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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Please… won’t you give up being a Hunter?”
Irena’s expression was more earnest than he’d ever seen.
It was a plea, pure and simple.
“Um… if this is about what happened, you don’t have to worry. That was a special circumstance, because of Kim Seong-ho…”
“Then will you stop pushing yourself to rank up so quickly?”
“That’s…”
“Your current rate of advancement is abnormal, Lee Seong-hyun. And not in a good way.”
Irena bit her lip, then let out a shaky breath.
“There was a student… similar to you, a long time ago. Do you know about him?”
“Yes. Lee Seong-yul…”
The same name as his older sister, the same age.
It had startled him when he first heard it, but he’d quickly dismissed it.
‘My sister was a university student.’
She had nothing to do with Hunters.
Even when she visited him in the hospital, she never mentioned monsters.
Except for one thing she always said.
‘I’ll fix you, I promise.’
She’d say it with a smile every time she visited.
Back then, he’d just tuned it out.
“She was just like you, Seong-hyun. Always anxious, always striving to climb higher. Focused on ranking up, not on true growth. Just like you. And she died in a C-rank dungeon. By my hand.”
“…”
“Do you know what I thought when I heard you were trapped in the ogre dungeon?”
“…No.”
Irena’s voice choked with emotion.
“I thought I was being punished. That this was karmic retribution for failing to protect my student.”
“…”
“I vowed to protect you. I swore to make you a proper Hunter. But, but…!”
“…”
“I almost lost you again…”
Tears streamed down her face as she clasped his hand in both of hers.
“I don’t want you to become another Lee Seong-yul. So please, please… I’m begging you.”
“…”
“Entrust your life to me…!”
He could feel the desperation in her grip.
“I’ll give you everything you want, everything you desire. I know this is unreasonable. I know how selfish this is. But please…”
Irena bowed her head, her voice thick with emotion.
“Give up being a Hunter…”
It was a plea, filled with the anguish of a woman who always stood tall and composed.
He smiled sadly and embraced her.
After a moment of hesitation, she hugged him back, tightly.
Her sweet scent tickled his nose, her warmth enveloped him.
“Professor.”
“…Yes.”
The always aloof and rational woman felt strangely small in his arms.
He gently stroked her back.
“I understand. I know you’re worried about me, that you care.”
“Then…”
“But you can’t achieve my goal for me.”
Only he could do that. But…
He whispered in her ear,
“You can help me.”
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He told Irena his goal.
Not everything, not the details.
Just that he wanted her help in winning the heart of the woman he loved.
Irena’s expression was complex as she looked at the contract.
“The woman you love… Very well. I’ll help you until then.”
The contract, magically binding, stipulated:
[Lee Seong-hyun will retire as a Hunter once he achieves his goal.]
[Irena will unconditionally cooperate with Lee Seong-hyun until he achieves his goal.]
There were risks, but he’d gained a valuable ally in Irena.
As acting principal, her influence would be crucial to his plans.
Irena, who’d assumed he was aiming for S-rank, had been stunned when he’d asked for help with his love life.
Her expression had been priceless.
He supposed he did seem obsessed with power.
His goal, in reality, was quite simple.
“Now that we’ve signed the contract, you can stop crying.”
“…This is a secret. From everyone.”
She turned her head, with her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
She looked surprisingly cute.
“Um… how long are you going to hold my hand…?”
“I’m still worried… Can we… just stay like this for a little while…?”
Her voice was small, almost shy.
It seemed like her personality had shifted somehow.
With the contract settled, Shin Su-yeon came to visit.
He bolted upright in bed when he saw her.
“Oh my, such a humble person in this esteemed place…”
“Should I leave…?”
“I’m kidding. Come in.”
She was walking on her own, her recovery progressing well.
“I barely won the competition to visit you, and you’re trying to kick me out?”
“Competition?”
“Yes. We decided only one person could visit. I’m pretty good at rock-paper-scissors, you see. Hehe…”
It seemed she’d won against Lee Seol and Han Yuri.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. I want to be discharged right now, but the professor insisted on a full examination…”
“She did the right thing.”
“Ugh… no one’s on my side.”
They chatted about various things: Shin Su-yeon’s classmates, what was happening at the Academy.
After she left, his discharge date finally arrived.
“If you experience any unusual symptoms, you must come back immediately.”
“Yes, I understand.”
He half-listened to the nurse’s instructions in the hospital lobby.
He knew his own body best.
As he was listening, the lobby became commotion.
“Hey, isn’t that…?”
“I think it is… Wow, I’ve never seen him in person before.”
The murmurs grew louder.
‘What’s going on?’
He thought maybe a celebrity had arrived.
He turned around, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
A man was walking confidently through the crowd.
Tall, 190cm, built like a tank.
‘Lee Jun…’
The President of the Korean Hunter Association.
‘What’s he doing here…?’
Was it just a coincidence?
He hoped so.
He turned away, pretending to listen intently to the nurse.
But reality, as always, had other plans.
“Are you Seong-hyun?”
‘Shit.’
He slowly turned his head and met Lee Jun’s gaze.
A friendly face, with a ruggedly handsome charm.
Lee Jun extended a hand the size of a cauldron.
“Do you have a moment?”
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Hunter Association Headquarters.
He’d been practically dragged there by Lee Jun.
He hadn’t dared to resist the S-rank Hunter, the Association President.
‘What does he want?’
A man as busy as Lee Jun wouldn’t personally pick him up for a trivial matter.
As he followed Lee Jun out of the car, he felt the weight of curious stares.
“Who’s that with the President?”
“He doesn’t look like an Association employee. Oh! Isn’t he that kid… Seol’s friend?”
“Ah! That’s right! The one from the festival!”
Ignoring the whispers, they ascended to the top floor.
The President’s office.
The entire floor belonged to Lee Jun.
‘I’ve never been here before.’
He’d interacted with Lee Seol but had no connection to her father.
As he looked around, Lee Jun offered him a chair.
“Have a seat.”
His tone was warm and inviting, disarmingly friendly.
‘Just like Lee Seol.’
He bowed his head slightly.
Lee Jun, despite his size, personally served him tea.
“I must have surprised you, showing up like this.”
“Not at all, sir.”
“I thought it was better to speak face-to-face, rather than over the phone.”
“Ah, I see.”
Lee Jun handed him a cup of tea, then bowed his head.
“I’m sorry. I should have protected you, my benefactor, but instead, I put you in danger. I’m truly, truly sorry.”
A 90-degree bow.
A gesture of deep respect, unusual for a man of his status.
“I’m only now thanking you for saving Seol at the Grade Evaluation. I had some… pressing matters…”
The Association was swamped with the Witch and Demon Cult investigations.
“It’s alright, sir. I didn’t do it for the recognition.”
A pleased smile spread across Lee Jun’s face.
“Just like Seol said. You’re a good kid.”
‘Damn it.’
“Actually, I did it hoping for a reward.”
“Haha! Of course, of course! I’ll give you something big. But first, let’s chat.”
He’d tried to quickly change the subject, but Lee Jun just chuckled.
He’d misjudged the man.
“Seol was very sick when she was younger.”
‘Sick? What was he talking about?’
He’d never heard this before.
Lee Jun nodded, with a pained expression on his face.
“She was frail from birth. She practically lived in the hospital until she was old enough for elementary school. At one point, she was even given a terminal diagnosis, and we were told to prepare ourselves…”
“…”
“But a miracle happened when she was eight.”
Eight.
The same age he’d collapsed.
“She was half-dead, but she started walking, started smiling. That’s probably why I’m even more grateful to you for saving her.”
“I see… I had no idea…”
“Yuri didn’t tell you?”
“Han Yuri? Not a word.”
“Yuri was the same. But I suppose it’s not something you share easily.”
Lee Jun’s sad smile didn’t register.
His mind was racing.
‘This is new information.’
He’d been intimate with those women in his previous life, and they’d never mentioned this.
Something felt wrong.
He had a feeling he shouldn’t let this go.
“Do you have any old photos of Seol?”
“Of course. Would you like to see them?”
“Yes.”
Like any doting father, Lee Jun’s face lit up at the mention of his daughter.
He could use that to his advantage.
“Here we are.”
Lee Jun rummaged through his bookshelf and pulled out a thick photo album.
He placed it on the desk and opened it.
And there…
‘Noona…?’
A photo of Lee Seol in a wheelchair, in what looked like a hospital parking lot.
And behind her, a blurry figure of a young girl.
The image was grainy, but it was definitely his sister.
An expression he’d never seen before.
His sister who always laughed foolishly and acted silly… was frowning deeply as she ran into the hospital.
Crack!
A sharp pain shot through his head, like a lightning bolt, similar to the pain of overusing Lightning God.
But he turned the page.
He didn’t know why.
He just felt a visceral urge to see what was next.
As his trembling hand reached for the next page…
Slam!
“Wait!”
Lee Seol burst through the door, with her face pale.
She snatched the album from his hands.
“Seol…?”
He looked at her, and…
“…”
…she avoided his gaze.
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Plz more updates 🙏 I beg 🙏 😢 😔 😫
sorry for the delay
Finally! Welcome back