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!
Rani Sharma expressed relief that this dungeon, situated in a remote valley, had yet to be discovered by the non-Awakened. If that’s indeed the case, then the lifeless form before her must belong to a Hunter.
“But why a skeleton?”
The discovery of this dungeon in India had taken place roughly three months ago. How could a body deteriorate to a mere skeleton in such a short span? Despite the torn and tattered clothing, it didn’t appear as if a monster had feasted upon it. How could this have happened?
“This doesn’t seem like an ordinary maze.”
It was no surprise that India deemed it unbeatable and secured it with a Lock.
Seora meticulously examined the belongings of the deceased Hunter. Fortunately, all the items from his inventory spilled out, facilitating the investigation.
Observing the charred sword, it suggested he was a Swordsman. Notably, there were numerous empty bottles, typically used for potions. The consumption of several implied either severe injuries or…
‘Perhaps he resorted to them as a substitute for food.’
Having run out of emergency rations, he likely hastily consumed potions. However, without access to item shops within dungeons, the potions would have depleted quickly. In the end, he appeared to have met his demise in solitude.“How terrifying it must have been.”
Dying in battle would have been a preferable fate. It was indeed a harrowing end.
“All that remains is…”
As Seora searched the bag, its contents spilled out. A slender notebook, a pen, and the Hunter’s license she had been seeking. Without much deliberation, Seora picked it up and instantly widened her eyes.
“What is this?”
Chinese characters were intricately engraved on the Hunter’s license, accompanied by five distinct gold stars stamped on the back. There was only one place in the world that issued such a distinctive license—China.
This man was a Hunter affiliated with China.
“How did a Chinese Hunter end up in an India dungeon…?”
He couldn’t belong to Athena. China strictly prohibits its hunters from joining foreign guilds, meaning there are no Chinese mercenaries affiliated with Athena. ℞ΆNỌＢËṠ
But why would a Chinese Hunter be here?
“Did he sneak in?”
For what purpose? China, with its extensive territory, has a lot of dungeons, providing numerous opportunities for Hunters within its own borders. There should be no need for a Hunter to venture into another country to raid dungeons; it simply didn’t add up.
However, contemplating it here wouldn’t yield any answers. For the time being, Seora uttered a brief prayer and carefully stowed the Hunter’s license in her inventory. It wasn’t only about understanding the situation but also the important task of conveying his demise to the family eagerly awaiting his return.
“Let’s go, Administrator.”
Seora mounted the nine-tailed fox once again. Casting a final glance at the skeleton, she began her journey back towards Yun Jaeheon.
Her heart pounded unexpectedly at the completely unforeseen turn of events.
***
The passage of time in the maze was imperceptible, leaving Seora unable to gauge how long she had been searching.
In the course of her journey, she stumbled upon several lifeless bodies. Some appeared to be Indian Hunters, while others bore the insignia of Athena mercenaries. Oddly, all the skeletons she encountered were of Chinese origin.
“Wow. It’s getting really eerie around here,” Seora sighed as she offered jerky to the fox that had tirelessly accompanied her.
Her inventory now held a total of five Hunter’s licenses, technically speaking. However, she had come across more corpses without licenses, suggesting that some might have been ordinary civilians.
“Liza-ssi, what on earth is this place?”
Given the absence of living beings and the prevalence of only the deceased, the vastness of the maze was perplexing. Strangely, she hadn’t encountered a single monster yet, which seemed hard to believe.
“Surely that doesn’t mean the maze itself is a monster or a demonic beast.”
【Administrator: (☞ﾟ□ﾟ)☞】
…Seora thought it impossible, but it seemed to be true. She glanced at the fox with a puzzled expression. “…Are you saying this is a monster? So, are we inside the stomach of a monster right now?”
【Administrator: o(〃＾▽＾〃)o】
No, don’t answer so cheerfully… Is this even a reasonable explanation? How is that possible?
“If the dungeon is considered a planet in the universe, you’re saying that such a place also exists…?”
【Administrator: _へ__(‾◡‾ )>】
It seemed he was implying, “Isn’t it obvious?”
I feel like I’m losing my mind. Is there even such a place? How in the world do we escape from here? Should I set fire to this maze? Can I call Kang Sejun right now?
Whining, the nine-tailed fox, its ears perked up, stared somewhere with a serious expression, devoid of laughter.
“What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
The fox gestured as if telling her to climb on its back again. The break was over. As soon as Seora got on, the fox sprinted swiftly. The speed was incomparable to before, and Seora had to tightly grip its fur to endure and avoid falling. Each brush against the grass sent a stinging pain through her skin.
They ran like that for who knows how long.
“Oh.”
Something caught her eye as she looked ahead. A black combat suit glimpsed through the grass. If the fox hadn’t run straight towards it, it was so cleverly hidden that they might have missed it.
Seora’s heart raced. Just by looking at it, she could tell.
“Brother!”
Yun Jaeheon was lying there.
As soon as the fox stopped, Seora leaped off and rushed towards him immediately. And then, she held her breath.
Yun Jaeheon was covered in blood. His complexion was deathly pale, as if he could die any moment, and even being so close, his presence was faint. He was unconscious.
As the countless skeletons Seora had seen on her way here flashed in her mind, darkness engulfed her vision. She staggered heavily.
“…Ah.”
The nine-tailed fox hastily caught her as she stumbled. Seora bit her lips tightly. Pull yourself together! Is this the time for this?
She immediately pressed her ear against Yun Jaeheon’s chest. His heart was beating, extremely faint, but he was alive. Holding back the tears welling up, she quickly took action.
First, she moistened his severely cracked and chapped lips with water. Once he was in a state where he could swallow something, she slowly poured the highest-grade potion into his mouth. Despite the strong scent of Yun Jaeheon’s blood making her feel like she might lose her mind, she forcibly controlled herself by clenching her thighs.
After some time passed, the wounds healed, and his deathly pale complexion, reminiscent of someone on the brink of death, brightened somewhat. The once faint breath also became stronger.
“It’s fortunate that it’s not too late…”
Ah, now she could finally relax. Holding back tears, she hugged Yun Jaeheon. If Baek Huiwon hadn’t contacted her in time, it would have become a reality she dared not even imagine.
Seora lightly touched Yun Jaeheon’s still-cold cheek. She felt like she might understand the previous five lives she couldn’t recall. She seemed to know why Yun Jaeheon murdered Park Jinyong and took his own life.
If he had died here, she probably would have made the same choice.
“Administrator, thank you. Really, thank you.”
As she held Yun Jaeheon and cried, the nine-tailed fox came near. Seora rested her forehead against the fox. If he hadn’t found the way in the maze, Yun Jaeheon would never have been rescued.
“Thank you.”
No matter how close he was to their mother, he had no reason to save them. Still, he had already saved them several times.
His existence was truly something to be grateful for.
***
“Damn bastard.”
Song Hanna, who was watching the news on the TV in the association president’s office, swung her fist violently. The table split in half, but no one dared to breathe loudly. It wasn’t the situation for that.
The person featured in the news was none other than Lee Gilsang. He was currently orchestrating a media play targeting Yun Seora.
It was infuriating to see him meticulously expose the fact that she had left for India without the association’s approval. Because of this, all citizens became aware of Seora’s actions.
“I should have taken care of him twelve years ago. I let it slide because I had no proper justification, and now he’s doing this?”
Including Lee Gilsang, several opposition cabinet members had agreed to forcefully send many Hunters, including Hyeon Jaehui, to the dungeon in Cheorwon when it erupted in the past. They had prepared to leave Korea faster than anyone else afterward.
After the Cheorwon Dungeon incident was resolved, an enraged Song Hanna managed to get then-President Yu Junseo, who held a clear position of guilt, into prison. However, the only one confined with clear evidence was Yu Junseo. Other parties managed to slip away, leaving only Yu Junseo to face punishment.
In reality, someone like Song Hanna could manipulate someone as influential as Yu Junseo as much as she wanted. However, the opponent was a politician. Pressuring them too much might turn even those friendly with the Awakened against her, so Song Hanna had to compromise to some extent. Even Song Hanna couldn’t fight against all politicians in a situation where the Hunter Association had just been established.
But the cost of that compromise was something like this.
“How should I beat him to feel satisfied?”
To Song Hanna’s furious question, Do Junyeong and Kang Hana, who were present, fell silent. They were also angry, but it was difficult to act recklessly.
Lee Gilsang had stepped forward just after the news of Seora’s arrival in the India dungeon. It wasn’t an official move, so there was no way for him to be aware of it, but the damn guy was diligently digging into Yun Seora’s actions.
“Rumors are spreading that Hunter Yun Seora, a civil servant of the Korea Association, is currently acting privately. I understand that many of you are greatly concerned about this. However, everyone, Hunter Yun Seora is an L-class Awakened representing Korea, a government official of the Association, and the daughter of the hero of Cheorwon, Hyeon Jaehui. So, let’s all trust Hunter Yun Seora. We will await the official announcement from the Korea Association.”
It was a perfect nonsense. Trust her, what? And wait for the official announcement from the association?
He was now engaged in spreading propaganda, but not necessarily to bring Seora down. As an assemblyman with a functioning brain, it seemed unlikely that he would undertake such a blatantly conspicuous act for that purpose.
His actual goal was to sow suspicion, to plant a small seed of doubt within the blind trust that people had placed in Seora. Lee Gilsang and the opposition parties were orchestrating this strategy.
The internet had erupted into a frenzy of debates due to the flashy propaganda from that jerk, flooding the online space with an overwhelming number of uncomfortable posts.
“If we receive an official request from the India Association, the problem could be solved…” Kang Hana sighed, her sentence left unfinished. The issue at hand was complicated. The support request had come from Athena’s leader, Ali, but the incident had occurred in India. An agreement needed to be reached with the Indian authorities before making any public announcements.
Immediately after being attacked by Lee Gilsang, they attempted to contact the Indian authorities, only to be met with a frustrating refusal.
“It would have been more manageable if this had occurred in a different country. Why did it have to happen in India?”
Complicating matters, India operated under a caste system, and the Hunter Association followed the orders of those in the highest caste. The current association president was a Brahmin, the highest caste. The Brahmins prioritized their own interests over international relations.
Given India’s history of being the world’s strongest nation and boasting the most S-classes, it seemed inconceivable that they would readily accept help from Athena and the WDO, summon an L-class from Korea, and then publicize it to the world. Their pride would not easily allow such a concession.
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