Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 85
85
To enjoy her remaining reward vacation, Yoon Se-ra returned to the hotel.
A vacation spent purely alone without even Seong Ja-rim felt this blissful. She needed to heal up as much as possible before heading to America.
"......But why?"
Se-ra glared at her phone screen. The name displayed on the persistently ringing screen was none other than 'Absolute Avoid.'
What an ominous name.
"Do I really have to answer?"
She could bet Seong Ja-rim's house that this was definitely about the labyrinth. It wasn't even decided if she'd participate yetcouldn't they talk later?
But while she hesitated, the call that had cut off rang again. This made it the fourth time.
"The name's 'Absolute Avoid,' but I've never actually avoided him once."
This was exactly why you shouldn't get close to regressors.
In the end, Se-ra answered the phone.
At his suggestion to meet briefly, she invited him to the hotel. Naturally, she didn't want to run into Elsa where people could see, so she gave him the room number. With no one else around, they could talk quietly about whatever the topic was.
Everyone else seemed fine, but the Administrator had a problem.
"What's going on?"
And it had gotten extreme the moment Kang Se-jun entered the room.
"No, our Rijayou know, the godis keep flipping the table."
"......Flipping what?"
"She's mad. Why is she mad?"
She'd seen the Administrator flip tables plenty of times, but she rarely knew the exact reason. This time was no different.
"Does the god...... express dissatisfaction by flipping tables?"
"Why are you eyeing our Rija like that?"
Se-ra glared at him now, as if asking if he was looking down on her Rija.
"No. I mean no. So don't look at me like that."
"Watch it. If you treat our Rija poorly, I won't let it slide."
"Got it. I'll be careful."
Kang Se-jun nodded hastily in the atmosphere that felt like she might pull out a gun any second. After becoming L-rank, Se-ra's presence had grown even stronger.
As the two sat on the sofa together, another message from the Administrator popped up.
"......Huh?"
This one was even more direct than the emoticons. Se-ra's eyes widened round. So that's why she'd been flipping tablesthis was ridiculous.
"Why?"
"Our Rija's jealous that you're alone with me."
"The god does personal expressions like that too? You two must be close."
"Of course. That's because I'm loved by our Rija."
This was the taste of favoritism.
"......"
Even Kang Se-jun, who knew nothing about Se-ra's god, thought it looked that way.
"You came because of the labyrinth?"
"Among other things."
"Is there anything else to discuss? Seong Ja-rim already told you everything about the System Administrator."
She'd heard about Seong Ja-rim and Kang Se-jun's meeting right after it happened.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to harbor any ill feelings toward the Administrator, but who would've thought he'd heard it on the 11th floor of the labyrinth.
It was surprising, but she had no intention of revealing she was the contractor. She needed more information.
She had no desire to get locked away somewhere before even meeting the Administrator just because this got out.
"Ah, it's not about that. Besides, you don't know more than what Seong Ja-rim told you anyway."
"True enough."
"If I learn more later, I'll let you know. It seems like whatever Seong Ja-rim knows ends up reaching you anyway."
He had a point. Se-ra shrugged lightly.
"Remember that favor I asked before?"
"Favor?"
"In exchange for dealing with Suhorang without a fee, you agreed to grant me one request."
"Oh, right, there was that. Using it now?"
"That was the plan originally."
Se-ra tilted her head at Kang Se-jun's wry smile.
"The timing makes it seem like a labyrinth request, but that feels off somehow? Not doing it?"
"I'm worried it might feel like a betrayal."
"Betrayal?"
"......I told you to cherish your life above all, so asking you to consider joining the labyrinth raid would contradict that."
Ah. Se-ra instantly understood what he meant.
Their deal had been made early on in their meetings. But recently, Kang Se-jun had learned Se-ra was Yoon Jae-hun's sister.
He'd insisted she must survive no matter what, and now suggesting she head into the most dangerous hellit did sound ridiculous.
But so what?
"You didn't know anything back then, and even now, I'm not forcing you to join."
"Of course. All I want is for you to consider it. How could I ask you to risk your life over a single favor? I'm not that shameless."
"Then it's fine. How is that a betrayal? The choice is still mine."
Kang Se-jun looked at her in surprise.
"Even if I'm selfish enough to hide my identity for my own safety, that doesn't mean I expect protection from everyone. The ones protecting me are just me and my family. I have no intention of hiding behind others and demanding they all shield me."
"......"
"Deciding to enter that hell full of dangers is my call. You trying to protect me on your own termsthat's the real betrayal."
Kang Se-jun was speechless at her pitying gaze.
Yoon Se-ra wasn't a civilian. She wasn't some weakling who needed protecting. She was an Awakener, a Hunter who chose to rush into the battlefield herself. Ignoring that will was the true betrayal.
"......You're right. I misspoke. Sorry."
"I like how quick you are to apologize. I'll forgive you this time."
Her grinning face was full of confidence. Kang Se-jun sincerely reflected.
"Tell me the details of the favor. I'll decide after hearing it."
"The reason I made that deal with you at first was because I have an unavoidable destiny. The labyrinth must be conquered no matter what. Otherwise, the world will perish."
Se-ra's lips twitched widely. Hey, even if I said to tell me, starting with something this heavy?
"In my first life, I died when the break-out hit due to the failed labyrinth conquest."
"Hold on. Even if it's the past, starting with something tied to death puts me in a really awkward spot."
She might suffocate to death at this rate. Se-ra raised her hand with an extremely uncomfortable expression, and Kang Se-jun smiled awkwardly.
"Sorry. It's all in the past, so don't take it too heavily. Plus, most of it happened when I was A-rank or S-rank."
"When did you become L-rank?"
"In my fifth life. Unless you're born with it, reaching L-rank is extremely hard. Seong Ja-rim was originally A-rank too, right? She must have lived desperately."
Right. Not only had she lived over a hundred years, but she'd even let a planet perish.
'How pitiful......'
Both Kang Se-jun and Seong Ja-rim had become L-rank through such hardship. They'd fought alone through times others couldn't imagine, so they were surely the world's strongest.
Even with the System Administrator's support, Se-ra was still far from that level.
"The world perished all five times?"
"I died midway sometimes. But I died most often on the 11th floor of the labyrinth. That place really has monsters."
A clear fury burned in Kang Se-jun's eyes. She'd seen that angry gaze somewhere before.
Rightat the moment they'd first met.
"You died to that monster in your last life too?"
"Yes."
"No wonder. When I first saw you in the Seoul Forest Dungeon, I wondered why you looked so furious. So that's why."
"Ah, yeah, that was right after I regressed. Come to think of it, that dungeon was supposed to break out originally, killing hundreds."
So please don't hit me with bombshells like this!
"H-Hundreds?"
"After first encountering it in my first life, I went there every time to prevent that damage. But this time, something completely different happened."
The emergence of an unknown S-rank who dispatched even Grade 2 magical beasts in one shot.
It was Se-ra's existence.
"That's why I took notice of you. I thought there must be a reason fate changed."
Of course there was. The System Administrator's blessing, no less. Se-ra's power was minor, but to the Administrator, it was enough to twist fate.
"Probably your god's influence. Still not planning to tell me who it is?"
"Nope."
"Fine. Then I won't ask until you tell me. In the end, what's important is your will, not the god."
Kang Se-jun slowly bowed his head toward Se-ra.
"There's just one thing I want to ask. Please seriously consider conquering the Labyrinth Dungeon."
He truly stuck to the deal's terms of mere 'consideration' without overstepping. Even though the 8th floor would open soon and time was tight, he kept the line clear.
'He definitely knows that attitude sways hearts even more.'
Since he'd made the promise himself, Se-ra didn't feel bad watching the top of his head.
"What did you do in the past?"
"I asked Joo Eun and Song Han-na. I thought those two could reach L-rank. But that was just my wishful thinking."
"Really? Even Aunt couldn't?"
"Like I said before, after you died, she was consumed by rage almost...... Um."
She could guess without him saying. Not wanting to hear more, Se-ra cut him off.
"How many floors does the Labyrinth Dungeon have?"
"I've never passed the 11th, so I'm not sure, but given that monster's strength, the 11th is likely the last."
11th floor. They'd conquered up to the 7th so far, leaving four more. Could she survive without dying until then?
The Administrator clenched both fists as if asking what she was worried about. Like she'd make sure nothing like that happened and protect her.
Did the Administrator even realize that was the worry?
'If I die, the Administrator would be devastated too.'
Not just Song Han-na and Yoon Jae-hun, but now the Administrator too. She didn't want to inflict the pain of losing a loved one on someone who cherished her this much.
But he clearly hadn't even thought of that.
"Ack!"
Se-ra clutched her ears and shrieked. Ignoring Kang Se-jun's surprise, she glared at the empty air.
Administrator! I told you not to speak suddenly......!
"......Tch."
Shaking hearts was something the Administrator did even better than Kang Se-jun.
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