Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 61
Shocked, Se-ra hurriedly tapped out a reply. A rift dungeon? You should have mentioned that from the start!
[Sorry for springing this on you out of nowhere. I've been so focused on tracking down traces left in the magic tower that I mixed up the date.]
"......"
Well, when you put it like that, what could she even say......?
She was the one who'd asked for the trace, and it was the Association's screw-up for not noticing the key's existence.
'Fine, fine, I get it. I'll go. But when exactly?'
[Today. Right now. It'll pop around eight this evening.]
A whine of resentment slipped out on its own.
If she went after work, she'd obviously be late, but she couldn't exactly say, "I'm taking the afternoon off," in a situation like this!
"Ah."
As Se-ra's eyes darted around in a panic, they landed on none other than Ja-rim, slumped in her chair like a boiled rice cake.
Right. She had her joker carda free pass to do whatever with her.
"......What? Why are you looking at me like that? Why that creepy smile?"
Ja-rim had learned the hard way over the past two months that nothing good ever came from Se-ra's sly grins. She started trembling.
Perfect. No need for complicated explanations.
"Ja-rim? Come see me for a sec."
Half day off? Paid leave? Why waste precious vacation time when Ja-rim's L-rank face was as good as an approval slip?
Standing tall, Se-ra grabbed Ja-rim by the scruff of her neck and headed straight for Section Chief Shin Jae-min, who was filling in for the absent Do Jun-young. She even had her excuse ready.
'Section Chief, Ja-rim has somewhere to be.'
That one line would do it. Song Han-na had ordered them to stick together until the Cheorwon business wrapped up.
Thanks to that, they bolted out of the Association without a hitch.
"Sniffle, sniffle."
The whole way to Taebaek Mountain, Ja-rim lay half-prone in the back seat, sobbing pitifully.
"Sorry, sis. But what could I do? A dungeon's about to break out there."
"Wahh. How are you gonna fix my ruined image......?"
"I already compensated you. Just look at what you're holding."
Ja-rim sniffled as she chomped into a hot dog. Her hands were stuffed with all the snacks Se-ra had bought at the rest stop.
"Hic, wah. It's so good......"
"Aigoo, look at you. Glad the rest stop grub still hits the spot after a hundred years."
"I'm not old!"
She really should give up by now, but her reactions were too fun to tease.
"Still, Taebaek Mountain of all places. Hope it doesn't mess with that hack shaman sis."
"Hack shaman sis?"
"Baek Hee-won. The sham shaman."
"Huh? That sis seemed totally legit to me?"
"What? Legit? If she's so legit, why'd she tell me my luck was turning? No bad luck at all? Bull! Can't even quit my jobwhat kind of luck is that!"
Se-ra's grip on the wheel tightened like a demon's. Terrified, Ja-rim backpedaled.
"M-my bad! She is a hack!"
One wrong word and she might get tossed out on the highway. Ja-rim smacked her own mouth. Messing with Se-rawho couldn't clock out early or quitwas a bad idea.
"Phew. Anyway, we can't just leave it. Gotta handle it quick so the folks in Cheorwon can focus there."
Se-ra was especially worried about Yoon Jae-hun. Standing on the land where their mom died would already have him rattled enough without extra worries.
"If he finds out you're heading to Taebaek, he'll worry even more."
"That's why we're sneaking. Can't tell 'em a dungeon's spawning there anyway. Just you and me, quiet and clean."
"Oh yeah, that tip didn't come from the Administratorit was that wizard guy, right?"
Se-ra nearly slammed the brakes on the highway.
"What? What are you talking about?"
Her heart pounded from the shock, but the second she thought to play dumb, the title triggered on its own. Despite her racing pulse, a calm performance flowed effortlessly. Se-ra freaked.
'This thing's insane. No wonder actor Awakeners crave Mask of a Thousand Faces.'
"Se-ra, Se-ra, your acting's getting better every day. If I didn't have these eyes, even I'd be fooled like everyone else."
Right. Ja-rim had those special eyes.
"You saw Kang Se-jun's info too?"
"Ever since that suspicion sickness from Basgar, I check everyone I meet. Obviously scanned the wizard at our first meeting."
When was Ja-rim and Kang Se-jun's first encounter?
The day after she returned. When they'd gone to the Association together and run into him.
But no matter how many times she replayed the memory, Ja-rim hadn't shown a hint of it.
'Regressor'and on his sixth life, no less. Shocking stuff.
"You saw that and weren't fazed at all?"
"Se-ra, Se-ra, you haven't forgotten where I've been and how long, right?"
Ja-rim grinned. Se-ra was speechless.
Ja-rim had lived exactly 108 years on a completely different planet. Even adding up all of Kang Se-jun's regressed lives wouldn't top that.
She'd survived her own hell.
"Dumb question."
"Haha. Wasn't that interested, honestly. As long as it doesn't screw me over, I don't care."
"Not even after seeing his trait?"
"You see those novel protags? 'You're the only one who knows about me. Please help!' Begging some rando. So annoying."
Guess those tropes were trending. Se-ra chuckled, then shut her mouth. Not the time to laugh.
She was the one racing to Taebaek Mountain precisely because she was the only one who knew he was a regressor.
"......"
A life full of returners and regressors. How the hell did it come to this?
"Yeah. And now I'm doing that annoying crap."
"See? That's why I pretended not to notice!"
"Heh, too bad. Now I know his secret's got two keepers."
"......Huh?"
"And we're already off to clean up his mess together."
"......Huh?"
Ja-rim's face went blank. Like it hadn't even crossed her mind.
"W-wait, I didn't......"
"Gonna be tagging along everywhere from now on? Congrats, Ja-rim. You've been chosen by the protagonist."
"N-no, nooooo!"
Ja-rim clutched her head and screamed.
Too late. Se-ra planned to drag her along forever as payback for the teasingeven if unintentional.
Her mood skyrocketing, Se-ra hummed a tune and floored the accelerator.
'Returners are total protag material in novels too, but why hasn't it clicked for her?'
Regressors and returners rarely clashed, yet Ja-rim hadn't even considered it.
'Eh, that's part of her charm.'
Se-ra stifled a laugh, glancing at the wailing Ja-rim.
* * *
"Around here, right?"
The spot Kang Se-jun marked was midway up Taebaek Mountain.
Unlike her trip with Jeong Ho-young, she didn't need to hide her power, so Se-ra climbed without hesitation. Night was falling soon, and it was off the trails, so even if the rift dungeon burst, casualties should be minimal.
"How much time left?"
"Eight o'clock, so any minute now."
Right on cue, her phone rangKang Se-jun.
"You monitoring me?"
What kinda question is that the second you pick up?
"You call the minute I arrive."
You think I'd risk watching someone who wouldn't let me live if she caught me?
Kang Se-jun knew her too well.
"No trails nearby, so no civilian casualties. Focus on your thing."
No, I asked you to handle this dungeon for a different reason.
"Huh?"
Not a break, no people aroundwhy would I go out of my way to you?
Oh, right. Mana waves would summon the Gangwon branch's Association staff, so why her from Seoul?