Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 101
Remember when the Hunting Guild got caught in that rift dungeon? When it turned into a ghost town.
Ah.
It was Jung Ho-young who took down the boss monster, but Headbang who saved the guild members eroded by the ghosts. And that had been Se-ra, whod played it off so well back then like it was nothing.
Come to think of it, yeah, that happened. Your acting was so good I forgot about it.
Se-ra pretended not to hear as she examined Do Jun-young.
My skill can save people whove been eroded. Ive never undone the powers of a rank-1 magical beast before, but Ill give it a try. Guild Master, please handle the monsters around us in the meantime.
Perhaps because it had been damaged in her fight with the Phantom Lord, the domination wasnt at 100%. But that didnt matter.
As the red cube enveloped Do Jun-youngs entire body, Se-ra closed her eyes and focused. Through the cube flowed his unique energyheavy and dense, yet gentle.
But something pitch-black and utterly repulsive was blocking his meridians, preventing the energy from gathering.
The dark mist concentrated in his head was especially vicious, slowly gnawing away at his nightmare-ridden brain.
How could she rip it out without causing major damage? Se-ra examined Do Jun-youngs condition more carefully than ever.
Praying he could escape that horrific nightmare.
* * *
Murasaki stared off into the distance with narrowed eyes after severing the phantoms neck. There stood Headbang, beside the Korean hunters.
To think shed really take down the Phantom Lord solo.
The aura hed exuded on the ship. The massive explosion within the red cube.
Rather than admiration as a fellow hunter, his gut churned with unease. A neighboring country already had three L-rank awakenersthat was troubling enough. But one of them being this strong?
If assassination was off the table, recruitment was the way to go. He didnt care about any unwritten rules against poaching civil servants. They couldnt afford to be the weakest in Northeast Asia.
Ill need to prepare something tempting.
Murasaki kept his eyes on Headbang even as he fought the phantom.
Which was why he didnt notice the shadow-clad assassin slip in among them.
Aaagh!
Damn it, Shirabu!
Murasaki whipped his head around at Harunes shout from beside him, where she was firing her bow. But the healer Shirabu had already been struck by the phantoms attack.
Harune swiftly killed the phantom, but she couldnt save him from the nightmare.
Why Shirabu of all people?
As the healer, he had the strongest mental barriers of the three. So why had he suddenly fallen to a phantom in what shouldve been a safe situation?
I dont know what happened either...
Harune was just as baffled. Their faces hardened.
While they focused on Shirabu, a single grinning shadow quietly slipped away.
* * *
Do Jun-young blinked.
Something felt off. He couldnt pinpoint what, but it was off. Yoon Jae-hun walking ahead looked the same as always, so what was it?
Were here.
Huh?
Was it? Or was that normal?
The face that turned was unusually youthfullike a kid fresh out of kindergarten, diving into the bigger pond of elementary school.
No, Im in elementary school too.
Why was that thought popping up? Do Jun-young tilted his head.
Se-ra ya.
Se-ra. His body reacted instinctively to the name. Do Jun-young snapped his gaze over.
Ah, right. He remembered now. Today, hed come to play at his new friend Yoon Jae-huns house, right after starting elementary school together.
Jun-young, say hi. This is my little sister, Yoon Se-ra.
Clinging to Jae-huns leg was a tiny kid who looked every bit the baby. Her chubby cheeks jiggled with every word. Her big black eyes, brimming with moisture, were unusually deep for a child.
Big age gap, huh.
Yeah. Shes just two. Super greedy. Moms worried about what shell turn into when she grows up.
Even as he said that, Jae-hun scooped up the baby with a beaming smile. His face was utterly smitten with his little sister.
Greedys good. Means she wont let anything be taken from her.
The words slipped out unbidden. Jae-huns eyes went wide, and Do Jun-young flailed his hands in panic.
No, I didnt mean it weird or anything...
Youre right! Yeah, better to grab everything than lose it.
Jae-hun had a bit of an old-soul vibe. Thats why he could laugh off Do Jun-youngs sudden outburst like that.
Guess Ill have to work hard so my sister can have whatever she wants.
Jae-hun planted a kiss on her plump cheek, and the kid burst into giggles. She clung tighter, calling Oppa, oppa, her face full of unmistakable affection.
They were siblings who truly cherished each other. It was such a peaceful sight that it made him smile just watchingenough that Do Jun-young visited often.
The home of that happy family of four always sparkled like it was dusted with starlight. As a kid, hed often thought the light suited them perfectly.
But when had that light vanished without a trace?
When had their sun-warmed home been overtaken by winter rain?
Oppas friend.
Do Jun-young blinked, and suddenly he was standing in that house again. But the atmosphere was completely different. The starlight was gone, replaced by a murky fog that made everything dim.
In the midst of it stood a child who no longer smiled.
Hi.
Se-ra, just turned eleven, had lost her smile after a single incident. Her once-moist black eyes were dried out and cracked, her once-chattering lips chapped.
Oppas gone. He left.
How had he gotten into the house without Jae-hun? He couldnt remember.
Hed felt something off earlier, but looking at Se-ranow like a star eclipsed by storm cloudsit hardly seemed to matter.
Whatre you doing alone here? Its coldgo to your room.
The living room was frigid without its warmth. The two adults whod made it cozy had turned into even colder corpses and left forever.
Leaving the children behind.
You used to hide behind oppa and just say hi, but now youre talking.
It wasnt that she disliked him. The dazzling light had simply left him too awestruck to speak. He wanted to see that light again.
If you want, Ill talk to you more from now on.
Se-ras eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly went back to looking indifferent. The girl whod just turned eleven had learned to give up far too quickly.
Youre home alone?
Yeah. Oppa and Auntie are busy. I dont wanna be busy, so I stay alone.
After her parents death, all the attention had overwhelmed her, so shed been skipping school for a while.
Too much. How could they be so cruel to a child already shattered by her parents death?
Do Jun-young sat quietly beside her without asking more. Their breathing was the only sound filling the living room. Only then did Se-ra seem to realize something was wrong.
Oppas friend. I said oppas gone.
I know.
Then why arent you leaving?
Its cold alone. Itll be warmer with two.
There was a blanket right next to them, but Do Jun-young draped it over Se-ra and stayed. Sometimes, warmth couldnt be found in things like that.
Im not cold. I dont really get cold anymore.
Se-ra tilted her head and glanced out the window. It was still winter.
Maybe Ill never know cold again.
Do Jun-young, whod been watching her quietly, pulled a wrapped gift from his bag. He shouldve given it sooner, but the timing had always been off, so hed carried it around.
It wouldve been better if hed given it before her parents left. Theyd gone too soon.
Its late, but happy birthday.
Se-ras mouth fell open in a daze. Her eyes flicked between the gift and him, turning Do Jun-youngs ears red.
Oppas friend, you know my birthday was a whole month ago, right?
...Sorry. I wanted to give it sooner.
Even now, things have changed, you know? Im eleven already.
Im really sorry.
After staring blankly for a long moment, Se-ra let out an incredulous laugh. It was the first smile Do Jun-young had seen since her parents died, and his eyes went wide.
Haha. Haha, oppas friend is hilarious.
Inside the red-and-green Christmas-like wrapping was an ivory scarf, warm enough to fend off plenty of cold.
Thanks. Its the first gift Ive gotten since Mom and Dad.
Se-ras gaze drifted to one corner of the living room. Even a month later, the Christmas tree was still there.
December 25th.
That was Se-ras birthday.
Her parents had celebrated it, only to die less than a week later. For Se-ra, the once-special Christmas had become the cruelest day.
Oppa and Auntie will protect you, so dont worry.
Do Jun-young hesitated a moment, then gently patted her head. Her eyes widened.
Ill... protect you too. Dont stay alone like thisif its okay with you, call me anytime. Ill come running.
Her small hands clenched the scarf. Tears shed been holding back finally spilled from her eyes.
How could an eleven-year-old bear that loneliness alone? It was impossible.
...For real? Youll come if I call?
Yeah. Anytime. Even without Jae-hun. If you need me, Ill be there.
Se-ra nodded through her sobs. Only then did Do Jun-young feel a weight lift from his chest.
But oppas friend has never protected me.
The smile he hadnt realized was there froze. Do Jun-youngs eyes widened.
Se-ras face, still sniffling but unable to hide her joy moments ago, had twisted into something demonic. His heart plummeted.
What were you doing when I was dying in the werewolf dungeon?
Calloused hands seized Do Jun-youngs throat.