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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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[Baekho Guild Leader Under Investigation for Sexual Assault of a Minor]
[Korean Hunter Academy Expels Student Kim, Citing Human Trafficking and Assault]
[Korean Hunter Association Initiates Dissolution of Baekho Guild for Human Trafficking]
Downfall.
Kim Seong-ho, not only humiliated in the duel, was also expelled.
His guild, once his sanctuary, was being dismantled.
I would have stopped there, before Shin Su-yeon was attacked.
But I still had a debt to pay.
I’d made a deal with the Association.
Once the investigation was complete, they’d hand over the Baekho Guild Leader and Kim Seong-ho.
‘That’s when the real fun begins.’
I’d make them experience everything I had.
I thought back on the past week.
Two, maybe three hours of sleep a night, working my ass off.
Days spent with Irena, clearing dungeons, accumulating pain points.
Nights spent raiding workshops.
It was Irena who’d enabled me to hunt solo, who’d ensured the Association and the media received my evidence.
Without her, this wouldn’t have been possible.
‘It feels so good.’
Like I’d finally washed away ten years of grime.
But…
“…”
“…”
My image at the Academy had taken a hit.
I’d gone a bit overboard with Kim Seong-ho, and it had left an impression.
But I could just ignore the fear in the eyes of the upperclassmen.
Shin Su-yeon was recovering.
So, everything was going according to plan.
“Ready to go?”
“Yes!”
She was out of her casts but still in a wheelchair.
The healing spells and high-grade potions had sped up her recovery, but she still needed rest.
So, I was pushing her wheelchair.
The back gate of the Academy.
The same alley I’d visited with Choi Ah-hyun.
Weapons lined the walls.
Shin Su-yeon looked around curiously.
“Um… Seong-hyun-ssi, you’re not buying anything too expensive, are you?”
“I cleaned out the Baekho Guild’s coffers. Might as well go big.”
“Ugh… I won’t be able to carry it all…”
I ignored her whining and headed towards Yoo-cheong’s shop.
The usual deserted storefront.
As always, we were the only customers.
“Hello… Oh! Oppa!”
“Hey.”
Yoo-cheong greeted us, with her eyes wide.
“What brings you here? I’ve been begging you to come!”
“When did you beg…? I’m here to buy something for this noona.”
“This noona?”
Yoo-cheong looked at Shin Su-yeon and tilted her head.
Then she brightened and bowed.
“Hello! I’m Yoo-cheong!”
“Oh, hello. I’m Shin Su-yeon.”
“Are you… looking for a wand?”
“Oh, no. I’m looking for defensive artifacts.”
“Okay! Right this way!”
Yoo-cheong led us to a display case filled with various accessories.
All of them were defensive artifacts.
“Take your time.”
“Okay!”
Shin Su-yeon examined the items with a serious expression.
But she was clearly out of her depth.
“I can help you choose if you’d like.”
“Oh, yes, please!”
“Cheong-ah, this one, this one, and that one too.”
“Okay!”
I picked out everything that caught my eye.
Protection against the five elements, mental defenses, even safeguards against bio-chemical and possession attacks.
I ended up with about six artifacts.
Yoo-cheong looked a bit overwhelmed.
“A-are you buying all of these?”
“Why? Can’t I?”
“No… it’s just… haha… as expected of Oppa. You have a good eye for quality.”
“That’s a compliment, right?”
“Hehe. Of course! But this is like… a walking fortress.”
She was right.
These artifacts were two or three times stronger than Kim Seong-ho’s.
But…
‘It’s not enough.’
Call it paranoia.
But after what I’d been through, I could never be too prepared.
Yoo-cheong seemed to sense my unease.
“Can I recommend something?”
“Sure. Let’s see it.”
She brought out a leaf-shaped necklace from the back.
“It strengthens multi-layered barriers and has a curse-weakening effect.”
‘Mermaid’s Tear…’
Even if it was made by a Gold Dragon, could it really weaken Shin Su-yeon’s curse?
It was worth a try.
“I’ll take that. And this too.”
I picked out a crystal ring.
Seven artifacts in total, including the Mermaid’s Tear.
Elemental defenses, mental defenses…
‘It’s still not enough.’
The anxiety wouldn’t go away.
‘Is there anything better?’
As I scanned the shop again, Shin Su-yeon tugged on my sleeve.
“Seong-hyun-ssi, this is enough. I’m not going to be fighting any monsters…”
“…Alright. Let’s go with this for now. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. But isn’t this way over budget? More than the reward money…”
“I’ll cover it. Don’t worry.”
“Ugh… this is too much…”
“It is, Unnie. Oppa really likes you, huh?”
“W-what?!”
Flustered by Yoo-cheong’s teasing, Su-yeon squirmed in embarrassment.
I wanted to flick Yoo-cheong on the forehead, but…
‘I’ll let it slide, for Eve’s sake.’
As I was paying, Yoo-cheong asked casually,
“Oppa, shouldn’t you get an artifact for yourself?”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
She was fishing for gratitude for giving me Eve.
She couldn’t reveal she was a Gold Dragon, so this was her way of hinting.
‘Cute.’
“I’m good for now. Someone already gave me a gift.”
I patted her head.
She tilted her head in confusion.
“I’ll come back again.”
“Huh? Oh, okay! Take care!”
She still seemed puzzled.
Maybe I hadn’t expressed my gratitude clearly enough?
I’d have to bring her some snacks next time.
On the way back to the dorm…
We were having a “welcome back” party for Shin Su-yeon tonight.
So, we were heading to our dorm, not the infirmary.
“Who’s coming tonight?”
“Ah-hyun, Lee Seol, Han Yuri, and Professor Irena. Four in total.”
“Oh…”
She let out a small gasp.
“Are you worried about Han Yuri?”
“Um… no, it’s just… that’s quite a combination.”
Shin Su-yeon smiled enigmatically and looked up at the sky.
The evening sky was darkening.
The moon illuminated her face.
She turned to me and her eyes met mine.
“You said you have someone you like, right?”
“…Yes.”
“What if… hypothetically… someone else confessed their feelings for you?”
“Why are you asking…?”
She didn’t answer, just waited for my response.
“I’d reject them, of course.”
“…Is that so?”
She looked thoughtful, her expression unreadable.
It wasn’t like her.
I pushed her wheelchair in silence.
I saw Han Yuri sitting on a bench in front of our dorm.
Déjà vu.
Just like after the Grade Evaluation.
I wasn’t falling for that again.
I turned to leave, but…
Ring~ring~
My phone rang.
Han Yuri was looking at me, with her phone pressed to her ear.
Too late.
I sighed and answered.
“What’s up? Need a pack mule again?”
—Yeah. But this time…
She walked towards me.
“…I want to be your pack mule.”
—…I want to be your pack mule.
I dropped Shin Su-yeon off at the dorm and followed Han Yuri.
We arrived at a familiar location.
The same pavilion.
Unlike the cool night breeze from before, the air was humid.
“Second time here, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Same place, same time.
I had a feeling I knew why she’d called me.
She looked around nervously, then met my gaze.
“What have you been doing for the past week? How did you manage to crush Kim Seong-ho like that?”
“Special training with the professor.”
“Just training…? How could a D-rank beat a B-rank…?”
She sighed and asked,
“Can I see your status window?”
‘Didn’t you hear me? Open your status window.’
Her tone had changed.
From self-centered to… clueless.
Subtle, perhaps, but a significant shift for someone like Han Yuri.
‘Is this Shin Su-yeon’s influence?’
Or maybe it was that day.
The day I showed her the meteor shower.
I didn’t know. But one thing was clear.
‘This is bad.’
The shrinking distance between us meant the seed was likely growing.
I took a deep breath.
“Not today. I’ll show you next time.”
“…”
An uncomfortable silence fell.
She bit her lip and glared at me.
But I couldn’t risk it.
‘This is the best I can do until we enter the Azure Hills.’
Once I acquired Phantom’s Sense of Smell, I could decide how to deal with Han Yuri and Lee Seol.
Until then, I needed to keep my distance.
She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and nodded.
“Alright. You promise you’ll show me next time?”
“Yeah.”
The awkwardness between us intensified.
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