Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Beginning (3)
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Seol Ju-hee's power, after so long apart, still surpassed all imagination.
Kwaaaaang───!!!
She unleashed her Ice Jade Divine Art, wiping out the horde of trolls blocking the path in an instant. It was hard to believe she hadn't even used 1% of her inner energy, given the sheer destructive force on display.
Thanks to her, we reached the Gate entrance far faster than expected...
"Ju-hee! Over here!"
Spotting the horde of Gray Wolves camped at the Gate entrance and the Red Wolf standing at their center, we ducked behind the rubble of a collapsed building to assess the situation.
"There are more than I thought..."
Roughly dozens visible to the eye alone.
I hadn't realized it from the novel descriptions, but just looking at them instilled a palpable sense of intimidation.
'If only I'd brought some items...'
Gray Wolves, B-rank monsters, moved under the command of their king, the Red Wolf.
The Red Wolf was rated A-rank—weaker than others of its class—but its speed and cunning, true to its name, made it a tricky foe.
Because the incident had erupted early, all our carefully laid plans had gone awry...
We'd have to devise a new strategy.
"Ju-hee. Remember that time with the Fire Ants?"
To explain the strategy to Seol Ju-hee, I referenced a previous Gate subjugation.
"......"
She pursed her lips and glared at me silently, but since she didn't deny it, she must have remembered clearly.
"Same as back then. I'll draw their attention, so fly straight to the Red Wolf and blow it away in one go."
Gray Wolves always moved on the Red Wolf's orders.
They had their own internal hierarchies too, but with the Red Wolf present, its command took absolute priority.
In short, decapitate the head—the Red Wolf—and the Gray Wolves became a disorganized rabble.
"Then, right—"
As I stowed my weapon, checked my mana reserves, and scanned for ways to draw attention, preparing to execute...
"...You're going to lure the Gray Wolves when you can't even handle your mana properly?"
Seol Ju-hee shot me a displeased look and interrupted.
"Gray Wolves are beyond you. You know that, so why come up with such a stupid plan? Do you want to die that badly?"
Her words were rougher than usual, but she was clearly worried about me.
It matched her typical pattern of concern.
But...
"...No choice."
This situation demanded taking risks.
Gray Wolves wore down prey with hit-and-run tactics like a relay battle; engaging them one by one silently was utterly inefficient.
If Hong Yu-ra or Im A-rin were here, I wouldn't step up...
But I was the only one who could assist Seol Ju-hee right now, so it fell to me.
"I'll dodge as best I can. You just take out the Red Wolf quick. Right?"
I shrugged casually, smiling to reassure her.
But she still eyed me with dissatisfaction, though soon enough, she acknowledged it as the most efficient plan—clicking her tongue openly before wrapping her body in inner energy.
"Do what you want."
"Good. Let's start."
With her approval, I grabbed a nearby pebble, infused it with mana,
and hurled it at the closest Gray Wolves.
Paaang────!!
The explosion rang out, and the Gray Wolves bristled, scanning their surroundings warily.
Awooooo────! Awooooo────!
Moments later, the Red Wolf's howl echoed from afar, issuing orders.
"See you after."
I gave Seol Ju-hee my usual parting words and stepped out from the rubble.
Grrr... Grrrrr...!
Menacing growls drilled into my ears, heavy killing intent pressing down on my body.
"...Ugh..."
A dull phantom pain shot through my legs, drawing a low groan as I awakened my survival instincts, activating mana throughout my body.
Awooooooo──────!
Then the Red Wolf's howl boomed, and the Gray Wolves charged at me.
"Here I gooo!"
I began clearing the path for the true protagonist.
'Idiot.'
Hidden behind the rubble, Seol Ju-hee watched Do Ji-hyeok dart between buildings and thought to herself.
She couldn't fathom why he was trying so hard.
'Traitor...'
To Seol Ju-hee, this incident was one Do Ji-hyeok didn't need to involve himself in from the start.
He didn't have to butt in or push himself.
Grrrrrr───!
Paaang──!! Paaaang──!!
Yet Do Ji-hyeok threw his body into opening the path,
and was proving his strategy correct without a doubt.
"......"
Seol Ju-hee glanced at the gradually parting horde and pondered once more.
'Weird.'
The Do Ji-hyeok in the videos and the one she'd observed so far seemed utterly different.
'Something's off...'
She definitely sensed something amiss, but couldn't pinpoint what.
All that surfaced was that she mustn't forgive the one who betrayed her and her friends.
That was truth, an unbreakable law of the world,
and a firmly ingrained, utterly obvious formula in her mind.
"...Hoo..."
As Seol Ju-hee clutched her strangely throbbing head and prepared to approach the Red Wolf,
Thud─!
A dull thud echoed from somewhere.
"...?"
Seol Ju-hee paused, turning toward the sound,
and spotted Do Ji-hyeok embedded in a building's outer wall.
He'd failed to dodge a Gray Wolf's attack after all.
"...!"
Startled, Seol Ju-hee widened her eyes, staring at him.
His chest was clawed open, slowly staining red...
The moment she saw that vivid crimson,
'Do Ji-hyeok is dying.'
Seol Ju-hee's mind went blank.
'Do Ji-hyeok is dying.'
Terror surged, making her fingertips tremble; rage welled up like a tidal wave.
'Do Ji-hyeok is dying.'
Her sinking heart filled with disgust,
'Do Ji-hyeok is dying.'
An overwhelming instinct beyond reason dominated her body, detonating her inner energy uncontrollably.
Hwaaaaaak────!!!!
The thought that she might lose Do Ji-hyeok forever flashed through her mind.
"Don't touch him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Eyes blazing with fury, Seol Ju-hee forgot the plan entirely and hurled herself to save Do Ji-hyeok.
Right after taking a Gray Wolf's attack I couldn't dodge.
Knocked unconscious by the impact, I had a strange dream.
A dream of being hailed as the 'Emperor'—an embarrassing moniker—like some childhood fantasy, adored by crowds.
'Ridiculous.'
Even more absurd: dream-me browsed internet articles nonchalantly, as if accustomed to such treatment...
'Emperor' Do Ji-hyeok Ties the Knot with 'Queen' Seol Ju-hee...
Emperor and Queen Unite: The Wedding of the Century...
Sejin's Emperor and Rival Cheonhwa Guild...
November Bride Seol Ju-hee: "We Got Ahead of Ourselves."
Articles about me holding a wedding with Seol Ju-hee, no less.
'Me, married to Seol Ju-hee?'
Even as a dream, the utterly fantastical content made me grimace involuntarily.
"...Producer...! Producer...!"
Then my vision blurred, and Bang Han-na's familiar voice pulled me from the dream.
"...Ugh..."
Blinking dazedly at the pristine white ceiling, I turned my head to survey the room.
"P-Pro... Producer! You're awake!?"
"Ji-hyeok!"
"I-I'll get the doctor!"
Team Seoul City Hall members surrounded me with worried faces.
"Why are you all..."
Wincing at the dull pain in my chest, I forced out words. Kim Jun-hyeong, by my bedside, exploded in anger.
"You idiot...! What gave you the confidence to fight Gray Wolves?! What if you'd died?! Seol Ju-hee saved you—just barely. Otherwise, you'd be crossing the Jordan right now!"
"...Huh?"
Regaining my senses bit by bit, I heard the full story from the team...
The Chuncheon incident had happened hours ago.
Seol Ju-hee had razed the surroundings to close the Gate and brought me to a Chuncheon hospital.
"...Where's Seol Ju-hee? So we're in Chuncheon?"
"She dropped you off and left."
"This is Seoul! They gave you emergency care and airlifted you back...!"
"...Seoul? You guys okay?"
"Oh, a Gate opened in Seoul too, but Im A-rin handled it perfectly."
'A-rin did?'
The news from Kim Na-rae was shocking.
The moment the Gate opened in Seoul, Im A-rin—'coincidentally' nearby—had unleashed a massive 9-circle spell, sealing it before monsters could emerge...
Not just Seoul; Gates elsewhere were swiftly suppressed too. Chuncheon was the only place with major damage nationwide.
'...Coincidence?'
I harbored deep suspicions about this unforeseen outcome.
It was too great a deviation from the original work to dismiss as chance.
'Something's off...'
In the original, the second incident caused widespread national damage, with Seoul hit hardest.
Yet this time, everything resolved unusually smoothly—except Chuncheon, where I was.
'...Changed because of me?'
As I pondered, chatting briefly with the visiting doctor,
Knock knock─
Someone knocked on the door.
"Hm?"
"Who...?"
"A visitor...?"
All eyes turned to the entrance,
Slide──
The door opened, and a woman with a lovely face peeked in.
"...I-Is this Ji-hyeok's room...?"
It was Im A-rin.
"Whoa!"
"I-Im A-rin...?!"
"Wow..."
Everyone except Bang Han-na and Jin Seo-won gawked at the famous Hunter...
"Ah..."
Im A-rin blinked her big eyes, flustered as if unaware of the crowd inside.
Anyone would find the sight utterly adorable.