Mysticism's Shocking Identity
Kang Geon suddenly remembered. About the girl named Shin So-mang. Right after he'd just returned to Earth, she was the high school girl being bullied by some delinquents. He'd stepped in and sorted it out for her. It was a brief encounter, but the fact that they'd met on the very day he returned to Earth, combined with her strikingly beautiful appearance, had left a deep impression.
Of course, her name still felt unfamiliar. Anyway. He hadn't had any real contact with Shin So-mang after that day. After getting her number and heading home, he'd sent a text a few days later, they exchanged numbers, and that was it—a handful of messages back and forth. He'd asked if those delinquents were still bothering her and told her to reach out anytime if they kept harassing her. Nothing personal beyond that. He avoided sending pointless texts so he wouldn't come off as flirting.
He didn't recall her ever texting first either. But for Mysticism to be Shin So-mang... The unexpected reveal left him a bit flustered. And the fact that the person who'd been secretly tailing him all this time was her? That hit even harder. Who would've thought the stalker and Shin So-mang were the same person?
Hearing it from the Hedgehog Summoner God had left his mind blank for a moment.
"...Misty, you were that girl back then? And the stalker too?"
"Not a stalker?"
"There's no way I was tailing you because I liked you..."
Kang Geon pondered why Misty would stalk him. The answer came quickly.
"Misty, you said you saw me come out of the portal, right?"
"Did seeing that make you curious about who I was, so you kept following me?"
As expected. His guess was spot on. Her actions made a certain sense. Anyone witnessing a surreal scene straight out of a movie or comic would feel intense curiosity. Even pre-isekai him would've been the same. If he'd suddenly seen space tear open and a person step out, he'd have been dying to uncover that person's secrets.
That didn't justify the crime of stalking, though...
She didn't harm me or anything—just quietly tailed me. No point making a big deal out of it. Ruining things with a helper won't do me any favors.
No real damage done. He'd let it slide.
"It's fine. I forgive you, so no need to apologize."
"She wasn't following you for any shady reasons."
"But Misty, if you were curious about me, why not just ask directly? I would've told you nicely."
If Misty had asked about the portal, freshly returned Kang Geon might've revealed everything without hesitation. He'd told Ha Yu-mi while drunk, and normals wouldn't believe him anyway—but someone who'd seen the portal would.
"Then text me."
Made sense. Not asking directly was probably the smart call. Prying into a stranger's secrets after seeing them emerge from a portal? Risky. If he was part of some secret group hiding his identity, she could've vanished without a trace. Movies loved that trope.
Did she even tell him her name? He hadn't saved her number with it. No memory, but since she was sulking, he apologized.
"Sorry. Your face is still vivid, but the name slipped my mind."
"Of course. You were the person I met on the day I returned to Earth after years away."
Plus, she was stunningly beautiful. He kept that thought internal. No need to sound flirty.
Wait, had they been casual with each other? He didn't remember dropping honorifics. Just a few texts. ...Whatever, not worth fussing over. Reverting to formal after knowing each other felt awkward anyway.
With Misty's identity and their history cleared up, time to drop the stalking topic.
"Dochi."
[Duumba?]
Now it was time to scold the Hedgehog Summoner God. He'd blabbed a private promise without a second thought. Grateful for the reveal, sure—but wrongs needed addressing.
"You promised to keep those stories between us secret, right? You can't just spill like that. Misty's super pissed now."
[Duumba?]
The Hedgehog tilted its head, clueless about what it'd done wrong. Kang Geon scolded it calmly.
"A secret's something you don't tell others. Sharing a 'just us' secret breaks that promise between you two."
Butchi... We're not 'others'yot. There can't be secrets between Gauntlet and me yot. We share everything yot.
Misty's precious now too, but she can't compare to Gauntlet yot. Our souls are bound tight as besties yot. Wouldn't have spilled without Gauntlet yot...
Deeper bond than he'd thought between tamed monster and him. It saw sharing everything as natural, so no sense of wrongdoing.
Still,
But since Misty's mad, I'll apologize yot. Sorry yot.
It flattened itself on the ground, admitting fault. Impressive—apologizing despite not seeing it as wrong, considering feelings.
"Misty, Dochi seems sorry, so forgive him. I forgave you too. Got it?"
Despite her betrayal hurt, Misty forgave generously. Hard not to, after he'd just forgiven her.
He relayed Misty's forgiveness to the Hedgehog, wrapping up the incident neatly.
"Nah, leave it."
"If you clean for me, I'm all for it."
"Anyway, Ppuru-ru, you're the last one."
"Only helper whose identity I don't know is you."
He figured Ppuru-ru's reveal was coming soon. At a helpers' meetup, Misty or Yu-mi would spill. He looked forward to it.
Time passed to day 25 in the labyrinth. He'd given Azeras a severed arm replacement. Amid routine scouting, pondering how to become labyrinth ruler, he'd sketched vague plans: tame as many monsters as possible, recruit more helpers, map the whole place. That'd get him there eventually, right?
Priority now: vending machines. Stockpiling dispatch tickets for Earth emergencies.
So he left scouting to monsters, circling scouted areas from the shelter. Vending machines spawned randomly—could reappear in old spots.
Strikeout again today.
Dragging back empty-handed, Teams 1 and 4 weren't back yet. 2 and 3 were. While prepping a captured Pigking for dinner, waiting...
Kkyuu.
A soft voice slipped into his ear. From Passage 1. Looking over, something poked its butt out.
Kkyuu.
It wagged its tail gently. Turned its head for a sneaky glance their way. Or not? Eyes closed for some reason.
Kkyua!
A fox. Fox monster, specifically. But it looked familiar somehow.
"Looks familiar... Where've I seen that fox before..."
The fox kept wagging from Passage 1, butt out.
Watching it...
"Ah."
A memory flashed: Min Hyung-seok's ex-minions. Freed from domination, they'd turned on him. Among them, the fox that pawed his face furiously.
"No way—that fox from back then?"