Chapter 36. Jeong Ye-na's Mentality Breaks
A sensation of floating in deep darkness. It felt like being lost in the vastness of space, and with that realization, she knew this was a dream. Again.
She'd chugged coffee to fend off sleep, but in the end, she'd drifted off. A bitter taste filled Kang Ga-young's mouth.
What will it show me this time?
Her mind, which she'd desperately buried in work, now stirred with distant unease.
This time, it was from a third-person perspective, watching herself. In the dream, Kang Ga-young sat slumped in the columbarium. Her eyes were hollow, her nails broken. Even called Asia's greatest beauty, anyone seeing her like this would shake their head in pity.
Kang Ga-young stroked the protective glass of the urn and whispered.
"If there's a next life, just once is enough... I want to see you. I'll live as your shadow, devoted only to you."
Her sleeve slipped down, revealing arms scarred from self-harm. Of course, an S-rank hunter like her wouldn't die from something like that.
She gazed at the urn with the most precious, aching eyes. It was placed in the finest spot. The wedding photo and dried flowers inside would bring tears to anyone's eyes.
Half of Korea had already been devoured by monsters. With casualties mounting, urns were filling up fast. Countless people hadn't even gotten proper funerals.
Humanity's crisis. The world on the brink of apocalypse. But none of that mattered to Kang Ga-young.
"Fuck."
Kang Ga-young, you idiot.
Waking up in the same bed every day. Going out to have fun together. Raising a child who looked like him and her, filled with love. That alone would have been enough.
But it was too late.
"Unnie, are you okay?"
Jeong Ye-na approached, looking at her with worry. The words were meant to comfort, but they fell flat.
"……."
Kang Ga-young ignored her and bowed her head. Downstairs, people were probably mourning those lost to monsters.
A world without him. She truly didn't care if it all went to hell.
But Jeong Ye-na fought on with other hunters to survive even in such a world. How many hunters had died so far? Probably none without scars covering their bodies. She had them too, though for different reasons.
"Hah, hah."
Kang Ga-young breathed in short gasps. Her chest felt so tight, like she was going mad. She'd thought her tears were spent, but apparently not.
Thud, thud. Footsteps approached.
This was a VIP-only area. Was it someone from Pania Guild?
She turned to see a woman. Neat ponytail, comfortable clothes for activity. The odd thing was the eyepatch over one eye.
She vaguely remembered her as Lee Seojun's childhood friend, but back then, she hadn't mattered.
Unlike the old photos she'd seen long ago, her image was completely different now. Back then, she'd seemed lost in her own emotions, unhinged. But now, her eyes pierced through everything.
She's awakened.
As she stared silently, Park Ha-yoon's closed lips slowly parted, accompanied by an inexplicable hostility.
"Hello. You're Hunter Kang Ga-young, right?"
"Who are you? Introduce yourself first," Jeong Ye-na snapped, stepping in front of her.
But Kang Ga-young nodded, and she reluctantly stepped aside.
"I need your help. And you'll probably need mine too."
She was about to ignore her, but Park Ha-yoon added urgently.
"You regret it, don't you? If I were in your shoes, I'd understand."
"...What did you just say?"
"...If you could turn back time. If you could save Oppa, would you hear me out?"
Furious at the mention of him, Kang Ga-young drew her sword and pointed it at Park Ha-yoon. If this was nonsense, she'd pay with her life.
"You'd better be ready to back those words up."
Kang Ga-young slowly opened her eyes, waking from the dream. Waking at such an ambiguous moment.
She'd fallen asleep slumped over her desk. She rubbed her eyes slowly.
Lifting her sleeve revealed a clean wrist. The desk was cluttered with empty coffee cups.
Focus on work. Only work. Keep stray thoughts at bay. Don't think of that man.
Please. Please.
She rubbed her eyes and turned back to the computer screen. Her eyes were dry and stinging.
Dungeons were popping up more frequently lately. She was compiling a list of new ones worldwide. That intel would help her extract something from the Hunter Association next time.
Like info on "Lee Seojun," whom Pania had locked down tight.
To gain the authority to demand it officially.
"...First things first. I need to meet her."
The problem was, the USB with that crucial info was in Jeong Ye-na's hands.
Bzzz. Her phone buzzed.
She cut straight to it.
"...I'm kinda far out right now."
Hah. Then she shouldn't have taken it.
Irritation flared, but knowing how diligently Jeong Ye-na worked, she just sighed inwardly.
"You're off today anyway, so I'll come to you."
"Got it," came the reply, followed by a text with her location.
So predictable. Her voice sounded like she was on a date. In this life, she looked just the right age for it.
Glancing at the mirror on her desk, she saw her haggard face. Slim chance, but if she ran into him on the way...
She dabbed on some tint.
Vroom. She hurried to the parking lot, started the car, gripped the wheel, and headed to the spot Jeong Ye-na sent.
Arriving at the aquarium, crowds milled about. An urgent siren blared.
Stepping out, she saw people sobbing and clinging to each other. Government hunters blocked the entrance.
They recognized her and bowed politely.
"From Cheonsu Guild! Thank goodness. It's a high-rank dungeon estimate..."
"What happened? Explain."
"Ah, a dungeon opened inside the aquarium. Some staff are still trapped. Hunter? Hunter!!"
Kang Ga-young's steps quickened. Fish scattered messily on the floor, plus a massive, bizarre shark corpse. Simple reason no more monsters roamed outside: an awakener—a hunter—had entered the dungeon.
Her panicked expression quickly hardened into calm. Her eyes scanned rapidly.
Jeong Ye-na stared at the ship with a mix of emptiness and futility.
Muscular men loaded cargo in front.
"Hey, snap out of it, don't block the way!!"
A middle-aged woman tapped her shoulder. Her wandering mind snapped back.
"...Oppa? Where... where is this?"
Probably just a different starting point. Dungeons varied and vanished in all types.
Her face flushed with panic. She recalled dungeon data she'd researched.
"...Right. They can appear in any form."
Not certain, just a hypothesis. Some papers even claimed dungeon worlds were real.
Checking her system window solidified it. First, board that ship.
"Alright. Let's go!!"
Clear it somehow and get out fast. If Lee Seojun was trapped here, even more reason to hurry.
Oppa, wait. I'll be right there.
She checked her phone gallery. No signal in the dungeon, but the photo of her and Lee Seojun in a sweet pose remained.
Boarding the sailing ship, she saw crew hauling goods. Everyone else was Westerners.
Helping out a bit let her board. Clutching her crossbody bag tighter against the wind.
"Alright, we're shoving off~!!"
Toot! The sails were huge. Wind-powered, with the captain steering skillfully. The ship finally moved.
Jeong Ye-na blankly watched the receding land, a sudden fear gripping her.
"...Did I really make the right call boarding this?"
How long after she muttered that? As time passed, something felt off.
Work was minimal: half-hearted cleaning and chores. As a woman, she stayed inside.
"Let's eat first."
The burly woman, who said to call her "Marie," was the leader of the female crew.
Jeong Ye-na eyed the food. Rock-hard hardtack and rancid salted meat.
They seriously expected her to eat this? But everyone ate stoically.
"But why do the women stay inside? Don't you go out?"
"Sailors don't like women on board from the start. They say whistling brings big winds. Superstition that women bring bad luck."
Marie spat on her hardtack, annoyed. But there were women inside. She was special, maybe.
"Then why bring us along?"
"Well..."
Marie swept her gaze over the women, including Jeong Ye-na, with a lecherous grin. Tension built as all eyes turned to her.
"You all know. It's because of the sirens. Their song drives men mad or makes them jump overboard to get eaten."
"Just plug your ears."
"But men get enchanted by their looks and try to hear it anyway. So we hide the men here, plug our ears, and steer."
Jeong Ye-na nodded. Instinct told her: sirens were the boss here.
Tricky. But possible?
Come to think of it, Kang Ga-young was coming to the aquarium. If lucky, she might join here too.
"Anyway, why pick at your food? It's not great, but skinny girls like you aren't popular with men."
"Yeah, guys go crazy for bodies like sis here."
She watched them laugh uproariously as the day passed.
The next day, shouts from outside.
"Sirens! Sirens!!"
Marie quickly handed her wax earplugs. Plugging in, she went out as trembling men rushed in.
Beautiful but monstrous—wings, lower body fish: sirens.
"Hee hee hee. What? No good ones?!!"
"They all look gross!! What, suddenly ugly girls? Eww, that guy from before was better."
The two sirens muttered.
And toward them—
Jeong Ye-na swung her hand, launching ice spikes.
Whoosh—sharp ice shot out with a harsh grind.
"Eek!! Scary. Ignore her. They're doomed anyway?"
"Right, right. Storm's coming! Kyahaha!!"
The sirens flapped away.
As Jeong Ye-na sighed, applause erupted. People thumbs-upped her in awe.
But they all collapsed in despair moments later.
Rumble! Boom, boom!!
"Storm!!"
"We're done for."
Rain poured. Her date outfit soaked through. Lightning cracked.
Facing the raging storm head-on, Jeong Ye-na let out a wry laugh.