Return from the Dungeon
Opposites attract, after all.
Love proportional to fear will have a synergistic effect.
“Then, shall we begin?”
Unlike me in a confused state, Sehyun remained calm.
Like a skilled craftsman executing familiar tasks with nonchalance,
Sehyun faced the tentacle monster.
With me held in his left arm.
There was a penalty for having one hand occupied.
‘Ugh… ugh…’
I knew I was clinging to Sehyun.
But I didn’t want to let go. That would be terrifying.
“I have something I want to test. Is this enough…?”
Sehyun picked up a pebble with his right hand.
Gently squeezed it to check the weight, then
Sehyun threw the pebble at the tentacle monster.
But the trajectory was off.
The pebble flew in a direction that couldn’t hit the tentacle monster.
Like a ball derailed from the tracks,
An attack launched in a direction that couldn’t score points.
Eventually, the pebble disappeared into the corner of the tentacle monster.
It vanished without even drawing a valid boundary awareness.
The attack ended in a meaningless result.
Just as Sehyun’s futile action was about to be counterattacked by the tentacle monster,
- Kkkk-!
A collision struck at a right angle.
The tentacle monster let out a cry and collapsed.
It was a final moment like a kraken hit by a meteor.
“What, what? Is it over with this?”
I looked at the extermination result with a dumbfounded face and marveled.
I felt the power of an S-rank hunter in action.
I knew Sehyun’s ability to some extent.
He hadn’t revealed it himself, but the media had flooded with speculative articles.
【Evil Eye of Bullseye / Absolute Hit Evil Eye】. Owner of the demonic eyes.
Ability to guarantee that any projectile hits the target.
The public often gave Sehyun the nickname “the one who sees monsters die”.
Sehyun himself hated this nickname immensely.
“…As expected.”
In truth, Sehyun’s face was lost in thought.
Defeating the monster wasn’t in his mind at all.
As if it was as natural as an apple falling from a tree.
“Amazing! You’re really an amazing guy!”
“Not really. It’s not that amazing. It wasn’t a particularly strong entity.”
“More than that, why do you have such a serious expression? You’re acting cool.”
Even if I praise him excessively, it’s not enough.
I felt the power of an S-rank hunter right in front of me.
“Something’s off today.”
But Sehyun’s reaction was lukewarm.
His face showed something bothering him.
“What’s off? We handled the monster with an overwhelming power difference.”
“Originally, it’s hard to explain, but there were some weak entities among them…”
Sehyun stared at me fixedly and spoke.
“With you by my side, my condition seems better than usual.”
“…Ugh.”
Hearing that, my face melted.
The sense of accomplishment from finally verifying my ability washed over me.
“What? That smiling face.”
“You, from now on, you have to treat me well, right? Like a superior should be treated?”
“After all, I didn’t want to tell you because of this!”
Sehyun grumbled with a resigned face.
“Why do you think my condition is better than usual? I know. Uhehehe!”
I was cheerfully like a scientist who hit the jackpot.
Thanks to 【Affection’s Touch】.
“Is that because of you?”
“Yeah.”
“Your butt is disgustingly heavy.”
“You bastard!!! Earlier you said it wasn’t heavy!? Humanly speaking, look at my body size! Just looking at it, it’s small size!”
I protested to Sehyun in various ways.
It’s cowardly. You’re belittling my efforts.
I kept saying how much I like you.
“Was what I said last time true?”
“What?”
“Th-that… the more you like someone, the stronger they become, that thing.”
Sehyun awkwardly avoided speaking.
It made me feel embarrassed too.
“Then, should I lie to you?”
“Do you like me?”
A sudden surprise attack.
My thoughts froze momentarily.
My face flushed red, lips trembled.
Our faces were blushing red like rivals.
This atmosphere between us isn’t right.
I immediately executed shock therapy.
“You’re an idiot. Would I hate you?”
I grabbed Sehyun’s cheek.
It was to refresh his mind with a stinging pain.
“What the hell are you doing all of a sudden!?”
“I did it because it was funny. Why! Hermishful. You said you like me? You’ve gone crazy with a show. Ugh, affection deficiency. Do you want to hear that from your balls friend?”
Yeah, I don’t like you. Would I?
If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have hugged you in the first place.
I’m also a person who picks and chooses like you.
The only one who allows this much distance is you.
‘But can I say it outright!’
I recall the previous incident.
Sehyun’s reaction when I said I like him, like a pimple outbreak, he panicked.
Feeling it reversed, it’s real. It’s creepy.
“Anyway, let’s hurry! No time to dally!”
This isn’t the time.
I urged Sehyun with the mission.
The work progressed smoothly.
Sehyun in charge of physical strength and me in charge of intelligence.
We crushed the tentacle monster in consecutive victories.
Structural work proceeded in a hurry.
We carefully found the scattered extermination teams due to dungeon variation.
However, there was a bothersome hurdle.
The rescued extermination members were hunters I knew.
They were the hunters I was responsible for at Black Wolf.
And they were also the ones who ignored me.
People who laughed at me even after I was kicked out of the guild.
So, the human scum I didn’t want to see.
‘I didn’t particularly want to reunite, though.’
When facing their disgusting faces, the smile faded.
The uncomfortable atmosphere was mutual.
They were in a state of being threatened by monsters while injured, seeking rescue.
In a situation where only their lives remained, they met me.
They saw me as something insignificant and incompetent.
The situation reversed. The initiative was mine.
The moment the pebble-throwing persecutor had to seek mercy from the martyr.
‘It’s like the time between dog and wolf.’
Blue hour in a dim light.
In that time, the silhouette beyond the hill is unclear.
So, until approaching, it can’t be distinguished.
Whether it’s an individual trying to protect himself or a wolf trying to harm.
If so, will I become a dog to them,
Or a wolf biting their neck.
“I, I have always thought of Siha as a good person. It wasn’t my will to bully Siha. Really, believe me!”
From them, I heard insincere flattery.
Like pouring out confession in confession.
But sincerity didn’t reach.
It was a haphazard expression of a person cornered.
“…I see.”
Even replying was bothersome.
I just focused on emergency treatment.
The more I talked, the more fatigue accumulated.
No longer expecting anything from you.
Even hatred is unnecessary emotional consumption.
“Actually, I received a warning. If I don’t avoid Siha in the guild, the guild will retaliate.”
“Who said that?”
This was the first time hearing it.
I dismissed it as useless but interest moved.
“Should I tell Siha?”
Why ask for my consent.
I think they want me to prepare my heart.
As if the mastermind is becoming a fatal human to me.
“I’m tired of Black Wolf. If I leave here, I’ll quit everything, so confess everything.”
“Who?”
So I asked clearly.
“The human who intentionally backed me up from behind to bully me in Black Wolf.”
The answer I eventually heard was quite shocking.
I hoped it wasn’t this person.
The vice guild master of Black Wolf,
And at the same time, my former fiancé.
“Is this you telling me to believe this?”
“Whether to believe is up to Siha. But I heard it directly from the vice guild master. I can be proud.”
Psychologically pressuring me and pushing me into a corner.
It’s a desperate measure. A countermeasure to train me.
“Haha. Such a thing can’t happen, de······.”
It’s a funny joke.
Regardless of truth, a story that darkens humans.
A bitter aftertaste flowed back into my throat.
“…”
Unconsciously, I grabbed Sehyun’s hand.
Wanting to rely on someone for a cold hand.
In a moment where even breathing was hard.
The extermination team structure eventually ended.
There weren’t many injured.
Except for the first one who sent the emergency call, most were light injuries.
Fortunately, there were no deaths.
My remaining goal was to lead the injured out of the dungeon.
“Shall I split from you here too.”
I saw off Sehyun heading to the deepest part of the dungeon.
Going to the boss room with Sehyun was dangerous.
Having achieved the purpose, I should withdraw at this point.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. This route is safe because you secured it, so no monsters will appear.”
“Not that… you.”
Sehyun asked me with a worried face.
“What are you talking about. Thanks to you protecting me, I’m completely fine.”
I naturally showed off my cheerfulness.
With a bright expression, I reassured Sehyun.
“If there’s any human who bothers you, tell me. I won’t leave you alone.”
“…It’s enough to be grateful just with words. See you later.”
With those words, I turned my back on Sehyun.
I didn’t want to show a face that would worry him.
“Command post. All extermination teams, head to the gathering point. Please rendezvous at the corresponding coordinates.”
I completed contact with the command post via radio.
Soon, I could report survival to everyone.
Eventually, leading the extermination team,
I returned from the dungeon.
It wasn’t a particularly rare situation.
A small girl blindly entering the dungeon and bringing back injured hunters.
It wouldn’t be strange to receive a medal for brave citizen.
Black Wolf would hide this incident, no doubt.
‘I guess Black Wolf has been turned upside down.’
High-ranking officials came in droves while I wasn’t looking.
Well, it was only natural.
It was an incident that could swing Black Wolf’s existence.
‘Ah, the guild master came too. It must have been quite serious.’
Seop, who bowed to the ground in apology, was impressive.
I want to take a photo and frame it.
‘…Ah.’
And I met eyes.
The woman who was once my fiancé was in front of me.
Her face showed words she wanted to say to me.
“…”
But I avoided her gaze.
I didn’t want to mix conversation.
Just looking at her face was painful.
So I couldn’t ask her.
Whether she was the mastermind who incited me to be discriminated against at Black Wolf.
Why she did cruel things to me.
I passed by that woman silently.
In the end, nothing happened.
It was natural. We were already over.