Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: What She Wants
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After parting ways with Joo-young, I returned to the mansion.
By now it was nighttime, so the reporters swarming out front had mostly dispersed.
A few paparazzi were being annoyingly persistent, but I ignored them and headed inside the mansion.
I'd made it back safely. But strangely, the interior of the mansion was deathly quiet.
"..."
Sensing something off in the air, I tensed up the moment I stepped into the elevator and scanned my surroundings.
Ding-
The elevator stopped at my floor, and the doors slid open. For some reason, the door leading to the hallway was wide open. There was an intruder.
I picked up on the flow of mana coming from down the hall and quietly spoke up.
"...Who's there. Come out."
As I glared down the hallway, the sound of high heels soon echoed from afar.
Click-clack— Click-clack—
Then, a woman appeared before me.
She wore a black baseball cap pulled low, her face hidden behind a mask and sunglasses. Her top was a beige trench coat, with skinny jeans and high heels visible underneath.
She'd dressed in unassuming clothes and covered her face completely to hide her identity, but I recognized her instantly.
'Clan Valkyrie's Guild Master. Shin Ji-yeon.'
Clan Valkyrie was Korea's second-ranked guild, made up entirely of female warriors.
Clack-
She took off her sunglasses and slipped them into their case, then fixed me with a piercing sapphire-blue stare.
Wavy golden blonde hair and sparkling light blue eyes. Long, slender limbs and a tall, statuesque figure. And... those ample breasts visible even through the trench coat.
She exuded the aura of a top-tier celebrity—a naturalized Korean of Northern European mixed heritage.
Judging purely by looks, she rivaled Association President Yoon Joo-young for the top spots in popularity rankings. I tilted my head at Shin Ji-yeon.
"...What are you doing here?"
At my question, she narrowed her eyes sharply in warning.
"Why do you think? I'm here to warn you. You didn't actually declare a halt to your activities, did you?"
"I decided to hold off for now. Why?"
She gave a small nod at my response.
"Good call. If you had declared it, I'd have taken your head right here."
Vmmm-
As she spoke of severing my neck, a spear of mana materialized in her hand. The trembling spear hummed, mirroring its owner's intent.
Like Yoon Joo-young, Shin Ji-yeon harbored deep resentment toward me from past encounters.
I glared at her as she summoned the mana spear, smirking faintly.
"Not with your skills."
I had no fear in a one-on-one. Group attacks were another story, but solo, no one scared me.
Sure, I'd been powerless in that other world, suffering all sorts of indignities... but right now, I was Korea's undisputed top hunter.
Provoked, Shin Ji-yeon hurled the spear at me through the air.
Fwssh-
The mana spear sliced through space. I thrust out my hand and caught it mid-flight.
Pak-
My current body could handle this easily. I gripped the shuddering spear in my hand and shattered it.
Kwang!
Mana particles scattered into the air. I shook off the residue from my hand with a flick and shrugged.
Seeing that, Shin Ji-yeon's eyes gleamed.
"You said you were hurting, but your skills haven't rusted."
She withdrew her killing intent and brushed past me, issuing another warning as she went. A wave of fragrant perfume wafted after her.
"Anyway, don't even think about declaring a halt in the future. I can't vouch for keeping my guild members in check."
"Worried about me?"
At my question, she snapped indignantly.
"Are you insane? Why would I care about a guy like you? This is from a big-picture perspective, for Korea's sake."
So, she was worried about me, basically.
"You know about the National Competition in two months, right?"
"!"
I'd totally forgotten. Things had been so hectic lately.
"I'm out. If you don't want to die, take care of yourself."
Click-clack— Click-clack—
She strode off like a model on those long legs and vanished into the elevator.
'What the hell's with that crazy bitch.'
I watched her go, then headed inside.
As I returned home, Yuria greeted me.
[Ah, you're back? Did everything go okay?]
Yuria floated through the air and perched on my shoulder.
"Yeah."
Ting-
I manipulated the app to switch back to the boy's body. No need to burn points indoors.
The tall frame packed with lean muscle vanished, replaced by the slender, delicate boy's form.
Back in my room, I flopped onto the bed and turned on the TV. I grabbed some snacks and drinks, munching while taking a short break.
After resting up, I dove back into the other world. No time to waste.
Yoon Joo-young could only hold things off with her authority for about a week. I needed to stockpile enough points by then for some public appearances.
A longer-term goal: prepare for the National Competition in two months. I was tops in Korea, but worldwide? Not necessarily.
[Yesterday at 8 PM, an unusual rift appeared in a danger zone near Seoul...]
I half-listened to the TV as I opened the app.
The list of otherworld instances I could clear popped up.
'This one...'
Demon King's Castle, Round 2 was among them. Clicking it would pick up from last time.
Sylvia, Seril, Hilda. Helena. And... even Erzebet. I could meet them all again.
But it was locked for now—probably a cooldown after clearing once.
As I scrolled through the list.
Ding-
"?"
[A special event has occurred. Would you like to participate?]
[Reward: ???]
A notification I'd never seen before. Before tapping it recklessly, I asked Yuria.
"Yuria. What's this?"
[Oh, that's a special event, just like it says. It's quick to finish and the rewards are great, so you should usually do them.]
"Alright then. Guess I'll do it now."
Munch munch-
I scarfed down the rest of the snacks and lay back on the bed, relaxed.
I'd cleared the highest difficulty, Demon King's Castle, without breaking a sweat. A mere event quest should be a breeze.
I let out a sigh and tapped the notification.
Fwaaah-
A blinding white light enveloped my vision. My mind grew hazy, and my consciousness began to shift somewhere else.
*
I opened my eyes to find myself lying in a dim hallway. Soft moonlight filtered through the windows, illuminating a strangely familiar corridor and doors.
I sat up and looked around. No way...
'Hunter Association?'
Yes. This was definitely the Hunter Association—the hallway leading to the president's office on the top floor.
A chill ran down my spine as I looked up and spotted a nameplate on the door at the end of the hall.
[Hunter Association President of Korea - Yoon Joo-young]
'...'
My mind raced. To end this event, I needed my smartphone. Anything but this one. Quest over.
But no phone in my pockets.
'Shit. Where's my phone?'
As I frantically patted myself down.
[Suspicious behavior detected. Commencing forced event progression.]
The bizarre alert flashed, and control of my body was instantly seized.
"!"
After that, my body moved on its own, ignoring my will.
My feet carried me step by step to the door, and my hand rapped on the president's office door.
Knock knock-
The clear knock echoed.
'Shit. I'm screwed...'
To me, it sounded like the reaper knocking.
But luckily, no response came from inside despite the knock.
Thump- Thump-
'Please don't come out. Don't come out.'
No way she'd be working this late. She'd be home, fast asleep. She had to be.
I wanted to bolt, but my body wouldn't obey. I stood there, sweating bullets, waiting for a reply that never came.
Then.
Crash!
Something tumbled inside, followed by a voice.
"Ow. My knee. Fuck."
The door flew open, and an irritated woman poked her head out.
"Who the hell is it at this hour?"
Disheveled hair, dark circles under her eyes. A beautiful black-haired woman radiating a decadent vibe. Sword Ghost, Yoon Joo-young. She'd appeared before me again.
She glanced around at eye level, then looked down and spotted me frozen there.
"...!"
She flinched in surprise and stepped back.
Bam-
Then she slammed the door shut and retreated inside.
"..."
What just happened? Whatever it was, thank god. Relief...
Would the event end without incident? My prayers answered?
As I sighed in relief.
Bang-
The door burst open again, and her hand shot out like lightning.
"!"
Then.
"Mmph!"
She grabbed me by the throat and yanked me inside.