Chapter 57
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Nightmare Archmage's Interest
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After awakening her very unique mental ability called Heart Demon, Lee Ye-sol began to feel her own emotions gradually drying up.
No matter what she did, nothing sparked her interest, and she found no joy in any activity.
And as her Heart Demon talent blossomed further, the symptoms only worsened.
But there was no clear way to stop it.
Even without absorbing soul stones, her Heart Demon ability grew stronger with each passing day.
Because of that, she had half-given up and resigned herself to it when...
'I'm Kang Hyuk, and I'll be the one leading you all from here on out.'
Team Leader Kang appeared before her.
A height towering well above average.
A face that exuded a maturity beyond his years.
And the team leader possessed abilities that had turned the world upside down.
Because of all that, a spark of curiosity—one she hadn't felt in ages—suddenly welled up inside her.
'What an odd person.'
It wasn't his appearance or skills that piqued her interest.
She was drawn to his actions and words that always defied expectations.
'He's a strange one, isn't he?'
It seemed her colleague Kang Na-eun felt the same way.
But that was as far as it went.
Her attention lingered, but in the end, even Team Leader Kang couldn't stir anything beyond mild curiosity in her.
Just as she was about to let that interest fade...
A small incident erupted on Jeju Island.
'...!'
The chocolate she carried everywhere had vanished right before entering the gate.
The intense chocolate she ate daily to stimulate her taste buds, fearing even that sense might be lost to the Heart Demon's influence.
She panicked and was startled.
But the Heart Demon suppressed even those emotions, leaving her wandering aimlessly when Team Leader Kang appeared and said,
'Isn't this chocolate yours, Miss Lee Ye-sol?'
He held the very chocolate she hadn't been able to find.
Shocked, she expressed her gratitude, and Team Leader Kang replied with utter composure.
'No problem. I was just doing what anyone should.'
At that sight, Lee Ye-sol suddenly thought,
'...He seems kind of like me.'
His demeanor reminded her somehow of her current self.
And so...
Without realizing it, she offered him some chocolate.
Even for a chocolate lover, it was 99% cacao—hard to stomach.
His unexpected response in that moment.
'It's pretty good. Thank you, Miss Lee Ye-sol.'
Lee Ye-sol was flustered once more.
At the same time, she felt her dormant emotions ripple, if only for an instant.
'...'
Startled by the long-lost sensation, Lee Ye-sol's mouth fell open.
That marked the beginning of her interest in Team Leader Kang.
'He's like me, but different. I want to know more about him.'
She didn't know exactly what kind of emotion it was.
But it didn't matter.
What counted was that it had stirred ripples in her feelings.
So after crossing into the gate, Lee Ye-sol observed Team Leader Kang.
Then another incident occurred.
'Are you alright, Miss Lee Ye-sol?'
Team Leader Kang had saved her from the curse wave unleashed by the orc shaman.
'Y-yes!'
From one angle, it was just a team leader fulfilling his duty.
But coming right when her attention was on him, it started to look different.
'What is this...'
As Lee Ye-sol pondered her emotions amid it all,
The chance to identify them arrived swiftly.
'...'
After wrapping up the Jeju Island incident, on her way to pick up Team Leader Kang for the after-party.
She spotted an unfamiliar woman standing before him.
A pretty woman with brown bobbed hair and a charming smile—completely different from her in every way—chatting with Team Leader Kang.
'...'
At the sight, her emotions surged.
Having awakened Heart Demon, she'd never felt ripples this strong before, shocking even herself.
Because of that, she understood a little.
'I...'
What this emotion she felt now truly was.
And Lee Ye-sol...
'I want to know more about Team Leader Kang.'
Did not reject this feeling.
Having realized what churned inside her, Lee Ye-sol agonized.
'Can I even do this...'
She wanted to know more about Team Leader Kang, but standing before him seemed impossible.
'An S-rank ability user... A monstrous rookie. The man Korea—no, the whole world—is watching.'
She wasn't a bad hunter herself, but compared to Team Leader Kang, she inevitably fell short in many ways.
'Would someone like him ever take interest in me?'
Like she'd seen at the Jeju resort, Team Leader Kang always drew everyone's gaze and attention.
For a man like that—a mere colleague, one who couldn't even express emotions properly—to show interest in her was a pipe dream.
But she didn't want to give up.
So Lee Ye-sol began to make an effort.
'...I need to change. So he'll notice me.'
Whether it was her looks or her performance.
Or something else entirely.
She'd do whatever it took to catch Team Leader Kang's eye.
With that resolve, her daily life changed.
She started styling her hair more, which she'd just brushed before, and threw herself into tasks she'd handled routinely.
'Ah, hello, Team Leader!'
And she greeted Team Leader Kang every day.
'Yes. Hello, Miss Lee Ye-sol.'
Amid those changes, Lee Ye-sol smiled at the ripples in her emotions once more.
'Maybe... because of Team Leader Kang, I can go back to how I was.'
She nodded to herself with a murmur.
'And if I do return to normal...'
She happily imagined a future still vague when...
'You all can do it.'
She caught Team Leader Kang's subtle gaze.
'I believe in you.'
Directed at the other three colleagues, excluding her.
As he looked at them, Team Leader Kang flashed a bright smile and eye crinkle.
'You too, Miss Lee Ye-sol. Fighting.'
But when he looked at her, there was no such smile or eye crinkle.
In truth, it was no big deal.
A smile or eye crinkle.
Even without them, Team Leader Kang treated everyone fairly.
But that tiny difference hit Lee Ye-sol like a massive shock.
'Why?'
Why no smile or eye crinkle when he looked at her?
'...Did I do something wrong? Or... is it because I'm different from the others?'
The questions she asked herself made her heart ache.
Just as they were about to enter the gate.
"...'"
Her steps halted.
Lee Ye-sol bit her lip hard.
"Miss Lee Ye-sol?"
She couldn't forget the way Team Leader Kang looked at the other colleagues.
Desperation and curiosity overwhelmed her.
"Is something wrong?"
But she lacked the courage to ask why.
Torn in her dilemma, Lee Ye-sol finally compromised and asked,
"Team Leader Kang... do you have a favorite color by any chance?"
Team Leader Kang tilted his head.
Then, narrowing his eyes briefly, he answered.
"I like achromatic colors."
At his reply, Lee Ye-sol unwittingly lifted the corner of her mouth.
It suited Team Leader Kang perfectly.
"Yes... Thank you."
Turning toward the gate, she thought,
'It's okay.'
Her eyes gleamed.
'There's still plenty of time.'
She didn't know why Team Leader Kang treated her differently.
But she didn't need to know that reason.
'The fact that he's treating me differently... means it can change. So... I just need to try harder.'
With renewed resolve, she let out a small grunt of determination.
That was when Lee Ye-sol stepped into the gate.
"...'"
Kang Hyuk watched her retreating figure, arms crossed.
'Lee Ye-sol. The Nightmare Archmage, called a future menace. Before those five betrayers, the worst criminal to assault Korea.'
A figure standing apart from the other team members, one to watch closely.
That's why he'd always kept an eye on her.
Not knowing when or where she might turn into the version he remembered.
'But... based on her now, I'm questioning if she's really that Lee Ye-sol I know.'
More obedient to his words than anyone, a team member.
Unlike the other three he needed to nurture with the 'intention' embedded, Lee Ye-sol was solid 'manpower' who pulled her weight without his help.
'Her ability is quite special. Unlike typical talents that grow by consuming soul stones, Heart Demon has its own 'growth' mechanism.'
That made him even more curious.
How does this innocently compliant Lee Ye-sol become the worst criminal?
'...If I just eliminate that trigger, this worst criminal could become a sturdy pillar supporting Korea. But...'
If he couldn't find that trigger, Lee Ye-sol would grow into the nightmare he knew.
Thinking that far, Kang Hyuk muttered,
'If I can't find the trigger and she falls on her own...'
His eyes sharpened.
'I have to stop her before it comes to that—with my own hands if needed.'
After clearing his thoughts of Lee Ye-sol, he entered the gate.
And—
[Time until entry restriction: 10 seconds]
Finally, entry time for the labyrinth gate at Seoul Station was down to just 10 seconds.
"...'"
The missing 1st team member.
Three bulldogs lurking in the shadows, watching them, muttered,
"A golden opportunity."
And with a dash, they followed Kang Hyuk into the gate.
"S-rank ability user. Perfect chance to check if he has the spear."
19 years old.
Han Hee-jin thought,
'Am I going to die like this?'
Like most Korean high schoolers, she'd spent nearly all her time before adulthood at a desk.
And Han Hee-jin was no different.
If anything, thanks to her teacher father, she'd spent even more time studying than most.
Her life had mostly been defined by 'studying,' with her goal being the 'college entrance exam.'
In that context, the June mock exam arrived.
She scored decently, satisfying both her parents and herself.
Deepening her studies further, disaster struck.
"W-what is this?"
"Are we trapped?"
"A gate! The gate exploded!"
She'd come to Seoul Station to pick up her mother, briefly away on a weekend business trip.
Only to get trapped inside the gate that erupted there.
[Sudden Quest: Entry Restriction]
📍 Description: Entry restrictions are placed on Seoul Station and several other areas. Those already inside cannot leave, and those outside cannot enter. Complete the quest or defeat the boss monster blocking the exit to lift the restriction.
🎁 Reward: Differential distribution based on contribution
📊 Labyrinth Progress: 0%
A mutant gate, it seemed—even she, a civilian, saw the infamous messages floating around.
Terror washed over her, making her tremble, and suspicious noises echoed from all directions in response.
Woooooo—!
No human could make that sound—it was obvious.
Tears streamed from Han Hee-jin's eyes.
"M-Mom! Dad—!"
For a student whose life was nothing but studying, accepting this was excruciatingly hard.
"S-save me! I don't want to die like this! I didn't study my whole life to die this way!"
Pitch-black darkness she couldn't see through.
Sinister sounds from within.
The unfamiliar terror paralyzed her senses and shattered her reason.
But even scarier was how contagious the fear became.
"Aaaahhh!"
"What the hell?!"
"Who touched me?!"
As everyone around screamed,
A man bellowed harshly.
"Shut up! You idiots talking about dying ominously—what's with that crap!"
His shout came with rough curses.
But the situation worsened.
Already blind in the darkness, no one was happy to hear curses.
"W-what?!"
"Kyaaah!"
"Someone groped my butt!"
"Get lost! Get the hell away!"
As fear swelled and screams rose,
The darkness suddenly receded.
Sssrrk!
Han Hee-jin, sobbing, and the terrified citizens screaming all fell silent.
Sssrrrk!
Flames that had driven back the darkness floated in the air.
"...'"
At the eerie sight, Han Hee-jin swallowed dryly when,
A eardrum-shattering screech echoed.
Kieeeek!!
A grotesque lizard burst through the remaining darkness.
A D-rank salamander whipped its tail furiously.
"M-monster!!"
'Crazy!'
"Any hunters?! Someone take that thing down!!!"
People screamed and retreated once more.
But in the flame-less darkness beyond the salamander's tail blaze, space to move was limited.
"You! Come here!"
The man spotted Han Hee-jin sobbing amid it all.
"You cried first, right? So take responsibility! It's here because of you!"
He grabbed her by the nape and dragged her forward forcibly.
Han Hee-jin flailed in shock, but she couldn't overpower an adult man's strength.
"Aak!"
Finally hurled before the salamander.
Kieeeek!
Facing the beast's grotesque cry.
"S-save..."
She pleaded for help, but no one moved.
"Uh, uuu..."
More precisely, no one could move.
Ordinary humans faced with a monster feel terror.
Irresistible terror.
Kieeeee!
The salamander eyed the girl thrown before it and let out a long cry.
Its darkness-adapted eyes scanned Han Hee-jin.
Kieeek!
It screeched in delight.
Sudden prey dropped right in front.
Without hesitation, it lunged to swallow her head when—
Kwachik!
Something burst, and the flames on the salamander's tail vanished.
"...Huh?"
Han Hee-jin, eyes squeezed shut, opened them.
And suddenly, her body floated into the air.
"Wh-what?"
Flustered, she kicked about when a deep baritone voice resounded.
"Are you alright?"
"...Who?"
"Hunter from the Association."
A straightforward reply.
But enough to grasp the situation.
"H-hunter? Here to save us!?"
Instead of answering, the man strode forward.
"...?"
At his footsteps, people inexplicably backed away, even unseen.
'What...'
'Why is my body moving on its own...'
As doubts arose,
The man who'd thrown Han Hee-jin earlier yelled.
"Wh-what? Who is it? A hunter here to rescue us...?"
Han Hee-jin glared daggers.
'That, that jerk!'
She'd nearly been monster chow because of him—natural reaction.
She bit her lip hard without thinking when,
The mysterious hunter holding her muttered,
"Quite the amusing method."
And another crunching sound echoed.
At the same time—
"...Huh?"
A metallic, bloody stench seeped into Han Hee-jin's nostrils.