Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: At Least There Are Photos
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Well, at least there are photos left.
"...."
I didn't sleep a wink. The room being spacious is great and all, but maybe it's too spacious.
It felt like lying alone under a blanket in the middle of the Siberian tundra. Of course, the bed was firm yet plush, the blankets were warm, and there was even an electric blanket underneath, so it wasn't uncomfortable or anything.
I just think it's because the environment is so brand new. I've always slept at home, after all.
"Ugh... I'm gonna die...."
Sure, I've slept in different places occasionally, but that's maybe once or twice a year, tops. Back when I did reserve army training up to my fourth year, I'd crash on those bunks. But that's different—this feels off in a whole other way.
-Creak
The door slowly opened, and Ophelia stepped in. She startled a bit when she saw me already awake.
"You're up early, Princess."
"Ophelia, I didn't sleep a single second."
"It might take some time to adjust to the new sleeping environment."
"Yeah, that's totally what I think too.."
Ophelia left the door open, and Mecha-Doggo came bounding in energetically from early morning, pat-pat-pat across the floor. It hopped right up onto the bed. Hard to believe it's only been one night—it felt like ages.
"Hey, Mecha-Doggo. Sleep well?"
-Beep!
Mecha-Doggo does sleep. I don't know if it's actual sleep or what, but sometimes it just flops belly-up on the floor and ignores me even when I call. Is it just playing possum out of laziness..?
"Princess didn't sleep at all. What're you gonna do about it?"
-Beep..?!
"You should've come and played some sleep frequency or whatever. Right?!"
Of course, the door was closed, so it couldn't have, but still. Tossing and turning all night has left me on edge.
Ophelia stepped out for a moment, then returned with a mug of warmly heated milk and handed it to me.
"No jelly, right?"
"No, there isn't."
"Boo hoo."
The mug was nice and toasty against my palm. I chugged it down like a champ and flopped back onto the bed. Sleep was already creeping back in.
"What about Suri and Minium...?"
"Shall I call them?"
"I wanna see their faces...."
Before long, Suri and Minium came clanking and clunking into the room. Minium was mini-sized, coming up just to my shoulder, while Suri was the usual.
"Guys, Princess couldn't sleep."
-Clank!
-Kiiit
"Why? I dunno either...."
Suri flapped its wings and hopped onto the bed, and Minium waddled up after. Having them here somehow calmed me right down. We've been together non-stop for about a month now.
Even when I slept, they were always by my side. Maybe that's why.
"Ophelia, can I sleep more?"
"Yes, since you haven't gotten enough rest."
"Do they have work today?"
"Nothing major. Though new furniture is due in the afternoon, so there might be some noise. I'll make sure it's minimized."
"Sleep 'til afternoon then.. Got it."
In the end, I had Suri and Minium on either side, Mecha-Doggo on my belly, and Ophelia drew the blackout curtains again. Mecha-Doggo even thoughtfully played some sleep sounds—like rain pattering.
"Sleep well."
"Thanks."
-Creak
Having them beside me makes it so much better.
"What's the point of putting this here?"
"Beats me. Just doing what we're told."
Busan, Dong-gu District, Choryang-dong, Chinatown.
A place whose name belies the reality—not many actual Chinese folks, more like a hub for all sorts of foreigners. A handful of Korean-Chinese had received unidentified items from a few mainlanders from the People's Republic of China.
"It ain't dangerous, right?"
"And if it is? We get paid either way."
"Fair point."
They were assembling the items in one of the many alleys off Paeru Street, following their instructions.
-Click..!
-Whirr....
"This it?"
"Wrap it in a plastic bag like this and stand guard for about ten minutes. Let's wait."
A group of five or so rough-looking guys had propped a large, dark plastic bag against the alley wall and were surrounding it. Passersby hurried past, wary of picking a fight with their menacing vibes.
Ten minutes ticked by soon enough.
-Screeech..!
"What the—the hell's this?"
"Said it'd make noise when done. Guess that's it."
"Oh, cool?"
They nodded, satisfied with the job, and turned to leave—
BOOOOMMMMM!!!!!
A massive explosion ripped through the bag, swallowing the Korean-Chinese guards without a trace of blood. Mana rippled wildly around them, distorting into a single point about five meters in the air.
-Beep-beep, beep-beep....
-Ring, ring, ring-
Phones in the area blared warnings all at once, announcing the birth of an open-type gate.
"R-Run! It's a gate!"
"Kyaaaaah!!!"
Paeru Street in Chinatown turned into hell in seconds. Right on cue, a party from one of China's top three guilds, Tianla Ghost Alliance: one A-rank Hunter and three B-ranks.
"Get back—!! We'll handle it here—!!!"
Fragile but fast and aggressive monsters poured from the sky, their area-of-effect damage spreading civilian casualties rapidly.
-Thud!!
Local Awakened and small guild Hunters joined in afterward, but the toll was 32 civilian deaths—including eight mainland Chinese tourists.
The four Tianla Ghost Alliance members who responded contacted their mainland HQ for cleanup and compensation talks.
"What'd they say? It went well?"
"Yeah, looks like it. Stick to the plan."
"Hmm~ Korea, huh."
One of Tianla Ghost Alliance's four S-ranks, Yan Fei, would arrive in Korea via Gimhae Airport the next day.
"Heh."
Late afternoon, around 6 PM. After barely sleeping and napping with the golems, I woke to news of an open-type gate exploding in Busan.
Overseas S-ranks visiting Korea isn't super rare, but China and Korea aren't on the best terms, so they almost never come here.
China's always been like that and still is. They're obsessed with buying off overseas S-ranks with cash, and they keep deploying Awakened to gate-external conflict zones in violation of international law. So nothing weird about rumors like this.
"Anyway, Yan Fei's coming."
Among mainland Chinese Hunters, Yan Fei is by far the most popular. Not 'cause she's insanely strong or anything—if that was it, no one'd like Chinese Hunters. It's her skimpy outfits and hot looks.
China has a whopping 14 S-ranks. Top of the Hunter rankings is that chubby guy from the same Tianla Ghost Alliance? Can't recall his nickname.
"Princess, dinner is ready."
"Alright, chow time."
With the new oven, Ophelia's cooking repertoire exploded. Freshly baked bread from homemade dough, cream pasta, all sorts of sides. Even roasted veggies—something I'd never touch in my life.
Actually, aside from kimchi at a BBQ joint, I'd never roasted veggies, but damn, they're good. Ever had roasted tomatoes?
"Ophelia, could Minium beat an S-rank?"
"S-rank Hunters vary wildly in combat power, so I can't say for sure. But Minium could take anyone in the lower-mid tier for person-to-person fights."
"Whoa...."
-Clank!
Minium, eavesdropping nearby, scampered over and gave a thumbs-up. Classic Minium. Gotta get it something super expensive and badass later. Robot nuke = national power level, right? Nah, nukes are too iffy.
Nuclear reactor maybe.
"Chae-rin unnie must be swamped."
Nova Guild has branches all over Gyeongsang Province since that's where it started. Plus, when an overseas S-rank shows up, she's the only one in Korea who can talk to them on equal footing.
Hunter Management Association probably begging her to chat 'em up.
"Ophelia, what's next for us?"
"No plans set yet. We're preparing new outfits, though."
"Ah...."
Guess it's more dress-up photo shoots. Personally, I think gate raid fight vids are peak content. The Desert Mausoleum clip's still blowing up on Reels for massive promo.
Even Shorts has one.
[Shocker! New A-rank Hunter flips off Dungeon Management Association ㄷㄷ]
Mass-produced TTS explainer Shorts about me. Tons of views, my pic mosaiced, comments flooded with Insta ID requests.
Minium's fight clip, edited short, has the most curiosity.
-Ding!
"Ugh."
I'd set my phone aside to eat when a notification pinged. Felt like forever since Han Do-hee last messaged.
-Han Do-hee: Wanna meet?
-Eve: Mouth full of food
-Han Do-hee: Tomorrow?
-Eve: Eat then
-Han Do-hee: Busan?
-Eve: What for
-Eve: To see Yan Fei?
-Han Do-hee: Yup
-Han Do-hee: I'll drive if you come
-Eve: With Chae-rin unnie??
-Han Do-hee: Nah
-Han Do-hee: Just me
-Han Do-hee: Got other stuff too
-Eve: Hmm
-Eve: What about Ophelia?
-Han Do-hee: Bring her lol
Busan, huh. I've been maybe a handful of times in my life—can't even remember what it looks like. But kinda wanna see Yan Fei?
"Ophelia. Can I go play in Busan with Do-hee unnie?"
"Busan?"
Ophelia closed her eyes thoughtfully for a sec, then nodded.
"Schedule's open after, so no issue."
"You coming too, Ophelia?"
"Busan might have photogenic spots. I'll join."
"Ugh."
Figures it'd be photos again..