you mentioned that there might be something in Taesan.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Shin Sooha¡¯s expression remained neutral, but strangely, I felt as if he was inviting me to share my thoughts. ¡®Should I say something? No, let¡¯s not.¡¯ If I overstep my bounds, I could end up in a bad light with Shin Sooha. That could jeopardize my chances of joining the Cradle party. I need to level up my skills, primarily focusing on alchemy, and only use my gun in emergencies. Let¡¯s not be too greedy. I straightened my thoughts and shook my head. ¡°No, I just thought there might be all sorts of things in Taesan.¡± ¡°Okay, let me know anytime if you need anything.¡± ¡°Yes, but what brings you here? Do you have some business with our guild?¡± The Taesan guild was notorious for its lack of interaction or cooperation with other guilds. Why would the guildmaster of such a guild come to Sunset Guild? What¡¯s the reason for this visit? ¡°I came because I saw Hunter Seo Go-woon on my way.¡± ¡°On your way?¡± I tilted my head and glanced around. Roads and buildings came into view. ¡®Ah, where¡¯s my mind been?¡¯ I didn¡¯t even realize I¡¯d walked outside of the guild. I felt my ears burning and patted my face to cool down. ¡°But did your dungeon exploration go well today?¡± ¡°Eh? How did you know about that?¡± The dungeon raid hadn¡¯t even finished an hour ago. How did Shin Sooha know about it? Shin Sooha shook his cell phone. ¡°I receive a list of dungeons that have been cleared in each region.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± As a guildmaster, Shin Sooha naturally received updates about cleared dungeons. The closest guild would have to take care of a dungeon that exploded due to unsuccessful raids. ¡®I guess the dungeon we cleared today was close to the Taesan guild.¡¯ I nodded. ¡°Yes, the dungeon was easier than we thought.¡± The kids were the only hindrance. If they had just used their skills proficiently, the raid could have been faster. ¡®Should I drill them?¡¯ I recalled my time as a police officer and the tough training I¡¯d endured. I had gritted my teeth at the time, but now it seemed like a valuable experience. Without that training, there was no way I could have completed a dungeon raid with Seo Go-woon¡¯s frail body. ¡®Right. Nothing is more honest than learning through experience. It¡¯s not exploitation.¡¯ Ignoring a prick of conscience, I turned my gaze to Shin Sooha, who had been watching me silently. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± ¡®If he came over to greet me while passing by, why isn¡¯t he leaving now?¡¯ ¡°Hunter Seo Go-woon.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Why is he wasting time before speaking? There¡¯s no Taeju pup today, maybe I should go for chicken and beer, it¡¯s been a while. ¡°I¡¯m about to head to a rank A dungeon. Would you like to join?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I looked at Shin Sooha in surprise. ¡°A rank A dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you also go to such places?¡± Although he died early in the novel, Shin Sooha was the world¡¯s strongest, a triple S ranker. He was known for only participating in dungeon raids personally if they were rank S or higher in Korea, or S+ overseas. Is the man saying he¡¯s going to a rank A dungeon now? ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the party I was supposed to go with, so I don¡¯t have a raid party.¡± ¡®Ah, so he¡¯s going because he¡¯s a guildmaster.¡¯ A rank A dungeon. If I go with him, even if Shin Sooha makes the kill, due to the level difference, it seems like I would hog all the experience. Is it okay for me to go? Before that, am I even allowed to enter there as I belong to another guild? ¡°You know I¡¯m in the Sunset Guild, right?¡± ¡°Yes, is that a problem?¡± He responded without hesitation. Does this mean it¡¯s not a problem? ¡°It¡¯s boring to go alone, will you come?¡± I should refuse, but I want to go. I want to fight more, I haven¡¯t had a proper fight except with the queen ant. ¡®Should I just close my eyes and go?¡¯ I don¡¯t know anything, but Shin Sooha has been a guildmaster since he was 16, so he probably won¡¯t cause any problems. ¡®No, if something happens because I went, everyone will blame me. I can¡¯t afford to tarnish my already poor reputation. So I should refuse¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll give you the boss item if you come along.¡± ¡®Boss item?¡¯ I was momentarily tempted. A rank A boss item would be at least rank A, up to A+. ¡®If I get too greedy, I¡¯ll get a stomachache, and what if they use it as leverage later.¡¯ I was about to refuse when¡­ ¡°The boss item is an A+ grade Demonstone.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± There was no reason to refuse. No, I absolutely had to go. ¡®Reputation? Threat? None of that matters! The Demonstone is the best!¡¯ ¡ù¡ù¡ù The strongest in the world. I just thought he was the strongest guy I heard about. + [You have gained experience.] [You have gained experience.] [You have gained experience.] [You have gained experience.] + ¡°This way.¡± Monsters were being flung against the wall just by walking, and experience messages popped up. ¡®Even for an SSS rank, isn¡¯t this on another level?¡¯ + [Your level has increased.] [Lv 7 Lv 8] + Look at the speed at which the level is increasing. At this rate, won¡¯t I reach level 10 before we get to the boss room? As if to confirm my suspicions, successive messages of experience gain appeared. ¡°Do you feel discomfort anywhere?¡± Shin Sooha asked as I paused to read the messages. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± As I answered looking at Shin Sooha, I was shocked to see the contamination level on his blade. ¡®No way, wasn¡¯t it at 68% earlier? How many monsters did he kill to raise it to 74%?¡¯ + [You have gained experience.] [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination level 75%] + ¡®It increased again after killing one more.¡¯ I groaned inwardly. ¡®At this rate, Shin Sooha¡¯s contamination level will exceed 85% before we even get to the boss room.¡¯ I glanced sideways at the Infinite Pouch. Today as well, Salt begged me to take him with me, causing all sorts of trouble. ¡°Just stay at home.¡± ¡°Ppi! Ppi! Ppi!¡± ¡°No, how can I bring you into the dungeon. We had no choice but to go straight there before, but it¡¯s not like that now. Stay here and sleep, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Ppi, ppi, ppi! Ppi, ppi, ppi! Pppiiii!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯ll lock you in a cage if you don¡¯t listen? Ah! Don¡¯t grab my hair! At this rate, I¡¯m going to go bald! Let go!¡± The little creature was surprisingly strong, and I seriously thought my hair was going to be pulled out. If it wasn¡¯t for the mediation of a chick who came out late, suggesting that I could carry it in the Infinite Pouch, I might have been the first purchaser of a hair growth product. ¡°Many hunters use the Infinite Pouch to carry their pets around. It¡¯s like a giant universe inside.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that animal abuse?¡± ¡°It seems to be cozier inside than you¡¯d think.¡± Although the pup was a bit sly, he didn¡¯t lie. Even though Salt had to be put in the Infinite Pouch, it still insisted on going with me, chirping endlessly, so I had no choice but to put it in. ¡®What if he notices his sudden improvement in health?¡¯ Suddenly, I recalled what the Taeju pup had said. ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t understand. How it feels to be purified.¡± ¡°The feeling of wanting to kill you on the spot and make that thing mine.¡± My body started to tremble. From working as a detective, I learned that once a tycoon starts obsessing over something, they lose their reason. Shin Sooha isn¡¯t just any tycoon. He¡¯s the youngest son of a global conglomerate that controls the entire financial world. If he finds out that I can purify contamination, he won¡¯t just let it slide. The kidnapping and confinement that the pup mentioned could become a reality. ¡®But I can¡¯t just leave him like that.¡¯ If his contamination worsens to the point of death, how will I conquer the dungeon? I don¡¯t even know where he might die like last time. I can¡¯t even kill the monsters in the A-ranked dungeon by myself. ¡°Do you have any problems?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I just feel like I¡¯m being a burden.¡± I can¡¯t say ¡®I¡¯m worried about your contamination, you jerk,¡¯ so I beat around the bush. ¡°No, it¡¯s something I have to do anyway.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Having nothing to say, I just laughed. But how does he fight without even looking at the monsters? Does he have some kind of detection skill? ¡°Did you leave the pet you were carrying around last time at home?¡± ¡°A pet? Ah, you mean Salt?¡± Could it be that he felt something from Salt¡­? Insane! That¡¯s right, I had touched him with Salt on my head before. The message that had popped up like crazy at that time was a purification message. Chills ran down to the tips of my hair. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me this guy brought me here targeting Salt?¡¯ A sudden sense of alertness sprang up in me. I clenched a magic gun from the Infinite Pocket, ready to attack Shin Sooha at any moment. ¡°Why Salt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that Salt might come here due to its homing instinct.¡± Homing instinct? What¡¯s that all about? ¡°Due to numerous cases of stealing items after sneaking into the dungeon, we installed a security system at the gate entrance in Taesan.¡± Is he talking about the thing where he had been pressing numbers enthusiastically when we entered the concrete wall? ¡°The system is designed to allow a high voltage current to flow if anyone enters without disarming the security, this includes birds as well.¡± So¡­ He¡¯s worried that Salt might get shocked by a high voltage current if it comes here because of its homing instinct? Is that true, or is he just making things up? ¡°Sometimes, if a pet gets hurt, the owner can also get hit.¡± Listening to the explanation, it does seem like a real concern, but I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s sincere or not. Should I just give it a shot? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Salt is kept in my Infinite Pocket.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Shin Sooha nodded and returned to facing the front, hunting monsters. If he was after purification, I thought he¡¯d naturally ask to see Salt or do something tricky. Why doesn¡¯t he say anything? Could it be that he really was worried? Keeping my guard up, I kept an eye on Shin Sooha. But Shin Sooha really only kept hunting monsters. ¡®Did only Taeju feel it that much?¡¯ Only one person gave me their impressions about purification. It could just be that the feeling Taeju described was unique to him, and other hunters might not feel that blissful. ¡®Yeah, that could be it. Taeju might have gotten it wrong.¡¯ If what Taeju said was true, Shin Sooha, who had already received purification in the forest dungeon, should have lost his mind. But what about my current life? ¡®Very, very peaceful.¡¯ Although Taeju barked like a mad dog from time to time, aren¡¯t I leading a fairly decent hunter life, excluding that? ¡®Yeah, Taeju seems to be sensitive.¡¯ Suddenly, I felt at peace. I felt embarrassed about being so wary, I wanted to hide in a mouse hole. ¡°We¡¯ll soon reach the boss room.¡± ¡°Ah. Okay.¡± I was lost in thought in a dungeon. But his contamination level is really high. I frowned. [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination Level 79%] Does the contamination level usually rise that quickly? It didn¡¯t seem to be that high when I looked at Taeju. How on earth has he been managing his contamination level? At this rate, he would definitely fall down just like at the tower in the next dungeon. ¡®Since it seems he can¡¯t feel it, it¡¯s better to purify him.¡¯ Since Taesan¡¯s dungeon doesn¡¯t allow non-guild members, it was appropriate to purify him here. I pulled Salt out of the Infinite Pocket. There was a risk that it could be detected, but¡­ ¡®Death is worse, right?¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to take on a bigger risk. CH 29 The contamination level of Shin Sooha was excessively high. I resolved to purify him whenever I got the chance, so I ultimately pulled Salt out of the Infinite Pocket. ¡®¡­He¡¯s sleeping well. Just as the bastard Taeju said, it seems quite comfortable.¡¯ As if it doesn¡¯t matter where he goes, he goes into the Infinite Pocket. Even when I take him out, he doesn¡¯t open his eyes, as if he was about to sleep. ¡°Salt?¡± ¡°Ppi-ppi.¡± At his annoyed chirp, as if asking why I woke him, a chuckle slipped out of my mouth. Is he a cat or what? Does he sleep 20 out of 24 hours? After shaking his head softly, I placed Salt on my head. Even half-asleep, Salt seemed to know where he was being placed, and I felt him grabbing my hair. ¡°Ppi, ppi.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t wake you up anymore, so go back to sleep.¡± Whether Salt truly fell back asleep, there was no response. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Shin Sooha. Being a Hunter, he probably heard Salt¡¯s voice due to his sharp hearing, but he didn¡¯t look our way. So it meant that the conversation we had earlier was genuinely out of concern for Salt and me. ¡®What a good person.¡¯ There¡¯s no way Shin Sooha wouldn¡¯t know about Seo Go-woon¡¯s crazy antics that even slow-witted Michael knows. Despite knowing everything from the beginning, Shin Sooha has always been quite mannered. He gave gifts, and he saved me when it was dangerous. ¡®Isn¡¯t it just an excuse saying you are bored?¡¯ Neither of us were particularly talkative, so the only conversation we shared since coming out of the dungeon was about Salt. For someone who claimed to bring me along out of boredom, he didn¡¯t initiate conversation, nor did he prompt me to say anything. ¡®His intentions were genuinely pure after all.¡¯ A warmth filled my chest at a feeling I had never experienced before, either when I was living as Kim Hae Ah, or when I had possessed Seo Go-woon. Even when I was Kim Hae Ah with no reputation, I had never met such a person. I felt guilty and sorry for unnecessarily being wary of him earlier. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the boss room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Upon reaching the boss room, Shin Sooha halted. Contrary to the doors of the boss rooms we had seen so far, the door before us had a large, half-moon-shaped red jewel embedded in its center. I silently sidled up next to Shin Sooha. When I had tested it a few times with Taeju, I confirmed that even a slight touch would slowly purify him. I only intended to touch him lightly. As expected, the purification process began. [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination Level 72%] ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes.¡± ¡®He must have not felt the purification energy.¡¯ It seemed Shin Sooha mistakenly thought I was scared because I was touching him. Although it was a ridiculous misunderstanding, I thought it was better for him to keep misunderstanding, so I promptly replied. Then, Shin Sooha held out his hand. ¡°Let me hold your hand.¡± ¡®Huh? He¡¯s offering to hold my hand?¡¯ If we hold hands before the boss room, who¡¯s going to fight the boss? Does he mean we can still beat the boss even while holding hands? I looked down at his long, elegant hand, puzzled. ¡°We can still fight monsters even while holding hands.¡± ¡®Well, if you say so. I¡¯m all for it.¡¯ It was frustrating for the purification to be slow and intermittent anyway, so this was a good thing. I immediately took his hand. [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination Level 52%] As expected! The contamination level fell significantly at once when I held his hand. A satisfied smile appeared on my face as I looked at Shin Sooha. With a 20% decrease in contamination all at once, this already handsome guy seemed even more handsome. ¡®Does contamination make one¡¯s face ugly?¡¯ Somehow, Shin Sooha seemed to become more handsome as his contamination level decreased. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going in?¡± But why is he still standing here and not going into the boss room? Did he sense something! Just then, the gem before us turned blue. ¡°We have to wait for it to turn blue to enter. We can go in now.¡± Shin Sooha touched the gem as he replied. ¡®Oh, there¡¯s a timing to when the boss room opens.¡¯ Sure enough, Shin Sooha clearly didn¡¯t feel anything while being purified. Unlike Taeju, who was like a slime melting away, Shin Sooha didn¡¯t show any change in expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With a ground-shaking noise, the door to the boss room split open. And with a deafening roar, a giant orc charged towards us. ¡°Huh?!¡± I involuntarily shrunk back, seeing the boss charging at me instead of the usual sleeping one. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The charging orc flew across in an instant and crashed into the wall. ¡°That¡¯s the boss, right?¡± ¡°No, the boss is over there.¡± Shin Sooha pointed towards a corner of the room with his opposite hand. ¡°Uh, um, that?¡± What Shin Sooha pointed at was a mushroom the same height as me. It was colorful, but it just looked like an ordinary mushroom. ¡°That mushroom is controlling the orc. Wait a moment.¡± Shin Sooha, I don¡¯t know when he took it out, threw a dagger towards the mushroom. Then, the orc that had been pinned to the wall stepped in front of the mushroom and parried the dagger. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What¡¯s with the Cordyceps? Some mushroom controlling an orc. I looked at Shin Sooha with a flabbergasted expression on my face in this new dungeon world. [Shin Sooha ¨C Contamination 22%] ¡®I think I don¡¯t need to purify him any further than this.¡¯ It¡¯s better to purify completely each time, but given the current circumstances, it should be okay to just do this much. ¡°Fight without holding hands.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°No, seeing how strong Guild Master Shin Sooha is, I am not scared.¡± Shin Sooha, who was chuckling, let go of my hand. ¡®It seems like he really doesn¡¯t feel anything.¡¯ It was a completely different reaction from Taeju, who somehow kept holding onto Salt even when the purification was complete. ¡°Then let¡¯s quickly defeat it and go.¡± After he finished speaking, Shin Sooha drew his sword. And it was over in a flash, defeating the boss. People were bustling in the guild cafeteria. Someone was badmouthing the guild, someone was cursing their superior, and then the cafeteria suddenly fell silent. Three men and one woman. They were members of Seo Go-woon¡¯s party, recently made famous in the Sunset Guild. All of them looked ragged, as if they had been rolling around somewhere, their arms trembling as they held their trays. ¡°They¡¯re like that again today.¡± ¡°What on earth were they doing to end up like that?¡± Seemingly oblivious to the murmurings, the party members filled their trays with food with a strained effort and sat at the nearest table. They all sighed simultaneously, looking as if they were carrying heavy burdens on their shoulders, and shoveled food into their mouths with trembling spoons. Their appearance looked like they were eating just to survive, and the people in the cafeteria couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them. ¡®Why on earth are they like that?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ As people nearby communicated with their eyes, someone approached the party members. ¡°Hanjae.¡± ¡°Ah, sunbae (senior).¡± Hanjae stood up wobbly from his seat and greeted with a 90-degree bow. The party members looked at Hanjae with wide eyes. Sensing their gaze, Hanjae awkwardly smiled and said, ¡°This is a senior from the party I used to be in.¡± The three, with a dazed mind, took in the information provided by Hanjae and gave a slight nod to the man. ¡°I came to greet because I know Hanjae, but you all look¡­¡± Even under the man¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, the three didn¡¯t seem to mind. They hurriedly shoveled more rice into their mouths, as if they wanted to leave this place sooner. The man shrugged at the sight of them, sat down in the seat next to Hanjae who was still standing. ¡°Sit down and eat.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hanjae sat down heavily and began stuffing food into his mouth just like the others. ¡°How is it, partying with the bastard?¡± At the man¡¯s question, Ga-eul swallowed the food in his mouth and replied, ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°No, just curious. That bastard, you know?¡± At the laughter-laden words, Hanjae froze like a stone and Ga-eul sighed and put down his spoon. The other two also had the same reaction. For the past few days, every time they came for lunch, at least one or two such people approached them, so it was understandable. They had become accustomed to the tiresome gazes and fumbling questions, but somehow these kinds of inquiries never became familiar. ¡°Hey, guys.¡± Hanjae didn¡¯t know what to do and alternately looked at the three people and the man. ¡®After all, being so gentle can be a sin too.¡¯ Just as Min-hee was about to take the lead, biting her tongue, she opened her mouth, ¡°What kind of answer do you want to hear?¡± Instead of her, it was Woojae, the newly joined healer, who spoke first. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you want to hear that he¡¯s trash, he¡¯s crazy, he rides on the back of the vice-guildmaster and does nothing, he curses every time he opens his mouth, he¡¯s difficult to work with because he¡¯s always troublesome?¡± Earlier, his eyes were blank from exhaustion, but now Woojae was looking at the man with a clear gaze. The man grimaced under an unidentifiable pressure. ¡°What is that attitude towards your senior?!¡± ¡°Senior? Are you saying you can talk to your senior like that?¡± ¡°Like that? I¡¯ve been asking nicely.¡± The man slammed the table, stood up, and began to berate Woojae. Then, Woojae took a card out of his pocket and threw it on the table. ¡°XX. I¡¯m your senior, so now I can also talk freely, right?¡± The man looked at the card on the table. [Name: Jung Woojae Job: Healer Rank: A Joining Date: XXXX. X. X] What Woojae had thrown was a guild member card with his name, job, and joining date. ¡°Huh? What?¡± He could not believe that the healer, who looked like a new high school student, had joined three years before him, and alternated between looking at the guild member card and Woojae. ¡°When someone kindly tells you to leave, you should. As a junior, you should listen to your seniors, right?¡± The man hesitated, spat out a curse word and then disappeared somewhere. Woojae sighed and retrieved his card, and Ga-eul, who didn¡¯t know what to do, sat Hanjae down and handed him a spoon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and eat. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to run the dungeon in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± While the man and Woojae were arguing, Min-hee, who had briefly closed her eyes, moaned painfully and mechanically moved her spoon. ¡°¡­I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Once again, Woojae, whose eyes had become blank, muttered and shoved rice into his mouth. Ga-eul and Hanjae did the same. They were really tired, extremely tired. They had never felt fatigue or exhaustion from work since they became hunters, but now they were very tired. ¡°If we say we¡¯ll rest today¡­¡± Hanjae, who as the eldest brother, felt responsible to lead the others, proposed with a hint of apology in his voice. If they wanted, he planned to confidently request it from the party leader, Go-woon. But, ¡°No. If we do¡­¡± Ga-eul couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡°Yeah. If we do¡­¡± Neither could Min-hee. ¡°No. We have a break tomorrow. If we unnecessarily provoke him, he might ask us to go to the dungeon even tomorrow.¡± At Woojae¡¯s words, the three people¡¯s faces turned pale in an instant. Seo Go-woon. Party leader Go-woon was really a nutjob. If he was a nutjob in the conventional sense, it would¡¯ve been better, but the current Seo Go-woon was a weirdo in a slightly different sense. The first day they returned from running the dungeon, the three of them thought that Go-woon was not as rumored and was a good person. But two days after clearing the dungeon, Go-woon, who came with Woojae, revealed his craziness. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll run two dungeons a day.¡± He smiled so brightly. Anyone looking might have thought he had struck it rich. Still, up to that point, it was okay. Even if it was two runs a day, the dungeons they ran in the afternoon were all D-class, and it was better for them if their levels rose quickly. ¡®We thought too lightly of it.¡¯ Min-hee regretted not being able to avoid the danger in front of her. ¡°If we had refused back then, would things have changed?¡± Hanjae muttered, wondering if he had the same thought as Min-hee. ¡°¡­He might have been more difficult?¡± At Woojae¡¯s response, the three of them couldn¡¯t deny it and unknowingly nodded their heads. Somehow, Seo Go-woon had become such a person to them.