Chapter 12
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Black and White Dungeon
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“Bro. I’ve got a question.”
“…What.”
“When did you get possessed?”
“…….”
“You said you were possessed. So, I’m kinda curious.”
My predictions were based on uncertain info, so hearing it straight from the source was the most accurate way. And the fastest.
“…….”
“When?”
It took several twitches of his lips before I finally got an answer.
“…From the start.”
“Yeah?”
When I didn’t say anything more, he gave me a look like that was it. Seeing that, I opened my mouth again.
“Why?”
“No, well…….”
“If you were possessed from the start, that means you’ve been you all along.”
“…….”
“That’s good enough.”
His expression visibly brightened. A look of relief. Exactly that.
Yeah. Even after being possessed, he’d treated me well and acted normally… so that was fine. I had to accept the past as it was, forget everything that happened, and live in the present. That’s how we’d been living, so nothing needed to change.
“Oh, bro. Your number.”
“Huh?”
I shoved my phone at him, and he hurriedly took it to save his number.
“…You’re really okay with this?”
“With what.”
“I’m a different person.”
“I don’t get what you mean. If you were possessed from the start, you’re just my bro with memories from your past life. What pisses me off more is that you’ve been avoiding me this whole time even though you were like that from the beginning.”
For now, this was right. He didn’t seem to know about my regression, so avoiding me was even weirder. Plus, staying awkward with him would make it hard to sync up later, so fixing our relationship quickly was the smart move.
I’d already graduated from dwelling on the past long ago.
“Don’t avoid me anymore. What’s a big brother doing dodging around like a criminal?”
“…Okay.”
“Then I’m heading home.”
He stared at me blankly and waved like he was saying goodbye.
Yeah. This was good enough. This was.
♧♣♧
A week later. According to the message from Ji Hwa-yeon right after our talk, today was the day of my official first dungeon raid. And right now, I was out tackling that dungeon.
“Please take good care of me today.”
I climbed into the black car that had come to pick me up and gave a light greeting to the driver. He indifferently confirmed I was in and nodded. Then he looked ahead again, started the engine, and pulled out.
‘…How is nothing different.’
Something like this could’ve changed for the better. Bad stuff never changes.
I glanced out the window. I was supposed to be heading to Jamsil, but this wasn’t the way. It was the exact opposite of Jamsil. Some remote neighborhood whose exact location I couldn’t pinpoint.
‘Good thing I got my license right after turning adult.’
I stared intently at the back of the driver’s head.
Today was not only my official first dungeon raid but also my first attempted kidnapping.
‘How much did I think about last night before bed, one minute to lights out.’
I was already stressed, so thanks for giving me more to mull over.
Whoosh. In an instant, I activated my Pattern. My clothes changed in a flash, and a weapon appeared in my hand.
“What the—!”
“Eyes on the road. You know a crash draws attention.”
“Ugh! Argh!”
“Please get me to Jamsil safely.”
His hands trembled on the wheel.
In one of my regression loops when I was fed up with the repeats, I’d threatened the driver and learned the kidnapping motive was simple: a raw newbie like me wouldn’t even suspect it, so no worries. Man, how mad was I the first time I heard that.
The reason was straightforward. Just a quick cash grab.
My stats, rank, and personal info were already all over the place. They saw S-Rank overall but A-Rank stats and figured they could snatch me easy before someone else did. Later on, they’d politely ask me to change nationalities or whatever, but for now, they thought a greenhorn like me with no synergy yet was an easy mark. That hasty move was the result.
Lost in memories, I looked at what had been the driver just moments ago. His face was pale as a ghost.
“Why so scared? I’m not gonna eat you.”
“I… I don’t know the way to Jamsil.”
“Huh?”
…Oh, right. I got so caught up in thoughts I forgot. Totally useless. At least turn on the nav on your phone—what’s your brain for, decoration?
“…….”
His hands shook badly on the wheel. How the hell did he plan to kidnap me with that spine?
In that state, he’d crash for sure. Why pick such a moron?
“…Sigh.”
I grabbed the middle of the back seat and pulled it forward. The trunk came into view. I reached into the open hole and pulled out the first thing I grabbed. It was a purple-glowing rope. The standard association neutralization rope.
“H-How did you…….”
“No need to know. Park the car safely.”
Soon the car veered onto the shoulder and stopped. The driver tried to bolt the second it did, but I yanked him out from behind before the door even opened and bound him with the neutralization rope he’d prepped for me. On a highway? Where’d he think he was running. Even a Hunter would get caught quick.
“Lie down.”
I slid into the driver’s seat and got the car moving again. Had to raid the dungeon, so I deactivated my Pattern and drove leisurely. On the highway, it’d take a while.
Time passed, and we reached the A-Rank Gate in Jamsil. A sleek car pulled up. Reporters had their cameras locked and loaded, waiting. Clearly expecting the sixth S-Rank Hunter to emerge from there.
I parked off to the side. It screamed official limo, so the reporters all fixed their cameras on it, waiting. They had to be hoping the sixth S-Rank would step out.
Even if it was provisional, who’d focus on that word? Every provisional rank so far had been confirmed.
So they waited for even one extra shot, but unfortunately, the first one out was a man they’d never seen before.
“What the……?”
Someone muttered. Moments later, I stepped out of the driver’s seat.
The shutter clicks exploded in volume. I furrowed my brow for a second, then relaxed.
Pondering how to haul the guy—who couldn’t move an inch with his ankles bound too—someone approached.
“Han Ji-eon… Hunter?”
A woman in a sharp suit with her hair tied low, striking features, looked at me with a hint of surprise.
Seeing her flustered face, I grimaced and said,
“This guy… almost kidnapped me.”
At my words, the man curled up even more. Couldn’t even pretend.
“…I know that face.”
She frowned, grabbed his collar hard, and peered at his face.
“Yup. Knew it. How’s an association guy…….”
She released the collar with a flick, slammed him to the ground, and turned to me.
“My oversight. Sorry.”
“Yeah……. But…….”
I glanced at her. I knew who she was, but we hadn’t been introduced yet, so acting like I knew her felt off.
“Oh. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Kim Seo-young from the Daegu Hunter Association. Since this is your first dungeon raid, Han Ji-eon Hunter, I’m here as backup. Normally it’d be another S-Rank, but due to circumstances, I’m standing in. I’m A-Rank, but my skills match S-Rank, and I handle most of the association’s training, so rest easy and follow me. Please take good care of me today.”
“Yeah. You too.”
“Before that… mind waiting a sec?”
Kim Seo-young pointed at the guy sprawled behind her. I nodded lightly.
A little time passed. Reporters snapped away at me sitting and waiting enthusiastically before Kim Seo-young returned.
“Sorry for the wait. Let’s head in.”
“Yeah.”
We ignored the reporters swarming everywhere and reached out toward the Gate.
‘…How many times has it been for this dungeon.’
I entered the dungeon that now felt like home turf.
“Han Ji-eon?”
“Yeah?”
“Pattern activation. Oh. You already did.”
“Oh.”
Activating it the second we entered was muscle memory now, hard to shake. It was a good habit anyway, but the problem was everyone else freaking out. Most just gawked at the surroundings upon entry.
“Felt like I should.”
And I always gave the model answer.
“Good thinking. In a dungeon, anything can pop out anytime, so prepping ahead is best. Keep that habit going forward.”
As she said it, Kim Seo-young activated her own Pattern.
When Kim Seo-young activated hers, white wing ornaments appeared on the sides of her head, and her outfit turned into armor mostly white.
Kim Seo-young’s activated Pattern could be summed up in one word.
Valkyrie.
Her look was just like a Valkyrie’s.
“Let’s move.”
“Yeah.”
I turned to gaze into the vast dungeon depths.
Black and White Dungeon. Simple name, but truly just black and white—well-named.
Step. With each step, white waves rippled across the black floor. When Kim Seo-young touched the white wall, black waves rippled across it.
We advanced in silence until Kim Seo-young spoke up.
“…Um, can I ask something?”
“Yeah?”
“Have we… met before?”
I knew what she meant. And the answer.
I pretended to rummage through memories, then let out an “aha” like it hit me.
“Oh, no way—you were the group project leader in college?”
“You remember!”
「If you’re not gonna cooperate, I’ll just remove your name. You don’t come to class so you don’t know, but prof said to drop non-contributors. So if you keep bringing up that Han Ji-un guy, just go home! Don’t drag down other people’s grades! Get lost!」
Back when I had no memories, she’d been the leader in a group with a troll who kept prying about Han Ji-un. We’d gotten pretty close after that. Classic senior-junior vibe.
“Thought you went civil servant. When’d you become a Hunter?”
“Less than two years ago. World’s unpredictable, huh. Never thought you’d hit S-Rank.”
“Didn’t expect it myself. Patterns manifest randomly and all.”
We chatted idly as we pressed on.
Occasionally we hit all-black rooms or all-white ones. Some rooms flashed painfully black then white over and over.
And of course, monsters appeared. But A-Rank and S-Rank as we were, Kim Seo-young sunbae and I sliced them like a stroll, picked up items, and kept talking.
‘Come to think of it…….’
Why did all my acquaintances end up Hunters? Coincidence? Or.
“Ji-eon?”
“Yeah?”
“Dungeons vary, but they all have stages. Stages have different clear methods each time. Mainly two types: puzzles and monster hunts. Midway there’s a mid-boss, end has the final boss. Sometimes no mid-boss. Gotta tell them apart.”
She pointed ahead as she explained. At her fingertip: a small white circle on a black wall.
“Somewhere in the dungeon’s a door to the next stage. This white circle? Mid-boss door. Usually means mid-boss if there’s a door. Rare exceptions, but almost never.”
Kim Seo-young approached the circled wall and spoke again.
“Shall I open it?”
“Yeah.”
Tap. Her hand touched the white circle. The black wall rippled, then crumbled to dust.
“Get ready.”
She gripped her massive white spear tighter, voice buzzing with excitement.
The revealed room was packed with black-and-white orbs. In the center, something white humanoid stirred amid the orbs.
“No telling what’ll happen, so careful—”
Whoosh. I chucked an orb, nailing the white figure dead center.
“Ji-eon……?”
“Yeah.”
The white figure took the hit and turned to us. Then.
—Kraaaaargh!
Its body turned black and morphed into a massive monster.