Chapter 148:

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. Update twice a week [SUN] & [THURS] starting August 2024! Also please check out our new Hunter series!

His face was drained of color instantly, and he urgently asked his daughter, “Si-eun, where’s Mom? Where is she?”

“I don’t know. A monster appeared while Mom was at the convenience store.”

“All the residents on the second and third floors have been evacuated. If she didn’t come out before this, she’d be on the first floor or the platform.”

At Seora’s words, Joo Eun immediately sprang up. A bow ready in his hand, unbeknownst to anyone.

“I’ll go inside and check.”

I’ll watch over Si-eun. By the way, Hunter Kang Sejun is patrolling the first floor, so don’t worry and take calm breaths for now.”

Thankfully, Joo Eun regained his composure with Seora’s advice. Leaving a message entrusting his daughter, he joined the Eternal Guild members and entered the gate.

Seora patted Joo Si-eun, who was looking intently at the entrance. “Don’t worry too much. Your dad went to fetch her, so your mom will return safely, too.”

“Yes.”

Though her answer was blunt, she was still a child. Seora hugged the fidgeting child, glancing at the gate. Si-eun clutched onto her clothes with both hands.

Shrouded in darkness, the Busan Station returned to its original appearance when the belated ambulance arrived to transport the injured to the hospital.

As the gate that had surrounded the main entrance disappeared, people shouted, “The dungeon has been cleared!”

“It looks like Kang Sejun and Joo Eun pulled it off!”

Before Seora’s eyes, holding Si-eun, system messages also appeared.

【The Demonic Boss of the Level 4 Dungeon ‘Shadow Ghost Haven’ has been defeated!】

【Top Contributor: Kang Sejun (Class L)】

“Si-eun, all the monsters are gone. You don’t have to worry anymore.”

As Seora gently patted Si-eun, nestled in her arms, the child looked up with a start. With Busan Station, which had felt like a haunted house, now looking normal again, Si-eun’s body seemed to relax.

Before long, Kang Sejun and a group of citizens, including Joo Eun, emerged from Busan Station. Seora, holding Si-eun close, approached Joo Eun. Fortunately, he was supporting a woman.

“Mom!”

She was Joo Si-eun’s mother and Joo Eun’s wife, Lee Yunjae.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. Just as you advised, Mom, I stayed quiet and hid until someone came to rescue me.”

“You followed Mom’s advice. Well done.”

“Yes. And Hunter Yun Seora over there saved me.”

Only now did Lee Yunjae’s gaze turn towards Seora. “Hello. I’m Si-eun’s mother, Lee Yunjae. Thank you so much for saving my daughter.”

Bowing her head slightly, Lee Yunjae, in contrast to the affectionate mask Joo Eun wore, had a rather stoic and strong presence. It belatedly occurred to Seora that she was a former national taekwondo representative, given her well-built physique.

Ah, Si-eun definitely got her bluntness from her mom’s genes.

“I’m Yun Seora. Si-eun is really smart. Even at a young age, she handled the dungeon calmly and avoided injuries. You can put your worries to rest.”

Upon Seora’s assurance, Lee Yunjae, who was discreetly examining Si-eun, breathed relief. “Her father being the guildmaster, she knows a lot about dungeons. It seems like the early education paid off.”

“Mom, the Miss Hunter here saw me and said I’m really smart. She asked if I plan to join the association when I grow up.” Thanks to returning safely with her mother, Si-eun, who had somehow calmed down, proudly boasted. Joo Eun, who had regained his smile, chuckled.

“Impressive. Just as expected of my daughter.”

As Lee Yunjae affectionately patted her daughter’s head, she indeed bore a striking resemblance to Si-eun. From what Seora had heard, Lee Yunjae was older than Joo Eun. It seemed that the true powerhouse of that household was Lee Yunjae. Her maternal charisma was no joke.

“Yun Seora.”

At that moment, Kang Sejun approached, detailing the number of rescued individuals and the injured to the Busan Association staff.

“You worked hard taking down the boss.”

“You too. I never expected Joo Eun’s family to be here. I only came because this dungeon, which used to have hundreds of casualties each time, attracted my attention…”

Kang Sejun wore a subtle expression as he looked at Joo Eun and his family, delighted at each other’s safety. He likely shared Seora’s thoughts.

“This time, you really saved them with your own hands.”

As Seora chuckled, Kang Sejun had a somewhat taken-aback expression.

“If you hadn’t brought me here, the tragedy would have repeated itself. Regardless of it being an amazing coincidence, they ultimately survived because of your judgment. So just be genuinely happy.”

“…”

“I’ll let your lies slide for this time.”

Kang Sejun, who had widened his eyes, finally smiled with a relieved expression as Seora playfully patted his shoulder with her fist. His sharp features softened into a genuine smile, complementing his handsome appearance.

“Thank you.”

This time, it was Seora’s turn to be surprised. She had never seen Kang Sejun smile like this before. Even in moments of laughter and playfulness, there was always a sense of caution on one side of his face, resulting from living through six repeated lives. But now, that caution was absent.

She had always been concerned that his mental recovery seemed somewhat slow compared to Seong Jarim’s, but was this finally a sign that he was beginning to ease his mind? She hoped so.

Even though she had been tricked into coming to Busan, the satisfaction she gained from it made her heart feel lighter.

It was not a bad start to the holiday.

***

Due to the Busan Station Rift Dungeon incident, fifteen fatalities and dozens of injuries occurred. Two of the deceased were Hunters deployed for support.

However, considering it was the first day of the holiday, the damages were relatively minimal. This was due to the immediate response by Kang Sejun and Yun Seora, as well as the participation of the Eternal Guild, which had handled the Gwangalli Gate.

People paid their respects to the victims in front of Busan Station with flower bouquets and expressed gratitude towards the assisting Hunters.

Busan Station would be temporarily closed for about a day despite the holiday due to the damage. After repairing the wrecked trains and tidying up the interior, it was scheduled to resume operations the following day.

This news spread quickly throughout the country. The extra tidbit that Kang Sejun and Yun Seora had embarked on a date in Busan but ended up handling the Rift Dungeon together was a bonus.

“Oh my. Can I really be treated like this?”

And Seora was being treated extravagantly, utterly unaware that everyone beside her was just sipping some imaginary kimchi soup.

[T/N: sipping some imaginary kimchi soup here means ‘believing baseless rumors’]

Haha. King crab and shrimp. Truly a feast fit for royalty.

“Of course. If you want more, feel free to ask.”

The Joo couple never treated their benefactors lightly. Since they were stuck in Busan due to the station’s closure, they generously hosted Seora and Kang Sejun.

Seora, who got to eat the king crab for free, didn’t hesitate to enjoy it deliciously without refusing the offer.

The people at the dining table weren’t only them. Lee Rohan, the S-class Hunter whom Seora had never met, lowered his head. “I never expected to meet you both like this.”

Seora was initially taken aback when she saw him for the first time. He appeared much fiercer in person than she had seen on TV or the internet. She had thought it was too much when people suspected him of being a gangster, but the moment she met him in person, she honestly understood that sentiment.

Of course, she had long discarded such thoughts.

“Ah!”

It was all thanks to little Joo Si-eun.

When Si-eun opened her mouth and urged, Lee Rohan skillfully fed a piece of king crab meat into the child’s mouth. Worried that the tough shell might be difficult to chew, Lee Rohan fidgeted as he fed Si-eun. “Is it tasty?”

“Yeah! Give me more!”

Lee Rohan fed another piece of king crab into her mouth.

What is this…? It’s like a… young lady and her butler…

Seora couldn’t close her mouth the first time she witnessed this scene. However, it seemed like she was the only one surprised; everyone else had familiar expressions. Even Kang Sejun nodded as if saying, “That’s how he is.” Because of that, Seora was at a loss for words.

He wasn’t a gangster, just a big dog. If there were ever people doubting him in the future, she would have to advocate for his innocence.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Seora truly had never seen someone with such a massive build handle a king crab so delicately and feed it to a child who wasn’t even their own.

‘To think someone like him would be misunderstood as a gangster.’

Aside from his somewhat intimidating appearance, she had developed a liking for him after realizing he was a person who carefully chose his words. That perception completely flipped when she saw how he interacted with Joo Si-eun.

“Lee Rohan-ssi takes care of Si-eun really well.”

After dinner, the six of them took a walk along the winter beach. The weather and scenery were nice, but Seora couldn’t take her eyes off Lee Rohan and Joo Si-eun walking ahead. A sturdy man walking with a child that wasn’t even his own. He even seemed anxious, perhaps worried the child might get cold.

“It seems like he’s been doing that since she was born. Yunjae and, well, my wife and Lee Rohan were college classmates.”

Joo Eun informed Seora that they had become connected, and after awakening to his abilities, Lee Rohan had joined the Eternal Guild.

“Now that I think about it, Lee Rohan-ssi also mentioned that he did taekwondo with Lee Yunjae-ssi for a while.”

It happened about 8 years ago. When a promising taekwondo national athlete awakened as an A-class Hunter, various media outlets buzzed with excitement. During a time when the world hadn’t yet found stability, the awakening of a notable figure was a significant topic of discussion.

However, Lee Rohan remained out of the public eye for a while, not participating in activities as a taekwondo athlete or a Hunter.

Then, three years later, when people started to forget about him, he revealed himself as a Hunter affiliated with the Eternal Guild.

“He’s a truly good-natured friend. When Headbang’s true identity was revealed, he sighed, wondering how such a young person had gone through so much,” Lee Yunjae said, praising her friend as she looked at Seora. She was indeed relatively young; Yun Seora was only twenty-three years old. She was too young to discuss world peace.

Even if the profession of a Hunter was not determined by age, how could one not worry? Ironically, it was strange that so many young people were pushing forward into that world at such a young age, driven by the title of a Hunter.

“Yun Seora–ssi.” At Lee Yunjae’s call, Seora faced her. “Seeing you rescue my daughter this time made me realize why people entrust hope to strong Hunters. Because my husband is the guildmaster, I had always thought from the perspective of a Hunter, but after receiving salvation myself, I finally understood the hearts of ordinary people.”

“…”

“The Awakened can fight monsters, but for us non-Awakened, monsters are like natural disasters. So, if some can overcome a natural disaster right before our eyes, isn’t it natural for people to place their hopes in them?”

No one spoke. Joo Eun had a bitter smile, while Kang Sejun and Yun Seora had expressions that were hard to interpret.

In front of the three Awakened watching, Lee Yunjae calmly continued, “I went through it myself this time, so I came to understand why people eagerly reach out to Awakened, expecting them to overcome disasters.”

“…”

“It’s quite embarrassing.”

It was an unexpected statement, and Seora blinked in response.