Chapter 181

[System: Memory Fragment (7/7) playback has concluded.]

[System: Quest <Find the Last Memory Fragment> has been successfully completed.]

[You have acquired the hidden ability <Eye That Pierces Essence>.]

I slowly opened my eyes. Tears that had welled up trickled down my temples.

That night, Cha Dohwan had sprinkled poison on us while we slept.

My condition at the time was at its worst.

Arondight, which reflected its user’s mental state, had turned pitch black, a testament to how unwell I was. It was because I had killed three of my comrades with my own hands on the 117th floor.

The fog that had filled the 117th floor was the cause.

The moment you inhaled the fog, you would fall into a hallucination, making your comrades appear as monsters.

I killed my comrades again and again until I found the core—that is, until I obtained the heart that looked like the core.

After realizing what I had done, I suffered from terrible insomnia. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would see the comrades I had killed, making it impossible to sleep.

My mind quickly deteriorated. My relationship with Shinwoo made no progress either. At the time, I wasn’t in any state to give or receive love.

Surprisingly, Shinwoo was calm. Strangely, he seemed unaffected by the fog. At least he hadn’t mistaken his comrades for monsters and killed them, as I had.

He silently took care of me as I grew quiet. He fed me, washed me, and held me in his arms at night to help me sleep.

Even with Shinwoo’s devoted care, I couldn’t seem to regain my senses. Because of that, on the 119th floor, I failed to block an attack I normally would have, and the consequences fell squarely on Shinwoo.

Shinwoo, who had keenly noticed Cha Dohwan’s attack, took the poison in my place.

Shinwoo collapsed, vomiting dark red blood. I didn’t know what to do. I could only cling to him and sob.

So, even though I knew Cha Dohwan’s dagger was rushing toward me, I remained still. I wanted to die with Shinwoo.

Then, unbelievably, Shinwoo stood up. He pulled Cha Dohwan into an embrace, blocking the attack with his own body.

“Shinwoo! You…”

“…Noona… Are you hurt?”

“You’re the one who’s hurt! You idiot!”

“I’m… fine. As long as you… aren’t hurt…”

Cha Dohwan swung his sword indiscriminately, trying to break free from Shinwoo. Even as the blade plunged into his body, Shinwoo clenched his teeth and refused to let go.

I couldn’t attack Cha Dohwan, afraid I would hurt Shinwoo. I was so terrified I didn’t know what to do.

“…Noona, hurry, get to the circle. Now!”

“What are you talking about? Let go of Cha Dohwan! Shinwoo!”

“Please… Noona, there’s no time, hurry!”

“No! I can’t go! I won’t!”

“You know there’s… no hope for me… You have to live, Noona.”

“How can you say that! How am I supposed to live without you… all alone without you!”

“You can. Forget about me… and live happily… For your own sake… please live like that.”

“Shinwoo!”

“It’s my last… wish.”

“…”

“I love you, Noona.”

In the end, I stepped into the circle.

At the same time, a pure white light enveloped me, and when I opened my eyes, I was on the 120th floor. A message congratulating me on successfully clearing the underground dungeon greeted me.

And so, I survived alone.

Even though I had saved the world from ruin, I felt no joy. There was no emotion at all. It was just painful, as if one of my limbs had been torn off.

As soon as I returned home, I threw away everything related to Shinwoo. Like someone with an obsessive compulsion, I turned the whole house upside down to get rid of his belongings.

So that I wouldn’t die.

Whenever I wanted to die, I desperately repeated Shinwoo’s last wish for me to live, over and over again.

I lived like a machine. I was alive because I was breathing, and meaningless time just flowed by.

After a while, the impulse to die vanished. Thanks to Hunter Syndrome, I no longer needed to go through the trouble of killing myself.

When my five senses, which I never appreciated when I had them, disappeared, I missed them terribly. I often struggled just to move my stiffened limbs.

I wanted to smell properly, just for a single day. I wanted to taste something sweet. I wanted to walk on my own two feet. I wanted to look up at the blue sky.

I wanted to live.

I wanted to live like a human being.

That’s what a fickle human I was.

I closed my eyes again.

The tears wouldn’t stop.

***

I bathed meticulously and put on my uniform. I was preparing for work for the first time in a whole seventeen days.

I could sense Zenia’s excitement. I glanced up above her head.

<Zenia / Supporting Character — NO. 00000026>

The Eye That Pierces Essence was, true to its name, an ability that allowed me to see the essence of others.

This world was a stage set by the Administrator. We were the actors he had cast. It seemed the role the Administrator had given Zenia was the 26th supporting character.

‘Look at all those supporting characters.’

I swallowed a sneer.

When I finished getting ready and went outside, Alex was waiting in front of the carriage.

“Astell, let’s go together. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to work, too.”

<Alex Ruthius / Title — The Immature Helper>

‘So Hunters have titles, I see.’

I ignored the text floating above Alex’s head and asked.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“It’s fine. The butler agreed to help with my duties for a while.”

Not the butler, but Duke Ruthius must have agreed to help.

Alex and I boarded the carriage to work.

Even with Alex chattering away excitedly, my mood didn’t improve. The memory of Shinwoo’s final moments was driving me crazy.

Why do I still have to suffer because of my past life? What does the Administrator want from me?

Lost in thought, I found we had already arrived at the Guardian headquarters.

As I stepped out of the carriage, guild members heading into the headquarters greeted me from all sides.

“Guild Master, Hunter Alex! You’re back at work! Did you have a good rest?”

“Oh! Hello, Guild Master! Hello, Hunter Alex!”

“Good morning, Guild Master. And to you too, Hunter Alex.”

As if by an unspoken agreement, no one mentioned Duke Ruthius or the Emperor. They greeted me naturally, as if I were a colleague returning from a simple vacation.

Still, it wasn’t exactly the same as before. For some reason, the gazes directed at me seemed friendlier. It was probably just my imagination.

I gave a curt greeting and walked on quickly.

Just as I entered the Guardian building, Zenia came panting from behind and tugged on my clothes.

“Gasp, gasp! Guild Master, c-could you please slow down a little?”

Ah… I had been so lost in thought I hadn’t paid attention to my surroundings. I stopped and waited for Zenia. Alex asked in a subtle tone.

“Astell, is something bothering you?”

“What’s there to be bothered about?”

“Then why the long face? You’ve looked serious ever since we got in the carriage.”

“…I just don’t feel like working.”

“You too? Hey, me too! That’s why I escaped today. I felt like I was going to go crazy staying at the manor.”

Alex shook his head as if he didn’t even want to think about it. The process of succeeding as the family head must have been quite arduous.

“Astell, can’t you just say a word to the butler?”

“About what?”

“Tell him to stop tormenting me. Honestly, do I really need to know about the family’s accounting and financial status?”

“Then what are you going to do? Just strut around acting like the family head?”

“Why do you have to put it like that? When have I ever strutted around…? I just think it’s better to leave that stuff to the experts.”

“Are you an idiot? Even if you leave it to experts, you need to understand the details to know whether it’s being handled properly or not!”

“Oh… Is that right?”

“Haa…”

Perhaps because I’d heard something so foolish, my mood lightened a bit. I let out a small laugh and said.

“What’s the hardest part?”

“Accounting. Just looking at the numbers makes me nauseous.”

“I can help you with that. I’ll make some time.”

“Astell…”

“Put your hands down. Don’t even come near me. I’ll kill you if you hug me.”

“Don’t be shy. Come on, give your big brother a hug.”

“I said you’d die.”

While we were having this silly conversation, other guild members came over to greet us again.

“Guild Master, Hunter Alex, may I treat you to a cup of coffee?”

“Oh! Then I’ll buy you cookies! You’re going to the cafeteria, right?”

“I’ve received a lot of sponsorships lately! I’ll buy you sandwiches!”

Unconditional kindness still feels awkward. I don’t know what kind of expression to make.

While I hesitated, the guild members grabbed my arms. They sat me down at a table in the cafeteria and then rushed off to order.

As I sat there dumbly, Alex spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“Your ears are red. Are you hot?”

“…A little.”

My cheeks grew warm too. Feeling embarrassed, I fiddled with my innocent ears when a shriek came from somewhere.

“W-What? The most wonderful Guild Master in the world is at work? Where? Where!”

“…Damn it.”

Even though I quickly covered my face, I couldn’t escape Yulia’s sharp eyes.

“Kyaa! It’s really you! Guild Master! Guild Master, it’s me, Yulia!”

After jumping up and down in the middle of the lobby and drawing everyone’s attention, she came scurrying over.

<Yulia / Title — The Ardent Follower>

“Guild Master! Why didn’t you answer? Didn’t you hear my voice?”

As if. I could probably hear your voice from a mile away.

“I’m so, so, so happy to see you, Guild Master. Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”

I had no desire to know, but I didn’t bother to reply. Yulia clung to my arm and whined.

“Not seeing you was so stressful. So I came to work every day and cleaned out all the cafe’s desserts instead. I became a point-beggar because of it.”

I stared quietly at Yulia’s cheeks, which had puffed up like a squirrel’s.

“So that’s why you gained weight.”

“Gasp! Is it that obvious I’ve gained weight?”

“Yeah.”

“N-No way! Have I gotten ugly? Am I unpleasant to look at?”

“No, you’ve gotten cuter.”

“Oh my…”

Yulia cupped her cheeks with both hands. A soft blush spread across her fair skin. Alex muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

“I can’t tell if she’s aware of what she’s saying or not…”