Chapter 123:

We kindly ask for your understanding regarding the inconsistency of character pronouns, particularly for the Entities (ex. The Greedy Predator). In Korean, pronouns are rarely used, making it challenging to ascertain a character's gender or identity until later narratives unfold. Given this is a guest-funded site, the time to backtrack is better used to keep other works' going. On a more important note, refrain from sharing this work on social media to ensure our survivability. Thank you for your cooperation!

As the days went by, Yun Jaeheon became increasingly taciturn. Apart from the times when he energetically coordinated the propaganda for mercenary unit member Patrick Brown, he mostly guarded the gate.

Unable to sleep and eat properly, he worried about the respected leader Ali Russo. And his precious younger sister. As Christmas approached, he seemed to wither away little by little.

“Sir, please get some rest, at least for a while. If your sister sees you like this, she’ll be upset.”

Only after the less capable members mentioned her name did he manage to close his eyes briefly. However, any minor disturbance would make him spring up and rush out, so there was little respite.

Before he knew it, exactly 27 days had passed as he anxiously awaited their safe return.

Upon hearing that the gate was shaking, Yun Jaeheon rushed over and kneeled before it.

“… Seora.”

The name of the biggest contributor to the demise of the 8th floor of the Labyrinth appeared. Boldly inscribed at the top was the name Yun Seora.

Finally, that child did it. His family, who had chosen to stay in the dark shadows while resenting her mother and the world, had overcome everything and risen. She had become the strongest in the world.

Tears of joy, tenderness, and sadness of being unable to stay by their side until they grew up gathered and fell to the ground, drop by drop.

“The survivors are returning!”

With someone’s shout, Yun Jaeheon snapped to attention and forced strength into his trembling legs as he rushed forward.

Who could it be? Who would be the first to appear? How many of them managed to come back alive? Is Seora alright? Did she get hurt anywhere?

Anxious, he pushed through the crowd and stepped forward to the gate. And there, the first returnee revealed themselves.

Combat boots, a black combat suit bearing the marks of battles, and a stylish black jacket fluttering in the wind. The first person to return with the white fox was none other than the one he had been anxiously waiting for—Seora.

“Seora!”

Before anyone else could approach, Jaeheon ran toward her first. He couldn’t see that fox-like creature in his eyes. Jaeheon tightly embraced Seora.

With a mischievous, childlike smile, his sister patted his back, just like she always did. “How have you been, Brother?”

Oh, it was really her. His sister had really returned unharmed. Tears gushed out again.

“Oh, come on, don’t cry. Everyone’s watching you, Yun Jaeheon.”

Ignoring her teasing, Jaeheon buried his face in Seora’s shoulder, much smaller than his. When did she grow this much? His tears kept flowing on the shoulder that had become strong enough for him to rely on.

Yip. Something tugged at his clothes and pulled him lightly. Finally standing up, he discovered a fox with nine tails.

“Nine-tailed fox?”

“He’s my summoned creature. His name is Elizabeth. Say hello.”

Yip!

“His personality is quite gentle. Isn’t he cute?”

Gentle? It was gnawing on his clothes with a fierce expression, turning them into shreds, and it was gentle? Why did it have such a clear expression? Is it not human? Its pure white fur and distinct green eyes were cute, but it definitely didn’t look gentle.

“Ah, look at me. Are you hurt anywhere? Let’s get you checked first.”

Jaeheon, examining Seora’s body meticulously with tattered sleeves, shouted for someone to bring a bed quickly. People who had been wiping away tears hastily started to move.

“But what about the others?”

Seora mumbled that she wasn’t hurt anywhere in particular, but she received a stern look from the fox and eventually sat down on the bed. However, the faces of the people watching her didn’t seem at ease, including Jaeheon.

“C-could it be… Headbang returned alone…?”

“Everyone, everyone died…?”

“No way! That can’t be true! Captain…!”

Jaeheon, sweating coldly, grabbed Seora’s arm.

“Seora, what happened? What happened inside? It’s unprecedented for all seven L-classes to die at once…! Was it such a terrible place!?”

“No, wait, calm down. Everyone? Please calm down and listen to me.”

Seora raised her hand and focused their attention on her. If there was even a slight delay, it felt like news like “All L-classes, except Headbang, are dead” would spread worldwide. And those people who loved commotion would probably add something like “Headbang looks suspicious.” Oh, that must not happen.

“There are no casualties.”

To avoid any misunderstandings, Seora started with the most crucial information. The people, who had been on the verge of crying, stopped their tears and listened attentively to her words.

“There are no major injuries either. My summoned creature pulled me out first, and the others will be coming out soon, so don’t worry. We have two days of in-Labyrinth time until the gate closes, so everyone will come out slowly.”

Her calm explanation brought relief, and people hugged each other, shedding tears of gratitude. The support team urged her to rest and brought her inside.

And just as Seora had said, not long after, the members emerged from the gate one by one—Ethan J. Garcia, Monique Ribery, Oliver Ross, Julian Martinez, Ali Russo, Seong Jarim, and Kang Sejun. Every single one of them crossed the gate without exception, unharmed and in good condition. As they smiled brightly and waved their hands, the message everyone had been waiting for appeared above their heads.

【The ‘World of Crumbled Revelation’ has completely collapsed. The gate to the 8th floor of the Labyrinth is closing.】

The ominous fluctuations of the gate subsided. The Labyrinth gate, from which not even a hint of power could be felt, signified the completion of the conquest of the 8th floor.

“To all members of the raid party! Great job!”

All the personnel brought in for support bowed deeply before those who had successfully closed the 8th floor. This joyful news spread worldwide through various media outlets in all directions.

***

「The 8th Floor of the Labyrinth Has Been Conquered!」

「L-Classes Smiling Brightly in Front of the Closed Gate. All Return Safely!」

「Participants on the 8th Floor of the Labyrinth Raid, Gather Their Voices and Shout, Thanks to Headbang and Oliver Ross, We Survived!」

「Top Contributors: Yun Seora and Oliver Ross. Will the World Ranking Be Flipped?」

After leaving Labyrinth Island and returning to Hawaii.

Seora lay in the hotel suite, browsing news articles on her phone with a content smile. With all these loud headlines, it’s hard not to be happy when they all symbolize peace.

“Moreover, they prepared this gift.”

A single line in the news caught her eye.

「The Biggest Contributor, Headbang Yun Seora. Revealed to Be the Daughter of the First Generation S-Class Hyeon Jaehui and the Younger Sister of Athena’s Yun Jaeheon.」

Since she had informed Congressman Lee Gilsang about this fact, Seora had expected this to happen. Once she enters the Labyrinth, she may be unable to come out for several months, making it an ideal time to manipulate and tamper with information. She believed that opposition lawmakers, including Lee Gilsang, who still feared the deceased Hyeon Jaehui, would never miss this opportunity. However, Seora wasn’t afraid. After all, Song Hanna was protecting her. No matter what they tried to do, they couldn’t tarnish her reputation, so there was no reason to worry.

Nevertheless, she had never expected something like this to happen.

「The Hero Who Saved Korea. The Daughter Who Saved the World.」

「The Reason Headbang Concealed Her Identity: A Life Tortured by Beasts With Human Faces.」n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

「Re-Evaluating the Incident of the Dispatched S-Class Hunters to the Cheorwon Dungeon 12 Years Ago!」

“Did you do this, Brother?” Seora shook her phone toward Jaeheon, who was peeling an apple beside her. “Nevermind, without you, how else could we have so many friendly articles?”

“While my little sister is fighting hard, it’s my duty as her older brother to help like this. What do you think? Is it okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s satisfying to see the opposition squirm.”

The neatly peeled apple was really delicious. Every time she took a bite, the juice would flow, and Seora smiled warmly as she swallowed it. Thanks to that, Jaeheon’s face became noticeably brighter.

If Patrick, who took on this task, had seen it, he would have kneeled and thanked her.

“What about Auntie? She worked hard too, right?”

Before returning to Hawaii, Seora had a brief phone call with Song Hanna.

— You worked hard, Seora. Don’t worry about what comes next, just take care of yourself. Don’t think about anything else.

At that time, she had wondered what that meant, but she never expected that Jaeheon had prepared such a cute gift together with her.

“When you return to Korea, you might have to deal with the media for a while. Are you okay with that?”

“I expected that, so it’s fine. Anyway, I need to rest here for a few more days. A summoned creature here has been staring at me, so I can’t go anywhere.”

On one side of the king-sized bed, a fox reduced to the size of a puppy was watching her closely. No one, except Jaeheon, had been able to cross the threshold of her room due to how intensely the fox was watching.

If Seora hadn’t shouted, “I need someone to peel an apple for me,” Jaeheon would’ve had to watch his sister from afar.

“Besides, I want to celebrate my birthday in peace.”

Outside the window, the atmosphere was completely festive. Having successfully conquered the 8th floor of the Labyrinth without any casualties and with it being the Christmas season, everyone was enjoying a happy party.

December 25th. Today was Seora’s birthday.

“Even though we stayed in the Labyrinth for only about a week, almost a month has passed outside. It really feels like I’ve traveled to a completely different world.”

Thanks to that, she celebrated Christmas in summer instead of winter, which was quite nice.

“Happy birthday, Seora.”

Seora, gently stroking the fox in her arms, turned her head. Jaeheon was holding a gift in his hand.

“You were on Labyrinth Island for a whole month, so when did you prepare this?”

“Of course, I prepared it in advance. As you said, we never know when you’ll come out.”

A red wrapping paper with a golden ribbon. She liked the color combination. Seora smiled as she unwrapped the gift.