Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Past Life Connections
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The events unfolding around Lee Yoo-hyun served as indicators that let Dun glimpse the situation outside the dungeon.
At least, using the connection he'd forged by calling 119 to Yoo-hyun's house back in the day as an excuse, he frequently asked Mochibol for outside info.
"Hyung Lee Yoo-hyun succeeded in his second awakening. Not sure exactly what that means."
Dun's eyes widened round at his words. Succeeded in a second awakening?
"What ability did he awaken to?"
"You know what that is? I didn't ask 'cause I don't know what awakening even means, but I don't have the details either."
Dun had heard Mochibol knew a lot about the outside world, but sometimes he seemed to see through things even more sharply than Dun, who was living it, which was surprising. Feeling a slight chill, Mochibol rubbed his arms for no reason.
"Tch, anyway, it'll be tough for him to come here much anymore. When you log out later, ask him what his ability is."
"Got it...."
There were several things Dun could infer from Lee Yoo-hyun's awakened ability.
After realizing he'd regressed to the past and reincarnated at the same time, Dun had one major question.
It was about the future he knew from his current life.
'Was the life I lived as Lee Sae-byeok one where "Dun" had intervened, or one where he hadn't?'
That was his biggest curiosity right now.
The reason Dun was so curious about the "Fellow" class was that it held a clue to resolving that question.
At first, he'd just recommended it casually, thinking it'd suit him well, but upon reflection, Association President Lee Yoo-hyun's awakened ability had been crafting-related.
A package crafter who made customized items and skills tailored to each individual's needs.
Fellow's abilities were similar to what he knew of President Lee Yoo-hyun's, but without hearing the exact details, he couldn't be sure.
If the past life he remembered was one shaped by "Dun's" intervention, then in about a year or two, Lee Sae-byeok—his past self—would enter the game.
No matter how he thought about it, there'd been no Dun in the life he'd lived as Lee Sae-byeok. That was what felt off. Because if Dun ever met Lee Sae-byeok later, he'd act like he knew him as much as possible and shove dozens of legendary items into his hands.
Anyway, since Lee Yoo-hyun had been heavily influenced by him, if his awakened ability resembled Fellow's, the chances were high it'd flow into a future very similar to what he knew.
Some kind of fatalistic...
In that case, no matter what he did, it would all be events that had already happened to him—inevitable incidents.
"Hey, Dun, since I can't tell anyone about your stuff anyway, can't you tell me what's going on?"
"Before that, let me ask something. What's your real name? Not Mochibol—your actual name."
Mochibol, dying to know Dun's identity, mustered his courage and spoke up, only for Dun to fire back.
Mochibol was one of the people heavily influenced by him. He might even be one of the people from the past life Dun remembered.
They said your in-game appearance resembled your real one, but that was only with Hunter capsules. The early entertainment capsules allowed quite a bit of freedom in appearance settings.
"Uh.... This kind of question still doesn't sit right. You sure you're not a hacker hacked by Dun trying to steal personal info?"
"Stop writing novels. I'm not asking for your account number—just your name."
Fair enough. There wasn't much you could do with just a real name. Still feeling uneasy, Mochibol let out a long sigh.
"I'll tell you, but you have to share what you know in return."
"I'm not great at explaining, but I'll give you the gist."
Mochibol hesitated before opening his mouth.
"My real name's Joo-ho."
Dun's face went blank upon hearing Mochibol's real name.
No way, no way...
"You're him?"
"Hm?"
"Argh, my head's gonna explode. Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
His guard had been up against monsters, leaving no room for such thoughts.
Dun recalled events from his Lee Sae-byeok days, after Hunter capsules had stabilized.
Once awakenings became a bit easier via Hunter capsules, the Association contacted all the rankers, offering them to become Hunters.
Thinking back, most of those contacted rankers were probably kids like Mochibol—ones he'd boosted to ranker status by handing them good items for no reason.
In other words, the players he was hanging out with now might be Hunters with ties to his past life as Lee Sae-byeok.
Joo-ho's vague face suddenly sharpened in his memory. Even using a gaming capsule, he'd barely adjusted his looks. No wonder his face suddenly felt familiar.
"What was your class again?"
Dun pressed his temple and asked.
"Earth Magician."
"...Ah, shit. Of course."
A curse slipped out abruptly.
Earth Magicians specialized in earth and soil magic, and the Hunter named Joo-ho had awakened as a mage using earth-related spells. Even without knowing Lee Yoo-hyun's ability, this raised the odds that Dun's fatalistic hypothesis was true.
Dun tried recalling the players he'd been close to. There were quite a few; he couldn't remember them all.
Maybe they were all people he knew from before.
Suddenly, it felt like a class reunion.
As past memories started bubbling up fresh, Dun grimaced. He didn't want to get too tangled up, but it was already happening bit by bit.
"Dun.... You okay? You look pale."
"Haha, haha...."
"Dun?"
"Hahaha!"
"You're scaring me, Dun.... Don't do that.... You lagging?"
"Wanna die?"
"Nope."
Joo-ho patted the back of Dun, who was laughing hollowly.
"Dun, now spill. What do you know?"
Dun, who'd been tearing at his hair, turned to look at Joo-ho.
He was a talent scouted by the Association before Hunter guilds took hold, recruited into A-Class.
Dun remembered him as a Hunter with high recognition thanks to his decent looks and steady media outreach.
They weren't super close—just traded a joke or two now and then. Dun had first seen him in middle school, then run into him a few times at the Association and exchanged greetings.
When had he joined the Association again?
One thing was sure: after all the shady human experimentation stuff wrapped up. He'd luckily avoided becoming an early Association sacrifice.
For some reason, Dun felt a bit glad.
"Settings have been initialized."
"???"
Dun's eyes widened as his body stiffened. He whipped his head around stiffly, making Joo-ho flinch in shock.
"Who are you? I'm [gibberish], no, [gibberish]?"
"Eek!!"
Dun sat and stood repeatedly in his rigid state, his movements exactly like a real glitch.
Seeing this, Joo-ho looked about to burst into tears and bolted. He tripped over his own feet a few times while fleeing.
Dun smirked as he watched Joo-ho log out mid-escape.
"Idiot. Still as fun to mess with as ever."
* * *
In the Association President's office, a middle-aged man with graying hair lounged crookedly in his chair.
"Haha, that's what they say. They finally succeeded in making QHEAL—cuts from paper now heal in two seconds. Side effects? Obviously verified safe. Mana boosters'll get verified soon too. The US Hunter Association's starting to show interest. Those guys got tied down by mass media, government, all sorts of groups right after setup—couldn't do shit. At first they played all prim and proper with human rights, ethics bullshit, but now requests are pouring in on the sly? Fucking hell."
Current Association President Kim Woo-sung puffed on his cigarette before hacking phlegm into the trash bin under his desk.
"What? You want to personally test some drug too? Tch, might be tough these days. We're going through approval procedures. Ai, four sheets won't cut it.... You stingy bastard, that all your conscience's worth?"
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone rapped on the Association President's door.
"Anyway, no compromising below six big ones. No room for old ties in front of money, sweetie. Hanging up—gotta work."
Kim Woo-sung took one last drag, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and said,
"Come in."
"P-President. That capsule test subject who successfully mana-awakened to A-rank—he's succeeded in his second class change!"
"Oh, really? What'd he awaken to? Crafter-type?"
"Y-Yes. He used mana to make something, they say."
"Probably weapons or the like?"
"We should test it out first."
A crafter-type awakening was unheard of. If he could make in-game stuff in reality, it'd be huge.
Kim Woo-sung scratched his stubbly jaw with rough fingers.
"What's his personality like?"
"...Hm, probably doesn't mesh with you, President. Very righteous, I'd say."
"Fine. Green kids with little life experience turn villain once you beat their values black and blue. Ah, isn't his little sister under our care? Easy to leverage."
"She was.... But there was an issue when the paperwork transferred— they moved her to another hospital. I thought it was Association-affiliated, but it wasn't. Someone must've tipped them off; they caught wind we had eyes on her."
"What! Fucking hell, I told you to watch Lee Yoo-hyun close! Nobody reports shit—what the hell? Which department?"
"Not a department—some individual's doing. They handled the admin to block Association interference, then resigned and vanished. Looks like they took a bribe. Smells fishy—want me to track 'em?"
"Nah, forget it. Later for tracking. Priority's finding another leverage point. Check her new hospital, make contact, and scout other ways to squeeze Lee Yoo-hyun since those types can be sticklers."
"Understood."
"Bring him here first. Let's see that moneybag's face."
At Kim Woo-sung's words, the secretary left the office and returned with one man.
He was handsome with upturned eyes and a friendly impression.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Lee Yoo-hyun."
Lee Yoo-hyun approached President Kim Woo-sung and offered a handshake.
Word was he was a young newbie, so Dun expected him to be green, but he came off surprisingly composed.
There was a slight grip in the hand Lee Yoo-hyun extended for the shake.