Arachnes Awakens and Father's Farewell
The child without a father. The spider puppet—Arachnes—had an utterly chilling appearance. For someone like me who absolutely hated bugs, it was a sight straight out of nightmares.
"Mo, don't lift your body all the way up, please?"
Reverting to my old timid self, I made the request cautiously. And obediently, Arachnes listened. Thank goodness it was such a good kid. Despite its looks, I could tell it was made from some seriously high-quality materials. With this, maybe I could even climb the Tower.
To test it out.
I'd have to head outside first. The problem was Arachnes's massive size. How was I supposed to sneak it out?
"Arachnes, can you go outside quietly without getting caught?"
Arachnes let out a series of kirik-kirik sounds. Then it lightly waved one of its front legs. Seemed like it could.
Ever since the last incident, Mom had taken leave and been sticking by my side nonstop. Sneaking out without her noticing meant relying on this.
"Let's go."
I flung open the door and slipped outside carefully. Grabbing my coat, I peeked into the living room where Mom was.
"Mom, I'm just gonna run to the convenience store real quick."
"Huh? Okay, then I'll come with you."
"N-No, I can go by myself! I'll be right back!"
They say kids can't lie. Being a child again had even me, an adult inside, fumbling like this. But Mom seemed to recall how she'd been glued to me for the past month, looking puzzled yet understanding.
"Alright, be careful out there."
It was already November. In a month, I'd turn fourteen. It was an age where overprotecting me wouldn't cut it anymore. Thankfully, she let me go.
The moment I got Mom's permission, I shot a glance at Arachnes. In that instant, it vanished with a soft whoosh.
Eh? Sudden invisibility from Arachnes. It had this ability too? My heart raced, terrified Mom might spot it. But as its owner, I could sense it nearby. Thanks to that, we successfully escaped together!
Outside, I wandered around looking for a spot to test Arachnes's power. After a while, I found a rusted rebar bar half-buried in weeds at the entrance to a nearby mountain path. Abandoned for ages, covered in rust and grass. This would do.
Perfect, no one's around.
After scanning the area, I whispered to Arachnes that it was safe to appear. It materialized right behind me, waving a leg as if to say, "I'm here!" Almost kinda cute.
"D-Don't lift your legs so high."
Never mind. Scratch that.
"Arachnes, think you can lift that rebar?"
Arachnes boldly strutted forward to show off its strength. From what I'd heard, the goblins on the Tower's first floor weren't even rebar-lifting level. A regular adult could take one in a fair fight. Three of them popping up made it no big deal for proper hunters. So if it could lift rebar, goblins were nothing. That meant I could climb the Tower and grow stronger.
As I watched Arachnes with eager eyes, it planted two legs firmly on the ground and pressed the others against the rebar. Kudududuk! Gears meshing inside it, and the rebar began to lift.
Arachnes hoisted it up in seconds. I couldn't help but clap at the sight.
"Arachnes, you're amazing!"
Thrilled, it shrugged with the rebar still in its grasp. To think I made this. Pride swelled up, making my butt wiggle involuntarily.
With this level of strength, climbing the Tower should be a breeze.
"Arachnes, can you punch a hole through the rebar too?"
Strength checked—next up, destructive power. True to my RPG roots, I tested thoroughly.
Instead of answering, Arachnes set the rebar down. It stood still, then kirik—something emerged from its center. Looked like a signal device.
I tilted my head, wondering what it was pulling out. Then—
Ziiiiing!
Red light gathered at the device. Wait, no way.
Before I could even ask, Arachnes fired a thermal beam.
Kwagagagagang!
The beam hit the rebar, melting it instantly into viscous liquid. The acrid smell of molten iron stung my nose. It all happened in a flash. I stared, dumbfounded.
My baby was way stronger than I'd imagined.
For starters, I laid down a few rules for Arachnes. First: no blasting that beam at people. God knows what it'd do if it hit someone. That was strictly forbidden.
I tested a few more things too. Arachnes could spit golden thread like me. It wasn't super strong, but it had paralyzing venom. I caught a pigeon to try it out—it couldn't move a muscle. I even fed it before letting it go.
Its body was tougher than I'd thought, too. Dropping a rock the size of my torso on its head left not a scratch. Whatever material Dad had in his room, it was no ordinary stuff.
Dad's on a business trip in Daegu right now.
With all the recent Dimension Breaks there, his team had been dispatched for reinforcements. So he hadn't found out yet. But if he did... who knows what lecture I'd get.
Maybe if I show off Arachnes with a ta-da, he'll understand since he's a hunter too.
My dad, endlessly soft on his daughter. Probably. I'd have to beg forgiveness somehow. Time to unleash maximum cuteness.
And a few days later, I heard the news of Dad's disappearance.
Rain poured down. Why was the sky so indifferent? On the day someone passed, it wept endlessly.
National Hunter Cemetery. Hunters were essentially soldiers for the nation. Those who fought Dimension Breaks were honored here with burial.
One month since Dad vanished in a Dimension Break. His fellow hunters searched tirelessly, but he was never found. Disappearances in breaks were ruled deaths after a month—to pay insurance to grieving families quickly and let hunters fight without worry under special laws.
No body for Dad. But an urn stood in for it, now buried in the earth. Mom collapsed, unable to hold back tears at the sight. All I could do was hold her tight.
Whispers reached my young ears: "That poor child, losing her dad so young."
I'd become a child without a father overnight.
...Dad's just missing.
I knew. After a month without return, it was death by rule. But no body was found. Surely not...
Truth was, before coming here, I'd had no parents. Orphaned, raised in an orphanage that burned down. Firefighters saved me from the flames.
"Grown-ups never abandon kids."
Maybe because of those words, I'd once dreamed of being a firefighter. Life got in the way, but it was a decent dream.
That's why having Mom and Dad felt awkward yet joyful. No one else loved me so unconditionally.
...I could have stopped it.
I hid my trembling fingertips. I couldn't feel sadness now. Only rage at myself.
I could have prevented it.
I was a transmigrator. I'd seen this world, knew its flow. But it was just one webnovel among many I'd enjoyed. I didn't remember every detail of side characters' pasts. Ha Yuna was the same. Did she even have proper parents? I had no clue.
Of course. Not the protagonist. Not even the heroine. Just the delinquent girl's best friend. Her life never got the spotlight. Dad's disappearance was probably a passing mention. Even now, thirteen years later, my memory of it was hazy.
But if I'd remembered clearly. If I'd realized I was transmigrated and given my all here. If I hadn't grown complacent in family bliss.
If I'd just—
"...Yuna."
A voice came from beside me. There stood Chaerin in black mourning clothes. Amid her hectic hunter-related days, she'd come to the funeral.
Chaerin walked over steadily and pulled me into her arms.
"It's okay."
Her warmth seeped into me.
"I'll stay right by your side."
Tears streamed from my eyes before I knew it. Safe in Chaerin's embrace, I finally broke down sobbing.
I could have stopped it. But I knew that was meaningless. Just regret for what was done.
I was a transmigrator. But not some unbreakable protagonist. Body, mind—all of it. Just a girl named Ha Yuna.
Life's full of ups and downs. Happiness comes with misery. An unchanging law, even in a novel.
"All rise."
Dad's urn sank into the earth. Fellow hunters stood at attention in the rain, no umbrellas.
"Salute to Hero Hunter Ha Seongjin."
Their unified shout rose as Dad vanished from sight. Today, I learned the pain of losing beloved family for the first time. Someday, it'd teach me to cherish mine more. But right now, it hurt too much.
Elementary school's suspension finally ended. After Dad's ruling from missing to dead, Mom could've cleared his room. But she left it as is. I'd seen her clutching his photo, crying inside. I decided to give her time to grieve.
And with that, I resolved.
I have to become a hunter.
Mom would oppose, especially after Dad. But I couldn't let his legacy die.
Dad was just. Hesitated never to save lives. Beyond my past life's nature, I'd surely inherited that.
So I wanted to live like him.
No more deaths.
Like the Jeju Island Dimension Break—the bus driver, homeroom teacher's pointless ends. I wished for no more such tragedies.
So hunter talk stays secret from Mom. Too painful so soon after Dad.
Above all.
I still believed Dad was alive. Death was just the government's call. No one knew for sure.
I'll find him.
I'd prove he wasn't dead. Even using novel knowledge. I'd charge ahead without hesitation now, silently vowing.
In the end, there's just one thing I must do.
Climb the Tower. Grow my skills.