Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Plan and Judgment
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“Go in!!”
A shout exploded right behind me.
The Association's suppression team led with bulletproof shields as they kicked open the door and swiftly moved inside.
The lead operative hurled a mana restraint cuff toward the fallen Choi Si-hyeok.
The net-shaped cuff enveloped his body and contracted tightly, but…
- Rustle…
Unable to withstand even the pressure of the cuff, Choi Si-hyeok's body crumbled away.
I turned my head and watched his final moments.
If not for the demon's curse, he might not have died like this.
He had been a hunter aiming for the top in the best guild, after all.
A momentary pang of bitter regret welled up.
That's not the case.
The very fact that he accepted demonkin transformation in such a short time is proof that his mental state had already harbored serious risk factors. The curse was merely the trigger... He was someone who needed an impetus.
As I read that analysis and fell silent for a moment, the tone of the system window shifted again.
So please don't be sad! If you're sad, User... I get sad too.
[｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀)ﾉﾟ｡]
Got it.
You said not to be sad, so I had nothing more to say.
I lifted myself off Mary, who was pinned beneath me.
And immediately extended a hand to help her up from the floor as well.
Mary's face was flushed red.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breathing was ragged.
It seemed she'd poured every ounce of strength into suppressing Choi Si-hyeok.
I lightly patted her shoulder.
“Good work.”
Come to think of it, Mary was a clear victim in this incident too.
Yet she'd willingly helped me to save others enduring the same pain she had.
She must be exhausted.
It was time for her to rest now too.
“Let's go.”
I said, supporting her.
“It's over. Just rest without a care now.”
Instead of replying, she leaned against me and gave a small nod.
“You've really been through a lot.”
The team leader, arriving late, bowed to me.
I gave a slight nod in return, then led her out of there.
The grueling two-day nightmare was finally drawing to a close.
It was nearly late evening, but the lights in the Association's control room hadn't gone out.
Mary and I, along with the staff, stared blankly at the TV screen that had finally gone dark.
- Yesterday evening, the 'Chain Hell' dungeon break and mass mental contamination incident that gripped South Korea has effectively been resolved.
- As of this dawn, 23 out of 24 total victims have been confirmed fully cured...
The silence broke the moment the anchor's voice faded.
“Great job, everyone!!!!!!”
Starting with someone's shout, sighs of relief and cheers erupted here and there.
The staff, who hadn't slept properly and had been on edge, leaned back in their chairs and relaxed.
I was no different.
I felt the pressure lift away.
The resolution had already been declared, but announcing it officially like this was something else.
The worst large-scale contamination incident, one that even had infectious properties.
Resolving it so smoothly was an incredible feat in itself.
- The contamination was found to have infectious traits, but unprecedented psychological treatment methods and the cooperation of S-rank Hunter Mary made it possible...
It was a process too long and arduous to sum up as mere swift action, but in the end, we'd saved twenty-three people.
At that moment, the team leader approached me cautiously, exhaustion clear on his face.
He seemed to have the answer to the question I'd asked a few hours ago.
“First, Hunter Kang Min-ho has no life-threatening injuries. He's showing some anxiety symptoms as aftereffects of the suicide attempt, but... the contamination has been completely removed.”
Mary had purified his contamination too.
While he was unconscious.
“And Hunter Mary has also passed her final checkup with contamination levels completely cleared. This means the curses on all personnel have been resolved.”
“I see.”
I nodded.
That was a relief.
With this, the only casualty was Choi Si-hyeok.
The additional monsters from the dungeon break had been suppressed by Jin Sea and other guilds.
Now it was truly over.
This incident was probably the biggest crisis I'd face since joining the Association.
Preventing anything like this in the future should be the top priority.
We'd been lucky this time.
The process itself was close to miraculous.
Mary had been right there, and without her, we still wouldn't have resolved it.
In that sense, I just hoped nothing like this would happen again.
“I've got a car ready. Go home and get some proper rest.”
The incident was concluded.
The team leader approached and said, considerate of me since I'd been urgently deployed.
But I shook my head.
I was fine.
“No, I'm good.”
Of course I was tired, but after dozing off in short bursts of tens of minutes here and there, my mind actually felt clearer.
I asked him the questions on my mind.
“When do you think the Da-hae Guild members can return?”
This was pure curiosity.
The contamination had cleared quickly, but the Association's judgment might differ.
The team leader thought for a moment before answering.
“In principle, they need 24 more hours of observation and psychological exams... but we can probably skip them. In the end, your assessment as counselor carries the most weight here.”
My opinion was absolute.
In that case...
There shouldn't be any issues.
I'd checked their inner states thoroughly while curing the curses.
Cross-verified by the system too.
“No major problems from what I see. Psychological exams don't seem necessary.”
That said, I agreed to the 24-hour observation.
Better to prepare for any contingencies.
I said that and stood up.
“Going for a meal? My treat.”
The team leader offered, but I already had other plans.
I politely declined and stepped out of the control room.
As I walked the hallway, a sign on the wall caught my eye.
[Otherworlder Isolation Ward A]
All Da-hae Guild members were isolated in the Otherworlder quarantine area.
I decided to head to Mary.
I checked the time on my phone.
Dinnertime already.
I could picture her alone in her room, tending to her weary body.
Mary's curses and contamination were fully treated now.
Officially concluded too. Just needed some observation time.
So visiting her quarters wasn't an issue.
Plus, I wanted to offer a small token of thanks for her help.
Great idea!
[(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
For final confirmation, I used PIN on Mary to check her status.
I agreed with that.
My plan wouldn't have worked without Mary's judgment.
Without hesitation, I headed to the quarters where she was staying.
In the hallway, I spotted a staff member delivering meals to the Da-hae Guild members.
She looked about to head to Mary's room.
I stopped her.
“Hunter Mary can eat. I'm on my way to visit her.”
“Ah, yes! Understood, Counselor!”
The staff member bowed politely to me, then passed Mary's room and went to the next destination.
I stood before her door and knocked softly.
- …
No sound came from inside. Just like her, she was probably squirming around on the bed.
But after a moment.
- Tap… tap…
Slow footsteps, as if half-asleep, approached from inside.
Pretty quick, though.
Her stomach must really be growling. I smiled faintly.
Then the door opened halfway.
“Yawn…”
Mary bent down to grab the lunchbox without even checking who was at the door, letting out a big yawn.
But there was nothing on the floor, and instead, unfamiliar shoes entered her view.
She slowly looked up.
“……?”
Mary's gaze finally met mine as she raised her head.
“……”
In her loose pajamas, she said nothing for three seconds.
Her round, rabbit-like eyes just blinked.
“Mind if I come in?”
I asked first.
Mary didn't answer. Instead, she reached past me, grabbed the door handle, and…
- Thud.
…closed the door.
I found myself pulled inside the room by her arm, caught off guard.