“The ti’s co to let the others know, right?”
Moon Hyun-A pressed the elevator button and said.
“Or Director Song. Even if you’re smoothly turned down, we still have to do the rank survey, right?”
Lowering one’s hunter rank for notification isn’t much of a problem. Falsely claiming a higher rank, however, is taboo—it could lead an unprepared team into a dungeon they can’t handle, endangering everyone.
But this case was different. This was a visit arranged specifically to et soone of Stat F who had already been targeted several tis. Even if circumstances demanded secrecy, at the very least Director Song Taewon or an S-rank hunter under contract to the Mount Breeding Facility should have been inford.
“It’s still too early.”
The elevator doors closed and shot upward to the top floor.
“After all, if it were anyone else—especially the young master—they’d draw a blade first. You might fail, too. You might end up talking business the whole ti and co back empty-handed.”
Moon Hyun-A giggled and leaned sideways against the elevator wall. Then her laughter abruptly died. Listening to the chanical hum, she spoke softly.
“It must be Yu-Hyun’s fault after all. The whole bit about going back to the past.”
“If it were any less reason, you wouldn’t be soone to give up on the present or the people around you so easily, would you?”
“There’s more. Sotis it feels desperate. It’s less now, but... it’s like a parent who’s lost a child.”
Han Yujin had been awakened for barely half a year, yet he knew hunters well. And yet he worried excessively over his S-rank brother, Han Yu-Hyun—though the latter was far stronger. He certainly wasn’t ignorant of S-rank abilities.
The elevator doors opened. The two headed straight for the ergency exit. With neither guests nor staff around, the corridor was silent.
“You said five years later, didn’t you? Even if it’s sothing unrelated to now, it’d be curious. But how would I ask?”
Moon Hyun-A narrowed her brow and unlocked the ergency-exit door with a key she’d prepared. A dim staircase appeared.
“You still have areas of insecurity, big brother.”
She scaled the stairs in one bound; her footfalls were nearly silent. The door to the rooftop, which had been locked, swung open. The sun had long since set, and the sky was pitch black.
“Wounds from truly losing sothing don’t heal easily.”
Even if you’d gone back to the past. As long as mories and experiences remained, things inevitably changed.
“Especially in soone like you—if push ca to shove, you’d throw away your life. You can’t lose twice. You couldn’t endure it.”
Moon Hyun-A’s lips twisted into a bitter expression as she walked to the far edge of the rooftop. From there, she had a slanted view of the terrace garden where Han Yujin stood below. The height difference was considerable—no ordinary voice would carry up—but she could still read his lips and expressions.
Because the lounge lay so distance from the terrace, and because he’d walked slowly, Han Yujin only now erged into the garden. His tense face was clearly visible to the two watchers. He glanced around briefly, then stopped at the terrace railing.
“He rembers even the exact height—he must’ve liked it a lot.”
“He looks scared, too.”
“Of course. Being heartbroken would be better—at least the person you like remains the sa. Oh, he’s talking. Still only about the broadcast.”
At the mont Moon Hyun-A leaned slightly forward, her body suddenly twisted wildly—
Thok!
A hand shot up and caught sothing. From the clenched grip, a faint trickle of blood seeped. An arrow.
“What’s this?”
Moon Hyun-A’s eyes sharpened. The arrow had co from the opposite building. Her cold gaze swept over the skyscrapers lined up beyond the eight-lane road.
“Is sniping in vogue these days? You think I’m not needed? Or let soone below know.”
Moon Hyun-A’s toe found the rooftop’s edge. At the sa instant, her Seeker’s Chain manifested. Rather than its usual electricity-absorbing sheen, the chain glinted a pale silvery hue as it extended. Moon Hyun-A leapt into the air, stamped on the chain, and rocketed across to the opposite building. She landed lightly, then drew a long spear.
A faint aura of lethality seed to signal to her—Moon Hyun-A ran without hesitation toward the source of the presence. She hurdled the more than ten-ter gap to the building behind, then ca to a sudden halt as she raised her spear.
In the long shadow cast by the neighboring building stood soone. Still holding a bow, as if with no intent to hide the attack. Through their glasses, their eyes curved into a faint smile.
“...What.”
Moon Hyun-A’s expression darkened.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hello, Breaker Guild Master.”
Evelyn Miller greeted her nonchalantly. Moon Hyun-A flung the arrow she held—it whizzed past Evelyn’s polished shoe and embedded in the rooftop floor. The feather quivered, faintly slling of blood.
“What kind of prank is this? You’re not confessing to being an Association terrorist, are you?”
“Did I look like a fan of Director Song Taewon to you?”
“Still no eyes for it, huh?” Moon Hyun-A’s voice turned harsher.
“And you know I’m not too fond of the sll of tal and gunpowder.”
“I don’t care.”
Moon Hyun-A snapped back coldly.
“Like you said, I have no eyes for it. I can’t tell where the real ends and the fake begins.”
“Still sulking, are we?”
“No. I just... I don’t match. My disposition. I like honest people.”
Moon Hyun-A seed to stumble backward, as if her foot caught.
“I like honest people.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“You’re soone I couldn’t help but like, Moon Hyun-A. That’s why.”
“So you fired once to prove it? Fine. I’m going.”
Moon Hyun-A turned to go without a backward glance. Evelyn’s voice caught her ankle.
“If you run at , I’ll drop you.”
A white finger hooked the bowstring. There was no arrow yet—but Moon Hyun-A knew how fast one could materialize. By utilizing her inventory, Evelyn’s hands could imdiately draw arrows into existence. And Evelyn’s speed—pulling the bow and releasing the arrow were virtually simultaneous. No S-rank hunter could match that pace, and the skill-imbued arrow’s power was formidable. Without a flight skill, Moon Hyun-A would have great difficulty evading mid-air.
“Explain your reason.”
Moon Hyun-A forced down her irritation as she spoke. Evelyn shrugged her shoulders lightly.
“I was rely asked to hold you for a mont.”
“A request—from whom? Surely not Seong Hyunjae?”
“Who else would there be?”
“...What’s his sche, that man?”
Moon Hyun-A roughly smoothed back her hair. Evelyn’s gaze reflected empathy—as if she understood.
“I’m curious, too. He opened his candy box, glanced only with his eyes, then closed and just shook it. Normally, he’d taste each one in ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) turn before discarding them.”
Even if the candies were various, if they all felt similar, he’d have dropped them midway.
“Maybe he expects the candy to be offered willingly.”
“...Who knows. Better to walk away than loiter here.”
Baring her teeth fiercely, Moon Hyun-A vaulted over the rooftop railing. Instead of leaping to the adjacent building, she dropped straight down—then disappeared among the cityscape.
I hadn’t held great expectations. I’d thought the possibility was high—that it might go like this. I swallowed hard. Re-enabled Fear Resist. My racing heart cald, but my tangled emotions remained.
Yeah, things can turn out like this. Right.
When I thought back, everyone I’d known had turned out fine. My relationship with Yu-Hyun improved without question. The people I’d been with in dungeons weren’t as close as before, but we had good relations again. I could repay their kindness. Even those I’d had bad blood with—Seok Siyoung, Kim Seong-Han, and others in Haeyeon—I was on good terms this ti. Those who had hard or threatened before were either estranged or strangers to prior to my return.
So this could happen, too. If things can improve, they can worsen.
‘...From the start, it was loving unilaterally.’
And they were still good people. I wasn’t sure whether it would’ve been better if her broadcast persona had been a façade, or if it was better that it’d all been real.
“...I just wanted to tell you.”
My gaze fell unwillingly. My chest ached. I wanted to pull out a cigarette from my inventory and light it. Maybe I should’ve drunk more.
No, now wasn’t the ti for that. I had to wrap things up. The conclusion was reached.
The sa ssage popped up as it had with Park Ha-Yul. Then Chloe too likely had received help from that “noona” figure. I still couldn’t identify who “noona” was, but she seed a separate force from the cult and the filial-obsessed.
‘They kidnapped to China, but didn’t harm further.’
Had they been dealing with the Chinese military? They’d abducted , but I couldn’t yet label them foes. If they weren’t Chatterbox’s faction, there remained a chance for persuasion—few truly wished for the world’s end.
“Director Han Yujin.”
“...Yes.”
“Since you spoke honestly, I’ll answer candidly as well.”
My fist clenched reflexively. How would she respond? Try to placate ? Or—
“I don’t like soone like you.”
“Wha...?”
Startled, I raised my bowed head. Gyeol on my shoulder fluttered his tiny wings. I’ve been told “I don’t like you” many tis, but—
“It’s unwise to judge soone you’ve barely t, but I couldn’t view you favorably.”
“Is—Is that so?”
Had I done sothing wrong? Publicly, I was just soone who’d been kidnapped... because I was weak? But she wasn’t the type to dislike for that.
“Demanding the right to breed a mount, and only seeking a re pet monster, does not align with my values.”
Chloe said coldly. That... that’s—
“I’m not unconditionally against luxury. But handling one’s unique power so lightly—treating it as if it were ordinary goods—repels .”
...I think I understand now why Hyun-A said I was sowhat like Director Song. Director Song had also been wary of , though for different reasons.
“It wasn’t lightness—it was necessity.”
“Does a golden hamster have any special ability?”
“...No.”
She really was just a pet. Though intended to lure Do Ha-Min, still—Chloe’s repulsion was justified. I’d taken it lightly. And I couldn’t reveal Do Ha-Min’s abilities—my explanations would sound like excuses to curry favor.
“I have no defense for that.”
I cradled the fairy dragon in my arms to soothe him, tail flicking in agitation. Still, it was fortunate it wasn’t for another reason. Just as I’d liked Chloe based solely on her broadcasts, Chloe too could dislike from seeing only part of my actions.
“Thank you for your honesty.”
Well, that was a clean break. So clean I could hardly believe she was the sa faction as Park Ha-Yul. Maybe in reality a dozen people could buff . They made a fuss about how fosterers of abominations were rare, so I assud there were no such powers.
Still, I had hidden my rank. To that extent... wait a mont.
“But why have you co all this way?”
It wouldn’t make sense if she disliked from before eting.
“You had no reason to accept the golden hamster capture request...?”
Helping catch a hamster, without being a guild mber, deceiving about your rank, even coming to Korea—strange. If you had other matters, you could have co separately. eting —a Stat F, not an awakened needing protection—hiding your rank wouldn’t be an issue. It wasn’t like dueling with prizes in Japan.
So why co here...?
At that mont, the glass doors opened. A familiar face stepped in. Chloe moved aside, and Seong Hyunjae approached .
“...What is it?”
The fairy dragon in my arms crouched defensively, ears flattened.
“Should I console you first?”
“Tell the truth.”
I couldn’t grasp the situation.
“Did you two know each other before? Already acquainted?”
“No. But Hunter Chloe didn’t co for Han Yujin. She ca to see .”
“...You?”
“When it concerns Director Han Yujin, it’s easier to approach the Sesung Guild Master.”
Chloe explained. So that’s why... But when did you et, and what did you discuss? I wanted to step back, but the railing prevented . If needed, I’d jump—eyes fixed on the two of them.
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