Ignorance is Bliss
"You said not to use skills on people."
Smack.
I smacked Kim Arin on the back without even letting her finish her sentence—she'd already activated her skill.
Lightning was already crackling around her body, but my own invincibility skill was active too.
Cannot attack during conversation.
I smacked the back of Kim Arin, who was menacing Park Serin, but I didn't get shocked—not even a tingle.
Park Serin had already burst into terrified tears before that, though….
Anyway, after explaining that it was all a big misunderstanding, I made Kim Arin bow at the waist.
How could you make someone cry and not apologize?
"I didn't raise you like that! Sob!"
"……You should've just said it was chocolate from the start."
Sniff. "Apologize first."
She hadn't listened to me and lost her temper in an instant.
She'd mistaken Park Serin for a child killer.
She'd threatened her with her tremendous S-rank power.
I made her politely apologize for all of it.
Of course, if you want to get technical, I was at fault too, but calming Park Serin down came first.
"Um, you didn't do anything rude, right?"
"…N-no…."
"Good, that's a relief."
I patted Park Serin gently, soothing her in a soft voice from right beside her.
I threw in something about how Kim Arin had always had a bit of a hot-tempered streak since she was little.
"I thought she'd turned into a new person after becoming a hunter, but sigh. She's still not fully grown up. Forgive her, unnie. I'll apologize on her behalf."
"Wait, Jiwoo-ya. Are you… close with Hunter Kim Arin…?"
"Eh, pretty much raised her like my own?"
"……Who raised who?"
"I raised Kim Arin."
"??"
It's true, but no one believes me.
Kim Arin really was a kid I carried on my back back in the day.
If you dig through the orphanage homepage where I grew up, there should be photos from back then.
I remember volunteers who came to help took pictures of me and Kim Arin.
Ah, wonder if those photos got updated to the girl version of Lee Jiwoo too? Haven't checked, so who knows.
"Anyway, you're here to give me my money, right?"
"Well, uh…. Yeah, I came to see you, but…."
"Then let's go! Go go go~."
I grabbed Park Serin's wrist and beckoned Kim Arin to lead the way.
Either way, the most important thing right now was my cut of the dungeon clear reward.
The hunters I'd met yesterday—including Park Serin—were all already there, so I just needed to show up.
"Where to?"
"35th floor."
"Uh……."
-Squirm squirm.
-Squirm squirm.
"…What're you staring at? Press it."
Only then did Kim Arin finally press the 35th floor button, way up high where I couldn't reach even on my tiptoes.
Park Serin had just stood there watching from behind too.
Why were these two tall people just gawking?
-Clunk.
"…!"
The elevator finally lurched into motion once the button was pressed.
But it was way too fast—kinda scary.
It blasted past 10 floors in a blink, then 20, 30, and suddenly we were at 35.
Felt like we launched a rocket. I wasn't ready for Mars yet.
"We're here, unnie."
"I-it's over?"
I finally let go of the safety bar and escaped through the open doors.
What greeted me was a huge glass window and a long corridor stretching beside it, lined with meeting rooms.
So, my dungeon clear reward was in one of those countless meeting rooms.
No—the hunters from yesterday were in there, right?
"No running in the──!"
-Grab.
"No running in the hallway."
"Y-yeah…."
And so, I walked the corridor with Kim Arin.
I ignored the dizzying view beyond the glass that looked like it'd make anyone nauseous.
…Who builds a damn building this tall?
-Creeeak….
"Huh."
"Jiwoo-ya!"
Following Kim Arin, we finally entered one meeting room, and familiar faces appeared.
The bearded raid leader hunter, Lee Yuju who'd exchanged names with me, and other hunters whose faces I remembered but names I didn't.
All of them had been waiting for me to arrive.
"All familiar faces…. …Nah, scratch that."
It wasn't just the hunters from yesterday—there were a few Haetae Guild executives seated too.
And yep, the woman the news had hyped as Haetae Guild's Guild Master was there. Come to think of it, she was S-rank too.
"You're… that… Lee Jiwoo?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Kim Arin. This really her?"
The Haetae Guild Master stared back and forth between me and Kim Arin, her face baffled.
But this was all within expectations.
To everyone else, I was just some little girl.
But my true identity was a terrifying S-rank hunter that made even other hunters tremble in fear.
I was already looking forward to the Guild Master's face when she learned the truth.
"Gimme my money. Gimme the moolah."
"……She's definitely got your cheek."
The Guild Master, wearing a complicated expression, told me to sit first.
Right now, it wasn't about the money—it was more important what had happened in the Gangseo Gate.
Our values were polar opposites.
Looks like we won't get along.
"Then, shall we begin?"
"Ah, yes. Understood."
At the Guild Master's words, the raid leader hunter stood with a polite tone.
He looked older, but in the hunter world, rank was everything, huh.
Hunters always used formal speech with higher ranks, it seemed. News to me.
"Hello. I'm Jang Baekcheol, B-rank hunter from Ludus Guild. Myself and the Ludus Guild hunters entered the gate that appeared around the 13th to──"
The rest was boring and long-winded, so I tuned most of it out again.
Gangseo Gate's initial measurement: C-rank.
Ludus Guild, closest, assembled a raid with appropriate forces and entered.
But inside? Not C-rank—packed with A-rank-level monsters.
They fought but got pushed back, then suddenly everyone blacked out.
When they woke, monsters gone, and some random little girl there.
That was the gist. But they dragged it out forever. So dull I nearly dozed off.
-Whisper whisper.
-Tap tap.
"Unnie, unnie."
"Huh?"
Kim Arin calling snapped me awake, and suddenly all eyes were on me.
I asked the ones next to me why, and they said it was my turn.
Oh, right.
"Yeah. I did it all."
"…Unnie."
"Kidding. Um, I was just… a part-timer passing by."
With everyone staring, I got kinda nervous and stumbled over my words.
But no need to tense up. I'd end up the strongest anyway.
No reason to flinch in front of these future scrubs.
"So, Kim Arin says you took down everything up to the boss mob. And retrieved the dungeon core."
"Correct. Spot on."
"But how do I know that's true?"
Mid-explanation, the Guild Master cut in, demanding proof.
Evidence that my claim of solo-clearing from start to finish was fact.
"…Assimilation!"
Rank: F → S (Entity: Fenrion assimilation in progress)
Currently assimilating: Fenrion (23%)
A picture's worth a thousand words.
Instead of verbose explanations, I showed them what I looked like two days ago.
Suddenly, wolf ears and tail sprouted on me, and an exclamation mark popped over the Guild Master's head—she looked pretty shocked.
"That bearded uncle said to wait for gate shock, so I stepped up, smashed all the monsters like this and that, and found the dungeon core too."
I seized her momentary fluster and explained how I'd gotten the core.
Hunters who'd seen me retrieve it firsthand were here anyway.
As their testimonies confirmed my words were all true, the Guild Master let out a quiet groan.
"…Lee Jiwoo."
"My money, please."
"No, yeah, I can pay you, but…."
The Guild Master, face complicated, spoke up.
Did I know what rank dungeon I'd cleared two days ago?
Of course—S-rank. Nodded.
That meant the clear reward was huge too.
Who do they think I am, an idiot? Just pay up. Or die.
"I heard you wanted to join our guild. But with this attitude…."
"Gasp."
I was the idiot.
These people sitting across from me? All future bosses.
Realizing that late, I flipped my attitude 180 degrees and promised full cooperation—ask anything, I'd answer.
"Alright, first question. Boss monster type?"
"Uh…… Some golem thing? I pulverized it to dust."
"Other monsters. Anything you remember?"
"Hmm… Wolves and orcs? Smashed 'em too."
My brief testimony ended, and she called someone over, whispering quietly.
But I was mid-Fenrion assimilation.
I could hear their murmurs crystal clear, even hushed. Extra ears, y'know.
"Boss monster—golem-type?"
"Yes, correct. And pulverized… yes."
"…Orc-type and wolf-type monsters. Signs of blunt trauma?"
"That too… correct."
Her eyes widened a bit more confirming my words again.
Such a satisfying sight.
Looks prim and proper, but great reactions.
Might get along after all?
"Anything else you're curious about?"
"……Step out for a bit. We need to talk among ourselves."
Seems the emergence of a new S-rank hunter (prospective) had them rattled.
She sent me and the Ludus hunters out, then held a private Haetae meeting.
I strained my ears just in case, but couldn't hear inside. Soundproof magic or something?
-Twitch.
"…Ah."
While waiting for their meeting to end, an awkward signal hit.
Needed the bathroom. Looking around, thankfully a sign down the hall.
♀️ Women's Restroom
"………Ugh."
Women's restroom was where I had to go, but I hesitated awkwardly anyway.
Either way, I was an 11-year-old girl now.
Nothing to be embarrassed about, so why?
"Look at me handling it solo, praise──… sigh."
After finishing up, I unlocked the stall door to leave.
Or tried to.
-Click.
"Jeez, what the heck even happened…."
A stall a bit away from mine.
The Guild Master's voice drifted from inside.
With my extra ears, even quiet mutters came through sharp and clear.
Eavesdropping on someone's soliloquy was rude, but curiosity won—what was she mumbling about?
"……Wanna touch the ears, but will she get mad? Nah, maybe beg with allowance money."
"…?"
"Jiwoo, Jiwoo…. Ha, even the name's cute. No wonder Kim Arin babies her. So unfair, for real."
"…? …??"
"Really wanna pinch those cheeks. Any way…? Hope I didn't rub her wrong? You idiot, fix your speech. Being all stiff with a kid. Think you're hot stuff 'cause you're guild master…!"
I bolted after that.
Wrong guild to join.