Chapter 57

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 57

Chapter Title: A Knife's Test

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'What an assortment of experiences I'm racking up.'

I pulled my gaze from the food and stared quietly at Ha Mi-jun Hunter. He was calmly savoring the Peking duck sliced by the server, wrapping it in pancakes, and occasionally asking about the ingredients.

"Oh dear, Miss Ji-ui. Not to your taste?"

"Pardon? No, it's delicious."

"Good to hear."

Regardless of how tasty the food was... the whole situation itself was just bewildering. It wasn't normal to take someone fresh out of the hospital to a top-tier Chinese restaurant, to the point where I was barely registering whether the food was going in through my mouth or my nose.

'Still, this is ridiculously good.'

All I knew of Chinese food was jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk, but the table was laden with cold appetizers and meat dishes I'd never seen before.

"This was your first time cleaning up after a gate explosion since awakening, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

'In this timeline, at least.' Ha Mi-jun Hunter nodded and gestured to the server, who bowed and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠promptly left the room.

"How was it?"

"A total mess."

"Pfft."

He burst out laughing at my honest reply. He wiped the corner of his mouth once and resumed eating the stir-fried vegetables.

'So, what does he want to talk about?'

I nibbled on the fish dish while recalling what I knew of Ha Mi-jun Hunter.

S-Rank Creator-type Hunter, one of the world's top ten chaebol heirs, Casanova. Those basics seemed unchanged. He was skilled as an S-Rank Hunter and reliable as a colleague.

But there was something else I couldn't quite remember...

"Ah, something got in my eye?"

I slowly blinked my left eye before closing it completely. At the same time, my 'Regressor's Right Eye' activated, and golden letters floated around Ha Mi-jun Hunter.

Amid the random phrases, one line stood out.

[Way too steeped in worldly desires]

'Ah, right, that's the kind of guy he was.'

Ha Mi-jun Hunter was fundamentally kind to people but excessively worldly, chasing nothing but pleasure. He kept his distance from self-sacrifice and believed every action demanded a price. Grand ideals like justice or the greater good meant nothing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to him.

So, was bringing me here a way to get something from me?

"Curious why I brought you here, Miss Ji-ui?"

As if reading my mind, Ha Mi-jun Hunter spoke up. He propped his chin on one hand and stared straight at me. His slanted eyes narrowed even further.

"I just wanted to have a chat with you like this at least once. Get to know what kind of person you are, I suppose."

"Me?"

"Yeah. All I know about you is what I've heard from Kang Se-bin Hunter."

Even in this timeline, he was Se-bin's guardian.

Se-bin had awakened as a high schooler and needed a guardian for dungeon runs. Ha Mi-jun Hunter had spent more time with her than most other S-Ranks, so stories about her friend—me—must have come up.

"When you got hit by that 'Corpse Mobile,' Kang Se-bin Hunter said you were someone accustomed to sacrifice."

"...Me?"

Ha Mi-jun Hunter nodded.

Was that how I looked in Se-bin's eyes? I'd never thought of myself as sacrificing anything...

Putting that aside, I steered the wandering conversation back on track.

"But what does that have to do with you wanting to know me?"

"Great question, Miss Ji-ui."

Clink.

He sliced a piece of asparagus with his knife and savored it quietly.

"Hearing that made me think about it myself. Is Miss Ji-ui really someone accustomed to sacrifice?"

His knife hand rose slowly. Then, suddenly, he locked eyes with me.

Whoosh.

"What the—...!"

It happened in an instant. Ha Mi-jun Hunter's knife-wielding right hand lunged viciously toward his own left hand. I desperately threw my hand over his left one.

"Gasp, huff!"

The knife halted right above my hand. A chilling aura spread from my fingertips. Every sense sharpened—goosebumps prickling my skin, cold sweat trickling down my spine.

"Are you insane?!"

I glared at Ha Mi-jun Hunter as I snapped. He looked away from my hand and let out a hollow chuckle.

"The conclusion came quick."

"..."

"You're someone who'll sacrifice for others without any conditions."

Clang.

He tossed the knife far across the table. It teetered precariously on the edge.

"Look even now. Instead of knocking the knife away, you covered my hand."

"Ah..."

"Just like when you shoved me aside at the gate and took the hit instead."

I pulled my hand away from Ha Mi-jun Hunter and sat back down.

'Didn't realize I was like this.'

I'd always charged in without thinking, but since acquiring 'Self-Sacrifice for Others,' I stopped considering injuries altogether. Even though there was no guarantee shock wouldn't kill me 100%.

"That's why you intrigued me, Miss Ji-ui."

Clink.

He leaned forward, facing me directly. His sharp, upturned eyes gave off an even more dangerous vibe today.

"How can someone save another without expecting anything in return."

"..."

"How can someone... throw themselves away so easily."

The man who lived by calculations had changed. The one who never took losses started taking interest in someone like me, who only ever lost.

'This might be an opportunity.'

Ha Mi-jun Hunter in this timeline was definitely different from before. His eyes on me weren't clouded; they sparkled like jewels in light. The chance to win him over as a comrade against the apocalypse was now.

"...Ha Mi-jun Hunter."

"Yes?"

"If you could go back in time, what do you think you'd do?"

He gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought. A question he'd never considered, apparently.

"Hmm. Spend more quality time with an ex who was cute?"

'Figures.'

His hedonistic nature hadn't budged; the answer embodied worldly pleasure.

"I'd correct my mistakes."

"Mistakes?"

"Yeah. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I've made quite a few in my life so far."

Failing Ji-yu's final promise, becoming the Creator's Apostle and contributing to the world's end, failing to prevent Choi Min Hunter's death. And dying right in front of her eyes.

The mistakes I'd piled up could probably fill an ocean.

I lifted my head slightly and met Ha Mi-jun Hunter's gaze.

'The reason I can throw myself away so easily...'

Having reached a conclusion in my mind, I spoke.

"You wondered why I can throw myself away so easily, right?"

"Yeah. It doesn't make sense to me."

I stared straight into his dark eyes and drew a breath.

"After throwing myself away dozens of times like that, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I start thinking that eventually, everything will work out right."

Choi Jae-yoon Hunter, Yeon-woo, and even Choi Min Hunter. People I couldn't save without dozens of attempts. Every timeline of mine had meaning, serving as stepping stones to a better future.

"Taking the hit for you instead of Ha Mi-jun Hunter? I don't think that was meaningless."

"...!"

"You're a comrade. As long as Ha Mi-jun Hunter lives, that's enough."

'Yes.'

"You talk like someone who's already lived one life, Miss Ji-ui."

"..."

"Not that you have, of course."

He'd hit the nail on the head, but I ignored it with a casual smirk.

"But if you saved me thinking of me as a comrade."

"I'll be Shin Ji-ui Hunter's comrade too."

Through my status window, Ha Mi-jun Hunter's eyes gleamed with newfound resolve. Even how he addressed me shifted from 'Miss Ji-ui' to 'Shin Ji-ui Hunter.'

'Savior of the World' too?

Because Ha Mi-jun Hunter was S-Rank? Making him my comrade alone brought me a step closer to saving the world.

While my status window flickered busily, Ha Mi-jun Hunter stared at me intently and added,

"I'll trust Shin Ji-ui Hunter's words, and throw my body in the way for you too."

"No, you don't have to go that far..."

"I can't be as reckless as Shin Ji-ui Hunter. But I'll act in a way that lets you trust your back to me."

Whether insult or praise, Ha Mi-jun Hunter was fully swayed. He laughed heartily, as if relieved, and lifted his teacup toward me instead of a shot glass.

"How about a toast?"

"Of course."

Clink.

The clear chime rang out as our teacups met. My timeline was progressing slowly but surely toward a new future.

Thud.

"Haaaah..."

The moment I got home, I collapsed onto the floor. The unlit boiler let cold seep into my skin, but oddly, it brought relief.

'Already recruited one person.'

'He said to become comrades...'

I chided my ego and got back up.

'Who knew Ha Mi-jun Hunter would be the first to bloom.'

I'd planned to seed Se-bin, since we were close, or maybe Choi Min Hunter from past ties. But out of nowhere, Ha Mi-jun Hunter got involved.

As long as they bloomed, who it was didn't matter.

'What's next? Seed Choi Min?'

'No. There's an important event at this point in time.'

'Event?'

Bzzz.

My Hunter.net phone vibrated. I pulled it from my inventory and opened it to a flashing notification.

'Someone I need to meet there.'