Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: It's Okay Because I'm a Genius with a Time Limit
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There are no coincidences in this world. Only fateful connections disguised as coincidences.
...or so I think.
In that sense, my meeting with Cheon Seo-yoon today wasn't entirely out of left field, like a bolt from a clear sky.
Because in the original story, the identity of the protagonist who frequented the hunting grounds was Cheon Seo-yoon.
But why now?
According to the plot, it should have been at least a year later....
Could it be the result of the karma I've sown? Is that why it's happening sooner?
If not, then the only answer is intervention from 4885....
Lost in such tangled thoughts, I parted ways with Viper and entered the entrance to the hunting grounds with Cheon Seo-yoon.
"Bro."
"......"
"No, big bro...."
"What?"
"...It's nothing much, but can I ask you something?"
Cheon Seo-yoon, a newbie to the hunting grounds, spoke to me with her spirits unbroken but somewhat deflated.
Wearing a face mask that made me look like I was in my early to mid-thirties, she couldn't easily mouth off, even as a chatterbox.
I stopped briefly, signaling permission for her question.
She scurried over and held out a ring-shaped device.
"I don't really know how to use this...."
"Hmm."
I was a first-timer at the hunting grounds too, so I feigned calm, but fortunately, I knew what it was.
A reader device.
A recording tool for claiming bounties.
Hold it to a demonic beast's corpse, and it automatically stores the info, transmits it to the center, and provides proof for payout.
I remembered 10th-grade beasts paid 200,000 won, 9th-grade around 300,000 won, and activation was probably....
"Watch and do as I do."
I slid my right hand into the ring as memory guided me.
With a click, the reader resized to fit perfectly.
As the green activation light blinked, Cheon Seo-yoon's eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
"Hand that over too."
While at it, I beckoned for her walkie-talkie—temporarily issued due to the Irregulars.
I took hers, checked frequency compatibility, and set the channel to 5.
I'd handled them plenty in the military, so it was easy.
Testing, I spoke "Ahh—" into mine, and hers echoed back "Ahh—".
It was preemptive, since she'd probably ask questions anyway.
"Here."
"Whoa...."
She took it back, inspecting it curiously.
"Big bro, you must have tons of experience."
-Big bro, you must have tons of experience.
"This walkie-talkie's an ancient relic; hardly anyone knows how to use it."
-This walkie-talkie's an ancient relic; hardly anyone knows how to use it.
....
Whether by mistake or on purpose, she kept the button pressed while chatting away.
"...Let go of the button when you talk."
"Oh, sorry. It's so new to me, I got excited...."
She grinned sheepishly.
But maybe because of that rare smile?
Suddenly, Cheon Seo-yoon felt like a stranger.
Her wounds couldn't have healed that fast already.
Was it because she stepped out of Taehak on a nice day? Or because I'm a total stranger, she feels more at ease?
Whatever the reason, I thought it wasn't bad—right then.
"Why stare like that? Something on my face?"
She scratched her cheek awkwardly. I startled and raised my voice instead.
"But why am I 'big bro'?"
"Huh?"
"We just met; isn't buddy-buddy too much?"
Some folks in the department treat me like a master.
"Oh, yeah, you're right. Then maybe 'o....'"
"Don't."
"Uncle, then?"
I shook my head side to side; that wasn't great either.
Somehow, I felt this duty to look after her.
"No, so what should I call you? Back to 'bro'?"
"......"
"How about 'time-limit guy'?"
"Just don't call me anything."
Fatigue crashed over me, and I turned away quickly.
"Let's go together. Time-limit..., no, big bro."
......I resolved to focus only on the goal for now.
* * *
Suri Mountain's hunting field is vast.
Under Yoo So-young's principle that bigger is always better, the originally 488m gentle ridge had evolved into a treacherous peak over 3,000m.
This wasn't unique to Suri Mountain; famous peaks in Korea had mostly undergone similar enhancements—for reference, Chiaksan's elevation now exceeded 4,000m.
"View."
But with one gesture, I crammed the rugged mountain range's contours into my head.
Thanks to grabbing the guide map at the entrance without fail.
Now Suri Mountain felt like my backyard.
I could visualize the terrain with eyes closed, overlaid with demonic beast spawn zones.
Preparations complete.
Destination: Suri Mountain's hidden gem, where the tool to dispel Roberto's illusions lay dormant.
"But do you know the way? I printed a map from the internet just in case...."
Though tailed by someone waving a weird map, my steps were confident.
The path led deep into Suri Mountain's heart, making hunting unavoidable anyway.
"No, big bro. Look at this map. That way's got nothing...."
"Quiet and follow."
......This guy's for real. What if we come up empty? You taking responsibility?
"Responsibility? Dragging you along is hassle enough; now that too?"
"Hah, whatever. Fine, let's go. Show me how good you are."
Cheon Seo-yoon stomped after me like an angry dinosaur.
I cut chit-chat, upped the pace. Soon entering the first spawn zone, I announced without hesitation.
"From here, about 1km radius is 10th-grade demonic beast, moth territory."
"Oh yeah? Impressive. Got a navigation system in your head?"
She squinted sideways, twirling her sword.
....
Irritating enough to make me want to bolt, but I got it.
To her, it'd look like I just guessed and stopped running.
But moments later.
"Ugh, damn, what the hell."
With a whirring of wings like a buzzsaw, an eagle-sized moth charged, flipping the script.
"Th-that's the 200,000-won-per-head ones, right? One, two, three.... How many is this?"
Her eyes lit up, charging for the bounty.
To a skilled Taehak student, 10th-grade beasts were mere snacks; a few flashes of her blue mana blade dispatched them easily.
This repeated a couple more times.
"Strutting off one lucky guess.... What, more coming?"
"Luck runs out after three, you know.... Wait, why are there more?"
With things like this, even Cheon Seo-yoon couldn't doubt anymore.
......Big bro, I respect you. Just stay put now. I'll handle everything.
After that, she claimed most hunts, talking shares.
I was guide and scout, so rest—good math on her part.
Thanks to her, I lounged, only finishing blows.
Saved time, faked reader scans while absorbing demon energy.
Hunted straight for two hours.
Haul was impressive.
Fifteen 10th-grade, ten 9th-grade.
Per person, about 3 million won in bounties; her mouth grinned ear to ear.
"Heh heh, at this rate, 5 million's easy?"
"......"
But I didn't reply.
Time to drop hunting, focus on the real goal.
We'd arrived.
I looked up at the sheer cliff zone looming like a castle wall at the green plain's edge.
....
A sudden nostalgia hit, brushing a memory.
"The cliff between Sugi Peak and Taeul Peak. A flower like a star grows there."
Saying it aloud felt cringy, but one of few lines I remembered precisely; I leaned into it for gravitas.
A setting Yoo So-young and I made half by accident, half thoughtfully....
"What? We're not going up there, are we?"
But then, my sleeve tugged.
Following the rough hand gripping it, I realized how serendipitous this was.
Being with someone who resembled her, after all....
"Got a quick errand; don't follow."
"Huh? Solo action's forbidden...."
"Be back in an hour. Need to pick a flower.... Just call it a herb."
A fuzzy feeling tickled my chest; I hurried past Cheon Seo-yoon.
* * *
One sweltering tropical night in some park.
One star for memories and
one star for love and
one star for loneliness and
one star for longing and
Lying on the grass, drowsily reciting poetry, Yoo So-young sighed.
"You know, stars are kinda pitiful."
"How so."
"Just 'cause they twinkle, people wish on them and stuff.... Gotta deal with that daily. No living out their natural lifespan."
Is that so?
I figured she had leisure to ponder stars' plights, unlike me....
"Or maybe the opposite?"
A different interpretation flashed.
"Opposite?"
"Yeah, floating alone, they'd get bored too."
"So they twinkle?"
"Yep, spill any emotion—wish or lament—to kill boredom. Right? ....Nah, guess not."
Realizing it was nonsense, I scratched my head when Yoo So-young, suddenly serious, yelled.
"Hey, can I use this?"
"Use what?"
"What else? This convo—no, the setting. Stars that feed on emotions."
At first, what the hell?
But soon, new manuscript arrived. Our story from that night bloomed prettily within.
[Star Flower]
[Description: A rare glowing plant that, per setting, carries a star's will. Lives off surrounding mana or emotions. Dried petals make potent medicine or high-end hallucinogens.]
Ancient history now, a trace only I remember....
"Not the time."
Shaking off wistful thoughts devouring the present, I faced forward.
Before me, a sheer cliff—easily 200m, a natural rampart. I sighed in relief.
Whew—
Actual thought upon seeing it: Without True Hidden Expert, I'd be screwed.
"How the hell to climb that vertical rock face?"
Undiscovered for a reason.
Hidden well, sure, but no one on Suri Mountain could scale this reliably.
"Time to find it."
Rolling up sleeves for the climb, I thought.
Get that 'Star Flower' today, and countering Roberto's illusions gets way easier.
His illusions stem from human negative memories, traumas, despair. Using the flower's 'emotion absorption' would shatter them more naturally than anything.