Shin Sooa kept finding her gaze drawn to Seo Kangrim.

Part of her was worried about him.

‘Mr. Seo Kangrim seems strong, but I can’t help worrying about him going around alone…’

-Ttok ttok

Lost in thought, she heard a knock at the door.

She stepped outside to find someone standing before her.

“Ah, Ms. Shin Sooa. Hello.”

The person at her door was someone she had agreed to go hunting with today.

There was still plenty of time before their scheduled departure, so his visit suggested other business.

“Hello. Is something the matter?”

Shin Sooa asked, studying his expression.

He looked somehow troubled.

At her question, he hemmed and hawed before carefully speaking up.

“Um, I’m sorry, but… could we cancel our hunting plans for today?”

“Did something happen?”

He struggled to answer, then forced the words out with difficulty.

“Well, someone else asked me to hunt with them… I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine. Who are you going with?”

“I’ll be going with Mr. Seo Kangrim.”

“Excuse me?”

At the mention of Seo Kangrim, Shin Sooa’s face registered surprise.

Didn’t Kangrim always operate alone?

After a moment’s thought, she spoke up.

“If a spot opens up, could I perhaps join you?”

“I think one spot might free up… let’s go together for now.”

Shin Sooa had been quietly concerned about Kangrim and wanted to talk with him more.

When the two descended to the lobby, Kangrim was already there.

The man approached Kangrim and addressed him.

“Hello, Mr. Seo Kangrim. Would it be alright if one more person joins you for the Room of the Mountain of Death today?”

“Would that person be Ms. Shin Sooa?”

“Yes, yes. We were originally supposed to go together, so…”

Kangrim glanced at Sooa and spoke.

“I’m afraid Ms. Shin Sooa would be a bit problematic.”

“Why am I a problem?”

Kangrim said nothing, merely casting a glance at the other member.

A silent request for some privacy.

The man hesitated, then stepped away.

With only the two of them left in the lobby, Sooa spoke first.

“You seemed to prefer traveling alone, but it looks like that’s changed. Why exactly can’t I join?”

“I need to clear the second room as quickly as possible, and at your current level, Ms. Shin Sooa, you’re not strong enough.”

Sooa’s eyes widened slightly at Kangrim’s blunt words.

Then she composed herself and spoke.

“I don’t think I’m that weak.”

“I’m sure you don’t. But in the next room, your abilities will be weakened. I entered the second room in advance—it’s a Fire attribute.”

Sooa looked at Kangrim, silently asking what he meant.

He continued his explanation without pause.

“The first room has a Metal attribute, which clashes with your Wood attribute, Ms. Shin Sooa. You must have felt it yourself.”

Sooa nodded at his words.

Just as Kangrim said, when she had entered the first room, her breath had caught and a notification had sounded.

[The energy of Metal ‘overcomes’ Shin Sooa’s fate.]

Depending on the Demon Realm’s attribute, fate could either be nourished or overcome.

The second room was Fire attribute; Sooa was Wood attribute.

Only then did understanding dawn on Sooa’s face.

“The second room would certainly put me at a disadvantage.”

The last time, in the building, Kangrim’s fire had grown into a raging blaze by consuming Sooa’s wood.

Given that elemental relationship, her abilities would inevitably be at a disadvantage against Fire-attribute Demon Beasts.

The very trees she cultivated would serve as excellent kindling for Fire-attribute Demon Beasts.

“If I bring you along at your current level, you’ll only slow me down. That’s why I can’t have you accompany me.”

He was telling her that her skills were insufficient to join him.

Though his words could have stung her pride, Sooa didn’t seem particularly offended.

‘He could have made up some excuse and politely declined, so why be so honest?’

He could have claimed his party was already full and turned her down without issue.

That would have been the easier, smoother approach.

Instead, Kangrim had taken the time to explain in detail why he couldn’t bring her along.

‘Is he giving me a clue?’

Even while maintaining his cold demeanor, Kangrim was feeding her clues about the next Demon Realm.

Thanks to him, she would be able to prepare before entering the next Demon Realm.

Kangrim watched her quietly before speaking.

“Are you satisfied with that explanation?”

“Yes, for the most part. But there’s something else I’m curious about…”

Kangrim gave her a questioning look.

Sooa hesitated briefly before speaking.

“You seem to be quite close with Mr. Dokgo Jun.”

“…Excuse me?”

Caught off guard by the question, Kangrim’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Sooa continued.

“On the first day, when I asked you to go together, you said you preferred traveling alone.”

“I did.”

“But then you went hunting with Mr. Dokgo Jun.”

Kangrim didn’t argue.

Because it was true.

After a brief silence, he spoke.

“Yes, we’re on friendly terms. So what’s your intention in asking?”

“Oh, nothing, just… I was hoping I could hunt with you next time.”

After saying that, Sooa glanced around the area.

The person who was supposed to go with Kangrim was lingering nearby, waiting for their conversation to end.

“I’ve taken up too much of your time. I’ll be going now. Thank you for the advice.”

Sooa gave a small bow with her eyes before taking her leave.

Kangrim watched her retreating figure with a complicated look in his eyes.

* * *

“Give me a ration pack and a canteen. And some medicine pills.”

“Oot oot!”

As I placed my order, the Earthen Figure scurried about to fetch the items.

I watched it struggle to haul a canteen nearly as large as its own body, when the Earthen Figure tapped the menu board.

“Oot? Ooot!”

The menu board listed several food items.

I studied the menu for a moment.

The food here came with special effects—consuming it provided various benefits.

For instance, the cold green tea sold here increased Water attribute resistance when consumed.

It would be one of the better items to have on hand when clearing the second room.

It would be a useful item for Shin Sooa.

“Ooot?”

“…No. Never mind.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I left the cafeteria.

Showing favor to Shin Sooa was a complicated matter right now.

Despite my efforts to keep her at arm’s length, she kept approaching me.

Even though I believed I had treated her coldly, she reached out to me just as she had in my past life.

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.

The ideal would be to maintain a moderate distance, hunting together only when necessary in a purely businesslike arrangement.

My thoughts were a bit tangled from thinking about Sooa, but I decided to focus on the task at hand.

I gathered my items and headed for the lobby.

I was checking my equipment before entering the Demon Realm when the second door burst open and someone stumbled out, barely standing.

It was Dokgo Jun.

He must have taken quite a beating inside—his clothes were scorched in places and soaked in blood.

“Ah, Seo Kangrim.”

He spotted me and staggered over.

It seemed Dokgo Jun had been continuously challenging the second door since that day.

Dokgo Jun stared at me intently and asked.

“Going hunting with a party again today?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Isn’t that a bit cowardly?”

Hearing the word ‘cowardly’ come from Dokgo Jun’s mouth was remarkably refreshing.

When I fixed him with a look that asked what he was talking about, he laughed and said:

“We made a bet about who’d clear it first, didn’t we? But ever since that day, you’ve been partying up… Shouldn’t you act alone if you want to be worthy of being a protagonist?”

“Did we agree that I had to go solo when we made that bet?”

At that, Dokgo Jun looked somewhat disappointed and said:

“Hmm… No, we didn’t, but I thought it went without saying.”

“Then why don’t you form a party and clear it yourself, Mr. Dokgo Jun?”

“…”

Dokgo Jun gazed at me with disappointed eyes.

I rather liked that look of disappointment.

But soon enough, Dokgo Jun flashed his usual smile.

“Well, there are protagonists with that style too, I suppose.”

With that, Dokgo Jun walked toward the Protective Jangseung, dripping blood as he went.

I had to admit, he was more magnanimous than expected…

Dokgo Jun was generous in ways he hadn’t intended.

Still, he would ultimately be disappointed in me.

Because I would make sure of it.

Just then, the sound of someone rushing down from the second floor reached my ears.

“Mr. Seo Kangrim!”

The voice belonged to Cheon Gunam.

He seemed oddly energized.

Cheon Gunam approached me with a light step.

“I cleared the first room yesterday!”

A faster clear rate than in my previous life.

I had expected it to take another two or three days.

Cheon Gunam grinned broadly and said:

“You said we’d party up if I cleared it, remember?”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“So, have you thought about it?”

I looked at Cheon Gunam with my hands stuffed in my pockets.

When I sized him up and down as if appraising him, his expression soured slightly.

“What’s your attribute and what Special Ability do you have?”

“I’m Water attribute, and I have a Special Ability called Water Bullet. It creates projectiles from water and shoots them…”

After he had lied about his grade last time, I expected more deception, but this time he came clean.

I pretended to deliberate for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

At those words, Cheon Gunam’s face lit up instantly.

Then I felt a gaze and glanced back to find Dokgo Jun staring at me.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being observed.

“Let’s head out right away. Do you have your equipment ready?”

“Ah, let me just grab some water from the cafeteria!”

“I’ll come with you.”

If I left him alone, Dokgo Jun would likely latch on again.

On the way to the cafeteria, Cheon Gunam beamed at me and struck up conversation.

“Honestly, I was a bit surprised.”

“By what?”

“That you agreed so readily.”

He packed away the canteen the Earthen Figure had offered.

I answered his remark without fanfare.

“I looked around for people I could team up with, but nobody had a particularly useful Special Ability. Water attribute seemed like the right fit for the second room.”

“What’s the second room like?”

We returned to the lobby and stood before the second door.

I grasped the door handle and said:

“A fiery hell.”

And it would be hell for Cheon Gunam as well.