~ Chapter : 07 ~
It was clear that she had lost her sense of reason because Harin was sick.
Otherwise, she would not have acted so boldly like, “I’m an Awakened. Please try this plant potion.”
She awkwardly greeted Harin, who had come to the café in front of her house.
‘I’m not good at acting.’
She quickly made a list of possible questions Harin might ask and prepared her answers.
“Hyoii! Over here!”
As she entered the café, Harin, who looked completely fine unlike yesterday, waved at her.
“Unnie, are you really okay moving around like this?”
It was hard to believe she had surgery just yesterday.
“Hyoii.”
Harin spoke with a serious face.
“What… is this potion really?”
“Huh? W-why?”
“No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t feel like something from a Hunter shop. I thought I was going to die from pain, but suddenly I became completely fine.”
Harin looked amazed, as if she couldn’t believe what happened that morning.
She joined both hands together, eyes shining, like she had met a god.
“This kind of potion must be very expensive, right? I’m not even sure I deserve to use something like this. Thank you so much, Hyoii.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m just glad you feel better… but unnie, are you really not just pretending? You had surgery yesterday, is it really okay to move around?”
There was no way a potion made from dungeon plants could do this.
Hyoji looked at Harin suspiciously. But no matter how closely she looked, the bruises that were on her arm were gone.
“I’m really fine. If you don’t believe me, should I show you?”
Harin suddenly stood up.
“Watch.”
Then she went, “Hup!” and started jumping in place like a strange athlete.
“Unnie, what are you doing!”
“See? I’m fine, right?”
“Ha… what is this.”
Hyoji burst out laughing at her weird actions.
But it was clear now. Harin really was okay.
Even though she had bruises and even tumor surgery, she was completely fine.
‘This is from a plant potion?’
If a B-rank dungeon plant could do this much, what about plants from higher dungeons?
But Hyoji shook her head.
‘Why am I even thinking about that?’
She wasn’t going to go into dungeons and hunt monsters. And even if she sold plant potions, who would believe her and buy them?
‘And I don’t want anyone to find out I’m an Awakened.’
She had no intention of getting involved with dungeons, the thing that took her parents away.
“That’s why people keep talking about Hunter shops, Hunter shops. I’ve never had something like this before.”
“I’m glad you’re better. Do you know how shocked I was yesterday?”
“Sorry, sorry. Did I scare you a lot? I’ll buy you something tasty. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”
“It’s fine. Unnie, please take care of your body from now on, okay?”
“Wow, Hyoii is really worried about me. Are you secretly a nagging type?”
“I’m not! I’m just worried because you’re unnie!”
Hyoji clenched her small fist and shouted.
“You’re so small but worrying about me like this. Come on, let’s go eat. Don’t refuse.”
“…We’re eating meat?”
“If Hyoii wants it, then meat it is.”
Harin grabbed Hyoji’s hand and pulled her.
Hyoji had no choice but to follow her. The temptation of meat was too strong.
* * *
“Yeah. How is Japan’s situation?”
“It’s the same.”
“Can’t you report more properly?”
A tall man with a strong, muscular body and a sharp face that matched it.
When Kang Jinhwan first appeared in the news after awakening, people were amazed by his looks.
And he was S-rank, the highest rank among Hunters.
He was the first S-rank Hunter in Korea.
That alone was enough to attract attention. Add his handsome face, and people went crazy over Kang Jinhwan.
“The whole world is in chaos because of dungeons. What more do you want to hear?”
“……”
“Japan is not doing well either.”
Jinhwan spoke in a cold voice, just like his face.
“It’s the limit.”
At his words, the guild master of Haeyeon Guild sighed deeply.
“At this rate, dungeons will soon break out.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know what I mean. Dungeon difficulty is increasing.”
Jinhwan looked indifferent, as if it was someone else’s problem.
“If this continues, even S-rank Hunters won’t be able to clear some dungeons.”
“…Yes. Monsters are getting stronger.”
“And Awakeners are not.”
Jinhwan added.
He was not wrong. The more Hunters cleared dungeons, the stronger the dungeons became.
As if someone was testing the limits of humanity.
“Japan failed to clear an S-rank dungeon.”
“What? What do you mean? They have many top Hunters. Are you sure?”
“They failed. I cleared it instead and came back.”
“You didn’t report that earlier. Why say it only now?”
“It’s not like you didn’t already know. Why repeat the obvious?”
“Kang Jinhwan, your attitude is getting…”
“Then who told you to call me to the company right after I returned?”
Jinhwan answered sharply.
“Forget it. What are we even talking about…”
“The failure was expected. So what now?”
“What do you mean?”
“What will you do about future dungeons?”
Awakening has limits.
There is no level-up system, and no items that can make them stronger.
“This is troublesome. Dungeons are getting stronger, but Hunters remain the same.”
“Where did your ambition go, the one about saving the world from dungeons?”
“Stop being sarcastic, Kang Jinhwan.”
“Fine. You forced people who didn’t want to become Hunters, and now you’re struggling without any plan.”
If speaking bluntly could get you sued, the law should be changed. Though in this world, court trials might not even matter anymore.
The man glared at Jinhwan with frustration.
But nothing changed.
“New Awakeners are always either combat or healing types.”
“It would be nice if a support-type Awakener appeared who could boost stats. But there is no one like that.”
“Just keep looking. One will show up somewhere.”
“If someone like that appears, I’ll pay them more than you.”
Jinhwan looked at him silently.
That gaze seemed to say, “Are you planning to drain the company?”
Kang Jinhwan was that powerful.
Top guilds in the world tried desperately to recruit him. So the salary Haeyeon Guild gave him must be enormous.
“Honestly, how do you know someone stronger than you won’t appear? If someone clears higher dungeons than S-rank, we’ll have to pay them more than you anyway.”
“I sincerely hope your wish comes true. It’s my wish too.”
Someone who could end this exhausting Hunter life.
Someone who could save the world from dungeons.
Everyone in the world wished for that person.
* * *
[Quest Alert!]
Damn system.
As soon as Hyoji opened her eyes in the morning, she cursed—something she didn’t usually do.
‘So that’s why it was quiet lately.’
It was not the kind of system that stayed quiet.
Without even pressing [Confirm], she opened the window with sleepy eyes.
The weather was nice.
She stretched once and went outside.
In the small yard, dungeon plants had grown everywhere.
“Wow, they grow every day. Every day.”
The dungeon plants were growing so fast you could see it. It looked like they would soon cover the whole house.
“Should I stop growing them…”
At this rate, she might get buried and die in plants.
While she was checking the plants, the system window moved on its own.
As expected of the system. So amazing. So selfish. So great!
So what is the quest this time? Probably telling her to go to a high-rank dungeon again.
Thanks to the 강화 먼지풀 she obtained with difficulty, her level had reached 100. She never wanted this, but her level kept increasing.
‘And now even the required plants level up too.’
She squinted and checked the quest.
‘Please let this be something I can handle.’
If it was another high-rank dungeon…
[Level 100 reached! For ability growth, clear an A-rank dungeon!]
“…What?”
She couldn’t believe her eyes. What nonsense was this?
“Is the system broken?”
Let’s check again. Something must be wrong.
She closed the quest window.
[Level 100 reached! For ability growth, clear an A-rank dungeon!]
But the system kept repeating the same message.
[If quest fails, you will die.]
“…What?”
She rubbed her eyes again.
[If quest fails, you will die.]
The red letters were extremely clear.
“Am I still dreaming?”
Seriously. How old am I, confusing dreams and reality?
She laughed and went back inside.
“This is ridiculous. What kind of dream is this? Haha.”
She covered herself with a blanket and closed her eyes.
Time to wake up from the nightmare.
‘One, two, three.’
One.
Two.
Three.
She opened her eyes.
[If quest fails, you will die.]
The terrifying red letters were still there.
“Aaaah!”
It was a shocking, thunder-like quest.
Even entering a cleared high-rank dungeon was already extremely dangerous.
‘And I have to clear it? Me?’
She only had plant-growing abilities. How was she supposed to clear an A-rank dungeon?
‘Will they even let me enter in the first place?’
The more dangerous the dungeon, the stricter the guild security was. It was to protect civilians.
“Ha… I can’t think of any solution.”
She had to get into the dungeon somehow.
Because—
If she goes in, she dies. If she doesn’t go in, she dies. Both choices lead to death.
‘And I can’t just cause a scene and force my way in…’
One dungeon is controlled by one guild, and their Hunters enter as a team. That means Hyoji must go in with them.
“This is…”
There is no answer.
While she was thinking, breaking news came on the TV.
“An A-rank dungeon has appeared in Seoul. As Hunters are far away, civilian safety is a concern…”
An A-rank dungeon?
Hyoji perked up.
Just in time, an A-rank dungeon appears.
‘Where is it?’
She sat down to watch the news.
At that moment—
Vooooom—!
A dungeon gate opened in Hyoji’s yard, filled with dungeon plants.
