Chapter 109

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 109

Chapter Title: SS급 비명헌터-109화

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 109

Chapter Title: The Balancer's Apostle

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A pure white orb materialized in front of Choi Min Hunter.

Krunch.

It began to squirm and grow. Four legs sprouted from its base, while a rounded head-like shape bulged from the top. Curled horns even sprouted from either side of the head.

'Familiar.'

The closer the light's form resembled an animal, the more an unpleasant sensation stirred back to life.

"Allow me to introduce myself first. I am the being responsible for maintaining this world's balance and order."

Fwosh.

Dazzling light erupted from the form. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away for a moment; the light vanished just as quickly. And there, right before her eyes, stood a sheep with fur so purely white it almost seemed transparent.

"I am the Balancer."

Thud.

The moment she heard those words, her legs gave out. She stared at the Balancer, down on one knee.

'I could never forget that bastard.'

After her regressions surpassed fifty cycles, there had been a time when she was dropped into an unidentified dungeon, much like during her awakening. After slaying the monsters, she pulled her phone from her inventory to request rescue from the Association.

A massive horn pierced straight through her body.

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, she collapsed. Glancing at her 'Power of Words' status window, she realized her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠life was on the verge of ending. Then, beyond the status window, her eyes met those of a sheep with gleaming white pupils.

She first thought it was a hidden monster, but when it said, 'Because of you, my apostle is turning human, which is troubling,' she knew for certain it was the Balancer.

'Choi Min Hunter wasn't dancing to its tune, so it took its anger out on me.'

Grind.

Her teeth ground together, producing a chilling scrape.

Putting her rage toward the creature aside for now, she turned her head toward Choi Min Hunter.

He rolled only his eyes, staring fixedly at the Balancer. His gaze seemed to doubt the existence of the Absolute that had revealed itself right before him. The Balancer stood rigidly in place, meeting Choi Min Hunter's stare, before finally speaking first.

"My existence must feel unfamiliar. Just think of me as one of this world's gods."

"God...?"

"Yes."

"Guess I'm finally dead, then. Here to take me away?"

A faint smile tugged at Choi Min Hunter's lips. A strange sense of liberation emanated from that smile, stinging her heart.

"No. You have not died."

But the smile vanished just as quickly. The Balancer pawed at the ground with a hoof, then folded its legs and lay down.

"If you're really a god, I've got one question."

"Ask away."

"Why'd you awaken me back then, of all times?"

Choi Min Hunter glared at the Balancer, eyes wide. Even lifting his eyelids seemed an effort, but he somehow mustered the strength to hold the stare.

"I did not awaken you. You awakened yourself. You already possessed the potential."

"Hah. What a joke..."

Choi Min Hunter muttered a low curse and closed his eyes. The Balancer tilted its head, gazing at him, then spoke.

"It's highly likely you awakened when your survival instinct peaked under a mortal threat."

"So in the end, even then, all I wanted was to save my own skin."

Guilt, regret, despair. It felt as if all those emotions were crushing down on Choi Min Hunter's body.

"Then why come to me?"

"A human has defied the flow of time, so I came to investigate."

The Balancer unfolded its legs and stood tall once more.

"A human whose thread is severed... How intriguing."

"If you're here to gawk, then scram."

"I originally intended to, but I've changed my mind."

Pure white liquid oozed from the Balancer's body, enveloping Choi Min Hunter entirely. Flesh slowly filled out his skeletal frame, and his frail, ragged breaths evened out.

Choi Min Hunter blinked slowly, rising to his feet. He glanced back and forth between his body and the Balancer.

"I shall make you my apostle."

"...What?"

"Become my apostle and lend your strength to preserving the world."

Choi Min Hunter scowled at the sudden demand.

Fwoomph.

He then hurled flames toward the Balancer. But the fire simply passed straight through it, dissipating into the air.

The Balancer took a step closer to Choi Min Hunter.

"The Creator also plans to destroy the world using an apostle..."

"I don't give a damn if the world ends. Hell, I hope it does."

Choi Min Hunter emphasized every word. Cold air flowed between them.

"That would be problematic. Preserving the world is my entire reason for existing."

"Not mine."

"Hm. Then let's add a condition."

A circular halo formed behind the Balancer. Its eyes gleamed even whiter than before, and its glossy fur sparkled subtly, as if embedded with stars. Choi Min Hunter regarded the sight with bored disinterest, rubbing his dry face.

"Become my apostle, and I will grant you one wish."

"A wish?"

"Yes. Though resurrecting the dead is impossible."

'The contract scene.'

Choi Min Hunter brought a hand to his chin at the Balancer's words, lowering his gaze in deep thought.

―If I can't save my family, what could I even wish for?

She could hear Choi Min Hunter's inner turmoil flooding her ears.

―What do I really want? I'd love to just ask to die right now, but that wish probably won't fly.

"Choi Min Hunter..."

She murmured his name, but he remained lost in thought, eyes closed. Sweat beaded on his deeply furrowed brow.

―Ah, right. That'll do.

Choi Min Hunter's eyes snapped open. A spark of resolve she hadn't seen before gleamed in his dark pupils, and the voice of his inner self, suppressed by pain and torment, sounded far more relieved.

Choi Min Hunter looked up at the Balancer. It seemed slightly taken aback by his expression and took a step back.

"You've decided on your wish, I see."

"Yeah. You have to keep it, no matter what."

"Very well."

Choi Min Hunter took a long, deep breath before speaking.

"Until the day I die, don't let me escape this guilt."

"What...?"

It wasn't the Balancer who responded—it was her. She hoped she'd misheard. Hoped he'd simply misspoke, that the words had slipped out wrong.

But seeing the resolute expression on Choi Min Hunter's face, she knew it was a futile hope. He had chosen to shackle himself with guilt.

"Guilt? You want me to keep you trapped in trauma forever?"

"Yeah. Make sure I never feel any happiness, satisfaction, or joy."

―For a man who let his family die, just being alive is a sin.

He had wished for the unwishable—a curse that would gnaw at him eternally, keeping him mired in despair.

This explained why he'd called himself 'someone who shouldn't have survived in the first place,' and why he'd demeaned himself when she'd taken a hit for him. It was all the influence of this mad wish.

"How peculiar."

The Balancer tilted its head, then positioned itself right in front of Choi Min Hunter.

"Very well. I shall grant that wish of yours."

"No!"

Whoooosh—

A ferocious wind whipped through the air raid shelter. A beam of pure white light pierced Choi Min Hunter's body; he spat blood and staggered. The Balancer stomped a hoof, shoving the light beam deeper, and a agonized groan burst from Choi Min Hunter's lips.

The nightmare Balancer vanished after those words, leaving only the writhing Choi Min Hunter in agony and her, powerless to act.

Thud!

He'd been fighting to stay upright, but he finally buckled, slamming his forehead to the ground as he gasped raggedly.

"Kuh... hngh, urk...!"

"Choi Min Hunter, snap out of it!"

The air raid shelter shook violently, as if it might collapse at any moment. At the same time, his black hair began to redden, strand by strand. She reached out to grab his shoulders.

"Ugh!"

It felt like touching a red-hot iron bar—her palm blistered red again. But her palm was the least of her concerns. If she couldn't pull Choi Min Hunter out of this nightmare now, something irreversible might truly happen.

Sizzle—

Trusting in Iter's robe, she dragged his body over, resting his head on her thigh.

"This is inside Choi Min Hunter's nightmare!"

"You... you've been... nagging since earlier..."

"Get a grip and remember who Choi Min Hunter is!"

His focus blurred, then sharpened, over and over. But soon enough, it seemed he couldn't recall his own identity; he finally closed his eyes.

Slap.

"Then at least remember who I am! When I fell into that dungeon, you came to save me!"

"Me...?"

She cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. It felt like thousands of needles stabbing her palms. The robe's effect provided some healing, but his body scorched her hands faster.

Choi Min Hunter barely pried his eyes open, staring at her intently before grimacing.

"No way I saved anyone...!"

"You did! Not once, but a hundred times!"

The heat radiating from him choked her breath. Breathing was a struggle, but she endured, pouring power into every word.

"You're the kind of person who throws themselves in harm's way for their comrades!"

"So please, just snap out of it...!"

Kaboom!

The last thing she saw was a surge of blue flames engulfing her. Heat filled her lungs, blocking her breath; her entire body burned as if flayed by knives. No proper voice emerged from her throat. Even opening her eyes revealed only rippling blue fire.

'Damn it, this'll either kill me for real or boot me from the nightmare—one or the other.'

―What kind of person am I? A sinner who couldn't save his family, who thrashed around just to survive alone. Do I even deserve to live in this world? To find happiness here?

Choi Min Hunter was still viciously tearing into himself.

His image overlapped with her own as a child, learning of Ji-yu's death at the playground—silently crushed by guilt, unable to speak.

Cruelly enough, guilt always dulled with time. Eventually, one accepted it and rationalized themselves.

'Just like how I tried to overcome my guilt over Ji-yu by helping others.'

"It's not... Choi Min Hunter's... fault, ugh, you know that!"

She brought Ego to her lips and screamed toward Choi Min Hunter beyond the flames. She couldn't tell if her voice reached him, and every breath scorched her lungs like fire.

But she couldn't stop speaking.

"It's okay if it dulls! The survivors... ugh, can live their lives...!"

Even keeping her eyes open was a struggle now. She clenched her eyes shut, gripping her throat and Ego with all her might.

"This time, I'll... save you, Choi Min Hunter...!"

―Save me? Me...? Why the hell would you?

"Because you're someone who needs to live!!"

'Yes...!'

The blooming of the Word Seed meant she could now use the Bullet of Realization. If she made him realize this was a nightmare with that bullet...!

Crackle.

Three golden gears ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appeared alongside a status window she'd never seen before.

'Is this karma the contract with the Balancer?'

As per Choi Min Hunter's wish to live in guilt forever, he bore the karma of a sinner.

A new status window appeared.

The 'Karma Bullet'—the bullet she'd received from dozens of 'herself' after recovering all her memories. Its brief four-line description instantly clued her in on what to do.

Click.

'Destroy Choi Min Hunter's karma with the Karma Bullet.'

Beeeeep—

Was it from lingering too long in his flames? A piercing ring tore at her ears, and sensation faded from her body. Yet she raised Ego toward where Choi Min Hunter should be, finger on the trigger.

"Set that guilt aside now."

Bang!!

A massive vibration jolted through her hand. Cautiously opening her eyes, she saw the bullet piercing through the blue flames, flying forward.

And with that, her consciousness soared far away.

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