Chapter 20
Day 1 of Forced Low-Profile Life.
As I was about to enter the Tower as usual, Lillian suddenly stood up and stared at something.
Was something wrong?
“Master, I sense a foreign energy nearby.”
“Foreign energy?”
“Yes, it seems like dimensional travelers are preparing an attack.”
Dimensional travelers.
That’s what Lillian calls the monsters emerging from Gates.
At that moment, my phone alarm rang.
[A Gate has appeared nearby. Residents are advised to avoid the area.]
Monsters don’t emerge from Gates right after they appear, but there’s always a chance.
Thinking, “The Association will handle it,” I was about to head into the Tower, but Lillian made an interesting suggestion.
“Master, there’s something unique inside. Why don’t we claim it for ourselves?”
“Something unique?”
“Yes, due to the Tower’s restrictions, I can’t explain in detail, but it’s very beneficial for Ni… Nika.”
Glancing at Nika as she spoke, Nika, now excited, eagerly urged me to go.
[Master! Let’s go now!]
“W-wait a moment!”
She paused at my words, looking at me with an incredibly cute expression.
[Aren’t we going?]
Clutching my chest at her adorable gaze, I quickly said we should go.
Only then did she smile brightly and take the lead.
…It’ll work out somehow!
Inside the Gate.
When a Gate appears, Hunters from the Awakener Association investigate and assess its rank.
This is required by law, and no other Hunters are allowed to enter the Gate before the Association completes its survey.
Violators face penalties ranging from imprisonment to summary execution.
“So this method ensures we won’t get caught, right?”
“Yes! Of course! It’s a secret technique passed down through the witch clan! The ‘Invisibility Potion!’”
I stared doubtfully at the potion Lillian handed me before opening the lid. It smelled like grapes.
It wasn’t just any grape scent—it was the unmistakable aroma of 100% pure grape juice.
“I made it grape-flavored so you’d like it!”
“…Thanks?”
Drinking the potion, I confirmed the changes in my body as I turned invisible.
“The effect lasts about an hour. That should be enough, especially with Ni… Nika around!”
[Of course!]
Confidently responding, Nika and Lillian accompanied me toward the Gate. Ahead, we spotted numerous Hunters dispatched by the Awakener Association.
Each of them appeared to be high-ranking, at least B-grade to A-grade Awakeners.
Getting caught would mean not even bones would remain.
Though, it would be their bones.
Climbing the Tower with Nika had given me some perspective.
Even if all of them attacked at once, they wouldn’t survive a single strike from Nika.
Our plan was to sneak in and snatch whatever unique item Lillian mentioned before they could.
This plan, titled “Monsters for You, Treasures for Me,” had officially begun.
Inside the Gate.
Entering the Gate, a vast plain stretched before us. Nika flew high into the sky to survey the surroundings before descending.
[There’s nothing here!]
Noticing something strange, Lillian tilted her head in confusion.
“That’s odd. I could’ve sworn there was something here.”
Should I call it a woman’s intuition? Or a witch’s intuition?
She insisted there was something and warned me to be cautious. At that moment, Hunters from the Awakener Association appeared at the Gate’s entrance.
They cautiously searched the surroundings, ready to act.
Suddenly, dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
Inside the Gate, an artificial space, natural weather phenomena shouldn’t occur.
Dark clouds gathering could only mean something was approaching.
As the Awakener Association Hunters assumed defensive positions, lightning struck from the clouds, revealing a figure.
A trident-wielding monster resembling a merman emerged.
Mermen typically inhabit the sea and don’t make such grand entrances.
Even the Awakener Association Hunters were wary, sensing something unusual.
At that moment…
[They’re all going to die.]
Before Nika’s words could fully register, the head of one Hunter hit the ground with a dull thud.
Shivering from Nika’s unusually terrifying appearance, I stepped outside.
【They’re all going to die, aren’t they?】
Before Nika could even finish her sentence, the head of one of the Hunters hit the ground with a thud.
The Hunter’s eyes were still wide open, unaware of his death.
At the same time, the remaining Hunters scattered to retaliate, but the monster merely laughed while effortlessly dealing with their attacks.
This was no ordinary B-grade monster.
At the very least, it was an A-grade monster.
“I think it’s a good time to make our move,” Lillian said.
As I stood there dumbfounded, watching the chaos unfold, Lillian grabbed my arm.
She urged me to move quickly, but my feet refused to budge.
If I thought solely about my own gain, she was right—we should leave now.
But could I justify this decision?
Especially to my younger sister, who lost her abilities and her legs while saving a child.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.”
I expected disappointment from Lillian, but instead, she smiled brightly.
“That’s exactly why you’re my Master.”
She then pulled a staff out of her subspace and began gathering magic.
The moment she did, the invisibility spell faded, and the monster’s gaze turned toward us.
But it was already too late.
Lillian’s massive magic circle unfolded, binding the monster with countless chains. Another magic circle appeared, releasing a radiant light that annihilated the monster, erasing it from existence.
I turned to look at Lillian, who grinned at me as if to say, “Did I do well? Praise me!”
She was terrifying.
You’re much stronger than I thought, aren’t you?
I knew the 10th-floor boss would be strong, but I didn’t expect it to be this overwhelming.
And now, it was time for cleanup.
The moment Lillian, who had no official status, disappeared from view, a group of Hunters from the Association surrounded me.
A strikingly beautiful woman with blue hair stepped forward, her wary eyes fixed on me.
“Who are you? How did you defeat that Variant with a single blow? No, wait—never mind that. First…”
The woman, who had been rambling, suddenly bowed her head.
“I’m Cha Mi-rin, an A-grade Awakener and Team Leader from the Awakener Association. Thank you for your assistance. Without you, we would have been slaughtered. We couldn’t even react to the Variant’s attack.”
For a moment, it seemed like things would end amicably in this warm atmosphere.
But I was wrong.
Apparently, repaying kindness with hostility was a hobby for these people, as they pointed their weapons at me.
“I will now proceed with official duties. You are under arrest for violating Article 1, Clause 5 of the Awakener Special Act. Please comply and come with us quietly.”
“Could you just look the other way this once?” I asked.
“Do you think that’s even remotely possible?”
Her resolute tone left no room for negotiation.
I offered her a solution instead—or rather, I gave her no choice.
“Nika.”
The moment Nika reverted to her true form, she extended her massive claws toward the Hunters, initiating ‘negotiations.’
The Association’s Awakeners fainted as soon as they laid eyes on her.
Even Team Leader Cha Mi-rin was trembling in terror, gripping her weapon tightly. I could understand her reaction.
“If you pretend you didn’t see anything, there won’t be any problems. Besides, don’t you have more pressing matters to attend to?”
I pointed toward the injured Hunters who had fallen victim to the Variant.
Cha Mi-rin bit her lip and glared at me.
Even when she’s angry, she’s beautiful.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“My name is Min Su-han.”
“Min Su-han… I’ll remember that.”
With that, she kicked the unconscious Hunters awake and began covering the bodies with white cloths to move them.
Leaving her behind, I followed Lillian.
“Master, who is this Min Su-han?”
“It’s the name of a guy who mocked me when I was first awakened, calling me a D-grade.”
“Oh? I’d love to know more about this guy. Won’t you tell me?”
Something about telling her felt like it would lead to trouble.
I brushed it off, saying it was all in the past and urging her to focus on finding treasure. Only then did she take the lead.
But I heard her muttering, “I’ll find him and curse him somehow.”
I pretended not to hear anything.
***
Cha Mi-rin, moving her fallen subordinates’ bodies, made a call to a colleague in the Intelligence Department.
“Team Leader, what’s the matter?”
“Could you look up an Awakener for me? He’s a man in his early twenties. His name is Min Su-han. Oh, and… he’s very handsome—” She coughed. “Anyway, that’s his name.”
“One moment! Uh… I’ve found him. He’s a C-grade Hunter! But, uh, not particularly handsome.”
“Ahem! Issue a warrant immediately. Charge him with unauthorized Gate entry, attempted murder of Association Hunters—anything we can throw at him.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
After securing the warrant and requesting additional support to apprehend him once he exited the Gate, Cha Mi-rin began preparing thoroughly.
She had even issued a nationwide alert to ensure he couldn’t escape.
But more importantly, what was that earlier?
A monster so terrifying that it was hard to even recall its image.
She didn’t want to encounter it again.
But for the safety of civilians, she had no choice but to face it.
—
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