Chapter 1

Back in the annex, the first thing I did was check my face.

Standing before the vanity, I roughly wiped away the monster’s blood with a handkerchief, revealing a beautiful face with silver hair and green eyes.

‘Holy hell, she’s gorgeous.’

Fair skin, large green eyes, and full lips.

Her green eyes, moist like a forest after a fresh rain, gave off an air that was both melancholy and vibrant.

‘Her face is so small, yet her eyes, nose, and mouth all fit perfectly.’

After admiring the face, I took a closer look at the slender wrist.

‘Unbelievable. Her veins aren’t bulging; you can see them right through her skin.’

I was almost afraid to touch it, lest it break.

‘What does it matter? It’s not my body, anyway.’

I tore my gaze from the wrist and rubbed my stiff-feeling cheek.

In the mirror, Astell rubbed her cheek too.

A flake of dried blood on my cheek crumbled and fell away.

I could no longer deny reality.

I had possessed a body.

‘Fuck.’

My name is Ryu Saan.

The number one ranked, SSS-rank Hunter who successfully cleared the deepest floor of the dungeon.

Once I completed the dungeon, the monsters that used to appear at all hours vanished, and the Constellations that had tormented Hunters day and night also withdrew. After ten years, we were finally free from ruin.

People called me a hero.

Every media outlet focused on me, and donations poured in from all over the world.

It was the moment all that hellish struggle was finally about to pay off.

‘That was just the day before yesterday… and now I wake up in someone else’s body.’

The crucial part was that this world, too, was on the brink of apocalypse.

‘That’s why those monsters showed up. And why I had to go through a tutorial.’

To sum it up, I’d just saved one world from annihilation, only to possess the body of a Hunter in another world where the apocalypse was just beginning.

“…”

They say you’re left speechless when you’re truly wronged, and now I finally understand what that means.

All that came out of my mouth was a hollow laugh.

“Ha… haha.”

If I had possessed the body of an ordinary person, I wouldn’t have been this furious.

‘A Hunter again? I just saved Earth the other day, and now you want me to do it all over again? What kind of bullshit is this!’

I glared at the chat window scrolling merrily along.

It was obvious the Constellations were involved in this.

— Anonymous Constellation: I don’t think she has a clue what’s going on.

— Anonymous Constellation: This is why I said this channel sucks. These kids are too dumb.

— Anonymous Constellation: Haaah… Does she even know what a chat is?

— Anonymous Constellation: I guess we’ll have to explain it to her.

— Anonymous Constellation: Why should we? She figures it out on her own. If she can’t, she dies.

— Anonymous Constellation: Did you not see the tutorial? We have to support the ones who show promise.

The Constellations were bickering leisurely, completely unaware that I was watching them, grinding my teeth.

‘As if they weren’t the ones who did this. What? Too dumb?’

When I selected the Constellation who’d mentioned intelligence, the [Whisper], [Log], and [Kick] functions appeared.

With a sneer, I chose Kick.

[system : Anonymous Constellation has been forcibly removed.]

[Time until re-entry: 72:00:00]

An awakened being daring to kick a Constellation!

The chat window erupted over this unprecedented event that no one had foreseen.

— Anonymous Constellation: Huh?!!

— Anonymous Constellation: What the fuck is this? Is she crazy?

— Anonymous Constellation: Daring to ban us. Is she in her right mind?

— Anonymous Constellation: But how did she know how to kick someone? Isn’t that weird?

— Anonymous Constellation: Huh? Now that you mention it…

The Constellations’ tone immediately grew harsh. One even voiced their suspicion.

It was only natural they’d be surprised, seeing as I’d kicked one of them in a world where no one was even supposed to know what a chat was.

When I kicked the Constellation who had cursed as well, the chat window practically exploded.

“Hey everyone, are you curious about what’s going on?”

Addressing the Constellations, I rested my chin on my hand and smiled.

“It’s because I’m Ryu Saan.”

— Anonymous Constellation: ?????

— Anonymous Constellation: Ryutto?

— Anonymous Constellation: Whoa! Is it really Ryutto?

— Anonymous Constellation: The Administrator said they brought a Hunter from Channel 32. Holy shit, it was Ryutto?

— Anonymous Constellation: No wonder… she was something else from the tutorial.

— Anonymous Constellation: Ryu-hi!

— Anonymous Constellation: Ryu-hi~

— Anonymous Constellation: Good to see you again! I’ve checked out other channels, but there’s no one like you.

Ryutto. As in, “Ryu Saan is being a psycho again.”

It was the nickname the Constellations had given me.

I’d only said my name, yet the Constellations’ hostile atmosphere rapidly shifted to a friendly one.

There wasn’t a trace of complaint about the kick. This, too, was a reaction I had expected.

‘Because they go wild for the strong.’

As long as you were strong, the Constellations didn’t much care about your personality.

That was precisely why I, who was famous for my terrible temper, was the Constellations’ number one pick.

Amidst the chat window being spammed with ‘Ryutto,’ I found a clue.

Administrator.

‘Oho, so the bastard who put me in this body is the Administrator, is that it?’

Why the hell would they do that? Were they so moved by my performance, ending the Constellations’ ordeal after ten years?

‘If you were so moved, you should have just given me money!’

I fought back the urge to tear my hair out and opened my mouth.

“You all seem very happy to see me. I, on the other hand, feel like murdering someone. Oh, but I’m not naming names, of course. You get me?”

A series of question marks appeared in the chat. There was even a question asking if I was mad.

Unable to hold back any longer, I slammed my hand on the vanity.

Crack! Crash!

The vanity collapsed completely, its contents spilling everywhere.

‘Huh? I didn’t even use much force.’

I was momentarily taken aback, but I feigned nonchalance and furrowed my brow.

“Are you guys serious? Who was it that shoved a perfectly fine living person into this body! It was you! I didn’t even get to spend a single penny!”

— Anonymous Constellation: Whoa, whoa, our Ryutto is a good… well, not good, but let’s calm down a bit. Okay?

— Anonymous Constellation: That temper of hers is still the same lol

— Anonymous Constellation: I was wondering why she was so mad… is she pissed she didn’t get to spend her money??

“Is this a time for jokes? Shut up and change me back! You scammers!”

— Anonymous Constellation: You were probably dead.

— Anonymous Constellation: We didn’t see it, but we know.

— Anonymous Constellation: Not even the Administrator can bring a living human to another channel.

— Anonymous Constellation: Astell, check the Memory Fragment. You got it as a tutorial reward.

The back of my head went numb, as if I’d been struck.

“…Dead? Me?”

But no matter how hard I wracked my brain, I had no memory of dying.

‘The last thing I remember is two days after clearing the dungeon… I was perfectly fine then.’

Come to think of it, that wasn’t the only thing I couldn’t remember.

Thinking back, there were several moments here and there that were blank.

Fine, let’s say I forgot the moment of my death due to shock.

But to not even remember the moment I awakened as a Hunter?

‘Isn’t that an unforgettable memory?’

How could this be? Unless someone deliberately carved it out…

“Why are my memories like this?”

— Anonymous Constellation: We don’t know that much.

— Anonymous Constellation: Hundred percent chance the Administrator messed with them.

— Anonymous Constellation: Astell, collect the Memory Fragments.

I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t. The Constellations might stay silent, but they don’t lie.

So, I was already dead, and there was no way to go back?

“Ah… my money.”

I clutched my head and collapsed onto the bed like the protagonist of a tragic romance.

— Anonymous Constellation: So she really was mad about dying before she could spend her money.

— Anonymous Constellation: Don’t normal humans faint in this situation? Mad respect for her mental fortitude.

— Anonymous Constellation: Nah, our Ryutto has always been tough as nails.

I desperately wanted to faint.

But just as the Constellations said, perhaps because I was tough as nails, I was wide awake instead of on the verge of passing out.

Overwhelmed by despair, I buried my face in the bed.

‘You bastard Administrator, what the hell am I supposed to do now!’