Adaptation 4
— Hunter Academy Central Auditorium
"With this, the official Hunter Name presentation for the A-grade hunter Icicle Nine, Miss Yeonhwa, is complete. Everyone, please stand and give a round of applause for our new next-generation hunter, Miss Yeonhwa."
Clap, clap, clap!
On the stage of the central auditorium at the Hunter Academy, which nurtured South Korea's next generation of hunters, government officials, Hunter Association representatives, and even senior high-ranking hunters stood to applaud the arrival of the brilliant new rookie.
In the audience, Yeonhwa's academy classmates, the instructors who had trained her, and the professors clapped so hard the hall practically shook.
It was only natural. The fact that Yeonhwa had risen to a rank far above not just her peers but even the academy's faculty was now officially confirmed by government-stamped documents and public announcements.
Her contribution during the Dungeon Overbreak a month ago—where she defeated the Black Minotaur and survived the Naftare Great Forest after it mutated into an S-grade dungeon—had played a massive role in this recognition.
Although Sia had saved her life, Yeonhwa's solo defeat of the Black Minotaur was proof enough of her capability to receive an official Hunter Name from the government.
Of course, A-grade hunters weren't entirely nonexistent at the academy. Even now, countless graduates were contributing to society, clearing dungeons, and protecting citizens.
However, Yeonhwa was the very first graduate in the academy's history to receive an A-grade license and an official government-bestowed Hunter Name less than a month after graduating. The academy was practically in a festive mood.
"Whew, feels like just yesterday she was swinging a sword under my instruction..."
"Pfft! How does an instructor have a lower rank than their student?"
"Tsk, are you mocking me just because I'm stuck at B-grade?"
"Yeonhwa! You did it!"
"Congratulations!"
"Icicle Nine! Icicle Nine!"
"At this rate, it's only a matter of time before she becomes an S-grade."
"Your classmate Yeonhwa is already an A-grade hunter with her own Hunter Name, so what on earth are you still doing at home? Are you really happy just staring at your computer all day, snickering at cartoons with weird girls in them? Did you two even graduate from the same academy? Do you think I paid that expensive tuition for you to live like this?"
"...I just graduated, Mom..."
"A jobless slacker talking back to me?!"
"Wow... I wonder if I'll ever get a Hunter Name."
"Who knows... but almost no one reaches A-grade as fast as Yeonhwa—or should I call her Lady Icicle Nine now?"
"Maybe it's because she's Lady Yeon Seo's granddaughter. She climbed the ranks so fast..."
"Is Lady Yeon Seo not coming?"
"Now that you mention it, I don't see her anywhere."
A Hunter Name carried immense symbolic weight.
Fundamentally, reaching A-grade didn't automatically guarantee one.
Only A-grade hunters with clean criminal records and exemplary character could be granted a Hunter Name.
Receiving one was a declaration to the public: "I am clean, I have no criminal record, I am one of the top hunters in the world, and I will protect you." Furthermore, it qualified the hunter to receive free equipment from the Hunter Association.
They also received tax exemptions, discounts, and priority benefits in public transit and government facilities. In practice, their treatment was equivalent to or higher than a high-ranking public official, and it essentially served as a globally recognized identification card.
Moreover, hunters with official names enjoyed popularity akin to celebrities or idols, often viewed as real-life superheroes straight out of comic books or novels.
Sometimes, popular hunters with massive fandoms even had their names chosen by their fans.
In reality, these A-grade hunters were the public face of the association, deployed first to save lives whenever a dungeon or gate suddenly ruptured and threatened citizens.
In Yeonhwa's case, she had chosen the name herself rather than letting a fandom or others decide.
Though she still hated the fact that Sia had called her 'Binggu'.
Once the noisy commotion died down and the tedious speeches and greetings with government officials finally ended, Yeonhwa was left alone in the waiting room.
"Congratulations."
"...Grandmother."
No wonder she hadn't heard the door open; Yeon Seo had arrived via teleportation.
"I thought you said you couldn't make it?"
"If I showed up at the ceremony, everyone would have focused on this old woman instead of you. Today is our granddaughter's day, so I purposely came late."
Yeon Seo placed a bouquet of flowers around Yeonhwa's neck and handed her a custom-ordered metal nameplate engraved with her new Hunter Name.
Her only granddaughter had become an A-grade hunter with an official name; how could she not attend, no matter what else she had to put aside?
"I was so anxious and worried... but my granddaughter made it here in the end."
"......"
Not all A-grades were created equal.
In fact, the moment one received a Hunter Name, the true hardships began.
"But keep this in mind, Yeonhwa. The real test starts now. You must understand how heavy a burden that name carries... and you must realize how easily human life can be snuffed out..."
Ordinary citizens and low-rank hunters didn't know, but A-grade and S-grade hunters with official names were deployed to battles of life and death that defied comparison to anything below them.
While people slept peacefully in their beds, the high-ranking hunters who had reached the realm of heroes bled and fought to keep the monsters from crawling out and slaughtering them.
The staggering benefits and promised wealth were merely the bare minimum society could offer to show respect to those who protected humanity.
Dungeons and gates had stabilized in recent years, but mutated dungeons, mimic dungeons, and sudden monster hordes tearing through rifts still occurred somewhere in the world every single day.
Even the retired Yeon Seo had been deployed to countless battles where the survival of humanity hung in the balance. Even now, if an emergency arose, she would have to abandon watering her beloved cabbage patch and throw herself into a dungeon.
"Yeon A... your older sister. She also became an A-grade and received her Hunter Name at your exact age."
"......I remember."
That was why Yeon Seo had repeatedly urged Yeonhwa to quit being a hunter.
She had nagged her, saying it wasn't as easy a job as she thought, and that having power wasn't everything.
But above all, it stemmed from the grandmother's grief—she could not bear to lose Yeonhwa the way she had lost Yeon A.
Whenever Yeonhwa threw herself into dungeons day after day like an addict, hunting monsters stronger than herself, Yeon Seo's heart burned with anxiety.
Having lost her sister, Yeonhwa refused to rely on anyone else.
Because she had lost her sister, she wanted to become stronger.
Conversely, because Yeon Seo had lost a precious granddaughter, she desperately wanted to protect the only one she had left.
They understood each other, yet neither could back down.
But despite it all, Yeonhwa had persevered.
Even when her life hung by a thread and her body was battered, she successfully cleared her raids. Through a grueling training method that pushed her to her absolute limits, she grew stronger at a rapid pace, finally earning her A-grade Hunter Name at the young age of twenty-one.
It was an achievement born not just of talent, but of bone-carving effort.
"To be honest... this grandmother of yours still wishes you would quit this work, even now."
"...That's not going to happen. And besides, you're supposed to be retired, Grandmother, yet you still do dangerous work."
"Yes, I suppose that's true..."
Yeon Seo placed a hand on Yeonhwa's shoulder, a somewhat bittersweet smile playing on her lips.
"I am always sorry, and always grateful to you. Just growing up this splendidly is a great blessing to me."
"Yes..."
"It would have been nice if Sia, the one who saved you, could have been here too... Please, I beg of you. Live longer than this old woman. Don't get hurt, don't get sick, and don't push yourself too hard."
"...I'll try."
"Good. That is enough."
Yeon Seo pulled Yeonhwa into a tight embrace.
"And make some friends. You have young Sia, don't you? Did she not come?"
"...It's a boring, uninteresting event. She's a returnee, so inviting her to a place like this would probably make people uncomfortable. Besides, Sister Sia is strong enough to fight you, Grandmother. Why would she come to a mere A-grade promotion ceremony?"
"Well, I came, didn't I? I believe she would have come if you had only asked."
"That's..."
As Yeonhwa fell silent, Yeon Seo gently stroked her cheek.
She had once been a tiny child who barely reached her waist, but somewhere along the way, she had grown taller than her. Now, Yeon Seo had to stand on her tiptoes just to caress those soft cheeks.
"I just wish you would enjoy life a little more."
"You say that, but you've done nothing but sacrifice your whole life, Grandmother. Even after retiring, you barely enjoy yourself..."
"Hoho, do you not think watching you grow is what I enjoy the most?"
At those words, Yeonhwa couldn't help but smile.
"Anyway, thank you for coming, Grandmother. I'll... try to do as you said."
"Good, good. Now go on. Shouldn't you go celebrate with your classmates and the professors who are weaker than you?"
Ring!
At that moment, the smartwatch on Yeonhwa's wrist buzzed.
Who could it be?
Maybe her classmates asking where she was...
"Sister Sia?"
"Sia? That child...?"
"Why is she calling all of a sudden..."
"Hurry and answer. Don't mind me."
Yeonhwa tapped her smartwatch to answer the call.
"Hello?"
— ...Yeonhwa.
"Sister?"
The moment she answered, Yeonhwa detected something unusual in Sia's voice.
They hadn't spent much time together over the past month, as Yeonhwa had been busy meeting the government requirements to secure her license.
But hearing Sia's voice after so long, she sounded far more urgent than usual.
That incredibly strong Sister Sia.
The one who had saved her life was panicking?
"Sister, what's wrong? Tell me."
— Can you come quickly...?
"Calm down, Sister. What happened?"
— I'm in big trouble...
"...!?"
Big trouble.
Hearing those words, a shiver ran down Yeonhwa's spine.
Sia was far stronger and more composed than her. For such a person to suddenly call out of the blue and ask for help made Yeonhwa decide to abandon the after-party and run to her immediately.
— I'm sorry for calling so suddenly. But... you were the only one I could think of.
The only one.
At those words, Yeonhwa's grip on her smartwatch tightened involuntarily.
"I'll head over to your location right now, so let's talk when I get there, Sister."
— ...Okay. Thank you... so much.
Sia gave her location, and the call disconnected.
As soon as the line went dead, Yeonhwa bit her lip in anxiety.
"I'm sorry, Grandmother. It seems something urgent has happened to Sister Sia."
"It seems so."
Yeon Seo, who had heard the conversation, also realized the gravity of the situation from the tone of Sia's voice.
"Go quickly."
"...But."
It was a grandmother's job to soothe her granddaughter's anxiety.
"I will follow right behind you, so go ahead. If something terrible has really happened to young Sia, you must help her. I will handle the greetings with the faculty and politicians on your behalf, so hurry."
Yeonhwa's eyes widened.
"Thank you, Grandmother!"
With that, Yeonhwa dashed out of the room. She kicked off the high heels she had worn for the ceremony, holding them in her hands as she sprinted at full speed.
There was no time to wait for a train.
As an officially recognized A-grade hunter, Yeonhwa's running speed was more than enough to leap across the densely packed buildings.
'Please, please let nothing be wrong...!'
Once Yeonhwa disappeared, Yeon Seo moved to clean up the situation.
Normally, after a Hunter Name presentation, there was a protocol to exchange greetings with high-ranking officials of the association, senior hunters, and politicians. But hearing that Sia was in trouble, it was only right for this old woman to step in.
No matter what, Yeonhwa was someone who had lost her sister at a young age. Now that the person who had saved her life like an older sister was asking for help, Yeonhwa had no choice but to throw everything aside and run to her.
"Hmm. Still, even if Sia has a strange personality... she wouldn't harm anyone without a reason..."
Returnees had lived in a completely different world.
In other words, they were survivors who had managed to return alive after falling into another dimension. Because of that, adapting to modern ethics and society was bound to be difficult.
For example, consider a returnee who had lived in a law-of-the-jungle world like the savanna. And not just for a year, but for decades.
If that returnee encountered some thugs in an alley, how would they react? What if they clashed with an awakened criminal?
Would a returnee, whose mind was ruled solely by the survival of the fittest, resolve the conflict peacefully?
Of course, nothing might happen, but conversely, anything could happen.
The Returnee Management Bureau and ethical audits existed to prevent such mishaps, but accidents could happen at any time.
Moreover, setting aside her strength, Sia was exceptionally beautiful. Even to Yeon Seo, a fellow woman, Sia was a breathtaking beauty with an incredibly voluptuous figure. It was all too easy to imagine her getting harassed by thugs in some alley.
"Ah, Director Lee? Can we postpone tonight's dinner to tomorrow? Something urgent came up."
— What?! But I already made the reservation...
"I can see you walking out of the Sangin-dong golf range right now. Would you prefer to discuss this in person with this old woman instead of over the phone?"
— Of course we should postpone it! Understood. Don't worry about a thing, Lady Yeon Seo!
"Yes, thank you."
There might be a situation that Yeonhwa couldn't handle alone. Preparing for the worst, Yeon Seo decided to clear her schedule. She would head to Sia's location as soon as she finished wrapping up Yeonhwa's affairs.
"........."
"Sister Sia!!"
"Ah...!"
Yeonhwa, who had run all the way to a building near Dangsan, stood panting in front of Sia.
Having sprinted the entire distance from the Hunter Academy instead of taking a car, Yeonhwa was a complete mess. Her blue hair was wildly disheveled by the wind, and because she had run barefoot to avoid being slowed down by her heels, her stockings were completely shredded at the feet.
In contrast, Sia looked perfectly fine. She was wearing the same pristine white holy robes she had worn the day they first met.
Thank goodness. Was nothing wrong after all?
"Yeonhwa, what on earth happened to your..."
"Sister, Sister! Are you okay?! What happened?! Did you get caught up in something bad?!"
"...Uh, well..."
"Oh! Are you her family or friend? You're finally here."
At the voice from the side, Yeonhwa's eyes flared with rage as she whipped her head around.
So you're the scoundrel who harassed Sister Sia...!
"I need to open up for the dinner rush, so please pay the bill quickly."
"...Huh?"
The moment she heard those words, the venom drained from Yeonhwa's eyes like a receding tide.
What did he just say?
"Sister? What is this about..."
"Sigh, this young lady has a massive appetite. She ate over fifty servings of ox-blood soup, and even polished off the sweet rice cakes that came with the set dessert. But then she said she didn't have any money!"
"......?"
Yeonhwa's head slowly creaked toward Sia.
".........Sister?"
"..............."
Sia avoided Yeonhwa's gaze, completely mute.
No, this was insane. She ate over fifty servings of ox-blood soup?!
She knew Sia had a massive appetite. After all, she had practically eaten an entire Black Minotaur when they first met.
But... she didn't have money...?
She had called her for the first time in a month just because of that...?
"...How much is it?"
"Fifty-three servings of ox-blood soup at 8,000 won each. Nine sodas, and 10,000 won worth of sweet rice cakes. That's 452,000 won!"
"...Here."
Beep.
Listening to the sound of the receipt printing, Yeonhwa stared at Sia with a hollow, empty gaze. Feeling guilty, Sia merely shrugged her shoulders and hung her head.
"...Whew, it's good that you eat well, miss... but carry some money next time, okay?"
"Okay..."
A brief silence hung between the two as they left the restaurant. Perhaps because Yeonhwa was an ice-attribute user, a freezing wind seemed to blow around her.
"Sister."
"Yes, Yeonhwa... I'm really sorry, and thank..."
"Look at me."
Sia was grabbed by the wrist and dragged along by Yeonhwa.
What is this? I'm sorry. I did wrong. Let me go.
"Sister, didn't you receive 100 million won from the bureau as a returnee support fund a month ago? That's not a small amount of money."
"U-Uh, yeah... it's not a small amount..."
"Then why did I just have to pay for your soup because you had no money? And because you said it was urgent... because you said I was the only one you could think of to ask for help, I threw off my shoes and ran all the way from the academy. My stockings are completely ruined. And what is this? The urgent matter you mentioned was not being able to pay for your soup?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Whew... haaa... Sister, I won't get mad. So tell me, where did you spend all that money? What have you been doing for the past month?"
"...Well..."
"Surely a saint wouldn't lie?"
"U-Uh, yeah..."
Left with nothing to say, Sia hung her head and began to confess her disastrous lifestyle to Yeonhwa.
She would watch hunter streams, movies, novels, and webtoons until dawn, falling asleep and waking up around noon.
Then, she would order at least ten servings of fried chicken, pork wraps, rice bowls, or grilled meat and eat them in bed.
Around 6:00 PM, she would wash up, sit back down at her computer in a solemn posture, or lie in bed to continue watching the streams she had started during the day, or finish reading her webtoons.
And when she got hungry again... she would eat another twenty servings for dinner.
Living like this, she had no idea how much she was spending. She had even donated money to hunter channels whenever she saw a cool scene.
Having confessed everything without a single lie, Sia avoided Yeonhwa's gaze. The look Yeonhwa was giving her was so cold it felt like frost was about to form.
It wasn't a matter of a returnee struggling to adapt to modern society; her basic life skills were just utterly disastrous. Now that Yeonhwa had found out, Sia wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide.
"Ah, so you spent money recklessly on delivery food, movies, G-Flix, and stream donations, without even realizing the support fund on your smartwatch had run out! And you happened to go out for a walk, smelled the soup, wandered in... and only realized you were out of money after eating over fifty bowls! Haha!"
"I'm really sorry. Like I said earlier, you were the only one I could think of..."
"...Do you know that I received my A-grade Hunter Name today, and I was supposed to greet politicians and attend an after-party? I ignored all of that and ran to you. Do you know how worried I was, thinking the sister who saved my life might have gotten into a dangerous situation or a terrible accident?"
"............*Gasp*..."
Sia's face crumpled as if she were about to cry.
She was so embarrassed.
"I want to die."
"But I can't die."
"I am a mushroom... a completely useless mushroom..."
"A useless deceased saint who made her junior pay for her soup..."
Yeonhwa stared at Sia in silence for a long moment before her lips curled into a smirk.
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"Where do you think? We're going to a place that will turn you into a proper human being."
"...Eh......"
For the first time since becoming a deceased saint, Sia felt something akin to fear toward someone younger and weaker than herself.