Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: [S Public Funds]
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Lee Yoo-hyun lay in his private hospital room, wiggling his fingers, which had grown even thinner in the meantime.
“I’ve awakened...”
He had been out hunting, setting up multiple bear traps to clear Dun’s quest, when his consciousness suddenly faded.
[Your body has entered a dangerous state!]
[Your body has entered a dangerous state!]
[Your body has entered a dangerous state!]
Just before blacking out, multiple red screens had popped up, blocking his vision. In his panic, he’d managed to log out and crawl out of the game capsule, but he had no memory after that. According to the association, he’d been in a coma for several days.
He had no idea who had found him—someone with few social connections like him—but he’d been rushed to the hospital in the nick of time, and fortunately, his life wasn’t in danger.
‘It seems like shock from mana starting to accumulate in your body.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Congratulations, Mr. Lee Yoo-hyun. You’ve awakened.’
The hunter-side people measured the amount of mana in his body with various devices, then showed him an alphabet letter: ‘A-rank’.
It meant his mana was ‘A’-rank, and it was an incredibly rare level. It was the highest rank among existing hunters, so Lee Yoo-hyun instantly became a celebrity in Korea’s unofficial hunter circles.
The sole survivor of a hunter game capsule.
The first awakener via a hunter game capsule.
An ‘A’-rank hunter, no less.
The hypothesis that awakening through the ‘Nina Pinta Simulator’ could produce even stronger hunters had been partially proven through him.
Thanks to that, the hunter researchers were going wild trying to study him in every way possible.
Dozens of needles were stuck in his body. Dozens of screens displayed his condition.
They were offering a lot of money, so he stayed put, but having his body stats exposed so nakedly from all sides felt a bit weird.
“Hello. Looks like you’ve turned into a pincushion since I last saw you.”
Lee Yoo-hyun was munching on some snacks from the hospital when he turned his head at the voice from beside him.
It was a kid he’d seen somewhere before. Strikingly pale skin and an overall sharp, sensitive vibe. And the lost-child prevention necklace around his neck.
Ah, the kid who’d been hiding money in that tree hollow last time. Seol Do-yoon, was it?
“Have we met before?”
When Lee Yoo-hyun politely asked back, one of Seol Do-yoon’s eyebrows rose.
“I’m just a kid. Speak casually.”
“It’s fine. I prefer polite speech.”
“Whatever. Suit yourself.”
Seol Do-yoon, carrying a bunch of stuff packed in a paper bag from the convenience store giveaway, sat on the chair beside Lee Yoo-hyun’s bed.
Still young, his legs didn’t reach the floor when he sat. His legs were covered in countless bruises and wounds. Red stains seeped through the bandage on his ankle—clearly a fresh injury.
Definitely wounds from hunter training.
Lee Yoo-hyun unconsciously clicked his tongue. That little girl he’d fought with this boy last time had been covered in wounds too.
Training kids until they ended up like that. No wonder the hunter association couldn’t be recognized as an official organization.
“You saw me hiding money in the tree last time, right? I saw you then too.”
“Ah... You’ve got sharp eyes.”
Seol Do-yoon gazed intently at Lee Yoo-hyun, who warmed up quickly once spoken to casually, then smiled with crinkled eyes.
“You’re pretty smart, Yoo-hyun hyung, so you might already know, but you’re famous now. Everyone in the association’s buzzing about you.”
“I see. So why’d you come all of a sudden, Do-yoon?”
Seol Do-yoon pulled a plastic folder out of the crinkled paper bag.
“You’ve done so much for the hunters, sacrificing your whole body for achievements... I got some unfortunate info and thought I’d share.”
“...”
“You’ll see in this document, but your little sister’s hospital location was moved without your consent. Now that you’ve awakened, are they trying to turn your sick sister into a hunter too? There’s already covert research underway.”
Seol Do-yoon watched Lee Yoo-hyun grit his teeth and tremble, a faint smile playing on his lips unnoticed.
“If your sister gets trained as a hunter to protect people, she won’t escape ending up like me, right?”
Seol Do-yoon pointed to the dark bruises and needle marks on his limbs.
“...How did you find out about this?”
“Just... You’re so popular, so I poked around and found out by chance.”
Lee Yoo-hyun let out a heavy sigh at the overwhelming despair crashing over him. Just when one thing seemed to be going well, another problem exploded.
He buried his face in his hands and groaned for a moment when a low voice continued from beside him.
“I’ll help make sure your sister doesn’t get tangled up in this world. You seem busy getting stronger, so I’ll periodically send you updates on her info every time you log out. I’m still young, so it’s relatively easy for me to get hunter-side info without raising suspicion.”
Lee Yoo-hyun’s face went blank as a flood of information hit him.
“If you help me out.”
Lee Yoo-hyun tensed up unconsciously at the odd pressure emanating from the boy as he gazed at his bright smile.
“What do you want in return?”
“Yeah, of course. Two things.”
Seol Do-yoon held up two fingers.
“One is not telling anyone about the location of my emergency funds.”
“And?”
“The other is making the item I request. Nothing more, nothing less—just one thing. You’re a crafting class, right?”
Lee Yoo-hyun reacted strongly. It was like he’d done thorough research, piercing right through his info.
“Think it over carefully, and when you’ve sorted your thoughts, come find me. Wednesdays in the afternoon at the training grounds.”
Seol Do-yoon bowed politely in farewell.
“Take care. Get well soon.”
When he straightened up, an artificially pure smile spread across Seol Do-yoon’s snow-white face. But as he turned to leave, the smile vanished like a cold gust.
Lee Yoo-hyun stared for a long time at Seol Do-yoon’s back as he carefully closed the door quietly and left.
Cold wind blew in through the open window, brushing past Lee Yoo-hyun and lingering where Seol Do-yoon had been.
* * *
In recent years, the number of dungeons and monsters had surged, and so had the number of villages attacked by them.
Genesis Village was relatively safe with many adventurers around, but neighboring villages occasionally got hit, leading to casualties.
Parents in Genesis Village naturally grew more worried about their kids who could bolt anywhere, but the children, oblivious to their parents’ concerns, fluttered off like moths to anything that looked fun.
That’s where the ‘Picture Diary System’ came in.
It was a tool that helped track kids’ locations, paths, and play areas through their daily picture diaries, without resistance.
Parents took turns collecting the diaries, held periodic meetings, and occasionally stationed adventurers based on them.
In truth, it was an idea Dun had come up with on the fly to get leniency from the village adults who were furious about him teaching kids gambling.
It stemmed from association folks saying they’d once located a gate near a daycare by checking kids’ picture diaries.
The angry adults adopted Dun’s surprisingly good idea, forgave him, and gave him an annoying new chore.
He’d considered skipping it, but Riha Owell always checked with expectant eyes, so he filled it out half-heartedly.
After finishing an errand, Dun spread out in a sunny spot and opened his picture diary.
Dun’s mental age: 30, including past and present lives.
She drew a stick figure in it.
“Talk about a massive reality check.”
Sometimes she felt like she was digging her own grave.
Dun sighed deeply and tossed aside the pencil she’d snapped on her fourth mistake.
She closed her eyes for a light nap, enjoying the sun, when suddenly a shadow blocked the light, and she wearily opened her eyes.
Pink eyes and shimmering golden hair entered her view.
“Ugh... What...”
“You keep ignoring my letters, so I came to get you myself.”
She wanted to run, but she ran into Riha Owell of all people while trying.
Riha Owell spotted Dun and Prim in commoner clothes and smiled warmly.
‘Oh ho, a face I don’t see often. Dun’s new friend?’
‘Yes, exactly. Just as Dun always says, you’re truly beautiful.’
‘You told her that too? You two must be close. This one always calls me a starvation torture expert...’
‘No way. In front of me, she heaps praise on you as a lady. Oh, can I play with Dun today?’
‘Of course, take our little mooch and have fun.’
Prim had already woven appropriate lies and truths to win Riha Owell over.
Since Dun was weak to Riha Owell, she followed along when told to go have a good time with Prim outside, only to get grabbed by the scruff.
Prim giggled at how readily Dun obeyed Riha Owell, then grabbed Dun’s hand and dragged her down to the city streets, into the flashiest-looking dessert shop.
“Go ahead. Get whatever you want.”
Strawberry shortcake, fist-sized vanilla soufflés stacked five high, cream-stuffed castella, and more.
Prim stuck right to Dun’s side, piling the table high with every dessert in the shop.
Her eyes sparkled burdenomely as she watched Dun’s reaction.
“No need to feel burdened. I’m a princess, after all. I can do this much for a friend.”
“Ugh...”
“Ugh?”
“Urp...”
The sweet scent of desserts wafted over, and Dun grimaced. Just the smell dominated her whole body with sugariness. Her head throbbed without even eating.
“What’s wrong? Stomach issues?”
“I hate desserts.”
“!!! Who hates desserts? You can drop the act and eat comfortably.”
Prim forked a soufflé and tried to hand it to Dun. Dun shoved her hand away before the fork even touched hers. Her face scrunched up instinctively.
“No, I really hate them.”
“...For real?”
The princess nibbled on a whipped-cream strawberry, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
“Yeah, I don’t like most food.”
Dun grabbed the marble table and stood up.
“You seem to like this stuff a lot. Since you bought it, eat up. I’m out.”
“!!! Hey? Wait, wait.”
The princess had all the desserts packed up and chased after Dun.
Dun walked briskly, quickly ducking into an alley corner. She headed home to avoid being caught, but the pursuing princess called her name from behind.
“Wait up!”
“No way~”
“Why are you avoiding me like this!”
Prim sprinted full speed and grabbed Dun’s shoulder. Dun turned her head through her hood to look at Prim.
Her face looked ready to burst into tears. An expression you’d never expect from the haughty, sly princess.
“I put so much care into picking scented paper for letters because I wanted to get close, sent one every day, even installed an extra rocking chair waiting for you. Is it because of the 10 units you took? I’ll give them back right now if you want.”
Dun paused mid-step at the princess’s torrent of words. She hesitated on turning back, then finally did, walking toward Prim.
As Dun approached, the princess’s voice trembled even more.
“Tell me. Why do you hate me so much?”
Seeing the usually playful, smug princess get emotional like this, Dun lowered her head in thought for a moment.
“Honestly...”
Dun cautiously took Prim’s hand. Then placed her other hand on Prim’s shoulder.
Prim looked down, tears falling, then lifted her head. Teardrops like jade beads rolled from her bright pink eyes.
Dun looked at her face and made a pitying sound.
“Honestly, I just hate you. See ya.”
No real reason. Dun turned away again.
“What? Wait! I’m a princess pleading with tears! The neglected princess, even! Have some pity!”
“Yeah, yeah. Ack, hey. Let go of my clothes.”
“Damn, my trump card’s a bust.”
As Dun turned away heartlessly, Prim’s tears stopped as if they’d never happened.
Dun strode ahead, and Prim scurried after her.
“Tell me. I’ll grant anything you want. Got something you want? The royal family doesn’t give much support, but I’ve saved up diligently on my own—I’m a self-made rich kid.”
“I already have everything I want.”
Mom, a warm home. Dun was happier than ever in this life. Her beggar-tier stamina and the uncertainty of her happy future were dissatisfying, but she was steadily preparing solutions.
Dun glanced back at Prim. Her eyes burned with determination never to let her go.
“Hey, you.”
“Prim. And a big sister.”
“Name doesn’t matter. You investigated me, right?”
Prim raised one eyebrow at Dun’s straight ball.
“Most people who suddenly want to get close are after some gain from the relationship.”
As she spoke, Dun thought of one person. A wry smile crossed her face.
“Anyway, I don’t want to get involved in your complicated stuff. Leave me alone. If you want someone to use, go seduce those adventurers over there.”
Prim blanked out for a moment at Dun’s firm words. It hurt that she was misunderstood as only wanting to befriend her for profit. She had plenty of other motives.
“Why so negative? Your words aren’t entirely wrong, but you’re seriously misunderstanding.”
Prim sighed deeply, gazing at Dun intently.
Her eyes took in the kid whose insides were long rotten, covered in barely healed scars.
“Fine, I’ll be honest. I am envious of your talent and want you by my side. But if we rate my feelings at 100, that’s only about 10. If the background check bothers you... It’s unavoidable for any relationship a royal makes.”
Prim continued her latter words as carefully as possible.
“The remaining 90 is curiosity about who you are and wanting to spend fun times together. If you’re scared of getting dragged into my affairs, I promise I’ll make sure it doesn’t affect you. I mean it so much my hands are shaking. I don’t know if my words prove it.”
Prim held out her hand to Dun. Sweat beaded on her trembling palm. Everything she’d said was sincere.
She did want help, but even before knowing Dun was strong, she’d wanted to get close.
Dun watched silently for a moment.
Thoughts crossed her mind in the short time. She’d thought Prim was the type who liked controlling people, but her words suggested otherwise.
Dun slowed her brisk steps at Prim’s words, which seemed genuinely heartfelt.
Prim’s face, a bit hurt in pride and awkward, approached. She looked slightly wounded by Dun’s consistent firmness.
What, is she serious?
Prim’s emotions felt a bit unfamiliar.
To fill the ensuing silence, the hesitant Prim spoke again.
“I’ve never made a friend outside of retainers, so I don’t know how to seem likable. I’ve heard plenty that I’m unlikable—brash despite my position... If I’ve hurt you without realizing, I apologize.”
“No need to fish for sympathy by putting yourself down when you don’t even think that way.”
“Right. You just seem kinda fun instead.”
“That’s a bit self-conscious.”
As Dun shot back, Prim’s tense expression melted away with a puff.
“If your way of forming relationships is profit-based, being friends with me, a princess, wouldn’t be so bad for your life.”
“It’s not profit-based.”
Profit-based relationships.
For a moment, Dun felt like a cool loner cliché and shook her head hard in denial.
Almost looked like Seol Do-yoon after a sip of nihilism.
“Of course, I’m content now and want nothing from you, but give me an example of how it wouldn’t be so bad. Let’s hear it.”
“You struggle with drawing in your picture diary, right? Your self-portrait was a mess despite the effort. I can call a royal painter for you.”
Oh, that’s tempting. Dun rubbed her chin in thought.
“How about it? Friends? Childhood pals?”
“...Why obsess over being besties. Let’s just be acquaintances.”
Prim nodded vigorously several times.