Chapter 201

The unfamiliar yet familiar system window greeted me once more.

I had returned to the very beginning.

No matter how many times I thought about it, it was utterly ridiculous.

No, shouldn’t you at least tell me why it failed?

Of course, if it did, this wouldn’t be an L-rank dungeon.

Even voicing complaints in my head was impossible.

Because from beyond the door in the dim Hunter Association corridor, the sound of my younger self crying drifted out.

It was my past, so I knew it all too well. Any noise in the hallway, and she’d notice right away.

I could see it displaying that two chances remained.

There weren’t many things worth smashing anyway. And since it was early in the gate era, the dungeons weren’t overly tough. It’d be fine.

It was then, as I narrowed my eyes.

Along with the system window, someone was summoned.

It was, of course, Hunter So Yeri, who had cleared my memory.

“?”

But her posture was odd.

I could see her summoned in a clumsy stance, arms spread wide as if hugging something in midair.

“?”

“!”

Our eyes met.

Without thinking, I messaged via chat.

What on earth had she been doing…? Wait, chat works?

Because we’re in the same time period?

Anyway, my curiosity unchanged, I stared hard at Hunter So Yeri.

She subtly straightened her posture.

She clearly had no intention of explaining properly.

Meanwhile, I noticed the system window displaying as “Shin Jae-heon,” just as he’d saved it in his hunter chat.

But my own messages weren’t showing as Shin Jae-heon.

What a bewildering dungeon.

And look at this dry-as-dust jerk.

So Hunter Joo Yian remains Hunter Joo Yian, and I’m Hunter Shin Yuri—

I had to struggle to keep a straight face.

Ugh! Hmmm!

It wouldn’t be the past version of Hunter So Yeri, would it?

She nodded at my message.

Confirmed: the present-day Hunter So Yeri. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

In the meantime, she glanced around.

She didn’t seem to know where we were. Then her eyes widened at the writing carved into the wall.

I nodded.

Wish-granting place? A cute way to put it, but spot on.

I scratched my cheek.

Hunter So Yeri’s eyes went wide at my messages.

Her face said she hadn’t expected me to fail Shin Jae-heon’s wish.

Tell me about it. Neither did I.

I’d been confident deep down. I scratched my cheek again.

I gave a quick rundown.

The situation. What I’d done in this dungeon.

Up to the moment of failure.

Unlike me, whose face scrunched up more confused with every word, Hunter So Yeri looked like she’d pieced it together.

Soon, she smiled.

Yes, really. She nodded as if to say so.

For now, we decided to try clearing ‘Memory – Shin Jae-heon’ per Hunter So Yeri’s suggestion.

She’d started out wanting to tackle it like I had, but then abruptly proposed something else.

“First, let me talk to Hunter Shin Jae-heon directly.”

Shin Jae-heon was inside the hunter training hall right now. We were on its rooftop.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Meeting him means game over, right?”

I even mimed slashing my throat. Instant death?

But Hunter So Yeri shook her head.

“This era’s Hunter Shin Jae-heon doesn’t know me, does he?”

“Ah…”

Right…?!

Me? I’d just matured a bit—no way past me wouldn’t recognize me. Appearing before Shin Jae-heon was suicide.

Meeting this timeline’s me spelled doom.

But not Hunter So Yeri.

“Then, just wait and see~”

With that, Hunter So Yeri leaped down to the hunter-exclusive training hall.

I kept a safe distance and decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

With Shin Jae-heon’s stats, it was a piece of cake.

“Hello?”

Hunter So Yeri greeted him brightly the moment she spotted Shin Jae-heon.

As expected.

“…Who are you?”

Shin Jae-heon went on guard.

“I’m a hunter too. This is the hunter training ground.”

Hunter So Yeri said shamelessly. A quick glance showed her wielding a sword, swinging it through the air.

My eyes went wide.

…Her swing form was surprisingly solid?

That was my thought when.

Hunter So Yeri began earnestly working over young Shin Jae-heon.

“You look like a dealer. I’m one too. A-rank.”

Don’t bluff! You’re S-rank! And originally support!

“You seem troubled. Wondered if I could help.”

Shin Jae-heon narrowed his eyes at her words.

“…Did you approach knowing who I am?”

This era’s Shin Jae-heon was hypersensitive.

It was peak time for rumors branding him Shin Yuri’s baggage.

But Hunter So Yeri nodded.

“I know. The bad rumors too. Still wanted to chat.”

Rather than lying, she went straight at it. Solid choice against Shin Jae-heon.

“Is that person close to Shin Jae-heon?”

“Who?”

Murmurs rose from the others in the training hall. And right then.

“…!”

The hunters flinched at the killing intent Hunter So Yeri let slip.

“Let’s train somewhere else.”

“Yeah. Not feeling it today…”

They scattered fast. Her intent was that razor-sharp. Even I was taken aback.

Is she really support class? Did a dealer get miscategorized?

“So, how about it? Hope I’m of use.”

Only after she’d cleared the room did Shin Jae-heon seem open to talking.

“…Let’s find somewhere suitable to talk.”

He said it while stowing his sword in inventory. Naturally, it wasn’t Maletia’s blade back then.

Hunter So Yeri’s face lit up.

“Great! I’ll take you to an awesome bar! Booze for days like this!”

Shin Jae-heon froze.

“I’m still in high school.”

Hunter So Yeri nearly tripped mid-stride.

She glanced back. Clearly forgetting young tastes(?), she blurted.

“Milk then?”

Shin Jae-heon grimaced.

“Can I just leave?”

The talk was derailing before it began.

I hammered out the chat frantically.

“Caf…fé sound good?”

Hunter So Yeri asked just in the nick of time. Shin Jae-heon finally nodded.

“Sure.”

He docilely followed her toward the exit.

The opposite direction from my entrance—no risk of exposure.

Hunter So Yeri messaged while leading him off.

Well… he’s young… ★

After they settled at a café table, I took a staggered seat nearby.

Of course, a blind spot from Shin Jae-heon’s view.

His stats made eavesdropping from that range trivial.

“What’s the trouble?”

Hunter So Yeri asked.

Shin Jae-heon clutched his drink with both hands, hesitating.

Hard to open up to a total stranger like that.

Fair enough—most would clam up if a random person demanded their woes.

But Hunter So Yeri was a pro at drawing people out.

“Want my story first? I…”

She hooked him with future tales this era’s Shin Jae-heon couldn’t possibly know.

Naturally guiding him to share.

After all the circling, she nailed the core.

“So, you’re worried about the huge rank gap with Hunter Shin Yuri?”

Shin Jae-heon looked up at Hunter So Yeri.

Eye contact made, she held up her hand, fingers splayed.

“From what I know, rank-up isn’t impossible. People have actually seen ‘Growth Hidden Quests.’”

This era had no public knowledge of rank-ups yet.

The one who’d seen that ‘Growth Hidden Quest’ she mentioned? Future Shin Jae-heon.

Must’ve been shocking yet hopeful for the current him.

But Shin Jae-heon nodded calmly, unsurprised.

“I’ve seen it too.”

Ah, already at that stage?

“Oh.”

Hunter So Yeri’s eyes widened in surprise too.

Still, his face stayed troubled.

“If I grow… rank up… I can protect her, right?”

Shin Jae-heon asked cautiously. Hunter So Yeri nodded.

“Obviously.”

“Even though she’s S-rank?”

She slurped her iced Americano and replied breezily.

“Then you become S-rank.”

I could picture Shin Jae-heon’s incredulous stare.

“From C-rank to S?”

Hunter So Yeri nodded at his question.

“Yep.”

He arched a brow—like, you serious?

That’s exactly what you’ll pull off.

I smiled to myself. Meanwhile, she shrugged.

“What’s stopping you?”

Pure, unfounded optimism.

But Shin Jae-heon didn’t refute it. Refusing to deny his own potential, probably.

Watching him, Hunter So Yeri asked.

“Dungeons don’t scare you?”

He shook his head at once.

“Not scary.”

Then he paused, amending.

“No, they do… but, um…”

I got the gist without him finishing.

You weren’t scared of the dungeons themselves.

You were scared I’d get hurt.

Scared that me, fighting in your stead, would get injured because of you.

I hadn’t realized it then. But now I did.

His actual words caught me off guard, though.

“It feels like I’m the one cornering Yuri… that’s what scares me.”

I held my breath without realizing.