The Rusty Key from the First Dungeon

Of course, So Eunsu and So Euneung knew how to act politely around higher rankers than themselves, so if Baek Yena had been here, she would've been tiptoeing around carefully. But Baek Yena was out right now.

"You're Seoya, right? Seeing you here with Guild Master Lee Gayeon means you're a pretty high-ranking hunter, but we don't recognize your face at all... Looks like we came at just the right time!"

Seoya, still on guard, stared at them with unreadable eyes.

"...Ah."

Like a predator eyeing its prey—bright yellow beast eyes. So Euneung, meeting that gaze head-on, seemed a bit flustered and opened her mouth.

"Euneung, step back."

So Eunsu pulled her behind him and approached Seoya.

"Seoya. It's great to finally meet you. As I heard from Euneung earlier, I'm So Eunsu, the rank 8 hunter and guild master of Asteroid Guild."

So Eunsu reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out, offering it to Seoya.

"We came to give this to you."

In his palm lay a small, rusted golden key.

"It seemed like something only you could use, so we brought it, but we couldn't read what it says."

Seoya took the key from him with a bewildered expression.

"A key? Where'd you get this?"

"It came as a reward from a dungeon a while back. Is it something important?"

"Well, it is important, but..."

The item's name made it hard to take seriously. Because what appeared before Seoya was this:

'Ibin unnie must've sent it.'

With 'Toda's History' in the name and the usage condition tailored just for her, it had to be from Ibin.

Seoya turned the rusted key over in her hand, inspecting it. But there was no obvious mechanism or anything special. As a key, there had to be a corresponding lock or door somewhere, but she had no idea where to use it.

'And what's with the name?'

Learning Toda's History Through Fairy Tales for Our Child? She couldn't even guess the intent.

Seoya eyed the key suspiciously and read the unfamiliar word aloud.

"Bound?"

It was something she'd never experienced before.

"Which dungeon did this item come from?"

"It's been over a year now... It was from Korea's first dungeon after hunters awakened. I was one of the hunters who entered that day."

So Eunsu wore a wistful expression, reminiscing about the old days.

"I got it as the top contributor reward, but I couldn't use it because I never unlocked the condition. I didn't know who had the title <Owner of This World>... but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after you showed up, Seoya, I had a pretty good idea."

"Hmm..."

"Seoya. That thing's safe, right?"

Lee Gayeon, eyeing the So siblings suspiciously, spoke up.

"...Yeah, it's just an item only I can use."

"Can we chat with Seoya a bit since we're here? I've wanted to meet you forever!"

"I don't mind."

At Seoya's words, the So siblings shot ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠triumphant looks at Lee Gayeon and Park Haejun. Lee Gayeon glared at them but couldn't stop it since Seoya was fine with it.

"I'll hold back since they haven't hurt our kid..."

"...For now, they don't seem like the type to harm Seoya. They're not bad people, and as top rankers, building ties wouldn't hurt."

As Park Haejun calmed Lee Gayeon, So Eunsu, now seated on the sofa in front of Seoya, muttered blankly.

"...You look like Byeollang."

"Whoa, for real!"

"Who's Byeollang?"

"Our grandma's doggo!"

"...Huh."

Seoya made an ambiguous face, unsure if it was a compliment or insult, and So Eunsu hurriedly explained.

"No, I didn't mean you look like a dog or anything. I meant you're that cute. Your eyebrows, your eyes... they match."

"No need to explain more."

Seoya's mind was already toughened by Baek Yena and Ji Sein.

"...Feel free to talk casually."

She added, since their formal speech was bugging her. They both looked older anyway.

'I've adapted to Korean culture pretty well.'

"For real? Eeee! Awesome! Can I call you Seoya then?!"

"Do what you want."

"OMG, such an honor! Oh, random question—what's your age?"

"Seventeen."

"What?! I thought you'd be way younger! You look it too! I'm eighteen, so not a big gap... But your name's Seoya? Last name?"

"No last name. Just Seoya."

"No family name? Nationality?"

"Korea for now...?"

"Euneung, stop digging for personal info!"

"Oops! Got it!"

But So Euneung, still buzzing with excitement, couldn't hold back. Her lips twitched a few times before she burst out again in a thrilled voice.

"You gonna keep hiding your identity?"

"Seoya probably needs to keep it hidden."

So Eunsu answered instead, looking at Seoya seriously and speaking deliberately.

"You absolutely cannot let anyone find out who 'Seoya' really is. Because humans..."

"Not that talk again?"

Seoya reacted instantly to the familiar pattern that reminded her of Kwon Yooseok.

"That stuff about hunters' possessiveness and obsession? Don't worry about it. I've heard it before."

"...What did you say? Possessiveness? Obsession? Who the hell said that?"

Park Haejun, with a sharp expression Seoya had never seen, asked stiffly.

"Hold on. I think I know who."

So Eunsu wagged a finger.

"That kind of creepy talk? Gotta be Kwon Yooseok hunter, right? Or maybe surprisingly Na Seonghyeon. Nah, or even Go Heejae out of left field."

"It was Kwon Yooseok."

"What the hell is wrong with that Kwon Yooseok guy... We seriously need a no-contact order. He could plant bad ideas."

"Totally agree."

Park Haejun and Lee Gayeon nodded firmly at each other, resolved.

So Eunsu ignored them and continued.

"Figures that kind of sleazy thinking is Kwon Yooseok's specialty. Anyway, good that you'll keep your identity hidden. But you seem to think it's because of hunter politics..."

"But politics are kinda far from our guild! We wanna talk about something else!"

So Euneung shouted in her usual bouncy voice.

"Seoya, you gotta watch out for the public."

"In what way?"

"Public opinion. Opinion among the masses."

"Public opinion?"

"Yeah, especially at your age, you're super impressionable, right?"

So Euneung said with a beaming smile.

Hm, public opinion. Seoya wasn't completely clueless about its importance. Back on Toda, she'd been exiled because the world's strongest—her—was seen as a dangerous figure, and public sentiment turned against her...

Thinking about it, it really was crucial. Despite her overwhelming power, they'd rallied opinion and banded together to drive her out.

"Umm, it is important, but..."

"Right now, no one knows who you are, and you're the national—no, world hero who closed six S-rank dungeons, so people are quiet. But if your identity leaks, every move you make gets scrutinized!"

"Scrutinized?"

She knew this world had heavy surveillance and control, but was it like that? Seoya tilted her head.

So Euneung continued passionately.

"People will dig into your looks, speech, actions—even school grades—and pile on comments!"

"Like getting arrested if you commit a crime?"

"Nah, that's obvious! But they analyze every word, gesture, expression, and trash you if it doesn't sit right!"

"Why bother?"

It made no sense. If the world's strongest existed, just accept it. Why obsess over that stuff?

Seeing Seoya's confusion, So Eunsu explained calmly.

"Hunters feel like celebrities. Hunter news is juicy gossip for people. Our guild's mostly young hunters, so we're extra sensitive to it."

"Targeted over a bad expression?"

"Hunters' info is public. Getting attacked by anonymous internet hordes online? Not fun."

"That's weird."

"That's why I just dropped out~ Too annoying."

So Euneung chirped brightly, as always, and So Eunsu picked up.

"That's the norm. Once you awaken as a high ranker and get famous, life gets messy, so you quit school or ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠jobs. Can't quit being a hunter, though."

"I like hunter life fine, but ugh~ people suck!"

"Neverending hunters are the same. Ji Sein, Baek Yena—they all dropped college."

"Aha."

Seoya had wondered what they did before, but never asked, and they never said. College students, huh.

"But Seoya doesn't have a hateable vibe."

"True."

So Eunsu and So Euneung nodded at each other, stared at Seoya's face, and concluded.

"Ugh, you're too cute, I'm dying."

"Even if your info leaks, no backlash."

Seoya asked nonchalantly.

"What would make people hate you anyway?"

So Eunsu and So Euneung glanced at Park Haejun and Lee Gayeon behind them, then whispered so only Seoya could hear.

"Y'know... kinda like Ji Sein hunter style."

"Ji Sein hunter's just the gold standard."