《I鈥檒l Retire After Saving the World》 Chapter 1: The Compass of Life Chapter 1: The Compass of Life TL: SHW 2022. ¡°There are children here!¡± The experiences of childhood usuallyst a lifetime. For the first time, loud noises were heard in the usually quietb. The sound of things breaking and shouting echoed from the end of the corridor. ng! The ss window that was blocking the way shattered into pieces. ¡°Kids, are you okay?¡± A man appeared, pushing through the shattered ss window. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. You cane out.¡± Following the man, other Hunters entered theb. Every time the Hunters nced at the researchers, the researchers trembled, unable to make a sound. The man picked me up, who was at the very front. Near the window, theb directory sprawled in a pathetic posture. The man stepped firmly on theb director¡¯s hand as he passed. Theb director, who had aways red at us and even raised his hand at times, couldn¡¯t utter a single groan and watched the man carefully. To me, that came as some kind of revtion. Looking at the once proudb directornow trembling in fear! ¡°Mister.¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you hurt anywhere? Just hold on a bit.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­. Mister, you¡¯re a Hunter, right?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°How can I be strong like you?¡± ¡°Oh, do you want to be a Hunter?¡± The man answered earnestly. ¡°Then you need to go through an Awakening first, don¡¯t you?¡± At that moment, another Hunter passing by overheard the man. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say weird things to the kid!¡± ¡°Weird things! Ahem. Awakening is important, but you can think about thatter. For now, let¡¯s just think about going home.¡± The man roughly patted my head. Holding me, the man walked out. It had been a long time since I saw the outside of theb. Several ambnces were parked, and children like me, rescued by the Hunters, wereing out of theb. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± Before handing me over to the paramedic, the man called my name. After a brief hesitation, I answered. ¡°Number 12.¡± ¡°What?¡± As an eleven-year-old, I thought answering this way would make the man angry, and I wasn¡¯t wrong. The man, who had seated me in the ambnce, saw the researchers being handcuffed and led out. ¡°Hunter Hong!¡± Then, before anyone could stop him, he charged at the researchers. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t see clearly. When I opened my eyes, the man was kicking theb director. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°You bastards!¡± ¡°P-Please, spare me!¡± That¡¯s right. Power. It¡¯s power. Absolute power that no one could challenge! ¡°Hunter Hong! What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± At that moment, a clear, ringing voice hit the back of the man¡¯s head. The man, who had been kicking and punching the director, shrank his shoulders. He turned around with an awkward smile. ¡°Oh my, Inspector. What brings you here¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Hunter Hong! Didn¡¯t you do thisst time too? You can¡¯t keep doing this!¡± A woman in a jet-ck suit red at him. The man¡¯s shoulders shrank even more. ¡°Let go of him right now!¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­.¡± ¡°What then?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± With an embarrassed face, the man let go of his hand. Theb director, who had fallen to the ground, couldn¡¯t even wipe the blood dripping from his nose and crawled backward. The woman sighed with a displeased face. ¡°Thank you for your help, but you¡¯re making it difficult for us too. Please, be more careful!¡± ¡°Well, uh, it¡¯s not something that can be solved by me being careful¡­.¡± ¡°You have no intention of being careful, do you!¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The man scratched his head and watched the woman¡¯s expression. It ovepped with the image of theb director who had been watching the man¡¯s mood earlier. Isn¡¯t it surprising? I could understand why theb director was careful around the man. After all, human lives are important to themselves. When someone who can end your life with a flick of their finger is right in front of you, even breathing carefully bes a must. It was like that in theb. But the woman didn¡¯t seem to be a Hunter. She was much smaller than him, so what made this man act so submissively towards her? ¡°Who is that person?¡± I asked the paramedic taking my temperature. ¡°Hmm? Who?¡± ¡°Over there, thedy in the suit.¡± ¡°The Inspector? She came to oversee this operation¡­.¡± The paramedic briefly cleared his throat. ¡°She¡¯s here to help the Hunters do their job well. To check if there¡¯s anything missed¡­.¡± ¡°Is she like theb director?¡± ¡°Theb director? Well, maybe simr¡­. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No.¡± I answered calmly. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­.¡± ¡°The doctor will check if you have any injuries.¡± The woman in the suit, who had been scolding the man, approached me and spoke. The man stood behind her, looking very subdued. The woman smiled brightly. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be able to see your mom and dad too.¡± Her words didn¡¯t mean much to me. But the other children in the ambnce cheered at her words. Ignoring their cheers, I asked the woman. ¡°Are you the boss of that man?¡± Isn¡¯t that why he was being scolded so submissively? The woman quietly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not the boss, but I¡¯m the one who scolds him if he does something wrong.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that being the boss? Theb director always scolds other researchers. We didn¡¯t like him either.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll definitely scold that bad man for you.¡± ¡°You look weak though¡­. You¡¯re not a Hunter, are you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not a Hunter. So, I am weak too. But what you see isn¡¯t everything. There are many ways to scold bad people without being like this man.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Well¡­. Like by sending them to prison so they can¡¯te out for the rest of their lives?¡± ¡°Like us?¡± The woman silently patted my head. Unlike the rough hands of the Hunter, hers were incredibly soft. I asked the woman again. ¡°Then how can I be someone like you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°To scold theb director, don¡¯t I need to be someone like you?¡± ¡°Well. You probably need to study hard.¡± ¡°Study?¡± ¡°To be like me, you need to pass the national exam held by the country. Even after passing, you need to work hard to be someone important.¡± ¡°An exam held by the country¡­.¡± It was onlyter that I could understand what the woman had said. The overwhelming power wielded by Hunters. And another invisible but clear power that could scold and control such Hunters without hesitation. It was the moment when the direction of my life was decided. Chapter 2 - Unwanted Occurrence (1) Chapter 2: Unwanted OTL: SHW 19 yearster. 3rd floor, 2nd Conference Room, Ability Management Agency, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. On the screen that filled an entire wall, a map of Seoul was disyed. A man in an impable suit stood before it and spoke. ¡°Yeongdeungpo 2nd Dungeon and Inwangsan 1st Dungeon have each risen to Danger Level 2 at 9:42 AM and 10:17 AM this morning, respectively.¡± His voice was monotonous but low. The Hunters, who had already been briefed on the dungeon raids, listened to the man¡¯s exnation in aid-back manner. The man frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening properly? Even if they are Grade B and C dungeons, the interior bes unstable once the danger level increases. Get your act together. Don¡¯t flounder around once you¡¯re inside.¡± Only then did the Hunters straighten their postures. The man, dissatisfied, continued to exin. ¡°Team 2 will go to the B2-level Yeongdeungpo Dungeon. Team 2, any changes?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± A woman sitting at the very back of the conference room answered indifferently. The man paid no attention to her attitude. ¡°Team 1 went to the Taean Dungeon, and Teams 3 and 4 are resting as they just returned from dungeons. The Inwangsan Dungeon is assigned to an external guild.¡± This information had already been conveyed. ¡°Supplies are ready. Team 2 Leader, check once more to ensure nothing is missing. The dungeon entry time is 2 PM.¡± The man checked the time briefly. It was just about lunchtime. The man, still dissatisfied, looked at the Hunters and spoke. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I thought so. Then have your meals, and Team 2, review the dungeon information and stand by. The situation room will cover for me while I¡¯m gone. Dismissed.¡± The man unterally ended the meeting. Since it was just a dungeon raid briefing, no one raised any objections. After the Hunters exited in a rush, only the man and the woman sitting at the back remained in the conference room. The man frowned at the woman but soon smiled warmly. ¡°What is it, Hunter Yoo Ji-eun?¡± ¡°The dungeon I mentioned?¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± The man tilted his head sideways, then slowly went ¡°Ah¡±, as if he remembered. ¡°You mean the Bangi-dong Dungeon? I checked it, and it¡¯s only a D-level dungeon.¡± Yoo Ji-eun frowned. ¡°Dungeon grade and danger level are separate. I told you it needs to be raided.¡± ¡°The danger level is Grade 6, though. Dungeon raids start from Danger Level 2 and above. Remember? With your experience as Hunter, you should remember that.¡± ¡°I have a bad feeling about it.¡± The man sighed openly. ¡°If we raid every D6-level dungeon just because of a bad feeling, it would be a problem. Do you know what resourcese from the Bangi-dong Dungeon? Mana Stones. If we close it recklessly, who knows what strange rumors will spread in the news.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°No matter how much of an S-grade Hunter you are, you can¡¯t ignore the procedures. Do you know what they call that in public? Abuse of power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re doing, Nepo-baby.¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Have you ever seen such apetent parachute?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯tpetent, I would have stabbed you a long time ago.¡± ¡°If a Hunter attacks a civil servant, it won¡¯t just end as a simple assault.¡± The man gathered the briefing materials and walked past the woman, signaling he wouldn¡¯t listen anymore. The woman hesitated and then spoke. ¡°¡­I really have a bad feeling about it.¡± ¡°If you want to raid it, bring proper evidence. Nothing is less trustworthy than a Hunter¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡°You have a Hunter license too, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t trust it.¡± The man looked at the woman and then smiled gently. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d spend this time preparing for the raid instead of making unnecessary suggestions. Ah, well¡­.¡± However, that smile soon turned into a sly expression with one corner of his mouth slightly raised. ¡°Since it¡¯s Hunter Yoo Ji-eun, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage well. Feel free to waste the support supplies as much as you like since I¡¯m not around.¡± ¡°What? Are you really leaving before a raid? Aren¡¯t you working?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already worked so much that I¡¯m sick of it.¡± The man turned his back to the woman again and headed for the door. ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m on leave starting at 2 PM. Don¡¯t contact me.¡± ¡°Hey! Woo Hwijae!¡± Then he added in an annoying voice. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to contact me once I¡¯m inside the dungeon anyway? How convenient.¡± The woman frowned deeply. * * * Two dayster, at night. Busan, South Korea. A high-end bar overlooking the sea. There was amotion at a window-side table as soft jazz yed in the background. ¡°Oh my, so this is what I saw on the news?¡± A man in a high-end suit rolled up his sleeve. He was wearing a watch with a rugged design that didn¡¯t match his suit. The man responded with an embarrassed smile. ¡°It¡¯s an ambitious project by the government and the Korea Mana Research Institute. It¡¯s still in the testing phase, so there are only two of these in South Korea.¡± It was a very humble statement. At least that¡¯s what I thought. Why? Because there were only two prototypes in the entire world, not just South Korea! ¡°Wow¡­.¡± I looked at the women with pride. Normally, I would be drinking alone, looking at the night view from a high-rise hotel, but today was my day off. Talking to civilians instead of the annoying Hunters I see at work every day wasn¡¯t so bad. It was also an opportunity to gauge the image of the Ability Management Agency. ¡­Oh. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t say I work for the Agency. ¡°Then it must be really amazing, right?¡± It is really amazing. The hardships I went through to develop this sh before my eyes. ¡°You must be an incredible hunter then!¡± After hearing the Hunters¡¯ thoughtlessments all the time, listening to the civilians¡¯ genuine admiration was soothing. ¡°I do have a license, but I¡¯m not a Hunter.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you work for the Ability Management Agency?¡± They seemed confused by the fact that I had a Hunter license but wasn¡¯t a Hunter. Was it hard for civilians to understand the internal workings of the Agency? Well, if they¡¯re not interested, they wouldn¡¯t know. I smiled kindly. ¡°Yes. But the Ability Management Agency doesn¡¯t only have Hunters.¡± The Ability Management Agency manages all Hunters and dungeons in South Korea. Modern society wouldn¡¯t function properly without Hunters and dungeons, so the Agency tends to concentrate a fair amount of power. Because of that, we can¡¯t leave such an important job entirely to Hunters, whock broader knowledge. While Hunters are the main force in dungeon raids, there are others who handle all other tasks. I¡¯m one of those people. No, I¡¯m the manager of those people. That¡¯s me. Would an ordinary employee possess one of the two prototypes in the entire country? ¡°My role is to support Hunters so they can raid dungeonsfortably. I¡¯m directly under the Director.¡± ¡°The Director of the Agency? The greatest Hunter in our country!¡± Because he was so famous, their previously indifferent reactions suddenly changed. It¡¯s convenient to use his name at times like this. I nodded with a smile. I still had more convenient stories to use at times like these. ¡°Yes. Embarrassingly, he¡¯s also my father.¡± ¡°Your father?¡± ¡°Technically, he¡¯s my foster father.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The women reacted mechanically. ¡°I lost my parents in an ident when I was young. The Director saved me, adopted me, and raised me.¡± It¡¯s not a lie. Really. It was true that he saved me and true that he adopted me. ¡°To repay that kindness, I studied hard and now work under my father. Ah, and don¡¯t misunderstand, it¡¯s definitely not nepotism.¡± That part was a lie. It was actually nepotism. But then again, it¡¯s not entirely nepotism. I just used the existing system to be a civil servant. Like the additional points for having a Hunter license, that sort of thing. I didn¡¯t make up a system to get in; I just used what was avable, so it¡¯s not nepotism. Not at all. Except for someone stubborn like Yoo Ji-eun, it passed the director¡¯s confirmation hearing without any issues. The women in front of me thought the same way. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s famous for being fair and just, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Rather, it¡¯s cool that a father and son work together.¡± When people hear the tearful sess story of an orphan who lost both parents in an ident and was adopted, they usually react like that. ¡°So, why did youe to Busan, Hwijae? Business trip?¡± ¡°A vacation to celebrate my promotion. I didn¡¯t n toe, but they kicked me out because I hadn¡¯t taken a single day off sincest year.¡± This was a half-lie. Still, my smooth words made the women burst intoughter. ¡°Haha, being too focused on work isn¡¯t good. You need to rx when it¡¯s time to rx.¡± ¡°So, are you all on vacation¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on vacation too.¡± ¡°Ah, I hope I¡¯m not interrupting your break¡­.¡± Just like the women had said to me, I also threw out some insincere, ttering words. This give-and-take is exactly how trust is built in modern society. This is how we help each other live. ¡°Thanks to you, we¡¯re seeing something amazing. Can you show it to us one more time?¡± One of the women pointed at the device on my wrist. ¡°What was its name again? I heard it earlier, but it was too long¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Miniature Multifunctional Communication Device for Hunters. But we just call it the Mana Watch for convenience. It has more functions than a regr watch, though.¡± It was developed under the government and will be distributed first to Hunters affiliated with the Ability Management Agency. It will take at least ten more years before it¡¯s avable to the public. This watch will be central to dungeon raids in the future¡­. ¡°It just looks like a regr watch.¡± ¡°And a rather ugly watch at that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not saying that Hwijae wears an ugly watch.¡± The women chatted among themselves and giggled. ¡°I need to brag about this at work. Hwijae, is it okay if I take a picture of it?¡± I shook my head. After dealing with air-headed Hunters who didn¡¯t appreciate the value of this watch, I just wanted to hear some pure admiration. I wasn¡¯t so out of it that I would reveal confidential information to civilians. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s still confidential.¡± ¡°Wow, confidential¡­.¡± ¡°Even though it will be publicly released soon, I can¡¯t get caught up in any unnecessary rumors.¡± ¡°Of course. We understand.¡± This is something a public servant must always be cautious about. There¡¯s an old saying that the pen is mightier than the sword. It¡¯s a good saying. An invisible power is often more fearsome than the physical power right in front of your eyes. ¡°But it just looks like a watch; it¡¯s not really a watch, right? How do you use it?¡± ¡°It registers the mana pattern, so no one but the owner can use it. Just a moment. I¡¯ll set it so others can see.¡± I adjusted the settings on the Mana Watch. Since there were only two of these, not all functions were fully activated, but the basic ones worked fine. It was helpful in my work too¡­ while I could show it to civilians without issue, I needed something impressive. Yes, this would do. A holographic window appeared above the watch. The window, which was previously patterned to be visible only to me, was now adjusted to be readable by people with no mana at all with just a simple maniption. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± ¡°What is this? A list of dungeon¡­ danger levels?¡± ncing at the window, I exined. ¡°It¡¯s the status of all dungeons nationwide. It¡¯s linked to the Mana Meters, so it can check the dungeon status in real-time.¡± Seoul Yeongdeungpo 2nd Dungeon (B) ¨C Danger Level 2 Seoul Inwangsan 1st Dungeon (C) ¨C Danger Level 2 Chungnam Taean 3rd Dungeon (A) ¨C Danger Level 3 ¡­ ¡°They¡¯re sorted by danger level¡­ From Level 2, they are immediate raid targets¡­ These three dungeons are all currently being raided.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re right. I saw it on the news.¡± ¡°They went in the day before yesterday, so they should being out soon. It¡¯ll probably be on the news as ¡®raidplete¡¯ by tomorrow.¡± The women looked at the holographic window in fascination. I leisurely sipped my cocktail. It¡¯s nice to enjoy a vacation once in a while, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ um, Hwijae?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This dungeon¡¯s grade is suddenly rising sharply, is that okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± I hurriedly checked the information window. A dungeon with a rapidly changing danger level appears at the top. A dungeon was blinking and changing numbers. Seoul Bangi-dong 1st Dungeon (D) ¨C Danger Level 5 Seoul Bangi-dong 1st Dungeon (D) ¨C Danger Level 3 Seoul Bangi-dong 1st Dungeon (D) ¨C Danger Level 1 ¡°¡­!¡± I jumped up from my seat. !! Seoul Bangi-dong 1st Dungeon (D) ¨C 00000000000 The dungeon broke out. Chapter 3 - Unwanted Occurrence (2) Chapter 3: Unwanted urrence (2) TL: SHW The mana around the dungeon gate gates distorted. This is due to the mana refraction phenomenon caused by the dimensional passage, and it bes more unstable as it approaches a dungeon break. Therefore, mana meters are installed around the gate to measure the danger level. Danger Level 1 means the dungeon is in a state where it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it copsed at any moment. So when the danger level reaches 2, a raid team is quickly sent to close the dungeon. This is the modern method of dungeon management. However, dungeons are still mysterious existence whose urrence reasons are unknown. Sometimes, a crazily dangerous dungeon with a rapidly rising danger level suddenly appears. No matter how hard the Ability Management Agency works, there¡¯s nothing they can do when such events ur. ¡°Huh, what is this!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The cell phones of people in the bar started ringing loudly and simultaneously. The ear-piercing rm. A dungeon break notification is sent to all citizens, regardless of the region. ¡°Dungeon Break?¡± ¡°A dungeon break? Where?¡± Of course, I got the notification too. If it¡¯s Bangi-dong 1 Dungeon, that¡¯s what Yoo Ji-eun was talking about. She¡¯ll be strutting around saying ¡®I told you so¡¯ for a while. But that¡¯s not the important part. Even before I could make a call, a call came in. I answered it immediately. ¨D Ch-chief, there¡¯s a big problem!! A desperate voice hit my eardrum. I moved the receiver a bit away and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it. It¡¯s the Bangi-dong Dungeon, right? Since it¡¯s a D-rank dungeon, nothing significant shoulde out. There will be considerable damage since it¡¯s a densely popted area¡­ Request immediate cooperation from all guilds in Seoul.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not on the level of a D-grade dungeon!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A massive creature hase out! As soon as it emerged, half of Songpa District was blown away!!!¡± What? ¡°The Director took the hunters who were on standby at the headquarters and immediately deployed, but honestly, I don¡¯t know. This is the first time we¡¯ve seen something like this!¡± The voice of the situation room employee was falling into panic. It¡¯s not like they were a newly appointed rookie; they were a fairly experienced employee falling into panic. Unbelievable. ¡°Kyung-min ssi. Calm down. Calm down, I¡¯m on my way now. You can request a helicopter, right? Send it. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± ¡°Pleasee quickly. Please¡­.¡± Half of Songpa District blown away? Not in the old days, but in modern times, that sounds absurd. But since the Director stepped in, it should be over soon. He is literally the strongest hunter. By the time I reach Seoul, it will probably be all over. Still, if it¡¯s known that the I was enjoying his vacation when the dungeon broke, there will be another hearing. I barely took this vacation. Grinding my teeth, I downed the remaining half of my drink and left the bar. * * * ¡°Take off immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± I sighed as I boarded the police helicopter. Notifications rang again from my phone. Due to the dungeon break, the notifications keeping. Dungeon break area. Hunter dispatch. Evacuation rmendation for Songpa District. However, this time the notification wasn¡¯t just from my phone. My mana watch was ringing. What¡¯s happening now that would make the mana watch ring like this¡­. ¡°Uh, Chief?¡± The police officer piloting the helicopter called me with a trembling voice. ¡°Th-there, on the highway, is that¡­ isn¡¯t that a m-monster?¡± I opened the holographic window. Dungeon Danger Level List. !!Busan Hwamyeong-dong 1 Dungeon (E) ¨C 00000000000 !!Gyeongnam Yangsan 13 Dungeon (C) ¨C 00000000000 !!Seoul Gwanaksan 3 Dungeon (C) ¨C 00000000000 !!Gangwon Taebaek 9 Dungeon (A) ¨C 00000000000 !!¡­ !!¡­ !!¡­ ¡°Shit. hat the hell is this.¡± Unless my mana watch suddenly went crazy, all the dungeons in Korea were bursting like fireworks. * * * Seoul was burning. ¡°Over there.¡± I don¡¯t know how I made it to Seoul. The screams of people kept echoing below the helicopter. I didn¡¯t look down. I couldn¡¯t save them anyway. I just thought it was a stroke of luck that I hadn¡¯t encountered a flying monster. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯ll be able to return to Busan. Since we didn¡¯t see any flying monsters on the way, look around to see if there are any survivors. If it seems hopeless, find a ce that looks safe.¡± I didn¡¯t know if there was any safe ce, but I said that anyway. ¡°And never go to the center of Seoul.¡± Leaving someone who isn¡¯t a hunter in this situation is the same as telling them to die. The police officer in front of me knew that too. But I couldn¡¯t take them with me. ¡°W-what about you, Chief?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going over there.¡± I pointed towards the center of Seoul, in the direction of the Ability Management Agency. Starting from the Bangi-dong Dungeon, every dungeon in Korea had broken out. Whileing up to Seoul, my phone had gone silent, and so had my mana watch. From the middle, I didn¡¯t even bother checking anymore. I didn¡¯t know what came out of the Bangi-dong Dungeon. Whatever it was, Seoul was finished now. Seoul was burning, and the Han River had turned ck. A stench that couldn¡¯t be masked by the zing mes emanated from the water. No matter how this situation is resolved, Seoul is now and where people cannot live. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The police officer looked at me with aplicated expression. He and I were in the same situation. There was no way to survive. Even though we knew that. ¡°Then good luck.¡± ¡°¡­You too, Chief.¡± Leaving the police helicopter behind, I walked towards the Ability Management Agency. As expected, there was no sign of life. What remained in Seoul were mes, the wreckage of buildings, and monsters. ¡°Kieek!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I got my hunter license in high school. I renewed it a few times during college to raise my rank. After graduating from university, I joined the Ability Management Agency. Since then, I¡¯ve been working in the office. Even though I was in an office job, the Director took me to the mountains every weekend for training. He¡¯d make me train in a clearing near the summit, saying I¡¯d be able to renew my rank again soon. The Director, not me, was excited about it. What did the old man say back then? ¡°Hwijae, a person needs to learn skills. That¡¯s the only way to make a living.¡± I didn¡¯t think that skill was this skill¡­. But he was right. I picked up a sword that was rolling at my feet. Not far away was a charred corpse. A tiger leaves its skin when it dies, and an unknown hunter leaves their weapon. Cutting down the monsters I encountered, I kept moving. I didn¡¯t know if the hunters in Seoul had killed them, or if they had burned together, but there weren¡¯t many monsters left. I moved forward slowly. Thest news I checked in the helicopter said that the same phenomenon was happening worldwide. Not just in Korea, but all dungeons around the world were copsing. ¡°¡­What the hell.¡± From the moment I left theb, the future I wanted was simple. I would dump all the troublesome tasks on others and enjoy thefort that came with it. The head of theb was like that. The Inspectordy had made that a bit more concrete. In human society, the higher the position, the more one could enjoy. I had struggled to achieve that. There wasn¡¯t much time left. The path was clear and smooth. The future I wanted was worthless without people who would support me. So I had to check if there were any survivors. ¡­I had to check. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck¡­.¡± I checked my mana watch again. Mana watches can be linked to each other. The only mana watch connected. When the researchers hesitated, saying it could be an invasion of privacy, the Director scolded them, saying, ¡°He¡¯s my son anyway, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± He said he just wanted to make sure his son was okay whenever he left home. Did the old man confirm that I was safe? Did he die peacefully knowing I was still alive? [Director] No response. No signal at all. The old man is dead. The strongest hunter in Korea is dead. I walked from Songpa District, crossing the Han River, following the dark, ckened trail. It was in the same direction as the Ability Management Agency. Along the way, I saw polluted, poisonous puddles. Traces of a battle. Near Namsan, I saw part of the creature. It looked like an insect¡¯s leg. One leg was bigger than me. The shed surface, as if it had been crushed, was the old man¡¯s work. I could recognize traces of other hunters. They must all be dead. The stench stung my nose. It was the smelling from the severed body. The bodily fluids were toxic. Despite the zing mes, the odor did not disappear. The unpleasant mana in those mes wasn¡¯t ordinary either. What on earth had happened? ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Breathing sounds. A survivor! ¡°¡­Nepo-baby?¡± Right before I took my leave, that face had been so annoying, but now I was overwhelmed with joy. There¡¯s only one person who calls me that. ¡°Auntie!¡± ¡°Ewa, Damn it, I told you not to call me that.¡± ¡°Hunter Yoo Ji-eun, I also told you not to call me a Nepo-baby.¡± We exchanged sharp words as usual. In fact, it was much kinder than usual. I ran over to Yoo Ji-eun and checked her wounds. From head to toe, there wasn¡¯t a single uninjured part. The most severe was her abdomen. I didn¡¯t know what had pierced her, but the bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop. Every time Yoo Ji-eun opened her mouth, blood gushed out. ¡°Cough¡­ I told you it was weird, damn it.¡± ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± ¡°If I knew, would I be like this?¡± The blood she spat out was ck. Poison. The same poison that polluted the Han River. The wounds reeked. I gritted my teeth. Knowing it was useless, I still took out an emergency potion I carried. Yoo Ji-eun sneered. ¡°Why. It¡¯s expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something you carry, so it must be good. But you know it¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± I poured the potion on the wound. It fizzed and foamed before subsiding. The bleeding stopped briefly, then started again. Yoo Ji-eun chuckled bitterly. ¡°I told you we needed to raid it.¡± ¡°Who would listen if you suddenly said it felt weird? Even, you, Hunter Yoo Ji-eun wasn¡¯t sure.¡± ¡°You ignored the hunter¡¯s intuition?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing less trustworthy than that.¡± ¡°True.¡± I used up a high-grade potion consecutively. The wound remained unchanged. The bleeding didn¡¯t stop. Annoyed, I threw the potion bottle. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m finished anyway.¡± ¡°¡­So what?¡± ¡°Take this.¡± Yoo Ji-eun extended her hand. Clink. The touch told me immediately what it was. ¡°Teacher¡¯s¡­ No, you know what it is.¡± A dog tag threaded with an old leather string. The familiar name engraved on the thin metal tag. Hong Seok-young. I clenched the dog tag tightly. An item that had outlived its original purpose now held only its physical form¡¯s worth. ¡°I brought it just in case. Good thing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s good about it?¡± ¡°At least his son should have it.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not his real son.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only son the teacher has. Give him a proper funeral.¡± Yoo Ji-eun spoke calmly. ¡°Without a body?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen a hunter¡¯s funeral with a body?¡± She was right, so I kept my mouth shut. Yoo Ji-eun remained silent for a long time. With her eyes closed, she looked just like a corpse. I got scared and spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t die, Hunter Yoo Ji-eun. I¡¯m not going to give you a funeral.¡± ¡°Damn kid. Even when you talk¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s up to me? It¡¯s a miracle I¡¯m even alive right now.¡± Yoo Ji-eun coughed and vomited ck clots along with blood. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Woo Hwijae.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hwijae.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Let me see your face.¡± Yoo Ji-eun, who was my adoptive father¡¯s favorite disciple, smiled even as she was dying. ¡°Do you remember when you were little and used to follow me around, calling me noona?¡± ¡°How long ago was that¡­¡± ¡°You were cute back then, but as you grew older, you became so rude¡­¡± Yoo Ji-eun chuckled. ¡°Hwijae.¡± No matter what I did, the bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop. The blood just wouldn¡¯t cease. I had no more potions left. ¡°If you look over there.¡± ¡°Shut up and stay still.¡± ¡°If you look over there.¡± ¡°I said shut up.¡± ¡°My sword is there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you noona again, so just shut up¡­.¡± ¡°I know you prefer spears like the teacher, but take it anyway. It¡¯s a good sword.¡± I lifted my head and looked at Yoo Ji-eun. Yoo Ji-eun was smiling brightly. Even though more than ten years had passed, the face of the high school girl I first met was still there. ¡°And make it out alive.¡± That was Yoo Ji-eun¡¯sst word. Chapter 4 - Unwanted Occurrence (3) Chapter 4: Unwanted urrence (3) TL: SHW Yoo Ji-eun died. The bond we had was perhaps a bitter one, but it was a bond nheless. Still, I didn¡¯t think our rtionship was bad. I never wished for her to die like this. I never imagined a Hunter of Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s caliber would die like this. Staggering, I stood up, leaving Yoo Ji-eun behind. I picked up her sword. I wonder if the police officer we parted ways with earlier is still alive. Did he find other survivors? Or perhaps? What about other countries? Are they in the same situation as here? Or did they manage to hold on somehow? Who knows. I have my own problems. At the very least, South Korea is definitively ruined. I recalled Yoo Ji-eun¡¯sst words. Make it out alive. ¡°How am I supposed to survive here?¡± Or maybe it was a hopeful statement, thinking that as long as I stayed alive, things would somehow work out. The Yoo Ji-eun I knew was not someone who clung to such hopeless optimism. Well, they say people do things they normally wouldn¡¯t when they¡¯re about to die. Seeing Yoo Ji-eun say something she normally wouldn¡¯t before dying proves she was human after all. But unlike the dead Yoo Ji-eun, I had to face reality. A city burning ck. People killed by monsters and burned to death. ¡°Damn it, seriously¡­.¡± Gripping Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword tightly, I cursed and continued walking. It didn¡¯t seem like I had walked much, yet I had already reached the Ability Management Agency. This used to be the site of the Ability Management Agency. The building stood tall and impressive. Several Hunters had worked together to fix up the rooftop park, making it quite pleasant. But now, nothing remains. Above the shattered building lies the corpse of a giant centipede, the source of the poisonous aura. Around it were the bodies of Hunters. The bodies were burned, but the familiar weapons caught my eye. They were the Hunters of the agency. What about the Director? I could draw the Director¡¯s weapon with my eyes closed. Though its appearance was rough, how could I forget the spear with the delicate blue waves engraved on its de? I checked the Director¡¯s dog tag, which I had kept in my hand, fearing it might get lost. It was something the Director always wore around his neck. And Yoo Ji-eun had brought it. Instead of his body. The Director died without even leaving a body behind. ¡°¡­Even if a Hunter¡¯s job often means not leaving a body behind.¡± This wasn¡¯t right. I walked among the bodies. I kept walking. ¡°Make it out alive.¡± If you¡¯re going to make such irresponsible statements, you should at least tell me how to survive. What now? Should I keep searching for survivors? If I find survivors? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Are there even any survivors to begin with? Fuck. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± Filled with rage, I almost threw the dog tag away but stopped. Thinking that this was thest thing he left behind, I couldn¡¯t let go. Instead, I swung Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. Although its owner was dead, the once picky sword responded to my mana. Whoosh. mes spouted from the sword. Unlike the mes consuming Seoul, the mes produced by my mana were blue. The blue mes, weak because they weren¡¯t imbued with much mana, flickered as if they would go out at any moment. But miraculously, they crawled along the ground and reached the centipede monster¡¯s corpse. The corpse, with its legs severed, crushed, and shed, still had poisonden fluids dripping from it. If I stayed here too long, I would get poisoned as well. Ha. Even in this state, I¡¯m still thinking about surviving. Maybe Yoo Ji-eun knew this about me, which is why she said those words. ¡°¡­What the?¡± But my thoughts were short-lived as the blue mes, feeble as they were, touched the corpse, and the centipede vanished without a trace. Monsters from dungeons acting strangely is not umon¡­. After watching the scene for a moment, I ran toward the empty space. There might be Director¡¯s body. If not his body, then at least his weapon. If not a weapon, then something else. Something else. He was the strongest Hunter in South Korea. It doesn¡¯t make sense that the only thing left tomemorate him is a dog tag! However, there was nothing where the corpse had disappeared. Only the remains of the building, corroded by poison, were left behind. ¡°¡­?¡± No, it wasn¡¯t that there was nothing. There was a single item encased in white light. ¡°¡­Did ite from that thing?¡± I hadn¡¯t picked it up from inside the dungeon, and I¡¯d never heard of monsters leaving behind items. Since it was a centipede, it was likely to have something like an inner core, but¡­ This wasn¡¯t something like that. If I had topare it to something¡­ ¡­A clock? It was a clock. A tabletop digital clock. The screen that should be disying the time was pitch ck. After hesitating for a moment, I felt I had to check this suspicious item out. In any other situation, I would never approach such a suspicious object. [¡ª¡ª- Verification. Authorization process initiated.] ¡°What?!¡± At that moment, a monotonous voice came from the clock. The ck screen flickered and lit up. [Pending] [Emergency procedure activated] [Input] [Input] [Input] The screen changed. Random numbers appeared. Then it stopped. [ 0 0 0 0 ¨C 0 0 ¨C 0 0 ] The voice asked me. [¡ªWould you like to proceed?] [ 0 0 0 0 ¨C 0 0 ¨C 0 0 ] [Would you like to set it?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The eight-digit numbers blinked. Such a format is usually used to disy dates. [Would you like to set it?] I should know what I¡¯m setting before I decide. [Would you like to set it?] It was a t, monotonous voice you often hear from AI-based items. I hesitated for a moment before asking. If it was AI, it should answer. ¡°What am I setting?¡± [Date] [Setti] The voice abruptly cut off. The blinking numbers disappeared. As I stared at the item, now devoid of light, in confusion, the numbers reappeared on the screen. [Rebooting] ¡­Do items nowadays have self-booting functions? [Automatic sequence initiated] [ 0 0 0 0 ¨C 0 0 ¨C 0 0 ] What the hell is this? ¡°Hey. What is this?¡± [Cannot set] ¡°What can¡¯t you set?¡± [Rebooting] The item ignored my words, repeatedly turning off and on at its own will. [ _ _ _ _ ¨C _ _ ¨C _ _ ] [Would you like to execute?] The wording had changed. Earlier ithad asked me to set a date earlier. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯re executing?¡± [Would you like to execute?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It seems the AI¡¯s performance isn¡¯t good. What¡¯s the use of having AI if it can¡¯t exin anything properly? I hesitated for a moment before picking up the item. Nothing changed. I couldn¡¯t manipte it in any way. The clock kept blinking. AI-based items are dangerous. I¡¯m not talking about the item¡¯s performance. There are items programmed to deceive the user. Though rare, if I encounter one, it¡¯s a hundred percent certain. No matter how bleak the situation, I have no intention of doing what this suspicious item says¡­ Grrrr. From a distance, I heard the sound of a beast breathing. Thud! Thud! Thud! The ground shook. Crack¡­ Crash. Boom. The remaining buildings were copsing. Every sense in my body sharpened. Something had appeared. Something was heading this way. Something saw me. The first thing I saw was a giant horn. The horn was covered in bright red mes, and as it moved, mes dripped from the horn. The falling mes joined the fire that was burning Seoul. The fire grew even fiercer. Moreover, the alien mana felt from the surrounding mes intensified. It¡¯s that thing. That thing is what burned Seoul. Not the centipede. Grrrr¡­¡­ The towering head is covered in ck scales. Despite the considerable distance, its size is such that I can see it clearly. Its bright yellow eyes are staring straight at me. The clock I was holding started to blink rapidly. [Warning] [Warning] [Danger detected] [Survival probability 0%] I can¡¯t hear the item¡¯s babble. The creature has spotted me. It¡¯sing closer and closer. Grrrr¡­. Let¡¯s think rationally. There¡¯s no way to beat that thing. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I looked at the blinking, glowing item. It had estimated my survival chances. Growl¡­ Thud! The beast¡¯s roar reverberated. The vibrations intensified. My hair stood on end. ¡°Can this thing help me escape from that?¡± [??? Danger? Death? ????probability] ¡°If there¡¯s any chance to escape, just do it.¡± [Identity?? ? ??? confirmed] [Emergency protocol activated] [Executing] [Qualification verification procedure activated] A whirlwind of mana surged around the item. The mana twisted so violently that it made me feel nauseous. ¡°Roar!!!!¡± And the creature arrived. [Verification ??? Abnormal? Flow????] As if it couldn¡¯t afford to lose me. Along with mes. Along with the indelible scent of blood. [???Abnormal? Execution?? Failure??? No????? The ????? Savior???] ¡°What now!!¡± A shrill, ominous beep filled the surroundings. The swirling mana inscribed bright red letters in the air. [!!! ERROR !!!] [!!! ERROR !!!] [!!! ERROR !!!] [Rebooting] [Rebooting] [Rebooting] There¡¯s no time. ¡°Grr¡­.¡± The creature isughing. One of its ws is bigger than my entire body. Its overall size is simr to that of the dead centipede. Director, Yoo Ji-eun, and other Hunters died to kill that centipede. They all died. Now it¡¯s just me. [Rebooting] The clock turned off and on again. Should I run now? Is it possible? All my senses are on edge. Now that the creature has seen me, there¡¯s no way to escape. [Qualification verification] [Ineligible] [Qualification verification] [Ineligible] [!!! ERROR !!!] [Searching for avable functions] [Forced sequence activated] [Unavable] [Unavable] [Unavable] [Final sequence activated] [Approved] [Procedure initiated] [Qualification verification] [Detected] [Confirmed] [Activated] [??? Qualifi?? cation with confirmed probability] [World is bound for destruction] [Last survivor] [Confirmed] [Moving to a random time] The view was filled with ERROR messages. Dripping mes. Heat. Trembling vibrations. The gigantic monster approaching me. That¡¯s myst memory. * * * p. ¡°¡­ster!¡± ¡°¡­Mister! Mister! Wake up!¡± p. p. The first sensation to return was pain. Someone is pping my cheek. Who¡­ who is this bastard? I want to remove the hand that¡¯s pping my cheek, but I can¡¯t tell where my arms are. It feels like I¡¯m floating in water. The pping hand is annoying, and it seems like it would be okay to just fall back asleep. ¡°Mister!!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± With sharp pain, all my senses returned. My eyes and ears snapped open. ¡°Are you okay, mister?¡± A worried-faced girl leaned in close. She¡¯s wearing the Hunter Academy uniform. The old one, before it was changed. I quickly nced at the name tag on her chest. Yoo Hye-eun. ¡°I¡¯ve given you some first aid, but you shouldn¡¯t move too quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uh, the situation is pretty bad right now, but you¡¯re a Hunter, right¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since you were holding a sword¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mister? Are you okay?¡± What¡­ is this? I slowly looked around. There are a few kids wearing the old Hunter Academy uniforms, whispering among themselves. On the opposite wall, a group of pale-faced people huddled together, trembling. The cluttered office has overturned monitors andputer towers on the desks. The models are incredibly outdated. Dopanies still use suchputers nowadays? It must be a poorly run ce. I blinked my eyes. Seoul was burning. South Korea was destroyed. Probably the whole world was destroyed. But what is with the bright sunlight pouring through the windows and the kids wearing the old Hunter Academy uniforms? ¡°This is strange. There don¡¯t seem to be any noticeable injuries¡­ Mister, can you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­Do I look like a mister to you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Where the hell¡­ is this ce? Chapter 5 - Going Back (1) Chapter 5: Going Back (1) TL: SHW Hunters under the age of 19 with a D-grade or lower are eligible to enter the academy. The Hunter Academy is an educational institution established with great effort by the Director. Although it was harshly criticized for its tacky name, the initial intention was good, and despite some initial hups, it has been running smoothly up until recently. The purpose of establishing the Hunter Academy is simple. To prevent underage Hunters who have not received proper training from dying en masse in dungeons. After it was revealed that some guilds were trapping newly awakened young Hunters in ve contracts and using them as meat shields, the Director gathered like-minded Hunters to create the academy. The idea was to gather newly awakened kids and educate them. ¡°Is that guy really okay?¡± The kids, wearing the uniform of that very educational institution, started whispering about me. They must have thought I couldn¡¯t hear them, but I could hear everything. Where did they even get that old uniform from? ¡°Is his head injured?¡± ¡°With my ability, I can heal external wounds, but if he has internal injuries, there¡¯s nothing I can do¡­ What if it¡¯s a concussion?¡± ¡°No, think about our teacher. Hunters are a bit strange in the head, to begin with.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not forget we¡¯re Hunters too, okay?¡± I looked at the kids with a bewildered face and slowly stood up. My dulled senses were gradually returning. As I wiggled my numb hand, I realized I was still holding the Director¡¯s dog tag. ¡­My brain also started working gradually. ¡°No matter what¡¯s wrong with that guy¡¯s head, we can¡¯t just stay here like this.¡± ¡°Then what should we do? We can¡¯t make calls or anything.¡± Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword is still in my hand. It¡¯s proof that the scene I saw just before losing consciousness wasn¡¯t my imagination. I looked around again. Other than the oldputer that made me wonder if it was still functioning, there was nothing distinctive. It¡¯s an office you could see anywhere. An office. Office¡­. The calendar on the wall caught my eye. 2021. ¡°2021?!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mister! Are you finallying to your senses?¡± I looked at the calendar again. April 2021. I rubbed my eyes. The calendar still said April 2021. Why¡­ why that date? How likely is it that the owner of this office has a hobby of hanging a twenty-year-old calendar on the wall? ¡°Hey! Mister!¡± ¡°Hyun-wook!¡± ¡°Hey, let me go.¡± A boy came over, huffing. He had a name tag on his chest. Oh Hyun-wook. Strange. Why does that name sound familiar? ¡°Mister, we don¡¯t have time to wait for you toe to your senses.¡± ¡°Kwaaah!!¡± I heard the sound of a monster from outside. The boy frowned. ¡°¡­You hear that, right?¡± I looked at the calendar. ¡°If we stay like this¡­ Mister?¡± This is not good. I have a bad feeling. I cautiously headed toward the window. The blinds were down, but I crouched just in case. Through the gap in the blinds, I could see the ruined street. It wasn¡¯t aplete ruin. It was a mess, but it could be recovered. The cars left on the road were rolling around, crushed like trash. The ss windows of the shops on the first floor were all shattered, and a ck Buffalo was sniffing around and wandering. Its horns, which seemedrgepared to its body, were positioned on its head. I confirmed the sign of the restaurant that the buffalo had wrecked. Although I had never heard of the name, there was no problem recognizing the letters in the corner of the sign. Myeong-dong Branch. April 2021. Myeong-dong. ck Buffalo. Civilians huddled in a corner of the office. Kids wearing the old uniform of the Hunter Academy. ¡­What if that uniform isn¡¯t the old one? What if it¡¯s the current one? ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± So¡­. ¡°Hey. You, boy.¡± I called the boy who was standing there with a discontented face. Oh Hyun-wook. Damn it. Not only do I know the name, but now I realize I also know the face. He looks about twenty years younger than the face I remember, so I didn¡¯t recognize him right away. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡± Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s face blurred. ¡°Mister, do you feel nauseous or dizzy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a concussion, so what¡¯s the date?¡± ¡°¡­April 5th.¡± April 5th, 2021. ¡°Ha, fuck.¡± I ended up cursing. I traced back my memory. The events before I lost consciousness. The monsters overflowing on the highway and the dead people. Yoo Ji-eun. The Director. The suspicious item that appeared when the centipede disappeared. The numbers on the item that looked like a date. As unbelievable as it was, everything pointed to one thing. Time travel. Does this even make sense? I¡¯ve never heard of an item that lets you time travel. It makes more sense to say it¡¯s a hallucination you see before dying. If this is really time travel, aren¡¯t there better dates? ¡­If it¡¯s theb, I might understand, but why this date, in Myeong-dong? It would have been better if it was right before my vacation. Then, I wouldn¡¯t have ignored Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s warning and would have raided the damn Bangi-dong Dungeon. Why, of all days, why this day! April 5th, 2021. If I¡¯ve really gone back twenty years. Everyone in this building today, except for five people, will die. * * * Twenty years ago, a dungeon break happened in Myeong-dong. At that time, the mana meter was just about to be developed, so dungeons were managed manually. Of course, since the Myeong-dong Dungeon was in the middle of Seoul, they managed it meticulously by the standards of that time. But dungeons being what they are, they could seem calm yesterday and break the next day. That¡¯s what happened with the Myeong-dong Dungeon. It waster revealed that the responsible public official didn¡¯t do their job properly. While it wasn¡¯t entirely the official¡¯s fault, the rm was dyed because of it. The dungeon break was only reported after the initial damage had urred. The guild in charge of the Myeong-dong Dungeon deployed immediately upon hearing the news, but they couldn¡¯t handle the monsters alone. While waiting for support, the monsters began roaming the streets of Myeong-dong. In the process, five students from the Hunter Training Pilot High School, who were there for field training, were isted in the guild office. Together with civilians and non-Hunter guild office staff in the same building. There were forty-one civilians. Including those who fled into the building to escape the monsters. Including the students, that made forty-six. In a situation where they couldn¡¯t call for external help, the monsters noticed the presence of people in the building and started attacking. The students tried to protect the civilians, but the newly awakened students didn¡¯t know how to respond to a dungeon break. There were five survivors. Two students from the Hunter Training Pilot High School and three civilians. This incident crippled the newlyunched Hunter Training School. I know because I saw the Director struggle with it for several more years. The name change from Hunter Training Pilot High School to Hunter Academy was also because of this incident. Honestly, I think the new name is tackier, but they say it¡¯s to honor the deceased students. Anyway, the Myeong-dong Dungeon Break is a case frequently mentioned during mandatory safety education for awakened individuals. To demonstrate what happens if dungeon management is poor, how crucial initial response is during a dungeon break, and so on. Of course, I know it well. I was an instructor, so I had to know it even better. I even wrote a thesis on it in college. About how the inexperienced underage Hunters could have escaped safely. For the record, the thesis concluded that considering the technology and armament level of the students at that time, it was impossible for all of them to survive. ¡­In other words, if you have useful future knowledge and proper equipment, there¡¯s a way for all forty-six to survive. What? Don¡¯t I care about time paradoxes since it¡¯s time travel? I don¡¯t even know how I ended up here, so why should I worry about such things? I don¡¯t know how to get back, or if I even can get back, and thinking about the unknown monster, the corpses of the Hunters, and the burning Seoul makes me not want to return. In that case¡­ I need to think about how to survive here. I have Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. If I were alone, I¡¯d be confident in escaping this predicament. But¡­. ¡°How long has it been since the dungeon overran?¡± I can¡¯t pretend not to know they¡¯re all going to die. Seeing it in text and witnessing it in reality are different things. I¡¯m not that heartless. Forty-six¡­ no, forty-one lives. ¡°Mis¡­ What?¡± ¡°You guys are students at the Hunter Academy, right? Haven¡¯t you learned about dungeon breaks?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± I know the Hunter Academy curriculum of 2041 by heart, but I¡¯m not sure about this period. Still, survivors Oh Hyun-wook and Park Seo-hyun are renowned genius Hunters of the century. As the saying goes, a promising tree shows its worth early, so I hope they can handle at least one person¡¯s worth of responsibility. ¡°¡­We were supposed to learn about it today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, we originally came to the guild for field training. We were going to learn about dungeon management and raid procedures¡­.¡± It¡¯s okay. That can happen. They¡¯re still kids. The Oh Hyun-wook I know is a potbellied, hairy old man, and Park Seo-hyun is a creepy, grinning, gloomy woman. But right now, they¡¯re just kids. Maybe around D-grade? Typically, D-grade Hunters are the ones who¡¯ve just be Hunters and think they¡¯re something special. They were such a nuisance during mandatory training¡­. Compared to those Hunters, at least these kids are paying attention to what I¡¯m saying. ¡°Then learn now. Do you know when the dungeon overran?¡± ¡°Uh, how long has it been, guys?¡± ¡°About four hours¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need ¡®about.¡¯ Specific numbers are crucial in a dungeon raid.¡± The kids, still confused, shifted ufortably. One of them answered clearly. ¡°It¡¯s been three hours and fifty minutes.¡± Yoo Hye-eun. The girl who was pping my cheek earlier. ¡°What about contact with the outside?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work. Sometimes there¡¯s a signal, but no connection.¡± ¡°What¡¯s thest piece of information you heard? Include the time.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, two hours ago, they said Hunters were gathering to raid the dungeon boss.¡± I know what kind of life the Director led. The Director was in the boss raid team. He med himself for not knowing his students were dying and casually went after the boss. At least this time, that won¡¯t happen. ¡°Wait a minute, mister.¡± Hyun-wook, who had been silent, spoke with a sour expression. ¡°Who are you, anyway?¡± ¡°Hyun-wook!¡± ¡°Hey, let me handle this. How can we trust someone we don¡¯t even know? Do you have a Hunter license, mister? If you do, show it to us.¡± Ha. So there was a time when piggy Oh Hyun-wook was this sharp. Time does change things¡­. But it was a keen question. A question I was grateful for. I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t have it.¡± It¡¯s safely stored in my wallet, but how can I show a license with the date 2029 written on it? ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I lost it.¡± ¡°¡­You lost it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in my wallet, but my wallet is gone. I must have dropped it when I passed out earlier.¡± What are you going to do when I say I lost it? Chapter 6 - Going Back (2) Chapter 6: Going Back (2) TL:SHW ¡°You lost it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The more guilty a person feels, the more confident they should act. If the opponent is experienced, it might not work, but the ones in front of me are 18-year-old high school students. Manipting them was no big deal. ¡°Lost¡­ Then, uh¡­¡± See? They were trying to act sharp, but now they¡¯re flustered and can¡¯t even continue talking. However, Hyun-wook¡¯s question made me realize something I hadn¡¯t thought of. I currently have no proper identity. Even if I get out of here safely, there will be problems afterward. I can¡¯t just do nothing aftering all the way to the past. Especially when I know that South Korea will copse in twenty years. At the very least, I need to check that dungeon. The dungeon in Bangi-dong that Yoo Ji-eun mentioned should be raided. To enter the dungeon, I need a definite identity. ¡­How old was I in 2021? Ten? If I¡¯m here now, would my ten-year-old self exist? I¡¯ll think about my past self and identity proofter. For now, let¡¯s focus on what I can do immediately¡­ something that can help me. I looked at Hyun-wook. A future S-rank Hunter. Then I looked behind him. Kids wearing the Hunter Academy Uniform. Two girls, two boys. Among them, there¡¯s one who will be famous in the future. ¡­Hmm. I suppose being a life-saving benefactor would be just right. ¡°Is it enough if I prove I¡¯m a hunter?¡± I lightly scraped the floor with my sword. Blue mes briefly rose along the line and then extinguished. mes filled with mana. ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°¡­Alright. So you¡¯re a Hunter.¡± Hyun-wook couldn¡¯tpletely let go of his suspicion, but he epted it anyway. This might be proof of being an awakened person, but not proof of being a good hunter, but he doesn¡¯t seem to have realized that far. The other Hunter Academy kids also rxed a bit. It was clear that having an active Hunter made them feel relieved. On the other hand, the civilians reacted more openly. ¡°If you¡¯re a Hunter, does that mean we can get out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s definitely better than just having kids.¡± Let¡¯s assess the possibilities. This is something I¡¯ve read about so often it¡¯s almost tedious. There have been many papers published overseas, and it¡¯s amon topic on various Hunter sites. Each person suggested their own solutions. Mostly, the conclusion was the same. At that time, there was no way for everyone to escape safely. ¡°How many people are in this building?¡± ¡°¡­Forty-one.¡± ¡°Including you all?¡± ¡°Then forty-six, no, forty-seven including you.¡± It matches the number I know. I can think of at least five or six escape methods right now. That¡¯s after excluding the ones that take too long and require too many preparations. I could just choose one of them and do it, but¡­. I looked at the kids again. Aside from Oh Hyun-wook and Park Seo-hyun, the remaining three. Yoo Hye-eun, Choi Jin-woo, Lee Seung-yeon. Among them, there¡¯s only one name I remember. Lee Seung-yeon. A pale face, shorter than Park Seo-hyun standing next to him. Honestly, I wonder if he can even hold a sword properly. But in some ways, he was more famous than the genius Oh Hyun-wook or Park Seo-hyun. Well, he wasn¡¯t a genius who stood out from the moment he started walking. He just used up all his talent being born. If family background counts as talent, then in that sense, he¡¯s an SSS-rank Hunter. The youngest treasured child of Daeyeon, a global conglomerate beyond South Korea. Even after he died, his family continued to support the academy in various ways, ensuring its survival. They even influenced the establishment of the Ability Management Agency and supported my father in bing the Director. Even though he died. So, what if he were alive? If I save a kid who almost died? The Daeyeon I know wasn¡¯t the type to turn a blind eye to family matters. If I¡¯m lucky, they might vouch for my identity. Of course, that¡¯s if everything goes well. ¡°Is there anyone who has difficulty moving?¡± ¡°Difficulty moving?¡± ¡°The injured or children.¡± I don¡¯t recall any, but I need to check. ¡°Uh, no¡­ There¡¯s no one.¡± Good. Very good. No identity? Then I¡¯ll be an undeniable hero, even if it raises some suspicions. Koreans are weak to such things. At the very least, Lee Seung-yeon should be tearfully grateful every time he thinks of my name. There¡¯s one perfect method. Everyone survives, but it requires someone¡¯s heroic sacrifice. * * * ¡°We¡¯re going to City Hall.¡± ¡°¡­City Hall?¡± The kids were doubtful. The civilians were the same. ¡°City Hall?¡± Normally, Hunter operation meetings shouldn¡¯t be held publicly like this. Given the situation, there¡¯s no other choice¡­ ¡°Are you out of your mind? Hunter, do you know how far City Hall is from here?¡± There¡¯s always someone who jumps in without knowing the context. I openly sighed while looking at the man. I need dungeon emergencymand authority¡­ themand authority. Thew that prioritizes Hunters¡¯mand during a Dungeon Break. When was this established? Was it after forty people died here? I think it was. Did they say that they didn¡¯t listen properly because they were young students? There were testimonies from survivors. ¡°Hey.¡± I lowered my voice. How many empty-headed Hunters had I knocked some sense into¡­ no, kindly persuaded? A civilian with a loud voice is nothing. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Wh-What?! Is a Hunter threatening people now?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Saying there¡¯s nomand authority means Hunters aren¡¯t obligated to rescue civilians. Even if I don¡¯t take care of this guy here¡­ No, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll kill him. ¡°Honestly, getting myself out is no big deal. I¡¯m helping because I can¡¯t just leave these kids behind. Hey, students.¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°Do you want to go alone? I don¡¯t mind.¡± I stopped myself from speaking harshly as if I were addressing Ability Management Agency Hunters. I shouldn¡¯t vent on kids who can barely be called Hunters. The kids exchanged nces, and Yoo Hye-eun spoke up as their representative. ¡°Uh, no¡­ We can¡¯t just leave people behind¡­¡± The other kids nodded. ¡°Did you hear that? Because of these students, people like you can be saved. If you don¡¯t like it, stay behind. You don¡¯t have toe with us. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± He hesitated, seeming reluctant. Since he was still undecided, I decided to help. After all, we¡¯re civilized people, so we should resolve things verbally if possible. ¡°For the record, those monsters¡­ they don¡¯t graze on grass just because they look like cows. They¡¯re monsters.¡± ¡°Wh-What do you mean?¡± ¡°They¡¯re carnivores.¡± ¡°¡­So what?¡± He¡¯s slow to understand. The others got it. ¡°What kind of meat do you think those creatures would find around here?¡± I smiled kindly at the people who had gone pale. ¡°Forget about having an intact body if you get caught by those things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Finally, the man understood. I patted his shoulder. ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t you be quiet now?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°And is this your first time in Myeong-dong? It¡¯s a quick trip to City Hall from here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ only if there are no monsters!¡± That¡¯s not incorrect. I shrugged. ¡°This is the Guild Office, right? Anyone who worked here?¡± ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s us.¡± Since it¡¯s the Guild Office, there should be a map somewhere. If I can¡¯t exclude civilians from the operation meeting, I¡¯ll just let them listen to everything. ¡°Do you have a printed map of Myeong-dong? Arge one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the meeting room! Should I bring it?¡± ¡°Yes. Please put it up on that wall.¡± As expected from guild office staff, they move quickly. Standing in front of the map, I spoke to the people. ¡°This is where we are right now.¡± Between subway stations. In the middle of Hoehyeon Station and Myeong-dong Station. At the intersection. I followed the road down toward Namsan. ¡°This is the dungeon location.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that close?¡± It¡¯s only a ten-minute walk. It really is a dungeon in the heart of Seoul. This is why it should have been managed more thoroughly. I pointed to Namsan. ¡°They started the raid on the boss two hours ago, so by now they would have driven the dungeon boss to Namsan.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± One of the kids asked. Even though the rtedws are iplete and the response is inadequate, some things remain unchanged. If a battle breaks out in a ce with a high floating poption like Myeong-dong, the damage would be enormous. There would be many people who took shelter inside buildings, like here. Imagine if one of those buildings copsed during the battle. ¡°The boss of the Myeong-dong Dungeon is a Minotaur. A 20-meter tall bull-headed monster. Catching that in the middle of the city? What do you think will happen?¡± ¡°¡­The damage would be¡­¡± Fortunately, there¡¯s Namsan right behind the Myeong-dong Dungeon. ¡°Right. And although it¡¯s a carnivore, its behavior is simr to that of cattle. They move in herds. By now, most of them would have followed the boss to Namsan, leaving only the stragglers on the roads.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why we¡¯re heading to City Hall?¡± I picked up a pen that had fallen on the ground and drew a circle on the map. Centering on our building, the circle included Sungnyemun, City Hall Station, Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station, and Myeong-dong Station. ¡°Does anyone know what this is?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No one?¡± Yoo Hye-eun raised her hand cautiously. ¡°A containment line¡­¡± ¡°Correct.¡± It¡¯s a defensive line built to prevent monsters from crossing into other areas during a Dungeon Break. ¡°City Hall Station is the headquarters. If we can just get near it, we¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°¡­If the monsters went to Namsan, isn¡¯t it better for us to stay put? If the boss is killed, the Dungeon Break will end¡­¡± One of the civilians asked. It¡¯s a reasonable thought. But I shook my head. ¡°The Minotaur, you see, is a dictator.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need subordinates that don¡¯t follow its orders. That¡¯s why monsters gather when the Minotaurmands and hunt when itmands. The same goes for eating.¡± Right now, a gathering order has been issued. That¡¯s why the monsters are heading to Namsan. ¡°But imagine if the boss is raided. That means the Minotaur is dead, which implies the leader controlling the monsters is gone. What do you think the monsters will do without their leader? Need a hint? They are carnivores and they are starving. The boss monopolized all the food until now.¡± This was something the Hunters trying to capture the Minotaur didn¡¯t foresee. ¡°And the monsters have a keen sense of smell. Right now, they¡¯re just lurking around because they¡¯re wary of the boss¡­¡± I pointed to the window with my chin. ¡°The one who answered earlier¡­ Yoo Hye-eun? Look out the window and tell me how many monsters you see on the road.¡± Yoo Hye-eun hesitated before cautiously looking outside. I heard her gasp sharply. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. About twenty? They¡¯re all looking this way¡­¡± ¡°The number will increase.¡± The stragglers. Or those so hungry that they ignore the boss¡¯s orders. As soon as the Minotaur is killed, those monsters will charge towards people. The room fell silent. ¡°Then tell the Hunters not to kill the boss¡­¡± ¡°You want the Hunters to die?¡± Currently, the Myeong-dong Dungeon is ssified as a B-rank dungeon, but because of the scale of the break and the fact that the Minotaur is the boss, its rank will be reevaluated in a few years. To S-rank. This is all due to the ws of the pdash administrative system. Allowing guilds to autonomously rank dungeons led to this situation. They couldn¡¯t pass up on a prime dungeon located in the heart of Seoul, so they downgraded its rank to B. ¡°No Hunter in the world can afford to go easy on a monster like the Minotaur. Be thankful it¡¯s not here. It¡¯s thanks to the Hunters risking their lives to capture it.¡± I pped my hands lightly to refocus everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°So, let¡¯s move quickly before the Minotaur is captured.¡± Chapter 7 - Going Back (3) Chapter 7: Going Back (3) TL: SHW The buffaloes won¡¯t immediately eat humans. After all, they¡¯re afraid of the Minotaur. But that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll let humans wandering in front of them go. It just means they won¡¯t eat them right away; there¡¯s no harm in stockpiling food, even for monsters. ¡°How about going to the rooftop?¡± Park Seo-hyun lifted her head and suggested. Myeong-dong is an old street. The gaps between buildings aren¡¯t wide. If you¡¯re a Hunter, you can easily jump across, but¡­. ¡°How do you n to take forty people across? It¡¯ll take more time.¡± I shook my head. ¡°What if we run into a boss on the way? The whole building could copse.¡± If I remember correctly, we have just about an hour before the boss is caught. It¡¯s roughly 1 km from here to Seoul City Hall. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t take more than 10 minutes on a straight road. ¡°Then¡­ um¡­¡± I looked sympathetically at Park Seo-hyun, who was struggling toe up with an idea. Compared to the Park Seo-hyun I knew, she seemed like apletely different person. She was so unfamiliar that it was hard to even look at her face. No,e to think of it, this is probably the first time I¡¯ve seen Park Seo-hyun¡¯s bare face¡­. She wasn¡¯t born gloomy, after all. ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± At that moment, the precious grandson of the wealthy family raised his hand high. ¡°It¡¯s the expression our teacher often makes!¡± Lee Seung-yeon pointed at my face. ¡°It¡¯s like you already have the answer, but you find it amusing that we¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Sharp observation¡­. All eyes were on me. I was nning to speak up soon anyway. Since this task required some preparation, we couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time. ¡°Do you remember what I said about those creatures earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± To think Hunters could be so inattentive. Even if theyck experience, this is disappointing. How did Director raise them like this? None of the five answered. ¡°Well¡­.¡± Instead, the grumbling man from before raised his hand cautiously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they have a keen sense of smell?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re more sensitive to mana, but¡­.¡± I tapped my nose. ¡°Their sense of smell itself is keen. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d miss fresh raw meat passing right in front of them. That¡¯s also why they keep gathering around this area.¡± That¡¯s why most people here died at the time. The fact that so many monsters have gathered around here is partly because I proved I was a Hunter by using Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. I didn¡¯tpletely control my strength¡­. It¡¯s impossible not to get noticed when you¡¯re this sensitive. And to be honest, I also lured them on purpose. It¡¯s good to be a life-saving benefactor, but if everything goes too smoothly, people won¡¯t appreciate it. A bit of tension is a good stimnt for life. Whether it¡¯s one cow or ten, what does it matter? I¡¯m going to save everyone anyway. Paying attention to procedures was for government officials. Now there¡¯s no Ability Management Agency¡­ so what. ¡°So if we go out unprepared, we¡¯ll attract all the ones wandering around nearby.¡± ¡°Ah, this is frustrating! Then what do you suggest we do, Hunter?¡± The middle-aged man said, pounding his chest. ¡°You mentioned going to City Hall because you have some idea, right?!¡± He¡¯s pretty impatient. I looked at the kids. Oh Hyun-wook uses his fists, and Park Seo-hyun uses magic. The rest¡­. ¡°What¡¯s your specialty?¡± Oh Hyun-wook and Park Seo-hyun answered as I expected. ¡°I¡¯m also a mage.¡± Choi Jin-woo. A mage. But probably not as good as Park Seo-hyun. ¡°Um, I¡¯m a healer.¡± Yoo Hye-eun. A rare healer. Unfortunately, she¡¯s not useful right now. ¡°I¡¯m a swordsman!¡± Lee Seung-yeon¡­. It doesn¡¯t matter. His role is already decided. I marked the route on the map. It¡¯s the road to City Hall. ¡°We¡¯re going this way.¡± ¡°Hunter¡­.¡± ¡°Listen to the rest of the exnation.¡± I suppressed theints trying to erupt. ¡°They have a keen sense of smell, but they can¡¯t see well. Their other senses aren¡¯t remarkable either. Since they¡¯re starving, they¡¯ll instinctively follow fresh meat passing by. But¡­.¡± Where did I see this theory before? Was it on an overseas Huntermunity? This theory required an experienced Hunter, so it was heavily criticized. Well, it¡¯s hardly even a theory. ¡°But?¡± ¡°Anyway, their main food source is mana. If we release a lot of mana, they¡¯ll head towards it.¡± The Hunter who wrote that post probably never imagined their theory would be used in the Myeong-dong Dungeon incident. ¡°So I¡¯ll be the bait.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°From the front of the building, you know the Currency Museum? I¡¯ll release mana while circling around this point¡­ then I¡¯ll head towards Namsan.¡± I marked the path I would take on the map. ¡°Hunters will be holding the line near City Hall¡­ even if there are a few monsters left, once you reach here¡­ what¡¯s this building?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hotel. The Goryeo Hotel.¡± A guild staff member quickly responded. ¡°If you can make it to this area, the Hunters wille to meet you. So you all go ahead.¡± The kids straightened their shoulders as they were mentioned. ¡°Mages. How¡¯s your shield casting speed?¡± ¡°Three seconds.¡± ¡°Four point two seconds¡­.¡± Three seconds and 4.2 seconds. Park Seo-hyun¡¯s time wouldn¡¯t be outssed even twenty yearster, and Choi Jin-woo¡¯s was excellent for his age. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook leads. Mages deploy shields from both sides. Even if there are remaining monsters, block with the shield first, and you finish them off. Aim between their eyes. Even if you don¡¯t kill them in one hit, they won¡¯t be able to move.¡± Oh Hyun-wook nodded with a determined expression. ¡°Healer, swordsman. You take the rear. Confirm and finish off the ones we¡¯ve knocked down at the front. Ignore them if they don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll get up. I¡¯ll be following behind anyway.¡± I made eye contact with each of them. I wasn¡¯t sure if they fully understood. I clicked my tongue internally and spoke to the civilians. ¡°You follow behind. Run as if your life depends on it.¡± ¡°But¡­ won¡¯t the monsters turn back if they see us all moving at once?¡± ¡°They will.¡± I affirmed. ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the preparation we¡¯re about to do is important.¡± I looked at the two mages. ¡°You two. Do you know how to draw runes?¡± * * * Runes are useless at this point in time. The perception of runes changed 6 yearster, when a kind-hearted French Archmage reveals the mana concealment rune. ¡°You only need to draw them on your foreheads. Since you¡¯re not Hunters, you don¡¯t have mana¡­.¡± I asked the civilians. ¡°If anyone here has ever Awakened, speak up quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No one responded. ¡°Tsk. Mages. You drew that part wrong.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± ¡°Does this really conceal mana?¡± Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo were groaning as they drew the runes, clearly doubtful of my words. Considering the status of runes at this time, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I pretended not to notice their skepticism. I wasn¡¯t nning to exin properly, nor could I. ¡°Since it¡¯s drawn on your foreheads, if it¡¯s mana connected to you. Casting will be concealed, but the magic you cast won¡¯t be.¡± I had considered drawing the runes myself, but exining the mana pen was bothersome. While I could exin runes as being known by some mages, the mana pen¡¯s existence would immediately be apparent if disassembled. It would be very difficult to exin. Besides¡­ it¡¯s easier to clean up if the kids make mistakes rather than if I do, isn¡¯t it? I shrugged as I watched Park Seo-hyun draw a rune on Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s forehead. This might give him a bit of trauma, but Hunters grow strong through tough experiences. Finally, Choi Jin-woo drew a rune on my forehead as well. ¡°You know how to activate the runes, right?¡± I touched Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s forehead with my fingers. It¡¯s easy to ruin a rune. ¡°Touch the rune with a hand filled with mana. Activate it as soon as I go out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll circle around and pass by here again. Start moving once I pass. I¡¯ll join you after I lure them away.¡± There were still about twenty minutes left before the boss appeared. Though we struggled with drawing the runes, there was enough time. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I grabbed Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword, opened the window, and jumped out. At most, it was a three-story height. Inded softly without a sound. ¡°Grr.¡± ¡°I should wear a red cape or something to set the mood.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and started moving. * * * ¡°That man¡­ who is he?¡± ¡°You¡¯re curious about that now?¡± Oh Hyun-wook looked incredulously at Park Seo-hyun, who was biting her lip. ¡°N-no¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun lowered her hand from her forehead. Despite her worries about the rune¡¯s effectiveness, she couldn¡¯t sense any mana from her friends. But that didn¡¯t ease her mind. Lowering her voice, Park Seo-hyun spoke in a worried tone. ¡°Hyun-wook. What if that guy doesn¡¯te back?¡± Oh Hyun-wook, who was also lightly stretching after activating his rune, hesitated. It was something he had secretly been worried about. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve never heard of a rune that can hide mana.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see him?! The principal said not to approach a Hunter holding a weapon!¡± Well¡­ that¡¯s true. It¡¯s hard to argue with someone casually carrying a sword without a sheath. ¡°He knew about the dungeon boss. He might be one of the Hunters who came to raid the boss.¡± Choi Jin-woo, who had been listening quietly, interjected. His words brightened Park Seo-hyun¡¯s face. ¡°Oh! Right. That makes sense. He knew about it in detail.¡± ¡°He might have gotten separated while driving the boss towards Namsan.¡± ¡°If he passed out there, doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s not a great Hunter?¡± ¡°He said it¡¯s a Minotaur. Minotaurs are S-ss. It could be even stronger as a dungeon boss.¡± Lee Seung-yeon and Yoo Hye-eun joined the conversation. ¡°Anyway, we have no choice but to trust him for now. Whether hees back or not, it¡¯s true that he lured the monsters away from the building.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°His words made sense. It¡¯s probably true that we can reach City Hall. He has no reason to deceive us.¡± Oh Hyun-wook, hiding his anxiety, tried to reassure his friends. ¡°Everyone, stay focused. Got it?¡± ¡°Ahem. Excuse me, students.¡± The civilians, who were also preparing to go down to the road, hesitantly approached the kids. Oh Hyun-wook took a deep breath. The teacher said that Hunters must always maintain theirposure. ¡°Yes. Are you all ready?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ yes. We¡¯ll try our best to run, ahem. So, take care of us. And don¡¯t push yourselves too hard, students.¡± ¡°If we want to survive, we have to try hard.¡± ¡°He¡¯sing!¡± ¡°Everyone, get ready! There¡¯s no specific signal, so follow us as soon as we start moving!¡± Oh Hyun-wook, along with Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo, headed towards the building¡¯s front entrance. From afar, the hunter recognized the three and waved his hand. ¡°¡­I forgot to ask his name.¡± ¡°Ask him when we get to City Hall.¡± Oh Hyun-wook bit his lip anxiously. There were at least a hundred monsters. If that many had separated from the main group, how many were there originally? Were there any other survivors in Myeong-dong besides them? The man at the front increased his speed with aposed expression. He reached the intersection where the people were in an instant, then spun around, dragging the tip of his sword along the ground. Blue mes danced on the asphalt. The heat was palpable, but the asphalt didn¡¯t melt. It was impossible to understand how he did it. The mes created a barrier between the people and the horde of monsters. The man swung his sword again. The mes followed the direction of his gesture, heading towards Namsan. The mes ascended along the road. The man activated his rune and pointed towards City Hall. Oh Hyun-wook bent his body and ran forward. Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo followed him, and behind them, forty civilians ran as well. Despite the ruined road making it difficult to run, they gritted their teeth and sprinted. At the back were Yoo Hye-eun and Lee Seung-yeon. The man checked if the monsters were following the mes. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Seung-yeon?¡± Lee Seung-yeon hesitated. ¡°Grrr.¡± One of the monsters, which had been following the mes, snorted as it noticed Lee Seung-yeon. For a moment, Lee Seung-yeon froze. The monster¡¯s intimidating presence overwhelmed him. Yoo Hye-eun called out to her friend in panic. However, the monster, maintaining its momentum, charged at the small student, Swish. ¡°Run!¡± ¡°Ah, mister?¡± The man stabbed the monster in the neck. The monster was engulfed in blue mes. The man vigorously rubbed his forehead. The rune was erased. ¡°I said run!¡± ¡°Mister!¡± The man grabbed the nape of Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s neck and threw him. Reflexively, Lee Seung-yeonnded safely and looked up at the man. The sword was zing intensely. The man was intentionally pouring out his mana. Just before being overwhelmed by the horde of monsters, the man looked directly at Lee Seung-yeon and said, ¡°Run.¡± Chapter 8 - Broken Nose (1) Chapter 8: Broken Nose (1) TL: SHW They say life is a series of unexpected situations. Some people say that makes life interesting, while others say it makes life a headache. The Director was the former, and I was closer to thetter. Look. Just a few hours ago, I was enjoying my vacation, and now I¡¯m time traveling to the past to change it, like the protagonist of an old sci-fi movie. There¡¯s no way this crap could be fun. ¡°Grr.¡± ¡°Where the hell do these bastards keeping from?¡± I scratched my head and looked down. The streets were swarming with monsters. There were more left than I thought, and their numbers were gradually increasing. ¡°Well, the Hunters here will take care of those¡­.¡± If I had gone back to my childhood, it would at least be easier to understand. Time travel. Does that mean the ten-year-old Woo Hwijae really exists here? If there is a ten-year-old Woo Hwijae, that would be troublesome. There was a time travel movie where someone changed the past and erased their own existence¡­. After pondering for a moment, I shook my head. Whatever. Changing past events didn¡¯t matter to me as long as I saved those High school kids. How many people were supposed to die there? Seeing that I¡¯m still fine, it didn¡¯t seem like changing a few things would make me disappear. And that suspicious item that sent me here also said this world was destined for destruction. I can¡¯t trust everything that item says¡­ but if the world is doomed anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter what I do. And if I get lucky, maybe it won¡¯t end. ¡®Make it out alive.¡¯ Yoo Ji-eun¡¯sst words lingered. That was just a few hours ago. ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Come to think of it, the item came out after the centipede died. If that centipede was the boss of the Bangi-dong Dungeon¡­. When did the Bangi-dong Dungeon appear again? I tapped on the Mana Watch. The battery is my mana anyway. While themunication function doesn¡¯t work, everything else functions properly. Since the only users are Director and me, there was no need to restrict the data on the Mana Watch. Thus, this small watch contains all the information about Hunters and Dungeons in South Korea. Information is power. Especially in South Korea. I quickly scanned the holographic screen. April 6, 2021, Bangi-dong Dungeon appears in Songpa District, Seoul. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± A chuckle escaped me. There was indeed a reason for this particr day. * * * So what should I do now? I sat on the rooftop of a building, organizing my thoughts. The top priority is, of course, the Bangi-dong Dungeon. But sneaking into a Dungeon embedded in the center of Songpa District is impossible. To enter a Dungeon, you need solid identification and the endorsement of a reliable Hunter. As I said earlier, that¡¯s impossible for me right now. Even if I saved their beloved youngest grandchild, Daeyeon wouldn¡¯t grant permission to an unknown Hunter¡­. It¡¯s hard not to curse. Damn, ¡°Shit!!!!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I was startled, thinking I had inadvertently cursed aloud, but it wasn¡¯t my voice. ¡°Why are these cow bastards suddenly acting up!!!¡± A string of coarse curses followed. I squinted and looked in the direction the sound came from. Boom!!! ¡°Guaaa!!¡± With a loud explosion, the herd of buffalo was swept away. ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t that guy the one who called them? He did it earlier too!¡± ¡°Annoying even with a bull head!!!¡± I looked to see who was conversing so nonchntly and saw Huntersing down from the direction of Namsan. About ten Hunters were swinging their weapons at the horde of monsters and quickly dodging. Behind them, a Minotaur was chasing. ¡°Grrraaah!¡± ¡°Shut up, you dog bastard!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cow, not a dog.¡± ¡°¡­You cow bastard!¡± For a conversation among Hunters representing South Korea, itcks weight. The situation isn¡¯t entirely rxed. If it were, they wouldn¡¯t have been pushed down here by the Minotaur. But I¡¯m not worried. I already know the oue of this event. The Minotaur will be subdued and the Myeong-dong Dungeon will be closed. The number of casualties is enormous, but somehow they recover. During this process, the guild responsible for the Myeong-dong Dungeon is investigated, and eventually, the guild leader and key guild members are arrested. After this, Dungeons are no longer managed autonomously by guilds but by the state. That¡¯s more rted to the Director than me. Now¡­ that man vigorously swinging his spear up ahead. ¡°When will this end?¡± ¡°Hong ssi, stop grumbling and swing that spear one more time.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m already swinging it like crazy?¡± ¡°There are more with heads attached than detached. Hong ssi, you¡¯re getting old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still in my prime!!¡± With each swing of the spear, a blue wind swirled. The fierce de of mana shredded the monsters, finally reaching the Minotaur¡¯s legs. ¡°Graaah!!!¡± The Minotaur¡¯s calves were already a mess from multiple hits. Blood dripped to the point that white bones were exposed. For a bipedal giant monster, targeting the legs is the strategy. Enraged, the Minotaur snorted and swung its club. It didn¡¯t seem to care that its minions were being swept away. The ck Buffalos, frightened by the Minotaur¡¯s fury, began to scatter. The narrow street became chaotic as they crashed into and trampled each other. This is a prime viewing spot. The Hunters gathered here, despite being hastily assembled, are all highly renowned. Not many of them will be alive twenty years from now, but it¡¯s no exaggeration to say they all led the modern history of Hunters in South Korea. When else would I get to see the peak-time battles of such people up close? It¡¯d be great if I had a camera. It¡¯d be perfect to show this to newbie Hunters during mandatory education¡­. ¡°Alright! One more time!¡± Vines sprouted from the ground. The green leaves amidst the half-destroyed street somehow felt romantic. Of course, separately from that, the vines quickly climbed up the Minotaur¡¯s legs. Compared to the Minotaur¡¯s massive body, the vines seemed fragile, but the creature couldn¡¯t move once caught by them. ¡°Oh.¡± It¡¯s the unique magic of the Archmage Kim Chae-min. I never thought I¡¯d see this with my own eyes. After Kim Chae-min¡¯s death, this magic waspletely lost. How did Kim Chae-min die again? Saving not just the Hunter High school kids but also a big figure like Kim Chae-min could be helpfulter on, if not detrimental. Let¡¯s think about it. For twenty years, the Bangi-dong Dungeon¡¯s danger level hasn¡¯t changed. Such a stable Dungeon had that kind of monster hiding in it, and a few S-rank Hunters wouldn¡¯t be enough. Besides, wasn¡¯t there more than just that centipede in Seoul? So, if I save people destined to die like the Hunter High school kids, things might change. First, close the Bangi-dong Dungeon, then find the Dungeon hiding the one who set fire to Seoul¡­. That¡¯s a good n. No, it¡¯s not just a good n; it¡¯s the only way. Saving lives in the process and umting debts of gratitude could ensure afortable retirement too¡­. ¡°Got it! It¡¯s in!¡± The Director¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Finally, the Minotaur¡¯s leg was cut off. Thanks to Kim Chae-min¡¯s vines, the Minotaur didn¡¯t fall immediately, but it had no means to rece its severed leg. Two legs are essential to support that massive upper body. Once it loses its bnce and falls, the rest is rtively simple. ¡°Finish it!¡± A sharp voice shouted from the rear. Without any shy effects, the vines disappeared in an instant. The Minotaur iled its arms to regain its bnce. Utility poles toppled, and several buildings were damaged. I hope no one was inside. ¡°Graaah!!!!¡± Still, a boss is a boss. The Minotaur didn¡¯t go down easily. Clinging to one building for support, the Minotaur swung its arms at the advancing Hunters. ¡­The distance is getting too close. Maybe it¡¯s time for me to head to City Hall. ¡°Hong ssi, cut off the other leg too!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The Director deftly dodged the Minotaur¡¯s arm and got right up close to it. Rather than chipping away at it from a distance with mana des, it seemed he nned to end it in one explosive strike. The other Hunters were providing cover for him. Kim Chae-min summoned vines again. This time, they wrapped around the arm swinging the club, intending to unbnce the Minotaur. One Hunter grabbed the vines. nting his feet firmly on the road, his muscles bulged. He wasn¡¯t aiming for anything grand. Just making the Minotaur stagger a bit would be enough. The Director struck the remaining leg. He couldn¡¯t cut it off entirely, but he inflicted a deep wound. The Minotaur screamed in pain, and the Hunter holding the vines pulled hard. The Minotaur lost its grip on the building. Its massive body began to tilt forward, and instinctively, it reached out its hands. That means¡­ ¡°¡­Shit!¡± ¡­towards the rooftop where I was. * * * ¡®This is supposed to be a B-rank dungeon?¡¯ Hong Seok-young ground his teeth as he faced the Minotaur emerging from the Dungeon. This is why allowing self-reporting was a bad idea. What were they thinking, entrusting dungeon ranking to the guilds? Despite pushing for an inspection system, the guild union¡¯s opposition dyed it, and now this mess has urred. The reasons for their opposition were obvious, just as the reasons for falsifying Dungeon grades were. In the end, they onlye to their senses after damage has urred. ¡°Shall we go?!¡± Kim Chae-min shouted from behind. The Hunter who earned the Archmage title before turning thirty was showcasing her talents generously. Thin vines tightly bound the house-sized monster. Indeed, a desirable talent. There are already two children with great magical talent in the school. In other fields, it might be manageable, but teaching magic is challenging. If a Hunter like her could give a few lessons¡­. Suddenly, the children¡¯s faces came to hid mind. By now, they must have evacuated safely. ¡°Grrr!!¡± ¡°Hong ssi, cut the remaining leg!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± This isn¡¯t the time for distraction. Hong Seok-young regained his focus and gripped his spear tightly. Right now, the priority is capturing that monster. Mana gathered at the spear¡¯s tip. One leg had already been cut off. Once it falls, the rest will be easier. Whilepletely severing the leg as imed is impossible, the goal is to strike the remaining leg and make it fall. That¡¯s sufficient. Without any lengthy preparation, Hong Seok-young swung his spear. The massive body wobbled. Desperately iling its arms, it couldn¡¯t regain its bnce. Its arms noisily swept nearby buildings before it eventually fell forward. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Hong Seok-young paused his next attack. He saw a person on the rooftop the Minotaur had reached for. A man in a wrinkled, dust-covered suit. How did he get so close without me noticing any presence? Hong Seok-young squinted his eyes. He was definitely holding a sword. It was such a brief moment, but he couldn¡¯t miss it. And the man on the rooftop wasn¡¯t just looking at Hong Seok-young. ¡°A person?¡± ¡°Is it a civilian?¡± ¡°No, he was holding something!¡± At that moment, blue mes cascaded down the Minotaur¡¯s back, slicing through the monsters filling the street. The monsters touched by the fire were instantly engulfed in mes. ¡°Ah¡­ good work everyone¡­¡± Anguid voice, sounding either awkward or disinterested, echoed from the Minotaur¡¯s back. ¡°You seem busy, so don¡¯t mind me and carry on with what you were doing.¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Hong Seok-young couldn¡¯t hold back and asked. ¡°Me?¡± The man in the wrinkled suit scratched his head as he pulled the sword from the Minotaur¡¯s back. Blue sparks swirled around the sword. ¡°Just a passerby.¡± Chapter 9 - Broken Nose (2) Chapter 9: Broken Nose (2) TL: SHW There are a few things I¡¯ve learned while working in society, especially as a public servant at the Ability Management Agency. The most important one, in my opinion, is this: Don¡¯t stand out. People shouldn¡¯t notice you. Make sure your titlees before your name in people¡¯s minds. It wasn¡¯t difficult. Luckily, I had someone more noticeable than anyone else by my side. That person is none other than the greatest Hunter in Korea, to whom every Korean owes at least one life. If I introduce myself as Woo Hwijae, an chief in the Dungeon Raid Comprehensive Situation Room at the Ability Management Agency, it seems like I¡¯d be dragged into hearings every day. But if I say I¡¯m the assistant to Hong Seok-young, the Director at the Ability Management Agency, it doesn¡¯t leave much of an impression. Most people are too focused on the director¡¯s name to pay attention to a low-level public servant like me. ¡°¡­Who did you say you are?¡± This concept applies even during dungeon raids or dungeon breaks, although with slightly different meanings. Even if you work hard and make a name for yourself, it only increases your responsibilities. Just look at Yoo Ji-eun. Seeing that fiery woman, now a team leader, sitting at her desk writing reports, I feel sorry for her. It¡¯s all because she stood out unnecessarily. Of course, I¡¯m not part of the raid team and won¡¯t be sent to a dungeon, but whenever I give lectures during the Awakener¡¯s mandatory safety training sessions, there¡¯s always someone who stands out. Those who think they are something special and recklessly act without skills. If they actually have skills, it¡¯s fine. Having more capable people to deploy isn¡¯t a bad thing. But usually, the loud onesck both skills and responsibility. They boast loudly but are the first to run or die when things get tough. If they only died, it wouldn¡¯t matter. But these types usually don¡¯t die alone. The usual victims are kind-hearted veteran Hunters who can¡¯t bear to see these idiots die. Kim Chae-min died that way. ¡°Just a passerby.¡± So, undeniably, this is my mistake. It¡¯s like I asked to be noticed. Being less than 1 km away from fighting arge monster like a Minotaur is as good as being nowhere. I should have kept my distance much earlier. ¡°A passerby, you say?¡± It¡¯s a suspicious statement, and I know it well. If I had just kept my mouth shut and gone to the City Hall, I wouldn¡¯t have run into this situation. Especially not with the person I least wanted to see right now. ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± ¡°Grooooar!!!!¡± The fallen Minotaur iled its arms at the perfect timing. It couldn¡¯t get up with one leg missing, but its sheer size still made its movements threatening. I quickly moved to hide behind the hunter holding the spear. Hmm. This is survival instinct, nothing more. ¡°¡­Just wait. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°I was just passing by, can¡¯t I continue passing by? I won¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Cut the crap.¡± The Hunter lowered his spear slightly and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Director, no. There¡¯s no Agency right now. Even twenty years ago, Hong Seok-young, my adoptive father, known as the strongest Hunter in Korea, charged straight at the Minotaur Even if he is the greatest Hunter in Korea, he¡¯s only one person. If I wanted to escape while he¡¯s upied with the Minotaur, I could. But other Hunters began gathering around me, one by one. Each one of them was a legendary Hunter. ¡°¡­Hello.¡± I forced an awkward smile. Trying to run now would only make me a wanted criminal. I have no choice but to ept my fate and leave it to the will of heaven. I did a good deed earlier, so heaven should be on my side. ¡­Hopefully. * * * ¡°So, what¡¯s your name again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not make this difficult. Stubbornly holding out won¡¯t do you any good.¡± The investigator said, twirling his pen with a disinterested look on his face. Under the gloomy lighting and gray walls. The investigator, who had been sarcastically lounging, scoffed. A suspect¡­ no, an awakened person shifting ufortably. It¡¯s unfair to call me a suspect. I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. Anyway, this is a typical scene in the Awakener Crime Investigation Room. Except for the fact that the person being interrogated is me, it¡¯s a familiar sight. It¡¯s disheartening that even after twenty years, things haven¡¯t changed. Seriously, they should increase the budget. ¡­Wasn¡¯t it me who cut the budget? Let¡¯s think positively. It¡¯s a miracle it hasn¡¯t gotten worse. Considering the crude Awakenerws of this era, this is pretty decent. ¡°What¡¯s your resident registration number?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Awakener license number?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I checked the handcuffs on my wrist. These handcuffs, designed for Awakeners, aim to block mana. With such a crude design, escaping wouldn¡¯t be difficult, but¡­. Even if I escaped, there¡¯s nothing I could do. I¡¯d be lucky not to be a wanted criminal. They are very strict in these aspects. If I were to be caught, it should have been when there were other witnesses around. If it had been in front of the kids from the model high school, those innocent children would have eagerly testified for me. Then, finding a loophole would have been much easier. ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding, you know? Awakened people get harsher punishments for that.¡± Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword had already been confiscated. The same goes for other belongings. As long as the Mana Watch isn¡¯t activated, it just looks like an ugly watch and doesn¡¯t raise suspicion. I managed to hide my wallet, which contains my ID card, just barely. The Director¡¯s dog tag as well. I didn¡¯t want toplicate things by adding the headache of beingbeled a time traveler when I was already being treated as an illegal Awakener. ¡°Your fingerprints aren¡¯t registered either¡­ Are you Chinese?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quick to answer that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then where are you from?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t want to answer that? Then just answer this. Why were you in Myeong-dong? Why were you watching the Hunters?¡± Why indeed. I had ended up in the past by chance and was fascinated by the sight of the dead walking around energetically. ¡°If you continue to be uncooperative, we have no choice but to¡­¡± m. At that moment, the door to the interrogation room opened. A familiar face walked in. ¡°Hunter Hong!¡± The investigator, who had begun to raise his voice, stood up abruptly. He looked rxed and out of ce in the rigid atmosphere of the interrogation room. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re working hard. I¡¯ll take over this guy. I have something to check.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I frowned. It wasn¡¯t unusual for the Director to appear. He often helped with public duties despite being a high-ranking Hunter. He was also very interested in investigating Awakener crimes. Burning down theb where I was part of those efforts. But it was strange for him to intervene like this. The investigator, familiar with the Director, stepped aside and left the room. ¡°I turned off the camera as I came in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So you can talk freely.¡± I wasn¡¯t naive enough to take the word ¡°freely¡± at face value. The Director saw my look and chuckled. He looked like a nice person, but¡­ well. ¡°Shall we start with your name? I¡¯m Hong Seok-young.¡± The Director extended his hand to me. It was the rough hand of a veteran Hunter. One year after theb was destroyed, the Director had visited the orphanage and introduced himself just like this. I looked at the Hunter in front of me. His hair was still jet-ck. There wasn¡¯t a single gray hair. Even Hunters who age slowly can¡¯t avoid gray hair. Seeing his ck hair and a face with fewer wrinkles than I remembered, I realized anew that this was indeed twenty years in the past. He awkwardly retracted his hand when I didn¡¯t take it, scratching the back of his neck. It was exactly like the Director I knew. Would this Director also save young Woo Hwijae a year from now? And adopt young Woo Hwijae two yearster? ¡°¡­Woo Hwijae.¡± I didn¡¯t take his hand, but I did state my name. ¡°Woo Hwijae? Is that your real name?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see. Woo Hwijae.¡± The Director tapped his fingers on the table. Though he is younger, no one in this world knows that man as well as I do. I saved his disciples, so he won¡¯t ignore me. If I can get through this situation safely. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± The Director took out a small piece of paper, the size of a business card, from his pocket. There were scorch marks on the edges. Even so, I had no trouble recognizing the drawing on the paper. An upside-down ship over a cluster of ck stars. There were no sails. Instead, a rusted sword took the ce where the mast should have been. I knew it. Of course, I knew it. The picture had been drawn all over the walls of theboratory. ¡°As I thought.¡± The Director grinned. I pressed my fingers to my eyes. The forgotten fatigue was catching up with me. I shouldn¡¯t reveal my hand like this. I don¡¯t even know my opponent¡¯s objective, and I can¡¯t even hide my cards¡­ ¡°I turned off the camera, remember? You don¡¯t need to be so tense. There¡¯s no one in Korea capable of eavesdropping without my noticing.¡± Sure, that might be true. ¡°Let¡¯s talkfortably. I¡¯ve been very worried about you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Why? Worried about me? Do you know me? We¡¯re supposed to meet next year, though? ¡°If things had gone ording to n, we¡¯d be meeting in much better circumstances¡­. The Myeong-dong Dungeon has caused quite a mess.¡± I blinked. It was hard to keep up with the Director, who was acting strangely familiar. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m d you made it out safely.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Oh, I said it¡¯s alright.¡± No. I really don¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯m the teacher Kim-gun mentioned.¡± Kim-gun? ¡°Because of what happened to Kim, we lost contact with you, and I was worried. We were supposed to help you escape.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°As I heard, blue mana, mes, and a sword. I know you¡¯re cautious, but don¡¯t worry.¡± I looked at the drawing on the paper again. I had no regrets about theb. The experiments weren¡¯t anything significant. It was just taking some medication on time. The researchers yelled a lot, but if you stayed quiet, there were people who treated you well. The kids who were kidnapped from outside cried loudly, wanting to see their moms, but I wasn¡¯t like that. By the time I was old enough to hold grudges, theb and the organization had already been taken down. The Director never told me how he had dismantled the organization. After I joined the Agency, I could have looked it up myself, but I didn¡¯t feel the need. Digging up the past wouldn¡¯t be any fun. However, once, when he was drunk, the Director had mentioned Kim along with the names of his dead students from the high school. ¡®If only Kim had survived, I could have saved you and the other kids earlier.¡¯ ¡®Kim-gun?¡¯ ¡®He was the one who infiltrated there¡­. We were excited because we had someone on the inside. But when Kim suddenly died, we lost contact with our insider and were left in the dark. That¡¯s why it took longer.¡¯ I knew everything I needed to know. ¡°You want to catch those bastards, right? I feel the same.¡± I lifted my head. Lucky me. The timing was perfect. It exined why I had no identification, and from what he was saying, it seemed like the Director would vouch for my identity. I don¡¯t know what the actual insider connected with Kim is doing now, but considering I haven¡¯t heard anything since, there¡¯s a high chance they died along with Kim. After all, Ie from that ce too, so I am an insider, right? It¡¯s not a lie. If I check the information in my Mana Watch, I¡¯ll find relevant details, so it¡¯s not a problem. ¡°Due to the Myeong-dong Dungeon incident, we¡¯ll be busy cleaning up for a while. It¡¯s actually better this way. Even if a Hunter suddenly appears, no one will pay attention.¡± The Director tucked the paper back into his pocket. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared an identity for you in advance. We only knew yourst name was Woo, so we gave you a temporary name¡­ Is Woo Hwijae alright?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯ll be under me for the time being.¡± ¡°Am I under surveince?¡± ¡°You can think of it that way if you want. Regardless, I can¡¯t just let you roam free. You understand, right?¡± The Director scratched his head and then extended his hand to me again. ¡°Anyway, I look forward to working with you.¡± After a brief hesitation, this time, I took his hand. The Director¡­ no, he¡¯s not the Director yet, nor is he my adoptive father. Hunter Hong Seok-young grasped my hand firmly and shook it. Chapter 10 - Hunter Training Pilot High School (1) Chapter 10: Hunter Training Pilot High School (1) TL: SHW As life has its ups and downs, what seems like fortune can turn into misfortune, and misfortune into fortune. That¡¯s exactly how it is now. To be honest, getting caught by Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t entirely bad. Even though it was a misunderstanding, the most troublesome issue of my identity was resolved. With Hong Seok-young¡¯s guarantee, I would be able to enter the Bangi-dong Dungeon that should have appeared by now. But ording to what I know about Hong Seok-young, it was still too early to let my guard down. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°We just saw each other yesterday.¡± ¡°Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today.¡± Even though I reluctantly shook hands, I wasn¡¯t immediately released. Instead, I was still being held in the Awakener Crime Investigation Office. With an apologetic face, Hong Seok-young asked me to stay here until the situation was sorted out. There was no further detailed exnation. I didn¡¯t expect to be released right away anyway¡­. If that were the case, Hong Seok-young wouldn¡¯t be monitoring me either. At least it wasn¡¯t a prison. Today, it seemed I might be able to get out, seeing that he didn¡¯te empty-handed. Hong Seok-young ced a file that looked like documents on the table and, just like the first day, pulled a chair to sit opposite me. Though there were no dim lights or handcuffs in the interrogation room, the Mana Control Device on my ankle and restricted movement¡­. Wait. Except for not wearing prison clothes, I¡¯ve been treated like a prisoner all this time, haven¡¯t I? ¡°Why is your expression so stiff?¡± ¡°This is my usual expression.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue. ¡°Young man, try to smile a bit. Don¡¯t be so sullen. You managed to escape the organization and gain your freedom. Didn¡¯t you say you had many things you wanted to do?¡± What a sly old man. He¡¯s been repeating this for a week. That was just a probing remark. I¡¯ve been dealing with this guy¡¯s antics for twenty years. It¡¯s not something to boast about, but it has its uses in not easily falling for his tricks. Though he ims to be an insider who hasn¡¯t even properly heard my name, he must have some information through Kim. They also want to confirm if I really am that insider. ¡°The one who has a lot of things to do isn¡¯t me¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stiff. Just call me teacher.¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± Hong Seok-young shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why, do you remember the kids you saved in Myeong-dong?¡± ¡°The kids?¡± ¡°The five wearing school uniforms.¡± Of course, I remember. I went through the trouble of saving them. ¡°They are my students.¡± Hong Seok-young nodded. It¡¯s not like I just found out about the kids. He must be bringing it up now because I passed the test after a week. ¡°Oh, right. I need to tell you this. They said you herded the cows? Thanks to that, the damage was minimized.¡± What is he talking about now? ¡°When we took down the Minotaur, the other creatures started rampaging, right? It was probably because their leader was killed, messing up theirmand structure. But thanks to you driving them towards us, we could handle them easily. If not, the damage would have been twice as bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was wondering where all those cows came from all of a sudden, but it turned out well. The kids are safe too. Thanks.¡± So¡­ that¡¯s how it turned out? That¡¯s right. I had foreseen this oue. There¡¯s no way I would have driven the monsters without any thought. I knew it would turn out like this. It was never without a n. ¡°Well¡­ ahem.¡± I pulled myself together. I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down just because I was being praised. ¡°What does calling you teacher have to do with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking.¡± I frowned. Whenever this guy starts thinking, the oue is never good. ¡°What happens between us is between us, but this is another matter, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­You mean driving the monsters?¡± ¡°Saving my students.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s expression became serious. My mouth suddenly felt dry for no reason. ¡°I know my students¡¯ abilities well. It would have been difficult even if it were just them, but with civilians too?¡± Hong Seok-young spoke firmly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, they would all be dead.¡± They wouldn¡¯t all have died, but¡­ close enough. I didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°I felt I should repay you somehow.¡± Again, whenever this guy starts thinking, the results are never good. ¡°My students are making a fuss asking me to find you. So, here¡¯s the thing.¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking.¡± Once again, when this guy starts thinking¡­. Why does he have to think so much? Whether he knew my thoughts or not, Hong Seok-young handed me the file he was holding. I stared nkly, wondering what it was, and he pulled out a piece of paper from the file. ¡°You have to stay under me for a while anyway¡­. It would be boring to follow me around doing nothing.¡± No. That would be perfect. ¡°Besides, I usually like to work alone. People might find it odd if I bring someone along.¡± It¡¯s true that Hong Seok-young started gathering people not at the pilot high school, but when he started running the Hunter Academy. He¡¯s not the type to have an assistant, so it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say it might draw unwanted attention. Given my status as a defector from a criminal organization, I shouldn¡¯t attract such attention¡­. ¡°So, a pilot high school? Are you telling me to enroll in that school?¡± ¡°What? Haha, no. Quite the opposite.¡± Hong Seok-young handed me the paper he was holding. Wondering why he had to start such a long-winded conversation, I looked at the paper. A simple phrase was written at the top. Employment Contract. ¡­Employment Contract? ¡°Following me into dungeons would draw attention. But if you work at the school, it¡¯s a different story.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me¡­.¡± ¡°Teach the kids.¡± Hong Seok-young spoke decisively, as if he wouldn¡¯t hear any objections. He already looked determined. If I were really the insider who had escaped the organization, I¡¯d be annoyed. I¡¯d be angry about having to leisurely teach kids instead of taking down the enemies immediately. Moreover, as an insider, I wouldn¡¯t be in a position to refuse properly. But from my standpoint, it wasn¡¯t about the insider¡¯s situation. It was about Woo Hwijae, who had returned to the past twenty years ago. Teaching kids? Of course, it¡¯s bothersome. But work is always bothersome and unwanted. One must consider what can be gained. ¡°You want me to¡­ teach the kids.¡± I had thought about it when looking at Kim Chae-min. Saving hunters who died absurdly might be helpful in the future. If I could just keep them alive until twenty yearster, they could at least swing their swords one more time. But nurturing them from the beginning also seems like a good idea. Especially considering my retirement. The bond between a master and disciple can be very binding, as evidenced by the Director. Even Yoo Ji-eun, who would have been more sessful working solo, joined the Ability Management Agency because of the Director. Not just Yoo Ji-eun, most of the hunters in the Agency were like that. Graduates of the Hunter Academy who called the Director their teacher. I¡¯m not sure about the other students from the first batch of the pilot high school. But if I can coax Oh Hyun-wook, Park Seo-hyun, and the youngest of the chaebol family to my side, that would be enough. Those three would ensure myfortable retirement after saving the world. Good. Very good. ¡°I¡¯m not someone qualified to teach others.¡± But revealing my true intentions would be a foolish move. I yed hard to get. As a Korean, it¡¯s customary to refuse at least three times. ¡°No. Just by looking, I can tell you¡¯re suited for teaching.¡± ¡°Do you read faces too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Hunter¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing less reliable than a Hunter¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hong Seok-young smirked. ¡°You know you¡¯ll end up doing it anyway, right?¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯d still like to leave a record that I refused.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± I guess there¡¯s no need to refuse three times. However, there¡¯s one thing that needs to be addressed. I shook my ankle, the one with the Mana Control Device. ¡°But what can I teach the kids when I can¡¯t even use mana? If it¡¯s just physical skills, you¡­.¡± ¡°I told you to call me teacher.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher would be better at teaching that.¡± Hong Seok-young nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. But being a Hunter isn¡¯t just about physical skills.¡± If I were the Chief Secretary Woo Hwijae, I¡¯d be teaching dungeon raiding strategies. It¡¯s not much different from what I used to do. To support a dungeon raid team, you need to understand how dungeon raiding works. But the information known by an illegal Awakener who just escaped a criminal organization isn¡¯t exactly relevant. Hong Seok-young tapped the table with his fingers. It made me feel unnecessarily anxious. ¡°You mentioned the Mana Concealment Rune?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°The rune you taught the kids. Did you make that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This is why you shouldn¡¯t stand out. One must stay inconspicuous. Even if you know something, pretend you don¡¯t and keep quiet. This is the price of forgetting that truth. ¡°Are you telling me to teach runes?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you didn¡¯t make it. As long as you know about such runes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Teaching kids physical skills is easy. Teaching them how to fight is even easier. But magic is a different matter.¡± Hong Seok-young twisted his lips. ¡°Magic is usually passed down through apprenticeship. It¡¯s even more so for unique magic.¡± That¡¯s one reason established mages opposed the founding of the pilot high school. They were concerned that teaching magic in a school setting would devalue their worth. ¡°I tried inviting a few known mages to give lessons, but it was just scratching the surface.¡± ¡°Runes aren¡¯t magic.¡± ¡°But they can be the kids¡¯ secret weapons.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± While the Mana Concealment Rune has be almost essential for Hunters, but there are many other runes as well. Even if they aren¡¯t as indispensable as the Mana Concealment Rune, many are quite useful. The runes I know will be developed and released in a few years anyway. Some will have royalties attached, generating tens of billions annually. ¡­Should I patent them since no one knows about them now? Would that be too shameless? Even without patents, it¡¯s good to disclose the runes early so that many Hunters can use them. There are many valuable talents besides Kim Chae-min who shouldn¡¯t die. Since I can¡¯t go and save each one, if releasing the runes can save lives¡­. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°Really?¡± For someone who grinned saying I had no choice, he seems too surprised. I frowned as I looked at Hong Seok-young. He scratched his cheek awkwardly andughed. In the end, I sighed. Alright. I¡¯m the one who went through the trouble to save the kids even in the urgent situation of escaping from the organization. I have a soft heart that would save young students I met by chance. Let¡¯s go with that setting. Then, it¡¯s only natural to be concerned about the kids I saved. ¡°They¡¯re just kids.¡± ¡°They are kids.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hong Seok-young stared at my face for a moment before pping his hands. ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s decided¡­ let¡¯s start by signing here.¡± Hong Seok-young shifted his gaze to the employment contract he had handed me earlier. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll pay you. As for your resident registration and bank ount¡­ I¡¯ve taken care of it. I¡¯ll give them to youter.¡± I quickly skimmed through the employment contract. ¡­What¡¯s with these numbers? ¡°Although it¡¯s a school, it¡¯s funded by my own money, so you¡¯ll be registered as a member of my guild. Since it¡¯s not a dungeon raid, there are no additional incentives¡­ Your sry is based on the minimum wage.¡± The minimum wage from twenty years ago¡­. ¡°For the first three months, you¡¯ll only receive 90% as it¡¯s a probationary period.¡± Even a probationary period¡­. ¡°As for vacation¡­ this is considered a workce with fewer than five employees. Do you understand what that means?¡± On top of that, fewer than 5 employees¡­ ¡°You just need to know that¡¯s roughly how it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll get all the statutory holidays off. Ah, but sometimes the kids might ask for extra training on holidays. You don¡¯t have toe if you don¡¯t want to. But if you have nothing else to do, you might as welle and watch.¡± ¡­So, he¡¯s basically telling me to show up, right? Isn¡¯t this a total scam contract? Chapter 11 - Hunter Training Pilot High School (2) Chapter 11: Hunter Training Pilot High School (2) TL: SHW Two dayster. ¡°That sword is nice.¡± Hong Seok-young spoke from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°It¡¯s picky about its owner too. Thanks to that, several people went to the hospital.¡± I nced at Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword lying in the backseat. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many swords that picky about their owner.¡± Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword was famous for being as temperamental as its owner. If someone other than the owner touched it, it would burn them. Originally, I couldn¡¯t use it either. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s mana and mine don¡¯t mesh well. Naturally, the sword didn¡¯t like me. ¡°Is it your sword?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°It belongs to someone I know.¡± The only reason I can use the sword now is because Yoo Ji-eun transferred ownership to me just before she died. ¡°Did you steal it?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d have been burned too.¡± ¡°True.¡± Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Anyway, I had no intention of answering. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a pleasant story. I turned my gaze to the window. The streets were still chaotic, likely due to the aftermath of the Myeong-dong Dungeon. Even though I helped reduce the damage, casualties couldn¡¯t be avoided. At this point, not only the rights of the Awakened but everything iscking. It¡¯s difficult to urately ount for the damage to civilians. It¡¯ll probably stay that way for a while. ¡°So¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young broke the silence, seemingly ufortable with it. ¡°Have you thought about what you¡¯re going to teach the kids?¡± ¡°You told me to teach Runes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach Runes, what else.¡± ¡°No, I mean what kind of runes¡­ Ahem.¡± Hong Seok-young pointed to the sword in the backseat. ¡°You¡¯re not sulking because I didn¡¯t return it, are you?¡± ¡°Even if you gave it back, I can¡¯t use it because of the mana control device.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sulking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You are.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not.¡± Hong Seok-young chuckled. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t use your abilities, a de is a de. At our school, des are prohibited. Even in ss, we use blunt ones.¡± Hunter Academy was like that too. But that¡¯s¡­. ¡°Is it just the students?¡± ¡°No. I also use blunt ones at school.¡± When I looked at him in surprise, Hong Seok-young looked back at me equally surprised. ¡°That¡¯s enough when teaching kids.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I guess so.¡± ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re teaching Runes, so you won¡¯t need a weapon.¡± ¡°Just say you don¡¯t want to give a suspicious guy like me a weapon, even if he¡¯s teaching.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly that.¡± But he didn¡¯tpletely deny it either. He¡¯s really such a bothersome person¡­ Of course, if I were in his shoes, I wouldn¡¯t give someone like me any weapons either. I sighed inwardly. As we exchanged short remarks, the car continued driving down the road without stopping. The scenery outside the window gradually changed. The dense forest of buildings disappeared, and the building heights gradually lowered, eventually vanishing. The road was the same. Instead of straight asphalt road, a bumpy dirt road appeared. ¡­Was the road to the pilot high school always like this? The Hunter Academy hasn¡¯t changed its location. Although it¡¯s a bit far from Seoul, it wasn¡¯t this rural. If anything, themercial area around the academy developed. Hmm. I keep setting my standards to 2041. This is 2021. The pilot high school was just established, so it makes sense that there¡¯s nothing around. Even considering that, there¡¯s absolutely nothing here. ¡°Is this the right road?¡± Feeling uneasy, I asked just in case. ¡°Yes.¡± Hong Seok-young answered quickly. His swift response made me more uneasy. He¡¯s not deceiving me and taking me somewhere else, right? ¡°This area has many Dungeons, so development is restricted. That¡¯s why it looks like this.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s right. Before the mana meter was created, the area near dungeons was considered an avoidance zone. Nobody wanted to live next to a surprise box from which monsters could pop out at any moment. But it was just right for training Hunters. Practical training was convenient too. Even those who were skeptical about establishing the pilot high school were convinced when they heard about the location. Who would object to having Hunters stationed next to a dungeon? Twenty yearster, all the dungeons in this area were closed. That¡¯s why I had forgotten about it. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Hong Seok-young stopped the car. It was after we had traveled further on the winding dirt road. ¡°¡­Is this the ce?¡± I got out of the car hesitantly. Given the circumstances, the pilot high school couldn¡¯t get support and the director had to solve it with his own money. That¡¯s why he sometimes referred to that period as volunteer work. No matter how lucrative the Hunter profession is, a school is still a bottomless money pit. I know that too. But even so, this is¡­ ¡°Haha. It¡¯s too deste, right?¡± Hong Seok-youngughed beside me. This can¡¯t be described as just deste. It¡¯s beyond deste to the point where there¡¯s nothing at all. It¡¯s an empty field surrounded by a wide expanse of reeds. Somehow, a bleak wind is blowing from somewhere. The clearing isrge. The reeds seem to have been cut down randomly, and piles of cut reeds are scattered around. And next to that, there are three containers lined up. All three are office containers with windows. ¡°The buildings will start going up next year.¡± ¡°Is this¡­ really a school?¡± ¡°It¡¯s temporary buildings.¡± ¡°And you want me to teach here?¡± ¡°Beginnings are always humble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This kind of thing isn¡¯t in the textbooks. The director never mentioned it either. These¡­ containers are supposed to be a school? Hong Seok-young grinned. ¡°Wee to the Hunter Training Pilot High School, Teacher Woo.¡± * * * ¡°Alright, pay attention.¡± There were eight kids gathered closely together in the container ssroom. I had seen five of them before. A short boy sitting in the front was squirming. Lee Seung-yeon was ncing back and forth between my face and Hong Seok-young¡¯s face. His face was flushed. He seemed deeply impressed by my kindness¡­ or rather, my scheme. Otherwise, it would have been unfair. ¡°This is Teacher Woo Hwijae, who will be in charge of Seo-hyun and Jin-woo from today. Some of you might recognize him, but don¡¯t bother him too much. Got it?¡± Hong Seok-young introduced me casually. Frankly, it was too brief. I went through so much trouble saving those kids; he could¡¯ve given a more¡­ dramatic introduction, you know. ¡°Teacher!¡± Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way, as Lee Seung-yeon shot his hand up. At the same time, Oh Hyun-wook, who was sitting with a sullen face, also raised his hand. ¡°Yes, Hyun-wook?¡± Hong Seok-young naturally ignored Lee Seung-yeon and called on Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°When I saw him, that man used a sword. He¡¯s not a mage.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s true. Teacher Woo isn¡¯t a mage.¡± ¡°Then why is he in charge of Seo-hyun and Jin-woo?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s going to teach Runes. I went through a lot of trouble to bring him here.¡± Then Choi Jin-woo raised his hand. Lee Seung-yeon still had his hand raised. ¡°The Mana Concealment Rune? Or a new Rune?¡± ¡°A new one. It¡¯ll be more than helpful for you two, so don¡¯t doze off and listen carefully.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that really amazing? Is it okay to just teach us like this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t teach you. Why, do you not want it?¡± ¡°No!! I¡¯m really happy!!!¡± Then a student sitting next to Choi Jin-woo, whose name I didn¡¯t know, interrupted. ¡°Teacher, can only mages take that ss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not limited to mages, but¡­ only Seo-hyun and Jin-woo can draw the Runes?¡± When was the Mana Pen invented? Should I just introduce that too? Even if a proper mana pen is out of reach, I can still introduce the primitive methods Hunters use in emergencies. That should be sufficient for this era. ¡°Anyone who wants to listen can. Our school allows free ss hours anyway. Learning anything would be helpful.¡± Lee Seung-yeon raised his hand again. This time, he jumped in without waiting. ¡°Mis¡­ Teacher, were you hurt anywhere back then?¡± Such a kind kid. Worrying about my well-being. He¡¯s on a different levelpared to the Hunters twenty years from now. Lee Seung-yeon spoke with a tearful face. ¡°Teacher, how could you just leave like that! We were really worried!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We were really worried.¡± Yoo Hye-eun, who was next to Lee Seung-yeon in Myeong-dong, also chimed in with concern. These kids are so innocent. Even Hong Seok-young, who didn¡¯t anticipate the kids¡¯ concern, had his eyes wide open. Usually, among Hunters, nobody asks about your well-being like this. If you die, it¡¯s your fault, and your share of the loot is mine. If you live, it¡¯s because of me, so your bag is mine. I think there was a student in the first batch who got betrayed and killed by his party in a dungeon¡­ it¡¯s been so long that I don¡¯t remember well. I should check with the mana watchter. ¡°We asked the teacher to find out about you, but the teacher didn¡¯t tell us anything! Even my aunt said she didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°We were really worried something might have happened to you¡­¡± ¡°Are you really okay? You¡¯re not hurt?¡± Seung-yeon and Hye-eun babbled on, not seeming like they would calm down anytime soon. After a while, Choi Jin-woo also joined in. Hyun-wook watched with folded arms but didn¡¯t stop them¡­ and Park Seo-hyun. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What¡¯s wrong with her? Park Seo-hyun, who usually had a pale face, was now sitting in a corner, looking even paler. Her long hair, which looked nice in Myeong-dong, was now messy and disheveled. Her lips were chapped and had scabs, probably from biting them. This isn¡¯t the Park Seo-hyun I saw in Myeong-dong. She looks more like the gloomy woman, the witch Park Seo-hyun, I know. It¡¯s been barely ten days since Myeong-dong. What on earth happened? * * * ¡®Tsk. Mages. You drew that part wrong.¡¯ The man who had been unconscious on the building floor pointed out from behind. Park Seo-hyun gritted her teeth and erased the Rune she was drawing. Choi Jin-woo, who was drawing Runes next to her, also crumpled his paper. Only six to go. They just need to draw six properly. She didn¡¯t want to belittle her friend, but she had learned magic from her grandfather, after all. Meanwhile, Jin-woo awakened onlyst year and had never properly used magic before entering the pilot high school. She should be better than Jin-woo. If this Rune really hides mana as that suspicious man said, it would cause a significant ripple. ¡®Seo-hyun, can you check my Rune?¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­ it looks like this part is a bit off.¡¯ ¡®Really?! Ah, you¡¯re right. Should I fix it like this?¡¯ ¡®It looks fine¡­ but did you ask that man?¡¯ ¡®I wanted to check with you first.¡¯ Seeing him smile shyly made her reluctant to say anything critical. Park Seo-hyun just nodded and focused on drawing the Rune. The nk paper was filled with Runes. Although notplicated, she couldn¡¯t afford to draw them carelessly, knowing her friends¡¯ lives depended on it. She repeatedly drew, corrected, and redrew until she finally started drawing the Runes on her friends¡¯ foreheads. ¡®Jin-woo, are you okay?¡¯ Park Seo-hyun looked at Jin-woo, who was sweating profusely as he drew the Rune on her forehead. ¡®It¡¯s really hard to move mana. It looked easy when you did it.¡¯ ¡®My grandfather taught me when I was little. You just handle Hyun-wook. I¡¯ll draw the Rune for Seung-yeon.¡¯ ¡®Um¡­ Isn¡¯t it hard for you? No, I¡¯ll do it.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve been a mage longer than you, right? Don¡¯t worry. We also need to use shieldster, so don¡¯t tire yourself out before we even start.¡¯ Earlier, the man had clicked his tongue while watching her draw the Rune. It was proof that she was doing it right. If that¡¯s the case, then she¡ªwhat I¡¯m doing¡­. She had been too confident. Her grandfather had said the same thing. Arrogance ruins everything. Park Seo-hyun was at the forefront. Because there were many civilians, the procession was long. She didn¡¯t hear themotion at the back. She only found out what had happened after they arrived at City Hall. After seeing the tear-streaked face of her friend. ¡®The Rune didn¡¯t activate?¡¯ Arrogance ruins everything. Seung-yeon said it was okay, that thanks to it everyone could be safe, but she couldn¡¯t forgive herself. ¡°This is Teacher Woo Hwijae, who will be in charge of Seo-hyun and Jin-woo from today.¡± The man who had saved Seung-yeon and disappeared into the herd of cows that day walked in following the teacher. ¡®You drew that part wrong.¡¯ The voice that had echoed in her mind for the past ten days rang in her ears again. Park Seo-hyun bit her lip. Blood oozed from the wound that hadn¡¯t healed. Chapter 12 - Witch Park Seo-hyun (1) Chapter 12: Witch Park Seo-hyun (1) TL: SHW ¡®¡­Heehee. Heehee.¡¯ A chillingugh can be heard. The employees, who were trying not to make eye contact, shuddered every time they heard the sound and quickly left the hallway. The woman standing in the middle of the hallwayughed whenever this happened. Her cracked lips appeared and disappeared through her disheveled hair. ¡®Heehee.¡¯ The womanughed with her head tilted to the side. There was nothing in the hallway, so it was unclear what she wasughing at. Ding. The elevator at the end of the hallway opened. The man who got off the elevator scratched his thick belly and opened his mouth towards the woman. ¡®What are you doing, Park Seo-hyun?¡¯ ¡®Hee¡­ Oh, hello.¡¯ ¡®Are you waiting for the teacher?¡¯ ¡®Oh, no¡­ Heehee.¡¯ ¡®Then?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t block the already narrow hallway. I didn¡¯t call you two here to chat.¡¯ A man in a ck suitined as he got off the elevator. The man who had gotten off earlier nced back with a frown. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ ¡®Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Woo Hwijae, an assistant from the Ability Management Agency¡¯s Dungeon Raid Comprehensive Situation Room.¡¯ ¡®Dungeon¡­ what?¡¯ ¡®I support the Director and assess the stability of all existing dungeons in Korea, aiding in the safe dungeon raids by Hunters¡­.¡¯ ¡®Dungeon, what? From where?¡¯ The man in the suit smiled slightly. ¡®I work in the Director¡¯s office.¡¯ * * * I was worried that one of the containers in the empty lot might be my lodging. Fortunately, the rights of Awakened ones in this era were not that backward. Hong Seok-young found me a cheap room in a nearby small town. He said he was also renting and staying there. ¡°For now, stay here. I¡¯ll change itter.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting anything grand anyway. I just needed to avoid Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes for a moment. I brushed my fingers over the Mana Control Device on my ankle. It might be considered the pinnacle of modern mana engineering, but¡­. Not now. Now, it¡¯s just, well. It¡¯s close to an ordinary handcuff. ¡®Hwijae. Do you understand?¡¯ The Director was particrly obsessed with skills. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s an old-timer. You have to know skills to make a living. The Director¡¯s skills had no limits. He taught me how to pick handcuffs even before I Awakened. ¡®Even if someone captures you, you can escape. I hope you¡¯ll wait until Ie because it¡¯s dangerous¡­. But it¡¯s not bad to know.¡¯ At that time, I wondered why he was teaching me such things, but he was right. People need to know skills¡­. I was always a top student in the Director¡¯s skill lessons. Click. See? It¡¯s easy. I can bypass the embedded mana stone or the tracking device with my eyes closed. I turned on the Mana Watch after a long time. ¡°So, what should I look at first?¡± The organization story to lure Hong Seok-young? Records on Mr. Kim who might still be around? ¡®Heehee.¡¯ At that moment, a sinisterugh echoed in my mind. Witch Park Seo-hyun. There was a simple reason why the Archmage was called a witch. It was purely because of her appearance. Her long hair grew wildly. Her pale face. Her lips, often bitten and never fully healed. Her fingers covered in scratches. Her loose, sack-like clothes made her look even thinner. No Hunter is sane, and no Archmage is normal, but Park Seo-hyun¡¯s entricity was a bit extreme. She didn¡¯t harm others, but seeing her wield pitch-ck mana with her ghostly appearance was bad for the heart. Even herughter gave chills. In Myeong-dong, there was a time when that gloomy woman was lively. Park Seo-hyun must have been born normal, as she¡¯s human after all. So I thought for a moment. If it was Park Seo-hyun, with clear eyes still, wouldn¡¯t there be a possibility? Instead of a witch who just giggles, couldn¡¯t she be a capable Archmage who canmunicate normally? But! Why! How did such a bright Archmage prospect be a creepy witch in just ten days! ¡°No¡­ there¡¯s still hope.¡± I fumbled with the Mana Watch. ¡°There should be an evaluation record.¡± A Hunter like Park Seo-hyun would be under special management by the state. Naturally, there¡¯s a lot of information that can¡¯t be disclosed to the public. When was thest update? Was it two years ago? No. It might be better to look at old records. When she was at least somewhat close to her current state¡­. Although Park Seo-hyun mainly worked overseas, there was a period when she stayed in Korea for a long time. Was it when I was in college? [Park Seo-hyun ¨C S-rank (Archmage)] The records were neatly organized by year. I opened the oldest document. 2033. The first page contained basic descriptions. I skipped it because I already knew. On the next page. ¡°What is this?¡± [Caution!!!!!!] [*The government is not responsible for what happens if you vite these rules.] [There is no life-threatening danger, but you may have unpleasant physical experiences. Please be cautious.] [+On average, you get one warning. (2032-03-09)] [++If you¡¯re unlucky, one warning could be the end. (2038-12-21)] [+Do not meet her alone. (2031-09-24)] [+In case of emergency, seek agency Director or Team Leader Yoo Ji-eun. (2036-06-17)] From the second page onwards, there were ominous phrases. These were notes from the Ability Management Agency staff. The dates were all over the ce. ¡°Were these addedter?¡± It wasn¡¯t in the proper report format. It makes sense if these were the realizations the field staff had gained through blood and tears. They probably thought no one would look at these old records. I turned to the next page. A normal report appeared. Just in case, I kept flipping the pages. Sure enough, red text appeared in the middle. [1. If Hunter Park Seo-hyun says it¡¯s not impossible, then it¡¯s not impossible. It¡¯s just that it takes a lot of effort, so if you use Hunter Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s name, she¡¯ll do it.] Park Seo-hyun acted like a human only towards Yoo Ji-eun. So she was assigned to handle her exclusively. I looked at the next entry. [2. Do not express admiration at the magic cast by Hunter Park Seo-hyun. It puts her in a bad mood.] Did she¡­ dislikepliments? Was she smiling because she disliked it when I pped for her? [3. If you encounter Hunter Oh Hyun-wook during work, please avoid the area. It¡¯s not advisable to eavesdrop on their conversations.] [4. Absolutely do not mention Myeong-dong. Not even the Director can cover for you. Your life is precious.] [5. If Hunter Park Seo-hyun isn¡¯t smiling, step back. It¡¯s dangerous.] [5-1. In an emergency, mention Hunter Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s name.] The numbers continued for quite a while. Towards the end, it became more like casual remarks. There wasn¡¯t much to glean. What stood out was¡­. Probably this. [4. Absolutely do not mention Myeong-dong.] I didn¡¯t know exactly when Park Seo-hyun became like this, but she was fine in Myeong-dong. But not to mention Myeong-dong? ¡­I heard there were no intact bodies left back then, so it¡¯s not iprehensible. But. This time, I saved everyone! No one died! I told them to toughen up and endure the scratches! They¡¯re Hunters!! What on earth is the problem?!! I searched through Park Seo-hyun¡¯s documents untilte at night, but there was no further gain. Anyway, I¡¯m meeting that witch sapling tomorrow. I¡¯ll find out something by confronting her in person. Or the Director will do something. Eventually, I closed Park Seo-hyun¡¯s file. There¡¯s still a lot to see. I searched for records about the research center I used to be in long ago. Among the numerous report titles, there was a familiar name. [¡®ARK¡¯ River of Promise Research Center] [2022-06-01] [Author: Hong Seok-young] * * * ¡°Hello!¡± The weather is nice. Since early morning, Hong Seok-young dragged me to the open lot¡­ to the pilot school. He said it wouldn¡¯t do for a teacher to bete. Despite dragging me along, Hong Seok-young left me and slipped into one of the containers. I stood there, looking around. As usual, there was nothing. Only the sound of reeds rustling in the cool breeze could be heard. ¡°Teacher!¡± This empty lot seemed like my future. I have to¡­ cultivate this and build a new building, he says. ¡°Teacher!¡± Should I give up? The time limit is twenty years anyway. There¡¯s also the option of enjoying wealth and glory with future knowledge for just twenty years¡­ ¡®Make it out alive.¡¯ Ah, if only it weren¡¯t for that Yoo Ji-eun. ¡°Mr. Woo!!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about?¡± Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s eyes were sparkling. It was almost blinding. Especiallypared to Park Seo-hyun, who was gloomily biting her lips in the corner. ¡°Hm.¡± I should probably get closer to Lee Seung-yeon too. Honestly, as a civil servant, I shouldn¡¯t be seen mingling with the business world. It doesn¡¯t matter now, but old habits die hard. ¡°It was Seung-yeon, right?¡± ¡°Yes! Do you remember me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± How should I treat the kids? ¡°¡­You got out safely?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, teacher!!¡± Lee Seung-yeon, who was jumping around, nced at my waist and asked. ¡°Teacher, where¡¯s that sword?¡± It¡¯s rolling around in the back seat of Hong Seok-young¡¯s car. ¡°My aunt heard about it and was really curious. She uses a sword too!¡± ¡°Your aunt?¡± Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s aunt. ¡°My aunt is quite a famous Hunter. Not just saying that because she¡¯s my aunt, but she¡¯s really famous.¡± Lee Mi-seon. Master of the Daseon Guild. She wasn¡¯t an S-rank Hunter like Oh Hyun-wook or Park Seo-hyun, but no one could ignore her. She was remarkable enough to reach that position even without her family¡¯s help. And she cherished her nephew. She even established a schrship foundation in her deceased nephew¡¯s name and supported the Director. ¡°My aunt wants to meet you, teacher¡­.¡± ¡°Mr. Woo!¡± Too bad. It was going well. ¡°Mr. Woo!! Come here!!¡± After fiddling inside the container for a long time, Hong Seok-young finally came out. He beckoned me with a wave of his hand. I sighed and walked over to him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Making a ssroom for you.¡± ¡°A ssroom?¡± I looked skeptically inside the container. He had set up a chalkboard and desks, calling it a ssroom. But what caught my eye more was the stack of paper boxes at the back. ¡°This?¡± Hong Seok-youngughed awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve been using this as a storage room. I¡¯ll clear it outter, so don¡¯t worry.¡± When people say that, it usually means they¡¯ll never clear it out. It¡¯s easier if you give up, just give up¡­ Anyway, the ssroom was convenient. I had something to say to Hong Seok-young without the kids around. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I pointed to Park Seo-hyun through the window of the container. ¡°Do something about her.¡± ¡°Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this in Myeong-dong.¡± Her hair was disheveled, and she stood still, looking like a ghost from an old horror movie. It wasn¡¯t good for the heart. ¡°Seo-hyun did suddenly change her style.¡± Can this even be called a change in style? Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. ¡°Every Hunter hits a wall at some point. Seo-hyun has been awakened for a while, so it¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Hah¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you worried about the ss now?¡± This old man was like this. He¡¯s always been like this. He¡¯s too strong. Both physically and mentally. Hong Seok-young is the kind of person who believes he can ovee anything with sheer willpower. So he doesn¡¯t understand the worries of ordinary people. While he empathizes deeply with the struggles of geniuses like Yoo Ji-eun, he doesn¡¯t get that some people can¡¯t stand back up once they fall. I put my head on my hands. Chapter 13 - Witch Park Seo-hyun (2) Chapter 13: Witch Park Seo-hyun (2) TL: SHW Runes were the exclusive domain of mages. It was only natural since only mages could draw runes. However, mages themselves had long neglected runes. Anything that could be done with runes could also be done with magic, and it was usually simpler to do it with magic. A rune is drawn by concentrating mana into the fingers and tracing a path through which the mana can flow¡­ I don¡¯t know the details since I¡¯m not a mage. Anyway, runes weren¡¯t worth the effortpared to the results they produced. Moreover, they were so easy to erase. But with the advent of the Mana Concealment Rune, runes were reevaluated. Its impact was so significant that it overshadowed all previous shorings. There was now a reason to use runes despite their disadvantages. Then, the Mana Pen was created. It became an era where even non-mages could draw runes. Naturally, the value of runes increased further. Modern dungeon raids were divided into before and after the reevaluation of runes. This is the content of the first ss in Rune Theory, a mandatory subject for first-year students at Hunter Academy. ¡°So.¡± I looked at the two mages sitting in the room that doubled as a ssroom. Choi Jin-woo, who was sitting up straight and full of enthusiasm, and Park Seo-hyun, who was biting the end of her pencil and mumbling iprehensible words. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if Park Seo-hyun was even in a state to listen to my words, let alone attend the ss. I turned my gaze to the back of the ssroom. ¡°Why did you stop talking? Don¡¯t mind me and continue.¡± When our eyes met, Hong Seok-young waved his hand andughed. ¡°We¡¯ll stay quiet too!¡± Next to him were the remaining students. There wasn¡¯t much time. They came to attend a rune ss they couldn¡¯t even use. Among those faces, the only one I still knew twenty yearster was Oh Hyun-wook. In fact, even Oh Hyun-wook seemed unfamiliar. Instead of a pig buried in fat, he was a skinny male student. How time changes things¡­ Except for Oh Hyun-wook, Park Seo-hyun, and Lee Seung-yeon, the rest were from so long ago that I couldn¡¯t find any information about them even with the Mana Watch. Since it was before the Ability Management Agency was established, I didn¡¯t have high hopes while searching. I hoped that at least one of them had talent on par with Oh Hyun-wook or Park Seo-hyun. I looked at the two mages who were originally supposed to attend this ss. Let¡¯s start by checking the mages first. ¡°Let¡¯s see what level you guys are at.¡± ¡°Level?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous. You know how to draw runes, right?¡± Choi Jin-woo blinked and replied in an absurd voice. ¡°We drew runes in Myeong-dong.¡± Crack. At the same time, there was an ominous sound from Park Seo-hyun. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun lowered her head deeply. Park Seo-hyun, whose shoulders were trembling, raised her head a littleter. The broken pencil dropped from her mouth. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Although I knew that mages were much sturdier than civilians, I still asked. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun? Right?¡± Park Seo-hyun answered after a long time. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Her voice was so small that I would have missed it if I wasn¡¯t paying attention. She didn¡¯t look fine at all. I wondered if I was the only one who found Park Seo-hyun¡¯s state rming, so I looked around. Choi Jin-woo nced at her when he heard the pencil chewing sound, but that was all. He didn¡¯t seem to be very concerned. Hong Seok-young was naturally like that, but shouldn¡¯t the rest find it strange? Their peer turned into such a state overnight. Is this actually normal and I¡¯m the strange one? This is why mental evaluations are necessary when obtaining a Hunter license. Skill is important, but mental issues cannot be ignored. Every year, there are dropouts from Hunter Academy who can¡¯t withstand this atmosphere. In a way, it makes me wonder if those who can¡¯t endure this could withstand a dungeon raid. I don¡¯t know. I gave up thinking and drew a rune on the ckboard. It was the Mana Concealment Rune used in Myeong-dong. ¡°You¡¯ve drawn this many times, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°After escaping from Myeong-dong, you haven¡¯t drawn it even once?¡± This rune? Choi Jin-woo hesitated, gauging my reaction before answering. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve drawn it.¡± ¡°You must have practiced a lot.¡± He probably thought I¡¯d get mad for using it without permission. But I didn¡¯t mind. ¡°I taught it to you so you could use it. Feel free to use it.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. So go ahead and draw it. Let me see how well you can draw it.¡± * * * Hong Seok-young narrowed his eyes. ¡°No, you messed up that part again.¡± ¡°I heard that a rune can still be activated with this level of error¡­.¡± ¡°It can be activated, sure.¡± Woo Hwijae took the rune Choi Jin-woo had drawn and stuck it to his own forehead. Then, realizing his mistake, he quickly took it off and ced it on Choi Jin-woo¡¯s forehead. ¡°Try activating it.¡± Since he had a Mana Controller on his ankle, Woo Hwijae couldn¡¯t activate the rune himself. Only Hong Seok-young knew this detail. Choi Jin-woo activated the rune without any suspicion. The young mage¡¯s mana, which had been drifting around, disappeared. It was a scene I had seen several times. I had made the kids confirm it many times. But every time I saw it, I was amazed. A rune that could conceal mana? How many of the dungeons deemed unraidable could be tackled using this rune? Off the top of my head, at least a dozen. Including overseas dungeons, the number was even higher. That¡¯s why he had forcibly brought him to the pilot school, ignoring opposing voices. If he knew other runes besides the Mana Concealment Rune, it would be helpful. ¡°Let¡¯s assume you¡¯re raiding a dungeon.¡± Woo Hwijae began exining leisurely. His mannerisms were quite practiced. Had he taught someone before? ¡°In what situation do you think this rune would be used?¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. * * * ¡°In what situation do you think this rune would be used?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ when running away from monsters?¡± Since that¡¯s how they used it in Myeongdong, that¡¯s how he would answer. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And? Umm¡­ during a sneak attack?¡± I nodded. ¡°Have you ever been in a dungeon?¡± ¡°What? Well, no¡­ I awakenedst year. I got my Hunter license this year.¡± ¡°Really?¡± What was Choi Jin-woo¡¯s Shield Casting speed again? 4.2 seconds? Considering he hadn¡¯t been awakened for even a year, it was not just good¡ªit was excellent. Choi Jin-woo¡¯s answers weren¡¯t wrong. The Mana Concealment Rune was typically used for those purposes. But some dungeons had particrly nasty quirks. Dungeons full of old-fashioned traps or special mechanisms that required specific conditions to be met to open paths. These kinds of dungeons often consumed more Hunters than those with merely high danger levels. If he hadn¡¯t experienced dungeon raids yet¡­ he might be going into a nearby dungeon soon. I nced at Hong Seok-young. When it came to dungeon raid theory, I was better. The question is how much I¡¯m allowed to teach¡­ ¡°This time, all you had to do was run. There wasn¡¯t a problem when you were in the lead, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ there weren¡¯t many monsters.¡± Of course, there wouldn¡¯t be any since I cleared them all out. ¡°But what if an actual battle took ce? Would that be possible?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t runes been used until now?¡± ¡°¡­Because magic is more convenient?¡± ¡°Why is magic more convenient?¡± This might have been a difficult question for Choi Jin-woo, who had only recently awakened. I looked at Park Seo-hyun. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Crunch. The broken pencil disappeared back into Park Seo-hyun¡¯s mouth. ¡­Should I ask? Would she even answer? I mustered up the courage. Hadn¡¯t Hong Seok-young dismissed her disheveled appearance as just a change in style? It could be true. Girls at that age are all like that, aren¡¯t they? ¡°Uh¡­ Park Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t runes been used until now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun mumbled something and hesitated for a moment. Ptooey. Thud. A piece of pencil fell from her mouth. Why on earth did she¡­? Could that be considered a style? She¡¯s probably lost her mind. ¡°Uh¡­ um.¡± Park Seo-hyun smiled faintly. ¡°Runes¡­ are easily erased¡­.¡± ¡°Right. Runes are easily erased.¡± This was one of the decisive reasons why runes hadn¡¯t been used. I picked up the broken piece of pencil from Park Seo-hyun¡¯s desk. There¡¯s no need to use mana. Just rubbing it with your hand or drawing a single line with a pencil can easily ruin it. In dungeons where the ambient mana frequently gets tangled, they naturally wouldn¡¯t hold up. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to draw runes urately.¡± ¡°Even if drawn urately, it won¡¯t increase durability¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The kind Archmage from France who developed the Mana Concealment Rune also improved these shorings of runes. Vive France! ¡°Let me say upfront, I¡¯m not a mage. I don¡¯t know the principles even if you ask.¡± Just in case, to block questions from the start. ¡°On top of an urately drawn rune¡­¡± I drew over the Mana Concealment Rune on the ckboard. It wasn¡¯t just one rune. At least five runes werebined. Durability, correction, waterproofing, amplification¡­ what was thest one? Ah, resonance. The effect is simple. It helps prevent the rune from being easily erased. Geometric shapes interwoven to form aplex pattern that is hard to recognize. The original Mana Concealment Rune was almost unrecognizable. ¡°If you draw this over it, it won¡¯t be easily erased.¡± Choi Jin-woo¡¯s eyes followed the rune and eventually lost focus. ¡°Can you draw it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ um, teacher¡­?¡± Park Seo-hyun put down the pencil she had in her mouth and carefully called out to me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why¡­ why didn¡¯t you teach us this?¡± ¡°What?¡± Park Seo-hyun closed her open mouth. I waited, thinking she had something to ask, but she just started biting her lips. After a long while, she finally spoke again. ¡°In¡­ Myeong-dong¡­.¡± Oh. Hmm. No way. As I was trying to find the words, realizing what crossed my mind, Park Seo-hyun suddenly flinched and shook her head. ¡°N-no¡­ I drew the rune wrong in the first ce¡­ even if I knew¡­ it wouldn¡¯t have¡­ mattered¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun quietly mumbled and put the rolling pencil back in her mouth. Seriously, why the pencil¡­ never mind. ¡°Um, Student Park Seo-hyun?¡± I called out to her. ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± So, this kid¡­. ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± No way. It can¡¯t be. ¡°Oh, um¡­ nothing. Yeah. I¡¯ll continue exining. Where was I?¡± ¡°You said we need to draw runes urately.¡± ¡°Oh, right, Jin-woo. This is also abination of runes, so if there¡¯s a problem with the initial rune, it won¡¯t activate properly. If the rune is even slightly off, it won¡¯t have any effect. So you always have to draw it urately.¡± ¡°Abination of runes? How?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t differentiate. But the person who made it said so, so just memorize it whole.¡± I kept running my hand through my hair to hide my confusion. ¡­Is this real? Is it really like that? So. So¡­ Could it be that Park Seo-hyun is sitting there like that because of what happened in Myeong-dong? Twenty yearster, I could understand if it was because of the ssmates who died during the Myeong-dong incident. I expected that. But now? Is it because Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s rune, which she drew, didn¡¯t work? ¡°It looks tooplicated¡­.¡± ¡°You need to practice.¡± So¡­. ¡°¡­¡­Teacher!¡± Is she saying it¡¯s my fault? No, no, no. No matter how weak her mentality is, this is too much. She could be shocked, but everything turned out fine, right? No one died? Isn¡¯t that enough? Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo started to follow the rune I had drawn. It was such aplex rune that it couldn¡¯t be mastered just by drawing it a few times like the Mana Concealment Rune. But Park Seo-hyun handed me her paper. The rune was drawn with heavy pencil strokes. For someone drawing a rune for the first time, it was quite well done. ¡°¡­Is it correct? Did I draw it correctly? It¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? This will activate, right?¡± Park Seo-hyun asked me with a desperate look on her face. Chapter 14 - Witch Park Seo-hyun (3) Chapter 14: Witch Park Seo-hyun (3) TL: SHW While the mages Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun focused throughout the ss, the rest of the observers couldn¡¯t maintain their concentration. It was expected. How much concentration can sword wielders or brawlers, who can¡¯t even draw runes, have? Even Oh Hyun-wook, who had been staring intently, had his arms crossed and was dozing off. Even the pig is still soft in such aspects during its piglet days. To Hyun-wook¡¯s left sat Yoo Hye-eun. From her fingertips, white mana blossomed like snowkes before dissipating. It was a training method frequently used by healers to make their fingertips sensitive. Seeing the snowkes quiterge, it seemed she had practiced diligently. Unlike the kids who were ying around, Hong Seok-young was watching this side with intense eyes, his brow furrowed. I saw something I shouldn¡¯t have. I turned my gaze, pretending not to notice. In the front row, Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo were sweating profusely as they drew runes. They were drawing the Mana Concealment Rune skillfully. Clearly, even Choi Jin-woo, who struggled to draw runes in Myeong-dong, seemed to have practiced a lot. As for Park Seo-hyun¡­. Park Seo-hyun was. ¡°Hm¡­ this time for sure¡­ correctly¡­.¡± I thought about it. The Hunter job is originally a battle with oneself. Whether you form a party with other Hunters, join a guild, or even act solo, that fact doesn¡¯t change. Whether you win or lose in that battle is your own issue, it¡¯s not something I need to worry about. So strictly speaking, it¡¯s not my fault that Park Seo-hyun ended up like this. If you be a Hunter, you must have that level of determination. Even family members stab each other in the back inside dungeons. If you copse from a few betrayals, how can you survive in this harsh world? Moreover, Park Seo-hyun wasn¡¯t even betrayed by someone she trusted like other Hunters. She just made a mistake that one might make at that age. Thanks to my help, that mistake didn¡¯t lead to irreversible results, so how fortunate is that? And this is important, but Park Seo-hyun became an Archmage despite her appearance surviving the Myeong-dong incident where forty-one died. She was a woman whoughed gloomily and whose thoughts were iprehensible, but still, an Archmage was an Archmage. Even if I pretended not to notice, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Isn¡¯t she a guaranteed sess? Archmage Park Seo-hyun. Witch Park Seo-hyun. But. But¡­. ¡°How about this time? Teacher, did I draw it correctly?¡± The murmuring voice grew louder. Thanks to that, the trembling was very audible. ¡°I drew it correctly, right? Yes?¡± The eyes visible through the disheveled hair were gleaming to an eerie extent. But soon, like a puppy drowned in water, she looked deted. ¡°What? Did I¡­ draw it wrong? Did I make a mistake again?¡± Even Park Seo-hyun can¡¯t draw aplex rune perfectly on the first try. Even skilled mages often make mistakes while drawing well. ¡°I drew it again! I worked hard. This time, it¡¯s definitely correct. Uh¡­ here? Is this part wrong?¡± Every time I pointed out the wrong part, Park Seo-hyun redrew the rune. Again and again. Over and over. Continuously. Even when Choi Jin-wooined of cramping fingers with a pitiful face Even when one of the dozing students at the back fell off the chair. Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t stop drawing runes. Seeing that desperate look, I couldn¡¯t open my mouth. No matter how much¡­ I knocked sense in the heads of Hunters while working at the Ability Management Agency, I never berated a kid who couldn¡¯t even be properly called a Hunter. ¡°Teacher. Did I draw it correctly this time?¡± It¡¯s not my fault. I don¡¯t need to take care of her. ¡°I can¡¯t be wrong. If I¡¯m wrong¡­. I¡­ I can¡¯t be wrong. I must not be wrong, I can¡¯t be wrong, not again, focus, you idiot, it¡¯s the part same you got wrong before.¡± p! I pped my hands loudly. ¡°Aagh! Wh-what is it?¡± Choi Jin-woo, who was focused on drawing the rune, jerked his head up in surprise. Park Seo-hyun also flinched her shoulders and cautiously raised her face to look at me. Her eyes were red. When did she even cry? ¡°The first ss ends here.¡± ¡°What? Why?!¡± ¡°I can still draw more!¡± There was strong opposition. But I shook my head and pointed to the clock. ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime.¡± Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun, who didn¡¯t seem to realize how much time had passed, widened their eyes. ¡°Come on, go out and eat.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m firmly against overtime work, so don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Still hesitating, the two finally left the ssroom with lingering looks after Hong Seok-young stood up. I stared at Park Seo-hyun¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s my fault for not ounting for Park Seo-hyun¡¯s weak mental strength. What can I do? Anyway, since I¡¯ve decided to nurture the talents from the start¡­. When problems arise, it¡¯s the adult¡¯s responsibility to take care of them. * * * This lousy school even has us eating packed lunches. Can this even be called a school? I should have known from the moment Hong Seok-young drove a van instead of the car he first arrived in. I should have realized when I saw the packed lunches in the back seat. ¡°You seem to know a lot about runes.¡± While the kids ate their lunch excitedly, unaware of my feelings. Poor me was having an awkward meal facing this evil employer. ¡°Did you make them?¡± ¡°The runes? No way.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Someone I know made them.¡± We¡¯ve introduced ourselves and talked, so we¡¯re acquaintances now. ¡°Someone you know? Well, you¡¯re not a mage. You know so much about runes. That¡¯s impressive for a non-mage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The probing that seemed to have quieted down started again. I decided not to respond this time. Usually, people interpret silence as they please. The fact that they don¡¯t know much about this side¡¯s insider information is something I can use too. Let¡¯s add some vor to the story. Avoiding eye contact, I looked down diagonally, lowering the corners of my mouth. Be careful not to smile. My voice, slightly¡­ mncholic. ¡°¡­It was for just in case.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s knowledge too precious to let disappear.¡± Hong Seok-young started to say something but closed his mouth. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head. After giving him some time to let his imagination run wild, I spoke again. ¡°About those two mage students.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. What do you think after teaching them? I was going to ask anyway, have you ever taught anyone before? You seemed quite skilled at teaching.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done simr work before. How are you teaching those two magic?¡± ¡°Magic? I¡¯ve been getting them anymon magic books I can find¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. ¡°Seo-hyun learned magic from her grandfather, so she¡¯s fine. But Jin-woo is the problem. He doesn¡¯t seem tock talent, but finding a teacher has been tough.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Why, do you know any magic?¡± No matter how capable I am, magic is out of my reach. ¡­Does the Mana Watch have magic books? No, there aren¡¯t any magic books. You can¡¯t dataize those like that. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not a mage.¡± ¡°You know runes so well despite not being a mage, so I thought maybe.¡± This is why you shouldn¡¯t stand out. But there¡¯s a lesson here. If you¡¯ve already stood out, you should do it properly. That way, they don¡¯t take you lightly. I had been pondering since I was told to teach runes and, seeing Park Seo-hyun just now, decided to reveal my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll teach those two everything I know about runes.¡± My words must have been unexpected because Hong Seok-young couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. ¡°Is that really okay? Those runes aren¡¯t ordinary. Can you just teach them like that?¡± ¡°You told me to teach the kids.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d teach a couple of runes and boast about it. Honestly, the Mana Concealment Rune you taught in Myeong-dong alone is incredibly valuable¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And what about that mage you know? Did they say it¡¯s okay to teach runes to others?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it good if I teach the kids?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, of course.¡± Hong Seok-young answered promptly. ¡°It¡¯s so good that it¡¯s suspicious.¡± He added honestly. In return, I decided to be honest as well. ¡°They¡¯re just kids.¡± Ah, this is honest enough, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not a lie. So it¡¯s not deception either. What was my setting again? A righteous person who risked their life to save children even in an urgent situation? ¡°The runes will help the kids until they can at least call themselves mages. If they supplement themon magic with the runes I know, they won¡¯t be worthless wherever they go.¡± Having a setting of being weak to children can¡¯t hurt. That¡¯s how¡­ a reason to trust an escaped insider is created. ¡°Hmm.¡± To shape Park Seo-hyun to my liking, I need to expand my influence. ¡°Of course, there are conditions.¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± Hong Seok-young frowned. ¡°I originally nned to teach a few runes and be done with it. But after seeing the kids, I can¡¯t. They will die if left as they are.¡± Since one out of two died, the mortality rate is quite high, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s as high as 50%! Half of them died! ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing kids die.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are the conditions?¡± He¡¯s as good as convinced already. ¡°When the time is right, make the runes public.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to make all the runes I know public. Under your name, of course.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!!!¡± Hong Seok-young was panting. He rubbed his face repeatedly with aplicated expression before asking again. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying to make the runes public? That¡¯s your condition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to do it under my name, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°What about the mage who created the runes?¡± ¡°They¡¯d be happy if it saved even one more life.¡± This is actually what the Archmage said when the Mana Concealment Rune was made public. If it had been made public a few years earlier, it would have saved more lives as desired. ¡°¡­You mean to make them public immediately? Aren¡¯t these runes created by ARK?¡± Oh. That¡¯s a good backstory? Let¡¯s add it. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to make them public when the time is right. Not now. Um¡­ If you find a trustworthy mage, you can let them use it too.¡± Despite my continuous speech, Hong Seok-young couldn¡¯t hide his confusion. He must be genuinely flustered, judging by how poorly he¡¯s managing his expression. Though I don¡¯t know him well, seeing his reaction made me feel like I had scored a point. Ah. Since it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s push one more thing. Since it involves the kids, I can bundle it together. ¡°And there¡¯s one more condition.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Somehow his voice became cautious. If I mess up here, it¡¯ll only raise suspicion. But who am I? I know what this old man¡¯s weakness is. I recalled the report I had examinedst night. ¡°Do you like kids?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you like kids.¡± Hong Seok-young blinked like a toad. He can¡¯t keep up with the rapidly changing subject. Despite his crazy acts during fights, he¡¯s weak in this area. In such cases, it¡¯s best to just push forward. He¡¯ll eventually do everything while stammering. Though it¡¯s not really necessary. This old man is genuinely weak when ites to kids. ¡°I know a ce with lots of kids.¡± Cold packed lunches don¡¯t taste good. But I ate it anyway. Compared to the meals at the researchb, it¡¯s not inedible. ¡°I need you to go there.¡± Young Woo Hwijae will be saved a year earlier. Chapter 15 - New Student (1) Chapter 15: New Student (1) TL: SHW It¡¯s only my second day working at the Hunter Training Pilot High School. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re doing well. That¡¯s the way to do it.¡± The warm sunlight that heralds the spring. It¡¯s so warm that it almost feels like summer has arrived, with the sunlight even feeling hot. Feeling sorry for the mages stuck in the storage room¡­ no, ssroom, in such good weather, Hong Seok-young somehow procured a table with a parasol and set it up. The tacky-colored parasol matched this container school in many ways. It certainly didn¡¯t look like a school at all. Hong Seok-young added a usible reason. ¡®In a dungeon, anything can happen, so you should always maintain yourposure.¡¯ usible my ass. It¡¯s bullshit. Anyway, under this parasol, I¡¯m sweating profusely, watching Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo draw runes and giving them advice. ¡°You¡¯re drawing well.¡± Correction. I¡¯m giving thempliments. Compliments can make even a whale dance. Honestly, who doesn¡¯t like praise? I¡¯ve seen people dying from not receivingpliments, but never from receiving too many. Even those stern-faced members of the National Assembly cravepliments and do all sorts of crazy things for them. So, I decided to start byplimenting Park Seo-hyun. Looking at her, it seems she¡¯s still bothered by her past mistake, but if I keep telling her she¡¯s doing well, she¡¯ll regain his confidence, right? Peaceful sunlight. Gentle weather. The eerie wind rustling the reeds around the open ground¡­. BOOM!!!! The sound of an explosion. ¡°That attack just now was good!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°But you lost your bnce at the end! You mustn¡¯t lose your bnce till the end! Next!¡± With a loud noise, Oh Hyun-wook came rolling towards the parasol. I slightly shifted my body to avoid interfering with Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s trajectory. He safely passed the parasol and rolled to the end of the open ground. He only stopped after crushing a few reeds. Oh Hyun-wook jumped to his feet. ¡°Fuck!¡± He rubbed his face roughly and then ran back to Hong Seok-young. At the same time, Lee Seung-yeon came rolling in. ¡°Aaagh!!!¡± Lee Seung-yeon also jumped up with a scream and ran back to where he came from. Sigh¡­. That¡¯s why physical types won¡¯t do. Theyck elegance. Look at the mages here. How elegant they are¡­. ¡°Ah, fuck! I got it wrong again!!¡± Choi Jin-woo crumpled the paper and threw it behind him. There was already a mountain of papers thrown like that on the ground. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Well¡­. High school students are the same in any era. I recalled Hunter Academy, where reports constantly came in about needing repairs. As the academy was under the management agency, those reports even reached me. The reason was always the same. The students broke it. While ying with friends, fighting, training, experimenting. The pilot high school is the predecessor of such Hunter Academy. As long as Hong Seok-young is the principal, that mindset wouldn¡¯t have changed. There¡¯s only one difference. The pilot high school buildings don¡¯t break. Because there are no buildings to break. ¡°u¡­ ueoeo, keong keong.¡± Unlike Choi Jin-woo, who was pulling his hair out and losing his ability to speak humannguage, Park Seo-hyun was calm. Too calm, to the point of making me anxious. Her hair was still disheveled. Because she hadn¡¯t properly tidied it up, it even covered her eyes, making the atmosphere even gloomier. ¡­Can she even see? How can she draw runes in that state? Oh right. Compliments. I need to givepliments. But I can¡¯t justpliment without anything, so I looked at the rune Park Seo-hyun was drawing. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t see anything because of her fallen hair. ¡°Park Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes?¡± Park Seo-hyun responded a beatte. She raised only her head while her shoulders and body remained almost glued to the desk. I mean¡­ it¡¯s scary. ¡°You¡¯re diligently drawing runes. Can you show me? I¡¯ll check if you¡¯re drawing it correctly.¡± ¡°No!!!¡± Park Seo-hyun was startled and hid the rune she was drawing. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll show youter¡­¡± ¡­Why? Why is she suddenly so reserved? She used to check with me on everything. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to show me now? If there¡¯s something wrong, you can correct it right away¡­.¡± ¡°Later¡­. When I can draw well¡­ I¡¯ll show you then¡­¡± ¡°My role is to help you draw it well, so showing it to me now would be much more helpful, right?¡± ¡°Later¡­¡± ¡°So you might develop bad habits, it¡¯s better to check right away¡­¡± Just as my voice was starting to rise, I pulled myself together. Compliments! What good would it do to get annoyed with a kid when I should be givingpliments? Damn it, I should know how to givepliments. Because of those who think they¡¯re genuinely good whenplimented, I couldn¡¯t bring myself topliment even when I wanted to. But still, I must have done it sometimes. How did I do it before? ¡®I see. So that¡¯s how you did it? It¡¯s a creative method I haven¡¯t seen before. But do you know? There¡¯s always a reason for not doing things in a certain way. A few years ago, there was a Hunter who tried something creative like you. Guess what happened? To cut to the chase, they were lucky to even recover his body¡­.¡¯ That¡¯s not apliment. I recalled a situation with Yoo Ji-eun. ¡®Was that really your best judgment? My, my, aren¡¯t you clever. Yes, yes. Since you say you¡¯re so smart. You¡¯re the brains of our team from now on. Come on, everyone, give a round of apuse!¡¯ ¡­¡­That doesn¡¯t seem right either. ¡°A bit faster! Yes, just like that! See, you can do it!¡± Hong Seok-young was still tangled up with the kids. His voice carried a tone of satisfaction. It seemed one of the kids had made a pretty decent attack. ¡®What? What did you do at school?¡¯ I didn¡¯t graduate from Hunter Academy. I could have gone anytime. I awakened even before graduating elementary school. Being the adopted son of Korea¡¯s top Hunter, I had many eyes on me. The director subtly wanted me to enter Hunter Academy. But when I said I wouldn¡¯t go, he nodded without any surprise. ¡®Exams? It was exam time? When? If it was an exam, you should have said so! Then I could have bought you some rice cakes, some taffy¡­. Is that the college entrance exam? When is that? Autumn? It¡¯s still far off, oh, it was just the finals¡­. No, how can finals be ¡°just¡±? They must have been tough too! Hmm? The results are out?¡¯ When asked what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to go to college. When he asked if I could study well enough, I told him not to worry. ¡®Second in the whole school?! Wow, we¡¯re getting those kinds of numbers in our family. Do you know what I did when I was your age? Nothing!¡¯ Though he acted like he had a screw loose when it came to anything unrted tobat, he always stepped up for my affairs. ¡­¡­Even till the end. ¡®Why are you so down when you did well? You wanted to be first? Do it next time! Don¡¯t dismiss it so easily? You might drop lower next time? So what. No matter what your score is, you¡¯ll be able to do whatever you want.¡¯ Even if I were thest in my ss instead of second, he would have said the same thing. ¡®I will make sure you can do whatever you want no matter what.¡¯ The next exam, I was first in the whole school. Until I graduated high school, I didn¡¯t allow any other ranking. I nced over at Hong Seok-young. Oh Hyun-wook and Lee Seung-yeon were knocked out. Students with still unfamiliar faces were rushing towards Hong Seok-young. Hong Seok-young smiled brightly and, holding a reed, tapped the heads of the kids one by one. Whether he had infused it with mana or not, the reed was firm and unbending. ¡°The timing was perfect! But you know what went wrong, right?¡± ¡°Icked power.¡± ¡°I was a bit slow.¡± ¡°The coordination wasn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more for me to say then? That¡¯s the right attitude! Shall we try once more?¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s teaching philosophy was simple. Praise what¡¯s done well. Praise even what¡¯s not done well. Under his teaching, Hunter Academy flourished. So there¡¯s nothing wrong with doing it like him. It¡¯s a teaching philosophy that¡¯s been proven for twenty years. I cleared my throat and looked at Park Seo-hyun. She was clutching the stack of papers tightly and eyeing me warily. ¡°Ahem. Okay. I get it. You must have your own thoughts.¡± Remember. Compliments! ¡°Do it your way. If you want to show meter, juste find me.¡± A smile is best. I¡¯ve never been told I had a bad impression. ¡°I also find that working alone helps me focus better.¡± While I¡¯m at it, I need to boost her confidence too. She¡¯s feeling down because of the mistake she made in Myeong-dong. ¡°Myeong¡­¡± I shouldn¡¯t bring up Myeong-dong, right. ¡°Ahem, in my opinion, you have talent. You could be an Archmage. From my experience, Archmages don¡¯t like being interrupted because they¡¯re stubborn from a young age.¡± It¡¯s really hard to cater to these kids. I wonder how the director managed to say these things so easily. Making up more words was getting tiring, and I thought this was enough, so I looked at Park Seo-hyun. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What is this? The atmosphere feels strange. For some reason, a chilling wind blew from somewhere. Gulp. Choi Jin-woo swallowed hard. He seemed very tense. ¡­What is it? ¡°¡­Sniff.¡± Park Seo-hyun sniffled. What¡¯s going on? Is she crying? No, right? Could she be so moved that she¡¯s tearing up? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Fuck. I¡¯m not an idiot, I can sense this cold atmosphere. No, but I can¡¯t understand at all. Why? Why on earth? ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­..¡± Park Seo-hyun lowered her head deeply. But she couldn¡¯t hide her trembling voice. She hesitantly held out the stack of papers she was clutching to me. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ have you check it¡­¡­..¡± ¡°No, I said you can do it your way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Do it your way. It¡¯s most important that you¡¯refortable.¡± ¡°I did wrong¡­.¡± What is it, really! Did I say something wrong? Was it me? I mean, is it wrong to givepliments!!! * * * Park Seo-hyun sniffled until the end of school. Choi Jin-woo kept his mouth shut and just watched me. I still couldn¡¯t figure out what the problem was. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today!¡± Before I could figure out the reason, ss ended. Commuting to and from the pilot high school is primitive. There are no good dormitories like at the Hunter Academy, so Hong Seok-young drives a van and drops the kids off at a nearby vige about an hour away. For themute, he gathers the kids in that vige and brings them to school by bus. When Hong Seok-young stops the car, the parents whoe to pick up their children take them home. It¡¯s the same for Lee Seung-yeon. Though they don¡¯t seem like family, a man in a grand suit greets Lee Seung-yeon politely. ¡°See you tomorrow, teacher!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± The kids who have troublemuting use the lodging that Hong Seok-young has arranged, which serves as a dormitory. It¡¯s a much better ce than the inn room he got for my lodging. How did he convince people to send their kids to such a poor school? If it were me, I¡¯d have reported it as a scam. It must be because of the name Hong Seok-young. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the dormitory, teacher?¡± ¡°I have something to do, so I¡¯ll be inte. I¡¯ll check if you¡¯re there, so don¡¯t wander around. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The remaining dormitory studentsughed and greeted me. Among them was Park Seo-hyun. ¡­Now that I think about it, I was too swayed by Park Seo-hyun. I shouldn¡¯t have only paid attention to Park Seo-hyun; I should have looked after the other kids too. This is because Hong Seok-young barely introduced me and didn¡¯t even do a proper round of introductions. After thest remaining dormitory students said goodbye and disappeared, Hong Seok-young turned to look at me. It was the most serious face I had seen sinceing to the past. ¡°About the ce you mentioned with a lot of children.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Recently.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes shone more sharply than ever. ¡°There have been more child abduction cases.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°The targets are mainly children of the awakened individuals.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t even ask for ransom. They don¡¯t care about witnesses either. There were cases where they kidnapped children right off the main road.¡± Wind slowly gathered around Hong Seok-young. It was a bitterly cold wind, sharp enough to cut flesh. Mana gathering. ¡°Is it there?¡± Chapter 16 - New Student (2) Chapter 16: New Student (2) TL: SHW The Ark is a cult. No, it is not a religion. Despite its name, the Ark actually detests religion. It¡¯s more like a pseudo-scientific group that believes only they can lead humanity to a better path. For a group, they suspiciously had a lot of money and suspiciously good operational abilities. I remember their history being quite long. However, as Hong Seok-young mentioned, they got caught because they kidnapped children. I don¡¯t know why the Ark, which had been cautiously operating underground, suddenly decided to kidnap the children of awakened ones. Even after searching the Mana Watch, there was no information on why they did it. Anyway, thanks to that, an investigation was conducted, and hunters, led by Hong Seok-young, discovered the researchb I was in. The hunters destroyed theb¡­ And the kidnapped children safely returned to their families. That¡¯s what matters. A happy ending. ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying you don¡¯t know now, are you?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°There are parts I need to exin clearly.¡± Judging by the reaction, it¡¯s clear they don¡¯t know. It¡¯s better to tell them now than to be scoldedter. But¡­ Was there really this little information just a year before I was rescued? Even if contact with the insider was cut off¡­ Even if they relied on information from Mr. Kim and the unknown original insider¡­ Did something happen in the meantime that changed the situation? Or is he pretending not to know? ¡°You don¡¯t think there are only kidnapped children, do you?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s a superb act. Hong Seok-young is good at being nonchnt, but deceiving people is a different field. This man has no talent for it, just as much as he does for sitting still. The turbulent mana calmed down. Fortunately, there were no people around. ¡°How much do you know about the Ark?¡± The Ark operates in a cellr structure. Researchbs andpanies securing funds do not know about each other¡¯s existence unless necessary for their tasks. Very few know theplete organizational chart. The kidnapping incident was probably a solo act by the researchb. I remember theb director ranting about something. What was it? It¡¯s such an old memory¡­. ¡°No matter how much you think you know, it¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg. The Ark¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about.¡± Hong Seok-young cut me off. Hmm. An unexpected reaction. ¡°We appreciate the information you provided through Mr. Kim. But what we do with that information is our issue. The same goes for the information about the Ark.¡± In other words, this is where my jurisdiction ends. Understood. This is the extent of my credibility for now. What they want from me is information about the organization. Whether it¡¯s information they already know or new information, deciding what to do with it is Hong Seok-young¡¯s responsibility. Alright. Let¡¯s take a detour. No need to arouse unnecessary suspicion. ¡°Got it. Then.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯ve given you a lot of leeway, right?¡± In other words, don¡¯t push your luck. Even though I asked him to make the runes public, he¡¯s still cautious¡­ maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t disclosed many runes yet. Well, hunters should be most wary of advance and deferred payments. Aren¡¯t those the words most spoken by scammers who rip off hunters? ¡°I don¡¯t expect much either.¡± I said, counting off on my fingers one by one. ¡°First, save the children.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to list that as a condition. We¡¯ll do it anyway.¡± ¡°¡­Well, the definition of ¡®many¡¯ varies from person to person, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°You might think it¡¯s just a few¡­ but it¡¯s not only the kidnapped children. As I just mentioned.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Among the institutions managed by the Ark, there are several orphanages.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There are quite a few. Even just the ones I know. There are probably more that I don¡¯t know about.¡± Hong Seok-young quickly understood what I was saying. The mana that had calmed down began to stir again. It¡¯s a good thing there are no people around. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Take me with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This is the main point. Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°Take you with us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Let¡¯s think about this for a moment. Saying this makes me seem like a terrible person, but at this time, there were more urgent matters than investigating a missing persons case. Guild unification, mana stone supply stabilization¡­ things like Dungeon Breaks. It was an era where Dungeon Breaks happened frequently. The government tried its best to minimize the damage, but if it could be solved through effort, many issues would have been resolved sooner. Dungeon Breaks, regardless of the dungeon grade, are disasters. There were countless casualties and missing persons. Even if children were kidnapped openly by the roadside, within a month, the issue would be forgotten due to a Dungeon Break. It was a cold era where no one paid attention even if a civilian¡¯s child was kidnapped. But this means¡­ Even in such circumstances, this kidnapping case is important enough to move the nation. Is it because the continuous child disappearances stirred up public sentiment? It¡¯s not impossible. But a more usible answer is¡­ Maybe one of the kidnapped children is the child of someone important. Unfortunately, the Director did not list the personal details of the kidnapped children in the report, iming the need to protect them. Honestly, there are some guesses I can make. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Are you just going to rescue the children and be done with it? Without checking the researchb? It¡¯s one of the top research facilities within the Ark. If you hesitate even a bit, they will destroy the data themselves.¡± I spoke calmly. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to waste time, can we? Don¡¯t you need a guide?¡± ¡°Do you really need to go yourself? Can¡¯t you just exin?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to even open the door without me.¡± I can¡¯t keep carrying just the identity of an insider or escapee. For the future, I need to be a conscientious and highly cooperative whistleblower. Moreover¡­ it would be good to add the setting of a victim with an unfortunate past. The Ark will serve as the scapegoat for that. It¡¯s convenient when there¡¯s an obviously bad guy. You can me everything on them. ¡°You escaped, didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t know what kind of door it is, but now you won¡¯t be able to open it either, right?¡± ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t have prepared for that?¡± ¡°Then you can just tell us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a method only I can use.¡± I¡¯m stillcking a decisive blow¡­ I need to appeal emotionally here. That will work better with this person. ¡°And¡­.¡± I avoided Hong Seok-young¡¯s gaze with a sorrowful expression. ¡°There¡¯s someone I need to find.¡± It¡¯s not a lie. Really. It¡¯s not a lie. I need to find young Woo Hwijae. To see if he¡¯s here. It¡¯s a problem if he¡¯s not, and it¡¯s a problem if he is. But either way, I can¡¯t just ignore it. ¡°To see if¡­ he¡¯s safe.¡± Ah, it¡¯s really not a lie. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s face hardened. But the mana remained calm. There¡¯s nothing more honest than mana. I can consider him half-convinced already. A story that will drive the final nail in the coffin¡­ ¡°Alright.¡± Hong Seok-young spoke before I could say more. He gave an answer sooner than I expected. ¡°Having a guide would be more reliable. Alright. We¡¯ll take you too.¡± I thought more persuasion would be needed. This easily? I thought he would provoke me to reveal my true intentions, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Hong Seok-young agreed neatly. Well, it might be because he¡¯s much younger than thest time I saw him. Or perhaps he¡¯s confident that he can subdue me no matter what I do. He¡¯s the strongest hunter in South Korea. He should have that level of confidence. ¡°But it will take some time.¡± ¡°Time? How long?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. ¡°It seems better to call a few more people rather than moving alone. If you wait a few days, I can gather some reliable folks.¡± ¡°People you can trust?¡± ¡°What do you take me for?¡± Hong Seok-young scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t mess around when ites to kids.¡± That¡¯s something I know well. It¡¯s not an urgent matter, so it¡¯s fine. The kids aren¡¯t being tortured there, so they can endure a few more days without seeing their parents. ¡°Understood.¡± * * * And so, the sses continued. Park Seo-hyun was still gloomy, and Choi Jin-woo, who had been warmly asking questions at first, now cautiously watched my reactions. ¡­What went wrong? I¡¯m still praising them. ¡°Teacher!¡± My savior was Lee Seung-yeon. Lee Seung-yeon was the only one who kept circling around me, trying to act friendly. Thanks to him, I was able to greet other students from the pilot high school whose names I didn¡¯t know. One student following Lee Seung-yeon hesitated and greeted me when our eyes met. ¡°What are you doing here? Where are Seo-hyun and Jin-woo?¡± I pointed behind me. The two young mages were focused, cing rune-drawn papers on the floor. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re still drawing? It¡¯s lunchtime. Have they eaten? Shouldn¡¯t they eat first?¡± I silently pointed to the lunch boxes scattered under the parasol. If they choose to shorten their break time to practice, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. A teacher should praise students who study by themselves. And¡­ they¡¯re progressing faster than expected. Some might think copying runes is simple, but without the correction function of a mana pen, mages need more than just drawing skills to draw runes. The constant use of mana also causes significant fatigue. Even if I tell them to take it easy, they don¡¯t listen¡­. Is this the power of praise? At first, it was awkward for me to givepliments since I had never done it before, but now it¡¯s bing second nature. If I had known it was this effective, I should have done it for the Ability Management Agency people too. Instead of tormenting them with rejected reports¡­. No, it wasn¡¯t torment. As a superior, I was justifiably pointing out my subordinates¡¯ mistakes. If they didn¡¯t like it, they should have done it right from the beginning or surpassed me in rank. I¡¯m getting off track. Anyway, the two are following along better than I thought. It might be time to teach them the next rune. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re mages¡­ I can¡¯t sit in one ce for that long.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re a swordsman, right?¡± ¡°Yes! But why doesn¡¯t Teacher Woo carry a sword?¡± ¡°Your principal said not to carry weapons at school.¡± ¡°Aw¡­ I wanted to see that sword up close.¡± Come to think of it, if young Woo Hwijae could be here, could Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword be here too? Another sword of this caliber¡­? While the sword isn¡¯t my main weapon, but I¡¯m tempted. Screech!! While chatting with Lee Seung-yeon, building rapport. A car entered the empty lot, kicking up a cloud of dust. A bright yellow sports car, covered in dust from the dirt road. Hearing the sound, Hong Seok-young emerged from the container. Click. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± A woman wearing sunsses was in the driver¡¯s seat of the sports car. She got out of the car and took off her sunsses. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me the road would be this bad! I would¡¯ve brought a different car!¡± Several yearster, Archmage Kim Chae-min, who would die trying to save a B-rank hunter foolishly attempting to capture an S-rank monster, appeared at the Hunter Training Pilot High School. ¡­Undoubtedly, this is something that originally did not happen. Chapter 17 - New Student (3) Chapter 17: New Student (3) TL: SHW [Kim Chae-min ¨C S-rank (Archmage)] [ss ¨C Druid] [Master ¨C Kim Kang-yeon (Father)] [Disciple ¨C None] [Unique Magic ¨C Blooming Rose Vines (3rd Stage)] [Died in battle with Siren on July 9, 2024] * * * ¡°Oh my, it really is a school! You even have uniforms?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I heard about it but¡­ You were serious?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t joke about things involving kids.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only natural.¡± Kim Chae-min smiled brightly. Dressed in a bright dress fitting the sunny weather, Kim Chae-min strolled alongside Hong Seok-young. Hong Seok-young, like a proud principal boasting about his outstanding students, was introducing Kim Chae-min to various corners of the school. Come to think of it, he is the principal. ¡­But with only three containers, what exactly is he boasting about? ¡°I came because Hunter Hong asked, but¡­¡± ¡°Have you thought about my proposal?¡± ¡°Is that the first thing you ask?¡± Kim Chae-min chuckled softly. ¡°I can teach the kids some basic mana handling techniques, but you know anything beyond that is tough, right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any disciples, do you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min nced at the two young mages sneakily watching from under a parasol. ¡°Like any other magic, my magic especially needs the right attribute match. But those two don¡¯t seem to have the right aptitude.¡± ¡°You can tell that right away?¡± ¡°At my level, it¡¯s obvious at a nce.¡± Kim Chae-min pointed at Park Seo-hyun. ¡°And that girl is Park No-kyung¡¯s granddaughter, right? Then she must already know quite a bit of magic.¡± ¡°Seo-hyun? But she¡¯s still an inexperienced mage. I don¡¯t really know how to teach mages¡­.¡± ¡°In her case, there¡¯s not much I can teach her. If just sharing my mana handling know-how is fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be grateful even for just that.¡± Kim Chae-min shook her head as if it was hopeless. ¡°You said this was rted to Ark¡­ Was this why you called me to the school?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better this way? And it¡¯s not entirely unrted.¡± Hong Seok-young looked at me. Only then did Kim Chae-min, realizing my presence, widen her eyes. ¡°Oh! Is that him? The person who was standing on the rooftop back then!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Hello.¡± ¡°Oh my, what were you doing there? Moreover¡­ do you work here?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s how it turned out. I¡¯m Woo Hwijae, teaching those kids over there.¡± ¡°Those kids¡­?¡± Kim Chae-min tilted her head. Probably because I pointed at the mages sitting under the parasol. ¡°Um¡­ are you a mage? In Myeong-dong, weren¡¯t you holding¡­ a sword?¡± To be precise, I don¡¯t actually use a sword. But while swords and spears are somewhat rted, magic is an entirely different field. ¡°Teacher Woo is not a mage.¡± Hong Seok-young interrupted with a mischievous grin. ¡­Somehow, this feels unsettling. Why is he smiling like that? ¡°What? Then how do you¡­ What do you teach?¡± Kim Chae-min looked confusedly between me and the young mages. I stayed quiet, not understanding Hong Seok-young¡¯s intention. Hong Seok-young¡¯s grin grew more ominous. ¡°Teacher Woo knows something even more amazing.¡± ¡°Something¡­ more amazing?¡± ¡°Yes. Something only mages can do.¡± Kim Chae-min¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°Are you talking about unique magic?!¡± Well, it¡¯s true that only mages can do that¡­ Hong Seok-young just kept grinning mischievously without answering. Watching others in trouble is entertaining, even if it¡¯s unpleasant when it happens to me. Since I intended to reveal it anyway, I told Hong Seok-young to use it if he wanted. But I didn¡¯t expect him to bring in a mage directly like this. I didn¡¯t expect it, but. Hmm. Alright. It¡¯s fine. Not bad. Crisis brings opportunity. Even so, Kim Chae-min is the name at the top of my list. I was just trying to focus on Park Seo-hyun right in front of me since I had no way to contact her immediately. I¡¯m just grateful she¡¯s been handed to me like this. Plus, he mentioned ARK too, right? She¡¯s probably one of the Hunters he said he¡¯d call in. If she¡¯s an Archmage, she¡¯s more than sufficient. Wait, can I expect more from this? Surely he didn¡¯t just call Kim Chae-min. There must be more, right? The rest must also be formidable Hunters? ¡°It¡¯s not unique magic.¡± I corrected before Kim Chae-min¡¯s misunderstanding grew. ¡°I¡¯m teaching those kids runes.¡± ¡°¡­Runes?¡± Kim Chae-min stuttered, clearly confused. Considering the current status of runes, it speaks to Kim Chae-min¡¯s character that she isn¡¯t openlyughing. That¡¯s also a pass. Character is important. ¡°Uh¡­ Well, Hunter Hong and you might not know because you¡¯re not mages¡­.¡± Look at her trying to choose her words carefully to avoid hurting feelings. This is the hallmark of a true Hunter. ¡°Are you saying runes are trash?¡± ¡°Ah, no! Not trash exactly!¡± But they are pretty much useless. I shrugged. It¡¯s understandable to think that way. ¡°It¡¯s faster if I show you. Just a moment¡­. Park Seo-hyun! Choi Jin-woo!¡± Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo looked up, startled. ¡°Bring what you¡¯ve drawn.¡± Both hurriedly gathered the papers scattered on the parasol table. Even Park Seo-hyun, who used to be awkward, is now pretty good at having her runes checked by me. Though she still flinches asionally when our eyes meet¡­ I finally understood why Park Seo-hyun initially reacted strangely. She grew up in a grandparent household, right? Her grandfather must have been stingy with praise. And I¡¯m not exactlyfortable with giving praise either. It¡¯s natural to be flustered when two awkward people interact. If I keep praising her, Park Seo-hyun will get used to it. ¡°Is this¡­ a rune?¡± Kim Chae-min was surprised as she looked at the runes the two had brought over. The runes Kim Chae-min knows are primitive. But the runes taught by the incredibly kind French Archmage that I passed on to the kids are ornate,plex, and downright bizarre. I selected a few and gave the kids brief feedback. ¡°This one, Choi Jin-woo, you drew it, right? I told you to stop extending this part. It shouldn¡¯t be a habit.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun. You¡­¡± Praise! Praise!!!! ¡°Well done. I can see thepletion level improving. But I think I mentioned this in the morning. Be confident in your lines.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± The durability rune is the first question on the Rune Introduction midterm at the Hunter Academy. Since the creation of the Rune Introduction course, this has never changed. That¡¯s how important the rune is. I didn¡¯t think they could draw runes with such highpletion levels within a week. From what Lee Seung-yeon said, they practice hard even after school. It¡¯s not good for mages to focus too much on runes. A mage¡¯s primary job is magic, after all. Well, they¡¯re still kids. ¡°The drawings all pass. Just be careful with what I mentioned. So, shall we check?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The kids answered energetically. Kim Chae-min asked, bewildered from the side. ¡°What are we checking? What kind of runes are these? I¡¯ve never seen suchplicated runes¡­.¡± ¡°Just wait and see, Hunter Kim.¡± Over the past few days, the students, ustomed to the rune sses for mages, naturally gathered in a corner, leaving the open space. Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo ced the runes they had drawn on the ground. Choi Jin-woo moved his hand quickly. It¡¯s one of themon spells. Creating sparks to light a fire, but with a few additional forms¡­. Whoosh! ¡­You can easily create a pir of fire. ¡°Wha-what¡¯s this? Why fire!¡± Kim Chae-min was the only one startled. The ground where the runes were ced was aze. Since it¡¯s ordinary fire, there¡¯s no one who could get hurt here where there are only hunters. Next was Park Seo-hyun. Park Seo-hyun¡¯s spell form was much shorter. But its power was not inferior. Water began to fall onto the fire that Choi Jin-woo had started. What began as a small drop quickly turned into a heavy downpour. The pooled water turned into waves, sweeping away the fire in the open space. Only the papers with runes drawn on them remained scattered on the ground where fire and water had passed. I snapped my fingers. Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun quickly collected the runes. ¡°Next.¡± Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun stuffed the dripping runes into their uniform pockets. Normally, doing that would ruin the runes. But. ¡°Huh, huh? W-wait a minute!¡± Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun created small lights at their fingertips. The glowing orbs, like fireflies, were difficult to see clearly due to the surrounding brightness. But it was magic. Magic uses mana. So, mana should be felt from Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun. ¡°What? Why is there no mana? How? How did you do it?!¡± However, not a trace of mana could be felt from the two. Hong Seok-young chuckled and pulled the rune paper from Choi Jin-woo¡¯s pocket. Kim Chae-min¡¯s eyes, which seemed like they couldn¡¯t get any wider, did. ¡°That? That thing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rune.¡± ¡°A rune?¡± ¡°Teacher Woo calls it a Mana Concealment Rune.¡± ¡°Mana Concealment?¡± ¡°Yes. It performs exactly as its name suggests.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min snatched the rune paper from Hong Seok-young¡¯s hand. Although it was thoroughly crumpled, the rune itself wasn¡¯t erased. Kim Chae-min scrutinized the paper with a fierce expression. Then she looked at me. ¡°Um¡­ You¡¯re Woo Hwijae, right? Did you make this?¡± ¡°No. Someone I know made it.¡± ¡°¡­But you knew about it and taught it to the kids, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Taught¡­ Do you know other runes? Ones simr to this?¡± ¡°The effects are different, but I do know others.¡± Kim Chae-min alternated her gaze between the rune paper, my face, and the faces of Hong Seok-young and the two mages. ¡°Hunter Hong.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You said this was a school, right?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Are you epting new students?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh?¡± Hong Seok-young blinked nkly. Kim Chae-min grabbed Hong Seok-young by the cor. ¡°I want to enroll here.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Then I can learn those runes too, right?¡± ¡°Huuuh?¡± * * * ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this effective.¡± Hong Seok-young handed me a paper cup of mixed coffee. ¡°So you nned this?¡± ¡°Of course. I need a reliable mage for use in dungeons, and Hunter Kim is perfect.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it also because you thought she would be suitable for teaching mages since she has no disciples?¡± ¡°That was part of it too.¡± It was just incredibly effective. I have no objections. It¡¯s like a pumpkin rolled into myp, why would I oppose it? Rather, things are going so well that I¡¯m worried. Usually, when things go this smoothly, something tends to go wrong somewhere. Hong Seok-young handed a few sheets of paper to Kim Chae-min, who was still scrutinizing the rune paper beside me. The text at the top caught my eye. Employment Contract. Of course, we couldn¡¯t ept Kim Chae-min as a new student, so she joined as a magic teacher. ¡­It seems even an Archmage can¡¯t escape that ve contract. ¡°Hunter Kim. Read this, and let me know if there¡¯s anything you want to change.¡± I didn¡¯t get such an offer. ¡°Hunter Kim? Hunter Kim Chae-min?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Oh, it¡¯s fine. Just let me attend the rune sses too. Or have Hwijae draw me a rune each time.¡± ¡°What about sry and stuff like that?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not in need of money. It¡¯s fine. Use it to cover the costs of teaching the kids.¡± ¡­? ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, as long as Hwijae¡ªno, Teacher Woo teaches me runes.¡± ¡°Alright? Then I look forward to working with you, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I sighed deeply and gulped down the mixed coffee. Let¡¯s think of this as an investment for the future. When else would I have the opportunity to have an Archmage as a disciple? ¡°Please take care of me!¡± ¡°¡­I look forward to working with you.¡± Wait, doesn¡¯t this mean we need to renegotiate my sry? What does it mean that my sses are herpensation? Then give her sry to me! Chapter 18 - Basements 5th Floor (1) Chapter 18: Basement¡¯s 5th Floor (1) TL: SHW May 15, 2021. 23:10. Gyeonggi-do. An abandoned training center. People dressed in ck were moving quickly in the darkness. ¡°¡­Where did you bring those people from?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­.¡± ¡°Shhh!!!¡± He won¡¯t let me say anything. I looked at Kim Chae-min, who was also dressed in ck and holding a finger to her lips at me. Gesturing at me to be quiet again, Kim Chae-min frowned and red at the darkened training center building. The building, unused for a long time, could hardly be called nice even as an emptypliment. The first floor walls and the parking lot were miserably destroyed, possibly due to a dungeon opening nearby. That wasn¡¯t all. The windows were all broken as if someone had deliberately shattered them, and the doors were wrapped in rusty chains¡­. In horror movies, this is the kind of ce where clueless kids wander in and get cursed and killed. Kim Chae-min shuddered. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m weak against this kind of thing.¡± She tells me not to speak, but then¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t even go into dungeons like this.¡± ¡°How can you be an Archmage and say that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m an Archmage, I can choose my work.¡± ¡­That makes sense. No. This isn¡¯t the time for idle chatter. I looked at Hong Seok-young, who was standing a bit away. He was talking on his cell phone. I looked back at the training center. No matter how you tried to frame it nicely, it was a ruin. There was no sign of life at all. Even Hong Seok-young asked me to confirm the location several times after hearing it. But this is the ce. This is the researchb where I was. Well, to be precise, it was one of the researchbs I was in. But this is where I stayed the longest and until the end. It was one of thergest in the Ark. ¡°Preparations areplete.¡± Hong Seok-young hung up and sauntered over. I looked at him with suspicious eyes. ¡°Who are those people?¡± ¡°Employees of someone trustworthy.¡± That¡¯s a strange descriptor. ¡°Sounds like someone you shouldn¡¯t trust.¡± ¡°No. In that field, they¡¯re thorough. You can trust them.¡± ¡°Who exactly?¡± If it were the police, they wouldn¡¯t move so secretively. Those movements clearly belonged to Hunters. And trained ones at that. Their coordinated movements were not for dungeon raids. They were more like a special forces unit about to storm in. There¡¯s no Management Agency. At this time, who on earth would use Hunters like this? It¡¯s a waste of manpower. Hong Seok-young¡¯s cell phone shed. He checked it. ¡°We¡¯ll go in first after 20 minutes.¡± Kim Chae-min and I nodded. ¡°The goal is to locate the kids. If possible, block escape routes. If we can get any important information before they destroy it, that would be great. Capturing someone who looks important beforehand is also¡­ well, fine. After roughly doing that, send the signal to overturn theb.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just saying to do everything?¡± ¡°These situations call for improvisation.¡± Hong Seok-young handed me a sword. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. I hadn¡¯t held it in a long time. Of course, the Mana Control Device on my ankle was still there. Hong Seok-young warned me. ¡°I¡¯m giving it back because there might be a fight. You won¡¯t have to draw it since I¡¯ll be beside you.¡± Kim Chae-min looked at me and Hong Seok-young alternately with a somewhat puzzled face but said nothing. I didn¡¯t speak because the situation wasn¡¯t appropriate, and Hong Seok-young pretended not to notice. Once we go inside, it will be evident. Or they might have already figured it out since they know I provided the location. Alright. Let¡¯s focus. From now on, I am Woo Hwijae, the whistleblower of Ark. Hah¡­. Haven¡¯t I fallen too far? How did I climb up to that position? I might as well create the Management Agency myself and take the Director¡¯s seat¡­. No, then I¡¯d have to go through all the hell the Director went through. If I¡¯m going to wear the title, there are better positions. One thing I learned while being under the Director was that the principal of the Hunter Academy is surprisingly a cushy job. The principal is also a public servant, so money steadilyes in, and everyone recognizes and treats you well as the principal of the academy. How many great Hunterse from the academy? Just thinking about the gifts thate to the Director every Teacher¡¯s Day¡­. Right. Let¡¯s be the principal. I¡¯ll create the Management Agency, kick that old man out, and be the principal of the academy. Anyway, I¡¯m already teaching kids and an Archmage, so bing a principal shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. ¡°Hmm? Teacher Woo, you need to focus.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m focused.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s tense, but hang in there a little longer.¡± For some reason, Hong Seok-young looked at me with pitying eyes. I got goosebumps all over. ¡­What? ¡°It¡¯s only natural to worry about your younger brother. But we¡¯vee this far, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Oh my, younger brother?¡± ¡°Younger brother?¡± Kim Chae-min was startled, and I also looked at Hong Seok-young with a dazed face. ¡°Yes, younger brother.¡± Younger brother? I don¡¯t have such a thing, or maybe the unknown member whose identity I borrowed has one. Was it one of the pieces of information Kim provided? This isn¡¯t good. ¡°Thanks for trusting me. We will bring your brother out safely.¡± It¡¯s fortunate that Hong Seok-young misunderstood on his own without me having to exin. I quickly recalled what I had said before. ¡­I had spoken vaguely enough that there wasn¡¯t anything particrly suspicious. But I added information about the insider from Kim. Did he want to leave the organization to save his brother? I felt that responding with half-knowledge would be counterproductive, so I changed the subject. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time yet? Let¡¯s go in.¡± * * * Ssss¡­. Kim Chae-min¡¯s vines crawled along the floor. Besides simply capturing monsters, Kim Chae-min¡¯s vines had many functions. For instance, they could explore within their range. Kim Chae-min opened her eyes, which had been closed. ¡°I don¡¯t detect anything.¡± ¡°Nothing at all?¡± ¡°Yes. There are some small insects, but norger life forms. No surveince cameras either¡­. Is this really the ce?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Kim Chae-min cautiously nced at me. She¡¯s been like that ever since the younger brother topic came up. ¡°Can¡¯t you sense anything underground either?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± I frowned. The Ark wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to reveal theb facilities immediately upon entry. The training center was in an isted mountain area and was private property, so space was secured through illegal construction. The children were in the deepest part. I had never met Kim Chae-min when she was alive. But like other Hunters, Archmages had abilities that were hard to consider human. Even though Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t have much experience as a Hunter, an Archmage is still an Archmage. For Kim Chae-min to miss something¡­. Was the Ark¡¯s preparation that thorough? ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± ¡°What? Wait!¡± Hong Seok-young grabbed me. He didn¡¯t use Mana. I smoothly evaded Hong Seok-young¡¯s hand. Kim Chae-min¡¯s vine, still crawling on the ground, flinched and moved aside. I stood in front of the main entrance of the training center. It was locked with thick chains and a padlock. I gripped the sword. The padlock was big but crude. There was no need to use Mana. Though I wasn¡¯t entirely used to using a sword, I wasn¡¯tpletely ipetent either. Besides, I trusted Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. To be precise, I trusted its performance. Yoo Ji-eun had used the sword more like a club. Yet, its edge never dulled. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword was always sharp. If the weapon is good, you can get by effortlessly. Whoosh. Snap. Just once. The chain was cut. I caught it before it made a loud noise and gently ced it down. Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min approached and stood behind me. Screech. I opened the door. Despite the umted dust, it opened smoothly. The inside was a mess, too. Dust, garbage, and stones were everywhere. It was as if the training center was shouting in my ear that no one was there. I won¡¯t be fooled. It¡¯s a ce so familiar that I could find my way around with my eyes closed. Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min are following me. I walked deeper into the training center. The elevator. I need to find the elevator. The training center is a building with floors underground and six floors above ground. I heard it was mainly used as a training center for arge corporation when it was in good condition. There are three elevators because it used to amodate many people at once. The one in the middle. I forced the doors open by twisting them with my sword. Dust billowed out. I won¡¯t be fooled. I entered the elevator. Numbers appeared. I pressed the button. 6. 6. 6. 5. 1. 2. 6. 6. 3. 4. B1. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No response. ¡°Damn.¡± The elevator should have power for it to work. I rushed out of the elevator. If this elevator doesn¡¯t work, I need to try another method. This is the outer entrance. If they noticed us, this would be the first ce they¡¯d block. ¡°Teacher Woo!¡± ¡°Teacher Woo!¡± I found the stairs. Dust rose thickly with my footsteps. There were no tricks in the central staircase where many people once walked. I was looking for the emergency stairs. The ce mainly used by employees. Next to it was the freight elevator. I forced the door open. There was a button here too. I raised my hand. If there was power, the numbers should light up when I ced my palm on it. Again, no response. I pressed the button. In reverse order from the entrance elevator. Starting from B1. 4. 3. 6. 6. 2. 1. 5. 6. 6. 6. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This is the Ark¡¯sb. It had to be the Ark¡¯sb. The ce where a much younger version of the old man rescued young Woo Hwijae and other children. It had to be that world. There are many works that deal with time travel in the world. Movies where you go back in time to help your parents fall in love to prevent yourself from disappearing. Or changing the past and ending upmitting suicide before you¡¯re even born¡­. Maybe that¡¯s not quite right. Anyway, the protagonists of such works usually take one of two actions. Preserve the past to protect the future. Or change the past to dream of a new future. However, another ssic movie suggests a different possibility for the current situation. Parallel worlds. What if this ce isn¡¯t my past? What if it¡¯s another world? A world where I can¡¯t use the information on the Mana Watch, where all the future I know doesn¡¯t exist from the start? No. From the moment I woke up in Myeong-dong, I changed the past. So is this the world that ten-year-old Woo Hwijae experienced? Or is it a new world? ¡­I don¡¯t know. I probably won¡¯t ever know. But I believe this ce is my past. For that to be true, this has to be the Ark¡¯sb. In my timeline, it was. Ding. An incongruously cheerful bell sound rang. The elevator button blinked and lit up. The elevator spoke. [Wee.] I never thought I¡¯d be so d to hear that damn voice it almost brought me to tears. Chapter 19 - Basements 5th Floor (2) Chapter 19: Basement¡¯s 5th Floor (2) TL: SHW [Please enter the code.] The light in the elevator flickered. Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min quickly entered the elevator. ¡°Is this the secret entrance?¡± ¡°Code? What code is it talking about?¡± ¡°Is this why you said you needed to be here?¡± It¡¯s annoying how close they are to me. I pushed the two away and pressed the elevator buttons to enter the code. After a moment, the elevator spoke. [Confirmed.] [Please press the floor you want to go to.] ¡°How many floors are there?¡± I answered while pressing 5. ¡°Down to the 5th basement floor.¡± Clunk. Creak¡­. The elevator slowly descended. Every time it clunked, the lights flickered. Kim Chae-min looked at the lights with uneasy eyes. ¡°Is it safe to ride this? It¡¯s not going to fall, right?¡± ¡°Even if it falls, you won¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°What about my psychological trauma?¡± ¡°From now on, use the stairs instead of the elevator.¡± Kim Chae-min red at me with a dumbfounded expression. But I didn¡¯t have time to care about Kim Chae-min. The fact that the elevator was working was good. The fact that the code I entered worked was also good. But why was the elevator clunking like this? As if¡­ As if the power had been cut off. On the surface, it looked like a haunted abandoned building, but the basement operated as a researchb was different. From the 2nd to the 5th basement floors. Ark had an unusual amount of money, so they didn¡¯t spare any expense on research. There were a lot of equipment that looked extremely expensive even to my young eyes. Pale lights with no warmth and coldly shining machines. Researchers walking around in whiteb coats¡­. Ark continued to operate here until just before Hong Seok-young¡¯s attack. I had been to many of Ark¡¯s other researchbs, but I spent the longest time here. Was it about two years? At this point in time, Ark would be in full swing with their research. They wouldn¡¯t leave the elevator lights flickering like this. The head of the researchb was particrly strict about such things. ¡°But, Teacher Woo. This doesn¡¯t look like a back door. Are we really sneaking in secretly?¡± When the number indicating the floor changed to 4, Hong Seok-young asked. I looked at Hong Seok-young with a face that seemed to ask why he would ask such a thing. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°¡­Then is it okay for us to enter this way?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be okay?¡± Hong Seok-young mumbled and closed his mouth. Shaking his head, Hong Seok-young approached the elevator door. This slow elevator still hadn¡¯t reached the 5th basement floor. ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s unnecessary worry with me around.¡± ¡°Exactly. Hunter Hong will take care of everything.¡± ¡°Then there was no need to call the others, right? I could just go around and smack each one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I responded calmly. ¡°Why did you gather so many people then?¡± [5th basement floor.] It wasn¡¯t until we heard the monotonous voice of the elevator that Hong Seok-young realized what he had just asked about. He was wondering if the Ark¡¯s people would be on guard, wasn¡¯t he? But judging by the lobby elevator not working, probably¡­ [The doors are opening.] ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min hesitated with surprised faces. I also pushed them aside and got off the elevator with a puzzled expression. I expected this from the moment the elevator clunked. It was just surprising that it wasn¡¯t much different from my expectation. An empty hallway. It was full of signs of a hurried escape as if they had fled in the night. Equipment that they hadn¡¯t managed to clear out were piled up like mountains on one side of the hallway. The only light was the flickering one seeping out from the elevator. *** Click. Click click. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s working.¡± The shlight turned on. ¡°¡­What are you doing, leaving the Archmage out? I can just light it up with magic.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why did you bring me along? You won¡¯t even let me use magic?¡± ¡°Did I bring you? He brought you along as he pleased.¡± ¡°I told you to call me teacher. Why do you still act like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an employee, not your student.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that even teachers call each other teacher?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh. Now that you have nothing to say, you want to go? Fine, fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± The three of them started walking. The young man holding the shlight started walking ahead, seemingly acting as the guide. He spoke to the woman following behind him with a sullen face. ¡°They¡¯ve activated the emergency protocol. The mana might be unstable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an Archmage, you know? I can tell immediately if mana is unstable.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you can.¡± The man replied indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the official name, but everyone calls it the Pompeii Project.¡± ¡°Pompeii Project?¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯d leave the house without any security measures? They probably drew runes that react to mana in hidden ces. If they detect mana¡­¡± The man briefly sped his hands together and then spread them apart. It was obvious what that gesture meant. An explosion. The woman swallowed hard. ¡°¡­Runes can do that?¡± ¡°Runes aren¡¯t that versatile. They just made the switch with runes, and ced a bomb.¡± ¡°A switch? A switch¡­ Do you know that rune too?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The woman smiled brightly. The middle-aged man following at the back shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s good to be eager to learn, but¡­ let¡¯s focus now. Even if it¡¯s an empty house, there might be something worth salvaging.¡± The man looked around the hallway. ¡°Teacher Woo, is this really theb?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it is.¡± Woo Hwijae shone the shlight on a door. Perhaps because they had evacuated in a hurry, many of the interior doors were left unlocked. While checking for any possible traps, Woo Hwijae shone the shlight inside the room. It was just as cluttered as the hallway. Overturned desks and bookshelves. A bucket with partially burnt documents, as if they had tried to destroy them. Even though they left no trace, there were still things that could be discerned. ¡°There¡¯s no dust. It probably hasn¡¯t been long since they left. They didn¡¯tpletely destroy the ce, so they mighte back.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know why they left? Are you sure they didn¡¯t know you wereing?¡± Woo Hwijae shook his head. ¡°No. That¡¯s unlikely¡­ If that were the case, they wouldn¡¯t have left so cleanly.¡± Woo Hwijae led the two deeper inside. ¡°They usually wouldn¡¯t move locations easily because of the kids¡­.¡± ¡°Because of the kids?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know what that experiment is about either. But it¡¯s extremely restrictive in terms of environment. It¡¯s a sort of¡­.¡± Other rooms looked simr to the first. There were cages with animal carcasses, likely used in experiments. Due to the dry environment, there was no rotting smell. Woo Hwijae exited the room and checked another ce, speaking as he went. ¡°¡­Clean room? It¡¯s not a real clean room, but they made it simr, severely limiting the kids¡¯ contact with the outside.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt the children, did they?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that kind of experiment¡­. At most, they just drew some blood.¡± But there was no certainty in Woo Hwijae¡¯s voice as he said this. There was no helping it. In the past that Woo Hwijae knew, there had never been a night escape by Ark! ¡®This is definitely something that didn¡¯t happen.¡¯ I nced at Kim Chae-min. It was also true that Kim Chae-min joining as a teacher at Pilot High School hadn¡¯t happened. And someone like Woo Hwijae, who had returned from the future, wouldn¡¯t have existed originally. So, what has changed? If this isn¡¯t another world, there must be a reason. If there¡¯s a reason, we just need to find it. Before I knew it, we had reached the innermost part. From the 2nd to the 4th basement floors were mostly dormitories or storage for the researchers. They can be checkedter. ¡°This door is locked?¡± ¡°It looks different, doesn¡¯t it! This one has double doors and looks grand.¡± Kim Chae-min was right. It was arge iron door that seemed to scream there was something significant inside. Hong Seok-young knocked on the door to check. ¡°It looks quite thick. Should I force it open?¡± ¡°What if this door has the runes Teacher Woo mentioned? I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡­Why are they doing this to me? I let out a tant sigh and then pushed Kim Chae-min and Hong Seok-young aside. What was the code here? There was a keypad next to the door for entering the security code. Even though the power to the entire researchb had been cut, the security system should still work just like the elevator did. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s gaze was intense. He was probably fervently contemting what my position within Ark might have been. Originally, I hadn¡¯t intended to reveal this much. If theb had been functioning properly, Hong Seok-young would have searched and beaten people up on his own while I stood by. But now, I also needed to gather information. If I¡¯m going to be suspected no matter what I do, it¡¯s better to assert that I was a big deal. I told you, if you¡¯re going to stand out, do it decisively. No, does this make me look too scheming? I¡¯m the victim here. Beep. Clunk. The door opened. Just as Hong Seok-young mentioned, it was a thick iron door. It was thick enough to remain intact even if the researchb exploded due to the Pompeii Project. Whirr¡­ Click. The lights turned on as we entered. I turned off my shlight. It was just as empty here. Since they had cleared out the outside so thoroughly, there was no way they left this part untouched. Theputers werepletely removed, leaving none behind. The desks were also clean and empty. But they did leave something behind. ¡°This ce¡­.¡± I could hear Kim Chae-min gulp audibly. Hong Seok-young ground his teeth. Past the empty desks, further in. The innermost part of theb. The deepest part where they kept the children. An entire wall was made of ss. Specifically, it was one-way ss that allowed us to see inside but prevented those inside from seeing out. I lightly brushed the ss with my fingertip. Thanks to the lights being on inside the room, we could see the interior without any difficulty. Soft mats on the floor. Rumpled nkets. Toy-like dolls. Fairy tale books. Bunk beds against one wall. A painting of Ark on the opposite wall. An overturned ship using a rusted sword as its mast. ¡°¡­I feel like throwing up.¡± Kim Chae-min muttered with a pale face. Hong Seok-young¡¯s hand was bulging with veins. I decided to inform them of a new fact. ¡°This room isn¡¯t part of the Pompeii Project.¡± This is the most important facility, it can¡¯t be destroyed. ¡°Really?¡± Hong Seok-young responded nonchntly and then swung his fist. ng! The ss shattered into pieces. From the center to the ends. Fine cracks formed like a spider web and thenpletely copsed. It was a spectacle. I had seen this from the inside before. Afraid that the children would get hurt, the man had used his crazy mana control to dull the edges of the shattered ss. Now, without the children around, he didn¡¯t show such finesse. But¡­. The sharp fragments of ss, for some reason, felt a bit¡­ Crunch. I stepped into the room over the broken ss. The ss pieces I stepped on. For some reason, they felt a little¡­ pleasant. Chapter 20 - Basements 5th Floor (3) Chapter 20: Basement¡¯s 5th Floor (3) TL: SHW It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but the ten-year-old me during this time was a bit¡­ how should I put it? A creepy kid. No, I wasn¡¯t a gloomy or uncontrobly violent child. I was just¡­ quick-witted. The children who were kidnapped cried for their mothers, but those from the orphanage did not. I wasn¡¯t one of them either. Those kids quickly assessed the situation and acted ordingly. They tried their best not to provoke the researchers, knowing that no matter how cheeky a child was, being thrown into an underground space with no windows would scare them. But I was different. I went a step further. The researchers who constantly observed the children ying and took notes were quite unpleasant. Sometimes, they would curse at the kids who refused to take their medicine or snatch away their toys and scold them. But watching them closely, one had to realize one thing. They didn¡¯t inflict violence on the children. They would make them sit quietly in a chair during ytime or write letters of reflection, but they didn¡¯t deprive them of food, keep them from sleeping, or physically punish them. Why? I guess they couldn¡¯t let the children get hurt. The reason didn¡¯t matter. The fact that they didn¡¯t hit us was what mattered. There were a few other kids besides me who noticed this. Gathering those kids¡­ what I did was, I incited them. It sounds strange to say incited, but I didn¡¯t do anything that grand. We just demanded new toys or snacks. Eventually, they couldn¡¯t win against the kids and ended up putting a TV in the room and showing us movies. Of course, I got caught soon enough since we were under 24-hour surveince. But what could they do? If the precious samples demanded it, they had to give us more snacks. So the head researcher hated me immensely. If he could, he would¡¯ve hit me. Luckily, before he could hit me, the old man hit him instead. Seeing this room brings back a flood of old memories. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± As I wandered around the room, Kim Chae-min stepped over the broken ss and approached me. ¡°I think¡­ it might be here.¡± Evidence that the younger me was here. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Here¡­¡± Among the children kidnapped and engulfed in emotional distress, there were a few peculiar ones. One of them imed her father was awyer. Saying evidence was important in such matters, she started writing a diary on paper used for coloring games. She said it would be useful in courtter. The researchers didn¡¯t care that much. To them, it was more important that the kids didn¡¯t whine, stayed healthy, and took their medicine well. She hid the diary under the mattress. Honestly, I can¡¯t even remember her face properly now, and back then, I just thought she was a weird kid. But it was fun to give her advice sometimes. Write this. Write that. I¡¯ll testify, so write that the head researcher hit the kids. ¡®Dad said witnesses mustn¡¯t lie.¡¯ ¡®Then write that he hit them.¡¯ ¡®But we don¡¯t get hit.¡¯ ¡®Sometimes other researchers kicked us, right?¡¯ ¡®Well¡­ that¡¯s true, but.¡¯ ¡®Just write that the head researcher keeps hitting people and it¡¯s scary. That way, it¡¯s not a lie.¡¯ I don¡¯t know if that diary actually helped in courtter. I just hated the head researcher so much that I wanted to give him a hard time in any way possible. Anyway, most of the diary was written by her, but sometimes I added a few lines. This is important. ¡®¡­The director is getting irritated. He says something¡¯s gone wrong in the dungeon. Why am I writing this?¡¯ ¡®Because if the head researcher runs awayter, we need this kind of information to catch him.¡¯ As I keep saying, I really hated the head researcher¡­ Among the kids at the researchb, few stayed as long as I did. Thanks to that, I knew more than the others. So if little Woo Hwijae was here, he would have definitely written it down. What kind of shit the head researcher pulled on the day theb was abandoned. I walked towards the bunk bed attached to the wall. It hit me only then how naturally I was moving. Should I have hesitated a bit? No. It¡¯s toote to turn back now. Let¡¯s push through confidently. I searched under the mattress. It was easy to find since it was obvious where the kids would hide things. Why did the researchers leave this alone? They probably thought it wouldn¡¯t matter whatever the kids did. Idiots. Kim Chae-min subtly approached me. ¡°Did the kids write this?¡± ¡°What did the kids write?¡± Hong Seok-young, who had been scanning the room with a displeased look, btedly came over. I spread the papers on the floor and said, ¡°There was a kid who wrote a diary.¡± ¡°Your younger brother?¡± ¡°No.¡± Where is it? Where? It should be here. It has to be here. ¡­¡­ ¡°There it is.¡± ¡°What?¡± My childhood handwriting. I used to be confident about my handwriting, but now it looked messy and crooked. I was here too. That¡¯s enough. ¡°What is it? Wait, oh, this¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hunter Hong, take a look at this.¡± Kim Chae-min pointed at a page of the diary. I btedly looked at the diary Kim Chae-min was indicating. Thewyer¡¯s kid¡¯s writings were of no substance. That¡¯s not what Kim Chae-min was pointing at. She was pointing at the small writing in the corner, written by my younger self. Hong Seok-young frowned. ¡°¡­The head researcher smashed the TV. He couldn¡¯t break theputer because it was expensive, but he had toe here and break the TV. Annoying. The kids were scared. I had just calmed them down. They said the dungeon failed. What does that have to do with us?¡± Dungeon? I don¡¯t remember writing something like that. When was this? What¡¯s the date on the diary entry? ¡°Why does it matter to us what happens to the Myeong-dong dungeon? I just wish they would rece the TV quickly.¡± The date written on the paper. April 5th. ¡­The day I traveled to the past. The day the Myeong-dong Dungeon Break happened. ¡°¡­.Teacher Woo.¡± Hong Seok-young called me quietly. ¡°Do you know what it means that the Myeong-dong dungeon¡­ failed?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯d like to know as well.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my confusion as I spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happens in other institutions¡­. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Really? Who wrote this diary?¡± ¡°The diary itself¡­.¡± I blinked. ¡°The diary itself was written by a kidnapped child.¡± ¡°This part here? It looks like it was written by a different kid.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± My hesitation was brief. ¡°I told them to write down anything unusual.¡± ¡°¡­Who, your brother?¡± ¡°I just wanted to give them something to focus on¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes softened slightly. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t always be by their side, in situations like now when we¡¯re separated, I wanted them to leave information for me.¡± ¡°Your brother seems quite smart.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kim Chae-min flipped through the papers. ¡°This looks like thest diary entry. It¡¯s from a week ago.¡± Thewyer¡¯s kid didn¡¯t write on that day. But my younger self did. [May 7th] [Lab relocation] [Reason unknown. Heard the head researcher talking about a dungeon incident in Songpa District] And there was a hastily added note. [Seems like someone escaped] * * * Click. Click. ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s a dead end?¡± Click. The woman, chewing gum with a snide noise, tilted her head side to side while standing at an angle. Her appearance, dressed only in a ck cloth suit, starkly contrasted with the armed Hunters standing on either side. The woman extended her hand sideways. A Hunter standing nearby naturally took out a handkerchief from his chest and ced it on her hand. She spat her gum into the handkerchief and handed it back to the Hunter. That sight of her treating the Hunters like her house servants. Even if you didn¡¯t know her face, there¡¯s only one name thates to mind seeing such arrogance. In retrospect, it was obvious. There¡¯s only one woman in South Korea who treats Hunters like her private soldiers. Lee Mi-seon. The master of the Daseon Guild and the youngest daughter of Dayeon Group¡¯s owner. Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s aunt. She was the same when she was young. If anything, she had restrained herself more as she got older. ¡°Well, strictly speaking, it¡¯s not aplete bust.¡± Hong Seok-young replied with a sly smile. ¡°The information is urate.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no substance, though, no substance.¡± Lee Mi-seon crossed her arms with a displeased face. ¡°This is problematic, Hunter Hong. This is not what we agreed on.¡± ¡°If this wasn¡¯t their researchb, that would be the case. But look around. Does this ce look like just an abandoned training facility? This is the real deal. The genuine Ark researchb.¡± Lee Mi-seon couldn¡¯t deny that. Whatever deal she had with Hong Seok-young, she seemed to think she couldn¡¯t back down now and frowned. ¡°If there were anything left here, I wouldn¡¯t be saying this.¡± ¡°So¡­.¡± ¡°Master. All the bombs have been removed.¡± ¡°Really? Good job.¡± Lee Mi-seon lightly tapped her foot. Then she took out a stic container from her pocket and tapped it on her palm. Gum. She started chewing gum again. ¡°Seeing you beating around the bush¡­ it seems like there¡¯s something you haven¡¯t told me. What is it?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hong Seok-young smirked and looked at me. Naturally, Lee Mi-seon¡¯s gaze turned towards me. No, I wanted to be introduced through Lee Seung-yeon. That would have been more favorable to me. Lee Mi-seon gestured to the Hunters standing around. ¡°Since the adults have things to discuss, go check if there¡¯s anything salvageable.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The Hunters quietly withdrew. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± How should I put it? How old would Lee Mi-seon be twenty years from now? Over fifty? She still gave the impression of bossing her guild members around back then, but not to this extent. Having seen many Hunters at the Ability Management Agency, I know. Hunters are creatures who think they are something great despite having nothing in their heads. Every year, there are several Hunters who don¡¯t even listen to the Director¡­. That says it all. Sometimes, we even receive reports of guild members stabbing each other. That¡¯s what Hunters are. But how did Lee Mi-seon manage to keep her position as a guild master for twenty years without being stabbed even once? Even Oh Hyun-wook got stabbed twice! Since the Director always dealt with Lee Mi-seon, I didn¡¯t know much about her. So I hadn¡¯t given it much thought. But looking at her now¡­ could it be that Lee Mi-seon is truly an exceptional talent? Born as the youngest daughter of a conglomerate family, with not bad talents of her own¡­. And having minions to push all the troublesome tasks onto. ¡°Well. Are we done now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a sensitive issue at hand.¡± ¡°Sensitive? How much?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young looked at me and Kim Chae-min. ¡°Have you finished sorting everything?¡± I shrugged and waved a stack of papers. Kim Chae-min did the same. ¡°We finished a while ago.¡± We handed over the selected diaries to Hong Seok-young. It included the pages written by my younger self. Lee Mi-seon frowned. ¡°You said there was nothing?¡± ¡°There was nothing left by the researchers.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something left by a kidnapped child. Specifically, here, Teacher Woo¡¯s younger brother.¡± ¡°Younger brother?¡± Hong Seok-young handed the problematic diary pages to Lee Mi-seon. The one mentioning the Myeong-dong dungeon. Lee Mi-seon read the diary with a puzzled expression. Her face quickly twisted. ¡°Myeong-dong dungeon? Failure? What the hell does this mean?¡± Chapter 21 - Basements 5th Floor (4) Chapter 21: Basement¡¯s 5th Floor (4) TL: SHW Two dayster. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No.¡± It¡¯s peaceful. The events at the training center feels like a lie. Could it actually be a lie? Could all of this be a huge dream happening inside my brain? ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Just sitting.¡± No, I asked what you are doing. A girl with straight, short hair was crouched in a corner of the yground. The girl, who had been staring intently at my face for a long time, seemed to get bored and lowered her head to look at the dirt ground. An ant was passing by. ¡­What? ¡°Are you watching the ant?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Then?¡± ¡°Just sitting.¡± Seriously, what is this¡­. Lee Mi-seon was like this at the training center too. She looked at me with strange eyes but never spoke to me directly. Did Hong Seok-young tell Lee Mi-seon about me? Judging by how she bbered about Ark, it seems like Lee Mi-seon is somehow involved in this too. I don¡¯t remember seeing her name in the reports rted to Ark. Did I miss something? Could she dislike the fact that an unknown guy saved her niece? Anyway, Lee Mi-seon said she would investigate the training center further, and Hong Seok-young took Kim Chae-min and me out. And now here we are. Peaceful¡­ reed field and a girl with short hair. ¡°¡­Understand?¡± Kim Chae-min, sitting under a parasol, was teaching two young mages. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t consider mana as just a simple force. Especially for us mages. In some ways, it¡¯s as important as oxygen.¡± A new staff member joining has finally brought a timetable to this so-called school. Isn¡¯t it amazing? It¡¯s been over two months since the school opened, and there wasn¡¯t a timetable until now? If I were a parent, I wouldn¡¯t send my kid here. But I am not the parent of the short-haired girl, and like the other kids, the poor short-haired girl was going crazy in this school. ¡°Where is Lee Seung-yeon? Why are you alone?¡± In the end, I spoke to the short-haired girl again. She usually sticks close to Lee Seung-yeon, but today she was alone. I had nothing to do, and I needed to slowly get closer to the other kids besides the mages. As the weather got hotter, the kids¡¯ clothes changed too. The long-sleeved uniforms and gym clothes turned into short sleeves. Normally, gym clothes don¡¯t have name tags, but the short-haired girl had a name tag on her gym uniform sleeve. Soon Soon-jin. A unique name you can¡¯t forget once you hear it. Since I don¡¯t remember it, she must be one of the kids who died early or quit. Judging by how she performed in Hong Seok-young¡¯s ss, her skills aren¡¯t bad¡­. ¡°It¡¯s a strategy.¡± The problem is her curt way of speaking. I looked at Lee Seung-yeon. Earlier, he seemed to be training with Hong Seok-young, but now he was fighting with Oh Hyun-wook. Where did that old man go, leaving the kids alone? ¡°Strategy?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t beat Oh Hyun-wook with just the two of us.¡± Soon Soon-jin still spoke while looking at the ant. Oh Hyun-wook is a guaranteed talent. Like other famous Hunters, his talent stood out from a young age. It¡¯s hard to believe he will be so fat in ten years that he¡¯ll earn the nickname ¡®pig¡¯, given his current skinny frame and agile movements¡­. Compared to him, the others? If we exclude Yoo Hye-eun, who is a healer¡­. To be brutally honest, they have no potential, and frankly speaking, they are just average. Notpletelycking, but how should I put it. Still, Soon Soon-jin is a talent that will definitely shine if well-trained. Her skills of exploiting her small frame to attack the opponent¡¯s blind spots are still rough. But if well-polished, she will be very useful when dealing with humanoid monsters. Monsters like the Minotaur in the Myeong-dong Dungeon, which are huge, aren¡¯t hard to deal with. Any random attack works on them. The truly troublesome ones are the humanoid monsters. The difficulty spikes when they have special mechanics like the Siren that killed Kim Chae-min. That¡¯s exactly why a Hunter like Soon Soon-jin is needed when dealing with those kinds of enemies. ¡°Um, teacher.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Could you stop watching them¡­.¡± ¡°Them?¡± I tilted my head and looked at Soon Soon-jin. She briefly looked up at me before quietly averting her eyes again. Hmm. Next to Soon Soon-jin¡¯s feet was a short wooden sword. I see. Lee Seung-yeon and Oh Hyun-wook, who had been fighting at the edge of the clearing, were slowly getting closer to this side. So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on. ¡°Whose idea is this?¡± ¡°¡­Seung-yeon said we should try it this way.¡± ¡°I think this method will work better.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Want me to help with the timing?¡± ¡°No.¡± Soon Soon-jin shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s only meaningful if I do this myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯smendable.¡± It¡¯s an attitude many adult Hunters should learn from. Soon, the timing Soon Soon-jin was waiting for arrived. Soon Soon-jin knew it too. She quietly moved her hand to grasp the wooden sword. See, this kid is quite something¡­. She has a good eye. Soon Soon-jin nced at me. Her yful wink made me chuckle. Are all high schoolers of this era like this? Soon Soon-jin, gripping the wooden sword,unched herself from her sitting position. Her target was Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s neck, which Lee Seung-yeon had been diligently pushing towards us. Barely audible footfalls and swift movements put her right behind Oh Hyun-wook in an instant. But Oh Hyun-wook wasn¡¯t just going to take it quietly. Sensing Soon Soon-jin¡¯s presence, he twisted his waist from his position where he was about to attack Lee Seung-yeon. He leaned back almost to the ground and spread his legs for bnce. Soon Soon-jin¡¯s sword swiped through where Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s head had just been, and Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s sword swung through where his waist had been. ¡°Shit, Soon Soon-jin!¡± Oh Hyun-wook nted his hands on the ground and flipped backward to create distance. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Soon Soon-jin withdrew her sword, looking slightly disappointed. ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± ¡°How is that cheating?¡± Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what the teacher said? In a dungeon, you never know what might happen.¡± ¡°Wow. Seriously, this is unbelievable.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re mad, why don¡¯t you team up with someone else?¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Oh Hyun-wook looked at Lee Seung-yeon and Soon Soon-jin with an incredulous expression. At that moment. A pitch-ck SUV entered the demonstration field. It drew attention in a different waypared to Kim Chae-min¡¯s bright yellow sports car. Though it didn¡¯t enter the field as aggressively as Kim Chae-min¡¯s, the SUV smoothly circled the field, changed direction, and stopped in front of us. More precisely, it stopped in front of the confrontational Lee Seung-yeon, Oh Hyun-wook, and Soon Soon-jin. A man I had never seen before got out from the driver¡¯s seat. He was armed. Just as I was about to ask his purpose while sending the kids back, the man turned around and opened the backseat door. Click. A woman, who had roughly tied her hair into a ponytail and was dressed in a ck suit like the one I saw at the training center, stepped out, gracefully epting the man¡¯s escort. She wasn¡¯t chewing gum this time. Lee Seung-yeon recognized her first. ¡°Aunt!¡± ¡°Are you doing well, kid?¡± Lee Seung-yeon immediately frowned. ¡°I told you not to call me that!¡± It must be embarrassing to be called ¡®kid¡¯ in front of friends. ¡°If I don¡¯t call you ¡®kid,¡¯ what should I call you?¡± Of course, Lee Mi-seon pretended not to hear Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s words. Instead, she looked at Soon Soon-jin with a pleased expression. ¡°Soon-jin, you gotten better in such a short time.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve been practicing a lot¡­.¡± Soon Soon-jin answered, twisting her body awkwardly. ¡­Did she eat something wrong? What¡¯s with that behavior? ¡°Good thing I left you with Hunter Hong. Keep up the good work. Oh, if only our youngest were half as diligent as you.¡± ¡°Ah, Aunt!¡± ¡°I spoiled him too much, so he gives up the moment things get tough¡­. A boy needs to have some perseverance.¡± Lee Mi-seon let out a dramatic sigh and then looked at Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Hyun-wook, you¡¯ve grown taller already? Our youngest is still stuck to the ground¡­. I noticed your movements have improved too. How about joining our guild? Your noona will treat you well.¡± ¡°Stop calling yourself noona. You¡¯re an ahjumma.¡± ¡°Hey, kid.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± Lee Seung-yeon was left speechless by his aunt¡¯s sudden attack. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember your elementary school days? That girl¡­ What was her name? Yeon-gyeong, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Whoa! Stop! Aunt, stop it!!¡± ¡°If you had listened to your aunt¡¯s advice, you wouldn¡¯t have been dumped by her¡­.¡± ¡°Aunt!!¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a single person in our family who hasn¡¯t had a romantic rtionship. You know your dad and mom got so sick of dating each other that they ended up getting married, right? They say blood runs thicker than water, so why are you like this?¡± Lee Seung-yeon pouted and muttered. ¡°Because I take after you, Aunt.¡± ¡°Youngest.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I choose not to date, but you can¡¯t get a date.¡± ¡°People who can¡¯t date always say that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Youngest, you,e here right now!¡± I had heard a lot about how Lee Mi-seon adored her youngest nephew. But¡­ the scene unfolding before my eyes was just that of an ordinary aunt and nephew. It was so normal that it was almost strange. Lee Mi-seon had conducted several charity projects under Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s name. I thought their rtionship was more affectionate¡­. Or maybe? Is their rtionship so good that it appears ordinary? If only I had an aunt, I would know. ¡­Still, it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant scene. Lee Mi-seon seemed much more humanpared to her grumbling self at the training center. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± Hong Seok-young, hearing themotion outside, came out of the staff room container and greeted her. Kim Chae-min had also stealthily approached nearby. Behind Kim Chae-min, like goldfish poop, were Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo. Hong Seok-young checked the time. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s lunchtime! Since Seung-yeon¡¯s aunt brought lunch, everyone say thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Teacher Woo and Teacher Lee, pleasee in for a moment. We have something to discuss.¡± * * * As soon as Lee Mi-seon entered the staff room, she got straight to the point. ¡°I bid on that dungeon in Songpa District.¡± Bid? ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, given that the dungeon managementw might change after the Myeong-dong Dungeon incident¡­. But I had no choice. There¡¯s no other way to getpensated.¡± I suddenly understood what Lee Mi-seon was talking about. Currently, guilds bid for dungeons to manage them. It¡¯s also the most important way for the state to make money. As Lee Mi-seon said, once the Myeong-dong Dungeon issue is resolved, this bidding method will disappear. ¡°Still, everyone is being cautious, so I didn¡¯t spend much money. The newly opened dungeon has a low estimated grade¡­.¡± ¡°Is the grade not properly determined?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the Myeong-dong Dungeon broke out the day before. It¡¯s been dyed.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t gone inside yet?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve kept it sealed off from everyone.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s enter it as soon as possible¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon folded her arms and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°¡­The problem is the Myeong-dong Dungeon.¡± Everyone fell silent. The Myeong-dong Dungeon was closed by Hong Seok-young himself after defeating the Minotaur. Kim Chae-min was also there. ¡°We need to understand what it means for the dungeon to have failed¡­.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo, do you have any idea at all?¡± ¡°No. If I knew, I would¡¯ve said something by now.¡± Yesterday, I thoroughly searched through the Mana Watch. There wasn¡¯t any useful information. However, given how extensive the organization had spread, it¡¯s possible they had engaged in activities rted to dungeons. ¡°Hmm¡­. There¡¯s no way to deal with a dungeon that¡¯s already closed. Let¡¯s focus on the Songpa District dungeon first and then decide what to do.¡± The dungeon in Songpa District was the one where the centipedes crawled out, the Bangi-dong Dungeon. I wonder¡­ is there any way to close the dungeon early by linking it to the Ark? Chapter 22 - Business Ethics (1) Chapter 22: Business Ethics (1) TL: SHW [Lee Mi-seon ¨C A Cass] [Main Weapon ¨C Sword] [Master of Guild Daseon] [Board Member of Hunter Academy] [Chairman of Seungyeon Schrship Foundation] [Standing Committee Member of Pacific Dungeon Joint Countermeasures Committee] [Chairman of Hunter Rehabilitation Hospital] ¡­¡­ ¡­ * * * ¡°So, today¡­.¡± The eyes of the three mages sparkled. ¡­Honestly, Park Seo-hyun¡¯s eyes are hard to see. Sometimes, there are days when she lifts her bangs, but today doesn¡¯t seem to be one of those days. On the other hand, Kim Chae-min¡¯s whole body is screaming for runes to be taught right now. Considering how she acts with Hong Seok-young, I should be grateful she¡¯s not grabbing me by the cor. ¡°¡­Since all three of you are now familiar with the concealment runes and support runes, I thought I¡¯d teach you a new rune.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± Kim Chae-min raised her hand high. ¡°¡­What are you curious about, Ms. Kim?¡± ¡°How many runes do you know?¡± ¡°Why is that important?¡± ¡°As a student, it¡¯s natural to be curious about the skills of the teacher!¡± ¡°Teacher, you say.¡± I cringed. ¡°Please don¡¯t say scary things. I¡¯m not a mage, so I can¡¯t be your teacher, Ms. Kim.¡± At my words, Kim Chae-min made a hurt expression. Her eyes were smiling though. That¡¯s why mages are¡­. The rtionship between a mage teacher and student is a legally binding contract. There¡¯s a reason why it¡¯s trendy for mages to find students among their rtives. ¡°And as I keep saying, I don¡¯t know the principles of runes. I¡¯m just sharing what I know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± I replied and looked towards the back of the ssroom. Most of the kids who realized that rune sses weren¡¯t as fun as they thought ran away after the first lesson. No wonder, since the whole ss was about mages copying the runes I drew on the board. Lee Seung-yeon still showed up a few more times but stopped after the third time. Unexpectedly, Oh Hyun-wook kept attending the rune sses. He didn¡¯t show any particr interest nor did he listen attentively, but he showed up regrly. Even when I tried talking to him, he would only give short answers and leave, so I couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking. Ah¡­. Teenagers in puberty. Was I like that too? No, I wasn¡¯t. Anyway, Oh Hyun-wook attended the rune ss again today. Hong Seok-young was sitting next to Oh Hyun-wook. Ever since Kim Chae-min joined, there were days when he didn¡¯t feel the need to watch over the ss. Probably because having Hong Seok-young in the room meant all other sses would be disrupted. Today, he attended my ss after a while. Probably¡­. I shifted my gaze from Hong Seok-young. Pop. The annoyingly loud sound of gum chewing. Pop. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± When Lee Mi-seon met my eyes, she was startled and swallowed the gum. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s a habit. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Ah, okay¡­. My stomach twists at ying this unfamiliar role of a teacher. I barely managed to do the mandatory education for the Awakened. No¡­. If I think negatively, I¡¯ll just get endlessly depressed. Let¡¯s think positive thoughts. Remember your initial goal. Isn¡¯t it going smoothly? Even, there¡¯s a glimmer of hope to enter that damned Bangi-dong Dungeon! ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Let¡¯s focus and get on with the lesson. ¡°The rune I¡¯m teaching today¡­ I call it the shadow rune.¡± I nced at Park Seo-hyun. This is a rune she developed. It¡¯s just like her to create a rune like this. ¡°Let¡¯s draw it first.¡± * * * ¡®This man?¡¯ Late at night. When Lee Mi-seon first saw him in the closed training center, her first thought was, ¡®¡­He¡¯s handsome?¡¯ Is it because of her father¡¯s naggingtely to meet a man? With all the work she has, why a man? Besides, the men her father or mother brought as potential partners were all businessmen. Lee Mi-seon had no interest in men weaker than her. ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯ It was inevitable she¡¯d be curious about the man her cute nephew kept talking about every day. In a moment of life and death, he sacrificed himself to save my nephew. It¡¯s not hard to understand why my young nephew is so infatuated with him. Still, she wish he had some sense of caution. The way her brother and sister-inw doted on him shows in moments like this. She¡¯s not ungrateful for him saving her nephew. But that¡¯s one thing, and this is another. Even though Hong Seok-young praised him for saving students while escaping from Ark, calling him a decent guy¡­ But that old man is known for his generous praise, so it¡¯s hard to believe. A guy from that organization suddenly became good-hearted? Saving students? ¡®Isn¡¯t that suspicious to anyone?¡¯ Honestly, one of the reasons Hong Seok-young trusts others so easily is his skill. Who would dare think of swindling the best Hunter in South Korea? Even Lee Mi-seon wouldn¡¯t dare. Ah. Still, the story about his younger brother was unexpected. Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t shared that information with me until Lee Mi-seon heard it in the underground of the training center. It¡¯s suspicious if a guy who worked as an enforcer in an illegal organization saves kids for no reason, but it makes sense if there¡¯s a motive. Especially if it¡¯s to save his young brother? That¡¯s a motive anyone can understand instantly. It makes too much sense, which is why she still can¡¯t shake off her suspicion. ¡®Mi-seon.¡¯ ¡®What.¡¯ ¡®You distrust people too much. Sometimes there really are people who do good out of pure goodwill.¡¯ ¡®Who¡¯s saying otherwise?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m telling you to trust people.¡¯ Even her brother said something like that once. Lee Mi-seon was chewing her gum out loud when she met eyes with the man in question, Woo Hwijae. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Is he picking a fight with me? Lee Mi-seon, frowning, realized her mistake when she saw the two young mages and even Kim Chae-min watching her. Embarrassed, Lee Mi-seon swallowed her gum. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s a habit. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Only then did the eyes turn away from her. ¡®Speaking of runes¡­¡¯ She hade all the way to this remote ce because of Ark. As if she wasn¡¯t busy enough, they called her here for just that. She was boiling with annoyance. ¡®What¡¯s so great about a rune?¡¯ Even dragging out people connected to Ark? Because of Hong Seok-young¡¯s stubbornness, the cleanup always falls on her. Still, the fact that Kim Chae-min was attending the ss kept Lee Mi-seon there. Seeing the Archmage like this, there must be something to it. ¡°The rune I¡¯m teaching today¡­ I call it the shadow rune.¡± Woo Hwijae began slowly. He had a tall frame with broad shoulders. Not exactly a sculpted handsome guy, but not someone you see every day. He was wearing shabby sweats that looked like he bought them from a market, but overall, he looked more suited for desk work than wielding a sword. If he were dressed properly and stood as a secretary, he would fit right in without any awkwardness. Even though the Hunters in the guild were well-groomed, they were all fighters, so none of them quite met the mark. If even half of what my nephew said about Woo Hwijae was true, she¡¯d want to scout him for the guild¡­. ¡®¡­No, stop getting sidetracked.¡¯ Stress from not finding satisfactory new recruits for the guild was no small thing. In fact, that was the real reason she supported Hong Seok-young¡¯s pilot school project. While her nephew¡¯s education was part of it, she wanted to stably nurture talent. Soon Soon-jin was a child she had personally raised from a young age. ¡®Focus, focus.¡¯ When was thest time she sat in a ssroom? It¡¯s been over ten years, so it¡¯s no wonder she can¡¯t remember. Even back then, she avoided studying, and now to be in a ss again¡­ Woo Hwijae drew aplex diagram of shapes and symbols on the ckboard. Just looking at it made her head spin. This is a rune? Not just random scribbles? But Woo Hwijae spoke lightly. ¡°Easy, right?¡± ¡°You know that sounds annoying, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Easy and difficult are rtive concepts.¡± Woo Hwijae didn¡¯t flinch at Kim Chae-min¡¯sints. ¡°Isn¡¯t it simplerpared to the concealment rune and support rune?¡± ¡°Well, when you put it that way, it is.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find it¡¯s easier than you think once you start drawing it.¡± ¡°What effect does it have?¡± ¡°Try drawing it first.¡± ¡°What effect does it have?¡± ¡°Just draw it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell us?¡± ¡°That would spoil the fun.¡± Woo Hwijae casually addressed not only Kim Chae-min but also the other young mages. ¡°What are you all standing around for? Start drawing.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Their voices sounded oddly disciplined. Maybe he¡¯s a stricter teacher than she thought. Woo Hwijae nced back. Their eyes seemed to meet, but it happened so quickly that she couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡®Come to think of it, that man was an illegal Awakened.¡¯ Since he didn¡¯t even have a proper identity, it¡¯s understandable. So then. ¡®How skilled is he?¡¯ Lee Mi-seon shook her head as she recalled her nephew¡¯s testimony. She loved her nephew dearly, but he was at an age where he might make things up.The exploits of someone who saved his life would be blown out of proportion. If his skills were worth remembering, Hong Seok-young would have mentioned them. Of course, Lee Mi-seon never dreamed that Hong Seok-young might not have checked such basic details. ¡°How is it? Manageable to draw?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes.¡± Choi Jin-woo answered with a reluctant face. ¡°Since it¡¯s a simple rune, you should be able to draw it in one go.¡± Though she could only see their backs, somehow the young mages¡¯ postures seemed to speak volumes. ¡°There are so many runes you¡¯ll be learning. You can¡¯t spend days practicing each one, right? You¡¯re used to drawing runes by now, aren¡¯t you? Then you should practice doing it quickly.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°Draw the support rune over it. That¡¯s the final step for all runes.¡± The mages groaned as they drew the runes. It was a fascinating sight for Lee Mi-seon. Seeing mages drawing runes so diligently. By this point, she was starting to wonder what they were going to show. Once the runes werepleted, Woo Hwijae got Park Seo-hyun to stand up. ¡°Activate the rune.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Woo Hwijae said this rune was called the shadow rune. Lee Mi-seon watched with my arms crossed. While she didn¡¯t have high expectations, there had to be a reason why Hong Seok-young insisted on having her sit here. So then¡­. ¡°How is it? Do you understand its effect?¡± Lee Mi-seon blinked. Somehow, Park Seo-hyun appeared to have fadedpared to her surroundings. These were the eyes of an A-rank hunter.It wasn¡¯t her imagination that only Park Seo-hyun looked darker. Woo Hwijae turned off the ssroom lights and went to the window to lower the blinds. In the container ssroom, there was no other light source. The room quickly darkened. ¡°Still don¡¯t get it?¡± Woo Hwijae seemed to be enjoying this. Lee Mi-seon rubbed her eyes. Her vision was strange, like the time right before sunset when everything appears oddly dark. Especially Park Seo-hyun, holding the rune, blended into her surroundings as if her outline was erased. ¡°Simply put, this rune lets you blend with your shadow.¡± ¡°Shadow¡­?¡± Choi Jin-woo spoke with an uncertain voice. ¡°It¡¯s not very noticeable in bright ces¡­. But when it gets dark, the effect is dramatic.¡± Woo Hwijae raised the blinds. Park Seo-hyun became visible again. When Woo Hwijae took the rune from Park Seo-hyun and tore it, the change was even more pronounced. Park Seo-hyun looked at her own hand in wonder. ¡°How do you think you could use this rune?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± ¡°Ms. Kim? You must have an idea, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay not to know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here as a teacher. You¡¯ll learn gradually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, really.¡± Lee Mi-seon pondered Woo Hwijae¡¯s words. Blending into one¡¯s shadow? At first nce, it seemed useless, but the key was not in the light but in the dark. In a lightless dungeon¡­. Chewing her nails, Lee Mi-seon suddenly raised her head. There was something that caught her attention. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Woo.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What is the concealment rune you mentioned earlier?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s the mana concealment rune.¡± ¡°Mana concealment rune? Does it, by any chance, conceal mana?¡± ¡°Yes. It hides mana, just as its name suggests.¡± Woo Hwijae turned the question back on Lee Mi-seon. ¡°Didn¡¯t Seung-yeon tell you? It¡¯s what I used to save them in Myeong-dong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon slowly inhaled. She remembered her nephew¡¯s face, awkwardly changing the subject whenever he talked about what happened in Myeong-dong. She had been searching for a doctor who treats Hunters, thinking he might have trauma¡­! Lee Mi-seon abruptly stood up and grabbed Hong Seok-young by the cor. ¡°You¡¯ve already silenced my nephew?! You old man with no business ethics!!¡± Chapter 23 - Business Ethics (2) Chapter 23: Business Ethics (2) TL: SHW ¡°Be honest with me.¡± I red at Hong Seok-young, who couldn¡¯t stopughing even after the ss had ended. ¡°You¡¯re doing this because you find getting your cor grabbed amusing, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, ha. Why would that be the case?¡± ¡°Then why do you keep repeating the same pattern?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your cor, it¡¯s mine. So what¡¯s the problem?¡± His smirking face was oddly annoying. When I looked at him silently, Hong Seok-young finally wiped the smile off his face and spoke. ¡°Ahem. Teacher Kim is an Archmage, but honestly, she stillcks experience as a mage. Teacher Kim started her life as a Hunter after bing an Archmage, so it¡¯s only natural. It¡¯s rare, but it happens.¡± ¡°And what does that have to do with you¡­ teacher, getting grabbed by the cor?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean shecks reputation as an archmage. Did you know what I mean by that?¡± Hong Seok-young ignored my question. ¡°Did you know what I mean?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with the cor¡­?¡± ¡°Did you know what I mean?¡± I can¡¯t believe I have to deal with this nonsense even after traveling back in time. I sighed. ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± Hong Seok-young excitedly began to exin. ¡°Teacher Kim¡¯s master and father, Kim Kang-yeon, is an Archmage. Kim Kang-yeon also received teachings from his father. And who do you think Kim Kang-yeon¡¯s master, that is, Teacher Kim¡¯s grandfather, is?¡± ¡°¡­Who is he?¡± It¡¯s hard to make a living. But it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know. Even I don¡¯t have every Hunter¡¯s lineage memorized. By now, Kim Chae-min¡¯s father, who was her master, has been dead for a long time. Let alone her grandfather? Grandfather? But seeing Hong Seok-young talk so seriously, I must have missed something. What is it? Was there any special detail in Kim Chae-min¡¯s information? ¡°Archmage Kim Young-heon.¡± I frowned. It wasn¡¯t apletely unfamiliar name. If my memory is correct, Kim Young-heon was a mage who led the Druid magic school in our country. Any Academy student would have seen his name during mage exams. Of course, I wasn¡¯t an Academy student, so I only saw it while preparing for the civil service exam. ¡°Three generations of Archmages with the same attribute. This is rare even abroad. The magical legacy Teacher Kim inherited isn¡¯t just unique magic. She might still becking as Archmage Kim Chae-min, but the reputation of the Archmage family, which has continued for three generations, is already more than enough.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s a rune vouched for by an archmage from such a family. They won¡¯t be able to ignore your rune.¡± ¡°¡­Ignore?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been with Ark for a long time. So, you don¡¯t know how scary the outside world is. That¡¯s why you said to reveal the rune freely, right?¡± Is that¡­ the problem? Does it warrant Hong Seok-young clicking his tongue and looking at me with such pity? What¡¯s this? Why does this hurt my pride? Why is he looking at me like that? Who¡¯s been supporting him all this time? ¡°Those mage bastards are so vicious. Why do you think I brought Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°To teach the students?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s part of it, but no mage can ignore the knowledge umted over three generations. Since the conversation with Teacher Kim is somewhat settled, you don¡¯t need to worry. By the way, it was Teacher Kim¡¯s idea to include Hunter Lee too.¡± Hong Seok-young even mentioned the training center. ¡°At the training center, you erased the rune. Well, back then, there were other Hunters besides this one, so it was right to erase it.¡± I still don¡¯t get it. Can¡¯t we just reveal it? Is thisplicated process really necessary? Why? Seeing that I still didn¡¯t understand, Hong Seok-young sighed deeply. ¡°Teacher Woo, what do you think will happen if the rune is revealed?¡± ¡°The rune will be revealed?¡± ¡°Right. Then what will change?¡± What happened when the mana concealment rune was first revealed? The French Archmage shot to stardom. It changed the paradigm of dungeon raids. Of course, he was also attacked a lot. Mages felt their positions were being threatened. Ah. Is this what he means? But that¡¯s why I intended to use Hong Seok-young as a shield. ¡°Do you understand? Besides, didn¡¯t you say the rune was developed in Ark?¡± In Ark, runes were often used unlike outside¡­ I had a feeling things would get tangled if I made a mistake. Somehow, I had that premonition. I corrected Hong Seok-young¡¯s words. ¡°Some of them. Not the concealment rune.¡± Only release runes with confirmed developers. ¡°Really? Anyway, since Ark can track it, it¡¯s better to be cautious. If you want to save many people as you wish, you need to prepare from multiple angles.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Even if Lee Mi-seon acts prickly, she¡¯s smart. She¡¯d understand the value of the rune immediately. If she can¡¯t understand when it¡¯s spoon-fed to her, she shouldn¡¯t be a guild master.¡± Hong Seok-young said sharply. ¡°She knows a lot of people too, so she¡¯ll help. Didn¡¯t you save Seung-yeon anyway?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you call Hunter Lee Mi-seon because of the Bangi-dong Dungeon?¡± ¡°Partly. It saves time to handle it all at once.¡± Hong Seok-young shrugged. ¡°Anyway, with Teacher Kim and Hunter Lee, adding my name will ensure everything goes smoothly.¡± However, a fundamental question still remained for me. After a moment of contemtion, I asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be announced under my name. Why not just announce it under Teacher Kim Chae-min¡¯s name? As you said, with a family of three generations of Archmages, it would reduce troublesome matters significantly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You.¡± Hong Seok-young grabbed my shoulder firmly. ¡°You can¡¯t live like that.¡± What is he talking about? ¡°This is your achievement.¡± Seriously, what is he talking about? ¡°You and the mage you know. Teacher Woo, why do you think I have told the kids to keep quiet?¡± ¡°Hunter Lee¡­¡± ¡°No. The timing doesn¡¯t match. I was holding back the Minotaur, and the kids arrived at the defense line with the civilians.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°They made the decision on their own. Not to talk about it.¡± I don¡¯t get it. ¡°Why do you think the kids didn¡¯t even mention it to their families? Because your rune is an achievement that will remain in Hunter history forever.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I have business ethics too. I can¡¯t steal this from you.¡± If you put it like that, what am I supposed to be? I briefly thought of the face of the French Archmage. Since he¡¯s a kind-hearted person, he¡¯d understand, right? He would, wouldn¡¯t he? ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Hey. I told you not to live like that.¡± Hong Seok-young patted my back vigorously. He was trying to cheer me up, but every time my back hurt, my conscience ached too. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about anything. I¡¯ll make sure your name is etched in history books.¡± After the French Archmage¡¯s face, I also thought of adult Park Seo-hyun, who created the Shadow Rune. Then the faces of other mages and magic engineers who created runes that were useful¡­ And the royalties those thieves took¡­ ¡­ The French guy didn¡¯t take royalties, but I¡¯m nning to release the rune early to save more people as he wanted. I¡¯ve put a lot of thought into it. Park Seo-hyun also released the Shadow Rune for free, didn¡¯t she? And I¡¯m praising her for it now. So that¡¯s settled. The rest? How much royalty has the Ability Management Agency been offering up till now? That astronomical number. With that money, I could get new equipment for the Agency Hunters, build a new Hunter Academy building, and not have to beg Lee Mi-seon to donate¡­ I felt at ease. Since I¡¯m releasing it for free, those guys should be grateful to me. ¡°Got it.¡± I nodded. Hong Seok-young seemed bewildered by my sudden change in attitude. I still avoided the hand of Hong Seok-young, who was patting my back, and moved my body to the side before asking. ¡°But if you called Teacher Kim Chae-min and Hunter Lee Mi-seon with that intention, couldn¡¯t you have just exined it to them first and then brought them along? Showing the rune without saying anything first¡­¡± I squinted my eyes and looked at Hong Seok-young. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t enjoy getting your cor grabbed?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Hong Seok-young cleared his throat and looked away. ¡°No, well. It¡¯s just that seeing those usually meek kids get riled up and charge at me is fun.¡± What a bad personality. When I frowned, Hong Seok-young waved his hand frantically. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t re at me like that. Because of the rune you showed today, our Lee Mi-seon has been all fired up.¡± ¡°What I showed? The Shadow Rune?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon Daseon took over that was deemed unraidable. That rune might make it possible. She¡¯s probably racking her brain right now.¡± With a hint of suspicion, I asked Hong Seok-young. ¡°You¡¯re not nning to hire Hunter Lee Mi-seon as a teacher at the demonstration school, are you?¡± ¡°Huh? Would you like that?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve considered it, but¡­¡± Hong Seok-young answered while stroking his chin. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work since all the kids would be dragged off to Daseon after graduation.¡± ¡°No worries about employment then.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not an industry that should be worried about post-graduation employment rates, are we?¡± ¡°We should be lowering post-graduation mortality rates.¡± ¡°¡­Phew. That¡¯s a hard-hitting point. Let¡¯s take it easy, Teacher Woo.¡± Hong Seok-young shook his head and took a piece of bulgogi from my lunch box. The lunch break was just ending. * * * When I exited the container used as the teacher¡¯s office, an unexpected scene greeted me. ¡°Wh-what is this¡­?¡± It was so unexpected that even the usually unppable Hong Seok-young stuttered in surprise. ¡°Oh, are you done with your meal?¡± Lee Mi-seon, who was giving various instructions to the hunters, waved her hand. The hunters who had followed her were unloading ice coolers from an SUV. In the middle of the empty lot, there was a proper wooden parasol, not the stic one Hong Seok-young had picked up somewhere. And it wasn¡¯t just one. Around the parasols were sunbeds that looked like they belonged in a resort. While other kids stood awkwardly in the corner, Lee Seung-yeon and Soon Soon-jin were lying on the sunbeds with sunsses, enjoying the sunlight. Where on earth did they get all that¡­? ¡°This is a sacred school!¡± ¡°If you call a ce like this a school these days, you¡¯ll get reported.¡± ¡°I told you we¡¯re building a proper building next year, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Our Soon-jinis a girl, so rolling around in a ce like this will ruin her skin.¡± ¡°Auntie, what about me?¡± ¡°You¡­ Who are you again? Are you Soon-jin¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Auntie!¡± Ignoring her nephew¡¯s outcry, Lee Mi-seon spoke to the hunters. ¡°Is that thest box?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more left, Master.¡± ¡°Good. Arrange everything properly.¡± Now, a wooden coffee table wasing out of the SUV trunk. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed too big to fit in the car. As I stared nkly at it, Lee Mi-seon approached me slyly. ¡°I set up a pocket space.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ what?¡± ¡°A pocket space. It¡¯s not fullymercialized yet¡­ but since ourpany developed it, I¡¯m using it first. There¡¯s nothing better for carryingrge items.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± A pocket space big enough for furniture existed even at this time? Feeling somewhat betrayed, I looked at Lee Mi-seon. The money she received every year as rental fees for the pocket space¡­ Forget it. What¡¯s the point of bringing it up now? ¡°If you need it, let me know. It¡¯s tough to get it this big, but I can get you one backpack-sized at a discount.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± I already have one. It¡¯s in my pocket right now. I put the ID card from 2041 and the old man¡¯s dog tag inside. It looks just like a wallet from the outside and has a lock, so no one but me can open it. ¡°Let me know if you need er.¡± Lee Mi-seon tilted a stic container of gum onto her palm and then smiled brightly. Instead of chewing the gum, Lee Mi-seon tucked her stray hair behind her ear and extended her hand to me. ¡°We haven¡¯t formally introduced ourselves, have we? I¡¯m Lee Mi-seon. I¡¯m the master of the Daseon Guild, and currently, I¡¯m helping Hunter Hong with¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon nced at the kids. ¡°Various tasks.¡± Then, she lowered her voice and whispered softly so only I could hear. ¡°And I¡¯m nning to help Woo Hwijae with various things in the future as well.¡± Chapter 24 - Business Ethics (3) Chapter 24: Business Ethics (3) TL: SHW The essential rule to maintain a smooth professional life is to stay low-key. This way, the workload that falls on me is reduced. But I failed. It was inevitable. There was no way around it. From the beginning, the premise of being a time traveler was far-fetched. Doesn¡¯t it sound like a setup for a miserable life ending in a lonely death? ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your main weapon a sword, right?¡± Lee Seung-yeon and Soon Soon-jin, both holding wooden swords at their sides, approached me. I closed the notebook where I was drawing runes. It was something Lee Mi-seon had requested from me. ¡®Please reveal all the runes you have. No, what has Hunter Hong been doing without asking this?¡¯ Indeed¡­. I reflected on my actions. To just tell them to disclose things on their own without any guidance, and thenpletely wash my hands of it. This must be why Hong Seok-young suddenly started talking about my achievements andplicated things. ¡°Sword? No, I¡¯m¡­.¡± I can handle most weapons to some extent, but my main weapon is the spear. I almost answered without thinking but managed to stop myself. Since I awakened in my childhood, I learned how to fight from theold man. My main weapon became the spear because of him. If I use a spear, which is familiar in my hands, it will be obvious. If an insider of Ark moves exactly like Hong Seok-young, there is no excuse. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°By any chance, could you teach us?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°With the strongest hunter in South Korea around, you¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°But we use swords.¡± Although Hong Seok-young uses a spear, he can handle a sword quite well. He can defeat an average A-rank Hunter with his eyes closed, even with just a sword. That¡¯s Hong Seok-young. ¡°He said he might have to leave school often from now on, and told us to learn from you.¡± ¡°¡­From me?¡± Well, I guess it¡¯s not iprehensible. A Hunter of Hong Seok-young¡¯s caliber can¡¯t be tied down to teaching kids all the time. He¡¯s in his mid-forties now. If he were a civilian, his body would start breaking down, but as a Hunter, he¡¯s in his prime. He should be out raiding dungeons, not just teaching here. I told Lee Seung-yeon and Soon Soon-jinto wait for a moment and asked Hong Seok-young. ¡°Ah, I was going to tell you. Since there are more staff now, the principal doesn¡¯t need to be at school all the time, right?¡± ¡°The principal, of all people, should be stationed at the school.¡± ¡°Our school isn¡¯t a typical school, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Hong Seok-young said calmly. ¡°Teacher Kim will take care of our young Mages¡­. And for runes, they just need to draw the ones youteach anyway, right?¡± When he puts it that way, it sounds like I¡¯m just getting paid for nothing. I haven¡¯t even received my first sry yet. ¡°It¡¯s hard to bring in more outsiders until the runes are revealed¡­.¡± ¡°There are plenty of Hunters at Daseon, right? Ask Lee Mi-seon to bring them.¡± ¡°She¡¯s too picky to lend her people.¡± Hong Seok-young shook his head. ¡°And even if theye, they¡¯re still outsiders. It¡¯s better to entrust it to you.¡± ¡°¡­What do you trust in me?¡± ¡°I can tell by looking in your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They say eyes are the window to the soul. That saying is spot on.¡± How did this man survive to be the strongest? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not letting the kids use mana, so just watch their movements. Even just sparring with them will teach them something.¡± It¡¯s a teaching method where only the strong survive¡­ I barely survived it too. ¡°What about the other kids? Will you watch them too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told them, so they¡¯ll probablye sneaking up to aim for your neck.¡± ¡°My neck?¡± ¡°I told them they¡¯d get a reward if they hit your head.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This is strange. Why do I have to fight for survival even as a teacher? What choice do I have? I¡¯ve already signed the ve contract. ¡°Then what about that child? The healer?¡± ¡°Hye-eun? I asked Teacher Kim to handle her.¡± Mages and healers have simr aspects. If they haven¡¯t awakened long ago, learning from Kim Chae-min will be greatly beneficial. ¡°Understood¡­. But are you leaving right now?¡± I pointed at the bag Hong Seok-young was packing. It didn¡¯t seem like he had much to pack, but he kept stuffing things in. ¡°Yes. Teacher Kim will take the kids. You should ride along.¡± ¡°¡­If I don¡¯t want to sleep here, I guess I have to. Are you going on a dungeon raid?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a raid if you put it that way¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young said as he closed his bag. ¡°I¡¯m just nning to check out the Songpa District Dungeon.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Just checking if there¡¯s anything suspicious¡­.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what the Ark might have done, so it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hong Seok-young waved his hand and patted my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon after checking, so keep an eye on the kids.¡± * * * ¡°Just remember one thing.¡± While the mages were taking Kim Chae-min¡¯s mana control ss. I took the remaining kids to an open space. But calling it an open space is now a stretch. Lee Mi-seon had brought many things here over the past few days. There were parasols, sunbeds, and a drink bar. A hunter who follows Lee Mi-seon when shees to school usually upies the drink bar. It¡¯s empty now, though¡­. Honestly, just looking at this, it¡¯s not an open space, nor is it a school yground. Given the surroundings, it¡¯s almost like a¡­ resort? ¡°The one who survives is the strongest.¡± ¡°If you say things like that seriously, it sounds silly, teacher.¡± The kids burst intoughter. Their carefreeughter was pitiful. Without the Ability Management Agency, dungeon raids would be even more hellish. ¡°Has anyone been in a dungeon?¡± I asked, ignoring the kids¡¯ughter. As I didn¡¯t respond to theirughter, the giggling subsided. I asked again. ¡°Has anyone been in a dungeon?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Me.¡± Then, a child raised his hand. It wasn¡¯t a kid from Myeong-dong. It was a child who would cautiously bow his head and greet me when our eyes met asionally. His name was. ¡°Seo Han-seong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Even sitting down, he was a head taller than the other kids. He was tall but skinny, probably still growing. With his height, if he gains some weight, he¡¯ll be much more powerful. Hunters specializing in closebat benefit greatly from a solid build. Unlike his initial hesitation, Seo Han-seong spoke firmly in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been in a dungeon.¡± ¡°Really? How was it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seo Han-seong bowed his head deeply. The other kids quietly closed their mouths. ¡°It¡¯s not the survivors who are strong.¡± Seo Han-seong also has no record in the mana watch. Actually, unless you¡¯re someone like Oh Hyun-wook or Park Seo-hyun, there wouldn¡¯t be any records. I only knew about Lee Seung-yeon because Lee Mi-seon kept mentioning his name. Hunters who were active before the Ability Management Agency was established couldn¡¯t help it. Seo Han-seong or Soon Soon-jin likely either died or retired before then. Even if I don¡¯t know about the others, Lee Mi-seon would have taken Soon Soon-jinto the guild, but there were no records¡­. ¡°Only the strong survive.¡± ¡­It was actually a random statement I threw out to scare the kids. Seo Han-seong¡¯s eyes glowed strangely. Unlike Park Seo-hyun¡¯s obsession with perfect runes, his eyes were dark in a different way. Does he have bad memories of a dungeon? If he entered a dungeon at that age¡­. Oh. He must be one of those cases. The young awakened ones who were used as meat shields. The decisive reason why Hong Seok-young decided to establish this pilot school. Was he one of the rescued ones? If Hong Seok-young intended to leave such kids in my care, he should have given me a heads-up. Well, Park Seo-hyun is also dismissed as a change of style, so I shouldn¡¯t expect that kind of sensitivity. I nodded at Seo Han-seong¡¯s words. ¡°Then how can one be strong?¡± ¡°By building up skills.¡± ¡°Skills? What kind of skills?¡± Seo Han-seong couldn¡¯t answer. Probably because he hadn¡¯t properly raided a dungeon, he could only think of the textbook answer. He realized that wasn¡¯t the answer I was looking for. I made eye contact with each child. Without the mages and healers, five children were sitting there. ording to Hong Seok-young and Lee Seung-yeon, there used to be a few more. But after the incident where the children who went for field training in Myeong-dong got isted, worried parents took their kids back. It¡¯s understandable. I would have done the same if I had children. ¡°Seo Han-seong, how was it when you went into the dungeon?¡± ¡°The dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes, how was it?¡± Seo Han-seong swallowed hard. ¡°It¡¯s different. Just¡­ different.¡± ¡°Right. There is a theory that it¡¯s another dimension.¡± Even twenty yearster, the existence of dungeons remains a mystery. Humanity has merely adapted. To the monsters that emerge from dungeons and the dungeons that appear randomly. ¡°There are no humans inside a dungeon. So for a human to survive, they have to abandon their humanity.¡± Seo Han-seong listened intently, his face focused. If Seo Han-seong had said he wanted to give up his life as a Hunter when he was rescued by Hong Seok-young, Hong Seok-young would have listened. Not every awakened person bes a Hunter. But Seo Han-seong is at the piloy school. It means he gave up living as a civilian. The others are the same. I had a moment of choice too. On the day I awakened, the old man gave me a choice. ¡®Hwijae.¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to be a Hunter just because you awakened. You¡¯ll need to register as an awakened, but after that, you can just live doing whatever you want.¡¯ ¡®Whatever I want?¡¯ ¡®Then I will let you do anything you want.¡¯ ¡®Then I don¡¯t want to be a Hunter.¡¯ I was a kid with a firm career n. Iter got a Hunter license because it gave extra points for entering the Ability Management Agency. Unlike me, these kids want to be Hunters. In the past, in the original timeline, I don¡¯t know how far the old man took these kids. There are no records left, and considering the Myeong-dong incident, it¡¯s safe to say old man¡¯s n failed. Not because of ack of effort, but purely due to external factors. But now it¡¯s different. No one in South Korea knows more about dungeon raids than I do. These kids should be grateful to me. Just like those mages over there struggling through ss, I will raise these kids to be perfect Hunters. Since Hong Seok-young has given permission¡­ where should I start their training? Hmm. Since it¡¯s a special asion, should I imitate Yoo Ji-eun? If it were Yoo Ji-eun, she would definitely say something like this. ¡°Don¡¯t ce too much value on the fact that you¡¯re human.¡± I recalled when Yoo Ji-eun gave a special lecture at the academy. It sounded quite convincing when Yoo Ji-eun said it. ¡°Outside the dungeon, even Hunters pretend to be human¡­. But inside the dungeon?¡± I looked at Seo Han-seong. ¡°Hunters must move purely on instinct inside the dungeon.¡± When Hong Seok-young took me out of the training center, he took Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword from me. Before entering the Bangi-dong Dungeon, he gave me a wooden sword with the same length and weight as that sword. Honestly, since it¡¯s the same weight as a real sword, calling it a wooden sword is a stretch. I held the wooden sword and kicked the ground lightly with my toe. Judging by their expressions, there are more kids who have entered dungeons besides Seo Han-seong. Oh Hyun-wook must have gone in too. But I didn¡¯t point it out. People might have pasts they want to hide. ¡°Your principal has emphasized practical experience, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± When I beckoned with my hand, the kids hesitantly got up. ¡°The method is simr.¡± I smiled broadly. ¡°But I¡¯m not as kind as the principal.¡± If you get beaten up like in actualbat, you¡¯ll learn something, right? Didn¡¯t he say he put a reward on hitting my head? ¡°I¡¯m going to awaken your instincts. I won¡¯t kill you, so try to survive well.¡± When you aim for someone else¡¯s head, you must be prepared to risk your own. No, well. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m taking out my frustration because I couldn¡¯t enter the Bangi-dong Dungeon. I¡¯m not such a petty adult. I¡¯m not. Chapter 25 - Songpa District Dungeon Chapter 25: Songpa District Dungeon TL: SHW Seoul, Songpa District. Seoul Songpa-20210406-0103 Dungeon Entrance. Initial report grade D. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s really D-grade?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t suddenly throw out a Minotaur or something, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it won¡¯t.¡± Lee Mi-seon checked the tablet handed to her by the Hunter standing next to her and then passed it to Hong Seok-young. ¡°Insect-type monsters do appear, but they¡¯re non-toxic and small. No hidden spaces detected either.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°And of course, there are no monsters worth naming.¡± After quickly scanning the dungeon exploration report on the tablet, Hong Seok-young nodded. ¡°Do you know they¡¯re re-evaluating the dungeon grades?¡± ¡°Oh, so they¡¯re finally doing it? They should have done that a long time ago. It was so inconvenient working with foreign Hunters. They kept saying Korean dungeon grades can¡¯t be trusted, that we¡¯re deceiving them¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon shook her head. ¡°A huge number will be caught.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Lee Mi-seon opened her eyes wide. ¡°Hong Hunter-nim, I¡¯m Lee Mi-seon. Lee Mi-seon of Daeyeon and Daseon. I make a good living without doing such dirty deeds.¡± ¡°I seem to have underestimated you.¡± ¡°Of course. Apologize quickly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Laughing and chatting, the two soon hardened their expressions and prepared their equipment. It was unusual to have so few people entering the dungeon. It was possible because it was a D-grade dungeon and they were apanied by Hong Seok-young. The Hunters handpicked by Lee Mi-seon from Daseon also finished their preparations to enter the dungeon. The dungeon gate was made entirely of light. The points of light, like fireflies, gathered and then dispersed, floating in the air as if drawn by some force. Lee Mi-seon took out a recorder. ¡°Ahem. May 24, 2021. Seoul Songpa-20210406-0103 Dungeon. Total of five people entering. Lee Mi-seon of the Daseon Guild, Ji Yoo-gun, Kang So-yoon, Choi Dae-hyun. Independent Hunter Hong Seok-young. Current time is exactly 13:00. Entering the dungeon.¡± The five Hunters dove into the gate without hesitation. * * * ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Would you like to say something, Hunter Hong?¡± ¡°What is there for me to say?¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his head and looked around. A starry night sky. A in stretched out below it. A forest could be seen in the distance¡­. ¡°What a peaceful dungeon.¡± Even the wind blowing at that moment was refreshingly pleasant. Hong Seok-young nodded. ¡°It seems it really is D-grade. You can¡¯t feel this kind of rxation even in a C-grade.¡± The sky looked like night, but inside the dungeon, it was bright as day. Without that incongruity, one might think it was a deserted ce somewhere. Grass brushing against their ankles and nameless flowers blooming in between. Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t know much about flowers, but he could bet his spear that those flowers couldn¡¯t be found anywhere on Earth. He looked at the sky again. No moon. Naturally, no sun either. It was impossible to tell where the light filling the dungeon came from, and he couldn¡¯t be sure if the stars in the sky were real. The star-filled sky is amon feature observed in any dungeon in the world. Several Archmages tried to uncover the secret but all failed. Some even said it was just an illusion inside the dungeon. Hong Seok-young looked around. There were no monsters in the ins that his senses could detect. ¡°Where were the monsters found?¡± ¡°In that forest.¡± It¡¯s too vast a dungeon for hand-sized insect-type monsters to inhabit. ¡°What about the number of individuals?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t fully grasped it, but there aren¡¯t many.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. What about eggs? Since they¡¯re insect-type, they might haveid eggs somewhere.¡± ¡°No, that too¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon shook her head. ¡°Guys, have you seen any eggs?¡± ¡°No, we haven¡¯t seen any, Master.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t find anyst time we entered either.¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. ¡°Then what about food? Even if there aren¡¯t many, they need to eat to survive.¡± The Hunters of Daseon exchanged nces and then spoke up. ¡°Well, our guild has a dungeon exploration manual.¡± ¡°I know. Who do you think made it for you?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, yes! My apologies. ording to the manual, we investigated the habits of the monsters. From what we¡¯ve identified, their diet is herbivorous¡­.¡± ¡°Herbivorous?¡± Most monsters are carnivorous. While herbivorous monsters exist, they are so rare that it was only natural for his tone to be sharp. The Daseon Hunter flinched for a moment but continued exining. ¡°We directly observed them nibbling on leaves. They showed no reaction to the meat we brought. While they weren¡¯tpletely uninterested, they didn¡¯t eat it.¡± The Hunters each took turns reporting their findings about the monsters. ¡°They are curious about humans. They just circled around us without attacking. Even when we killed one of their kind right in front of them, their behavior didn¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Their bodily fluids are harmless to humans. Unlike many insect-type monsters, they don¡¯t have acidic properties.¡± ¡°Their exoskeleton isn¡¯t tough, so they¡¯re easy to cut through.¡± ¡°Oh, and they didn¡¯t react to blood either.¡± Hong Seok-young listened quietly to the Hunters¡¯ reports and then looked at Lee Mi-seon. She had a somewhat proud expression. Seeing her face, Hong Seok-young¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Hurry up and give them some praise. Don¡¯t dawdle.¡± ¡°The more you ask, the less I want to.¡± ¡°But there are no shorings in their report, are there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Admit it, Hong Hunter.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve arrived at the forest. Let¡¯s see how urate Lee Mi-seon Master¡¯s Hunters are.¡± ¡°Admit it! My team is perfect!¡± The weather was dry and cool as they crossed the in from the gate. However, the moment they entered the forest, it became hot and humid. Despite their noisy entry into the forest, the monsters didn¡¯t show much interest in humans, just as the Hunters had reported. They briefly peeked out but quickly disappeared into the undergrowth when Hong Seok-young approached. Swish¡­. Lee Mi-seon shivered. ¡°Ugh, if it weren¡¯t for this job, I would nevere into this dungeon.¡± ¡°Do you hate bugs?¡± ¡°I really hate them!!¡± Lee Mi-seon screamed as she spotted a monster crawling between her legs. Hong Seok-young quickly surveyed the surroundings. Despite the noise, the monsters showed no aggression. D-grade. Peaceful. Why was Ark concerned about this dungeon? ¡°I hate anything with more legs than I do!¡± Did the child hear and record things properly? Is there a chance the information was contaminated? ¡°But look at that! It doesn¡¯t just have a lot of legs, it has an insane number of legs! And they¡¯re huge!¡± ¡°They¡¯re only as big as a palm.¡± ¡°I hate bugs even as small as a pinky nail!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Hong Seok-young struck a passing monster with his spear. Crack. Bright green fluid sttered out. As he twisted and lifted the spear, the impaled monster¡¯s corpse was raised with it. Hong Seok-young extended it towards Lee Mi-seon. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Kyaaah!!! Get that away from me!!! Away, I said!!!¡± She really is a delicatedy in this regard. But the Hunters around Lee Mi-seon also flinched and backed away. People can have their dislikes. Scratching his head, Hong Seok-young swung his spear towards an empty spot, flinging the monster¡¯s corpse and its fluids around. Frankly, even he found the sight of the palm-sized centipede lying belly-up rather unpleasant. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s finish checking and get out of here quickly. Where¡¯s the dungeon core? The report said it¡¯s exposed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the center of the forest. It¡¯s not buried in the ground¡­ it¡¯s easily essible. There are no monsters guarding it either.¡± ¡°Truly a typical D-grade dungeon.¡± Except for its sheer size. Hong Seok-young meticulously checked as he headed towards the dungeon core, ensuring there was nothing the Hunters might have missed. No matter how low the grade,cency within a dungeon is dangerous. However, even with his keen eyes, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. At least not until they got closer to the core. ¡°The number of monsters has increased, eek!¡± ¡°Oh my, a hunter should maintainposure at all times.¡± ¡°Everyone has their weak points!¡± To prevent centipedes from asionally falling from the trees, one of the Hunters took out an umbre from their bag and held it over Lee Mi-seon¡¯s head. Hong Seok-young shook his head. As they neared the dungeon core, a buzzing sound began to fill the air. As its name suggests, the dungeon core is the power source that maintains the dungeon. Breaking the core causes the dungeon to copse, so raiding a dungeon starts with locating the core. Some dungeons are left alone for the resources they contain. However, even in those cases, the core¡¯s location must be known to close it if necessary. Because the core is directly linked to the dungeon¡¯s maintenance, it is usually well hidden. Monsters, too, seem to understand the core¡¯s importance, often nesting around it. This instinct likely exins why the number of monsters increases as they approach the core in this dungeon. ¡°Hold on.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Hong Seok-young halted the group and squinted his eyes. The thick smell of grass, the buzzing resonance of the dungeon core, the sound of centipedes rustling through the underbrush. And amidst all that, the scent of decay. Hong Seok-young swiftly made a hand signal used among Hunters. Quiet. Eliminate any noise. Follow me. Without any questions, Lee Mi-seon and the Hunters followed Hong Seok-young. There was no one more reliable than Hong Seok-young inside the dungeon. Soon, the others caught the stench that Hong Seok-young had detected. Moving cautiously, Hong Seok-young approached the source of the nauseating smelling from the direction of the dungeon core. ¡°Wow.¡± When its source was finally revealed, Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue in what might have been admiration. Branches and underbrush were broken and scattered messily. Dried blood sttered everywhere. The same could be seen on the ground. It didn¡¯t take a great detective to figure out what had happened. Someone had been dragged and had resisted. The blood trail led directly to the dungeon core. The shimmering light, simr to the dungeon gate, flickered in mid-air. Hong Seok-young briefly gazed at the core and then looked below it. Right beneath the dungeon core. There was a corpse. A young man in a ck suit. ¡°When was thest entry?¡± ¡°F-four days ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case, but there wasn¡¯t anything like this then, right?¡± ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t!¡± Hong Seok-young rubbed the bloodstains on the ground with his foot. He also prodded the corpse with the tip of his spear. It hadn¡¯t been long since the man had died. Hong Seok-young frowned. ¡°When you were determining their diet¡­ did you offer them fresh meat?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the monsters? Yes, that¡¯s what I understand.¡± ¡°There was a reason they didn¡¯t react to the meat.¡± Hong Seok-young carefully flipped the corpse with his spear. Normally, nothing would be touched to preserve the scene, but this time there was no choice. The corpse finally revealed its face. With eyes half-closed and mouth slightly open, it seemed to want to convey something to Hong Seok-young. But instead of looking at the face, Hong Seok-young focused on the torso. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon quickly covered her mouth. ¡°These things prefer rotten meat.¡± The area where the internal organs should have been was empty. With a nk expression, Hong Seok-young removed the monsters feeding inside the corpse. Chapter 26 - A Nonsensical Dream (1) Chapter 26: A Nonsensical Dream (1) TL: SHW When did Yoo Ji-eun start talking about the Bangi-dong Dungeon? Honestly, I don¡¯t remember such trivial matters. She just started singing about needing to conquer that one dungeon at some point. ¡®Hey, Parachute. We need to raid that.¡¯ ¡®What is it? Submit a report.¡¯ ¡®Parachute, Parachute. We need to raid it, I¡¯m telling you.¡¯ ¡®I said, submit a report.¡¯ Still, considering the long time we¡¯ve known each other, I decided to listen a bit more. Besides, I didn¡¯t like seeing the raid team leader just hanging around the secretary¡¯s office drinking coffee. Does she have no work? She must not, that¡¯s why she¡¯s like this! ¡®What exactly do we need to raid? A dungeon? I don¡¯t recall any recent dungeons with changing danger levels.¡¯ As I was saying that, I suddenly realized. If there had been an alert via the mana meter, Yoo Ji-eun would¡¯ve gathered her team and rushed out instead ofing to poke at me. And yet, she came to find me and was nudging me? ¡®Woo Hwijae.¡¯ Something was definitely up. Yoo Ji-eun only called me by my name in that coquettish voice when it was unfavorable for her. Normally, she just called me Parachute. ¡®No.¡¯ So I refused reflexively. It was instinctual. ¡®At least hear me out before saying no.¡¯ ¡®Seeing you act like this makes me even more certain. Absolutely not.¡¯ ¡®Hey, fuck. Woo Hwijae. Just listen to me.¡¯ ¡®Ah, I need to work, so get lost. Don¡¯t you have work? You haven¡¯t submitted the raid report from thest dungeon yet. Submit it quickly, no more dys.¡¯ ¡®Woo Hwijae.¡¯ When I first joined the Ability Management Agency, I used to fall for thatmanding tone. Those were my innocent days. But now, I knew Yoo Ji-eun too well to be deceived by her serious gaze and low voice. I scoffed. ¡®The report.¡¯ ¡®Fuck, I said we need to raid!¡¯ ¡®So what exactly?¡¯ ¡®¡­The one in Songpa District.¡¯ There are so many dungeons in Korea, how could I know just from that? There are hundreds of dungeons in Seoul alone. ¡®Songpa District?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­¡­Bangi-dong.¡¯ Her voice was almost inaudible, quite unlike her earlier shouting. She knew how I would react. Of course. If it¡¯s the Bangi-dong Dungeon in Songpa District, there¡¯s only one thing thates to mind. ¡®Are you talking about that dungeon? The one with the mana stones?¡¯ Yoo Ji-eun averted her eyes. ¡®Has the danger level suddenly increased there?¡¯ The rms were quiet. Yoo Ji-eun knew it, and so did I. Nothing more needed to be said. ¡®I wondered what you were talking about¡­.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have a good feeling about it.¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t just raid a dungeon based on a feeling¡­.¡¯ ¡®I went in there once before, remember?¡¯ ¡®Did you gain a third eye or something?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not joking.¡¯ ¡®Neither am I.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s raid it.¡¯ ¡®Get out. I need to work.¡¯ ¡®Parachute.¡¯ ¡®I said get out.¡¯ ¡®Raid¡­.¡¯ ¡®Get out!¡¯ Yet Yoo Ji-eun was persistent. After that, she kepting to me whenever she had the chance, singing about the Songpa District, Bangi-dong, and the dungeon. And she never submitted the report. She knew that formally requesting wouldn¡¯t work, so she aimed to get my permission through persistent nudging, expecting me to take care of the aftermath. Where did she learn such awful tactics? But I¡¯m a kind boss. I¡¯m not a rude superior who tantly ignores their subordinates. Ah, well¡­ Yoo Ji-eun isn¡¯t exactly my subordinate, but it feels that way. Anyway, to show that I at least listened, I checked the Bangi-dong Dungeon. It was a stable dungeon, and I only asionally checked if the mana stones were being produced properly. D6-grade dungeon. The lowest grade except for E, where no monsters are found. The lowest grade, 6, based on the mana stability around the dungeon gate. A D-grade dungeon wouldn¡¯t cause any damage even if a dungeon break urred. Raiding such a dungeon is a waste of manpower. I ryed this message exactly as it was. ¡®The Bangi-dong Dungeon? I checked it out and it¡¯s just a D-grade dungeon.¡¯ Yoo Ji-eun was immovable. ¡®I¡¯m telling you, it really feels bad.¡¯ If I could meet Yoo Ji-eun again, I¡¯d definitely tell her. Why didn¡¯t you just secretly go in and raid the dungeon? She always pretends not to hear what I say, so why did she quietly wait for my permission this time? Just¡­ just raiding it would have been better. If she had done that¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I opened my eyes wide. I looked out the window. The sun was just rising. To dream about Yoo Ji-eun. What an absurd, nonsensical dream. The old man used to say you should buy a lottery ticket if a celebrity appears in your dream. So he said to always buy a lottery ticket if he appeared in my dream. ¡­Yoo Ji-eun was somewhat famous in her own right. Should I buy a lottery ticket? Or will something good happen to me? But Yoo Ji-eun would never do something good for me¡­. After pondering for a moment, I unfastened the mana control device on my ankle. Sinceing here, I had taken it off so many times that I could do it with my eyes closed now. I wasn¡¯t nning to check my mana watch. Just¡­. I recognized the mana pattern and opened my wallet. I turned it upside down and tapped it over my palm. I used to carry a lot of emergency potions, but I had used them all on Yoo Ji-eun just beforeing here, so now there were none left. What fell onto my palm were a few specks of dust and my Hunter license. And a small piece of metal. A dog tag engraved with Hong Seok-young¡¯s name. ¡°Damn it.¡± This is all because of Yoo Ji-eun. Why did I have to dream about her now of all times? I put the wallet away and picked up the mana control device. The sun had fully risen by now. It would soon be time for the children to go to school. I might as well go to work. Working is the best thing to do when your mind isplicated. * * * The children had started to dislike me. Hong Seok-young, who left saying he was going into the Bangi-dong Dungeon, hadn¡¯t returned for four days. It wasn¡¯t a dungeon with much to see, so I didn¡¯t understand why it was taking so long. Anyway, with Hong Seok-young gone, there was no Lee Mi-seon pushing me to draw runes quickly, and no bartender¡­ no, Daseon¡¯s Hunter making non-alcoholic cocktails. What could I do but spend a joyful time with the children? Whether they were happy or not wasn¡¯t my concern. Since yesterday, Kim Chae-min had sent Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun to me, perhaps finding my antics with the kids amusing. Honestly, those two seemed reluctant. But the more they hesitated, the more Kim Chae-min pushed the young mages forward. ¡®Even if a mage doesn¡¯t know how to beat someone with a staff, they should know how to run away!¡¯ She was right. In a dungeon, other Hunters couldn¡¯t always protect the mages. Mages needed to know how to survive on their own. And the director had also said something simr in the past. ¡®Kids need to eat dirt like this to boost their immunity.¡¯ ¡­Or was it something like that? ¡°Alright, are you all rested? Shall we start?¡± ¡°Teacher, we¡¯re sorry.¡± Lee Seung-yeon, who was lying haphazardly on the dirt ground, raised his hand. There wasn¡¯t a spot on him that wasn¡¯t covered in dust from head to toe. ¡°Sorry? What are you sorry for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± Soon-soon Jin, lying next to him, muttered gloomily. ¡°Guilty of aiming for the teacher¡¯s neck, blinded by the moment¡¯s prize¡­.¡± ¡°You need that kind of spirit to be a Hunter.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to die before bing Hunters.¡± Even Seo Han-seong agreed. I looked at the kids with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to kill you?¡± Despite appearances, I¡¯m careful not to injure them. Sure, there were a few bruises, but no broken bones. My annoyance was with Hong Seok-young, not the kids. I wouldn¡¯t take it out on them. ¡°We¡¯re already dead inside.¡± ¡°Are you already giving up? You didn¡¯t say that when you were with the principal?¡± ¡°The principal didn¡¯t push us so relentlessly.¡± Finally, thest student from the pilot school, Han Eun-young, who had been reluctant to talk, started to grumble. Despite her cold demeanor, her physical responses spoke volumes. Earlier, she even cursed while blocking my attacks. Strangely, the kids were very wary. Was it because they had only been among themselves all this time? I could understand Seo Han-seong since he had experienced certain things, but I didn¡¯t know why the others were like that. Still, it was a relief that they were starting to let their guard down around me. Building rapport had been tough, but I wondered when I would finally get to train them properly. At least the mages would be different, right? I had praised them a lot. I checked on Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± If it weren¡¯t for their faintly rising and falling chests, I might have thought they were dead. ¡°Hey, kids. Want some water?¡± Yoo Hye-eun, feeling sorry for her dirt-covered friends, struggled over with a cooler box. As a healer, Yoo Hye-eun couldn¡¯t be trained like the other kids. Even though healers were awakened beings, they were physically weaker. They were sturdier than civilians but couldn¡¯t be trained like melee fighters. Ultimately, she ended up being excluded and took mana control sses from Kim Chae-min instead. It seemed she felt guilty towards her friends for this. The kids sprang to life like zombies and rushed towards the cooler box that Yoo Hye-eun brought. Watching them, I felt a pang of conscience. Despite theirints, they still had enough energy to get up and move, which made me frown. They still have stamina? I guess I can push them harder. Brrr. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± An annoying sound caught my ear, so I turned away from the zombie horde to the direction the sound wasing from. A taxi was approaching from a distance. ¡°What?¡± The kids, who had been pouring ice-cold water over their heads and necks, also poked their heads up one by one, having heard the car. Even Kim Chae-min, who had been sitting under the parasol in a white dress, slowly stood up. From Kim Chae-min¡¯s sports car to Lee Mi-seon¡¯s SUV, and now a taxi. It seemed the standard was dropping. Neither Hong Seok-young nor Lee Mi-seon would take a taxi. Then who could it be? Hardly any civilians woulde all the way out here. Even though it was near the pilot school, it was still close to an unmanaged dungeon, so it was practically abandoned. The taxi stopped at the entrance of the pilot school. After a short wait, the rear door opened, and a girl in a school uniform got out. She had her back to us, but I recognized the uniform from the vige with the dormitory. It was from the only middle school there. ¡°I came all the way here because you¡¯re a student!¡± The driver¡¯s angry voice leaked out through the open window. ¡°I wouldn¡¯te here for anyone else! Got it?¡± ¡°Th-Thank you¡­.¡± ¡°I mean, what business could you have here. School, whatever.¡± The girl bowed her head repeatedly, thanking the driver. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight. She handed a bundle of ten-thousand won bills, which seemed like too much for a taxi fare, through the window. Only then did the driver stop grumbling. The girl¡¯s shoulders slumped. She looked deste as she watched the taxi drive away. I made eye contact with Kim Chae-min. Whether middle schooler or not, a visitor was a visitor. I wondered why she hade all the way here and was about to approach her. ¡°You!¡± Yoo Hye-eun, who had thrown aside the cooler box, ran towards the middle schooler. ¡°What are you doing here!¡± ¡°Unnie!¡± The girl turned to Yoo Hye-eun with a delighted voice. ¡­What? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at school?¡± ¡°I left early!¡± ¡°Why are you smiling! Oh, I can¡¯t live like this. Did you hit someone at school?¡± ¡°Ah, do you think I¡¯m always hitting someone?¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Yoo Hye-eun grabbed the girl¡¯s cheeks, whom I assumed to be her younger sister, and squished them. Finally, she sighed. As Yoo Hye-eun dragged her sister towards us, I became more certain. ¡°I came because I missed you, unnie!¡± ¡°Yoo Ji-eun. Tell the truth before I get mad.¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s true. The school even told me to go see you quickly.¡± Long ago, I had greeted this girl in the pilot school uniform. ¡®¡­Is this the really the teacher¡¯s son?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Hwijae, this noona is my student. Say hello.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ A paleplexion without a hint of a smile. Eyes that shone brightly. She exuded a mncholic aura that made it hard to approach, but when our eyes met, she faintly smiled. ¡®Hello. I¡¯m Yoo Ji-eun.¡¯ ¡°Why? You didn¡¯t really cause trouble, did you? Don¡¯t tell me you broke the staff room window again?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!!¡± ¡°Oh, I really can¡¯t take this¡­. Teacher! I¡¯m sorry. This is my younger sister¡­. Yoo Ji-eun! Quickly greet him. I told you before, right? That there¡¯s the new teacher.¡± A young face looked at me. ¡®Make it out alive.¡¯ The face that had coughed up blood ovepped with hers. ¡°Hello!¡± So¡­ she was a girl who could smile like that. ¡°I¡¯m Yoo Ji-eun, Yoo Hye-eun¡¯s younger sister!¡± I said I had that nonsensical dream, this must be it. It really was just a silly dream after all. Chapter 27 - A Nonsensical Dream (2) Chapter 27: A Nonsensical Dream (2) TL: SHW [Yoo Ji-eun ¨C S-ss] [Primary Weapon ¨C Sword] [Ability Management Agency Dungeon Raid Division Team 2 Leader] [World Unconquered Dungeon Raid Support Council Advisor] [Conquered Dungeons] [Gyeonggi-do Hwaseong Dungeon 2 (B)] [Gyeongbuk Uljin Dungeon 11 (C)] [Gyeongbuk Gunwi Dungeon 8 (B)] [Jeonnam Yeonggwang Dungeon 1 (A)] ¡­ Total 709 cases. * * * Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s career had been the subject of much discussion. It wasn¡¯t negative talk. There weren¡¯t many who spoke ill of Yoo Ji-eun. After all, she was the proud Hunter of the Ability Management Agency, a dedicated disciple of Hong Seok-young,mitted to dungeon raids. It¡¯s just that¡­ many thought Yoo Ji-eun should y in a bigger league than the Agency. Even Lee Mi-seon would ask every time she met Yoo Ji-eun. ¡°Did they smear honey at the Agency? A Hunter of Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s caliber should be in a bigger league. How about it? Why not join our guild?¡± The conditions Lee Mi-seon offered were updated annually, always for the better. But Yoo Ji-eun consistently turned down Lee Mi-seon¡¯s scouting proposals. Lee Mi-seon, expecting this, would shrug her shoulders in response. Many guilds proposed to Yoo Ji-eun each year as well. The uproar when she first soloed an S-ss dungeon was intense. But as she kept rejecting offers for over ten years, the proposals dwindled. Only those like Lee Mi-seon, who frequented the Agency, persistently asked. Had Yoo Ji-eun intended to join a guild, she would have done so right after graduating from the Hunter Academy. However, she did not. Yoo Ji-eun became a second-generation Hunter at the Agency. She wasn¡¯t part of the first generation because the Agency was established during her senior year of high school. Yoo Ji-eun joined the Agency as soon as she could. Once in the Agency, Yoo Ji-eun never left. Even when it became customary for Academy graduates to work at the Agency for about a year before being scouted by guilds. Thus, there was much talk. A promising Hunter was being tied down to the Agency. But no one forced her; she wanted it that way, so what could be done? Fire her? If Yoo Ji-eun staged a one-person protest for unfair dismissal in front of the Agency, that would be a bigger problem. And so, Yoo Ji-eun worked tirelessly at the Agency for over ten years. Consequently, I inevitably came to know a lot about Yoo Ji-eun. ¡°I heard you saved my sister!¡± But there was no mention of her having family in Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s personnel records. Let alone a deceased sister. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t remember such a fact. There¡¯s only one possible lead. The Director. Considering Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s deceased sister, Yoo Hye-eun, was a student at the pilot high school, the Director must have had a hand in it. ¡°Thank you, teacher!¡± Young Yoo Ji-eun bowed deeply to me, showing the back of her head. Seeing the back of her head made me feel somewhat uneasy. I barely managed to respond after a moment of hesitation. ¡°No, I just did what I had to do.¡± ¡°Even so! Nowadays, many people don¡¯t do what they should. Even my dad¡­¡± ¡°Yoo Ji-eun! Don¡¯t say weird things!¡± Yoo Hye-eun interrupted, horrified. Yoo Ji-eun nced at her sister and quietly shut her mouth. I abhor getting involved inplicated family matters. There¡¯s a reason why future Yoo Ji-eun never mentioned her family, even if her sister wasn¡¯t deceased. I pretended not to hear. Moreover. ¡°¡­You said Yoo Ji-eun, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I can¡¯t get used to this. Yoo Ji-eun, whose eyes sparkled with excitement? Yoo Ji-eun, who used honorifics when speaking to me? Is it okay for such a thing to exist in this world? I forcibly suppressed the urge to smirk. There were many kids around, including Kim Chae-min. I shouldn¡¯t act suspicious. Be normal. Be normal¡­. In this situation, how would an ordinary teacher behave? ¡°What brings you here?¡± I nced at Yoo Hye-eun. ¡°Did youe to see your sister?¡± ¡°I dide to see my sister!¡± Yoo Ji-eun said cheerfully. ¡°I also wanted to say hello to you, teacher. Ah! At times like this, I should have brought a drink or something! I¡¯ll make sure to bring one next time.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Eating something Yoo Ji-eun bought would definitely make me sick. One hundred percent. ¡°Ah, but, um, that? What was it? Counseling? Can I get something like counseling?¡± ¡°Counseling?¡± Yoo Ji-eun nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± I looked at Yu Ji-eun like an idiot. When our eyes met, she started tough sheepishly. I feel dizzy. No, I shouldn¡¯t be like this here. I have to consider this Yoo Ji-eun as apletely different entity from the Yoo Ji-eun I know. ¡°Yes! I awakened, you see!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The scream came from Yoo Hye-eun beside me. Yoo Ji-eun looked at her sister and repeated. ¡°I had an Awakening!¡± ¡°Awak¡­ When?!!¡± ¡°This morning!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­!¡± Yoo Hye-eun was at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing in silence. Awakenings are generally hereditary. If parents are Awakened, the children have a high chance of Awakening too. It¡¯s not umon for siblings to both be Awakened. ¡°I Awakened during PE ss this morning.¡± ¡°Is that why the teacher told you to see your sister?¡± ¡°Yep! They told me to talk to my sister and register quickly.¡± Yoo Ji-eun chattered away to her sister about the Awakening. She said that she kicked a ser ball and it tore apart into pieces. Other kids began to slowly gather around Yoo Ji-eun, asking her questions. Since she was the younger sister of their friend, they seemed to already know each other. Yoo Ji-eun answered without any awkwardness,ughing brightly. ¡°You tore apart a ser ball? Then you¡¯re probably not a healer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I can¡¯t do stuff like my sister anyway!¡± ¡°You do seem more suited to physical stuff.¡± Han Eun-young and Yoo Ji-eunughed together. Then Yoo Ji-eun turned her head and asked Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°How was it when you Awakened, oppa?¡± Oppa? Oppaaaa? Yoo Ji-eun calling Oh Hyun-wook ¡°oppa¡± instead of ¡°piglet¡±? ¡°Me? Mine was pretty ordinary.¡± Oh Hyun-wook, who rarely talked to me and only spoke brusquely when he did, answered quite kindly. It gave me goosebumps. What¡¯s going on? Yoo Ji-eun and Oh Hyun-wook didn¡¯t get along, right? Is it one of those things? They got along well as kids but grew apart, that bittersweet rtionship? I felt sick to my stomach. Yeah¡­ Yoo Ji-eun could have had a youth too. When I first met her, she was gloomy and haggard. Ah. I see. If her sister had died, it would have been enough to turn her world upside down. Is that why she joined the Agency? Yoo Ji-eun had never answered the question of why she didn¡¯t leave the Agency. Having watched her for a long time, I guessed it was because she wanted to stay close to the Director. That might not have been apletely wrong guess. If Park Seo-hyun failed to manage her mental state after Myeong-dong and became a witch, Yoo Ji-eun, who was smiling brightly now, must have also been deeply affected. The guild that managed the Myeong-dong Dungeon copsed because of their wrongdoings, but Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s desire for revenge for her only family didn¡¯t stop. Considering how she was fervently involved in exposing the guilds¡¯ illegal activities as well as raiding dungeons, it seems correct. By staying close to the Director and the Agency, she could handle everything legally. It¡¯s just my guess. It might not be true. There¡¯s no one to ask if it¡¯s right anymore. ¡°But when registering as an Awakened, minors must be apanied by a guardian.¡± Seo Han-seong joined the conversation. Yoo Ji-eun looked at her sister at his words. ¡°Who did you go with back then, unnie?¡± ¡°Me? I went with the principal¡­.¡± ¡°I went with the principal too.¡± ¡°I went with my master.¡± Soon Soon-jin added. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a guardian. If a Hunter ranked C or higher goes with you, it¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t have to be a rtive.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. The magic teacher or Teacher Woo should be fine too, right? I¡¯m not sure about Teacher Woo¡¯s rank, but judging by his vicious hand movements, he¡¯s definitely not D-rank.¡± Vicious hand? That¡¯s harsh. ¡°It¡¯s just your teacher¡¯s kind consideration for your future.¡± Seo Han-seong and Soon Soon-jinlooked at me as if they had heard something bizarre. I kindly exined. ¡°You¡¯re still walking, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Anyway! Tell teacher kim so you can register quickly. If you don¡¯t do it within a week, you¡¯ll get fined.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fine?!¡± Yoo Hye-eun asked, surprised, turning to Soon Soon-jin. ¡°I registered wayter after Awakening? I didn¡¯t hear anything about a fine?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you went with the principal?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°The principal must have taken care of it. Seo Han-seong, didn¡¯t the principal handle your situation too?¡± ¡°Yeah. He sued the guild and got the settlement money.¡± The kids, who were talking about Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s Awakening registration, started sharing their own stories that Hong Seok-young had handled for them. Listening to their stories with one ear, I looked at Kim Chae-min. Kim Chae-min also looked at me. I mouthed to Kim Chae-min. ¡®Please take her to register.¡¯ Kim Chae-min mouthed back. ¡®Me?¡¯ ¡®Then should I go?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a mage¡­.¡¯ ¡®What does that matter? Just get her registered properly.¡¯ Kim Chae-min¡¯s hand moved deftly. With hand signals frequently used among Hunters, our conversation continued without issue. ¡®I¡¯m S-rank, you know?¡¯ Is she bragging? ¡®If my name appears as a guarantor, it might attract attention. Journalists are good at finding this stuff¡­. Hunter Hong told us to avoid drawing attention while at the pilot school.¡¯ Kim Chae-min drew a circle on her palm. It was a hand signal for runes among mages. ¡­I understood what Kim Chae-min meant. Drawing attention would lead to talk about runes, and it might disrupt Lee Mi-seon¡¯s ns. That¡¯s why I suggested using Hong Seok-young¡¯s name¡­. ¡®Teacher Woo, you should go.¡¯ But¡­. Isn¡¯t this woman toofortable with me now? Does she really see me as a genuine colleague? I mean, it¡¯s good that she¡¯s letting her guard down, but is this really okay? She¡¯s an Archmage, after all. Shouldn¡¯t she be more, well, think a bit more? I sighed and made the hand signal for runes, then mouthed. ¡®Ark.¡¯ I also need to avoid drawing attention. Besides, I still don¡¯t know how my status is officially handled. Although Hong Seok-young vouched for me, I don¡¯t know if he just guaranteed me or if he created a new identity for Hunter Woo Hwijae. I definitely don¡¯t want to put my name down and mess up the future of a promising S-rank Hunter. Kim Chae-min seemed to realize this btedly, showing an apologetic expression. ¡®Should we wait until Hunter Hong returns?¡¯ ¡®He should have been out of that dungeon by now. Try contacting him.¡¯ ¡®But it feels like we might disturb him¡­.¡¯ ¡®Is he raiding the dungeon? Even if he is, he should be out by now.¡¯ ¡®Teacher Woo, you should try contacting him.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t. You do it, Teacher Kim Chae-min.¡¯ ¡®Why do I have to do it if you can¡¯t?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have a phone.¡¯ ¡®¡­.¡¯ Kim Chae-min apologized to me again. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And before I knew it, the surroundings had be quiet. I realized it btedly. The kids were looking at the two of us with peculiar eyes. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ Just continue yourfortable conversation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± While the kids exchanged nces that made no sense, Yoo Ji-eun continued to look at me with her sparkling eyes. ¡°Um, teacher.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. What is it?¡± ¡°I was thinking on my way here.¡± Yoo Ji-eun is Hong Seok-young¡¯s prized disciple. Naturally, just like her teacher, thinking too much usually leads to bad conclusions. ¡°Uncle Hong¡­ I mean, the principal said only high school students can enroll here.¡± Of course. The school is named as such. ¡°But I¡¯m still only sixteen¡­.¡± ording to the n, Yoo Ji-eun would enter the pilot high school next year. ¡°So, um¡­¡± This feels ominous. ¡°Could youe with me to register?¡± ¡°Student, wait¡­.¡± ¡°And please ept me as your disciple!¡± Chapter 28 - A Nonsensical Dream (3) Chapter 28: A Nonsensical Dream (3) TL: SHW There are many creative works that change the past. Movies, novels,ics¡­ There are a few that I quite enjoyed. Usually, in such works, the protagonist who returns to the past has something they want to change. Something like a mistake or a wrong decision they made. There are some works where everything is resolved well, leading to a happy ending, but there are also ones where things get worse. That¡¯s how life goes. However, sometimes, while watching such works, I wonder why people regret their own choices instead of being unhappy due to someone else¡¯s actions. Especially if it was a choice that everyone else advised against, but they insisted on taking. There¡¯s usually a reason why others advise against something. If you brush off all those warnings and choose your own path, shouldn¡¯t you at least stand by that choice with pride? A person cannot choose their parents, and they cannot predict the chance of being struck by lightning while walking. If it¡¯s not such an unavoidable misfortune¡­ one should ept it with humility. After all, it was the path you chose. In that sense, I have never thought of wanting to change my past. This does not mean that I always made the right choices. But I always believe that I did my best. Even if I chose the wrong path, at that time, it was the best path for me. But being human, I sometimes me others. But listen. Isn¡¯t it unfair if I suffer for something that¡¯s not my fault? It¡¯s their fault, not mine. That¡¯s not ming others, it¡¯s rightful criticism. ¡°Please take me as your disciple!¡± Well¡­ right. Was it my fault that South Korea, the world, was destroyed? Would it have not happened if I had raided the Bangi-dong Dungeon as Yoo Ji-eun insisted? Bangi-dong Dungeon was the first to break, but even if we stopped that, could we have prevented other dungeons from breaking? Don¡¯t be mistaken. The ones that destroyed Seoul that day weren¡¯t just the centipedes. There was also the one that walked around, dropping fire everywhere. I couldn¡¯t do anything, so I just did what the mysterious item told me. If I had known it would send me to the past, I might have thought more about it. ¡­Actually, I don¡¯t think it would have changed even if I had thought about it. I couldn¡¯t do anything in that situation anyway. Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is that fundamentally, all these things happening now are not my fault. It¡¯s not my fault that I¡¯m ying the role of a teacher, or that I¡¯m listening to the crazy talk of young Yoo Ji-eun. None of this is my fault. ¡°Please! As your disciple!¡± But why am I suffering this pain? ¡°Take me as your disciple!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A disciple!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t me but old man or at least Yoo Ji-eun who had returned to the past, they would have done better. Those two had something like a sense of mission. ¡°So¡­¡± Why, out of all people, am I here doing this? ¡°It has to be you, teacher!¡± Let¡¯s think rationally, rationally. The reason I am quietly staying at this school. It¡¯s to foster talents who would prevent the future destruction and ensure myfortable retirement, right? Park Seo-hyun. Oh Hyun-wook. And Yoo Ji-eun? All of them are guaranteed geniuses. If theye running to me like this, I should ept them. ¡°As a disciple.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You¡­ I mean.¡± So, the physiological repulsion is¡­ my personal¡­ personal issue¡­ I should ovee, ovee it¡­ I shouldn¡¯t put personal feelings into work¡­ I shouldn¡¯t¡­ No, but! Of all people, it¡¯s Yoo Ji-eun!! That ill-mannered ajumma!!! Whether it¡¯s Yoo Ji-eun or young Yoo Ji-eun, Yoo Ji-eun is Yoo Ji-eun. I never wanted any version of Yoo Ji-eun near me. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Why would I take on a disciple when I¡¯m not even a mage?¡± ¡°But you teach unnie and oppa! Take me as your disciple too!¡± Stubbornly insisting like that is just the same. That woman who was obstinate with me until the end. I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m a teacher here who gets paid, and they¡­ do you guys pay tuition here?¡± The eight children shook their heads in unison. ¡°You don¡¯t pay tuition, but you¡¯re still students attending this school. I get paid to teach students, so I should teach you.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± Yoo Ji-eun puffed out her cheeks. Her face, still with baby fat, looked even younger. ¡°You¡¯re sixteen, right? Just graduate middle school in half a year and thene here.¡± I can¡¯t just take away old man¡¯s prized disciple. ¡°That takes too long!¡± What does that have to do with me¡­? Well, having a passion for learning is amendable attitude for a student¡­ but I can¡¯t take away the old man¡¯s prized disciple. Besides, if I arbitrarily epted Yoo Ji-eun as my disciple, what would I say to Hong Seok-young? Kim Chae-min, who was supposed to be keeping an eye on me, looked quite interested though. I sighed. ¡°Hey, you said your name was Yoo Ji-eun, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯re excited since you just awakened, but you need to stay calm in times like these. The principal will be back soon, so why don¡¯t you talk to him then?¡± ¡°But still¡­.¡± ¡°Rushing things won¡¯t make them happen¡­.¡± The image of a high school girl in a school uniform with a sad smile appeared before me. And also the face of a strong hunter who raided dungeons without wavering. Yoo Ji-eun is different from Park Seo-hyun or Oh Hyun-wook. Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook became a witch and a pig under the old man. A witch who covered her face with her bangs and muttered iprehensible words with a sneer, and a pig who got fatter from being immersed in alcohol. Although the fundamental cause of Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s transformation, the Myeong-dong Incident, no longer existed, look at Park Seo-hyun. One can¡¯t becent. Who knows what might cause the kids to turn into witches and pigs again. ¡°As a student, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a great hunter.¡± But Yoo Ji-eun overcame it herself in the future. At least that¡¯s how it seemed to me. If I meddled with Yoo Ji-eun for no reason, who knows what might happen. If I just left her to the old man¡­ she would grow the same way. A solid, rock-like woman who tackles dungeons no matter what others say. ¡°But¡­ but.¡± Yoo Ji-eun bit her lip. Whether it¡¯s the grown Yoo Ji-eun or the young Yoo Ji-eun, her stubbornness is the same. She never understood after being told just once. ¡°They say the first month after awakening is the golden time.¡± ¡°Golden time?¡± ¡°¡­You have to use mana to cleanse the impurities from your blood vessels within three days of awakening.¡± What is this kid saying now? When someone says something utterly absurd, it bes unimportant. ¡°That way, you can be stronger¡­.¡± The young Yoo Ji-eun spoke cautiously, watching my reaction. Cleansing blood vessels with mana? Like a fictional story? What the heck is that? That¡¯s something from a novel, and mana doesn¡¯t work that way in reality. Even if it were possible, doing that would burst your blood vessels and you¡¯d die. If you¡¯re lucky, you might only end up paralyzed. ¡°Everyone?¡± Yoo Ji-eun mumbled. ¡°On the inte¡­.¡± What kind of era is 2021? How did the awakeners of this time even survive? I grabbed my head and groaned, then looked at the other kids just in case. I didn¡¯t think there would be any idiots who believed that, but you never know. ¡°Do any of you believe that?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Have you heard of it before?¡± They all shook their heads. However, one kid, hesitating, opened their mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it¡­.¡± ¡°Han Eun-young? Where?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about after awakening, but they say cleansing impurities from your blood vessels with mana can extend your lifespan¡­ something like that.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like someone specifically said it¡­ Just a moment!¡± Han Eun-young ran to the container and came back with a piece of paper. ¡°I got this while waiting for the teacher this morning. I didn¡¯t have anywhere to throw it away, so I just put it in my bag.¡± The background was dazzling with rainbows, and tacky oversized letters were printed boldly on the flyer. Mana¡¯s efficacy. Cleansing blood vessel impurities. Extending lifespan. Purifying the soul. Perfect nonsense. I examined the flyer thoroughly. I pressed my eyes tightly and then looked at the kids. Even Kim Chae-min, sensing the unusual atmosphere, gulped nervously. ¡°If someone who gives you this asks you to go with them, never go.¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± ¡°And you, Yoo Ji-eun?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± Yoo Ji-eun, whose sister hadn¡¯t died, was apletely different person. Maybe the Yoo Ji-eun I knew had a time when she was this innocent too¡­ but she was gone before I ever met her. So, let¡¯s not think about it anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything you read on the inte.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Yoo Ji-eun replied dejectedly. ¡°For today¡­ just wait until your sister¡¯s ss is over.¡± I pressed my temples as I spoke. ¡°Wait for the principal toe for your awakening registration. He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Are you taking me as your disciple?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Ask the principal instead.¡± ¡°Ugh. Uncle Hong said he has no intention of taking any disciples.¡± That will change once Yoo Ji-eun enters Pilot High School. I pretended not to hear Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s mumbling and redirected my attention. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve had enough rest? ss is starting! Teacher Kim, please take her. It¡¯s best if she¡¯s next to her sister.¡± Kim Chae-min took the sulky Yoo Ji-eun away. Yoo Hye-eun bowed her head apologetically at me from beside her. I waved my hand dismissively. ¡°Think of it as observing what kind of sses are held at Pilot High School.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to not want to enroll¡­¡± Lee Seung-yeon pouted. I raised my eyebrows. ¡°She might find it interesting.¡± ¡°This?¡± ¡°I find it fun. Don¡¯t you guys?¡± I scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s just because you¡¯re still weak.¡± * * * Whether or not Kim Chae-min contacted him, Hong Seok-young returned that night. Was it because of Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s awakening? Resting in the dorm, I was called out right away. Kim Chae-min was also with me. Hong Seok-young took us to a neighborhood pub with no people around. Despiteing for the news of Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s awakening, his expression wasn¡¯t great. Or was it because of a dungeon? Did they find something in Bangi-dong Dungeon? But that dungeon had been calm for twenty years since it first appeared. I didn¡¯t think that would have changed now. Hong Seok-young ordered a beer and spent a long time contemting before speaking. ¡°Ji-eun awakened?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard you already knew her, Hunter Hong.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not total strangers¡­ but I¡¯m just looking out for two kids who are in a tough situation.¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his chin as he answered. Kim Chae-min nodded. ¡°Anyway, the kid¡¯s quite bold. As soon as she saw Teacher Woo, she insisted on bing his disciple¡­¡± ¡°Disciple?¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes gleamed. They were the same eyes as a disciple¡¯s. ¡°She didn¡¯t give up even after seeing how Teacher Woo trains the kids. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen him so flustered.¡± Kim Chae-min burst intoughter, clearly enjoying the memory. I observed Hong Seok-young. It seemed best to divert his attention before he got any troublesome ideas. ¡°Look at this.¡± It was the flyer that Han Eun-young showed me earlier. The one that was talking nonsense about mana. Even a quick nce revealed suspicious content. It sounded like something a cult would spout. That¡¯s correct. This is the method Ark uses to recruit members. ¡°No, let me go first.¡± But Hong Seok-young pushed aside the flyer I handed him without even looking at it. He took out a few photos from inside his jacket. A man lying on the ground. Paleplexion. A face twisted in agony. I don¡¯t have a weak heart that would be startled by a dead body. I just don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s showing it to me. ¡°This is a body we found in the Songpa District Dungeon.¡± There was a reason my younger self noted it in the diary. Smart kid. ¡°Is this a face you recognize?¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t recognize the face, but I pretended to examine it closely out of courtesy. After a short while, I responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know him.¡± Hong Seok-young nodded. ¡°This is Mr. Kim who risked his life to help get you out of Ark. Are you sure you don¡¯t know him?¡± Chapter 29 - The End (1) Chapter 29: The End (1) TL: SHW An old, worn-out sign with the light of the middle letter turned off. A door that makes an unpleasant creaking sound every time it¡¯s opened. Songs that went out of style long ago. Even the asional fly buzzing through the air. In the small, old beer house, there was only one table with customers sitting. A party consisting of two men and one woman. ¡°Here¡¯s the chicken you ordered.¡± Ignoring the somewhat gloomy atmosphere at the table, the owner, wearing an apron stained with grease, ced the te of chicken down. He nced at a few scattered photos on the table, but the dim lighting of the beer house made it hard to see what they were. The owner looked at the three people with curious eyes for a moment, shook his head, and returned to the kitchen. The beer ordered a long time ago remained untouched. It seemed like something serious was going on, but if you want to run a business in the neighborhood for a long time, you have to mind your own business. After confirming that the owner had gone into the kitchen, Hong Seok-young spoke in a nd voice. ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± The young man sitting across from him picked up the photo again. Seeing him even looking at the nk back of the photo, Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue. ¡°I helped you in every possible way. And this is what I get? You don¡¯t know? There¡¯s a limit to being ungrateful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, fine. Let¡¯s ask a more fundamental question.¡± Hong Seok-young shouted at the young man, Woo Hwijae. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Woo Hwijae sighed. He roughly ced the photo back on the table, almost throwing it. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stop this.¡± ¡°Stop what? I¡¯m just getting started.¡± ¡°So¡­.¡± Woo Hwijae sighed again. ¡°That person is a woman. Don¡¯t mess me up with some unknown guy.¡± Hong Seok-young sneered. * * * I¡¯ve said it a few times, but I was a cunning child. Do you know what happens when a cunning child grows up? They be a cunning adult. Would I have really done nothing after deciding to borrow the identity of a man I didn¡¯t even know? Did you think I would leave my conversation with Mr. Kim to chance and luck, and just bluff my way through? I¡¯m not that stupid. If I really had nothing, I might have left it to the heavens. Because there wouldn¡¯t have been a way to get information no matter what I tried. But I have the Mana Watch. An item that holds the entire 17-year history of the Ability Management Agency. In 2021, there was a department dedicated to Awakeners, though it was small and cute in size. The Awakener Crime Investigation Unit was also part of that department. The agency has records from that time as well. There are some gaps, but at least the list of missing and deceased is thorough. You know, sometimes there are those who fake their deaths in a dungeon and escape overseas. If I have the list of missing and deceased, then it¡¯s just a matter of sacrificing my time and effort. First, I look for those with the surname Kim among the Hunters who died or went missing around 2021. This is easy. Next, I pick someone who might be rted to Hong Seok-young. This was a bit harder. Still, I managed to find three potential leads. However, one was overseas, and another died stopping a Dungeon Break in Gyeongsang Province in early 2021. The remaining one was a woman named Kim Yoo-hwa. Before Awakening, she was a police officer. After Awakening, she worked in the Awakener Crime Investigation Unit. The only records left about her are in the list of missing persons and the Awakener Crime Investigation Unit¡¯s duty log. There are records of her investigating cases with theold man several times. Nothing else. It¡¯s too obvious, isn¡¯t it? A unfortunate hunter who dreamed of justice, whose records disappeared due to undercover work, and who never returned. The old man is such an old-fashioned person that he even referred to female juniors as ¡®Mr.¡¯ Back in the day, they say they used it regardless of gender¡­. That¡¯s proof he¡¯s an old-timer. ¡°So, who is this man? You didn¡¯t kill someone just to test me, did you?¡± Look at that sneering face. If he weren¡¯t the best Hunter in South Korea, I would have punched him. The mana creeping up my ankle disappeared instantly. This was proof that I had given the correct answer. If I had said something wrong, my ankle would have been cut off in an instant. It was my ankle without a mana control device, of course. ¡°Of course not. We found him in theSongpa District Dungeon.¡± ¡°The corpse?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hong Seok-young pulled out a few more photos from his pocket. Look at that. He deliberately hid them to test me. Yu Ji-eun said I grew up without any cuteness, but it¡¯s all because of this old man. With an adult like him to learn from, growing up this straight was actuallymendable. ¡°How long has he been dead?¡± ¡°Three to four days. Four days ago, when the Hunters of Daseon went in, there was nothing. We still don¡¯t know if they were killed here or brought in after being killed outside.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Daseon guarding the dungeon entrance?¡± ¡°Of course they were. 24-hour watch. Hunter Lee Mi-seon is furious because she can¡¯t figure out how they got in.¡± I nodded understandingly. ¡°Worried there might be a traitor in the guild?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t go as far as calling them a traitor¡­ but roughly speaking, yes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. Hunter Lee Mi-seon will take care of that. Are these runes?¡± I pointed to one of the photos Hong Seok-young had just taken out. It was a photo of the inside of the clothes the body was wearing. Complicated symbols were intertwined. Unless some long-time psychopath killed someone and doodled meaningless symbols, it was a rune. ¡°Yes, I was going to ask you about this.¡± Hong Seok-young confirmed. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°There is a rune, but I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s doing. It must have some meaning if it was drawn like this. Do you know what rune it is?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Is that why you asked if this was Mr. Kim, to test me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it important to be frugal?¡± ¡°Do you usually call this frugality?¡± ¡°Hey!!!¡± Kim Chae-min was not particrly quiet, but it was the first time since seeing the mana concealment rune that she had raised her voice like this. Both Hong Seok-young and I, who were discussing the rune on the body, looked at Kim Chae-min with wide eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t follow any of this conversation!¡± Kim Chae-min shouted. ¡°Who is Mr. Kim, and what does her gender matter?!¡± Finally, Hong Seok-youngughed awkwardly. The poor archmage, who had been too intimidated by Hong Seok-young to even breathe properly, now cried out with a wronged expression. I didn¡¯t know how much Hong Seok-young had told Kim Chae-min about me. But judging by that reaction, he hadn¡¯t exined much. Even though she knew about the Ark and had been taken to the training center, I still didn¡¯t know how Kim Chae-min got involved with the Ark¡­. Since Hong Seok-young brought her here, it must not be irrelevant. ¡°Teacher Kim, you know I¡¯m from the Ark, right?¡± ¡°Yes! You never said it outright, but if I couldn¡¯t notice from the talk at the training center, I¡¯d have to be an idiot!¡± ¡­So he didn¡¯t exin anything at all? I nced at Hong Seok-young and opened my mouth. Cleaning up was always my job. Nothing new. ¡°When I tried to leave there, there was someone named Mr. Kim who helped me. It was an undercover investigation.¡± Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t stop me. Instead, he rested his chin on his hand and watched Kim Chae-min and me, as if telling me to continue. Kim Chae-min was smart. Even with that brief exnation, she seemed to understand the situation and her mouth hung open in realization. ¡°We lost contact with him halfway¡­. The same goes for Mr. Hong Seok-young here.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so cold and call me Mr. Hong Seok-young. Are you upset?¡± ¡°Since he barely had any information about me, he doubted whether I was really the internal informant Mr. Kim mentioned.¡± ¡°You¡¯re upset.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how it is.¡± Kim Chae-min picked up her beer ss and started gulping it down. After emptying the 50 ss in one go, she mmed it down with a bang and wiped her mouth. ¡­Was she that stressed? ¡°So, are all suspicions about Teacher Woo resolved now? It looks like this was a sting operation.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know about that. It depends on Mr. Hong Seok-young.¡± Kim Chae-min red at Hong Seok-young. ¡°Mr. Hong.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all done now, right?¡± Kim Chae-min frowned. She red at Hong Seok-young for a long moment before speaking bluntly. ¡°Then apologize.¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his head. Despite the younger woman¡¯s words, he bowed his head slightly and apologized without muchment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be saying it to me.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hong Seok-young also bowed his head to me. ¡°Now, it¡¯s not much, but as a token of apology¡­¡± He started rummaging through his pockets again. Did that coat have a subspace pocket or something? What¡¯s he always pulling out? This time, he took out a crumpled document envelope. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± I received the envelope with a suspicious look. The contents inside were sparsepared to the envelope, which was why it was so crumpled. Inside was¡­ Thud. I blinked. What fell onto my palm was a card. More precisely, a card-sized¡­ resident registration card. Woo Hwijae. 920930-1xxxxxx. ¡°The other personal information was based on what you told me when you were at the investigation office. If that was a lie, there¡¯s nothing we can do. You¡¯ll have to live with it as it is. And¡­¡± Hong Seok-young waved his hand. There was still something left in the envelope. Following the ID card was a Hunter License. ¡°It¡¯s also temporarily issued.¡± Woo Hwijae, Rank D. ¡°You should renew itter.¡± But there was still something left in the envelope. When I tipped it upside down, nothing came out, so I reached in and pulled it out. Thud. ¡­A bankbook. ¡°Coincidentally, payday just passed. I also issued a check card.¡± There was a card slipped between the pages of the bankbook. My name was on that, too. ¡°You now have a legal status in South Korea, so you know you have to pay taxes, right? So, tax was deducted¡­¡± For some reason, my hand trembled. Maybe because I sensed what wasing. ¡°I¡¯m not an exploitative employer, so of course, I included the four major insurances. If you work somewhere else in the future, make sure they provide insurance. If they don¡¯t, it¡¯s suspicious, so quit immediately.¡± What does a Hunter need the four major insurances for¡­! ¡°Originally, I should have deducted the misceneous costs you incurred over the past month¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Principal, that¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Oh, now I¡¯m Principal?¡± ¡°You apologized, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, if I want to keep being called ¡®teacher¡¯, I guess I¡¯ll have to live kindly.¡± Hong Seok-young chuckled. ¡°Like teacher Kim said, I thought that was too much as well, so I¡¯ll just treat it as my treat. How about that? Is that okay? It¡¯s the rightfulpensation for your hard work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I get it. I understand. We¡¯ll discuss the serious stuff a littleter, but for now, let¡¯s celebrate. Boss! Bring us more beer, please!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A fair reward? This is a fair reward? I gripped the bankbook, my hand trembling. My sry got cut to a quarter, and now, what? Chapter 30 - The End (2) Chapter 30: The End (2) TL: SHW The numbers in the bankbook do not change no matter how much time passes. What? The four major insurances? The ones I know? What¡¯s the point of giving me a Hunter license? If you won¡¯t even let me raid dungeons. So, this¡­ the minimum wage of 2021, reduced even further for the training period, and on top of that, the four major insurances? I¡¯m not ignoring the importance of insurance, but even fleas wouldn¡¯t be this meticulous about sucking blood dry. ¡­Wait, what about the money I paid for pension while working at the Agency? Every time I saw the deductions from my sry, it made me sick, but I endured it thinking of my retirement. Is that all gone? My pension? My retirement? ¡°I know it¡¯s thrilling to receive the reward for your rightfulbor¡­. but you can check it againter.¡± Hong Seok-youngpletely misunderstood my silence. He thinks this is touching? The best Hunter in Korea doesn¡¯t have much insight. This amount is almost the same as the allowance the old man used to give me every month. ¡°Anyway¡­ Boss! More beer here, please!¡± Setting aside the amount issue, it was significant that Hong Seok-young handed me the resident registration card and other documents. It meant that this man finally stopped ying around and fully epted me as the unfortunate victim of the Ark. By the time we had quenched our thirst with the new beer and finished the ordered chicken, we returned to talking about work. I resumed checking the photos that I had paused to verify earlier. The first photo only had corpses, but in the next set of photos, there were small centipedervae as well. Seeing those crawling on the corpses made my stomach churn. Centipedes. Were there centipedes in the Bangi-dong Dungeon? Being a D-rank dungeon, it surely had monsters, but I didn¡¯t recall seeing any mention of monsters in the Bangi-dong Dungeon reports over the past few years. ording to what I saw from the Mana Watch, when dungeons first appeared, it was noted that there was no rtionship between the mana stones found inside and the monsters, so they were disregarded. The dungeon was so old that some reports were missing, making it unclear what kind of monsters were present. I looked at the centipedes in the photo. I had heard reports of discovering monster eggs while extracting mana stones asionally¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for insect-type monsters to like rotten meat, but this is too suspicious.¡± Kim Chae-min said, waving the photo. Most of Earth¡¯smon knowledge applies to dungeon monsters too. Unless it¡¯s a rare exception, you can usually guess right by their appearance. ¡°Anyone can see that they seem to have been fed.¡± Kim Chae-min said thoughtfully. ¡°You said the dungeon gate was constantly guarded, right?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°When did the dungeon appear? I remember it was April.¡± ¡°April 6th.¡± ¡°Oh my. That¡¯s after the Myeong-dong outbreak¡­. Daseon took over the dungeon not long ago, so¡­ the dungeon was pretty much abandoned in the meantime, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Probably?¡± Hong Seok-young frowned. ¡°I was busy at that time, so I couldn¡¯t pay attention¡­. It¡¯s a densely popted area, so the government checked it once. It was rated as D-rank back then too.¡± ¡°And no one cared about it afterward?¡± ¡°Seems like¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± This isn¡¯t Hong Seok-young¡¯s fault. It¡¯s not the government¡¯s fault either. It¡¯s just the way this era is. With the urgent aftermath of the Myeong-dong Dungeon to deal with, a non-dangerous dungeon could be left unattended for a while. If I had thought about it¡­. No. At that time, I was constantly tied up with the Awakened Crimes Investigation Department and thepilot high school. Even for me, it was impossible to move around unnoticed by Hong Seok-young. If there¡¯s nothing that can be done, then it¡¯s better not to think about it. It¡¯s not my fault. ¡°So, if Ark could enter the dungeon, they could have done so at any time.¡± ¡°I guess¡­ so?¡± ¡°They said the dungeon was unusuallyrge for its rank¡­. If this is Ark¡¯s doing, and if there¡¯s someone else doing such things other than Ark, that would be an even bigger problem. So, let¡¯s assume it¡¯s Ark. Maybe Ark went into the dungeon and just didn¡¯te out?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t it possible? With just one fairlypetent earth-attribute mage, digging and crawling in would be easy. It¡¯s a method we used when raiding a dungeon with Vietnamese Hunters in the past. Did you thoroughly check the inside?¡± After a moment of hesitation, Hong Seok-young shook his head. ¡°We only checked around the entrance and the dungeon core. We didn¡¯t check to the end.¡± ¡°If they were really hiding inside, they might not havee out yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell the Hunters to check.¡± After fiddling with his phone for a moment, Hong Seok-young moved on to the next topic. ¡°And about this rune.¡± The rune he mentioned he wanted to ask me about earlier. It was roughly drawn with a marker on a dirty shirt. The lines and everything making up the rune were all crooked. ¡°When I was teaching you, I heard that the most important thing about runes is to draw them urately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ assuming abat situation.¡± I squinted my eyes. It was an unfamiliar rune. Or was it? I don¡¯t memorize all the runes. After pondering for a moment, I opened my mouth. ¡°To fix mana in a rune, it¡¯s important to draw it urately. That way, itsts longer.¡± The support runes were developed by a French Archmage. It¡¯s unknown to Ark. The rune roughly drawn on the shirt was ruined as centipedes crawled over it. ¡°You can use it even if it¡¯s roughly drawn like that, but¡­ it¡¯s unstable and won¡¯tst long. I don¡¯t know when it was drawn, but by the time you found it, the effect would have already ended.¡± ¡°Really? Then¡­¡± ¡°It means the situation was urgent enough to draw the rune hastily or there was no need to put effort into drawing it.¡± I have no idea what they are doing in the dungeon. Even if they didn¡¯t expect Daseon to take over the dungeon, disying the corpses so tantly? What is Ark plotting? I¡¯ve seen and heard things happening in the researchb, but the dungeon is a different story. In the first ce, Ark got caught by Hong Seok-young because they were in a hurry to kidnap the kids. It doesn¡¯t make sense. Ark¡¯s basic action guideline is secrecy. Maybe there was an internal conflict. ¡°But despite that, the fact they did this means it was something they had to do?¡± ¡°I suppose so¡­ What did you do with the corpses?¡± ¡°Daseon decided to handle it due to security issues. They¡¯ll start with an autopsy.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no telling where the information might leak from, so we had no choice.¡± Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t care about that. She was more focused on the roughly drawn rune. ¡°Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you know what this rune is?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Mana Watch contains not only the Agency¡¯s data but also information necessary for dungeon raids. One of those pieces of information is the Encyclopedia of Runes. As the name suggests, it lists all the runes registered with the International Rune Research Association. If I can check the watch, I can quickly find out what this rune is. Should I say I need to go to the bathroom and check? No, there¡¯s no need to take unnecessary risks. Besides, what if it¡¯s a rune not stored in the Mana Watch? There are many runes not registered with the Rune Association, and Ark also used their own runes, so it¡¯s possible. Yes. I¡¯ll just say I don¡¯t know. Saying you know it but then finding no information on the Mana Watch would be disastrous. It¡¯s much easier to say you don¡¯t know and gradually reveal informationter. ¡°What do you think, do you know?¡± Hong Seok-young looked at me with hopeful eyes. It was a shame to disappoint him, but I willingly answered. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know this rune either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know a rune?¡± ¡°How could I know every single rune that I can¡¯t even use?¡± ¡°But you know a lot of runes, Teacher Woo. You draw new runes every time I see you.¡± Runes are essential knowledge for modern Hunters¡­. But I can¡¯t say that easily. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll find out what rune it is.¡± ¡°Find out?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Just draw it and see what happens.¡± ¡°You?¡± If not me, then who? ¡°No, I¡¯m not a mage.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me? Isn¡¯t Hunter Lee Mi-seon curious about what this rune is? Daseon must have mages too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to find reliable mages.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Does Daseon not have mages?¡± ¡°They do, but they¡¯re not as trustworthy as the ones we usually keep around.¡± Mages are picky. Since they¡¯re so rare, they tend to turn their backs if not treated well. I nodded. So, I looked at a trusted Archmage. ¡°Then Teacher Kim should do it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Of course, it has to be Teacher Kim.¡± ¡°Who else but Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything about runes!¡± ¡°You¡¯re learning now.¡± Kim Chae-min¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You just have to draw it, so why are you surprised?¡± ¡°This feels unfair!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Teacher Kim is so capable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This feels weird.¡± No matter what she says, Kim Chae-min can¡¯t escape her fate. Kim Chae-min drank her beer with a displeased face. Well, I don¡¯t n to leave everything to her. If the Mana Watch has information about this rune, it will reduce the chance of a misstep. If not, I can reverse-engineer it. I followed Kim Chae-min¡¯s lead and took a sip of beer before speaking. ¡°May I tell my story now?¡± Since we had roughly wrapped up the rune discussion, it was time to move on to the next item. ¡°Hmm? Oh, right. What was it you wanted me to see?¡± ¡°This.¡± I handed over the tacky flyer again. Kim Chae-min recognized it immediately. ¡°Didn¡¯t Eun-young show this to you?¡± ¡°Eun-young? What were you doing while I was away that the kids are carrying around things like this?¡± ¡°She got it on her way to school, apparently.¡± Even under the dim light, the tacky writing was clearly visible. ¡®Mana! Will you leave it only to the Awakened?¡¯ Just reading it made me cringe. Hong Seok-young¡¯s face twisted with a simr expression. ¡°What is this? Why put so much effort into this nonsense?¡± I pointed to the text at the bottom of the flyer. Taegukgi Training Center. I got straight to the point. ¡°This is Ark.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Did I say it too briefly? ¡°This is a front set up by Ark to recruit new members.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a particrly long silence. Hong Seok-young, who had been staring at the flyer intently for a while, finally spoke. ¡°This?¡± Well, any sensible Hunter would react like that. That was my reaction when young Yoo Ji-eun mentioned mana. Kim Chae-min asked in a reluctant voice. ¡°This¡­ cult-like group is Ark?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make sense?¡± ¡°¡­Ark?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a religion, but it¡¯s a cult-like organization.¡± I shrugged. ¡°They use things like this to gather people and then filter out the promising ones. I don¡¯t know the details since I haven¡¯t worked on this, but¡­ finding an artificial awakening method is one of Ark¡¯s goals, so they might be looking for potential test subjects.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What, what did you say?¡± Hong Seok-young, who had been munching on the remaining chicken, dropped his piece. Kim Chae-min¡¯s face was equally stunned. Why are they so surprised? ¡°What did you say is Ark¡¯s goal?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± This time, I was the one surprised. ¡°An artificial Awakening method? What is that? Test subjects?!¡± ¡°Why do you think they kidnapped the kids? It was to obtain test subjects.¡± Their reaction was strange. I asked, just in case. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then what did you think Ark was all about?¡± ¡°¡­An international crime organization?¡± Well, that¡¯s not entirely wrong, but¡­ How did this person manage to take down Ark originally? Chapter 31 - Rotten Meat (1) Chapter 31: Rotten Meat (1) TL: SHW Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not wrong to call it an international crime organization. In fact, it¡¯s urate. Ark isn¡¯t some cult gathering in a small room; it¡¯s big enough to run a secretb five stories underground. That¡¯s all money, money. Exactly. Any organization needs money to operate. What do you think the Ability Management Agency was constantly being summoned to hearings for? It was all about money. They would talk about the taxpayers¡¯ money this and that. But in reality, the agency ran more on the money earned from dungeon byproducts than on taxpayers¡¯ money. Anyway, Ark isn¡¯t just an organization in Korea. Its main base was in East Asia, but it wasn¡¯t like it didn¡¯t operate in Europe or across the ocean in America. They primarily funded themselves from over there and funneled the money into theb. In some ways, that side might berger in scale. So, Hong Seok-young¡¯s misunderstanding, which isn¡¯t really a misunderstanding, isn¡¯t strange. Hong Seok-young furrowed his brow and opened his mouth. ¡°Teacher Woo, where do you think I could have learned about Ark?¡± ¡°¡­Where did you learn about it?¡± ¡°In the ck market in South America.¡± ording to Hong Seok-young, two years ago, there was an incident where a raid party in the U.S. waspletely wiped out. Hong Seok-young knew one of the victims, and the families wanted to at least recover the remains of their loved ones. So, chasing traces, he ended up in the South American ck market, and there he witnessed Ark. In the process, he learned that the dungeon massacre incidents, which frequently urred in the U.S. and became a social issue, were the work of Ark. As Ark¡¯s atrocities grew worse, the U.S. created a special investigation team. ¡°I agreed to help too.¡± I frowned. This is the first time I¡¯m hearing this. It wasn¡¯t in the report the old man wrote either. It either got omitted when transferring materials to the agency, or the old man deleted it. If not that, he hid it from the beginning. ¡°But as I dug in, it was much bigger than expected, and each victim country was conducting its own investigation. It was the same in Korea.¡± ¡°Was Hunter Lee Mi-seon one of them?¡± ¡°Yeah. And Teacher Kim here too.¡± Kim Chae-min nodded with a heavy expression. Seeing them like that¡­ I feel like I¡¯m missing something. What is it? Why do I have this uneasy feeling? ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± I was about to ask when Mr. Kim infiltrated the organization but stopped. There¡¯s no need to do something that might cause distrust now that I¡¯ve finally gained their trust. But something¡­ felt off. Something¡­. What if the Ark that Hong Seok-young was chasing and the Ark I know arepletely different organizations? I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a coincidence that there are two criminal organizations with the same name, Ark. Ark conducted separate fundraising and research. Due to the cell-like structure, many might not know anything about the research. And that would be the same for those chasing them. Even if you interrogate the captured criminals, they can¡¯t tell you what they don¡¯t know. So if Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t know? ¡°What is it? Why did you stop talking?¡± ¡°¡­Then what do you think was the reason for kidnapping the kids?¡± Hong Seok-young answered without hesitation. ¡°Ransom?¡± Why does the end sound like a question? ¡°Weren¡¯t you sure?¡± ¡°No one contacted us asking for ransom.¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. Stories he had hidden from me or told differently began to spill out. ¡°That¡¯s why the initial investigation was so dyed. The parents also thought it was a kidnapping and waited for contact.¡± ¡°And after waiting and not hearing anything, they reported it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What about when you saw theb at the training center? Didn¡¯t that make you suspicious?¡± ¡°Rather than suspicion¡­.¡± ¡°Did you have no thoughts?¡± ¡°If you put it that way, what does that make me?¡± Hong Seok-young furrowed his brow. ¡°It was also rted to illegal Awakeners, and most of the drugs distributed in South America came from these guys. I thought it was rted to that.¡± ¡°Drugs?¡± ¡°Besides that, they dealt in many things¡­ even the kids¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young trailed off. I roughly understand what you¡¯re saying. Hearing it this way, it¡¯s not iprehensible. Everything actually makes sense. It¡¯s more usible that they stumbled upon a crime organization while investigating, rather than immediately chasing a cult-like group. I understand why Officer Kim, Kim Yoo-hwa went undercover. As for Hong Seok-young in front of me, he knows because I¡¯m telling him now. When did my old man learn about this fact? Before raiding theb? After raiding theb? Did he find out only after adopting me? ¡­Or maybe. He never found out. Did he only eliminate Ark as an international crime organization and miss the other side? Is that why the remaining members kept feeding the centipedes in the Bangi-dong Dungeon? Did the centipedes, which grew by eating corpses, cause the dungeon break? I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be known now. Here, even if I specte about what happened or what will happen, there¡¯s no way to find the right answer. However. There are things I can change. If that¡¯s the case. If Ark really fed and raised the centipedes. If they raised not just one or two monsters that way. If the ones that burned Seoul were among them. ¡°¡­.¡± I can stop it. If it¡¯s in this timeline, I can stop it. * * * It¡¯s been almost two months since I came to the past. Sometimes it feels like time is flying by, but then I¡¯m surprised that it¡¯s only been two months. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± A yellow sports car entered the yground. Kim Chae-min greeted cheerfully while unloading luggage from the sports car. ¡°Hey everyone! It¡¯s lunchtime. Come eat!¡± The zombies rolling around on the dirt ground stood up abruptly. ¡°Food!!¡± ¡°Oh no, why do these kids look like this again?¡± Kim Chae-min looked at me in horror. I shrugged my shoulders pretending not to know as I put down my wooden sword. Do you know what dungeon raids and Hong Seok-young have inmon? You can¡¯t predict where they¡¯ll go next. As soon as the story ended, Hong Seok-young went to Seoul. It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t trust Lee Mi-seon, but he had to see it with his own eyes. He didn¡¯t say much about Yoo Ji-eun¡­ he¡¯ll handle it on his own. We were actually kicked out of the pub because it was closing time. Today too, Hong Seok-young isn¡¯t at school. To be precise, it¡¯s just me here. Even if I passed the final exam, leaving someone like me with the kids is questionable. Even Kim Chae-min dropped off the kids in the morning and then drove off in her sports car parked in the corner of the yground. Even though I asked her to do something for me¡­ isn¡¯t this crazy? ¡°Why the face?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with my face?¡± ¡°Did you eat bugs?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Since you replenished your protein, cheer up.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min burst intoughter. It¡¯s not just Hong Seok-young who¡¯s acting strange. He¡¯s always been odd, but Kim Chae-min is unusually high-spirited too. Maybe she thinks she can rx now that all the unseen probing is over? I¡¯m incredibly grateful that they trust me this much, but at the same time, it makes me want to cry. Is this really okay? Is it alright to be so unguarded? Neither Hong Seok-young nor Kim Chae-min are in their right minds. I will never be an adult like that. And of course, I haven¡¯t. That¡¯s what¡¯s important. It¡¯s really fortunate that it¡¯s me. After all, the old man can¡¯t do without me. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t just bring the lunch, did you?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Kim Chae-min proudly handed me a bag. ¡°I bought everything properly.¡± I checked the bag Kim Chae-min handed over. It was a stic bag with the logo of a nearby supermarket. Given what was bought, it was quite heavy. I sneakily checked the contents and saw chunks of meat still retaining their chill. I had told her to buy the cheapest ones since they wouldn¡¯t be eaten anyway¡­ but why are they all beef? This is why mages are no good. They have no sense of money. It¡¯s not my money being spent, it¡¯s their own money, so I can¡¯t really say anything. I took the meat Kim Chae-min bought andid it out on the parasol table. Then I handed a notebook to Kim Chae-min. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Just draw this.¡± ¡°Rune?¡± Kim Chae-min tilted her head as she checked the rune drawn in the notebook. ¡°It¡¯s the one from the photo¡­ but there are several?¡± ¡°The runes aren¡¯t precise, so these are the shapes that seem most likely.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Teacher Woo, did you actually create these runes?¡± ¡°I told you, a mage I know drew them. I¡¯m not a mage, so I can¡¯t use runes.¡± ¡°It feels like even if you¡¯re not a mage, you would know how to draw runes, Teacher Woo¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sharp as always. I pretended not to hear Kim Chae-min¡¯sment. ¡°Anyway, just draw the runes quickly. It¡¯s not difficult.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. What do you think this effect is?¡± Kim Chae-min twirled the pen in her hand and started drawing the rune following my sketch. Unfortunately, the Mana Watch had no information about the runes drawn on the corpse. But I had some guesses. ¡°It¡¯s probably for attracting bugs or elerating dposition.¡± ¡°Ew, a monster that eats rotting corpses. I hate it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see worse ones when raiding dungeons.¡± ¡°I usually handle post-dungeon break cleanup more than actual raids. The monsters thate out of dungeons usually¡­.¡± ¡°Prefer fresh meat?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that!¡± Kim Chae-min pouted. But she continued to draw the rune diligently. ¡°That¡¯s wrong there.¡± ¡°Oh, seriously!¡± While Kim Chae-min groaned and worked on the rune, I checked the lunch boxes. The ones Hong Seok-young brought were packed with meat, and the ones Lee Mi-seon brought looked like fancy gourmet meals from the containers. But the lunch boxes Kim Chae-min brought were¡­. Packed with thick sandwiches, neatly arranged fruits, and sds. It was amusing how each person¡¯s personality was so clearly reflected. ¡°Done! Should I draw the support runes too?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Let¡¯s try to make the runes as identical as possible. Adding auxiliary runes might strengthen the effect too much¡­.¡± I had her draw five runes in total. If none of these work, it would be troublesome. Moreplex runes are difficult to reverse engineer. I carefully checked if Kim Chae-min drew them correctly. After confirming there were no problems, I ced the runes on the beef. ¡°Activate it now.¡± ¡°Teacher, what are you doing right now?¡± Just as Kim Chae-min activated the rune, a voice interrupted. ¡°Is this a rune? What kind of rune is it? We haven¡¯t learned this, right? Oh, they all look quite simr.¡± Choi Jin-woo widened his eyes as he examined the rune Kim Chae-min drew. ¡°But why are they stuck on the meat?¡± Behind Choi Jin-woo, Park Seo-hyun was lingering. She couldn¡¯te closer and was just hovering¡­ If you¡¯re going toe, juste, why are you acting like that? I felt bad and was about to call her, but she ran away. What am I supposed to do? I should have taken a course on child psychology in college or something. I didn¡¯t since I nned to join the Ability Management Agency, but it turns out learning anything can be helpful. The price I pay for mocking a colleague who took that course is too high. ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. I have something to experiment with.¡± ¡°An experiment? With runes?¡± Choi Jin-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you developing a new rune? Ah, so that¡¯s why they all look simr!¡± I can¡¯t exin to a kid what these runes are for. I didn¡¯t deny Choi Jin-woo¡¯s excited assumptions and just let him talk. ¡°Oh! Did Teacher Chae-min make the runes? By the way, how do you make runes? Does each shape have a specific meaning?¡± Words continued without giving me a chance to respond. ¡­I fleetingly thought that perhaps it was better when they found me difficult to approach. ¡°Teacher Kim hasn¡¯t eaten yet, so don¡¯t bother her and go y.¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t eaten yet. I¡¯m sorry, teacher.¡± ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s okay.¡± The kind Archmage Teacher, Kim Chae-min, pointed to an empty chair. ¡°Jin-woo, you said you recently became a mage, right? And there are no adult mages around you?¡± ¡°Yes. Among my family and rtives, I¡¯m the first Awakener.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­. Mages usuallye in family units. It must have been hard to learn magic. Is that why you entered this academy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t originally n to be a Hunter¡­. But I saw on a documentary that if mages don¡¯t learn to control their mana, idents can happen. So I thought, oh, this can¡¯t be good, and I started looking into it! Then the principal came to see me.¡± Choi Jin-woo paused and wrinkled his nose. ¡°But, teacher, don¡¯t you smell something strange?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± While Kim Chae-min looked puzzled, I found the cause faster than Choi Jin-woo did. A musty smell that sensitive senses of an Awakener would catch. I frowned. How long has it been since the rune was activated, and already? One of the five chunks of beef had gone bad. Chapter 32 - Rotten Meat (2) Chapter 32: Rotten Meat (2) TL: SHW By the time the children were leaving school, the condition of the beef had deteriorated beyond recognition. When Kim Chae-min had brought it, it had been fresh and red. Now, it was a dark, disfigured mass emitting a foul stench. ¡°I understand what effect it has, but¡­ isn¡¯t it a bit too effective?¡± Kim Chae-min said, grimacing. ¡°From what the principal said, it wasn¡¯t in such bad condition¡­¡± ¡°It seems the body was brought to the dungeon not too long ago.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have any more usible assumptions?¡± ¡°I have some more gruesome assumptions.¡± ¡°Gruesome?¡± I grinned. ¡°The monsters probably ate part of the body before itpletely decayed.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Kim Chae-min grimaced. ¡°Well, even if that¡¯s not the case, there are too many variables. The meat we used was still dripping blood, and the weather is hot¡­ The rune was also drawn more roughly on the shirt than it was here.¡± I flicked the rune attached to the rotten beef. ¡°To determine when the body was ced in the dungeon, we would need to conduct experiments, but we don¡¯t have that kind of time. For now, knowing the effect is enough.¡± And the most important thing has been confirmed. These guys are really feeding the dungeon. Artificially cultivating dungeons is something the Ability Management Agency does as well. It¡¯s usually done when the dungeon¡¯s byproducts are valuable despite its low level. For example, the Daegu Dungeon where Arachne appears. Arachne isn¡¯t a monster that lives in groups, nor does it take interest in other creatures. As long as it has enough food, it continuously weaves webs, which are incredibly valuable. Despite being docile, the fabric woven by thisrge monster using its mana is exceptionally strong. Although it¡¯s difficult to process, Arachne¡¯s fabric is highly sought after for Hunter armor. This practice isn¡¯t limited to our country. It¡¯s the same abroad. In Greece, where Arachne dungeons aremon, and simr dungeons operate simrly. However, this is about not killing the monsters and leaving them be. Naturally, thews surrounding this are strict, with double and triple safety measures in ce. The management procedures are alsoplex. What was Ark nning to do by raising monsters? Was their goal a dungeon break? Or something else? But no matter what, could they really trigger all the dungeons worldwide simultaneously? I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future, but Kim Chae-min had simr doubts as I did. ¡°But why would they do this?¡± ¡°Who knows? If I knew that, I would have already taken some measures.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t Teacher Woo hear something?¡± ¡°If I had heard something, I wouldn¡¯t be here looking at runes with you.¡± Kim Chae-min awkwardlyughed, as if at a loss for words. I briefly looked at the rotten meat, then at the childrening out to the yground with their bags. Those damn backpacks. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re having sses here anyway. ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we send the kids home.¡± * * * After dropping off the children. ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Chae-min dragged me into a cafe. As the ordered drinks arrived, Kim Chae-min pped lightly. ¡°That ce Teacher Woo mentioned! Taeguk! That ce!¡± ¡°Yes. What about it?¡± ¡°How about we infiltrate that ce?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s the Ark, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ No. Don¡¯t even think about infiltrating.¡± ¡°Why not!¡± Kim Chae-min stirred the ice with a straw in protest. ¡°What¡¯s more certain than going there directly?¡± It¡¯s not entirely wrong, but¡­ No, I can¡¯t let this slide. When dealing with a stubborn person like this, sticking to the right argument is best. ¡°Have you done it before?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯ve done it before.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± How old is Kim Chae-min now? Twenty-five? Twenty-six? A Hunter at twenty-six years old is both young and old. Moreover, Kim Chae-min only started her activities after bing an adult. It¡¯s a time when the world seems bright and beautiful. In other words, shecks experience. And she herself mentioned it, didn¡¯t she? Shecks experience in dungeon raids. Infiltration investigations are different from dungeon raids, but when dealing with people¡­ I looked at Kim Chae-min quietly. Despite her slender limbs, her face still had a youthful look. With her sparkling essories and bright dress, she looked more like a university student who likes to dress up rather than an Archmage. Unlike me, wearing the tracksuit that Hong Seok-young roughly picked up from the market. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be noticed in such a rural area. Moreover, the car Kim Chae-min drives is conspicuous enough. ¡°Teacher Kim, you stand out too much.¡± ¡°¡­Is that an insult or apliment?¡± ¡°Neither. It¡¯s just a fact.¡± Even without knowing, Kim Chae-min would already be famous around here. A womaning and going at a construction site where Hunters gather for some kind of school project. If such a conspicuous woman suddenly showed up with a flyer, anyone would be suspicious. ¡°The same goes for me.¡± It¡¯s not just about my attire. The unique location of the pilot high school was also a problem. One could tell from the reaction of the taxi driver who brought Yoo Ji-eun. And if you¡¯re taking kids to and from school every morning and evening, you¡¯ll be noticed whether you want to be or not. Look at it now. A man in a tracksuit and a woman driving a sports car sitting in a cafe with tacky interior¡­? What could be more noticeable than this? Rather¡­ Hmm. ¡°What is it? That expression? Do you have a good idea?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. There are lines I must not cross, no matter what. ¡°Why? Just tell me. Don¡¯t make me curious.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kim Chae-min raised her eyebrows. I gave up and spoke. ¡°There is one way we might not be suspected, but it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not us who would do it.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°¡­Yoo Ji-eun.¡± ¡°Ji-eun?¡± It seems Kim Chae-min had gotten close to Yoo Hye-eun¡¯s sisters, as she called Yoo Ji-eun by her first name. Understanding slowly spread across Kim Chae-min¡¯s face. ¡°Wow, Teacher Woo, I didn¡¯t expect that from you¡­¡± She looked at me as if I were some kind of scoundrel. I felt wronged. Did I say we should do it? I said we wouldn¡¯t because it¡¯s dangerous! But if I think about it calmly, it¡¯s a perfect fit. A recently Awakened middle schooler. No guardian, living with her sister. If she came iming she heard rumors online¡­ Get a grip. The one I¡¯m talking about is young Yoo Ji-eun. If it were adult Yoo Ji-eun, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to send her, but no matter what, not a minor. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, so I¡¯m not considering it.¡± ¡°How could you even think of taking a child into something like this¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked me to tell you. I said we wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± I sighed, looking at the grinning Kim Chae-min. In a different way, she troubled me as much as Yoo Ji-eun did. At the Ability Management Agency, no one treated me thisfortably, so it felt unusual. Apart from the Director or Yoo Ji-eun, everyone seemed to find me difficult. Ah. Lee Mi-seon also feltfortable with me. No, rather than beingfortable¡­ ¡®Oh my. Are you that little kid? Hunter Hong bragged about you so much that I was curious¡­ Hmph.¡¯ The first time we met, she had scanned me with meaningful eyes. It was the same afterward. She wasn¡¯t so muchfortable with me as she was uninterested. She kept pestering Yoo Ji-eun to join Daseon whenever she saw her. What do Ickpared to Yoo Ji-eun? I¡¯m much better than that woman who only knows how to swing a sword. Of course, I had no intention of joining a guild as a Hunter, but it still felt bad. Honestly, other guilds would be moring to have someone like me¡­ Recalling unpleasant memories made me a bit agitated. ¡°Teacher Woo?¡± Kim Chae-min and I could now be considered colleagues. It¡¯s certainly better than being awkward with each other. ¡°Since we¡¯ve talked to the principal, he¡¯ll handle it. Or we might get help from Hunter Lee Mi-seon.¡± ¡°From Daseon?¡± ¡°Maybe they can send someone suitable to get inside¡­¡± At my words, Kim Chae-min burst intoughter. ¡°Daseon is a Hunter guild, Teacher Woo. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overestimating them?¡± Would an ordinary Hunter guild also perform autopsies? Daseon was like an all-purpose errand runner for the director. For matters that couldn¡¯t be publicly handled by the Ability Management Agency, the director would ask Lee Mi-seon to resolve them. I used to think it was just because of Lee Seung-yeon, the unfortunate disciple of the director and Lee Mi-seon¡¯s nephew. But it seems their rtionship runs deeper. They had been coborating to track down Ark even before Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s death in Myeong-dong. I looked at Kim Chae-min with a pitiful expression. It was my job to teach my less experienced colleague. ¡°Teacher Kim, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re underestimating Daseon too much?¡± I figured it couldn¡¯t be helped since she was a Mage. The number of Mages is already small, and the number ofpetent Mages is even smaller. Rather than settling in one guild, Mages are often hired as mercenaries by various guilds. Because of this, they are often unaware of internal guild affairs, power struggles, or political conflicts. Mages are always outsiders in these matters. ¡°Daseon is Daeyeon¡¯s business.¡± ¡°Huh? Hunter Lee Mi-seon is indeed from that family. But I heard Daeyeon doesn¡¯t interfere in guild operations.¡± So naive. Well, with this kind of personality, it¡¯s no wonder she died trying to save other Hunters. ¡°¡­Teacher Woo, sometimes your eyes look really strange. It makes me ufortable. Can you just say what you want to say?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my eyes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the look my dad gave me every time I failed a spell as a child.¡± What kind ofparison is that? ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your father¡¯s expression, so I don¡¯t know what look that is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®I¡¯m teaching this idiot because she¡¯s my daughter, but isn¡¯t this just a waste of time?¡¯ look.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then he¡¯d smile really kindly and tell me I did a good job.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It makes you feel like the biggest idiot in the world¡­¡± I don¡¯t treat people like idiots to that extent. It¡¯s just that, well¡­ if someone seems a bit clueless, you can feel pity or sympathy, right? ¡°Ah, there¡¯s that look again!¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡± ¡°My dad said exactly the same thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I changed the subject. The longer this conversation went, the more disadvantageous it was for me. ¡°Continuing what we were talking about, no matter how unrted they seem, as long as Lee Mi-seon is the guild master, Daeyeon will have a connection.¡± ¡°¡­Because they¡¯re family?¡± ¡°Neither Daseon nor Daeyeon are public enterprises. Blood is thicker than water, and judging by the rtionship between Lee Seung-yeon and Hunter Lee Mi-seon, they seem to get along well, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Consider it at least once, Teacher Kim. There¡¯s a reason so many corporations run guilds.¡± Everyone finds a way to benefit somehow. Chapter 33 - Staff Meeting Chapter 33: Staff Meeting TL: SHW 2029. ¡°Mister.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good idea to get a Hunter license?¡± The man stopped scratching his belly. The boy, neatly dressed in his school uniform, looked at the man with a pathetic expression and asked again. ¡°A Hunter license. Is it a good idea to get one?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want to be a Hunter? Did someone at school say something? Are they bullying you? Should I go to your school?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s not it.¡± The boy picked up the remote control that had fallen on the floor and turned off the TV. As the loud sound from the TV ceased, silence filled the house. The man nced at the boy and then slowly sat up. The boy took off his backpack and sat on the sofa. ¡°Thepetition for government jobs is too fierce.¡± ¡°It was like that twenty years ago too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± The boy sighed. ¡°¡­Should I make a position for you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If you do that these days, you¡¯ll get into big trouble. Do you want to be dragged to a hearing again?¡± ¡°No, um¡­¡± The man mumbled and avoided the boy¡¯s gaze. ¡°Anyway, I was thinking, I¡¯m an Awakened, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If an Awakened takes the exam, they get extra points, right?¡± ¡°Well, Hunters do prefer working with other Awakened rather than non-Awakened.¡± ¡°So, wouldn¡¯t getting a Hunter license give me even more points?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°If they prefer Awakened over non-Awakened, wouldn¡¯t they prefer a Hunter even more?¡± The man blinked his eyes stupidly before answering. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the highest authority there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to say it like that.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not wrong but¡­¡± The man scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t handle recruitment, so I don¡¯t know much about it, Hwijae.¡± ¡°Mister, what do you know?¡± ¡°Fighting is the one thing I¡¯m confident in¡­¡± The boy looked at the man with a disgusted face. The man chuckled and said. ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. There probably is something.¡± ¡°You sound like there¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Usually, if someone gets a Hunter license, they be a Hunter. They don¡¯t want to be a government official. There are only a handful of Awakened employees.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ordinary.¡± ¡°Whose son are you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m adopted.¡± ¡°Just because we¡¯re not blood-rted doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re not family. And just because we¡¯re family doesn¡¯t mean we have to be blood-rted.¡± The man reached out to the boy who was pouting. Despite the boy¡¯sints, the man ruffled his hair and smiled. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to get a Hunter license?¡± ¡°¡­We don¡¯t even know if there are extra points yet.¡± ¡°There will be. Since you¡¯re getting it, try to get a high rank.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s too much trouble. I¡¯m nning to get just a D-rank.¡± ¡°Hey. You¡¯re my son, what¡¯s with a D, a D.¡± ¡°Just say that because I¡¯m adopted, I couldn¡¯t inherit your skills.¡± The boy scoffed. The man groaned. ¡°If you say things like that, you¡¯ll get attacked for your character at the hearing.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re confident in fighting. Win at the hearing ande back.¡± ¡°The kind of fights I¡¯m confident in aren¡¯t those, kid.¡± But seeing his son smiling yfully, the man couldn¡¯t help butugh too. ¡°At least get a B-rank.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hunters are too proud to listen to someone weaker than them.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re a Hunter too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m in the highest position at the Management Agency.¡± * * * Present. 2021. ¡°I¡¯m not Hunter Hong¡¯s secretary or anything.¡± ¡°Ah. You¡¯re not?¡± ¡°No.¡± I said firmly. I know well that Hong Seok-young wouldn¡¯t even pretend to listen to what I say. But surprisingly, Hong Seok-young responded logically. ¡°It¡¯s field training. nning these things is originally the teacher¡¯s job.¡± So I responded logically. ¡°Aren¡¯t I like a student teacher? What school makes a student teacher n field training?¡± ¡°A student teacher? You¡¯re that¡­ that thing.¡± ¡°That thing?¡± ¡°Homeroom teacher for the magic ss.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I really want to hit him. I always wanted to hit him, but it wasn¡¯t this bad when we worked at the Ability Management Agency. Was he more mellow back then because he was older? But honestly, he¡¯s not that young now either. He should have some seriousness. ¡°How can I be a homeroom teacher with only two students in the ss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is in rural schools.¡± ¡°Is this a rural area?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an urban area, is it?¡± ¡­This guy is unusually logical today. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make me a homeroom teacher, at least raise my sry. You have plenty of money.¡± ¡°Look, Teacher Woo.¡± Hong Seok-young lowered his voice. I nced at his face. He¡¯s still joking around. There¡¯s no more testing me, but the joking remains the same. ¡°Running a school costs a lot of money.¡± ¡°But there aren¡¯t many students.¡± ¡°We also need to build more facilities.¡± ¡°People say that, but they never do it.¡± ¡°People don¡¯t want toe here because there are many dungeons nearby. So, we have to pay hazard allowances.¡± ¡°Then we should just raid the dungeons.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯re doing now?¡± Surprisingly, the conversation hade full circle. I looked at the document I was holding. It¡¯s something Hong Seok-young got from Lee Mi-seon. A brief report and a raid guide on the dungeons near Pilot High School. It¡¯s one thing to involve her in Ark business, but to make Lee Mi-seon handle even this? Does she have some weakness that Hong Seok-young is holding over her? Or is it thanks to looking after his nephew? I looked away from the report and back at Hong Seok-young. But my point remained the same. ¡°If you moved, it would be much faster.¡± ¡°No.¡± Hong Seok-young shook his head. ¡°This time, the kids have to do it.¡± ¡°¡­Is there a reason?¡± Hong Seok-young stood up from the sofa. He poured coffee mix into a paper cup and filled the kettle with water, pressing the button familiarly. ¡°This is Pilot High. It¡¯s an experimental school.¡± ¡°Well¡­ right.¡± ¡°I used my name to create this school. Honestly, there were many who questioned why Hunters even needed a school.¡± In twenty years, no, if we hold out for just three years, things will change. Maybe five years, considering the establishment of the Hunter Academy. ¡°People backed down because I insisted on it. But there¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± Unaware of that fact, Hong Seok-young twitched his lips in dissatisfaction and scratched his chin. ¡°In short, we need results.¡± Hmm. ¡°You think raiding dungeons will help the school¡¯s survival?¡± ¡°Even though the number of Awakened increases each year, the number of skilled Hunters doesn¡¯t. Mages are bing more closed-off¡­ Ordinary Hunters are heading in a simr direction. We can¡¯t let things continue like this.¡± ¡°You think one teacher can change that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think of myself that highly. That¡¯s why I created the school. At least to protect the kids who are just starting to Awaken.¡± The kettle made a click sound. The water had boiled. ¡°So, we need results, even if it¡¯s just for show.¡± Hong Seok-young nced at me briefly before pulling out another paper cup and pouring in the coffee mix. ¡°This school must not fail.¡± A sweet aroma filled the air. Hong Seok-young handed me a paper cup. I¡¯ve gotten used to the taste of this cheap coffee. ¡°Actually, there is a simpler method.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We could announce that the new runes will only be taught at Pilot High.¡± I was momentarily breathless. ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a matter of results but would cause a different kind of uproar. It would disrupt my n to release the runes and step back. I picked up the report I had been reading. ¡°Do the kids just need to raid the dungeons?¡± Understanding my willingness to calmly ept the task, Hong Seok-young chuckled. ¡°We need evidence that the kids are learning well. No one knows what happens inside a dungeon, so even if I go in and say the kids did it¡­ you get it, right?¡± Even if Hong Seok-young raids the dungeon and says the kids did it, there would be no proof. But that¡¯s not Hong Seok-young¡¯s goal. He genuinely wants to raise these kids to be Hunters. ¡°Of course, people aren¡¯t fools, so if I go in with them, they¡¯ll think I did it.¡± ¡°So you want me to go in with them?¡± ¡°You. You¡¯re a Hunter.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks to you.¡± It was Hong Seok-young who threw the Hunter license at me along with my resident registration card. Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue. ¡°Renew it.¡± ¡°I need time to renew it.¡± ¡°Want to renew it now? I can take you.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Hong Seok-youngughed. ¡°If you¡¯re a D-rank Hunter, no one would think you could solo raid a dungeon.¡± ¡°You want me to raid it?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡± Hong Seok-young said seriously. ¡°The kids will raid it. I just don¡¯t want to raise unnecessary suspicions. If the guide is a D-rank Hunter, what amazing feat can be expected in a C-rank dungeon?¡± Hong Seok-young grinned mischievously. ¡°Actually, Daseon already cleared it once.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave a dangerous dungeon as it is, so it¡¯s for the public good.¡± ¡°And for the public good, the students will raid the dungeon?¡± Hong Seok-young ignored my words, shrugged his shoulders, and continued. ¡°Daseon checked it once, and they also took down the dangerous boss. We¡¯ve identified the dungeon core location, so¡­ even if it¡¯sbeled C-rank, it won¡¯t be that tough.¡± ¡°Does the guild master do such trivial tasks? It¡¯s not rted to Ark, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to the education of her nephew.¡± ¡°You could have done the clearing. Isn¡¯t that the teacher¡¯s role?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a teacher too.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s Teacher Kim Chae-min.¡± I didn¡¯t really care if Lee Mi-seon was helping out of concern for her nephew or for some other reason. It¡¯s better for my mental health to live without knowing. After all, twenty years from now, Lee Mi-seon was still the old man¡¯s diligent¡­ errand girl. ¡°An inspector wille on the day of the training.¡± ¡°That¡¯s serious.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t enter the dungeon. You¡¯ll go in with the kids and help them raid it. If, by any chance, something dangerous happens, you¡¯ll step in.¡± ¡°As I am now?¡± I tapped my knee, where the mana restraint was. ¡°I¡¯ll release it for that day.¡± ¡°Releasing my mana¡­ and leaving me with the kids? Without any supervision?¡± Hong Seok-young shrugged with a nonchnt expression. ¡°I trust you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not so weak that a mana restraint would prevent you from handling the kids. If you had any bad intentions, you would¡¯ve caused trouble long ago.¡± I felt an itch inside. I bit my lip, holding the paper cup, and then asked as if I¡¯d just remembered. ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°That dungeon in Bangi-dong, did you find any clues? You left so suddenly.¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Hong Seok-young shook his head. ¡°As Teacher Kim said, there was someone.¡± ¡°¡­There really was?¡± Then there¡¯s a clue, isn¡¯t there? ¡°But they had taken their own life.¡± ¡°Was it to avoid getting caught?¡± ¡°No. They were already dead before we found them.¡± Hong Seok-young shook his head with a bitter expression. ¡°The more we chase Ark, the less we understand what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Daseon said they¡¯d investigate further, so we have to wait for now. And we need to prepare for the dungeon raid.¡± The topic shifted back to the kids¡¯ dungeon raid. I looked away from the Daseon report I was reading to one of the documents spread on the table. ¡®Field Training n.¡¯ There was a date below. June 15th. It¡¯s a tight schedule to prepare for their first dungeon raid. Chapter 34 - Half-Baked Mage (1) Chapter 34: Half-Baked Mage (1) TL: SHW Hong Seok-young looked around the ssroom at the children for the first time in a while. After seeing them covered in dust and looking shabby for a while, it was refreshing to see them neatly dressed in their school uniforms. This was why Lee Mi-seon had insisted that the children needed uniforms. After all, there was no easier way to instill a sense of belonging than withmon clothing. Hong Seok-young shifted his gaze. Unlike the children who were focusing intently with sparkling eyes, the man standing at the back of the ssroom looked utterly uninterested. If he had heard Seok-young¡¯s thoughts, he would have scoffed, saying that just wearing uniforms in this wreck of a ce wouldn¡¯t make it look presentable. In fact, judging by his expression, he was doing just that. Seok-young, who had been chuckling for a moment, cleared his throat. He had an announcement to make today. ¡°It¡¯s already been nearly three months since the school opened, kids.¡± The students¡¯ eyes became curious. Sitting them down and starting with this? It was a sign that something unusual wasing. ¡°Since we are, after all, an educational institution¡­ we decided to imitate one.¡± ¡°Imitate?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re having a exam.¡± * * * Park Seo-hyun blinked. The ends of her hair were pricking her eyes. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re not an ordinary school.¡± Despite dropping such a bombshell, the principal exined it nonchntly. ¡°So, instead of a normal test, we¡¯ll be entering a dungeon.¡± Dungeon! At the word ¡®exam¡¯, the students had been silent as mice, but at the word ¡®dungeon¡¯, everyone stirred. Park Seo-hyun quietly held her breath. The principal waited until the students naturally quieted down. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of you have properly raided a dungeon yet.¡± It was because everyone knew the circumstances: the standard wasn¡¯t entering a dungeon but raiding it. Among the remaining students at the pilot high school, only Yoo Hye-eun and Choi Jin-woo had never entered a dungeon. Lee Seung-yeon and Sun Sun-jin had been taken around by Daseon¡¯s master as part of early education. Han Eun-young also had an older brother who yed that role despite their age difference. Oh Hyun-wook and Seo Han-seong¡­ Park Seo-hyun silently looked down at her desk. Papers with rune practice were scattered messily. She, too, had entered a dungeon with her grandfather when she was young. And it had been an A-rank dungeon. It seemed too terrifying a dungeon to take a young granddaughter into, but her grandfather had carefully chosen it. It was a ce where they didn¡¯t have to fight dangerous monsters. It was a dungeon famous for itsplex maze and traps that twisted dimensions to capture hunters. So-called the Alice Dungeon. The colorful walls and decorations, like a fairy tale, were enough to make a childugh. Her grandfather had leisurely raided the dungeon while holding his granddaughter in his arms. No matter how confusing the maze, it was no match for the Archmage nicknamed ¡®Path Illuminator¡¯. ¡°Due to the incident in Myeong-dong, our field training has been dyed¡­ So, we¡¯llbine it with this.¡± Ignoring the children¡¯s noise, the principal continued his exnation. Usually, they would have listened intently. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun brought her pencil to the paper filled with runes. If it weren¡¯t for the dense runes, one could have seen the delicate drawing made with the pencil. Her grandfather¡¯s unique magic. She had learned not to draw magic forms where others could see them. But¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not like I can use it anyway.¡¯ The paper tore as the pencil caught on it. ¡°But it¡¯s been almost two months since Myeong-dong.¡± ¡°Ah, when you say it like that, it makes me nervous¡­¡± ¡°Hunter¡¯s intuition?¡± ¡°Teacher Woo said Hunter¡¯s intuition can¡¯t be trusted.¡± The children burst intoughter. The principalughed along with them. ¡°Anyway, I think your skills have improved in those two months.¡± ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m really nervous.¡± ¡°This time, you¡¯ll be raiding the dungeon by yourselves.¡± ¡°By ourselves?¡± ¡°The dungeon you¡¯ll be raiding is the one right next door¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a B-rank?¡± ¡°No. Not that one.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still C-rank, right?¡± ¡°Not confident?¡± The principal¡¯s question made the children look at each other. ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon¡­.¡± ¡°Are we really going alone?¡± ¡°Can we even handle a C-rank? What about D-rank or E-rank?¡± ¡°E-rank doesn¡¯t have any monsters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it!¡± The louder the children¡¯s voices grew, the wider the principal¡¯s smile became. ¡°Ahem.¡± A small cough came from the back of the ssroom. Park Seo-hyun nced back. Teacher Woo Hwijae wasn¡¯t as talkative as the principal. Though he couldn¡¯t be called taciturn, he always spoke only what was necessary. So, although everyone grumbled about how hard his sses were, no oneined outright. After all, Woo Hwijae was the first reliable Hunter they had met outside of their families and Hong Seok-young. One who threw himself into danger without hesitation to save them. ¡°Teacher Woo will be going with you.¡± ¡°With Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already scouted the dungeon¡¯s interior. So from now on, you¡¯ll learn how to raid the dungeon.¡± Only then did a tense atmosphere start to form among the children, as the reality sank in. ¡°Teacher Woo will be grading you on how well you do. He won¡¯t help unless it¡¯s truly dangerous. Teacher Woo.¡± The man standing at the back of the ssroom stepped forward. The teacher scanned the ssroom with sharp eyes. ¡°From now on, you are a raid team.¡± Gulp. Someone swallowed hard. Park Seo-hyun, who had been looking at the torn rune and magic form, slowly lifted her head. ¡°First, let¡¯s review the dungeon information.¡± The principal stepped aside for Teacher Woo. When it came to dungeon raid experience, few in the world could match him. This implied how beneficial Teacher Woo Hwijae¡¯s lessons would be. His teachings were indeed valuable. Every word he said, despite his indifferent expression, was precious. Some students had improved significantly in the absence of the principal. Lee Seung-yeon said with a peculiar expression, ¡®Honestly, the principal¡¯s exnations are too vague. He says to do this and that, but what does that even mean? Only Oh Hyun-wook might understand.¡¯ ¡®¡­I just guess based on intuition.¡¯ ¡°Still, being able to guess is something. Compared to that, Teacher Woo¡­ he¡¯s merciless, but he exins why something shouldn¡¯t be done that way, and how to do it in a way I can understand.¡± This wasn¡¯t different for her and Choi Jin-woo. ¡®Can we really learn this stuff ourselves?¡¯ In Myeong-dong, she hadn¡¯t thought deeply due to the chaos. But the more she pondered, the heavier the value of the runes felt. Why? Why teach this without anypensation? Park Seo-hyun recalled what Woo Hwijae often said to her. ¡®You will be an Archmage.¡¯ ¡®You have the talent for it.¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t believe those words. Listening to the rune lessons, she knew she wasn¡¯t an amateur in magic, but still, the teacher wasn¡¯t a mage. Only mages can truly recognize mages. ¡®Seo-hyun, you can be a greater mage than your grandfather.¡¯ ¡­That was just a grandfather¡¯spliment to his granddaughter. Moreover, the things Woo Hwijae said weren¡¯t evenpliments. They were words meant to scold her. ¡®You can take it easy.¡¯ Grandfather worries you might focus too much on magic. ¡®You¡¯re doing well.¡¯ There¡¯s no need to be perfect. ¡®Good job.¡¯ You can be a great mage by doing your best. ¡®With your ability, you can do it.¡¯ Grandfather believes in Seo-hyun. ¡®Future Archmage.¡¯ Even without grandfather, Seo-hyun will. ¡®See? It¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ You¡¯ll be alright. ¡®You can do it.¡¯ So. ¡®You.¡¯ Seo-hyun¡­. Crack. Her clenched jaw shifted, causing her teeth to grind. Park Seo-hyun snapped to attention, startled. Fortunately, the other kids hadn¡¯t noticed, as Woo Hwijae¡¯s exnation continued. ¡°The monsters in this dungeon are of one type. You could say it¡¯s the most basic kind. Even with your current skills, you can handle them.¡± But she could feel eyes on her. She knew. She knew she couldn¡¯t go on like this. ¡°If everyone works together, that is.¡± Woo Hwijae drew a stick figure on the ckboard. The only clue that it wasn¡¯t a person was the fairy wings he drew on its back, resembling dragonfly wings. The C-rank dungeon near the pilot high school. A no-name dungeon of the Fairy Forest type. The monsters inside were Pixies. Pixies with green skin and sharp teeth moved in groups. Highly aggressive, once they developed a taste for human flesh, they became obsessed with it. They were about the size of children, and their hideous appearance was more like goblins than fairies. However, the pair of wings on their backs weren¡¯t just for show; they could indeed fly. Park Seo-hyun curled up more and more. By the time she was almost buried in her squeaky chair. ¡°That¡¯s the rough exnation. We¡¯ll have individual interviews after lunch. Think about what youck when facing Pixies.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Teacher, We¡¯re going to get indigestion while eating.¡± Lee Seung-yeon whined. Woo Hwijae scoffed. ¡°A Hunter should be able to look at themselves objectively.¡± ¡°Listening to you, it sounds like Hunters are almost superhuman. They need to be able to do everything.¡± ¡°And they never have good intuition.¡± ¡°And no luck.¡± ¡°And no friends.¡± ¡°Teacher, you don¡¯t have friends, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Woo Hwijae looked at Lee Seung-yeon with an incredulous face. ¡°Do you have friends?¡± ¡°Of course. Everyone here is my friend.¡± Lee Seung-yeon smiled brightly and pointed to the ssmates sitting in the ssroom. ¡°And outside of here?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°You call them friends, but they¡¯re just ssmates. There are only eight of you. What happens if you fight? Drop out?¡± ¡°Wow, Teacher, saying it like that makes you sound really heartless.¡± ¡°Besides the people here. Do you have friends?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lee Seung-yeon pouted and fell silent. Woo Hwijae smiled triumphantly, then wiped his face with a dry hand. ¡°¡­Alright, go eat. Today, the principal brought lunch.¡± While the other children followed the principal out of the ssroom. Park Seo-hyun sat quietly in the ssroom. Woo Hwijae started to leave but approached Park Seo-hyun instead. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± The awkwardness was palpable. The teacher didn¡¯t like her. Of course, it was understandable. Wasn¡¯t it her fault that the teacher had been in danger in Myeong-dong¡­? If only she had drawn the runes correctly. She was a half-baked mage. What was the use of knowing unique magic? What was the use of remembering all the magic her grandfather taught her? She couldn¡¯t use her grandfather¡¯s magic at all and could barely manage basic spells. ¡°Uh¡­ um, Park Seo-hyun?¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks. In the past, she wouldn¡¯t have shown such a weak side. She would have hidden it and crafted the appearance of a capable mage no matter what. ¡°Is¡­ is something wrong? Did I say something too difficult?¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ why are you crying? Should I call the principal? Or Teacher Kim Chae-min?¡± What had the principal said when he asked her to join the pilot high school? ¡°If you don¡¯t know something, you should seek help from an expert. That¡¯s what schools are for.¡± But some things are just impossible. Magic. Park Seo-hyun wanted to be a mage like her grandfather. But she was old enough to know that there are many things in the world that you can¡¯t do just because you want to. She wasn¡¯t that little girl who entered the dungeon in her grandfather¡¯s arms anymore. ¡°I¡­ I¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to quit school¡­.¡± Naturally, Woo Hwijae found this an utterly shocking statement. Chapter 35 - Half-Baked Mage (2) Chapter 35: Half-Baked Mage (2) TL: SHW ¡°¡­W-wait a minute. First¡­ um. Okay. Can you try to calm down?¡± Woo Hwijae hastily dragged a chair and sat in front of Park Seo-hyun. ¡°Why¡­ why do you think that way, Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°No matter how much I think about it¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun roughly wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Her tear-streaked face was a mess, red and blotchy. Her eyes were still filled with tears. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Her voice trembled. Park Seo-hyun¡¯s lips quivered as she tried to calm her voice with deep breaths. After a while, Park Seo-hyun finally spoke with a somewhat calmed face. Woo Hwijae patiently waited. ¡°¡­I have no talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even deserve to be a mage. Before I cause more harm to the others¡­ I should quit as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Woo Hwijae closed his mouth with a troubled expression. Park Seo-hyun noticed that Woo Hwijae was choosing his words carefully to avoid hurting her. He¡¯s really a good person. That¡¯s probably why he taught runes to someone like me. ¡®Wow! That¡¯s amazing! Can I use magic like you?¡¯ Hunter Training Pilot High School, which she had followed Hong Seok-young to. ¡®Uh, uh, um? I heard you were a mage too¡­¡¯ ¡®I just awakened recently! I¡¯ve never used magic before! I don¡¯t even know how!¡¯ There were only two mages, herself and Choi Jin-woo. Even Choi Jin-woo, who had recently awakened, couldn¡¯t be considered a real mage yet. Even with simple light magic, Choi Jin-woo was amazed as if he were an archmage. Perhaps she got a little carried away and thought beyond her capabilities. That I too¡­ Can do it. But didn¡¯t she see it in Myeong-dong? She drew the rune instead of Choi Jin-woo, who was not yet familiar with handling mana. She thought it would be better for her to do it rather than a novice mage who had only been at it for three months. It was all a misunderstanding. Just as her grandfather had said, her arrogance ruined everything. She almost caused a disaster not only for her precious friend but also for other civilians. If it hadn¡¯t been for Woo Hwijae, maybe less than half of them would have survived¡­. ¡°¡­Seo-hyun! Park Seo-hyun!¡± She had a premonition that it would turn out like this someday. If she had given up when she first had that premonition, it would have been much better. As a child, she hade this far, driven by the desire to conjure the light cluster her grandfather had shown her. But now, it¡¯s time to let go of everything. Magic that she can¡¯t even use. Maybe she should just reveal it like the teacher said. So that anyone, any real mage, could use it. It might even be better for her grandfather. Rather than remaining an unfortunate archmage with a talentless granddaughter¡­ ¡°Park Seo-hyun!!¡± Snap! Woo Hwijae called Park Seo-hyun¡¯s name loudly and snapped his fingers. Park Seo-hyun flinched her shoulders and looked up. The tears that had stopped for a moment were welling up again. Woo Hwijae ran his hand through his hair with aplex expression. ¡°Um¡­ first, stop crying.¡± Woo Hwijae fumbled around his chest as if looking for something in his pocket. However, as if he remembered something, he clicked his tongue and brought a roll of tissue from the lectern and handed it to her. ¡°Here¡­ wipe your tears. It¡¯ll sting if you keep wiping like that with your hands. Water¡­ should I bring you some water?¡± ¡°Sniff¡­ no, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Have you calmed down a bit?¡± Park Seo-hyun couldn¡¯t lift her head and kept looking at her knees. As she fiddled with the tissue soaked in her tears, she heard a sigh from above her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start¡­.¡± Is it serious enough that he doesn¡¯t even know where to start? ¡°So¡­¡± Woo Hwijae asked in a calm voice. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Why do you want to quit school?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± There are too many reasons. It¡¯s not hard to think them out loud, but as she tried to voice them, she felt utterly miserable. Among the many reasons swirling in her mouth, Park Seo-hyun, as Woo Hwijae suggested, started from the beginning. She spoke of the most fundamental reason. ¡°¡­Because I¡¯m not qualified to be a mage.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Are there even qualifications for being a mage? Other than a Hunter license.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, but¡­¡± Woo Hwijae furrowed his face in frustration. ¡°Did someone say something to you? Did the kids¡­?¡± ¡°What? No!! Nothing like that!¡± Park Seo-hyun hastily denied Woo Hwijae¡¯s assumption, startled. Woo Hwijae, still puzzled, asked again. ¡°Then why do you think you¡¯re not qualified?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun bit her lip. Did he really want to hear it directly from her? She knew the teacher didn¡¯t like her, but wasn¡¯t this too cruel? Tears began to well up again. ¡°Why are you crying again?!¡± ¡°Because I!!¡± The already soaked tissue tore. Park Seo-hyun clung to the torn tissue as if it were a lifeline and shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t even use magic properly! How can I call myself a mage!¡± She said it. She finally said it. There was no turning back now. Even though she had decided to give up, she still felt this way, indicating she hadn¡¯t fully let go. Since her grandfather passed away, this had been the only thing keeping her going, but there was nothing she could do. Still, she had to hold on and let go. It was the only pride left for Park Seo-hyun. ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± But Woo Hwijae, not grasping Park Seo-hyun¡¯s earnest feelings, spoke with an incredulous face. ¡°You¡¯ve been using magic just fine all along. What about the rune durability test you did? Isn¡¯t that magic?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s basic magic¡­¡± ¡°Are you dismissing basic magic now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough. What more do you want? For someone your age, even just knowing how to properly cast a shield is enough to make a living.¡± This reaction was different from what she had expected. Park Seo-hyun stammered as she refuted Woo Hwijae¡¯s words. ¡°Shields aren¡¯t basic magic¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you saying basic magic andmon magic aren¡¯t real magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying!¡± After her brief panic, Woo Hwijae spoke in his usual indifferent manner. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re saying right now? That¡¯s how it sounds to me.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then what? What do you want to say? You said you weren¡¯t qualified to be a mage. There must be a reason you think that.¡± Park Seo-hyun bit her lip hard. ¡°¡­Because I have no talent.¡± Woo Hwijae let out a deep sigh. ¡°This is getting repetitive, but for your age, being able to perform basic ormon magic to that extent means you have more than enough talent. Your shield casting speed is even fast. How fast is it again?¡± ¡°Three seconds¡­¡± ¡°Your shield is better than most active mages. So what are you dissatisfied with?¡± Dissatisfaction? She had agonized over this decision for so long. ¡­Maybe it¡¯s because the teacher isn¡¯t a mage. Non-mages can¡¯t understand how crucial this issue is for mages. Park Seo-hyun calmed herself and opened her mouth to speak. If she exined slowly, the teacher might not fully understand, but he would at least partially understand and empathize. ¡°I need to be an archmage.¡± ¡°An archmage?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have the qualifications or the talent to be one.¡± Park Seo-hyun nced up at Woo Hwijae. Seeing his slightly furrowed brows made her nervous, so she quickly lowered her head again. ¡°Did I pressure you by saying you could be an archmage?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Or is it because of Teacher Kim? Because Teacher Kim is an archmage? Did being an archmage seem too easy?¡± ¡°What? No! Not at all!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Can I be honest with you?¡± It seems like you¡¯re already being honest¡­ Woo Hwijae didn¡¯t wait for Park Seo-hyun¡¯s answer. ¡°How many archmages do you think there are in the world?¡± Park Seo-hyun blinked her eyes. ¡°Out of a hundred thousand mages, there shouldn¡¯t even be one archmage.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s probably true.¡± ¡°So you knew? I thought you didn¡¯t know.¡± Woo Hwijae clicked his tongue briefly. Park Seo-hyun flinched. ¡°There are countries with no archmages at all. Do you know how many archmages there are in our country?¡± ¡°T-ten.¡± ¡°Oh. There are only ten now? No way. Did you want to be one of those ten? If you joined, it wouldn¡¯t be ten anymore. Right. Did you want to be the eleventh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Archmage. It¡¯s great to be an archmage. But there are far more mages who can¡¯t be archmages. Should all those mages quit? Do they allck the qualifications to be mages? What about the things you did with Teacher Kim? Was Teacher Kim teaching magic to someone who wasn¡¯t even a mage all this time? Was it charity work?¡± Though it was close to charity work, Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t know that. And Woo Hwijae had no intention of telling her. Woo Hwijae¡¯s words pierced sharply. Park Seo-hyun raised her head, which had been bowed deeply. The tears had long since stopped. Woo Hwijae tilted his head and asked. ¡°Or do you mean basic magic isn¡¯t magic?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying now sounds like that.¡± Woo Hwijae let out a loud sigh. Hearing that made something boil up inside her. ¡°Ah. So Choi Jin-woo shouldn¡¯t be a mage either then. Should I call Jin-woo here? ording to Park Seo-hyun, you don¡¯t qualify as a mage.¡± Park Seo-hyun clenched her fists tightly and lifted her head sharply. ¡°He has nothing to do with this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Why does it sound like that?!¡± ¡°Then? Why is he okay and you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because!¡± Through her messy hair, she saw Woo Hwijae with his arms crossed. Leaning back in a chair that looked too small for his frame, he even had his legs crossed. His eyes, looking at her, held no emotion. Just a look that seemed to say, ¡®Go ahead, speak¡¯. An irritated face. ¡°He awakened less than half a year ago, and I¡¯ve been awakened for over ten years!¡± Over his figure, her grandfather¡¯s image ovepped. ¡°And I!!¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°I know unique magic!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Woo Hwijae uncrossed his legs. His body leaned forward. His indifferent face changed to one that listened more intently. Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t notice and poured out her words. ¡°I know the forms, and I understand them! It¡¯s not just that I know them! I understand them!¡± Park Seo-hyun shouted, clenching her fists. ¡°What kind of mage can¡¯t use the forms they understand?! This was doomed from the start!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t. I just can¡¯t.¡± Her head drooped again. Tears that had stopped began to well up again. Feeling like a child who had done something wrong, Park Seo-hyun tried her best to hold back her tears. There wasn¡¯t anything she did well. ¡°Park Seo-hyun.¡± But there was a hand that stopped her head from falling. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Woo Hwijae supported her chin with his fingers. Park Seo-hyun opened her eyes wide. Her disheveled bangs swayed as their eyes met. When their eyes met, Woo Hwijae didn¡¯t smirk as usual but smiled softly. It was a smile that someone in the future might say was pretending to be upright, but Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t know that. ¡°You know unique magic?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes?¡± ¡°How? How do you know it?¡± ¡°G-grandfather¡­ before he passed away¡­ he taught me other magics too.¡± ¡°Grandfather, huh¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun, feeling ufortable with her forced posture, rolled her eyes and twisted her body. However, Woo Hwijae, lost in thought, didn¡¯t notice her difort. ¡°T-teacher?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right. Your grandfather¡¯s name, no¡­ do you know his magic affinity?¡± ¡°Affinity?¡± ¡°Yes, his affinity.¡± Park Seo-hyun blinked a couple of times before answering. ¡°Light¡­ My grandfather mainly used guiding magic.¡± ¡°Light and guiding? I see.¡± Woo Hwijae began to mutter something quickly in a low voice. Most of it was iprehensible. ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°So¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Could you, um, let go of my chin¡­?¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun.¡± ¡°Your hand, um¡­¡± ¡°You can be an archmage.¡± Park Seo-hyun, who had been squirming, suddenly stopped moving. ¡°You have talent.¡± Woo Hwijae repeated kindly in a soft voice. ¡°I will make you an archmage.¡± If someone twenty years from now had heard this, they would have cursed at him for trying to deceive a child. Of course, Park Seo-hyun still didn¡¯t know that. Chapter 36 - Half-Baked Mage (3) Chapter 36: Half-Baked Mage (3) TL: SHW [Park Seo-hyun ¨C S-rank (Archmage)] [Category ¨C Shadow] [Master ¨C None] [Disciple ¨C None] [Unique Magic ¨C Light sinking into the swamp (?*transformation)] [Affiliation ¨C One-person guild ¡®Light¡¯**] *Currently identified transformations are five types **Guild with the same name as the Archmage Park No-kyung¡¯s guild [Park No-kyung ¨C S-rank (Archmage)] [Category ¨C Light] [Unique Magic ¨C Navigator for all of us] [Master of the guild ¡®Light¡¯*] [Died in battle with Drake in 2013] *Disbanded in 2005 * * * ¡°Pixies can fly and act in groups, so they are measured with a high danger level. But each individual is not that strong. Most importantly, their bones are weak and can be easily crushed by a small impact¡­.¡± I felt like I had gone back to the old days. The old days, barely more than two months ago. Until just before the vacation, I wrote raid ns and conducted briefings as usual. The ns I wrote were always first checked by the Director. This time was no different. ¡®You¡¯ve already finished writing it?¡¯ It¡¯s an unnamed C-rank dungeon. It¡¯s even been cleared once. Writing a raid n for such a dungeon can be done with my eyes closed. I hadn¡¯t even turned a few pages when Hong Seok-young looked up at me. ¡®¡­It¡¯s well written.¡¯ ¡®Why? Do you have a problem even if it¡¯s well written?¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s just so well written. Have you written a lot?¡¯ ¡®This is something anyone can do, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®How nice would it be if everyone could do it.¡¯ Hong Seok-young meticulously examined each page of the n. After reading it all, he went back to the beginning. ¡®Our kids should be able to do this too.¡¯ ¡®Writing ns?¡¯ ¡®There are plenty of people to write ns instead. But dungeon analysis is different. I thought people at Daseon had detailed guides, but looking at yours, it seems they wrote it with our feet.¡¯ I had no response, so I just shrugged my shoulders. I went around saying it was the Director¡¯s Secretary Office to keep it short and easy to understand. Indeed, it was often treated that way. But this was actually my original job. The main task of the Comprehensive Dungeon Raid Situation Room. It¡¯s rare for a dungeon with a raised danger level to lower it again. From danger level 2, it bes an immediate raid target, so even for level 3, raid guides are written. A survey team is sent to check for any changes from the previous state, and any new information is incorporated. Even if the danger level doesn¡¯t change, the dungeon ecosystem can always change, so old dungeons are regrly surveyed. In fact, this should be managed by the Director, but the Director was busy, and I systematized the work that was roughly handled by the staff. Why did I work so hard? Looking back now, there would have been no problem if I had taken it easier. What kind of wealth or glory did I expect? Everything¡¯s ruined anyway. My pension is gone too. Anyway,pared to the ns I wrote at the Management Agency, what Hong Seok-young is reading now is really just scribbles. But watching Hong Seok-young read even that diligently¡­. ¡®¡­Shall I give you a briefing?¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ I blurted it out unconsciously. It was just that his face reading the n looked so much like the old Hong Seok-young. ¡®Don¡¯t worry about the kids.¡¯ ¡®Weren¡¯t you the one acting like you would torment the kids as soon as you entered the dungeon?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m still tormenting them now.¡¯ Hong Seok-young chuckled at my words. He wasn¡¯t the person I knew, but frustratingly, his face still brought nostalgia. ¡°Even with your current skills, you can handle it.¡± My first briefing since that day. I¡¯m human too, I can get sentimental. There¡¯s Hong Seok-young, Park Seo-hyun, and Oh Hyun-wook listening to me. Yoo Ji-eun isn¡¯t here, but her sister Yoo Hye-eun is¡­. Once you know, you wonder how I didn¡¯t recognize it sooner, the sisters look so alike. So, roughly considering her as Yoo Ji-eun. It¡¯s possible to mistake this for an ordinary briefing time at the Management Agency. Humans are foolish animals like that. It¡¯s not my fault. ¡°That¡¯s the general exnation¡­. Let¡¯s have lunch, and in the afternoon, we¡¯ll have individual interviews. Each of you should think about what you¡¯recking when facing the pixies.¡± However, joking around like this never happened before. Most of the Hunters at the Agency didn¡¯t feelfortable around me. Nostalgia for the old days ends today. Anyway, preparing to enter the dungeon with the kids will keep me too busy to feel mncholic. Just until today. Only today¡­. That¡¯s what I thought. Exactly, ¡°I-I¡­. want to quit school¡­.¡± Until Park Seo-hyun blurted out something shocking. * * * I misjudged Park Seo-hyun. I never thought her mental state would be this fragile. In hindsight, it makes sense. If Park Seo-hyun had a strong, steel-like mentality, she wouldn¡¯t have been called a witch in the first ce. Sometimes, she would mutter gloomily like Witch Park Seo-hyun, but Park Seo-hyun still got along well with her friends, even with her messy hair. She helped Choi Jin-woo draw runes. That¡¯s why I let my guard down. ¡­Regretting the past won¡¯t change anything. First, I tried to console Park Seo-hyun. ¡°I can¡¯t even use magic properly! How can I call myself a mage!¡± What she said next was utterly ridiculous. I realized once again that I had severely underestimated the situation. Park Seo-hyun wasn¡¯t just mentally weak. She was extremely fragile and had a peculiar way of thinking. She seemed to havee to her conclusion after what she thought was logical reasoning¡­. But from the start, her logic was wed. It was wrong from the beginning. Why did she grow up like this? I didn¡¯t know much about Park Seo-hyun as I only met her a few times for Management Agency matters. Just look at the reports the staff passed around with warnings stered all over. They also mostly left her to Yoo Ji-eun. I changed my approach. I gave up onforting her and started to subtly provoke her. She wasn¡¯t entirely a witch yet, so her trembling hands and shoulders gave her away. ¡°You said you¡¯re not qualified to be a mage. There must be a reason you think that way.¡± So I spoke more indifferently than usual. Even during her witch days, she was stubborn and didn¡¯t listen to others. She wouldn¡¯t even pretend to read the guides I painstakingly prepared. I can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t frustrated back then. ¡°So, what¡¯s yourint?¡± Ah. Her shoulders flinch again. Her eyes are hidden by her hair, but her mouth is visible. She doesn¡¯t seem to realize, but her clenched jaw is grinding. To be honest? It was funny. Not because I found a kid¡¯s worries amusing. ¡°I have to be an Archmage.¡± ¡°An Archmage?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have the qualifications or talent to be one.¡± She flinches at every word I say, pretending otherwise. The fact that this girl, who will be an Archmage in five years, is saying this. Park Seo-hyun, who massacred monsters with ruthless magic, was once this young. So I prodded her more eagerly. It seemed like it was almost over. ¡°Or is it that you don¡¯t consider basic magic real magic?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying right now.¡± Park Seo-hyun res straight at me. Just a moment ago, she was crying her heart out. ¡°He hasn¡¯t even been awakened for half a year, but it¡¯s been over ten years for me!¡± If it weren¡¯t for what happened in Myeong-dong, would Park Seo-hyun have be such a witch? But even now, it¡¯s not particrly because of Myeong-dong. ¡°And I!!¡± Looking at her, it seemed like she had been contemting this for a long time, unrted to Myeong-dong. Come on, quickly. Tell me what you¡¯re thinking with that little head of yours. ¡°I even know unique magic!¡± This was it. The cause of Park Seo-hyun¡¯s distress. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know the forms, I know them all! And it¡¯s not just knowing them! I understand them!¡± I know the future Park Seo-hyun. It¡¯s like having an answer sheet. Park Seo-hyun had no one by her side except Oh Hyun-wook. However, Park Seo-hyun herself was so noticeable that she garnered a lot of attention in various ways. The Management Agency had information that wasn¡¯t widely known. As far as I know, Park Seo-hyun had no master. The unique magic Park Seo-hyun uses is something she developed herself. At the young age of twenty-three. And yet she says she knows the forms? ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t work for me.¡± That witch wouldn¡¯t have imed someone else¡¯s form as her own. ¡°You say you know unique magic?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°How? How do you know it?¡± ¡°My grandfather¡­ before he passed away, he taught me other magics too.¡± ¡°Your grandfather¡­.¡± I don¡¯t know about Kim Chae-min¡¯s family, but I do know about Park Seo-hyun¡¯s. It¡¯s quite dramatic. Unfortunately, after her grandfather died early, the granddaughter who remained became a witch, turning the tale into anything but a warm fairy tale. Her Archmage grandfather who raised his son¡¯s daughter. So when it was known that Park Seo-hyun used unique magic, many people naturally thought she would use light magic following her grandfather. But surprisingly, Park Seo-hyun showcased an entirely new type of magic. Shadow magic, the exact opposite of her grandfather¡¯s light magic. Park No-kyung, Park Seo-hyun¡¯s grandfather, was famous enough for his magic to be a topic for a long time. The magic that directly guided to the dungeon core was unique to Park No-kyung, both before and after him. When Park Seo-hyun was confirmed to be in the shadow category, it was thought that magic was lost¡­ But Park Seo-hyun knows it? ¡°Park Seo-hyun.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter if Park Seo-hyun can¡¯t use it herself. If she just knows the forms, if a talented light mage could learn it¡­! ¡°You can be an Archmage.¡± Park Seo-hyun, who had been fidgeting, stopped moving and looked straight at me. She had been saying she wasn¡¯t qualified, didn¡¯t have the talent, talking about dropping out and giving up, but who could think she would quietly give up magic seeing those eyes? ¡°You have talent.¡± She understood forms she could never use with her own mana. Even as someone who isn¡¯t a mage, I know how remarkable this is; doesn¡¯t Park Seo-hyun realize? Unique magic is refined magic extracted from the mage¡¯s mana that¡¯s ingrained in their blood, presented in the form of magic. Most mages take family members as disciples because of this. If the same blood flows, there¡¯s a higher chance of inheriting the same magic. Of course, just being of the same bloodline isn¡¯t enough. Unique magic is optimized for the individual. Even Kim Chae-min¡¯s magic, passed down for three generations, varies slightly depending on the caster. But if the nature of mana is simr, one can use the magic even without being rted by blood. Conversely, even if they are rted, if the nature of their mana is vastly different, they can¡¯t inherit it. Park Seo-hyun is this case. ¡°I will make you an Archmage.¡± Anyway, Park Seo-hyun is destined to be an Archmage. If I just tell her the category and set her direction, that time will be shortened. It¡¯s a good thing for Park Seo-hyun too. ¡°T-Teacher¡­?¡± Park Seo-hyun asked with a skeptical face. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re not a mage¡­.¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m not a mage doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know anything about magic. Did you forget who¡¯s teaching you runes right now?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll teach you magic. I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll show you the way to be an Archmage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re someone who can do it.¡± I lifted my hand from under Park Seo-hyun¡¯s chin. Even so, Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t lower her head and kept looking at me. ¡°After all, I¡¯m the homeroom teacher of the magic ss. Teaching my students¡­.¡± It¡¯s easy. Chapter 37 - Half-Baked Mage (4) Chapter 37: Half-Baked Mage (4) TL: SHW ¡°What were you talking about with Seo-hyun for so long?¡± Hong Seok-young approached me casually. Come to think of it, shouldn¡¯t he be the one counseling the kids instead of me? ¡­Based on my experience, he wouldn¡¯t have done a proper job anyway. Thinking like this, I felt somewhat relieved that Park Seo-hyun chose to talk to me. Still, I couldn¡¯t be the only one to deal with this. ¡°She said she wants to drop out.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Seeing his shocked face, I felt a bit better. Even though it¡¯s a bit petty, there¡¯s no time to waste. I need to take care of Park Seo-hyun¡­ and also check on Choi Jin-woo while I¡¯m at it¡­ It¡¯s strange. Why do I feel like I¡¯m creating more work for myself? ¡°I¡¯ve managed to calm her down.¡± ¡°Really? What was her reason?¡± ¡°She said she feels like she has no talent.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s expression turned odd. He must know how ridiculous that sounds. ¡°Seo-hyun thought that? I didn¡¯t bring these kids here based on their talent¡­ Talent can be developed to some extent. If Seo-hyun puts in enough effort¡­¡± What is he talking about? Doesn¡¯t he have eyes? Are the things in his head just for decoration? After a moment of silence, Hong Seok-young burst intoughter. ¡°Ha ha, so you can make that kind of face too?¡± ¡°¡­I was momentarily worried about the future of South Korea.¡± ¡°That much?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t recognize such talent, you should retire.¡± Hong Seok-young shrugged. ¡°Anyway, since you calmed her down, I guess I don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still worried in another sense, though.¡± After chuckling for a moment, Hong Seok-young spoke with a more serious expression. ¡°Her standards are too high.¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because her grandfather raised her. Mr. Park was an extraordinary person.¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s grandfather. The Archmage who was called the Path Illuminator. In the 80s, there were quite a few sentimental nicknames. Lightbringer. Path Illuminator. The Lantern of the Maze. The Guide. He passed away when I was still learning to crawl, so I only heard his name while preparing for my civil service exams. But Hong Seok-young seemed to remember him fondly. ¡°There was no one as strict as that old man¡­ He could march straight to the dungeon core, so the raid speed was unimaginable, but it was just as mentally taxing.¡± ¡°Did you know him?¡± ¡°I asionally raided dungeons with Mr. Park¡¯s guild.¡± Hong Seok-young awakened at neen and had been a Hunter ever since. Twenty yearster, he was practically a living history of modern Hunters. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he knew Park No-kyung, who was active about a decade ago when he was vigorously raiding dungeons¡­ Maybe that¡¯s how he brought Park Seo-hyun to this school? Lost in his memories, Hong Seok-young began to ramble on without being asked. ¡°Eun-sik, Eun-sik was Mr. Park¡¯s son.¡± He is also Park Seo-hyun¡¯s father. Normally, I would have told him to stop reminiscing and spouting unnecessary stories¡­ but this time, I listened quietly. It was a chance to learn about Park Seo-hyun¡¯s past. Knowing her family background would make it easier to respond. I definitely want to avoid getting further entangled in the whims of this teenage girl. ¡°Thest time I saw him was when he disbanded the guild to take care of his granddaughter after Eun-sik died. I haven¡¯t seen him since. I¡¯ve only heard bits and pieces through others.¡± Hong Seok-young said bitterly. ¡°He was so strict with his son¡­ but it seemed he didn¡¯t do that with Seo-hyun.¡± ¡°Strict with his son?¡± ¡°Honestly, Eun-sik had no talent for magic. He wanted to be a pianist to make a living.¡± The following story was predictable. A father who was so extraordinary and a son who had no talent. A father who was so exceptional that he had an unparalleled sense of duty to save people, and a son who respected but didn¡¯t want to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps. These stories usually end in tragedy. The story of the Archmage known as the Path Illuminator was no different. It would have been better if Park Eun-sik wasn¡¯t an Awakener, but unfortunately, Park Eun-sik was a Mage. A Mage of the same type as his father. Park No-kyung wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. To inherit his magic, to inherit his guild¡­. Park Eun-sik eventually pushed himself too hard in a dungeon raid and perished along with his guild members. Afterwards, burdened with deep regret and a sense of responsibility, Park No-kyung gave up his Hunter life for his granddaughter. While quietly raising his granddaughter in his hometown, Park No-kyung died a hero, helping citizens evacuate during a dungeon outbreak in Sangju. Depending on one¡¯s perspective, this could be seen as an inspirational true story! ¡°Why that expression?¡± To me, it¡¯s just an ufortable story. ¡°About that Mr. Park.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When did he die, when Seo-hyun was how old?¡± ¡°It was 13 years ago¡­ so she was about ten?¡± ¡°What happened after her grandfather passed away?¡± Park Seo-hyun is one of Hong Seok-young¡¯s dormitory members. It¡¯s safe to say she has no remaining family. ¡°She has a guardian. When Mr. Park was running his guild¡­ I believe he was awyer. Since he had no rtives, Mr. Park had prepared various things just in case.¡± ¡°So¡­ Park Seo-hyun learned magic from her grandfather, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Did she have any other teacher after her grandfather passed away?¡± ¡°Not as far as I know.¡± But Park Seo-hyun said she knew her grandfather¡¯s magic. She knew the forms and even understood them. How could a ten-year-old child know her grandfather¡¯s unique magic forms? Could the forms have been among the things prepared just in case? Generally, Mages never document their unique magic, even under threat of death. ¡°Your expression is weird again. Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I just think that thete Mr. Park might not have been a gentle grandfather to his granddaughter.¡± It¡¯s amon case in Hunter families. Even after losing one child, a parent can¡¯te to their senses and forces the remaining child into a career¡­ Something like that. In the Mage society, which inevitably revolves around bloodlines, this tendency is particrly strong. Itter bes a significant social issue, and it wasn¡¯t resolved before I traveled back in time. I only heard about Park No-kyung from Hong Seok-young, so I don¡¯t know if Park Seo-hyun really went through that. I¡¯m not an expert, so I don¡¯t want to unnecessarily dig into possible wounds by asking Park Seo-hyun. But knowing that such things might have happened at least allows me to avoid stepping onndmines. ¡­Praising her a lot was the right thing to do. I don¡¯t know for sure, but instilling confidence in kids like her is probably the best. ¡°Anyway, please keep an eye on Park Seo-hyun for a while.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you worried? You should be worried.¡± ¡°From the looks of it, it seems you¡¯ll pay attention even if I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s true, but admitting it feels like losing. ¡°See? The Homeroom Teacher of the Magic ss is different. I do have an eye for people.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t object to being called the Homeroom Teacher anymore? Have you finally epted your fate?¡± Fate, my ass. ¡°¡­You would have made me do it even if I refused, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Everyone seems to think so, even if it¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°Despite how I treated, trained the kids?¡± ¡°After all, your main job is with runes, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ No! This isn¡¯t my main job!!¡± Damn it. Being here teaching only runes drives a person insane. I was nning to discreetly reveal the Mana Pen at the right time, but at this rate, I might be stuck here forever. It¡¯s good that the Hunter level is rising, but I don¡¯t want to live as a Mage when I¡¯m not one. Hong Seok-young smiled slyly. His silent smirk was even more annoying. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make me homeroom teacher, at least raise my sry.¡± ¡°Oh, lunch break is over. You said you had individual interviews with the kids?¡± ¡°My sry.¡± ¡°Good luck with that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t hear me.¡± Hong Seok-young continued to feign ignorance. What an annoying old man. ¡°As the homeroom teacher of the Magic ss, I need to have deep discussions with the magic students. The rest of the physical types will be taken care of by the principal.¡± Hong Seok-young, who was about to leave the container used as the teacher¡¯s office, paused. Ignoring him, I passed by and exited the container first. ¡°Hey, wait! Teacher Woo! You can¡¯t do that¡­!¡± I don¡¯t hear anything. ¡°Park Seo-hyun! Choi Jin-woo! You twoe to me, the rest go to the principal!¡± ¡°Teacher Woo¡­!¡± Is it mosquito season already? I brushed off the dust from my shoulders. * * * Two young mages sat in front of me. Looking at their pale faces, I could immediately tell what was needed, more than runes or mana pens. ¡°So, do you think you can survive in the dungeon?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ was that what we were supposed to be worried about first?¡± Choi Jin-woo asked, eyes wide. ¡°Have you ever been inside a dungeon before?¡± ¡°The first time I saw a monster up close was in Myeong-dong¡­.¡± In this era, when dungeon breaks are asmon as meals? What a blessed life. I thought it was unreasonable to expect much from a kid who had just started using magic, so I looked at Park Seo-hyun. Her bangs, which hung like curtains, were half lifted. Though her fiery gaze was intimidating, at least I could see her eyes, which I considered a good change. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe up with anything grand in just an hour at your level, so let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°¡­Then why did you make us think about it? I really thought I was going to get indigestion while eating.¡± ¡°So you can realize how insignificant you are.¡± It was a joke, but I wanted to see their attitude towards dungeon raids. At the very least, it showed that they took my words seriously and thought about it, which meant they weren¡¯t taking the raid lightly. These are the kinds of kids who don¡¯t panic or cause idents in the dungeon. It¡¯s a method I often use with new raid team members. I didn¡¯t need to exin all this, but I did need to console Choi Jin-woo, who was pretending to cry with a hurt expression. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re insignificant now. But to be a Hunter, you need to identify your weaknesses and know how to address them.¡± ¡°Address¡­ how can we do that? I really have no idea.¡± The status of mages has changed more rapidly than anything else in modern Hunter history. Since the advent of the mana meter, dungeon breaks have decreased, but the raid mechanics themselves haven¡¯t changed. Enter the dungeon and destroy the dungeon core. While there were many changes in the external and institutional aspects of dungeons, the fundamental task for Hunters remained the same. But what about mages? This is the period when the status of mages is at its peak. With the publication of the mana concealment rune and the development of the mana pen, the space for mages gradually diminished. This was because tasks that only mages could handle could now be roughly mimicked by regr Hunters using runes. How did the mages respond to this? Surprisingly, these already secretive individuals began to close themselves off even more tightly. Numerous magic research associations were established and then disappeared, and all sorts of dubious activities began to prevail to pass down the same type of mana. During an era when understanding of anything other than the four major elements was low, countless minor mages were likely abandoned. And here reappears our generous, benevolent Archmage from France. The French Archmage freely disclosed a method to determine the type of mana by analyzing the awakened mage¡¯s mana. This was to prevent children who didn¡¯t match their parent¡¯s type of magic from being harshly forced and potentially harmed. Mages epted the Archmage¡¯s intention. They analyzed their children¡¯s mana, epting those of the same type and abandoning those of a different type. Where to? To the Hunter Academy. ¡°That¡¯s why teachers exist, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡­I¡¯ll have another opportunity to tell this storyter. For now, it¡¯s time for these fledgling mages to learn the basics of being a mage. ¡°Alright. So, do you guys know about your own mana type?¡± Chapter 38 - Shadow and Light (1) Chapter 38: Shadow and Light (1) TL: SHW Element. Or attribute. In simple terms, it refers to the type of magic that best resonates with one¡¯s mana. Hunters don¡¯tpletely disregard mana attributes, but for them, it¡¯s less crucialpared to mages. The elements of mages can be subdivided into countless categories. However, broadly speaking, they fall into the four major elements: air, water, fire, and earth. Kim Chae-min, ssified under the druid element, is considered to be of the earth attribute. There are also many elements that do not fall into these categories. Park No-kyung¡¯s light and Park Seo-hyun¡¯s shadow are examples of this. Even if a mage doesn¡¯t inherit family magic, identifying their own element is crucial. This is because the magic they can and cannot use is distinctly divided based on their element. It also significantly reduces the time wasted on struggling with magic they cannot use. ¡°Park Seo-hyun. Do you understand why I¡¯m telling you this?¡± Even though magic research isn¡¯t as advanced as it will be in twenty years, the distinction of magic attributes is still reasonably established. If Park Seo-hyun couldn¡¯t use any of her grandfather¡¯s magic, she must have at least some understanding. Or she knew and ignored it. ¡°Do you still want to give up?¡± ¡°Give up? What do you mean?¡± Choi Jin-woo looked at Park Seo-hyun in surprise. Park Seo-hyun kept her mouth tightly shut. But unlike before, she didn¡¯t avoid my gaze. Her exposed eyes were looking straight at me. I like it very much. Especially when I think of the witch no one has ever seen without her hair covering her face. ¡°Grandfather said¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun slowly opened her mouth while looking directly into my eyes. ¡°He said I resemble my father.¡± Even if she said that, how would I know? I quietly listened to what Park Seo-hyun had to say. ¡°I awakened at the same age as my father, and the first magic I used was the same as the first magic my father used.¡± It seems Park No-kyung wasn¡¯t the kind of grandfather who was lenient with his granddaughter. ¡°And my father resembled my grandfather a lot. He awakened at the same age as my grandfather, and the first magic my father tried was the same as the first magic my grandfather learned.¡± Did Park No-kyung want to turn his granddaughter into something like his own replica, just like he did with his son? As he was already dead and someone I had never met, I found it difficult to say more. Even if he had problems in the eyes of others, he could have been a strict but good grandfather to Park Seo-hyun. During times without element testing methods, Park No-kyung might have genuinely taught her with her best interests at heart¡­. It¡¯s pointless. What good would it do to make excuses for a dead man? It¡¯s as meaningless as badmouthing someone I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s something for Park Seo-hyun to figure out. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Choi Jin-woo quietly observed. ¡°So¡­ I think I resemble my grandfather too.¡± ¡°Even now?¡± ¡°¡­Do you think not?¡± ¡°Say it with your own mouth.¡± ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t use my grandfather¡¯s magic at all¡­.¡± What kind of nonsense is this? ¡°¡­You can use it? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Yes? The firefly magic I used during the rune test is also light magic¡­. It¡¯s a magic my grandfather said was good for practicing mana control, so I practiced it often¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Come to think of it¡­ that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? No, just because one¡¯s element is different doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t use magic of other elements. Just like it¡¯s hard to categorize people¡¯s personalities by type, it¡¯s the same with magic. Sometimes, mixing different elements of magic can enhance its power, so some even practice magic of other elements on purpose. But that¡¯s only for simr elements. The four major elements have ovepping aspects, but light and shadow are clearly opposites. Their concepts are fundamentally different. Even the future witch Park Seo-hyun firmly stated she could never use light magic¡­! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun is a genius. Even with such talent, she spouted nonsense about not being qualified to be a mage. What a foolish girl. It¡¯s ridiculous. Did I really understand her, or was I just rambling? Indeed, talent and mentality are separate realms. There have been many geniuses who copsed mentally and failed miserably. Not everyone can be a superhuman like Hong Seok-young. However, ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so grateful for not being a mage.¡± ¡­If I were a mage, I would have kneeled before that shining talent. And I would have given up on magic. As I am not a mage, I looked at Choi Jin-woo, who is. He knows almost nothing about magic. Kim Chae-min is filling his empty knowledge, but how much can be achieved in such a short time? Judging by how well he follows basic andmon magic, he doesn¡¯t seem entirely without potential, but¡­. If he fully understands Park Seo-hyun¡¯s talent, can he truly withstand it? If supporting him to endure it is considered a teacher¡¯s role, I have nothing more to say¡­. No matter how much I care, if he gives up on his own, there¡¯s nothing I can do. I just hope Choi Jin-woo¡¯s mental strength is close to Hong Seok-young¡¯s. ¡°If I have a different element from my grandfather, then what have I been doing all this time? Was it a waste of time?¡± And she¡¯s still so extreme. I sighed. ¡°The forms you understood will be the foundation of your magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Think positively. You can boast about how much effort you put in to use your grandfather¡¯s magic.¡± Park Seo-hyun isn¡¯t the only one tied to a dead person. I should at least understand this much. I returned to the main topic. ¡°So today¡¯s lesson is, ¡®Know thyself¡¯.¡± ¡°Teacher, everything is fine, but sometimes you skip topics too much. Can¡¯t you exin more? What were you talking about with Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Did you say everything about me is fine?¡± ¡°¡­If there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t like among your many shorings.¡± ¡°Many shorings?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your human charm.¡± Choi Jin-woo smiled slyly. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t like my human charm?¡± ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m ready to listen to whatever you say, but sometimes the uneducated sword-wielders fail to understand your profound intentions.¡± ¡°Who dares to badmouth me?¡± ¡°No, who would dare do such a thing.¡± ¡°Name one, and I¡¯ll let it slide.¡± ¡°Seo Han-seong.¡± Choi Jin-woo answered quickly. Seeing that, I understood why the man enjoyed visiting the academy for special lectures. After only dealing with sensitive Hunters who would twitch and stab when poked, it must be fun to see such fresh reactions. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Seo Han-seong you snitched.¡± ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back to the lesson.¡± ¡°Ah, teacher!!¡± Choi Jin-woo, who was whining, straightened up. Park Seo-hyun also lifted her head higher. ¡°Today, we¡¯ll confirm your elements.¡± ¡°Teacher Chae-min said there¡¯s no other way but to feel it oneself.¡± That¡¯s because the current method to identify elements is foolishly to realize it physically. So Kim Chae-min has been giving lectures on basic mana maniption and basic magic to the kids. He probably thought it was more practical to teach them that than time-consuming element magic, and that was the level Hong Seok-young wanted from Kim Chae-min as well. How was the Hunter Academy curriculum? I think they also only memorized mana maniption, basic magic, andmon magic during their first year. element starts from the second year. Well, most mages know their element before entering the academy. ¡°And¡­ it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you, teacher. But you¡¯re not a mage, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then¡­ wouldn¡¯t what Teacher Chae-min says be more urate? Teacher Chae-min is an Archmage¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± In a normal situation, it¡¯s an entirely reasonable statement. ¡°Just because one is an Archmage doesn¡¯t mean they know everything about magic. There¡¯s a way for everything.¡± Choi Jin-woo looked at me with skeptical eyes. Park Seo-hyun¡¯s gaze also wavered a bit. ¡°You guys should broaden your horizons.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your perspective is too narrow.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re still kids. If I don¡¯t exin everything in detail, they won¡¯t understand. ¡°Have you ever wondered how I know all those runes?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did you just learn because I taught them to you? If you were just ordinary students, it might be fine, but if you¡¯re going to be Hunters, you can¡¯t do that. Fix it.¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve thought about it!¡± Choi Jin-woo said angrily. Park Seo-hyun also bit her lip and spoke. ¡°The principal¡­ scouted you, didn¡¯t he? So¡­¡± ¡°Does the principal live your life for you? Are you going to leave all decisions to the principal? Will the principal follow you into the dungeons?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Question and verify everything. That¡¯s a basic Hunter skill.¡± The conversation strayed again. I sighed lightly and redirected the topic. ¡°The runes I teach you were taught to me by a mage I know.¡± ¡°A mage you know?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know them even if I told you.¡± ¡°¡­An Archmage?¡± ¡°Yes, an Archmage. Don¡¯t ask beyond that.¡± I firmly said that I wasn¡¯t going to divulge more. Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun nced at me briefly. I chuckled at their expressions. They knew each other, just like that guy in France and the witch Park Seo-hyun. It¡¯s not a lie, not a lie. ¡°The method to identify element is the same.¡± ¡°A method to identify element?¡± Park Seo-hyun asked, surprised. ¡°You should just say thank you and ept it.¡± To honor our generous Archmage, I added one of her ideologies. ¡°Instead, save some peopleter. She was someone who liked saving people.¡± I pped my hands a few times to change the atmosphere. ¡°Now, let¡¯s stop with the idle talk. I¡¯ll exin how to do it.¡± * * * Dwarf gold dust. One feather of the guardian swan of Urd¡¯s Spring. Since Mimir¡¯s Spring hasn¡¯t appeared as a dungeon yet, I¡¯ll substitute with clean water. I got the dwarf gold dust from Hong Seok-young and the guardian swan feather from Kim Chae-min. These items are frequently used, so I asked if they had them, and fortunately, they did. It would have been problematic if they didn¡¯t. It wouldn¡¯t look good if there was a dy in obtaining the items after boasting about it. First, mix the gold dust with the water. Since it¡¯s not Mimir¡¯s Spring, the uracy will be slightly lower. There are ways to increase uracy¡­. With so many eyes watching, even I hesitate to add blood here. Instead, I added more gold dust than usual. It looks like half water and half gold dust. Second, immerse the swan feather in the water. Stir it with the feather, then take it out, and the once pure white feather is now coated with sparkling gold dust. I soaked two feathers thoroughly in the water. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I looked at Kim Chae-min and soaked another feather. A model example is always needed. ¡°Alright. Preparation isplete.¡± ¡°¡­Is this really it?¡± ¡°What were you listening to when I exined earlier?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s too simple.¡± ¡°Simplicity is best. If there¡¯s too much show, it¡¯s a sign ofcking skill.¡± I handed a feather to Kim Chae-min. She looked at it with a reluctant face. ¡°Infuse it with mana.¡± ¡°¡­Into this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kim Chae-min still looked unsure, but she obediently took the feather. As soon as the feather started to flutter lightly. The feather was instantly covered in blue vines. Chapter 39 - Shadow and Light (2) Chapter 39: Shadow and Light (2) TL: SHW The swan, the guardian of Urd¡¯s Spring, looks just like the swan wemonly know. It has a gentle nature and won¡¯t attack unless someone approaches Urd¡¯s Spring. It¡¯s so gentle that even if hunters pluck its feathers, it remains calm. The feathers of these guardian swans, which are closer to mana lumps than living creatures, are one of the materials favored by mages. They¡¯re sensitive to mana, making them useful for various experiments and for detecting traps during dungeon raids. Moreover, even if the feathers are plucked, they return to their original state the next day. Like a never-ending source, mages often carry a few feathers with them. If you soak the feathers in Mimir¡¯s Spring Water, which has high mana conductivity, and sprinkle some dwarf¡¯s gold dust that temporarily amplifies mana, the feathers will amplify and reveal the faint attributes of the mana within them. Just like now. ¡°Uh, Whoa!¡± Vines bloomed in Kim Chae-min¡¯s hand. Buds sprouted among the vines and quickly turned into bright red roses. The rose vines looked simr to Kim Chae-min¡¯s unique magic seen in Myeong-dong or at the training center. This is more like a mana mirage that momentarily amplifies mana. It will soon crumble into dust along with the feathers, but it¡¯s perfect for confirming the mana type. Kim Chae-min¡¯s mouth opened in surprise. ¡°See, did you watch Teacher Kim? You can infuse your mana too. You don¡¯t need to put in much.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo!!¡± A rose fell off. Whether it was a signal or not, the vine crumbled. Kim Chae-min, without even brushing off the remaining dust from his hands, shouted at me. ¡°Teacher, who exactly are you?!¡± ¡°You know that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t understand even more!¡± ¡°Come on, what are you all waiting for? Hurry up and try it.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo!!¡± ¡°Let the kids try it.¡± ¡°At least exin about the mage you know!!¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun, you start.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same person who made the rune, right?!¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± ¡°Stop pretending you don¡¯t know!¡± It¡¯s not pretending to be unaware, but I have no choice but to move on. The mage I know must remain an enigmatic figure for my own convenience. When runes and mana pens emerged, didn¡¯t the status of mages decline? To restore their diminished status, mages began to gather and conduct research. Numerous magic research societies were formed and then disappeared. Although they weren¡¯t open to the public due to their secretive nature, they were all magic research societies. Societies for developing and training better magic. Many of them vanished without any results. However, some made discoveries that shook the magicalmunity. Though they didn¡¯t kindly release their findings for free like the great French mage, the theories or magic they published through academic journals or dungeon raids led magic to a higher level. It had nothing to do with the character of mages. While physical hunters diligently trained their bodies, magical theories progressed in this way. Although I¡¯m not a mage, I felt these changes closely as a member of the Ability Management Agency. To deal with mages who often imed that such things couldn¡¯t be done with magic, I memorized magical theories more thoroughly than anyone else. I may not be able to use magic, but when ites to theory, I¡¯m at an archmage level. However, I can¡¯t im that I came up with all these magical theories. If I say I know the mages who established these theories¡­ that wouldn¡¯t make sense either. Never forget, I¡¯m just a poor victim who escaped from Ark. So it¡¯s better to attribute all sorts of settings to an unknown mage. ¡°Please! Just tell me who it is!¡± And if someone persistently asks. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I pretend to have a poignant past. Koreans are weak to these kinds of things. Taking advantage of Kim Chae-min¡¯s silence, I pressed Park Seo-hyun again. ¡°I told you to try. Why are you just standing there?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± She must be feeling conflicted too. Now, she¡¯s probably afraid that she might turn out to be of the light attribute. If she¡¯s not, that would be quite disappointing in its own way. However, Park Seo-hyun steadied herself and focused. Her expression showed a longing for magic even more than thoughts of her grandfather. She was a natural-born mage. Park Seo-hyun¡¯s mana started to move. The feather, dusted with gold powder, began to tremble. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no change, teacher woo.¡± ¡°Wait. You¡¯re still infusing mana, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s confidence seemed to wane a little. But I didn¡¯t doubt it. As expected, after a moment, the feather started to change. From the base that Park Seo-hyun was holding, ck patterns began to appear on the white feather. The ck patterns spread like mold, quickly turning the feather pitch ck. No light touched the feather; it was as if the feather absorbed all color. It even gave the illusion of darkening the surrounding area. ¡­It¡¯s not an illusion. It¡¯s actually making the surroundings darker. ¡°What attribute is this, teacher woo?¡± Park Seo-hyun looked at the feather with a puzzled expression. Even the hand holding the feather appeared darkened. ¡°Shadow.¡± ¡°¡­Shadow?¡± ¡°As I thought, it was an attribute problem. It¡¯s not that you couldn¡¯t use your grandfather¡¯s magic because you werecking, but because thepatibility wasn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun quietly looked at the feather she was holding. A pitch-ck feather that cast no shadow even under the sunlight. ¡°Alright, Choi Jin-woo. Your turn.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Choi Jin-woo, who had been staring nkly at Park Seo-hyun¡¯s crumbling feather, grabbed his own feather with a determined look. I don¡¯t know how Hong Seok-young came to bring him here. Based on what he¡¯s said, he doesn¡¯t even intend to be a hunter, and he¡¯s the first in his family to awaken as a mage. Did he just see him by chance on the street and bring him? Considering the old man¡¯s personality, it seemed possible. ¡°I, I did it!¡± ¡°Wait a mo¡ª¡± Choi Jin-woo¡¯s feather responded even faster than Park Seo-hyun¡¯s. Woosh! The feather burst into mes. Fire attribute! ¡°Let go!¡± That me wasn¡¯t a mirage. It was real. Damn, I should have considered this. I should¡¯ve kept a fire extinguisher nearby just in case. ¡°Huh, what?¡± But Choi Jin-woo looked at me with a puzzled face. The feather was still burning in his hand. His reaction was so nonchnt that I stopped myself from knocking the feather out of his hand. With a fire attribute, the feather should have turned to ash by now. ¡°It¡¯s not hot at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hot?¡± I narrowed my eyes and brought my hand close to the me flickering above the feather. ¡­There was no heat. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s only one attribute this could be. Without realizing it, I nced at Park Seo-hyun. She hesitated for a moment and then reached out towards Choi Jin-woo¡¯s feather. ¡°It¡¯s just shaped like fire?¡± ¡°Seems like it¡­ It¡¯s not hot for you either, right?¡± It was hard to read Park Seo-hyun¡¯s expression. If she had seen her grandfather¡¯s magic up close, she would have realized it immediately. ¡°Teacher, what is this? What attribute do I have?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Should I call this an amazing coincidence or a disappointing misfortune? ¡°Light.¡± I answered Choi Jin-woo¡¯s question, hoping that Park Seo-hyun wouldn¡¯t take it to heart. ¡°You¡¯re of the light attribute.¡± * * * Come to think of it, my life has never flowed in the direction I wanted. From my childhood to this very moment. Who would want to join a weird cult? Who would want to be adopted by Hong Seok-young¡­ This part wasn¡¯t bad. It¡¯s just that I hated the gazes, attention, and whispers that followed. But if possible, wouldn¡¯t it have been better if I were in a more¡­ peaceful family? It¡¯s not that I have any grudge against the old man, it¡¯s just that there could have been such a possibility. There are several twists in my life that I could have avoided if I hadn¡¯t been adopted by the old man. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s his fault¡­. People¡¯s hearts are just like that. Some might call itining from someone who¡¯s well-off. They might say I¡¯m an ungrateful, ill-mannered brat. But those people are not me. They can¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯ve gone through or how I felt. To others, it might be the pain of a thorn in the finger, but to me, it could be the pain of arge nail driven in. Of course, I don¡¯t care what others say. That¡¯s how I felt about my life. If they dragged me to a hearing, I might have spoken more indirectly, but that wasn¡¯t the case¡­. However, on the flip side, because my life hasn¡¯t gone as I wished, I might be trying harder to ovee unexpected situations. Look at the old man. He didn¡¯t be a hunter to create the Ability Management Agency and reform South Korea¡¯s hunter society. It just happened that no one else could do it, so he did. And it turned out well. He managed it sessfully. Look at me. Didn¡¯t I seed despite the adversities? That¡¯s what life is. It doesn¡¯t go as nned, but if you keep at it, somehow things work out. So you, too, will somehow manage¡­. I couldn¡¯t say that to Park Seo-hyun. I have enough sense to consider that. It¡¯s not that Park Seo-hyun has a fragile mentality¡­ This would affect anyone unless they had Hong Seok-young¡¯s resilience. She couldn¡¯t use her grandfather¡¯s magic because of attribute ipatibility. She had been troubled by this for a long time. What? His ssmate, who awakened less than a year ago, has the light attribute she so desperately wanted? This is different from merely bing an archmage. That¡¯s why Park Seo-hyun came to talk to me during break time. ¡°Ahem.¡± Sitting down with me, Park Seo-hyun remained silent for a long time. Break time had long since ended. I wished someone woulde looking for me, but given the school¡¯s ridiculously free-spirited nature, no one cared if someone was missing for a while. I saw Choi Jin-woo and Kim Chae-min talking animatedly. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± An awkward silence. I gestured to Park Seo-hyun to speak first. Park Seo-hyun moved her lips, then opened her mouth. ¡°Teacher. I¡¯ve been thinking.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use my grandfather¡¯s magic.¡± She wasn¡¯t asking me. She was just stating a fact she knew. Park Seo-hyun probably already knew this. Today, she just decided to ept it. I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Even without Jin-woo, that fact doesn¡¯t change.¡± Still, Park Seo-hyun¡¯s voice was lighter than I expected. When Choi Jin-woo had just finished his test, Park Seo-hyun¡¯s bangs had fallen forward. Honestly, it was scarier not being able to see her eyes. But now, her hair was pushed back. Her revealed face was calm but not dark. ¡°I decided to think differently.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve thought a lot.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Seo-hyun even gave a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s still a pity that I can¡¯t use my grandfather¡¯s magic¡­. But I don¡¯t want to let it go to waste. Teacher Chae-min also talked about magic that¡¯s been lost like this. There¡¯s too much valuable knowledge.¡± ¡­Somehow, this conversation feels like it¡¯s going well. Yes. Life needs days like this too. Don¡¯t you think? ¡°¡­So?¡± Trying not to show my expectations, I waited for Park Seo-hyun to continue. ¡°I want to be Jin-woo¡¯s teacher.¡± Chapter 40 - Shadow and Light (3) Chapter 40: Shadow and Light (3) TL: SHW Is this what they mean by ¡®blowing your nose without using your hands¡¯? Park Seo-hyun came up with the most perfect solution. It was so unbelievably kind to me that I felt like the whole world was mocking me. It was something I had thought about, but couldn¡¯t bring myself to say. I looked at Park Seo-hyun. An eighteen-year-old girl was speaking with a deadly serious expression. I managed my expression as an adult should and confirmed Park Seo-hyun¡¯s intentions once more. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll teach all your grandfather¡¯s magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Park Seo-hyun answered without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t want my grandfather¡¯s magic to disappear, but I also don¡¯t want to teach it to just anyone.¡± ¡°Is Choi Jin-woo okay?¡± It¡¯s something that can be left alone if she¡¯s determined to do it anyway¡­ It¡¯s better not to do it at all than to back outter. If her mind could be changed with a few words, then that¡¯s the extent of it. ¡°If you think about it, you haven¡¯t known Choi Jin-woo for that long. Isn¡¯t he ¡®just anyone¡¯?¡± ¡°I know. But the principal brought him here¡­¡± ¡°As I said earlier.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Don¡¯t leave the decision to others. This is my decision.¡± Park Seo-hyun interrupted me and spoke firmly. ¡°If it¡¯s Jin-woo, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if the person involved says it¡¯s okay, who am I to say otherwise?¡± Still, just in case, I asked again. ¡°Are you really okay with this? Even if you say it¡¯s okay now, you might feel differently when you actually see him using the magic.¡± This time, Park Seo-hyun hesitated a little. But her wavering eyes were only for a moment. She still didn¡¯t avoid my gaze. ¡°Rather, seeing someone else use it might make it easier for me to truly let go.¡± ¡°¡­Then that¡¯s settled.¡± I adjusted my assessment of Park Seo-hyun a little. Her mental fortitude wasn¡¯t as low as I thought. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s still young and has good resilience. Or maybe she grew in that short span of a few hours. Or perhaps I had a hidden talent for counseling that I didn¡¯t even know about. Just a bit of praise made her change 180 degrees, so how did the old man handle her? Did he just leave herpletely alone? Anyway, Park Seo-hyun looked quite relieved, and as her teacher, I decided to support my student. It was a good thing for Choi Jin-woo. Of course, knowing unique magic doesn¡¯t mean everyone can be an Archmage. But to be an Archmage, you need to be able to use unique magic. And above all, isn¡¯t the revival of unique magic, thought to be lost, a good omen? * * * ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Choi Jin-woo answered with a grimace. ¡°What?¡± It was the adults surrounding Choi Jin-woo who were rather taken aback. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m disregarding Seo-hyun or anything. I just don¡¯t want to be her student.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it?¡± Kim Chae-min asked Choi Jin-woo with a face that couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to?!¡± If Choi Jin-woo weren¡¯t a student, she might have grabbed him by the cor and shaken him. Her fingers were actually twitching. I understand her feelings. In fact, the only reason I¡¯m standing here so calmly is because Kim Chae-min is too agitated. When someone beside you is jumping around, it can help you regain yourposure. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kim Chae-min took a deep breath and exhaled. I¡¯m not sure how much it helped her mental stability, but her voice was noticeably calmer. ¡°Listen, Jin-woo. You don¡¯t seem to understand what this means¡­¡± ¡°No, I do. I might just be a mage in name, but I roughly know what this is about.¡± If he really knew, he wouldn¡¯t be able to say he didn¡¯t want to so easily. ¡°I know it¡¯s a good opportunity.¡± But this isn¡¯t just a simple good opportunity¡­ Doesn¡¯t he understand how great an opportunity this is? Is that why he can casually say no? Because Kim Chae-min was emitting such an unusual aura, Choi Jin-woo pretended to think a little more. ¡°But still¡­ I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± He was only pretending. His answer didn¡¯t change. ¡°¡­Why? Let¡¯s hear your reason.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Choi Jin-woo scratched his head with an embarrassed face. ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s a bit too much to have a friend as a teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Is that really the reason? He¡¯s refusing this? When he¡¯s being offered the unique magic of an Archmage for free? He¡¯s being too full of himself! While here I am! Already have so much to do that I could go crazy, and yet I¡¯m stuck in this school doing nothing! Just watching over these kids! I understand the importance of nurturing future talent. But, damn it. Honestly, how much more could I achieve by running away from here instead of taking care of these chicklings that might take years to grow? I could immediately raid the Bangi-dong Dungeon, analyze where the one who burned Seoul crawled out from, track what those Ark bastards are up to, or figure out where and what the young me is doing¡­ There are twenty years left until Seoul is destroyed. Of course, I have no intention of spending all that time here. I¡¯m raising these kids and gathering people because it¡¯s the only thing I can do right now. I can¡¯t run away from here if I want to keep Hong Seok-young as an ally. Yeah, well. Preparing for the future? That¡¯s good. But nothing has even started yet. When I can still handle it all by myself. Wouldn¡¯t it be best to nip it in the bud at such a time? But right now, I can¡¯t do anything. This situation where I have to wait helplessly for the information thrown by Hong Seok-young or Lee Mi-seon is incredibly frustrating. Moreover¡­ It¡¯s not that these kids did anything wrong, but seeing the people who should have died or will dieter smiling without a care in the world makes me suffocate. It feels like walking among corpses. No. Calm down. Get a grip. Let¡¯s just focus on reality. Focus on what¡¯s in front of you. Don¡¯t think beyond that. Don¡¯t recall the woman coughing up blood in the searing heat. ¡®Make it out alive.¡¯ I tightly closed my eyes and opened them again. My vision cleared, and I saw Choi Jin-woo standing awkwardly with a sheepish face. ¡°¡­Is that really the reason?¡± What was I like at his age? I rememberughing dryly whenever the old man talked about those times¡­ It¡¯s strange. I was a well-behaved and obedient child. Probably. I looked at Choi Jin-woo again. If there are obedient kids like me, there can also be stubborn kids who don¡¯t listen. Of course. It¡¯s an extremely sensitive age. His pride might be hurt to have a peer as his teacher¡­ ¡­What pride does a mage have?! He¡¯s being offered unique magic, and he should be groveling in gratitude! ¡°Well¡­¡± For the first time, Choi Jin-woo avoided my gaze. ¡°I know, okay? I know this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. But¡­¡± Choi Jin-woo paused to organize his thoughts before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s just that this magic is as important to Seo-hyun as it is a great opportunity for me. And she¡¯s willing to teach it to me without anypensation.¡± Calm eyes. A voice that doesn¡¯t tremble. Most mages awaken at a young age. Some awaken as soon as they start to walk. Awakening at eighteen, Choi Jin-woo was extremelyte for a mage. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m smart enough to learn it all.¡± Maybe because of that, Choi Jin-woo has a naive way of thinking for a mage. To put it nicely, he¡¯s a model student type. To put it bluntly, he¡¯s a small-minded conformist. If he weren¡¯t a mage, he¡¯d be living a typical life. And people like this limit their own potential early on, whether it¡¯s their real limit or not. It wasn¡¯t simply out of pride that Choi Jin-woo rejected Park Seo-hyun¡¯s proposal. Choi Jin-woo had his own reasons for it. Kim Chae-min knew this and quietly listened to what Choi Jin-woo had to say. ¡°I don¡¯t want Seo-hyun to feel disappointed in me while teaching me, or for her to me herself if she thinks she didn¡¯t teach well. I also don¡¯t want to get exhausted trying to keep up with Seo-hyun. And more than anything, I don¡¯t want our rtionship to be awkward.¡± The irritation that had been rising until now subsided as I listened to Choi Jin-woo¡¯s calm words. His way of thinking, which is unlike a typical mage, showed itself in this manner. It might seem like an ordinary mindset, but it¡¯s rare among mages who spend their childhood in a closed society. There¡¯s a reason Yoo Ji-eun valuesmunication skills highly when recruiting new members for the raid team. How many guilds have fallen apart due to one wrong mage? I raised my evaluation of Choi Jin-woo a bit. Where did Hong Seok-young find such a kid? Did he fall from the sky? ¡°So that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to do it. Honestly, I don¡¯t have much ambition for being an Archmage or learning unique magic¡­¡± If Park Seo-hyun heard this, she¡¯d probably hide behind her bangs again. Fortunately, Park Seo-hyun wasn¡¯t here right now. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay. I just want to be an ordinary mage. That suits me just fine.¡± What should I do? Since he didn¡¯t simply refuse to learn from a peer, I can¡¯t just force him. After all, whether it¡¯s studying or magic, the individual¡¯s will is crucial. Besides, I don¡¯t know Choi Jin-woo well. The kid who died in Myeong-dong isn¡¯t even recorded in the Agency¡¯s records. Whether his magic talent is mediocre as he ims, or if he has unexpected potential to be an Archmage, I don¡¯t know. So, I nudged the Archmage next to me with my elbow. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­¡± I left Choi Jin-woo and stepped aside with Kim Chae-min. ¡°What do you think about Choi Jin-woo?¡± Kim Chae-min tilted her head. ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Does he really have no talent, as he says?¡± ¡°Ah. Well. You see¡­ magic talent is extremely ambiguous.¡± Kim Chae-min tilted her head to the other side. ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin this to someone who isn¡¯t a mage¡­ But for basic andmon magic, with enough effort, anyone can reach a certain level, even if it takes time.¡± She tilted her head to the other side again. ¡°But unique magic doesn¡¯t work like that. Simply put, it¡¯s luck¡­ And if you say luck is also a skill, then I have nothing more to say.¡± Kim Chae-min began to nod her head side to side. ¡°Someone who can¡¯t even use basic magic could suddenly have an epiphany and be an Archmage, throwing unique magic left and right. Conversely, someone who can use all other magic with their eyes closed might never be able to use unique magic their entire life.¡± ¡°So, what about Jin-woo?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know until we see.¡± Kim Chae-min stopped nodding her head. ¡°But setting his own limits like that isn¡¯t good. People¡¯s imagination is limited, so they can¡¯t envision beyond that.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying he might have the talent to be an Archmage?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know until we see.¡± It¡¯s frustrating not having a definite answer. Kim Chae-min nced inside the ssroom. ¡°Listening to him, I can understand Jin-woo¡¯s feelings. Learning the magical form left by a friend¡¯s deceased grandfather? That¡¯s a lot of pressure.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you also learn unique magic using your grandfather¡¯s forms?¡± ¡°Is that the same? I was family. Plus, neither my grandmother nor my mother were Awakened, so I had a lot more freedompared to other mage families. They would have been okay even if I chose not to be a mage.¡± So that¡¯s how Kim Chae-min, with her personality, grew up and ended up dying a pointless death. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a waste to let such an opportunity go.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s so unwilling, forcing him might not be the best¡­ Does it have to be Jin-woo for Seo-hyun?¡± On that point, Park Seo-hyun was clear. When I nodded, Kim Chae-min also sank into thought. ¡°Park No-kyung¡¯s unique magic is very useful in many ways, so it would be a waste for it to be buried like this.¡± That¡¯s exactly my point. How can I persuade Choi Jin-woo¡­ As I was pondering, I saw Park Seo-hyun sitting under the parasol. She was practicing runes in that short time. She¡¯s diligent, indeed. I stroked my chin. Let¡¯s think of Choi Jin-woo not as a mage but as a non-Awakened person. Just a high school student of that age. There¡¯s no need to useplicated methods. Sometimes, the most straightforward approach works best for kids that age. Thises from experience. Chapter 41 - Master and Disciple (1) Chapter 41: Master and Disciple (1) TL: SHW Shall I tell an old story for a change? The old man wanted to raise me as an ordinary person. When I was young, I didn¡¯t have the right to choose, so I grew up as the old man raised me. It¡¯s not like I had any majorints. At first, I was happy when the old man said he would take me with him¡­. After all, wasn¡¯t he the one who blew away the director of the researchb? He said he¡¯d take me out of the orphanage, so I followed him eagerly. And the first thing the old man did after adopting me was take me to counseling. My words that I¡¯d already had enough psychological counseling at the orphanage didn¡¯t make any difference. Looking back now, it was understandable. It wasn¡¯t just about not understanding the old man¡¯s feelings; it was a perfectly reasonable decision. Honestly, if you list only the objective facts, it¡¯s quite¡­ a pitiful life, isn¡¯t it? Not that I¡¯m saying this because it¡¯s my life. Anyway, the old man didn¡¯t want to raise a lucky orphan adopted by Korea¡¯s top hunter, but an ordinary eleven-year-old boy. That fell apart when I awakened the following year, though. Even so, the old man congratted me. The weekend right after my awakening, he took me to the back mountain and taught me various things. How to pick handcuffs. How to operate mana. How to use strength. How to fight. At first, I did everything the old man told me to, but soon I came to believe that the old man wouldn¡¯t abandon me even if I showed a bit of displeasure. So I might have tested him a little. To see how far the old man would tolerate me. Hmm. It¡¯s an embarrassing past. This isn¡¯t what I intended to talk about, though. Although he didn¡¯t show it, the old man probably had a hard time because of me back then. Still, the old man never raised his voice at me. He never even pretended to lift a hand like the researchb director did. Around the time my rebellious phase started to wane a bit, the old man sat me down and said, ¡®Hwijae, I¡¯ll let you do everything you want to do.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®If there¡¯s something you want, I¡¯ll buy it for you. If there¡¯s something you want to do, I¡¯ll let you do it.¡¯ The old man held my hand and spoke softly. ¡®If there¡¯s someone bullying you¡­ I¡¯ll take care of it. You know, I have some strength. I can take care of one or two people without anyone knowing.¡¯ ¡®¡­That¡¯s enough.¡¯ ¡®Do you hate me?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®If you stab me with a knife, it¡¯ll hurt because I¡¯m human too. So, as I taught you, if you stab here¡­.¡¯ ¡°Stop it!¡± I don¡¯t know what he was saying to a child. Well,ter, I heard that he was trying to give me a kind of shock therapy. He said he got advice that if he said something bizarre like that, I¡¯de to my senses since I only lightly rebelled against him and didn¡¯t harm others. ¡­It worked too easily, almost hurting my pride. Well, I can¡¯t do the same with Park Seo-hyun or Choi Jin-woo. But I can twist my words simrly. ¡°Park Seo-hyun.¡± I approached Park Seo-hyun. I thought she was drawing a rune, but it wasn¡¯t a rune. It was a diagram of magical forms with lines flowing like waves, continuously connecting. When I looked at the paper, Park Seo-hyun slyly covered the forms with her arm. Look at this. ¡°Even if I see it, I won¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°Still¡­ you¡¯re not supposed to see¡­.¡± Forms are sensitive, I guess. Anyway, I had other business. ¡°Jin-woo declined.¡± ¡°Huh, uh¡­ what?¡± A while ago, Park Seo-hyun, feeling somewhat embarrassed, asked me to ask on her behalf. I should have taken her with me. With Choi Jin-woo¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to refuse if Park Seo-hyun asked him directly. If I had just pushed a little, he would have epted. What¡¯s done is done. We can try again. This is also an opportunity to instill a proper sense of responsibility in Park Seo-hyun beyond just continuing her grandfather¡¯s magic. ¡­Am I pushing too hard in a single day? Well, this is how you get stronger. ¡°He doesn¡¯t hold any grudges against you¡­. He said he doesn¡¯t feel qualified to learn from you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Chae-min, who followed behind me, was startled. I lightly tapped Kim Chae-min¡¯s calf to avoid Park Seo-hyun¡¯s gaze. It meant to keep quiet. And I don¡¯t lie. ¡­Well, it¡¯s not that I never lie, but it¡¯s foolish to lie in a way that can be easily cross-verified and revealed. I just slightly change the words and make the statements a bit more provocative. ¡­Was the old man like this? It feels a bit different, but¡­ a disciple should surpass the master. ¡°Well, that¡¯s understandable. After all, Jin-woo has only been a mage for a short time. Even if someone suddenly tries to teach him unique magic¡­ it would be overwhelming.¡± Actually, this kind of thing works better when Park Seo-hyun has had more time to sort out her feelings. But it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Moreover, he thinks hecks talent and doesn¡¯t feel worthy of bing your disciple.¡± Doesn¡¯t that sound simr to what someone who cried and confessed to me just a few hours ago said? Kim Chae-min is making strangled noises beside me. But I¡¯m not really lying, you know? This is what Choi Jin-woo said. He refused because he wasn¡¯t confident in learning the magic being taught. If he were in the Ability Management Agency¡¯s raid team, huh? There wouldn¡¯t be even a speck of dust left now. Yoo Ji-eun would have burned him to ashes before I could even turn him into dust. ¡°So he said he couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°¡­Even if the teacher persuaded him?¡± Park Seo-hyun, who had been opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish, finally managed to ask. ¡°Even if the teacher persuades him, does he still think he¡¯s unworthy?¡± Hmm. I shrugged. ¡°If he says so, what can I say?¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°B-but, the teacher¡­ to me¡­.¡± She¡¯s probably wondering why I didn¡¯t do the same for Choi Jin-woo when I promised her I would make her an Archmage. Of course, I didn¡¯t do it. I have the answer sheet for Park Seo-hyun, but not for Choi Jin-woo. I don¡¯t buy lottery tickets. I quieted the groaning Kim Chae-min and replied. ¡°You¡¯re my student.¡± No matter how I think about it, I should be getting a higher sry for this. ¡°But he¡¯s your disciple.¡± Of course, Choi Jin-woo is also my student. But the weight of being a mere teacher without a teaching certificate and being a disciple of a mage is different. The legal bindings are different too. ¡°Disciple¡­.¡± ¡°Not yet, but. It¡¯s the master¡¯s role to persuade the disciple.¡± Anyway, since Choi Jin-woo came out like that, I can¡¯t force him to be motivated. This is something the parties involved must resolve. I¡¯ll just add a little¡­ seasoning. I lightly pushed Park Seo-hyun¡¯s forehead with my fingertip. ¡°Now, your first assignment as a master. Go persuade your disciple. Ask him to be your disciple.¡± ¡°He, he refused¡­.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to give up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Tell him honestly why you want him as your disciple. He¡¯s your disciple.¡± Park Seo-hyun looked at me with nk eyes and then lowered her head deeply. Not to hide her face with her bangs, but to look at the form she was drawing. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Without saying a word, Park Seo-hyun started crumpling the paper she was drawing on. She pressed the paper with her hands, making it into a small ball, and put it in her mouth. Gulp. After swallowing the paper ball, Park Seo-hyun stood up suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Watching the spirited back of Park Seo-hyun as she headed towards the ssroom container where Choi Jin-woo was, I suddenly thought. I¡¯ll never understand mages for the rest of my life. * * * Shall I tell another old story? ¡®Hwijae.¡¯ ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®Hwijae, let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡¯ ¡®What is there to talk about with me? I have nothing to say.¡¯ ¡®Hwijae.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not even your real son.¡¯ ¡®Woo Hwijae!!¡¯ The only time the old man ever raised his voice at me was then. Even when I yed with and dropped his spear, or when I messed up a report he worked hard on, he justughed and patted my head. The old man ran his hand, which had been patting my head, over his face. It was a gesture full of fatigue. But when he lowered his hand, there was no sign of fatigue on his face. The old man spoke firmly. ¡®You are my son.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Why do you ask?¡¯ ¡®Is it because of the adoption? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll leave as soon as I be an adult.¡¯ ¡®Woo Hwijae.¡¯ ¡®Stop calling my name. It¡¯s not for you to call.¡¯ ¡®Then? Do you want to change yourst name? To mine?¡¯ ¡®No. Why would I take yourst name?¡¯ ¡®Because you are my son.¡¯ The old man sighed. ¡®Hwijae, I don¡¯t know what someone told you, but I didn¡¯t take you in for that reason.¡¯ ¡®Then why? To get a news article? Our great Hunter Hong Seok-young adopts a poor orphan, setting an example for others?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not like that¡­.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s just not bother each other and go our own ways. Okay?¡¯ To make a feeble excuse, I was young and unnecessarily sensitive. I was somewhat intoxicated by all the pity people showed me. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Orphans who were caught by a nasty criminal organization easily evoked sympathy from kind-hearted people. Whether it was true or not. Not everyone looked down on me. But Hong Seok-young held a fairly high position in Korean society. While not intending to discriminate, people usually associate with others of simr status, and Hong Seok-young was no different. Looking back, I think he made efforts to create a stable environment for a child who might have psychological trauma. Fortunately or unfortunately, thanks to those efforts, many around me maintained a semnce of decency, refraining from saying harsh words to a pitiful orphan. Yeah. They just refrained from saying bad things outright. Among them, some people disliked hunters, thinking they didn¡¯t belong, or disapproved of an unknown orphan getting close to their child. They wouldn¡¯t say it directly. They¡¯d just hint at it, slipping it into conversation as if in passing. ¡®I never thought he¡¯d adopt a child, but you never know with the world. Given what happened to his son¡­ Oh dear, look at me. Don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s not about you.¡¯ Hearing such things every time I visited a friend¡¯s house, despite numerous counseling sessions, would drive any kid crazy. And the adult raising that crazy kid would wither away. ¡®I¡¯m not your son.¡¯ ¡®You are my son.¡¯ ¡®Your son is him. I¡¯m just a stray picked up off the street. Isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard, but¡­ I didn¡¯t take you in to rece him.¡¯ ¡®Then what is it?¡¯ ¡®I¡­.¡¯ The old man hesitated. I remember being still for a long time, seeing him like that. I think I was scared of what he might say. ¡®That day, Hwijae, I saw myself in you.¡¯ ¡®¡­What do you mean?¡¯ ¡®Not wanting to be here, but having nowhere to go. Just staring at the door endlessly, wishing someone would take me away.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Even though I knew no one in the world cared about me, I couldn¡¯t let go of that slight hope.¡¯ The old man gave a bitter smile. ¡®As soon as I awakened at neen, I ran away from the orphanage. I didn¡¯t want you to end up like me.¡¯ The old man cautiously reached out. As if afraid I might run away, his hesitant hand touched my shoulder, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. ¡®That¡¯s why I decided to be your dad.¡¯ ¡°Hey, you know.¡± The warmth I felt on my shoulder from the old man dissipated, and a woman¡¯s voice, sounding somewhat blunt, interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what kind of person Teacher Woo is.¡± I stared nkly at Kim Chae-min. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what Teacher Kim is talking about either.¡± ¡°Oh,e on!¡± Kim Chae-min pouted and grumbled. ¡°I really can¡¯t tell if Teacher Woo cares about the kids or not.¡± ¡°This much means I care.¡± ¡°If you say so, I can¡¯t argue with that¡­ But why did you say it like that earlier?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kim Chae-min kicked my calf under the table. ¡°Jin-woo didn¡¯t say it like that, did he?¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t wrong, was it?¡± ¡°Someone with a twisted mind could deliberately misinterpret it that way.¡± I shrugged. Quite some time had passed since Park Seo-hyun went into the container. I was curious about what they were talking about inside, so I suggested to Kim Chae-min that we eavesdrop with magic, but she refused, leaving us waiting like this. ¡°In my experience.¡± ¡°Experience? Have you taught kids before?¡± ¡­I pretended not to hear the inconvenient question. ¡°Kids like that are so sensitive that they go off the rails without brakes if you poke them just a little from the side.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Choi Jin-woo was worried that he might disappoint Park Seo-hyun, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, I guess?¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s a matter of creating a bond so strong that they can¡¯t let go of each other, whether they¡¯re disappointed or not.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± While Kim Chae-min was puzzled, trying to understand my words, the ssroom door finally opened and Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun came out. Park Seo-hyun was huping and crying, and Choi Jin-woo¡­ ¡°Waaaah!! You didn¡¯t tell me about your situation!!!! I-I¡¯ll do my best!!¡± ¡­was crying his heart out with a flushed face. Chapter 42 - Master and Disciple (2) Chapter 42: Master and Disciple (2) TL: SHW ¡°Master, is this how I should do it?¡± Two dayster. ¡°Uh, let me see¡­ Good! You¡¯re doing great! Now, let¡¯s try it like this!¡± Such a dramatic performance. Wasn¡¯t it just the other day they didn¡¯t want to be master and disciple? Weren¡¯t they talking about giving up magic? Even Park Seo-hyun, who seemed like she wouldn¡¯t, got caught up with Choi Jin-woo and her speech became strange. Her body was stiff and her speech awkward, but it¡¯s hard to believe this was the same girl who was walking around with a face looking like she was about to die from depression just two days ago. Really¡­ they¡¯re funny kids. ¡°Ah! This part¡­ you should do it like this. Ah, do you understand?¡± Still, seeing Park Seo-hyun, who used to be so listless, now ying around like this is heartwarming. Kids should be like this. The problem is¡­. ¡°Hah! I have beheaded you!¡± ¡°The one beheaded is you!¡± ¡°What nonsense! No amount of insisting will bring back your missing head!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I should be saying!¡± Thanks to this, even the other kids started mimicking their way of speaking. They are full of energy. Noisy¡­ so noisy. Hong Seok-young, who had been watching the kids, had vanished before I knew it. No doubt, he went to the teachers¡¯ office to sip on some instant coffee. That guy can¡¯t hide his age. Though he has plenty of stamina, dealing with kids who chatter non-stop is another matter. ¡°Teacher! Teacher Woo!¡± Lee Seung-yeon yelled, calling for me. ¡°Who won between him and me?!¡± I looked at Lee Seung-yeon and Seo Han-seong. ¡°Rock-paper-scissors.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The one who wins at rock-paper-scissors is the winner.¡± ¡°How is that fair?!¡± ¡°It is here.¡± ¡°Ah, Teacher!¡± I waved my hand to shoo them away. Finally, a peaceful time without a ss assigned to me¡­. It cannot be disturbed. Though it will be soon. A now-familiar sports car is approaching from afar. It¡¯s Kim Chae-min¡¯s bright yellow sports car. ¡°Hello, kids!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± Kim Chae-min jumped out opening the car door. Today she is wearing a long dress that reaches her ankles. It¡¯s bright green with big white and yellow flowers. I always wonder how she manages in those fancy clothes. Kim Chae-min looked around. ¡°Where are Jin-woo and Seo-hyun?¡± There was no need to look for them. The two mages, having noticed Kim Chae-min¡¯s arrival, were already tidying up and walking over. Kim Chae-min smiled brightly when she saw them, and pulled a brown envelope out of her bag slung over her shoulder. How did that fit in her tiny handbag¡­ ah, a spatial pocket. It was a different bagst time. How many bags does she have with spatial pockets? Anyway, that envelope is today¡¯s main event. Honestly, it¡¯s something else that Hong Seok-young assigns an Archmage like Kim Chae-min to just deliver documents. And it¡¯s something else that she willingly does it. Since both seem content, it¡¯s not my ce to say anything¡­. ¡°This was urgently brought by the teacher¡­ it¡¯s something the teacher wrote, so there may be parts that don¡¯t suit you. Check carefully and let me know if there¡¯s anything you want to fix. Got it?¡± Kim Chae-min grew up in a rtively liberal household, she said. That¡¯s probably one reason Hong Seok-young brought her as the kids¡¯ magic teacher. Of course, the main reason is that Kim Chae-min is also chasing Ark. Trusted mages are scarce. But how did Kim Chae-min end up chasing Ark? ¡°Wow. Why is this so thick?¡± ¡°This is short. I heard recent contracts are even thicker.¡± ¡°Even more than this?¡± Choi Jin-woo, who had reverted to his original speech pattern, was surprised as he looked at the document envelope Kim Chae-min was holding. It hadn¡¯t been taken out yet, but it had an overwhelming presence. If it were a person, it might not be a lethal weapon, but it would definitely cause some damage. ¡°Do all mages do this?¡± ¡°Not all. Only between master and disciple.¡± Kim Chae-min pulled out a stack of papers. It was a contract, a contract used by mages. The so-called standard master-disciple contract. Choi Jin-woo tilted his head at Kim Chae-min¡¯s words. ¡°I heard that masters and disciples are usually like family¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, I learned from my dad too.¡± ¡°Do you use a contract like this between family members?¡± To an ordinary citizen, it might seem too high a barrier. Anyone would feel that way if handed a 300-page contract all of a sudden. Kim Chae-min smiled brightly, unaware of Choi Jin-woo¡¯s confusion. ¡°Because it was my dad, I kept it simple.¡± ¡°¡­This is simple? Teacher Woo, is it just me who doesn¡¯t get it?¡± Poor guy. But this is the realm of mages. To be a true mage, you have to ovee such trials. ¡°Lawsuits often happen between masters and disciples.¡± Kim Chae-min nodded seriously at my words. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate if it¡¯s just awsuit. I heard recently that a disciple stabbed their master¡­¡± ¡°Stabbed?¡± ¡°Ah, but in that case, the master deserved it. The disciple was a fifth cousin or something, and the master made them do housework. They exploited them for about ten years using magic as leverage.¡± ¡°How was that possible through a contract?¡± ¡°Of course, it was a breach of contract.¡± Kim Chae-min answered nonchntly. ¡°So, the cousin will probably be acquitted.¡± ¡°¡­Are mages that scary?¡± Choi Jin-woo asked with a sullen face. Perhaps he regretted bing a mage. But looking at Park Seo-hyun, who was skimming through the contract brought by Kim Chae-min, it was clear that backing out wasn¡¯t an option. Park Seo-hyun nced up and advised Choi Jin-woo. ¡°If you ever haveints about me, tell me before stabbing. I¡¯ll fix it as much as I can.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stab you!¡± Park Seo-hyun giggled, her eyes crinkling as she watched Choi Jin-woo recoil. Realizing that Park Seo-hyun¡¯s words were a joke, Choi Jin-woo scratched his head. Embarrassed, he stared at the 300-page contract. He pretended to read it. ¡°But still, isn¡¯t this too much? I don¡¯t understand any of it.¡± Mages also usewyers. There are evenwyers specialized in master-disciple contracts. Not all mages use contracts, but with so many gruesome incidents happening, most tend to use them. To prevent masters from exploiting disciples like ves using magic as leverage, and vice versa. There have even been cases where the weaknesses of a mage were used to forcibly extract their forms. ¡°Seo-hyun, do you understand this?¡± ¡°Hmm. To be honest, not really.¡± ¡°But you look like you¡¯re reading it so well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fascinating. My grandfather taught me without any of this.¡± Park Seo-hyun flipped through a few more pages and then closed the contract. She then looked at Kim Chae-min with a somewhat apologetic face. ¡°If I had known the teacher went to get this, I would have said it¡¯s okay¡­. I feel like I caused unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s okay. But aren¡¯t you going to use the contract? Even if you¡¯re friends, these things should be clear. In fact, because you¡¯re friends, it should be even clearer.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to use one, but not thisplicated.¡± ¡°You are?!¡± Ignoring Choi Jin-woo¡¯s reaction, Park Seo-hyun took out a clean sheet of paper. Instead of the pencil she usually used for drawing runes, she started writing with a pen this time. 1. Park Seo-hyun will teach Choi Jin-woo all the magical forms (including the unique magic ¡®Navigator of Us All¡¯) of her grandfather, Park No-kyung. 2. Park Seo-hyun acknowledges Choi Jin-woo¡¯s ownership of the magic in item 1. 3. However, Choi Jin-woo cannot decide on a new sessor alone when needed. The same applies to Park Seo-hyun, and a new sessor can only be chosen if both agree. 4. If Park Seo-hyun dies, Choi Jin-woo can choose a new sessor at his sole discretion. 5. If Choi Jin-woo dies, Park Seo-hyun can choose a new sessor at her sole discretion. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun wrote her name and resident registration number at the bottom and signed it. After thinking for a moment, Park Seo-hyun disassembled the pen she was holding and took out the cartridge. Curious about what she was doing, I watched as she snapped the cartridge and smeared the ink on her thumb¡­ then stamped her fingerprint. Up until this point, everything flowed smoothly. Kim Chae-min was the first toe to her senses. After confirming the text, signature, and fingerprint Park Seo-hyun had written, she realized what this was. ¡°Is this the contract? This is all?¡± ¡°Yes. This much is enough for me¡­ Ah, Jin-woo, do you have anything to add?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not really sure about this stuff. Is a sessor the same as a disciple?¡± ¡°Yeah. It just means you need to inform me if you take on a disciple. I have to tell you too if I want to teach someone else the light magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s your grandfather¡¯s magic. You don¡¯t need to ask me. If someone more talentedes along, just go ahead and teach them.¡± Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t respond but simply smiled at Choi Jin-woo¡¯s words. It was clear from his words how little he knew about being a mage. Choi Jin-woo took out a pen and wrote his name and resident registration number below Park Seo-hyun¡¯s. As he was about to ink his finger to make a fingerprint stamp like Park Seo-hyun did, Kim Chae-min grabbed his wrist. ¡°Hey, hey. Hold on a second¡­ You know this has legal effect, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Teacher, you said so yourself, didn¡¯t you? If a contract that thick didn¡¯t have legal effect, that¡¯d be scary in its own way.¡± ¡°But you only have one page! This can hardly even be called a master-disciple contract¡­!¡± Park Seo-hyun, who was more mage-like than Choi Jin-woo, frowned as she looked at the contract she wrote. ¡°So it would be good if you, as an Archmage, could notarize it. If you notarize it, there won¡¯t be any legal issues.¡± ¡°That may be true! But I¡¯m saying, wouldn¡¯t it be better to write detailed uses rather than this simplified version?¡± At this point, my opinion didn¡¯t seem to matter. Honestly, it didn¡¯t look like Park Seo-hyun or Choi Jin-woo would listen to Kim Chae-min. Look at how decisive Park Seo-hyun was, stamping the contract right away. What more would she ponder? Choi Jin-woo nodded at Kim Chae-min¡¯s words, but he was just pretending to listen. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± In the end, Choi Jin-woo stamped his fingerprint too. ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± Even the pouting Kim Chae-min couldn¡¯t win and wrote her name as a witness below. She didn¡¯t seem happy about it, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do. If one of them ended up betraying the other, they¡¯d have to chalk it up to life experience. We can¡¯t live their lives for them. ¡°Teacher, you too.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have three witnesses. We¡¯ll get the principal¡¯s signature too.¡± ¡°Where do you even hear these things from¡­ Never mind.¡± With both Kim Chae-min and Hong Seok-young¡¯s signatures, no one would dare ignore this contract written in such round handwriting. I wrote my name below Kim Chae-min¡¯s, hesitating while writing my resident registration number. It shouldn¡¯t start with a 1. The number on the ID Hong Seok-young gave me was¡­ 92, right? I exaggerated the strokes. Luckily, the number I altered wasn¡¯t noticeable. I double-checked to ensure I wrote it correctly. These numbers still felt unfamiliar. ¡°Okay, teachers, stamp your fingerprints too.¡± ¡°¡­Even fingerprints? A signature should be enough.¡± ¡°Handwriting can be forged!¡± What are kids watching these days? Kim Chae-min, who had been displeased with the contract, found the act of stamping the fingerprint amusing and burst intoughter. It became troublesome because Kim Chae-minplied so easily. ¡°Teacher Kim did it too!¡± Park Seo-hyun pouted as she handed over the broken pen cartridge. At least bring proper ink¡­ ¡°Teacher Kim is Teacher Kim¡­ I¡¯m not stamping anything.¡± ¡°Teacher Kim is an Archmage.¡± Choi Jin-woo chimed in. ¡°Teacher¡­ what are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that! It¡¯s just weird if only you don¡¯t do it! Since we¡¯re doing it, let¡¯s make it thorough!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Surely, Hong Seok-young wouldn¡¯t refuse either¡­. If I kept resisting, I¡¯d just end up looking odd. Damn. Reluctantly, I smeared ink on my finger. The old man always said not to lend out your name carelessly. These kids have no idea whose notarization they¡¯re getting. Chapter 43 - Master and Disciple (3) Chapter 43: Master and Disciple (3) TL: SHW Peaceful. It couldn¡¯t be more peaceful. Why is it so peaceful? The world is going to end in twenty years. Is it really okay for things to be this peaceful? ¡°Hmm? Ark? That Hunter is investigating it.¡± When asked about Ark, all I get is that Lee Mi-seon is investigating it. ¡°More importantly, how are the kids doing? Not much time left until dungeon entry, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just the homeroom teacher for the magic ss, remember.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The other kids aren¡¯t my responsibility. Didn¡¯t we agree on that?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. How can you be so cold-hearted? As a teacher, you should take care of them all.¡± That¡¯s why I check on them once in a while. I really don¡¯t know what more you want from me¡­ If they¡¯re going to work me like this, you should at least raise my sry. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t Teacher Woo free right now? Even the rune sses have stopped because of dungeon entry preparations¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of the dungeon entry preparation.¡± ¡°Anyway, Seo-hyun is teaching magic anyway.¡± Not Kim Chae-min, but Park Seo-hyun¡¯s namees up. Well, it¡¯s not wrong, but saying it like that makes my position a bit weird. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not looking after the kids, though?¡± ¡­Saying it like this makes it seem like I¡¯m clinging to my position as the homeroom teacher of the magic ss. I¡¯m not at all. Damn. ¡°Oh reaally?¡± Hong Seok-young smirks. How did I end up like this? I still can¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll leave the kids to you, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anyway, everything flowed peacefully. The kids were working hard, and Hong Seok-young and Lee Mi-seon seemed to be doing something about Ark. In the original timeline, nothing much happened at this time. There wasn¡¯t even a dungeon break. Even if one did ur asionally, it was suppressed without any damage. So why do I feel so uneasy? There¡¯s a saying in the Huntermunity that a Hunter¡¯s intuition is trash. It¡¯s an old saying meant to mock Hunters who becent by over-relying on their intuition. Hunters with heightened senses receive more information than others. Thus, there is information they instinctively realize without thinking. It¡¯s not wrong; such instincts can save lives in life-and-death battles. But if you blindly trust that and ignore the information in front of you¡­ That¡¯s how entire raid teams get wiped out. That¡¯s why they say a hunter¡¯s intuition can¡¯t be trusted. I agree with that too. But still, isn¡¯t it strange to feel uneasy for days on end? There should be a limit. So I pondered what the cause could be. ¡°¡­¡± Is it because there¡¯s nothing to do? ¡°¡­¡± Nah. That can¡¯t be it. Who else manages work-life bnce as well as I do? Sure, I¡¯ve umted some vacation days, but doesn¡¯t everyone do that? When you¡¯re working, you tend to forget about using vacation days¡­ ¡­Isn¡¯t it? ¡­But, it¡¯s boring not doing what I usually do. And spending all this time on just one C-rank dungeon raid seems like a waste of time. Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to continue the rune sses? To help the kids review their runes¡­ ¡°Ah! Ah, ah ah! I did it! I really did it, right?!¡± There¡¯s amotion outside. Choi Jin-woo is shouting loudly. Curious, I stepped out of the container used as the teachers¡¯ office. ¡°Teacher! Look at this!¡± As soon as Choi Jin-woo saw me, he waved his arms wildly. Thest time I saw him this excited was when he cried after hearing Park Seo-hyun¡¯s story. ¡°Why are you¡­ hmm?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± I thought I wondered what the reason was, but I could tell surprisingly easily. The yground was filled with fog. No, it wasn¡¯t fog, it was concentrated in specific areas. Close to the ground. It didn¡¯t reach beyond the knees. It was a white fog, billowing like dry ice. I squinted. Under the sunlight, it was hard to see, but the fog was sparkling. ¡°You see it, right?!¡± Choi Jin-woo wasn¡¯t the only one excited. Park Seo-hyun was also smiling with a flushed face. She didn¡¯t have that gloomy look with her bangs down, nor did she seem as prickly as when I saw her in Myeong-dong. Looking at her now, she seemed like an ordinary child you could see anywhere. I was worried, but it seemed she was getting along well with Choi Jin-woo. Please, grow up just like this, for the love of God. ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s magic!¡± ¡°¡­Unique magic?¡± Is Choi Jin-woo that much of a genius? ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± My eyes weren¡¯t deceiving me. ¡°It¡¯s one of the spells grandfather often used. He taught me it¡¯s a magic that illuminates dark ces, and it¡¯s good for avoiding traps because it also reveals hidden things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a useful magic.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Park Seo-hyun beamed. It was hard to tell if she was happy that her grandfather¡¯s magic was praised or if she¡¯s happy that Choi Jin-woo seeded in casting her grandfather¡¯s magic. Maybe it was both. Hong Seok-young also came out to give a word of praise to Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo before heading back inside. Hong Seok-young hadpletely entrusted the dungeon raid preparations to me. Although this was supposed to be a test for the kids, I suspected it was also a test for me. Maybe I had shown too much of what I knew about dungeons. But then again, iming ignorance when I knew something would hurt my pride. Besides, it was obvious that the old man was weak in this field, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to entrust the kids to him. If I left the raid lessons to Hong Seok-young, he¡¯d probably just spout weird onomatopoeias. ¡®Here, you go boom,, and then when it goes kaboom at this point¡­!¡¯ I managed to follow his sses because of my experience¡­ But what on earth did the students of Pilot High or Hunter Academy learn from his sses? I briefly stroked my chin. While they might not have learned much from the sses, a talented individual who grew up well on their own was right in front of me. If I threw in some usible words, wouldn¡¯t they attribute their progress to me? ¡°Park Seo-hyun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the mana analysis going?¡± Park Seo-hyun, who had been chattering away with Choi Jin-woo, shut her mouth like a m. Look at this kid. ¡°The analysis?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m doing it, but¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s shoulders gradually slumped. ¡°Didn¡¯t Teacher Kim teach you the method?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ I don¡¯t really understand¡­ My mana is too different from the mana Grandpa exined¡­.¡± Despite having such different mana, Park Seo-hyun was clumsily mimicking light magic. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it tooplexly.¡± I didn¡¯t know what process that witch went through to be the Archmage of Shadows. But I had a few Archmage acquaintances. Some of them had disciples, and I had picked up a few things they said to their disciples during visits. ¡°Like you said, it¡¯s your mana. You¡¯re the one who knows it best.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I mean it, don¡¯t think tooplicatedly. Instead of getting stuck on the fact that it¡¯s light and shadow, think of it in terms of attributes. You handle basic magic well, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different from basic magic¡­.¡± ¡°The fact that it¡¯s magic using mana is the same. There¡¯s a basic magic spell to light a me, right?¡± Park Seo-hyun looked at me doubtfully but then nodded. I gently dug at the dirt with my toe. When a small pit formed, I grabbed an abandoned drink from nearby and poured it in, creating a small puddle. ¡°Boil it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Raise the temperature. Boil the water. It¡¯s easy, right?¡± Park Seo-hyun hesitated before starting to draw the form. Soon, the puddle began to boil. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Now cool it down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Make it cold.¡± Park Seo-hyun drew another form. The bubbling puddle soon calmed. ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°More.¡± The puddle started to ripple. Then it began to freeze over, forming a whiteyer on the surface. ¡°Stop. Do you get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She clearly doesn¡¯t get it. I sighed. ¡°Heat and cold. If you ssify these attributes, they be fire and ice, which is water. Completely opposite attributes. But how about the forms?¡± ¡°The form-forms¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun looked at her hands, which had just been casting the form, with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Not all magic is like this, but sometimes reversing a form can produce the exact opposite effect. I¡¯m not a mage, so I don¡¯t know much more than that¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Think about how you were able to use light magic, which has the opposite attribute.¡± Because you¡¯re a genius. A genius. ¡°Your grandpa¡¯s light magic must have some simrity to your mana.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Start by reversing the forms. Who knows? You might hit upon something.¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s expression darkened. She bit her lip and hung her head. Her hair, which she had tucked behind her ears, fell forward like a curtain. I quickly averted my eyes. It¡¯s not good for my heart. ¡°Alright, the rest is self-study. If you¡¯re not sure, ask Teacher Kim.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher.¡± Park Seo-hyun spoke quietly without lifting her head. ¡°Tea, teacher, can I, ask you, instead?¡± What is this kid talking about? I tapped her forehead with my index finger. Applying a bit of force to my finger, I pushed her forehead until she raised her head willingly. Her wide eyes looked far from being a witch. Good. I need to block the path to bing a witchpletely. But that¡¯s that, and this is this. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know much because I¡¯m not a mage.¡± * * * Originally, there were ten students in the first ss of Pilot High School. So there were ten desks in the ssroom. Of course, now two of them were empty. I often wonder. Even now, the ssroom container doesn¡¯t feel full, but what was it like in the original timeline when there were even fewer students? Wouldn¡¯t it have been suffocating? If it were me, I would¡¯ve quit school. There might have actually been kids who quit. There¡¯s barely any record of the first ss students of Pilot High School¡­ Considering that, Oh Hyun-wook and Park Seo-hyun, who managed to stick it out and became top Hunters, might be extraordinary. Well, anyway, there are no students who quit due to such unfortunate events now. It was said that after the Myeong-dong incident, parents forcibly withdrew their kids out of anxiety. Hmm. Hong Seok-young put those two students on leave. Since it¡¯s not a proper school, it was possible. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°Yoo Hye-eun.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Yoo Hye-eun, who had been struggling to twist her mana in her hands, looked up. As a result, her mana scattered. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Lack of concentration.¡± ¡°Teacher, you¡­!¡± ¡°A Hunter should maintain concentration in any situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Hunter¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right.¡± Healers are also Awakened, but they can¡¯t be calledbatants. They usually work in hospitals rather than entering dungeons. ¡­Come to think of it, wouldn¡¯t it be okay if she¡¯s not here? Even in this chaotic era, healers are weed everywhere. No, wait. These kids don¡¯t have proper guardians. If someone like Seo Han-seong catches them, they can¡¯t escape on their own. It¡¯s right to think Hong Seok-young is protecting them. Even though they all died in the end. I smiled at Yoo Hye-eun. Let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s in front of us. This kid is alive right now. That¡¯s enough. Little Yoo Ji-eun won¡¯t grow up to be a depressed high school girl. ¡°It¡¯s the same anyway. Do it again.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Yoo Hye-eun pouted her lips and focused on moving her fingers. The white mana blooming at her fingertips wove together like she was ying cat¡¯s cradle. Every time she concentrated, she stuck out her lips, exactly like that woman. I recalled what I initially wanted to ask. ¡°How¡¯s your younger sister doing?¡± ¡°Ji-eun?¡± Yoo Hye-eun¡¯s hands, which had been weaving mana, paused. ¡°I heard she went with the principal to register as an Awakened.¡± ¡°Ah, really, Yoo Ji-eun, even though she¡¯s my sister, but¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t get me started.¡± Yoo Hye-eun unraveled her mana and shook her head vigorously. ¡°She¡¯s constantly picking up strange ideas from who knows where¡­ Just this morning, I had to stop her from trying to stick her feet in ice.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°She says keeping her feet cold is good for mana cirction or whatever¡­ She¡¯s really doing all sorts of weird things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Could this be why I¡¯ve been feeling uneasy these past few days? ¡°Has she mentioned anything about purging impurities from her blood vessels?¡± ¡°She said that method¡¯s outdated, so she¡¯s looking for other ways. Yesterday, she was chewing on lettuce, saying she needed to clean her stomach¡­¡± To Yoo Hye-eun, it seemed like the foolish antics of her clueless sister¡­ But what if she suddenly decides to join some cultish training center? With Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s known impulsiveness, it¡¯s possible. Even the little Yoo Ji-eun came running to me spouting nonsense about wanting to be my disciple. If this goes wrong, I could lose a future raid asset right under my nose. Damn it. Do I really have to worry about things like this? What the hell is the principal doing? Chapter 44 - A Teachers Duty (1) Chapter 44: A Teacher¡¯s Duty (1) TL: SHW After umting some years of experience, I was less frequently called to mandatory education for Awakened ones. Instead, I often taught new Hunters from the Ability Management Agency. Given that these individuals were expected to diligently raid dungeons, I also taught them with considerable sincerity. It was easier to workter if they were well-guided from the beginning. Most Hunters entering the Ability Management Agency were young people who had just graduated from the Academy. They had virtually no experience in dungeon raids and were often cocky, thinking they were the best in the world. Yoo Ji-eun usually threw such neers into dungeons to force them to face reality. Well, anyone next to Yoo Ji-eun would be an insignificant Hunter¡­ For the arrogant neers from the Academy, it must have been quite a shock. Then, I would pick up the now-broken neers and enter a cozy education session. What I emphasized to the neers at that time was about their future. They had awakened, entered the Academy, and joined the Ability Management Agency as Hunters. That¡¯s all good. But what next? What will they do next? If they, like Yoo Ji-eun or myself, felt a sense of mission, it would be fine. They would be satisfied with contributing to a safer world by diligently raiding dungeons. But if not, why did they be Hunters? For money? Power? The superiority of doing something others can¡¯t? I told them to seriously think about why they decided to be Hunters and why they wanted to continue being one. Most of the neers at the Ability Management Agency were exemry students. They did well when instructed. But there was always an odd one out. When such a person found out that I had a Hunter license, they would inevitably ask. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you be a Hunter? You have a license, and with your skills¡­¡¯ ¡®Well, you see.¡¯ My answer to that was always the same. ¡®I don¡¯t like fighting.¡¯ I would answer with a gentle smile. ¡®And I detest such brutebor.¡¯ I was perfectly content with my current situation. I didn¡¯t enter dungeons, I was safe, and I could pass on troublesome tasks to others. If a problem arose, I could just hand it over to the Director. Isn¡¯t that perfect? Twenty years have passed since that intense experience of being rescued from the researchb. It was enough time to set the direction of my life. The words of that woman in the suit I saw that day. The incident of inciting the children at the researchb to trouble the head. But on the day I saw the newspaper with the research institute director¡¯s face stered on the front page at the orphanage, I realized. Power and responsibility are different matters. The greater the power tomand others, the greater the responsibility thates with it. Look at the director of the researchb. Honestly, there were worse people in theb than the director, but the ultimate responsibility fell on the director. Simply because the director held the highest position in theb. I wanted to have stronger people working under me like that woman in the suit. How nice would it be to have someone working in my ce? But I didn¡¯t want to take responsibility for things that weren¡¯t my fault like the director of theb. Not that the director was meless¡­ you understand what I mean, right? And, ideally. It would be nice if someone else took responsibility for my mistakes too. ¡®You should take good care of your younger siblings!¡¯ ¡®You should be a role model for your younger siblings!¡¯ Just like the older kids got scolded when the younger kids at the orphanage did something wrong. The fact that I was adopted by the old man was clearly a sign of something. It was like a way to achieve my dreams had fallen from the sky. ¡®Um, Hwijae. I saw the homework you did.¡¯ Shortly after being adopted. The old man cautiously asked me. ¡®About what you wrote for your future dream¡­ what does that mean?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a Hunter, and you don¡¯t even know that?¡¯ ¡®No¡­ I just wanted to hear it from you, Hwijae.¡¯ As a bratty child, I sighed deeply and answered. ¡®I like stable jobs.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s understandable.¡¯ ¡®I hate being told what to do by others. So, I need to get to a position where I tell others what to do, but jobs in privatepanies are unstable.¡¯ ¡®Unstable¡­ Where did you hear that?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s all on the news.¡¯ ¡®Oh, I see¡­¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to be a civil servant. Thatdy in the suit said to punish people like theb director, you have to pass the government exam. That¡¯s what a civil servant is, right?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not entirely wrong¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to be someone like the president. That seems like too much work. I just want to be in a middle management position where I can moderately boss people around and pass on responsibilities.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®And if possible, it¡¯d be nice to earn a lot of money¡­. I heard civil servant sries are low, so that¡¯s something I¡¯ll have to ept. I¡¯ve heard you have to give up one thing to get another.¡¯ The old man slowly stroked his chin. How amusing I must have been. Looking back as an adult, it was really embarrassing. I could have wrapped it up more nicely instead of speaking so bluntly¡­. Well, what can you expect from a twelve-year-old. Still, the old man didn¡¯tugh at or scold my words. Instead, he lightly patted my head with the hand that had been stroking his chin. ¡®Alright. If that¡¯s what you want to do, you should. This old man will let you do whatever you want, Hwijae.¡¯ It¡¯s a fond memory. Anyway, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t be a Hunter. Because I intended to be a civil servant. The old man supported me. ¡®Hey, Woo Hwijae.¡¯ But there was someone who looked down on me for that. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Why didn¡¯t you enter the Academy?¡¯ Yoo Ji-eun. The metal badge signifying her affiliation with the Ability Management Agency glinted on her cor. I answered indifferently. ¡®I¡¯m not going to be a Hunter.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Because I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ ¡®What do you n to do if not be a Hunter?¡¯ ¡®Civil servant.¡¯ ¡®Civil servant?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to be a civil servant.¡¯ ¡®What kind of bullshit is that? You should be a Hunter. Civil servant my ass. Teacher, isn¡¯t he talking nonsense? Come on, spar with me.¡¯ ¡®No! I have an exam next week!¡¯ ¡®Hey. If you be a Hunter, you don¡¯t have to take exams.¡¯ ¡®But then I¡¯d be stupid like you, noona!¡¯ ¡®You little¡­!¡¯ I blinked. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s figure vanished. The dumbfounded faces of the newbies who had been looking up at me with round eyes in the ssroom also blurred. The old man who used to check my homework too. Everything. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Well, whatever. Right now, it¡¯s more important to check if the little Yoo Ji-eun is being swayed by strange nonsense. But then again, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for an adult man to suddenly visit where the sisters live¡­ I should have brought Kim Chae-min along. I regretted it btedly. Should I call her now? I saw Kim Chae-min taking the girls after school ended. Having a woman around is convenient since she can take care of the parts that Hong Seok-young and I might miss. Not that I¡¯m saying I particrly care about the boys. Hunters originally live alone. Why am I even managing¡­ The little Yoo Ji-eun is no exception. But at least, the kids at the pilot high school won¡¯t be swayed by Ark¡¯s nonsense. Let¡¯s call Kim Chae-min after all. But then I realized the problem. I hadn¡¯t bought a phone yet. There¡¯s no way to contact Kim Chae-min. Previously, I couldn¡¯t get one due tock of identity, and even after Hong Seok-young set it up for me¡­ I just didn¡¯t feel like it. Although it¡¯s optimized for gathering information as I can check the inte anywhere. That also means I can see information I don¡¯t want to see. Of course, I know I can¡¯t put it off forever. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± I forcibly cut off my rough, disjointed thoughts. I came near the middle school where little Yoo Ji-eun goes, hoping to maybe see her around dismissal time, and fortunately, among the students leaving school, there was a familiar yet unfamiliar face. Little Yoo Ji-eun stood at the crosswalk. She was so absorbed in the paper in her hand that she didn¡¯t notice the signal and almost crossed during a red light but stopped just in time. I frowned. It would be quite troublesome if she got into an ident. As I moved towards the crosswalk where little Yoo Ji-eun was standing, I finally noticed the paper she was looking at. ¡®How to Purify the Dirty Energy in your Blood!¡¯ ¡®Mana refers to pure energy free from impurities¡­.¡¯ Is she still caught up in that nonsense? I couldn¡¯t believe it and rubbed my forehead. I thought I had given her a firm talk when she came to the schoolst time. I nced at the traffic light. Waiting anxiously for it to change, I noticed a middle-aged woman stealthily approaching Yoo Ji-eun. I frowned. Amid the noisy traffic and the mor of students leaving school, I heard the woman¡¯s coquettish voice. ¡°Oh my¡­. Excuse me, student?¡± Little Yoo Ji-eun looked up a beatte. ¡°Student, are you interested in that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No, you were reading it so intently¡­. I work here. If you¡¯re interested, I can exin it to you. You need to learn these things from a professional to avoid getting hurt and do it properly.¡± You, you, you!! I urgently looked at the traffic light. It had just turned green. As soon as the signal changed, I crossed the street, calling out to Yoo Ji-eun. I couldn¡¯t call her auntie like I used to. Calling her noona was even more out of the question. ¡°¡­Yoo Ji-eun!!¡± * * * Yoo Ji-eun. 16 years old. Her only family was her sister, two years older. There might be one more person registered in the family registry. But she didn¡¯t want to call that person dad. Her only real family was her sister. After all, hadn¡¯t it been just the two of them since they were small? She remembered. Though only two years apart, her sister always took care of her. When her own sses ended earlier and she waited in the yground, her sister woulde running, out of breath. Holding her hand tightly on the way home, her sister would apologize for beingte. Her sister had been just as young. What did her sister say when she Awakened? ¡®Ji-eun, now I can buy you everything you want to eat.¡¯ Children without parents often mature early. Yoo Ji-eun was no exception. She knew what her sister gave up to take care of her, what she was willing to give up. So, when she Awakened a few days ago, it felt like a bright light bulb lit up in her mind. ¡®Yoo Ji-eun! You can¡¯t juste to my school like that!¡¯ ¡®But¡­.¡¯ ¡®Oh my gosh, really. And what¡¯s with the disciple thing? Right, your mana? What¡¯s that about? Where on earth did you hear such strange things¡­¡¯ As soon as she got home, Yoo Hye-eun was bombarded with her sister¡¯s nagging, but she still smiled brightly. ¡®When I be a famous hunter, I¡¯ll be able to buy you lots of delicious things!¡¯ Though being such a Hunter would mean more than just good food, that¡¯s what she said. After all, it was the first thing her sister had said when she Awakened. Living as minor sisters without parents in South Korea was tough. Things got much better after Mr. Hong helped them, but that didn¡¯t erase their past hardships. She wanted to seed more than anyone else. She wanted to ensure her sister wouldn¡¯t suffer. She remembered the flyer she received when she went out with her friends. Her sister¡¯s school teacher said it was nonsense and not to even think about trying it¡­. She was grateful the teacher saved her sister, but that didn¡¯t mean the teacher knew everything. That¡¯s why Yoo Ji-eun couldn¡¯t let go of her attachment and kept looking at the flyer. Even so, she hadn¡¯t yet mustered the courage to call the unfamiliar number on the flyer. ¡°Student, are you interested in that?¡± Not until a kind-looking woman spoke to her. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You need to learn these things properly from a professional to avoid getting hurt and to do well.¡± A professional! Once again, a light bulb went off in her head. And then. ¡°Yoo Ji-eun!!¡± Hearing an unfamiliar voice calling her name, Yoo Ji-eun turned her head. A man with a deeply furrowed brow was crossing the street, striding towards her. Chapter 45 - A Teacher鈥檚 Duty (2) Chapter 45: A Teacher¡¯s Duty (2) TL: SHW ¡°Oh, Teacher!¡± Little Yoo Ji-eun widened her eyes upon seeing me. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Her carefree response was somehow annoying. The presence of the suspicious woman, who was secretly scrutinizing me, made me feel even worse. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What should I do with her? I came to stop her before she did something foolish, but seeing her innocent face rendered me speechless. Is it okay for me to interfere in Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s life? I prevented the death of Yoo Hye-eun, which would have had a significant impact on Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s personality formation. With that alone¡­ haven¡¯t I done everything I could for Yoo Ji-eun? Is it really alright for me to interfere further in her life? Is this the right thing to do? Didn¡¯t I say it already? Yoo Ji-eun will grow up well on her own, even without her sister, even without me. Anyway, Hong Seok-young will take care of Yoo Ji-eun from next year¡­. ¡°Could you be the teacher of this student right here?¡± The suspicious woman spoke to me with a bright smile. A gentle tone. A smiling face. Clothes adorned with sparkling cheap cubic zirconia decorations. An impression so ordinary that you wouldn¡¯t turn back even if you passed by on the street. Yeah. Let¡¯s just confirm that little Yoo Ji-eun isn¡¯t being swayed by a cult and then step away. I steeled my resolve. ¡°Yes, I am. Who are you?¡± Pretending to be a guardian for the young girl is best done by a teacher. It¡¯s not entirely unrted, so it¡¯s not a lie. ¡°My, my, look how tall and handsome you are, teacher. What kind of teacher are you? You look like you might do some sports¡­ a P.E. teacher?¡± In the grand scheme of things, it is physical education, since the targets are prospective hunters. Don¡¯t I teach them how to move their bodies efficiently? When I didn¡¯t deny it and stayed silent, the woman seemed to take it as she wished and became more excited. ¡°Oh my, with such a handsome teacher, the students must be so pretty and smart. Having students like this must make teaching so enjoyable, right?¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± I asked again. The woman, with an ¡®oops¡¯ expression, covered her mouth andughed. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m not a suspicious person, just passing by and noticed the student seemed to be worrying about something¡­.¡± Usually, the most suspicious people are the ones who im they aren¡¯t suspicious. The woman took out a business card from a wallet adorned with decorations. Curious about what it said, I examined the card filled with suspicious phrases. National New Heart and Spirit Association. Gyeonggi Branch. Team Leader Jung Yeon-hwa. Phone number. ¡°Just from the name, it¡¯s hard to tell what we do, right?¡± It¡¯s not hard to tell. It¡¯s a cult. ¡°We mainly conduct various activities for children.¡± ¡°By various activities, you mean¡­.¡± ¡°Well, you know, things like experiential activities, volunteer work, summer camps¡­.¡± The woman smiled sweetly at Yoo Ji-eun. ¡°These days, with so many Dungeon Breaks happening, there are a lot of people struggling, right? Both adults and children. So, we also provide counseling. These things require professional help, don¡¯t they?¡± She speaks very well. ¡°Oh, of course, it¡¯s not just for children. People like you alsoe a lot.¡± ¡°People like me?¡± ¡°Those who work with children. People who worry about how to help children better oftene to us.¡± Her words flowed like water. If I didn¡¯t know her true nature, I might have been taken in by her words. Even if not, I usually don¡¯t entertain such nonsense. But. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But you see. ¡°The world is so dangerous nowadays, there are many suspicious ces. I know. But we¡¯re really not like that. See, the Gyeonggi Branch? We have branches nationwide. We even receive government support.¡± Listening to her so enthusiastically rambling on, I began to think, isn¡¯t there a way to use this? The other day, when talking with Kim Chae-min, I half-jokingly mentioned using Yoo Ji-eun. Sending Yoo Ji-eun to the training center, etc., etc. Of course, knowing what might happen, I wouldn¡¯t send this innocent and proactive little Yoo Ji-eun. I never intended to execute such a n in the first ce. However, if it¡¯s not little Yoo Ji-eun but me, the story is different. I¡¯m not saying I would infiltrate in her ce, but it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t utilize this situation. I fiddled with the business card while half-listening to the woman. If she was indeed engaged in cult, she would quickly notice the small signal that I was interested. ¡°Yoo Ji-eun.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± First, I should send her away. The woman had been talking to me, not Yoo Ji-eun, since earlier. From Ark¡¯s perspective, a school teacher would indeed be more appealing than a sixteen-year-old girl. ¡°Didn¡¯t your sister tell you toe home directly after school?¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stray and go straight home.¡± ¡°Okay¡­.¡± ¡°Go quickly.¡± Yoo Ji-eun subtly hid the paper she was holding behind her back. Seriously, that girl¡­. I almost lost my temper for a moment, but I held it in. Right now, it¡¯s crucial to keep her away from this woman. I can inform Hong Seok-young or Kim Chae-min about itter. If necessary, I can call her to the school and pretend to teach her. Kids that age are all the same. ¡°Goodbye¡­.¡± Yoo Ji-eun disappeared, still ncing at me and the woman with lingering curiosity. I let out a sigh. The woman, who had been observing me cautiously, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°You seem to care a lot about your students, Teacher?¡± ¡°¡­She¡¯s not my student.¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the younger sister of one of my students.¡± ¡°Really? The student seemed so happy to see you earlier¡­. I thought you were her teacher.¡± The woman exaggeratedlyughed. ¡°Kids are the cutest at that age. I see a lot of kids that age in my work, and it¡¯s such a good time. Seeing those kids struggling really breaks my heart.¡± When she first approached Yoo Ji-eun, it was to talk about some absurd nonsense about purifying waste in blood vessels with mana, but now the topic hadpletely changed. I pondered what position this woman might hold in Ark. Could she be just a civilian tricked into working for the suspicious National New Heart and Spirit Association? Or was she connected to Ark within it? Although the business card said ¡®team leader,¡¯ it doesn¡¯t reveal her exact position. We don¡¯t even know which team she leads. Seemingly interpreting my silence, the woman took out a tablet PC from her bag. ¡°Look, look. I understand your concerns given how dangerous the world is, but check this out. This is our association.¡± A usible website appeared. There were many other rted organizations. ¡°These are our sponsors. Many well-knownpanies support us. They all know a good cause when they see one.¡± I shouldn¡¯t be fooled. Just because a government orpany supports something doesn¡¯t guarantee it¡¯s legitimate. Seeing her speak so confidently suggests there¡¯s some connection, but wherever there are people, there are gaps, and there¡¯s often a lot of blind money. But I kept my suspicions to myself. I just tapped the tablet PC screen, browsing the National New Heart and Spirit Association¡¯s website as if I were genuinely interested. Then, I casually dropped a remark. ¡°I¡¯m not actually a teacher by profession.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So, how did you¡­ end up teaching?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m temporarily teaching, but originally, um.¡± I paused, pretending to choose my words. ¡°Have you heard of the Hunter Training Pilot High School? You know, where they train young Awakened ones¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it on the news! Are you a teacher there?¡± ¡°Somehow, I ended up teaching, which wasn¡¯t my original n¡­. Given that some of the kids have gone through tough experiences since a young age, it¡¯s not easy to take care of everything for them.¡± ¡°Oh, I know, I know. You must have had a hard time as a young teacher. So, are you also a Hunter?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­ my rank isn¡¯t that high, though.¡± ¡°What use is a high rank in teaching? The important thing is your heart for the kids!¡± The woman beamed. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ right, could you get me a cup of coffee from over there? I can exin what activities we do and how we can help the students¡­.¡± ¡°Taking the kids somewhere is a bit¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I think it¡¯d be good for you to take some courses with us to better help your students. You know, child psychology and the like. We specialize in those areas.¡± The woman gently smiled as she held my hand. ¡°We need more people like you. Let¡¯s talk and see what would be best for the kids after you hear my exnation.¡± * * * A naive young Hunter with a low rank. It¡¯s been just over a month since I unexpectedly became a teacher at a pilot high school. It still feels awkward and unfamiliar to be called a teacher. From a cult¡¯s perspective, how great of prey would I be? If I were Ark, I wouldn¡¯t want to miss out. What? A Hunter directly connected to the top and strongest Hunter in South Korea? The old man has been operating as a one-man guild for over ten years. Initially, his main stage was abroad, making his domestic presence limited. It¡¯s no different now. He only started establishing himself domestically because of the pilot high school. Think from Ark¡¯s perspective. Isn¡¯t it an opportunity to extract information on the Hunter chasing them? Even if they don¡¯t know Hong Seok-young is after them, they wouldn¡¯t want to miss the link to him. Well, it¡¯s unlikely they don¡¯t know. They would¡¯ve known when Mr. Kim, who infiltrated Ark, got caught and killed. It doesn¡¯t matter if this woman, Jung Yeon-hwa, isn¡¯t directly rted to Ark. No matter how decentralized Ark operates, there are ces that gather information and heads to manage them. Just as Ark would want a connection to Hong Seok-young, I could also form a connection to Ark¡­. What good is having such a connection, you ask? You never know how things will unfold. It¡¯s better to hold all the cards. Of course, there are concerns. ¡°National¡­ what was it again?¡± Hong Seok-young frowned and looked up at me. ¡°National New Heart and Spirit Association.¡± ¡°Right, that ce.¡± Hong Seok-young looked at the business card I handed him. ¡°Why do you have this?¡± ¡°I picked it up on the street.¡± ¡°¡­I know this ce, and it wouldn¡¯t be lying around on the street like trash.¡± ¡°Oh. You know this ce?¡± I replied slyly. ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°A woman on the street gave it to me.¡± Only then did I frown. ¡°You know Yoo Hye-eun¡¯s younger sister? She was stopped by someone and talked to, so I intercepted.¡± ¡°What? Ji-eun?¡± ¡°Take better care of her. Aren¡¯t you her guardian?¡± ¡°Technically, I¡¯m more like her proxy guardian.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± I tapped the business card. ¡°She started talking about how they¡¯re concerned about the kids¡¯ mental health and such, and she just fell for it. She even gave me some lecture ns. Told me toe out if I had time.¡± ¡°Hmm. You told her you¡¯re a teacher at the pilot high school?¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m not a real teacher, what good is pretending to be one?¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. ¡°So, are you asking for permission to contact this National¡­ whatever?¡± ¡°National New Heart and Spirit Association.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but I thought we could send someone else since I established the connection. Say they¡¯re another Hunter teaching at the pilot high school¡­.¡± ¡°Why? You do it. You started it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m under probation right now, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right?¡± Why is that a question? When I openly frowned, Hong Seok-young scratched his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯d be troublesome if you disappeared without a word because of sses, but as long as you inform me in advance, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Is he¡­ trusting me? If so, I appreciate it. But still. Isn¡¯t he trusting me too much? I couldn¡¯t hide my reluctance and stared dumbly at Hong Seok-young. He looked puzzled by my expression. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just. I¡­¡± As I began to hesitate, Hong Seok-young frowned again. He seemed to think another issue had arisen. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡­ uh, I¡¯m not good at this sort of thing.¡± ¡°This sort of thing?¡± ¡°You know, sneaking around and investigating people¡­ that kind of stuff.¡± My job is to analyze dungeons ande up with raid guides, not this kind of fieldwork. In the first ce, I never did this kind of undercover work at the Agency. ¡°Why not? Why can¡¯t you do it?¡± Does there need to be a reason? I can¡¯t do it because I can¡¯t. I answered honestly. ¡°I have no talent for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hong Seok-young stared at me in silence. I stared back at him in silence. ¡°¡­¡­Pfft.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s face twisted strangely, and then an unpleasant sound leaked out between his tightly pressed lips. Chapter 46 - A Teacher鈥檚 Duty (3) Chapter 46: A Teacher¡¯s Duty (3) TL: SHW ¡°Keuk, kekeuk¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young lowered his head and his shoulders shook. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I looked at Hong Seok-young. ¡°Kekeuk, pfft, keuk, kekekeuk.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand why this man was acting this way. But considering the time we¡¯d spent together, I decided to wait. If I were someone else, I would have just kicked him. ¡°Keuk¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It took a while for Hong Seok-young to finally stopughing. ¡°Keuk, you said, you have no talent?¡± Hong Seok-young asked, gasping for breath. Just as I was about to answer, he asked again. ¡°What kind of work did you mainly do in Ark?¡± He narrowed his eyes. Why is he asking this? Is he testing me again? I answered cautiously. ¡°I did various odd jobs¡­.¡± ¡°No, I know that. But there must be a main task you did.¡± ¡°¡­Just.¡± ¡°Evangelism?¡± What is he talking about? ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with that sour face. Didn¡¯t you ever sneak in somewhere to get information?¡± He seemed oddly delighted. That look twisted my insides. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my job.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Hong Seok-young let out a short, mockingugh. ¡°Then, rted to dungeons?¡± ¡°¡­I did a bit of everything. Well, yes. There are resources in dungeons¡­.¡± ¡°The Ark must have been blind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Geez. Don¡¯t worry about it. That¡­ there. National. There.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the National New Heart and Spirit Association.¡± ¡°Try attending a lecture. Listen to what they say.¡± I worried about Hong Seok-young¡¯s hearing and memory. He¡¯s at his peak age as a Hunter, but if he¡¯s already having memory issues, what will he do? ¡°I told you I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°And I told you not to worry.¡± Hong Seok-young started chuckling again. ¡°I think it¡¯ll suit your aptitude well.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You have talent.¡± What on earth is he saying? ¡°You¡¯re more than capable of doing this. Why don¡¯t you believe in yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t believe in yourself, then believe in me.¡± Apletely untrustworthy person is talking nonsense. A face without a hint of a smile. Serious eyes. Even Hunters can¡¯tpletely escape aging. The wrinkles around his eyes add to his earnestness. He looks credible as long as he keeps his mouth shut. Many people are deceived by that face. Of course, I am not fooled. ¡°Judging by how you handle the kids, there¡¯s no problem. You¡¯ll do well.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°It has a lot to do with it.¡± He grinned broadly. Even back then, he was still like the old him. A bad-natured person who enjoys teasing others. When he acts like this, it¡¯s impossible for me to win against his stubbornness. What can I do? I have to be the more mature one and concede. ¡°Ah. But will it be alright? If you make close contact with the Ark side, there might be people who recognize you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Right. There¡¯s that. ¡°As expected, I shouldn¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°You must have prepared for that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Right?¡± His unwavering eyes were fixed on me. In a fleeting moment, many thoughts crossed my mind. I swallowed and nodded. ¡°Not preparation, exactly.¡± ¡°Then?¡± His gaze on me didn¡¯t change. The same but different look since I was adopted. But it¡¯s a face that always listens to whatever I say. ¡°¡­Not many people know my real face, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Ah, ah. Right. You said you wore a mask?¡± ¡°To move around freely outside, it¡¯s better that way. Since I roam around various Ark institutions.¡± ¡°Roam around? Why?¡± ¡°For a bit of auditing.¡± ¡°You really did do a bit of everything, huh?¡± His gaze moved away from my face, making it a bit easier to breathe. ¡°Hunter Lee is also investigating, but it¡¯s good to have various methods of contact. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, just get a feel for it and get out. There¡¯s no need to take unnecessary risks when there are other ways.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, get a cellphone. Seriously, in this day and age, how do you not have one? What do you do after work?¡± What do I do? I fiddle with my Mana Watch, checking if there¡¯s any useful information. So far, the results haven¡¯t been great. ¡°¡­I¡¯m working on a curriculum.¡± ¡°Curriculum? For sses?¡± ¡°How can I teach the kids without a lesson n? Dungeon raiding isn¡¯t just about fighting well.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve raided a lot of dungeons, haven¡¯t you? Just exining how raids proceed would help the kids.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good at those kinds of exnations¡­.¡± ¡°Do you think anyone is good at it from the start? Believe in yourself. You can do it.¡± Hong Seok-young avoided my gaze and pretended to check the time on his phone from his inner pocket. He was trying to escape. ¡°Do you think kids will learn dungeon raiding methods on their own if you just roll them around in the dirt? At the very least, teach them the weaknesses of different monster types. That¡¯s something even you can do.¡± ¡°That, that wille with experience¡­.¡± ¡°This is a Hunter training school. We need to teach this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still short on teachers¡­.¡± ¡°Then you should have postponed the dungeon raid. It¡¯s right around the corner¡­.¡± ¡°Ahem. Hrmm.¡± Hong Seok-young let out a loud fake cough. ¡°I, I forgot I have an appointment. I¡¯ll be back before the kids finish school, so please handle the ss.¡± ¡°Do you really have an appointment?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Hong Seok-young raised his voice defensively, which only made me more suspicious. ¡°I¡¯ve been neglecting dungeon raidstely¡­. I do! So handle the ss well! Like Teacher Woo said, there isn¡¯t much time left before the raid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I can understand. This old man himself started from the bottom and relied solely on his instincts in battles. Even now, it¡¯s the same. Suddenly asking him to give theoretical lessons, ¡®Well¡­ right. First, enter the gate.¡¯ ¡®And then?¡¯ ¡®You smash everything you see! Eventually, the dungeon core is bound to appear.¡¯ He would say something like that. I¡¯ve experienced it myself. That¡¯s why he sent the kids for practical training to some guild in Myeong-dong for practical training. He outsourced it because he couldn¡¯t teach them well. ¡­Would I have learned more easily if I had been outsourced too? ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the principal, so you need to listen.¡± ¡°AHEM!¡± I sighed. * * * June 15, 2021. ¡°So, when are you nning to make contact?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± I stretched lightly and tilted my head to the side. ¡°Maybe after this raid.¡± Kim Chae-min lightly tapped my shoulder in reproach. ¡°Of course! Today is the raid day!¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too rxed? You weren¡¯t even going to do this originally, right?¡± The equipment I have isn¡¯t much. Just light leather armor. For a mere C-rank dungeon, what kind of gear do you need? Originally, I nned to enter unarmed, but Hong Seok-young stopped me. ¡®There will be an inspector. If you don¡¯t wear any armor, it¡¯ll be suspicious. Have you forgotten what your rank is?¡¯ ¡­It was one of Hong Seok-young¡¯s rare logical arguments. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s cumbersome.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo, tell me honestly. What¡¯s your real rank?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean your real skills. Even if you¡¯re an illegal Awakener, you must have a rough idea.¡± I shrugged, feigning ignorance. ¡°You saw my license. I¡¯m D-rank.¡± ¡°Oh,e on!¡± Kim Chae-min red at me with a sullen face. But soon, she rxed and chuckled. ¡°Right. That way, Ark won¡¯t suspect anything. Hunter Lee worked hard to create your background, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°What kind of person can just whip up someone¡¯s life like that?¡± ¡°I was curious too, so I asked once¡­.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°She said it¡¯s better not to know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Thinking about Lee Mi-seon twenty years from now, that seems usible. That Lee Mi-seon wasn¡¯t made overnight. The National New Heart and Spirit Association. The attempt to create a connection with Ark was dyed a bit due to the raid. In the meantime, Lee Mi-seon quickly fabricated a believable life story for Woo Hwijae, the D-rank Hunter. Since there was already groundworkid, adding details wasn¡¯t difficult. Given that Ark was likely to investigate me, time was of the essence. ¡°¡­Anyway!¡± Kim Chae-min waved her hand in front of my eyes. ¡°The kids are probably ready by now. Let¡¯s wrap up and head out.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± I put my feet up on the desk. The Mana Regtor was exposed. Kim Chae-min groaned as she tapped the regtor. ¡°Why the long face?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good with these Mana devices¡­.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re an Archmage.¡± ¡°Archmages aren¡¯t omnipotent!¡± ¡°The Archmage I know¡­.¡± ¡°Does that Archmage even exist?!¡± I chuckled and nodded. Kim Chae-min pouted. Still, Kim Chae-min effortlessly unraveled the form engraved on the Mana Regtor. Just before the final step, she suddenly asked, ¡°Do you think the kids will seed in the raid?¡± ¡°If they can¡¯t clear a thinned-out dungeon, they might as well die.¡± ¡°But Teacher Woo, you didn¡¯t teach them the raid strategy properly, did you?¡± What a false usation. ¡°I taught them everything worth teaching.¡± ¡°Come on¡­ You didn¡¯t teach them the crucial parts. You didn¡¯t even teach them how to choose a leader.¡± ¡°Do I really need to teach that?¡± I answered indifferently. ¡°Quite a few of them have already been in and out of dungeons. Lee Seung-yeon and Sun Sun-jin should know.¡± ¡°What would they know? They probably think they¡¯re just out for a trip since Hunter Lee is looking out for them.¡± If they have such a carefree attitude about bing Hunters, they should quit now. ¡°Besides, we have someone from a guild background.¡± Seo Han-seong. He probably wasn¡¯t treated well in the guild, and it¡¯s hard to say he sessfully led any raids, but that doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t learn anything. Moreover, despite seeing that situation, he still chose to join this specialized school to be a Hunter. He should show some tenacity. Didn¡¯t Hong Seok-young say this was a test? Regardless of performance, that¡¯s what matters to students. ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s true.¡± Kim Chae-min quickly agreed. ording to her, she doesn¡¯t have much experience in dungeon raids, but she¡¯s still an Archmage. A Hunter. She must know well how the ecosystem inside a dungeon operates. ¡°Han-seong and Hyun-wook too¡­.¡± Oh Hyun-wook? ¡°They wouldn¡¯t bepletely clueless about dungeon raids.¡± ¡°¡­Student Oh Hyun-wook?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, you didn¡¯t know? Hyun-wook alsoes from a guild.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± Was that so? Really? That pig? I couldn¡¯t help but let out a dryugh. The pig was a guild ve? No, it¡¯s not that it¡¯s funny¡­ He was like that and yet he acted like shit to the guild members and got stabbed twice? Isn¡¯t he aplete joke? ck. ¡°All done!¡± ¡°Good job.¡± I lowered my feet from the desk. I lightly kicked the floor with my toes. Even though I had removed it while avoiding Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes, it felt different to have it removed legally. ¡°Then, please take care of the kids.¡± Without replying, I grabbed Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword that Hong Seok-young had returned. I could feel the mana pulsating through the sword. I still shook my head as I headed towards the yground where the kids were waiting. ¡°Teacher!¡± I saw Park Seo-hyun looking back at me with a bright smile. Apletely different appearance from when she was a budding witch. A bit away from Park Seo-hyun stood a skinny boy ring at me. Oh Hyun-wook. That pig. Piglet. Fine. I¡¯ll make sure you remain human, not a beast. That¡¯s a teacher¡¯s duty, isn¡¯t it? Chapter 47 - Dungeon Raid (1) Chapter 47: Dungeon Raid (1) TL: SHW ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Kim So-jung from the Ministry of Interior and Safety¡¯s Dungeon Management Office.¡± As Hong Seok-young had predicted, an inspector was dispatched. Just one person. It¡¯s practically a sign that they have no interest in this pilot school. Is the pilot school even being properly recognized as a school right now? Honestly, it¡¯s only because of Hong Seok-young¡¯s reputation that they¡¯re even paying this much attention. The kids, who don¡¯t care about the adults¡¯ circumstances, were so nervous they couldn¡¯t even speak properly. That kind of stiff suit is perfect for giving an intimidating impression. ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°I am¡­¡± I reached out to shake the extended hand but hesitated for a moment. The inspector¡¯s face looked somehow familiar. ¡°¡­I¡¯m Woo Hwijae.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. Have you prepared all the raid documents?¡± ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s the dungeon raid report¡­ and here are the students¡¯ licenses.¡± ¡°You also need to give me your license, teacher.¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± While the inspector checked the pre-prepared documents, I fell into thought. I usually don¡¯t forget people¡¯s faces. If it feels this familiar, it means I¡¯ve definitely seen them before. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a bit nervous before the raid.¡± ¡°Hunter Hong Seok-young bragged a lot about the students¡¯ skills¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we shouldn¡¯t let our guard down.¡± Where did we meet? ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°No!¡± At that moment, Hong Seok-young interrupted. ¡°You only yell at me, but why are you being so polite to Teacher Woo?¡± The face that had been responding calmly crumpled as soon as Hong Seok-young¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°If Hunter Hong Seok-young did things properly, I wouldn¡¯t have to yell!¡± The voice that had been lowered now rose. For a woman, her normally low voice became sharp and cracked when raised even slightly. Yes, that voice! I couldn¡¯t immediately recall the face, but the voice was unmistakable. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It¡¯s that woman! The inspector who was there the day the old man attacked theb! Thinking back now, it was no small feat to raise her voice to the old man despite not being an Awakened. It wasn¡¯t entirely the old man¡¯s fault for putting up with it, either. ¡°I¡¯ve checked everything¡­ if an emergency urs, exit the dungeon immediately. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± This woman also went through her own share of troubles but still retired sessfully. It¡¯s an enviable life. She can definitely be considered my role model. I didn¡¯t expect to see her again like this. ¡°In such tests, we usually have Hunters on standby for emergencies¡­ but there aren¡¯t many avable Hunters these days.¡± Returning the verified documents, the woman spoke with an apologetic expression. There was no need for her to feel sorry. After all, with Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min around, what use were other Hunters? As expected, Hong Seok-young¡¯s pride was hurt by her words. ¡°You mean to call other Hunters when I¡¯m here, Inspector Kim So-jung?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just procedure, Hunter Hong Seok-young.¡± ¡°Why do we need such procedures between us?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re Hunter Hong Seok-young, we need them even more.¡± It was nice to see a familiar face after a long time. Still, I had to do my job. I looked at the kids, who were so nervous their faces were pale, peeking out from the van without getting out. In their state, it¡¯s better to enter the dungeon quickly. Ignoring Hong Seok-young, who was still arguing with the inspector, I gestured to the kids. ¡°We¡¯ll be entering the dungeon now.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry. You must be busy, and I¡¯ve been wasting your time.¡± The kids stumbled out of the van. I briefly recalled what Kim Chae-min had said before we left the school. ¡­That I didn¡¯t teach them the proper raid method? Kids are supposed to be raised tough. Just look at the principal. I shook my head, giving up the idea of trying to encourage them. It¡¯s hard to speak properly with outsiders around. ¡°June 15, 2021. Dungeon Gyeonggi Hwaseong-20190527-0002. Nine people entering. Teacher Woo Hwijae of the Hunter Training Pilot High School. Students Park Seo-hyun, Seo Han-seong, Sun Sun-jin, Oh Hyun-wook, Yoo Hye-eun, Lee Seung-yeon, Choi Jin-woo, Han Eun-young. Current time is 10:12.¡± The procedure just before entering the dungeon hasn¡¯t changed even in the past. As I called their names and made eye contact with each of them, the kids gulped. ¡°We¡¯re entering the dungeon.¡± * * * No one knows how or why dungeons and dungeon gates appear. There are various hypotheses. Divine punishment from a god to punish corrupted humans, an invasion of Earth from another world, or even a training ground created by future humans to train people of the past to prevent apocalypse. ¡­Looking back now, the idea about future humans seems pretty usible, doesn¡¯t it? Of course, there were no future humans left, and the training ground was nothing but a survival ordeal for those who fell into the past without any preparation. Anyway, the monsters that emerge from dungeons are dangerous regardless of the reason. No matter the reason, what¡¯s inside the dungeon is profitable. So humanity began to raid dungeons¡­. ¡°W-Wow¡­.¡± The reactions of kids who entered a dungeon for the first time versus those who had not were starkly different. Some kids were gawking around in a daze, while others stood with stiff faces, warily scanning their surroundings. It¡¯s fine to let them look around for a bit, to take in the scenery. ¡°Attention.¡± Eight kids looked at me. Today, they weren¡¯t wearing their school uniforms or gym clothes. They were in armor made for raiding, though the design was the same. It wasn¡¯t great, but for tackling just a C-rank dungeon, it was decent. Despite pretending otherwise, that old man really does worry a lot. As I¡¯ve said repeatedly, this dungeon was filtered out by Daseon. Its actual rank should be considered D. It¡¯s even overkill for me to be holding Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. Especially in this fairy forest-type dungeon, Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword is highlypatible. Compatible in the sense that it makes the raid easier. Well, the ones raiding today aren¡¯t me, but the kids. It¡¯s their first raid, so we can¡¯t let our guard down, but that¡¯s their problem, not mine. ¡°As I said, I won¡¯t do anything here.¡± Gulp. I could hear them swallowing their saliva. ¡°I¡¯ll be grading each of you on how helpful you are in the raid. Didn¡¯t the principal tell you? This is your final exam.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher.¡± Lee Seung-yeon cautiously raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been curious for a while, but what¡¯s the point of exam scores¡­ uh, how does it help us?¡± ¡°It helps you understand your own level.¡± Realize how pathetic you are. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± His face crumpled. Some color seemed to return to it. Hmm. He still looked visibly tense. I understand that it¡¯s hard to feel the necessity of exams like in a regr school. These kids have already decided to be Hunters, and a Hunter¡¯s skill is proven by the number of dungeons they¡¯ve raided and monsters they¡¯ve beheaded. The grades from a school that might not even be officially recognized don¡¯t really matter. ¡°Starting from the bottom.¡± But, the school is still a school. The authority of a teacher evaluating students must be upheld. ¡°After a meeting with the principal, you¡¯ll go through remedial lessons with me.¡± This crappy school doesn¡¯t even have vacations. I confirmed that with Hong Seok-young. This is why you shouldn¡¯t sign contracts recklessly. The person who taught me that was the one who made me sign the contract, so it¡¯s not entirely my fault. ¡°The lower your grades, the more I¡¯ll take it as you wanting to spend more time with me.¡± I pped my hands lightly once. ¡°End of chit-chat. Let¡¯s start the raid. I¡¯ll go separately, so from here on, you¡¯re on your own.¡± ¡°Uh, t-teacher!¡± Ignoring their flustered voices, I concealed myself. In this dungeon densely nted with trees, the kids quickly lost sight of me. Good. Let¡¯s see how they handle this. ¡°¡­Um.¡± ¡°N-Now what do we do?¡± ¡°To raid the dungeon, we need to destroy the dungeon core¡­ so, let¡¯s start with the core¡­.¡± The kids, who were at a loss and bustling around, gradually started to get organized. After all, I had taught them the basics. Yoo Hye-eun stood in the center. It was the most protected position. Mages were stationed on either side of her, and the rest took positions surrounding the three of them. Typically, healers don¡¯t enter dungeons. Though sturdier than non-Awakened, they practically have nobat ability. If the dungeon¡¯s grade had been one level higher, Yoo Hye-eun would have been excluded from the raid. Nevertheless, Hong Seok-young insisted on bringing Yoo Hye-eun into the dungeon because of the difference in experience. Healers who understand what happens inside dungeons have a different mindset. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The kids froze like broken toys. They were hesitating and looking at each other for cues. In a dungeon, where time is precious, this was uneptable. Just as I was about to deduct one point from everyone, someone stepped up. ¡°ording to the scouting information, the dungeon core is to the east of the forest.¡± It was Oh Hyun-wook. Our little piglet. ¡°To reach the dungeon core, we need to pass through a pixie swarm. Do you remember the characteristics of pixies?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Park Seo-hyun, Choi Jin-woo.¡± ¡°Here.¡± The mages handed out runes they had prepared. These were Mana Concealment Runes. Pixies, like other monsters, are sensitive to the smell of mana and hunt their prey in groups. Although they don¡¯t fly high, they are undeniably flying-type monsters with a swarming habit, making them easy prey for beginner Hunters. Using the Concealment Runes would prevent them from being attacked due to the smell of mana. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The kids, having activated the Concealment Runes, cautiously moved into the forest. The sky visible through the trees was a starry night. Even though the sky was clearly night, it was bright enough not to feel like night. For humanity, dungeons remained a mystery, but coincidentally, the things that emerged from them were somewhat familiar. Even if they weren¡¯t identical, hearing their characteristics would make people go, ¡°Ah, that one!¡± and recognize them. Monsters from myths, legends, and folktales. A giant humanoid monster with a bull¡¯s head, like the boss of the Myeong-dong Dungeon, was named after a creature from Greek mythology. Monsters creating beautiful silk from spider threads were called Arachne, and female monsters who lured people with their songs were known as Sirens. In the end, humans turned even the unknown into something familiar. I leisurely followed the kids. Honestly¡­ from my standpoint, it¡¯s quite frustrating. A fairy forest-type dungeon is a forest. It¡¯s full of bone-dry trees with not a drop of moisture. They¡¯re called a fairy forest because the leaves sparkle and there¡¯s a sweet fragrance, but a forest is a forest. It¡¯s also a highly mmable forest. There¡¯s no water source in this dungeon. Even pixies, who have the intelligence of children, fetch water to put out fires. But here, there¡¯s no water to fetch. All this information is detailed in the scouting report from Daseon. So, you just need to set it on fire. Just make sure the raid team doesn¡¯t get harmed by the fire and smoke. If they notice this, they get full marks. Of course, there¡¯s no one who¡¯ll get full marks. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At some point, Oh Hyun-wook, who had taken the lead, raised his hand. It was a signal to stop. A single pixie was peeking over at this side. If it escapes, it¡¯ll return to its group and bring back friends. Oh Hyun-wook skillfully moved his hand. 8 o¡¯clock direction. One pixie. Scouting. You. Me. Capture. They¡¯re doing well. Without needing the mages to intervene, Oh Hyun-wook and Seo Han-seong, who were at the front, handled it neatly. First, injure the wings to prevent it from flying away. Catching it as it plummets to the ground is easy. After dealing with the pixie, Oh Hyun-wook reorganized the kids. Our little piglet is doing well¡­. Thinking of the piglet twenty years from now is quite moving. For now, plus one point for the little piglet. Chapter 48 - Dungeon Raid (2) Chapter 48: Dungeon Raid (2) TL: SHW ¡°Mages, shield!¡± At Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s signal, the mages cast their spells. For kids raiding a dungeon for the first time, their movements are smooth. There are still some parts where the timing is off, but so far, it¡¯s passable. ¡°Combat over. Check if the monsters are dead.¡± The battle with the five pixies ended quickly. There have been three battles so far. The total number of pixies defeated is thirteen, excluding the one Oh Hyun-wook handled in the beginning. The second battle was better than the first, and the third was better than the second. The kids¡¯ movements, which were awkward at first, are gradually bing smoother. As we get closer to the dungeon core, the number of pixies increases. From my perspective, the number is cute enough to make me scoff, but it might be a bit different for them. Still, seeing the color returning to their faces, which were pale from tension¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to be all bad. ¡°This one¡¯s still alive.¡± Seo Han-seong, who was checking a fallen pixie, stabbed his sword into its neck without hesitation. Though it may have been an unfair contract, a guild is still a guild. Seo Han-seong and Oh Hyun-wook, who have been through a dungeon with a guild, are roughly mimicking an official raid party. Oh Hyun-wook. The pig bastard. No. The little piglet. For the others, whose faces I¡¯m seeing for the first time aftering to past, it¡¯s hard to be mistaken. But for someone like Park Seo-hyun, whom I¡¯ve seen even twenty yearster, it¡¯s inevitable to ovey the familiar face. Like the witch Park Seo-hyun or the pig Oh Hyun-wook. The same goes for Hong Seok-young and Yoo Ji-eun. Even though it¡¯s been over two months since I¡¯ve been here. Even though I know that person is not the silly Hunter who adopted me. Even though that girl is not the annoying Hunter who used to call me a parachute and get annoyed. I still think of the familiar faces first. Oh Hyun-wook is no exception. ¡°All cleaned up?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The runes?¡± ¡°Checked. No problems.¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s voice wavered slightly as she answered. She might have recalled the incident in Myeong-dong. Still, Park Seo-hyun didn¡¯t show it and helped Choi Jin-woo clean up the pixie corpses. Oh Hyun-wook checked his friends once more to see if there was anything they missed. The stiff face he has¡­ hmm. Is it simr to the pig I know? I¡¯m not sure. If you dig out the features buried in all that fat, you might get a face like that. That pig was huge. He was pretty tall, but even wider. It was a wonder how he managed to work as a Hunter with such a body. But his guild¡­ as much as I hate to admit it, it was one of the top guilds in the country, and the pig was famous for his speed despite his heavy-looking body. There¡¯s a reason why that pig bastard was considered the second-best Hunter in Korea after Hong Seok-young, even though he got stabbed by a guild member. That¡¯s beside the point. Look at that piglet over there, stiff-faced and alert. It¡¯s hard to believe that this small, skinny kid will grow into that massive figure. His thin body is filled with muscles, though¡­. ¡°Then let¡¯s move out.¡± Honestly, who would believe that this little piglet will be that pig? Life is¡­ * * * The raid continued simrly afterward. They encountered a few more pixies but quickly dealt with them under Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s instructions. It¡¯s not as interesting as I thought, since they¡¯re doing well. Well, Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s instructions aren¡¯t particrly special. At this point, their skills are all about the same. Maybe except for Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook. But that¡¯s because I know the answers. Picking out the ones without talent is easier. But isn¡¯t that too cruel? Even for me, it¡¯s hard to do that. I looked at Oh Hyun-wook and Seo Han-seong again. As they easily defeated the group of pixies, while the other kids gradually rxed, those two maintained their tension until the end. It must be thanks to their experience with the guild. ¡­I still can¡¯t believe it. Did that pig bastard really have such a troubled past? If he overcame such a past to be a renowned Hunter, shouldn¡¯t he have be a more respectable adult? Not someone who¡¯s always drunk and crawling around on all fours. The piglet, who hasn¡¯t be a pig yet, tends to ignore me, but he was still a diligent student. He never replied, but when I pointed out his movements, he tried to correct themand asionally tries to kick at my neck¡­ Is that diligent¡­? ¡°The dungeon core will appear soon.¡± ¡°Already?¡± At Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s words, Lee Seung-yeon asked in surprise. ¡°ording to the exploration report. Though it¡¯s rare, sometimes the location of a dungeon core in a C-rank dungeon can change. We can¡¯t let our guard down until the end.¡± How did that small, scrawny, slightly arrogant but diligent Oh Hyun-wook turn into a pig who grew sideways¡­ ¡­I thought about it. When I think back on Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s life, I can¡¯t help but guess a few things. I took my eyes off Oh Hyun-wook for a moment and looked at Park Seo-hyun behind him. Yoo Hye-eun, too. Then back to Lee Seung-yeon. It must have been the same for Park Seo-hyun. Park Seo-hyun, who survived the horrors of Myeong-dong, became a gloomy woman who grinned all the time, and Oh Hyun-wook became a pig drowning in alcohol. Come to think of it, Oh Hyun-wook, who used to spew harsh words to everyone regardless of age or gender, only acted like a decent human being in front of Park Seo-hyun or Yoo Ji-eun. It¡¯s understandable for Park Seo-hyun, his fellow alumni from Pilot High School, but Oh Hyun-wook had a strangely soft spot for Yoo Ji-eun. Now that I know Yoo Ji-eun is Yoo Hye-eun¡¯s younger sister, everything makes sense. Oh Hyun-wook definitely couldn¡¯t forget the incident in Myeong-dong. If he had such circumstances, how much better would it have been if he had told me. Then I wouldn¡¯t have asked Yoo Ji-eun if she had dirt on Oh Hyun-wook, saying I wouldn¡¯t tell it was her who told me! Back then, I wondered why Yoo Ji-eun cursed at me so much. Expecting me to understand without saying a word is too much to ask. I continued to eavesdrop on the kids¡¯ conversation, harboring resentment with no one to listen. ¡°Still, for a C-rank dungeon, it seems easy?¡± Seo Han-seong, who had been inside dungeons before, was evaluating the level. Choi Jin-woo tilted his head and looked back at Park Seo-hyun. ¡°Seo-hyun, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve been in a dungeon before? Is he right?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really know¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun shrugged slightly. ¡°I went in with my grandfather¡­ They were all A-rank.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was too young to remember well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Ah, but I think Seo Han-seong might be right.¡± This time, Sun Sun-jin spoke up. ¡°I also went into a training C-rank dungeon with our master. It was a training dungeon, so it was much easier than a regr C-rank dungeon, but this ce seems even easier than that. Lee Seung-yeon, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± Of course. After weeding out the weak ones, it would be embarrassing for Daseon if it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean our skills are that much better?¡± It¡¯s a shame if there isn¡¯t someone making frivolousments. Lee Seung-yeon scratched his head as everyone¡¯s attention turned to him. ¡°No, after all the training we had with the principal and Teacher Woo, it¡¯d be unfair if our skills hadn¡¯t improved.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± ¡°Besides, pixies aren¡¯t strong individually. As Teacher Woo mentioned in ss, they¡¯re tricky for novice Hunters because they fly, move in groups, and call for reinforcements. But look, how many have we encountered so far?¡± Even though their analysis is somewhat absurd, it¡¯smendable that they¡¯re trying to analyze the dungeon. ¡°The highest number was five, right? Even without Hye-eun, it¡¯s fewer than ourbat personnel. We¡¯d have hands to spare even if each of us took on one.¡± I gave them a point for urately pointing this out. No, wait. On second thought, giving points like this seems unfair. Hunters don¡¯t really care about fairness, but this is a school. So we should consider fairness. Would the kids who haven¡¯t been in a dungeon have chosen to avoid it? I added a point for the rest of the kids as well. Since it¡¯s their first time in a dungeon and they¡¯re keeping up well, they deserve it. If anyone has a problem with my grading, they can be the teacher themselves. ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be easy.¡± Oh Hyun-wook, who had been quietly listening to his friends chat, interrupted. ¡°No matter how much that person is watching over us¡­¡± That person? Has he never called me ¡®teacher¡¯ all this time? Isn¡¯t that too much? He diligently attended my rune sses, though? That pig bastard! ¡°If it was a dungeon we couldn¡¯t clear by ourselves, the principal wouldn¡¯t have let us in.¡± ¡­This piglet, acting sharp. ¡°And don¡¯t you remember what the principal said when we enrolled?¡± At Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s words, the kids tilted their heads. ¡°He said he checked all the dungeons around the school. To see if they were dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°He said he raided the ones that looked like they were close to a dungeon break, and left the others alone. I think the principal sorted things out back then.¡± Hmm. So, he thought of that. Reluctantly, I gave Oh Hyun-wook another point. Gathering information about the dungeon while inside is essential for a Hunter, but it¡¯s also important to collect information that can only be known from the outside. A dungeon raid isn¡¯t something you seed in just by being good yourself. For now, without a mana meter, they raid dungeons as theye across them. But once the mana meter is avable and dungeon breaks can be prevented in advance, dungeon raids will take on a different aspect. Sometimes, stable dungeons are mined for resources by various guilds. In the process, some guilds might set traps inside the dungeon to penalize others. Identifying and reporting such actions requires more than just good raiding skills. Oh Hyun-wook was good at that. Didn¡¯t Oh Hyun-wook have the most reports against other guilds? Many guilds that looked down on Oh Hyun-wook for always reeking of alcohol got caught. Well, ¡®caught¡¯ isn¡¯t the right word. The onesmitting illegal acts were those bastards. I also had a hard time because of them. What Oh Hyun-wook did was a kind of hammer of justice. ¡°That person also said he wouldn¡¯t step in unless we were in real danger, but think carefully.¡± Hmm. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll ever actually be in danger. We probably won¡¯t face any real danger.¡± Hmm. ¡°Look at the level of the monsters we¡¯re encountering. It¡¯s obvious. It was just to give us a sense of tension. He¡¯s probably watching us from behind, clicking his tongue because we¡¯re doing well.¡± Hmm. Oh Hyun-wook nced back at the path they had taken. He was roughly looking in my direction. Judging by his wandering eyes, he hadn¡¯t pinpointed my exact location. Tsk. I clicked my tongue just as Oh Hyun-wook said. Provoking people like this¡­ He still has a long way to go before evolving into a pig. People naturally feel pain when their vulnerabilities are hit, and I enjoy crushing those who act overconfidently. It feels so satisfying when those who underestimated me because of my age and background end up apologizing, tearfully admitting they were wrong¡­ No, never mind that. No matter how much an easy dungeon it is after being weeded out, it¡¯s simple to raise the difficulty of a dungeon raid. ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I watched the kids start to move again, rxed. Throwing someone into extreme situations is a good way to see their true nature. I¡¯ll make them realize through their own experience why there¡¯s a saying about being careful with one¡¯s words. Chapter 49 - Dungeon Raid (3) Chapter 49: Dungeon Raid (3) TL: SHW Oh Hyun-wook suddenly lifted his head. The raid was going smoothly. So far, there had been no inuracies in the exploration report, and no one had been injured. The only incident was Yoo Hye-eun tripping over a stone. In truth, it was a stretch to call that an injury. It was peaceful, to say the least, for a raid. Oh Hyun-wook recalled a dungeon he had entered before where pixies appeared. This one was C-rank, while that one had been B-rank, making a directparison difficult, but the pixies themselves were the same monsters. The pixies he had seen there were not this¡­ young. A dungeon that had been left alone because no Hunters had raided it since the gate appeared, filled only with young monsters? It made no sense. As he had told his friends, it was clear that the principal had once cleared this dungeon. Oh Hyun-wook snorted as he plucked the wings off a pixie that didn¡¯t even reach his waist. The principal has a tendency to protect the children. Whether it was spending his own money to establish the school or the time and effort he spent to extract himself and Seo Han-seong from the guild¡­. That person would never recklessly throw them into danger without any protective measures. Snap. ¡°Kkiiiieeek¡­¡± The pixie let out a metallic screech, baring its ws. No matter how easy the dungeon is, it¡¯s forbidden to think about other things during a raid. Oh Hyun-wook refocused. Unlike his guild days, being around rxed people might be making himx. Just before the ws could touch him, a translucent barrier appeared in between. It was a monster that was dying anyway and wouldn¡¯t deal any real damage. Still, grateful for the consideration, Oh Hyun-wook gave a slight nod to Park Seo-hyun. Park Seo-hyun smiled brightly when their eyes met. She had been sullen and refusing to speak since Myeong-dong, but now she was smiling brightly, as if a sudden change had urred. While it was good to see her brightening up, it was hard to get used to. Feeling embarrassed by her beaming face, Oh Hyun-wook turned his head away. In March, Park Seo-hyun wasn¡¯t the type to smile so readily. The change was so drastic that he couldn¡¯t even ask why. Oh Hyun-wook had no way of knowing what had changed in Park Seo-hyun¡¯s heart. But he did know when she started smiling again. That man. It was after talking to Woo Hwijae. He was grateful for being saved in Myeong-dong, and there was no denying that thanks to him, his friends could escape safely. ¡®Oh Hyun-wook, hmm, continuing to take rune sses might be boring.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Why not continue training like the others?¡¯ At first, he tried to force conversation, but after ignoring him a few times, Woo Hwijae frowned and didn¡¯t approach him again. After that, he awkwardly tried to speak to him whenever their eyes met. It was clear from his expression that he didn¡¯t want to, but as a teacher, he couldn¡¯t ignore a student. ¡®Is there¡­ anything you¡¯re unsure about?¡¯ Seeing his awkward smile, Oh Hyun-wook was reminded of someone. Despite their behavior and tone beingpletely different, he couldn¡¯t understand why that person came to mind. But at some point, he realized. Why Woo Hwijae made him ufortable. Why he was so on edge. Sometimes, the gaze that fell on him seemed as if¡­ it was appraising a piece of butchered meat. It went beyond evaluating a student; it was the gaze of someone looking at an inanimate object. That reminded him of the former master of his guild. Objectively speaking, there was no way someone brought by the principal was a con artist. Even Archmage Kim Chae-min was sticking close and chatting with him. If you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think they had been friends all along. But still¡­. That gaze. Those eyes. ¡®Hey kiddo. You okay?¡¯ Unfortunately, most of the world¡¯s tragedies stem from dungeon breaks. Being eaten by a monster didn¡¯t even count as a tragedy in this world. What happened to Oh Hyun-wook could be considered a tragedy in an individual¡¯s life, butpared to those worse off, it wasn¡¯t something to boast about in front of others. He wasn¡¯t trying topare misfortunes, but well, Oh Hyun-wook believed it all happened because he was foolish. ¡®Uh¡­ did you just Awaken?¡¯ It was inevitable to admire the person who saved your life. ¡®There¡¯s a saying that people Awaken when their life is on the line. So, isn¡¯t it great that you¡¯re alive?¡¯ He was deceived by the friendly smile. ¡®Right, I run a guild¡­ why don¡¯t you drop by sometime? It¡¯d be a waste to leave you be after you¡¯ve Awakened. You should learn how to use your body.¡¯ He thought it was a great opportunity. He¡¯d heard that bing a Hunter could make you a lot of money. ¡®Usually, we charge for training¡­ but between us, what training fees? When you seed as a Hunter, just do a few jobs for our guild.¡¯ So, he signed the contract without hesitation. It took a long time to understand what the cold look behind the smiling face meant. After that, it was hell. From one to ten, there was no simrity between the former guild master and Woo Hwijae. But those eyes made Oh Hyun-wook hesitate. He hadn¡¯t intended to be wary from the start. After being saved in Myeong-dong and hearing that he had been swept away by a horde of monsters to save Lee Seung-yeon, he was worried. He wanted to say thank you, to greet him. If only it weren¡¯t for those cold eyes directed at him. After missing the chance to greet him and starting to keep his distance, it became harder and harder to approach again. It was an instinctive aversion. ¡°The number of pixies has increased.¡± Yoo Hye-eun said quietly. Oh Hyun-wook bit the inside of his cheek. Focus. ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re getting closer to the dungeon core.¡± Han Eun-young answered calmly. ¡°For pixies, this is a small number. Usually, they move in swarms of about ten. It seems the principal has thinned them out, as Oh Hyun-wook said.¡± ¡°Or they might be gathering near the core.¡± Seo Han-seong muttered. Though his voice was small, it didn¡¯t escape anyone¡¯s ears, and tension shed across their faces. It was better than beingx, so he let it be. ¡°Are we really the ones who have to raid this?¡± ¡°They called us a raiding party, so¡­¡± ¡°Then we need to destroy the core too?¡± ¡°Toplete the raid, we have to destroy it.¡± ¡°What about Teacher Woo?¡± If they destroyed the dungeon core, the dungeon would copse. To return safely, they would have to find the gate they came through and exit. ¡°If it¡¯s that guy, he¡¯ll survive somehow.¡± Oh Hyun-wook sneered. He was sure Woo Hwijae was listening to this conversation nearby. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s finish quickly and get out. The dungeon isn¡¯t difficult, but knowing him, he¡¯ll find some fault to deduct points.¡± ¡°Oh, that seems likely¡­¡± Seo Han-seong shivered. One by one, others added theirments. ¡°Did you see himugh every time we rolled in the dirt? He¡¯d tell me how many times I rolled while evaluating me in ss, and I really wanted to punch him¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, if I could, I would have punched him.¡± ¡°I once talked to the principal about it.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I asked him to talk to Teacher Woo.¡± Han Eun-young pouted and grumbled. ¡°I said training is fine and all, but could he go a bit easier on us?¡± ¡°¡­Knowing the principal, he probably didn¡¯t listen.¡± Han Eun-young puffed her cheeks. ¡°But still! Isn¡¯t it too much when there¡¯s no shower room?¡± ¡°Did you say that too?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Han Eun-young, who grew up withoutcking anything, showed her delicate side in moments like these. Meanwhile, Lee Seung-yeon, who seemed the epitome of someone raised delicately, didn¡¯t care if he had to eat dirt. Oh Hyun-wook himself had never paid attention to such matters, so he felt a bit curious. And he could predict Hong Seok-young¡¯s response. ¡°He probably said something like, ¡®What luxury are you expecting inside a dungeon?¡¯¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°He would¡¯ve said, ¡®You¡¯ll see worse things as a Hunter, so don¡¯t make a fuss over a bit of dirt.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡®If you haveints, fight for it and take it yourself?¡¯¡± ¡°Right! It¡¯s really annoying!¡± Han Eun-young stomped her foot in frustration. For Oh Hyun-wook, who had survived through worse, it was almostughable, but¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t bad. It meant she had ovee enough of her past to be able tough like this. ¡°¡­Eun-young. Hold on.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Be quiet for a moment¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun, who had been giggling along, suddenly turned serious. The others, swept up by the change in atmosphere, also fell silent. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you hear something?¡± ¡°A sound?¡± ¡°Like¡­ keek, keek¡­¡± Oh Hyun-wook furrowed his brows and focused his senses. He could hear the rustling of leaves. If it weren¡¯t for the glittering trees that matched the nickname ¡®Fairy Forest¡¯, it would have felt as peaceful as a camping trip. But amidst that, he heard what Park Seo-hyun was talking about. A noisy sound, like monkeys chattering. It was distant at first but was gradually getting closer. There was only one thing in this dungeon that could make such a sound. In fact, there was only one type of creature here. ¡°Pixies! Prepare for battle!¡± Oh Hyun-wook shouted, gritting his teeth. * * * The pixies swarmed in. Some were flying in the air, others were jumping between the trees. Their green skin made them look like a swarm of locusts. ¡°Kieeek!!¡± From their wild behavior, it was clear they were no different. Young pixies are weak. Even in groups, they¡¯re still weak. But that was when there were three or five of them. When dozens, even hundreds, swarmed like this, it was apletely different story. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Protect Hye-eun!¡± When that many pixies went berserk, there was no good way to deal with them. They knocked down the ones attacking, but there was no end in sight. Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s mind was in chaos. Why now? What was happening? How do we get out of this? Should I destroy the dungeon core? Wait for them all to pass? In unexpected situations, the mind searches for familiar solutions. ¡®If it were my former guild master¡­ he¡¯d throw out a sacrificialmb to distract them and continue the raid.¡¯ He snapped the neck of a pixie lunging at him and spun around to catch another heading towards the mages and healers. In that instant, Yoo Hye-eun caught his eye. ¡®Sacrificialmb.¡¯ In another dungeon, maybe, but in this dungeon, healers had no role. They were just a physical burden with lower capabilities¡­. Nausea rose up. He felt sick at himself for thinking that. Not long ago, he had been the one thrown to the monsters as a sacrifice. And now? A burden? Later, when he bes a hunter capable of doing the work of not just one but ten people, he wanted to create a guild. He wanted to show that even kids like him could do it. He wanted to prove that it was possible without throwing someone to the monsters like a piece of meat. ¡­With this mindset? ¡°Hyun-wook!¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook!!!¡± The voices calling him seemed distant. Oh Hyun-wook looked up with dazed eyes. He saw the sharp teeth of a pixie. Its ws dug into his shoulder, and its teeth were about to sink into his neck. Thud! A sword pierced through the pixie¡¯s head. The tip of the sword stopped right in front of Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s forehead. It was so close it almost touched, but it left no mark on his skin. The sword, still impaling the pixie, moved to the side. The pixie¡¯s body slid off the sword and fell to the ground with a sickening thud, blood sttering everywhere. ¡°Why are you zoning out?¡± Woo Hwijae¡¯s indifferent eyes fell on Oh Hyun-wook. Under that gaze, Oh Hyun-wook trembled like a pig entering a ughterhouse. Chapter 50 - Piglet(1) Chapter 50: Piglet(1) TL: SHW Crackle, crackle. The dry branches burned, making noise. Watching the sparkling leaves engulfed in mes somehow made me feel peaceful. ¡°Keek!¡± That is, if it weren¡¯t for those damn things. The pixies couldn¡¯t get close because of the flying embers and screamed at me, baring their teeth. Ignoring them, I swung my sword. I didn¡¯t infuse much mana into it, not intending to burn everything down. The embers flickered and threatened the pixies before falling to the ground. Small mes sprouted from there. ¡°At least the sword¡¯s performance is good¡­¡± It¡¯s not like I have anything to feel wronged about, but somehow I felt wronged. With a sword like this, Yoo Ji-eun must have found dungeon raids a piece of cake. Yet, she still meticulously took her share of potions. ¡­Maybe it¡¯s too much even for me toin about potion costs. Yoo Ji-eun did take only her exact share. I shook off thoughts of Yoo Ji-eun and checked my surroundings. As the fire spread more, the pixies¡¯ agitation grew worse. I swung my sword once more. ¡°Kieeeeek!¡± As the mes intensified, the pixies that had been holding their ground started to flee. Once their spirit breaks, it¡¯s smooth sailing from there. I gradually reduced the mes and swung my sword at the remaining ones. Ah, just leave already. ¡°Kieek!¡± Even thest hesitant ones ran away in a panic when sparks flew at their feet. These creatures, having a herd instinct, would follow the lead once the path was opened. Only after thoroughly checking that there were no remaining ones around did I withdraw my mana. The blue embers quickly died out, leaving only lukewarm heat and acrid smoke. I looked in the direction the pixies had fled. Naturally, it coincided with the direction the kids were approaching. If it didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have done this. I had put so much thought into setting the direction. ¡°Guess I should head over too.¡± I wanted to see how the kids would handle the rampaging pixie swarm. Plus, if something dangerous happened, it would be disastrous. I knew the kids¡¯ skills best. Although there were many, as long as they remained calm and didn¡¯t panic, there would be no problem breaking through the pixie swarm. I wasn¡¯t sure how well they would handle unexpected situations without raid experience, but as long as one person kept their wits about them, they would manage. Maybe I was overestimating the kids. * * * ¡°Hyun-wook!!¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook!!!¡± In the midst of the battle, Oh Hyun-wook stood like a statue. Since this is a filtered dungeon, there are only young pixies. But that didn¡¯t mean it was okay to just stand there and offer your neck. That idiot. A piglet is still a pig. ¡°Tsk.¡± I clicked my tongue lightly. No need for any grand movements. Speed was all that mattered. I put strength in my legs and leapt down, running along the tree branches towards the ground. Whether it¡¯s a spear or a sword, the method of handling tools for killing is simple. ¡®Swing it with the mind to kill that bastard, and anything will do.¡¯ The old man¡¯s whisper echoed in my ears. Pig Oh Hyun-wook was also notorious for his filthy fighting. I had seen it a few times. A fight as messy as his nickname suggested. Unlike the current piglet. Someone once said that pigs are actually clean animals. Maintaining my momentum, I thrust my sword forward. Anything more would be overkill against a pixie. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword pierced through the pixie¡¯s head and stopped. Even so, catching these kinds of things with Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. I didn¡¯t feel sorry for Yoo Ji-eun, but I felt sorry for the sword. Such a sword deserved to slice through something more magnificent. Shaking my head internally, I looked at Oh Hyun-wook. His eyes were unfocused. His pupils, dyed, turned towards me but didn¡¯t really see me. I frowned. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook?¡± I struck down an approaching pixie with my sword. This bastard, he¡¯s lost it. I had no choice but to use a tough measure. p. ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± I pped Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s cheek, applying just enough force for it to sting slightly. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a raid. Aren¡¯t you going to get it together?¡± My voice turned cold without me realizing it. If this weren¡¯t a test, the raid team would have been annihted. If I hadn¡¯t intervened, Oh Hyun-wook would have been seriously injured at the very least, and the rest of the team, given their nature, would have copsed watching it. I went to great lengths to save him in Myeong-dong¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook?¡± Yet, Oh Hyun-wook still couldn¡¯t snap out of it. My annoyance turned into worry. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with him! Oh Hyun-wook covered his mouth, about to vomit, and I quickly stepped back. ¡°Uurrgh¡­.¡± This is unbelievable, really. Even the pig bastard used to be like this. After drinking heavily, he would puke as soon as he entered a dungeon. A pig is a pig, whether it¡¯s a pig or a piglet. Sighing, I protected the defenseless Oh Hyun-wook. Seeing me by his side, the other kids dealt with the pixies, looking somewhat relieved. With Oh Hyun-wook suddenly incapacitated, the others were moving chaotically. Only Seo Han-seong was putting up a decent fight, but this wasn¡¯t a proper raid anymore; they were barely holding off the pixies, each fending for themselves. I had no choice but to give instructions. ¡°Choi Jin-woo, shield. Lee Seung-yeon, at the 11 o¡¯clock direction. Han Eun-young, stick close to Yoo Hye-eun. Seo Han-seong, watch the 8 o¡¯clock direction. Park Seo-hyun, get ready for the shield, 3, 2, 1, now. Reposition yourselves.¡± Finally, the kids¡¯ movements started to stabilize. They regained theirposure midway and managed to hold their ground against the pixies without my instructions. ¡­I never expected it to turn out like this. Did I do anything extraordinary? All I did was set a fire at the back of the dungeon to drive the monsters forward! This wasn¡¯t something I did out of spite for the kids, and it¡¯s a method formally included in the training manual distributed by the Ability Management Agency to the guilds. It¡¯s to teach them how to handle sudden situations. If I didn¡¯t think the kids could manage, I wouldn¡¯t have done it. I don¡¯t assign impossible tasks. Even now, look. Once they found their positions, they¡¯re fighting well. The pixies seem numerous because they¡¯re panicking and flying around due to the smoke, but there are actually just over a hundred. And we don¡¯t even have to deal with all of them. Many will flee, so we just need to hold out. Once they pass, we can take care of the dungeon core and be done. And they crumble like this over something so simple? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Bleeurgh¡­¡± I looked at Oh Hyun-wook, who was still retching hard. The reason for this mess is clear. It¡¯s because of him. From the moment we entered the dungeon, Oh Hyun-wook was naturally giving orders. The kids followed without question. He often yed the leader during regr training sessions too. The sess of a raid team depends heavily on the presence of a capable leader. But relying entirely on the leader is not the way to go. Therefore, ¡°All of you fail.¡± Standing amidst the pixie corpses, I dered firmly. * * * ¡°Yes¡­ Raidpletion confirmed. Who destroyed the dungeon core?¡± At Kim So-jung¡¯s question, the kids exchanged nces and then quietly pointed to one person. Seo Han-seong gulped. ¡°I-I did.¡± ¡°A student? You¡¯re Seo Han-seong, right? From Guild Manri¡­. Okay, understood. Then, the raid report¡­.¡± ¡°I will write it.¡± ¡°You will, teacher?¡± ¡°Yes. Is that a problem?¡± ¡°No. If we¡¯re being technical, you¡¯re the one in charge, so there¡¯s no issue.¡± Kim So-jung replied cheerfully. ¡°Still, it¡¯s impressive that the kids managed to seed in the raid on their own.¡± Kim So-jung, meeting the kids for the first time, didn¡¯t notice, but Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min were different. The two of them looked at me and the kids with doubtful eyes. They only refrained from asking because Kim So-jung was present. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought it would be nice to have a school like this. Though many people are displeased with it¡­. If we slowly build up such achievements, public perception will change, right?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°With Hunter Hong Seok-young, it may take time, but it won¡¯t fail.¡± ¡°Oh my, do you hold me in such high regard, Inspector?¡± ¡°Regardless, you¡¯re one of Korea¡¯s representative Hunters. You must live up to that reputation.¡± Hong Seok-youngughed heartily. ¡°So, do you have any more business at the school, Inspector?¡± ¡°Are you trying to chase me away?¡± ¡°Oh no. How could I chase away our Inspector? It¡¯s just that the kids look very tired.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s their first raid¡­ I won¡¯t keep them any longer. Let the students rest well today. Teacher Woo Hwijae, please take care of the report.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send it by email.¡± I smiled kindly and bowed to Kim So-jung. Hong Seok-young also waved with a sly face, and Kim Chae-min nodded politely. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The peace ends here. I changed my expressionpletely and looked back at the kids. Noticing the unusual atmosphere, Hong Seok-young tried to approach but stopped. I bluntly stated, ¡°The dungeon raid is a failure.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin in detailter.¡± I looked at Oh Hyun-wook, whose face had gone pale. Hong Seok-young had dismissed Park Seo-hyun¡¯s wandering as a trivial change in style that any Hunter could experience. Kim Chae-min, despite being an emotional personality for a mage, had a sense of distance from the rest of the kids due to her focus on magic sses. It has to be me. The only one who can turn the piglet into a human. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook.¡± His shoulders flinched violently. ¡°You know why I called you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± His tightly clenched fists trembled. For a moment, I worried he might hit me. Fortunately, Oh Hyun-wook, instead, answered in an almost inaudible voice. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I ignored the kids who had fallen silent, watching me nervously. Hong Seok-young, acting like a restless dog, was also ignored. ¡°Get in the car. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± We didn¡¯t return to school. The car was deathly silent, and Hong Seok-young drove more gently than usual. The car stopped at the parking lot where we usually dropped off the kids. ¡°So¡­.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow. I¡¯ll inform you of the grading results then.¡± ¡°About the scores¡­¡± ¡°Frankly, I doubt the score even matters¡­. But you still need to know what went wrong.¡± I paused briefly, looking at the kids. They were all a mess, but thankfully, none were injured. ¡°Although, I wonder if even that matters. Everything from start to finish was a problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Alright, dismissed.¡± Their trudging backs looked no different from defeated soldiers. I clicked my tongue and nced inside the car. Oh Hyun-wook was still sitting there, not getting out. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook?¡± No response. After a brief moment of contemtion, I tapped Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min, who were seated in the driver¡¯s and passenger¡¯s seats. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I need to talk to him.¡± Sensing the tense atmosphere, the two quietly got out of the car. With the door closed, I sat facing Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Alright. Speak up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve given you plenty of time to think.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Oh Hyun-wook remained silent, head hung low. Again, ignoring me. This pig bastard, seriously¡­. Was my ambition to turn him into a decent human being misguided? Is a pig always a pig, even when young? Plop. Drip. Drop. ¡°¡­Oh Hyun-wook?¡± Something was falling beneath Oh Hyun-wook. Drops of water were forming on the back of his hands, which rested on his knees. I massaged my stiff neck. If we weren¡¯t in the car, I would¡¯ve thought it was raining. ¡°I really can¡¯t deal with this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­sniff.¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook. Stop crying.¡± Do kids these days think everything gets solved if they cry? What is this? Park Seo-hyun did this, now him too? Even so, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to yell at a crying kid, so I softened my voice. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not trying to scold you. It¡¯s better to fix a problem if there is one. So, tell me why.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be a Hunter.¡± Oh Hyun-wook cut off my words and spoke in a trembling voice. Why on earth are they doing this to me? Chapter 51 - Piglet (2) Chapter 51: Piglet (2) TL: SHW ¡®What the heck.¡¯ When was it? There was a day when the old man had to urgently leave for a dungeon raid. ¡®I came because it was urgent¡­.¡¯ ¡®Hyun-wook! You¡¯re the only one!¡¯ ¡®Who is this kid?¡¯ A flushed face and a faint smell of alcohol. Although he was a bit chubby, he wasn¡¯t a mass of b back then. Underneath his sturdy frame, firm muscles were twitching. ¡®This kid? He¡¯s my son.¡¯ ¡®Your son? Did you kidnap him from somewhere?¡¯ ¡®Kidnap? I told you he¡¯s my son! He¡¯s been my son for years now!¡¯ The old man moved busily. After stuffing thest pair of shoes into his packed bag, he suddenly stood up, approached the man, and grabbed his shoulders tightly. ¡®I¡¯ll raid ande back as quickly as possible. Take care of him in the meantime.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Ji-eun is in the dungeon, and Hunter Lee is out of the country, so it¡¯s a tricky situation.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Then suddenly! I thought of you. You raided an A-rank recently, right? Knowing your personality, you¡¯ll rest for at least a week.¡¯ ¡®Well¡­ yesbut wait, Teacher. You don¡¯t mean¡­¡¯ ¡®Take good care of my kid. There¡¯s my card on the table, so buy whatever you need. Got it?¡¯ ¡®Ah, wait, teacher!¡¯ ¡®Hyun-wook. You¡¯re my only hope.¡¯ ¡®Do you think I¡¯m going to fall for that?¡¯ ¡®Seems like you will.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll leave him in your care!¡¯ The old man gathered his belongings and left. At that time, the man, who looked more like a wild boar than a pig, scratched his head with an awkward face and looked at me. ¡®Um¡­ I¡¯m Oh Hyun-wook, the teacher¡¯s disciple. What¡¯s your name?¡¯ * * * ¡®Bleurgh¡­¡¯ The man snored and slept throughout the briefing and ended up vomiting. It was right after we passed through the gate. ¡®Kuaack, ptoo. Ah, I feel better now.¡¯ The fighters of the Guild Memorial turned their backs as if used to the scene and began to check the weather and terrain inside the dungeon. That was even more absurd. ¡®Hey guys. What did you sayes out here?¡¯ ¡®Master. Have some water.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right.¡¯ That man is one of the top Hunters in Korea and the guild master. That ridiculous guy, yes, really. The country is doomed. The man scratched his bby belly. I could smell the nauseating stench of vomit as he approached. The smell worsened as he got closer. ¡®Kaak!¡¯ He rinsed his mouth with water and spat it out pathetically. If it wasn¡¯t for work, I would never have gotten close. A former promising talent of the Hunter Academy, now a pig with alcohol dependency. ¡­He does have a reputation befitting a former prodigy. But I simply couldn¡¯t acknowledge this pig. He graduated from the Hunter Academy and easily built his career by unting the name of being Hong Seok-young¡¯s disciple. How long do you think it took for a freshly graduated kid to establish a guild? Just two years, two years! How long did it take for Guild Memorial to be well-known? Only one year! In other words, within about three years of his Hunter debut, Oh Hyun-wook became a Hunter that Korea could proudly present. ¡®So¡­ Hunter from the Management Agency? What¡¯s your name again?¡¯ As much as I hate to admit it, he¡¯s a remarkable man. Even though he looks like this now. ¡®Wait, haven¡¯t we met before? Right? Your face seems familiar.¡¯ ¡®This is our first meeting. My name is Woo Hwijae.¡¯ ¡®Woo Hwijae? Woo Hwijae¡­ I¡¯ve heard that somewhere, surely.¡¯ The man mumbled and then burped. The mouth that had just spat out vomit emitted a horrible smell. ¡®We¡¯ve already wasted a lot of time. Let¡¯s start right away.¡¯ ¡®Ha! You don¡¯t have to be so strict. Leave it to me, and I¡¯ll handle everything. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡¯ His eyes, buried in a mass of fat, grinned. The man pulled out an aluminum sk from his pocket. When he opened the lid, the scent of alcohol wafted out. ¡®Is that alcohol? Are you out of your mind? We¡¯ve just entered the gate!¡¯ ¡®Hunter from the Management Agency, would you like a drink too?¡¯ Before I could stop him, the man gulped down the alcohol. The liquor that he couldn¡¯t drink spilled down his chin. ¡®No. It¡¯s fine.¡¯ ¡®Really? Then I¡¯ll drink it all.¡¯ He drank the alcohol again. As I watched in silence, the man awkwardly wiped his chin and smiled. ¡®You see, if I don¡¯t drink this, my brain doesn¡¯t work well. Gotta drink like this before a raid, you know?¡¯ The man chuckled. ¡®Let¡¯s finish quickly and go for a drink.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ The sharp-eyed man who once looked after me for a short time when I was young was no longer there. If they ever make me work with this pig again, I¡¯d rather stab the department head with a knife and resign. Grinding my teeth, I followed the man, Oh Hyun-wook, into the dungeon. * * * ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I briefly recalled those old memories. When Oh Hyun-wook was just starting to build his career right after graduating from high school, his condition wasn¡¯t this severe. He did drink, though. When did Oh Hyun-wook start drinking like this? After he became an adult? Or when he was a student at the pilot high school? Anyway, since he¡¯s awakened, he wouldn¡¯t die from drinking alcohol like water, unlike civilians. Even if he couldn¡¯t help but gain weight. After that, as I stopped entering dungeons, my encounters with Oh Hyun-wook drastically decreased. I sometimes saw him at the Management Agency, but Oh Hyun-wook wasn¡¯t attentive enough to remember the face of a non-Hunter agency employee. Every time we met, he would ask who I was, and I would answer indifferently. About one in three times, he would say, ¡®Oh, Chief Woo?¡¯ while acting familiar, patting my back with a snortingugh. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Hearing that pig-like scream made my back, which had been hit back then, ache for no reason. ¡°Student Oh Hyun-wook.¡± ¡°¡­Hic.¡± I waited, hoping he would calm down on his own, but there was no sign of the tears stopping. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hic¡­ Hic¡­¡± I don¡¯t like people who cry easily. There are kids who well up with tears even if they hear a bit of harsh words. Even if I didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary, they make me look like the bad guy. Sure, if you¡¯re sensitive, that can happen. Even if you don¡¯t want to cry, tears might flow. What I really hate are those who don¡¯t realize their faults and shamelessly argue. So if you can¡¯t stop the tears you can¡¯t control, at least make an effort to stop. At least say some insincere words about correcting your mistakes. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If he were a Management Agency employee, he would have been harshly criticized by now. There¡¯s only one reason I¡¯m dealing with him. I need to coax him and turn him into a proper human being. Oh Hyun-wook was sobbing, which is too cute a term¡­ it was more like he was wailing. And the things he said were truly ridiculous. ¡°I-I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be a Hunter, I¡¯m, hic, not, hic, fit, hic, to be one, hic.¡± ¡­Is it wrong to think the kid¡¯s crying sound resembles a pig when he can¡¯t even breathe properly? I sighed. The only thing increasing is my sighs. ¡°Student Oh Hyun-wook.¡± ¡°¡­Hic. Y-Yes.¡± ¡°First, calm down¡­.¡± I picked up a water bottle rolling around in the front seat and handed it to Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Drink some water.¡± ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning¡­.¡± Just like Park Seo-hyun, why do they all cry and im they¡¯re not qualified? Are all kids of that age like this? ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re not fit to be a Hunter?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Oh Hyun-wook gulped down the water. His breathing calmed, but his eyes were still filled with tears. Was the question too difficult? ¡°¡­Why did you act like that in the dungeon?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Is this question even more difficult? I pointed outside. Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min were talking while looking this way. ¡°Should I call the principal?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡± Hong Seok-young noticed my gaze and turned his head. When our eyes met, he gave me a thumbs-up. This old man, really. ¡°I¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°Hic, hup. Teacher, how much do you know about the guild I was in?¡± Ah, so you do call me teacher when it¡¯s just the two of us? This should be normal, but somehow it feels touching. ¡°Well, I heard about it.¡± ¡°That you were from a guild? Yes.¡± Oh Hyun-wook gave a bitter smile. ¡°When you say it like that, it sounds really impressive, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I was bait. A living, moving bait.¡± Oh Hyun-wook started speaking haltingly. From my perspective, it was a predictably tedious story, enough to guess what had happened as soon as he began. Isn¡¯t it just the typical tale of a young kid scammed into a fraudulent contract? However, for Oh Hyun-wook, it was a serious story, and no matter howmon or predictable it was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was unfair for a kid barely in their teens to go through it. The old man knew he couldn¡¯t control everything inside the dungeon, but he at least wanted to prevent awakened individuals from dying in such a manner. And it was the same for Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Later, I decided to gather people who were in the same situation as me and create a guild when I became a proper Hunter.¡± The story transitioned from the past to the future. The crying stopped, and his breathing calmed. His eyes, still wet, sparkled with determination. It showed just how precious this future was to Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°To help people¡­ and to prevent such things from happening again.¡± Probably, even twenty yearster, Oh Hyun-wook wrestled with the same thoughts when he established his guild. ¡°When the principal took me out, there were a few friends who got out with me. They didn¡¯t want to enter the dungeon anymore, but they said they¡¯d help with this kind of work as much as they could.¡± I thought about Memorial, the guild of Pig Hyun-wook. Among the founding members of Memorial, there were non-Hunters. One of them was even the guild¡¯s deputy master, which I found surprising. When I first heard about it, I wondered what kind of bizarre things that pig was up to. They were friends who lived in the guild together. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have cursed him. Why didn¡¯t he say anything? ¡°But!¡± Oh Hyun-wook buried his face in his hands. A half-dead voice squeezed out from between his clenched teeth. ¡°Earlier¡­ in the dungeon. When the pixies swarmed, I had that thought.¡± ¡°What thought?¡± ¡°¡­That it would be much easier to get through this situation if I threw someone who wasn¡¯t helpful in the fight as bait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d never be the kind of person who does that, but in a crisis¡­.¡± Oh Hyun-wook sniffled. His eyes were red and swollen, looking quite pitiful. If I thought of him not as a dirty pig but as a piglet¡­. Hmm. It wasn¡¯t entirely intolerable. Kim Chae-min had told me that Oh Hyun-wook had been held by the guild for a little over three years. He was the longest surviving bait in that guild. Considering he endured that for three years, it¡¯s strange he was even this functional. In my opinion, he needed psychological therapy more than anything else, Hunter or not. When Hong Seok-young first adopted me, he dragged me to every highly rmended counselor. He didn¡¯t even listen to myints that I¡¯d had enough therapy tost a lifetime while at the orphanage. It didn¡¯t seem like he took Oh Hyun-wook or Seo Han-seong to counseling¡­. Maybe he learned the importance of therapy btedly. ¡°I thought I hated my former guild master more than anyone else. But in the end, the most familiar method to me was that¡­ that kind of thing. And I loathe it¡­.¡± ¡°Of the people I knew.¡± I cut off Oh Hyun-wook before he, like Park Seo-hyun, dug himself into a hole. I built up Park Seo-hyun¡¯s confidence with praise, but¡­ Oh Hyun-wook needed a different approach. Unlike Park Seo-hyun, he needed something other than praise. Well. Pig bastard. He had a bad personality. Even now, the piglet was crying, but that personality wouldn¡¯t have changed. Look at how he didn¡¯t say a word to me for two months. ¡°There¡¯s someone who grew up simrly to you.¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Like you, they made a bad contract when they didn¡¯t know anything¡­ They escaped with the help of a kind passerby. That person also wanted to help others in simr situations.¡± ¡°¡­Were they a hunter?¡± I almost answered casually but managed to swallow it. Although I had temporarily blocked the sound with magic, someone of Hong Seok-young¡¯s caliber wouldn¡¯t miss it. He was likely listening closely and might track down anyone I identified as a Hunter. If he askster, I¡¯ll just sell out Ark again, like I always did. ¡°No. Not a Hunter. Just¡­ someone like that.¡± To be honest, I had seen that person crawl on all fours more often than not, but still. I looked at the piglet. His hollow eyes. So, if you had such a past, you could have given me a hint. Don¡¯t just make an innocent person look like a bad guy. ¡°That person wanted to help kids who suffered like he did.¡± Chapter 52 - Piglet (3) Chapter 52: Piglet (3) TL: SHW I don¡¯t make things up. Even if I¡¯m in a situation where I have to lie, I don¡¯tmit the miracle of creating something out of nothing. If you listen casually, you might think I¡¯m making things up, but that¡¯s only if you listen casually. If you listen carefully, think it over, and ponder, you¡¯ll realize that I¡¯m saying it all out of concern. Since it¡¯s not baseless, no one can refute it. Of course. It¡¯s because I¡¯m right. Think about it. Have I ever made something up to Hong Seok-young or Park Seo-hyun? No. Anyway, I was from Ark, and Park Seo-hyun has the talent to be an Archmage, so she will be one. Of course, since this ismunication between people, there can be minor misunderstandings. But that¡¯s their fault for guessing without asking me, not my fault. Anyway, it¡¯s not like that. So if Oh Hyun-wook misunderstands me, that¡¯s his fault. I¡¯m just conveying the facts as they are. ¡°Yeah¡­ Now that I see it, you resemble each other quite a bit.¡± Of course he resembles him, since he is the one I¡¯m talking about. See? I¡¯m not lying, right? ¡°And what you wanted to do is simr too.¡± Of course it is simr, since he is the one being talked about. If you call this a lie, you¡¯re denying Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s life. I don¡¯tmit such cruel acts. Oh Hyun-wook gaped his mouth and then closed it. He had been sobbing and huping, but now he had stopped. Instead, his eyes were wide open, looking at me with an expression that seemed to say, ¡°Who is this person and why are you telling me these things?¡± Ah, there¡¯s a reason for all this. Your¡¯re not understanding my grand scheme. ¡°And he had the same worries you¡¯re having now.¡± What Oh Hyun-wook is saying now. The piglet¡¯s actions. Comparing them roughly, I could now somewhat understand Oh Hyun-wook. In the end, that man couldn¡¯t escape from his past memories. That¡¯s why mental evaluations should be mandatory when getting a license. Or make them undergo it every time they renew. Without such measures, people who should quit and take a rest are walking around iming to be Hunters. By the time I tried to do something, the period when I could intervene had already passed. The old man didn¡¯t pay much attention to that part despite making me attend counseling. At this point, it might not be toote, right? When Hong Seok-young was setting up the Ability Management Agency, if something had been done¡­. I¡¯ll think about thatter. For now, I have to coax this little piglet. ¡°Honestly, it was funny from my perspective.¡± Seeing a guy who used to crawl around drunk donate a huge sum to the Retired Hunters Support Association every year. Seeing him give amplepensation to the bereaved families on behalf of the guild. Moreover, Oh Hyun-wook actively promoted a campaign to eradicate illegal activities within dungeons. If my memory serves right, he even acted as a spokesperson for it. ¡­Come to think of it, Oh Hyun-wook got backstabbed because he had turned a blind eye to those embezzling guild funds. Isn¡¯t it funny? Even after being treated like that, Oh Hyun-wook didn¡¯t press charges against them. What did he say again? Something about it being his fault for not realizing how much the kids were struggling, even though he was the Guild Master. Crazy bastard. ¡°But he kept doing it.¡± ¡°Doing what?¡± ¡°Helping kids who had suffered like him.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I asked him once. Why he was doing it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even though there are others who could take care of them, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t get anything in return. And he wasn¡¯t exactly a saint who didn¡¯t care about such things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why do you keep doing it.¡± When I asked, that pig opened his eyes wide, which were buried in his flesh. Those eyes looked exactly like this piglet¡¯s face. Oh Hyun-wook was dumbfounded. ¡®You know our manager is being a jerk for asking that, right?¡¯ ¡®Who says otherwise?¡¯ ¡®¡­It¡¯s funny how you ask the same thing as your dad.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Nothing. Yeah, he said he couldn¡¯t sleep because he was so curious.¡¯ ¡®I never said that.¡¯ ¡®You were so curious it twisted your insides, right?¡¯ ¡®I told you, that¡¯s not the case.¡¯ ¡®Then I have no choice but to answer.¡¯ The piglet opened his mouth, reeking of alcohol. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t want to sink to the same level.¡± ¡°Same level¡­.¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s not that moral of a person and, honestly, if he wanted to pursue efficiency, he could do worse things.¡± ¡®Then why didn¡¯t he do it?¡¯ But Oh Hyun-wook didn¡¯t do that. ¡®It¡¯s simple.¡¯ I now understood whom Oh Hyun-wook didn¡¯t want to be like. Yeah. I finally understand. ¡®I had to prove that I was a better person.¡¯ This is what Oh Hyun-wook realized over twenty years. Could the piglet realize the same thing? ¡°But if he did that, he¡¯d be just like him. He said he had to prove that he wasn¡¯t like that.¡± Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s face was still wet. But his eyes hade back to life. Like Park Seo-hyun. No, Park Seo-hyun was more on the dazed side. She wasn¡¯t as full of fighting spirit as this one. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to prove it too?¡± ¡°I¡­.¡± ¡°You came all this way to be a hunter, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°¡­Give up, yeah.¡± It looks like this should be enough¡­ but should I make it clearer? Currently, thews regarding Hunters, guilds, and dungeon raids are insufficient. Even if they exist, they don¡¯t function properly, andwsuits between Hunters are almost nonexistent. It must have been difficult even for Hong Seok-young to pull Oh Hyun-wook and Seo Han-seong out. Like Park Seo-hyun or Yoo Ji-eun, Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s past records had disappeared, but it¡¯s obvious. ¡°It¡¯s your life, so you should decide¡­. Your former Guild Master. Did that bastard go to jail, by any chance?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± Grit. Did he just grind his teeth? I didn¡¯t hear wrong, right? ¡°Then it¡¯s even more infuriating.¡± I pretended not to hear and spoke casually. ¡°Show him. That you can be more sessful without resorting to those methods.¡± * * * Oh Hyun-wook got out of the car and walked back with a peculiar expression. He didn¡¯t say much more, but he didn¡¯t spout nonsense about not deserving to be a Hunter either. Maybe¡­ he¡¯ll be reborn as a piglet without the arrogance. My workday is also over once I leave. ¡°Good job, Teacher Woo.¡± But I got caught by Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Right, we should clock out too.¡± Hong Seok-young nodded. ¡°Since the raid ended safely, it¡¯s time for a team dinner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My right to refuse was practically non-existent. Before I knew it, I was dragged to the shabby pub in the rural neighborhood that had be a regr spot. Although it was a hassle, I had something to say to Hong Seok-young, so I quietly exined what had happened in the dungeon. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡± After I finished, Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue and tore into a chicken. ¡­I can understand Park Seo-hyun¡¯s change in style as her inferiorityplex, but isn¡¯t Oh Hyunwook¡¯s due to the trauma from being bait? Why is his reaction so lukewarm? ¡°Do you know how surprised I was when I heard the raid failed? If they can¡¯t clear even a thinned out dungeon, they shouldn¡¯t be a Hunter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why the long face?¡± ¡°Are you going to leave student Oh Hyun-wook as he is?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. You¡¯re doing well, so why bother? No need to make unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should at least make him get counseling or something?¡± ¡°Counseling?¡± Hong Seok-young sucked on a chicken leg. That habit of his is still the same. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already doing that? Should I promote you? To counselor? I hear schools have those these days.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you raise my sry first?¡± ¡°This ce¡¯s chicken is good.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But this time, I am serious. Kim Chae-min seemed like she wanted to say something but shut her mouth when she saw my face. ¡°It¡¯s not just Oh Hyun-wook. Seo Han-seong was also used as bait, wasn¡¯t he? The kids who were in Myeong-dong during dungeon break must have been under a lot of stress too. It seems like it would be good to have them receive counseling at least once to see if they¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young put down the finished bone. ¡°Should I be honest?¡± This makes me uneasy. ¡°Counseling? Psychological therapy? Sure, I¡¯m not against it.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the likelihood of a psychiatrist being an Awakened?¡± ¡°What?¡± This is out of the blue. What does that have to do with anything? ¡°It¡¯s not irrelevant. Then, what are the chances of an awakened psychiatrist being able to subdue an active hunter who starts rampaging during a counseling session?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well¡­ a few years ago.¡± Kim Chae-min cautiously interjected after ncing around. ¡°Teacher Woo might not know this, but there was a case where a doctor was killed by a Hunter having a panic attack during counseling. It wasn¡¯t intentional on the Hunter¡¯s part, but the problem escted and became a big issue.¡± ¡°The real problem came after that incident.¡± Hong Seok-young rummaged through the chicken and picked up the second drumstick. ¡°There was even a case where a Hunter, who took the doctor¡¯s advice as nagging, killed the doctor outright.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t go to that extreme, there have been many cases where doctors were injured by panic or anxiety attacks. It just hasn¡¯t been widely publicized. You get what I mean now?¡± ¡°¡­Did the doctors refuse to provide treatment?¡± ¡°Rather than refuse¡­ they demanded solid safety measures.¡± ¡°Like wearing a mana restraint device, simr to what you used to wear.¡± ¡°And the hunters refused, I assume.¡± ¡°Exactly. Even with a mana restraint device, idents can still happen¡­. And we can¡¯t just tie a Hunter down. idents kept happening.¡± ¡°Now¡­ um, I think counseling is only avable via voice call? You can¡¯t even see their faces. That¡¯s because some Hunters would seek out the doctors.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was¡­ was it really like that? I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. Did this really happen? What about all those counseling sessions I had? Wait, hold on. Maybe it was possible because I wasn¡¯t Awakened at that time? ¡°Of course, proper diagnosis isn¡¯t possible that way. Naturally, Hunters stopped seeking out doctors.¡± ¡°But these are just kids, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They have licenses, you know. They¡¯re all D-rank or higher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No, but Hunter Academy students often received counseling. There were always resident counselors at the academy¡­. Who were awakened. And also had hunter licenses. Damn. Was that why the old man alwaysughed off my concerns about mental evaluations? ¡°There are dedicated doctors, sure. Those who genuinely want to help. But most Hunters¡¯ panic attacks manifest violently. It¡¯s not something you can solve with dedication alone.¡± This was an entirely unexpected situation, and I didn¡¯t know what to say. Hong Seok-young continued to chew on the chicken as he spoke. ¡°So, you have to assume there¡¯s no professional help avable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If the trauma were truly insurmountable, they wouldn¡¯t have followed me to be Hunters in the first ce. So, Teacher Woo, you don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± Hong Seok-young spoke calmly. After hearing his reasoning, I could understand the thought process that led him to this conclusion. But. ¡°¡­They¡¯re still just kids.¡± ¡°Why do you think I assigned you to them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from, Teacher Woo¡­. Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Hong Seok-young took a gulp of beer and, as if he remembered something, pursed his lips in an exmation. ¡°That thing at the Ark. National Heart, what was it?¡± ¡°The National New Heart and Spirit Association¡­ You should have memorized it by now, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°They lured you in with their child psychology program, right?¡± ¡°Lured? Your choice of words is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re going anyway, you should pay attention. The lectures might actually be good.¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± ¡°The kids are getting used to you¡­. Want to take on the role of a counseling teacher too?¡± Hong Seok-young cut off my words and said. ¡°No matter how poorly the school is run, that¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°Seeing how you handled Hyun-wook earlier, I think you¡¯d do well.¡± I frowned. ¡°Then at least give me a raise.¡± ¡°Hmm. Are you going to drink beer? Boss! Three more beers over here!¡± Damn you old man. Chapter 53 - A Familiar Face (1) Chapter 53: A Familiar Face (1) TL: SHW It¡¯s strange. ¡®If it was truly an insurmountable shock, he wouldn¡¯t have followed me to be a Hunter in the first ce.¡¯ I can¡¯t get Hong Seok-young¡¯s seemingly irresponsible words out of my head. I tried to think about him seriously, without letting my emotions get in the way. To bepletely objective, what he said wasn¡¯t wrong. Once you enter a dungeon, you¡¯re cut off from human civilization. From the moment you step through the gate, Hunters must survive on their own strength without external help. In other words, only strong Hunters survive. Even though it doesn¡¯t seem like a school at all right now, next year the pilot school will be officially recognized as an educational institution. The year after that, the kids will graduate, and from then on, they¡¯ll have to make it on their own without Hong Seok-young¡¯s help. So, I can¡¯t deny the necessity of this process¡­ of struggling alone, finding solutions, and oveing challenges. But. There should be limits. If it¡¯s called a school, shouldn¡¯t it be more attentive? Sometimes a single word from someone else can save a life. ¡­Well, expecting such delicacy from the old man is probably too much. I know that. I created these people alongside him, so I would know. In fact, he¡¯s looking after the kids more than I expected. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I fiddled with the business card in my hand. Getting a phone activated was surprisingly easy. I didn¡¯t want to spend a lot on this outdatedmunication device, so I picked a cheap one. As long as it can make calls and ess the inte, it¡¯s fine. The first thing I did with the phone was open the inte browser. What I typed into the search bar was, amusingly, Hong Seok-young¡¯s name. The top article was about him defeating the Minotaur that appeared in the Myeong-dong Dungeon Break. ¡®Korea¡¯s top Hunter saves the country once again¡¯ ¡®Hong Seok-young hunts the Minotaur!¡¯ ¡®Six Hunters, the Saviors of Myeong-dong¡¯ On other pages, amateur Hunter analysts were chattering away about Hong Seok-young. ¡®Who is the strongest Hunter, Hong Seok-young?¡¯ ¡®From a rookie to the strongest, the meteoric rise of the new hunter¡¯ Such nonsense. There wasn¡¯t a single ce that had proper information about the hunter Hong Seok-young. Well, how could any articlepare to the stories I heard directly from him? Hong Seok-young awakened at the age of neen. As soon as he awakened, he ran away from the orphanage and became a Hunter. There are plenty of people who don¡¯t even know this simple fact. The old man never hid his past. To add a bit of exnation, he said that neen was only his age ording to the resident registration. ording to him, his parents had reported his birthte, so he was actually a couple of years older. For a Hunter who dominated Korea for decades, his awakening came rtivelyte. Hong Seok-young started his Hunter career as a low-ranking porter in a small guild. He didn¡¯t talk about this period. I didn¡¯t ask about it since he didn¡¯t bring it up. The reason he so actively raided dungeons and dealt with Dungeon Breaks afterward was because of what he experienced during this period. After his porter days, Hong Seok-young began to make a name for himself five yearster. Newspaper articles at the time hailed him as a meteoric new star, but he just snorted in response. The guild had acted as if his days as a porter never existed. Although it wasn¡¯t a good time, he didn¡¯t want to erase it either. That¡¯s what he said. So, he never omitted talking about that period in interviews, but it never made it into the articles. The trend at the time was to favor the emergence of elite Hunters. Anyway, Hong Seok-young went from a porter to a promising new Hunter. Five yearster, the new Hunter became a skilled veteran Hunter, and before another five years passed, his name was always mentioned when discussing Korea¡¯s top Hunters. At thirty-five, at such a young age, Hong Seok-young became the strongest Hunter in Korea. After that, the old man never stepped down from the top spot for thirty years. He was truly a living legend. It was because someone like him established the Ability Management Agency and advocated for the rights and responsibilities of Hunters that South Korea was able to change. If it were 2041 now, there would have been many other articles. ¡®Why other countries envy Hong Seok-young¡¯s Ability Management Agency¡¯ ¡®Does the Ability Management Agency only exist in Korea? Hunter registration systems in various countries¡¯ ¡®10 misconceptions about the Ability Management Agency¡¯ Without the old man, the Agency would have been impossible. In the first ce, it was something that couldn¡¯t even be attempted without him. Why else would there be a saying, ¡®Every Korean owes their life to Hong Seok-young¡¯? Of course¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean this person is perfect. I slowly entered the number written on the business card into my phone. After a few rings, someone answered. ¨D Yes, this is Jung Yeon-hwa, team leader of the National New Heart and Spirit Association, Gyeonggi Branch. A spine-chillingly soft voice. Do I really have to go there on my own? ¨D Hello? Really, I have to do this. ¡°Hello, I am¡­.¡± I cautiously began to speak. After only a few words, the woman quickly recognized me. Honestly, I kind of hoped she wouldn¡¯t. ¨D Oh my, I knew you¡¯d call. Where else can we find someone who cares about the children as much as you do? How could she know that just from seeing me one time? Hearing her overly enthusiastic voice made me doubt if I was doing the right thing. I won¡¯t deny that this is a good opportunity to get information¡­ but that¡¯s just from my perspective. Wouldn¡¯t Hong Seok-young be reluctant to have me contact with the Ark? Maybe it¡¯s because I assured him no one would recognize me? The old man is so overwhelmingly strong that in other areas, he can be quite¡­ lenient to the point of frustration. In the end, am I destined to clean up after him even after traveling back in time? Because I returned to the past, I actually have more work to do. I have to start over from the beginning. Well¡­ fine. When I think about it, my tasks haven¡¯t really changed. Adding the cleanup for the old man doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. In fact, it¡¯s easier to expand my influence while avoiding his notice. ¨D By the way, we have a meeting for children with Dungeon Break trauma happening soon. It¡¯s in Suwon, and if you have time, would you like to attend? There are also lectures for people like you. Just to get a feel for how things are run, you know. Even without my eager responses, the woman continued to exin various things. ¨D You¡¯ll hear a lot of useful information. Many others will be there too¡­ how about it? ¡°Um¡­¡± ¨D And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve experienced a Dungeon Break as well. ¡°That¡¯s, right.¡± ¨D Even if you think you¡¯re okay, such experiences can suddenly resurface. It¡¯s not that you have a problem, but people need to talk about their feelings to avoid internalizing anger. Do you know how scary anger-induced illnesses can be? This is a chance to talk with others and see how they handle it. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¨D So, I¡¯ll assume you¡¯reing¡­ do you have any other questions? ¡°Um, is there a participation fee?¡± ¨D Participation fee? Oh no, we¡¯re not that kind of ce. Just bring yourself. Although there are some lectures with external speakers that cost a few ten thousand won, this isn¡¯t one of them, so don¡¯t worry and juste. Even then, the woman kept talking endlessly. Mostly about how much their association cares for the children¡¯s future, and equally, the mental health of teachers¡­. Honestly, I wanted to hang up, but I couldn¡¯t, as I was ying the part of a half-duped, pitiful teacher. ¡°¡­Um, well. I have to prepare for ss.¡± ¨D Oh my goodness, look at me. I¡¯m sorry for holding you up when you¡¯re so busy. It seemed like the conversation was going to drag on again. I hurriedly cut her off. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you at that time.¡± ¨D Yes, teacher. Take care. I had only been on the phone for about thirty minutes, but I was already exhausted. I wiped my face with my dry hand. It should just be about chatting happily with a few civilians, right? It can¡¯t be harder than handlingints at the Ability Management Agency. Don¡¯t get scared in advance¡­. Just focus on what needs to be done. * * * ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to go so quietly like this?¡± Kim Chae-min said with a worried look. I firmly dismissed Kim Chae-min. ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°But, still¡­ If we brought Amy along, you could show ¡®this is who I am¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Amy?¡± ¡°My car.¡± ¡°That yellow one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There¡¯s always something weird about archmages¡­. I shook my head. ¡°What good woulde from drawing unnecessary attention?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you trying to emphasize your connection to Teacher Hong? It would be even better to show that you¡¯re close to Archmage Kim Chae-min!¡± ¡°No, the principal alone is enough.¡± ¡°After I went through the trouble of bringing you here!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stand out that much.¡± Kim Chae-min looked betrayed but soon winked yfully. ¡°Still, some people will recognize you, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about that.¡± ¡°Heh. Well then, do your best.¡± Leaving behind Kim Chae-min, who was waving her hand enthusiastically, I got out of the car. It was a ck sedan, not the yellow sports car. Putting the car aside, Kim Chae-min personally drove me to the lecture venue of the National New Heart and Spirit Association for me, who doesn¡¯t even have a driver¡¯s license. To have an Archmage as a chauffeur. Woo Hwijae, you¡¯ve made it. Ignoring Kim Chae-min¡¯s send-off to call her when it was all over, I entered the building where the lecture was held. There were many people from the entrance. It wasn¡¯t an Ark building; it seemed they had rented the ce¡­. The scale wasrge. Now I understood why they had ¡°National¡± in their association¡¯s name. ¡°Hello. Are you here for the lecture¡­?¡± A male student approached me as I paused at the entrance. He was wearing a school uniform. I nced at the name tag around his neck, thinking he might be a volunteer. Kang Tae-woo. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°May I know who referred you?¡± ¡°¡­Team Leader Jung Yeon-hwa introduced me.¡± ¡°Team Leader Jung Yeon-hwa?¡± I frowned. His face looked familiar somehow. I shouldn¡¯t know many people at this point. Where have I seen him? ¡°Hold on¡­ I¡¯ll check for you.¡± The male student looked at a tablet PC he was holding. It seemed like there was a list. I wanted to peek at the screen, but the angle wasn¡¯t right, so I gave up. ¡°Sir, may I have your name?¡± ¡°Woo Hwijae.¡± ¡°Woo Hwijae¡­ Ah! Here it is. You can go to the small auditorium on the second floor. Please stick this on the back of your phone and show it when you enter.¡± He smiled warmly as he handed me a sticker. I stuck it on the back of my phone and turned around, suddenly remembering where I had seen that face before, and quickly turned back. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­. I just looked again because you resemble someone I know.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± It¡¯s not just a resemnce; it¡¯s him. I barely suppressed a twisted smile. A chuckle escaped me. So, this is where Subject No. 3, who graduated from the researchb as a failed experiment, ended up? Chapter 54 - A Familiar Face (2) Chapter 54: A Familiar Face (2) TL: SHW I am No. 12. This means there are Numbers 1 through 11 before me. And, of course, there were more after me. When the old man destroyed theb, there were up to No. 33. Sometimes, like No. 3, some graduated or asionally got disposed of, so there were usually about a dozen or so kids in theb. Most decisions about graduation or disposal were made around the age of thirteen. It¡¯s right around the time of graduating from elementary school. No. 3 stayed in theb quite a bit past that age. Probably because he was a good kid who listened well to the researchers. If not for that, I would have been the oldest. From theb director¡¯s perspective, who disliked me, that was something to avoid at all costs. Most of theb¡¯s kids were under ten years old. Even among them, being human, factions formed. If they were in middle school, the criteria for dividing groups would have been more detailed. Choosing a leader would be a given. But what do kids under ten know? From the kids¡¯ perspective, there was only one qualification to be the leader. Age. If you were older, that was it. When a new kid arrived, the first question they asked was not their name but their age. ¡®How old are you?¡¯ If they were the same age, the bigger kid would be the leader, but¡­. Isn¡¯t it too much to expect from a kid who was just kidnapped? Anyway, No. 3 was the oldest kid in theb. I remember he stayed until he was about fifteen¡­. In a group of kids around ten years old, that made him an adult, a true adult. While No. 3, from his position as the oldest, managed the kids ording to the director¡¯s instructions, I, from my position as the longest-tenured senior in theb, incited the kids. It became easier after No. 3 disappeared. I had used No. 3 as a shield to figure out how far we could go without getting scolded by the researchers. It was unfortunate for the director. With No. 3, who somewhat controlled me, gone, there was nothing to hold me back. No. 3 disappeared just before turning sixteen. It wasn¡¯t likely they disposed of the obedient No. 3, so I thought they might be using him somewhere as a janitor. Even so, I remember feeling bitter, thinking that we had grown somewhat fond of each other and that I wouldn¡¯t see him again. I never imagined we¡¯d meet again like this. * * * ¡°¡­You can do it like this. Of course, everyone¡¯s personality and situation are different, so there¡¯s no definitive answer. Always keep that in mind. What¡¯s the most important thing when dealing with the kids?¡± ¡°Love and patience!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As surprising as it was, the lecture prepared by the National New Heart and Spirit Association was¡­ Surprisingly worth listening to. Really. Why? Why is that? Would Ark just do something helpful for people? If they started spouting nonsense from the beginning, people would be wary¡­. To hook people, it¡¯s more effective to create afortable environment for conversation rather than group lectures like this. ¡°Shall we divide into groups and discuss?¡± Just like now. The lecture attendees grouped themselves into threes and fives. I watched the people around me suspiciously, pretending not to. These four people could also be part of Ark¡¯s team. Cults usually lure people in this way. Pretending to be innocent. Pretending to be harmless. Pretending to be genuinely helpful. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s been a while. You didn¡¯test time?¡± ¡°Yes. I was busy with school work and couldn¡¯t make time.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. April and May are packed with events.¡± ¡°Still, seeing the kids work hard makes me feel proud and happy¡­.¡± I was quietly listening to the conversation around me. I couldn¡¯t figure out how to join in. What if I said something awkward and they became suspicious? This should be left to professionals, not amateurs like me. What did Hong Seok-young see in me to think I¡¯d do well at this? ¡°So¡­ Oh my, is this your first time here, Teacher?¡± One of the teachers, who had been chatting happily, finally seemed to notice me and started talking. I had gathered that he was an elementary school teacher. ¡°¡­Yes, sort of.¡± ¡°Why just listen? You should¡¯ve joined the conversation.¡± ¡°Well¡­ just listening was already very helpful.¡± ¡°Your students¡­ Well, everyone here has students who¡¯ve had difficult experiences. I¡¯ve never seen a kid who hasn¡¯t lost a family member or a close rtive in a dungeon break.¡± ¡°Since dungeon breaks happen so often¡­.¡± ¡°Exactly! Ugh, I really don¡¯t understand what the government is doing. The damage isn¡¯t small¡­.¡± ¡°There are so many that it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Even so¡­.¡± The teachers sighed deeply and shook their heads. ¡°Talking about it won¡¯t solve anything. Let¡¯s talk about the kids. Which school do you teach at? Middle school?¡± ¡°High school.¡± Thankfully, with the help of the teacher sitting next to me, I could join the conversation without difficulty. Even without leading the conversation, just nodding appropriately and agreeing smoothly kept it flowing. ¡­But, can I extract information like this? I don¡¯t even know what information I need to gather. Hmm. No, wait. I have No. 3. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.¡± The group of teachers, engrossed in their conversation, didn¡¯t pay much attention to me. Well, they weren¡¯t going to stop someone from going to the restroom, right? The other halls rented by the National New Heart and Spirit Association seemed to be holding lectures too, as the hallways were empty. I saw a few students with name tags around their necks, like No. 3. But with No. 3, who was clearly from the Ark, right there¡­ why bother with others? Moreover, if Ark had marked me as a target, they would approach. I loitered in the hallway, pretending to check my phone. ¡°Excuse me, Teacher?¡± As expected. These cult people are all the same. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± No. 3 approached with his eyebrows drooping, speaking to me. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°Is there something you didn¡¯t like about the lecture?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Of course, No. 3 didn¡¯t recognize me. Still, it¡¯s a bit disappointing that he doesn¡¯t recognize me after the time we spent together in the facility. Well, if he did recognize me, that would be the real problem. If Ark had figured out that the adult version of the snot-nosed kid from theb hade from the future, it¡¯d be better to just go to Ark and beg for mercy. ¡°¡­Are you doing volunteer work or something?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. I¡¯m here toplete my volunteer hours.¡± A quite realistic answer came out. No. 3 answered with an awkward smile. ¡°Well, not just because of that.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Well, because I¡­¡± Seeing his clumsy smile made me feel strange. I had been lost in nostalgia seeing his face after so long, but I had forgotten that I didn¡¯t really like No. 3. He didn¡¯t like me either. The reason is simple. No. 3 couldn¡¯t understand why I kept picking fights and rebelling against the researchers, and I disliked how he sucked up to the researchers without any pride and controlled the other kids. Right before No. 3 disappeared from theb, what did he say to me? ¡®Why can¡¯t a kid like you be grateful for the opportunities given¡­. Man, it¡¯s funny I¡¯m saying this to a ten-year-old, but seriously, don¡¯t live like that.¡¯ What does a fifteen-year-old know, really. What did I reply? I did say something back. ¡°I, too, because of a dungeon break¡­ was isted once. So¡­ now teacherse here, but sometimes kidse too, for activities and things like that. I like helping them¡­.¡± Ah. So that¡¯s the setup. I looked at No. 3 with pity. Thinking about it now, he had a pitiful life too. Growing up in a simr environment, he ended up in theb just like me. I escaped with the help of the old man and got a decent job, but he¡­ he probably ended up helping with cult propaganda and might have be a cult propagandist himself. When I was ten years old, I went out of my way to give him a hard time. He disliked me too, and would snitch to the director whenever I tried to do something. But now, I¡¯m an adult. I can¡¯t hold on to old grudges against a kid brainwashed by the cult. Rescuing him right now is impossible. No. 3 would resist too. But maybe next year, or even if it takes more time, if Hong Seok-young manages to bring down Ark. Then I could at least look out for him to ensure he does well. ¡°Really? That¡¯smendable.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that great¡­.¡± ¡°I also look after kids who¡¯ve had isted experiences like you.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°They seemed to be doing well, so I thought they were fine, but it turns out they weren¡¯t.¡± I smiled awkwardly. ¡°What am I saying? Sorry. If you have things to do, go ahead.¡± ¡°No, I like talking like this too.¡± No. 3 smiled warmly. ¡°Sometimes teacherse to me for advice too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°My counselor rmended that I talk to others about my experiences. At first, I hated even thinking about it, but talking like this helps. It¡¯s a way to help other kids with my experiences.¡± If I were a regr teacher, I¡¯d find this truly admirable. His smiling face slowly hardened. His shoulders slumped, and the space between his eyebrows narrowed. His lips twitched anxiously, and when our eyes met, he gave a bitter smile. It was so natural. He should be an actor rather than doing this here. But if you look closely, it¡¯s different. He can¡¯t fool my eyes, no matter how hard he tries. His eyes aren¡¯t smiling. His seemingly normal gestures are also different. They look gentle and troubled by recalling a difficult past, but they often deliberately divert attention. That¡¯s typical of cultists. ¡°That¡¯s great. I hope my kids can be as strong as you.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Don¡¯t think too hastily. It took me a long time to think this way too.¡± ¡°Right. The lecturer mentioned earlier not to rush and to take small steps.¡± I checked the time on my phone screen. ¡°I should head back now. Thanks for talking about something that must have been hard.¡± ¡°Talking helps me¡­.¡± ¡°Helps? That¡¯s the least I can do.¡± I hesitated briefly, then took out a notebook and pen from my pocket. Working under the old man, I¡¯d developed a habit of needing writing tools for my peace of mind. Plus, sometimes analog is better. I scribbled my phone number in the notebook. ¡°If you ever need help, contact me. I¡¯m not great, but I am a Hunter¡­.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a Hunter?¡± No. 3¡¯s eyes widened. I¡¯ve spoon-fed him this much; he wouldn¡¯t spit it out without swallowing, would he? Well, if the chancees, won¡¯t No. 3 call with a trembling voice? Teacher, please help me? * * * ¡°No. 3?¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s brow twitched as he listened to my report. It was easy to tell what was bothering him, so I made sure to worsen his mood. ¡°They assign numbers instead of names. By now, they probably have up to the 20s for sure.¡± ¡°And your younger brother?¡± ¡°He was called No. 12.¡± Hong Seok-young sighed deeply. It was clear he was boiling inside but couldn¡¯t let it out and was trying hard to keep it contained. ¡°Anyway, good job. No. 3¡­ Kang Tae-woo, was it?¡± ¡°Investigate the orphanages.¡± ¡°Orphanages?¡± ¡°The National New Heart and Spirit Association said they run orphanages and¡­ child support programs. They also do volunteer activities there and encourage people to participate.¡± ¡°Will you go?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± I don¡¯t want to go that far. ¡°There were signs of kids being evacuated hastily from thatst training center, weren¡¯t there? If they¡¯ve dispersed them to orphanages, it would be a good way to avoid attention.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hong Seok-young nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Hunter Lee is investigating things rted to that association. With all the tasks we have, including the Songpa District Dungeon, progress has been slow¡­. I¡¯ll have to tell them to prioritize looking into the orphanages.¡± Then Hong Seok-young added, ¡°By the way, I need to enter a dungeon soon.¡± ¡°A dungeon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an urgent one in Gangwon Province¡­. I need you to look after the kids in the meantime.¡± Chapter 55 - The Strategy Guide (1) Chapter 55: The Strategy Guide (1) TL: SHW Dungeon. A dungeon, huh. ¡°What kind of dungeon is it¡­ How long will it take?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either.¡± Hong Seok-young stroked his chin. ¡°If I were at least an A-rank, I could guarantee I¡¯d be back within a week, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to jinx it.¡± No one is as superstitious as a Hunter. From the way he¡¯s talking, it¡¯s definitely an S-rank¡­. Was it Gangwon-do? Was there an S-rank dungeon that Hong Seok-young raided around this time? Even I can¡¯t memorize all the dungeons the old man has raided. There are so many. ¡°This time, Teacher Kim is going with me.¡± ¡°Teacher Kim Chae-min too?¡± Kim Chae-min is too talented to be left in this shabby school doing kids¡¯ lunch errands. I can¡¯t let both of them waste their time teaching kids here aimlessly. The reason the establishment of this pilot high school was opposed in the first ce was this. How many dungeons could be raided while Hong Seok-young wastes his time on this pointless task? ¡°Since the school was established, it¡¯s been a long time since I properly went on a raid. Recently, the dungeons have been calm, so I¡¯ve managed. If not, it would have been chaos.¡± ¡°So, what about this dungeon?¡± ¡°They said the area around the gate has be unstable. It seems like a sign of a Dungeon Break, so they requested we raid it before it bursts.¡± For an S-rank dungeon, it¡¯s best to deal with it before it breaks. ¡°What dungeon in Gangwon-do is it?¡± ¡°Would you know if I told you?¡± ¡°¡­Where is it located?¡± ¡°Sokcho.¡± Sokcho, Gangwon-do, S-rank dungeon. I have a really bad feeling about this. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°In two days.¡± ¡°¡­You said Teacher Kim is going too, right? I don¡¯t have a driver¡¯s license, so what about the kids? Are we closing the school?¡± ¡°Haha. No way. Didn¡¯t I already give them a few days off after the raid? If we give them more time off, they¡¯ll get rusty.¡± ¡°They need to have skills to get rusty in the first ce¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t point out such painful truths.¡± Hong Seok-youngughed heartily and replied. ¡°Daseon will help. They said we can¡¯t dy Hunter Lee any longer and suggested we improve the school facilities.¡± ¡°Are you building a new building?¡± ¡°That will be next year.¡± Still, if they are going to improve the ce that can hardly be called a school, it¡¯s wee. Students need a proper learning environment. ¡°What about the mana control device?¡± After taking the kids into the dungeon, Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t put the mana control device back on. He exined that it¡¯s better not to do anything suspicious since he has to attend the National New Heart and Spirit Association meeting. But the old man. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of putting it back on. ¡°Why? Do you want put it back on?¡± Look at him saying that. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Right? Then you don¡¯t need to wear it.¡± I knew this would happen. It¡¯s convenient and good for me. ¡°It seems like a waste to keep restraining you¡­ It¡¯s better for teaching the kids without it, right? Teach them well while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­.¡± I just nodded. I don¡¯t know if the old man is being thoughtful orcks any. He probablypletely forgot about Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword or doesn¡¯t care about it. ¡°¡­Then can I teach the sses as I want?¡± ¡°Oh, the curriculum? You said you made one, right?¡± ¡°I told you to check it. I gave it to you.¡± ¡°Hmm. I saw it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see it, did you?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it good to trust each other? I believe you¡¯ll do well.¡± Hong Seok-young grinned. * * * ¡°Alright, listen to Teacher Woo well!¡± Although he said they would depart in two days, Hong Seok-young left the next day. Kim Chae-min also waved with a shy smile. ¡°Teacher will be back soon after the raid!¡± Now, eight kids are left with me. The curriculum isn¡¯t anything grand. I just roughly wrote down the Hunter Academy timetable from my memory. Since there are many shortages in teachers and facilities, we can¡¯t follow it exactly, so I cut down a lot. Among them, there are only a few things I can confidently teach. Even though two of the three teachers left like the wind, the kids were not surprised. When I subtly raised my eyebrows, Lee Seung-yeon, who is quick-witted, promptly answered. ¡°They used to go out asionally before the Myeong-dong incident.¡± ¡°For raids?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°What about sses?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have any¡­¡± ¡°None at all?¡± ¡°¡­Self-study?¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± I crossed my arms and frowned. I lightly tapped the podium with my finger. I know the old man¡¯s skills better than anyone. People say he¡¯s been in his prime for thirty years. There¡¯s no need to worry. There¡¯s no need to be concerned. What I¡¯m really worried about is not this side. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That dungeon in Gangwon-do is definitely¡­. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I stopped tapping the podium with my finger. Eight pairs of eyes followed my finger¡¯s movements, bobbing their heads and then stopping. What¡¯s with them? This damn school doesn¡¯t have a single normal thing. ¡°What is it? If you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, no¡­.¡± Now that I think about it, it¡¯s too quiet. I suppose since these are kids who have even obtained hunter licenses, they have a more adult-like aspectpared to other high school students. There were cases like Oh Hyun-wook, Seo Han-seong, and Yoo Hye-eun, who didn¡¯t have a good family environment or upbringing. Hmm¡­ I did exhaust them with lessons to prevent any other mischief. But there¡¯s always one kid who keeps chattering. Lee Seung-yeon was that kind of kid. The one who is now just watching me nervously. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothi¡­.¡± Are you shy now? ¡°With the principal not here¡­ I was just wondering what kind of sses we¡¯ll be having¡­.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Oh Hyun-wook, who was frowning behind Lee Seung-yeon, suddenly spoke up. So you¡¯ve finally decided to talk to me? Seeing that he came to school quietly after resting for a few days, he must have sorted out his thoughts to some extent. Oh Hyun-wook fidgeted with an ufortable look when our eyes met. ¡°¡­Our grades.¡± ¡°Grades?¡± ¡°You said the dungeon raid¡­ was a test.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That.¡± To be honest, I forgot. No, I was full of enthusiasm to thoroughly examine the kids from top to bottom. Kim Chae-min, who peeked at the lesson n I made, said this. ¡®Give the kids a carrot.¡¯ ¡®A carrot?¡¯ ¡®The kids will know what they did wrong. Do you really need to scold them? Instead of discouraging them, cheer them on to do better next time.¡¯ ¡®There is no next time in a dungeon raid.¡¯ ¡®Oh,e on, don¡¯t say it like that!¡¯ The Archmage had been quite insistent. Kim Chae-min¡¯s words made sense. Look at Park Seo-hyun. Isn¡¯t it worth praising her enthusiastically? Considering Oh Hyun-wook was sobbing right after the raid¡­ maybe it¡¯s time to boost their spirits. ¡°When preparing for a dungeon raid, what do you think is the first thing you should do?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Say anything one by one. It¡¯s okay if the answers are the same.¡± I pointed to Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook?¡± ¡°¡­Supplies.¡± Typical of a kid who was treated like a ve by a guild. I called on Seo Han-seong sitting next to him. ¡°Seo Han-seong?¡± ¡°Combatants¡­ I guess?¡± ¡°Lee Seung-yeon.¡± ¡°¡­Information about the dungeon, perhaps.¡± I had to call their names, but they answered sincerely. ¡°Ah, I also think it¡¯s supplies¡­.¡± Lastly, I heard Yoo Hye-eun¡¯s answer. Well¡­ I didn¡¯t expect much. I didn¡¯t teach them. The dungeon raid methods were organized andpiled into textbooks at the Hunter Academy. The old man used to boast about how he poured all his know-how into them, but considering his vocabry, who knows how reliable they are. Anyway, those strategies were tranted into variousnguages and spread worldwide. It served as a guideline not only for the Hunter Academy but for all Hunters. ¡°What you all mentioned isn¡¯t entirely wrong.¡± The sound of car wheels could be heard from outside. Lee Mi-seon said she woulde. It¡¯s the cars from Daseon. Listening to them quietly stopping at the corner of the yground, I officially started the lesson. ¡°Supplies? Combatants? Dungeon information? Strategy? All of them are important. Every single one is crucial. But think about it. When analyzing dungeon information, deciding what skills are needed, determining how many people are required, how to move, what supplies they need, or the quantities required¡­ Who makes those decisions?¡± It¡¯s a very simple question. The two guild members flinched. Since they couldn¡¯t answer, Han Eun-young spoke up instead. ¡°The Guild Master?¡± ¡°Do only guilds raid dungeons? The principal and Teacher Kim Chae-min went on a raid together. They¡¯re not from the same guild.¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± I drew a crown shape on the ckboard. ¡°It¡¯s the leader.¡± ¡°The leader?¡± ¡°The leader of the raid party. The title doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the person who hasmand authority within the dungeon.¡± Don¡¯t they say too many cooks spoil the broth? The raid leader is the one who rows desperately to keep the ship from sinking. ¡°Not appointing a leader. That was your first mistake.¡± Oops. I didn¡¯t mean to point out mistakes. But what¡¯s said is said. ¡°You were confused once you entered the dungeon, right? Without me, you couldn¡¯t organize.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I pointed to Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°It was good that you quickly took charge. You organized the formation and set the direction.¡± The second mistake. ¡°But you relied on him too much.¡± When Oh Hyun-wook copsed, the raid party fell apart. ¡°No matter how easy the dungeon is, appoint a leader and a deputy leader. Even if one bes incapacitated, the other can cover. Inrge-scale raid parties, breaking down the personnel into smaller units and solidifying themand structure isn¡¯t for nothing.¡± Squeak. The back door quietly opened. Lee Mi-seon bowed her head towards me and smiled apologetically. ¡°In reality, that dungeon shouldn¡¯t have been a failure at your level. I had to step in because I couldn¡¯t watch any longer, but I only killed one pixie there.¡± It was the one that attacked Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°After I organized the formation, it became easy, right? If you had kept your wits about you, even that wouldn¡¯t have been necessary.¡± No, the carrot¡­ The carrot! But how do I give them the carrot? I looked at Lee Mi-seon at the back of the ssroom. There was something I wanted to ask. No, something I needed to confirm. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on your mistakes. Of course, you shouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to repeat the same mistakes again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What should you do to avoid making mistakes?¡± ¡°¡­We need to fix it, right?¡± ¡°What do you need to fix?¡± I scoffed at the kids who were groaning. ¡°Raiding a dungeon isn¡¯t just about being good at fighting. From now on, I¡¯ll also teach you how to use your heads.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°To do that¡­ Right. Think about how you would raid the dungeon if you were the leader. I brought some snacks for you, so enjoy those too.¡± ¡°Oh, ah! Teacher!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°D-doI have to do it too?¡± Yoo Hye-eun raised her hand slightly and asked. ¡­Well, she probably won¡¯t have to go into a dungeon anyway. ¡°You¡¯d be bored, so give it a try. Or just practice your magic control.¡± I gestured to the door with a nod to Lee Mi-seon. She tilted her head slightly but followed me out of the container. After leading Lee Mi-seon to a spot far enough away that the kids couldn¡¯t hear us, I urgently asked. ¡°Hunter-nim. About the dungeon that Teacher Hong and Teacher Kim went into.¡± ¡°Hello. It¡¯s been a while, right? Good to see you. Yes, the dungeon?¡± ¡°¡­Hello. That dungeon, is it the one with the sirens?¡± Lee Mi-seon squinted her eyes. ¡°Where did you hear about that?¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Her face, which was quietly observing me, slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. The Siren Dungeon off the coast of Sokcho. Many Hunters have been devoured there.¡± Gangwon-do Sokcho. A dungeon on the sea. Also known as the Siren¡¯s Nest. In 2024, Archmage Kim Chae-min died hunting a siren that emerged from this dungeon. Chapter 56 - The Strategy Guide (2) Chapter 56: The Strategy Guide (2) TL: SHW [Gangwon Province, Sokcho ¨C 20071229-0001] [Siren¡¯s Nest] [Boss ¨C Siren] [Monster Type ¨C Sea Monsters] [Copse Date ¨C July 9, 2024] * * * In 2007. A gate appeared in the sea off Sokcho. It emerged only 100 meters from the shore, making it easily visible to the naked eye. The dungeon that quietly appeared in the middle of the night swallowed every expedition team that entered it for the next three years. After three years, only one survivor returned. Inside the dungeon, there was no ce to step but the sea. The Siren sat on a pile of reefs, singing songs to lure the Hunters and feed them to the monsters in the sea. The survivor seeded in returning by damaging his own eardrums to resist the lure. Since then, the Siren¡¯s Nest became the grave of many Hunters. And such a dungeon broke out. Unfortunately, the dungeon had formed above the sea. Apart from the Siren, the monsters in the dungeon were sea-type monsters that roamed underwater. In a way, it was a perfect match. The Siren, leading a horde of monsters that roamed the sea, took its ce in the sea off Sokcho and sang songs. The Sokcho sea was covered with people who had drowned. The monsters were so full they couldn¡¯t eat anymore. Kim Chae-min wasn¡¯t originally called to catch the Siren. She went to rescue civilians who were enchanted by the song and walking into the sea. Ordinary nts would wither upon touching saltwater, but not Kim Chae-min¡¯s vines. Her unique magic, nourished by her mana, bloomed roses on the rough waves, over corpses. She rescued those who were still breathing, collected the bodies, and even helped the Hunters who were going to catch the Siren. After the surroundings were somewhat settled, Kim Chae-min also joined in the effort to catch the Siren¡­ If that unfortunate event hadn¡¯t urred, they would have been able to kill the Siren safely, albeit taking some time. A Siren isn¡¯t called a Siren for nothing. A beautiful woman¡¯s face and a captivating voice. Wings fluttering with sturdy feathers and sharp ws. Most people only pay attention to what¡¯s pleasing to the eye. They didn¡¯t even notice the blood-red wings or ws. A Hunter who had only awakened for about a month approached the Siren by climbing Kim Chae-min¡¯s vines. He couldn¡¯t understand why the Hunters were struggling against the pretty monster just sitting and singing. He didn¡¯t consider that the Hunters had sacrificed their hearing to avoid the song, moving cautiously. Unfortunately, the Siren noticed the novice Hunter¡¯s movements first. Before others could react, the Siren enchanted the Hunter. The Hunter, who didn¡¯t even have the courage to stab his own ears, was enchanted as it wished¡­ and stabbed Kim Chae-min. Kim Chae-min knew it but was stabbed anyway. Moving to stop the Hunter would have broken her unique magic. The vines, entangled like spider webs, held unconscious civilians and Hunters who were catching the Siren. ¡°¡­nim? Teacher Woo?¡± Kim Chae-min, leaving the Hunter stabbing her, forcibly entwined her magic to fix it in ce and, with herst strength, subdued the Hunter. The Hunter, caught in the rose-filled vines, was found on the beach without a scratch. Next to the corpse of the foolish Archmage. ¡°Teacher Woo!¡± I slowly raised my head. The Siren¡¯s Nest tragedy happened just before the Ability Management Agency was established. The old man¡¯s first task for the agency was, in fact, dealing with the aftermath of this tragedy. As such, the Mana Watch recorded the events of that day in excessive detail. Roses blooming on the sea. Roses broken on the sand. Blood spreading around Kim Chae-min. ¡°Is there any information you can give me?¡± Lee Mi-seon asked in a worried voice. Because of the incident in Bangi-dong Dungeon, there was concern about Ark getting involved. Since there were also significantments about the Myeong-dong Dungeon, anything suspicious had to be reported before the raid team entered the dungeon. I wished I had more information. Information after the dungeon break is of no help in the raid. Moreover, the old man had never been in this dungeon. The same goes for Kim Chae-min. I stayed up all night searching the Mana Watch, wondering if I had mistaken the dungeon. However, there was only one dungeon in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, during this period. I couldn¡¯t be mistaken even if I wanted to be. Kim Chae-min died fighting the Siren that came out of this dungeon. ¡°Teacher? You don¡¯t look well. What¡¯s going on? I¡¯m starting to worry.¡± I know. This isn¡¯t about Kim Chae-min dying now. The dates are different. It¡¯s almost a three-year difference. It¡¯s not a dungeon break either. There wouldn¡¯t be that foolish novice Hunter. Of course, Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t there either. No, but can a person¡¯s mind run purely on logic? Kim Chae-min won¡¯t die. I fully understand that, but there¡¯s no way to calm my racing heart. It¡¯s beyond my reach, so there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. This is why people need power. At least, I need to be in a position where I can be involved in matters. If Kim Chae-min were a Hunter under me, I would have sent her somewhere else, away from the Sokcho Dungeon¡­! ¡°No, really! What¡¯s going on, Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­By the time I¡¯m in the management agency, Kim Chae-min will already be dead. Enough. Didn¡¯t I decide to focus only on the matters in front of me? Let¡¯s leave the affairs of Gangwon Province, which I can¡¯t intervene in, to Hong Seok-young. That man has enough skill for that. I looked at Lee Mi-seon with a much calmer mind. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± I shamelessly nodded. Lee Mi-seon mouth twitched, thenughed incredulously. ¡°You know you make people worry, right?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Coming out like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Lee Mi-seon frowned deeply, then smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Are you dissatisfied with me saying it¡¯s okay?¡± No, if you move on, it¡¯s easier for me, but it feels unsettling. If I think about it from your perspective, I wouldn¡¯t just let it slide. And the Lee Mi-seon I know wouldn¡¯t just let it slide like this. ¡°I¡¯m trying to trust people.¡± Words I never expected to hear from Lee Mi-seon¡¯s mouth. Did she get heatstroke? It¡¯s not that hot yet, though? ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Lee Mi-seon smiled, twitching her lips. ¡°Has my reputation reached Ark too? Thinking that makes me feel good.¡± I shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Is it okay to leave everything to Ark like this? What if the real insider who contacted Mr. Kim suddenly appears? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got permission from oppa.¡± ¡°If you mean oppa¡­¡± ¡°Seung-yeon¡¯s father.¡± Lee Mi-seon continued casually. ¡°You saved our youngest, so we have to do something to save face, don¡¯t we? Actually, I considered various rewards, but Hunter Hong said it would be troublesome if you got unnecessary attention.¡± That old man!! He¡¯s no help in life! What was the reason I saved Lee Seung-yeon¡­ No, saying it like that makes me sound like trash. I would have saved him even if he wasn¡¯t the youngest in a chaebol family. But since I did a good deed, isn¡¯t it okay to expect something? However, neither Lee Mi-seon nor Lee Seung-yeon showed any reaction, so I thought they¡¯d just cleanly forget about it. I didn¡¯t feel right about making demands myself, and since Hong Seok-young had already resolved crucial matters like identity issues, there was no urgency. But was Hong Seok-young blocking what Daeyeon wanted to offer? Daeyeon has its pride, so why are they following his lead? It irritated me even more because Hong Seok-young¡¯s arguments weren¡¯t wrong! ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll trust me instead?¡± Lee Mi-seon winked. ¡°Unless Teacher Woo kills someone on a main street, I can cover for you.¡± That¡¯s not something aw-abiding corporate executive should be saying¡­ I quietly observed Lee Mi-seon. Hong Seok-young¡¯s errand girl. A private investigator. A master key. Let¡¯s pretend not to know. That seems healthier for my mental state. ¡°Ah! Right, right. Teacher Woo, why don¡¯t you join our guild?¡± ¡°Guild?¡± ¡°Honestly, even if you want to avoid attention, it¡¯s all over once the runes are announced.¡± That¡¯s true. ¡°I n to announce runes with minimal impact first and then reveal the Mana Concealment Rune if it seems okay. If you¡¯re in our guild, it¡¯ll be easier to control information. In case of emergency, we can just gloss over it under our guild¡¯s name.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to understand what Lee Mi-seon was saying. But I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to join a guild.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be active. Just put your name on the list?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Lee Mi-seon didn¡¯t push further. ¡°Hunter Hong said Teacher Woo wouldn¡¯t join a guild. He can be annoying sometimes, but he¡¯s spot-on about people.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I pondered for a moment. I know there¡¯s no need to say this much. Although Lee Mi-seon imed she would have my back, who knows if it¡¯s true? Verbal agreements aren¡¯t to be trusted. Moreover, there¡¯s no guarantee that what I say won¡¯t reach Hong Seok-young¡¯s ears. ¡­On the contrary, that¡¯s why I might need to say it. ¡°Hunter Lee.¡± My throat felt tight. I cleared it a few times before speaking. ¡°Hunter Lee, since you¡¯re saying this, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I lowered my voice as if sharing a great secret. ¡°Everyone who knew my face at Ark is dead. So, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Did they die naturally?¡± The fact that she asked without hesitation made me chuckle inwardly. The Lee Mi-seon I know would have asked the same way. People really are consistent. No flower blooms from nothing. I winked at Lee Mi-seon just as she had done to me earlier. ¡°That depends on how you look at it.¡± * * * Swoosh¡­. The salty smell of the sea. The salty sea smell wafted from beyond the dungeon gate. Even in the silence, he could feel the footsteps behind him. Though he knew they couldn¡¯t hear each other, Hong Seok-young turned back before entering the gate and opened his mouth. ¡®Gate entry. Raid begins.¡¯ The inside of the dungeon was entirely dark blue. Instead of the sky, a deep blue sea with waves took its ce. Beneath their feet, a starry universe sparkled. The mesmerizingndscape could captivate anyone if stared at for too long. The endless universe added to the unreality of the dungeon. It felt as if he might fall into the multitude of starlight at any moment. But Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t fooled. To block the Siren¡¯s song, his ears were protected by mana. Despite the crashing waves, no sound could be heard. Hong Seok-young lightly moved his spear. The spear tip pointed beyond the sea. The universe didn¡¯t move. It didn¡¯t pull the Hunter in. Hong Seok-young took a step forward. Around Hong Seok-young¡¯s neck, a small piece of metal with nothing written on it dangled from an old leather strap. Chapter 57 - The Strategy Guide (3) Chapter 57: The Strategy Guide (3) TL: SHW 1. The raid team must obey the raid team leader¡¯s orders. 2. However, if the orders are unreasonable, they can be challenged. This is not something listed in the textbooks used at Hunter Academy. It¡¯s taught during dungeon raid training. Raid training starts from the second year at the academy. Active hunters serve as instructors for the training, usually hunters from the Ability Management Agency. The agency also emphasizes the two points mentioned above when educating new hunters. The hunters who learn this then teach the same way when they go to the academy to teach. The main idea is simple. Listen to the leader¡¯s words well, but if they spout nonsense, smack them upside the head. ¡°You were eight people¡­ just decide on two, a leader and a deputy leader. Usually, it¡¯s proportional to the number of the raid team. If the team isrger, it needs to be more subdivided.¡± The children sat in the ssroom with faces a bit moreposed than before. Was it because of the snacks Lee Mi-seon brought? After all, sweet treats are the best for calming down kids. ¡°I told you to think about how you would conduct the raid if you were the leader, right? Now, choose a deputy leader. You can¡¯t pick someone just because you¡¯re friends. There must be a reason.¡± The reason I¡¯m telling them now, instead of earlier, is to see how they respond spontaneously. Such quick thinking is very important. I had no intention of listening to theirints. I immediately looked around at the children. ¡°Who wants to start first?¡± There¡¯s no standard method for dungeon raids. Since each dungeon is different, with varying monsters, there can¡¯t be a fixed way to do things. Even for the same monster, the strategy changes depending on the dungeon¡¯s structure and difficulty. Therefore, usually, an experienced and seasoned hunter takes the role of the raid leader. ¡°No one?¡± The children were as quiet as if they had glue on their lips. It was easier to teach in silence, but it wasn¡¯t fun. I wonder how many days it¡¯ll take for them to recover? It would have been better if Hong Seok-young or Kim Chae-min were here. With no other choice, I pointed at Oh Hyun-wook, who was sitting in the front row. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook, you¡¯re the leader. Who will you choose as deputy leader?¡± ¡°¡­Seo Han-seong. We¡¯ve worked together a lot, and he has dungeon experience.¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯ve entered the dungeon. ording to exploration data, the core is located to the east of the forest.¡± ¡°We proceed in the direction of the core. First, we¡¯ll use the runes prepared by the mages and organize our formation. Yoo Hye-eun, the healer, will be in the center, the mages on either side. I¡¯ll take the lead and Seo Han-seong, the deputy leader, will be at the rear.¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes after entering. You spot a pixie at the 11 o¡¯clock direction. Leader, what will you do?¡± ¡°Kill it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Pixies are monsters that usually move in groups. They typically move in groups of five or six, but within their territory, they patrol as scouts, one or two at a time. If we let it go, it will return to its group and bring others back.¡± Oh Hyun-wook answered smoothly without hesitation. It seemed the children were starting to understand what I expected from them. After tapping the podium with my fingers a few times, I spoke. ¡°The distance to the pixie is 15 meters. Three trees obstruct your view. The pixie doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s been discovered yet.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no sign the pixie is about to flee, we move until we secure a line of sight. Signal the presence of the pixie using hand signals and prepare the mages. If we secure our line of sight and the distance is close enough, I¡¯ll take the lead and kill the pixie.¡± Since it was the first turn and it was Oh Hyun-wook, there was no need toplicate the situation unnecessarily. They needed to ovee it themselves. I narrated the events that urred in the dungeon. The first pixie is killed, and the team encounters another pixie group. Several battles ensue. Easy suppression. However, Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s voice started to crack, possibly due to a dry throat. The children listening quietly swallowed their saliva nervously. Even without the shy simtion devices of Hunter Academy, they are fully immersed. The imagination of children is something else. ¡°A loud noise can be heard from the direction of the core. Soon, a group of rampaging pixies will attack.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook?¡± ¡°First.¡± Oh Hyun-wook cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem. First, we straighten our formation. Be careful not to be swept away by the pixie swarm. Sun Sun-jin and I will face the iing pixies at the front. Since we don¡¯t know why the pixies are rampaging, our goal is to hold our ground. We will kill those that directly charge at us, but it¡¯s enough to let the others pass.¡± Oh Hyun-wook answered without hesitation, probably having mulled over it several times in the past few days. I considered pressing Oh Hyun-wook but decided against it. I could always increase the intensityter. A carrot. A carrot. Should I give Oh Hyun-wook apliment too¡­? ¡­Maybe there¡¯s no need? If I provoke him just right, he¡¯ll get fired up and follow along. ¡°The pixie swarm passes by. There are some that charge at you, but¡­ you can easily handle them. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to find out why the pixies are rampaging. We¡¯re here for the raid. It¡¯s better to destroy the dungeon core before any other variables arise.¡± I nodded. ¡°Good. Raidplete.¡± Oh Hyun-wook let out a big breath and slumped into his chair. ¡°Got it?¡± I chuckled at his reaction. ¡°How many points did I get?¡± ¡°There are no points in dungeon raids.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pass or fail.¡± ¡°What about retreat?¡± ¡°Do you think just anyone can retreat? If you dere a raid failure and manage to pass through the gate alive, that¡¯s a pass.¡± ¡°¡­Then what¡¯s a fail?¡± ¡°Death of the raid team. What kind of question is that?¡± I pped my hands to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Before ss ends, everyone has to give it a try. Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh Hyun-wook chose Seo Han-seong as the deputy leader, right? Then let¡¯s have Seo Han-seong try.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Han-seong, startled, straightened his back. ¡°M-Me too? Hyun-wook just did the raid?¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Then, uh, I don¡¯t need to¡­¡± ¡°How will you know if the leader is doing well or not if you don¡¯t try being the leader yourself?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°Alright. Seo Han-seong is the leader. Who¡¯s the deputy leader?¡± Seo Han-seong rolled his eyes and answered. ¡°Hyun-wook again¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s better than me and has more dungeon experience¡­¡± ¡°Skipping the tedious procedures, we¡¯ll enter the dungeon right away.¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°We need to organize¡­ our formation and equipment first.¡± Good point. I nodded. Seo Han-seong, despite looking flustered, began talking about various things. He checked the supplies and reviewed the dungeon exploration data once more before organizing the formation. The only difference was that Oh Hyun-wook and Seo Han-seong swapped ces. ¡°We enter the dungeon¡­¡± I smiled broadly. ¡°Dungeon entry. Six pixies are hovering around the gate.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Several pixies are hovering around the gate.¡± ¡°But the dungeon we entered didn¡¯t have that!¡± ¡°When did I ever say this was the same dungeon you entered?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No two dungeons under the sky are the same.¡± Even entering the same dungeon again, the strategy changes. ¡°I told you I¡¯d teach you how to use your brain.¡± I tapped my temple. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fun if it were easy.¡± * * * With a single p of wings, the sea moved. It felt like being trapped in a small box filled with water. The sea that had been in the sky fell like rain, sloshing around their feet. Hong Seok-young, swept away by the water, lost his bnce but managed to grab onto the vines connected by Kim Chae-min between the rocks, barely avoiding falling into the sea. Other hunters were also clinging to the vines in a simr state as Hong Seok-young. Bringing Kim Chae-min along was indeed the right decision. Without this magic, they would have struggled considerably with the footing. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The sea moved again. A wave the size of a house crashed over the hunters hanging from the vines. As the hunters, unable to steady themselves, were about to be swept into the ocean, the vines caught hold of their bodies. ¡°¡­!! ¡­¡­!!!¡± The monster, pping its wings, clicked its teeth together with a displeased expression. The feathers on its wings and body were as sharp as well-honed des. Itsrge ws, capable of snatching up a person, were equally menacing. Yet, the face visible through the dark green, seaweed-like hair was strikingly beautiful. A pale face contrasted by the hair, with a sharp nose, slender lips, and a red tongue flicking between them. How many hunters had that beautiful face devoured? Once it was known that the monster in the dungeon was a siren, there were still hunters who underestimated it. This dungeon had no survivors for three years. As a result, the sirens feasted endlessly. asionally, someone would return alive, so a surprising amount was known about the dungeon¡¯s interior: the sea that shifted with the siren¡¯s wing ps, the pirs and rocks where the sirens would sit and rest. Thus, when the Gangwon Provincial Office requested a raid, the first person Hong Seok-young included was Kim Chae-min. He believed her magic would be sufficient as footing. ¡®Normally, I would have gone in alone to scout the situation first¡­¡¯ But this time, He didn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t a young hunter brimming with energy anymore, and there was much he had to take responsibility for. Not only the students of the pilot high school but there was also a young man who would be quite difficult to deal with if he were to die. ¡®With hunter Lee there, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡¯ Still, it was best if he stayed alive. It wasn¡¯t a hard task. The raid would end once they cleared the dungeon. ¡®Come to think of it, isn¡¯t there a rune that can block the siren¡¯s voice?¡¯ Something would have popped out just like pressing a button on a vending machine. Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue unconsciously as a face shed through his mind. He knows strangely much. Not that he knows everything, but somehow, if you ask, the answer pops out. Initially, it couldn¡¯t be denied that he brought him to the school because it was convenient for surveince. How much harm could he cause to the students without his knowledge? However, as he kept him around, observed his attitude toward the students, and saw him gradually be more enthusiastic about teaching, which he was initially reluctant about¡­ ¡®It¡¯s convenient.¡¯ With the Ark¡¯s matters and the pilot high school, he hadn¡¯t been able to properly raid a dungeon for nearly a year. As a result, the government¡¯s pressure was growing. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to raid. But he wanted to change the dependency on him forever. He couldn¡¯t always win. The creation of the pilot high school had various reasons, but ultimately, it was an extension of that. In many ways, Woo Hwijae was the most needed talent for Hong Seok-young. He was sincere enough to organize a curriculum for the students, and his skills were excellent. He had unique knowledge about runes and seemed to have many more tricks up his sleeve. Once they saved his brother and roughly settled the Ark¡¯s matters, he wanted to properly train that guy too. At thirty, it¡¯s the prime age to blossom as a hunter. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡®Oops. I need to break the habit of letting my mind wander.¡¯ Hong Seok-young hurriedly raised his spear to block the siren¡¯s ws. Putting strength into it, he pushed the ws away and thrust his spear forward. The spear and ws shed, making a loud noise. Though the sound didn¡¯t reach Hong Seok-young¡¯s ears, the shock transmitted through his palms was enough to gauge the siren¡¯s strength. The siren¡¯s face twisted in anger, but when their eyes met, it smiled. A beautiful face. A bird¡¯s body. A voice that mesmerizes people. It¡¯s only natural it¡¯s named after the mythical monster. The standoff with the siren continued. There were three sirens in the dungeon. They need to eliminate at least one quickly. Hong Seok-young spat to get rid of the salty taste lingering in his mouth. Hong Seok-young swung his spear widely to shake off the siren and then leaped back. Meanwhile, Kim Chae-min¡¯s vines had densely connected between the rocks. Hong Seok-young checked the vines with his toes. They swayed slightly, but it didn¡¯t seem like they would break even if he kicked them hard. Without warning, Hong Seok-young lunged at the siren. A few strands of the vine snapped under the force, but they were quickly restored. The siren, momentarily losing track of Hong Seok-young¡¯s movements, opened its mouth wide and pped its wings. Boom!! The siren attacking another hunter intervened to save itsrade. However, this time, the attacknded properly. Hong Seok-young smirked. The de of his spear was soaked in red blood, and the struck siren fell into the sea. One down. The battle continued. It was definitely easier with one less siren. Though the heightened alertness of the remaining sirens was unwee. The shifting sea remained troublesome. Hong Seok-young and the hunters kept attacking to prevent giving the sirens any openings. But inevitably, each time the sirens pped their wings forcefully, the sea moved. Ssh!! With a massive wave, the sea climbed up high like a wall. The wave obscured visibility. No, among the waves, a siren with arge gash on its side hid and ascended. The wave crashed down on the mage sitting in the center of the vines like a flower. The dark blond siren grinned, showing its teeth. ¡°Teacher Kim!!!¡± Pushing away the siren gripping his spear with its ws, Hong Seok-young twisted his body. There was no need to control his strength to prevent the vines from breaking. If Kim Chae-min got hit and the magic was undone, it would be over. No matter how capable he was, without the footing, it would be impossible. Hong Seok-young wedged himself between the siren¡¯s ws and Kim Chae-min. He couldn¡¯t steady his stance properly. There wasn¡¯t even time to raise his spear to block. ¡°Teacher Hong!!!¡± Kim Chae-min screamed. Chapter 58 - Keepsake (1) Chapter 58: Keepsake (1) TL: SHW There¡¯s amon misconception, but not all awakened ones be Hunters. Because theyck talent. Or because it doesn¡¯t suit them. For various reasons, many people justplete the awakening registration and live on. However, the first hurdle to bing a Hunter is awakening. Do you want to be a Hunter? As long as you awaken, you can be a Hunter. Is bing a Hunter a big deal? Just go to city hall and register, and you can be a hunter. Of course, at this point, everyone is equally F-rank. It¡¯s just a kind of certificate proving that your body is sturdy and a bit stronger than others. From here, if you pass a separate exam andplete the basic education course, you be an E-rank Hunter. ording to international standards, it¡¯s barely on the borderline between a civilian and a Hunter, but generally, it¡¯s the rank where you start to be treated as a Hunter. Why? Because you can enter the dungeon. Obviously, to enter a dungeon, you must pass through the gate. And when you pass through the gate, a mana pressure is generated. This mana pressure varies in intensity depending on the dungeon¡¯s rank, and naturally, the dungeon¡¯s rank is determined by the monsters inside. If the mana pressure felt when passing through the gate is high, it means that the boss monster in that dungeon is strong. A D-rank Hunter can withstand the mana pressure of a D-rank dungeon gate. This has nothing to do with how skilled they are inbat. In terms ofbat skills alone, there are many Hunters who can kill S-rank boss monsters but can¡¯t withstand the pressure of an S-rank dungeon gate and remain at A or B rank. Perhaps that¡¯s why Hunters often referred to the mana pressure of the gate as a toll. If you can¡¯t pay the toll, you can¡¯t be a true Hunter. ¡­Well. That was in 2041. Here, twenty years earlier, even Hunters who can¡¯t pay the toll have their uses. Dungeon Breaks happen almost daily. Destroying the core inside the dungeon is important, but dealing with the monsters that are right in front of you and attacking people is more crucial. Here, Hunters who can¡¯t pay the toll be active. You don¡¯t need mana to catch monsters outside the dungeon. Until the advent of the Mana Meter, it could be said that it was the prime time for these half-Hunters. After the Mana Meter appeared? They all became unemployed. For the old man, it was a good thing. He swept up those who suddenly found themselves out on the streets and brought them in as teachers at the Hunter Academy. It¡¯s not just the Hunters who couldn¡¯t pay the toll. The same goes for Hunters who retired due to injuries. Veteran Hunters who had fought on the front lines for at least ten years became the nourishment for the budding Hunters of the academy. No matter how much fame Hong Seok-young had or how much support Lee Mi-seon provided, without those Hunters, the academy would have quickly copsed. The old man often grabbed me andmented. ¡°Hwi-jae, let me tell you. You don¡¯t know how hard it was back then¡­¡± ¡°Ah, here we go again!¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, but this old man went through a lot of hardship back in those days¡­ Neither the students nor the teachers had any experience, so every ss was a huge struggle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a hundred times how much you struggled!¡± ¡°But thanks to that experience, we now have the Hunter Academy as it is today. Did you see the new thing that came in?¡± ¡°¡­The raid simtor?¡± ¡°If we had that when I was teaching the kids, it would¡¯ve been so much easier. You just press a few buttons and can change not only the boss but even the weather inside the dungeon. This is innovation, I tell you, true innovation!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re drunk, just wash up and go to bed.¡± ¡°If only this had been made a bit earlier¡­¡± ¡°Go to sleep already.¡± If it had been developed just five years earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have had to roll in the dirt during training. Well, even so, I learned and am using it well now. I don¡¯t need the luxurious equipment of the Hunter Academy. ¡­Although I don¡¯t need it, considering that, it¡¯s still too poor. To be honest, I don¡¯t even know if Pilot High School is properly recognized as an educational institution. In this state? How can this be considered a school? I grabbed Han Eun-young, who was beside me, and asked. ¡°Do you get recognized as high school graduates when you graduate from here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Han Eun-young quietly averted her gaze. ¡°They said they would resolve it before we graduate.¡± It¡¯s amazing that anyone managed to send their kid to this school. If I were a parent, I wouldn¡¯t have sent them. I clicked my tongue and looked at Han Eun-young. Despite being trained under the scorching sun, she still had a pale face. Her hair neatly tied in a single ponytail. Wiping the sweat off her forehead with¡­ a handkerchief. Although she¡¯s not as wealthy as Lee Seung-yeon, she looks like she¡¯s been brought up well. Even in a half-exhausted state, she doesn¡¯t lie down with her head on the dirt. I don¡¯t know which family she¡¯s from, but I want tomend her attitude for not quitting like the two who quit during the Myeong-dong incident. After ss, she always grumbles about wanting to wash up and obsessively wipes her hands every time she touches the ground, but she keeps up without falling behind. She doesn¡¯t have the standout movements like Oh Hyun-wook or Sun Sun-jin, but with her level of determination, she could be useful. If she has the will, she could grow to a pretty high level. If shecks mana, I can help with that. In the end, it¡¯s all about willpower, willpower. ¡°Why¡­ are you looking at me like that?¡± Han Eun-young asked with an uneasy expression. I shook my head. ¡°How are the sses?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are they manageable?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± Han Eun-young fidgeted awkwardly and then nodded cautiously. Given her fastidious nature, Han Eun-young showed a high level of satisfaction with the sses over the past few days. She seems to be trying hard not to show it, but how could it not be noticeable? Instead ofbat training that requires strenuous movement, we¡¯re just sitting at desks talking. Of course she¡¯d be satisfied. Even the other kids have noticed and teased Han Eun-young about it. She hates getting dust on her body and sweating. I wonder why someone like her wants to be a Hunter. Should I ask? As a teacher, that should be allowed, right? So far, I¡¯ve only paid attention to Park Seo-hyun, Oh Hyun-wook, and at most Lee Seung-yeon, but since I¡¯ve decided to teach properly, I should look at the other kids too. Who knows? There might be a gem among them. ¡°Today¡­¡± Han Eun-young isn¡¯t without potential either. Honestly, if I couldn¡¯t tell promising sprouts from rotten ones among these fledgling hunters, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to work at the Agency. ¡°Shall we try it outside?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Han Eun-young was startled and opened her eyes wide. I tend to want to tease such prim and proper kids. ¡°Why, don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ what are we going to do outside?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I grinned. ¡°Just kidding. Go outside and call the others. Why are they noting when break time is only 10 minutes? They have nowhere to go anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Han Eun-young pouted her lips and left the ssroom. Talent is important too. But talent alone can¡¯t solve everything. I¡¯ve said it before. Willpower is what¡¯s important. Soon, the kids starting into the ssroom one by one. Each one is holding a drink, like coffee. I wondered why they weren¡¯ting¡­. Did Lee Mi-seon bring in a coffee machine? ¡°Here, have this.¡± Han Eun-young, thest toe in, quietly ced a cup of coffee on the teacher¡¯s desk. It was a cold coffee filled with ice. Like Choi Jin-woo¡­ this girl too. If she had been in a regr school, she could have gotten byfortably with some poprity. Choi Jin-woo had no choice but to be a mage, but this girl is different. If her family has money, she could live as an ordinary awakened one without bing a Hunter. When Hong Seok-young returns, I¡¯ll ask him. He brought her, so he should know her circumstances to some extent. If he doesn¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing I can do. ¡°Are you all getting used to it now?¡± Compared to a few days ago, the atmosphere is much brighter. We¡¯re still using pixies for the simtion sses. The intermediate goal is to recreate the Myeong-dong incident. It¡¯s about escaping Myeong-dong with minimal damage. Well, they still asionally fail the Pixie dungeon raid, so who knows when that¡¯ll be possible. Depending on the kids¡¯ skills, it might be impossible forever. If you don¡¯t know how to fight, you can learn. If youck the mana to pay the toll, you can increase it. I can help with that. But there¡¯s nothing I can do about stupidity. Is that a discriminatory remark? But in a dungeon where a single mistake can lead to death, a moment¡¯s misjudgment can have fatal consequences¡­. Ha. I pressed corners of my eyes firmly. I can¡¯t focus. My thoughts keep swirling around. I tried to concentrate on the ss to divert my thoughts, but it¡¯s not working. How many times have I repeated the same thing? This is all because of Kim Chae-min. This is all because of Hong Seok-young. Why did he suddenly decide to raid the Siren¡¯s Nest¡­! ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°Yeah. You all should be used to it by now. Even if you¡¯re not, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I drank the coffee Han Eun-young brought. The ice cubes clinked. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking turns so far, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Today, let¡¯s try something a bit different.¡± Eight kids tilted their heads simultaneously. Seeing that, it seems I¡¯m starting to find them cute too. ¡°Anyone can speak up if they think of an appropriate strategy after hearing the situation. There¡¯s a report that the mana around the gate is unstable. It means a Dungeon Break is imminent. So, the goal is to destroy the dungeon core as quickly as possible.¡± I spoke slowly. ¡°The monsters inside the dungeon are Pixies.¡± The kids grumbled softly about Pixies again. Pixies are still appropriate for their level. Ignoring the grumbles, I continued. ¡°After passing through the gate, you see a in. There¡¯s a forest visible far in the distance, at least 10 km away.¡± That¡¯s the basic information. The kids, ustomed to the ss format, raised their hands to check the dungeon information. The first to ask a question was Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Do we know the location of the dungeon core?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t. This dungeon hasn¡¯t been properly explored. But the core is not visible on the in.¡± ¡°Then, do we see any Pixies on the in?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Are there any covers on the in?¡± Park Seo-hyun asked quietly. I shook my head. ¡°No. There aren¡¯t any around the gate either.¡± I kindly added. ¡°As soon as you pass through the gate, your movements are exposed to the monsters. Aren¡¯t you lucky it¡¯s just Pixies?¡± Making a pride-hurting face doesn¡¯t change anything. It¡¯s the truth. ¡°Um¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, Han Eun-young.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the weather like inside the dungeon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear. Very sunny.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± Han Eun-young frowned slightly and answered. ¡°Let¡¯s set it on fire.¡± This quickly? I blinked. ¡°Fire? Why?¡± ¡°The fact that there are no Pixies on the in means the forest is their territory. Pixies don¡¯t usually leave their territory, but if they see an intruder, they won¡¯t just stand by. They¡¯re intelligent enough to set traps orunch ambushes. Crossing the in, knowing that, is a disadvantage for us. So, if we set a fire, and use magic to intensify it, it¡¯ll be hard to extinguish. The Pixies¡¯ flying ability won¡¯t help them escape¡­.¡± As I didn¡¯t interrupt, Han Eun-young¡¯s voice grew stronger. I stroked my chin. More than I thought. Hmm. ¡°What about the raid team? If the fire is strong enough to burn down the forest, the raid team won¡¯te out unscathed.¡± ¡°Then we can just step out of the gate for a while.¡± Han Eun-young answered briskly. I quietly watched Han Eun-young. Entering the dungeon is not the only way to raid it. If you don¡¯t like physically going in, you can create a guide using the exploration information¡­. ¡°¡­Uh, did I say something wrong?¡± As my silence stretched on, Han Eun-young grew anxious again. Shecks confidence in strange areas. I ced a sticker on Han Eun-young¡¯s forehead. It was a yellow sticker with aically drawn smiling face. I found it rolling around on the desk in the teachers¡¯ office. Han Eun-young touched her forehead. ¡°A¡­ sticker?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®Good Job¡¯ sticker.¡± Han Eun-young¡¯s face brightened. ¡°When you collect ten¡­.¡± Well. What should I give? I don¡¯t really have anything to give. Considering their skills, I absolutely can¡¯t give them something like a ss exemption. It¡¯s already a struggle to raise their skills, so an exemption would be out of the question. If I tell Hong Seok-young, he¡¯ll give something, I¡¯m sure. ¡°If you collect ten stickers¡­.¡± I suddenly lifted my head and looked out the window. In the distance, a yellow sports car was speeding roughly towards Pilot High School. It was Kim Chae-min¡¯s car. In the driver¡¯s seat, Kim Chae-min sat with her hair disheveled. ¡­She must being straight from the dungeon, as her face was soaked and stained with crimson marks. Chapter 59 - Keepsake (2) Chapter 59: Keepsake (2) TL: SHW It didn¡¯t take more than five minutes for the children, who were initially excited about the yellow sports car, to quiet down. That¡¯s how serious Kim Chae-min¡¯s expression was. Her usual lively appearance was gone. She wasn¡¯t wearing her usual bright patterned dress but a ck coat adorned with numerous jeweled brooches. It was probably a battle uniform meticulously crafted by Kim Chae-min. ¡­She hadn¡¯t changed her clothes. She came straight here right after leaving the dungeon. Why? Did something so serious happen that she had to rush over immediately? What about Hong Seok-young? Where is he? After I forced the anxious children to calm down, I left the ssroom. Daeyeon¡¯s Hunters, who had been watching me, subtly stepped back. Lee Mi-seon didn¡¯te to the pilot school today. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing or not. Kim Chae-min had stopped her car. She didn¡¯t even get out, gripping the steering wheel tightly and breathing heavily. Still, Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t seem to be injured. Her arms and legs were intact. There were no other noticeable wounds. Then why was she acting like this? Her face looked as if she would cry if someone merely touched her. ¡°¡­Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°Teacher Woo.¡± Kim Chae-min looked at me with a trembling voice. Her eyes were filled with tears. She clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Teacher, can youe with me to the hospital?¡± ¡°The hospital? Why? Did the raid fail?¡± ¡°N-no, the raid¡­ the raid was sessful, but.¡± A sense of foreboding washed over me. That couldn¡¯t be. Hong Seok-young is the strongest Hunter. He will remain the strongest for the next twenty years. He couldn¡¯t die. Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t die either, so how could he? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. ¡°Teacher Hong.¡± ¡°¡±What about old m-Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°Get in the car first.¡± I bit my lip tightly. ¡°Um, please send the kids home.¡± Daeyeon¡¯s Hunters nodded with stern faces. They seemed to be saying not to worry, but I didn¡¯t hear them clearly. I quickly got into Kim Chae-min¡¯s car. She started driving immediately. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Why? It¡¯s not like old man would have a hard time catching a few Sirens, right? He must have raided with carefully selected Hunters. There wouldn¡¯t have been any rookie Hunters like the ones who killed Kim Chae-min. ¡°I.¡± Kim Chae-min, who had been driving silently, suddenly spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll say this beforehand.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I was against it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Chae-min started grinding her teeth. It didn¡¯t seem like she was suppressing grief from an unexpected ident¡­. ¡°Damn it, I was against it!!¡± ¡°Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°How can a person be like that? He¡¯s more of a mage than an actual mage! I¡¯m not working with him again next time!!¡± It wasn¡¯t grief but anger she was suppressing. ¡°Hong Seok-young is so annoying!!!¡± Kim Chae-min mmed on the brakes and banged her forehead on the steering wheel. Beeeeeep. The horn red loudly. ¡­Thankfully, this was a rural road with almost no traffic. * * * ¡°What on earth happened?¡± It was about thirty minutester that Kim Chae-min, who had been cursing and raging after stopping the car, finally calmed down. ¡°You came right after the raid, didn¡¯t you? Teacher Hong¡­ he isn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± ¡°If that guy was hurt, I wouldn¡¯t be this annoyed.¡± Kim Chae-min, who had been pulling at her hair, wiped her face roughly with her sleeve. It didn¡¯t make her look much cleaner. After checking her face in the rearview mirror, Kim Chae-min gave an awkward smile. ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m not usually like this.¡± ¡°¡­The raid must have been really tough?¡± ¡°The raid was okay. I mean, it wasn¡¯t easy. I made a really stupid mistake¡­. But still, we broke the core and everything, so it was fine. It ended quickly for an S-rank dungeon.¡± Kim Chae-min started driving again. Her speech was still incoherent¡­ I just hoped she wouldn¡¯t crash into a telephone pole or something. I nced at Kim Chae-min, now trembling for a different reason. ¡°So¡­ what happened? Why are we going to the hospital?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min let out a deep sigh as if the ground were copsing beneath her. ¡°What time is it now? Three o¡¯clock? They must have started by now. It¡¯s faster to see it directly.¡± ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Turn on the inte on your phone.¡± I frowned. ¡°It¡¯ll be on the main page of any site you visit¡­ Once you see it, you¡¯ll understand what I mean.¡± Despite my doubts, I did as Kim Chae-min instructed and opened the inte browser. As soon as I did, I understood what she meant. shing in bright red letters was a headline. ¡®Hong Seok-young, Sokcho Dungeon Raid in Gangwon Province¡­ Press Conference¡¯ ¡°Press conference?¡± Unpleasant memories from my time at the Ability Management Agency briefly shed before my eyes. Get a grip. That¡¯s not me over there. It¡¯s not me dealing with journalists¡¯ questions as the spokesperson for the old man¡­! The thumbnail showed a man in a ck suit. I clicked on it as if entranced. Adjusting the volume, I heard the man¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­The raid has beenpleted. The Sokcho Dungeon in Gangwon Province, also known as the Siren¡¯s Nest, has been fully closed. Detailed information about the raid will be released soon through the Daeyeon Guild.¡± The man paused briefly before continuing. ¡°Fortunately, there were no fatalities. The injured are currently being treated at Daeyeon Hospital. To allow the Hunters to recover from the raid, we ask the reporters to refrain from requesting interviews¡­.¡± ¡°There are reports that Hunter Hong Seok-young was injured! Is this true?¡± ¡°¡­Please refrain from requesting interviews.¡± ¡°There are eyewitness reports that Hunter Hong Seok-young was among those transported to Daeyeon Hospital!¡± ¡°There will be no further questions. This concludes the conference.¡± However, the reporters continued to shout as if at a marketce. Because it was live, their voices were heard clearly. It¡¯s as good as answering when you avoid questions like that. Themotion continued before the screen switched back to the studio. It was hardly a press conference. Checking the time, it had only been about 10 minutes. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just to be sure, Teacher Hong didn¡¯t really¡­¡± ¡°If he had, I wouldn¡¯t be this annoyed, I told you.¡±¡± Right. ¡°Then why¡­?¡± Kim Chae-min sighed deeply once again. I¡¯ve lost count of how many times she¡¯s sighed. She wasn¡¯t usually like this¡ªwhat on earth happened in the dungeon? ¡°It¡¯s because of Ark.¡± ¡°Ark?¡± It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one who used Ark as an excuse. ¡°If they have eyes and ears, they would know that Teacher Hong is after them, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Well¡­ probably.¡± Why did Hong Seok-young start chasing Ark? Didn¡¯t he say he was asked by the bereaved family to retrieve a friend¡¯s body? It¡¯s not easy to miss the movements of someone as significant as Hong Seok-young. That¡¯s likely why Hong Seok-young was investigating quietly behind the scenes, even using someone like Mr. Kim. ¡°So, he decided to pretend he was severely injured this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Too much of the middle part was skipped. ¡°Teacher Woo, didn¡¯t you say Ark might return to the training center?¡± ¡°I did, yes.¡± Kim Chae-min nced lightly at me. ¡°Always keep your eyes on the road while driving.¡± ¡°¡­So annoying.¡± Kim Chae-min grumbled lightly and then spoke. ¡°Because of the Songpa District Dungeon incident¡­ Teacher Hong deliberately attacked several Ark branches.¡± ¡°Attacked¡­? I haven¡¯t heard anything about this.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been busy teaching the kids. Teacher Hong thought there was no need to add unnecessary worries.¡± That damned old man. ¡°And we kept it out of the media too. Anyway, because he acted so openly, Ark is now lying low, wary of Teacher Hong.¡± By now, I understood what Kim Chae-min was trying to say. ¡°So, you¡¯re pretending that Teacher Hong got injured to see how Ark will react?¡± ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s pretend? He could really be injured!¡± ¡°You said earlier that he wasn¡¯t injured.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what I was doing with this person. This time, I sighed. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying. But what about the Hunters who went into the dungeon with him? Were they Daeyeon Hunters? Or did you get help from somewhere else?¡± ¡°Oh. Those people really think Teacher Hong got injured.¡± What kind of nonsense is this? ¡°He was covered in Siren blood, so he looked terrible. Plus, he got hit pretty hard.¡± ¡°Hit? Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°Well, I told you I made a mistake¡­¡± I recalled what Kim Chae-min said a while ago. ¡°A really stupid mistake?¡± ¡°¡­You know, you¡¯re really annoying.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Kim Chae-min cleared her throat noisily before exining what happened in the dungeon. She was already nervous since it had been a while since herst dungeon raid, and then her hearing was blocked too. Still, living up to her name as the Archmage, she pulled herself together and focused on the raid, but¡­ ¡°You missed the siren¡¯s presence and couldn¡¯t even cast a shield? That¡¯s an unbelievable mistake, and Teacher Hong covered for you?¡± ¡°When you put it like that, it makes me soundpletely hopeless¡­¡± Kim Chae-min muttered dejectedly. I ignored her. ¡°If it had been another Hunter, they¡¯d have been at least seriously injured, but Teacher Hong was unharmed¡­. But since he was covered in Siren blood, he pretended to be injured?¡± ¡°I was fooled for a moment too!¡± ¡°Is that why you were so annoyed?¡± ¡°N-not exactly, it¡¯s because he said he would deceive the kids as well¡­.¡± So it was that. ¡°He told me only after we got to the hospital! Even Hunter Lee Mi-seon thought it was a good idea.¡± Considering her personality, that makes sense. I nodded at Kim Chae-min¡¯s exnation. After hearing the details¡­ Hmm. It¡¯s fine. It seems fine. They¡¯re trying to force Ark to make a move. Above all, the old man is safe, and Kim Chae-min is fine too. Since the Siren¡¯s Dungeon is closed, there¡¯s no danger to Kim Chae-min. It¡¯s not just fine, it¡¯s excellent. Kim Chae-min squinted her eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you to deceive the kids?¡± ¡°It would be more dangerous if they knew something vaguely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Besides, Yoo Ji-eun, that kid, almost fell for the nonsense from an Ark sub-organization, which I had to stop.¡± ¡°Oh, that ¡®National New Heart and Spirit Association¡¯, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better they don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to be cautious if they know?¡± ¡°If the kids are on alert for no reason, it would arouse suspicion more easily.¡± I shrugged. ¡°And if he¡¯s not really injured, he won¡¯t be in the hospital for long. Even if he were injured, with Teacher Hong¡¯s recovery ability, he¡¯d be back on his feet in ten days at most.¡± Kim Chae-min widened her eyes at me. ¡°Keep your eyes on the road.¡± ¡°Stop being annoying. Teacher Woo, you¡¯re more cold-hearted than I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a logical judgment. Well, since Teacher Kim caused such a fuss and brought me from school¡­. Now that it¡¯se to this, how about you enter the hospital crying?¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°It would be effective.¡± ¡°If I cry, then you have to cry too!¡± That¡¯s not difficult. ¡°If necessary.¡± Her eyes, which seemed unable to get any bigger, almost popped out. But soon, Kim Chae-min¡¯s eyes crinkled as sheughed. ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s go into the hospital crying together. Who knows?¡± Kim Chae-min¡¯s voice rang out cheerfully. ¡°Teacher Hong might get flustered!¡± Chapter 60 - Keepsake (3) Chapter 60: Keepsake (3) TL: SHW Of course, I didn¡¯t cry. Kim Chae-min pretended to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. Her face was so dusty that even if she had cried, it wouldn¡¯t have shown. Still, a photo of Kim Chae-min in that state was taken. It even adorned the main pages of various portal sites. ¡°See, I told you it was right to go in separately.¡± I nodded as I checked my phone in the hospital elevator. ¡°What does that make me?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re bing a kind-hearted Archmage worried about arade who¡¯s been through life and death with you.¡± ¡°Not the ipetentArchmage who putrades who put herrade in danger?¡± ¡°That all depends on how you look at it, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Kim Chae-min pressed her lips together. Just then, the elevator stopped. There was no one on the way to the VIP room. Lee Mi-seon valued security above all. If word got out that Hong Seok-young was pretending to be injured when he wasn¡¯t hurt at all, there could be chaos. On the first day, to emphasize the seriousness, Kim Chae-min also used the hospital¡¯s main entrance. But today marked the third day of Hong Seok-young¡¯s hospitalization. Anything is most effective when used in moderation. Being seen by too many people wouldn¡¯t do any good. Even after passing through security, the room was the innermost one. ¡°Did you not cry today?¡± As soon as we opened the door and entered, the first words we heard made both Kim Chae-min and me frown simultaneously. ¡°Teacher Woo, I heard you were going to cry too? It would have been more effective if you had cried today.¡± ¡°The kids are doing well, so I¡¯m fine.¡± Yesterday, Kim Chae-min and I stopped by the school briefly. There was no need for additional exnation since everyone had already seen the news. Kim Chae-min turned her head sharply toward Hong Seok-young and raised her voice. ¡°That¡¯s right! You better apologize to the kids after you get out!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What?¡± I¡¯m genuinely curious about Kim Chae-min¡¯s family environment. Although her grandmother and mother weren¡¯t mages, considering that, what kind of household atmosphere did she grow up in to have this personality? Hong Seok-young, on the other hand, looked more like a mage, as if he was asking what she was talking about. Well, there¡¯s even a generous Archmage in France, so if it¡¯s Kim Chae-min¡­ ¡°Tada! Actually, I didn¡¯t get a scratch, and that news was all a lie! If I say that, I¡¯d be a bad guy who lied, but if I keep quiet, the kids would remain the good kids who worried about their teacher.¡± ¡°Are you really saying that?¡± ¡°The kids would feel better that way too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually saying this.¡± Hong Seok-young listened to Kim Chae-min¡¯s words with one ear and let them out the other as he opened the drink box on the table. He picked up an aloe juice. Gulp, gulp, gulp¡­ Hong Seok-young downed the bottle in one go. Even though I knew this was all a show, watching his nonchnt demeanor was infuriating. The only things that seem to increase after time traveling are annoyance and sighs. Seeing the kids so down was heartbreaking, but I agreed with Hong Seok-young. There¡¯s no need to involve kids in adult matters they don¡¯t need to know. ¡°So, is there any effect?¡± ¡°What effect?¡± Without even replying, I red at Hong Seok-young. He chuckled. ¡°Ark? No noticeable movement yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to stay in the hospital for two weeks. What if Ark doesn¡¯t take the bait?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t, they don¡¯t.¡± Hong Seok-young answered indifferently. ¡°If they make a move, that¡¯s good. If not, it¡¯s not bad either.¡± ¡°Well, of course, it¡¯s good for you, Teacher Hong. Aren¡¯t you getting a two-week vacation?¡± ¡°You noticed?¡± Hong Seok-young handed an orange juice bottle to Kim Chae-min and a tomato juice bottle to me. ¡­What¡¯s the standard? It feels strangely irritating. Still, since he gave it, I opened the lid and drank. Kim Chae-min and Hong Seok-young sat on the sofa, chatting. I listened briefly from the side, but it was all trivial talk. Honestly, while it might have been excusable on the first day, was there really anything for me to do by showing up here every day? I only came because Kim Chae-min dragged me along. Besides, I hate hospitals. Especiallyrge ones like this. The smell is oddly simr to what I used to encounter in the researchb. ¡°But how on earth did youe out unscathed?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I clearly saw it go in!¡± ¡°Yeah, you would¡¯ve seen. It was right in front of your eyes. It was first ss view, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just as annoying as Teacher Woo!¡± I looked around the hospital room. I hadn¡¯t had a chance to look properly the first time I came. It¡¯s spacious enough to be believable as a home. Actually, it¡¯s said that many chairpersons use it to escape public scrutiny when dealing with various troublesome issues. A few facese to mind who chose to go to the hospital whenever trouble arose. They were living in such luxury inside here¡­. I won¡¯t let it happen this time. It¡¯s personal this time. I¡¯m nning to prevent the apocalypse anyway. So, I need to think about whates after. I¡¯ve done enough tedious work, and I¡¯m still doing it, so saving up a lot of money for afortable retirement sounds good. I¡¯ll enjoy the vacation that was blown up along with the dungeon. For that, I need a country that¡¯s good to live in. At the very least, removing the grinning faces I see on the news would help my blood pressure. ¡­It feels like I¡¯m giving myself more work. ¡°You were properly hit!¡± ¡°I was.¡± ¡°Then why are you fine?¡± ¡°Do you have a problem with me being fine?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± They continued their ridiculous conversation. I checked the drink box on the table. It must have been ced there by Lee Mi-seon. I took it to the kitchen. Inside therge fridge, which showed little sign of use, I organized the drink bottles. The fridge was full even without the drinks. Did Lee Mi-seon fill this too? Or is it a standard feature of the VIP room? I wouldn¡¯t know, having never stayed in a ce like this. To get rid of the lingering sweetness of the sticky tomato juice, I took out a bottle of premium water from the fridge and quenched my thirst. ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s no injury! What, do you want me to show my belly?¡± ¡°What would I do looking at an old man¡¯s stomach like you?!¡± ¡°What? Old man?!¡± ¡°At your age, you¡¯re an old man, Teacher Hong! Oh, maybe a grandpa?¡± ¡°Teacher Kim, that¡¯s harsh!¡± Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min continued their pointless bickering. Ignoring them, I rummaged through the kitchen. There were other snacks in the cabs. They looked as expensive as the bottled water in the fridge. On the dining table, there were also some fresh-looking fruits. I considered the fruit but picked up a snack instead. I watched the two as I munched on the snack one by one. In the end, Hong Seok-young lost. ¡°Alright, alright! Geez, just don¡¯t tell anyone about this anywhere!¡± ¡°Let me hear it first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so demanding. But it¡¯s my secret weapon, so only you and Teacher Woo should know.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s face turned serious. Kim Chae-min looked flustered. ¡°Oh, uh, if it¡¯s that important, you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to tell you?¡± ¡°Knowing something like that can cause trouble!¡± However, Hong Seok-young still ignored Kim Chae-min¡¯s words. ¡°We¡¯re all in the same boat anyway. It¡¯s good for you to know, just in case.¡± Hong Seok-young fumbled around and reached inside his cor. I put down the snack I was eating. I lost my appetite. ¡°Can you see this?¡± Hong Seok-young showed a small metal piece hanging around his neck. Two small iron tes threaded on an old leather string. I used to have one of those around my neck too, though it¡¯s hidden in my wallet now. It was the first thing given to me on the day I was adopted by the old man. ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Kim Chae-min blinked. Hong Seok-young smirked as he turned the metal piece over. ¡°I picked this up in a dungeon in Mongolia five years ago.¡± The smooth surface was unmarked, but a faint line was etched on the upper left corner, barely forming the character ¡®?¡¯. ¡°It absorbs the damage I receive.¡± ¡°¡­An item like that exists?¡± Kim Chae-min asked, looking incredulous. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not infinite. There¡¯s a set limit, and as it takes damage, it etches the name ordingly. Thanks to the Siren, the ¡®?¡¯ gotpleted.¡± Yoo Ji-eun used to say that this dog tag was the best existing piece of armor. Don¡¯t get it wrong. It¡¯s not the greatest. It¡¯s not omnipotent. But for a Hunter like the old man, there¡¯s no item quite like it. Because of hisrge spear and sturdy physique, he often gets misunderstood, but the old man is fast. He doesn¡¯t take attacks head-on; he dodges or deflects them. It¡¯s hard to hit someone like that urately. If it weren¡¯t for the unique circumstances of the Siren Dungeon and Kim Chae-min¡¯s mistake, the Siren hitting the old man would have been impossible. No, not the old man, but Hong Seok-young. ¡°It¡¯s like an extra life. Amazing, right?¡± ¡°Amazing? It¡¯s cheating¡­¡± Moreover, the damage the dog tag calctes depends on who wore it. If a non-Awakened person used it, their name would be fully etched just from the impact of being hit by a dump truck. Of course, if an Awakened person got hit by a dump truck, they wouldn¡¯t be that affected. The dog tag might just etch the first letter of their name at most. But for Hong Seok-young, not even a single stroke would appear, let alone a name. Even when attacked by a Siren, it didn¡¯t go beyond a single consonant. Conversely, it means without this dog tag, he would have been seriously injured. There would be no need for this charade, and he would genuinely be hospitalized. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± Even twenty yearster, the old man hadn¡¯tpleted his name on the dog tag. Even after giving one of the two tags to me, he hadn¡¯t. He had barelypleted the first letter. But the dog tag Yoo Ji-eun gave me had all three characters of his name etched on it. (TL: ???) Was it from fighting the centipede? Maybe. Were there other monsters just as dangerous? Was it from ying monsters? Or was it from saving others like he saved Kim Chae-min? But what does it matter? Even if he saved someone, no one survived. But the old man would have been satisfied, smiling, saying it was enough to save the person in front of him. ¡­I shouldn¡¯t have gone on vacation. I regret saying I would. It wasn¡¯t even my idea. ¡®Hwijae, you should take a vacation.¡¯ ¡®What? Why? I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ ¡®Since you¡¯re not taking one, the juniors can¡¯t rest either.¡¯ ¡®Who said they can¡¯t rest?¡¯ ¡®Come on. You¡¯re getting promoted this time anyway. Celebrate by going somewhere nice. A young guy like you should get out of the office once in a while¡­ Meet people.¡¯ ¡®I see plenty of people already.¡¯ ¡®Not those kinds of people!¡¯ In the end, I gave in to the old man¡¯s persistence and took a vacation. I was sure that after a few days off, they¡¯d realize my value and startining. ¡®Chief! We have a big problem, Chief!!¡¯ I clenched my fist tightly. The vibration that shouldn¡¯t have been there continued to buzz at my wrist. The emergency rm for the dungeon break. The screams I heard from under the helicopter. The desperate shouts for help. The terrible sound of flesh tearing. Then the silence that followed. The cries of the monsters. The stench of poison and the acrid smell of ash. ¡®Make it out alive.¡¯ A face smiling brightly. The dog tag that Yoo Ji-eun gave me from the old man was something I continued to hold on to even aftering to the past. More than the disappearance of the biological response on the mana watch, the dog tag made the old man¡¯s death feel real. He hadn¡¯tpleted even a single letter on it in thirty years of wearing it around his neck. ¡°Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.¡± I staggered into the bathroom. As soon as I closed the door, I covered my mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I can¡¯t let it out here. At least, not in this ce where Hong Seok-young is just beyond this thin door. ¡°Fuck.¡± The emotions I had been holding back came out as a curse through my lips. I fumbled for my wallet. I took out the old man¡¯s dog tag from it, a familiar motion. Unlike the one I had seen a moment ago, this one had all the letters of his name engraved. Unlike mine. I should have given it back to the old man since I never even entered dungeons. If I had, maybe he could have held out a little longer. Maybe he could have been alive until I arrived in Seoul. Then I could have seen his face onest time. The thin metal te dug into my palm. The name ¡°Hong Seok-young¡± was engraved so clearly on it. (TL: ???) This is the only proof that the old man ever existed. More than anything else, it made me realize¡­ ¡­that my father died. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck¡­¡± If I had known it would be like this, I would have called him ¡®father¡¯. Why did I hold back so much? In the end, I never got to call him that even once. Chapter 61 - (Advertisement) Help Me (1) Chapter 61: (Advertisement) Help Me (1) TL: SHW ¨D Hey, Jeong-hoon. ¡°This isn¡¯t Jeong-hoon.¡± ¨D Isn¡¯t this Jeong-hoon¡¯s phone? ¡°Yes, it is not.¡± ¨D You fucking bastard. Don¡¯t lie to me. Fuck, if you don¡¯t pay back by the end of this month, you¡¯re dead. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this isn¡¯t Jeong-hoon.¡± ¨D Do you think I can¡¯t do it? Huh? You just wait. I¡¯lle right now¡­. ¡°Ah, fuck. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not.¡± ¨D What? Fuck? Are you cursing at me, you bastard?! I¡¯ve told them kindly enough times that this isn¡¯t Jeong-hoon¡¯s phone. How many times do I have to say it? I just got this phone with a random number, and this is what happens. Why did I have to end up with some debtor¡¯s number? It was quiet when I first got the phone, but it¡¯s gotten worse over the past few days. I block the numbers as soon as they call, but the calls keeping. I don¡¯t know if the same guy is asking other people to call or if Jeong-hoon borrowed money from several people and then ran off. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The phone rang again. I blocked thest number right after the call ended. Did he get another phone already? Impressive. There aren¡¯t many people who would call me. Hong Seok-young, Kim Chae-min, and Lee Mi-seon are the only ones in my sparse contact list. The kids? I see them all day at school, what more¡­. The kids did ask, but when I said I didn¡¯t have a phone, they just mumbled that I should just say so if I didn¡¯t want to tell them and didn¡¯t ask again. Honestly, I really didn¡¯t have one back then. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The phone kept ringing persistently. ¡°Teacher Woo? What are you doing not answering? Are you busy?¡± Kim Chae-min, who was passing by, asked with a curious look. I waved my hand dismissively. ¡°The person who used this number before seems to have been a debtor. I keep getting debt collection calls¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­. So? Did you block them?¡± ¡°They keep calling from different numbers.¡± Is there any reason to stick with this number while going through all this trouble? But somehow it feels like losing. ¡°Still, you can¡¯t just not answer it. Either hang up¡­. Ugh.¡± Kim Chae-min shook her head slightly, took my phone, and answered the call instead. ¡°Hello, this is Woo Hwijae¡¯s phone.¡± Kim Chae-min spoke calmly. ¡°Yes? No, this is not¡­. The teacher is not avable at the moment, can I take a message? Who is this? Hello?¡± As I stared at her looking bewildered, Kim Chae-min quickly put the phone down. ¡°Here. Maybe there will be fewer calls now?¡± ¡°That would be nice¡­.¡± But barely a moment passed before the phone rang again. Kim Chae-min frowned lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll answer it one more time.¡± Without waiting for my response, Kim Chae-min pressed the call button immediately. ¡°This is Woo Hwijae¡¯s phone. The teacher is not avable at the moment¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min stopped talking. She nodded as if listening intently to the other person and then looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± What is it? ¡°Student, what¡¯s your name? Yes, Kang Tae-woo. Student Tae-woo.¡± Kang Tae-woo? Number 3? I urgently reached out to Kim Chae-min, signaling to give me the phone. Kim Chae-min lightly tapped the back of my hand and continued talking calmly with her back turned. ¡°The teacher will be here soon¡­ Yes, I¡¯ll tell him to call you right away.¡± She ended the call. I asked, dumbfounded. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the kid from Ark?¡± ¡°Yes. Number 3.¡± Kim Chae-min frowned. I frowned too. ¡°Why did you hang up?¡± ¡°So you were going to take it right there?¡± ¡°I should have!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Usually, you have to make the one who is in a hurry wait.¡± Is that something you can apply here too? I looked at Kim Chae-min incredulously, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°What did number 3 say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call him number 3¡­ He just said he had an urgent matter.¡± Something urgent, huh. Anyway, sitting and thinking together won¡¯t solve anything. I reached out to retrieve my phone from Kim Chae-min¡¯s grip. Kim Chae-min deftly avoided me. For a mage, at least¡­. ¡°Well, it seems that Teacher Hong being admitted to the hospital did have an effect, didn¡¯t it?¡± It¡¯s exactly one week today since Hong Seok-young was hospitalized. If Ark was nning to make a move, now would be the perfect time. ¡°It worked really well on our kids too. What are we going to do about that?¡± Kim Chae-min pointed at the ssroom container. Though we couldn¡¯t see inside, a gloomy aura hovered around it. Was it just my imagination? No, it wasn¡¯t just my imagination. Well, to be honest, both Kim Chae-min and I did stir things up a bit. Whenever they asked how the principal was doing, if he was alright or not and I answered irritably, avoiding a direct response. Usually, when you do that, people tend to assume the worst. Kim Chae-min, not wanting to lie, didn¡¯t respond at all. Honestly, she was worse than me. Her frustration towards Hong Seok-young made her appear as if she was hiding bad news, which led to misunderstandings. I didn¡¯t mention this to Kim Chae-min. Still, I felt sorry for Yoo Hye-eun. Her family situation seemedplicated, and it looked like Hong Seok-young was somewhat of a guardian to her and her sister. With their protector in the hospital, it made sense for them to feel uneasy. That¡¯s why I let Yoo Ji-eun skip school to stay with her sister. ¡®Teacher! Am I holding the sword correctly like this?¡¯ ¡­Unlike her sister, she was full of energy. I don¡¯t understand why she keeps clinging to me. Your master is Hong Seok-young, not me. ¡°That¡¯s something Teacher Hong will have to deal with.¡± I replied indifferently. Right now, I¡¯m busy trying to figure out how to turn these kids into capable Hunters. I eyed my phone in Kim Chae-min¡¯s hand again. ¡°¡­Come on, it¡¯s my phone!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make a call right now, aren¡¯t you!¡± ¡°I need to, right?¡± I said, exasperated. ¡°There¡¯s no point in us talking about this when we don¡¯t know why he called.¡± ¡°But we should at least discuss what we¡¯re going to do!¡± ¡°So¡­.¡± I recalled the conversation I had with Hong Seok-young when I visited the hospital a few days ago. The hospital is in Seoul, and I don¡¯t have a license. I don¡¯t even have a car. Visiting Hong Seok-young requires help from Daseon or Kim Chae-min, so that visit was probably myst. Besides, it was hard to leave the kids for long. While Kim Chae-min was putting on a show with artificial tears at the hospital entrance. Hong Seok-young had said to me: ¡®I think if Ark makes a move, they¡¯lle to you.¡¯ ¡®¡­To me?¡¯ ¡®You know, that National Heart¡­.¡¯ ¡®Yes, that.¡¯ What Hong Seok-young said made sense. After all, I had used my connection with the big-shot Hunter, Hong Seok-young, as bait to lure them. Now that I¡¯ve gone to all that trouble, it should pay off. ¡®I heard a bit from Hunter Lee. But is there a specific reason for wearing a mask? Well, it¡¯s fortunate no one recognizes your face, but isn¡¯t it inefficient for running an organization?¡¯ ¡®¡­Faces aren¡¯t important.¡¯ ¡®Not important?¡¯ ¡®Masked individuals are usually monitors. Sometimes, they have to pretend to be regr members to ensure the organization¡¯s protocols are properly followed, so it¡¯s better if their faces aren¡¯t known.¡¯ I had anticipated that telling Lee Mi-seon would lead the information to Hong Seok-young. I exined casually. ¡®And there aren¡¯tpletely no people who know my face. There were separate management roles.¡¯ It was also to prevent members from ratting each other out. Listening to my exnation, Hong Seok-young scoffed as if it was absurd. ¡®Even criminals do such things?¡¯ ¡®¡­Well.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not criticizing you. It¡¯s just that Ark people mimic even the most trivial things.¡¯ Hong Seok-young shook his head and said, ¡®Whether it¡¯s that student from the researchb or someone else, if they contact you, I¡¯ll give you full authority. If you need to leave, inform Teacher Kim or Hunter Lee. Report if you discover anything.¡¯ ¡®Full authority?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re not an inspector, so maybe the term sounds strange. Just understand it roughly.¡¯ Finally, I managed to snatch my phone from Kim Chae-min¡¯s hand. ¡°With these things, you shouldn¡¯t overthink them.¡± Kim Chae-min narrowed her eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t even guess what the matter is about. You just have to trust yourself and go for it.¡± ¡°I know this. Gamblers say things like that all the time.¡± ¡°¡­This is different from that.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°And what if they run off because we made them wait too long? You have to catch the bait when it looks most appetizing.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, are all men like this? You sound just like Teacher Hong.¡± Well, I did grow up under him. I smiled shamelessly and turned on my phone. There was an unfamiliar number in the recent call log. Waving my hand at Kim Chae-min, I dialed the number. Before the ringing even started properly, Number 3 picked up the call. ¡°¡­T-teacher?¡± A trembling voice. Number 3, you¡¯ve gotten much better at acting. ¡°Tae-woo? I heard you called.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! T-teacher! Help, please help me!!¡± * * * Kim Chae-min forcibly suppressed her dissatisfaction. ¡°Tae-woo? Calm down for a moment, okay?¡± Contrary to her soft voice, her face was cold. Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t know Woo Hwijae well. To be precise, she didn¡¯t know what Woo Hwijae had gone through with Ark. He paid delicate attention to the students at the pilot high school, despite his bluntness, but was harsh towards Number 3 from the researchb, who looked like a peer to the kids. She didn¡¯t even know if Kang Tae-woo was his real name, but a name is a name. But Woo Hwijae stubbornly called him Number 3. ¡®Was he the kid who bullied his brother?¡¯ It was only natural to have such suspicions. Though he usually had a sullen face except when teasing the kids, Kim Chae-min couldn¡¯t forget the expression she saw in the basement of the abandoned training center. The eyes that looked at the broken window Hong Seok-young had shattered as if it was detestable. The frantic hands searching the room where the children stayed. The face filled with joy and relief when he found the bundle of papers. ¡®Even if he pretends otherwise, he must have been worried about his brother.¡¯ Of course. Who wouldn¡¯t worry about a brother trapped in such a ce? Especially when you don¡¯t even know where they are now. Thinking that way made her own frustration seem childish. When you can¡¯t even be sure if your brother is alive, other matters naturally take a back seat. If she put herself in his shoes¡­. She would have already raided several Ark bases and strung up those involved. ¡®Ah! Is that why Teacher Hong didn¡¯t take me with him?¡¯ Kim Chae-min regretfully clicked her tongue. ¡°Hmm. Right. But still¡­. No, it¡¯s fine. I said I¡¯d help, didn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Woo Hwijae continued his phone conversation with a serious tone. Though she could have eavesdropped by focusing her senses, she didn¡¯t because it seemed uncool. Kim Chae-min sprouted a small leaf from her fingertip and yed with it between her fingers. When Woo Hwijae¡¯s call didn¡¯t end even after that, she made a rose bloom next. By the time there were enough roses on the parasol table to make a bouquet¡­ ¡°Are you done talking?¡± Woo Hwijae ended the call. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with your expression? Did it not go well?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t listen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t eavesdrop on personal calls.¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly a personal call, you should have listened.¡± Woo Hwijae slowly stroked his chin. ¡°Number 3 told me something interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting?¡± Woo Hwijae smiled with one corner of his mouth lifted, looking like he was genuinely thrilled. ¡°He said he¡¯s awakened.¡± Chapter 62 - (Advertisement) Help Me (2) Chapter 62: (Advertisement) Help Me (2) TL: SHW ¨D Ah, uh, well¡­ I know it¡¯s rude, but you¡¯re the only one I could think of, teacher¡­¡± I thought about it calmly. Without theplex and bothersome setups like a pitiful civil servant from the future or a righteous whistleblower from a pseudo-religious organization. Just an ordinary Hunter¡­ if it¡¯s a D-rank Hunter. If it¡¯s from a teacher¡¯s perspective. If a kind and exemry student who volunteers in something like a Dungeon Break victims¡¯ group came shivering and asking for help, how would one react? If they were a decent adult, they would pity them and try to help, right? ¡°Calm down¡­ and tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± I lowered my voice and spoke slowly. As reassuringly as I could. But even if I didn¡¯t do this, No. 3 would still trust me. Conversely, whatever bullshit No. 3 spouts, I would also pretend to help. Isn¡¯t this the secret to everyone being a winner? ¨D It¡¯s just¡­. After hesitating and struggling for a while, No. 3 finally opened their mouth. ¨D I, uh, awakened¡­. What did this kid just say? Awakened? He said he Awakened, right? ¨D I Awakened, but¡­ everything breaks whenever I grab something¡­ and I hurt my siblings by mistake, so I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­. ¡°Hmm. Right. So¡­.¡± My head was spinning. No. 3¡­ Awakened? Was No. 3 originally supposed to awaken? I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen No. 3 since he graduated from the researchb. I haven¡¯t heard any news either. Twenty years have passed, so my memory might have be distorted. But I clearly remember that No. 3 was a failure. From the beginning, the only one who could be considered a sess in the experiment was me. And even that was only half a sess. ¨D Then I thought of you, teacher¡­. You said you were a Hunter. Uh, ah, is this okay? ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Still, if one has a brain and can think, they wouldn¡¯t try to scam a Hunter by iming they had an Awakening. It would be too far-fetched to assume No. 3 conveniently Awakened now. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter when the Awakening happened. ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll get there as soon as possible.¡± ¨D Uh, really? ¡°I said I¡¯d help, didn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t go back on my word.¡± ¨D Then, uh, I¡¯ll send you the address by text. Thank you so much. I really didn¡¯t know what to do¡­. No. 3 kept babbling nonsensically a few more times. I barely held onto my fraying patience and calmly soothed him. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­. Alright. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Finally. The call ended. I stared intently at my phone. If I handle this well, it could be quite useful. How should I go about it? How¡­. My face feels somehow hot. When I looked up, I met eyes with Kim Chae-min. She had put down the rose she was holding. The table was filled with roses. Kim Chae-min smiled brightly. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with your expression? Did it not go well?¡± I blinked. ¡°You didn¡¯t listen?¡± I thought she would have been listening. Kim Chae-min replied with a nonchnt expression. ¡°I don¡¯t eavesdrop on personal calls.¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly a personal call, you should have listened.¡± Not that I could reprimand her for not eavesdropping. I rubbed my chin and then opened my mouth. ¡°No. 3 told an interesting story.¡± ¡°Interesting story?¡± ¡°He said he Awakened.¡± Kim Chae-min¡¯s hand, which was sorting rose petals, stopped. ¡°¡­Awakened?¡± ¡°The timing is just perfect, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Indeed. Awakening at this timing¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min repeated my words with wide eyes, looking nkly. I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes to snap her out of it. Snap! ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way he just Awakened now. He wouldn¡¯t lie about Awakening to a Hunter, so he must have hidden it from a long time ago.¡± Kim Chae-min held the selected petals in her hands and brought them together. As I watched quietly, wondering what on earth she was doing, she opened her hands with a yful smile. A small mana crystaly in her palm. It was a soft, light green vine, coiled like a snake, as delicate as a new sprout on a warm spring day. Kim Chae-min carefully stroked the leaf with her fingertip. ¡°But isn¡¯t it illegal not to register as an awakened person?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not illegal if no one knows they¡¯ve awakened.¡± ¡°Oh. Hmm. Right. I guess that makes sense.¡± Mana crystallization seems simple but is a high-level skill. It is one of the criteria used to judge the abilities of mages. Really¡­ if you have nothing to do, gofort the kids who care so much about such things. It¡¯s not iprehensible that Kim Chae-min is doing this. Isn¡¯t she an Archmage who got lured by runes and is now providing herbor for free at a rural school without proper buildings? Kim Chae-min, who initially said she could only teach basic mana maniption, now seemed quite genuine about teaching the kids. This is why you never know how life will turn out. Meanwhile, the runes Kim Chae-min was after are something she¡¯s now learning on her own by looking at the notes I prepared for the sses. Since I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d teach her, there¡¯s no need to feel guilty. It was Hong Seok-young who dragged Kim Chae-min into this¡­ den of evil. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min sped her hands again. The mana crystal crumbled. The transparent powder sparkled as it scattered and disappeared into the air. Rying the contents of the call was quickly done. Most of it was just soothing No. 3, and the conclusion was simple. He awakened and I¡¯m going to visit. Ding! Just in time, my phone rang once. No. 3 sent the address. It started in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, and ended at an orphanage. I opened the map to check the exact location. It was oddly close. I wondered if he had even changed his residence, but¡­ didn¡¯t he volunteer at lectures for the National New Heart and Spirit Association in Suwon? This must be a real coincidence. It was fortunate for No. 3 or whoever gave No. 3 the instructions. ¡°I have to go here?¡± Kim Chae-min asked, peeking at my phone screen. ¡°But Teacher Woo, you don¡¯t have a driver¡¯s license, right? How are you going to get there?¡± I looked at Kim Chae-min, conveying my thoughts on why she was even asking such a thing. Luckily, my thoughts seemed to get across as Kim Chae-min furrowed her brows. ¡°You want me to give you a ride, right?¡± I smiled without saying a word. ¡°Ask the Daseon Hunters for a ride!¡± ¡°It would be much more effective if Teacher Kim drove me. It¡¯s to show that the connection is strong enough for an Archmage to personally escort me. It¡¯s fine for Teacher Hong since he¡¯s the employer, but we need to show off the connection to an Archmage.¡± I looked at Kim Chae-min¡¯s sports car parked in the corner of the yground. ¡°However, it¡¯s not appropriate to visit a colleague in the hospital with that color. Let¡¯s just borrow a car from the Daseon Hunters.¡± ¡°Really!¡± But suddenly, Kim Chae-min fell silent. ¡­Honestly, I thought she would grumble a bit more. Puzzled, I looked at Kim Chae-min, who stood there with a nk expression and mouth slightly open. ¡°Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°I have a great idea.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Chae-min¡¯s eyes sparkled with a somewhat unsettling gleam. ¡°No. 3, oh, I hate calling him that. You said it was Kang Tae-woo, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s his real name, though.¡± ¡°Kang Tae-woo, he Awakened, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when he Awakened, though.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set aside that minor detail. Anyway, Tae-woo asked for help because he¡¯s having trouble controlling his power, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right?¡± I was pondering whether I should register him as an Awakened. There¡¯s nothing particrly special about controlling power after awakening. Usually, people instinctively master it within 24 hours of Awakening. However, I couldn¡¯t shake off my uneasy feelings and kept watching Kim Chae-min. One thing I learned while living with the old man is that whether someone is normally like that or not, if their voice suddenly gets louder, you should never listen to their opinion. This is all advice born from life experience. ¡°Then let¡¯s enroll Kang Tae-woo at the pilot high school!¡± See? I told you, never listen. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Why not! He just Awakened, so he meets the criteria perfectly!¡± ¡°What criteria?!¡± ¡°The enrollment criteria!!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± Kim Chae-min was huffing and breathing heavily. I held my head. Kim Chae-min opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not happening.¡± I spoke even quicker. Behind her, I saw the container. A drab gray container covered in graffiti painted by the kids with paint and markers. Inside, there were eight students. No, including Yoo Ji-eun, nine. Children who worried about the principal and wanted to be decent Hunters in the future. ¡°Do you know why I separated Yoo Ji-eun from the Ark?¡± ¡°Teacher Woo¡­.¡± ¡°When I said the easiest way for me to ess the Ark was by using Yoo Ji-eun, didn¡¯t you oppose it too, Teacher Kim? Saying it was dangerous.¡± For the same reason, I didn¡¯t even consider trying. The agency wasn¡¯t so short-staffed that they would involve minors in such things. Well, the agency doesn¡¯t even exist anymore¡­. My humanity isn¡¯t that bad. ¡°And now you¡¯re suggesting we bring an Ark member into the school? No. Absolutely not. Are you crazy? What if No. 3 does something?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the most certain method.¡± Kim Chae-min insisted stubbornly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Kang Tae-woo with your younger brother at that training center? Or was it the researchb?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If we catch Tae-woo and investigate him¡­ we might find a clue about the kids in that researchb.¡± Kim Chae-min added that although she wasn¡¯t keen on involving a child, she understood the importance of the situation. ¡°We don¡¯t know where those kids are or how they¡¯re living now. Hunter Lee is investigating mainly orphanages, children¡¯s hospitals, and support groups connected to the National New Heart and Spirit Association, but we don¡¯t know how long it will take. There¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯ll even find them.¡± At this point, I realized. ¡°So to bring in a kid with any connection, this is the best way. It¡¯s simple. It¡¯s fast.¡± I had trapped myself. The moment I mentioned my younger brother at that researchb, the moment I started speaking of my motivation being to save my brother. When the word ¡®brother¡¯es up, I can¡¯t refuse. I¡¯vee this far for my brother, and now I¡¯m going to be picky about the means? It doesn¡¯t make sense. ¡°And if he was in the researchb too¡­ if he was called No. 3, he was an experimental subject, right? His parents might be looking for him. We should take him to his parents.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°No. 3 was born in the researchb. He is the child of a researcher there. He has been part of the Ark since birth.¡± ¡°You mean, they used their own child?¡± I nodded. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. I have no grounds to refuse Kim Chae-min¡¯s argument. I knew I would lose, but I pulled out myst resort. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s ask Teacher Hong.¡± Hong Seok-young, whoined about being bored to death while killing time in the hospital, answered the phone immediately. ¨D Huh? No. 3? He contacted you? Didn¡¯t I say you handle it? ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± The exnation was short and clear. ¨D What? Enroll him? Hong Seok-young burst outughing. Damn it, I knew he would react this way. ¨D That sounds fun! Sure, it¡¯s not about the timing for enrollment season, so he¡¯d be a transfer student. Hahaha, a transfer student. This is starting to feel more like a real school! If he wanted it to feel like a real school, having two dropouts should have been enough. Listening to Hong Seok-young¡¯sughter, I epted my fate. Chapter 63 - (Advertisement) Help Me (3) Chapter 63: (Advertisement) Help Me (3) TL: SHW ¡°Attention.¡± The admission of No. 3 was decided without my intention or the other party¡¯s consent. I don¡¯t think No. 3 will refuse my offer. If No. 3 attends the pilot high school, at least they can at least immediately track Hong Seok-young¡¯s location. Whether he¡¯s at school, entered a dungeon, or disappeared without revealing his whereabouts. Since Hong Seok-young has attacked Ark several times, even that level of information can¡¯t be missed by Ark. ¡­But I still don¡¯t like it. At my word, everyone stops what they¡¯re doing and looks up at me. Several desks are pushed together, and the kids are gathered around them. The dungeon information I gave them in the morning is scattered on the desks. Han Eun-young is at the center of it all. The notebook spread out in front of Han Eun-young is filled with lines like doodles. She has been calcting the dungeon entry route. For the first time, I gave them a task involving a dungeon where monsters other than pixies appear. I handed out the dungeon exploration reports prepared over the past few days and told them to discuss and create a dungeon raid strategy together. Surprisingly, Han Eun-young is standing out in the dungeon raid strategy ss. So it¡¯s not strange that she is taking the lead. Until today, Han Eun-young has collected a whopping three praise stickers. Oh Hyun-wook barely got one, and the rest were wiped out. Han Eun-young¡¯sbat skills, no matter how highly I rate them¡­ she gives the impression of being an exemry student who does well when instructed. Rather than forcing her to do things that don¡¯t suit her, it¡¯s better to encourage what she¡¯s good at. Of course, there are talented individuals who are good at both fighting and raiding. Like that little Yoo Ji-eun, sticking close to her older sister over there. Since Yoo Ji-eun was at school, I had her join the ss as well. Anyway, Yoo Ji-eun had nothing to do, and it was to give Yoo Hye-eun something to do. Yoo Hye-eun is learning dungeon raid methods she will rarely use in the future, but if she teaches her younger sister, at least she won¡¯t be bored. It would be good if Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s talent blossomed early by luck. Anyway, she¡¯ll enter the pilot high school next year¡­ ¡°Teacher?¡± It¡¯s a bad habit to get lost in thought with people in front of me. I cleared my throat briefly and adjusted my voice. ¡°Finish writing the raid strategy guide by this week.¡± Dealing with No. 3 might take a lot of time. If I had done it before, I could at least guess, but I have no clue. ¡°Today, Teacher Kim and I will leave first. The other hunters will help send you home when it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able toe tomorrow¡­ anyway, do what I told you well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The kids stopped what they were doing at my words. ¡°¡­¡­? Why?¡± Thud. Roll¡­ The pencil Park Seo-hyun dropped rolled across the ssroom floor to my feet. ¡°By, by any chance¡­¡± Park Seo-hyun¡¯s shoulders trembled. Because of that, the hair she had swept back fell forward, covering her eyes. Ah, please. No matter how sensitive their age is, there¡¯s a limit. At least act logically so I can understand. ¡°Pr, pr, pr, pr¡­¡± ¡°Pr? Principal?¡± ¡°Co, condition¡­¡± Do they think something happened to Hong Seok-young because I said I¡¯m leaving early? Well, even when the news broke that Hong Seok-young was hospitalized, I left first with Kim Chae-min. But back then, Kim Chae-min herself looked serious, didn¡¯t she? I feel wronged somehow. ¡°The principal is fine. I¡¯m leaving for personal reasons, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Personal reasons? Your personal reasons, teacher?¡± Oh Hyun-wook asked, scrunching up his face. ¡°So? Got a problem with that?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the teacher¡¯s personal matter, why is Teacher Kim going with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh Hyun-wook asked a rather sharp question. I don¡¯t answer questions that put me at a disadvantage. I ignored it. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± I didn¡¯t give the kids time to ask more questions. The more I answer, the more I get caught up, making it impossible to escape. I¡¯ve seen many poor souls trapped in such a predicament during hearings. So I hurried to wrap it up. ¡°I¡¯ll check the raid guide you wrote as soon as I get back. Don¡¯t take it lightly.¡± ¡°But you said to do it by this week?¡± ¡°There are always unexpected things in dungeon raids.¡± ¡°You always use that excuse!¡± While Han Eun-young protested with a frustrated face, Yoo Ji-eun, who met my eyes, grinned and asked, ¡°Teacher, can Ie out every day this week too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I sighed. I wondered if I¡¯d get gray hair soon at this rate. ¡°Do as you like.¡± Hearing my half-hearted permission, Yoo Ji-eun jumped up and down. How did my life turn out like this? It¡¯s all¡­ It¡¯s¡­ There are too many people to me. It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s all because of the old man. Such resentment probably wouldn¡¯t weigh much on the strongest hunter anyway. * * * The orphanage where No. 3 was located was quiterge. The cute drawings on the walls seemed to have been painted recently, as they boasted vivid colors. The yground with colorful slides was well-maintained, and a few young children were ying on the field. The building itself was clean. I¡¯ve already sent the address here to Lee Mi-seon and gave a rough exnation, so she¡¯ll investigate soon. I now understood why the old man kept Lee Mi-seon close. If you ask her to do something, she takes care of it on her own, and she never says she can¡¯t do it, making her incredibly convenient. To think I only realized this now. I should have known sooner. ¡°Student Tae-woo?¡± I called out the name of a child lingering near the front gate as I rolled down the window. No. 3¡¯s face lit up as soon as he saw me. ¡°Teacher!¡± I¡¯ve thought about it, but No. 3 should have be an actor. If he had acted, he would have be a genius actor known not just in Korea but worldwide. Did no one at the researchb notice No. 3¡¯s talent? They¡¯re really useless. No. 3 quickly ran over. As he approached, I noticed him scanning the driver¡¯s seat. Knowing No. 3¡¯s true identity from the start, the suspicious behavior was visible, but if I hadn¡¯t known, it was so natural that I would have beenpletely fooled. If it was obvious to me, it would be even more so to others. I wondered if he recognized Kim Chae-min. He must have. Kim Chae-min was a famous figure. Even if he hadn¡¯t known before, he couldn¡¯t have missed her face on the news every day for the past week. No. 3¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and then returned to normal. I slowly got out of the car. I had already told Kim Chae-min not to interfere unnecessarily. Being too proactive would be strange¡­ How should I start the conversation? It¡¯s difficult to approach because there¡¯s another agenda. Hong Seok-youngughed nonchntly, saying it would work out if I moved as I felt, but how easy is that? For now, let¡¯s see how No. 3 responds. ¡°I, um, I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± See, he should have be an actor. ¡°I said it¡¯s okay. You must have been very startled¡­ Is it still hard to control?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than the first time, but¡­¡± No. 3 hesitated. ¡°Your body usually gets used to it after a day or so.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ But idents are most likely to happen during this time. There¡¯s no harm in being careful. You have younger siblings, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ There are many young children at the orphanage.¡± I looked towards the orphanage. If a stranger speaks with any children, someone is likely toe out. ¡°You y with your siblings? You¡¯re kind.¡± Putting aside my personal feelings, as the oldest experimental subject in theb, No. 3 did a good job looking after the kids. He had been in theb for a long time, after all. Having a kid like him in the orphanage must be convenient for the adults. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any other teachers around?¡± ¡°Ah, they¡¯re inside.¡± ¡°Really? Is the director here?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ why?¡± ¡°We need to register you as awakened. You can go with another teacher, but it¡¯s easier with an active Hunter.¡± Hunter licenses are handled at city and provincial offices. Awakened registrations can be done at district offices. There¡¯s nothing I can do about the Hunter license since it¡¯s regted by internationalw, but if the awakening is guaranteed, we can simplify the bothersome certification process for the registration. After I finished the exnation briefly, No. 3 nodded as if he just learned something new. ¡°Wait a moment! I¡¯ll go get the teacher!¡± No. 3 hesitated for a moment, then ran towards the orphanage. Watching him stumble as he ran, I suddenly wondered if he really had just awakened. His awkward walking and running, unable to control his speed, was exactly like those who had just awakened. Was he even mimicking that? Hmm. ¡°Is that student Tae-woo? He looks so kind.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled.¡± ¡°Aw, why are you so harsh on a kid? Did he do something bad to you?¡± ¡­Technically, I¡¯m the one who stirred him up. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Kim Chae-min lightly hummed and shook her head side to side. ¡°But still, wouldn¡¯t it be good to check just in case?¡± ¡°Check?¡± ¡°Whether Tae-woo really awakened or not.¡± ¡°You can tell by looking.¡± ¡°By looking? How?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I started to answer Kim Chae-min absentmindedly, then closed my mouth. Come to think of it, that¡¯s true. When I saw him at the meeting of the National New Heart and Spirit Association, he definitely hadn¡¯t awakened. If he had, there¡¯s no way I would have missed it. If I missed something so obvious, I might as well gouge out my eyes. But just now¡­ he seemed awakened. What is this? Did he really luckily awaken at this timing? That¡¯s too ridiculous a coincidence. Although life is like that, there¡¯s a limit. ¡°Teacher Woo? I told you not to get lost in thoughts in front of people!¡± Or did Ark seed in their research? Did they seed in artificial awakening? So¡­ they disbanded the River of Promiseb? No, although a lot has changed since I saved the kids in Myeong-dong, it shouldn¡¯t be to that extent. I hope it¡¯s not. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll know when I see him. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can checkter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t believe you, but¡­.¡± ¡°No. We should definitely check these things.¡± I twisted my lips as I watched No. 3 walking back with an elderly female teacher. * * * At the same time. Somewhere in South Korea. Gangmul Orphanage. A boy was crouching under the shade of a tree, avoiding the early summer sunlight. The boy in shorts picked up a fallen twig and doodled on the ground. He drew meaningless lines and erased them with his foot several times. With a serious face, the boy wrote something on the ground. ¡°¡­! ¡­Hey!¡± At that moment, he heard a voice calling him from afar. He couldn¡¯t quite catch what was being said. The boy looked up and checked therge clock at the entrance of the orphanage. It was obvious why he was being called. The boy dusted off his knees and stood up. He turned towards the building but then stopped and looked back at the ground, as if he had remembered something. There were letters written with the twig earlier. The handwriting was neat, surprisingly so for a young child. A three character name that could belong to anyone. Woo Hwi-jae. And below that¡­. Scrape. Scrape. The boy smudged the writing with his foot. The sand quickly covered the letters. Then, without looking back, the boy ran. Chapter 64 - Transfer Procedures (1) Chapter 64: Transfer Procedures (1) TL: SHW Screeeeech!! A ck SUV was speeding down the road. The person gripping the steering wheel was a woman with her hair tied up in a ponytail. The man sitting in the passenger seat held onto the interior handle tightly and shouted at the woman. ¡°Just hit it!!¡± ¡°I know!!!¡± The male student sitting in the back seat was clutching his seatbelt and muttering something. ¡°¡­I promise to live a good life from now on. I¡¯ll take good care of my younger siblings too.¡± Bang! Thud thud thud!!! ¡°If I can just get out of here alive¡­.¡± Bang! ¡°I¡¯m only seventeen, and I honestly have a lot of life left to live.¡± ¡°Stop saying such ominous things!¡± ¡°Is it because I presumptuously said I wanted to be a Hunter? But doesn¡¯t everyone who awakens want to be a Hunter? How is that wrong¡­¡± ¡°Teacher Kim! In front!!¡± ¡°Whoa! That won¡¯t work! You know it won¡¯t, right?!¡± A giant crocodile was upying half of the road. The man nced back. A swarm of lizards that looked like miniature versions of that crocodile was fiercely pursuing them. ¡°Just, drive over it!¡± The man lifted his leg and kicked at the front window. The already half-broken window shattered easily with the repeated impacts. The man swiftly changed his position and climbed out through the window. ¡®Damn. I should¡¯ve brought Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword.¡¯ But it¡¯s not like he could conjure up something that wasn¡¯t there. He¡¯ll have to make do with what¡¯s avable. He kicked off the bo and moved nimbly. The man grabbed a vine tightly. As it¡¯s the essence of an Archmage¡¯s mana, it won¡¯t easily break even if it¡¯s just oneyer. Didn¡¯t Hong Seok-young also use this as a foothold? He threw the vine over a streetlight. After confirming the vine was secure, he used the rebound. He stepped on the head of a lizard baring its sharp teeth, then jumped up again. Using the building wall to climb up, he changed the direction of his body. After wrapping the vine around the neck of the smander that had raised its body to chase the pesky human, he mounted its back, pulling the vine as if it were reins. A brief opening was created. The tattered SUV with the broken front window passed through the gap. The man let go of the vine without hesitation and threw himself towards the car. Screeech! The car wobbled momentarily from the impact but soon regained its bnce. The man returned to the passenger seat through the broken front window he had shattered. ¡°That was cool.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier if Teacher Kim had used magic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m driving, you know.¡± ¡°I could have done it.¡± ¡°Where do you think someone without a license is going?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll really live a good life from now on.¡± The man and woman nced at the back seat. The man slightly raised his eyebrows and then straightened his posture. The yful banter between them ceased. Baby smanders, somewhere between lizards and crocodiles in appearance, were being thrown off the car as they were hit. The poison the smanders spewed was pooling on the road. The man nced at the ckened, poisoned corpses before looking up. There were still many survivors in the buildings. Since the smanders weren¡¯t particrly interested in hunting humans, as long as they didn¡¯te down, they would be fine. The woman quietly drove the car. ¡°Hey. Student Tae-woo.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The student, who had been praying with his eyes closed, answered. ¡°Which direction is the orphanage from here?¡± ¡°Oh, take a right up ahead¡­.¡± Listening half-heartedly to the directions, the man leaned back against the seat. At this point, only one thought crossed his mind. ¡®How did ite to this?¡¯ * * * Two hours earlier. ¡°How to adapt? Honestly, breaking a lot of stuff is the fastest way.¡± The registration for the Awakened at the district office waspleted quickly. I thought they might use a more old-fashioned method since it was a while back, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Come to think of it, it¡¯s not much different from the time I registered as an Awakened. Ah. Then there¡¯s also that. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I approached the public servant helping with No. 3¡¯s registration. ¡°Do you have that thing?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You know, the thing Awakened people use right after they Awaken¡­ The thing that looks like a toy.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the Awakened Training Aid Kit? Generally, the body adapts within a day, so you don¡¯t really need to use it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but he has younger siblings at home.¡± No. 3 smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m worried that if I¡¯m not careful, my siblings might get hurt¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, in that case, it¡¯s better to have it. Just a moment. Not many people ask for it, so¡­.¡± The public servant rummaged around for a while before handing over a crude white box. Ignoring the umted dust, I epted it and left the district office. After reuniting with Kim Chae-min waiting in the parking lot, I handed the box to No. 3. Kim Chae-min discreetly poked my side, making sure No. 3 didn¡¯t see. This woman, seriously. There¡¯s no way you can just tell someone to transfer to a prestigious school without any buildup. Timing is everything with this sort of thing. I¡¯ll handle it. ¡°Can I open this?¡± No. 3 looked much calmer. Before I could answer, he opened the box. There¡¯s nothing spectacr inside. Just a cluster of transparent beads the size of rice grains. No other packaging, no manual. It¡¯s only natural for No. 3 to look puzzled and turn to me. ¡°What¡­ is this, teacher?¡± ¡°How should I put it¡­ It¡¯s a special kind of thing for the Awakened¡­ You know, like the toy kids y with, slime. But it has another name¡­.¡± ¡°Liquid monster?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it.¡± The name was changed after peopleined about naming a kid¡¯s toy after an acidic monster that eats people. Honestly, isn¡¯t slime and liquid monster the same? I don¡¯t really get it¡­. Anyway, it¡¯s much more expensive than those children¡¯s toys. ¡°Try squeezing it. You¡¯ll understand.¡± No. 3 carefully took the liquid monster out of the box. It¡¯s not exactly a liquid monster. Passth. ¡°Oh!¡± No. 3 looked at me in surprise. The beads fell back into the box. I chuckled. ¡°Pick them up again.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s a liquid monster for the Awakened. If you squeeze them, they¡¯ll stick together again.¡± No. 3 skeptically did as I said. This kid doesn¡¯t trust people. He believed the researchers when they said they made meju from red beans. Still, as I¡¯ve gotten older, I started to understand No. 3¡¯s thoughts more. In the past, I just found him annoying. He¡¯s skeptical, but he follows orders. No. 3 slightly furrowed his brows as he picked up the beads from the box and held them in his hand. ¡°Are they sticking together again?¡± I used to y with that for quite a while. It wasn¡¯t fun, but it was good to keep my hands busy. ¡°Yes¡­. Is that why it¡¯s called a liquid monster?¡± ¡°You need at least the strength of an Awakened for the beads to scatter. As long as the mana stored in the beadssts, they¡¯ll stick together when squeezed. If you can squeeze them without the beads scattering, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of interesting stuff.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s something strange, there¡¯s usually a reason for it.¡± It¡¯s like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted, but it¡¯s better than not fixing it. Especially when there are many horses to raise. There are more than just a few Awakened in Korea. Even if they adapt quickly, idents do happen. If something that looks as silly as that liquid monster can prevent them, it¡¯s a good deal. Kim Chae-min started the car. We were going to return No. 3 to the orphanage after his registration as an Awakened. I nced at No. 3 in the back seat, repeatedly breaking and reassembling the beads. He was adapting quickly. ¡°So.¡± I started the conversation casually. ¡°What are you nning to do from now on?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± No. 3 lifted his head and looked at me. ¡°You¡¯ve Awakened. Usually, when someone your age Awakens, they say they¡¯ll be a Hunter.¡± ¡°Did you too, Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± How dare he lump me in with those idiots. ¡°I awakened when I was much younger. I didn¡¯t want to be a Hunter either.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­.¡± Creak. The steering wheel in Kim Chae-min¡¯s hands started making an ominous noise. She red at me with a wide smile, her eyes not smiling at all. ¡°How did someone like that¡­ end up bing a Hunter?¡± ¡­Ah. I¡¯m a Hunter now, aren¡¯t I? ¡°Life¡¯s just like that, isn¡¯t it? Surprisingly, being a Hunter isn¡¯t so bad once you start.¡± I looked back at No. 3. ¡°If you ever think about bing a Hunter, let me know. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± I paused for a moment. Did Oh Hyun-wook or Seo Han-seong go through something like this? No, but the guy who approached them was a scammer. I¡¯m not a scammer. ¡°Remember I mentioned Pilot High School? Not sure if you¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°¡­You mean the Hunter Training Pilot High School.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not exactly a proper school, but Principal Hong will handle that. Ah, the principal¡ªhe¡¯s been on the news a lottely¡­.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo! You shouldn¡¯t mention that!¡± ¡°But he¡¯s getting discharged soon anyway.¡± ¡°Still!¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not a weird ce. If you want to be a Hunter, contact me. It¡¯s much better than joining some shady guild. Kids your age¡­ how old are you again?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m seventeen¡­ I think.¡± He¡¯s a year younger than the other kids, but a year doesn¡¯t make much difference. ¡°Let¡¯s see, I should give you my business card at this point, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you some office worker? What¡¯s with the business card¡­.¡± ¡°You know my number, so call me if you have any questions.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± No. 3 politely bowed. Since I also mentioned that Hong Seok-young would be discharged soon, how long will it take until he calls me again? I bet he¡¯ll use his siblings as an excuse. ¡®I need to earn money. I have a lot of siblings to take care of.¡¯ There¡¯s a reason people often use that excuse. It works well. ¡­If No. 3 is really stepping up for his siblings, I¡¯d be willing to help. ¡°Huh?¡± While Kim Chae-min was talking to No. 3 about the Pilot High kids, she tilted her head. Her voice was enough to make anyone uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ something seems a bit strange. The people.¡± ¡°People?¡± I looked outside. People were all running in one direction. As I slightly opened the window, screams began to reach my ears. ¡°Kyah!!!¡± ¡°Run! Run!!¡± The road was blocked. The screams grew closer, and people¡¯s expressions became more urgent. Kim Chae-min turned the car into an alley. It¡¯s obvious what¡¯s happening. Kim Chae-min turned the car towards the direction the people were running from¡­. ¡°Teacher Kim.¡± I stopped her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the orphanage first. It¡¯s nearby, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right. Yes. Let¡¯s check there first.¡± ¡°Student Kang Tae-woo?¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°Just in case, put on your seatbelt¡­.¡± Weeeeee. The siren red for a long time. Though there was no other announcement, the siren ring for almost ten seconds before abruptly stopping could only mean one thing. Dungeon Break. ¡°Uh, uh, Teacher, what is that over there?!¡± It quickly became clear what the people were running from. . Reddish-brown scaled lizards were crawling all over the ground. Each time the lizards dragged their bellies across the ground, they left a sticky trail of bodily fluids. Smanders. Fire-loving lizards. Their bodily fluids were toxic. They didn¡¯t primarily feed on humans, but they were not the type of monsters to leave humans hanging around their vicinity unharmed. Moreover, smander poison was dangerous. Even a slight touch could take down anyone who isn¡¯t particrly strong Hunter. If it were just Kim Chae-min and me, we might manage¡­ but No. 3 was with us in the back. The number of lizards was steadily increasing. Was there a smander dungeon in the city? How would I know! I was in the researchb at this time! ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The smanders noticed us. I shouted to Kim Chae-min. ¡°Drive over it!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°This is a Daseon car. It can withstand some impact! So just drive over it!!!¡± ¡°Ah, okay! Okay!!¡± Kim Chae-min quickly did the math. She sped up without hesitation. And here, we return to the present. We temporarily cleared the giant smander blocking the road and raced down the street without hindrance. Fortunately, No. 3 calmly gave directions despite the corpses on the street. It seemed his muttered prayers had helped him maintain someposure. ¡°Turn left up ahead!¡± Screeech! As soon as Kim Chae-min stopped the car roughly, she got out and ced her hands on the ground. Sharp thorny vines began to grow. No roses this time. ¡°This should hold them off for now¡­. Usually, there would be a broadcast by now. Why isn¡¯t there one?¡± ¡°Maybe we didn¡¯t hear it. What about your phone?¡± ¡°There is¡­ one text message.¡± It mentioned a Dungeon Break in Suwon and advised people nearby to evacuate. Shouldn¡¯t they at least inform us what kind of monsters came out and how to evacuate? And tell us not toe down to the first floor? ¡°Do you think that big one we saw on the street was the boss?¡± ¡°Not sure¡­. It seemed a bit small for a dungeon boss.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°At least there wasn¡¯t a fire. If the smanders had set fire to things¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such horrible things.¡± Kim Chae-min shuddered. I passed Kim Chae-min and headed towards the orphanage entrance. Now that¡¯s a reliable Hunter. Enough to readily entrust a child who¡¯s about to leave the orphanage¡­ ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I looked at the orphanage. This is. Hmm. Strange. Why is there a smell of blooding from there? Chapter 65 - Transfer Procedures (2) Chapter 65: Transfer Procedures (2) TL: SHW My role at the Ability Management Agency primarily involved raid support. I draft raid guides, ensure there are no issues with support supplies, and provide basic training to new Hunters¡­ I don¡¯t usually enter dungeons. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve never been inside one. I entered during my licensing process, and even after that, the old man dragged me into dungeons saying I needed to gain practical experience. Additionally, even after joining the agency, I was pulled into dungeons a few more times under the excuse of a manpower shortage. I also had instances where I assisted Yoo Ji-eun in raids. Yoo Ji-eun even asked me to join her team. All of that are just memories now. Anyway, when you raid dungeons, there are a few things you naturally get used to. Like the sticky taste of potions in your mouth, or the weight of mana pressing down on your body every time you pass through a gate. Moreover, there are a few things you learn. What it sounds like when a monster chews on human bones. That a human body, or a Hunter¡¯s body, is tougher than it looks and doesn¡¯t die easily even if all its bones are broken. Or what human blood smells like. I checked the floor. As expected, there were no traces of a smander¡¯s fluids. It hadn¡¯t been long since the dungeon broke. The number of smanders increased as I got here. Since Kim Chae-min blocked them, they shouldn¡¯t be swarming in this direction, but you never know. ¡­I can think about thatter. I looked back at the orphanage. The smanders around here are following us. Given the speed they are multiplying, this ce would have been taken over soon anyway. Hmm. In any case, this area should be safe from smanders. At least at this point, the children should have been safe. There was enough time to evacuate. Even if they hadn¡¯t managed to evacuate, they would be safe as long as they were on the upper floors. So why does it smell like blood? ¡°Teacher Kim. Stay here with student Tae-woo.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t argue with me. Kim Chae-min noticed it too. Even if the smanders attacked the orphanage, the smell of blood is unusual. Smanders don¡¯t eat humans. If you get poisoned by a smander, your flesh melts, you don¡¯t bleed profusely. I passed through the orphanage¡¯s front gate. From the outside, it looks quiet. There¡¯s no sign of life. If it weren¡¯t for the pungent stench of blood hitting my nose, I would think everyone had evacuated safely. Slowly, I followed the smell of blood. I entered the orphanage building. No one was there. I passed the first floor and went up to the second. Still, no one. I went further up. From the second floor to the third. And from the third¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± On the third floor staircase, I found the first corpse. A man with his eyes wide open. His throat was torn out in one go. But that kind of wound wouldn¡¯t cause instant death. He bled to death. Was there something other than the smanders? The trail of blood continued. Blood soaked the stairs and hallways. The bodies of teachers and volunteers who were probably working at the orphanage were scattered intermittently. Each of them had parts of their bodies torn off. It seemed like the work of some unidentified monster, but there was something off. The bodies didn¡¯t show signs of trying to escape. They didn¡¯t resist. As if¡­ ¡°Hmm.¡± I checked each room. It didn¡¯t seem like there were any survivors, but you never know. I hadn¡¯t found any children¡¯s bodies yet. ¡­Of course, it was just a vain hope. In the end, I finally found them. The children were gathered in a small room. Were they hiding from the Smanders? Or from the unidentified thing that killed the teachers? I gritted my teeth and turned back because I couldn¡¯t bear to look any longer. This was evidence. If I clumsily touched it, the culprit might not be caught. Whether it was a monster or not. Retracing my steps past the bodies I had found, I exited the orphanage. Seeing the stiff look on my face, Kim Chae-min¡¯s face turned pale. Without saying a word, I got into the car. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­Um, what about my siblings?¡± ¡°Later. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me now?¡± No. 3 might have sensed something. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked so desperately. ¡°Please. Tell me. What about my siblings? The teachers? Why? They¡¯re okay, right?!¡± Is this an act? Is he genuinely choking up, making those gasping sounds? Although he was the older brother I couldn¡¯t stand in theb, many children followed No. 3. He took good care of those kids,forting those who cried for their mothers, and putting to sleep those who tossed and turned from nightmares. Often, he helped the younger kids eat, resulting in him being thest to eat himself. He wasn¡¯t a bad kid. He was a model student. In many ways. Maybe he truly bonded with the siblings he met at the orphanage. ¡°They¡¯re my siblings!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But hearing his desperate cry¡­ For a moment, I had such a thought. Since the orphanage turned out like this, the connection between No. 3 and the Ark would be somewhat loose. If I took him under the pretext of protection and enrolled him in the pilot high school¡­ I could monitor No. 3 and identify any contacts from the Ark more easily. I recalled the dead teachers and children inside the orphanage. Among them, there would be innocent people unrted to the Ark. ¡­No matter how I justify it, it felt too trashy. ¡®Hwijae, do you understand?¡¯ The old man didn¡¯t raise me like this. ¡®I know what you saw in there. But¡­ Hwijae. Didn¡¯t you say you hated thatb director?¡¯ ¡®¡­Yes. I hate him.¡¯ ¡®What you did was exactly the same as what that director you hate did. Do you want to be just like thatb director?¡¯ ¡®No! ¡­No. I don¡¯t want to be the same.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a much better person than that piece of shit. You can be a much greater person.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®You be a better person than that bastard andugh at him to show him.¡¯ What would the old man have done? ¡®I believe in you, Hwijae.¡¯ He would have sincerely pitied No. 3 and tried hard to help. He might have promised to uncover the truth. I¡¯m different from the old man. I couldn¡¯tfort No. 3 like the old man would, and frankly, I didn¡¯t feel like it. Still. The old man taught me that I must. So¡­ So. ¡°Teacher Woo?¡± I banged my head against the window. Thankfully, I only shattered the front ss. Only after feeling that coldness did I regain myposure. Alright. Don¡¯t forget the old man¡¯s words. ¡®I believe in you, Hwijae.¡¯ I¡¯ve always lived up to that belief. I won¡¯t give up now. * * * ¡°Everyone¡¯s dead.¡± Lee Mi-seon plopped onto the sofa and gulped down some cold water. After emptying an entire bottle of expensive mineral water in one go, Lee Mi-seon wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. While she drank, a Hunter from Daseon connected the TV andptop. ¡°It¡¯s all done, Master.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Go out for a while while the adults talk.¡± The young man, who looked like a college student if not a Hunter, smiled awkwardly and left the room. ¡­Wasn¡¯t he the one who used to make coffee at the pilot school? I remember him making non-alcoholic cocktails too. Well, as long as he¡¯s satisfied, I guess it¡¯s fine. Daseon probably pays well too. Lee Mi-seon started manipting theptop while speaking. ¡°From the street CCTVs to car ck boxes. There wasn¡¯t much to salvage from the orphanage¡¯s internal CCTVs.¡± The oversized VIP room TV flickered before disying a poor-quality CCTV footage. ¡°It¡¯s this person.¡± I stared at the screen. Despite the hot weather, the person is wearing thick clothes that cover their entire body. A ck hoodie and cargo pants with pockets. A slender frame. But due to the baggy clothes that don¡¯t reveal any body curves, it¡¯s impossible to tell if it¡¯s a man or a woman. Moreover, thanks to wearing a cap and pulling the hood of the top over it, even the face isn¡¯t visible. ¡°Height¡­ about 165 cm.¡± ¡°The face? Anything on that?¡± Hong Seok-young asked sharply. ¡°Nothing captured. This was zoomed in from a distance.¡± The video started ying. Red hair fluttered under the cap. The steps were light and almost weightless. The corners of the mouth that can be glimpsed are turned up. Smiling. Kim Chae-min tilted his head. ¡°A woman¡­? A man, maybe. Anyway, they did this? With what?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon pressed a key. The screen changed. The light footsteps continued. The hand that was in the pocketes out and moves. Creeeeak. There was no audio in the CCTV footage, but you can hear it. A line appeared on the car following the movement of a finger. As if torn by a sharp w. Like the throats of the people dead in the orphanage. The figure paused, seemingly admiring their work, and looked at the car. They tilted their head. Then, yfully, they spread both hands. For a while, both hands moved as if conducting an orchestra. Then they suddenly stopped. The figure sped their hands together. Slowly, the car crumpled. It crumpled and crumpled until it became a small¡­ ball. ¡°Next, they went to the orphanage.¡± The video Lee Mi-seon showed was choppy. But the figure entering the orphanage was clearly seen. And leaving as well. Their hands were red. The person waved them to shake off the blood but soon gave up. They roughly wiped their hands on their ck clothes and looked up. The smiling mouth was now clearly visible. With still blood-stained hands, they made a gun gesture and aimed it this way, no, at the CCTV. The screen went dark. Lee Mi-seon gulped. ¡°That¡¯s the end of it.¡± ¡°¡­Why did they kill them? A serial killer taking advantage of the dungeon break?¡± ¡°With that level of skill, they could have avoided being captured on camera. They showed themselves on purpose. There must be a reason.¡± ¡°Could it be they knew the orphanage was connected to the Ark?¡± ¡°That smile is unmistakably that of a pleasure killer.¡± I racked my brain. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t remember such a distinctive figure. But what¡¯s scarier is that they¡¯re not in my memory. Was such a person still operating secretly even twenty yearster? Where on earth? Surely not in Korea? ¡°That¡­ I think I know who that is.¡± Hong Seok-young, who had been reying the part where the car was crumpled, suddenly spoke. ¡°You know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the one I was chasing in South America.¡± ¡°The one Hunter Hong was chasing?¡± ¡°You know, the ck market.¡± ¡°Ah. That incident?¡± Lee Mi-seon responded knowingly. Judging by the look, Kim Chae-min knew about it too. Probably that¡­ story about the remains of an acquaintance who died in a dungeon. He had mentioned going to the ck market in South America to find the missing remains. ¡°You saw that person?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t see them. I was chasing them, but in the end, I lost them.¡± ¡°Then how can you be sure?¡± ¡°I heard rumors. There¡¯s a crazy bastard who turns anything they don¡¯t like into a small ball and keeps it as a trophy.¡± Hong Seok-young frowned. ¡°But something¡¯s off.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Why do you think I was chasing them?¡± Hong Seok-young reyed the video from the beginning. The jaunty walk. The yful gestures. ¡°I heard that person is the boss of the Ark.¡± Chapter 66 - Transfer Procedures (3) Chapter 66: Transfer Procedures (3) TL: SHW Ark. Boss. Abination of words that I had never expected dropped like a bomb. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I looked at the person in the video. Even with the baggy clothes, it couldn¡¯tpletely hide the slender frame. From the unblemished hands, it seemed like it could be a woman, but the yful smile and the way they walked made them seem like a man. But regardless of which, to think this person is the leader of Ark¡­ Aren¡¯t they too young for that? At best, they look like a teenager. Maybe in their twenties. No. It¡¯s hard to guess the age of someone this skilled just by their appearance. But still. ¡°¡­Is this really the boss?¡± It wasn¡¯t just me who thought this way. Kim Chae-min also had a doubtful expression, and Lee Mi-seon tilted her head in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be prejudiced, but¡­ for a boss? It¡¯s a bit?¡± ¡°I only heard rumors, so it might not be the real boss.¡± Hong Seok-young furrowed his brow deeply. ¡°But the fact that there are such rumors? They¡¯re probably not a low-ranking member, so I thought we could get something out of them by capturing them¡­¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t catch them?¡± ¡°Teacher Woo¡­ Why do you always say things like that?¡± ¡°So, you didn¡¯t catch them?¡± ¡°Since we didn¡¯t catch them, that¡¯s why they¡¯re still walking around like that. Teacher Hong isn¡¯t all-powerful, so there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯recking a bit of respect for your superior?¡± Hong Seok-young grumbled. But the yful atmosphere didn¡¯tst long. People had died. If they were Hunters, it might be understandable, but these were civilians. Among the sixteen dead, five were children. Even though it¡¯s tragic that it happened during a Dungeon Break, to be killed by some unidentified person leaves a bitter taste. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s appropriate to use the word ¡°fortunately¡± in this context, but fortunately, the incident urred on a weekday afternoon. Most of the children from the orphanage were at school. No. 3 was also outside the orphanage with me and Kim Chae-min for his Awakening registration. The children who weren¡¯t at the orphanage at that time are all safe. We dealt with the Dungeon Break and checked things out. They are currently being protected in another location. If No. 3 or the other children had been at the orphanage at that time, they would have all died. A brief silence followed. Then Kim Chae-min broke the silence. ¡°So¡­ why did they kill them?¡± It¡¯s a fundamental question. ¡°That orphanage is also connected to Ark, right? Correct?¡± ¡°Not all the staff were involved, but there were some connections.¡± ¡°What about the children?¡± ¡°Except for Kang Tae-woo, whom Teacher Woo confirmed, there were some children whose whereabouts beforeing to the orphanage were unclear. Some of the deceased children were among them.¡± The conversation halted again. Kim Chae-min grabbed her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. If, as Teacher Hong said, that person is the boss of Ark¡­ or at least a key figure, why would they attack their own organization? Especially an orphanage without any hiddenbs or anything?¡± If we knew the reason, we wouldn¡¯t be struggling with this. Were they nning to me it on the monsters because there was a Dungeon Break? But if that was the case, they would have at least tried to hide it. It¡¯s not difficult to make it look like the work of monsters. Since it was a Dungeon Break, even if someone died, there wouldn¡¯t be a thorough investigation. It¡¯s an incredibly frustrating situation. Not knowing anything like this is not my style. If I tried to think about it more deeply, it would be endlesslyplicated. Even if they acted so openly, the investigation might not have been done properly. Even if there were suspicious points, they could me it on the Dungeon Break and cover it up. That there¡¯s a serial killer who murders unarmed children during a Dungeon Break? It¡¯s exactly the kind of thing that would bring the government a lot of criticism. That guy might have thought so too. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for No. 3, I wouldn¡¯t have thought about going to the orphanage either. If I had only heard that the orphanage was attacked, I would have assumed it was the work of a Smander. Should I delve deeper into this? I still don¡¯t understand the words of the researchb director rted to the Myeong-dong Dungeon that I wrote in my diary when I was younger. What about the bodies inside the Bangi-dong Dungeon? Let¡¯s say that¡¯s evidence that the Ark can be involved in Dungeon Breaks. To dispose of the orphanage, they deliberately caused a Dungeon Break and in that gap¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Forget it. ¡°Let¡¯s think simply.¡± The reason why the same organization would attack each other. There¡¯s only one. ¡°Could it be an internal conflict?¡± Ark is a cellr organization. It¡¯s sopartmentalized that even Hong Seok-young, who was chasing Ark, didn¡¯t know that the money-making side and the money-draining side were distinctly separated. If the guy Hong Seok-young was chasing in South America was involved, he would be part of Ark¡¯s¡­ international crime organization, which engages in various criminal activities. But the researchb where No. 3 and I were held is different from those international crimes. It¡¯s a bit more cult-like¡­ something along those lines. If the money earned from various criminal activities was being sucked up like water into a bottomless pit on this side, it would cause dissatisfaction. Given the nature of a cellr organization, where loyalty to the group is weak, there¡¯s bound to be someone who rebels. ¡°Internal conflict¡­ Actually, that¡¯s the cleanest exnation.¡± ¡°You said the data was left intact, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Mi-seon nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a robbery, nor were they targeting the data. It only makes sense if it was an internal conflict.¡± ¡°Exactly. There was no attempt to delete the data, and as Teacher Woo mentioned initially, there was no resistance. If you think of it as someone familiar¡­ if it was someone within the same organization, it all makes sense.¡± There¡¯s no need toplicate things by considering external circumstances. Yoo Ji-eun often said, ¡®Most people don¡¯t view the world as cynically as you do.¡¯ ¡­What¡¯s wrong with me anyway? ¡°For now.¡± Hong Seok-young, who had been staring intently at the person in the video, finally looked away. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about this one right now, so let¡¯s ignore it. Or maybe, we should bait them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We have someone who¡¯s definitely from Ark, right?¡± I blinked. Next to me, Kim Chae-min blurted out something foolish. ¡°Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°No, what Hong Seok-young is talking about is¡­¡± ¡°Kang Tae-woo.¡± No. 3¡¯s name came up. ¡°Nothing has really changed. This was the original n for the two of you, wasn¡¯t it? To enroll that student in the pilot high school.¡± ¡°It was Teacher Kim¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°Anyway. Let¡¯s keep it simple here too. Just tell him outright. Or maybe, it¡¯s better if I handle this personally. Should I get discharged early? I¡¯m tired of the reporters visiting the hospital anyway, so it¡¯s perfect timing.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute. What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯ll tell him this. There¡¯s someone targeting the people from your orphanage.¡± What is this old man talking about? ¡°I hate to tell you this, but it seems like the director was involved in some bad stuff. That¡¯s why you and the others are in danger now. The other kids are being safely protected, but since you¡¯re an Awakener, it¡¯s hard to keep you with them.¡± Hong Seok-young continued, unfazed. ¡°Given the situation, how abouting to the pilot high school? I¡¯m not saying you have to be a Hunter, but wouldn¡¯t it be good to have a means to protect yourself, and it would be easier for us to protect you as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Whether Ark tries to retrieve No. 3 from the researchb, or this guyes after No. 3 to eliminate him, it¡¯s a win-win for us, don¡¯t you think? Actually, it might even be an advantage.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s good. I like that we¡¯re not lying.¡± Lee Mi-seon nodded. ¡°I also looked into that kid, and Kang Tae-woo is his real name. There are records of him up until first grade in elementary school, and after that, it says he was homeschooled. Then, when he was ten, he moved to the United States with his parents, but we can¡¯t find out what he did there. He returned to Korea three yearster, but his whereabouts here are also unclear.¡± ¡°When did he enter the orphanage?¡± ¡°Two years ago.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hmm¡­ Well, there¡¯s no need to stir things up unnecessarily with talk of revenge or anything like that. Let¡¯s bring him in under the pretext of protection. Can Hunter Lee handle it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ as long as this student Kang Tae-woo agrees.¡± I started to say something but then stopped. ¡­If it were that old man, he would never talk about using the kids. ¡°How old did you say he was? I¡¯m not too keen on dragging such a young kid into this, but¡­ we can¡¯t afford to be picky right now.¡± ¡°What should we do about that guy? The one who might be the Ark boss or whatever. Should we chase him? We¡¯re looking into it now.¡± ¡°It would be good if we could find him¡­ but it¡¯s too dangerous, so don¡¯t dig too deep. I¡¯ll ask someone I know. Let Hunter Lee focus only on domestic matters.¡± Hong Seok-young quickly exchanged words with Lee Mi-seon. I had no room to interrupt. Thanks to that, I regained myposure. ¡°And¡­ Ark, I mean the researchb? If they¡¯re really killing those connected to it, other ces could be in danger too. We need to find them as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. We can¡¯t just sit around doing nothing.¡± Yes. We can¡¯t afford to be picky right now. I was too focused on Ark. But the final task I have to deal with isn¡¯t just Ark; there¡¯s also the matter of preventing the world from ending. For the sake of my peaceful future, I need to eliminate anything that gets in the way. So¡­ ¡°We need to find Teacher Woo¡¯s younger brother quickly.¡± My brother¡­. ¡­¡­. My brother, what? ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your brother is connected to the researchb too, right? If they¡¯re really targeting people from theb, the ce where your brother is could also be in danger. So¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been careful, and that¡¯s good. But isn¡¯t it time you trusted us too?¡± Hong Seok-young patted my back. The weight of his hand made it hard to breathe. ¡°Tell us about your brother. The more we know, the easier it will be to find them.¡± ¡°Yes, please. Start with the basics.¡± Lee Mi-seon approached me. ¡°What¡¯s your brother¡¯s name?¡± * * * Four years ago. In 2017, on the 5th basement floor of a training center in Gyeonggi-do. The deepest part. The so-called ¡®River of Promise¡¯ researchb. Beep. ¡°Good morning, No. 3. Did you sleep well?¡± A gentle voice from the speaker announced the start of the morning. ¡°Happy birthday. We¡¯ve prepared your favorite cake today.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°No. 3.¡± The voice, which had been as calm as a river, turned cold. ¡°I told you not to call me that anymore, didn¡¯t I? How long do you n on acting like a child? What do you think the other kids will say?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°You have talent. I believe you can do great things. So, you mustn¡¯t make such mistakes.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°No. 3. What did I tell you to call me?¡± ¡°Researcher¡­ ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Beep. After a short pause, the voice returned from the speaker. ¡°I¡¯veid out your morning pills. Take them first. We¡¯ll do the injection after you¡¯ve washed up.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Even on a birthday, nothing changes. No. 3 casually swallowed the three pills. The bitter taste in the throat no longer mattered. Following the Researcher¡¯s¡ªno, the ¡°Researcher ma¡¯am¡¯s¡±¡ªinstructions, No. 3 washed up and brushed his teeth. When he came out, the Researcher was waiting. Rolling up the loose sleeve revealed an arm covered in bruises. Receiving injections three or four times a day inevitably left marks on the delicate skin. But the masked Researcher administered the shot without batting an eye. ¡°You did well.¡± The single lemon-vored candy that dropped into No. 3¡¯s palm stirred memories of his younger days with his mother. One piece of candy given when he didn¡¯t cry after getting a shot. No. 3 quickly popped the candy into his mouth. ¡°In the afternoon, a guest will be visiting.¡± ¡°A guest?¡± ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t call them a guest. The new research director will being.¡± Even though a new research director wasing, it didn¡¯t matter to No. 3. Every day was the same for him. A monotonous routine filled with pills and injections. No. 3 bit down on the lemon-vored candy. Crunch. The sharp shards of the candy scraped the roof of his mouth. Chapter 67 - Transfer Procedures (4) Chapter 67: Transfer Procedures (4) TL: SHW One wall of the yroom was arge mirror. Of course, the researchers didn¡¯t just put up the mirror without any thought. The other side was actually a transparent ss window, allowing a clear view of the yroom. No. 3 looked beyond the mirror. All he could see was his own reflection. Is Mom watching me from the other side? Since a new research director was supposed to arrive today, she might not be there due to the tour. Normally, a researcher would havee into the yroom by now, but no one was visible. ¡°Oppa. Oppa.¡± ¡°Huh? Why, what¡¯s up?¡± A small girl tugged at No. 3¡¯s sleeve, holding out a block. ¡°Please take this out.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me see it.¡± Although he separated the tightly joined blocks for her, the girl didn¡¯t leave and continued to cling to No. 3. She whispered as if she were sharing a grand secret. ¡°You know, oppa. I heard it¡¯s your birthday today?¡± ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± ¡°The researcher said it earlier when I was getting a shot.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Everyone would find out anyway when the cake was brought out during snack time¡­ but honestly, he didn¡¯t want them to know. He didn¡¯t want his birthday to be celebrated. With each passing birthday, it only reminded him of how much longer he¡¯d been stuck in this ce. Last year on his birthday, he ate a cream cake topped with lots of strawberries here too. He would eat the same cake today. And probably again next year. ¡°Yeah. So¡­¡± But the girl, unaware of No. 3¡¯s thoughts, spoke in an innocent voice. ¡°It¡¯s a birthday present for you, oppa!¡± She handed him something she had been hiding behind her back. It wasn¡¯t much, considering how carefully she had hidden it¡ªjust two cookies wrapped in paper. They were from yesterday¡¯s snack time. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat them yesterday because I wanted to give them to you, Oppa.¡± But in a ce like this, that¡¯s about all a child could manage to give. It was rather touching that she hadn¡¯t eaten the cookies she liked and saved them for him instead. Seeing the look of anticipation on her face, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say he didn¡¯t want to celebrate his birthday. No. 3 looked around. There was no researcher in the yroom. So, No. 3 whispered in the girl¡¯s ear. ¡°Thank you, So-hee. I¡¯ll enjoy them.¡± No. 8, whose name hadn¡¯t been called in a long time, smiled brightly. No. 3 shared one of the cookies that No. 8 had brought with her on the spot. When he broke off half of the cookie and gave it to her, No. 8 quickly ate it without hesitation, as if she had secretly wanted it. When he wiped away the cookie crumbs from her mouth, No. 8 burst intoughter. ¡°Oppa, you can eat the other one all by yourself!¡± While the other children in the researchb also tended to rely on No. 3 because he was older, No. 8 was especially attached to him. Did she mention she had an older brother before? The more memories of the outside world surfaced, the harder things got, so No. 3 deliberately avoided asking her about it in detail. Still, watching the little girl who was so fond of him brought back memories of when he used to pester his mom for a younger sister. Ding-dong. A small rm interrupted his thoughts. ¡°The researcher must being. Be good, okay? You understand?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± No. 8 picked up her blocks and returned to her friend. Since there was a sterilization room, it would take a little longer for them to enter the yroom. No. 3 nced at the door with a worried expression. The morning injection time had long since passed. They had already eaten lunch. If it were nap time, it would have been announced over the speaker, not by a personal visit. If he hadn¡¯t heard that a new research director wasing, he would have thought someone was being disposed of. The door opened. Before the visitors even appeared, he could hear murmuring voices. ¡°The atmosphere here is nice. The children¡¯s faces are bright. I like it. I really like it.¡± ¡°I just checked on Bada and it was terrible. I was worried because everything over there had to be disposed of.¡± A strange man¡¯s and woman¡¯s voices. ¡°Haha. It would be disappointing if youpared us to Bada.¡± And then, his mother¡¯s voice followed. Are those two the new arrivals? Which one of them is the research director? The atmosphere of the researchb changes depending on the personality of the director. Naturally, everyone has to be on edge. This is far more important than a birthday. How was the first director No. 3 met when he came here? He wasn¡¯t well-liked, even among the researchers. And the children hated him even more, needless to say. Especially No. 1, who was rebellious, was often called in by the director. Every time she came back, she would be crying. Fortunately, that director didn¡¯t stay long. The nextb director who came was often too busy to see, but he cared a lot about the children. It was during his time that snack time and nap time were introduced. When he learned that many of the children had nightmares and woke up crying at night, he even gave them soft plush toys as gifts. What kind of person would the new director be? His mom, who was showing them around the facility¡­ the face of the researcher was the first to appear. A man and woman with graying hair followed behind her. No. 3, who was trying to figure out who the new director was, didn¡¯t actually focus on those two people. Instead, his attention was drawn to the person trailing at the very back. A long-necked ck t-shirt. Thick ck pants. ck military boots. ck leather gloves. And a long-beaked crow mask. The Executioner. Or the Watcher. The man who killed the first director. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± A small white hand stretched out from his embrace, grabbing onto the beak of the crow mask. A young boy. He looked to be around the same age as So-hee, No. 8. The boy rubbed his eyes and then yawned widely. ¡°Mom? Where are we?¡± The woman who was inspecting the researchb patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯re at the researchb. Didn¡¯t Dad exin it to you yesterday?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Did you forget already?¡± The man beside her clicked his tongue in disbelief. ¡°We told you, you¡¯ll be staying here for a while.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Oh! Legos! Can I go y?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? You didn¡¯t eat lunch and just kept sleeping.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°While Mom and Dad take a look around, go y for a bit. Now¡­ Hey.¡± The woman scanned the yroom and gestured to No. 3. No. 3 flinched and approached the woman. ¡°Are you the oldest here? What¡¯s your number?¡± ¡°No. 3¡­ Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Could you watch our son for a moment? We won¡¯t be long.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Even if his mother wasn¡¯t ring at him from the side, he would have answered obediently. Whether it was the director or a researcher, who would dare to upset someone with an Executioner at their side? While the two new arrivals inspected the facility where the children stayed, No. 3 cautiously approached the boy. The Executioner was watching the boy from near the door. The boy didn¡¯t seem to mind at all, as he had already made friends with the other kids and wasughing. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Huh? Hi, hyung.¡± ¡°I¡¯m No. 3. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened, and then he curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Hyung, you know you¡¯re not supposed to ask for names here. Should I tell Mom?¡± The innocent smile struck No. 3 like a block of ice. ¡°Just kidding. But¡­ Oh? Is that a cookie? I want it!¡± ¡°Huh? Wa, wait.¡± ¡°If you give it to me, I won¡¯t tell Mom.¡± Before No. 3 could respond, the boy snatched the cookie from his hand. It was the cookie that So-hee had given him. The boy took a big bite of the cookie and said, ¡°Forget the name, I think¡­ what did Dad say? I think he called me No. 12. Yeah, I¡¯m No. 12. Or maybe not, whatever.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No. 12 didn¡¯t stay in the yroom. Around the time when they had finished lunch and snack time had rolled around, No. 12 would casually stroll into the yroom, y for a bit, and then leave again around dinner time. The man in the crow mask would follow closely behind him, like a shadow. Even when Nos. 13, 14, and 15 appeared, No. 12¡¯s routine didn¡¯t change. Initially, the other children were wary of No. 12, but when he started bringing in loads of toys and snacks from outside, they were more frustrated by not being able to get closer to him. No. 3 was different. ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°Those snacks look tasty.¡± No. 3 could only offer his snacks to No. 12. Life in the researchb didn¡¯t change much. The new director kept the existing system intact. asionally, there were new medications to take, but that had happened before too. When did things start to change? Right. It was back then. When the newb director died, and a bunch of children were brought in. When the formerb director¡¯s husband, who became the newb director, suddenly died too. When No. 12 started living inside rather than outside. Everything changed from that moment. * * * Kang Tae-woo slowly sat up in bed. Now there were no more morning pills to take as soon as he woke up, and no injections after he showered. But there were still times when his left arm throbbed. The arm where he used to get the injections. He graduated from the researchb two years ago. There were talks of his disposal, but perhaps because he had behaved well, he was transferred to another orphanage instead. It was only muchter that he thought maybe the researcher ma¡¯am had intervened on his behalf. By then, he no longer mistook that person for his mother, even by ident. ¡®Her face is fading from memory.¡¯ Rather, So-hee felt more like family. He was so shocked when he saw So-hee at the orphanage. He had thought he would never see her again after leaving theb. So, he had given her all the lemon-vored candies he had saved up without eating. ¡®Tae-woo oppa!!¡¯ She had grown too big to be easily lifted like before, but she was still his cute little sister. A beautiful little sister who smiled and handed him a paper flower she made at school. His sister. The sister he can no longer see. Knock, knock. ¡°Tae-woo?¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± ¡°Are you awake? Come out when you¡¯re ready. We need to talk for a bit.¡± Woo Hwi-jae. The director had been so pleased when he received a registration number from the National New Heart and Spirit Association. ¡­That director is dead now too. What will happen to him now? Being a minor is such a hassle for this reason. He nned to just quietly follow the rules at the orphanage until he became an adult. It would be difficult topletely distance himself from the researchb due to his deep connections, but it seemed possible to live quietly with his sister. Or maybe, he thought, it might be better to work hard and return to theb. That way, he could help find his other siblings who had been scattered to different orphanages. That¡¯s what he had thought. ¡°Tae-woo?¡± Beside the bed was a crude white box. He had received it when he registered as an Awakened. If he had stayed at the orphanage, would he have been able to escape with So-hee? Or would he have¡­ ¡°Ahem. Yes. I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Woo Hwi-jae and Kim Chae-min , who prevented him from seeing the orphanage, looked at him with pitiful expressions. He wasn¡¯t naive enough not to understand what that look meant. The Dungeon Break that had happened just a few days ago was already forgotten. It had long since been pushed off the front page of the news. It¡¯s a world where no one cares if a few orphans die. He changed clothes and left the room. It was the first time he had learned that there are hospital rooms with bedrooms attached. Woo Hwi-jae had brought him here, saying this ce had the best security. He didn¡¯t really understand why security was needed, but he nodded along because they said so. In the hospital room¡¯s living area, besides Woo Hwi-jae and Kim Chae-min, there was also a woman he had never seen before. However, Kang Tae-woo¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t focused on the three people in the room. Instead, they were drawn to the man standing by the window, which offered a view of the city. The man, dressed in hospital pajamas, slowly turned his body. His hair was carelessly swept back, and a patchy beard covered his face. It was a face that had been on TV constantly sincest week. No, even if it hadn¡¯t been, Tae-woo would have recognized him immediately. ¡°Kang Tae-woo, I¡¯m Hong Seok-young. Do you happen to know who I am?¡± ¡°Just act as you normally would.¡± ¡°I am acting as I normally do.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lowered your voice way too much.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you show some respect for the principal?¡± ¡°Respect usuallyes from the paycheck.¡± Woo Hwi-jae scoffed and approached. ¡°Tae-woo, I know you¡¯re going through a tough time right now, but this is really important.¡± ¡°What?¡± Woo Hwi-jae gently ced a hand on Tae-woo¡¯s shoulder, guiding him. ¡°This is Hunter Hong Seok-young. But today, he¡¯s not here as a Hunter; he¡¯s here as a principal.¡± ¡°¡­A principal?¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m a teacher at Pilot High School, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of school Pilot High is?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a ce where they train Hunters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re well-informed.¡± Woo Hwi-jae looked him in the eye and smiled kindly. ¡°So, what do you think? Would you like to attend our school?¡± Chapter 68 - Fishing (1) Chapter 68: Fishing (1) TL: SHW Two dayster. July 7th. Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Hunter Training Pilot High School. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Flip. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The ssroom container was enveloped in suffocating silence. If I were a student instead of a teacher, I might not have been able to bear it and would have run out. Flip. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Gulp. Someone, I don¡¯t know who, made a loud gulping sound. That¡¯s how tense the atmosphere was. Flip. ¡°Hm.¡± Thud. Roll. I hear the sound of a pencil rolling. I don¡¯t need to look to know. Park Seo-hyun must be acting dramatically again. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Worried for a moment, I nced at Park Seo-hyun. She was neatly brushing her bangs back. That¡¯s good enough. I returned to looking at the raid guide. Flip. Before going to see No. 3, I had given the kids an assignment. The task was to create a raid guide based on the dungeon exploration report I had written. I didn¡¯t model it on any existing dungeon. However, the exploration report itself was written with a high level of realism. I also instructed the Daseon Hunters, who would be watching the kids while Kim Chae-min and I were away, not to help them at all. This raid guide is purely the result of the kids¡¯¡­ intelligence, you could say. Maybe ¡°intelligence¡± is too much. As long as the meaninges across, that¡¯s enough. ¡°Who¡¯s the raid leader for this?¡± Han Eun-young hesitantly raised her hand. ¡°Th-there isn¡¯t¡­ a specific leader. You told us to make a raid guide¡­ So we thought we weren¡¯t¡­ um, we weren¡¯t an actual raid team¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± They avoided the trap well. In truth, the dungeon I presented wasn¡¯t that difficult. At most, it fluctuated between C and D grade. I had given them plenty of time, so they had to do at least this much; otherwise, all my efforts would have been in vain. ¡°So who did you assume would be carrying out the raid when you made the guide?¡± ¡°Uh, we didn¡¯t specify anyone. We referenced the raid teamposition guide from the International Hunter Association and based it on the standard raid team¡­.¡± Han Eun-young answered without hesitation. Not only did she answer my question, but she also borated on things I didn¡¯t ask. ¡°So we tried to exclude elemental magic as much as possible and focused onmon magic. Since it¡¯s an underground tunnel, we did rmend a light attribute mage, but that¡¯s mentioned at the end.¡± I nced at the guide. She did it all. I¡¯m not saying the other kids just went along for the ride¡­ but Han Eun-young¡¯s brain was certainly working exceptionally well. And she was clearly enjoying it. Thud. I ced the raid guide, over 80 pages long, on the teacher¡¯s desk. It made a fairly heavy sound. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The excitedly chattering Han Eun-young quickly shut her mouth and cautiously observed my reaction. She could stand to have a little more confidence. Should I praise her like I did with Park Seo-hyun? Haven¡¯t I already given enough praise? I even give out praise stickers. ¡®The old man didn¡¯t give me anything like that.¡¯ The other kids were still tense as well. Well, being evaluated on your abilities is always nerve-wracking. The 80-plus pages of the guide can¡¯t be called perfect, even as a formality. Naturally, there are many shorings. If one of my subordinates at the Ability Management Agency presented this to me as a guide, I would have carefully asked them: ¡®Is this job really suitable for you?¡¯ That¡¯s a roundabout way of telling them to quit as soon as possible. But I can¡¯t say such things to these 18-year-olds. How could I say such things when I saw that there were handwritten pages mixed in due to constant revisions until the very end? ¡°You did well.¡± Even if they hadn¡¯t, this is a situation where I have to say they did. Luckily, it¡¯s not a lie. This is my honest opinion. These kids have almost no real dungeon raid experience. Yet they¡¯ve written an 80-page raid guide after just a few simtion sses. Even the old man couldn¡¯t do that. It would be fortunate if he could fill even one page. At most, he¡¯d write something like ¡®Go in and destroy the core¡¯ and be done with it. Kids who learned under someone like that wrote 80 pages. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°D-did we really do well?¡± ¡°I said you did well. Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Seeing their faces light up with just a few words made me somewhat understand why the old man didn¡¯t want to step down from his position as principal at the pilot highschool. After dealing with stubborn Hunters at the Ability Management Agency all the time, how much fun would it have been to see these eager young chicks respond so enthusiastically? I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll give each of you a praise sticker.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± As I ced a sticker on each of their foreheads, they giggled like it was the best thing ever. Even Park Seo-hyun chuckled, pulling the sticker off her forehead and shaking withughter. Oh Hyun-wook, pretending not to care, twitched his lips before sticking his sticker on the back of his phone. There wasn¡¯t a trace of what they¡¯d look like twenty years from now. I waited for the excitement to naturally die down before speaking. ¡°Of course, there are parts that need revision.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you feedbackter.¡± Finally, I got to the main point. ¡°You all saw the news about Principal Hong¡¯s discharge from the hospital, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Good. Well, I wouldn¡¯t call it a celebration exactly, but we have a transfer student.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­A transfer student?¡± While everyone was wide-eyed, Han Eun-young¡¯s reaction was particrly intense. ¡°A transfer student ising to this kind of school?¡± Is that what surprises her? I understand the sentiment, but as a teacher, I couldn¡¯t just let such a dismissive remark about the school slide. ¡°This is the school you¡¯re attending. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit harsh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard you grumble about whether this is even a real school.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This must be why they say you can¡¯t even drink water carelessly in front of kids. I pretended not to hear Han Eun-young¡¯sment. ¡°Anyway, a transfer student ising.¡± ¡°Look at him pretending not to hear because he has nothing to say.¡± I didn¡¯t hear that. ¡°The transfer student¡­ will be brought by Teacher Kim this afternoon.¡± Poor No. 3 ended up attending the pilot high school after all. If you ask whether that decision was entirely of his own will, it¡¯s ambiguous. I shook my head, recalling the conversation we had at the time. It¡¯s already a done deal. Lee Mi-seon quicklypleted all the necessary paperwork so that No. 3 couldn¡¯t change his mind. I don¡¯t know how a kid living in an orphanage managed to transfer schools or what happened to the school he was attending, and I didn¡¯t ask Lee Mi-seon either. She¡¯d probably just give me a cryptic smile if I did. But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m sure of. No. 3¡¯s highest level of education just became middle school. No. 3 probably didn¡¯t see thating either. ¡­It¡¯s funny, but at the same time, I¡¯m a bit at a loss. No, but honestly, I¡¯m not even sure if this school will be recognized as an official educational institution next year. Originally, it would be recognized next year, but who knows how much I¡¯ve already altered the past. It¡¯s unpredictable. ¡°He¡¯s a year younger than you all but will be in the same grade.¡± Anyway, this school only has one grade and one ss. Since they¡¯re such gentle kids, I¡¯m more worried that they might be swept up by No. 3. But just in case, I need to say something. ¡°Don¡¯t bully him just because he¡¯s younger. Get along with him.¡± * * * ¡°This is the school you¡¯ll be attending from now on!¡± ¡°¡­A school?¡± No. 3¡¯s face soured as he got out of Kim Chae-min¡¯s sports car. He must have realized by now that Hong Seok-young had deceived him. ¡°It¡¯s still a bit shabby now, but¡­¡± Is ¡°shabby¡± really enough to describe this? ¡°We¡¯ll be building a proper facility soon, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you mentioned that it would be this empty.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Teacher Hong tell you? They¡¯ll start building next year.¡± ¡°He said it would be finished next year.¡± There¡¯s a very subtle difference in context. ¡°He did say we were temporarily using containers as ssrooms during construction¡­ I just didn¡¯t expect that construction hadn¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°Oh my. Did he? These days, buildings go up quickly, you know.¡± Kim Chae-min covered her mouth andughed shyly. No. 3 opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it without uttering a word. Judging by the way his lips were twitching, he might have been muttering curses under his breath. I approached Kim Chae-min, who was smiling brightly. ¡°Where¡¯s Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s holding a press conference.¡± ¡°Another press conference?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess it¡¯s because he got discharged.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about getting discharged¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t understand it, but thinking too hard about it would only give me a headache, so I just nodded vaguely and let it go. Let¡¯s focus on the people who are here. No. 3. Kang Tae-woo. I suppose I need to stop calling him No. 3 in my head now. If I identally say it out loud, it could cause trouble. Kang Tae-woo. I repeated the unfamiliar name in my mouth a few times before I spoke. ¡°Tae-woo.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. Even though it looks like this now, everything will change in a year.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was just really surprised.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s understandable. Honestly, I¡¯m still not used to it either.¡± I patted No. 3 on the shoulder. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing here, it won¡¯t be hard to adjust. There¡¯s nothing to get used to anyway. Let¡¯s see, the other kids are a year older than you, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°A year difference is practically nothing.¡± No. 3 was still listening to me with a pale expression. Poor kid. I never thought I¡¯d end up feeling sorry for No. 3. Yesterday, I confirmed the identities of the children who died at the orphanage. Lee Mi-seon asked me if I knew any of them. Among the dead was a girl who used to be called No. 8. She was a girl who liked stacking blocks. Was she a year younger or older than me? I couldn¡¯t remember her face clearly, but I did remember her name. No. 3 used to stick to her like glue. He¡¯d call out No. 8¡¯s name when theb director wasn¡¯t looking¡ªdid he really think I wouldn¡¯t notice? I pretended not to know, but he kept calling her name until it became tiresome. It wasn¡¯t until I saw the picture of No. 8¡ªKim So-hee, smiling nkly¡ªthat I understood why No. 3 was so attached to his younger siblings from the orphanage. ¡°¡­If you ever have a hard time, just let me know. You can talk to me, Teacher Kim, or even Teacher Hong. Hunter Lee here is avable too.¡± Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t hide the truth about what happened at the orphanage from No. 3. He spoke so frankly that both Lee Mi-seon and I were shocked and tried to stop him. He told him that the orphanage had been attacked by an unknown assant. ¡®I don¡¯t like saying this either, but¡­ it turns out the orphanage director was involved with some bad people.¡¯ However, he kept the most important part a secret. The fact that we¡¯re tracking Ark. The fact that we know No. 3¡¯s true identity. ¡®It seems like those bad people wanted to destroy the orphanage.¡¯ ¡®¡­Destroy the orphanage? Why?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re investigating that right now. Since you were the oldest at the orphanage, I wanted to ask if there was anything strange you overheard the teachers saying.¡¯ I could almost hear No. 3¡¯s brain working. ¡®¡­I-I¡¯m not sure. So, you¡¯re saying that my little sister, that my siblings didn¡¯t die because of the Dungeon Break?¡¯ Hong Seok-young cast his fishing line. Ark had cut off contact. His sister was dead. He had been offered the chance to get closer to me, someone with connections to Hong Seok-young, and even to join the pilot high school. ¡®Yes. So if you remember anything, please make sure to tell us.¡¯ No. 3 now had two choices. Wait for Ark to contact him again. Or speak honestly and dream of a life free from Ark¡¯s influence. I couldn¡¯t predict what No. 3¡­ what Kang Tae-woo would choose. And because of that, I was genuinely curious about what decision he would make. Chapter 69 - Fishing (2) Chapter 69: Fishing (2) TL: SHW ¡°This is¡­ Kang Tae-woo.¡± Silence. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, he¡¯s a year younger than you all¡­ and starting today, he¡¯ll be attending the pilot high school. Tae-woo, would you like to introduce yourself?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, um¡­.¡± Kang Tae-woo awkwardly bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Tae-woo¡­. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s introduction ended quietly, without even a single customary apuse. * * * ¡°One iced Americano, is that correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I silently looked at the Hunter affiliated with Daseon. He was the young Hunter who had been following Lee Mi-seon around in the hospital. He was brewing coffee so naturally that I thought I had seen wrong. ¡°I¡¯ll have a strawberry smoothie!¡± ¡°Alright, one strawberry smoothie. What would you like, Teacher Woo? Should I give you the menu?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a menu?¡± ¡°The students have various tastes. So we just stocked up on various items.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to cater to everything the kids say.¡± ¡°I do it because I enjoy it.¡± The Hunter smiled with a naive expression. The Hunters assigned to Lee Mi-seon are usually dressed in suits. If a stranger saw them, they¡¯d think they were secretaries, not Hunters. On his chest was a makeshift nametag, hastily made from a torn notebook page and fixed with a safety pin. Ji Yoo-geon. The Hunter chuckled when he noticed where my gazended. ¡°Sun Sun-jin made it for me. She said a barista needs a name tag.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­.¡± Since he¡¯s with Daseon, he probably knows Sun Sun-jin and Lee Seung-yeon. I nodded reluctantly. His job satisfaction seemed high, so I couldn¡¯t really say anything. ¡°Just¡­ give me an iced Americano. Do the kids eat a lot?¡± ¡°They drink a lot of smoothies. It¡¯s hot out, after all. Some students do drink coffee, but the strawberry smoothie that Teacher Kim ordered is the most popr.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo, you should try it too. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Kim Chae-min said with a bright smile, holding a smoothie garnished with fresh strawberries. ¡°¡­One iced Americano and one strawberry smoothie, please.¡± It¡¯s the only perk at this job. Although it¡¯s technically provided from Lee Mi-seon¡¯s pocket. Hong Seok-young only ever gave me instant coffee. I took the coffee and smoothie Ji Yoo-geon made and headed to a table in the corner of the yground. Now that it¡¯s July, the weather is definitely getting hot. I wonder if Lee Mi-seon will take care of the air conditioning too. Honestly, at this point, shouldn¡¯t Lee Mi-seon be the principal? What does Hong Seok-young even do? That guy, he¡¯s gone again to raid another Dungeon. Since being discharged, he¡¯s only shown his face at the school once. He keptining that he had to clear a Dungeon that he had put on hold for a while. He said the government was making such a fuss that he had no choice. But maybe, secretly, he¡¯s raiding Ark behind everyone¡¯s back? Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a position to interfere right now. Still, I¡¯m covering for Hong Seok-young while he¡¯s gone. I think that entitles me to at least say a thing or two. Besides, didn¡¯t he tease me about being the homeroom teacher for the magic ss? Look at me now. How does this look anything like being the homeroom teacher for a magic ss? At this point, they should just give me the principal¡¯s position. Seriously¡­. What would he have done if I were the type to mess around with the kids? Is he that confident that no one would dare to pull something on him? As I always tell that old man, once something happens, it¡¯s toote. Sometimes, there are crazy bastards who think it¡¯s fine if the other party goes down with them, even if they themselves are ruined. This is probably all happening because that old man is too strong. This is why people shouldn¡¯t be too strong. To function properly as a human being¡­ you need to be just strong enough. Let¡¯s stop thinking about that inhuman human. Instead, let¡¯s look at a more human guy. Far from being strong enough, there¡¯s No. 3, Kang Tae-woo, who¡¯s still clueless about what mana even is. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I approached Kang Tae-woo, who was avoiding the sunlight under the table¡¯s parasol. When I handed him the strawberry smoothie, his previously gloomy face briefly brightened. ¡°How¡¯s school? How do you feel about it?¡± ¡°What do you mean, how do I feel¡­.¡± Kang Tae-woo downed half of the strawberry smoothie in one gulp. The straw made a loud slurping sound. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ okay.¡± ¡°Just okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Kang Tae-woo lowered his head. Following his gaze, I noticed a red blob. It was the liquid monster for the Awakened that he had received from a district office official when he registered as an Awakened. At first, he had destroyed its shape as soon as he touched it. But now, he was able to roll it in his hand without breaking it apart. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Kang Tae-woo answered quietly. ¡°I never imagined things would turn out like this.¡± ¡°You mean your Awakening?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it¡­. I¡¯ve always considered myself lucky, you know?¡± Lucky, huh? If he wants to consider not being discarded by the researchb and graduating as lucky, I won¡¯t stop him. He needs to findfort in something. It was as if Kang Tae-woo had read my thoughts when he spoke again. ¡°I mean, if you ask if it was lucky to be living in an orphanage, I don¡¯t really have an answer. But how should I put it? I was always in a position to take care of children who were in worse situations than me.¡± ¡°children in worse situations?¡± ¡°There were a lot of kids who came in after losing their families overnight.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Because of Dungeon Breaks. You know?¡± There were probably orphans from Dungeon Breaks. Those kids actually adjusted quickly. Either they adapted fast, or they were in shock and dazed. The ones who cried the loudest were the kidnapped kids. As Kang Tae-woo said, it was always the older No. 3 who took care of such kids. ¡°The orphanage I used to stay at¡­ the director there had a son. He was a year younger than So-hee, and he used to y with us a lot.¡± He paused briefly before continuing in a voice so low it was almost inaudible. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t like him much.¡± Kang Tae-woo quietly rolled the liquid monster in his hand. ¡°He was really annoying. Whenever other kids were ying, he¡¯d always go over and interfere, steal their snacks, and if someone was taking a nap, he¡¯d always wake them up. And not gently either. He¡¯d always bother them until they cried. Then, he¡¯d call me over to calm them down.¡± ¡°Hm¡­.¡± ¡°I was really annoyed. But I couldn¡¯t hit him.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°And since he was the director¡¯s son, everyone just let him get away with it.¡± The frown on Kang Tae-woo¡¯s face looked oddly familiar. No. 3 from my memories always had that expression. ¡­Wait. The story he¡¯s telling now, could it be about me? ¡°But then the director suddenly passed away.¡± It is about me! ¡°He¡­ I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If anything, it was the people around who were more upset.¡± I silently sipped my coffee. ¡°He probably didn¡¯t expect to be an orphan overnight either. He always had such a confident attitude.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So, watching that made me realize¡­ you never know how life is going to turn out.¡± Kang Tae-woo said with a strangely enlightened expression. I have no idea what kind of thought process led him to that conclusion from that story. What is it? What is he trying to say? Learning life wisdom from others¡¯ misfortunes? It wasn¡¯t even a misfortune. Whether those parents lived or died didn¡¯t matter to me. I just remember being displeased with the fact that I was stuck in a situation where I had no choice but to be affected by it. After all, I only had one parent to begin with. I erased the face that momentarily appeared in my mind. It¡¯s a face I wouldn¡¯t see for another twenty years. ¡°When I think about it like that, I¡¯ve lived a rtively peaceful life. My parents too¡­ Ah, but that¡¯s not really relevant.¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s mother is a researcher. I don¡¯t know about his father. At least, I¡¯ve never heard about him. Still, his situation was better than mine. At least he wasn¡¯t born in the researchb. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I never thought I¡¯d Awaken. They say you never know how life will turn out, and they¡¯re right. I never imagined my life would turn out like this.¡± ¡°Do you not like being Awakened?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Kang Tae-woo pursed his lips. If he¡¯s talking like this, it seems he didn¡¯t hide his Awakening in the past¡­ he really did Awaken just recently? ¡°If I was going to awaken, I wish I had awakened a long time ago. Or not awakened at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± By ¡®a long time ago,¡¯ he probably means when he was in the researchb. ¡°If I had Awakened while I was there¡­ things might have been different.¡± ¡°How would they be different?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be able to speak up like he did.¡± Kang Tae-woo stopped himself after almost answering my question. He quickly changed the subject. ¡°So-hee¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since I looked after So-hee. She¡¯s not my real sister, but she¡¯s like a sister to me. No, that¡¯s not right. She is my sister, my little sister.¡± I yed along, pretending not to notice the shift in his words. ¡°You¡¯ve known her since she was little?¡± ¡°Yes. I had ns to live with So-hee after leaving the orphanage. They said Hunters make good money. If I had Awakened back then, I would have tried my best to be a Hunter.¡± ¡°You can still be a Hunter.¡± ¡°But So-hee¡­.¡± The sister he wanted to live with is gone. In the past, I would have shuddered, telling him to look at No. 3¡¯s despicable face. But now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to think that way. It would be easy to manipte Kang Tae-woo¡¯s emotions here. Look at how he¡¯s recalling his sister with such a pained expression. With just a slight push, that pain could turn into anger. ¡®Don¡¯t you want to catch the person who killed your sister?¡¯ I have the magic words. There¡¯s nothing easier to control than someone blinded by revenge. If Kang Tae-woo were twenty-seven instead of seventeen, I might seriously consider it. But to suggest that path to a seventeen-year-old kid¡­ I do have a conscience. So, how should Ifort him? ¡®The living must go on.¡¯ It¡¯s too cold-hearted to say when a ten-year-old child has died. ¡®Would So-hee have wanted that?¡¯ Remember, Woo Hwijae. You¡¯ve never met Kim So-hee¡­ I ran through a few clich¨¦ lines in my head and discarded them. Kang Tae-woo had been at the researchb for a long time. But unlike me, who was born in theb and never saw the outside until that old man rescued me, he wasn¡¯t like that. He was born outside and grew up like any other child until just before starting elementary school. Then, his mother¡¯s beliefs and job led him to the researchb. In theb, No. 3 used to tell the other kids stories about the outside world. Stories about going to the movies, ying at the yground¡­. Out of pride, I never went close to listen, but I still dreamed while overhearing No. 3¡¯s stories. Dreamed of going to the movies, sliding down a big slide at the yground, and going to a ce called school. Dreamed of escaping those damned parents and doing whatever I wanted. If Kang Tae-woo, who had experienced a normal life, were like me, he probably yearned for it even more. It¡¯s always crueler to have something and then lose it. Even after graduating from theb, it¡¯s clear that the faint freedom he had tasted in childhood would linger in his mind. After all, even after graduating, he had to obediently follow whatever Ark told him to do. ¡°You should do what you want.¡± This is my fishing line. It¡¯s different from the bait Hong Seok-young cast. ¡°The most important thing is your will. Do you want to be a Hunter? If so, I¡¯ll help you be one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s okay too. What I¡¯m saying is, find what you want to do.¡± ¡°Something I want to do.¡± ¡°Yes. What do you want to be when you grow up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a simple hobby, think about it. Maybe you want to read books or learn to y an instrument.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can do anything here.¡± Kang Tae-woo nodded absentmindedly. I decided not to push further and changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s the smoothie? If you go over there, the Hunter from Daseon will make whatever you want, so feel free to ask.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± ¡°By the way, do you know what happened to that director¡¯s son you said you didn¡¯t like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know since I moved to a different orphanage after that. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that you mentioned he suddenly became an orphan, so I was curious. I hope he¡¯s doing okay too.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 70 - Portrait of a Kidney Bean (1) Chapter 70: Portrait of a Kidney Bean (1) TL: SHW ¡°What the heck!¡± The voice was so powerful that it was hard to believe it came from such a small frame. ¡°How could you do this to me¡­?¡± Yoo Ji-eun was on the verge of tears. ¡°Ji-eun, shouldn¡¯t you be at school? Isn¡¯t today a school day?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d do this, Teacher!¡± The small Yoo Ji-eun ignored my words. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at school, and what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Is school really important right now?!¡± My life is tiring enough as it is, I don¡¯t want to make it even more exhausting by adding a child¡¯s tantrum to it. Both small Ji-eun and big Ji-eun are the same in not listening to a word I say. But fortunately, little Ji-eun has something she¡¯s afraid of. ¡°Yoo Hye-eun! Come and take your sister away!¡± ¡°What? My sister?¡± Yoo Hye-eun, who was in the ssroom with Kim Chae-min, poked her head out of the window. Her eyes widened when she saw Yoo Ji-eun. Yoo Hye-eun jumped right over the window. Although healers are physically weakerpared to other Hunters, they¡¯re still much stronger than non-Awakened people. Yoo Hye-eun used the window as if it were a door and ran straight to her sister. Seeing her terrifying older sister, Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s earlier bravado disappeared, and she shrank back, hiding behind me. ¡°Yoo Ji-eun! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to skip school!!¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t skip!¡± ¡°And I told you not to leave early either!¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t say anythingst week!¡± ¡°Last week wasst week, but this week you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± ¡°It was never allowed! I just let it slidest week!!¡± The sisters continued their pointless argument. Now that they knew Hong Seok-young was safe, they both regained their energy. It¡¯s better to see them lively than moping around. But that¡¯s all. As their energy returned, they became more of a nuisance. While Yoo Hye-eun dealt with Yoo Ji-eun, I turned to Kang Tae-woo. He was about to say something important when Yoo Ji-eun interrupted. Talk about timing. ¡°So¡­ what do you want to do?¡± Kang Tae-woo, who had been staring nkly at the Yoo sisters, snapped out of it a beatte. ¡°Ah, yes! Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if I want to be a Hunter yet¡­ but I still want to give it a try.¡± ¡°You know that the full name of our school is ¡®Hunter Training Pilot High School,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Yes. But since I¡¯m here, it¡¯s better to give it a proper try, isn¡¯t it?¡± Since I brought him here under the pretense of protection during the chaos of the orphanage attack¡­ I can¡¯t deny that it was somewhat deceitful. But it seems my words got through to him, as his eyes now showed a clear determination. It¡¯s different from the half-dead look he had back when he was No. 3. This is much better. It seems my fishing hook had some effect. ¡°Alright. In matters like these, your own will is important.¡± ¡°Me too! I won¡¯t lose when ites to willpower!!¡± Even with her cheeks pulled by her older sister, Yoo Ji-eun managed to eavesdrop on the conversation and jumped in. I ignored her. ¡°Good. Since you just Awakened, it will be tough to keep up with the other kids in ss¡­.¡± The curriculum I painstakingly put together is getting messed up. But with only nine students, it should be a piece of cakepared to adjusting the schedules of dozens of Hunters from the Ability Management Agency. With Kim Chae-min around, there¡¯s no need to worry about the magic sses¡­ or I could just gather the kids and teach them about dungeon structures and monsters. There are Daseon Hunters too. I¡¯m nning to personally handle the dungeon raids. I can¡¯t trust the current level of Hunters in this era. If they teach the kids the wrong raid methods, it could be disastrous. Once bad habits are formed, they¡¯re hard to correct. ¡°For theory sses, just think of it as listening to stories. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, ask meter.¡± ¡°There are theory sses too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a school, you know? The ssrooms aren¡¯t just for decoration.¡± Before I arrived, they were indeed used for decoration, but there¡¯s no need to mention that. ¡°Shall we start with a simple test?¡± ¡°A test? But I don¡¯t know anything¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we need to do it.¡± The first thing we need to do. Figure out what kind of awakening Kang Tae-woo has. If it¡¯s a natural Awakening, it¡¯s simple. Just treat him like the other kids. But if it¡¯s not natural, if it¡¯s the product of those experiments from his time in the Research Lab¡­ Then careful management is required. It might be troublesome, but if I can persuade him well and keep him under my wing, it will be worth it. ¡°It¡¯ll take some preparation, but it¡¯s a simple task, so no problem.¡± I folded my arms and looked at the girl standing beside Kang Tae-woo. A girl who was at least a head shorter than him, wearing a middle school uniform: Yoo Ji-eun. ¡°Why are you standing there?¡± Her cheeks were still red from being pinched by her sister. Yoo Ji-eun looked up at me with an eager expression, her flushed cheeks entuating her determination. ¡°I want to take the test too!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not!¡± Her expectant expression crumpled, and her lips pouted. ¡°There¡¯s still a year left before you can enter the pilot high school.¡± ¡°I can enter now!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But he did!¡± Yoo Ji-eun pointed at Kang Tae-woo with a sulky face. Startled by the finger pointing at him, Kang Tae-woo flinched and took a step back. ¡°He? He¡¯s your oppa, and he¡¯s older than you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s only a year older!¡± ¡°Older is older.¡± Her sister Yoo Hye-eun is well-behaved, so why is Yoo Ji-eun like this? ¡°But¡­! If someone a year older than me can enter, shouldn¡¯t I be able to enter too? I awakened earlier than him!¡± Yoo Ji-eun was being unusually stubborn. Normally, when I firmly say no, she grumbles but eventually gives up. ¡°Seventeen is the usual age to enter high school, but sixteen isn¡¯t, right? Wait until half a yearter. I won¡¯t stop you then.¡± ¡°But I want to now!¡± ¡°Do you want to take sses in the same ss as your sister?¡± Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°I said no.¡± Seriously, why doesn¡¯t she listen? Is it that both the small Yoo Ji-eun and the big Yoo Ji-eun refuse to listen to me? This is too much. I¡¯d appreciate it if she at least pretended to listen. Am I asking for too much? ¡°He didn¡¯t enter as a first-year, right?! So I should be able to enter too, shouldn¡¯t I?!¡± Hmm¡­ The entrance criteria for Hunter Academy are such that minors who aren¡¯t yet high school students sometimes enter early. But that¡¯s Hunter Academy, not the pilot high school. There¡¯s one crucial difference between Kang Tae-woo and Yoo Ji-eun. A difference that can¡¯t be ignored. As a teacher at the pilot high school, it¡¯s not something I want to talk about lightly, but¡­ Judging by the determined look in her eyes, she wouldn¡¯t back down easily. There¡¯s no choice. ¡°Student Yoo Ji-eun.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± At least when called, she answers. It¡¯s proof that there¡¯s still a chance for Yoo Ji-eun. A chance that she won¡¯t grow up to be that grumpy woman in the future. ¡°There¡¯s a very important reason why you can¡¯t enter the pilot high school yet.¡± ¡°¡­Is it my age?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to your age, yes. But specifically¡­¡± Yoo Ji-eun looked at me with suspicion. Her eyes were arrogant, as if she was curious to see what I would say next. ¡°You haven¡¯t graduated from middle school yet.¡± ¡°¡­What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Since the pilot high school isn¡¯t an official educational institution yet, if youe here before properly graduating middle school¡­ you¡¯ll be treated as a dropout instead of a graduate.¡± This is a critical issue. No matter how you look at it, having only an elementary school diploma as your highest level of education is not eptable in a country where middle school education is mandatory. ¡°Are you nning to take the GEDter? It would be much better to just get your diploma in half a year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It seems she hadn¡¯t considered this at all, as her mouth hung open in shock. ¡°The principal is working hard to get the school officially recognized as an educational institution by next year. But even that isn¡¯t guaranteed. So it¡¯s safer to just graduate first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand, student Ji-eun?¡± Yoo Ji-eun nodded with a dumbfounded look on her face. I gestured to Yoo Hye-eun, who was hesitantly lingering in the background. She nodded politely and approached to take her sister away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Take Ji-eun and head to Hunter Ji¡¯s caf¨¦, get her something to drink. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s eaten yet.¡± ¡°Ji-eun¡¯s the type who¡¯d die if she skipped a meal, so she probably ate well on her own.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Yoo Hye-eun smiled shyly as she led her sister back to the ssroom. Yoo Ji-eun followed her quietly without saying a word. If I had known this would work so well, I would¡¯ve mentioned it sooner. Themotion finally subsided. I could focus on Kang Tae-woo again. ¡°What were we talking about earlier¡­ Oh, right. We were discussing the test.¡± The somewhat dazed look in Kang Tae-woo¡¯s eyes cleared up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing difficult, so there¡¯s no need to be nervous.¡± If anything, he seemed to tense up even more. I chuckled. It really was a simple test. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go grab what I need.¡± * * * Scratch, scratch. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Scratch, scratch. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can I ask what kind of rune that is?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be like that.¡± Kim Chae-min circled around me like a restless puppy. It had been a while since I drew a new rune. Since Kang Tae-woo hasn¡¯t made up his mind yet, I couldn¡¯t draw it in front of him. Park Seo-hyun briefly nced at the parasol on the yground, then turned back to watch me draw the rune. It¡¯s been a while since Ist drew this rune, and this one is much moreplex than the ones I usually draw, so I didn¡¯t have time to respond to every question. I could only speak once I was almost done with the rune. ¡°It¡¯s for a simple test.¡± ¡°A test? What kind of test?¡± ¡°A mana conductivity test.¡± ¡°Conductivity?¡± Kim Chae-min tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Why do you need to test that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s necessary.¡± Exining this would involve mentioning Ark, which isn¡¯t something I can discuss in front of the kids. I subtly looked over at Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo, then pointed my chin towards Kang Tae-woo outside. Kim Chae-min quickly caught on. She nodded and closed her mouth. This is why it¡¯s good to work with someone who¡¯s quick on the uptake. ¡°¡­Is it for him?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Now that Kim Chae-min was quiet, it was Park Seo-hyun¡¯s turn. She had been staring intently at the rune and now tucked her hair behind her ear. Choi Jin-woo chimed in from beside her. ¡°You never did this kind of test for us.¡± ¡°¡­I heard about you from the principal.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do this test for us too?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Park Seo-hyun narrowed her eyes. Since her bangs weren¡¯t down, it¡¯s still okay for now. ¡°This test isn¡¯t necessary for you.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s necessary for him?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m doing it because it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between him and us?¡± I narrowed my eyes as well. When I didn¡¯t answer, Park Seo-hyun smirked, as if she¡¯d figured something out. ¡°I want to take the test too.¡± ¡°¡­I told you, it¡¯s not necessary for you. If it was, I would¡¯ve done it already. I didn¡¯t do it because it¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s pointless?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that, how could I be teaching you?¡± I checked thepleted rune. I handed it to Kim Chae-min to activate it, but Park Seo-hyun intercepted it. ¡°Park Seo-hyun?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just activation, right? I can do it too.¡± It doesn¡¯t really matter who activates it, but¡­ I hid the inexplicable unease I felt and took the rune back from Park Seo-hyun. ¡°Can I watch the test too?¡± Park Seo-hyun asked, looking me straight in the eye. Normally, I would have said it was fine, but this time it¡¯s different. If Kang Tae-woo really is the result of a sessful experiment¡­ I shook my head. ¡°No. Where are you going during ss? I¡¯m sorry for interrupting, Teacher Kim.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s about student Tae-woo, so it¡¯s fine. Just let me know the test resultster.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Before leaving the ssroom, I nced at Park Seo-hyun. Her face, usually pale, seemed even paler today. Maybe it¡¯s just my imagination. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 71 - Portrait of a Kidney Bean (2) Chapter 71: Portrait of a Kidney Bean (2) TL: SHW ¡°Woo Hwijae.¡± It¡¯s not the usual voice I hear. A voice hardened with sternness. Unconsciously, I shrank back, gauging the situation. Did I do something wrong? I finished all my homework, didn¡¯t I? The old man isn¡¯t the type to scold me for not doing homework anyway. So why? Did he find out about the lie I told a long time ago? ¡°Hwijae.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°That.¡± He took my hand. His touch was so gentle that I knew he wasn¡¯t scolding me. Right. The old man is different from those people. Not that he never scolds me, but there¡¯s always a reason. Like if I fought with a friend at school, or didn¡¯t put something back after using it, or lied to him. Always for reasons I could understand. He never forced me to take medicine or get a shot if I didn¡¯t want to. Actually, he even promised that he wouldn¡¯t make me take medicine or get a shot unless I was really sick. It¡¯s been over a year since I followed him from the orphanage. In that time, he¡¯s never broken a promise. So, I can trust him. ¡°This thing.¡± He lifted the coin I was holding. Arge, golden, gleaming coin. On the front, there¡¯s a small fairy drawing, and on the back, some unknown letters are engraved. Oh. That. He told me not to y with the stuff he brought back from the dungeon. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± I made myself as small as possible, making my voice tremble like I was about to cry and looking down at the floor. He always gets flustered when I do this and ends up not scolding me. Sniffling or wiping my eyes with the back of my hand works even better. It¡¯s always effective, no matter how many times I do it. Sure enough, he waved his hands in a fluster. ¡°No, Hwijae. I¡¯m not trying to scold you¡­.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it again¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­. Uh, well, of course, you shouldn¡¯t touch the things I bring from the dungeons carelessly. Even though I don¡¯t bring anything dangerous, you never know, so that¡¯s why. You understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± His words were jumbled. But it still needs a perfect finish. ¡°Sniff.¡± ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t cry. Okay?¡± See? It¡¯s easy. ¡°I just wanted to ask you something.¡± ¡°Sniff. What is it?¡± ¡°That thing you did just now. Can you do it again?¡± ¡°What I did just now?¡± ¡°Your hand and the coin were glowing, remember?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± His expression was so serious that it scared me for no reason. I took back the coin he had taken from me. I held it in my hand and gave it a little shake. Tiny grains started to flow out from inside the coin and slowly fell. I caught them with my other hand, the one not holding the coin. They floated down like feathers, so it wasn¡¯t hard. The grains melted away as soon as they touched my palm, leaving no trace. ¡°Done!¡± I held out my hand, now glowing white. Unlike those people, he¡¯s generous with praise. Since I did what he asked, I thought he¡¯d praise me, but his expression was strange. ¡°¡­Uncle?¡± It definitely didn¡¯t seem like he was going to scold me. What is it? He carefully took the coin from my hand, just like before. The coin that had been faintly glowing as the grains fell went dark as soon as it transferred to his hand. The light from my hand flickered and then faded. ¡°Hwijae.¡± He smiled faintly. His voice carried none of the usual yfulness, but was so soft it tickled my ears. He used the same voice thest time I saw my older brother at the researchb. And then I never saw him again. Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over me. But he¡¯s different from my brother. He always spoke with confidence. He always said he was the strongest in the country. I nced at his neck. I could see the worn leather string through his clothes. I had one around my neck too. A small, nk metal piece hung from it. He¡¯s not going to disappear like my brother. ¡°The thing you did just now. Have you ever shown it to anyone else?¡± ¡°¡­No. You¡¯re the first one to see it.¡± ¡°Never show it to anyone else, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The grip of the old man¡¯s hand on mine gradually tightened. When I tried to gently pull my hand away, he held onto it even tighter. ¡°Uncle, my hand hurts.¡± ¡°Hwijae, you must never show this to anyone. Understand? Promise me.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. Now, please let go of my hand.¡± ¡°Oh? Ah, right. Sorry.¡± His embarrassed smile looked just the same as usual. I nced at the coin in his hand. ¡°But why?¡± ¡°Not everyone can do this. If people find out you can, a lot of them might get jealous of you.¡± ¡°Do I have to worry about those people?¡± ¡°¡­Haha, well, that¡¯s true.¡± He let out a shortugh and patted my head. ¡°But Hwijae, you don¡¯t like it when people keep asking you questions, right? Think of it as avoiding annoying situations in advance.¡± ¡°¡­But it¡¯s nothing special. I just have to pick up the grains. Can¡¯t you do it too?¡± ¡°Grains?¡± ¡°Yeah. They fall out when you shake the coin. Look.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uncle?¡± The hand that was patting my head stopped. Sensing something strange, I moved his hand away and looked up at him. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°Hwijae.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you want to go hiking with me?¡± ¡°Hiking?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you some exercises.¡± ¡°Exercise? I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll teach you. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Right now? I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°This is something you need to do right away. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± It wasn¡¯t until muchter that I realized no one else could make their hands glow like I did. Not even uncle. It wasn¡¯t until muchter that I realized the grains I had seen were actually mana. Of course, seeing mana with the naked eye isn¡¯t something just anyone can do. The reason I could do it? Isn¡¯t it obvious? The two people who provided me with their genes. It¡¯s thanks to those two. Project Pioneer. An experiment conducted by the Ark to create artificial awakened individuals. Two years since Hong Seok-young forcibly shut down the experiment. The first sessful sample had been born. * * * ¡°Can you see this?¡± The activated rune draws in surrounding mana. That¡¯s the effect of the auxiliary rune. The principle of the auxiliary rune is to hold the mana in the air around the rune to maintain its effect. For runes that need to be in contact with the user, like the mana concealment rune, it sometimes slightly extracts mana from the awakened person. As a result, blue grains of mana are slowly swirling around the auxiliary rune. Only I can see them, though. If Kang Tae-woo has been affected by the experiment¡­ ¡°Huh? See what?¡± But Kang Tae-woo asked back with a dumbfounded expression. Hmm. ¡°You don¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°¡­Am I supposed to?¡± He doesn¡¯t seem to be lying. ¡°If you can¡¯t see it, then never mind.¡± To prevent him from asking unnecessary questions, I quickly handed him the rune. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it; just ce it on your palm without smudging the drawing.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Yes, now don¡¯t move¡­.¡± The rune now takes on the role that the coin did when I was little. Of course, that coin was an item the old man brought back from a dungeon. It was a key that opened blocked doors in a maze-like dungeon, and he had brought it back as a keepsake. Since it was that kind of item, it was imbued with mana. It had great mana conductivity too. Back then, the old man had a habit of bringing back a souvenir from each dungeon he raided. But after seeing me y with that coin, he broke that habit entirely. It¡¯s all memories now. Now, the old man isn¡¯t around, nor are there any items like the coin he brought. So I have no choice but to mimic it as best I can. ¡°It might tickle a little.¡± I pinched the edge of the paper with the rune drawn on it using my hand imbued with mana. There¡¯s no need to inject too much mana. If I do, it defeats the purpose of the test. I must also be careful not to make direct contact with Kang Tae-woo. The mana must go through the rune. This is also a test of Kang Tae-woo¡¯s conductivity. The mana slowly seeps into the paper. After circting once around the rune drawn on the paper, the mana starts to transfer to the surrounding area. Most of it spreads across Kang Tae-woo¡¯s hand. If it were a natural Awakening, there would be no change. At most, his palm might feel a little itchy. But. For an artificial Awakener like me. ¡°Ouch!¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s hand flinched, seemingly ticklish, but I grabbed his wrist with my other hand, preventing him from pulling away. The mana in the air quivered finely. ¡°Is this¡­ how it¡¯s supposed to be?¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s hand began to faintly glow. It¡¯s almost funny. The experiment at Ark had continued for more than ten years. Ark had its own goals, so even without significant results, the research carried on. However, the general perception was that the experiment was a failure. Even if it hadn¡¯t been for the old man, the research would have eventually been discontinued. Kidnapping the children of Awakeners was probably theirst desperate attempt. I once overheard the head of theb talking about how they¡¯d soon dispose of the test subjects and look for other methods. But both Kang Tae-woo and I only Awakened several years after the experiment ended. Maybe the effects only manifested after we stopped taking theb¡¯s drugs. After all, I showed no signs of Awakening while I was still in theb. Maybe in time, Kang Tae-woo will also be able to see mana. I crumpled the rune. The light on Kang Tae-woo¡¯s hand quickly faded. ¡°All done.¡± ¡°All done?¡± ¡°Simple, right?¡± ¡°What were you checking?¡± ¡°Your sensitivity to mana. You¡¯re pretty sensitive.¡± ¡°Does that mean¡­ I passed?¡± ¡°What? Oh, no, nothing like that. Whether you¡¯re sensitive or not doesn¡¯t really matter when ites to being a Hunter. I just wanted to know for reference, for when I¡¯m teaching you. It¡¯s not something I really needed to check, but it helps me decide how best to teach you.¡± Kang Tae-woo doesn¡¯t need to know that his Awakening was a result of the experiment. It¡¯s better for him to remain unaware¡ªbetter to stay ordinary. ¡°Once you adapt to your Awakened body, your stamina will improve quickly. Anyway, as you learn how to use your body, your stamina will naturally increase. So, is there any weapon you already know how to use¡­?¡± I looked at Kang Tae-woo¡¯s face. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know any. Have you ever learned any kind of martial arts?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then we¡¯ll start from the basics. Is there a weapon you¡¯re interested in trying?¡± Kang Tae-woo still looked confused and unsure. ¡°Well, even if you say that, I don¡¯t really know¡­ Weapons?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so serious. I¡¯m just asking because you¡¯ll be more motivated if you learn something you¡¯re interested in.¡± The old man never gave me choices like that. He simply handed me a spear. But even if the old man had asked me, I probably would¡¯ve responded with the same confusion as Kang Tae-woo. In modern society, who besides Hunters would ever have held a weapon? I can¡¯t teach him to use a spear. The reason I only use a sword when teaching the kids here is because my spear technique is identical to the old man¡¯s. The sword is the most versatile option, after all. The old man taught me a lot more than just how to use a spear. He always said that a true Hunter should be able to fight with any weapon. ¡°How about learning the sword? If it doesn¡¯t suit you, we can switch.¡± Seeing Kang Tae-woo nodding reluctantly, I nced over at the training field. The mages were taking a ss with Kim Chae-min, and the other students were being trained inbat by Daseon¡¯s Hunters, who Lee Mi-seon had brought to the school. In the afternoon, I¡¯ll be teaching dungeon raids¡­. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­. Student Tae-woo, do you know the most basic skill a Hunter needs?¡± ¡°Huh? No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s falling techniques.¡± I smiled gently. Boom! Right at that moment, Sun Sun-jin, who had been kicked by a Hunter, rolled across the field. I was satisfied with how she held her head to protect it. She got up, casually wiping the corner of her mouth. Kang Tae-woo¡¯s face turned pale. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 72 - Portrait of a Kidney Bean (3) Chapter 72: Portrait of a Kidney Bean (3) TL: SHW Kang Tae-woo, who had been neatly dressed in his school uniform when he first arrived at school, sitting next to Kim Chae-min, was now sitting at the back of the ssroom in the afternoon, looking disheveled and dazed. Bing a Hunter is like that for everyone. If bing a Hunter were easy, everyone would be one. I thought starting with fall training right off the bat might not be the best teaching method, but the old man used to say. When your heart is in pain, your body needs to be in pain too. That way, you can sleep without thinking about anything. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong, especially for someone with a personality that would dig yourself into a hole if left alone. And there¡¯s something the old man said to me while dragging me up the mountain. ¡®Hwijae, do you know this? It takes a lot more strength than you think for an Awakened to get hurt.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long to understand why he said that. Anyway, that¡¯s how it is. The Awakened are tough. Hunters who can afford to pay the dungeon passage fee are even tougher. And the toughness of a Hunter is proportional to the dungeon passage fee they can pay. From a rough nce, if Kang Tae-woo were to go get his Hunter license now, he¡¯d probably be a D-rank. Considering he¡¯s only recently Awakened, that¡¯s about an average figure. For someone as tough as a D-rank Hunter, even if they were tossed around in the dirt, they wouldn¡¯t get a scratch. As for the mental shock¡­ well. Wasn¡¯t the goal to keep him so busy that he couldn¡¯t think of anything? If so, mission aplished, right? Besides, I told him to just sit in on the afternoon¡¯s theory ss, so it¡¯s probably a good time to gather his thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ll continue with sses like this for a while. In the morning, you¡¯ll havebat training with Daseon¡¯s Hunters. In the afternoon, you¡¯ll learn dungeon raid strategies with me. Mages will attend Teacher Kim¡¯s ss in the morning¡­ Whether you do practical lessons depends on Teacher Kim¡¯s mood, so keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Teacher. Will the transfer student take sses with us too?¡± Lee Seung-yeon chimed in to ask. ¡°Even if he¡¯s a year younger, he¡¯s still in the same ss. Of course, he won¡¯t be able to keep up right away, so I¡¯ll be helping him out for a while. Any questions?¡± ¡°What about our Runes?¡± Choi Jin-woo raised his hand high. ¡°Review them.¡± ¡°What about new Runes?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re Mages, right? A Mage¡¯s main job is Magic. That reminds me, Park Seo-hyun, how¡¯s your apprentice doing in ss?¡± Choi Jin-woo obediently closed his mouth and started winking at Park Seo-hyun. ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun looked back and forth between me and Choi Jin-woo. She seemed to understand. ¡°So, how¡¯s your Magic going? Got a feel for it?¡± ¡°Uh-uh¡­.¡± Park Seo-hyun shrank her neck and covered her eyes with her bangs. As expected. Well, I¡¯m not the kind of teacher who pressures students for not doing well in their studies. If you¡¯re a student, it¡¯s okay to not be good at it yet. It¡¯s the teacher¡¯s job to be patient and teach. Besides, Magic isn¡¯t my field anyway. Kim Chae-min will handle it. If things really get stuck, I can always think of Park Seo-hyun, the witch from twenty yearster, and give a hint. Anyway, it¡¯s not Magic ss right now. When Hong Seok-younges back to school, I¡¯ll make him take back his role as the homeroom teacher of the Magic ss. What kind of Magic ss homeroom teacher am I? I pulled out a stack of papers from under the podium. It was an 80-page raid guide that the kids had written. As I waved the guide covered in index stickers, the children¡¯s eyes followed the fluttering papers. ¡°Do you see the stickers on this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you think they are?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯re the parts you wrote wrong.¡± I grinned. ¡°I praised youst time, didn¡¯t I? So today is time for scolding.¡± * * * Kang Tae-woo wasn¡¯t as dazed as Woo Hwijae had thought. Of course, he was exhausted from running and rolling around the so-called yground that was really just an empty lot. He wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and copse onto a bed instead of sitting in the ssroom. But sometimes, even when you¡¯re so tired it feels like you¡¯re about to die, your mind can be strangely clear. For Kang Tae-woo, now was one of those moments. In fact, sitting at the very back, he hadn¡¯t beenpletely lost in thought. The dungeon raiding strategies didn¡¯t make any sense to him at all. He¡¯d rather ask about itter. ¡°Now, you guys wrote here that you¡¯d first take care of the Goblin sentries. This is an error that stems from not understanding Goblin behavior. Goblins are very cautious creatures.¡± The low voice continued calmly. There wasn¡¯t much variation in pitch. Despite the monotony, the voice wasn¡¯t sleep-inducing; it was clear and precise like that of a news anchor, which made it stick in your ears. If he had been wearing a more proper suit, one might have thought he worked at a securities firm rather than being a teacher. But right now, he was just wearingfortable-looking sweatpants and a t-shirt. ¡®He seems like a good person.¡¯ That¡¯s probably why, when the student he¡¯d only spoken to for about five minutes called for help, he immediately drove over to assist. Although it was on the director¡¯s orders, seeing him help with the awakened registration made Kang Tae-woo feel a bit sorry. When he had said he wanted to give it a serious try, he had meant it. Although Sohee¡¯s smiling face still lingered before his eyes, it was also a perfect opportunity topletely escape from Ark. If he was lucky, he might even be able to find out about his siblings from the researchb who had gone missing. Even if it would be difficult, if it was Hong Seok-young, the one hailed as the strongest Hunter¡­ He thought it would be best to be honest. But at the same time, he hesitated. Even though he believed he could trust Woo Hwijae, something about him kept nagging at his mind. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before¡­¡¯ For some reason, he didn¡¯t seem unfamiliar. How many opportunities would one have to meet a Hunter in their life? And how could you forget meeting one? He was sure they hadn¡¯t met before. But he still felt familiar. ¡°Got it? The sentries patrolling the area never have a break in their movement. They¡¯re always linked, 24 hours a day. If a sentry doesn¡¯t arrive at the designated time, abat unit immediatelyes to check the situation.¡± As Kang Tae-woo continued his dazed thoughts, Woo Hwijae spoke with sharp precision. To someone who had never even been inside a dungeon and had only seen monsters that had escaped from one, it sounded like he was talking about catching clouds. It felt more like a game strategy guide than a dungeon raid lesson. ¡°So if you act ording to what you wrote, the Goblins will go on high alert. You haven¡¯t even reached the dungeon core yet, right? If that happens, you won¡¯t be able to reach the core, and with the Goblins swarming in, it¡¯ll be hard to even make it back to the gate. What will you do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A male student sitting near the front of the ss raised his hand. He had dark skin and was short. Although his body was thin and bony, his muscr arms made him seem intimidating. Just a year older than him¡­ He said he had already done dungeon raids. Is that what all pro Hunters are like? ¡°Oh Hyun-wook?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Goblins have a keen sense of hearing and smell.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then we should start by producing smoke to impair their sense of smell. There¡¯s no need to start a fire. In fact, the fire could spread and block our escape route.¡± ¡°You create smoke. Then what?¡± ¡°Once they lose their sense of smell, Goblins will start relying on their hearing. There¡¯s no need to be too noisy¡­ I, as the leader, will take care of thebat units.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll handle thebat units?¡± ¡°While moving in the opposite direction of the gate.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To lure them away.¡± ¡°¡­And the other Hunters?¡± ¡°They should head to the gate. The raid is a bust, so we need to get out of the dungeon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll buy them time? And how will you get out of the dungeon?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°What if doing your best isn¡¯t enough?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Having spent a long time observing researchers during his time at the researchb, Kang Tae-woo quickly realized that Woo Hwijae¡¯s mood had darkened. As Oh Hyun-wook continued to speak, Woo Hwijae¡¯s expression grew colder. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying. In the end, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll act as bait so the others can escape, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And the reason you¡¯re doing it?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the leader.¡± Woo Hwijae nced around the ssroom. His eyes briefly met Kang Tae-woo¡¯s before moving on. It was as if cold water had been poured over him, jolting him awake. If he could, he would have shut Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s mouth. When the researchers had that kind of look in their eyes, it always meant something terrible was about to happen. Either a researcher was about to be executed, or one of the children was about to be disposed of¡­! ¡°So, that¡¯s your judgment as the leader. What do the others think?¡± The ssroom remained silent. ¡°Does everyone agree with Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s judgment?¡± Anyone with eyes could see that this wasn¡¯t the answer Woo Hwijae wanted. But no one spoke up to disagree. Everyone was just gauging the situation. ¡°Hyun-wook is the strongest among us, so¡­ he¡¯ll make it out fine.¡± A female student whose name Kang Tae-woo didn¡¯t know yet spoke in a small voice. Woo Hwijae clicked his tongue with an incredulous expression. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say you¡¯re not the leader. Let¡¯s say Seo Han-seong is the leader. Then, the leader says he¡¯ll be the bait so the others can escape the dungeon. What will you do? Will you follow his orders?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Answer me. Will you follow his orders?¡± ¡°I¡­ I would stop him.¡± ¡°And after stopping him?¡± ¡°I would take on that role myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Even Kang Tae-woo could tell that Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t the right one. Should I just make an excuse to go to the bathroom and escape? Kang Tae-woo, unable to bear the chilling atmosphere in the ssroom, shifted ufortably in his seat. ¡°This guy is something else.¡± Woo Hwijae¡¯s voice cut through the cold silence. ¡°I¡¯m being pretty patient with you all because I know you don¡¯t have much experience. I really didn¡¯t want to have to do this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh Hyun-wook. Stand up.¡± Scrrr. Oh Hyun-wook slowly rose from his seat. From where Kang Tae-woo was sitting at the very back of the ssroom, all he could see was the back of Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s head. ¡°I was trying to keep things pleasant, especially since Tae-woo is here.¡± No, please don¡¯t bring up my name here. The girl sitting next to Oh Hyun-wook briefly turned around. She had long bangs that nearly covered her eyes. She was supposedly a mage. ¡°What do you think Tae-woo will think if you all act like this? He¡¯d think this ce is supposed to be a Hunter training school, but it only produces garbage. Do you know how much the principal has bragged about you all?¡± He¡­ bragged¡­ about them? Kang Tae-woo swallowed nervously for no reason. ¡°Do you¡­ remember the day you raided the Pixie Dungeon? You said you were going to quit, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I made a mistake by stopping you back then. Just quit. I¡¯ll speak to the principal for you. Quit. You¡¯re someone who shouldn¡¯t be entering dungeons.¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± ¡°I hate people like you. I understand why you came to that conclusion. I get it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re going to save others by sacrificing yourself? Is that what you were thinking?¡± The voice, which had been calmly teaching without raising its tone, now sharply pierced through the chest. Even though he wasn¡¯t the one being targeted, the tension was so high that Kang Tae-woo¡¯s shoulders ached. ¡°I¡¯ve seen several raid parties annihted by guys like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You know what? Whether you sacrifice others or sacrifice yourself, it¡¯s the same as treating human life like it¡¯s nothing.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 73 - Portrait of a Kidney Bean (4) Chapter 73: Portrait of a Kidney Bean (4) TL: SHW Watching something grow requires patience. Even when you nt a kidney bean seed in school. Do you think a sprout appears the moment you nt the seed? No. Ten minutes, twenty minutes. A day. Two days. A week. Only after that much time has passed can you finally see a sprout. I know because I nted kidney beans when I was young. What do you think a ten-year-old kid who nted kidney beans would do? Of course, they check every morning to see if the sprout has appeared. They repeatedly feel disappointed as they look at the pot showing no sign of green. For a ten-year-old, after enduring that long period of patience, they can finally see a sprout. The waiting continues until the sprout grows, leaves emerge, and flowers bloom. When the kidney bean pod starts to grow, they realize. That nurturing something is a difficult task. That it takes a very long time. If even kidney beans take such a long time, what about other things? Fish? Dogs? And what if it¡¯s a person? Sometimes, I wonder how the old man felt while raising me. Even I think I wasn¡¯t an easy kid to raise. For a man who couldn¡¯t even take care of a single potted nt he received as a gift, raising me must have been quite challenging. The fact that I managed to survive and not die over the past twenty years under such a person is quitemendable. Well done, me. Anyway, unlike nts, which only need to be ced in sunlight and watered with proper venttion, people require much more attention. Naturally, the patience needed is greater too. So, I must raise them with patience as well. Without rushing, without hastily judging them just because they seem foolish now. If there is enough affection, time, and effort, eventually, they¡¯ll be a person who can contribute. Let¡¯s endure and hang in there. ¡°Because I¡¯m the leader.¡± Strange. What could have happened that made them regress like this? It was going well when I checked the raid guide and handed out praise stickers. Honestly, some of them didn¡¯t deserve it, but I gave them out as encouragement. Couldn¡¯t they at least pretend to appreciate my consideration? Instead of spouting this kind of nonsense? I slowly scanned the ssroom. It was quiet. So¡­ these kids. ¡°As the leader, that¡¯s your judgment, is it? What about the others¡¯ thoughts?¡± I made sure not to let it show in my voice. Yes, these kids¡­ they¡¯re like amoebas. As long as they¡¯re breathing and wriggling, they¡¯re doing their part. I noticed Kang Tae-woo at the back of the ssroom flinch. ¡­Did it show in my voice? I wasn¡¯t trying to scare him. ¡°Does everyone agree with Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s judgment?¡± I looked at the raid guide the kids had written. There were some points where I questioned if this could even be called a raid guide, but nothing as ridiculous as what I just heard. The guide without a designated raid target was fine, but the moment I asked them to conduct a raid themselves, this is what happened? Did I overestimate the kids? Or is it just Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s problem? ¡°Hyun-wook is the strongest among us¡­ He¡¯ll make it out fine.¡± Even Han Eun-young, whom I had some hope for, was spouting nonsense. I must have overestimated the kids. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook. Stand up.¡± This kind of mentality needs to be corrected in advance. If it gets worse, it bes incurable. It would be better if it were just stupid wordsing out of ignorance. That can be fixed with knowledge. But that self-sacrificing statement from Oh Hyun-wook? There¡¯s no solution to that. If at least, Oh Hyun-wook had confidently said that he could do it, that he would kill all the goblins and return, that would have been different. Even if it¡¯s the same nonsense, if you say it with confidence, the intention behind the statement changes. Usually, in such cases, there are two possibilities. One. He said whatever came to mind because there¡¯s nothing in his head. Two. He has the confidence that he canplete the raid even with such a n. The second best example is right here in this school. A person who bulldozes through dungeons in an absurd and brute way because hisbat power is too strong. Hong Seok-young. Just look at the Siren¡¯s Nest. How shocked I was when Iter heard the detailed story from Kim Chae-min. For his so-called Siren countermeasure, he simply sealed off his hearing. If there was no ce to step, he thought, ¡°I¡¯ll just make one,¡± and brought Kim Chae-min along. What¡¯s more, the raid team was hastily assembled, with most members having only teamed up with Hong Seok-young once or twice at most. But what was the result? Although there was a nationwide scam after that, they managed to seed in the raid without any serious injuries. Yeah. If you¡¯re going to spout nonsense, at least have the skills to back it up. If you don¡¯t have the skills, you better have a loud voice. In a dungeon where anything can happen, sometimes impossible things do happen. Like a Hunter who was just there as a porter suddenly gaining insight and raiding an S-rank dungeon. Hmm. That¡¯s a lie. But there are those who manage to pull off impossible strategies and miraculously return. There are people who, despite everyone advising against it, insist on entering a dungeon and actuallye back after sessfullypleting the raid. A person¡¯s words have the greatest impact on themselves. Sometimes, if you keep saying something will happen, it actually does. So, even if I don¡¯t like it, I tend to give more jobs to Hunters who are loud and full of confidence. Rather than to those who just shrug and say, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re going to save others by sacrificing yourself? Is that what you were thinking?¡± In the end, my voice came outced with emotion. It¡¯s obvious what that little piglet is thinking. He wants to be better than the guy who used to sacrifice others to clear dungeons. So, he¡¯s thinking, ¡°I¡¯ll sacrifice myself instead!¡± ¡°You know, whether you sacrifice others or yourself, it¡¯s the same as treating human life like it¡¯s nothing.¡± Why can¡¯t you just think about raiding the dungeon properly? I¡¯m teaching you how! From the basics! Methodically! How to raid a dungeon!! Oh Hyun-wook gritted his teeth. I could see his jaw tense. That jaw reminded me of the man who used to take care of me at the old man¡¯s request. Before he drowned in alcohol. Before he became bloated with fat. The man who was once a promising youth, full of vigor, who was seen as the next in line after Hong Seok-young. A man who forced himself to do good deeds, even though it didn¡¯t suit his personality, because he didn¡¯t want to fall to the same level as someone he despised. I remember what the old man used to tell me. ¡®You could be someone much greater.¡¯ Maybe those words were a hint from the path that the future Oh Hyun-wook found. It hurts my pride to think that the realization gained by that piglet might havee around to me¡­ But when I think that it¡¯s going back to the little piglet again¡­ Well. It doesn¡¯t feel so bad. ¡°Failing a dungeon raid doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s over.¡± I softened the tone of my voice. ¡°When a raid fails, does the dungeon disappear? No. The gate only blocks monsters from entering; it doesn¡¯t stop Hunters from going in and out.¡± When the blocked gate allows monsters to pass through, that¡¯s a dungeon break. ¡°As long as you¡¯re alive, you can always try again, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it were an A-rank or S-rank dungeon, maybe. But using your life just to escape a goblin dungeon? With that kind of skill, don¡¯t even think about entering a dungeon.¡± If I talk any more, I¡¯ll just end up repeating the same thing. ¡°¡­Go find a route where everyone could escape from the dungeon without leaving anyone behind. One for each of you. Seven routes.¡± Yoo Hye-eun is excluded. She¡¯s with her sister and Kim Chae-min. More dungeon raid lessons won¡¯t be of much help to her. I gestured to Kang Tae-woo. ¡°Tae-woo, you follow me. I¡¯ll tutor you separately today. Although¡­.¡± I looked at Oh Hyun-wook, still standing upright, and at the kids with their heads bowed, staring at their desks. ¡°For a while, it¡¯s likely just going to be you and me in ss.¡± * * * [Oh Hyun-wook ¨C S-Rank] [Main Weapon ¨C Bare-Handed Combat] [Guild Memorial¡¯s Master] [Chairman of the Hunter Bereaved Families Association] [Chairman of the Memorial Foundation] [Chairman of the Hunter Academy Operations Committee] Looking at Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s profile stored in the Ability Management Agency, it¡¯s hard to recall the face of that piglet. The list of donations and sponsorshipses to mind even before the dungeons he has raided. Under the piglet¡¯s societal contributions, there¡¯s a list of the dungeons he cleared during his time as a Hunter. A few major dungeons are listed, and then it says: [¡­156 other dungeons] Compared to the 709 dungeons Yoo Ji-eun cleared, it¡¯s a significantly smaller number. Although Yoo Ji-eun worked like an ox, even considering that, it¡¯s suspiciously low for someone with Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s reputation. That¡¯s only natural. Dungeon raiding wasn¡¯t Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s specialty. I increased the information ess level. Since only I and the Director have used it, no further procedures are needed. Just changing the search criteria reveals the hidden documents. [Oh Hyun-wook ¨C S-Rank] [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö] [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö] [Due to ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, security clearance has been upgraded. Cooperation on rted matters has been agreed.] [For other cases of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, rted to ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö and ¡ö¡ö¡ö.] Documents filled with censorship. Oh Hyun-wook mainly dealt with issues rted to illegal Awakened individuals rather than dungeon raids. Most of these matters were closely tied to national secrets or were erased due to various diplomatic issues. There are some documents without censorship that I could look at, but¡­ is there really a need? After all, this Oh Hyun-wook no longer exists. If I want to raise this piglet from here¡­ it¡¯s better to keep him as a cute little piglet. At the very least, I need to toughen up that weak mentality so he can¡¯t even touch alcohol. And also, get rid of any unnecessary spirit too. ¡°Well then¡­.¡± There¡¯s almost no sounding from the ssroom. I listened briefly and then stopped. Remember. Time and effort. If I could raise kidney beans, I can raise these kids too. The old man raised me, didn¡¯t he? What am Ickingpared to the old man? ¡°Why are you here again?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yoo Ji-eun grinned widely. ¡°Since I¡¯m here today anyway, can I join him? What unnie does is boring.¡± Yoo Ji-eun pointed to Kang Tae-woo. It¡¯s not ¡®him,¡¯ it¡¯s ¡®oppa.¡¯ Kang Tae-woo nced at Yoo Ji-eun briefly and then remained silent. If I keep letting this slide once or twice, it¡¯ll never end. I was about to tell her to go back to her sister, but¡­ I changed my mind. Anyway, I had her attend a few theory sses while Hong Seok-young was hospitalized. Knowing things halfway is the most dangerous. I looked at Yoo Ji-eun. Her cheeks still had some baby fat. Round eyes. A bright, smiling mouth. ¡­I hope she¡¯s not falling for some nonsense about using mana to remove toxins again? I was nning to teach Kang Tae-woo the basic safety rules anyway. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for Yoo Ji-eun to learn them too. The sooner she knows, the better. Since I didn¡¯t say anything, Yoo Ji-eun slowly sat down. I don¡¯t know what Daseon did to the parasol, but I could feel a cool breeze. Ji Yoo-geon, who I couldn¡¯t tell if he was a barista or a Hunter, brought two cups of coffee and smoothies, wearing a paper nametag on his chest. The sky was clear. It was a summer day with not a cloud in sight. The sun sets muchter now too. The ss usuallysted until the sun set. I gauged the time left until sunset and then opened my mouth. ¡°What do you think is the most important thing for a Hunter?¡± Kang Tae-woo rolled his eyes around, and Yoo Ji-eun pretended to ponder before answering. ¡°Fighting?¡± ¡°Not what you have to do best, but what you should consider most important.¡± ¡°¡­Uh. Hmm.¡± Yoo Ji-eun groaned and closed her mouth. ¡°Your life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Always struggle to survive.¡± I took a sip of my coffee. ¡°No one will appreciate it even if you risk your life to raid a dungeon.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 74 - Old-timers (1) Chapter 74: Old-timers (1) TL: SHW ¡°Let¡¯s make firecrackers.¡± Sun Sun-jin said in a bright voice. ¡°Firecrackers?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need anything else, just something loud. Oh, and it has to move. There aren¡¯t any other obstacles in the passage the goblins are running through, right? So, we release a bunch of moving firecrackers into the passage to mess with the goblins¡¯ senses. It¡¯d be great if we timed some explosions intermittently, too.¡± ¡°How do we make firecrackers?¡± ¡°We have two mages here, don¡¯t we? Why can¡¯t we make them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sun Sun-jin raised her head proudly. Ah, well¡­ I like her confidence. This is exactly what I wanted. Right now, the kids are getting their assignments checked¡ªgetting out of the goblin tunnels safely, that is. I told them toe up with ns, excluding Yoo Hye-eun and Kang Tae-woo. I had said toe up with seven ideas after discussing it together, but the kids ended up each filling their own quota. It seemed like a weird sense ofpetition had sparked among them¡­ Well, they recover quickly at this age. Their gloom onlysted for that one day. It didn¡¯t even take half a day, as it was in the afternoon ss. It¡¯s better than sitting around with sullen faces. Look at Oh Hyun-wook. There¡¯s a gloomy aura all around him. Even Park Seo-hyun has stepped back a few paces from him. ¡°Is it alright?¡± Sun Sun-jin lifted her chin confidently. Some kids had already passed their assignments over the past few days. Sun Sun-jin was among theter ones. The methods the kids proposed weren¡¯t perfect. There were many ws I could point out, but I pretended not to notice. In the end, I couldn¡¯t even finish all the feedback for the raid guides. I¡¯m not the kind of person to give them a bunch of wrong answer notes when they don¡¯t even know what they did wrong. There¡¯s only one thing I care about. How confident are they in their strategy? In that sense, Sun Sun-jin¡¯s response now is a pass. But if I let it slide just like that, they might think they tricked me. I can¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯m apetent teacher, after all. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The confident look on her face wavered slightly. ¡°Who did you ask? Hunter Ji?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hee.¡± Sun Sun-jin giggled awkwardly. Seeing this small girl acting that way didn¡¯t make me feel like getting mad. Not that I was nning to get angry in the first ce. ¡°Well, fine. You pass.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you letting it go just like that?!¡± It was Lee Seung-yeon, standing beside Sun Sun-jin, who raised his voice instead. ¡°Was it okay to ask?¡± ¡°I never said you couldn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°You told us not to ask the Hunters for help!¡± ¡°That was when you were writing the raid guides.¡± Lee Seung-yeon protested, still not understanding. ¡°Then can I go and ask too?!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I pressed down on Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s shoulder as he tried to jump up. ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°But you said we can ask!¡± ¡°Sure, but at least have the decency to ask secretly without me knowing. And since Sun Sun-jin already used the method of asking the Daeseon Hunters, you can¡¯t use it again.¡± Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s face scrunched up in frustration. ¡°How is that fair?!¡± ¡°Firste, first served.¡± ¡°If I ask the hyungs, they¡¯ll tell me other methods too!¡± Hyungs, huh? What did Lee Seung-yeon call me in Myeong-dong? An old man? I tried to understand that a thirty-year-old might seem like an old man to an eighteen-year-old, but it still irked me. In the Hunter world, being thirty is just when you start getting active! It¡¯s way too early to be called an old man. ¡­Come to think of it, I started calling Yoo Ji-eun an ahjumma when I was about that age. Is this what she felt like back then? Guess I¡¯m paying for my past. Ignoring Lee Seung-yeon, I continued speaking. ¡°Asking the Daeseon Hunters is one method. You guys are still learning, so don¡¯t be ashamed to ask the pros. Pride won¡¯t feed you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same inside a dungeon. The leader doesn¡¯t have to carry everything on their own. If you put your heads together, you¡¯lle up with at least one decent solution.¡± Lee Seung-yeon still had his lips sticking out in a pout. This is why he¡¯s not getting anywhere. Seeing Choi Jin-woo raise his hand like he¡¯d had a sudden revtion, I could more or less guess what he was going to say from the way his body was twitching. Being quick-witted is a skill, after all. ¡°Choi Jin-woo?¡± Without hesitation, Choi Jin-woo answered immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s make firecrackers!!!¡± ¡°What?¡± Next to him, Lee Seung-yeon let out a dumbfounded sound. Like me, Choi Jin-woo ignored his friend¡¯s iling hands. ¡°Make firecrackers and¡­ Do I really need to exin this?¡± ¡°No need. You pass.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why does that count as passing?!!¡± Now, the only ones who hadn¡¯t figured out how to escape the goblin tunnels were Lee Seung-yeon and Oh Hyun-wook. Lee Seung-yeon shouted in a voice full of frustration. ¡°Firecrackers were what Sun Sun-jin said earlier!¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Choi Jin-woo taunted him smugly from the side. ¡°Teacher Woo said that Sun Sun-jin used the method of asking the Daeseon Hunters. So, firecrackers themselves haven¡¯t been used yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­ this is cheating, Teacher!¡± ¡°In dungeons, even small clues you might overlook can be the key to a raid. Always pay attention.¡± I checked the time. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Lee Seung-yeon and Oh Hyun-wook, make sure you pass tomorrow.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be good to put too much pressure on them. Lately, I¡¯ve been looking up various books. Since Hong Seok-young wouldn¡¯t be of any help, I¡¯ve been reading books on child psychology and education instead. As embarrassing as it is to admit, a lecture I once heard at the National New Heart and Spirit Association turned out to be unexpectedly useful. At least the guest lecturer they invited back then seemed like apetent person. Though I only attended that one time and never went back. I had gone hoping to lure in Ark, and I managed to bring No. 3 back with me, so in a way, it was a sessful oue. Now, rather than us going to Ark, we¡¯re waiting for them toe to us. Anyway, one of the things I read in a book said that you shouldn¡¯t make children fear failure. ¡°If you don¡¯t pass¡­.¡± That doesn¡¯t mean you should just shower them with praise for no reason either. ¡­Parenting is hard. Growing kidney beans was much easier. ¡°If you can¡¯t pass, then that¡¯s fine. The easier ideas have already been used by the others, so it¡¯s going to be a bit more of a headache for you guys. It¡¯s okay if it takes longer, just think it through on your own.¡± But it¡¯s important to have clear rewards. ¡°If you two pass, I¡¯ll give each of you a sticker.¡± * * * ¡°At 2 p.m. today, Hunter Hong Seok-young and a group of nine hunters seeded in raiding a dungeon near Cheorwon, Gangwon Province¡­.¡± I turned off the news ying on my phone. I didn¡¯t feel like looking at the footage of Hong Seok-young¡¯s face that they used for the news. I looked up. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hong Seok-young was right there. I sighed. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the sighing? It¡¯s not every day the principales to school.¡± ¡°You rarelye here.¡± ¡°Did you miss me because I was gone?¡± ¡°No. Actually, I was hoping you¡¯d nevere back.¡± ¡°What would you do without me?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°People always find a way to survive somehow.¡± ¡°Hah. I like your confidence.¡± Hong Seok-young casually set the kettle to boil. Despite the increasingly nice-looking caf¨¦ that had sprung up outside, thanks to Lee Mi-seon¡¯s help, he still preferred his instant coffee. Out of courtesy, I asked anyway. ¡°Hunter Ji is making coffee outside. Should I bring you a cup?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, I¡¯m good.¡± Hong Seok-young poured a packet of instant coffee into a paper cup. ¡°I prefer this.¡± A moment of silence. After a brief peaceful pause, Hong Seok-young poured hot water into his paper cup and sat down across from me. He had even made a cup of coffee for me during that short break. ¡°What about the kids¡¯ sses?¡± ¡°They¡¯re hopeless.¡± ¡°That bad?¡± ¡°You should know this better than anyone, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound rougher these days¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡± ¡°Imagining things?¡± ¡°Yeah. Imagining things. It¡¯s a sign of getting old. When you start hearing things, that means¡­.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Hong Seok-young yfully cleared his throat. I drank the coffee. The thick sweetness that clung to my tongue was unpleasant but oddlyforting. ¡°I heard from Hunter Lee that the sses are going smoothly? You¡¯ve mainly been teaching dungeon raid strategies while I was gone.¡± ¡°As for the kids fighting, well¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young pulled the strings, and I did too. After the incident at the Pixie Dungeon, it seemed like something clicked for them. Despite neither Kim Chae-min nor I paying them much attention, I heard they trained on their own. Having the Daeseon Hunters around helped. Though they weren¡¯t officially hired by the school, the employer¡¯s nephew is a student here, so the Daeseon Hunters contributed tobat training. While they couldn¡¯t teach actual sses, they still helped with training. Whether you¡¯re a mage or a hunter, finding your own way is part of the job. You don¡¯t need an extraordinary teacher to learn how to use your body. All you need is someone skilled who can show you more efficient methods. ¡°¡­Honestly, Oh Hyun-wook could probably be a B-rank hunter right now.¡± Originally, the Oh Hyun-wook I knew became an A-rank hunter a year after graduating from this school. He was twenty-one. That might have been the peak period in his life when he was raiding dungeons the most. I¡¯m not sure if the current ¡°little pig¡± is progressing faster or slowerpared to back then. But his remarkable talent is still shining. Unless the ¡°pig¡± Oh Hyun-wook was hiding his abilities before, this ¡°little pig¡± will likely be able to handle A-rank dungeons without much issue by next year. ¡°But this¡­¡± I tapped my temple. Hong Seok-young, for once, had a calm expression. He looked like an old man on his way to meet his elementary school homeroom teacher. ¡°Ji-eun told me.¡± Why¡¯s Yoo Ji-eun being brought up all of a sudden? ¡°She said that no one acknowledges you for risking your life to clear a dungeon, and that all you get is more suffering. So, you should take care of your own life above all else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was that too presumptuous of a lesson? No, but they¡¯re still minors. In the dungeon, they¡¯ve seen things no one their age should see, but they haven¡¯t yet felt jaded by the world or found anything they value more than their own life. You have to teach them while their minds are still soft. That¡¯s how they survive and make it back alive. ¡­How many of them do you think will still be alive three years after they graduate from the academy? As if sensing my unease, Hong Seok-young shook his head. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Keep teaching them with that mindset.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Why does it sound like he¡¯s saying he won¡¯t be teaching them anymore? ¡°That¡¯s the most fundamental lesson.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Sometimes, there are kids who mistakenly think they¡¯re the only ones who can clear a particr dungeon.¡± Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue in disapproval. ¡°There was one of those guys recently. I don¡¯t normally take on rescue missions, but he begged so much I had no choice.¡± His face contorted in a rare show of displeasure. It¡¯s not often he shows such clear distaste. He must have really hated it. ¡°I can¡¯t let my students turn into idiots like that.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re doing a good job.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I studied Hong Seok-young¡¯s face. He still looked calm. ¡°Should I make you another cup of coffee?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay¡­. But you didn¡¯t call me here just to say that, did you?¡± ¡°Why not? From what I hear, you¡¯ve been passing a lot of work to the Daeseon Hunters these past few days.¡± ¡°¡®Passing work¡¯? That¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration.¡± I pictured the Daeseon Hunters giving monster lectures to the kids in the ssroom. ¡°It¡¯s called sharing responsibilities.¡± I mean, it¡¯s not like I need to teach every little thing myself. ¡°And don¡¯t you have the dungeon exploration manual you made? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re teaching something new, we¡¯re just sharing what¡¯s already been prepared¡­.¡± ¡°How do you know about the dungeon exploration manual?¡± Crap. ¡°I heard the Hunters talking about it. They were saying you should teach the kids some of that stuff. Why did you only give it to Daeseon?¡± ¡°I was going to teach themter.¡± It wasn¡¯t a very convincing statement. I looked at Hong Seok-young¡¯s face. He subtly avoided my gaze, turning his head to the side as he sipped his coffee. ¡­It made me trust him even less. ¡°Uh, anyway. Take a look at this.¡± As the silence dragged on, Hong Seok-young quickly downed the rest of his coffee and pulled out a thin booklet from inside his jacket. It looked pretty worn, probably from being shoved inside his clothes. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The cover was in, with no design¡ªjust a title printed on it. [A Modern Reinterpretation of Runes and Various Runes Helpful for Dungeon Raids and Monster Hunting] ¡°I¡¯m nning to present the runes soon.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 75 - Old-timers (2) Chapter 75: Old-timers (2) TL: SHW [A Modern Reinterpretation of Runes and Various Runes Helpful for Dungeon Raids and Monster Hunting] ¡®¡­Reinterpreting runes that have long been neglected in dungeon raids into a modern form, allowing for a variety of tasks that couldn¡¯t be done with traditional magic¡­¡¯ ¡®Verified by Archmage Kim Chae-min (Registration Number KR-0148-D1788)¡­¡¯ The booklet that Hong Seok-young gave me contained thirty different runes. As Lee Mi-seon had mentioned, there was no Mana Concealment Rune. The auxiliary runes¡ªsuch as Sustain, Calibration, Waterproof, Amplify, and Resonance¡ªwere also individually separated. I remember this because I did the separation myself. The exnations were simple. Sustain: Makes the runest longer. Calibration: Adjusts the rune. Waterproof: Prevents it from getting wet. As simple as they were, they were also vague. But Lee Mi-seon had already warned me about this in advance. What did she say again? She mentioned that writing it this way would make the fussy mages let their guard down. Because of that, the exnations of the runes had be deliberately vague for that sole purpose. In fact, Lee Mi-seon even asked me to put the least impressive and vague-looking runes at the front of the booklet. I turned the page again. rity: Clears the mind and helps with concentration. ¡­Looking at it like this, it really does seem weird. Still, this was actually one of the moremonly used runes. On its own, it¡¯s almost ineffective, but if you resonate it with about a hundred other runes, it works pretty well. While the description about clearing the mind and aiding concentration isn¡¯t a lie, it¡¯s more urate to say that it purifies mana. It acts as a kind of mana purifier. Hunter Academy had installed it in ces like meditation rooms, and mages would always be rubbing against it like cats entranced by silvervine. Of course, I left out that part and only told Lee Mi-seon about the rune¡¯s effects. Lee Mi-seon burst outughing and said it was perfect. I don¡¯t know what she found so perfect, but she probably wanted to put it in the guild office. While it doesn¡¯t work as well on Hunters as it does on mages, it would still be beneficial. Just like the description said, it would help clear the mind and improve concentration. ¡°That¡¯s just a sample.¡± As I was staring intently at the booklet, Hong Seok-young suddenly spoke up. ¡°If you want to make any corrections, let me or Hunter Lee know.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I skimmed through the booklet again from the beginning. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine as it is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Look properly, as the writer would.¡± Hong Seok-young opened the inside cover that I had glossed over. ¡°It says here that Daeyeon and Daseon are credited. They¡¯ve also put Teacher Kim¡¯s name on it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard they were going to do that¡­? Did something change?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his head. ¡°You¡¯re not going to include the name of that mage you know?¡± ¡°¡­Ah. That.¡± It was a backstory I¡¯d half-forgotten myself. I¡¯d been selling the reputation of a mage that didn¡¯t even exist. In the meantime, it felt like a lot had happened. Out ofziness, I had attributed all exnations to a non-existent mage from Ark. Every time, the image that came to my mind was that of a French archmage. We¡¯d often meet and exchange greetings at international conferences. By now, I guess¡­ he¡¯d probably be busy struggling to establish some kind of schrly organization. ¡°There¡¯s no need to include it.¡± In fact, including it would cause trouble. He¡¯s a famous archmage even now. The pride of France, the jewel of Nantes. A generous archmage¡­ ¡°But isn¡¯t that the person who created such incredible runes? Shouldn¡¯t you at least leave his name?¡± To keep my conscience intact? Absolutely not. I¡¯d once wondered if I was stealing one of the archmage¡¯s greatest achievements before it was even born. Sure, I¡¯d argued that it was to save more people, but that was just an excuse. Still¡­ it¡¯s toote to back out now. In fact, by announcing a few key runes early, he might even be inspired to create even greater runes or spellster. That would certainly be more beneficial for humanity. It¡¯s much better than creating the Mana Concealment Rune twice over. Doesn¡¯t it save time? ¡°It might draw unnecessary attention. If Ark catches on, it¡¯ll be a hassle, so it¡¯s better to leave it as is.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± ¡°Have you found anything on the guy who attacked the orphanage?¡± ¡°Oh, that guy.¡± Hong Seok-young shook his head. ¡°I tried shaking up some people overseas, but nothing came up. That guy was always more of a rumor than a real lead.¡± I recalled the video Lee Mi-seon had shown me. The only moment I could gauge his power was when he crumpled a car. But even that was just a reference point, not something I could be certain about. We still didn¡¯t even know why the orphanage was attacked in the first ce. All we could do was specte it was some sort of internal conflict. Hong Seok-young agreed with me. ¡°They went through the data left at the orphanage, but nothing concrete came up. Still, there are quite a few orphanages connected to the supporting foundation. With any luck, we might find your sibling soon.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s good to hear.¡± I sighed inwardly. Hong Seok-youngughed loudly, trying to lift the mood. ¡°Cheer up. Has No. 3 still not opened his mouth? We need more internal information, anything would help.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a kid. He¡¯s still watching and waiting.¡± ¡°Try to win him over. That¡¯s your job as a teacher, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m a teacher, I should be teaching kids well. That sounds more like something a teacher should never do to a student.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not exactly a formal school, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Is this really something a principal should be saying? I¡¯m not sure what Hong Seok-young read from my expression, but he cleared his throat awkwardly and turned his head away. Clicking my tongue, I handed the booklet back to him. I considered the thirty runes now to be out of my hands. From now on, with these runes, the world of Hunters and dungeon raids will changepletely from the time I knew. Hong Seok-young epted the booklet from me and tucked it back into his coat. I forcibly pushed the memories of those lost times out of my mind. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s fine as it is.¡± * * * ¡°Anyway, this can¡¯t stay as it is.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Kang Tae-woo looked down with a gloomy expression. I repeated what I said and quickly waved my hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that you did something wrong. Let¡¯s just change our approach. This method is too inefficient.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I learned it, but it¡¯s not the right fit for you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo couldn¡¯t see mana. So, it didn¡¯t make sense for him to use the method I had learned. It¡¯s an obvious truth. It¡¯s not apletely useless method though. Kang Tae-woo, like me, is a product of artificial experimentation. Compared to natural Awakened, his mana conductivity is incredibly high. If he weren¡¯t nning on living as a Hunter, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He¡¯d probably never feel inconvenienced in his daily life. But if he¡¯s going to be a Hunter and enter dungeons, that¡¯s a different story. Regardless, we did enroll him in the pilot school, so we have to at least provide proper management. I have some responsibility here. If I heard he copsed from mana pressure right after passing through a gate and his heart stopped, I wouldn¡¯t sleep well at night. The old man forcibly made me get used to mana. Since I could see mana, I could somehow keep up with the old man¡¯s lessons. Get used to mana? Basically, he would move his mana roughly to train me. ¡°It¡¯s battle training and mana adaptation, all in one! Two birds with one stone, isn¡¯t it?¡± If the old man hadn¡¯t been Hong Seok-young, I might¡¯ve slit his throat in his sleep. Anyway, a sensitive body that¡¯s highly conductive to mana can adapt after continuous exposure. But giving Kang Tae-woo the same kind of training¡­ would be too much for him. I tried lowering the intensity to mimic the process, but it didn¡¯t feel right. Maybe it¡¯s because he hasn¡¯t been awakened for long? He barely learned how to break a fall, so if I increase the intensity any further, he might run away. Not that he has anywhere to run, but I should prevent any problems before they arise. Telling him to blindly dodge mana with his eyes closed was probably a bad idea too. ¡°Let¡¯s start again from the basics.¡± It would be perfect if I had that coin I used to y with back in the day. The one where mana would drop when you shook it. ¡­Should I ask Hong Seok-young for one? I shook my head. What would I even say to ask him for it? Instead, I waved my hand. Mana gathered and pooled in the palm of my hand. ¡°Feeling mana isn¡¯t difficult, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sensitive to mana like me, so you need to get this right now.¡± ¡°Is being sensitive to mana a bad thing?¡± ¡°No, not really¡­ it just means you¡¯ll have more things to worry about. But once you adapt properly, it actually bes easier.¡± I spoke slowly as I observed Kang Tae-woo. Is this the right way to train him? What if, after all this effort, he runs back to Ark? That would be like making porridge only to feed it to a dog. And Ark members are worse than dogs. Still, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it. Even if he does go back to Ark, knowing how they treat Awakened people, I couldn¡¯t just stand by. If I didn¡¯t know, that¡¯d be one thing. But knowing what I do, how could I just sit back and do nothing? Yeah, even if he returns to Ark, I should at least teach him the basics. That way, his chances of surviving would at least go up, no matter where he ends up. ¡°When you enter a dungeon, sometimes you can sense traps. It depends on your effort, but you¡¯ll even be able to tell where spells areing from. That¡¯s a huge advantage when facing magic-type monsters.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± His expression didn¡¯t show any understanding. Hmm. Ah, that¡¯s right. I know what to do. ¡°You¡¯ll get it as you go. But first, you need to recognize the mana your body perceives. Once you can do that, we can really get started. Wait here for a second. I¡¯ll go get what we need.¡± Since it¡¯s not mine, I keep forgetting to carry it around. Not that I use it much anyway. In fact, I don¡¯t even use my own spear. It¡¯s been so long since Ist took it out that I can¡¯t even remember when it was. I headed to the container we use as the faculty office, where I found Hong Seok-young lying on the sofa, casually flipping through Lee Mi-seon¡¯s rune booklet. Watching him wave at me so nonchntly irritated me for no reason. I grabbed Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword, which was leaning against the wall. It was heavier than it looked, but still much too lightpared to a spear. ¡°A sword? What for?¡± Hong Seok-youngzily sat up and asked. ¡°No matter how picky this sword is about its owner, isn¡¯t it careless to just leave it lying around like that? What if someone steals it?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to steal it here?¡± ¡°You never know.¡± ¡°Are you nning to steal it?¡± ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s a good sword, but it¡¯s way too light for me.¡± Hong Seok-young stood up fully and followed me. ¡°So, what are you going to use it for?¡± ¡°To teach Kang Tae-woo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already giving him a sword? If you train him too harshly now, you might get sued. You¡¯re not thinking of going easy on him just because he¡¯s an orphan, are you?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± He says the most ridiculous things. I red at him, but he just grinned. This guy, seriously. I sighed and approached Kang Tae-woo. When he saw Hong Seok-young behind me, his expression visibly sank. ¡°You can ignore the principal.¡± I ignored Hong Seok-young and raised the sword. Blue mes flickered along the edge. I swung the sword toward the ground to demonstrate. The Hunters from Daseon, who were working nearby, stopped what they were doing and looked up. The kids inside the ssroom also peeked out of the windows. The blue mes moved erratically across the training yard, following the path of my swings. When I shook the sword onest time, the mes vanished. I turned to Kang Tae-woo, whose eyes were wide with surprise. ¡°Now, try to guess what I¡¯m about to draw on the ground.¡± ¡°¡­With my eyes closed?¡± ¡°You can keep them open.¡± I drew a line on the ground. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to see it anyway.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I swung the sword. I first drew a line on the ground. This part was easy. Starting from just in front of his feet, I traced arge circle that passed in front of the ssroom container. ¡°If you step inside, you might get burned.¡± I said it loudly enough for the other kids to hear as well. Then, I moved the sword again. By now, the familiar blue mes filled the circle. And next. This was one of the techniques Yoo Ji-eun used to do. I roughly mimicked the angle she used to shake the sword, and thankfully, the mes changed just as I wanted. Everything became invisible. I could still see it, the wavering mana. But to everyone else? Well, they might see some mirage-like distortions from the heat. I turned to Kang Tae-woo and said, ¡°Now, all you have to do is guess the letter I¡¯m writing inside the circle.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 76 - Old-timers (3) Chapter 76: Old-timers (3) TL: SHW Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword holds many memories. One way or another, it had been in Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s hands for over ten years. Naturally, there were many stories tied to it, and some of them involved me. Yoo Ji-eun found this sword not long after graduating from her high school. She had used it ever since¡­ I remember the first time I held this sword. It burned my hand. It was the first time I¡¯d seen that old man so freaked out. He poured potion over my hand, threw me on his back, and rushed to the hospital. Yoo Ji-eun, with her face pale as a sheet, had followed us. As for me, I was so shocked I couldn¡¯t even cry. After my hand healed, I grabbed it again. This time, I followed the old man¡¯s teachings and used mana to protect my hand tightly. ¡­We didn¡¯t have to go to the hospital this time. The potion took care of it. But I got scolded a lot by both the old man and Yoo Ji-eun. Still, I didn¡¯t give up and kept trying a few more times. I was determined to break that cocky sword. Hmm. It¡¯s a memory. I was young back then. In the end, Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword never epted me. Not until Yoo Ji-eun died. That sword, which had been so picky, now behaves calmly in my hands. It moves as I swing it, and the mes rising from its de no longer burn my hand. Far from burning me, it now easily grants me the techniques Yoo Ji-eun used to show off. That woman, she was always bragging. Look at this. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t a big deal after all. The sword does all the work. I looked at Kang Tae-woo. He had his eyes wide open, as if trying hard to see something. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you get it wrong.¡± ¡°¡­Is it a number?¡± ¡°What use is knowing that?¡± ¡°Then¡­ is it a letter?¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re wrong. Just say what you feel.¡± Kang Tae-woo hesitated for quite a while. Still, I waited patiently. I even kindly swung the sword again. The invisible me crawled across the dirt. As the wind blew by, heat surged forward. It was already a hot day, but the heat from the me was iparable. ¡°Teacher Woo, you¡¯re giving some fun lessons.¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his chin. I didn¡¯t bother responding and focused on Kang Tae-woo. ¡°Do you get it?¡± ¡°¡­Is it zero?¡± I nodded as I moved my mana. The transparent me began to take on color. Like ink spreading in water, a blue hue rose from below, eventually bing a familiar blue me. Arge circle appeared on the ground. ¡°You see how it¡¯s done now, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Of course, that day, the only thing Kang Tae-woo got right was the first circle. But still, getting even one thing right was important. After all, starting is half the battle, and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Luckily, the training ground was spacious. As long as the kids didn¡¯t roll over to this side, there wouldn¡¯t be any disruptions to the training. I suddenly felt a gaze and turned my head in that direction. Oh Hyun-wook was quietly watching me from the ssroom. I nodded at him as if to tell him to pay attention to ss, and he quickly turned away, startled. If he¡¯s going to be so obvious about it, he might as well not stare at all. Really. These Old-timer Kids, I tell you. * * * I¡¯m not doing much, yet I¡¯m busy. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve been feelingtely. Why do I have to be so busy? It doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s probably Hong Seok-young¡¯s fault. That old man dumped all his work on me, didn¡¯t he? Back in the day¡ªwell, it¡¯s not even that long ago. Just half a year ago, I thought Hunter Academy teachers were basically getting paid for doing nothing. The students at the Academy aren¡¯t exactly children. Hunters are naturally self-sufficient, aren¡¯t they? Even if you just let them loose, some of them would figure out how to grow up on their own. ¡­Not that it¡¯s something someone working at the Ability Management Agency should say. Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t say that. Anyway, from the outside, being a teacher at the Academy looked like an easy job. You just follow the curriculum, give your lectures, and teach your sses. That¡¯s all there is to it, right? These kids aren¡¯t preparing for any entrance exams. Once they graduate, that¡¯s the end of it. Done. You really don¡¯t understand something until you step into someone else¡¯s shoes. Now that I¡¯m a teacher, my perspective haspletely changed. There are only eight students. Even if you include Kang Tae-woo, it¡¯s just nine. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s team never even dropped to nine people. So why is it so exhausting to take care of this small group? Is it because they¡¯re kids? But aren¡¯t Kim Chae-min and the Hunters from Daseon splitting the lessons? Honestly, shouldn¡¯t the Hunters from Daseon also be getting paid? Or is it counted as part of their Daseon work hours? I should mind my own business. Why am I worrying about them? Anyway, I¡¯m busy. I have to make sure the lessons for the other eight students are going well, and Kang Tae-woo is getting one-on-one lessons. And¡­ and, also. ¡°Teacher.¡± Oh Hyun-wook approached me with a grim face. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± The sky was dark. Of course, school had ended a long time ago. I¡¯ve been worked to the bone by Hong Seok-young without even a weekend break, but at least during the evenings, I was free from the kids. Ever since Hong Seok-young handed me my ID card and bank ount, the only time I had to deal with him was the asional gathering at the pub! But why, why was Oh Hyun-wook calling me now? His face was tanned and dark from the sun. He was short and skinny, with a slight build. But despite his small frame, his muscles rippled under his T-shirt, and his fierce eyes seemed ready to bite off a finger if provoked. Twenty years from now. It¡¯s hard to imagine this kid as a man whose body has gone soft from drinking and overeating. Let¡¯s make sure Oh Hyun-wook never touches alcohol from now on. Yeah. Even one sip, and his body¡¯s mana would break down¡­ ¡­That¡¯s the kind of nonsense you¡¯d hear in the Ark. I pulled my focus back. It wasn¡¯t every day Oh Hyun-wook called for me. Before we entered the Pixie Dungeon, he didn¡¯t even say a word to me. He must¡¯ve gathered some courage toe and talk, so I should take this seriously too. ¡°I¡­¡± I considered taking him to a caf¨¦, but Oh Hyun-wook shook his head. In the end, we walked in suffocating silence until we arrived at a small park. Being a countryside town, there wasn¡¯t a soul in the park now that it was nighttime. It was just me and Oh Hyun-wook. This¡­ what is this? A scene from an old movie? I frowned when he wasn¡¯t looking. He¡¯s not going to suddenly stab me here, is he? ¡°¡­It¡¯s about someone you knew, Teacher.¡± Someone I knew? It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. He¡¯s referring to the adult Oh Hyun-wook, the one I spoke to after we cleared the dungeon, right? The thing I made up on the spot to dissuade him from dropping out? I nodded awkwardly. ¡°Hmm. What about that person?¡± ¡°You said they weren¡¯t a Hunter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I remembered telling him that the person wasn¡¯t a Hunter, figuring that if I mentioned a Hunter, Hong Seok-young might get suspicious. Given that he¡¯s bringing it up sote in the day, it didn¡¯t seem like he was nning to tell Hong Seok-young, but you can never be too careful. ¡°They¡¯re not a Hunter.¡± ¡°Then what did they do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What should I say? I recalled Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s profile. A social worker? There¡¯s no way I could describe that alcoholic as a social worker, not even if my mouth were sewn shut. Or a wealthy asset manager? No, no. I couldn¡¯tpletely rule out the possibility that this would get back to Hong Seok-young. If I say they were part of the Ark, I¡¯ll get an earful for teaching him weird things. Not from Hong Seok-young, but from Kim Chae-min. Maybe someone he¡¯d know, a respectable victim of some crime¡­ An upstanding figure from outside. I thought back to Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s profile again. A profile riddled with censorship. Although, there wasn¡¯t much to censor in the first ce. The profile noted how he tracked criminals that could cause diplomatic issues and investigated illegal Awakeners, dungeons, and corruption tied to Hunters. If necessary, he carried out summary executions as well. The old man made sure I wasn¡¯t involved in any of Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s secret missions. Still, he couldn¡¯t stop me from seeing the reports. ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. Right. You¡¯re asking what they did, right.¡± Without hesitation, I answered. ¡°They were a police officer.¡± ¡°A police officer?¡± ¡°Yeah. A cop.¡± Why? What? The job is kind of simr to being a cop, isn¡¯t it? Chasing down criminals and all that. There¡¯s no way he called me out just to ask that, right? ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said, Teacher.¡± Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s why he brought me here, as Oh Hyun-wook finally spoke up. What had I said to him again? ¡°You told me to prove that I could be a better person.¡± Ah, that. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s not possible?¡± To be honest, when I got a call from Oh Hyun-wook, my heart sank. I thought he was going to say he wanted to drop out again. Why else would I havee out so easily? I looked at Oh Hyun-wook, who seemed lost in thought. Even though his expression was still unreadable, I actually found it reassuring. At least it wasn¡¯t like the time he panicked in the Pixie Dungeon. Oh Hyun-wook slowly shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°How do I¡­ be a better person?¡± ¡°How do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His voice trailed off, but I understood what he was trying to say. Not that I¡¯m one to talk, considering how desperately I tried to prove to the old man that I could be a better person back then. I scratched my head. ¡°That¡¯s something you need to figure out for yourself, don¡¯t you think?¡± I¡¯m really not cut out for teaching others. It¡¯s fun to sit back and criticize what others do, but I can¡¯t exactly do that with these fragile-minded kids from the old days. I have to be gentle, after all. Forget the hassle and focus on the positives. If I y my cards right, I can raise this little piglet exactly the way I want. Just like how that piglet would grumble bute running when the old man called, wagging its tail, I could get Oh Hyun-wook to follow my words without question. That¡¯s something I can only achieve during this time¡­. ¡°The only advice I can give you is¡­.¡± Don¡¯t think badly of this. I¡¯m only saying it for his own good. Wouldn¡¯t the little piglet be happy if it could finally escape its alcohol addiction? Let¡¯s think. The things the old man said to me. The nagging Yoo Ji-eun used to do. The things Oh Hyun-wook said that got under my skin, or the bluntments Park Seo-hyun would throw at me after staring me down. I¡¯ve heard countless things from all of them. Now, what advice can I give to Oh Hyun-wook? Something I could say to a guy who throws himself in harm¡¯s way instead of using others as bait. It¡¯s good to be selfless. I don¡¯t think having the mindset of wanting to clear a dungeon no matter what is a bad thing. After all, my goal is to catch those who contaminated Seoul and turned it into a sea of fire. Who¡¯s to say that kind of monster only exists in Seoul? Just because I haven¡¯t seen it elsewhere doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not out there in other dungeons. To catch them, we need more good-hearted Hunters like the old man or Yoo Ji-eun, people willing to wear themselves down to save others. Good and strong Hunters. And Hunters like that can¡¯t be disposable. I need them to stick around for a long, long time. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What should I do? Should I go soft? Or be rough? Maybe both. ¡°The world won¡¯t change just because you die.¡± Oh Hyun-wook looked at me with a nk expression. Too harsh? ¡°When you die, that¡¯s it. No one will remember you. Sure, the people who know you might be sad. But¡­ that¡¯s it. What more can they do for you? You¡¯re dead.¡± Gently. Gently¡­ How do I do this? I tried to soften my voice, speaking slowly. ¡°If you want to prove something. Or achieve something.¡± Who told me this again? Who said this to me¡­? ¡°You have to stay alive.¡± The words I¡¯d repeated to myself countless times came out of my mouth without me even realizing. My voice sounded unfamiliar, even to me. I corrected myself. ¡°You have to aplish it while alive. People tend to listen more to the words of the living than those of the dead.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 77 - Old-timers (4) Chapter 77: Old-timers (4) TL: SHW ¡®You!¡¯ He gripped my wrist tightly. It was a pale face, having not seen sunlight. I didn¡¯t know how such strength coulde from such a thin body, but my wrist, caught in his grip, ached with a tingling pain. ¡®You, don¡¯t ever do that again.¡¯ ¡®Let go!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be out of here soon.¡¯ The hand holding my wrist trembled. Whether he meant being disposed of or graduating, no one knew until that moment arrived. Forgetting the pain in my wrist, I opened my eyes wide and looked at the boy. ¡®If I¡¯m not here, there¡¯ll be no one to hold back the Director. So please, don¡¯t defy the Director.¡¯ ¡®What are you acting so high and mighty for?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t like me saying these things, right?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t particrly like you either. But if you keep acting like this, other kids might be disposed of too. You know it too. Things are getting weird around here.¡¯ The strength in his hand loosened. But he didn¡¯t let go. My wrist, still held, felt hot. ¡®Is your pride more important than your life?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®You know, right? You have to make it out alive.¡¯ My eyes shot open. ¡®I heard everything you said. I have ears too.¡¯ The boy smiled bitterly. ¡®So, just bend a little. Say what the Director wants to hear. Stay quiet.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Being stubborn like this¡­ Ah, forget it. You won¡¯t listen to me anyway, will you? Just do what you want. But don¡¯t drag the other kids into it.¡¯ Finally, my wrist was freed. The boy waved his hand. ¡®Go. Go y.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Still¡­ No, nevermind. Hey, this will probably be thest time. At least tell me your name.¡¯ ¡®¡­No. 12.¡¯ ¡®So stubborn.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Fine, fine. But, do you know my name?¡¯ ¡®No. 3?¡¯ ¡®Wow, seriously. You¡­.¡¯ The boy frowned and then burst outughing. ¡®You really are something. Well, if we survive, we¡¯ll meet again someday. Pray that I don¡¯t get disposed of.¡¯ That was a conversation that happened one week before the boy disappeared. * * * Memories I had buried areing back, one by one. I hadn¡¯t dreamed about that time in a while. Is it because I¡¯ve been thinking about the Ark recently? ¡°¡­Triangle?¡± Kang Tae-woo still spoke with a voicecking confidence. I revealed the answer. Blue mes drew a circle on the yground. ¡°Ah! I was about to choose a circle!!¡± He pouted in disappointment, which meant he had somewhat adapted by now. Maybe it was because No. 3, Kang Tae-woo, kept hovering in front of me. How could I not think of the days at the researchb when I saw him? I sheathed my sword. The mes died down. This is all because of No. 3. Why do you even show up in my dreams? Seeing you at school is more than enough. I don¡¯t want to remember any more. ¡°We¡¯re done here. Head back to the ssroom.¡± ¡°Are we doing that thing again today?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kang Tae-woo shrugged and stood next to me. ¡°I said, go back to the ssroom.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go alone¡­.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s awkward.¡± Kang Tae-woo was now fairlyfortable with me too. He can even whine yfully now. Back at the researchb, he would only obediently answer the orders of the director or the researchers. Maybe it¡¯s time to poke a bit? If I coax him well, he¡¯ll probablye around. ¡°What¡¯s so awkward about it.¡± ¡°No one really talks to me.¡± That couldn¡¯t be helped. It was something I hadn¡¯t expected. I thought Kang Tae-woo would blend in well with the others. In the researchb, Kang Tae-woo was good at handling the younger ones, but it seemed he found it difficult to approach kids just one year older than him. And the existing kids also seemed awkward around him. Maybe I should create some kind of opportunity for them to get closer. ¡°You can¡¯t just avoid them. Try to talk to them about something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have time to talk since I¡¯m taking separate sses.¡± Kang Tae-woo followed me as he spoke. ¡°And¡­ that, Oh Hyun-wook and Lee Seung-yeon, right?¡± ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°Those hyungs are too much. How am I supposed to talk to them in that atmosphere?¡± ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t deny it. Since I couldn¡¯t acknowledge that, I silently entered the ssroom. Kang Tae-woo didn¡¯t seem to expect an answer either, as he avoided the gazes of the other students, bowed his head, and quietly sat down at the desk in the very back. ¡°All right, it¡¯s about time to wrap up.¡± In a regr school, there would usually be announcements or things to pass on during homeroom. But that wasn¡¯t the case here. That doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s nothing to check, though. I looked at Oh Hyun-wook and Lee Seung-yeon. ¡°Did you figure out how to escape the Goblin Dungeon today?¡± That damn Goblin Dungeon. I can¡¯t keep excusing them from ss for this, so I¡¯ve been checking like this before school ends. For the past few days, neither of them had an answer. Ever since Oh Hyun-wook had called out at night for some kind of counseling, he¡¯s been mentally out of it. And as for Lee Seung-yeon¡­ ¡°Teacher, can¡¯t you just give us the answer?¡± He was grumbling loudly. ¡°I told you, there¡¯s no such thing as an answer to a dungeon raid. Just say anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that ¡®anything¡¯ even is.¡± Lee Seung-yeon frowned deeply. ¡°The easy ones have all been done by the other kids¡­ and you don¡¯t just let everyone pass either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being really lenient right now, you know.¡± ¡°But you said my n wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°How does blowing up the core help? I told you to escape through the gate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing!¡± Lee Seung-yeon shouted in frustration. But what¡¯s not possible is not possible. Once again, Lee Seung-yeon was a lost cause for today. I turned to Oh Hyun-wook. ¡°Oh Hyun-wook, what about you?¡± If he says he doesn¡¯t know, today¡¯s ss is over. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Oh Hyun-wook didn¡¯t answer. That meant he had nothing in mind. I nodded. ¡°Then today¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± However, Oh Hyun-wook raised his hand. ¡°I- I have a method.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s eyes were unusually sharp. They were faintly glimmering, which made me feel uneasy. There was a strange energy about him. What¡¯s gotten into him? ¡°First, we create smoke to numb the goblins¡¯ sense of smell. We don¡¯t need to start a fire, just produce enough smoke. With the mages we have, we should be able to fill the goblin cave quickly.¡± His words gave me a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. As expected, Oh Hyun-wook continued with what I had anticipated. ¡°I¡¯ll be the bait.¡± It¡¯s the same strategy that caused all the trouble in the first ce. Oh Hyun-wook would act as the bait to lure the goblins, while the others would escape. I was about to shout at him, asking if he was messing with me, but then I met his eyes. They were unwavering, filled with confidence and determination. This was different from the half-crazed look he¡¯d had recently. Hmm¡­ this might be worth hearing out. ¡°This is the same n you suggested before.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Andst time, your escape was the issue. Have you solved that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How?¡± Oh Hyun-wook straightened his shoulders. In just a few days, he seemed to have grown taller by 5 cm. ¡°I¡¯ll just beat up all the goblins and get out.¡± ¡°¡­Do you have the strength for that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll grow stronger.¡± ¡°I told you to raid the dungeon based on your current abilities.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll kill all the goblins chasing after you?¡± Oh Hyun-wook hesitated for a moment. No, you were doing well, don¡¯t hesitate now. ¡°I¡¯ll fight them off as much as I can and head for the gate. Even if they chase me, they can¡¯t pass through the gate. Once I get through, I win.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The kids, who had been listening somewhat indifferently, now nced back and forth between me and Oh Hyun-wook. Seo Han-seong and Sun Sun-jin looked amused, while Yoo Hye-eun gazed at Oh Hyun-wook with concern. Lee Seung-yeon was gaping in disbelief. Oh Hyun-wook hade to his own conclusion. Whether my advice had gotten through or not, I wasn¡¯t sure, but at least he wasn¡¯t spouting nonsense about sacrificing himself anymore. I¡¯ve told you before, in the end, the loudest voice wins. If you keep saying, ¡°I can do it, I can do it,¡± and even brainwash yourself, there are times when you actually can. If their skills arecking, I can help them improve. But I can¡¯t fix theirck of confidence or weak mindset¡ªthat¡¯s something they have to ovee themselves. I grinned. For the first time, Oh Hyun-wook looked at me and grinned back. ¡°Pass.¡± ¡°No way!!¡± Lee Seung-yeon screamed from beside him. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today. Everyone, head out and get on the bus. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°How is that a pass?! It¡¯s exactly the same as what he said at the beginning!¡± Lee Seung-yeon shot up and pointed at Oh Hyun-wook. His neck was flushed red, clearly embarrassed. I understood why Lee Seung-yeon was upset, but I had set the passing criteria for Oh Hyun-wook from the beginning, not for anyone else. Plus, using bait is a ssic tactic, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not like Oh Hyun-wook is using it in a malicious way, like in the guild he was once in. He volunteered himself. ¡°If you don¡¯t get it, it means you¡¯re the onecking.¡± I nced at the other kids. Seo Han-seong, Sun Sun-jin, and Park Seo-hyun seemed to have an epiphany, their faces bright with understanding. The surprising part was that Han Eun-young was among them as well. Choi Jin-woo and Yoo Hye-eun looked puzzled, but those two¡­ well, looking at the others, it seemed like my sess rate was fairly high. It must mean that the old man had carefully picked the kids, after all. Or maybe not. I waved my hand dismissively. ¡°I said ss is over for today, didn¡¯t I? Hurry home. Lee Seung-yeon, you too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Kang Tae-woo. Do you remember what I told you earlier?¡± ¡°Yes. You said if I want to be a Hunter, I need to have a lot of knowledge in my head too¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the Hunters from Daseon, so grab a book on your way out. Summarize one book per week.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing well, so there¡¯s no need to worry. In fact, you¡¯re keeping up better than I expected. From what I can see, you have talent.¡± Kang Tae-woo hunched his shoulders at my praise and smiled shyly. Lee Seung-yeon red at Kang Tae-woo, his face turning red with frustration. He looked like he was about to yell at any moment. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If I leave things like this, my leaving time will just get dyed. I quickly ushered the kids out of the ssroom. ¡°ss is over. There¡¯s nothing more even if you stay.¡± The stragglers started trickling out of the room. Even Kang Tae-woo, who had been sitting at the very back, got up and left. The only one left was Lee Seung-yeon, his head hung low. ¡°Lee Seung-yeon?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± His slumped shoulders were trembling slightly. This feels¡­ like something I¡¯ve seen before. Am I imagining it? No, it must be my imagination. ¡°Sniff¡± Lee Seung-yeon sniffled. His voice sounded teary. ¡­Please, tell me I¡¯m just imagining this. Lee Seung-yeon rubbed his eyes roughly with his sleeve. ¡°Sigh¡± I didn¡¯t need to see his face to know he was crying. ¡°T-Teacher.¡± Even though he was trying to keep his pride, unlike the other two earlier, he didn¡¯t want to show his crying face. But what¡¯s the use of that? ¡°Even in your eyes¡­ I have no talent either, right? I¡¯m just not cut out to be a Hunter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.¡± Lee Seung-yeon suddenly stood up and bolted out of the ssroom. I stared at his retreating figure, bewildered. ¡­What the hell? Why is he acting like this now? Is this some sort of rite of passage for kids in this day and age? ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 78 - Parent-Teacher Meeting (1) Chapter 78: Parent-Teacher Meeting (1) TL: SHW There is one thing that sets Lee Seung-yeon apart from the other students. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s right to call this a distinguishing feature. Ethically¡­ morally? Anyway, it might be something fortunate for Lee Seung-yeon. The fact that there is a guardian who can drop everything ande when called. ¡°You wanted to talk about Seung-yeon?¡± Snap. Lee Mi-seon tilted her head slightly as she chewed gum. The yful sound was apanied by a sweet scent that brushed past my nose. It seemed she had just started chewing it. Her ck hair falling just at shoulder length. The business suit she wore, which was rarely seen among Hunters, gave off more of a businesswoman¡¯s vibe. Though she runs a guild, since she doesn¡¯t raid dungeons often, that description fits her better. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I gave you my contact information, didn¡¯t I? You could¡¯ve just called me directly. Going through our kids is more troublesome, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I know how busy you must be, Hunter Lee. I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal if Teacher Woo calls? Who cares how busy I am?¡± Lee Mi-seonughed brightly. ¡°And this is about Seung-yeon. It¡¯s not like Teacher Woo would mention Seung-yeon just to see my face¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or did you just bring him up randomly?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Half of the students at the pilot high school live in the dorms provided by Hong Seok-young. Choi Jin-woo goes back home on weekends but stays in the dorms on weekdays. His parents work, so they can¡¯t pick him up every day, and he said the longmute would make him too tired. Kang Tae-woo is in a simr situation, so he¡¯s also staying in the dorms now. Three studentsmute every day, without it seeming to bother them. Han Eun-young, Sun Sun-jin, and Lee Seung-yeon. I¡¯m not sure about the guardians of Han Eun-young and Sun Sun-jin, but I¡¯m certain about Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s. Lee Mi-seon. The woman standing right in front of me. Unlike the other kids, I know how to reach her. Whether I call directly or ry a message through the Hunters at Daseon, as Lee Mi-seon suggested, I can contact her whenever necessary. Parent-teacher meetings for Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook weren¡¯t even possible. Though I can¡¯t say for sure, Seo Han-seong probably lost his parents during a Dungeon Break, just like Oh Hyun-wook. Choi Jin-woo¡¯s parents aren¡¯t Awakened, so they left everything rted to this world up to Hong Seok-young. Yoo Hye-eun and Yoo Ji-eun are sisters, and Hong Seok-young is their legal guardian from the start. Unlike the other kids, who have to think about their futures and abilities on their own, Lee Seung-yeon has a caring guardian who takes a keen interest in his future. This is beneficial for me, too. It means there¡¯s someone to take on the role of convincing him if Lee Seung-yeon ever wants to leave the pilot high school. But¡­ does he really need to be convinced? ¡°So, what¡¯s this about?¡± If this were about a rune or something rted to Ark, I¡¯d understand, but this is about a student. It¡¯s not really work¡­ Well, it is technically my work, but it¡¯s not something you¡¯d discuss at an old pub, like how Hong Seok-young always dragged me and Kim Chae-min out to one. That¡¯s why I specifically invited Lee Mi-seon to a bright and warm caf¨¦. Even though I¡¯m not well-paid, I made a considerate gesture and ordered her a drink. Thinking about the conversation we¡¯re about to have, I needed to set the atmosphere as gently as possible. It¡¯s about a kid who openly dered they have no talent. I¡¯m not sure how the guardian will take it. But Lee Mi-seon is a Hunter and already a master of a guild at a young age. She¡¯s a highly capable person, so I hope she won¡¯t be blinded by blood ties now. ¡°Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s about Lee Seung-yeon.¡± I opened my mouth quietly. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, Hunter Lee, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± I had given a lot of thought to how I should start. The Lee Mi-seon I know is older than she is now. I didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to consider things from that perspective. That Lee Mi-seon had long lost the nephew she loved dearly. But now, sitting across from this version of Lee Mi-seon, I realized that both versions were, after all, the same person. She looked more like a businesswoman than a Hunter, and in truth, that description fit her better. This woman didn¡¯t like people beating around the bush. ¡°Lee Seung-yeon has no talent.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Worried she might not have understood, I made it clearer. ¡°If he bes a Hunter like this, he¡¯ll be dead in five years.¡± The clicking sound of gum chewing stopped in Lee Mi-seon¡¯s mouth. I asked again. ¡°Do you still want your nephew to be a Hunter?¡± *** There were eight students in the pilot high school. Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook were still active Hunters twenty yearster. And the rest? There was no information about them, even in the Mana Watch, likely because the old man had hidden everything away so tightly. Except for one. There was an overwhelming amount of information about Lee Seung-yeon, who had died early. But I couldn¡¯t find even a trace of anything about Yoo Hye-eun, who had died alongside him. Of course, how much information could there be about a kid who died at eighteen? A few newspaper articles¡­ and a couple of evaluation papers left behind at the pilot high school, the predecessor of the Hunter Academy. Now that I think about it, I wonder if even those were filtered through Lee Mi-seon. ¡®A promising talent¡¯ ¡®A child who wanted to be a Hunter to save people¡¯ And so on and so forth. In that way, he made a mark in the history of South Korea¡¯s Hunters. Evaluations of the dead are always generous. I might have been fooled by such stories too. No one intended to deceive, but I was deceived nheless. Vaguely thinking he was a kid overflowing with talent. Even when I saw him in Myeong-dong, I didn¡¯t think much of it. Honestly, how much could an eighteen-year-old possibly stand out, no matter how well he fought? How long had it been since Lee Seung-yeon had Awakened? Two years? Three years? Lee Seung-yeon held a D-rank Hunter license. That¡¯s perfectly average. Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook weren¡¯t much different in that regard either. But. Once you¡¯re in the position of evaluating them, you can¡¯t just lump them all together as the same D-rank. ¡°He¡¯s not without the basics, so with time, he could be a fairly average Hunter.¡± It¡¯s already been three months since I met the kids in Myeong-dong. That¡¯s enough time to at least assess their skills, if nothing else. Let¡¯s leave out Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook, who were already clearly talented from the start. Choi Jin-woo has an advantage because of his attributes. If Park Seo-hyun has a knack for teaching others, she might be a decent mage. Besides, a mage¡¯s existence alone has value. Seo Han-seong and Sun Sun-jin aren¡¯t bad either. Seo Han-seong is quick to assess situations and knows how to catch the enemy off guard. He might not be ready to lead from the front yet, but he can fill in the gaps by seeing the bigger picture. Raiding teams need someone with skills like his. Sun Sun-jin is quick and uses her small frame to easily conceal her presence. She knows her strengths well. Kids like her improve quickly. Though, to be fair, Sun Sun-jin was holding herself back to match Lee Seung-yeon¡­ No, that¡¯s not rted to talent. As for Han Eun-young¡­ honestly, her skills are average. She¡¯s not without willpower, but is she desperate? Hard to say. From my perspective, she belongs behind a desk. She has a good head for analyzing information, and if we cultivate that, her talent might shine. We¡¯ll skip Yoo Hye-eun sincebat isn¡¯t her forte. That leaves Lee Seung-yeon. ¡°But this is only if student Lee Seung-yeon is content with being average. If he pushes further, he¡¯ll die.¡± I wondered how Lee Mi-seon would react. Would she get angry, iming there¡¯s no way her beloved nephew could be like that? Or would she panic, asking what she should do now to protect him? Or perhaps¡­ This was, in a way, a test of Lee Mi-seon. Her love for her nephew was well-known. So, I needed to understand her limits. How blind was Lee Mi-seon when it came to her nephew? Honestly, I wasn¡¯t innocent either. I had used Lee Seung-yeon, after all. But I had at least tried to handle things properly afterward. But what was I supposed to do when he had no talent to speak of? I could train him all he wanted. I did feel bad about pushing him out in Myeong-dong, so I was more than willing to make up for that. However, just as I had told Lee Mi-seon, if things continued like this, Lee Seung-yeon would be dead within five years. His talent was only at that level. I didn¡¯t want to push him down a path I knew would lead to his death. I had sent him out in Myeong-dong because I could save him then, but this isn¡¯t something where I could follow him around for the rest of his life, constantly helping him. ¡°In my view, Lee Seung-yeon has ambition.¡± A kid who avoided looking at me, trying not to show his tears until the end. Unlike him, I looked Lee Mi-seon straight in the eye. ¡°And that ambition will get him killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that really okay with you?¡± Lee Mi-seon, who had been listening with a pale face, reached for the tissue on the table and spit out her gum. She rubbed her face with her thin hands. ¡°I know, Teacher Woo. How could I not? Who do you think scouted every single member of my guild? I handpicked them myself. I have an eye for this. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know about my own nephew?¡± ¡°Then¡± ¡°Seung-yeon probably knows, too. Since entering the pilot high school and mixing with kids his age, he must be even more aware of it. His face hasn¡¯t looked good these past few days.¡± ¡°So.¡± ¡°Let me tell you something: I was against Seung-yeon entering the pilot high school.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I wanted to stop him from bing a Hunter, too. I don¡¯t know why he had to Awaken. Actually, if only he hadn¡¯t had enough mana to be a Hunter after Awakening, that would have been better.¡± Lee Mi-seon spoke with aplex expression. Her words were unexpected. Her face was etched with the raw fatigue of an aunt worn out from indulging her stubborn nephew. ¡°Seung-yeon¡­ he used to y with Sun Sun-jin a lot when they were younger¡­ and because of that, he has this kind of admiration for Hunters.¡± ¡°Student Sun Sun-jin?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sun-jin¡¯s dad is a Hunter. He¡¯s a Hunter, but he doesn¡¯t raid dungeons. He¡¯s actually my father¡¯s¡ªSeung-yeon¡¯s grandfather¡¯s¡ªbodyguard. Seung-yeon spent a lot of time at his grandfather¡¯s house when he was young, and since he and Sun-jin are the same age, they yed together a lot.¡± Now I understood the closeness between Lee Seung-yeon and Sun Sun-jin. I had thought they were familiar with each other because Lee Mi-seon sponsored Sun Sun-jin, but it made sense¡ªthey were childhood friends. That exined their bond. ¡°But Sun-jin Awakened when she was young, didn¡¯t she? She was about ten, I think. Imagine what Seung-yeon must have thought, seeing his friend get stronger and faster overnight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, he started whining about when he¡¯d get to Awaken.¡± I quietly listened to Lee Mi-seon¡¯s story. I didn¡¯t really understand the mindset of an ordinary child. Since Lee Mi-seon was exining it, I just stayed silent and listened. ¡°And Sun-jin kept telling him it was cool and encouraging him, showing Seung-yeon the things she learned from her dad¡­ teaching him.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why Seung-yeon and Sun-jin¡¯s movements are simr, right? It¡¯s because Seung-yeon learned from Sun-jin.¡± I recalled how Lee Seung-yeon and Sun Sun-jin¡¯s movements were almost like twins. Seung-yeon was always a step slower than Sun-jin. No, he was slow at first, but during training, they moved perfectly in sync. That was because Sun Sun-jin adjusted her speed to match Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s. ¡°When they were little, Seung-yeon couldn¡¯t keep up properly, and he was just clumsily imitating the surface of what Sun-jin did, so I let it go. It felt wrong to interfere with the kids ying.¡± There was deep regret in Lee Mi-seon¡¯s voice. ¡°But then¡­ after Seung-yeon Awakened, things changed. After Awakening, once he could actually do what he had only been imitating before, it seems like something ignited in him.¡± ¡°¡­And you just let that be?¡± ¡°At first, either Sun-jin¡¯s dad or I would supervise them, worried they might get into trouble. Honestly, I thought they¡¯d just give up after a while.¡± But things had gone far beyond the point of just giving up now. ¡°When I decided to entrust Sun-jin to Hunter Hong, who could have predicted that Seung-yeon would secretly go to Hunter Hong and ask to be enrolled in the pilot high school as well?¡± I blinked. ¡°Is that why Teacher Hong epted him? Lee Seung-yeon?¡± ¡°If he hadn¡¯t, do you think Seung-yeon would be in the pilot high school right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Something clicked into ce in my mind, like a gear finally aligning. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 79 - Parent-Teacher Meeting (2) Chapter 79: Parent-Teacher Meeting (2) TL: SHW Twenty yearster. The rtionship between the old man and Lee Mi-seon had an odd aspect to it. ¡®Hm? Hunter Lee. I¡¯m counting on you again this time.¡¯ Lee Mi-seon did everything the old man asked of her. No matter how difficult the task was, it didn¡¯t matter. Even the kind of tasks that made people wonder, ¡®You¡¯re using Daseon¡¯s guild master for something like this?¡¯, Lee Mi-seon would do without hesitation. If someone else had asked her to do the same thing, she wouldn¡¯t have done it, but if it was something the old man asked, Lee Mi-seon neverined. But the old man always maintained a humble attitude towards Lee Mi-seon. Even when making a request disguised as amand. Or when issuing amand disguised as a request. The old man would stand up awkwardly, with a troubled face, and wee Lee Mi-seon with utmost courtesy. That wasn¡¯t the only strange part. Everyone knew that Daeyeon stood behind Daseon. When Daseon moved, it meant Daeyeon was pulling the strings. If the task was directly rted to dungeons, Lee Mi-seon would handle it under Daseon¡¯s name, but for other things¡­ like potion research, Daeyeon¡¯s name would be used. However, the support for Hunter Academy was carried out only under Daseon¡¯s name. For non-Hunter students, the support was managed by Daeyeon. It wasn¡¯t something you could outright call strange, but if you carefully examined each detail, there were more than just a few oddities. I think I finally understood the reason behind it. Lee Mi-seon looked at my face and smiled faintly. ¡°Is this really that surprising?¡± ¡°¡­No. I just didn¡¯t expect Teacher Hong to admit someone into the pilot high school without the guardian¡¯s consent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Seung-yeon¡¯s fault, not Teacher Hong¡¯s. Teacher Hong believes that as long as there¡¯s a will to learn, one should have the opportunity to learn.¡± And then Lee Seung-yeon died. It was an unexpected tragedy for everyone. However, to the adults who lost both their nephew and student, it might have felt like an ident that could have been prevented. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say no to Seung-yeon either, so I can¡¯t really me him.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Lee Mi-seon gave a bitter smile. ¡°After all, when you see a kid working that hard, it¡¯s difficult to tell them to quit just because theyck talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re right, teacher. If it was just about attending school, that would be one thing. But if Seung-yeon wanted to be a Hunter, we couldn¡¯t leave it like this.¡± ¡°Student Lee Seung-yeon is¡­¡± ¡°We should make him quit, right?¡± I recalled Lee Seung-yeon, his face red with frustration, ring at Kang Tae-woo in the ssroom. He didn¡¯t seem like someone who would give up easily. If, like Han Eun-young, he had a clear talent for something other thanbat, it would have been a different story. Well, this is no longer something I need to worry about. Thankfully for Lee Seung-yeon, he has a wealthy and capable aunt who seriously considers his future. From now on, Lee Mi-seon will take care of him. If Lee Seung-yeon makes up his mind, Hong Seok-young won¡¯t force him to stay either. Lee Mi-seon leaned towards me. ¡°So, teacher. What¡¯s the best way to persuade Seung-yeon?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Why are you asking me? ¡°You¡¯re his aunt, so if you speak to him gently¡­.¡± ¡°If you, teacher woo, exin things well¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I met Lee Mi-seon¡¯s gaze. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for it toe from family?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to hear it from a neutral perspective, not family?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Just as I sighed, Lee Mi-seon also let out a sigh. Looking frustrated, she removed the straw from her ss and gulped down her drink. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what would be the best way to handle this.¡± * * * ¡°Shi¡­¡± He barely stopped myself from swearing. Even if everyone else curses, swearing inside the house is strictly forbidden. Even for his aunt, who often scolds the Hunter hyungs, behaves meekly in front of grandpa. Even when his grandpa wasn¡¯t here, he couldn¡¯t help imagining his face hovering in front of him. Lee Seung-yeon bit his lip and kicked a small stone rolling on the ground. The summer sun is long. The sky was still blue. Normally, it would have been time to head home, but not today. That¡¯s because he had told the driver he¡¯d be returning with Daseon¡¯s Hunters after ying with friends. Since he had done this a few times before, no one was suspicious. Even the Hunter hyungs told him to go home with his aunt, who hade down to the school on some errand. Lee Seung-yeon tightly gripped the phone in his pocket. His aunt, oblivious to his feelings, had only sent him a message telling him to y quietly with his friends. Contrary to that message, Lee Seung-yeon was alone. The reason he was so conflicted right now was because of his friends, but he didn¡¯t want to be with them. ¡®It¡¯s not their fault, but¡­¡¯ The faulty with him. Lee Seung-yeon liked the friends he had made at the pilot high school. Compared to his middle school friends, they were a bit rougher, but that part was also to his liking. Those middle school friends had always smiled and joked in front of him but would turn around and curse behind his back. He hated how his childhood friend was insulted just because his father worked under his grandfather. That¡¯s why, instead of attending a private high school, he went to a public high school with Sun Sun-jin. Even there, things didn¡¯t go smoothly. Once people found out he was Daeyeon¡¯s youngest grandson, his rtionships with the few friends he had made became awkward. Strange rumors followed Sun Sun-jin as well. But none of that happened here. Maybe it was because there weren¡¯t enough kids for rumors to spread or to create much distance between them, but¡­ ¡®Still, I can just tell at a nce!¡¯ They¡¯re good friends. It had been known from the beginning that his aunt was Lee Mi-seon of Daseon, but no one made a big deal out of it. In fact, Han Eun-young had even nudged him in the side with a serious expression and said, ¡®Tell your aunt to hurry up and get us some more facilities.¡¯ ¡­They are truly good friends. Despite hisck of skill, they never criticized him, pretending not to notice. They even faked admiration, as if he was doing well, just to keep him from feeling bad. It was the same when they were writing the raid guide. Han Eun-young had listened to his opinion and exaggeratedly nodded her head. ¡®That¡¯s great! That¡¯s a good idea.¡¯ However, the idea he had suggested didn¡¯t make it into the actual raid guide. The same thing happened duringbat training. Sun Sun-jin didn¡¯t say anything. But having watched Sun Sun-jin¡¯s movements since they were young, Lee Seung-yeon couldn¡¯t help but notice. ¡®You keep slowing down to match my pace!¡¯ It was the worst kind of burden. Once, unable to hold back, he had snapped at Sun Sun-jin. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ ¡®Hm? What do you mean?¡¯ ¡®Do you think I don¡¯t notice? You keep slowing down to match my pace!¡¯ ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ Sun Sun-jin had justughed it off. He appreciated the concern. He was thankful. But it deeply hurt Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s pride. It was clear he was dragging them down, yet they simply let it go. Worse, when Oh Hyun-wook made a mistake, they¡¯d pounce on him right away. ¡®Hey, Oh Hyun-wook! You can¡¯t mess up like that!¡¯ Lee Seung-yeon had realized a long time ago that he couldn¡¯t be like Sun Sun-jin. He had thought things would change if he entered the school run by Hong Seok-young, the strongest Hunter. From a young age, Hong Seok-young¡¯s name was always on TV. Yesterday, he had raided one dungeon, today, another. Tomorrow, he¡¯d surely raid yet another. Even his grandfather, uncle, and aunt, who didn¡¯t care much for Hunters, begrudgingly praised Hong Seok-young. If someone like that¡ªif such a great person were to teach him¡ª Couldn¡¯t he also be a Hunter like that? It didn¡¯t even take a month for that dream to shatter. It¡¯s not that Hong Seok-young showed favoritism in his teaching. On the contrary, his sses were fair. Even Oh Hyun-wook, who was so skilled that Lee Seung-yeon could hardly keep up, would copse on the dirt ground, gasping for air after Hong Seok-young¡¯s lessons. Later, the sses taught by Teacher Woo were equally exhausting for everyone. Still, after Teacher Woo arrived, his skills had improved a lot. The principal¡¯s sses, which relied purely on instinct, were hard for Lee Seung-yeon to follow, but Woo Hwi-jae pointed out his weaknesses without holding back. Thanks to that, he had started to hope again. Maybe I, too, could be a great Hunter? ¡®Ah, that transfer student.¡¯ That transfer student who was a year younger had crushed even that hope. ¡®Good. You¡¯re doing well. You¡¯ll improve quickly.¡¯ Woo Hwi-jae showered the transfer student with praise, praise he never gave to the other students. ¡®There¡­ yes, just like that. You¡¯ll be able to join the others in ss by the end of summer.¡¯ While leaving their lessons to Daseon¡¯s Hunters, Woo Hwi-jae stayed glued to that kid. ¡®It was annoying. What¡¯s the big deal about being a year younger that he had to take such good care of him? He is taller than me too. Even my aunt had told me to be nice to him. I¡¯m the nephew, not him. I knew I looked pathetic, but I couldn¡¯t help being irritated. That¡¯s why earlier, I had red at him out of frustration. As I thought. I should quit. I should¡¯ve listened when Grandpa and Aunt said no. Then at least I¡¯d have an excuse.¡¯ ¡®Ah, if I¡¯d kept going, I would¡¯ve be an amazing Hunter, but my family stopped me.¡¯ Lee Seung-yeon kicked another stone. The stone rolled and bounced toward the street. Thud. ¡°Oh.¡± Just before the stone reached the street, it hit someone¡¯s foot. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, uh, hello?¡± It was him. The transfer student who was hogging all of Teacher Woo¡¯s attention. Lee Seung-yeon narrowed his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, nothing¡­ It just seemed like you were upset about something¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. Just keep walking.¡± ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± The transfer student started to say something but then shut his mouth. Lee Seung-yeon noticed the convenience store bag hanging from the transfer student¡¯s wrist. Inside were a few cup noodles and some drinks. ¡­He¡¯s staying at Teacher Hong¡¯s ce too. It only just now urred to him that his aunt probably wasn¡¯t telling him to be nice to this kid for no reason. Lee Seung-yeon ruffled his hair in frustration. ¡°Hey. Is that your dinner?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re just a year apart. Why are you using formal speech? It¡¯s creepy. Just call me hyung.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ uh, sure.¡± ¡°Come on. Follow me. I¡¯ll buy you dinner. Cup noodles aren¡¯t dinner. You can¡¯t get through ss on that.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said?¡± The transfer student shook his head with a stupid look on his face. Lee Seung-yeon kicked the ground in frustration instead of a stone this time. ¡°My aunt is Lee Mi-seon, the Hunter from Daseon, you know? The guild master of Daseon?¡± The transfer student¡¯s clueless expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°So, I¡­¡± He hesitated to say that he was Daeyeon¡¯s youngest grandson. Instead, he grabbed the transfer student and started dragging him. ¡°I get a lot of allowance from my aunt. When someone offers to buy you food, just say thank you and eat!¡± ¡°Uh, t-thanks.¡± ¡°Do you have any allergies? Anything you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s go over there and grab a burger. I¡¯ll buy you something better next time.¡± Lee Seung-yeon pointed at the fast-food restaurant across the street. The transfer student hesitated for a moment but eventually followed him. ¡°Hey, students!¡± If someone hadn¡¯t called out to them from behind, that¡¯s how it would¡¯ve gone. Lee Seung-yeon turned around. Despite the hot summer weather, the person was wearing a thick ck hoodie. Their hood was pulled low, so he couldn¡¯t see their face clearly. However, he could see red hair peeking out from under the hood. ¡°I just want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± A woman? A man? It was hard to tell due to the baggy clothes. Even the voice was ambiguous¡ªtoo low for a woman, but too high for a man. When the person lifted the brim of their cap slightly, a slender face was revealed. The first thought that crossed Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s mind was, What a pretty face. The stranger smiled slightly at the two of them. ¡°So, which one of you is No. 3?¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 80 - Ambush (1) Chapter 80: Ambush (1) TL: SHW Thinking is a luxury. ¡®Which one of you is No. 3?¡¯ As soon as he heard the word ¡®No. 3¡¯, Kang Tae-woo shook off Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s hand. It didn¡¯t matter if Lee Seung-yeon was startled or not, this time, Kang Tae-woo grabbed Seung-yeon¡¯s wrist in reverse. And then he started running. He could hear a whistling sound behind him. The whistle would fade briefly, thene closer again. ¡°So it¡¯s you?¡± Wondering if the voice was male or female only crossed his mind when looking at the face. Now that the term ¡®No. 3¡¯ had been spoken, that didn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± It didn¡¯t matter that Lee Seung-yeon was bewildered. They had to run! Kang Tae-woo instinctively realized who this person was. No, it would be more urate to say he understood their purpose rather than their identity. ¡®An Executioner!¡¯ Within the Ark, everyone had their own role, along with the duties and responsibilities that came with it. Kang Tae-woo was Experimental Subject No. 3. Unlike No. 12, who was in a somewhat ambiguous position and knew more about the outside situation, No. 3 had his own methods. His mother, who was a researcher, used to bring him medicine every morning and talk about what was going on in the researchb. It wasn¡¯t anything monumental, but surprisingly, many of her words were useful. Like the personality of the current director of theb. Or what he liked. Other researchers also tended to leak things they shouldn¡¯t have said in front of the well-behaved No. 3. The first few times, they were flustered, realizing toote that No. 3 had been there. Eventually, they stopped being cautious, saying, ¡®No. 3 is trustworthy¡¯. That¡¯s how he had lived in the researchb. Even though he didn¡¯t know as much as No. 12, he understood how things worked in theb and where the power was currently concentrated. And he also asionally came across the masked individuals who roamed theb. Observers. Executioners. Or even Cleaners. These were people who held a higher rank than the researchers, sent to keep watch over them. They rarely interacted with the experimental subjects who were kept deep within the research facility. But whenever a masked person appeared in theb, tension filled the air. The researchers would silently steal nces, careful to not draw attention. Thest director of theb that Kang Tae-woo remembered had also been busy trying to cater to the Executioner whenever they showed up. When an Executioner appeared, someone would disappear. Whether it was a researcher or an experimental subject. Sometimes both. When Kang Tae-woo graduated from the researchb, one of the masked people came and took him away. Among the researchers, this person was known as the Cleaner. The nickname Kang Tae-woo was most familiar with was also ¡®Cleaner¡¯. Thinking of the notorious reputation that came with that name, he had trembled in fear, wondering if he was about to be disposed of. Fortunately, No. 3 wasn¡¯t disposed of. The Executioner put Kang Tae-woo in a car where the outside wasn¡¯t visible. At some point, he had fallen asleep¡ªlikely drugged. When he woke up after a long sleep, he was lying on a bed. The Director was gazing down at him kindly. Only when his real name, Kang Tae-woo, was called did he realize he had graduated, not been disposed of. Whether it was an orphanage or not didn¡¯t really matter. Researchb or orphanage¡ªit was all the same. The only difference was that the people he had to obey had shifted from researchers to the Director. He hadn¡¯tpletely escaped the researchb, but at least he thought he wouldn¡¯t have to return to that ce anymore. But now. That Executioner, now? Why? Why me? ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?!¡± Lee Seung-yeon frowned. Even so, the fact that he was running along with him made Kang Tae-woo tear up in gratitude. His breathing was tight with tension, and his chest felt like it was about to burst. His head throbbed as if his heart were going to explode, but he couldn¡¯t dare to look back. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome when unnecessary witnesses get involved.¡± Unlike Kang Tae-woo, who was frantic, their pursuer spoke in a light, almost joyful tone, as if singing a song. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly, okay?¡± Swoosh. Kang Tae-woo instinctively yanked Lee Seung-yeon toward him and threw his body forward. A mass of invisible mana whooshed just above their heads. ¡°¡­You dodged it?¡± If Woo Hwi-jae hadn¡¯t forced him to practice sensing letters written with mana, he would never have dodged it. That seemingly meaningless ss actually helped. Even in this situation, Kang Tae-woo vaguely thought of Woo Hwi-jae¡¯s face. Whether it was a circle, a triangle, a number, or a letter¡ªif you didn¡¯t know, at least show the effort to take a guess, the teacher would say, clicking his tongue. He thought Woo Hwi-jae was a good person, but¡­ He never really thought he was a good teacher. Still, how could an outsider understand the great intentions of a teacher? It all had a deeper meaning. Kang Tae-woo lightly pushed Lee Seung-yeon. A sharp gust of wind passed between them. A mass of mana. If it touched them, they would die. ¡°You dodged this one too?¡± The Executioner tilted his head. ¡°Then, how about dodging this?¡± His pale hand moved softly, like a conductor leading an orchestra. But the mana waves radiating from him were anything but gentle. Kang Tae-woo yanked the dumbfounded Lee Seung-yeon down. They nearly hit the ground, sticking close to it. The Executioner lowered his hand. The sound of cicadas suddenly stopped. It wasn¡¯t an alley that was usually devoid of traffic, yet strangely, there was no one around. Not even a passing car. An eerie silence. In the middle of it, the Executioner lifted his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did you dodge that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Every hair on Kang Tae-woo¡¯s body stood on end. The Executioner¡¯s eyes locked onto him. If he moved, he would die. If he didn¡¯t move, he would die. He had to get up. Get up and run. Escape. He couldn¡¯t stay still. Someone¡­ anyone¡­ help¡­ someone? ¡°Can you¡­ see it?¡± The husky voice rose in pitch. As excitement crept into it, the voice, which had sounded more like a girl¡¯s, now resembled a boy¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯ve seeded, haven¡¯t you?!¡± A sharp gust of wind blew from the Executioner. It pricked his skin¡ªit was mana. Lee Seung-yeon seemed to sense something was wrong too, as he didn¡¯t take his eyes off the Executioner. The Executioner leaned back and burst intoughter. ¡°Ah, really! The orphanage database is aplete mess! This is why you can¡¯t trust people. If I had known there was an Awakened at that orphanage, I wouldn¡¯t have cleaned it up so quickly.¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s thoughts, which had been racing to find a way to escape, came to a halt. What did he just say? ¡°I could have just let you grow up nicely, and it would¡¯ve been fine. Now I have to do the job twice, thanks to you.¡± Orphanage. Clean up. Executioner. ¡°So-hee¡­ my sister.¡± Did this person¡­ kill So-hee? ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Lee Seung-yeon freaked out, grabbing hold of Kang Tae-woo. But Tae-woo, staggering, pushed himself to his feet. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡­ my So-hee¡­¡± Did this person kill So-hee? ¡°Did you kill my sister?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your sister?¡± ¡°The orphanage.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific. If you tell me which orphanage, I can tell you if I went there or not.¡± ¡°Noah Orphanage.¡± ¡°Noah, right. Yeah, I was chasing you because you were one of the kids from there. Right? I missed you back then, so I came to find you now.¡± The Executioner beganughing hysterically. If not for the chilling air that buzzed around them, it could have been taken as augh of pure amusement. ¡°If you had been there that day, it would¡¯ve been easier for both of us. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any of this.¡± This person¡­ This person killed So-hee¡­ Kang Tae-woo¡¯s vision began to turn red but then stopped. He was a child who had realized the reality early. The difference in power was obvious. No matter how much he tried, he couldn¡¯t beat this person. Running was also out of the question. He had just Awakened and was barely beginning basic training, while this person was toying with him as if poking him just for fun. As soon as he epted his fate, his surroundings came into focus. Lee Seung-yeon, still crouching, looking bewildered, was beside him. He¡¯d promised to buy him dinner. He¡¯d dragged him into this. ¡®If I had known it woulde to this, I should¡¯ve just told Woo Hwi-jae everything. I should¡¯ve told him what the Director did. I should¡¯ve told him what that orphanage was really like. I should¡¯ve told him what happened to So-hee and me, where and what we had endured.¡¯ It¡¯s toote now. ¡°Ah, seriously¡­ It¡¯s a shame to kill someone who¡¯s seeded. Hey, No. 3. Wannae with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo nced at Lee Seung-yeon. ¡°If I go with you, will you let him go?¡± ¡°What? Hey! What nonsense are you talking about!¡± ¡°Hm? That¡¯s a bit difficult. It¡¯s troublesome if there¡¯s a witness.¡± ¡°Then, forget it.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± The Executioner, who had been tilting his head side to side, lightly tapped the ground with his foot. Boom! A vibration, one that shouldn¡¯t exist, reverberated. Kang Tae-woo instinctively grabbed the back of Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s neck and pulled him back. Crack. The sidewalk where they had been standing moments ago split open. ¡°Just as I thought. You can see, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see? Then you¡¯re only a half-sess. But still¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right, you said you wouldn¡¯te with me.¡± The Executioner stretched while interlocking his fingers. His red hair swayed, revealing strands bleached white underneath. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but I guess I have no choice.¡± His pale, delicate hand moved again¡ªso smooth it could be mistaken for a woman¡¯s. But this time, not just his hand moved, but his entire arm, as if he wasn¡¯t going to leave any space for evasion. A disturbing surge of mana gathered in the Executioner¡¯s hand. Anyone with eyes could tell that he was deliberately toying with them, taking his time. His shoulders shook with chuckles, an absurd sight¡ªbut Kang Tae-woo, sweating profusely, nervously scanned his surroundings. I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die. Gulp. Kang Tae-woo swallowed hard and took a cautious step forward. His legs trembled. But knowing there was no way out for himself, he at least wanted to help Lee Seung-yeon, who had been dragged into this mess by sheer chance. It would be so unfair if he died here because of me. ¡°Hyung. Run.¡± He remembered that Lee Mi-seon from Daseon was Seung-yeon¡¯s aunt. That woman they had seen at the hospital. When Seung-yeon said he wanted to transfer to Pilot High School, she had said she would take care of everything, so he shouldn¡¯t worry about a thing. ¡°Go¡­ Get help. Anyone. Got it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°How cute. Do you really think I¡¯ll let him go?¡± ¡°Run no matter what.¡± Even if this didn¡¯t seem like much, it was better than doing nothing. Kang Tae-woo clenched his teeth. He must have bitten his lip too hard, because the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. ¡°I still have one more stop to make today¡­ I¡¯ve told you quite a bit, haven¡¯t I? Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± The Executioner moved. The wave of mana, far beyond just a pulse, surged like a massive tidal wave down the narrow alley. Kang Tae-woo stood between Lee Seung-yeon and the Executioner. Mana. Mana. ¡®Listen well. When your feet are no longer on the ground, protect your head first, no matter what.¡¯ Forget those tumbling sses. ¡®Oppa!¡¯ So-hee¡¯s smiling face. ¡®You idiot.¡¯ No. 12¡¯s sneering voice. Of all the things to think about in hisst moments, why did that brat¡¯s annoying facee to mind? ¡­I hope he¡¯s doing well. Kang Tae-woo tightly shut his eyes. Shhhhhh¡­ A deting sound is heard from somewhere. Tap. The sound of a foot kicking against asphalt. ¡°Huh?¡± The Executioner¡¯s voice sounded confused. ¡°You¡­ What are you?¡± And then. ¡°Teacher Woo!¡± Woo Hwi-jae¡¯s voice. ¡°Seung-yeon!!¡± ¡°Aunt!¡± Even Hunter Lee Mi-seon had arrived. Kang Tae-woo opened his eyes. ck sweatpants and a white T-shirt. The same back he had seen at school earlier that day now stood tall in front of him. ¡°¡­You?¡± The Executioner hesitated for a moment before moving his hand. But before his mana could even gather, Woo Hwi-jae swung his sword and shattered it. ¡°You¡­ Can you see?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can see, right?¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Woo Hwi-jae lightly scraped the ground with the tip of his sword. The screeching noise irritated their ears, and before anyone could even realize the sound had stopped, Woo Hwi-jae had vanished from sight. There wasn¡¯t even time to blink. In that split second, Woo Hwi-jae had reached the Executioner and swung his sword. ¡°Fuck, yeah. I can see, you bastard.¡± The Executioner stretched out his pale hand to block the attack. Boom!!! ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 81 - Ambush (2) Chapter 81: Ambush (2) TL: SHW It¡¯s always hard to teach a child full of dreams about the realities of life. But honestly, by the time you¡¯re eighteen, shouldn¡¯t you have a decent grasp of how bitter reality can be? No? Well, if not, there¡¯s no helping it¡­ Granted, eighteen is still underage. If he were an adult, past the age of twenty, I would have just told him to figure things out on his own. But Lee Seung-yeon is still a student, someone who needs the attention of a guardian¡­ And he¡¯s my student. I didn¡¯t choose to be a teacher. But whether I wanted this role or not, if something happens to him, the responsibility falls on me. If it were just a scraped knee or a small scratch on his heart, I wouldn¡¯t be going to these lengths. But this is not the kind of issue that ends with the normal turbulence of adolescence. One misstep, and he could die. Even if I¡¯m not technically responsible, if I see someone walking down a path that clearly leads to death, I¡¯m obligated to say something. That¡¯s what it means to be human. And Lee Mi-seon feels the same way. If anything, she¡¯s even moremitted than I am. Not that I¡¯m saying Lee Mi-seon is some kind of saint. Honestly, even having this conversation about something like this feels ridiculous. It¡¯s really not that big of a deal. I mean, what more do you need to help a kid? Besides, Lee Mi-seon is family to Lee Seung-yeon. A loving aunt and her adorable nephew. ¡°So, naturally, I believe it would be better if Hunter Lee exins it to him. It would be less of a shocking from family, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If ites from family, he might feel betrayed. It would be better for him to hear it objectively from his teacher, so he can ept it more quickly.¡± I have no intention of backing down. The moment I retreat, I lose the game. ¡°He¡¯s your adorable nephew, isn¡¯t he? Shouldn¡¯t an aunt take care of him?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re his life-saving Teacher, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And what does that have to do with this?¡± ¡°Well, being his aunt doesn¡¯t mean I can live his life for him!¡± At the heart of this argument¡ªthough not quite a proper argument¡ªthere¡¯s only one issue. As I¡¯ve said before, no decent adult wants to be the one to shatter a child¡¯s dreams with a dose of reality. I consider myself a decent person, and I don¡¯t want to be the heartless adult who tells a hardworking kid that he has no talent and should give up. ¡°¡­Fine.¡± This isn¡¯t going anywhere. The conversation keeps going in circles. When I called Lee Mi-seon, I genuinely intended to have a serious discussion, like a proper parent-teacher meeting. I even tried to imitate the homeroom teachers who used to talk with the old man. So why is this ending up like this? Lee Mi-seon widened her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell him, Teacher?¡± ¡°No.¡± The drop was sharp. Lee Mi-seon didn¡¯t hide her disappointment. Well, she¡¯s no good either, it seems. I shook my head. ¡°The one who caused this mess should be the one to handle it, right?¡± Lee Mi-seon looked confused for a moment, but then understanding dawned on her face. ¡°Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°Teacher Hong was the one who approved his admission, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Then it¡¯s Hong Seok-young who should do it. Yeah. Hong Seok-young should handle it. It¡¯s a bit blunt to say this, but under normal circumstances, wouldn¡¯t Lee Mi-seon have been the one to deliver her nephew¡¯s death notice? Telling him to withdraw is much better than that. Hmm. Is that too cold of an example? In any case, this isn¡¯t even a school, so it¡¯s not a withdrawal. He just needs to go back to the school he was originally attending, and that would solve the problem. He might feel upset, or get depressed about it, but whatever happens, it¡¯s better than dying. Besides, considering he went behind Lee Mi-seon¡¯s back to get Hong Seok-young to approve his admission to the Hunter Academy, that kid is resourceful enough to make something work. ¡­I mean this sincerely. ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re right. Now that I think about it, this really is all Hunter Hong¡¯s fault, isn¡¯t it? Of course it makes sense for Hunter Hong to handle this.¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s face brightened suddenly. She pulled a small stic container from her coat and tilted it onto her palm. A sweet scent wafted out. Lee Mi-seon shook the container in my direction. ¡°Would you like to chew one too, Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°No thanks. Are you quitting smoking or something?¡± ¡°Oh,e on. I was young back then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Is that for real? ¡°I don¡¯t go into Dungeons very often, but if I had known I¡¯d end up working as a proper Hunter, I wouldn¡¯t have smoked.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± ¡°Cigarettes leave such a strong smell on your body. Monsters can track you down like it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± After going on for a while about her longing for cigarettes, Lee Mi-seon suddenly nced at her watch, realizing something. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s already thiste. Seung-yeon said he was hanging out with his friends¡­¡± ¡°Hanging out with friends?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably not, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, probably not.¡± He stormed out of the ssroom like that¡ªno way he¡¯s off ying with his friends now. Lee Mi-seon gave a sheepishugh. ¡°He¡¯s not the type to do anything weird. He said he¡¯d go in with me, so it should be fine.¡± ¡°Just make sure to calm him down.¡± ¡°¡­You mean while subtly convincing him?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be good if you do. If not, then never mind.¡± Lee Mi-seon gave me a light re. Well, at least we¡¯ve dealt with one urgent issue. Now, shall we talk about the less urgent matter? ¡°Speaking of which.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That rune we discussed.¡± ¡°Oh, is there something to fix? Hunter Hong said there wasn¡¯t anything wrong.¡± ¡°Huh? No, no. The content is fine. I just don¡¯t remember hearing when the announcement was supposed to be made¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon blinked twice. ¡°¡­It¡¯s already been announced.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s been announced?¡± Lee Mi-seon adjusted her phone screen and handed it to me. It was a domestic article. ¡°On the 15th, Daseon Guild made a groundbreaking discovery about runes¡­¡± I rubbed my face. ¡°It¡¯s already been announced.¡± ¡°I assumed you knew since you didn¡¯t say anything¡­ Was it not supposed to be announced yet?¡± ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not it. I just¡­ left the timing to you, Hunter Lee. It¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t know about this.¡± I checked my own phone and did a quick search. There were a few articles simr to the one Lee Mi-seon had shown me, all seemingly copied from the same source¡­ I asked Lee Mi-seon. ¡°Did Daseon distribute this article?¡± ¡°You really know how to navigate the social world, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But still, something feels off. There are too few articles. Most of them came out on the same day. Scanning through the search results, there were only a few reactions saying things like ¡®Does Daseon have too much money?¡¯ and ¡®Why are they researching something like runes?¡¯ ¡°Does Daseon control the media too?¡± ¡°I appreciate that you think so highly of our Guild, but seriously, what do you think we are?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Just in case, I checked a few international sites as well. After all, Hong Seok-young had shown me an English version of the booklet. There¡¯s no way Lee Mi-seon would have only announced it in Korea. Internationally, the response was a bit more notable than in Korea, but it was still mostly ridicule. Comments like, ¡®A Korean Guild is wasting time on nonsense¡¯, or, ¡®What a waste of time¡¯, or, ¡®I could get the same results using my cat as a totem¡­¡¯ I looked up at Lee Mi-seon. She smiled sweetly. ¡°Not the reaction you were expecting?¡± ¡°¡­Well.¡± ¡°If we wanted a strong response, we wouldn¡¯t have worded the announcement that way.¡± Right, the n was to let it start quietly. ¡°The goal was to get mages thinking, ¡®Oh, there are runes out there,¡¯ right? Since Hunter Kim is pretty well-known internationally, people will take at least a nce.¡± ¡°Are you nning to reveal other runes then?¡± ¡°Something like that. We¡¯re gauging when the best time to release them would be.¡± ¡°¡­When that happens, make sure to let me know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I intentionally kept you out of the loop. I just thought Hunter Hong had already told you.¡± Lee Mi-seon shrugged and checked the time again. ¡°Hmm¡­ I should go find out where Seung-yeon is and what he¡¯s up to. Do you want toe with me, Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°What could I even do if I went?¡± ¡°Still, Seung-yeon really likes you, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Well, I did use that fact and even went as far as to pull off some stunts to save him. I had nothing left to say, so I just stood up. Lee Mi-seon, not sure how to interpret my action, smiled lightly and rose from her seat as well. ¡°Teacher Woo, what do you do after sses are over? Have you picked up any hobbies?¡± ¡°Where would I find the time for that?¡± I just lie down and sift through the Mana Watch. I look for any information on Ark, and at the same time, I browse data on the students from the Hunter Academy, hoping I might stumble upon something, even if it¡¯s by chance. If there¡¯s nothing, so be it, but if I do find something, it would be helpful. We left the caf¨¦ and started walking toward the lodging. Lee Mi-seon walked beside me, fiddling with her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we build a proper teacher¡¯s dorm when we construct the new building. It¡¯ll be much more convenient for you.¡± ¡°Are you really going to build that building?¡± ¡°By the time we admit new students next year, the school needs to look proper.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get it officially recognized as a school first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Lee Mi-seon frowned as she stared at her phone. ¡°Seung-yeon isn¡¯t picking up his phone again.¡± ¡°Maybe he really is hanging out with friends.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say he wouldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know what kids are thinking?¡± Lee Mi-seon kept trying to call Seung-yeon. At his age, it¡¯s natural not to want to hear his aunt nagging him. I used to avoid calls from the old man all the time too. After all, I¡¯d see him when I got home anyway¡­ ¡°¡­So, speaking of which.¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s voice trailed off. I looked at the ground. Mana particles were scattered there. They¡¯re not supposed to be floating this close to the ground. Mana is light. It usually flows slightly above my eye level. And the color is unusually thick. A faint red hue. Someone¡¯s manipting the Mana. ¡­Who? My fingers twitched. Damn it. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. I left it at my lodging, just lying around. Since I¡¯m the only one who can wield it, I didn¡¯t worry too much about security. If Yoo Ji-eun found out, she¡¯d have cursed me out, calling me a ¡®crazy bastard¡¯. ¡°Hunter Lee.¡± ¡°Seung-yeon is¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°A weapon.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Do you have a weapon on you? Just give me anything.¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s expression twisted in confusion. ¡°You might not know, but Hunters get fined for carrying weapons in public. Your license could get suspended too.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s urgent, so just give me one. I left my sword behind.¡± The wallet connected to my subspace pocket is still safely in my pocket, and my spear is inside, but I can¡¯t exactly pull it out here. Lee Mi-seon stared at me for a moment before opening the bag slung over her shoulder. Out came an ornate silver sword adorned with a green jewel. Thin and light. Even lighter than Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s sword. But it¡¯ll do. ¡°Why are you asking for this?¡± ¡°Something¡­¡± The red Mana suddenly surged forward. I left Lee Mi-seon behind and chased after it. ¡°Teacher Woo!¡± Lee Mi-seon hurriedly followed behind me. As I chased the Mana, I realized something strange¡ªthere were no people around. The caf¨¦ across the street had been bustling with people just a moment ago. In my head, I heard the old man¡¯s voice. ¡®Hwijae. You know, bad premonitions usually turn out to be right.¡¯ ¡®And?¡¯ ¡®So when something feels off, don¡¯t hesitate. Do something, anything.¡¯ ¡®Too bad, but I¡¯ve got no choice.¡¯ I recognized the scene from the CCTV and ck box footage Lee Mi-seon had shown me. The same outfit as in the footage. Loose ck clothes. A hat. Red, bobbed hair. But this time, the car they¡¯d crushed with a casual wave of their hand wasn¡¯t in front of them. Instead, it was Kang Tae-woo and Lee Seung-yeon. ¡°I still have one more stop to make today¡­ I¡¯ve told you quite a bit, haven¡¯t I? Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± Quickly. Faster. I stomped on the pooling Mana underfoot and lunged forward. ¡°Huh?¡± The figure noticed me. At the same moment, I swung Lee Mi-seon¡¯s ornate silver sword. The tip of the de pierced the gathered red Mana, and with a loud pop, it burst. The red Mana scattered like droplets of blood. Through the Mana, I locked eyes on the figure. ¡°You¡­ What are you?¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 82 - Ambush (3) Chapter 82: Ambush (3) TL: SHW The mana was so fierce that it made my skin tingle. I had never seen mana rampage like this. The red mana rolled around like coarse grains of sand. However, those grains flowed slowly, like an organic creature. Arge vortex swirled around the guy with the hat pressed down over his face. ¡°Seung-yeon!!¡± Lee Mi-seon, who arrivedte, checked on the children. The guy moved his hand again. In response, the flow of the vortex sped up. How arrogant. Right in front of me. I disrupted the flow before the mana could fully gather. The mana forming the vortex scattered. The guy stopped moving and remained still. Slowly, he lifted his head. As his head tilted, his eyes, previously hidden by his hat, became visible. They were shining brightly, in a golden color. Was he using an item? Or perhaps¡­? ¡°You¡­ can see it?¡± The guy, who had been staring at my face intently, asked. The halted mana started moving again, creeping along, as if testing me. I didn¡¯t want to fall for such an obvious trick. But the sight of it reaching toward the children behind me, or the way it was slowly crawling up my ankle¡­ I scraped the ground with my sword. Since it was moving so sluggishly, it wasn¡¯t difficult. I just had to lightly scratch the part where the mana connection was weakest with physical force. The moment I severed the mana connection, the guy grinned. There were rumors that he was the boss of Ark. But the smiling face before me was so young, it was absurd, considering his notorious reputation. At best, he looked to be in his early twenties. It¡¯s hard to gauge a Hunter¡¯s age just by appearances, but there¡¯s always a certain feeling. Considering the time Hong Seok-young had mentioned hearing the rumors¡­ he could possibly be in histe teens. Still, he seemed far too young to be the boss of Ark. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can see it.¡± Where on earth did this monstere from? I¡¯d never heard of anyone like this even from the Research Lab. If someone of this caliber existed, there would be at least some rumors. And I was in a position to be close to such rumors. My mouth went dry. ¡°You can see it, right?¡± The guy persistently asked. The mana began moving again. ¡°Fuck.¡± Lee Mi-seon was backing away, shielding the children with her body. ncing at Kang Tae-woo and Lee Seung-yeon, their faces were pale, drained of color. Maybe¡­ I should have expected this. No, I did expect it, but I let my guard down. With this many Hunters here, how could I have made such a mistake? It¡¯s all Hong Seok-young¡¯s fau¡ª ¡­¡­. No, enough. No more shifting me. It¡¯s the fault of all of us, including Hong Seok-young. It was our mistake. We brought No. 3, Kang Tae-woo, to the pilot high school to lure out the Ark. It would¡¯ve been even better if we could¡¯ve enlisted Kang Tae-woo¡¯s cooperation. But what did we tell Kang Tae-woo? ¡®It seems bad people were trying to get rid of the orphanage.¡¯ We used protection as a justification. We said that the ones who attacked the orphanage mighte looking for him. Then we should¡¯ve at least made a show of protecting him. Not let him roam around on his own like this. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t do something as foolish as turning to look behind me. The reason the guy attacked the orphanage. The reason he killed the director and the children. The reason he went out of his way toe after Kang Tae-woo. The reason he persistently asked if I could see it. The hesitation was brief, and the resolve was simple. I decided to make him focus on me. I sprinted toward the guy and swung my sword. ¡°Fuck, yeah. I can see it, you bastard.¡± Anyway, my cover is that of a whistleblower within Ark. If Ark misunderstood me in that way, it didn¡¯t matter. In fact, it would only reinforce my cover. If he¡¯s targeting people from the Research Lab, then he¡¯ll dig into someone like me, who ims to see mana. He¡¯ll either investigate me or kill me. Hm. Either way, it¡¯s a dead-end for him. After all, the identity I¡¯m using was entirely crafted by Lee Mi-seon. Even if he digs into my background, all he¡¯ll find is the life of an ordinary, pitiful D-rank Hunter. Finding any trace of me in Ark would be impossible. ¡­ Unless I¡¯ve already died at his hands. Boom! The guy grabbed my sword with his hand. In an instant, a strong impact hit me so hard that my hand tingled. I clicked my tongue briefly. It¡¯s true, I hadn¡¯t been using my body muchtely. Since I came back to the past, twenty years ago, the only time I really moved my body was¡­ maybe when I was training the kids? Was that even considered using my body? It was more like taking a few breaths and stretching a bit. Killing me? That¡¯s even more impossible. If I got taken down by a bastard like this, I¡¯d owe the old man an apology. I¡¯d also owe an apology to my younger self, who gritted his teeth to follow the old man¡¯s lessons. And what¡¯s the big deal if I get hit a few times? The dog tag hanging around my neck will absorb the damage for me. ¡­Wait, do I even have that with me? Is it in my wallet? Ah, well. Doesn¡¯t matter. A blow like this wouldn¡¯t even scratch the surface of the dog tag. Iunched another round of attacks. The mana around us surged wildly. Thank goodness no one else was around. ¡°Ha!¡± The guyughed. That irritated me. The sword felt awkward. Compared to a spear, the range was too short. I misjudged the distance a few times, and my sword sliced through nothing but air. A couple of swings cut through both air and mana, and finally, the edge of my sword caught on his hat. A few strands of red hair floated down as the hat fell back. ¡°Oh.¡± The summer sun was finally setting. Underneath the slowly reddening sky, a pale face came into view. The guy blinked. His eyes, which sparkled like they were dusted with gold, suddenly shifted into a in brown. As his whole face became visible, the atmosphere shiftedpletely. His fierce gaze and twisted expression made him look more like a boy than a woman. ¡°Wow.¡± The guy tilted his head and took a few light steps back. Tap, tap. His footsteps were almost silent. ¡°This is fun¡­ but hmm. I still don¡¯t know who you are. I heard there weren¡¯t any big guys like you down there.¡± ¡°Down there?¡± ¡°Oh, you know. Underground. What do they call it again? Promise? So sentimental, don¡¯t you think?¡± Judging by his speech, he didn¡¯t seem like the boss of Ark. Now that I think about it, it makes sense. What kind of boss of a group personally goes around killing people? Any organization that does that isn¡¯t worth staying in. ¡­Well, killing people in itself already implies they¡¯re out of their minds. The guy kept smiling cheerfully. His face, despite the dangerous aura, was as pretty as that of an idol. ¡­Still, I didn¡¯t recognize his face. If I had seen someone as distinctive as him even once, I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten. He tapped the ground lightly with the tip of his foot. Then, he picked up his fallen hat, put it back on, and pulled his hood down over it. His face was hidden again. With his sharp features concealed, only his androgynous build remained. The guy waved his hand in an annoyingly casual manner. ¡°Goodbye! Let¡¯s meet again soooon. You too, over there!¡± He waved his hand energetically at Kang Tae-woo, who was standing far off. Lee Mi-seon quickly shielded the children. ¡°That¡¯s what makes life fun. You never know what¡¯s going to happen.¡± Tap, tap, tap. The guy continued tapping the ground with the tip of his foot as he spoke. ¡°Oh, oops, I should hurry up and go. Ah, leaving empty-handed like this isn¡¯t good. I¡¯m the one losing out here.¡± He briefly made a pouty face. ¡°Well, nothing I can do about it!¡± Then he smiled widely again. Tap, tap. Tap. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The guy vanished. Only then did the heavy tension pressing down on my shoulders release. It wasn¡¯t until he was gone that I realized how much the mana in this alley had been suppressed. That¡¯s probably why there hadn¡¯t been any people around. Even non-Awakened humans instinctively avoid areas where mana is scarce. I stood still for a moment to catch my breath. Lee Mi-seon, still shielding the children, hesitantly approached. But I wasn¡¯t looking at Lee Mi-seon. ¡°Ahem.¡± A man, scratching his messy, unkempt hair, came trudging toward us. ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young, uncharacteristically, stuttered. ¡°Am I¡­te?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re extremelyte.¡± *** ¡°So, I was! At thisb!!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°They called me No. 3, and the number, well, So-hee was there with me. There were lots of others, too.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± Executioner ¡°I think that person is an executioner , and what an executioner is, well¡­¡± ¡°Kang Tae-woo.¡± I firmly cut Kang Tae-woo off mid-sentence. His eyes were spinning wildly as he babbled on, but he finally mped his mouth shut after I snapped my fingers right in front of his face. ¡°Go to bed now.¡± ¡°¡­But.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Leave this to the adults. You just go take a shower and get some sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I nced at Lee Seung-yeon, who was awkwardly lingering behind Kang Tae-woo. He¡¯d been holding onto a convenience store stic bag this whole time. What¡¯s that about? It¡¯s hard to understand kids. But I couldn¡¯t be cold to someone who was so obviously worried. ¡°Lee Seung-yeon.¡± ¡°Yes? Yes!¡± ¡°Take Tae-woo to the bathroom, show him around, and tell him to go to sleep.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± Lee Seung-yeon nodded with an overly serious expression. Is this really something to be that serious about¡­? He carefully spoke to Kang Tae-woo and led him toward the dorms. Only after they left did the other kids, who had been hanging back, cautiously approach. Oh Hyun-wook, with a curious sparkle in his eyes, stepped forward as the group¡¯s representative and asked. ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± How do I even exin this? What? That the new transfer student was actually in a shady secret organization¡¯sb, and while he was trying to deceive us, the orphanage he was at got attacked by some lunatic, so we brought him here? None of that sounds like it could possibly be true. Yet, it¡¯s not exactly a lie either, which makes it even more frustrating. I¡¯ll just pass this off. I¡¯m not the one in charge. ¡°The principal will exin itter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± That guy ran away from Hong Seok-young. That much is certain. Although I gave Hong Seok-young a hard time for beingte, it¡¯s better that he showed up rather than not. At the very least, it means that even a lunatic who attacks people in broad daylight is afraid of him. Just because the guy disappeared doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re safe. His target might be Kang Tae-woo, but there¡¯s no guarantee he won¡¯t go after anyone around him. In a hurry, we brought the other kids from the dormitory and moved them to a pension home run by Daeyeon. Well, it¡¯s actually more of a private vi used by the Daeyeon family. It¡¯s a bit far from the school, but right now, the children¡¯s safety is the priority. I ran my hand through my hair. ¡°¡­Everyone came in a hurry, so rest for now. Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Yoo Hye-eun, who was tightly holding her younger sister¡¯s hand, responded. Damn it. Why did it turn out like this? ¡°Hey, kids!¡± Right on cue, our savior arrived. Lee Mi-seon, looking much more exhausted than a few hours ago, came over with some Hunters from Daseon in tow. ¡°If you need anything, tell me, the teachers, or the Hunters here. Got it? Anyone can use the kitchen on the first floor. The fridge is fully stocked, so feel free to eat as much as you want.¡± The kids exchanged nces. Lee Mi-seon smiled warmly. ¡°Our Daseon Hunters are also great at cooking, you know? If you tell them what you want, they¡¯ll whip something up for you.¡± ¡°Really? But they¡¯re Hunters.¡± ¡°Who do you think makes all the drinks at your school?¡± Ji Yoo-geon, a Hunter standing behind Lee Mi-seon, smiled bashfully. Lee Mi-seon made a show of being even more enthusiastic. ¡°Who said they hadn¡¯t eaten? Was it Hye-eun and Ji-eun? Go grab something to eat, quickly. What about the rest of you? Even if you¡¯ve already eaten, eat more. At your age, you could finish off an entire cow. We¡¯ve even got some Hanwoo beef, so ask Hunter Ji to grill some for you.¡± As soon as food was mentioned, the kids quickly became lively again. Oh Hyun-wook nced back at me, but when I didn¡¯t react, he joined the group. Only after the kids had gone down to the first floor did Lee Mi-seon turn to me and speak. ¡°I found out who he is.¡± ¡°¡­Already?¡± No matter how capable Lee Mi-seon is, wasn¡¯t this a bit too fast? She fidgeted with her fingers, then pulled out a pack of gum from her pocket and tossed several pieces into her mouth. ¡°He¡¯s got a recognizable face. Someone knew who he was. He¡¯s a Hunter.¡± ¡°¡­A Hunter?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a fully active, functioning Hunter.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 83 - Ambush (4) Chapter 83: Ambush (4) TL: SHW ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯m starting to confuse whether I¡¯m a Hunter or an investigator from some detective agency.¡± Lee Mi-seon sighed as she entered the conference room. Since it was a building used as a vi by Daeyeon, it had all sorts of spaces inside. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re sopetent.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s easy to make me work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another way of saying you¡¯re capable.¡± Hong Seok-youngughed heartily. However, hisugh had a tense undertone. His hand resting on the table creaked slightly. It was a sign that Hong Seok-young was boiling inside. And no wonder. After all, a student had been attacked right under his nose. His pride must¡¯ve been wounded. He was trying hard not to show it, but every now and then, a hint of killing intent would seep out. I couldn¡¯t help but be cautious around him. Kim Chae-min held his breath as well, and Lee Mi-seon nced at Hong Seok-young before cing the file she brought on the table. ¡°But I found it.¡± ¡°¡­You found it?¡± This time, I looked at her properly. There was even footage left on the CCTV. As soon as Hong Seok-young arrived and ensured the children¡¯s safety, Lee Mi-seon had left the scene. And now she was saying¡­ what? She found it? In just about two hours? Is that even possible? ¡°Is that something you can find?¡± ¡°Somehow, yes. I didn¡¯t have time to polish it nicely, though.¡± I looked at Lee Mi-seon with a skeptical expression. Seemingly unaware of my doubt, she opened the file. ¡°He¡¯s officially a registered Hunter.¡± On the very first page of the file Lee Mi-seon brought, I saw the face I had just seen earlier. It was a certified photo from the Hunter license. He looked a bit younger than now. His face seemed chubby due to baby fat. His ck hair was braided, tied with colorful decorative hair ties, and hanging long. Hong Seok-young frowned. ¡°You said it was a guy? This looks like a girl.¡± ¡°It just looks like that, but it¡¯s definitely a guy. At least, officially, he¡¯s registered as male.¡± Lee Mi-seon moved the photo aside. The next page was filled with text. As if to prove she really didn¡¯t have time, the document was in English, not Korean. A faint watermark was printed in the background. Isn¡¯t this¡­ the mark of the International Ability Association? ¡°His name is Alex Hope. He¡¯s Australian, born to a Taiwanese Hunter mother and an Australian Hunter father. He¡¯s mainly active in Australia and is an A-rank Hunter. He¡¯s 22 years old.¡± Wait a second. Let¡¯s think about this. I know very well about Lee Mi-seon¡¯s abilities. Even 20 years from now, she can handle everything wlessly when tasked, and it¡¯s not much different now. Whether it¡¯s securing CCTV footage, solving Kang Tae-woo¡¯s situation, or securing my identity. Up to this point, I assumed Daeseon, or possibly Daeyeon behind the scenes, had helped. But an international Hunter¡¯s¡­ biography? One thing I learned from working at the Ability Management Agency is that, with enough money, you can aplish more in Korea than you might think. At the same time, you also learn that there are many things money alone can¡¯t get you. ¡°They said on the day he attacked the orphanage, he had also raided a Dungeon.¡± Not just his nationality, but even details about his Dungeon raiding activities were listed. It was true she hadn¡¯t polished it. The document even included the exact date of his Awakening registration and when he obtained his Hunter license. This isn¡¯t something a Guild Master could just get with a few phone calls. Or¡­ could Lee Mi-seon have managed to obtain all this information in such a short time? If it were the Lee Mi-seon from 20 years in the future, maybe, but how old is she now? Thirty-one? Thirty-two? Did I miss something about Lee Mi-seon? But Lee Mi-seon doesn¡¯t have a censored profile like Oh Hyun-wook does. ¡°And¡­ two days ago, he entered a Dungeon.¡± ¡°He entered the Dungeon and then came out here?¡± ¡°Of course, there are no records of him entering the country.¡± Hong Seok-young stared intensely at the picture of Alex Hope, as if he could kill him with just his gaze. The file Lee Mi-seon brought contained more photos of Alex Hope. There were also articles announcing Dungeon raids and posts that seemed to have been pulled from the inte. The appearance, which had once had ck hair like in the ID photo, had be more mboyant over time. Sometimes his long hair was braided or tied up, dyed in striking colors, and then cut short¡ªnow a bob with red hair, the inside streaked with white. This was the guy who had attacked Kang Tae-woo two hours ago. As Hong Seok-young quietly gazed at the face, he muttered in a tone that sounded like he was cursing. ¡°Too young.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s 22? How many years ago do you think it was when I heard rumors and went looking for him? Let¡¯s see¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young quickly skimmed through Alex Hope¡¯s profile. ¡°It was before he¡¯d evenpleted his first Dungeon raid.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no age limit when ites tomitting crimes.¡± ¡°True, but if there are rumors that he¡¯s the boss of Ark, then shouldn¡¯t we factor that in?¡± That made sense. If Hong Seok-young had heard the rumors years ago, then Alex must have started his activities even earlier. Besides, Ark had been a highly active organization long before I was even born. Hong Seok-young furrowed his brow. ¡°This Hunter¡­ among the current criminals, who else has the ability to mimic other people¡¯s appearances?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ not many, I think? But those who can are all Mages, so they wouldn¡¯t have fought like the way Teacher Woo did.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Teacher Woo stopped him, didn¡¯t he? Good job. Makes me feel like the sry was worth it.¡± Even that tiny paycheck counts as a sry, I guess. ¡°Do we have footage of Teacher Woo fighting this Hunter?¡± ¡°What do you take me for? Of course, we do.¡± ¡°You do? I want to see it too!¡± ¡°Hold on a second¡­ I figured you¡¯d want to, so I brought it on my phone. There should be something here to connect to¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon connected her phone to the projector and started the video. I subtly turned my gaze away. I had no desire to review footage with me in it. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d been caught on camera for a cinematic performance. At least, since it was from CCTV, there was no sound. I couldn¡¯t even remember half of what I¡¯d said back then. ncing at the screen, I saw that parts of my movements were cut off because of the angle. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young reyed the footage several times. Then, suddenly, he turned and asked me, ¡°Where was your sword, and why did you fight with Hunter Lee¡¯s weapon?¡± ¡°I left it back at the dorm.¡± ¡°Your sword? Why?¡± If he asks me like that, I can only feel wronged. I was just following thew. Even if I didn¡¯t care about obeying thew, there were plenty of citizens who would report a Hunter carrying a sword around without reason. ¡°It¡¯s a fine to take out a weapon in a public ce without reason.¡± Unfortunately, it¡¯s an amount my small and cute sry can¡¯t handle. Hong Seok-young still looked confused as he asked, ¡°Why do you think Hunters use subspace pockets?¡± Well, that¡¯s for storing weapons¡­ but¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t have a subspace pocket.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± I feel like hitting him. ¡°Why would you assume I have one?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d have brought everything neatly packed when you came out from Ark.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Next to me, Lee Mi-seon chimed in, looking equally baffled. ¡°If Teacher Woo had a subspace pocket, wouldn¡¯t we have found out when he was held in the interrogation room?¡± I did have it, but¡­ It¡¯s a technology that doesn¡¯t exist now. Without my mana pattern, it would just look like an ordinary wallet. Only after hearing Lee Mi-seon¡¯s words did Hong Seok-youngugh heartily. ¡°That could be true.¡± I really want to punch him. If it were the old man, he¡¯d probably take the hit, but Hong Seok-young seems like the type who wouldn¡¯t. Hong Seok-young shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Find me this Hunter¡¯s¡ªAlex Hope¡¯sbat footage. I need topare his movements.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can find it, but¡­ I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± ¡°Would meeting Alex Hope be too dangerous?¡± ¡°Most likely. Whether the attacker was really Alex Hope or not, the risk is too high either way.¡± It still seems suspicious. ¡°Right¡­ Keep tracking this guy. Dig up all his past activities, too.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Having Lee Mi-seon investigate an overseas Hunter? And she¡¯s taking it in stride like it¡¯s nothing? I thought back to the things the old man had asked Lee Mi-seon to do before. Most of it had been rted to the Hunter Academy. If not, it was work that couldn¡¯t be handled through official channels, like investigating a politician¡¯s corruption or manipting the media¡­ Maybe Lee Mi-seon is a much bigger yer than I initially thought. And she¡¯s been disying her skills twenty years ahead of schedule. Even if I can¡¯t always trust my Hunter instincts, if something this suspicious is happening, it¡¯s hard to ignore. There¡¯s something going on. Something I don¡¯t know. I nced at Lee Mi-seon. She quickly caught onto my gaze. ¡°Teacher Woo? Why? Did somethinge to mind?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± I paused to consider my situation for a moment. The three Hunters in front of me were all acting as if they hadpletely forgotten that I was a fugitive from Ark. Hong Seok-young had even trusted me with the kids¡¯ safety. They had removed my mana restraints and returned my weapon. Maybe it was to make me trust them or to show that they trusted me. To understand, I had no choice but to ask. ¡°Hunter Lee. You¡¯re not just an ordinary guild master, are you?¡± What will her answer be? Before Lee Mi-seon could open her mouth, in that brief instant, the Guild Master nced at Korea¡¯s strongest Hunter. It took less than a second. Even in the time it takes to blink, Hunters can do a lot. Hong Seok-young gave a small nod. Permission. A small sign that Hong Seok-young trusted the man in front of him. A tiny voice in my head whispered. ¡®Does he really trust you? Someone like you?¡¯ If it¡¯s not trust, then what is it? Bait? Just like what was done to a poor 17-year-old orphan who lost his sister? ¡®That makes more sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ Revealing information he kept hidden even from his adopted son to someone he¡¯s only known for about three months. It can¡¯t be exined otherwise. Hong Seok-young¡¯s gaze left Lee Mi-seon and turned toward me. The hand that had roughly tousled his hair. Thepliments casually tossed my way, even for trivial things. His eyes, warm enough to make my whole body tingle. All of that vanished like a mirage, leaving only a cold, emotionless face. Suddenly, I became curious. ¡°Yes. I am the Head of the Special Operations Division for the Korea branch of the International Ability Association. Daeseon is just a front for regr activities in Korea.¡± I wonder how much the old man hid from me. Besides Lee Mi-seon¡¯s true identity, was there more? The old man I knew wasn¡¯t the type to use a 17-year-old kid as bait. Did I really know everything about him? ¡°Does Teacher Kim know too¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a coborator.¡± ¡°¡­Does Daeyeon know? About Hunter Lee?¡± ¡°Daeyeon? If my father found out his money was being used to fund the International Ability Association¡¯s activities, he¡¯d probably faint.¡± Lee Mi-seon giggled. The atmosphere lightened, and even Kim Chae-min and Hong Seok-young cracked small smiles. I followed suit, smiling along with the three of them. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 84 - Ambush (5) Chapter 84: Ambush (5) TL: SHW The meeting wasn¡¯t over. ¡°Until we figure out the situation, the kids will stay here. It¡¯s not worth taking any unnecessary risks.¡± Even though it was called a meeting, it was just Hong Seok-young giving one-sided instructions. A familiar yet unfamiliar face calmly spoke up. ¡°Teacher Woo, that No. 3 kid¡­¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t call him No. 3 anymore, Teacher Hong.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Kang Tae-woo. Once he calms down, have a talk with him.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Who else if not you? Take either Hunter Lee or Teacher Kim with you. Since Hunter Lee needs to check on Seung-yeon, Teacher Kim would be better. You went with Teacher Kim the day the dungeon broke, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°As for the other kids¡­¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his chin. ¡°Just make up something. Tell them it¡¯s some kind of training camp or whatever.¡± Kim Chae-min asked skeptically. ¡°Do you think the kids will believe that?¡± ¡°If you keep them too busy to rest, whether they believe it or not won¡¯t be a big issue. We don¡¯t n to hide itpletely anyway.¡± ¡°Not hide it?¡± ¡°Just hiding it won¡¯t solve everything. They¡¯re Hunters, too. We need to give them some level of warning so they can be prepared in case something happens.¡± On top of that, Hong Seok-young paid attention to various other small details. ¡°Teacher Kim, you shouldn¡¯t leave here for a while either. Same goes for you, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go anyway.¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s true, I suppose. Daseon¡¯s Hunters will be in charge of security, but it¡¯s good for both of you to stay as well.¡± Hong Seok-young looked at me and chuckled. That expression made him look just like the old man. ¡°Jin-woo and Eun-young, who went home, will being back soon. And there¡¯s the issue of Ji-eun.¡± Hong Seok-young paused for a moment. It didn¡¯t take long for him to think. A strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit me. ¡°Ji-eun isn¡¯t on break yet, is she? When does middle school break start?¡± ¡°The first week of August.¡± ¡°Not long then. Tell the school she can¡¯t go because of a family trip or something. I was nning to give her some light training during the break anyway, so a few days earlier won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll probably be happy about that.¡± As I quietly observed, I realized the source of the d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Once she starts the lessons, she¡¯ll probably change her mind.¡± ¡°Even so, Ji-eun really seems to like Teacher Woo. Maybe because you saved her sister?¡± ¡°Ah, that kid. She once begged me to make her my disciple, but couldn¡¯t wait and betrayed me. I guess good-looking young teachers are more appealing, huh?¡± ¡°Teacher Hong, you¡¯re not bad-looking yourself. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re older.¡± ¡°Is that apliment? It doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡± ¡°It depends on how you take it.¡± Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-minughed yfully. The atmosphere lightened considerably. Meetings always ended with jokes like this. This kind of meeting was something I often saw at the Ability Management Agency. Yes. That¡¯s how it always was. The meetings at the agency never changed throughout my time working there. Usually, it was more like the old man, the Director, putting on a one-man show than a real meeting. After he gave out orders, everyone quietly followed without a single objection. asionally, people would ask the old man questions in a doubtful tone. Not because they thought the old man was wrong, but to double-check if they were really allowed to handle such important matters. ¡®Who else but you?¡¯ Once they heard that line from the old man, they¡¯d go off toplete their tasks with a satisfied expression. Even those proud Hunters! Most of the people at the agency were Hunters, and those Hunters were either the old man¡¯s students who had graduated from the Academy like Yoo Ji-eun, or people who had grown up hearing about the old man from a young age. Whether they were his students or not, all of them had joined the agency because of Hong Seok-young¡¯s name. They may have had personal reasons, but the one thing they had inmon was that they respected Hong Seok-young. That¡¯s probably why the agency was often called Hong Seok-young¡¯s personal army. Moreover, the old man never gave unreasonable orders. There was always a reason behind them. If someone raised an objection, he would listen attentively. He wasn¡¯t entirely free of authoritarian tendencies, but for young Hunters who often experienced the iron-fisted rule of raid captains inside dungeons, this was a sufficiently democratic process. That¡¯s why the Hunters respected him even more¡­ and why they were trapped in an inescapable cycle. Except for the part about respect, the same could be said for me. If the old man had hidden Lee Mi-seon¡¯s identity from me, there must have been a good reason. It was the old man¡¯s judgment after all. ¡°Hmm? Teacher Woo, do you have something more to say?¡± I must not doubt him. There must have been a reason. Just like I had a reason to lie to him. Just because we¡¯re family doesn¡¯t mean we always have to be honest with each other. Knowing the old man¡¯s nature, if I had realized and asked first, he would have told me. I was the fool for thinking Lee Mi-seon¡¯s intelligence or Daseon¡¯s organizational power was strange but never questioning why. ¡°No.¡± But still, he could have told me. How many messes have I cleaned up for him? But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. ¡°Nothing.¡± Just as parents sometimes let their children win, children sometimes have to let their parents win too. Damn father figure. *** ¡ºLee Mi-seon ¨C A-rank Main weapon ¨C Sword Guild Master of Daseon Guild + Head of Special Operations, Korean Branch of the International Ability Association + Cooperation with the International Ability Association? + Is Lee Mi-seon helping the old man because of Ark? + The rtionship between Pilot High School and the Association? What about the Academy? ¡» ¡°¡­¡­¡± I closed the window after editing Lee Mi-seon¡¯s entry on my Mana Watch. What¡¯s the point of doing this? I¡¯m the only one who sees it anyway. Whether Lee Mi-seon is an agent of the International Ability Association or whatever, as long as she¡¯s helpful, that¡¯s enough. I should rather be thinking of ways to bring Lee Mi-seon onto my side. I saved Lee Seung-yeon¡­ and saved him again this time. If she¡¯s in charge of the Korean branch, then she must have some authority. Moreover, that dungeon break wasn¡¯t limited to Korea. The news I heard on the helicopter to Seoul said there were dungeon breaks happening all over the world. If every dungeon had broken out like in Korea¡­ Would it be enough if only Korea stays safe? Should I really be worrying about other countries too? But if I leave them alone, eventually Korea won¡¯t be safe either, right? Alright, one thing at a time. Didn¡¯t I tell myself not to oveplicate things? Let¡¯s deal with what¡¯s right in front of me first. For now¡­ Click. ¡°Why are you sitting in the dark?¡± The lights turned on. Lee Mi-seon stood by the wall with a tired face. I shrugged from where I sat on the sofa. ¡°I had a lot on my mind.¡± The meeting with Hong Seok-young had ended with jokes andughter, but reality wasn¡¯t as amusing. Unlike the other kids who had fallen asleep in the slightly excited atmosphere, Lee Seung-yeon had been pacing around the room with a pale face, nervous and restless, and Kang Tae-woo¡­ Kang Tae-woo had several panic attacks, sinking into a state of shock. The night had been long. I considered taking him to the hospital, but since it was best to avoid going outside at the moment, we couldn¡¯t do that either. Kang Tae-woo eventually tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep. The night passed, and dawn was approaching. As I looked at the faintly brightening sky, I spoke lightly. ¡°You¡¯ve got a doctor here, a huge garden, and enough rooms to give each of the kids their own space. You should¡¯ve just turned this ce into Pilot High School.¡± No need to bring in containers to that shabby empty lot. Lee Mi-seon sat next to me and looked up at the sky just like I was. ¡°Then the rest of my family would interfere. I can¡¯t have Hunter Hong or the kids¡¯ every move reported to my father.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be monitored by my dad at my age either.¡± Lee Mi-seon shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If it¡¯s Hunter Lee Mi-seon providing support, I can draw a line there. But if Daeyeon gets directly involved, it wouldn¡¯t be good. Hunter Hong said so from the start. That¡¯s why we started with containers. From the bottom up.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too ¡®bottom¡¯?¡± ¡°Well, what does it matter? Hunter Hong was even talking about using this opportunity to build a proper building.¡± Since the kids were here, Pilot High School was practically empty, so it was the perfect time. ¡°And build proper dormitories too. There¡¯s nothing around Pilot High School, so we¡¯d know right away if anyone tries to approach¡­.¡± ¡°Do you think someone will target Kang Tae-woo again?¡± ¡°Well, who knows.¡± Lee Mi-seon turned her gaze away from the window and looked at me. Her eyes were calm. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Teacher Woo know that better? What do you think?¡± I smiled faintly. Lee Mi-seon had been with me when Alex Hope showed up. She was close enough to hear everything he said to me and what I said back. What did I say back then? Nothing too special. I only answered Alex Hope¡¯s question, ¡°Can you see it?¡± ¡°Is Hunter Lee chasing Ark as part of the International Ability Association¡¯s business?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s the child abduction case, and as Hunter Hong mentioned, there¡¯s also the connection to other criminal activities.¡± ¡°Hunter Hong didn¡¯t seem to know the purpose of theb. Did you?¡± Lee Mi-seon fell silent for a moment. That was as good as an answer. Realizing it, she smiled bitterly. ¡°I had to know. Those guys caused all sorts of trouble. The Association has been tracking Ark for quite some time. They caused a huge incident in France, and another one in the U.S.¡± ¡°And Korea?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t made a big move here yet, but¡­ it¡¯s a close call.¡± I had many things I wanted to ask, but I couldn¡¯t ask too much. I grabbed onto one question that had been bothering me. ¡°Do you know what those guys were doing to the dungeons?¡± ¡°Dungeons?¡± Lee Mi-seon blinked innocently, as if she had no idea what I was talking about. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. The Bangi-dong Dungeon and the Myeong-dong Dungeon. My brother¡¯s journal had information about them. Did you find out anything else?¡± ¡°There are plenty of theories. Myeong-dong is already closed, so there¡¯s nothing we can do there, but Bangi-dong¡­ You¡¯re talking about the Songpa District Dungeon, right? The one with the centipedes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°At first, I thought they were using it to dispose of bodies. The dungeon monsters eat rotten flesh, after all. If the monsters eat it, there¡¯s no evidence left. But¡­.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°The Songpa District Dungeon appeared recently. We left it alone for a bit, but Daseon quickly won the bid for it. Using such a new dungeon to dispose of evidence? It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± I nodded. ¡°Plus, your brother¡¯s journal entries are quite suspicious.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Though I¡¯m not entirely sure yet¡­ I think Ark might have artificially caused the Dungeon Break.¡± ¡°A Dungeon Break?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no definitive reason for why Dungeon Breaks happen, but the epted theory is that when a boss monster gathers enough mana to surpass the dungeon core, a break urs.¡± Just like the existence of dungeons, the reasons behind Dungeon Breaks weren¡¯t clearly understood. All we could do was assess the danger level using Mana Meters. ¡°So, they feed the monsters and raise them, destabilizing the dungeon. That might be their goal.¡± ¡°And what do they gain from that?¡± ¡°Who knows. They must be getting something out of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The sun rose quickly. The dark sky had brightenedpletely. Along with the light Lee Mi-seon had turned on, the room was strangely filled with brightness. ¡°Well, since you asked me a question, let me ask you one!¡± Lee Mi-seon spoke cheerfully. ¡°Teacher Woo, can you tell me what exactly you can see?¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 85 - A Reluctant Choice (1) Chapter 85: A Reluctant Choice (1) TL: SHW I had anticipated that Lee Mi-seon would ask this. After all, I had exchanged words with the attacker. We could potentially gain a clue about what he was after, and even if not, it was definitely something concerning Ark. So I had already been thinking about how to answer. I had considered being vague¡­ or giving a half-hearted response that I was just going along with what the other person said. But what would I gain from that? If anything, it would only create confusion in tracking Ark, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any benefit for me. In that case, it was far better to give real information. There was no need toy all the cards on the table. As long as I didn¡¯t provide false information, it would be fine. Well, honestly, there was also a lingering sense of futility. Like, what was I even doing right now? Should I just run away? Flee and close the Bangi-dong Dungeon¡­ And then? What would that achieve? Nothing would change; we¡¯d all die and everything would fall apart, unless I was nning to enjoy life for just twenty short years. Well, when you think about it that way, maybe it was fortunate that I ran into Hong Seok-young as soon as I came to the past. I had no desire to live as an illegal Awakener, and although I didn¡¯t know it back then, I eventually found a way to get cooperation from the International Ability Association. Yes, things are going well. ¡­Still, I can¡¯t help but feel that I shouldn¡¯t have brought up my¡°younger brother¡±. That damn brother. I thought the only thing tying me to the past was my teenage years, but to think it would hinder me in this way. Of course, even if I went back to the beginning, I probably would¡¯ve mentioned a brother again. There¡¯s no story more clich¨¦d and emotionally effective than a tragic separation from family. It really did work well, after all. It¡¯s just¡­ I wonder. Instead of pretending I had a nonexistent brother, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to create an entirely fictional person? Even though the story was about my ¡°brother¡±, it was really all about me. Since I was the one involved, it felt justified, but it didn¡¯t feel great to make my childhood sound pitiful out of my own mouth. Sure, it was an annoying time, but I don¡¯t think of it as some tragic past. Lee Mi-seon¡¯s gaze was piercing. If I didn¡¯t respond soon, she might start thinking something was strange. Once again, I have to tell a story I don¡¯t want to. Alright, let¡¯s imagine a brother I never had. My younger brother. The young me. Ten-year-old No. 12. The child that thirty-year-old Woo Hwijae is desperately trying to save. ¡­Even if I don¡¯t search for him like this, he¡¯ll be rescued by Hong Seok-young next year. He¡¯ll go to school, take the civil service exam, and then¡­ He could even be the son of the old man. Grit. ¡°¡­Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I loosened the tension in my jaw and forced an awkward smile. Lee Mi-seon stared at me for a moment before hesitantly opening her mouth. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard to talk about¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± I cut her off firmly. Even if it wasn¡¯t because of my brother, it was something I would eventually have to talk about. It would be better to tell it through Lee Mi-seon than to tell Hong Seok-young directly. ¡°It¡¯s something I was going to have to talk about eventually. In fact, it¡¯s overdue.¡± If I think about it, the fact that Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t tried to force the story out of me might be proof that he trusted me. Honestly, part of me thinks he¡¯s too well-fed if he¡¯s not hungry for information, but that¡¯s none of my concern. Maybe what I¡¯m about to say is already information he knows¡­? Given how wrong Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min were about the researchb¡¯s goals, I doubt Lee Mi-seon would be any different. I stood up from the sofa. Lee Mi-seon¡¯s gaze followed me relentlessly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know where to start.¡± The vi that Lee Mi-seon¡¯s family asionally used as a vacation home was a single-story building, but as expected of Daeyeon¡¯s reputation, it was spacious. There was more than enough room to give each of the kids their own room. Each section even had its own kitchen. I rummaged through the kitchen. It wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, but it was enough to make some coffee. I turned on the electric kettle and started going through the drawers until I found some instant coffee mix. Even in a ce like this, they¡¯ve got coffee mix. ¡°To put it simply, I can see mana.¡± I pulled out a cup and poured in two packets of coffee mix. ¡°Mana. I can see it. With my own two eyes.¡± Lee Mi-seon blinked. My mouth felt dry. I¡¯d never told this to anyone except for the old man. Lee Mi-seon was about to say something, but I spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s different from just being sensitive to mana. Sure, I am sensitive to it, but being sensitive and actually seeing it are two different things. I can see it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon stayed silent for a while. Unlike the seasoned Lee Mi-seon from twenty years in the future, this version of her still showed her emotions on her face. I could clearly see that she was flustered. She repeated my words. ¡°You can see¡­ mana?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I wondered if she understood what it meant to see mana. Probably not. I knew I would have to exin, but I still wasn¡¯t keen on doing it. I nced at the electric kettle. ¡°So, in a way, I¡¯m an unexpected sess. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be able to see it.¡± The water began to boil. Even so, I started exining slowly. What I was about to tell her wasn¡¯t entirely my story. When you live in a researchb, you can¡¯t help but hear a lot of things. This was one of those stories. ¡°I mentioned that I used to wear a mask when I was in Ark, didn¡¯t I?¡± Lee Mi-seon licked her dry lips. ¡°Yes. So¡­ no one knows what you look like.¡± ¡°Do you know what that mask symbolizes?¡± Her eyes, which had been wavering, sharpened. It was too sharp a reaction for someone who didn¡¯t know anything. I remembered briefly exining the mask to Hong Seok-young once. If not that, maybe she¡¯d heard it from Kim, who infiltrated Ark in the beginning. That woman must have gotten pretty deep into things. That¡¯s probably why she couldn¡¯t get out. Lee Mi-seon seemed to be debating whether to pretend she knew or to act like she didn¡¯t. I pretended not to care and looked out the window, waiting for the water to finish boiling. I could see the ocean. The dawn sea was calm. With the rising red sun, it looked like a scene from a painting. ¡°¡­I know you were involved in various tasks within theb.¡± Lee Mi-seon spoke cautiously. It seemed like I wouldn¡¯t have to bother with unnecessary exnations. ¡°Just misceneous tasks.¡± ¡°Misceneous? Weren¡¯t they¡­ important tasks, like monitoring the researchers¡­?¡± Lee Mi-seon trailed off, ncing at me for a reaction. I finished the sentence she couldn¡¯t. ¡°Misceneous tasks, I said. Doing everything the researchers asked for¡­ sometimes taking care of the kids. Well, like you said, some people were assigned more important tasks. Handling traitors, kidnapping kids¡­ and disposing of useless test subjects.¡± ¡°Disposing of them?¡± ¡°Yes. Disposing.¡± I let out a shortugh. Just then, the water finished boiling. ¡°Those in charge of disposal were reced often. You can¡¯t exactly stay mentally sound while disposing of people, can you? So from the start, they assigned the task to those with poor health¡­ the failed experiments.¡± I poured the hot water into the cup where I¡¯d already added the coffee mix. The rising steam blurred my vision. ¡°I was originally supposed to be in charge of disposal too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But luckily¡­ I got assigned to a different task. Although, looking back, I¡¯m not sure if I can really call it luck.¡± As the white steam dissipated, Lee Mi-seon¡¯s face came into view. I shook the remaining coffee mix packet. Lee Mi-seon shook her head, her face pale. ¡°So¡­ what do you call it again? I¡¯m one of those. You know, gically modified from the embryo¡­ to create? I¡¯m not sure if ¡®create¡¯ is the right word, though.¡± ¡°¡­A designer baby?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That. When I was just a little bean-sized cell, Ark was conducting experiments like that. Trying to make fetuses Awaken. Of course, most of them died, but I was one of the few sesses. Well, actually, I failed, but I was at least born sessfully.¡± I slowly sipped the coffee. It was disgustingly sweet, the kind that would make you feel sick. I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d gotten used to this kind of cheap taste. ¡°I didn¡¯t Awaken. That¡¯s why I was born, right? I was about to be disposed of, but the researchers who created me¡­ I suppose you could call them my parents¡­ they stopped it, thinking I might serve as the foundation for another experiment. For the record, though, I didn¡¯t really be the cornerstone of that experiment.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, Teacher Woo, but you did Awaken, right?¡± ¡°I did. Later on. And I didn¡¯t start seeing mana until some time after I Awakened. So both I and my parents thought I was a natural Awakener.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When I Awakened, the project I had been a part of was already shut down, and they were working on other experiments. So I got dragged into various jobs involving dungeons and other tasks. There are a lot of Awakeners within Ark, but not many were actually born there. A cleaner raised from the time he was just a clump of cells before even bing a fetus¡ªhow fitting, right?¡± I shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t such a bad job, really. If you worked hard, you had opportunities for promotion. Sure, there were shitty parts, but isn¡¯t that true of any job? Don¡¯t you have shitty moments in your work too, Hunter Lee?¡± ¡°¡­I do.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Iughed as I took another sip of coffee. ¡°Of course, I kept the fact that I could see mana a secret. By then, I had a pretty good idea of how things worked. Telling them wouldn¡¯t have led to anything good¡­ so I stayed as just a regr cleaner.¡± I paused for a moment. I shouldn¡¯t forget to sell my story. This is why you shouldn¡¯t trust men with tragic backstories. Lee Mi-seon needs to sharpen her skills at reading people. ¡°Until I met my ¡®brother¡¯.¡± ¡°Your brother?¡± ¡°They failed with fetuses because they were too weak, so they started modifying children¡¯s genes and artificially Awakening them. That¡¯s basically what the project was. It¡¯s what they¡¯re doing now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t Awaken, there were a few kids who could see mana. Do you know what the warning signs of that are? They be extremely sensitive to mana. Like Tae-woo.¡± Old memories starteding back, one by one. Dim lighting. Elderly men and women walking around theb, evaluating the children. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what Alex Hope is after, but I think I know what he was trying to do. He was probably looking for a sess¡ªsomeone who could see mana. Or, he might have been trying to kill off all the test subjects.¡± If this really was a power struggle within Ark, thetter seemed more likely. He¡¯d often expressed regret about the losses, so maybe he had other ns in mind. ¡°Hm, when I think about it, Alex Hope might be a cleaner too. Not a low-ranking one like me, but more of a supervisor.¡± No, not a supervisor¡­ Maybe more like someone in Kang Tae-woo¡¯s position. I frowned as I realized my cup was almost empty. ¡°Alex Hope¡¯s parents¡ªboth of them are still alive, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lee Mi-seon nodded with a somewhat ufortable expression. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re both active Hunters.¡± ¡°Then you should investigate their activities as well.¡± ¡°The parents?¡± ¡°It might be simr to student Tae-woo¡¯s case.¡± Born outside of Ark and raised normally until a certain age. But that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not loyal to the Ark. Just look at Kang Tae-woo, he grew up to be a model student, didn¡¯t he? ¡°If his parents are affiliated with Ark, they might have put their child into theb for experimentation¡­.¡± ¡°How do you know that, Teacher?¡± A small voice suddenly interrupted. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kang Tae-woo, his face pale, was leaning against the wall where Lee Mi-seon had been standing earlier, staring at me. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 86 - A Reluctant Choice (2) Chapter 86: A Reluctant Choice (2) TL: SHW ¡°How do you know that, Teacher?¡± It felt like someone had poured cold water over my head. The fog that had seemed to fill my mind cleared. What was I talking about? What did I just say? I¡¯d said too much. I hadn¡¯t intended to reveal this much. Were there any discrepancies with what I¡¯d said before? Damn it, damn it, damn¡­ ¡°I¡¯m asking, how do you know that, Teacher?¡± Once again, it felt like cold water was sshed over my head. I slowly turned my head to look at Kang Tae-woo. His face bore the traces ofst night¡¯s struggles. Even when he found out about the orphanage attack, he didn¡¯t look this bad. Paleplexion. Sunken eyes. Trembling hands. I looked out the window. It¡¯s summer, so the sky is bright, but it¡¯s still early. It¡¯s not the time for a kid who just fell asleep at dawn to be up and wandering around. ¡°Teacher!!!¡± Kang Tae-woo screamed, his face ghostly pale. I was worried he might copse from the strain. I nced down at my empty cup with regret. I should¡¯ve savored it more. Drinking another cup of coffee, especially one that spikes my blood sugar this early, didn¡¯t seem like a healthy choice. Is it ridiculous to care about health when you¡¯re a Hunter? Still, there¡¯s no harm in being mindful of it. ¡°Uh, Tae-woo? About that¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon suddenly stood up and cautiously approached Kang Tae-woo. Let¡¯s see if Lee Mi-seon can handle this. ¡°So, you see, the thing is¡­¡± It didn¡¯t seem promising. ¡°So, um¡­ Teacher Woo¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon kept ncing at me, silently pleading for me to step in and fix the situation. I ignored her gaze and searched the kitchen again. The coffee mix I drank. The beans. The grinder. Frying pan. Pot. Fruit tea. ck tea. Ah, of course, there it is. I pulled out a can of hot chocte from the back of the cupboard. There was still boiled water left, so I grabbed a new cup and added the hot chocte. ¡­Is hot chocte in the early morning too much of an American vibe? Whatever. Drinking something warm and sweet will help lift his spirits. Even just holding it might provide somefort. The hot chocte was ready in no time. Kang Tae-woo was ring coldly at the two adults, while Lee Mi-seon was flustered, unsure what to do. I sighed and gestured for Kang Tae-woo toe over. Unsurprisingly, he didn¡¯t move. Arrogant brat. I hadn¡¯t really expected him toe, so I just walked over and shoved the hot chocte cup into his hands. He gave me an incredulous look but didn¡¯t throw the cup away. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo stared nkly at me. ¡°Sit.¡± I firmly grabbed his shoulder and guided him to a seat at the kitchen ind. I pulled up a chair and sat across from him. Lee Mi-seon, who had been fidgeting nervously, quietly stood behind Kang Tae-woo, trying her best to stay out of his line of sight. I¡¯d had my coffee too early. Now was the time I really needed it. I spoke to Kang Tae-woo, who was still staring at me intently. ¡°Drink.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I said, drink.¡± Still keeping his eyes fixed on me, Kang Tae-woo slowly lifted the cup. He took a sip of the hot chocte, swallowed. He wrinkled his brow slightly, probably finding it sweeter than expected. That¡¯s not my concern. What matters now is that Kang Tae-woo is listening to me. Look at that rebellious face. But the only thing he¡¯s expressing dissatisfaction with is his expression. He obediently sat in the chair when I guided him, and he drank the hot chocte when I told him to. That¡¯s what¡¯s important. Even though he¡¯s in shock, he¡¯s listening to me. It¡¯s proof that he trusts me. Or maybe that I¡¯m the only one he has left. Either way, this is something that will end easily as long as I say the right things. Kang Tae-woo is far more manageablepared to Park Seo-hyun or Oh Hyun-wook. Park Seo-hyun, raised by a strict grandfather, craved praise, while Oh Hyun-wook, who had been deceived into a fraudulent contract, had a strong sense of pride but low self-esteem. So, I showered Park Seo-hyun withpliments, while I scratched at Oh Hyun-wook¡¯s pride. I thought I was tailoring their education ordingly. Ah, well¡­ I¡¯m not sure if it worked with Park Seo-hyun, but sometimes it¡¯s better to just go with the flow. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Keep drinking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Compared to those two, Kang Tae-woo is easier to understand. It¡¯s partly because I already knew him, and partly¡ªthough I hate to admit it¡ªbecause Kang Tae-woo and I share a lot of simrities. A mature child who doesn¡¯t show much emotion. The difference between us is that if I was pushed, I woulde out barking and snapping, but Kang Tae-woo is the type to just be pushed further without resistance. In the Research Lab, his personality would¡¯ve been much more advantageous for survival. I, on the other hand, acted like that because I had something to rely on. How many years did Kang Tae-woo spend in the Research Lab? A personality developed in that environment doesn¡¯t change easily. Kang Tae-woo is a model student, the kind who listens well to adults. Even though he thinks I deceived him, look at how obediently he drinks the hot chocte just because I told him to. ¡°You asked how I knew, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, I know because I deceived you.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo!!¡± Behind Kang Tae-woo, Lee Mi-seon mouthed my name, waving her arms frantically. She was so animated that, if not for Kang Tae-woo, I would¡¯ve smacked her. I ignored Lee Mi-seon. Kang Tae-woo may seem mature, but he¡¯s a child who doesn¡¯t easily get manipted. What does that imply? It means that, despite appearances, he¡¯s stubborn and independent. Don¡¯t be fooled by his calm exterior. What did he say to me before he graduated? Something like, ¡°You should tell the Director what he wants to hear, right?¡± He¡¯s much more cunning than he looks. And speaking from the perspective of someone who went through an even more cunning childhood, half-hearted deception will get you caught. It¡¯s better to be somewhat honest to build trust. ¡°I know this might sound bad, but¡­ rather than deceiving you, it be more urate to say I just didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s expression was priceless, like she was about to faint. I gave her a chance. She should¡¯ve handled it better instead of dumping it all back on me. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s true that I brought you here to protect you.¡± And like all children, he likes being treated as an adult. Kang Tae-woo is no exception. In other words, the response strategy is simple. Treat him as a mature, independent individual, be reasonably honest, but still hide certain things and coax him into cooperating. Not that there¡¯s much to gain from his cooperation anyway. ¡°It¡¯s true that someone was targeting the orphanage. And what I hid was¡­¡± I continued to refer to myself as ¡°Teacher.¡± After all, it¡¯s important to remind him that I¡¯m his teacher. A Hunter investigating a case would be too intimidating and formal. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I paused for a moment. I needed to choose my words carefully here. This was a critical point. What I said now would determine how I approached educating Kang Tae-woo moving forward. What should I say? That I know the orphanage is connected to Ark? That I know he¡¯s from the Research Lab? ¡°What did you hide?¡± As the silence dragged on, Kang Tae-woo couldn¡¯t wait any longer and asked. Thanks to the hot chocte, he seemed somewhat calmer now. ¡­If I¡¯m going to do this, might as well make it shocking. I had already hinted at this to Lee Mi-seon earlier. ¡°That your teacher escaped from the Ark.¡± * * * Morning hade. Not only had the sky brightened, but the clock confirmed it was undeniably morning. Choi Jin-woo and Han Eun-young had been brought over by the Daseon Hunters. Well, I guess calling them Daseon Hunters might be a stretch, but as long as they carry Daseon¡¯s business cards, it should be fine to refer to them that way. ¡°What? A training camp?¡± Of course, no one believed Hong Seok-young¡¯s nonsense. At least Yoo Hye-eun pretended to listen, but Yoo Ji-eun didn¡¯t even bother with that. Yoo Ji-eun openly frowned. ¡°What kind of training camp starts by waking up sleeping people and bringing them here?¡± ¡°Ji-eun, you weren¡¯t even asleep.¡± ¡°Unnie, that¡¯s just a figure of speech! You don¡¯t have to be so literal!¡± Hong Seok-young nodded at Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s words. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s how it is¡¯! I have to go to school! I need to get my diploma!!¡± Yoo Ji-eun shouted quite desperately. Last time, she had skipped school and came to Pilot High School to hang out, and now she was talking about getting her diploma¡­ Ah, is it because of that conversation we had about her only having a middle school education? I should¡¯ve exined it better back then. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve already informed the school. And even if you miss a few days, you¡¯ll still be able to graduate.¡± Yoo Ji-eun pouted her lips. ¡°¡­Then, can I learn how to be a Hunter here?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do here, and I¡¯m not just supposed to sit around, right? There¡¯s nothing fun here! No one to hang out with!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just going to call us here and tell us to sit still?¡± Yoo Ji-eun red fiercely. When she narrowed her eyes like that, I could see the grown-up Yoo Ji-eun ovepping. But the chubby cheeks brought me back to reality. Hong Seok-young subtly avoided Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s eyes. ¡°Teacher Woo will take care of you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°No. Wait a minute.¡± Ji-eun is your disciple! Why are you dumping her on me!! ¡°Wow! I¡¯ll work hard! Thank you!!¡± But seeing those sparkling eyes, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. As I stood there speechless, Hong Seok-young grinned unpleasantly beside me. Damn¡­ I can¡¯t exactly tell him teach his student himself. Yoo Ji-eun is going to enroll at Pilot High School in half a year anyway. Whether she starts training now or in six months, it¡¯s all the same. While Hong Seok-young was in the hospital, I was mostly giving theoretical lessons in the ssroom anyway¡­ Tsk. I¡¯ll watch over her for now and then pass her back to Hong Seok-young. No matter what, I can¡¯t steal old man¡¯s¡­ well, she¡¯s not his first student, but she¡¯s his favorite pupil. I scratched my head and sighed. Yoo Ji-eun smiled brightly, probably taking that as a form of permission. ¡°Alright, everyone, disband. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Hong Seok-young pped his hands twice and said. ¡°Eat, rest, and thene back here at 10 in your gym clothes. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The kids scattered in perfect order. Yoo Ji-eun shot me a smirk before being dragged off by her sister. Choi Jin-woo and Han Eun-young, who had only just arrived this morning and weren¡¯t fully aware of the situation yet, seemed unconcerned. Meanwhile, Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook hesitated briefly before carefully approaching after the others had left. ¡°Uh, Teacher. Seung-yeon isn¡¯t here¡­.¡± ¡°Seung-yeon and Tae-woo had something to take care of. They¡¯ll be backter today or tomorrow.¡± ¡°But they were both here yesterday?¡± Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Mm. It¡¯s a personal matter, so it¡¯s not something I can exin. But there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°¡­Are they okay?¡± ¡°I said they¡¯re fine. Now go eat.¡± Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook exchanged dubious nces between me and Hong Seok-young before reluctantly moving off. I waited until the kids werepletely out of sight before I spoke. ¡°So, is Seung-yeon alright? He seemed pretty shaken.¡± ¡°Well, when Hunter Lee says he¡¯s fine, who am I to say otherwise?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Hong Seok-young, looking stiff, stretched out his arms and twisted his waist back and forth. ¡°What about Kang Tae-woo?¡± ¡°I put him back to sleep after what happened at dawn.¡± ¡°Is he still sleeping?¡± ¡°He woke up a while ago. I told him to wash up and wait in the conference room.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Isn¡¯t the conference room a bit too formal? He¡¯s still a minor, after all. Maybe somewhere with a softer atmosphere¡­¡± ¡°It was his own request. What else could I do?¡± I thought back to Kang Tae-woo, the way he looked at dawn. The more I exined, the more resolute his gaze became. His slightly trembling body gradually calmed. And then, the words he said after I finished were even more surprising. ¡®Then, Teacher.¡¯ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡®If I provide information, what can you offer me in return?¡¯ See? I told you he was cunning too. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 87 - A Reluctant Choice (3) Chapter 87: A Reluctant Choice (3) TL: SHW Three hours ago. ¡°That your teacher escaped from the Ark.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Blink, blink. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Somehow, this wasn¡¯t the reaction I expected. Kang Tae-woo just quietly blinked his eyes. ¡°¡­Tae-woo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Even the blinking eyes stopped. ¡­He didn¡¯t faint, did he? ¡°Tae-woo!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Yes¡­ No. I mean.¡± Kang Tae-woo spoke in a dazed voice, stammering. Looking back and forth between the floor, my face, and the mug in his hand, Kang Tae-woo busied himself for a long while, then shook his head vigorously. I could see him squeezing his eyes shut. I pretended not to notice. A momentter, as if he had gathered his thoughts, Kang Tae-woo opened his eyes wide and lifted his head. ¡°You escaped from the Ark?¡± ¡°Yes. Now I was¡­ helping Hunter Hong to chase the Ark.¡± Blink, blink. Kang Tae-woo¡¯s eyes started blinking rapidly again. Was this really that shocking? ¡°Kang Tae-woo!¡± ¡°Ah, um, uh¡­ So, did you know about me from the beginning?¡± ¡°About who you are?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Initially, I went to investigate because the National New Heart and Spirit Association seemed to be connected to the Ark, but there you were.¡± I spoke casually. Lee Mi-seon gaped at me, pointing her finger. She moved her lips frantically saying something, but I shrugged it off with a slight shrug of my shoulders. She dumped this whole job on me anyway. Standing behind Kang Tae-woo from the start was basically her dering she wouldn¡¯t interfere. I turned my gaze away from Lee Mi-seon. I tried to keep my tone as neutral as possible, so as not to provoke Kang Tae-woo. It shouldn¡¯t sound too serious either. I couldn¡¯t let Kang Tae-woo start thinking deeply about this discovery. For the same reason, I couldn¡¯t give him too much time to think it over. He¡¯s anything but low-maintenance. A real handful, actually. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to confirm the connection with the Ark.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°To be honest, I was so grateful when you awakened afterward and asked me for help.¡± Kang Tae-woo grunted as if trying to find something to say. Hmm. It¡¯s a much better reaction than shouting not to joke around. If it were my younger self, I¡¯d have probably cursed him out, calling him a creepy stalker. People always need to prepare for the worst. Look at this measured reaction. As expected from a model student. ¡°So¡­ you really knew everything about me.¡± He even respectfully kept his speech formal. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to deceive you.¡± That was the n from the start, though. ¡°It was just inevitable that things turned out this way.¡± One of those vague, convenient excuses. ¡°To be honest, we had quite a few discussions about your true motives.¡± ¡°¡­My motives?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know how deeply you were involved in the Ark¡¯s affairs.¡± Kang Tae-woo shifted ufortably. That meant he knew I wasn¡¯t wrong. Perhaps that¡¯s why he elegantly shifted the topic without digging further into the subject. ¡°¡­So, you were chasing our director?¡± He even gracefully deflected the me. It¡¯s an admirable skill. In that short sentence, he pinpointed the director as the one who assigned him this task and implied the director had done something bad enough to warrant being hunted by the Hunters. If he did it knowingly, it¡¯s praiseworthy, and if he did it unknowingly, it¡¯s worthy of admiration. ¡°That¡¯s one part of it. After what happened to the researchb¡­.¡± Tsk. ¡°We¡¯ve been tracking down the people who were inside. Hunter Hong is after theb director and other administrators, but your teacher¡­ well, there¡¯s someone I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah. Just in case you haven¡¯t figured it out yet, I¡¯ll tell you¡ªI know you¡¯re No. 3. So, I recognized you immediately.¡± As soon as the word ¡°No. 3¡± left my mouth, Kang Tae-woo¡¯s face, which had momentarily regained some color, went pale again. I waved my hand, signaling him not to be so rmed. It¡¯s not the time to stop yet. I could say more. ¡°I once went to that researchb as a cleaner. It would¡¯ve been weird not to recognize you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And¡­ when I said I wanted to protect you, that wasn¡¯t a lie either.¡± This was something I said when I brought Kang Tae-woo to Pilot High School. I told him that there was someone who attacked the orphanage. Just in case, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to stay with us? There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Normally, people who say things like that are con artists. I once pointed that out to Hong Seok-young, and he just scoffed, saying all Hunters are con artists anyway. He really knows how to leave me speechless. Kang Tae-woo swallowed nervously. ¡°¡­You weren¡¯t trying to use me to catch the director?¡± He¡¯s still bringing up the director till the end. If trained properly, he could be a valuable asset. Not sure yet if he¡¯ll be a great Hunter, though. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not denying it.¡± ¡°Then!¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t trying to protect you. You¡¯re a minor. And I know exactly what happened at that researchb¡­ If you were certain that you wanted to leave the Ark, I would¡¯ve helped you too.¡± I maintained a casual tone, as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Lee Mi-seon¡¯s face was slowly transforming into something strange. It was an expression difficult to read. ¡°Help¡­ You¡¯re not saying this to find out the information I know, are you?¡± ¡°How much could you know about the Ark, having only been in theb? I probably know way more than you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Now even Kang Tae-woo¡¯s expression was bingplicated. After a brief hesitation, Kang Tae-woo carefully asked, ¡°Yesterday¡­ do you know who that person was?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡± What¡¯s going on in that arrogant head of his? But his gaze had shifted. ¡­He looked just like No. 3 right before he disappeared from theb. Still, I felt I had to finish what I was saying, so I continued. ¡°I suspect they might be targeting a ce rted to the Ark. But I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re still investigating. I mean, who would¡¯ve guessed they¡¯de after you right in front of Hunter Hong¡¯s nose?¡± Kang Tae-woo stared at my face, as if trying to figure out if I was lying or not. ¡°¡­Then, teacher.¡± Kang Tae-woo spoke softly. ¡°I just have one question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Why did you leave the Ark?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If it had only been adults here like Lee Mi-seon, Hong Seok-young, or Kim Chae-min, I would¡¯ve just used my usual excuse. ¡®Because I wanted to save my younger brother.¡¯ But with Kang Tae-woo, who knew that fake brother, standing in front of me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it. However, Lee Mi-seon was here. She was now looking at me with pity in her eyes. No, seriously, what does she expect me to do with that look? Irritation surged within me, but I held it back. I¡¯m an adult, after all. ¡°There¡¯s someone I want to find.¡± ¡°¡­Someone you want to find?¡± Should I call him my younger brother? I really hate saying that out loud. I¡¯ve said it plenty of times before, but it feels different to say it to someone who knows my younger self. It feels like it would make things truly irreversible. Life always flows in directions you don¡¯t want. Just like how I was unwillingly dragged back to the past and have been dealing with all kinds of troubles ever since. ¡°¡­My brother was at theb, like you.¡± I thought he was just staring at me intensely, but no, he was just looking. Kang Tae-woo stared at my face like he could kill me with his gaze alone. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Tae-woo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah. I see. I think I know who you are now.¡± ¡°What?¡± What kind of nonsense is this kid suddenly spouting? But Kang Tae-woo, ignoring my confusion, suddenly raised his head with a strange confidence. Is this the same kid who was pale and trembling just moments ago? What¡¯s going on? Why is this making me nervous? ¡°You¡¯re that person.¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s eyes shed ominously. ¡°You¡¯re the older brother who was with No. 12.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I heard what you said to No. 12 too, teacher. So that¡¯s why you left theb, isn¡¯t it? You still haven¡¯t found No. 12 yet, right? So-hee told me that when theb shut down, the kids all scattered.¡± ¡°Scattered¡­ Wait, hold on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll be able to find him. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Kang Tae-woo, without even listening to what I was saying, started rambling on by himself. His face was flushed red, slightly excited. ¡­He¡¯s not sick or something, is he? I couldn¡¯t understand why he was suddenly acting this way, and even more so, I didn¡¯t get why he thought I was that person. A person who¡¯s never taken off his mask even once, what did he see to think I¡¯m that person? But Kang Tae-woo had already reached his own conclusion long ago. ¡°As you said, I don¡¯t know much about the researchb.¡± Kang Tae-woo put down the mug he was holding on the ind bar. ¡°But the orphanage is different. Have you seen the flowers?¡± ¡°Flowers?¡± ¡°See? You don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll teach you what to look for.¡± The mug that had been filled with hot chocte was nowpletely empty. Kang Tae-woo smiled brightly. * * * Present. Hong Seok-young entered the conference room. A boy with a clear, innocent face was sitting there, neatly dressed in his school uniform. Hong Seok-young raised an eyebrow at the sight but said nothing as he pulled out a chair and sat down. If nothing else, Kang Tae-woo knew too well what adults like in a model student. Not that Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t your typical person, but when you¡¯re nearing fifty, a seventeen-year-old might as well look like a newborn baby. That¡¯s a universal feeling. Even Hong Seok-young, being human, would feel that way. Especially when the boy was wearing the Pilot High School uniform. Hong Seok-young had a soft spot for students from Pilot High School. ¡°So¡­ I heard you offered to provide information.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Teacher Hong. Don¡¯t be so stiff. He¡¯s a student, after all!¡± ¡­It seemed like Kang Tae-woo¡¯s strategy was working better on Kim Chae-min than on Hong Seok-young. ¡°He went through all that chaos, and he¡¯s still here to talk! Can¡¯t you at least give him some credit?¡± ¡°Ahem. Teacher Kim. This isn¡¯t a school matter, so I have to treat it professionally¡­¡± ¡°When have you ever been professional, Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Well, I do have a position, you know¡­ I need to handle things professionally¡­.¡± ¡°Student Tae-woo, you said there was a condition for sharing the information.¡± Unable to watch any longer, I stepped in. ¡°Huh? Yes. It¡¯s not much, but¡­¡± Despite saying it wasn¡¯t a big deal, Kang Tae-woo hesitated for quite a while before speaking. ¡°Probably¡­ if you have that, you¡¯ll be able to find connected researchbs, I mean, ces other than where I was, like other researchbs or orphanages or foundations. I don¡¯t know if everything will be there, but¡­ there should be quite a lot. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°So, what do you want us to do in return?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s really nothing. It¡¯s just that, uh, to find that, we¡¯d have to go to the orphanage anyway¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo lowered his head. His shoulders trembled slightly, and I heard him sniffle, which reminded me of the three students who had passed through this phase before. ¡­He¡¯s not crying, is he? Thankfully, Kang Tae-woo just sniffled a bit and then raised his head. ¡°When you go, could you take me with you?¡± ¡°¡­To where?¡± ¡°To the orphanage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t find words to respond to something so unexpected. ¡°Look, Student Tae-woo. The orphanage isn¡¯t operating right now, it¡¯s been suspended. You can¡¯t live there¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon said quietly. Kang Tae-woo looked at her in surprise. ¡°Huh? No! I just want to visit for a bit! I¡¯m not saying I want to live there¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°A-actually, if possible, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to bring back¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s voice trailed off. The cold look in Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes softened. When an old man like him makes that kind of face, it¡¯s obvious what¡¯s going to happen next. ¡°Student Tae-woo, don¡¯t feel too down. Thank you for having the courage to speak up after what happened yesterday. Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Well, then let¡¯s eat first, and then we¡¯ll go together. How does that sound?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Hong Seok-young patted Kang Tae-woo¡¯s shoulder with hisrge hand. It was a surprisingly gentle touch for someone with his personality. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 88 - Under the Flowers (1) Chapter 88: Under the Flowers (1) TL: SHW ¡°I can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°But, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°I said I can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Look at this, Tae-woo here mustered up the courage to ask you! As a teacher, you should listen to him!¡± ¡°This and that are different matters.¡± I spoke firmly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking about the other kids?¡± ¡°Oh-ho, but since you¡¯ll be staying, Teacher Woo¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Hong Seok-young widened his eyes, then gave a sly smile. ¡°Teacher Kim!! Teacher Woo just said something mean to me, what should I do?¡± Without taking her eyes off her phone, Kim Chae-min answered nonchntly. ¡°Teacher Hong must¡¯ve done something to deserve it.¡± Hong Seok-young clutched his chest dramatically. ¡°Teacher Kim, I didn¡¯t expect this from you¡­ betraying me like this¡­!¡± How long do I have to watch this ridiculous farce? As I gave them a cold stare and Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t respond, Hong Seok-young straightened his posture, taking his hand off his chest. Seeing him clear his throat in that exaggerated manner, it was obvious he was about to spout more nonsense. I spoke first before Hong Seok-young could open his mouth. ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°At least today, on the first day, Teacher Hong should stay and show his face.¡± ¡°¡­Are you worried that that bastard Alex Hope might show up again? You, Teacher Kim, and the Hunters from Daseon are all here, so there won¡¯t be any problems.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because of that guy. Do you think the kids are going to brush this off just because we call it a camp? They¡¯ll only feel reassured if Teacher Hong stays, thinking it¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Even if you exin things vaguelyter, it¡¯s not something you should say right now. Lee Seung-yeon didn¡¯te out this morning, and Kang Tae-woo didn¡¯t show up either. If the kids have any sense, they¡¯ll know something serious is going on. All the more reason for Teacher Hong to be here.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s momentum weakened. I softened my sharp tone as well. ¡°Let¡¯s conduct the ss properly before we go.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be teaching the ss anyway¡­ Ah, fine, fine. It¡¯s been a while, but I¡¯ll handle the ss too.¡± In the end, Hong Seok-young surrendered. Seriously, do I really have to argue like this even over something so trivial? I let out a sigh. Even though staying up for a day or two doesn¡¯t tire me physically, the mental exhaustion is overwhelming. I suddenly remembered the cocktail I had in Busan thest time. It was a vacation I went on half against my will, and at first, I didn¡¯t feel like going, but once I actually took the break, it wasn¡¯t so bad. In the end, though, I couldn¡¯t really enjoy it, and my life ended along with that vacation. Still, if I ever take a vacation again, I¡¯ll definitely avoid Busan. That¡¯s how people are; what if my Mana Watch starts buzzing again? Ah, not that I need to worry about vacations anyway, since this job doesn¡¯t even offer any. Damn these businesses with fewer than five employees. ¡°But, are you nning to go too?¡± I frowned. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°What could you even do if you go? The orphanage will have both me and Tae-woo¡­¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m going.¡± After I¡¯ve done all the work, you want to swoop in and take the credit? Besides, no matter how I look at it, I can¡¯t trust Hong Seok-young. Even though Kang Tae-woo seemed to stay quiet during our conversation, what if he suddenly changes his mind and bolts? Although I doubt Hong Seok-young would fail to catch him, it would be a mess if rumors spread about the most famous Hunter in Korea dragging off a kid. Hong Seok-young shuddered. ¡°Oh my, look at those eyes. How can one live being so afraid of their subordinate?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll live a long, healthy life.¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t the orphanage already well-guarded by Lee Mi-seon¡¯s subordinates? Let¡¯s go there in the afternoon, after the ss.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the boss and who¡¯s the subordinate here, I wonder.¡± ¡°If I were the boss, I wouldn¡¯t let things stay like this.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Kim, is Teacher Woo indirectly criticizing me for being inadequate?¡± Kim Chae-min, still not looking up from her phone, replied indifferently. ¡°Isn¡¯t he openly criticizing you? Just let it go since he isn¡¯t wrong.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just let it go, Teacher Kim. If it¡¯s true, shouldn¡¯t he change his behavior?¡± ¡°Teacher Hong is a lost cause. Let¡¯s focus on nurturing our future hope and cleaning up the relics of the past.¡± ¡°Hey, this so-called relic of the past can still hear you, you know? And I¡¯m not old enough to be treated like some ancient relic!¡± I checked the time and stood up. Even though I hadn¡¯t slept, I should at least get something to eat. If I don¡¯t head out now, I won¡¯t have enough time to eat before ss. But I didn¡¯t forget to throw onestment at Hong Seok-young. ¡°Looks like even relics can talk these days.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo!¡± * * * ¡°It¡¯s certainly nice to be teaching in such a well-organized ce.¡± ¡°Is that a hint to hurry up and build the new building?¡± ¡°Did it sound that way?¡± I nodded. ¡°I heard you loud and clear.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Woo, doesn¡¯t it seem like your vibe has changed?¡± ¡°Huh? No.¡± ¡°It feels like it has, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your imagination.¡± Lee Mi-seon stared at my face intently, but when I returned her gaze, she quickly looked away. I sat on the sofa, like I did at dawn, and stared out the window. The sky was a deep blue, peaceful. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have grass, don¡¯t you think?¡± I recalled the ss earlier. It¡¯s not like I dumped the ss onto Hong Seok-young, right? It was originally his responsibility anyway. Hong Seok-young taught the ss for the first time in a while. It wasn¡¯t much different from when I usually teach. After all, we didn¡¯t cover theory today, and all Hong Seok-young did was making the kids roll around. ¡°With the soft grass, even if the kids roll around a bit, it seems like they don¡¯t get hurt as much.¡± I went back to my roots. It meant that I taught Runes to the Mages again after a long time. ¡®Alright, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it? Draw it. Let¡¯s see if you still remember.¡¯ ¡®Haven¡¯t you drawn a single rune all this time? Why are your lines so messy?¡¯ ¡®Ha. Do you only practice if I make you do it? Even if you don¡¯t use Runes, you should at least draw them ten times before going to bed!¡¯ ¡®Until you can instantly draw a new Rune the moment you see it! Only then can you call yourself a Mage!!¡¯ Hmm. ¡®Park Seo-hyun. How far have you taught your student?¡¯ ¡®What? Still at that level? I¡¯m pretty sure you were teaching that magic thest time I checked, weren¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®How can you be trying to cut corners when you¡¯re still learning the basics, Choi Jin-woo?¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t have time? Reports? Is that really your excuse? Are you going to say that inside a Dungeon, too? You have to train both Dungeon strategies and magic separately. If you¡¯re going to approach it half-heartedly, then just quit!¡¯ Hmm. I might have gotten a bit carried away since it¡¯s been a while since I taught a Rune ss. Still, all of this will be a crucial foundation for the Mages, so there¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m even thinking that I should be stricter. Kim Chae-min is too soft. Had Kang Tae-woo shown up for the ss, I would¡¯ve left the Mages to Kim Chae-min. Even though she¡¯s soft by nature, where else would they get to learn from an Archmage like Kim Chae-min? Even if it¡¯s not elemental magic, the mana control techniques she¡¯s teaching the kids now hold immense value. ¡­But judging by how the kids¡¯ skills haven¡¯t improved much, could it be that Kim Chae-min isn¡¯t a great teacher after all? I might need to assess Kim Chae-min¡¯s teaching skills properly sometime. Even if she¡¯s an Archmage, the ability to teach could be different. Besides, when Hong Seok-young hired Kim Chae-min, he didn¡¯t exactly test her other skills aside from her Archmage title, did he? ¡­Well, considering that Kim Chae-min only focused on the Runes without looking at anything else, they¡¯re pretty much the same in that regard. ¡°What are you thinking about so deeply?¡± Lee Mi-seon approached me. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I was just thinking that at this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the grass we have gets worn out from all that rolling around.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s sses always begin with someone rolling on the ground and end with someone flying through the air. It was like that even on the dirt ground, so how would it be at Lee Mi-seon¡¯s vi, which has soft grassid out? With Hong Seok-young kicking the kids¡¯ butts left and right, the grass was already trampled and in a mess. In truth, the grass wasn¡¯t the real problem. Since neither the instructor nor the students cared about it during ss, the trees and flower beds in the garden ended up getting thoroughly wrecked. Lee Mi-seon, with a momentarily serious tone, talked about the fate of the grass and the disastrous lesson that was like a sudden blow to the garden¡¯s nts, then burst into giggles. ¡°Anyway, the money to maintain this cees from my dad¡¯s pocket, so no need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­Forgive me, but do you dislike your father?¡± ¡°Could you not ask such sensitive questions so bluntly?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Does Hunter Lee have an unpleasant history with your respected father?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much better either.¡± Lee Mi-seon couldn¡¯t hold back herughter and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not particrly like that. The youngest daughter is supposed to live for the joy of spending her dad¡¯s money, you know.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly it.¡± Even twenty yearster, I never heard any rumors of discord within that family. Unlike most wealthy families, they always seemed to get along harmoniously. I¡¯m not usually one to believe what I see on the surface, but¡­ meddling in other people¡¯s family matters never leads to anything good. I decided to drop the topic. Instead, I shifted to the main subject. ¡°What about student Lee Seung-yeon?¡± ¡°Seung-yeon?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t evene to ss, right?¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s expression becameplicated. ¡°How often in life do you get attacked while just walking down the street? Did he take it hard?¡± Although he was in better shapepared to Kang Tae-woo, Lee Seung-yeon was also pale, with his usual cheerfulness gone, his lips tightly sealed. For a child who was always so bright, the change was striking. ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­ something to worry about that much.¡± Lee Mi-seon seemed lost in thought for a moment but then shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he wasn¡¯t affected at all, but¡­ he looks like he has a lot on his mind, so I decided not to force him out and just left him alone. Even though he seems light-hearted, Seung-yeon has quite a deep side to him.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see. Is that so.¡± ¡°Not just because he¡¯s my niece, but he¡¯s genuinely more thoughtful than he appears.¡± Blood is thicker than water, as they say. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Seung-yeon is indeed a thoughtful child.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, and it seems like he needs some time now and then to sort out his thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Teenagers, right? It¡¯s understandable. I gave a gentle smile. ¡°As long as he¡¯s safe and unharmed, that¡¯s what matters. Let him know he cane when he feels ready.¡± Lee Mi-seon frowned slightly but didn¡¯t say anything. Just then, Hong Seok-young approached, twirling car keys in his hand. ¡°What about Tae-woo?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be out soon.¡± Speak of the devil, Kang Tae-woo appeared with his face still looking pale. Seeing him constantly wiping his hands on his pants¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s hiding any ulterior motives at this point, so is he just nervous about going to the orphanage? I guess so. It¡¯s understandable. After all, it¡¯s the ce where the kid he considered his sister was killed. I gave Kang Tae-woo a light pat on the back, pretending not to notice his nervousness. Kang Tae-woo nced at me briefly and then gave a faint smile. ¡°Now that Tae-woo is here, let¡¯s go. Hm? What about Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°She said that at least one person should stay behind, so she volunteered to stay.¡± ¡°Really? And what about you, Hunter Lee?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going.¡± With that, three Hunters and one student got into the car. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 89 - Under the Flowers (2) Chapter 89: Under the Flowers (2) TL: SHW The journey to the orphanage was surprisingly quiet. Kang Tae-woo didn¡¯t seem to want to talk, and neither did I. Hong Seok-young made a few jokes to Lee Mi-seon, but it didn¡¯tst long. There was no trace of the smander left on the streets. asionally, you could see a few dead roadside trees or damaged pavement due to the smander¡¯s poison, but that was it. Otherwise, everything seemed normal. Cars driving on the road, people walking by. As if the lizards or the dead bodies that had filled this ce just a few days ago had never existed. I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s a bad thing. It¡¯s just¡­ it felt strange. On TV, Myeong-dong started making the news again. Shops were reopening, orwsuits were being filed overpensation issues. The candles and flowers for the victims were left in a small corner of an alley, but they, too, were beginning to fade from people¡¯s memories. The dungeon break in Myeong-dong wasn¡¯t being remembered as a disaster or a horrific tragedy like in the past. It might be because around fifty civilians didn¡¯t died without leaving a single intact body behind. Or maybe because there wasn¡¯t a Hunter who lost a student and caused a loud uproar. For a dungeon break that urred in the heart of Seoul, the damage was minimal. That¡¯s a good thing, butpared to what I remember, the response seems slow. Maybe they think it¡¯s fine because the casualties were few. If what Hong Seok-young said is true, it¡¯s because I managed to herd the buffalo away. I didn¡¯t n to increase the damage just to raise the casualty count, but I hadn¡¯t anticipated the side effect of dying rted legition. There are somews that current Hunters find annoying, but the ressification of dungeon levels and dungeon managementws are absolutely necessary. Normally, these would have been proposed by now. I nced at Hong Seok-young, who was in the driver¡¯s seat. I didn¡¯t really see him making a fuss after the Myeong-dong break ended either. Normally, he would¡¯ve been in the news a few more times¡­ Maybe because all the kids were safe, Hong Seok-young has calmed down? ¡­Wait a minute. Don¡¯t tell me this is why the establishment of the Management Agency is being dyed too? That would be troublesome. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re here. This is the ce, right?¡± Hong Seok-young parked the car in the alley. The wall surrounding the orphanage was painted with bright-colored drawings. Some parts were faded or stained, probably because it had been a while since the ce wasst maintained. But it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out what the original drawings were. Flowers, trees, and children holding hands. Kang Tae-woo cautiously walked along the wall toward the main entrance. ¡°¡­We told people it was temporarily closed due to the smander damage.¡± Since the dungeon copse was a bit far from here, someone might find it odd, but no oneined about the orphanage being closed. It could be because rumors were circting that a child had died inside the orphanage. Buildings where a young child has died often be easy targets for avoidance. Closing the orphanage was too big of a job to leave to the guild. It¡¯s not that it was impossible, but it could raise unnecessary suspicion. Since No. 3, who had approached me on the director¡¯s orders, was tied to this ce, they were likely just watching quietly. In that case, there was no need to provoke them. Lee Mi-seon used her slight influence in public authority to make the closure of the orphanage an official matter. After some time, it would fade from people¡¯s memories, and then they could demolish the orphanage and build another facility. If Ark moved before that, that would be a good thing in its own way. And Ark was probably too busy to worry about the fate of a small orphanage like this. Who could guarantee that Alex Hope only attacked this ce? We shouldn¡¯t forget that dungeon breaks happen frequently during this period. Taking advantage of that, Alex Hope, or someone moving with him, could have attacked a subsidiary organization of Ark. If they always attacked during a dungeon break, people would assume it was the monsters from the dungeon that killed people, not some psychopath. Even if the traces left on the bodies weren¡¯t exactly the same as those left by monsters. It was that kind of era. An era where the government was too busy to handle anything other than post-management of dungeon breaks. ¡°We took theputers for analysis, but¡­ aside from that, everything else is just as it was. I thought there might be a chance someone woulde by, so I made sure to tighten security.¡± ¡°Is that the slight public authority you mentioned before?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for the police to patrol the neighborhood?¡± Lee Mi-seon giggled. ¡°I also made sure to secure it well.¡± With heightened senses, I could feel mana surrounding the orphanage. Hunters. Probably from Daseon. Or perhaps from the International Ability Association. There were those in a van with tinted ck windows, and others could be felt from the vi across the street. It seemed they¡¯dpromised by cing security around the area instead of inside the orphanage itself, which would have been odd. ¡°Have there been any visitors?¡± ¡°Unluckily or luckily, no. We¡¯re the first.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not a visitor.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Kang Tae-woo probably didn¡¯t know about theseplicated matters. And even if he did, he probably didn¡¯t want to think about them right now. He stood with his fists clenched, looking up at the orphanage building. The small yground with a slide. The flowerbed that had grown wild, untended in the summer. The orphanage building itself, which for some reason felt only cold. Lee Mi-seon unlocked the main gate with a key. Kang Tae-woo hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. * * * After all, there was plenty of time. Hong Seok-young deliberately let Kang Tae-woo do as he pleased. He had enoughpassion to extend that much kindness to a kid who¡¯d lost his sister. Kang Tae-woo stood at the entrance for a long time. Then, looking at Woo Hwijae, he asked: ¡°Um, there¡¯s something I want to bring. Can I get that first?¡± Woo Hwijae nced at Hong Seok-young. There wasn¡¯t any need to ask for permission for something like this. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t permission. Woo Hwijae¡¯s sharp gaze seemed more like he was seeking agreement than permission. As if he were prepared to fight on the kid¡¯s behalf if denied. Hong Seok-young narrowed his eyes. Woo Hwijae wasn¡¯t afraid of him. He hadn¡¯t been, even when they first met in Myeong-dong. There had been some difort back then, but unlike the criminals Hong Seok-young had encountered in the past, Woo Hwijae hadn¡¯t been scared. If anything, he¡¯d seemed annoyed. That¡¯s why, at first, Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t realized that Woo Hwijae was that guy. He had only put him through questioning because the situation called for it, and Woo Hwijae had likely been released without any issues, assuming his identity had checked out. But no records of his identity existed, and he was an Awakened. When asked his name, he would answer readily. But beyond that, he wouldn¡¯t say much. While dealing with the remaining monsters in Myeong-dong and trying to bring order to the chaos, Hong Seok-youngter heard about Woo Hwijae. And then it hit him, he remembered what he¡¯d heard from a junior who¡¯d lost contact: an internal helper. He didn¡¯t know the name, but he knew thest name. Didn¡¯t know the face, but he knew he was an Awakened. He wielded a sword as his weapon. And he wanted to leave Ark to save his younger brother. Even before Kim had made contact, the man had been preparing to escape Ark. If Kim¡¯s identity had been exposed and she was killed, then the man must have thought he couldn¡¯t stay there safely either, so he likely acted immediately. He probably hadn¡¯t nned to reveal himself in Myeong-dong like that. That must have been a mistake. Only then did Hong Seok-young recall the flustered expression on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Is it¡­ not okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Woo Hwijae¡¯s eyes grew even fiercer. Even though he pretends not to, he has a weak spot for children. His younger brother was supposed to be even younger than this one. Hong Seok-young stifled a smallugh and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. What is it you need to bring?¡± Kang Tae-woo headed toward the flowerbed near the slide. He went into the flowerbed and started digging beneath a tree. It was thergest tree in the orphanage. ¡°¡­Do you need help?¡± Feeling sorry for the kid digging with his bare hands, Woo Hwijae offered. ¡®Hmm. Come to think of it, I should give Woo Hwijae a subspace to put his sword in¡­. No, let¡¯s observe a bit more.¡¯ ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t bury it very deep.¡± Kang Tae-woo wiped his forehead with his wrist. As a child who hadn¡¯t been Awakened for long, he was still vulnerable to the heat. It would take more time for him to be unaffected by the weather. As he said, the item he was looking for appeared quickly. A tightly wrapped stic bag. Kang Tae-woo untied the bag and pulled out a small stic box. That too was wrapped in anotheryer of stic wrap. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Is this the information he¡¯s going to give us? With a somber expression, Kang Tae-woo unwrapped the stic wrap. ¡°It¡¯s a time capsule I buried with So-hee. We were supposed to dig it up when we left the orphanage.¡± Inside the time capsule, which had been opened much earlier than nned, were letters that the children had written to their future selves, a few coins, and a tin case covered with stickers on its lid. Kang Tae-woo bit his lip to hold back his tears, brushed the dirt off his knees, and stood up. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need to get.¡± This time, Kang Tae-woo entered the building. He climbed the stairs and went into the living area where the children stayed. Thankfully, Lee Mi-seon had cleaned up the blood and bodies. It wouldn¡¯t have been a pleasant sight for a child to see. Even so, the inside was still a bit disheveled. There were children who had died, but more had survived. Hong Seok-young had already confirmed that those children were now safely staying in other protective facilities not rted to Ark. The process of removing their belongings had made things somewhat chaotic. Kang Tae-woo went straight into one of the rooms. A white desk and a pink bunk bed. The small size of the beds indicated it was a room for young children. Kang Tae-woo climbed up the bunk bed with familiarity and began flipping over the pillow, removing the cover. Curious, he watched as a beaded bracelet, crudely made, fell from the pillow. ¡°¡­My sister made this when she first came here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The teacher helped her, but it was the first thing she made on her own, so she treasured it.¡± Holding the bracelet in his hand, Kang Tae-woo climbed down from the bed. ¡°She said she was going to practice more and make one without the teacher¡¯s help. She even promised to make one for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± Kang Tae-woo lowered his head. Woo Hwijae looked down at him, his expression ufortable. Even Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t have a knack forforting children. Unexpectedly, it was Lee Mi-seon who stepped in. She smiled softly as she looked at the beaded bracelet, which was a mix of pink and red. ¡°Your sister was really good with her hands.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want to wear it? It¡¯s too small for your wrist, but we could add an extension.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Big sister will help you with it.¡± Big sister? How shameless. Lee Mi-seon shot Woo Hwijae a re, clearly having heard his quiet muttering. Luckily, Kang Tae-woo didn¡¯t notice what was going on above his head and nodded in agreement. The only things Kang Tae-woo wanted to retrieve from this ce were a time capsule and his sister¡¯s bracelet. ¡°What about your own things? I said I¡¯d bring them for you, but maybe I missed something.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡± Clutching his sister¡¯s bracelet in his hand, Kang Tae-woo seemed somehow more grown up than just a moment ago. The growth of children¡­ It was only unfortunate that this growth hadn¡¯te from a good ce. Rubbing his reddened eyes, Kang Tae-woo spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the director¡¯s office.¡± ¡°The director¡¯s office? I already looked through everything there.¡± Lee Mi-seon said, her eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t see everything.¡± Kang Tae-woo denied her words. ¡°There¡¯s still something you haven¡¯t seen. I know.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 90 - Under the Flowers (3) Chapter 90: Under the Flowers (3) TL: SHW As Hong Seok-young followed Kang Tae-woo through the orphanage corridor, he was lost in memories of the past. The ce Hong Seok-young had lived was nothing like this clean facility. It was always dark, smelled of dust, and there were always people whispering around. Back then, it wasn¡¯t even called an orphanage. He had spent more time outside than inside, and now, he couldn¡¯t even remember the faces of the teachers who were there. But still, he couldn¡¯t help but asionally get lost in memories. Was that what nostalgia was? He wasn¡¯t sure about that. Hong Seok-young had no desire to return to those days. However, recalling life at the orphanage no longer tormented him the way it used to. Hong Seok-young knew what had changed his heart. It was simply because of one person. Just one. A female reporter who hade to interview the rising young Hunter. ¡®Wait a minute¡­.¡¯ The only woman from the same orphanage that Hong Seok-young had seen since leaving the orphanage. ¡®Haven¡¯t we met somewhere before?¡¯ ¡®¡­That¡¯s a pretty clich¨¦ line for a reporter. Don¡¯t you have something more impressive?¡¯ ¡®What? No! I didn¡¯t mean it like that! Haven¡¯t we really met? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡¯ Whether it was the persistence of her profession or not, the woman seeded in recalling Hong Seok-young before the interview ended. ¡®Hongsi!¡¯ ¡®¡­Yes, myst name is Hong, but¡ª¡¯ ¡®Not yourst name, Hong-ssi, but Hongsi! You¡¯re Hongsi, right?¡¯ A vague and long-forgotten nickname. Ever since he had a rash from eating Hongsi (TL: Persimmons) that had been donated to the orphanage, everyone started calling him Hongsi. The guy whose face turned red from eating Hongsi. The guy who threw up after eating Hongsi. The guy who couldn¡¯t even eat Hongsi properly. Hongsi. ¡®I¡¯m Mimi, Mimi! Don¡¯t you remember me?¡¯ Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes widened. The scruffy little girl who always carried a blonde foreign doll, iming her dad had bought it for her. ¡®Mimi?¡¯ That little girl had been adopted and left the orphanage far earlier than Hong Seok-young. That day, too, Mimi had been clutching her doll tightly. The director got angry and tried to forcefully take away the dirty doll, throwing it away. Mimi left the orphanage without retrieving the doll. Hong Seok-young had watched the doll, lying in the dirt, with pity. Just as the director had said, Mimi¡¯s doll was filthy. Mischievous boys had snatched it, cutting its hair with scissors and smearing snot on its dress. Though Mimi cried and washed the dress by the faucet, it never looked clean again. The blue and silver dress, which once sparkled, first lost its fake jewels, then tore, and eventually became a rag. But Mimi cherished the doll. Hongsi waited until the kids kicking the doll around lost interest. The kids quickly found something else to y with. It wasn¡¯t until he picked up the doll that he realized there was no ce to put it. After much deliberation, Hong Seok-young hid the doll in the corner of the storage room, knowing no one would retrieve things from that spot. After that, Hong Seok-young forgot about Mimi and the doll. He ran away from the orphanage, became a Hunter. He believed the orphanage memories had disappeared beyond reach. That was until Mimi called him Hongsi. The small, dirty girl had grown into a sharp-eyed reporter, dressed in a well-fitted suit. The boy who couldn¡¯t even properly remember his parents¡¯ faces and suffered from directionless anger had be a hunter. The contrast was so amusing that Hong Seok-young burst outughing. ¡®Huh? Wha¡ªwhy are youughing? You do remember me, right?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. I remember now. I couldn¡¯t recognize you at first.¡¯ ¡®Same goes for you!¡¯ The two, who were the same age, reunited after about twenty years. And five yearster, they got married. ¡°Big sister has really been searching all over for this ce¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s voice woke Hong Seok-young. With a skeptical look, Lee Mi-seon opened the director¡¯s office door. Woo Hwijae, standing next to her, muttered something about her being an aunt, not an older sister, but got jabbed in the ribs by Lee Mi-seon for it. Kang Tae-woo blinked a few times before following Lee Mi-seon into the director¡¯s office. ¡°There¡¯s a ce you haven¡¯t checked yet.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Unlike the other areas of the orphanage, which still felt somewhat disorganized, the director¡¯s office was clearly a mess. Cabs were left open with empty spaces inside, and the same went for the bookshelves and desk. The spot where aputer once sat was also empty. Looking at the space that seemed like a storm had passed through, Lee Mi-seon shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Big sister even checked the ceiling.¡± ¡°The ceiling?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how often people hide things there. Do you know how many people stash things up there?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t check behind the picture frames?¡± ¡°Oh, please. Of course, I did that ages ago.¡± Laughing loudly, Lee Mi-seon smacked Woo Hwijae¡¯s arm. Woo Hwijae frowned and moved away from her. Woo Hwijae then asked Kang Tae-woo, ¡°So, what are you trying to do here?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo walked over to the window. There were many potted nts by the window. From rtively tall trees to elegant orchids in antique pots,mon nts like monstera, and even some nts whose names were unknown. Several small pots lined the windowsill as well. Though the trees were still somewhat lush, the potted nts with flowers drooped as if no one had taken care of them. Some were so withered they seemed to crumble. Kang Tae-woo crouched in front of one of those pots¡­. He grabbed a stem and yanked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah, why won¡¯t ite out.¡± At first, he shook it gently, but soon, Kang Tae-woo¡¯s movements became rougher. The almost-withered hydrangea swayed back and forth until Kang Tae-woo flipped the pot over, and the nt finally came loose. Thud. Soil spilled onto the floor, making a mess. The nt¡¯s dry roots were tangled in all directions. But the heavy sound wasn¡¯t from the soil hitting the floor. Hong Seok-young frowned and approached Kang Tae-woo. Peeking over the boy¡¯s shoulder, he saw a small notebook nestled in the dirt. It had been protected in a ziplock bag, keeping the soil from dirtying it. ¡°This is it.¡± Kang Tae-woo picked up the notebook and handed it to him. Hong Seok-young opened the ziplock and took out the notebook. And then he grinned. ¡°Analog. Not a bad method.¡± The notebook was filled with neatly written contact numbers. Half were mobile numbers of people he didn¡¯t recognize, and the rest were names and phone numbers of various organizations, including the orphanage. Hong Seok-young snorted when he noticed a gas station listed among the contacts. It seemed like they had been quite active in this small country. Then again, perhaps the small size of the country made things like this possible. After all, in Korea, Ark hadn¡¯tmitted heinous crimes like it had in the U.S. ¡­Research Lab. Woo Hwijae had said that Ark wasrgely divided into two factions. The criminal stronghold operating in ces like America, and the researchb primarily active in Northeast Asia. If the money from America was flowing into this side¡­. ¡®If there¡¯s internal strife within Ark, it could be because of that.¡¯ If they thought the money they earned was being drained into a bottomless pit like the researchb¡­. ¡®The experiments were said to keep failing, right?¡¯ The American side might want to sever ties with the researchbpletely. Well, that¡¯s something to think aboutter. As Hong Seok-young casually flipped through the notebook, he asked the still-standing Kang Tae-woo, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only thing I know of.¡± ¡°Really? Hmm. Well, just in case, we should check the other pots too.¡± They overturned every pot one by one, but apart from the contact information in the hydrangea pot, there was no other result. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else.¡± Hong Seok-young couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment as he looked at the floor, now a mess of dirt and nt debris. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°Hm? What are you apologizing for? Tae-woo, you¡¯ve done really well. It must¡¯ve been hard to speak up, but I appreciate your courage.¡± Kang Tae-woo finally rxed his tense shoulders and smiled. Feeling a bit apologetic for some reason, Hong Seok-young ruffled Kang Tae-woo¡¯s hair roughly. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. The teachers will take care of the rest¡­. By the way, how¡¯s Teacher Woo¡¯s ss going? I heard you¡¯ve been working hard.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I still think I should¡¯ve tried harder, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already thinking like that? It hasn¡¯t even been a month since your Awakening. Pushing yourself too hard isn¡¯t good either.¡± ¡°Still, what the teacher taught me¡­ it really helped.¡± ¡°Taught you?¡± Woo Hwijae was the one in charge of Kang Tae-woo¡¯s lessons. To be honest, after the first day, Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Kang Tae-woo. If Woo Hwijae found out, he¡¯d probably react with disbelief, saying something like, ¡°You really trust me that much?¡± Or he might even get angry, telling him not to be so careless after bringing the kid in. Hong Seok-young knew he was being absurdlyx about it. Even Lee Mi-seon had pointed it out once. ¡®I have a clear reason to help Teacher Woo, but shouldn¡¯t you, as a Hunter, be more cautious?¡¯ ¡®Hmm.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t just cross your arms and go ¡°hmm.¡± That won¡¯t cut it. I¡¯ve told you before, unless Teacher Woo suddenly turns into a murderer and starts killing people, I¡¯m going to support him.¡¯ Her love for her nephew was something else. ¡®Well, he did save our kids, so I guess that¡¯s fair!¡¯ ¡®But the Hong Hunter I know isn¡¯t exactly the touchy-feely type.¡¯ ¡®What do you think of me? I¡¯m capable of gratitude, you know.¡¯ ¡®Who said otherwise? But you¡¯re pretty strict about separating work from personal matters. Do you know how many times I¡¯ve felt hurt because of that?¡¯ Lee Mi-seon grumbled, pouting her lips. As if that would make him give in. Hong Seok-young just snorted. ¡®Look who¡¯s talking. You¡¯re the one trying to push your responsibilities onto me.¡¯ ¡®Hmm.¡¯ ¡®There you go again, crossing your arms and going ¡°hmm.¡± Stop that!¡¯ They¡¯d had that conversation once. At first, he thought it was just a misunderstanding. Then, little by little, he thought, ¡°Hmm, maybe¡­¡± and he was convinced after watching the footage where Alex Hope was stopped. His instincts had probably sensed it first. ¡°Mana sensing training¡­ if not for that, I wouldn¡¯t have dodged in time.¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s eyes lit up. It was hard to believe this was the same kid who had been moping over his sister¡¯s bracelet just moments ago. ¡°If the lessons helped, that¡¯s good. Keep attending Teacher Woo¡¯s sses diligently from now on.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Well, if it lifts his spirits, that¡¯s a good thing. Kang Tae-woo fiddled with the beads of his sister¡¯s bracelet, then nced at the notebook in Hong Seok-young¡¯s hand. ¡°Um, Hunter Ho-Hong?¡± ¡°Call me Principal.¡± Woo Hwijae¡¯s sharp gaze was almost stinging. It¡¯s a look that says ¡°You should feel ashamed to be called ¡®hunter¡¯ before ¡®teacher¡¯.¡± Feeling a bit awkward, Hong Seok-young scratched his head. He really had been too hands-off. Starting tomorrow, he would have to attend more sses, talk to the kids, and be more involved. He had canceled all dungeon raids for the time being, and told Team Leader Kim he wouldn¡¯t be responding to calls, so he had plenty of time. ¡°P-Principle?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°With that notebook¡­ we could find Teacher Woo¡¯s brother too, right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I heard that the researchb was closed and all the kids were scattered¡­ The notebook should have a list of orphanages managed by the researchb¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the teacher¡¯s brother be there too?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose so.¡± Only then did Hong Seok-young realize why Woo Hwijae had been so upset about being told to stay with the kids. It was cruel to ask someone to sit and wait when there might be clues about their brother¡¯s whereabouts. Looking at Woo Hwijae, Hong Seok-young smiled gently. And with a more confident tone, he said, ¡°Yes. We will find Teacher Woo¡¯s brother.¡± ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 91 - Branch Heads Work (1) Chapter 91: Branch Head¡¯s Work (1) TL: SHW Lee Mi-seon is busy. Not just busy, but dizzyingly busy. She was busy yesterday, she¡¯s busy today, and she¡¯ll be busy tomorrow. She figured she would probably still be busy twenty years from now. It wasn¡¯t as though she wasining, she had chosen this path on her own, but every now and then, she wished her ungrateful nephew would appreciate it. Did he even know how difficult it was to carve out time from her packed schedule just to check in on his achievements? After squeezing every bit of time she could, she finally managed to show her face, yet her nephew barely nced at her,pletely oblivious to his aunt¡¯s tearful efforts. ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you busy? Just leave already!¡± What a brat. However, the title of Head of Special Operations, Korean Branch of the International Ability Association wasn¡¯t something she had obtained for nothing. Lee Mi-seon easily brushed off the rebellion of her 18-year-old nephew. She had dismissed much worse; a high schooler¡¯s attitude was nothing inparison. But since she was a kind-hearted aunt, she covered her mouth and smiled as she approached her nephew. ¡°Cut out that fake smile!¡± ¡°Are you really going to keep being disrespectful to your aunt?¡± And her lovable nephew, Lee Seung-yeon, who shared the same blood as her, ignored her all the same. ¡°Respect is only given when it¡¯s deserved!¡± Such an cheeky child. But Lee Mi-seon was a good aunt who loved her nephew. Beautiful, kind, capable, wealthy¡ªa perfect aunt¡­ So, instead of smacking her nephew on the head like she had years ago, she struck up a conversation. ¡°Forget about respecting me for now. What¡¯s going on? You should at least tell me, so I can help you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to stay locked up in your room forever?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is this because the Hunters are taking care of you? Don¡¯t you not remember what your dad used to say? He¡¯s the great one, but you¡¯re nothing, so stop acting so full of yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t curse.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I heard everything you were about to say.¡± ¡°I was going to say it, but I didn¡¯t actually say it, right?¡± Lee Mi-seon sighed. ¡°At least go out and eat. Don¡¯t just wait for them to bring the food to your room.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Attend your sses, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your teachers are worried. So are your friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Normally, her nephew would have clung to her, chattering away non-stop, but now he just kept his mouth shut. Wondering if maybe he had confided in Sun Sun-jin, she asked her, but even she had just shaken her head with a frustrated expression. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you be until this week.¡± After thinking for a moment, Lee Mi-seon delivered an ultimatum. ¡°Do whatever you want until Sunday. But after that, I won¡¯t let it slide. I¡¯ll drag you out of your room, even if I have to force you. Got it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep this up forever.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t feel sorry for her nephew, who sat with his head hanging low. This time, Lee Mi-seon didn¡¯t hide her concern. ¡°¡­Or are you just scared?¡± She felt a little guilty for saying such a thing about her own nephew, but it must have been tough for a kid who had grown up in a rtively sheltered environment to suddenly face hostility. ording to Woo Hwijae, if Alex Hope had taken the kids seriously, they wouldn¡¯t have held out until his arrival. Woo Hwijae had spoken with a tense expression. ¡®He was toying with them. Thanks to that, I was able to rescue the kids.¡¯ Once again, Woo Hwijae had saved her nephew. She wasn¡¯t sure if her nephew fully realized it or not. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it.¡± Lee Seung-yeon responded after a brief pause. Maybe she had hit a sore spot. Lee Mi-seon frowned slightly. Her nephew might be a Hunter, but he hadn¡¯t properly participated in any raids. If he didn¡¯t have a Hunter license, she would have made him get counseling. No, wait. There¡¯s a family doctor, so she could inquire through them¡­ Lee Seung-yeon pulled his knees up and buried his face in them. He looked pitiful sitting like that on the bed. ¡°Aunt.¡± In a dry voice, Lee Seung-yeon called out to her. Lee Mi-seon flinched slightly, but answered as casually as she could. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Is he¡­ okay?¡± ¡°He?¡± ¡°Him¡­¡± Not understanding who her nephew was referring to, she asked again. After a long hesitation, he answered. ¡°The transfer student.¡± ¡°Tae-woo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though she heard they hadn¡¯t properly talked, it seems he was still worried about the one who was with him. The nephew that Lee Mi-seon knew had a slightly obsessive side. He probably didn¡¯t like the fact that his junior, who was a year younger, had to lead him in their escape. Seung-yeon had always talked about wanting a younger sibling, so even if it was just by a year, a younger junior is still younger then him. He must have felt some sense of responsibility. Lee Mi-seon felt somewhat proud of her nephew. ¡°Luckily, there weren¡¯t any injuries, and he¡¯s fine. I even saw Teacher Woo giving him some lessons, and his skills are improving by leaps and bounds.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even the principal checks in on him sometimes, and seeing how surprised he was at how well he¡¯s keeping up, I¡¯d say we can expect great things from him.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said, enough. Get out.¡± What? Lee Mi-seon looked at her nephew in confusion. Without showing his face, Lee Seung-yeon spoke sharply. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Lee Seung-yeon! Is that how you talk to your aunt?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d let me be until Sunday.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to let you be rude to me!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Lee Seung-yeon raised his voice. Sometimes, when teasing her nephew, his voice would get louder, but that was all in good fun. Even in those moments, there was always a hint of yfulness in his voice. That¡¯s why Lee Mi-seon enjoyed ying around with him so much. But this was different. This wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°Get out!!!¡± Lee Seung-yeon lifted his head and red at her. Lee Mi-seon instinctively reached out her hand toward her nephew but then let it fall. She didn¡¯t know what to do. So, she quietly closed the door and left the room. *** Temporarily relocating to the vi had at least made things morefortable. The three containers set up in the empty lot had been dreadfully ufortable. While sses could somehow be managed, for Lee Mi-seon, who worked year-round without holidays, there wasn¡¯t nearly enough space to get her work done. Sitting in an SUV, listening to reports over the phone, checking herptop, while subordinates transported ssified information that couldn¡¯t be sent electronically, it wasn¡¯t just inconvenient; it was a security risk. At least here, there was a study. With a few security upgrades, Lee Mi-seon could temporarily get her work done in peace. ¡°When are we returning to Pilot High School?¡± One of the Hunters who always apanied her asked casually after finishing his report. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So I can mentally prepare myself in advance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to go back?¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s ufortable for you too¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°The only one who enjoyed it was, Yoo-geon.¡± ¡°Ah, hyung. Why me?¡± ¡°You should be working part-time at a caf¨¦ instead of being a Hunter.¡± ¡°Why a part-timer? At least let me be the owner.¡± As Ji Yoo-geon grumbled, Choi Dae-hyun snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not even cut out to be an owner, kid.¡± As she watched the Hunters bicker, Lee Mi-seon did some quick calctions in her head. ¡°Hunter Hong did mention building a new facility during this opportunity¡­ so I guess we¡¯ll be staying here until the construction¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Are they really building it?¡± ¡°Then can we have a cafeteria, too?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go work there full-time?¡± ¡°Hyung, you can¡¯t be so stingy when ites to feeding the kids.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t drag the kids into your personal hobbies!¡± Lee Mi-seon snapped her fingers. Ji Yoo-geon and Choi Dae-hyun straightened up immediately. ¡°Boys. Your Big sister is thinking right now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯ll need to make a teacher¡¯s lounge too, so how about we quietly slip in a chairman¡¯s office as well? What do you think?¡± ¡°Sounds great.¡± ¡°Honestly, Branch Head, you¡¯re funding more than half of this. We should put up a statue of you.¡± ¡°Yoo-geon.¡± ¡°Yes, Branch Head?¡± ¡°Go and bring some coffee. Iced.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Lee Mi-seon, having sent Ji Yoo-geon out of the room, reviewed the blueprints for Pilot High School, which had beenpleted just a few days ago. There weren¡¯t even ten students yet, so calling it a ¡°school¡± still felt a bit too generous. Still, the building had been designed with expansion in mind, so once Pilot High School was fully operational¡­ It was expected to be officially recognized as a high school by the end of the year. Recruiting new students for next year was a concern, but for the first few years, operating on a rmendation basis would probably maintain things at their current level. And wasn¡¯t Yoo Ji-eun already enrolled? At least one student was secured. She just hoped none of the current students would quit. Having a student leave early on had been quite a blow. They had to let the kid go because the parents thought the school couldn¡¯t guarantee their child¡¯s safety? Who could¡¯ve predicted that the guild would misssify a Dungeon¡¯s rank due to negligent management during a field training session, and that it would just happen to break out? And besides, wasn¡¯t Hong Seok-young in the middle of taking down the Dungeon Boss? ¡­Comining wasn¡¯t going to change anything. Lee Mi-seon forced herself to calm down. She needed to look toward the future. Yes, focus on the future, not the past. ¡°Branch Head, here¡¯s your coffee.¡± Ji Yoo-geon politely handed her the coffee. After downing more than half of the iced coffee in one go, Lee Mi-seon finally felt her head cool down. Alright, there was still a mountain of work to do. Pilot High could wait. There were more urgent matters. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation of the contacts in the notebook going?¡± The notebook they had found with Kang Tae-woo¡¯s cooperation. Naturally, the task of investigating it had been handed over to Lee Mi-seon. ¡°The process is slower than expected. We¡¯re looking into all the people who owned those numbers, and that¡¯s taking time¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let even a single person slip through.¡± ¡°Of course. I understand, Branch Head.¡± Lee Mi-seon stirred the straw in her coffee cup, making the ice clink loudly against the ss. ¡°What about the orphanages? I told you to prioritize those.¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re investigating them too, but¡­ we haven¡¯t found any child with the name Teacher Woo gave us.¡± ¡°If that name had been used as is, we would¡¯ve found them ages ago.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why we¡¯re investigating all the children at the orphanages. We¡¯re making a list of kids around the same age, and once we have it, Teacher Woo can check and see if he recognizes anyone.¡± It wasbor-intensive, but it was the most reliable method. However, Choi Dae-hyun didn¡¯t look particrly pleased. ¡°What is it? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Well, uh, I received a report this morning¡­¡± ¡°You received it, and?¡± News delivered this hesitantly usually wasn¡¯t good. ¡°¡­There are orphanages with fatalities.¡± ¡°Fatalities?¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°Yes. They got caught in a Dungeon Break¡­ Some with at least two or three deaths, but in some cases, nearly everyone was wiped out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°In all cases, the orphanage directors were among the dead.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°Was it that bastard¡¯s doing? Alex Hope? Can we find out why they died?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t have any data on that.¡± ¡°¡­Are there any sites left to investigate?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°Damn it, this is why Dungeon Breaks need to be handled separately! With Dungeon Breaks happening all the time, why don¡¯t they separate the work like the U.S. does, dividing awakened criminal cases from Dungeon management would make things so much smoother!¡± Lee Mi-seon raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way Teacher Woo¡¯s brother is among the dead, is there?¡± ¡°That¡­ we can¡¯t be certain.¡± ¡°Check the dead kids too.¡± ¡°What if we do find Teacher Woo¡¯s brother?¡± Lee Mi-seon, feeling her insides burn with anxiety, took another gulp of coffee. ¡°We¡¯ll have to tell him, no matter what.¡± Even if the child had died, the family would want to know. That was the only option. Lee Mi-seon couldn¡¯t hide her growing unease. She was just hoping to avoid the worst-case scenario. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 92 - Branch Heads Work (2) Chapter 92: Branch Head¡¯s Work (2) TL: SHW Whether there was troubling news or not, Lee Mi-seon¡¯s day continued to be busy as usual. Compared to the building of the International Ability Association¡¯s Information Department Korean Branch in Seoul, which also houses Daeseon, this ce feels somewhat more emotionallyforting. And the reason is nothing other than¡­ ¡°Aagh!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± The screams of childrening from outside. It¡¯s not that she enjoys hearing the kids in distress¡ªno, not at all. But, you know, isn¡¯t it true that sometimes, just hearing kids chatter brightly can be a source of energy for worn-out adults tired of society? She sometimes envies those kids who, without a single worry, can focus solely on training. Her father¡¯s vi is a single-story building, but the garden sits a lower level than the house. Lee Mi-seon stood by the window and looked down. Neither Hong Seok-young nor Woo Hwijae were the type to go easy just because someone was a girl, so everyone was rolling equally across the grass. Well, right now, it was Hong Seok-young who was making them roll. Lee Mi-seon shifted her gaze. On the other side of the expansive garden, Woo Hwijae and Kang Tae-woo were there. Unlike at the Pilot High School, they couldn¡¯t use fire since it wasn¡¯t dirt. She wondered what they were doing and saw that they had brought out yoga mats from somewhere,id them down, and were meditating. ¡­Meditating? Well, of course, meditation is a good training method. There¡¯s nothing quite like meditation to calm the mind and adapt to mana. It might be slow, but it¡¯s free of side effects, and you can see definite results. Still, one couldn¡¯t deny that it¡¯s a method more often used by mages. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s eyes sparkled. Come to think of it, Woo Hwijae had extensive knowledge not only of runes but also of magic. There might be some additional effects in this seemingly ordinary meditation. At the very least, Kang Tae-woo lookedfortable. Just a few days ago, when he returned from the orphanage where he¡¯d been staying, he seemed anxious, but now he looked much more settled. Though he¡¯d been visibly shaken during Alex Hope¡¯s attack, that seemed to have been a one-time reaction, and now he appeared to havepletely ovee it. Thinking about that inevitably reminded her of her nephew. Though he sometimes fussed about cleanliness, he wasn¡¯t typically so sensitive. Lee Mi-seon pushed thoughts of her nephew aside. She¡¯d decided to leave him alone until Sunday, so she would think about it after that. Anyway, it was good that Kang Tae-woo had regained his stability. His sister¡¯s bead bracelet might have helped him, too. Lee Mi-seon had extended the bracelet sp so that Kang Tae-woo could wear it and told him, ¡®Still, when you¡¯re moving around vigorously, it¡¯s better to take it off. It could break.¡¯ Kang Tae-woo had bowed his head in gratitude. He¡¯s a good kid. It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t been confined to that researchb for so long. In addition to helping find the director¡¯s notebook at the orphanage, Kang Tae-woo had shared a lot. Mostly, he¡¯d talked about why he was at the researchb and how he¡¯d spent his time there. Truthfully, there wasn¡¯t much information that Lee Mi-seon could immediately make use of, but it¡¯s still better to know than not, isn¡¯t it? Most importantly, she was able to hear stories about Woo Hwijae. ¡®And then, back then¡­ Teacher Woo.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll step out for a moment. Go ahead and talk.¡¯ Woo Hwijae had left without waiting for a response. Kang Tae-woo had flinched and shrunk his shoulders in surprise. ¡®D-Did I¡­ do something wrong?¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s fine. Teacher Woo is just¡­¡¯ Lee Mi-seon recalled Woo Hwijae¡¯s face as he poured out his past to Kang Tae-woo previously. His face was frighteningly expressionless. It was hard to tell if he was looking at Kang Tae-woo or at himself. His eyes were unfocused, and his hands, which repeatedly clenched and unclenched. His voice was cracked. She also remembered how Hong Seok-young, who might have been the only one to know about Woo Hwijae¡¯s past, had urged her not to pry too much until Teacher Woo was ready to speak. ¡®¡­Teacher Woo has a lot on his mind because of his younger brother.¡¯ ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Kang Tae-woo had nodded with a somber expression. He had thought he was acting maturely, but in reality, he might have just been tense. The fact that no one was ming him, even though his past had been exposed, and it was revealed that he had called Woo Hwijae with a specific intention, might have lightened the weight on Kang Tae-woo¡¯s shoulders. It might also have helped that Woo Hwijae had answered his questions honestly. ¡®So, what did Teacher Woo do?¡¯ Kang Tae-woo smiled with a flushed face. The true nature of a boy who had spent half of his short, seventeen-year life inside an illegal researchb was far more colorful than expected. His shy smile made him look exactly like a kid of his age. It was a wee change. ¡®To be honest, I didn¡¯t really like No. 12. Uh, but by any chance, do you know the name of No. 12, Hunter-nim?¡¯ ¡®I told you, you can call me noona.¡¯ ¡®Y-Yeah, but still¡­¡¯ ¡®No. 12¡­ is that Teacher Woo¡¯s younger brother? I did hear their name while he was looking for his brother. Just in case.¡¯ ¡®The researchers used to call us by numbers, but among ourselves, we secretly used each other¡¯s names. As long as the researchers couldn¡¯t hear us, it was fine.¡¯ Kang Tae-woo pouted. ¡®But No. 12 never told me his name, not until the end.¡¯ ¡®Stubborn, huh? Just like Teacher Woo¡¯s brother would be. Want me to tell you his name?¡¯ ¡®Yes!¡¯ But Kang Tae-woo quickly shook his head. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t want me to tell you?¡¯ ¡®I want to hear it from him directly¡­¡¯ ¡®Directly?¡¯ ¡®Now that we¡¯re not in theb, he¡¯ll probably tell me.¡¯ Kang Tae-woo muttered with a hint ofint. Still, his expression wasn¡¯t too dark. It was better than being trapped in grief over his sister¡¯s death. But sometimes, the death of a family member strikes unexpectedly. It¡¯s best to keep an eye on Kang Tae-woo. With adults around him, he can be sufficiently looked after. Though, it would still be ideal to get him into proper counseling with a psychiatrist. It¡¯s not just Kang Tae-woo, either. Oh Hyun-wook and Seo Han-seong likely have their own deep-seated traumas, too. Lee Mi-seon sighed inwardly. She really needed to find a psychiatrist who could take care of the kids somehow¡­. ¡®Anyway, the Teacher Woo didn¡¯t really pay much attention to anyone else besides No. 12.¡¯ Kang Tae-woo resumed his story. ¡®I still don¡¯t quite understand why No. 12 was treated so specially.¡¯ ¡®Were you upset about it?¡¯ ¡®We weren¡¯t even close back then, so why would I feel upset?¡¯ Kang Tae-woo replied coolly. In moments like this, he seemed mature. ¡®But sometimes, when the kids got scolded by the researchers, he¡¯d quietly step in and shield us.¡¯ ¡®Teacher Woo did that?¡¯ ¡®It seemed like he couldn¡¯t approach us because the researchers were around.¡¯ ¡®That makes sense.¡¯ ¡®There was this one time when So-hee fell. She just happened to fall near the toys, and she ended up bleeding. I think her forehead got cut.¡¯ ¡®Oh dear¡­¡¯ Did she get hurt badly? Was she okay? Those were questions she couldn¡¯t ask. Because she knew that this child So-hee was Kang Tae-woo¡¯s deceased younger sister. Kang Tae-woo didn¡¯t seem too bothered by Lee Mi-seon¡¯s reaction. ¡®But then, Teacher Woo, who had been watching No. 12 y, suddenly jumped up!¡¯ ¡®And then?¡¯ So Lee Mi-seon just chimed in appropriately. ¡®He looked at So-hee¡¯s forehead, picked her up right away, and walked out of the yroom!¡¯ ¡®Oh my!¡¯ ¡®We weren¡¯t normally allowed to leave like that. But then, when the researchers tried to say something to him, I don¡¯t know what Teacher Woo said, but suddenly they started trembling. And then, they quietly treated So-hee¡¯s wound!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s impressive.¡¯ ¡®Later, So-hee saved a cookie from snack time and secretly gave it to Teacher Woo.¡¯ Perhaps taking care of his younger sister had been something significant for this boy. It might be why Kang Tae-woo¡¯s attitude had changed so abruptly after learning that Woo Hwijae was a cleaner at the researchb. ¡®I told So-hee that it was pointless to give him the cookie since the cleaners never took off their masks inside theb¡­ But she gave it to him anyway.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s sweet.¡¯ ¡®Right? So-heeter told me that the next day, Teacher Woo quietly said to her that it was delicious and thanked her.¡¯ Indeed, he¡¯s someone who¡¯s weak around children. Lee Mi-seon smiled softly. ¡®Whether he actually ate it or not, I don¡¯t know. But what matters is that he said it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s important, indeed.¡¯ As they talked, Kang Tae-woo, his throat apparently dry, gulped down his drink. After a brief hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak. ¡®I once overheard Teacher Woo telling No. 12 that he had to make it out alive.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®So, I thought he must be nning to leave theb. I don¡¯t know what happened after I graduated and left first¡­ but I¡¯m d that at least Teacher managed to get out.¡¯ Kang Tae-woo smiled brightly. ¡®I hope No. 12 made it out safely too.¡¯ For some reason, Lee Mi-seon¡¯s throat tightened as she replied. ¡®¡­Yeah. I hope so too.¡¯ ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± A high-pitched scream, distinctly that of a young girl, rang out. Startled out of her thoughts, Lee Mi-seon looked down at the garden. Sun Sun-jin, with grass tangled in her hair, had sprung to her feet, looking visibly annoyed. Thinking she might be injured, Lee Mi-seon was about to go down to check when Sun Sun-jin stomped on the wooden training sword she¡¯d dropped, snapping it in half. She grabbed the two broken pieces in both hands, crouched low, and charged at Hong Seok-young. ¡°¡­Would you look at that?¡± In an instant, Sun Sun-jin¡¯s figure vanished from sight. Lee Mi-seon barely managed to keep up with her beloved junior¡¯s speed. Sun Sun-jin hurled the broken pieces of the wooden sword like throwing knives toward Hong Seok-young and then spun back quickly. She aimed the remaining half of the sword at the back of Hong Seok-young¡¯s neck, but when he dodged to the side effortlessly, she dropped the sword and pulled back. Pretending to retreat, she pivoted on her left foot and kicked at Hong Seok-young¡¯s calf¡­ The only reason Sun Sun-jin¡¯s attack seeded was that Hong Seok-young was going easy on her. If he were using his true skills, she would have been taken down with the first move. But Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t a cruel person, no matter what anyone might say. A roar of excitement erupted in the garden, which had fallen quiet for a moment. Hong Seok-young gave Sun Sun-jin a thumbs-up. Sun Sun-jin, who had been panting heavily, soon broke into a bright smile and began bouncing up and down with joy. Watching this, Lee Mi-seon alsoughed happily. The kids were growing. * * * ¡°You¡¯vee at just the right time, Master!¡± Unlike the secluded vi, the office of the Daeseon Guild in the middle of Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, had many watchful eyes. Here, Lee Mi-seon¡¯s subordinates referred to her as ¡°Master¡±. The Master of the Daeseon Guild¡ªLee Mi-seon¡¯s other identity. ¡°Is something up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the news you¡¯ve been waiting for, Master.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo¡¯s brother? Did you find him?¡± ¡°Ah, not that one.¡± Choi Dae-hyun handed a tablet PC to Lee Mi-seon. She looked at the screen, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s a post from a foreign Hunter site. It was uploaded just an hour ago.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s about runes.¡± Runes. Lee Mi-seon immediately began reading the post. [Hey, remember that Korean guild that announced something about runes a while back? Probably not¡ªmost people wouldn¡¯t. I read it because I thought, who the hell researches useless runes? Look at this. The exnation is trash too. Enhancing runes? Making themst longer? Who uses effects like that? But when I looked up the guild that made this announcement, turns out it¡¯s one sponsored by Daeyeon. Yeah, that Daeyeon. I figured Daeyeon wouldn¡¯t throw money at some bullshit project like this, so I grabbed our guild¡¯s mage, who had nothing better to do, and decided to give it a try. The exnation was stupid, but I tried that ¡°clear your mind¡± effect or whatever. I¡¯d been pulling all-nighters gaming for a week straight, so my mind was a bit foggy. Even for a Hunter, going a week without food and just gaming is rough. Anyway, I tried it, right? With one rune, I didn¡¯t feel much. But then, our mage suddenly started drawing runes like a man possessed, the same rune over and over. I didn¡¯t count, but he must¡¯ve drawn a hundred of them. And look at this.] There was a link in the post. Smirking, Lee Mi-seon clicked on it. A video started ying. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 93 - Awesome Runes (1) Chapter 93: Awesome Runes (1) TL: SHW No person appears in the video. Dozens of sheets of paper with runes drawn on them are scattered across the floor. The edges of the papers slightly ovep, connecting them together. All the runes drawn on the papers are the same. A hand suddenly appears at the bottom of the screen. It seems to be the hand of a Mage who drew the runes. The hand waves yfully at the camera before cing a finger on the rune at the very bottom. The rune activates. Even as it activates, there is no change in the rune on the paper. However, right above the dozens of sheets of paper, the air begins to turn hazy, emitting a faint blue light. Mana. A voice, whether it belongs to the Mage or the Hunter holding the camera, shouts something unintelligible. HOLLY SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK. Then, the video ends with a single shout. [AWESOME!] ¡°It really is awesome.¡± Lee Mi-seon giggled. Kim Chae-min squinted her eyes and reyed the video from the beginning. ¡°This¡­ is that rune, right? The one that¡¯s like an ¡®Intelligence Booster¡¯?¡± ¡°Calling it an ¡®Intelligence Booster¡¯ seems a bit much.¡± ¡°Then, what should we call it?¡± Woo Hwijae answered without much thought. ¡°It¡¯s an air purifier.¡± ¡°Not a mana purifier?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they basically the same thing?¡± The video ended. Kim Chae-min reyed it from the beginning again. ¡°This was uploaded yesterday morning, Korean time. Exactly 24 hours! Every overseas site is talking about this.¡± ¡°The rune?¡± ¡°The Mages have gone crazy experimenting with it. They¡¯ve even figured out how to use resonance and amplification.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s how the rune was originally meant to be used.¡± Lee Mi-seon was still chuckling. Woo Hwijae watched her quietly and then spoke. Kim Chae-min reyed the video for the third time. ¡°Could it be¡­ you were waiting for this?¡± ¡°Waiting for someone to experiment with the rune? Of course. I was absolutely certain that some bored Hunter or Mage would try it out.¡± ¡°What if no one had done it?¡± ¡°Then we would have released it ourselves at an appropriate time. Obviously, without revealing our affiliation. Once the spark is lit, it¡¯s bound to catch fire on its own.¡± Meanwhile, Kim Chae-min reyed the video twice more. ¡°Once the Mages starting to their senses, there will be a flood of inquiries to Daseon.¡± ¡°And when they do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll time it for maximum impact before revealing the next rune.¡± ¡°¡­The concealment rune?¡± ¡°Yes. We n to release just one mana concealment rune.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea.¡± ¡°We¡¯re also nning to reveal Teacher Woo¡¯s name at that time. Is that okay?¡± ¡°¡­No. Let¡¯s hold off on that for a bit. Keep using Daseon¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°There¡¯s the issue with my younger brother, and the Alex Hope case as well. It seems best to keep it under wraps for now.¡± ¡°Like a secret weapon or something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not quite that impressive¡­.¡± By this point, Kim Chae-min had reyed the video more than ten times. Noticing something odd, Woo Hwijae and Lee Mi-seon began to slow down their conversation. Soon, silence fell. In the meeting room, only the sound of the video Kim Chae-min had yed echoed through the air. [AWESOME!] ¡°¡­Teacher Kim?¡± Woo Hwijae cautiously called out to Kim Chae-min. After one more rey, Kim Chae-min looked up at Woo Hwijae. ¡°Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°You can do it, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Do what?¡± ¡°This.¡± Kim Chae-min pointed to the rune on the screen. ¡°I can draw the runes, but¡­ Teacher Kim, you can do that too.¡± ¡°No. Not the disposable kind.¡± Kim Chae-min looked at Woo Hwijae with unwavering eyes. Woo Hwijae, uncharacteristically flustered, avoided Kim Chae-min¡¯s gaze. Lee Mi-seon also subtly backed away. ¡°In one room. Keep the rune¡¯s effect continuously maintained.¡± ¡°Well, if you draw the rune¡­¡± ¡°No. Not something simple like that. Make it permanent. Or, at least semi-permanent. Without needing to redraw or reactivate it each time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can do it, right? Rune design.¡± A calcting gleam appeared in Woo Hwijae¡¯s eyes. However, he remained silent. Kim Chae-min waited patiently. The video kept reying on its own. ¡°HOLLY SHIT¡±, the voice in the video shouted. Finally, Woo Hwijae nodded with a resigned expression. ¡°You¡¯ll do it?¡± Kim Chae-min¡¯s eyes curved into a bright smile. ¡°Yes!¡± The voice in the video shouted, as if on cue. Awesome! * * * To Kim Chae-min, Woo Hwijae was a mystery in and of himself. Though she felt sorry for Hong Seok-young, to be honest, Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t have much interest in the Pilot High School. When Pilot High School was first established, people reacted with mild curiosity, mostly because Hong Seok-young was such a well-known figure. Some praised it as a good initiative, while others scoffed, calling it a waste of time. ¡®Did you hear?¡¯ ¡®Hear what?¡¯ ¡®That school Hong Seok-young is setting up¡ªthey¡¯re even epting Mages, apparently.¡¯ ¡®As students?¡¯ ¡®Yeah!¡¯ ¡®A Mage?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s what I heard!¡¯ ¡®Who¡¯s going to teach them?¡¯ ¡®Who knows? Maybe Hong Seok-young himself!¡¯ The mages¡¯ bar was filled with raucousughter. Kim Chae-min sipped a cocktail garnished with a cherry as she listened to the rowdy chatter. When was that, exactly? It was right after she had teamed up with Hong Seok-young to take down a Minotaur in Myeong-dong. A message notification blinked on Kim Chae-min¡¯s phone, which was lying on the table. It was from Hong Seok-young. [There¡¯s something I need your help with.] After a brief moment of consideration, Kim Chae-min picked up his phone and stood up. ¡®Hey, Kim Mage! Where are you going?¡¯ ¡®Going to meet Hong Seok-young.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Oh¡­ uh¡­¡¯ They¡¯d been enthusiastically mocking the whole idea just a moment ago, but as soon as that name was mentioned, they hesitated. Mages, honestly. She was a Mage herself, but still. They were like that. ¡®It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not the type to go around spreading gossip.¡¯ The Mage gave an awkward smile, and Kim Chae-min smiled back. ¡®Would Hong Seok-young even remember a mage like you? I don¡¯t even know who you are.¡¯ Ultimately, the deciding factor in the Mage world was the presence or absence of unique magic. Archmage Kim Chae-min waved cheerfully. ¡®For the record, I¡¯m the one teaching them, you know? Spread that around if you like.¡¯ And so it happened. That was how Kim Chae-min ended up heading to Pilot High School. She figured she could settle her debt to Hong Seok-young this way. It¡¯s not like Hong Seok-young was expecting anything grand; she¡¯d just teach them some basic public magic. If the students were well-behaved, she might even throw in some mana management techniques. An Archmage¡¯s lectures¡ªthis was a pretty one-sided deal, wasn¡¯t it? At that time, Kim Chae-min had no intention of staying tied to Pilot High School for long. Ark was something she was helping out with for personal reasons¡­. She hadn¡¯t nned on getting so involved, really. At most, she¡¯d intended to make a few appearances, earn some credit for helping the Pilot High kids, and assist Ark if they ever needed tracking expertise. She had absolutely no intention of bing a full-time teacher! And the reason she ended up like this? It¡¯s all because of that damn rune. Afterward, she grew attached to the kids. They were actually quite adorable, following her around and calling her ¡®teacher¡¯. Then, Woo Hwijae came up with an unheard-of method to determine attributes. This time was no different. ¡®So, that¡¯s how the rune is supposed to be used?¡¯ Then he must know how it was originally meant to be used! She probed, and Woo Hwijae confessed easily. The very next day, Woo Hwijae handed Kim Chae-min five or six sheets of A4 paper. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Rune blueprints.¡± ¡°¡­You made this already?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t make it, the mage I know made it.¡± That Mage was as much of a mystery as Woo Hwijae himself. Not that she was even sure if this Mage actually existed. ¡°Teacher Hong.¡± By now, the title had be second nature as she called out to Hong Seok-young. ¡°What?¡± The blueprint Woo Hwijae had given her was unbelievable. He used another new rune again. Kim Chae-min wrinkled her nose. ¡°Do you think Teacher Woo might be a scam artist?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Or maybe a once-in-a-century genius?¡± ¡°Did you eat something strange?¡± ¡°No, just¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min looked at the rune blueprint again. One of the first runes he had taught, a support rune, wasn¡¯t as simple asbining five runes. Instead, it used a method ofyering them in sequence, stacking them up. The design even took into ount how the resonance of the rune would affect the building¡¯s structural integrity. ¡°Teacher Woo couldn¡¯t possibly be a Mage¡­ could he?¡± ¡°Teacher Kim.¡± Hong Seok-young, who was eating ate lunch in the kitchen, looked at Kim Chae-min with a sympathetic expression. ¡°Are you going through a hard timetely? Want to take a few days off? I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t go too far given the current circumstances, but if it¡¯s just resting within the Hunter¡¯s vi, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that! It¡¯s that Teacher Woo is just too¡­¡± ¡°Too?¡± ¡°¡­knowledgeable about magic, don¡¯t you think?¡± Kim Chae-min spoke hesitantly. Hong Seok-young put down his spoon and replied with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s not just magic he knows well about.¡± ¡°¡­I only mentioned magic because I¡¯m a Mage.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being knowledgeable, right?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it suspicious?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you following him around happily before?¡± ¡°I never followed him around happily, okay?¡± ¡°You even drove him around. I¡¯d say that counts as following.¡± ¡°How is that¡­!¡± Kim Chae-min started to raise her voice but then took a deep breath to calm down. She couldn¡¯t let herself get dragged into Hong Seok-young¡¯s game. Hong Seok-young picked up his spoon again and took a big bite of rice. ¡°It¡¯s convenient, isn¡¯t it, having someone who knows so much? He¡¯s practically a jack-of-all-trades.¡± ¡°¡­And that doesn¡¯t seem suspicious to you?¡± ¡°Not particrly.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°When you get to my age, you develop an eye for people.¡± Kim Chae-min looked at Hong Seok-young skeptically. Hong Seok-young stuffed some meat into his mouth and continued speaking. ¡°He¡¯ll change once he finds his brother.¡± ¡°How would you know that, Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°Becausetely, Teacher Woo has been getting a bit loose-lipped.¡± Kim Chae-min tilted her head, not quite understanding what Hong Seok-young meant. Hong Seok-young chuckled. ¡°The other night when the kids were attacked, he apparently spilled quite a bit in the early hours. Hunter Lee told me about it. I bet he was pretty flustered¡ªhe probably said more than he intended.¡± ¡°That happened? Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hearing about it now.¡± ¡°Teacher Hong!¡± With an indifferent look, Hong Seok-young continued his meal. ¡°¡­What exactly did Teacher Woo say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit too personal to repeat, honestly.¡± ¡°But he told you, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m Hong Seok-young.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Kim Chae-min let out a disbelievingugh. Seeing this, Hong Seok-young waved his hand dismissively. ¡°I have my own ns, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯mpletely worried.¡± ¡°I told you, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s firm tone left Kim Chae-min with nothing more to say. Instead, she left the kitchen, grumbling as she went. She spread her mana widely to pick up on the presences within the building. The kids were gathered in the garden, Lee Seung-yeon was in his room, Lee Mi-seon and some of Daseon¡¯s Hunters were in the study. And near the seaside window was Woo Hwijae. Sensing Kim Chae-min¡¯s presence, Woo Hwijae turned his head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with the blueprint? I wouldn¡¯t expect there to be.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not about the blueprint¡­.¡± Kim Chae-min looked at Woo Hwijae with a long, steady gaze. Woo Hwijae, looking puzzled, remained silent. After a moment of contemtion, Kim Chae-min broke into her usual bright smile. ¡°Has Ark ever used runes like this before?¡± ¡°¡­No. This was created by a Mage I know, so it doesn¡¯t have much to do with Ark.¡± ¡°That Mage actually exists, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Not anymore, though.¡± Ugh. That answer felt like cheating. Still, Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t lose her smile. ¡°When you find your brother, what¡¯s the first thing you want to do?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°What would you like to do with your brother?¡± Woo Hwijae looked at Kim Chae-min as if he had just seen a ghost. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 94 - Awesome Rune (2) Chapter 94: Awesome Rune (2) TL: SHW Did I say something inappropriate? Kim Chae-min reconsidered her words as she looked at Woo Hwijae, who had suddenly stiffened. It doesn¡¯t seem like I said anything wrong? Wasn¡¯t it a reasonable question to ask? As far as Kim Chae-min knew, Woo Hwijae¡¯s younger brother was ten years old. Objectively speaking, that¡¯s a young age, and she had heard that the kid had spent a long time in the Research Lab. Wouldn¡¯t there be a lot of things he¡¯d want to do once he left theb? It¡¯s that kind of age, after all! ¡°Teacher¡­ Woo?¡± Kim Chae-min cautiously called out to Woo Hwijae. Even though she tried to keep her voice as gentle as possible, Woo Hwijae was visibly startled. Woo Hwijae forced an awkward smile and lowered his half-raised arm. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. What he wants to do¡­.¡± But then, as if something hade to mind, he bit his lip hard and spoke. ¡°Probably school. He¡¯d probably¡­ want to go to school.¡± ¡°School?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Not something like wanting to go to an amusement park? Usually, kids prefer things like that.¡± Woo Hwijae¡¯s expression darkened. Did I say something wrong again?! Regardless of Kim Chae-min¡¯s inner panic, Woo Hwijae¡¯s expression didn¡¯t brighten. ¡°No. He likes learning.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite an enthusiastic learner! Maybe he takes after you, Teacher Woo? You know a lot too, Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°Knowing a lot and wanting to learn are different things¡­.¡± To an outsider, it might seem as if he didn¡¯t want his brother to attend school. While Kim Chae-min harbored doubts about Woo Hwijae¡¯s abilities, she never thought his care for his brother was insincere. If he had bad intentions, there had been plenty of opportunities for Woo Hwijae to act on them. But he never did. Even when Hong Seok-young asionally left openings on purpose. When he stayed quiet, it inevitably made one ponder his motivations. From the beginning, Woo Hwijae had consistently stated his reason. To save his brother. He¡¯d held out well all this time. Even in the bleak situation where there wasn¡¯t a single clue about where his brother was, he didn¡¯t grow anxious and diligently carried out his tasks. That alone was admirable. ¡®But he still seems to be hiding something.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t just a useless Hunter¡¯s intuition, but an Archmage¡¯s instinct. Woo Hwijae was definitely hiding his abilities. Just look at how he whipped up that rune blueprint in a day. When exining the rune, he imed it was created by a Mage he knew and that he only memorized it without understanding it. But what about the rune blueprint? Although Kim Chae-min was still a novice when it came to runes, even she knew that creating something like that required a certain level of understanding. And he just drew it effortlessly? It¡¯s possible he could have memorized the runes. But memorizing dozens of runes, including the blueprint? With not a single mistake? While it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible for Kim Chae-min herself¡­ ¡®His skills are too good for someone who supposedly was just a cleaner in Ark.¡¯ Perhaps Woo Hwijae held a higher position than he let on. ¡°If it¡¯s school, then he can just attend. And take him to amusement parks or ces like that too. Teacher Hong would probably give you time off for something like that.¡± ¡°Time off is¡­ I have sses, you know.¡± ¡°Teacher Hong took a whole week off! You should take a week off too, Teacher Woo!¡± Woo Hwijae didn¡¯t respond, just listened to Kim Chae-min¡¯s words and smiled. Watching him, Kim Chae-min shrugged. She had seen her share of Hunters bing tense before an uing dungeon raid. This wasn¡¯t exactly a dungeon raid, but¡­ well, leaving his brother in the hands of a criminal organization that could do who-knows-what until they retrieved him¡ª it was no surprise if the anxiety he¡¯d been hiding was finally starting to show. ¡°Your brother must be really cute, Teacher Woo!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Does he have any favorites? Any favorite food?¡± Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t notice that the longer she talked, the darker Woo Hwijae¡¯s expression became. * * * AWESOME! Kim Chae-min was watching the video she had seen hundreds of times again. The video was barely a minute long. As short as it was, the message it conveyed was clear. Visualized Mana. That was something you¡¯d only see inside a dungeon. She never imagined it could be artificially created. ¡°Watching it again?¡± Kim Chae-min, who had just restarted the video from the beginning, looked up at the familiar voice. Lee Mi-seon was dressed more casually than usual. Well, not that casual, it was still a white blouse and ck dress pants, but at least she¡¯d taken off that stifling suit jacket. Lee Mi-seon approached Kim Chae-min. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of watching that?¡± The video. Kim Chae-min shrugged. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re always watching that whenever I see you¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°You mean watching other people¡¯s shocked reactions?¡± ¡°No.¡± Despite her light tone, Kim Chae-min replied with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s the fact that magic isn¡¯t all-powerful.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°I wish runes would be more widespread.¡± ¡°Really? The Mages I know say otherwise.¡± ¡°That you can¡¯t replicate magic with runes?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± The Mages that Kim Chae-min knew all said simr things, to the point where she eventually blocked them all from contacting her. Just thinking about her phone that had been incessantly buzzing for days made her shudder. ¡°You know, Hunter Lee?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°That the academic circles are trying to find out who the Mage in that video is.¡± ¡°¡­Oh my. The Magic Academic Society?¡± ¡°Who would believe that a guild funded by Daeyeon would research runes without any ulterior motives? Of course, Mages tried it first.¡± ¡°They did?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something circting in the Magemunity.¡± Kim Chae-min scoffed. ¡°They probably wanted to say, ¡®Look, even Daseon is wasting money on this. Isn¡¯t this some kind of fraud? We should investigate¡­.¡¯ That was likely their intention. And it actually started gaining traction.¡± ¡°You let that happen?¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s voice sounded indignant, but her face didn¡¯t reflect it. She was giggling mischievously, reminding Kim Chae-min of her niece. After all, blood doesn¡¯t lie. ¡°If you had needed the support of that crowd, wouldn¡¯t you have mentioned it to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So, I just sat back and watched.¡± The mockery towards Daseon didn¡¯tst long. A single post appeared. It showed the cover of a paper published by Daseon, along with a yellow sticky note. [C¡¯est g¨¦nial!] If you couldn¡¯t recognize that handwriting, you couldn¡¯t call yourself a Mage. A once-in-a-century prodigy who became an Archmage at the age of only six. Her discoveries had redefined modern magic theory and were credited with advancing magic to a new level. Someone like that had left a note saying it was awesome. Directed at the very runes that everyone had mocked. ¡°Something like that happened? We didn¡¯t hear anything about it on our end.¡± ¡°Well, Mages are quite closed-off.¡± Mages aren¡¯t part of the International Ability Association. If Lee Mi-seon had known, it would have been more surprising. ¡°Anyway, when someone of that caliber praises something, it hurts their pride not to know why. Hunter Lee, you should have seen themunity atmosphere then!¡± Kim Chae-min burst outughing. ¡°Everyone went dead silent¡­ Those guys probably hadn¡¯t drawn runes so diligently since their first magic training.¡± ¡°So what happened after that?¡± ¡°What happened? They tried to confirm it.¡± Still, none of them were as straightforwardly impressed as the prodigy from France. They all tried to keep up appearances, saying things like: ¡®Ah, well, it seems runes have made some significant advancements recently.¡¯ ¡®Runes? I heard¡­ there are some types that actually produce usable effects.¡¯ It was as annoying as it was amusing, and as unamusing as it was irritating. ¡°Then you showed me this video.¡± Kim Chae-min resumed the video she had paused. ¡°See? It¡¯s fun. They all act so high and mighty, then wonder which lunatic would release something like this to the public¡­.¡± This time, Lee Mi-seon also watched the video intently alongside Kim Chae-min. In truth, there was nothing new to learn. Lee Mi-seon had already watched this video so many times that she was sick of it. That yful wave towards the camera¡­ ¡°The post said the Mage suddenly drew dozens of them.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m naive enough to believe that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an expression. I just wanted this to be discovered naturally from the start.¡± ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that a Mage who found the antics at the Academy amusing decided to stir things up. I¡¯m only telling Hunter Lee, but the North American Mages have announced they¡¯re going independent this time.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure it¡¯s okay to tell me that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s North America¡¯s business. I¡¯m a Korean Mage.¡± Kim Chae-min chuckled softly. ¡°The North American Mages aren¡¯t acting on impulse. France will be joining them too.¡± ¡°France?¡± ¡°They seem to want to split up the Academy¡¯s influence. They think everything is too concentrated in one ce. Something about how mana shouldn¡¯t be bound like that.¡± Lee Mi-seon looked like she wanted to hear more about the inessible politics of the Mage society, but Kim Chae-min pretended not to notice. In any case, she didn¡¯t know much more than that. She did get to hear a bit more than others due to her status as an Archmage. ¡®But so what?¡¯ Kim Chae-min was a Mage. An Archmage. The kind of Mage who treasured a single rose blossoming in her hand above all else. She had no interest in getting involved in Mages fighting for their own benefits. Even if a storm were toe, she knew it wouldn¡¯t affect her. That was the position held by an Archmage. ¡°Anyway, enough of that! Hunter, look at this.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Kim Chae-min stopped the video and set her phone aside. On the empty tabley the rune blueprint that Woo Hwijae had given her. Lee Mi-seon recognized it right away. ¡°Did Teacher Woo draw that for you?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. I heard they¡¯re building a new pilot school building this time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Is there something you need?¡± ¡°Could you make living quarters for me there?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re nning to live at the school?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but isn¡¯t it better to build it all at once rather than finding I need itter? If I don¡¯t end up needing it, they can use it for something else.¡± ¡°How would you like it done?¡± ¡°A separate building would be fine. I¡¯d rather not be in the same building as others.¡± ¡°¡­Are you that particr about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that picky.¡± Kim Chae-min waved her hand dismissively. ¡°A wooden building would be nice. Like a log cabin. I¡¯ll be covering it with nts anyway, so the exterior doesn¡¯t matter much. Just make sure the windows arerge, and it¡¯s far from the buildings where sses are held.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not difficult. In fact, I¡¯d be grateful if an Archmage were to dere it as a domain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet.¡± Even so, Lee Mi-seon smiled warmly, expressing her gratitude. Kim Chae-min scratched her cheek awkwardly and then unfolded Woo Hwijae¡¯s rune blueprint. ¡°When you¡¯re making the ssrooms for the kids, could you add a meditation room on the top floor? Or it could be an auditorium. I n to inscribe this rune there.¡± ¡°This one?¡± ¡°It has a mana purification function, so it¡¯ll be helpful for the Mage students. Since Teacher Woo gave it to us, we should make use of it.¡± ¡°¡­The rune work itself?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle that, so you just need to prepare the base.¡± ¡°Oh, and¡­¡± ¡°I was thinking of reinforcing the school¡¯s security myself. But maybe Teacher Woo knows something useful. Among the runes he mentioned, I¡¯m sure¡­ I¡¯ll go ask Teacher Woo about it!¡± With that, Kim Chae-min jumped to her feet and dashed outside. Watching the Archmage¡¯s retreating figure in a daze, Lee Mi-seon could only shake her head with a helpless smile. ***** If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it atNovelupdates. Thanks! ?? Discord Server: .gg/woopread-708613326262894654 Chapter 95 - Awesome Rune (3) TL: SHW When I close my eyes, I see flowers. It¡¯s a space that¡¯s supposed to hold nothing. Not even a speck of light should enter. Yet there, flowers bloom. Branches twist and tangle, supporting one another. Vines, intricately entwined, have grown into arge arch. The green leaves, brimming with vitality, shimmer, and amidst them arerge flowers, endlessly dropping their petals. The red petals flutter like snow, yet the flowers never wither. The green leaves remain unchanged, and in this space where nothing should exist, even time has stopped around the towering rose arch, Always, In that ce. Kim Chae-min opened her eyes. The rose arch that had been vivid before her eyes vanished at once. She blinked while lying in bed. Each blink caused the image of the rose arch to flicker, until finally, its lingering trace disappeared. Being a Mage is... quite troublesome indeed. She was about to rub her dry eyes with the back of her hand but remembered the artificial tears she¡¯d left on the table. Kim Chae-min reached for the artificial tears. In the process, her watch fell, but she didn¡¯t seem inclined to pick it up again. After applying the artificial tears, her eyes felt much better. Kim Chae-min closed her now-moistened eyes, briefly shaking off the drowsiness, and then slowly stretched as she got out of bed. ¡°Nngh.¡± The moment her feet touched the floor, it tickled under her skin. It''s different from a simple physical tickling sensation. It was a more fundamental feeling of strangeness,ing from deep within. She knew the cause. And she also knew there was nothing she could do about it right now. Kim Chae-min twisted her body around. The sensation of difort didn¡¯t fade easily. A mage, by nature, is a territorial creature. Even a small space, just half a square meter, will do. As long as it¡¯s enough for their body to fit into, it¡¯s sufficient. They dere the space as their own territory and fill it with mana. Entering that territory without permission is akin to suicide. Kim Chae-min thought of her own territory as she entered the bathroom. The fresh smell of soil and the sweet scent of flowers. A ce where green nts filled every line of sight. She frowned as she filled the tub with hot water. There¡¯s no actual problem with not having a territory. It just makes a person a bit more sensitive and impatient. Especially for someone like Kim Chae-min, who has a rather mild dispositionpared to other mages, she wasn¡¯t particrly obsessive about her territory. Of course, it¡¯s nice to have one. After all, it¡¯s a space she has cultivated from beginning to end. It would be strange not to love it. Reading a book surrounded by the scent of grass feels like paradise on earth. As the tub began to fill with water, Kim Chae-min immediately rolled up her pajama pants and dipped her feet in. Sitting on the edge of the tub, sshing her feet, she started to feel much better. There¡¯s a reason why Kim Chae-min, who usually isn¡¯t attached to her territory, was affected to this extent. This vi is Lee Mi-seon¡¯s territory. ¡®Since she¡¯s not a mage, maybe it shouldn¡¯t be called a territory.¡¯ But this is, after all, Lee Mi-seon¡¯s family vi. The instincts of a territorial creature like a mage were signaling that this was the dwelling of a different group. Mages truly are troublesome creatures. Even though her rational mind considered this ce safe, her instincts remained on alert, as she was in another¡¯s territory. As a result, she hadn¡¯t slept properlyst night, and her whole body felt stiff. Kim Chae-min thought of the two young mages she was teaching. They were progressing quickly but were still just beginning to take their first steps as mages. It would be a while before they learned about dering a territory. Perhaps that¡¯s a good thing. If they were to gain an understanding of territory within someone else¡¯s domain¡­ it could lead to some troublesome situations. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kim Chae-min, who had been sitting with only her feet dipped in the tub for a while, checked the time. It was about time to get ready. "Alright! Let''s get energized!" The more sluggish her body felt, the more she needed to keep moving. With renewed vigor, Kim Chae-min stood up and lifted her foot to step out of the tub. Wobble. ¡°Huh?¡± Even an Archmage can¡¯t respond to every situation. Ssh! ¡°¡­Ah, seriously!¡± Kim Chae-min blinked as shey in the bathtub after falling in. It didn¡¯t hurt. It didn¡¯t hurt, but¡­ ¡°Nothing¡¯s going my way!¡± The feeling of her damp pajamas was unpleasant. Struggling in the bathtub, Kim Chae-min eventually gave up. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What else could she do? She was the only one responsible for her own body. If she just focused on work, maybe it would leave her with less time to think. Kim Chae-min barely pulled herself together. She¡¯d wash up quickly and head out. She couldn¡¯t afford to bete as a teacher. She now had the mindset of a truly dedicated teacher. * * * ¡°¡­What?¡± Nothing was going her way. ¡°I said I¡¯ll be teaching the ss today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­Am I not allowed?¡± Woo Hwijae paused in his warm-up exercises to look at Kim Chae-min. Kim Chae-min, startled, shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­! What about Tae-woo? Weren¡¯t you supposed to take care of Tae-woo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nning on overseeing him permanently. Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s here as well, so today, Teacher Hong will handle the two of them.¡± Kim Chae-min looked skeptical. ¡°Teacher Hong? Are you trying to crush the kids¡¯ spirits?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to let them feel the wall of an active Hunter. He¡¯ll also share some stories about dungeon raids¡­. Kang Tae-woo is still scared of Teacher Hong, isn¡¯t he? They need to get used to him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t much she could say in response to that. But still, Kim Chae-min didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Then what are you nning to do with the mages? Teaching them a new rune?¡± If it was rune-drawing, she could participate as well. ¡°What do you think?¡± However, Woo Hwijae picked up a wooden sword. "I need to beat them up. How fortunate that those two students don''t have fire attributes. Even if they use magic, it won''t cause much damage to the garden, right?" Just then, the two teenage mages who were heading to the garden shivered, perhaps sensing what was in store for them. In the end, Kim Chae-min spoke her mind honestly. ¡°Can¡¯t I teach the ss instead?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Am I not allowed?¡± The same conversation repeated itself, only with their roles reversed. ¡°Well¡­ if you¡¯re that eager, you can take the afternoon ss.¡± "Ugh. Just the afternoon ss?" "I need to evaluate the kids'' progress too, don''t I?" Kim Chae-min nced down at the wooden sword in Woo Hwijae¡¯s hand. ¡°With that?¡± ¡°I may not look it, but I¡¯m the homeroom teacher for the magic ss.¡± ¡°¡­Is there a separate homeroom teacher for the closebat ss?¡± ¡°Would you like to take the position, Teacher Kim?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the end, Kim Chae-min backed off, and Woo Hwijae called over Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo. And what happened was... ¡°I told you to only use magic!¡± ¡°How are we supposed to use only magic?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mages!¡± Shouting erupted. It wasn¡¯t exactly shouting, really. Woo Hwijae would insist he was merely advising them kindly, while the two students would say they were desperately fighting to survive. Just because they were mages didn¡¯t mean they could just sit still and cast spells. They needed to know how to use their bodies, even if not to the same extent as closebat Hunters. However, Woo Hwijae imposed a restriction on the two young mages. They could dodge attacks, but all their defense and offense had to be done purely through magic. Thanks to extensive training with Hong Seok-young, both Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo were pretty fast with their fists, especially for mages. From what Kim Chae-min observed, Woo Hwijae was only pushing them to improve further, not easing up on them in the slightest. She watched with her own eyes as he treated them just as rigorously as he did the others, making no exceptions. ¡®Well¡­ better than not being able to fight at all, I guess.¡¯ The garden shed with magic. Sitting on the stone steps of the garden, Kim Chae-min watched Park Seo-hyun¡¯s shadow magic and Choi Jin-woo¡¯s light magic with interest. Forcing two mages with ipatible attributes to attack simultaneously¡­ wasn¡¯t that a bit too challenging? Park Seo-hyun manipted shadows to form a dome around Woo Hwijae. Choi Jin-woo created a small orb of light in his hand and rolled it toward Woo Hwijae like a bowling ball. Just before the dome closedpletely, Kim Chae-min saw the light orb explode. The dome melted away¡­ The tactic was decent. ¡°That was pretty good.¡± Woo Hwijae must have thought so too, as he gave them a lightpliment. However, Park Seo-hyun, seeing Woo Hwijae walk out unscathed, seemed to be struggling to contain her frustration. There¡¯s no way Woo Hwijae hadn¡¯t noticed what Kim Chae-min did. Woo Hwijae curled up the corner of his mouth in a grin¡ªa smile that made him look rather mean. ¡°You want tond a hit on me? You¡¯re at least ten years too early for that.¡± The shadow beneath him was crushed. Under Woo Hwijae¡¯s foot, the shadow wriggled as if it were alive. "Using shadows not just to hide but to extend them is a decent strategy. But you need to calcte well. If they''re inpletely random ces, it''s too obvious." Woo Hwijae¡¯s words flowed smoothly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to use this method, Choi Jin-woo, you need to increase the light sources. If you make it twinkle like Christmas lights, Park Seo-hyun¡¯s shadow could stay hidden. It¡¯d work even better indoors. But here outside, you can¡¯t do much with the light sources we have.¡± Woo Hwijae pointed up at the sky with his hand. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± He offered a few more strategic tips beyond that. Watching him silently, Kim Chae-min got up from her spot. Since the other kids were busy with the Hunters from Daseon, there wasn¡¯t much room for her to get involved. She might as well go inside and grab something to eat. She hadn¡¯t had breakfast since she had no appetite earlier, but now that her mind was clear, she was feeling hungry. Kim Chae-min opened the front door of the vi and stepped inside. Daseon probably had some food prepared¡­ "Eek!" ¡°Ouch! Oh my, Teacher Kim. Are you alright?¡± She had bumped right into Lee Mi-seon as soon as she opened the door. It was understandable for her, considering she wasn¡¯t in great condition. But what had Lee Mi-seon been doing that she hadn¡¯t noticed her approach? Kim Chae-min rubbed her shoulder where they¡¯d collided and looked up. ¡°¡­Hunter Lee. Is something wrong?¡± Although Lee Mi-seon was dressed casually here, she was still put together¡ªnever sloppy. But now, how did she look? Two buttons of her blouse were undone, and her carefully arranged hair was disheveled. Worried that she might have received bad news, Kim Chae-min studied her face, but fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Lee Mi-seon was clutching a file in one hand, almost crumpling it. ¡°Is there an emergency?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes! It¡¯s urgent, but it¡¯s good news!¡± ¡°Good news?¡± Lee Mi-seon beamed brightly. It was the first time Kim Chae-min had seen her smile like that. Lee Mi-seon opened the file she was holding. ¡°We found Teacher Woo¡¯s younger brother!!¡± * * * Silky ck hair that cascaded smoothly. A deeply furrowed brow. Eyes slightly lowered. Rosy cheeks and a sharp, well-defined nose. Pouting lips. ¡°The moment I saw him, I knew.¡± Lee Mi-seonid out the photo, grinning triumphantly. ¡°I scrapped everything else I¡¯d been investigating these past few days. There¡¯s no way this kid isn¡¯t Teacher Woo¡¯s brother!¡± And she was right. The instant Kim Chae-min looked at the photo, she was convinced. It was practically a miniature version of Woo Hwijae; who could doubt it? ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Park Jung-min. Age eleven. Both the name and age are different. I told them to look for kids around the same age just in case, but imagine if we¡¯d overlooked it!¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s a spitting image.¡± Hong Seok-young held up the photo,paring it to Woo Hwijae. Even the scowling expression was identical. ¡°So, where is he?¡± ¡°In Daejeon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty close, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Forget everything else and bring Teacher Woo¡¯s brother over right away.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, well. That, uh¡­ The orphanage he¡¯s at- is that alright? It¡¯s probably connected to Ark. What about the other kids?¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about the other kids too? We were already nning to protect them, since Alex Hope might be targeting them. Hunter Lee was preparing for that¡­ But if we make any obvious moves, it might attract attention, so we¡¯re holding off for now.¡± ¡°¡­Holding off?¡± ¡°Today, we¡¯re just going to quietly take your brother out. You could call it a little¡­ kidnapping, if you like.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Hong Seok-young grabbed Woo Hwijae and dragged him out, practically pulling him along. ¡°¡­Hunter Hong seems more excited about this than anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Teacher Kim? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Kim Chae-min tilted her head slightly, then shook it. Despite the news about his brother, Woo Hwijae didn¡¯t seem particrly thrilled. Maybe it was just her imagination. Chapter 96: Snowball (1) TL: SHW ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was quiet. However, no one dared to open their mouth. Even Hong Seok-young, who usually had something to say, was tightly shutting his lips as he kept ncing at the man sitting in the back seat. The one who eventually broke the silence was Lee Mi-seon, who was holding the steering wheel. ¡°But, why kidnapping, of all things?¡± "Well, that''s because." Lee Mi-seon gave a quick nce at Hong Seok-young, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Feeling her gaze, Hong Seok-young added to the exnation. ¡°You know we can¡¯t just go there and take the kid like it¡¯s nothing, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I suppose. That makes sense, I guess.¡± Even with a regr orphanage, the procedures areplicated, and this situation involved Ark on top of that. Even if it weren¡¯t for Alex Hope, it was already a headache. If they recklessly tried to take the child, everyone connected to the situation would scatter and disappear. In the worst case, they could lose the child altogether. ¡°If you¡¯re going to deal with the orphanage, it has to be an all-out move that takes care of everything at once. Otherwise, there¡¯s no point.¡± That¡¯s why even Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t casually suggesting kidnapping. He had carefully thought it through and determined it was the safest option. But to think that the conclusion they reached was kidnapping. Lee Mi-seon looked at him skeptically, but Hong Seok-young remained confident. If the child being ¡°kidnapped¡± was cooperative, could it even be called kidnapping? ¡­Well, of course, it was still technically kidnapping. But the ones holding the child weren¡¯t exactly decent people, were they? This wasn¡¯t kidnapping, it was a rescue operation. Hong Seok-young felt no shame whatsoever. Besides, wasn¡¯t it crueler to just sit back and do nothing, allowing the younger brother they¡¯d finally located after so much tracking and chasing to remain out of reach? ¡°So, we¡¯ll keep monitoring the situation, but taking the child first is the best option.¡± "Kidnapping?" "What''s kidnapping about bringing someone to be with their only family? If anything, those guys are the ones who kidnapped." This was a fair point. When Hong Seok-young spoke with conviction, Lee Mi-seon tapped her chin with her finger and thought for a moment. "From what I heard, the orphanage security wasn''t that impressive. They even let Tae-woo attend school normally." ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯d be suspicious if a perfectly normal-looking kid didn¡¯t go to school.¡± ¡°Well, yes, that¡¯s true. But letting them go so easily implies that they¡¯re confident they can control the kids¡¯ behavior, or that they¡¯re certain the kids won¡¯t try to run away, don¡¯t you think? Schools are usually the riskiest ces. Even well-behaved kids can suddenly change when mixing with peers." ¡°Probably.¡± A hoarse voice interrupted from the back seat. Woo Hwijae cleared his throat a few times before continuing. ¡°There likely weren¡¯t any actual kidnapped children there. Most of them were probably born in the researchb or sent to the orphanage because their parents were researchers, like Kang Tae-woo.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± "Because they have nowhere else to go." These were children who had lived their entire lives isted from the outside world. Even if there was nothing physically restraining them, they probably couldn¡¯t even imagine escaping. And it¡¯s unclear if they ever even wanted to escape in the first ce. Hong Seok-young suppressed the boiling anger in his chest and stared straight ahead at the road. Kang Tae-woo had been the same. He had simply waited to naturally leave when he got older or nned to continue working for Ark. And Kang Tae-woo even said his mother was still alive! How could they treat a kid like that, essentially abandoning him at the orphanage? Orphans ultimately don¡¯t receive proper protection from society. Any child smart enough to even think about escaping from the orphanage would know that surviving in the outside world would be just as impossible. They build their power by using such children who have nowhere to go. Those scumbags. ¡°¡­Anyway, since Teacher Woo¡¯s younger brother has a different name and age, once we bring them here, cleaning things up afterward should be straightforward. We can even create his identity right away.¡± ¡°You can create an identity? Just like that?¡± "I''ve already prepared everything. I just need to know things like birthday and such. That''s why I asked, but you wouldn''t tell me." "...You work fast." Lee Mi-seon shrugged lightly. ¡°I just prefer to take care of things that might take a long time in advance. I added some details to match Teacher Woo¡¯s backstory, so check itter.¡± ¡°Backstory... what?" ¡°You¡¯re brothers, right! Things like your parents¡¯ story, that sort of stuff.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, Teacher Woo ispletely out of it. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you like this!¡± Lee Mi-seon burst outughing, and even Hong Seok-young cracked a small smile. ¡°Hunter Lee¡¯s vi is spacious, so you can stay there together for the time being. It''s dangerous to go out anyway." ¡°If you need anything, just let us know right away.¡± ¡°Once we bring the kid here, don¡¯t go outside for a while.¡± ¡°¡­Not that I have anywhere else to go anyway.¡± His voice was still hoarse and unsteady. Hong Seok-young was about to habitually grumble a response but stopped. With nowhere to go... He had just been thinking about Ark doing the same thing earlier. No, no. That¡¯s different. He was offering fairpensation for honest work, wasn¡¯t he? He wasn¡¯t like those scammer bastards. Not at all. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Hong Seok-young tried to shake off his thoughts. ¡°Ahem. Anyway, just bear with it until the situation is sorted out.¡± ¡°The kids might get startled, though.¡± ¡°Kang Tae-woo seemed to be looking forward to it quite a bit.¡± ¡°Really? He must¡¯ve been close to his younger brother back in theb?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­No? Well, I guess it would¡¯ve been hard to get along with the age difference.¡± As Lee Mi-seon and Woo Hwijae chatted idly, Hong Seok-young flipped through the file again. A boy with a sullen face. He was ten years old, wasn''t he? The child Mimi had left behind had also died at that age. Ten years old. Far too young. A child that small barely filled his arms when held. Tiny hands gripping the hem of a shirt, looking up with clear eyes, no matter how strong a Hunter might be, they¡¯d inevitably give in. When you bought them a toy, they¡¯dugh as if they owned the world¡­ If the world could be bought for just a few thousand won, it was a bargain. Propping his chin on his hand, Hong Seok-young gazed out the window. Ten years old. Far too young. *** ¡°What¡¯s your younger brother like? From the journal left at the training center, he don¡¯t seem like an ordinary kid.¡± Should I just jump out of the car right now? ¡°Does he look like Teacher Woo in personality as well as in appearance? He must be so cute.¡± There was a time when the old man had taught him how to jump out of a moving car. Surprisingly, he¡¯d said it coulde in handy during a dungeon break. ¡°And what¡¯s with the name Park Jung-min? To choose that over such a pretty name!" Then, I¡¯d run away. Run to some ce that has nothing to do with Ark, dungeons, or destruction¡­ Why is Korea a penins? With three sides surrounded by water, there¡¯s no escape route. Woo Hwijae rubbed his face with his dry hands. No. Calm down. Get it together, Woo Hwijae. You knew this moment woulde eventually, didn''t you? How can you waver like this now? Once you started calling your younger self a brother, this was the only path left. Should I have juste up with a different name? He began recalling the faces from theb one by one. There wasn¡¯t a single face he could use to sell the ¡°younger brother¡± narrative. Or perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have brought up a brother at all. I could¡¯ve just said I couldn¡¯t stand Ark¡¯s practice of kidnapping and experimenting on children and ran away¡­ Fuck, I wasn¡¯t even supposed to be Hong Seok-young¡¯s informant in the first ce! In the end, the problem circles back to the beginning. If only I had kept my head clear on that rooftop back then, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten caught up when the Minotaur fell. Then, I wouldn¡¯t have met the old man unprepared. If only I hadn¡¯t taken leave that day at the old man¡¯s insistence, I would¡¯ve stayed in Seoul. When the Bangi-dong Dungeon erupted, Yoo Ji-eun would¡¯ve scowled and shouted at me, ¡°See? When have I ever been wrong about this?¡± I would¡¯ve told her to save the me forter and sent Team 2 in to clean up the mess. ¡­Wait, wasn¡¯t Yoo Ji-eun raiding a dungeon at that time? Even if it was just a B-rank dungeon, there¡¯s no way Team 2 would¡¯ve finished it in two days and returned. What is this? Did the dungeon erupt while the raid team was still inside? I would¡¯ve needed to be in Seoul to know what was really going on at the Ability Management Agency back then. I don¡¯t like fighting monsters, but given the circumstances, I would¡¯ve picked up a weapon and fought alongside them¡­ And I could¡¯ve given the old man my dog tag. Breathing became difficult. Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I looked around. The shaking car. The leather seats. Lee Mi-seon¡¯s voice. The trees outside the window. The road. The car. ¡°¡­Teacher Woo?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just¡­ my mind is a bit tangled up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be tangled about? Right now, put everything else aside and just be purely happy.¡± Hong Seok-young spoke casually,pletely unaware of how I felt. He turned around to nce at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile back. Whether it was a proper smile, I wasn¡¯t sure. Park Jung-min. The moment I heard that name, Iughed. When I had gone to the orphanage, it was after the old man had rescued me. If I hadn¡¯t been rescued back then or had been sent to the orphanage by Ark, would that name have been given to me? The name of the mother who created me. Even at this point in time, she¡¯s already dead. I don¡¯t hold a grudge. What¡¯s the point of hating the dead? It would only exhaust me. But using a dead mother''s name, even if it''s for identification... that''s just not right. I closed my eyes. Kim Chae-min¡¯s voice lingered in my ears. ''What do you want to do with your brother?'' Nothing. I don¡¯t want to do anything. But I forced myself to recall a memory and answered. I had wanted to go to school. That the kid me would probably want to go to school. I looked at Hong Seok-young in the passenger seat. He''ll let him attend, won''t he? ¡°We¡¯re almost there now. We¡¯ll arrive in 10 minutes.¡± Lee Mi-seon said in an excited voice. I swallowed hard. The car glides smoothly from the highway into the city, passing through roads lined with apartments. Ten minutes was far too short. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fairlyrge orphanage.¡± ¡°Among the ones operated by Ark, this is probably one of the top ones.¡± ¡°To think they¡¯ve even meddled in ces like this¡­ If there¡¯s one thing I can¡¯t tolerate, it¡¯s messing with kids.¡± ¡°Oh my, what are you saying? Hunter Hong doesn¡¯t tolerate much of anything to begin with.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech!¡± Hong Seok-young grumbled as he got out of the car. Only after the two of them stepped out did I slowly follow. No matter what I did at this moment, it would just seem like nerves before a dramatic reunion with my brother. So I just acted as I wanted. Neither Hong Seok-young nor Lee Mi-seon said anything. Instead of speaking¡­ Pat. Hong Seok-young casually rested his arm on my shoulder. ¡°Now, go and bring your brother back.¡± "...What?" ¡°It¡¯d be strange for all of us to go together. We¡¯d only draw attention. You go and quietly bring him back.¡± I stared at Hong Seok-young with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°I¡­ me? I¡¯m going?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re going. Who else would?¡± For the first time here, I saw a warm smile spread across his face. ¡°He lost his brother, and was sent to a strange environment. Gofort him and kidnap him." ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°Ah,e on. I know when to take a hint. I¡¯m not going to intrude on your brother bonding time. I won¡¯t even eavesdrop, so don¡¯t worry.¡± As if offering encouragement, Hong Seok-young patted me on the back a few times before pushing me gently toward the orphanage. I¡­ I¡­. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± With Hong Seok-young and Lee Mi-seon behind me, I couldn¡¯t let myself break down now. Forcing my legs to move, I walked forward. The orphanage looked familiar. It was the ce I had once stayed at. Back then, Ark wasn¡¯t involved. What difference did that make now? I¡¯ll think about itter. It was easy to avoid people¡¯s eyes and slip into the orphanage. There were no Awakened individuals. Only a few non-Awakened adults and children were there. No matter how I am, how could I not avoid this? The younger version of me had been adopted from here by Hong Seok-young. It all started when he visited the orphanage by chance and recognized the child he had rescued a year ago. At the farthest corner of the orphanage yground, hidden by trees and flower beds where no one usually came, a child had been sitting alone. That¡¯s where he had approached and greeted me. ''Hello, kid. Haven¡¯t we met before?'' That had been a yearter. Now, the same small boy was still sitting there. But this time, there was no Hong Seok-young. That boy would not be adopted by him. He would live as my brother, as Woo Hwijae¡¯s brother. The butterfly¡¯s wings had turned into a massive snowball, rolling back at me. What have I done? Chapter 97: Snowball (2) TL: SHW The small back stiffened with tension upon hearing footsteps. Meeting my younger self is not something that happens easily. If I were a more optimistic person, I might have been excited about it. But I am not such a hopeful person. Originally, Hong Seok-young should have been standing here. Not me. While scratching his head and offering an awkward greeting, he would have bent his knees to match my eye level and extend his hand. ''You¡¯ve grown a lot, haven¡¯t you? Do you remember me?'' I stared nkly at that hand before turning away. Even though he might think he was being ignored, Hong Seok-young persistently extended his hand toward me. In the end, I took his hand. Hong Seok-young smiled brightly. ''Back then, uncle didn¡¯t get to hear your name.'' ''No. 12.'' Why did I respond like that? I don¡¯t really remember. ''Really? But I don¡¯t want to call you that. What would you like me to call you?'' Looking back now, that was the pivotal moment. The moment that would determine what kind of life I would live. I didn¡¯t hesitate back then. ''¡­Woo Hwijae.'' ''Hwijae? That¡¯s a beautiful name.'' Tired of holding, I just shrugged my shoulders. Hong Seok-young, undeterred by my lukewarm reaction, continued to shake the hand he was holding. ''Hwijae. Don¡¯t think of it as something weird.'' ''It¡¯s already weird.'' ''Would you like toe with me?'' ''Should I report you to the police?'' ''No, I¡¯d really appreciate it if you didn¡¯t¡­.'' Hong Seok-youngughed sheepishly and said, ''What do you think about bing uncle''s son?'' ''I don¡¯t want to.'' Of course, I rejected him. How could I trust such a suspicious man and agree to be his son? Still, Hong Seok-young was persistent. As if he wasn''t busy at all, he diligently kept showing up, even giving me a presentation about all the benefits of bing his son. In the end, I was the one who surrendered first. ''Ah, fine! I''ll be your son!'' And so, Woo Hwijae became Hong Seok-young¡¯s son. For some reason, that made Hong Seok-young smile like he had just gained the whole world. After the decision to adopt me was finalized, I didn¡¯t have much to do. Hong Seok-young, on the other hand, was busy with paperwork. At one point, he asked me a question. ''Hwijae. We can change your surname too. To mine. What do you think?'' ''No.'' ''No?'' ''''Hong Hwijae¡¯ sounds weird.'' That wasn¡¯t the only reason. Even so, Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t argue and epted my decision. Hong Seok-young¡¯s son, Woo Hwijae. Now I''ll never be called that again. It¡¯s almostughable now to think that child could be adopted by the old man. The child ring at me with a deep frown is young Woo Hwijae, or rather, not even Woo Hwijae. Anyway, that child was adopted by Hong Seok-young¡­ and became happy. So happy that he could scoff at those dreadful days in the researchb as if they were nothing. I took away that childhood from him. The sweet time that I know about because I experienced it. All the things my father did for me. No, my father himself. I took him away. That child will never know what it feels like to have a father again. Because I eliminated the possibility of knowing that warm feeling with my own hands. ¡°Who are you?¡± The child, wary of a stranger¡¯s presence, stood stiffly like a wild cat, rubbing his feet against the ground as if ready to run away at any moment. Our eyes met. Even though that child was me, the universe didn''t copse or anything. The summer day was peaceful, and cicadas were chirping. It was an ordinary day. Finding my younger self could happen as ordinarily as this. Just let it go. Why am I being so stubborn aftering all this way? If the universe had exploded, I could have used that as an excuse, but it didn¡¯t. So, I have no choice but to ept it. Anyway, Hong Seok-young and Lee Mi-seon are waiting for me. Running away was never an option to begin with¡­. Now, I don¡¯t know anymore. I slowly bent my knees. Just as my father had done for me once, to meet the child at eye level. Dirt staining my knees didn¡¯t matter at all. Though I took away his father, I could still be his older brother. Once again, I decided how I would live from now on. With this, Hong Seok-young¡¯s son, Woo Hwijae, disappears forever. ¡°Irok.¡± The child¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I was toote, wasn¡¯t I? Did you wait a long time?¡± I mimicked a voice I could barely remember anymore. I prayed that he wouldn¡¯t remember his face. It had been much longer since hest saw his face than since he heard his voice. Surely, it had been a long time for him as well¡­. ¡°¡­Hyung?¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly recognize me. I smiled gently and spread my arms wide. ¡°Yes, who else but me?¡± The child¡¯s wariness quickly faded. Tears welled up in his eyes. His shoulders trembled, and the feet that had seemed ready to flee now moved toward me. Tap, tap. Soon, I heard the light footsteps characteristic of a child. A warm, soft little body threw itself into my arms. ¡°Hwijae hyung!!¡± I hugged the child tightly. For a moment, I even thought about killing the child while he was in my arms. But reason stopped me, knowing I couldn¡¯t possibly kill a child. It was a relief that the child, busy sobbing and clinging to my neck, couldn¡¯t see my face. I was sure it wasn¡¯t a face worth showing. But at least my voice was kind. Just like my father had spoken to me. Like my older brother hadforted me. ¡°Hyung said he¡¯de to get you, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Hyung, I, I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± I picked up the child, who was crying so hard he couldn¡¯t finish his sentences. Young me clung to me like a ko. I whispered in his ear. ¡°Then let¡¯s go with hyung.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The kidnapping was too easy. *** I can¡¯t be sure about my earliest memory. Dim lighting and voices whispering about me doe to mind. A small warmth felt beside me. Brushing fingers. The whimpering cries of babies. Suddenly, I realized one of those cries wasing from me. The second memory is clearer than that. The car window was pitch ck. Part of it was because it was dark outside. I clung to the window, trying to look outside under the streetlights. That brief moment was the only time I could glimpse the outside world. A softugh came from the driver¡¯s seat. ''You should sit properly.'' From that memory onward, things are clearer. A kind hand pulling my shoulder closer. A warm embrace holding me. A low voiceughing near my ear. ''Shh. Let¡¯s take a short break here.'' ''Really? Is that okay?'' ''Well, why not? It¡¯ll be our little secret.'' Hyungughed yfully. Whenever there was a need to transfer between researchbs, hyung always took me out with him. It was one of the few times we could be alone together. It was also the only time I could freely look at his face, as he didn¡¯t wear his mask then. Hyung, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, turned to look back at me. The image distorts, full of static. A crow mask with a long beakes into view. While driving outside, hyung never wore his mask. Though the mask disappeared, the static remained. ''Let¡¯s rest for just 10 minutes.'' Hyung stopped the car. Ours was the only car driving through the mountain road. He opened the door and lifted me in his arms. The wind brushed against my bare feet. The sensation was so new to me that Iughed for a long time. The idea that a space without walls existed was fascinating. And there were so many trees! Even my hair getting messy in the wind was nothing but amusing. Hyungughed. But I couldn¡¯t see his face. The image almostes into focus but blurs again. It has been more than twenty years since Ist saw Hyung¡¯s face. Remembering it until now would be the strange thing. Even when I left the researchb, his face was already a faint memory. When did he stop taking off his mask in front of me? It must have been after he was caught by Mom and Dad for showing me his unmasked face. ''Hyung.'' ''Yeah?'' ''I want to see your face.'' I reached out toward him and grabbed the long protruding beak of the mask, shaking it. When I acted stubborn like this, Hyung would smile helplessly, as if he had no choice, take off the mask, and show me his face. But after being called in by Mom and Dad, he never took off his mask again. ''I can¡¯t¡­. I can¡¯t show you my face anymore.'' ''Why not?'' ''Because Mom and Dad scolded me a lot.'' ''Still! Can¡¯t you just take it off for a moment and then put it back on?'' ''I¡¯m sorry.'' Although his voice was full of apology, there was a firmness in it. It meant that this time, Hyung wouldn¡¯t give in to my stubbornness. Even knowing that, I shook the mask a few more times. Hyung hugged me tightly. ''Then, instead.'' ''Instead?'' ''Call my name.'' ''¡­¡­.'' The arms holding me tightened. There were cameras in the room, but they didn¡¯t record sound. Even so, Hyung whispered in a voice so quiet it was barely audible, just for me to hear. ''I-rok.'' ''Yes.'' ''I-rok.'' ''Yes.'' ''I-rok.'' Hearing Hyung call my name over and over made me happy right away. ''Can I call your name too?'' ''Yeah. But, you know, right?'' ''I won¡¯t tell anyone!'' ''That¡¯s right. Our names are our little secret.'' ''Since you gave me my name, only you can call it.'' ''Well¡­. Hyung actually hopes other people call your name too.'' ''But it¡¯s a secret, so how?'' ''¡­That¡¯s true. Then let¡¯s stick to just me calling it.'' Because of the mask, I couldn¡¯t see what kind of expression Hyung made when he said that. I was just excited to keep calling him. ''Hyung. Hwijae Hyung.'' ''I-rok.'' ''Hwijae Hyung.'' ''I-rok, my little brother.'' ''Hwijae Hyung.'' We were the only ones who called each other by our names. Everyone else called me ''No. 12.'' It was the name given to me by Mom and Dad. When I told Hyung that the first time, he got angry. It must have been not long after I met him. ''That¡¯s not a name.'' I couldn¡¯t understand why Hyung was angry. ''Not a name? But everyone calls me that.'' ''It¡¯s not¡­ Hyung will give you one.'' ''Really?'' ''Yeah. But you can¡¯t tell Mom and Dad.'' ''It¡¯s a secret?'' ''Yeah, it¡¯s a secret.'' The next day, when Hyung came, he told me my name. ''I-rok. It¡¯s I-rok. What do you think?'' ''What does it mean?'' ''Hmm¡­ ''I'' (?)means joy, and ''Rok'' (?) means green. You like green, don¡¯t you?'' ''I do! Then what¡¯s your name, Hyung?'' ¡°My name?¡± Ah. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think Hyung was wearing a mask at this point. The crow mask had disappeared, reced by a faint face. ''My name is¡­ Hwijae. Hwijae. Woo Hwijae.'' ''Woo?'' ''That¡¯s Dad¡¯s surname. You¡¯re Woo I-rok too.'' Woo I-rok My name. My real name. ''See? The ¡®Hwi¡¯ in my name also means joy, right? Just like in your name.'' ''Because we¡¯re brothers?'' ''Yeah. Because we¡¯re brothers.'' That reason was enough for me to ept my name. So, as I nestled into Hyung¡¯s arms, I called him. ''Hwijae Hyung.'' ''Yeah.'' ''You have to call my name too!'' ''Oh, Ah, okay. I-rok.'' ''Hwijae Hyung.'' ''I-rok.'' We must have done that for a good hour. When we called each other by our names, I was no longer ''No. 12'' or ''Crow Kid''. Because of that. Perhaps that''s why... that''s what happened. Hyung disappeared more than a year before I was rescued from the researchb. He left only with the promise that he would be back soon. ''Goodbye, kids.'' I was rescued by my father and transported to the hospital in an ambnce. At the hospital, there were police officers. ''What¡¯s your name? I¡¯ll help you meet your mom and dad.'' Mom and Dad had been dead for a long time. Even if they were alive, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to meet them. Where could Hyung be? If he wasn¡¯t at theb, it would be hard for him to find me. I¡¯d written it down in my diary, but would Hyung be able to see it? The other kids who were rescued with me eagerly shouted their names. Those who remembered their parents¡¯ names also mentioned them, and there were quite a few kids who still remembered their home addresses or their parents¡¯ phone numbers. Whenever a police officer got close to me, I pushed another kid forward. My name? My name? My name was a secret between me and Hyung. I didn¡¯t want to tell it to anyone else. But for Hyung to find me, I had to give a name he could recognize. Hyung would definitelye to find me. He said he¡¯d be back soon, that we could live together outside. He said he found someone who could help us. ''Hey, can you tell me your name?'' That child couldn¡¯t think too deeply and... ''¡­Hwijae. Woo Hwijae.'' Spoke his brother''s name. Chapter 98: Snowball (3) TL: SHW ¡°Listen carefully, I-rok.¡± I steadied Woo I-rok, who was slumping down. Damn it. This name just doesn¡¯t sit right in my mouth. Woo I-rok? Woo I-rok, of all things. How long has it been since Ist thought of this name? I''ve barely ever spoken it out loud. No, is this the first time? Of course, no one at the researchb knew this name, and once I got outside, I was only ever called by my hyung''s name. My biological parents weren''t kind enough to register the birth of an experimental subject made in ab, even if it carried their genes. Why bother with birth registration when the subject could be disposed of at any time? It would only cause trouble. The only reason I was able to live as Woo Hwijae was because of that. An unidentified child who grew up in a researchb. And I wasn¡¯t even the only one. The kids who had been kidnapped were no problem. Since there were missing person reports filed, they all reunited tearfully at the hospital and went back home. The problem was the handful of children who tilted their heads when asked their names and gave numbers instead. Among them, if there was even one kid who could give a name, even if it wasn¡¯t verified, Well¡­ what do you think happened? All the paperwork that followed was filed under the name Woo Hwijae. While I was still at the hospital, the doctors and nurses began calling me Woo Hwijae, and before I was discharged, that name had be official. By the time I moved to the orphanage, I was already Woo Hwijae. After that, I continued to be Woo Hwijae. Hong Seok-young¡¯s son, Woo Hwijae. My Awakener registration, my resident ID card, my Hunter license, and even my driver¡¯s license, all of it was done under the name Woo Hwijae. For about twenty years. During all that long time, my hyung never came to find me. ¡°Hyung?¡± Woo I-rok lifted his head slightly to look at me. Eyes full of trust. Why did he ept me as his hyung so readily, without any doubt? Was I really so thoughtless? Well, I guess if I was calling out a name that only hyung and he knew, it would be hard for him to think otherwise. ¡°Hyung? Why did you stop talking?¡± ...I should have said my brother was dead. A man who betrayed the organization he followed his whole life not to rescue his brother, but to avenge his dead brother. Wouldn''t that have made more sense? Whatever crazy things I did could have been exined by being blinded by revenge. I regretted it toote, but what''s done is done. And even if I had said that, it would¡¯ve been troublesometer when this damn kid turned up alive. Anyone could see he looked just like me. Even Lee Mi-seon had been certain the moment she saw the photo, that he was my little brother. ¡°Hyung!¡± Woo I-rok hit my shoulder with his fist. ¡­It hurt. The weight of his punch carried some real strength. What the hell? Did I awakened earlier than I thought? "HYUNG!!" Anyway, I answered before I-rok could hit me again. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you call me and then stop talking?!¡± Just a few minutes ago, this kid had been sobbing, but now he was as dry as ever. If it weren¡¯t for his swollen eyes and the small tremor still in his voice, no one would think he¡¯d been crying. Even if he is me, he really isn¡¯t cute at all. Father somehow managed to raise a kid like this. How did he even do it? Now that Father¡¯s gone, it¡¯s my responsibility to raise him, right? How am I supposed to raise him? I unconsciously loosened my arm and nearly dropped him, but I snapped out of it. After all, I did try, well, not that hard, to find him. But he was still my little brother. I had to take care of him. ¡°Ah¡­ Right. Listen carefully, I-rok.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Rude little punk. This is all because hyung spoiled him. I knew that already. My biological parents had been afraid that their precious experiment would get hurt, so they let me do whatever I wanted as long as it didn¡¯t interfere with their research. That¡¯s why hyung could stay by my side, even after taking a scolding for showing me his face. And knowing that, I obediently took whatever medicine they gave me. It only got worse after my mother became the head of theb. As a subject of special care, no other researchers could touch me. So, when my biological parents died and the man who took over as directorter came to power, he hated me. I understand. He had suffered a lot because of me. Anyway, this ill-mannered brat is my responsibility now. The fortunate thing is that he believes I¡¯m his hyung. Even if he¡¯s a bit cheeky, he always listened well to his hyung¡­ Didn¡¯t he? It feels like I¡¯m digging my own grave here, but what can I do? ¡°Hyung! You keep calling me and spacing out.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± I tried to recall my memories. It was so long ago. I¡¯m not even sure if what I remember is urate anymore. Still, I mimicked my hyung¡¯s tone as best I could. "Do you remember what I told you?" "What you told me?" Woo I-rok furrowed his brow. What would be the words his hyung said that he cared about the most at this time? ¡­There were too many possibilities, so I narrowed it down for him. ¡°You know, back at theb¡­.¡± ¡°¡­The person who said they¡¯d help us?¡± ¡°You remember, right?¡± Woo I-rok watched me cautiously for a moment before speaking. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say this, but¡­.¡± "Yes?" ¡°Isn''t that person was aplete scammer?¡± ¡°¡­A scammer?¡± What¡¯s he talking about now? ¡°Hyung, you said you¡¯de back soon.¡± Woo I-rok bit his lip. His eyes glistened with tears again, as if he were about to start crying. ¡°But now, seeing how long it took for you toe back, doesn¡¯t it mean¡­ that person tricked you?¡± I¡­ might have thought something simr at one point. Or maybe I didn¡¯t. It was so long ago. I don¡¯t look back on the past. Especially not this period. But I couldn¡¯t let him keep thinking like this. We had to get into Lee Mi-seon¡¯s vi. I quickly cut him off. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s true that things got messed up, but what you¡¯re thinking isn¡¯t right.¡± Woo I-rok stared at me, his expression still tense. ¡°If that person betrayed me, do you think I¡¯d be able toe here and get you, I-rok?¡± Woo I-rok looked at my face silently. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. His frown eased a little, as if my words made sense to him. ¡°Then what were you going to say?¡± ¡°Right now¡­.¡± This time, I furrowed my brows. ¡°The people who helped me are waiting nearby.¡± ¡°Nearby?¡± ¡°The orphanage. They¡¯re waiting outside.¡± Woo I-rok squirmed, clearly surprised. Watching a face that looked exactly like mine twist and wriggle in my arms was harder than I expected. Isn¡¯t there a superstition that seeing a doppelg?nger means death? I felt uneasy for no reason. This wasn¡¯t just doppelg?nger-level- this was basically me. ¡°Just in case, never talk about theb when I¡¯m not around.¡± Even as an empty warning, I was never a nice or obedient kid. I couldn¡¯t shut his mouth entirely, so at the very least, I had to make sure he didn¡¯t talk about it when I wasn¡¯t watching. "About Mom and Dad too." ¡°Okay.¡± Thankfully, Woo I-rok nodded without much question. ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you have anything you need to bring from there?¡± I gestured toward the orphanage building. Woo I-rok slowly shook his head. ¡°No.¡± I figured as much. Still, as a considerate big hyung, I thought I should ask. I nodded. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re running away now.¡± ¡°Running away?¡± ¡°To be exact, I¡¯m kidnapping you.¡± ¡°Kidnapping?¡± "We need to avoid the eyes of the Research Lab people. So we have to sneak out of here. Understand?" ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s go. Hold on tight.¡± I tightened my arm around Woo I-rok. The thick bushes and trees shielded us from prying eyes. The wall wasn¡¯t that high. Just like before, I could hop over it in one go. But since I had a kid with me, maybe I should take it slow. No, I wasn¡¯t that soft-hearted. ¡°Ah, and I-rok.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± "No. 3 is also at the ce where we''ll be staying for a while. You remember No. 3, right? You need to get along well and not fight." "Three wha-? Hyung, wait...!" Before Woo I-rok could squirm, I swiftly jumped over the wall. Mid-air. I even added some shy moves I''d never normally do. Deliberately spinning several times in the air beforending on the other side of the wall made the child in my arms go quiet. ¡­Did he faint? Well, he was raised so delicately at theb that he probably never experienced such intense movement before. I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t make a fuss about No. 3ter. Annoying things were bound to happen anyway, but I wanted to enjoy at least five minutes of peace before that. Still, I checked on the kid. Hong Seok-young and Lee Mi-seon probably wouldn¡¯t be pleased to see a child passed out. ¡°I-rok?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Fortunately, the kid was still conscious. His eyes were as wide as they could possibly get. ¡°Woo I-rok?¡± ¡°¡­Wow! Hyung, hyung, can you do that again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No worries there, I guess. * ¡°Oh my, goodness! You look exactly like Teacher Woo! I had a feeling the moment I saw the photo.¡± On the way back. This time, Lee Mi-seon was sitting in the passenger seat. She was so fascinated by Woo I-rok sitting in the backseat that she had practically turned her entire body around, clinging to her seat to look at him. Woo I-rok, in response, scooted right up against my side to avoid her. Unfortunately, that just made him look even cuter in Lee Mi-seon¡¯s eyes. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Put on your seatbelt and sit properly. You¡¯ll cause an ident.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get hurt, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°The media would have a field day if the Guild Master of Daseon and Hunter Hong Seok-young got into an ident because they weren¡¯t wearing seatbelts.¡± ¡°If Hunter Hong drives properly, there won¡¯t be an ident in the first ce, right?¡± ¡°idents don¡¯t only happen because you¡¯re careless. Both of you, sit properly.¡± Hong Seok-young chimed in, sounding unfairly used. ¡°I am driving properly. Don¡¯t lump me in.¡± ¡°Ever heard of joint responsibility?¡± "Ah, fine, fine!" Lee Mi-seon shuddered dramatically and sat back properly. Still, Woo I-rok wouldn¡¯t budge from my side. The space was far too narrow for him to befortable, though. When I passed through this road earlier, I hated it so much I wanted to jump out of the car. But looking back, I realized I¡¯d been overreacting. In the end, people adjust to living. Just like how I somehow managed to live after being thrown into the past. Besides, I¡¯ve spent far more time living as my hyung than as Woo I-rok. Honestly, there might as well have been no time at all when I was called Woo I-rok. Thinking back on it, I really shouldn¡¯t have let myself waver. It probably means I¡¯m inexperienced. If Yoo Ji-eun found out, she¡¯d definitelyugh at me. She¡¯d say, ¡°Who told you to just sit at your desk all the time? That¡¯s why you¡¯re so mentally weak.¡± What an irritating woman. If only she was innocent like when she was young... though that would have been annoying in its own way. I quietly stroked Woo I-rok¡¯s head, hoping to look like a caring hyung who had finally found his beloved little brother. Lee Mi-seon, despite my earlier words, kept sneaking nces at the backseat, and even Hong Seok-young was stealing looks while pretending not to. And the sharp kid, Woo I-rok, also noticed their stares and flinched his shoulders. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I sighed and looked out the window. I still had no idea what to do. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was growing darker, just like my future ahead. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 99: Snowball (4) TL: SHW "I had the kids stock up on necessary items... Let me know if you need anything else." It was already quitete when we arrived at the vi. The traffic had been heavy, but more than that, it was because Hong Seok-young insisted we stop at an old roadside restaurant so we wouldn¡¯t starve the kid. Woo I-rok was still wary of the two of us, but he cleaned his bowl of pork soup with rice without leaving a drop. On the other hand, I barely ate. ¡°Wow, you eat well.¡± Hong Seok-young looked at Woo I-rok with a pleased expression. Woo I-rok stared nkly at Hong Seok-young and then buried his face in the soup. ¡°Do you want more?¡± Unlike her picky appearance, Lee Mi-seon had also cleaned up a bowl of blood sausage soup. For some reason, she looked proud as she asked Woo I-rok. Woo I-rok¡¯s reaction was much sharper than with Hong Seok-young. Woo I-rok squinted and red at Lee Mi-seon before openly frowning at her. I thought of saying something sharp to Woo I-rok, but I ended up bowing my head apologetically to Lee Mi-seon. Most of the researchers who handled Woo I-rok at the researchb had been female researchers. At the time, I had been more hostile toward adult women than adult men. Though I hadn¡¯t exined this situation yet, Lee Mi-seon smiled generously and let it go. When we arrived at the vi, she even guided us to the room while avoiding the curious gazes of the still-awake kids from Pilot High School, telling us to let her know if we needed anything. I hesitated for a moment before gesturing to Lee Mi-seon. ¡°What is it?¡± "Could you call student Tae-woo first?" ¡°Tae-woo?¡± "Since it''s a familiar face, let''s have them greet each other first." If Woo I-rok called Kang Tae-woo ¡®No. 3¡¯ in front of the other kids, it would be a problem. Regardless of my lingering resentment toward No. 3 and the sympathy I felt for Kang Tae-woo, I didn¡¯t want such sensitive information to be carelessly revealed. Even if I tried to treat Woo I-rok as a brother I never had, he was essentially me. A smaller version of me. A mini-me. It was horrifying to see my childhood from over twenty years agoe alive before my eyes, but facts were facts. Even considering how foggy my memory of the past was, I still knew mini-me better than anyone. And I also knew that if he got annoyed, he¡¯d have no qualms about causing trouble. Whether or not she understood my concern, Lee Mi-seon nodded brightly with a smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier for your brother to adapt if there¡¯s someone familiar around.¡± No, she definitely doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯ll bring him right away.¡± Lee Mi-seon quietly closed the door and left, persistently waving at mini-me in a friendly manner despite his hostile re. ¡°Where is this ce?¡± As I heard Lee Mi-seon¡¯s deliberately audible footsteps fade away, mini-me frowned again. ¡°A temporary lodging.¡± ¡°Temporary lodging?¡± He should really be grateful to Alex Hope. Without him, we might¡¯ve ended up in a cheap motel. ¡­Though, since Hong Seok-young has a soft spot for kids, he might¡¯ve upgraded our amodation if I brought Woo I-rok. But even then, nothing could match Daeyeon¡¯s vi. ¡°Hyung¡­ works at a school-like ce.¡± ¡°A school?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of special school.¡± ¡°Why are you working at a school?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I guess it¡¯d be better to briefly exin the situation to mini-me. If he doesn¡¯t understand, he won¡¯t listen to me. He¡¯s a handful. Why couldn¡¯t I have been a little nicer and more obedient? ¡°Remember I said earlier that things gotplicated?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I originally nned to get you out first, but¡­ the person who was supposed to help got caught, and everything becameplicated.¡± Kim died. ¡°I was in danger, too, so I had no choice but to leave theb because I was afraid you¡¯d get dragged into it.¡± The original whistleblower who helped Kim-gun likely died as well. Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t know the details either. Even when I patched together a clumsy exnation, he had no choice but to ept it as it was. ¡°By the time I managed to make contact with the outside¡­ and had enough leeway toe back for you, theb had already been relocated.¡± I thought of the empty training center. They had moved that massive operation so efficiently. Even now, Lee Mi-seon hadn¡¯t been able to track down its whereabouts. There was barely any usable information left behind. ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t find me?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s only recently that I managed to find a clue. I had to disguise my identity so theb wouldn¡¯t suspect me, and that disguise was as a school teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Mini-me frowned even harder, looking like an ugly bulldog. ¡­I¡¯m not like that. He and I are different people now, aren¡¯t we? ¡°What kind of school?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a Hunter Training Pilot High School¡­ A school that trains Awakened individuals.¡± ¡°¡­Awakened?¡± Mini-me chewed his lips, sinking into thought. Pretending to think like that, at his size, what a joke. ¡°Then what about No. 3?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a student here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The face that had begun to rx twisted again. Did I hate No. 3 more back then than I remembered? Hmm. I hope No. 3 holds up well. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I found No. 3 while chasing clues to find you. I thought I could figure out where theb kids had been relocated by bringing him here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a model student. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d help you.¡± He did help. There had been a few incidents in between, of course. After the orphanage attack, he had been somewhat sensitive, probably because of his sister¡¯s death, but recently, that had disappeared. Sometimes he still showed signs of sadness, but he was closer to the good No. 3 from theb days, quiet, sometimes shyly smiling, obedient to adults. I kept the exnation short since things like raids and attacks couldn¡¯t be good for the kid¡¯s mental health. ¡°No, he helped.¡± ¡­Maybe that was too short. Seeing mini-me growl in response, I added, ¡°There were other reasons, but No. 3¡¯s help was crucial. He¡¯s the reason I was able to find you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So treat him well, okay? I trust you, I-rok.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And like I said, this is a school. There are other hyung and noona here, too. Don¡¯t talk about theb.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, mini-me slumped his shoulders. Fuck, what am I supposed to do with this kid. As he messed up his hair in frustration, I sat down next to him on the bed. I reached out, wrapped my arm around his shoulder, and he limply leaned into me, hugging my waist. ¡°I know everything feels confusing right now. I¡¯m sorry I came sote. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t exin everything properly yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But you know I would never do anything bad to you, right? You trust me?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°You know thedy who was with me earlier?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°She¡¯s been a big help to me. She¡¯s the one who made it so you can go to school under I-rok''s name.¡­ How were things at the orphanage?¡± ¡°¡­I just stayed at the orphanage the whole time.¡± I narrowed my eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t go to school or anything like that?¡± ¡°Not really? It¡¯s not like they¡¯d send me anywhere like that.¡± Mini-me spoke with absolute certainty. Unlike theb, which waspletely isted from the outside world, the orphanage had connections to the outside. To operate an orphanage properly, there would be volunteers and various outside peopleing and going. More importantly, if a ten-year-old kid stayed at the orphanage without going to school, that would definitely raise suspicions. I¡¯d need to have Lee Mi-seon properly investigate how that orphanage was operating. ¡°I see¡­ Anyway, thatdy will help you go to school too. It¡¯ll be hard for now, but once I¡¯ve sorted everything out, you¡¯ll be able to go.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen me break a promise?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°I always keep my promises to you, I-rok.¡± I patted Mini-me¡¯s back as hey with his head resting on myp. His eyelids were drooping, about to close. It was no surprise, he must have been exhausted. I wondered if I¡¯d been hasty asking Lee Mi-seon to bring Kang Tae-woo. He could probably just meet him in the morning. Suddenly, I noticed the shopping bags piled up in one corner of the room. Children¡¯s clothes. ...As a guardian, shouldn''t I have him bathe and change into pajamas? ¡°I-rok. I know you¡¯re tired, but don¡¯t sleep just yet. Let¡¯s change into clean clothes first.¡± His worn-out jeans and stretched-out T-shirt were both faded. If Ark was running the orphanage, it didn¡¯t seem like they were taking proper care of him, especially since they didn¡¯t have to worry about outside scrutiny. Mini-me rubbed his eyes and sat up. I searched through the shopping bags that Daseon¡¯s Hunters had brought and found some pajamas and clean underwear. I looked around the room. This wasn¡¯t where I usually stayed; it was just the ce Lee Mi-seon had shown us. Arge room with an attached bathroom, it was clear they¡¯d gone out of their way to amodate us. ¡°Alright, go wash up and change clothes. Need my help?¡± ¡°No! I can do it myself!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mini-me¡¯s eyes widened, as if his sleepiness had vanished, and he snatched the clothes from my hands. ¡°I¡¯m all grown up now! I don¡¯t need you to help me!¡± "Oh really? As far as I remember¡­¡± ¡­But teasing him is just me teasing myself, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s all my childhood, after all. Suddenly realizing this, I stopped mid-sentence. In the meantime, Mini-me rushed into the bathroom without hesitation. I grabbed my head in frustration. * Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Teacher. It¡¯s me.¡± While Mini-me was showering and I was organizing the shopping bags, Kang Tae-woo arrived. "Ah,e in." ¡°Uh, I heard you¡­ found No. 12. Your brother, I mean?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Tae-woo entered the room nervously, his face tense. ¡°Uh, c-congrattions.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks. Since you two know each other, I wanted you to meet first.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Hunter Lee-nim told me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told him not to call you No. 3 in front of the other kids.¡± Kang Tae-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, t-thank you. But I don¡¯t mind. He can call me that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay with it?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­ it is the truth. I don¡¯t feel like I need to hide it. If I hide it, that means I¡¯d have to hide my sister, too.¡± Kang Tae-woo was far more mature than I¡¯d expected. I nodded in response. ¡°Still, if it¡¯s not you saying it, it¡¯s better not to bring it up. Hold on, he should be done showering by now.¡± Just as I was about to check the bathroom, Mini-me came out with his hair still dripping wet and an angry re in his eyes. ¡°You need to dry your hair properly.¡± He was already proving to be such a handful, and it hadn¡¯t even been half a day. I grabbed a fresh towel from the bathroom and draped it over Mini-me¡¯s head. Mini-me,pletely ignoring me, red straight at Kang Tae-woo. Kang Tae-woo smiled and waved. ¡°Hey. Long time no see, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± He was so friendly. Even I couldn¡¯t match that kind of effortless warmth. I felt genuine admiration. ¡°Now you can tell me your name, right? We¡¯re not in theb anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And you can call me by my name, too.¡± Mini-me stayed silent, continuing to re at Kang Tae-woo. No matter how young the person doing the ring was, it would be easy to get annoyed. But Kang Tae-woo just smiled innocently. ¡°My name is Kang Tae-woo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Now that No. 3 was standing right in front of him, he didn¡¯t want to tell him his name. But since they weren¡¯t in theb anymore, there wasn¡¯t any logic to counter Kang Tae-woo¡¯s argument about sharing his name. Why had he even brought that up? He could¡¯ve just said he didn¡¯t want to share his name. ¡­I could see all of this written inly on his face. What should I do? Should I intervene? Once he starts being stubborn like this, I don''t think he''s ever really backed down. But Kang Tae-woo turned out to be much stronger than I¡¯d expected. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll just call you No. 12.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you call me No. 3, you know. Do you? If not, then that¡¯s fine.¡± For once, I was at a loss for words and looked at Kang Tae-woo in surprise. Mini-me was no different. ¡°I was only asking because I thought you might not want to be called No. 12¡­ but if you¡¯re fine with it, then that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­Rok.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Kang Tae-woo smiled brightly. ¡°¡­Woo I-rok.¡± ¡°Aha, Woo I-rok? Nice to meet you, I-rok. I look forward to getting along with you.¡± ¡­Kang Tae-woo was far more mature than I had given him credit for. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 100: Snowball (5) TL: SHW 9:30 AM. This is the time when the day begins at the Pilot High School. As time passed in this ce, a kind of routine started to form. Following that routine, a morning assembly was taking ce in thergest living room of the vi. Usually, it was for announcing which teacher would be teaching today¡¯s ss, but today was a little different. Kim Chae-min looked around at the kids and smiled brightly. ¡°Right now, Teacher Woo¡¯s younger sibling is here with us." The appearance of Woo I-rok, the ¡®Mini-Me¡¯, caused quite a stir among the kids. "A younger sibling?" ¡°Teacher has a sibling too?¡± "How old are they?" ¡°Is it a younger brother or a younger sister?¡± So noisy. If it were up to me, I would¡¯ve shouted, ¡°Are you here to y around? Do you think my personal life is some kind of joke?¡± But this is a space where such hierarchies don¡¯t exist. What were the usual questions for kids that age? I should consider myself lucky that they''re only asking about siblings rather than first loves. Still, it wasn¡¯t good for my nerves, especially since I hadn¡¯t been able to sleep properly for several days. A headache started to creep in. As I pressed lightly against my temples, Kim Chae-min looked at me with a worried expression. I knew she was being considerate of me. However, I couldn¡¯t just leave everything to Kim Chae-min, so I dropped my hand from my forehead and calmed the kids down. ¡°He¡¯s ten years old, and he¡¯s my younger brother. Due to some circumstances, he¡¯ll be staying here for a while¡­ But don¡¯t get too close to him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like being around a lot of people.¡± Even to me, that sounded like nonsense. But right now, I¡¯m the only one who can testify about Mini-Me. Information maniption requires groundwork in advance. The power of prejudice is strong. If you nt a strong impression from the start, it¡¯s hard to erase that image. This is also why I preferred introducing Mini-Me as a sensitive, picky, and troublesome kid rather than as a sweet and quiet one. That way, the effort of the older brother taking care of his younger brother would stand out more. And anyway, the impression he leaves on adults is far more important than on kids. Even if I brush things off, Kim Chae-min, Hong Seok-young, and Lee Mi-seon, who know more about the situation, will surely understand and nod with solemn expressions. Look at that. Kim Chae-min is already looking at me with a sympathetic face. ¡°Teacher! Teacher, what does your brother look like?!¡± Yoo Ji-eun raised her hand and asked. Normally, this kind of question woulde from Lee Seung-yeon¡­ but where is Lee Seung-yeon? I frowned. I vaguely remember Lee Mi-seon saying something about Lee Seung-yeon, but maybe not. Honestly, the days leading up to meeting Mini-Me are a blur. I hope I didn¡¯t ramble nonsense. I only remember talking to Kang Tae-woo and saying more than I had originally nned. Damn it. This is why a person shouldn¡¯t lose theirposure so carelessly. What was I thinking? It wasn¡¯t even like I was drunk. If I had been drunk, at least I wouldn¡¯t feel so unjustly guilty. ¡°Teacher, if he¡¯s staying here, we¡¯ll see him eventually anyway, so can¡¯t you just tell us? Or is this some profound way of telling us to see for ourselves?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. What about your homework?¡± ¡°Homework?¡± Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s eyes widened into round circles.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Homework¡­ Was there, Wait, was there homework?¡± Yoo Ji-eun poked Kang Tae-woo¡¯s side with her elbow and asked. Kang Tae-woo shook his head. That sly snake. ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t.¡± Yoo Ji-eun quickly turned her head to look at me, so fast it almost made a whoosh sound. ¡°There¡¯s no homework!!¡± ¡°That just means you¡¯re unqualified as a student for not remembering it.¡± Yoo Ji-eun pouted. Seeing her sulking a little lightened my mood. But Yoo Ji-eun wasn¡¯t the only challenge I had to ovee. Han Eun-young started to slyly target Kim Chae-min. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯ve seen Teacher Woo¡¯s brother, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± "What does he look like?" ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him directly either¡­ But in the photos, he looked exactly like Teacher Woo!¡± ¡°Why are you so curious about someone else¡¯s brother? Go teach your ss already.¡± "You don''t have to be shy." Kim Chae-min gave me an understanding look. That made me feel even worse. But unlike with the kids, I couldn¡¯t take out my frustration on Kim Chae-min. I just let out a deep sigh¡­ waved my hand, telling her to handle it, and walked out of the living room where everyone was gathered. As soon as I left, I could hear the noisy chatter behind me. Yoo Ji-eun was persistently questioning Kim Chae-min. Ignoring the sound of someone following me, I walked down the hallway lined with framed artwork. Each picture in these frames must be unimaginably expensive. Is Mini-Me still sleeping? I hadn¡¯t woken him up since he was sound asleep this morning. It would¡¯ve felt wrong to disturb him. After all, how exhausting must it be for a ten-year-old boy to have his brother, who had been missing for over half a year, suddenly reappear and ¡°rescue¡± him? It¡¯s not like he¡¯d be physically tired, but I don¡¯t think much of the mental resilience of a ten-year-old kid. Of course, if it were me, I¡¯d have to ovee it. I should ovee it¡­ ¡°¡­Do you have something to say?¡± I asked Hong Seok-young as I stepped out of the hallway. Leaving behind the dark corridor where sunlight didn¡¯t reach, I entered another living room where light flooded in brightly. This was the same ce where I¡¯d spoken with Lee Mi-seon on my first day at the vi. Further inside was the room where Mini-Me was staying. I nced in that direction and then turned to look at Hong Seok-young. Not even bothering to hide his presence, Hong Seok-young feigned surprise when I turned to face him. How annoying. ¡°Well, I was just wondering if your brother was ufortable staying here.¡± ¡°Any difort will be resolved by Hunter Lee, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh,e now. How cold. Aren¡¯t I still your superior? The Guild Master should take care of guild members'' welfare. How long will you keep leaving it to Hunter Lee?¡± "Why am I..." I frowned. "Why am I your guild member, Teacher Hong?" ¡°If not a guild member, then what are you?¡± "I''m a school employee." ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who constantly emphasized to the kids that Pilot High School isn¡¯t an official school?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Wait. As much as I hate to admit it, Hong Seok-young wasn¡¯t wrong. Pilot High School isn¡¯t an educational institution, so no matter how much I teach here, it doesn¡¯t make me a teacher. There¡¯s no Ability Management Agency either, so unlike at the Hunter Academy, I¡¯m not affiliated with the agency. Hold on¡­ let¡¯s go back to the beginning. That time when I was first captured by Hong Seok-young and taken to the Awakener Crimes Investigation Office in Myeong-dong. Back when he started exining that I¡¯d work at Pilot High School. At the time, I¡­ Yeah. If I¡¯m honest, I was so shocked by the poor working conditions that I didn¡¯t really listen to what Hong Seok-young was saying. Since I couldn¡¯t refuse to sign anyway, I just went along with what he said and signed the employment contract without even reading it again. Where did it say I worked, exactly? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in my guild. I¡¯m sure I mentioned it?¡± ¡­I feel like he did say something about that. ¡°Why do you think Ark used Tae-woo to approach you?¡± ¡°Well, because I¡¯m teaching at Pilot High School.¡± ¡°Daseon Hunters have alwayse and gone from Pilot High School. They wouldn''t suddenly take notice just because there''s one more Hunter." ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young looked at me with an expectant expression. His face practically said, Say it. With a face full of reluctance, I finally spoke. ¡°¡­So, it¡¯s because I¡¯m in your guild?¡± Hong Seok-young nodded with a cheerful expression. ¡°Exactly! Think about it, I''ve maintained a one-man guild for over ten years, and suddenly it bes a two-person guild. Wouldn¡¯t you be curious? Especially since you¡¯re just a D-rank, no-name Hunter!¡± Of course, they¡¯d be curious to death. Since Hunters affiliated with the Ability Management Agency can¡¯t work for guilds, even my father had quit guild activities. Simrly, if Park Seo-hyun, who¡¯d been running a one-person guild for ages, suddenly started dragging around a D-rank Hunter as an assistant, people would lose their minds and start investigating. ¡°What if someone recognizes me?¡± ¡°Then they recognize you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young shrugged. ¡°At that time, I couldn¡¯tpletely trust you yet. But in the end, it turned out to be the right choice. I¡¯ve got a good instinct for this stuff. Everything¡¯s worked out just as I nned.¡± As if. Hong Seok-young continued tough heartily. Strangely, his voice was bright. Between bursts ofughter, he was drawing in breaths. He wasn¡¯tughing because it was genuinely funny but because he was forcing himself tough. My father used tough like that whenever he¡¯d made a mistake or when things weren¡¯t going ording to n. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too quick to catch on.¡± Hong Seok-young abruptly stoppedughing and clicked his tongue. ¡°I know Hunter Lee made bold promises, but I¡¯m sorry. I need you to wait a little for your brother¡¯s identification to be arranged.¡± I nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°¡­That easily?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ Teacher Kim said your brother wanted to go to school.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to die if he doesn¡¯t go.¡± Hmm. That might¡¯vee across as too cold-hearted. It doesn¡¯t exactly make me sound like an older brother who cherishes his younger brother. I hastily added. "You wouldn''t say something like that without good reason, Teacher Hong." Hong Seok-young blinked. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± For some reason, his reaction was underwhelming. As long as he didn¡¯t suspect me, it was enough. ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. ¡­Why are you making that face? Is this something that could harm my brother?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his head roughly. ¡°Your brother, after all¡­ I¡¯m sorry to put it this way, but he¡¯s essentially a test subject, isn¡¯t he? One they invested quite a lot in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If a child like that disappeared, it¡¯s unlikely they wouldn¡¯t send out a search party. They might be too preupied with Alex Hope over at Ark, but if, by any chance, they check the guild members under my name and discover your brother, it¡¯ll be a problem.¡± There''s an eptable reason. Then even a brother who left Ark for his brother can ept it. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll exin it well to my brother. As long as it doesn¡¯t take too long, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± "You will?" Hong Seok-young kept following me. Did this guy still have something left to say? "And another thing." ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you undergo a re-evaluation for your Hunter rank?¡± ¡°¡­Re-evaluation? Are you saying I should raise my rank?" ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not asking you to aim for A-rank, but at least set yourself at B-rank. It¡¯s not even that difficult for you, is it? You¡¯ve done it before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, but¡­¡± ¡°With the whole Alex Hope incident and for smoother cleanup if things go south, you¡¯ll need your rank to be somewhat higher. Last time, you only received a temporary assessment and didn¡¯t raise your rank because of performance issues, but now it¡¯s time to bump it up.¡± ¡°If a no-name D-rank Hunter suddenly bes B-rank, won¡¯t that attract unnecessary attention?¡± ¡°Why? That¡¯s great for promoting the Pilot High School. It¡¯ll show that it¡¯s not just helping underage Awakeners grow, but even adult Hunters. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± Hong Seok-young snickered. This time, it wasn¡¯t the fakeughter from earlier. ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯ll slowly climb up to S-rank. Imagine, a guild with two S-rank Hunters. Doesn¡¯t that sound impressive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an S-rank.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young stared at me quietly. At first, I didn¡¯t avoid his gaze, but in the end, his eyes reminded me of my father¡¯s. I eventually shifted my gaze. Hong Seok-youngughed merrily. Chapter 101: Youth Event (1) TL: SHW ¡°Come to think of it.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t recognize you as soon as I saw you, Teacher.¡± The ce where Mini-me and I were was what you¡¯d call the teacher¡¯s dormitory. It¡¯s an area divided by a central corridor. Originally, there weren¡¯t any restrictions on children¡¯s ess, but with Mini-me being around, we decided to impose one. You have to pass through here to reach the study room used by Lee Mi-seon or the rooms where other Daseon Hunters stayed, but since the ce was spacious anyway, the kids never had any reason toe this far. However, Kang Tae-woo entered the restricted area and smiled brightly. On his wrist was a tacky bracelet made of red beads. ¡°You two look so alike. Is this what they call being blind?¡± More like mentally blind. Before I could say anything, Mini-me, who was holding a spoon and eating fried rice, red at Kang Tae-woo. ¡°Go to hell!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I wasn''t that harsh with mynguage at that age. Was it because he entered the orphanage a year earlier than I did? At the researchb, it was hard to hear rough words unless it was from the head of theb, who clearly disliked me. Even if you stayed mostly within the orphanage, you could easily pick up age-appropriate swearing from ces connected to the outside world. ¡°Who taught you to say such mean things? You shouldn¡¯t say that to your hyung.¡± ¡°Hyung?! The only hyung I have is my brother!¡± ¡°Woo I-rok. I told you not to act rudely.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Woo I-rok.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± "Oh my, don¡¯t scold the kid so much, Teacher Woo. Kids can be like that sometimes.¡± Hong Seok-young approached with a cheerful smile and ced fried rice in front of me and Kang Tae-woo. He even drew a smiling face on it with ketchup. I stared at Hong Seok-young with dull eyes. Hong Seok-young, wearing an apron. Hong Seok-young, holding a frying pan and cooking fried rice. ¡°At that age, eating well and ying well is enough. I-rok, should we go out with Teacher and watch your hyung and noona during ss?¡± I already knew he had a soft spot for kids. I figured this out after observing Hong Seok-young for a long time, but even without that, it wasn¡¯t hard to notice. But so far, the kids around Hong Seok-young were teenagers in theirte teens. There hadn¡¯t been a child as young as Woo I-rok. Right. A young child the same age as his dead son. Should I have expected this? But my father never acted so foolishly toward me. Is this the difference between someone else¡¯s child and your own? Even so, making fried rice, which he hadn¡¯t even made for the pilot school kids? Or had he, and I just didn¡¯t know about it? Either way, the smiling face on the fried rice was annoying. I quickly wiped it off with my spoon. ¡°You should eat too. This is the only dish I know how to make.¡± ¡°¡­You do know how to cook something, after all?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re my age, you need to know at least one dish.¡± When my father brought me from the orphanage, he said he saw himself in me, not his deceased son. I never fully believed those words. From what I¡¯d heard, my father spent nearly a year as a wreck after losing his biological son. How did he die again? Was it because he was unlucky enough to get caught in a dungeon break? Even with the strongest Hunter as his father, it seems bad luck was something you couldn¡¯t avoid. I didn¡¯t think everything my father said was a lie. When he saw me waiting for my brother, he might have ovepped his own image with mine. But now, Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t seen Woo I-rok waiting for his brother. Rather than projecting his own image onto Woo I-rok, he didn¡¯t even seem to remember pestering him persistently until he got an answer. So¡­ maybe he was seeing his own son in him. That¡¯s why he was making fried rice with a smile like this. The same person who was pushing the children hard just this morning...! ¡­Not that this was something I should be annoyed about. The fried rice made by Hong Seok-young, which I hadn¡¯t had in a long time, tasted exactly like the version I¡¯d eaten to the point of getting sick of it. Despite likely using expensive, high-quality ingredients stocked by Daseon, it still tasted exactly like fried rice made with random groceries from a local market. I had to admit, that was impressive in its own way. Mini-me and Kang Tae-woo weren¡¯t picky eaters. Regardless of how sick I was of the monotonous taste of fried rice, they were eating so well it was almost irritating. Hong Seok-young watched Mini-me with satisfaction. ¡°Is it good? Do you want some more?¡± Mini-me¡¯s hands, which had been moving nonstop, suddenly stopped. Mini-me carefully observed Hong Seok-young. From his messy hair, the unkempt stubble starting to grow on his chin, his tanned skin, rough hands, and trained body. Mini-me¡¯s lips curled up into a sly smile. This feels ominous. "Woo I..." Sensing some unknown trouble, I tried to cover Mini-me¡¯s mouth. But Mini-me was a little faster. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Why on earth is he like this? I didn¡¯t grow up like that. It¡¯s so unfair. ¡°Woo I-rok¡­¡± I called Mini-me while holding my head. He doesn''t even pretend to listen to me. Would the Earth be destroyed if I killed him now? Seeing as nothing happened even after meeting him, maybe the Earth would be fine? "Ah, I told you to go away!!!" "WOO I-ROK!!!" Even if I¡¯m ying the role of a caring hyung who treasures his little brother, there¡¯s a limit to how much I can tolerate. Sometimes, when I threw unreasonable tantrums at the researchb, my hyung would scold me. Did he feel the same way as I do now? If I had known this karma woulde back to me, I would¡¯ve treated my hyung better. ¡°Woo I-rok. Come with me for a moment.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t butt in. This is a family matter.¡± With his shoulders hunched, Woo I-rok followed me. Before entering the room, I turned to look straight at Hong Seok-young and warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about eavesdropping.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± That damned old man. I didn¡¯t feel like saying anything more, so I entered the room. Mini-me hesitated and stood in front of me. His eyes were already brimming with tears. I sighed and softened my voice. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s not easy to scold a kid half your size. ¡°I-rok. Your hyung¡­¡± ¡°You only need to care about me.¡± Mini-me cut me off. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when other people are around. You said it¡¯d be just the two of us. I don¡¯t want to be here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That makes sense. I tried to think about it from Mini-me¡¯s perspective. The hyung who promised to take him away suddenly disappeared. The atmosphere at the researchb became so strange that they even moved out. The children were scattered and sent to orphanages. He might¡¯ve been happy to breathe outside air freely for a while, but soon enough, there was still no word from his hyung, and there was no certainty about what would happen next. All that time, he¡¯d been trembling with anxiety. Finally, when his hyung returned¡­ instead of staying by his side like before, his hyung kept running off somewhere as a teacher. It¡¯s no surprise Mini-me¡¯s acting like this. After a moment of thought, I crouched down and spread my arms. Mini-me immediately ran into my embrace. The most urgent task: I need to socialize Mini-me. It¡¯s going to be difficult since there aren¡¯t any kids his age around, but if I don¡¯t do something and he ends up developing separation anxiety, that¡¯ll be a huge problem. ¡°I-rok. The man who made you fried rice and everyone here are people helping your hyung.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know you feel uneasy. But you know your hyung wouldn¡¯t keep bad people near you, right? Hm? I-rok, look at me.¡± ¡°Sniff.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not crying. Good boy.¡± Still, Mini-me sniffled and wiped his nose. ¡°You didn¡¯t like it when strangers got too close, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Then you should¡¯ve said you don¡¯t like them getting close. Do you think it¡¯s okay to yell like that?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°They¡¯re helping us, so you need to be kind to them, okay?¡± Woo I-rok nodded while hugging me tightly. Is this enough? It¡¯s already hard to raise a normal ten-year-old boy, but now I have to raise a kid who¡¯s spent his whole life in a researchb. The difficulty level of this parenting task is way too high. I let out a sigh, who knows how many times I¡¯ve done it now, but then I looked at Mini-me. No matter what, I shouldn¡¯t sigh while holding a kid in my arms.N?v(el)B\\jnn Instead of sighing, I hugged Mini-me tightly once more and stood up. I need to... give Mini-me something to do. Something to y with, at the very least. To keep him too distracted to think of anything else. * Whether Mini-me was around or not, life at the high school continued as usual. After about two days, the children had grown ustomed to the short figure flickering by the window. Mini-me, fascinated by the kids ying around in the garden, often stood by the window watching them. ¡°You can take a few days off, you know.¡± Hong Seok-young approached me quietly as I stared at the window where Mini-me stood. "You can take a few days off to help your brother settle in." ¡°No.¡± Like I''m crazy enough to stick by his side all day. I''d rather teach kids next to Hong Seok-young. ¡°If you give in to everything, he¡¯ll just keep acting spoiled. Besides, I can¡¯t always stay by his side anymore.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still young, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± "Alright, alright. You probably know better, he''s your brother. I won''t meddle anymore." I took my eyes off the window and looked at the children in the garden. To break up the monotony of dealing with the same people, the Hunters from Daseon were supervising the kids today. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think the kids were skilled enough to fall into such routines, but if the boss says it, it has to be done. I frowned. One person was still missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Lee Seung-yeon?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his cheek and avoided my gaze. ¡°Is he still in his room?¡± ¡°I heard Hunter Lee decided to leave him be until Sunday.¡± ¡°Sunday?¡± ¡°It seems he was really shaken¡­¡± ¡°But he doesn¡¯t look shaken at all.¡± I pointed at Kang Tae-woo, who was meditating on a yoga mat alongside Yoo Ji-eun. ¡°Well, that guy¡¯s just exceptional.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They said dragging him out forcibly would just make things worse, and his guardian said to let him be. What can I do? It¡¯s not entirely wrong. He¡¯lle out when he¡¯s sorted out his feelings.¡± Hong Seok-young spoke lightly. Hearing him say this somehow made me uneasy. But since I didn¡¯t really have anything to argue back with, I just nodded. My hands were already full. I decided to leave Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s case to his aunt, Lee Mi-seon. ¡°Or¡­ I know. What if we send Kang Tae-woo to talk to him? Didn¡¯t Tae-woo used to, what was it, do activities with the National Heart.....?¡± ¡°National New Heart and Spirit Association, yes.¡± ¡°Yeah, that. I heard he shared his experiences and stuff there.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure how true those experiences really are.¡± ¡°Either way, if they spend time together, it might help him open up a bit.¡± Nodding as if he¡¯d just thought of the greatest idea, Hong Seok-young immediately called Kang Tae-woo. This man was the type who couldn¡¯t rest until he put his ¡®great ideas¡¯ into practice. When Kang Tae-woo heard Hong Seok-young¡¯s request, he tilted his head. ¡°You want me to talk to Seung-yeon, hyung?¡± Did he just call him hyung? I was surprised. He hadn¡¯t really mixed much with the other kids yet, so I didn¡¯t expect him to be close enough to call Lee Seung-yeon hyung. Hong Seok-young must have thought the same, as he briefly showed a surprised expression before speaking. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s really shaken, so I thought talking to you might help him feel better.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Sure. It¡¯s not that difficult. I¡¯ll go talk to him after sses are over.¡± Honestly, I hadn¡¯t given much thought to the matter, figuring it was just a minor kids'' stuff. Besides, with Mini-me trailing behind me like a goldfish, I didn¡¯t have the energy to worry about it. But I should¡¯ve known better. ¡°Te-Teacher!¡± That night. Lee Mi-seon came running to me, her face pale as a sheet. ¡°Seung-yeon, Seung-yeon has disappeared!" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 102: Youth Event (2) TL: SHW "Find out where Alex Hope is right now!" Lee Mi-seon shouted at the top of her lungs, gripping her phone. The poor Daseon Hunters shrank back with every yell, their shoulders flinching. "A kid disappeared right under your noses, and none of you noticed? What were you doing? Do you think you¡¯re earning your sry for free right now?!" Lee Seung-yeon''s room was located at the farthest end, not in the area where the kids usually stayed. Since the vi was used as the Daeyeon Family''s retreat, Lee Seung-yeon also had a room here for his visits. Naturally, as someone merely staying under someone else¡¯s roof, Hong Seok-young avoided intruding into the owner¡¯s private space. In fact, it was more urate to say there was no reason for him to go there in the first ce. Because of that, Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it either. Still, even so, it was hard to believe someone would be bold enough toe in and kidnap a kid with Hunters around, many of whom were at least A-rank. Besides, Kim Chae-min had also enhanced the security spells. Could someone really sneak in and take an eighteen-year-old boy without leaving a trace? "Alex Hope entered a dungeon in New Zend around 3 p.m. today. In Korean time, that¡¯s about 11 a.m." Even if he pretended to enter the dungeon and came out, it would still be physically impossible to be here. Lee Mi-seon knew that too, so she didn¡¯t bring up Alex Hope any further. Regardless of whether it was Alex Hope or not, it was understandable that Lee Mi-seon was angry, her beloved nephew had disappeared from inside the house. I slowly looked around Lee Seung-yeon''s room. It was clean with no signs of a struggle. The only thing out of ce was the slightly messy bedding. Maybe because I saved his life, Lee Seung-yeon clearly admired and followed me. I wasn¡¯t cruel enough to treat a well-behaved kid poorly either. I had taught him sincerely, even though I sometimes wanted to cut corners when exining things. Still, I made an effort to adjust my teaching to his level and even went out of my way to give him tailored lectures. Back then, everyone¡¯s abilities were still mediocre, so it wasn¡¯t much of an issue. Come to think of it, I need to talk to Hong Seok-young about Lee Seung-yeon. This wasn¡¯t something that could be solved with brute force, so Hong Seok-young needed to give it serious thought as well. "¡­¡­." I looked beside the bed. There was a small nightstand. On top of it were a nightstandmp, a clock, and a power strip. A power strip? Only the nightstandmp¡¯s plug was connected to it. Would someone pull out a power strip just to plug in onemp? I wasn¡¯t so sure. Even though Lee Seung-yeon followed me well, our rtionship was strictly that of a teacher and a student. If I wanted to grow closer, I could, but pretending to be friendly with an eighteen-year-old just to gain some advantage¡­ Well, if someone asked whether I stirred up all that chaos in Myeong-dong for something like that, I wouldn¡¯t have a good answer. But with Hong Seok-young, Kim Chae-min, and Lee Mi-seon around, there was no need to manipte a kid. After all, Lee Seung-yeon was a minor with clear limitations on what he could do, and getting on the bad side of Hong Seok-young or Lee Mi-seon could lead to unnecessary trouble. That¡¯s why I kept a certain distance from Lee Seung-yeon, and not just him, but all the other kids as well. During lessons, I would joke around and mess with them, but that was it. I had no intention of getting close enough to know their personal belongings. So, even if I searched Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s room for hours, I wouldn¡¯t know what belonged to him or what might belong to a possible kidnapper. To begin with, any kidnapper sneaky enough to get in here wouldn¡¯t leave such obvious evidence behind. However, there was one thing missing, an item that should have definitely been in Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s room. I began walking around the room to find more solid evidence. If Lee Seung-yeon had even the tiniest bit of sense in his brain... I didn¡¯t have to look far. A piece of paper was lying under the desk, with a pen rolling nearby. It seemed like the paper had been weighed down with the pen but had fallen off. I picked up the paper. At the same time, I heardmotioning from outside. A high-pitched girl¡¯s voice. There were a few girls here, but only one would raise her voice like that. Hong Seok-young, who had been frowning, forced his expression to rx and opened the door. "Ji-eun? What¡¯s going on?" "Ah, teacher!" Yoo Ji-eun stood with her sister. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do today¡¯s homework¡­ but I have to do it with Kang Tae-woo, and I can¡¯t find him. Do you know where he is?¡± ¡°Kang Tae-woo¡¯s not here?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay, can I just do it with my sister? All we have to do is record the practiced moves on video anyway.¡± ¡°Right now¡­.¡± ¡°Tae-woo is out because I sent him on an errand.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ really?¡± ¡°You can do it with your sister.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Then go¡­ and don¡¯t just rest, make sure you do your homework.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± At the mention of homework, Yoo Ji-eun gave a deted reply and walked away with her sister. While Yoo Hye-eun bowed politely, I could feel my back burning under the stares of Lee Mi-seon and Hong Seok-young. Once the sisters¡¯ footsteps faded away, I raised an eyebrow at the two of them. "Both of you, rx your eyes a bit. They''re about to pop out." "You just..." "Tae-woo didn''t kidnap Seung-yeon or anything like that." "What?!" "I''m telling you it''s not that." I held out the paper I¡¯d just picked up from the floor. The message was short and simple. Lee Mi-seon snatched the paper from my hand and read it, her face turning pale as a sheet. ¡°It¡¯s just a normal runaway.¡± *** ¡®I¡¯m going out to get some fresh air with Seung-yeon hyung. He told me not to write anything, but I thought you¡¯d worry, so I left this secretly. I¡¯m not sure where we¡¯re going. I didn¡¯t want to let him go alone, so I¡¯m going with him.¡¯ "That little shit Seung-yeon!!" Lee Mi-seon practically spewed fire from her mouth. Even if Lee Seung-yeon returned home, it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d survive unscathed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s think of this positively, Hunter Lee. At the very least, it¡¯s physically impossible for Alex Hope to travel from New Zend to Korea.¡± "That''s not helping at all?!" I shrugged. Hong Seok-young, now noticeably more rxed, was sittingfortably. ¡°Boys need to run away at least once as they grow up. It¡¯s a rite of passage.¡± Since he was the one saying it, his words carried an oddly convincing weight. Of course, Lee Mi-seon wasn¡¯t swayed. In fact, she looked at him as though he were insane. Understandably so. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! Do you know how recently the kids were attacked? Seung-yeon is one thing, but Kang Tae-woo is in danger too!¡± Lee Mi-seon was right to worry. After all, Alex Hope wasn¡¯t necessarily the only one targeting researchb test subjects. But Hong Seok-young, still finding the situation amusing, chuckled quietly. ¡°It¡¯s always the ones who don¡¯t look like it that show strange determination in the weirdest ways. I should¡¯ve known when he ckmailed me into letting him enroll.¡± ¡°ckmailed?¡± "He said if I didn''t let him enroll, he''d report me and Daeyeon for epting illegal dungeon raids.¡± "How could that Seung-yeon try to ruin his family!" Lee Mi-seon couldn¡¯t believe her beloved nephew¡¯s betrayal and could only shout. Her reaction wasn¡¯t much different from when she thought he had been kidnapped. If anything, this situation seemed even worse for her health. Soon, Lee Mi-seon sank onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. ¡°When I said to let them rest until Sunday, I didn¡¯t mean they could just run away like this¡­.¡± But what could anyone do about something that had already happened? While half-frustrated and half-stunned, Lee Mi-seon seemed lost on what to do next. The Daseon Hunters began moving in her stead. I suddenly thought they were pitiable souls, handling guild affairs, association tasks, and now even their guild master¡¯s family issues. ¡­Not too different from my situation back at the Ability Management Agency. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly sure when they left¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Seung-yeon knows this ce well. He turned off all the security cameras.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He really nned this out. Well, what could anyone say about the homeowner leaving their own house? I nodded, signaling them to continue. ¡°Still, we estimate they left about two hours ago. He called a taxi using his phone.¡± If it was two hours ago, it means they left right after dinner. "He threw away his phone as soon as he got out of the taxi." "His phone?" "It had a tracking function installed to prevent kidnapping..." Crunch. A terrifying sound came from Lee Mi-seon. I pretended not to hear it. "He withdrew money from an ATM near the bus terminal." He even prepared cash. He was meticulous in many ways. The Daseon Hunter cleared his throat and continued exining. ¡°It seems they used the cash to buy clothes at a market near the terminal and changed into them. There are many alleys in the market without CCTV, so we couldn¡¯t track them. Even after reviewing the surrounding CCTV, we didn¡¯t see the kids leaving.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± I asked, just to confirm I understood correctly. ¡°You lost them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Two teenagers? One of them is seventeen. You lost them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you with the International Ability Association¡¯s Special Operations Branch? They¡¯re minors, not adults, and you lost them?¡± ¡°W-We specialize in analyzing information, not gathering it directly¡­.¡± ¡°Stop making excuses.¡± I kept thinking. ¡°What about Kang Tae-woo¡¯s phone?¡± ¡°He left it in his room.¡± It was highly likely that Lee Seung-yeon told him to leave it behind. ¡°How much cash did Lee Seung-yeon withdraw?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°How much?¡± The Hunters hesitated before answering. ¡°Two million won.¡± That¡¯s more than my monthly sry. Rich kid, huh. I doubted Lee Seung-yeon withdrew that much to spend recklessly. If he wanted to blow money, he would¡¯ve withdrawn more or just used his card. Fortunately or unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t that thoughtless. Ultimately, it was an amount prepared just in case things didn¡¯t go as nned. ¡°Keep monitoring to see if the card is used¡­¡± If I were Lee Seung-yeon, I wouldn¡¯t use it. At least not until I decided toe back.@@novelbin@@ ¡°For now¡­¡± Kang Tae-woo said they were going out to get some fresh air. A taxi leaves witnesses. If I were Lee Seung-yeon, I wouldn¡¯t use something like that. ¡°Check everyone who bought bus tickets from the terminal after the time they left. Look for two teenage boys. There should be CCTV inside the terminal, right? If they¡¯re two boys with their faces covered, it won¡¯t take long to find them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Let¡¯s think this through again. Two teenage boys, methodically withdrawing two million won in cash and even changing clothes in the market, Would they really be stupid enough to go straight into the terminal and buy tickets? If it were me, I¡¯d pay someone extra nearby to buy the tickets for me. Let¡¯s just hope Lee Seung-yeon isn¡¯t that smart. But, typically, these situations unfold exactly as you imagine. "You can check the terminal''sputer records, right?" ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You guys can forge identities, so this shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Go through the system and check for anyone who bought two tickets at the same time during that timeframe. It¡¯ste, so there shouldn¡¯t be that many routes¡­¡± I trailed off, noticing how eerily quiet it had be. Lee Mi-seon, who had been hurling unmentionable curses at her nephew, Hong Seok-young, who had been chuckling away, and the two Daseon Hunters, All of them were staring at me with wide eyes. ¡­Did I overstep? I stood up abruptly. ¡°Well then, good luck. I¡¯m going to check on my brother.¡± With absolutely no shame, I admit it. I ran away. Chapter 103: Youth Event (3) TL: SHW There¡¯s one advantage to being a guardian of a ten-year-old child. No one calls me out at night. Thanks to that, I was able to put off everything until tomorrow and restfortably. ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get to rest thatfortably. A guardian has to take care of their child, after all. ¡°It¡¯s bedtime.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Mini-me widened his eyes, then climbed onto the bed without fuss. Sometimes¡­ No, not sometimes. Quite often, I could see habits from the researchb days in Mini-me. If he were an ordinary child, he¡¯d have thrown a tantrum about not wanting to sleep at least once. But look at him quietly getting into bed without a singleint. This kind of lifestyle pattern is different from how I used to get under the Director''s skin. Asking for snacks or new toys belonged to the category where the director, annoyed as he was, had no choice but toply. But there were some things no amount of tantrums could change, wake-up time, bedtime, daily medication, injections. Stuff like that. By the time I was adopted by my father, those habits hadrgely disappeared. Unlike Mini-me, I didn¡¯t stay in the orphanage under the Ark¡¯s supervision. To survive among kids my age at school, I had to grow stronger in a different sense than in the researchb. I was strong, and I survived. It will take about that much time for those habits to disappear in Mini-me. With some guidance, they might vanish more quickly. But then again, I¡¯d have to deal with the nuisance of a premature rebellious phase, so maybe I should just leave him alone¡­ ¡°Hyung, good night.¡± Seeing him lying there and calmly saying good night drained my energy. Seeing his face sleeping with steady breathing so quickly, he really is just a child. The unconditional trust directed at me. The eyes that believe without a doubt that I¡¯m his hyung. Enough. There¡¯s no point thinking about things I can¡¯t resolve. I fiddled with the mana watch. When I lightly rubbed the watch panel, the screen lit up. Since it looked like a watch, naturally, it functioned as one too. Even after twenty years, it¡¯s not like watch designs would change drastically. At this point, it just looks like an ordinary, clunky watch. Not an analog watch, so I suppose it¡¯s closer to a smartwatch. The difference? Well, instead of electricity, it runs on the user¡¯s mana. It¡¯s technology that doesn¡¯t exist in 2021. A semi-permanent mana battery. It¡¯s impressive. After my vacation, we were set to start mass production. I was nning to make so many things. But it all went up in smoke. Hmm. Just in case, I searched for Alex Hope¡¯s name on the mana watch again. I already knew the result. [Search Results ¨C 0 Items] There¡¯s nothing I can do. This only has domestic data. Staring at it won¡¯t change the 0 search results. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Fine. Since Mini-me¡¯s asleep, I might as well do something else. I grabbed the phone I¡¯d left on the bedside table. Thanks to Mini-me, there were no disturbances, so it was easier to work. Calling this ¡°work¡± makes it sound too grand. It¡¯s nothing special. I was simply pulling up the current list of active dungeons on my phone andparing it to the past dungeon records saved on my mana watch. The Siren¡¯s Nest that Hong Seok-young and Kim Chae-min raidedst time was originally supposed to break. Since the kids came out of Myeong-dong alive, Hong Seok-young probably raided far more dungeons than he was supposed to. I feel better keeping track of these things ahead of time. It¡¯d be much easier with aptop¡­ But inte history can always be traced. Now that I know Lee Mi-seon is part of the International Ability Association, it¡¯s better to just do this manually. The charger disconnected from the phone. The pitiful necessity of humans living in 2021. ...It was also something that wasn''t in Lee Seung-yeon''s room. My thoughts drifted back to Lee Seung-yeon. If I were Lee Seung-yeon, I would¡¯ve used a moreplicated method to evade my aunt¡¯s pursuit. Buying multiple bus tickets to cause confusion, for instance. But Lee Seung-yeon isn¡¯t a criminal, he¡¯s just a regr runaway teenager. There was no need to overthink it that much. Look at that. A kid who threw away his phone to avoid being tracked still took his charger with him. Making Kang Tae-woo leave his phone behind was just a smokescreen. After all, there¡¯s someone here who would do almost anything for a request from Lee Seung-yeon. Lee Seung-yeon¡¯s childhood friend, Sun Sun-jin. * ¡°Hey! Have you seen my socks?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me about your socks? Didn¡¯t you just not wash them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re new, okay?!¡± The kids were lively from the morning,pletely unaware of what had happenedst night. They were so noisy that my head started to ache. Lee Mi-seon was nowhere to be seen, and neither were the Hunters from Daseon. At least Ji Yoo-geon hade out with a tired face and was preparing breakfast for the kids. "Good morning, Teacher." ¡°Did you find anything?¡± There was no subject, but Ji Yoo-geon understood and nodded. ¡°Thanks to you, I have a general direction to look in¡­ But maybe because the bus terminal is old, the management is a mess. The CCTV quality is terrible, too.¡± Ji Yoo-geon yawned widely. ¡°As I said yesterday, this isn¡¯t really¡­ our job.¡± ¡°Why? You were able to find Alex Hope just fine.¡± ¡°Well, his features were too distinct, weren¡¯t they?¡± Right. That''s true. His face had stood out far too much. Ji Yoo-geon kept yawning as he continued. ¡°We still ran the data, just in case, and we didn¡¯t expect it to turn up so easily, to be honest.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be easier to find a runaway teenager than a mysterious crazy Hunter?¡± ¡°Seung-yeon¡­.¡± Ji Yoo-geonughed vacantly. ¡°That kid¡¯s going to be something great one day. Master insists he¡¯s not, but in my opinion, he¡¯s the spitting image of the Master. We did manage to figure out which bus he took, though.¡± ¡°Yeah? And?¡± ¡°He took a bus heading to Daejeon. So we checked the CCTV for the drop-off time, but¡­.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean, there¡¯s nothing?¡± With half-vacant eyes, Ji Yoo-geon chopped carrots. Still, he was a Hunter, so even with that disheveled look, he managed not to cut his fingers. The shape of the carrots couldn¡¯t be guaranteed, though. Rather than being ¡°chopped¡±, the carrots were more like shattered into pieces. Well, it all looks the same once it¡¯s in your mouth. ¡°He definitely got on the bus, but there¡¯s no record of him getting off. We were running around at dawn trying to figure out what was going on¡­.¡± Ji Yoo-geon yawned and sighed at the same time. A mushroom in his hand was now meeting the same fate as the carrots. ¡°That route drops off passengers once before arriving at the terminal.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Yeah. Ah.¡± Ji Yoo-geon began stir-frying the prepared ingredients in arge frying pan. Well, given his state, making fried rice for ten people was probably the simplest option. ¡°We confirmed that he got off and took a taxi from there. I came back out here to make the kids¡¯ breakfast. Uh¡­ Do you want a separate meal for the kid?¡± Mini-me¡­. Never mind. ¡°No, my little brother¡¯s still sleeping.¡± ¡°At that age, they need to sleep a lot to grow. Look at me. I didn¡¯t sleep enough back then, and now I¡¯m like this.¡± Though he said that, it didn¡¯t seem like he was particrly short. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep much either, but I still grew fine.¡± ¡°¡­I envy you. I hope the kid takes after you.¡± Not only will he take after me, but our genes are 100% identical, so he should end up as tall as I am, at the very least. I shrugged and helped him pull out the bowls. Ji Yoo-geon nodded in thanks as he scooped the fried rice into them. ¡°I¡¯ll go call the kids.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be a big help.¡± By now, the kids were probably all awake and huddled together in front of the TV. I never understood why they gathered there when they were too busy fighting over the remote to actually watch anything. A few impatient ones were already peeking into the kitchen, noticing from the smell that breakfast was almost ready. ¡°Teacher!¡± "Are you happy to see me, or happy to see food?" ¡°Uh, both?¡± Choi Jin-woo scratched his head andughed. I snorted and gestured toward the kitchen with my chin. ¡°Go eat your breakfast.¡± "Yes!" ¡°And Sun Sun-jin?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Come here for a moment.¡± Sun Sun-jin, who had been sprawled on the couch, raised herself up with a suspicious look. Only after making sure all the kids had gone into the kitchen did I hold out my hand to her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hand it over.¡± ¡°Hand what¡­?¡± ¡°Your phone.¡± Sun Sun-jin blinked. She was trying hard to make her expression look as innocent as her name suggested, but her effort wasn¡¯t paying off. ¡°Well, um, my phone¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°The¡­ the screen is broken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I just want to check if you have it.¡± "Ac, ac, actually, I lost it..." "Really? That''s serious. Should I tell Hunter Lee? It¡¯ll be inconvenient without it?¡± "Uh, uhh..." Sun Sun-jin fidgeted with her fingers, clearly flustered. I smirked. ¡°Lee Seung-yeon took it, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to scold you. I just need to figure out where he went, so I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m not trying to scold you.¡± Although I didn¡¯t think Alex Hope would attack a third time, I could still understand Lee Mi-seon¡¯s concerns. But dragging back a kid who ran away so deliberately wasn¡¯t going to solve anything. It¡¯d be cleaner to coax him back gently. And once I knew where he was, I could just monitor him from a distance. "I won''t tell Hunter Lee, so don''t worry." ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Now go eat.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Sun Sun-jin walked into the kitchen, looking somehow defeated. ¡°Oh? Teacher Woo, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Ji Yoo-geon popped his head out and asked. ¡°I¡¯ll eat when my little brother wakes up.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Well, I prepared a portion for him, too, so just let me know.¡± After giving Ji Yoo-geon a casual nod, I pulled out my phone. Let¡¯s see, Sun Sun-jin¡¯s number¡­. What should I write? ¡®Call me once you see this. Before I tell your aunt.¡¯ The response was quick. I smirked at the phone vibrating in my hand. He¡¯d been moving all night, yet he was still so diligent. Or maybe he was still on the move? What a waste, using an Awakened¡¯s strong stamina like this. The moment I answered, I got straight to the point. ¡°Where are you?¡± -Um.... Ah, hello? ¡°Hello, my foot. I asked where you are.¡± - Do I have to tell you¡­? "Your aunt is really angry." -Ah, really? Lee Seung-yeon replied in a calm voice. - I figured, so I was nning to stay out a bit longer before going back. Hearing that deted voice made Lee Mi-seon¡¯s worrying seem pointless. This is why raising a nephew is a waste. Not that I have a nephew. ¡°One week.¡± - ¡­What? ¡°I¡¯ll give you one week. For exactly one week, I¡¯ll hold your aunt back.¡± - Th-thank you? ¡°But.¡± I heard him gulp. The sound quality was surprisingly good. ¡°Tell me where you are right now. And where you¡¯re staying. If you move, report to me immediately. Actually, call me every night.¡±@@novelbin@@ - ¡­¡­ ¡°After what happened, you think it¡¯s okay to just leave? Even you know you acted thoughtlessly, right?¡± Lee Seung-yeon didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t say anything more and just waited until he finally spoke up. - ¡­Yes. "I don''t know what you were thinking. But I''m giving you a week because you put so much effort into running away. Make a decision after that.¡± This time, he replied a bit quicker. - Okay. Thank you. I¡¯m sorry. Hearing his voice sounding so deted, I didn¡¯t have the heart to scold him anymore. I sighed. ¡°What about Kang Tae-woo?¡± - He¡¯s right here next to me. ¡°Good. Stay together. Where are you now?¡± - Right now? We¡¯re in Yeosu. ¡°¡­Yeosu?¡± - Yeah. We wanted to see the ocean. ¡°...The ocean?¡± - Yep. It¡¯s nice. "Right... see the ocean.... You know there''s an ocean in front of the vi too, right?" - Oh,e on. That ocean and this ocean arepletely different. This one¡¯s much more romantic. Romantic, my ass. The momentary pity I¡¯d felt disappeared, and I had to bite back the stream of curses that rose to my throat. My self-control was the only thing keeping me from saying them out loud. Chapter 104: Youth Event (4) TL: SHW Not long after I ended the call with Lee Seung-yeon, he sent me a photo. In the picture, a few white clouds were floating across the clear blue sky, and beneath it, the sea was just as blue as the sky. I didn¡¯t understand why he was sending this to me, so I just stared at it. Then, another photo arrived. It was Lee Seung-yeon smiling and making a V-sign against the same ocean backdrop as in the first photo. ¡­Was this because I told him to report where he was? Just as I thought about it, another picture came in. This time, it was indoors. Kang Tae-woo was eating a hamburger. He wasn¡¯t wearing the school uniform or gym clothes I was used to seeing but a lettering t-shirt, which made him look even younger. Of course, he was young, but¡­ how should I say this? Since my impression of Kang Tae-woo was so strongly tied to his image as No. 3, it was hard to see him as anything else. Still, who would believe that the boy with his mouth wide open, chomping on a hamburger, was a victim of an illegal researchb? A message arrived this time. [I''m feeding him well.] Below that, there was a hamster emoji with bright eyes giving a thumbs up. [Ah, Sun Sun-jin¡¯s emoticons. Why do she only have stuff like this?] Even as he said that, Lee Seung-yeon seemed to like the hamster quite a bit because he kept sending more hamster emoticons, a dancing hamster, then one eating sunflower seeds. ¡­What is he trying to do with me right now? But in the end, he spoke properly. [Thank you, teacher.] * Around lunchtime, Lee Seung-yeon sent a new photo. This time, the background was indoors. I could see an old menu board hanging on the wall, it was a restaurant. More precisely, a seafood restaurant. Lee Seung-yeon sent a picture of a table filled with sashimi, along with another picture of himself. The third photo, as expected, was Kang Tae-woo. He looked awkward and conscious of the camera. It seemed like he didn¡¯t know he was being photographed earlier in the morning. A message came with it. [Enjoy lunch.] I looked at my table. There was fried rice on the te, its ingredients all smashed to bits. Mini-me had woken upte and was just now having a veryte breakfast or an early lunch. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Once again, Lee Seung-yeon sent a hamster emoticon. He med Sun Sun-jin, but wasn¡¯t he just using it because he wanted to? The hamster, with its sparkling eyes and frantic movements, was annoyingly adorable. ¡°¡­Hyung?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°What are you looking at?¡± "Huh? Oh, nothing." ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Mini-me red at me with a sullen face. As if that look could scare me. ¡°Just hurry up and finish eating.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was no sign of the tension in his eyes fading. I sighed and put down my phone. I needed to tell Lee Mi-seon about this soon. If it were Hong Seok-young, he¡¯d probably justugh it off and say, ¡°Kids will be kids¡±, but Lee Mi-seon was different. The longer I wait to tell her, the more I fear the consequences. Besides, I couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing when I wasn¡¯t even sure the kids were safe. There were ways to monitor them from afar without them knowing. ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°You should eat too.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Ever since I brought Mini-me here, I had been missing almost all of my sses. Physically, I wasn¡¯t tired at all, but mentally, it was a different story. I¡¯d rather be teaching ss. Spending all day with Mini-me was exhausting in its own way. But I didn¡¯t even know what to have him do. He¡¯d probably start seeing mana soon anyway¡­ Should I start training him in advance? But taking a kid who had just escaped from the researchb and making him do something intense didn¡¯t feel right either. For now, I was just letting him watch TV, but that had its limits. Watching TV all day long wouldn¡¯t help with socialization either. ¡°I-rok.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored here?¡± Even if there was a spacious garden, it wasn¡¯t much different from the researchb lifestyle. ¡°Do you want to go say hi to the hyungs and noonas? They all said they wanted to meet you.¡± Mini-me''s face, which had softened a bit, hardened again. I could already predict his answer. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Of course. ¡°But hyung can¡¯t stay next to you all the time.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Because hyung has to work too.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°Should I stop working?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Is this kid trying to starve me to death? I shook my head. "You''ll be going to school soon too, what are you going to do if you only want to stay by hyung''s side?" ¡°School?¡± ¡°Yeah. School. Not right now, but¡­¡± It was summer vacation season anyway. Even without Ark, it would¡¯ve been hard for Mini-me to start attending school immediately. Pilot High School ran without breaks, so I¡¯d almost forgotten the concept of summer vacation. Yoo Ji-eun was on vacation right now too. I didn¡¯t know exactly how long elementary school breaks were in this era, but it would probably be longer than Yoo Ji-eun¡¯s. At the mention of school, Mini-me finally pretended to listen. ¡°September¡­¡± Wait, no. I shouldn¡¯t confirm a specific time. If he can¡¯t go by then, I already know he¡¯ll throw a fit. I know this better than anyone. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, you might be able to go this year.¡± ¡°This year? But you said September.¡± Did he already catch that? His hearing is sharp. If you think about it, it¡¯s not like there weren¡¯t signs of Awakening. Improved vision and hearing, those kinds of things. In theb, even if those senses improved, the restricted environment made it hard to notice. But outside, it was much more obvious. ¡°I hope you can go in September, but¡­¡± Mini-me¡¯s gaze sharpened. Who does he take after¡­? Oh right, there¡¯s no one he takes after. I keep forgetting that. Who was it that first told me about school? Hyung never really mentioned those things because he didn¡¯t want me to get too curious about the outside world. The only glimpses I got were brief views during car rides. But hyung couldn¡¯t stop the other kids from talking. I got information about the outside world from the other kids in theb, not hyung. The same was true for the topic of school. There were some children like me who were born in the researchb, but most were like Kang Tae-woo, who had lived outside before joining the experiments because of their parents. Those kids had experienced life outside. They were children who had attended school. Like children of that age group, school held an important ce in their lives. ''I learned this at school.'' ''My teacher said...'' I envied those casual remarks. Kang Tae-woo was one of those kids. He used to tell us that he had lived abroad with his mother, who was a prominent pharmaceutical researcher. Because of that, Kang Tae-woo often talked about life in America. He told me about American elementary schools, the toys they had there, and so on. Many of the things I requested from the Director, toys, books, movies, came from Kang Tae-woo¡¯s stories. At the time, I was young, so it hurt my pride a little. Anyway, before Mini-me gets even more annoyed, I should calm him down. ¡°You need to prepare a lot of things to go to school.¡± ¡°¡­Is it because the Director is looking for me?¡± Since Hong Seok-young hadn¡¯t destroyed theb or rescued the kids, the Director still hadn¡¯t been arrested. Mini-me scraped his empty bowl with his spoon. I slowly shook my head. Even if that were true, a real hyung would give a different excuse to lift his younger sibling¡¯s spirits. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Just in time, I thought of a good excuse. More importantly, it would give Mini-me something to do. ¡°You need to study.¡± ¡°Study?¡± See that? His eyes lit up immediately. I wasn¡¯t stupid. I had lived with the other kids in theb and knew how things worked. But theb was theb, and school was school. After being rescued, I was moved from the hospital to the orphanage, and that¡¯s when I started going to school. What do you think was the hardest thing for me to adjust to? The 40-minute elementary school ss periods. At the time, it was impossible for me to sit still at my desk for that long. Of course, it made sense. In theb, they never forced us to sit still like that. Snacks were provided at set times, there were nap hours, and even if there weren¡¯t, we could sleep whenever we wanted. There were always toys to y with. Aside from the fact that we couldn¡¯t go outside, we could do whatever we wanted. Sitting still for 40 minutes was one thing, but following the lessons was another problem. I was decent at reading and writing, but I didn¡¯t know anything beyond that. In math, I could barely manage basic arithmetic, and I didn¡¯t know any of the fundamental social norms taught in elementary school. Well, the only sources I had to learn about life outside were movies or the stories from other kids. It didn¡¯t take long for the orphanage tobel me as a troublemaker. Things improved slightly after Father adopted me, but¡­ why else would he have dragged me to so many counseling sessions? I looked at Mini-me and smiled softly. ¡°Yes, studying.¡± ¡°Studying¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been to school before, right? But for your age, you¡¯d be in 3rd grade. So you need to know what kids learn in 1st and 2nd grade.¡± ¡°Do I have to know that?¡± ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to attend school with kids younger than you.¡± Back then, hearing something like that would have bruised my pride deeply. Sure enough, Mini-me clenched his fists, his expression brimming with indignation. ¡°I don¡¯t want that!¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why you need to study.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps because the word studying felt unfamiliar, Mini-me¡¯s face showed no sign of rxing. Thinking back, hadn¡¯t that been his expression ever since I first brought him here? Not exactly the most endearing face. Then again, even with my face, trying to look cute would probably juste off creepy, so maybe this suited him better. ¡°I¡¯ll need to get some textbooks.¡± Coincidentally, I already had to tell Lee Mi-seon regarding Lee Seung-yeon. I started clearing away the empty dishes in front of Mini-me. He began aggressively eating the yogurt I had brought him as a pte cleanser. What¡¯s got him sulking now? I considered pretending not to notice, but a kind hyung wouldn¡¯t do that. Reluctantly, I reached out and patted Mini-me¡¯s head. ¡°What¡¯s got you so worried?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No response. Still, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what was going through that little head of his. ¡°You¡¯ll catch up quickly, I-rok.¡± Mini-me stirred his yogurt with a small spoon before opening his mouth. ¡°¡­What if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So what if you can¡¯t?¡± There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to. He¡¯s already proven capable. But I¡­ well, I have azy personality. If I gave him too much confidence, it might backfire. Mini-me would benefit, but it would cause me trouble. The confident, younger version of myself was a handful. Let¡¯s just say Father went through a lot back then. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­You said you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll still have time to help I-rok.¡± If he were really my younger brother, would I find him cute? I pressed my hand down gently on his head. Mini-me grabbed my hand, thinking I was teasing him, and started giggling. It was a good thing there wasn¡¯t a mirror in the kitchen. I didn¡¯t want to see my own face right now. * [We came for dessert.] Lee Seung-yeon sent another photo. It was a picture of a colorful and extravagant bingsu that I couldn''t figure out how to eat. After a brief moment, another photo came in, this time, Lee Seung-yeon and Kang Tae-woo posing together with the fruit bingsu in the background. [Teacher,e have bingsu with us.] Of course, there was yet another Sun Sun-jin hamster emoticon wriggling underneath the message. ¡­He¡¯s really gotten into these. It seemed like he had decided to use me as some kind of travel diary. But that was fine. I¡¯d been thinking that seeing them just once a day wasn¡¯t enough anyway. If he kept sending me these mundane updates, it would be easier to confirm that the kids were safe and doing well. Knock knock. "Hunter Lee?" I knocked on the door to the study where Lee Mi-seon and the Daseon Hunters were. Since I hadn¡¯t seen Hong Seok-young today, I figured he might be here too. I felt toozy to wait for a response, so I got straight to the point before anyone inside could answer. ¡°I¡¯ve made contact with Lee Seung-yeon.¡± BANG!!! There was a loudmotion from inside. Nice. That got their attention. Chapter 105 Youth Event (5) TL: SHW A Hunter must have the stamina to stay awake for a week straight without blinking. In dungeons, it¡¯s frequent to face situations where you can¡¯t even get a wink of sleep. If you sleep, it has to be after you leave the dungeon. Even if you die, it must be after exiting the dungeon. This is a basic guideline for Hunters. Of course, simply staying awake isn¡¯t that hard. But mental exhaustion is a different story. That¡¯s why humans need to sleep. Look at this. It¡¯s been barely a day, and Lee Mi-seon already looks like skin and bones. The Hunters from Daseon in the study also have simr faces. I don¡¯t know what happened herest night, but the suffocating atmosphere could be felt. Was it like this when Lee Seung-yeon died? I became momentarily curious about the woman I never knew. Lee Mi-seon spoke as if she was ready to grab me by the cor. Her voice was hoarse. ¡°You said you got in contact with Seung-yeon. What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I said. I got in contact with him.¡± Various emotions shed across Lee Mi-seon¡¯s face. I thought she would get angry right away. Either about how a thoughtlessly runaway kid had the nerve to contact their teacher, or why they weren''t contacting her instead. However, after sorting through those emotions, Lee Mi-seon swept a hand over her chest with a face that looked on the verge of tears. ¡°He¡¯s not hurt, right?¡± If I¡¯d known she was this worried, I should have told her right away when he called this morning. Feeling guilty, I showed her the photo I had just received. After looking at the photo of a colorful fruit bingsu, her smiling nephew, and Kang Tae-woo awkwardly staring at the camera, Lee Mi-seon made aplicated expression. This time, I really thought she might lose her temper, but Lee Mi-seon only let out a deep sigh. "Looks like they''re doing well..." Lee Mi-seon staggered and sat on the sofa as if her tension had been released. The Daseon Hunters also finally rxed their shoulders. I was nning to tease her about how, despite being the International Ability Association¡¯s branch director, her information-gathering skills were so poor. But looking at her face, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. "So where are they now?" Lee Mi-seon asked with a bright smile. It was a smiling face, but for some reason, I felt a chill. If Lee Seung-yeon returns, he probably won¡¯t be safe. Well, that¡¯s a family issue, so it¡¯s not something I should care about. ¡­No, I do need to care. How many days did I give Lee Seung-yeon? A week? Why did I do that? I should¡¯ve told him toe back immediately. ¡°I told him to keep reporting to me about what he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± "To report when they move... or that they''re safe." ¡°Where is he?¡± Lee Mi-seon¡¯s eyes were growing colder. "They''re notpletely thoughtless, so..." ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Teacher Woo.¡± Lee Mi-seon lowered her voice as she spoke. ¡°What did you say to Seung-yeon?¡± The intuition of a Hunter¡­. I avoided Lee Mi-seon¡¯s gaze and replied. ¡°A week.¡± ¡°¡­A week?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d give him a week.¡± ¡°A week?¡± ¡°I figured dragging him back by force would only backfire. Kids that age are all like that, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Rather than forcing him toe back and risking him running off again, it¡¯s better to let him report where he is and what he¡¯s doing until he calms down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon didn¡¯t respond. I could feel the Daseon Hunters listening in on our conversation.@@novelbin@@ Wait. Where is Hong Seok-young? He didn¡¯t show up this morning, so I thought he was with Lee Mi-seon. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Lee Mi-seon was ring at me as if she were about to stab me in the face with a knife, but really, what did it matter where Hong Seok-young was? Still, I couldn¡¯t back down here. If I acted like I had done nothing wrong, I could avoid being held responsible. There¡¯s a reason why the one thing you should never say at a press conference, an interview, or a hearing is ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. So I looked straight at Lee Mi-seon. She continued to stare at me intently, and then, ¡°Hoo.¡± She let out a soft breath. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, and I get why you did it.¡± Lee Mi-seon roughly ran her hand through her hair. ¡°But you know they¡¯re in danger right now, right? We can¡¯t just leave those two alone. Where are they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll go bring them back! I just want to put someone there to keep an eye on them because I¡¯m worried!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Can you stop looking at me like that?!¡± What¡¯s wrong with my eyes? I shrugged my shoulders. Seeing Lee Mi-seon flustered like this was refreshing, considering howposed she always looked twenty years into the future. Should I push her a bit more? ¡°I don¡¯t mind you putting someone there¡­ but who exactly are you going to send?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean, the Daseon Hunters are also affiliated with the Association, right? Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to use them for personal matters?¡± It¡¯s absolutely wrong to use public personnel for private affairs. These people might not be government employees or work for a state institution, but even privatepanies don¡¯t allow their staff to handle personal business. Lee Mi-seon¡¯s face suddenly turned bright red. "W-well, the Pilot High School is partly funded by the Association, and the people who attacked the kids are suspected to be from Ark¡­ and besides, Kang Tae-woo-!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worried about your nephew?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± Lee Mi-seon looked at me as if to ask what kind of joke that was. ¡°Both Lee Seung-yeon and Kang Tae-woo have already been attacked once, so of course they need protection. I¡¯m not nning to leave them alone either. That''s why I''m telling Hunter Lee about this." Her expression didn¡¯t change. Unfortunately, my sincerity doesn''t seem to have gotten through. But I meant it. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have teased her. My father also told me to fix this habit of mine, poking at people just to see how they react. He said it was a bad habit that I absolutely needed to break. It¡¯s all because Mini-me has been getting on my nervestely. I pressed my temples as I spoke. Lee Mi-seon¡¯s outburst was probably because she knew she was already using her subordinates for personal matters. Better not point that out. Let it go. ¡°Still, I think you should reconsider sending Daseon Hunters.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Lee Mi-seon looked at me with suspicious eyes. ¡°Because your nephew knows all their faces, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And Kang Tae-woo is sharper than he looks. If you try to monitor them poorly, they¡¯ll notice immediately. Do any of the Daseon Hunters specialize in tailing people?¡± As far as I¡¯d observed, there weren¡¯t any. There might be some Hunters I didn¡¯t know about, but¡­. In the Ability Management Agency, this sort of work had originally been handled by Oh Hyun-wook rather than Lee Mi-seon. There¡¯s a reason his profile is full of censored details. Bang! "You don''t need to worry about that!" Just as Lee Mi-seon started to shake her head, Hong Seok-young burst through the door energetically. The door hit the wall with a loud noise. ¡°What matters most is that those two brats are safe.¡± Hong Seok-young didn¡¯t even try to hide that he¡¯d been eavesdropping. So bold. ¡°Daseon already has too much work, doesn¡¯t it? Pulling personnel from here would make things difficult. I¡¯m already borrowing staff for the kids¡¯ sses.¡± "Ah, umm..." Lee Mi-seon couldn¡¯t exactly deny that. ¡°So leave the kids¡¯ safety to me.¡± I frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not nning to go yourself, are you, Teacher Hong?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not happening.¡± ¡°Come on, Teacher Woo, don¡¯t be so rigid.¡± Rigid ? My ass. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not nning to go myself¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young grinned slyly as he looked at me. ¡­Is this guy thinking of sending me? ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± I don¡¯t trust my younger self enough to let Mini-me out of my sight. ¡°I can¡¯t leave my younger brother alone.¡± ¡°I know. I don¡¯t intend to send you either. Do I look that thoughtless?¡± Hong Seok-young muttered briefly. ¡°There was originally a junior who was supposed toe to our school as a teacher.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Lee Mi-seon immediately caught on. ¡°Is Hunter Han back in Korea?¡± ¡°Hmm. With Teacher Woo here, I thought maybe we didn¡¯t need him, but¡­.¡± Hong Seok-young shrugged. ¡°If someone that skilled is willing to work voluntarily, it¡¯d be a waste to refuse, wouldn¡¯t it? It¡¯ll be perfect if I ask him to keep an eye on Seung-yeon and Tae-woo and bring them back when they¡¯re done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to keep things tied up when you can. Although, having nine students and three teachers seems a bit excessive. With Hunter Hong included, that makes four, right?¡± Even excluding the mage, it does seem like overkill to have three teachers managing just seven students. Lee Mi-seon added this with augh. What¡¯s this? Who is Hong Seok-young talking about that made Lee Mi-seon suddenly so rxed? Hunter Han. Hunter Han. Among the Hunters under my father¡¯s wing, there¡¯s only one with the surname Han¡­. ¡­¡­. How could I have forgotten about him? Thest time I saw his face was over a year ago. Even before that, because of his constant business trips, I rarely interacted with him face-to-face. So he¡¯dpletely slipped my mind. That person was originally the only teacher at Pilot High School! The reason Kim Chae-min is acting as a teacher at the school now is because I showed her the runes. Originally, there were only two official teachers at the Pilot High School, my father and his junior. Judging by how the school operates now, it¡¯s clear Daseon had been helping with sses back then, but officially, even during the Hunter Academy days, the two registered teachers were them: Hong Seok-young and Han Tae-kyung. Han Tae-kyung. Dungeon Raid Division Team 1 Leader at the Ability Management Agency. ¡°There might be a lot of teachers now, but won¡¯t there be more freshmen next year? It¡¯s good to secure teachers ahead of time.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Hunter Han, we can trust him.¡± ¡°And Teacher Woo, you¡¯ll have a hard time focusing on sses for a while because of your younger brother, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°And I have other tasks I need you to handle.¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked at Hong Seok-young. He grinned at me with a feral smile. ¡°Now that your brother¡¯s been found safe, isn¡¯t it time we started hitting Ark in earnest?¡± * A man wearing sunsses was walking out of a convenience store. The lenses of his sunsses glimmered brightly as the sunlight hit them. The man paused as he began to unwrap the candy he had bought. With the candy stick in his hand, he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. A call wasing through. When he saw the name disyed on the screen, he answered immediately. ¡°Oh, sunbae-nim. I was just about to contact you. What¡¯s this about some school retreat? What¡¯s with the sudden retreat?¡± He listened to the voice on the other end of the line. ¡°What? Where am I supposed to go? That¡¯s the retreat location? ¡­The kids? Seung-yeon ran away from home? Ah, I knew it. From the moment he started threatening sunbae-nim, I could tell he was going to be a big deal. So it¡¯s him and one more kid¡­ Whoa, Yeosu? Youthful and rebellious, I love it. Isn¡¯t the sea the perfect ce for a runaway?¡± The manughed quietly, amused, before tilting his head. ¡°You want me to keep an eye on them? Why? Protection? Do they need something like that? ¡­No, no need to exin. If you¡¯re saying it, there must be a reason. You want it done secretly, right? Got it. I¡¯ll check that they¡¯re okay and bring them back.¡± Although his caller couldn¡¯t see him, the man politely bowed as he said his farewells. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll call you when I find them. Yes, yes. Take care.¡± Once the call ended, he finally put the candy into his mouth. ¡°Ah, shoot.¡± Humming a light tune, the man suddenly frowned. ¡°I forgot to tell them to let my sister know to pick up Mom¡¯s calls.¡± But his face soon rxed again as he rolled the candy in his mouth. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll see her soon enough anyway. That little brat. Blocking her big brother¡¯s number, how dare she?¡± Chapter 106: Observer of Youth (1) TL: SHW [Han Tae-kyung - S-ss] [Main Weapon - None] [Team Leader of Dungeon Raid Division Team 1 at the Ability Management Agency] [2nd Principal of Hunter Academy]@@novelbin@@ [Raided Dungeons (Total: 503 cases) ¨‹] [Disciplinary Records ¨‹] [*Refer to attached appendix for trial records] * Sizzle¡­. I pour oil into a well-heated pan, put in the pre-sliced green onions and stir-fry them well. After thoroughly frying the onions, I push them to the corner of the pan, then pour in the prepared egg mixture. Sizzle. The egg mixture starts cooking quickly. Stirring it before it''s fully cooked creates soft scrambled eggs. After stir-frying the onions and eggs together, I season with soy sauce, then add rice. After stirring everything together one more time, I finish it off with a bit of pepper and sesame seeds. I served the fried rice in a bowl that would easily cost hundreds of thousands of won per piece. Maybe it was because the bowl was expensive, but it looked quite presentable. However, Mini-me¡¯s expression darkened as he looked at the fried rice ced before him. ¡°Fried rice again?¡± He began toin about the food. Clearly, he was getting spoiled. I was about to frown but changed my mind and awkwardly smiled instead. This approach works better with him. ¡°I made it for you, and you¡¯re not going to eat it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll eat it, but¡­.¡± Mini-me¡¯s spirit was slightly dampened. ¡°¡­Still, I¡¯m tired of fried rice.¡± Mini-me said, puffing out his cheeks. He¡¯s not the type to say something like that lightly, so hearing this made me wonder if I had overdone it. ¡­Did I really make fried rice that often? But this was the first time I¡¯d made a meal for Mini-me. My profession is not a chef. Fried rice shows enough effort. I couldn¡¯t let him go hungry, could I? To be honest, there¡¯s no chef here at the moment. Due to security concerns, we couldn¡¯t bring in external personnel, and Lee Mi-seon had already sent away the staff that were here. As for cleaning, the kids were told to handle their own rooms, and for the shared spaces, the Daseon Hunters and adults were only tidying up the visibly messy areas. Laundry was the same. From what I can see, the school¡¯s motto seems to be: ¡°Take care of your own tasks.¡± As for the vast garden¡­ well, if it all gets destroyed, there won¡¯t be anything to maintain. For tasks that are too difficult for the kids to handle¡­ such as cooking, we¡¯ve had no choice but to take care of those ourselves. Relying on packed meals can only go so far. Among the unhelpful adults staying in the vi, the only one who could somewhat cook was Ji Yoo-geon. Thanks to him, he¡¯s been stuck with, no, I mean, taking on this responsibility. He even volunteered for it enthusiastically. At least, he did until Lee Seung-yeon ran away. After that, it became much harder for him. You can¡¯t really me Lee Seung-yeon for that. It¡¯s unreasonable to ask someone who only cooks as a hobby to prepare meals for over ten people at every meal. Not to mention, there are seven teenage boys who eat a lot because they spend all day using their bodies. It didn¡¯t take long for the meals, which initially showed some effort, to be much simpler. After Lee Seung-yeon left, it was almost exclusively fried rice, kimchi fried rice, vegetable fried rice, curry fried rice¡­. Fried rice is at least something that even Hunters, who¡¯ve never cooked a day in their lives, can be trained to help with. If someone can¡¯t even handle a knife properly, they don¡¯t deserve to be called a Hunter. ¡­Well, recognizing the ingredients in their original form is now a thing of the past. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I decided to take charge of Mini-me¡¯s meals. Anyway, because Mini-me doesn¡¯t want to see people, even my mealtimes were getting disrupted. Ji Yoo-geon looked apologetic, but when I said I was fine, he didn¡¯t refuse. Besides, packed meals were starting to reappear anyway. When we build the Pilot High School building, let¡¯s make sure we don¡¯t forget a cafeteria. Even Hunters will die if they don¡¯t eat. Hunters aren¡¯t invincible, after all. So, for now, I made Mini-me¡¯s meal. Of course, the menu was fried rice. I¡¯m not a chef either. Cooking has never even been a hobby of mine. What are you expecting? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have something tastier for dinner.¡± Still, I didn¡¯t have the ability to make a ten-year-old understand all that, and knowing his personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t get it even if I tried. This is why kids need to be disciplined while growing up. If you keep indulging them, they end up like this. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not saying it doesn¡¯t taste good, hyung. I swear, it¡¯s delicious!¡± Still, the fact that he tried to read the room and pretended to be considerate because I¡¯m his hyung almost brought me to tears. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s clueless about social cues, he just chooses not to act on them because he doesn¡¯t want to. When I didn¡¯t say anything and just kept smiling, Mini-me iled desperately. Even though he¡¯s technically another version of myself, it was still funny to watch. ¡­The old man had told me to fix this about myself. Let¡¯s not torment an innocent kid for no reason. But wait, is he really innocent? Can we even say that?! ¡°Hyung, hyung. Since when could you make stuff like this?¡± ¡°It just happened somehow.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. My hyung never cooked for me. Sometimes, he¡¯d bring snacks when he returned from work, but that was it. I used to love those snacks, choctes with toys inside. Maybe I should find something like that and give it to Mini-meter. If I show him memories like that, he¡¯ll have no choice but to firmly believe I¡¯m his hyung. Not that there¡¯s much room for doubt when he has the concrete proof of my name¡­ but maybe because his mind isn¡¯t fully matured yet, he tends to fixate on something once hetches onto it. ¡°Can you make anything else?¡± Mini-me asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°Well¡­ if it¡¯s something like instant noodles.¡± ¡°Ramen?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll make it for youter.¡± I pointed at the leftover fried rice. ¡°Finish that first.¡± I don¡¯t make my fried rice for just anyone. Making it for Mini-me was a pretty big deal for me. The only other people who¡¯ve had my fried rice were probably old man and Yoo Ji-eun. In the first few years after adopting me, old man avoided entering dungeons unless it was absolutely necessary. During that time, the Ability Management Agency was still newly formed, so there weren¡¯t many situations where he had to go into a dungeon anyway. But because of that, he was also incredibly busy during those years. Still, old man tried to stay by my side as much as possible. He even sent away annoying people like Oh Hyun-wook or that irritating man who insisted I call him ¡°uncle¡± just to ensure I wasn¡¯t left alone. He¡¯d barely return home before sunrise, see me for a brief moment as I woke up, send me off to school, and then head to work. Despite being so busy, he never once ignored a call from my homeroom teacher. On weekends, he always made time to go out with me, to the library, amusement parks, for hamburgers, or to watch movies. When that kind of lifestyle continued for over a month, then two months, I couldn¡¯t pretend not to notice anymore. The fried rice I made was a sort of gesture. A way to say thank you for taking me in from the orphanage. I don¡¯t know if he understood it, but the old man was the kind of person who had an uncanny ability to notice things he wasn¡¯t supposed to. So he probably did. The first fried rice I made was a disaster. The green onions were burnt, the eggs were undercooked, and the rice was nd fromck of seasoning. But the old man smiled as if he¡¯d won the world. After that, I asionally made egg fried rice. On days I fought with friends at school and got called to the principal¡¯s office. On days I got into fights after hearing things about old man¡¯s biological son. Whenever I felt like I had done something wrong, or even when I hadn¡¯t, but I somehow felt like I owed the old man an apology. It¡¯s a special fried rice, tied to precious memories. Mini-me, unaware of the emotional history tied to the dish, focused entirely on filling his stomach as I reminisced. I looked down at the top of Mini-me¡¯s head and said, ¡°The Hunter who delivered your study materials stopped by. Make sure to thank himter, alright?¡± Gratitude is the first step toward socialization, after all. I frowned slightly, wondering what Hong Seok-young was nning to do with Ark. He had made it clear that he had a task for me. While Mini-me wasn¡¯t around, I had asionally enjoyed the relief of being free from the Pilot High School kids, but¡­ Let¡¯s at least get Mini-me to the point where he doesn¡¯t randomly bite people. Since he hasn¡¯t fully awakened yet, even if he does bite someone, it¡¯ll just leave teeth marks without drawing blood. Not that that¡¯s particrly reassuring. Ding. My phone buzzed. At this hour, the only people who would contact me are insurancepanies, spam callers, or debt collectors. Ever since Kim Chae-min took over, the number of calls has significantly decreased, but they stille in asionally. Well, now there¡¯s one more thing added to that list. [Today¡¯s lunch!] Even that obnoxious hamster is starting to seem cute to me¡­ Is this what brainwashing feels like? Even though I never respond, Lee Seung-yeon keeps sending photos without fail. The friendliness of these old kids is something else. The photo shows Lee Seung-yeon and Kang Tae-woo grilling pork belly for lunch. At first, they took separate photos and looked awkward even when photographed together, but now they¡¯ve grown close enough to throw their arms around each other. Is that a good thing? Well, I suppose it¡¯s nice that Kang Tae-woo has at least one person he can bond with. I stared at a photo of Kang Tae-woo shyly smiling, holding tongs in one hand and scissors in the other. It seems that this so-called "youth trip" is having a positive effect on him. ¡­Though he doesn¡¯t seem to realize he¡¯s being watched. What is that man even up to? I squinted and zoomed in on the photo Lee Seung-yeon had sent. In the corner of the barbecue restaurant, there was a man wearing sunsses, sitting alone. Lucky it¡¯s summer, nobody would think it¡¯s strange to see someone in sunsses. Still, wouldn¡¯t people nce at least once if someone¡¯s sitting by themselves grilling meat like that? When the kids get back, it¡¯s time for a special lesson. A Hunter should always be aware of their surroundings. I looked at the man again. Han Tae-kyung. How old is he now¡­? A year or two younger than me, I think. The fact that that annoying man is younger than me¡­ life really is full of surprises. ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Mini-me frowned, dissatisfied about something again. No matter how you look at it, he needs to go to school. He¡¯s too¡­ high-maintenance for me to handle. I might be able to manage kids the age of the Pilot High School students, but ten years old is too young. The Pilot High kids are the same age as the Hunter Academy students who visit the Ability Management Agency on field trips, after all. I cleared the empty bowl from in front of Mini-me. Life feels too monotonous. What would the old man have done with him? What did we do when I had just been adopted by old man¡­? ¡°Want to go for a walk?¡± ¡°¡­A walk? I don¡¯t want to go into the garden.¡± ¡°Not the garden.¡± I took Mini-me over to the window. In one corner of the garden, some kids were eating their packed lunches. On the other side was the parking area where Lee Mi-seon and Kim Chae-min¡¯s cars were parked. In that corner, there was a stone staircase. A staircase that leads down to the beach. Lee Mi-seon had mentioned it. That the beach down there was technically private property. Well, to be precise, the entrance was blocked off by the vi, so it had essentially be a private space. The kids didn¡¯t go down there either, so she had told me to take Mini-me down there to get some sunlight. ¡°You said you wanted to see the ocean.¡± Mini-me¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Without even answering, Mini-me bolted toward the front door. So this is what it feels like to take a dog out for a walk. Chapter 107: Observer of Youth (2) TL: SHW Swaaah¡­ Swaaah¡­ The sound of the waves is quiet. The coastline is receding. It''s low tide. Mini-me stood nkly, gazing at the ocean. Who knows what grand thoughts might be swirling around in that small head of his? I turned my head to look at the sea. The endlessly stretching sea. The water receding from the shore. The wet sand. To Mini-me, this must all feel unfamiliar. I shouldn¡¯t interrupt this emotional moment, right? Diverse experiences are good for emotional development. It¡¯s better to see as much as possible now than not see at all. ¡°Sniff.¡± Mini-me sniffled. He¡¯s not going to cry, is he? I raised my eyebrows and observed Mini-me, curious. Should I say something? But before I could decide, Mini-me spoke first. ¡°¡­It¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Well, of course. It¡¯s August now, and naturally, it¡¯s summer.@@novelbin@@ Lee Mi-seon¡¯s vi is air-conditioned enough to need a coat indoors. Even without air conditioning, awakened beings wouldn¡¯t copse from heatstroke, but if you can stay cool, why not, right? Even Hunters sweat, after all. Although Mini-me is set to awaken in the future, he hasn¡¯t awakened yet. And we¡¯re on a mudt with no shade from the sunlight. It¡¯d be strange if he weren¡¯t hot. I asked with an awkward smile. ¡°Do you want to go back inside?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He¡¯s thinking about it. That face, he¡¯s hot and wants to go in, but he¡¯s also fascinated by the sea. Is it because this is before I was rescued by the old man, time-wise? Or because he¡¯s me? It¡¯s just too easy to read him. Did I looked like that to the old man? How ridiculous I must have seemed. I think I now understand why the old man would asionally smirk and chuckle when he looked at me. I gave Mini-me a nudge on the back. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go inside, go into the sea.¡± ¡°¡­Into the sea?¡± ¡°Yeah. Is it too far?¡± Even though we¡¯ve only been at the shore for a short while, the sea has already moved farther away. The mysteries of nature. ¡°Still, if you step on the mudt, it¡¯ll feel cool.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± I squatted down in front of the hesitant Mini-me. Lee Mi-seon had bought Mini-me a pair of shoes. I undid the Velcro on his sandals and took them off, and Mini-me obediently ced his hands on my shoulders, quietly following my lead. ¡°Alright. Go ahead.¡± For the first time in his life, he stepped onto a sandy beach. At first, he waddled unsteadily, but once he got used to it, he started moving faster. ¡­He¡¯s going to fall at this rate. ¡°Ahh!¡± See? I told you he¡¯d fall. His white clothes were a mess. It might feel gross, but it¡¯s a mudt, so it wouldn¡¯t have hurt. And it¡¯s hot, so this is actually better, right? It¡¯ll feel cool. ¡°Hey, hyung!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Your little brother fell, and you¡¯re just going to stand there and watch?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Isn¡¯t I-rok capable of getting up on his own?¡± ¡°Seriously!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t get up? Then hyung will help you.¡± ¡°¡­I can get up on my own!¡± Mini-me lifted his head in defiance. Not only his clothes but also his face and hair were smeared with mud, making aplete mess. I grinned. Seeing me grin, Mini-me must have been annoyed. He pursed his lips out of habit, only to identally eat some mud and start coughing and gagging. In the end, I couldn¡¯t hold back and burst outughing. ¡°Alright. Get up.¡± I walked over to Mini-me and offered my hand. He grabbed it, but true to his stubborn nature, he leaned his weight onto my hand. If I fell because of the weight of a ten-year-old kid, my pride would be wounded. Would my Hyung have pretended to fall on purpose? No way. It¡¯s my brother we¡¯re talking about. There¡¯s no way he was some angel who endlessly coddled his little brother. No matter how precious his younger brother was, he never did anything he didn¡¯t want to do. Back then, it felt like my brother did whatever I asked of him, but looking back now with a bit more maturity, that wasn¡¯t the case. He just sweet-talked me, distracted me, and then did whatever he wanted. That¡¯s just how the Woo family is. Even my biological father, who left me nothing but our surname, usually yielded to my mother. But when he decided to stand his ground, not even she could win against him. In the end, it¡¯s the same genes running through us, isn¡¯t it? When the old man had asked, I should have just quickly agreed to change my surname. If I had at least changed my surname, maybe I could have diluted even a little bit of that cursed blood. But, well, even so, I doubt I would¡¯ve actually changed it. Like pulling out a radish, I grabbed Mini-me¡¯s hand and lifted him straight up. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There. Now you¡¯re standing, right?¡± Mini-me dangled lightly in the air. I debated whether to let go of his hand and make him fall again, but even for an Hyung, that felt like going too far, so I quietly set him back down. Mini-me flinched slightly at the sensation of mud against his bare feet. After staring quietly at the puddles of seawater scattered across the mudt, he bent down and started sshing his hand in the water. It¡¯s peaceful. It reminds me of the day I brought Mini-me here. I deliberately avoided thinking about my Hyung. During all that time, I believed that one day he would find me. I thought it was just that something had gone wrong, that he had run into trouble, or that theb had gotten in the way. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t find me. Otherwise, he would¡¯vee to take me with him already. At some point, I started thinking that I¡¯d go and find him instead. I wanted the power to destroy that annoyingb director and the researchers. I wanted to rise to a position where I could wield such power. After learning more about the world, I realized that if I could get to such a position, finding one person wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all. I wanted to find my brother. If only I could have properly remembered his face, I wouldn¡¯t have felt so suffocated. ¡°I-rok.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Mini-me, who seemed to have given up on his dirty clothes, plopped down on the ground and began ying with the mud with his hands. Was he engaging in some kind of sensory y? ¡°Did you remember hyung¡¯s face?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Mini-me¡¯s hands stopped moving. ¡°Did you remember?¡± Mini-me slowly started moving his hands again. He didn¡¯t answer. If he remembered, he wouldn¡¯t have avoided answering like that. ¡°When was thest time I-rok saw hyung¡¯s face? Was it when you were five? Or six? That was a long time ago.¡± ¡°¡­Still!¡± ¡°Still?¡± ¡°If I see hyung¡¯s face, I¡¯ll recognize him right away!¡± Mini-me said with irritation. ¡°He¡¯s my hyung. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize you.¡± He didn¡¯t recognize him, though, this kid. There¡¯s no need to tell him the truth, and I don¡¯t n to. Well, from his perspective, he would never in his wildest dreams think that I¡¯m himself. Even though I¡¯m his hyung, I can¡¯t help but wonder if, gically, we¡¯re basically like twins. Hyung was created in an artificial womb, but still, half of him was a sess. Hyung¡¯s peers all died before they were even born. Using Hyung¡¯s data, several more failures were made before I was finally born. I don¡¯t know how simr our genes are. Hyung might have known. But seeing how Mini-me boldly dered he could recognize him and then clung to me like that, I guess we must have looked quite simr. That must mean I looked so much like him that this kid didn¡¯t even realize we weren¡¯t the same person. ¡°Right. There¡¯s no way I-rok wouldn¡¯t recognize his hyung.¡± The same goes for me. It¡¯s as if twenty years of waiting were reset to zero. This time, Woo I-rok''s waiting doesn''t happen. Lucky kid. No, it¡¯s not lucky. After all, I had father. That¡¯s more than enough. Still, since Hong Seok-young said he¡¯s nning to raid Ark, wouldn¡¯t I be able to get a hold of the Cleaners list? I hope I can find even one picture of my hyung. ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± St. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I looked down at my clothes. There was a ck clump. Mud dripped, drip, drip. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± ¡°¡­This little¡­¡± Woo I-rok was holding a lump of mud and grinning mischievously. Even with a face covered in mud, that grin was more absurd than anything else. When Mini-me wiped his nose with his somewhat clean forearm, the mud smudged, leaving him looking even more ridiculous. Did this kid just pick a fight with an active Hunter? Father always told me one thing when fighting others. ¡®Wait for them to strike first.¡¯ Since Mini-me struck first, this counts as self-defense. I scooped up a handful of mud and hurled it at Mini-me. St. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If I were to make an excuse, it¡¯s that I¡¯ve never used mud as a weapon before. Not even the old man taught me something like that. So, in other words¡­ ¡°I-rok?¡± It was an ident that the mud ended up on his face. ¡°I hate you so much, hyung!!¡± ¡°You really hate me?¡± ¡°¡­Not really, but I¡¯m annoyed!¡± Mini-me charged at me. I thought about dodging, but this time I stayed still. Sometimes he joked, sometimes he teased me, and sometimes he yed pranks, but my hyung never rejected my hand. That was the one thing he always gave in to. I felt the weight around my waist, and instead of holding my ground, I let myself fall backward. Thud. The mudt was soft. Mini-me hugged my waist andughed loudly. For the first time since I kidnapped him from the orphanage, he wasughing out loud. Without getting up, Iy on the mudt and patted Mini-me on the head. The cloudless sky above matched my mood. ¡°¡­Hyung.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Get your hand off me.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re too grown up now to be okay with your head being patted? Hyung¡¯s going to be hurt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretending to pat my head, but you¡¯re rubbing mud on it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I raised my other hand and ruffled Mini-me¡¯s hair even more. ¡°Ah! Stop it!¡± ¡°You started it by smearing it on me first.¡± ¡°You were the one whoughed first!¡± ¡°Who told you to fall over?¡± As I smeared mud all over his hair and face, a chuckle escaped me. The sulking kid who pouted his lips when we left the vi earlier was nowhere to be seen. All that was left was a lump of mud fuming with frustration. But I was careful not to get any mud around his eyes, so his ring, mud-free eyes stood out clearly. He looked just like any other ordinary kid his age. The kind of kid who gets annoyed at their Hyung¡¯s pranks. Not a child raised in confinement by ab. Even without the old man, I think I can handle this. Of course. I¡¯m my father¡¯s son, why wouldn¡¯t I be able to? * Perhaps tired from ying on the mudt, Mini-me fell asleep the moment he washed up and changed into clean clothes. I pulled an elementary school first-grade textbook out of his hand and tucked a nket over him. ¡°Did he have fun ying?¡± Right on cue, Hong Seok-young appeared. When I gave a slight nod, Hong Seok-young approached quietly and looked down at Mini-me. ¡°I was worried because he seemed constantly tense. But it looks like he¡¯s starting to adjust.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°With such a caring hyung looking after him, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Hong Seok-young¡¯s gaze, fixed on Mini-me, seemed heavy. Perhaps he was thinking about his deceased son. ¡°Are Seung-yeon and Tae-woo still in Yeosu?¡± ¡°No.¡± I recalled the message Lee Seung-yeon had sent me. ¡°They said they¡¯d move after lunch. They mentioned heading to Busan.¡± ¡°Those kids sure are having fun.¡± ¡°They¡¯re kids, after all.¡± ¡°True enough. They have no idea how much the adults are struggling to clean up after them¡­.¡± ¡°They¡¯re kids.¡± ¡°Right, they¡¯re kids! It¡¯s the age for that kind of thing.¡± For some reason, Hong Seok-young looked pleased as he nodded. ¡­Did hee all this way just to say that? But the way he nced at me hinted that he had something more to say. Sure enough, he soon opened his mouth. ¡°I thought I should tell you about the person who¡¯s currently watching those two.¡± ¡°That¡­ Hunter, you mean?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s someone I used to look out for when I was in another guild¡­.¡± ¡°Is there something specific I should know?¡± Hong Seok-young scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major¡­. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s got a really troublesome personality.¡± ...You probably shouldn''t call that ''nothing major''. ¡°If he bothers you, don¡¯t stab him or anything.¡± ¡°Stab¡­ I won''t stab him." ¡°No.¡± Hong Seok-young firmly rejected my words. ¡°You can stab him. But if you do, it¡¯ll just get even more annoying. So even if he acts annoying, just leave him alone. He''ll quiet down if you don''t give him attention." ¡°¡­¡­.¡± "Ah, and he''s Eun-young''s oppa. Just so you know." What? Whose oppa? ¡°Oh, I should give Eun-young a heads-up too. She doesn¡¯t really like her oppa.¡± Looking satisfied, Hong Seok-young waved me off and hurried away to find Han Eun-young. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Only the sound of Mini-me¡¯s soft breathing filled the room. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!