Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 123
Yoon Jae-hun grew quieter with each passing day.
He was lively only when coordinating the public opinion campaign he'd tasked to the mercenary Patrick Brown. Otherwise, he stood guard in front of the gate almost constantly.
His respected leader, Ali Russo. And his precious little sister.
Worried sick about them both, he couldn't sleep or eat properly. As Christmas approached, he grew thinner by the day.
"Branch Chief, at least get some sleep. Your sister will see you like this and chew you out for it."
Only after his exasperated squad members brought up Se-ra's name did he finally catch a brief nap. But even the slightest noise would jolt him awake like a seizure, sending him bolting out, so it didn't help much.
It had been exactly 27 days since he'd begun counting down the moments until their safe return.
Hearing the gate was acting up, Yoon Jae-hun rushed over and dropped to his knees before it.
"...Se-ra."
The news of the Labyrinth 8th floor clear popped up alongside the top contributor's name. Yoon Se-ra's was proudly etched at the very top.
She'd done it in the end. The child of my family, who had chosen to linger in dark shadows resenting her mother and the world, had shaken it all off and risen. She'd become the world's strongest.
Joy and affection mingled with sorrow that he hadn't been by her side until she'd grown this strong, all spilling out as teardrops onto the ground.
"Survivors returning!"
At someone's shout, Yoon Jae-hun snapped to his senses. Forcing strength into his wobbly legs, he ran forward.
Who would it be? Who would emerge first? How many would make it back alive? Was Se-ra okay? Was she hurt anywhere?
In his anxiety, he shoved through the crowd to the front of the gate. That's when the first returnee appeared.
Combat boots, a black combat uniform scarred by battle, a stylish black jacket fluttering in the wind.
The first to return alongside the white fox was none other than the Se-ra he'd been desperately waiting for.
"Se-ra!"
Before anyone else could approach, Jae-hun ran to her first. He didn't even notice the fox at her side. Jae-hun pulled Se-ra into a tight hug.
"You holding up okay while I was gone, big bro?"
His sister patted his back with her usual playful smile.
Ah, it was real. It was really his sister. She'd come back safe and sound without a major injury. Fresh tears flooded out.
"Aw, boo-hoo, crying. Everyone's seeing Yoon Jae-hun cry."
Ignoring the words even in one ear and out the other, Jae-hun buried his face in Se-ra's shoulder, which was much smaller than his. When had she grown so much? Tears kept flowing onto the sturdy shoulder he could now lean on.
Kkiuung. That's when something bit his clothes and tugged hard. Finally straightening up, he spotted the fox with nine tails.
"A kumiho?"
"My summon. Her name's Elizabeth. Say hi."
Kkiaang!
"She's got such a sweet personality. Cute, right?"
Sweet? It was chewing his clothes with a grumpy face, turning them to rags, and she called that sweet? More than that, why were its expressions so vivid? Wasn't this actually a person?
The snow-white fur and sharp green eyes were cute, sure, but it didn't look sweet no matter how he looked at it.
"Oh right, look at me. Any injuries? Let's get you checked out first."
Jae-hun scanned Se-ra's body inch by inch with his tattered sleeve, then yelled for someone to bring a bed. People wiped their tears and scrambled to move.
"What about the others?"
Se-ra, mumbling that she wasn't really hurt but yielding to the fox's glare and perching on the bed, looked up at Jae-hun's words with an "Ah."
But the faces staring at her didn't look right. Jae-hun's included.
"N-No way... Headbang returned alone...?"
"Did... did everyone else die...?"
"Impossible! No way, no way! The leader..."
Jae-hun grabbed Se-ra's arm, sweating coldly.
"Se-ra, what happened? What went down in there? Seven L-ranks dying at once has never happened before...! Was it that horrific?!"
"No, hey, calm down. Everyone? Please calm down and hear me out."
Se-ra raised her hand sharply, drawing all eyes to her. The vibe was such that even a slight delay would flood the world with headlines like "L-ranks All Dead Except Headbang."
And people who loved drama would pile on with "Headbang Suspicious" underneath. Oh, absolutely not.
"There were no deaths."
To quash misunderstandings, Se-ra led with the key point. People already sobbing halted their tears and leaned in.
"No major injuries either. My summon dragged me out first, but the others will come out soon enough, one by one. Don't worry. With two days left until gate closure on labyrinth time, they'll all make it out steadily."
At her calm explanation, people finally sighed in relief, hugging and crying. The support staff clamored for press releases.
And just as Se-ra said, the squad members soon emerged from the gate one after another.
Ethan J. Garcia, Monica Libery, Oliver Roth, Julian Martinez, Ali Russo, Seong Ja-rim, and Kang Se-jun.
Not a single one missing, all crossing back unscathed without serious wounds. As they waved with bright smiles, the long-awaited message appeared above their heads.
The ominously flickering gate's mana settled. The labyrinth gate, now devoid of even a trace of power, signaled the 8th floor clear was complete.
"Raid team! Great work!"
All personnel drafted for raid support bowed deeply before those who'd successfully closed the 8th floor and returned.
This joyous news spread across the globe through every media outlet.
* * *
Labyrinth 8th Floor Cleared!
L-rank Smiles Brightly Before Closed Gate. All Return Safely!
Labyrinth 8th Floor Raiders Unanimously Shout Thanks to Headbang and Oliver Roth for Saving Them.
Top Contributors Yoon Se-ra, Oliver Roth. World Rankings About to Flip?
Back in Hawaii after leaving Labyrinth Island, Se-ra lay in the hotel suite, scrolling news on her phone with a pleased smile. How could she not be happy when all these flashy headlines symbolized peace?
"Plus, they prepared a gift like this."
One headline caught her eye.
Top Contributor Headbang Yoon Se-ra Revealed as Daughter of Korea's First S-rank Hyeon Jae-hui and Athena's Yoon Jae-hun's Sister.
It was something she'd anticipated since revealing it to Congressman Lee Gil-sang. Perfect timing to manipulate and swap info while she was stuck in the labyrinth for up to months. She figured the opposition lawmakers, including Lee Gil-sang who still feared the late Hyeon Jae-hui, wouldn't miss the chance.
Still, Se-ra wasn't scared. Song Han-na had her back. They couldn't drag her down no matter what, so no need to worry.
She just hadn't expected this twist.
Hero Who Saved Korea. Daughter Who Saved the World.
Why Headbang Hid Her Identity: A Life of Suffering Under Hypocrites.
Cheorwon Dungeon S-rank Hunter Dispatch 12 Years Ago Back in Spotlight!
"This was you, right, bro?"
Se-ra waved her phone at Jae-hun, who was peeling an apple beside her.
"No way it'd be all friendly articles like this otherwise."
"My little sis was out there fighting hard. Least I could do as big bro is handle this much. How is it? Okay?"
"Yeah, it's good. Watching the opposition squirm is a bonus."
The neatly peeled apple was delicious. Se-ra swallowed the juice with each bite and grinned brightly. Jae-hun's face lightened up too.
Patrick, in charge of this, would've dropped to his knees in gratitude if he'd seen.
"Auntie worked hard on this too, huh?"
Se-ra had briefly called Song Han-na before returning to Hawaii.
You did great, Se-ra. Don't worry about the aftermathjust rest up and don't think about a thing.
She hadn't gotten it then, but who knew she'd prepared this delightful gift alongside Yoon Jae-hun.
"You'll be hounded by press back in Korea for a while. You okay with that?"
"I'm prepared, so no issue. Gotta rest here a few days anyway. Got a summon glaring daggers, can't go anywhere."
On one side of the king-size bed, the foxnow puppy-sizedwatched her like a hawk. It guarded her so closely that no one but Yoon Jae-hun had crossed her door's threshold.
If Se-ra hadn't called out "Need someone to peel apples," he'd have been stuck watching from afar too.
"Plus, I wanna spend my birthday quietly."
Outside the window was full party mode. No casualties on the perfect 8th floor clear, right in Christmas seasoneveryone was celebrating happily.
December 25th. Se-ra's birthday.
"Only a week in the labyrinth, but nearly a month passed out here. Feels real that we were in another world."
Thanks to that, she got a summer Christmas instead of winter. Not bad at all.
"Happy birthday, Se-ra."
Se-ra, cradling and stroking the fox, turned her head. Jae-hun held a gift.
"You were on Labyrinth Island a whole monthwhen'd you prep this?"
"Obviously in advance. Like you said, no telling when you'd come out."
Red wrapping with a gold ribbon. Nice color combo. Se-ra smiled as she unwrapped it.