Awakening from the Nightmare
As I stood there flustered by the completely unexpected sight of my opponent, Lee Ha-na asked again, turning to me with no response forthcoming.
"Are you okay, Jun-young? You look pale."
Lee Ha-na furrowed her brow in concern and strode toward me.
I reflexively dodged her hand as it reached out without hesitation, and she frowned slightly.
"…Lee Ha-na. How are you still alive?"
"Jun-young? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Are you really feeling unwell?"
The worry etched on her face deepened.
Whether she was concerned or not, I was too busy trying to grasp the situation.
How could someone I'd killed with my own hands be standing before me?
A monster? Undead? Or an illusion?
Pondering this, I quietly stared at Lee Ha-na, who still gazed at me with evident concern.
The Lee Ha-na before me was far too lifelike to dismiss as an illusion.
There was no trace of the deathly pallor unique to undead monsters.
How could this be real?
As I mulled it over, a sudden wave of memories crashed over my mind like a tsunami.
The first recollection was right after losing Park Kwang-yeol to the massive snake's attack, as we fled.
Despair and rage had consumed me at the sight of Shin Jae-jun and Kim Jun-su shoving me aside to escape, but unlike the other two, Lee Ha-na hadn't abandoned me.
She'd scooped up my fallen body and run for what felt like ages.
As a mere E-rank hunter, barely able to protect herself, she still refused to leave me behind.
A mere E-rank hunter and an unawakened porter like me couldn't possibly outrun a monster at least as strong as a floor boss.
After wandering the forest for what seemed like an eternity, we survived thanks to nearby hunters who happened to pass by.
Once safely out of the labyrinth, our first act was to share a hearty meal.
To honor the soul of Park Kwang-yeol, who'd lost his life before we could even react.
And through that ordeal, I awakened—not as a porter, but as a hunter.
The dream I'd longed for had finally come true.
From there, my ascent was unstoppable.
Drawing on the hard-earned know-how from my porter days, I grew at a blistering pace.
I exacted revenge on Shin Jae-jun and Kim Jun-su early on.
I'd nearly died because of them, so part of me wanted them dead—but seeing Lee Ha-na's grief, I held back.
I merely ensured they'd never hunt again.
After the incident, Lee Ha-na and I were inseparable.
She, too, seemed to have unlocked her potential, rising just as swiftly.
We both advanced at a pace that stunned everyone.
We started as just the two of us, but soon new comrades joined.
Yoon Myung-ho and his two friends, whom I'd known as a friend even before awakening as a hunter.
Park Min-seong, Park Kwang-yeol's son, joined as a porter, vowing to follow in his father's footsteps as a hunter.
With these new allies, we pressed deeper into the labyrinth.
Floor by floor, we eventually confronted the massive snake that had killed Park Kwang-yeol.
It was an area boss—no, an A-rank monster, a cut above the ordinary.
A tough foe for our level at the time, but by pooling our strength, we brought it down.
Park Min-seong wept, avenging his father.
At the sight, not only Lee Ha-na but the sensitive Yoon Myung-ho and his friends burst into tears, turning the area into a sea of sobs.
The hunters who'd arrived late to subjugate it stared at us oddly—celebrating an A-rank area boss takedown with tears instead of cheers.
That was when I first crossed paths with S-rank hunter Kwon Je-na, the raid leader.
After claiming the area boss, we pushed onward.
With each floor we cleared, our ranks climbed higher.
Major guilds like the Five Great Guilds and other famous names extended invitations, but we turned them down.
Crossing the vast desert brought countless trials.
We ran into old grudges from my porter days, humbled an arrogant rookie from a famed guild.
We barely felled a massive scorpion floor boss and joined a subjugation team against a undead horde.
Back then, it all felt exhausting and grueling—but looking back now, they were fond memories.
Finally beyond the endless desert, we reached the broad plains.
There, the harsh climate and overwhelming monster numbers hit us like a wall for the first time.
Rather than despair, we rallied new comrades.
Starting with the quirky, fun Yoon Ji-su and her crew, then one talented soul after another.
Kwon Je-na, with whom I'd built rapport, joined for the thrill; Song Jae-ha from the desert zone and his uncle Song Myung-sin followed suit.
Dozens of renowned hunters explored those plains alongside us.
Pooling our might once more, we conquered the plains and reached the lava zone.
Years had passed since my awakening.
By then, I was SA-rank.
Upon entering the lava zone, we paused our delve for a rest period.
During that break, Lee Ha-na and I vacationed in France, where we crossed paths with SS-rank hunter Charlotte Michelle.
She took an instant liking to Lee Ha-na and demanded she become her disciple.
Lee Ha-na politely refused, but Charlotte—stubborn once she'd set her mind to something—wouldn't take no for an answer.
She even chased us back to Korea, leading to a showdown between her and me.
The media at home and abroad buzzed with the news, but defying all expectations, I emerged victorious.
She'd rushed over with just her sword, while I was fully geared and prepared— that's how I scraped by.
Still, the wall of SS-rank was towering.
Had she brought even one more piece of her usual equipment, the winner might have been her.
Surprisingly, Charlotte accepted defeat gracefully.
Imperfect preparation or not, a loss was a loss, and she conceded cleanly.
The issue afterward was her growing fascination—not just with Lee Ha-na, but with me too.
Post-defeat, she spent far more time in Korea than in her native France.
That wasn't the end of rest-period drama.
I discovered my little sister secretly hunting; she tried playing it off, but I yelled until it hit the news.
Interest in me had skyrocketed after beating Charlotte.
I wasn't thrilled about my sister hunting, but I couldn't leave her alone, so I integrated her into our raid team with the others.
Her talent shone through, drawing Charlotte's renewed insistence on discipleship—which I vetoed.
Irritated as I was, if anyone was teaching her, it'd be me.
Not someone weaker...
Charlotte challenged me again right there in the city heart, unleashing a wave of roses—a "secret" known worldwide.
More rest-period chaos: China and Japan moved to dominate Korea's underworld, targeting its hunters.
I'd never cared much for those shadows, but got dragged in anyway.
Through it, I forged ties with Jeong Soo-ah, pinnacle of Korea's underworld, and others—eventually becoming its de facto ruler.
At that war's climax, I clashed with China's SS-rank hunter Wang Feng.
A fully armed SS-rank, unlike Charlotte.
After an epic battle, I triumphed, solidifying my status as a true SS-rank hunter.
I spared Wang Feng.
Partly due to Lee Ha-na's sorrowful gaze, as always.
And Leysha Barrett, World Hunter Federation chair and another SS-rank via Charlotte, begged me earnestly to let him live.
Arrogant as he was, his skill was top-tier; the future hunter world needed him breathing.
In exchange, from federation vaults to his secret safe—I claimed a haul of priceless gear.
Seeing it, Charlotte wryly smiled: "You remind me of Seong Jae-myeong."
To me, who'd always admired him, it was the highest praise.
That brought us current.
Snapping from reverie, I met Lee Ha-na's still-worried gaze.
"You okay, Jun-young? You're not hiding some pain, are you? Should I fetch an elixir?"
Her face brimmed with affection and concern.
I gave a wry smile at the sight.
"I'm fine, Ha-na. Really."
"You were up till dawn reviewing the expedition plans without proper sleep. You sure?"
Her words jogged memories of last night.
We were at the plains zone's final floor.
Ahead of the lava zone expedition, I'd huddled with comrades till late, double-checking plans.
True, I hadn't slept a wink.
Shaking my head gently at her worried expression.
"I'm good. Missing sleep isn't new for me."
"That's exactly why I'm worried. Even SS-rank hunters are human. I just want you to rest a bit."
I smiled wryly at her sigh-soft plea.
Even I—hailed as Seong Jae-myeong reborn or the new strongest after toppling Charlotte and Wang Feng—was just an ordinary guy to her.
Yeah. To her, I'd always be plain old Yu Jun-young.
Her feelings shone so clearly, drawing an involuntary smile.
"Don't worry so much. I mean it—I'm fine."
"But…"
"Guess I dozed off briefly and had a 'nightmare'."
"A 'nightmare'?"
"Yeah, a 'nightmare'."
She parted her lips with a soft "hmm" as I nodded lightly.
"Hard to believe—you, who's always like steel, dreaming nightmares. What was it about?"
"Dunno… don't remember clearly, but I think I became a monster."
"A monster?"
"Yeah. One of the offspring of that snake that attacked us back then."
"Oh my. What a strange dream."
"It didn't end there. In the dream, I was so cruel—slaughtering and devouring other hunters. Shin Jae-jun, Kim Jun-su, even…"
—you, Ha-na…
As I trailed off, she seemed to grasp the unspoken, frowning quietly.
"Sounds like a truly vicious 'nightmare'."
"Yeah, a real brutal one."
She said nothing more as I nodded solemnly.
Just as always, she offered a gentle smile and took my hand softly.
Familiar warmth crept up my arm.
"Pushing yourself like this is why you're having bad dreams. Please, just rest a little."
"Yeah, you're right."
"Want some tea Charlotte brought? They say it's great for fatigue."
"Sure, that sounds good. Thanks."
"I'll brew it nice and tasty!"
I smiled back as she beamed and moved with bright energy.
Though expedition worries lingered uneasily, being with her soothed my heart.
With her and the others, as always, this delve would be fine too.
Thus, on the eve of the full lava zone expedition, Lee Ha-na and I savored a brief, leisurely tea time.