Chapter 72. Who Are You?
【 Anonymous Board 】
[Title: I Found Out Who It Is]
[Content:
The person who took the witness statement
Isn’t this the same person??
This is an article I captured earlier
The day Jeong Ha-seong broke the EX-Class Gate
The false report that was taken down…
(Attached photo)]
[Comments (9)]
[Anonymous: Wow]
[Anonymous: It really seems like it. The press photo was heavily pixelated, but the hair dye and length seem way too similar.]
[Anonymous: So that article was true…?]
[ㄴAnonymous: Seems like it.]
[ㄴAnonymous: It’s a dead giveaway. Jeong Ha-seong was backstabbed in the gate, so he came out like that.]
[ㄴAnonymous: Scary. What kind of person could take on an S-Class;;]
[Admin: Writing speculative rumors about Hunters is against the rules. Please check the notice.]
.
.
.
Around the time when the small ripples of information began to occur in this ocean of data.
“Hm.”
Wednesday.
In an apartment in Seoul.
Seonwoo-yeon, who had returned after finishing her work, opened a tea leaf box she had brought from her hometown.
“Where did I put the new teapot…?”
A high-end green tea gift set, identical to the one she had given Kim Gi-ryeo.
Even though she had politely refused, her family in Hadong insisted on giving her several boxes.
‘Aunt and Uncle… You all looked healthy.’
As Seonwoo-yeon brewed the green tea, she fell into thought.
Since the Dungeon Shock.
She had been avoiding returning to her hometown for personal reasons.
‘Whenever I see the tea fields, that terrible incident comes to mind. I fled to Seoul, leaving my parents’ business to my aunt.’
Visiting Hadong after a long time…
Surprisingly, it was okay. It wasn’t as painful as before.
Time, it seems, is the best medicine for healing wounds.
‘From now on, I should visit my hometown more often.’
This was all made possible thanks to Kim Gi-ryeo pushing her along.
As she savored the brewed green tea, she became contemplative.
Come to think of it, that person really loved the green tea she had gifted.
– Wow, this tastes amazing! I can’t understand why people drink coffee when this is here!
After tasting the Ujeon tea she had gifted him, Kim Gi-ryeo had praised it to the point of being thirsty.
Recalling that moment, Seonwoo-yeon smiled slightly.
But whenever she thought of that Awakened, her thoughts inevitably deepened.
“Hmm.”
What exactly is Kim Gi-ryeo up to…?
Lately, Seonwoo-yeon had often wondered about this.
A few days ago, after witnessing him arguing with the top-ranked Hunter in front of the emergency room, her curiosity had only grown.
When it came to action, Kim Gi-ryeo certainly didn’t seem like an inexperienced rookie who had awakened last year.
He definitely had several years of experience as a Hunter.
‘Before being logged in the Awakening Test Center, what was he doing?’
The unclear background of the opposite party piqued her curiosity.
Moreover, hadn’t Kim Gi-ryeo mentioned something in passing?
– A current Hunter? Where can I find such a washed-up one?
That was the remark she had overheard during the search for missing persons in Eunpyeong District.
At the time, she had brushed it off in the midst of the busy situation, but now that she thought about it, it was quite significant.
‘It’s as if he’s talking like… a retired soldier.’
Washed-up.
A term that strangely didn’t click well with Kim Gi-ryeo.
For a brief moment, Seonwoo-yeon let her imagination run wild.
Could it be that Kim Gi-ryeo had sustained a serious injury and had resigned from the front lines?
Like something out of a movie.
He could have worked for some hidden organization in the past.
So after going through all sorts of trials, now he just wanted to live quietly, pretending to be an F-Class.
‘He might not really be an ordinary person…’
Though she didn’t know the details, there had to be something complex and heavy in his past.
Seonwoo-yeon promised herself not to pry into that man’s past too recklessly.
Of course, that promise was a pointless endeavor.
“Yay! Quitting is the best! I don’t have to work late anymore!”
That reincarnated alien had simply been set on quitting his job.
For him, the dark past was nothing more than the memories of not being able to leave work at sunset.
“I should munch on some snacks while watching movies on Y-Tube!”
Sometimes, not knowing certain things is a blessing.
Like, say, the humble background of a certain Great Mage.
Or their personality.
Or even their daily life…
*
A happy daily life requires proper preparation.
Earth referred to the three essentials of life as food, clothing, and shelter.
I can say with certainty that as of today, I have the best residence.
“Hmph.”
Infinite Power Core.
This was planned the moment I got that item.
The identity of the object obtained from defeating Grid was…
Simply put, a high-capacity battery.
“See? There’s nothing I can’t do.”
The Infinite Power Core has multiple uses.
Maintaining greenhouse temperatures.
Sustaining barriers.
Implementing illusions on a building level, and more.
Since it serves as an energy source for so-called ‘installable’ magic that exerts effects continuously in one location.
As you might expect.
I used this core to create a new barrier protecting Kim Gi-ryeo’s house.
With this, even an F-Class Hunter like me can deploy a remarkable barrier.
Because the core maintains the barrier without the mage needing to replenish mana.
– Thud thud.
I tapped on the surface of the barrier as I began my final review.
Intruder detection.
Magical attack block and physical attack block.
I downscaled to match Earth’s level, but it’s still not up to par.
‘With this, it’ll withstand even a Dragon’s Breath.’
Alright.
Then all that’s left is to immerse myself in research in this cozy abode.
I had almost forgotten about the task of producing a magic power amplifier due to being so busy.
Currently, I was exposed to one significant threat.
Some S-Class Hunter was lurking around, eyeing my life.
‘Damn it!’
The goal ahead was one.
12 months.
During these few months that the core’s power is sustained, I must devise a means to fend off the S-Class threat.
“Ugh… If I can just get through this, I’ll live like a rich idle person, doing nothing every day.”
I sat at my desk, solidifying my resolution.
Wishing for an alarmingly peaceful daily life.
I continued my research, and did more research…
– Crack.
It’s been days since I isolated myself in my studio.
– Crunch, crunch.
On the fourth day of my retreat, I took a few biscuits for breakfast.
Waking up. Eating. Researching. Sleeping.
My recent routine felt like a mechanical pattern, but personally, I had no big complaints.
I was used to overworking.
– Bubble bubble bubble… Click!
Ah, has the water boiled?
I turned to look outside as I brewed my green tea with hot water from the electric kettle.
Enjoying morning sunshine while leisurely having tea time. A dreamy day.
Yeah.
It really feels dreamlike, especially since I haven’t slept for four days due to that annoying guest.
“Ha…”
I held my teacup with blank eyes.
– Creak, creak.
Actually, there was one bad piece of news during this time.
– Creak, creak.
“Ah, which rotten bastard keeps poking at the barrier! Hey! You son of a gun! Come out! Let me see your face!”
Since a few days ago, some unidentified Awakened has been trying to invade my home.
*
Mid-August.
The main hall of the cult Nachalsawon.
“Seonwoo-yeon Apostle. Are you there?”
“Yes. Come in.”
In the empty room devoid of furnishings, a giant painting hangs on the wall.
It depicts a dragon sprawled over a red field with a yeouiju (an orb in the mouth of the dragon).
“What brings you here?”
A disciple in a raincoat stared intently at the painting before turning around.
Then a woman entered the room, bowing as she reported.
“I’ve looked into what happened to the teacher in Eunpyeong as you instructed.”
“What were the results?”
“Uh, um. The great teacher died due to Kang Chang-ho’s attack. And several disciples were handed over to the police…”
Seonwoo-yeon was taken aback upon hearing this.
‘That’s odd. Still, that teacher was good at hiding.’
But that was not the only surprising thing.
This incident was entangled with that mysterious F-Class Hunter, just like the last time.
Seonwoo-yeon pieced together the story based on the testimonies of the escaped members from Kang Chang-ho’s assault.
“I see. The great teacher tried to abduct this hunter to obtain the core, and then an S-Class suddenly appeared. Is that it?”
“Yes, yes!”
This might be…
A bait situation.
Seonwoo-yeon frowned as she skimmed through the documents given by her subordinate.
Kim Gi-ryeo.
What on earth is this person’s true nature that he interferes at every turn?
He had stuck to the S-Class that Pyoo Na-gil wanted to kill.
He had taken the item that she desperately needed.
And now, that one person is causing all the believers to be rounded up.
“See? I told you to inform me in advance when bringing in high-tier Awakened.”
Tsk tsk.
Seonwoo-yeon clicked her tongue.
If she had known about this beforehand, she would have warned not to touch that Hunter.
“Um, Um, Seonwoo-yeon Apostle.”
Then, a disciple who had been observing the situation timidly spoke.
“Is it possible that our plans can’t proceed because the great teacher couldn’t secure the core…?”
But Seonwoo-yeon shook her head, as if to say not to worry.
“That’s impossible. It’s fine. After all, any deficient cores can be purchased with money.”
“Ah!”
“Don’t be impatient, sister.”
Seonwoo-yeon is the second-in-command of Nachalsawon.
At the same time, she was also an excellent researcher.
“Everything is progressing smoothly as it should.”
Artificial Dungeon Break.
The Eunpyeong District missing person incident.
The attack on the Istanbul Winter Gate.
The truth behind all these terror incidents was precisely Seonwoo-yeon’s investigation into the gate’s characteristics.
Specifically, to find out, “What are the minimum conditions for a dungeon to exist?”
And through her research on this topic, Seonwoo-yeon obtained meaningful results.
Thanks to this, she could manipulate the dungeon space to a certain extent.
‘During the last experiment, that Hunter named Seonwoo-yeon was particularly helpful. No matter how I manipulated it, I learned that as long as the boss dies, an exit will emerge.’
Seonwoo-yeon tilted her head in recollection of past experiments.
“Right. The groundwork is done, so now I just need to prepare…”
A cult believing in a non-existent god to acquire knowledge allowing them to manipulate gates.
Could there be anything more terrifying than this?
Moreover, the ultimate goal of this plan was the death of all S-Class Hunters.
They were about to incite even greater terror.
“Ah! I really look forward to the day of judgment that will come!”
“Oh, of course. When that day comes, you’ve donated so much, our sister will surely go to heaven.”
At this point, Nachalsawon seemed like a group of irrational fanatics worshiping demons.
However, humanity usually operates under the influence of money.
Or power.
– Ding Dong♪
“Sister, you may leave now.”
“Yes.”
At the chime of the doorbell, Seonwoo-yeon hurriedly walked towards the entrance.
Upon arrival, she took off the raincoat she had been wearing and warmly greeted the guests.
“Welcome!”
“Ahem.”
“You’ve worked hard to get here.”
“Where is the cult leader?”
“Father is already in the reception room.”
Seonwoo-yeon referred to the man who entered the building as such.
“Then let me guide you right away, Member Kim.”
