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Chapter 67
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When both the vanguard and the follow-up team were dispatched to an A-rank dungeon suspected of being a double dungeon,
the ones paying attention to the news weren’t just those directly involved.
The citizens also awaited updates with bated breath, praying for the dungeon to be resolved safely.
[Even S-rank Hunter Yoo Byung-joon is missing. Isn’t this a huge deal?]
[The vanguard and follow-up team together have four S-rank hunters. It should be fine.]
The public waited for breaking news with a mix of worry and trust.
If an accident occurred again, South Korea would lose a significant number of high-ranking hunters.
This was something that absolutely could not happen. Everyone held their breath.
And then,
breaking news flashed across screens.
[(Breaking) Double dungeon successfully cleared.]
[No fatalities among the vanguard and follow-up teams!]
[Hunter Yoo Byung-joon and the rescue team confirmed deceased.]
[Hunter Kang Chul-min’s dazzling performance! Brilliant leadership crushed the dungeon.]
One piece of breaking news after another continued to pour out!
The internet erupted with explosive reactions.
[Title: The boss was an S-rank necromancer?]
[Yeah, yeah.]
Apparently, the necromancer turned Yoo Byung-joon and the rescue team into undead minions. Crazy.
– Seriously? That’s terrifying.
– No way, messing with human corpses like that? Scary.
└ ?? : This is called recycling.
└ Eco-friendly, isn’t it?
└ Hahaha, what the hell!
└ LOL
– Killing enemies while making friends at the same time. Unbelievable.
└ True LOL
[Title: Hunter Kim Ji-a showed off again.]
[Yeah, yeah.]
Apparently, she went one-on-one with Zombie Yoo Byung-joon and won.
– Wow, doesn’t that mean she’s already S-rank?
– Damn, Kim Ji-a again.
– You again.
– Hunter Kim Ji-a’s potential is limitless.
– Nunaaaaa!
[Title: Legendary performance by Hunter Kang Chul-min.]
[Yeah, yeah.]
The Blue Forest Guild led the charge in clearing out the undead. LOL.
– Of course, the Blue Forest Guild! Their pillars are on a different level.
– No wonder S-rank is S-rank. LOL.
– If only I were an awakener, I’d join Blue Forest.
– Are you guys paid to write this stuff?
There wasn’t just one or two breaking news stories.
A raid with zero fatalities and even no injuries.
The stellar performance of Hunter Kim Ji-a.
The master of the Knight Guild regaining his back health.
The mysterious nun.
In addition, the Blue Forest Guild’s public relations efforts to restore its honor and the memorials for Hunter Yoo Byung-joon.
Because of all this, the internet was flooded with waves of information, surging endlessly.
Sensational topics continued to be reported intensively.
Naturally, public attention was drawn to those stories.
***
“Yawn…”
I covered my mouth with my hand and let out a light yawn.
Warm sunlight, making one drowsy, streamed into the living room through the window.
Tucking my long hair behind my ear, I glanced outside.
It was such pleasant weather that even someone like me felt like going out.
…Of course, I wasn’t actually going to leave and planned to laze around at home.
Holding my phone, I browsed the internet to check what had happened yesterday.
The rate at which new posts were being uploaded on community boards was astounding.
If I drank a glass of water and refreshed the page, an entirely new set of posts would appear.
Because of that, I had to search using keywords to find posts about the nun.
I could see people who were curious about and looking for information about me.
But since no one knew anything, there didn’t seem to be much material to speculate on.
Even in the meantime, dozens of new posts kept popping up.
The management bureau would handle it well!
Nodding in satisfaction, I leaned back comfortably on the sofa.
‘Hmm…’
I calmly recalled the events of yesterday.
When I killed the necromancer in the dungeon, the lingering words she muttered just before she died.
[De…mon King… I’m…sorry…]
That one phrase wouldn’t leave my mind.
Demon King. Demon King. Demon King.
I definitely killed the Demon King.
The scene of the hero’s sword slicing through the Demon King’s neck was still vivid in my memory.
…Could he have been resurrected somehow?
But why was that necromancer looking for the Demon King in the first place? And why did she appear in a gate?
Is the other world currently at war with a resurrected Demon King?
And is the hero’s party, without me, fighting in the war again?
There were too many unknowns.
But no matter how much I speculated, I couldn’t reach a conclusion.
There was no way to find the answers.
Because this wasn’t the other world but Earth.
…Well, they can handle it themselves.
I’m part of Earth now! Let the people of the other world deal with their own problems.
I don’t know how to go back, nor do I want to.
I folded yesterday’s events neatly into a corner of my mind.
If new information arose, I could think about it again then.
“Ugh…!”
As if to shake off my thoughts, I stretched my body with a loud yawn.
At the edge of my vision, I saw my toes stretched out straight.
Wiggle, wiggle.
As I finished stretching, I unconsciously moved my toes, curling and uncurling them.
Without much thought, I touched them with my fingers.
Hmm…
Even so, they didn’t feel like cat paw pads.
Recalling how Si-yoon had fiddled with them before, I moved my fingers.
Squish, squish.
It was clear that my feet were soft right now. Should I give myself a massage while I’m at it?
I gently pressed my thumbs against each foot, alternating between them.
When I finished the massage, I idly stared at my hands and feet before letting out a wry smile.
Slowly standing up, I washed my hands and grabbed a drink from the fridge.
As part of my usual routine, I turned on the TV and got to work on various tasks I needed to complete.
I studied, prepared for my academy lectures,
and watched Momobin’s broadcasts diligently.
Today’s theme on Momobin’s show was horror games.
Eeeek! H-h-h-hiccup.》
– LOL
– She’s been staring at the ground all day. LOL
– So true, LOL
– I’m a fan!
– Hug me~
– LOL
– LOL
Even as she let out small shrieks and whimpered, Momobin continued to play the game to the end, looking absolutely adorable.
Excited viewers flooded the chat.
I joined in on the fun too.
– Aaaiiiiiiing-waaahhh!
《I-I wasn’t crying like that!》
– LOL
– So funny LOL
– Ahaha, hilarious!
– Such a cute newbie to horror games LOL
– LOL
– LOL
Everyone was happy except for Momobin.
As I busied myself with various tasks, time passed quickly, and it was already evening.
At some point, as if she had finished her work, I heard the sound of a door opening, and Si-yoon came out into the living room.
“Unnieee…”
“Done? Great job.”
“Yeah, it was tough…”
She must have had a really hard day.
Si-yoon dragged herself over to me like an undead.
“I had such a rough day. Let’s order something delicious for dinner today.”
Si-yoon plopped down beside me.
Then, lightly hugging me, she said,
“Unnie, your hair is so soft… It feels nice.”
“R-really?”
“Mm-hmm. It smells good too.”
“O-oh, I see…”
Feeling awkward as she sniffed my hair, I trailed off.
Her soft touch through the hug was noticeable.
What kind of work does she do to end up so completely drained?
I felt a bit sorry for her, but her posture and the situation were uncomfortable for me in many ways.
Eventually, hesitating, I asked her,
“Well, your position is a bit uncomfortable for me. Could you let go?”
“Waaah, just a little longer—”
Instead of letting go, she clung tighter and started nuzzling.
It was like she was hugging a doll to recover her damaged mental state—except, of course, I’m a person.
Letting out a small sigh, I shifted my thoughts.
If spending some time together helps her recover, isn’t that a good thing?
After a little while, as Si-yoon continued to cling, she spoke up.
Still hugging me, she rubbed her cheek against my hair.
“…Hey, Unnie.”
“Yeah?”
“Are there ghosts in the other world?”
“Ghosts?”
“Yeah, you said it was a fantasy-like world.”
It was a casual question.
“You don’t need to go to another world. You can find them in dungeons, too.”
“…Really?”
“Yup. I killed countless ones just yesterday.”
Si-yoon slowly raised her head.
Finally letting go, she sat beside me, narrowing her eyes.
“Then, Unnie, you’re not afraid of ghosts at all?”
“…Ahaha.”
Si-yoon had mentioned watching Momobin’s broadcasts during breaks at work.
She was trembling this much just from watching the streams?
How can my little sister be such a scaredy-cat?
“Of course not! I’ve seen things much scarier than ghosts. Don’t worry—if one shows up, I’ll send it to the afterlife!”
“…”
I declared confidently.
But Si-yoon’s expression wasn’t what I expected.
How do I put it? She looked like she’d just suffered a mysterious loss.
“R-right. Got it.”
“You’re not saying you’re scared to sleep alone at night, are you?”
“Come on, I’m not a kid!”
I teased her lightly, and she burst out laughing.
After her laughter died down, she smiled softly and said,
“Dinner’s on me tonight! Let’s eat something good!”
“You already have something in mind, don’t you?”
“Hehe, busted?”
Grinning from ear to ear, Si-yoon fiddled with her phone.
We ordered delivery and shared a meal together.
Dinner was delicious again tonight.
***
A few days later.
I received a call from Section Chief Jang Han-soo of the Hunter Management Bureau.
In a tired voice, he said he had things to deliver and wanted to meet in person.
I agreed readily and spent the rest of the day relaxing.
The next day, I took public transportation to the café where we were supposed to meet.
Since I arrived first, I didn’t see the section chief yet.
Checking my phone, I found a message in our chat saying he’d be a bit late and apologizing.
I passed the time by looking around the quiet street.
Before long, I saw the section chief running toward me, panting heavily.
“Phew! I’m sorry, I got held up with some matters that needed attention.”
“No problem, it’s okay.”
Dark circles under his eyes made his already tired-looking face even worse.
When I gave him a concerned look, he scratched his cheek awkwardly and said,
“Before we go into the café, could you follow me for a moment?”
“Sure.”
I followed him closely as he walked briskly.
The section chief stopped in a parking lot.
Looking around cautiously, he opened the trunk of a car.
Inside was a large guitar case.
“For now, add this to your status window.”
“Um, okay.”
Tilting my head in confusion, I replied, and the section chief placed his hand on the case, saying,
“It’s a very expensive item, so it’s better to secure it safely as soon as possible.”
“Ah, I see.”
I didn’t know what was inside, but his reasoning made sense.
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