Chapter 115

“My doll… it became rags, but I grew fond of it…!”

“You probably haven’t seen it since we entered the hidden dungeon, right?”

“I think I left it there then.”

“But did you cherish it in the first place? You beat up a monster like that with a doll you cherished?”

Then Cho-i Hyeon shook his head.

“I bought it for fifty-five thousand won at the doll store.”

“…Right.”

Everyone gave up on understanding Cho-i Hyeon. He was still wearing the cat headband, after all. It was amazing that it was still attached despite being trampled and killed so much.

“Alright, who wants to take on the boss monster!”

Cho-i Hyeon quickly got over losing his doll and raised his hand to ask, and Yuri Ja stepped forward.

“Haa…”

“Fighting, big brother!”

“Ah! Don’t do that!”

“Hahahahaha.”

Yuri Ja immediately stood in front of the boss monster. The boss monster then raised several tails high and bristled its fur. Looking at it this way, it does resemble a cat. Cho-i Hyeon clapped her hands, watching Yuri Ja enter combat. Yuri Ja, wielding a large spear, swung it with a loud CRACK! and the monster’s front paw flew off.

Meoooow-!

“Oh, it finally sounds like a cat.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s just something.”

Why does no one but me know that this dungeon has been a dog dungeon all along? Cho-i frowned, tilted her head, and then decided to give up. If others say it’s a cat, then it’s a cat. The mountain is a mountain, and the water is water. While Yuri Ja was fighting, Cho-i Hyeon, feeling hungry, rummaged through her empty pockets, but she had nothing. As she rustled around, Seoyeon Ha, who was next to her, offered her some dried rations from her pocket.

“Oh, I’m the type who always carries these.”

“Oh, perfect! Thank you.”

The dry rations were so tough that she had to chew them again and again. If your jaw isn’t strong, you can’t even be a hunter. What a sad world. Just as Cho-i Hyeon was lamenting for hunters with weak jaws, CRASH! With a loud sound, the monster split in half. SPLAT! Blood splattered everywhere, and the monster fell lifelessly to the ground. And with that, the exit outside glowed blue and opened.

“Alright, let’s go!”

“Let’s go eat!”

Jihan Kim and Cho-i Hyeon shouted simultaneously. Jihan Kim looked at Cho-i Hyeon, who grinned and pointed at Yuri Ja.

“Her movements were a bit superfluous, don’t you think she needs better training?”

“…Yuri does have that tendency. But you caught that well, didn’t you?”

“Just happened to.”

She shrugged her shoulders and immediately went outside. She wasn’t particularly interested in the items that would come out of here. She already had what she wanted most.

“So, where do you want to eat before you go?”

Cho-i Hyeon shook her head.

“I have someone else I need to get a meal from.”

“Who? Taehyeok Sa?”

“Of course.”

“Your Guild Master must have quite a headache. To control someone like you.”

“From the start, that bastard has no intention of controlling me.”

“Really?”

“That’s why I’m still stuck there. If he had told me what to do, I would have left long ago.”

Jihan Kim chuckled briefly. Then he took out his business card holder from his pocket and offered a business card.

“Contact me anytime you feel like breaking free.”

“Oh, thanks. This adds another place for me to fall back on.”

“Where else? Hwayeon?”

“I could even fly to the USA.”

“You’d get a lot of flak for being a traitor.”

“Haha, that’s true.”

Cho-i Hyeon chuckled and arbitrarily boarded the vehicle prepared by Geumsin. Then she spoke to the Geumsin employee in the driver’s seat.

“On the way to Geumsin, drop me off at Paehyeok.”

“Cho-i Hyeon hunter. Geumsin and Paehyeok are in completely different directions.”

“Just drop me off anyway!”

“…Yes, yes.”

And so, Cho-i Hyeon, after getting the item she wanted, returned to her guild. Jihan Kim looked very disappointed, but what’s not possible is not possible.

“I can’t until I repay Taehyeok Sa.”

She stood in front of Paehyeok and looked up at the large building. Today was Friday. Tomorrow was the Saturday she had promised Taehyeok Sa. She grinned and entered Paehyeok, took the elevator, and headed to Taehyeok Sa’s Office. He was always there, as if it were his hideout. Well, of course, an SS-Rank would always be here; where else would he go? He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t even go to dungeons easily.

“You’re here?”

“Were you waiting for me?”

Taehyeok Sa smiled faintly and put down the documents he was looking at. Cho-i went to the desk and took out a necklace from her item window.

“What is this?”

“A gift for you?”

Taehyeok Sa stared at the item, then picked it up. After checking the Entity’s name, he frowned intensely.

“Where did you get something like this?”

“I managed to enter the hidden dungeon of Myoyeong Dungeon.”

“…You’ve done something dangerous again.”

“Oh, when have I not?”

Taehyeok Sa held out the necklace he had picked up to Cho-i. Cho-i Hyeon raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a ‘what do you want?’ expression. Taehyeok Sa burst out laughing.

“The person who brought such a gift should put it on themselves.”

“You bastard, you don’t think you’ll be strangled by it.”

“Because you wouldn’t kill me in such a boring way.”

“Ha, you’re really smart, you son of a bitch.”

She immediately climbed onto Taehyeok Sa’s desk and sat down. Nearby documents were crumpled or pushed aside, falling to the floor, and Taehyeok Sa leaned forward, his back leaving the chair’s backrest.

“Ugh. How do you put this on?”

The clasp of the necklace was in a never-before-seen form, so Cho-i Hyeon struggled for a long time. But eventually, she figured out how.

“Got it!”

“That took a while.”

“Ugh! I’m really going to strangle you to death.”

Cho-i Hyeon began to put the necklace on Taehyeok Sa, in a posture as if her arms were wrapped around his neck. It was quite complicated to take off, and it was the same when putting it back on. Some time passed. The sound of their breathing was felt too close, and Cho-i Hyeon found it quite unpleasant. Why do I have to feel this bastard’s breath? But she had to put the necklace on. That way, she could beat and kill that bastard tomorrow. She was happy just with that fact.

“If you completely die by my mistake, will you give me Paehyeok?”

“Sure.”

“You’re crazy. You’re dying to ruin Paehyeok.”

“You’re making a fuss even when I say I’ll give it to you.”

“I think Kim Yeonhan Eonni would be better than me.”

“Yes, she’ll do well.”

Cho-i Hyeon giggled, and Taehyeok Sa laughed at her giggling face. The two of them continued like that for a long time, until Cho-i Hyeon, coming to her senses, spun around on the desk and landed on the floor.

“So, what time do we meet tomorrow?”

“Nine at night.”

“That’s quite late?”

“Because I was looking for an empty spot.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you tomorrow. Make sure your neck is clean.”

“You’re not just going to cut my neck anyway.”

“Then take a clean bath.”

Cho-i left Paehyeok with a cheerful stride. And she immediately headed to her sweet home, where Nara Shim was. Cho-i Hyeon was feeling pretty good. Although she died nine times today, she still got what she wanted, and the thought of being able to get revenge on Taehyeok Sa tomorrow made her heart flutter.

“Nara, Nara, Nara Shim.”

“Sorry, can you talk from a distance?”

“Why?”

As soon as Cho-i Hyeon returned home, she sat Nara Shim on her lap, hugged her tightly, and rested her chin on her shoulder. Nara Shim stopped what she was doing and was stuck, tightly embraced by her. It seems her strength has increased.

“Ah! I have my own schedule too!”

“Oh? You already got a dungeon?”

“Yes! It’s an A-Rank dungeon! I’m nervous because it’s my first time entering an A-Rank dungeon!”

“Why didn’t you tell me that!”

“Why would I tell you that!”

“Because you have to come with me!”

“An A-Rank dungeon doesn’t need an S-Rank, you know?”

“Still, it’s good to have one. Come with me. Come with me!”

“No. It’s tomorrow anyway.”

“Tomorrow?”

At that, Cho-i Hyeon frowned with a troubled expression.

“Tomorrow won’t work. What should I do? How can I send Nara Shim alone?”

“Oh, come on, when did I ask you to come with me? Leave me alone!”

“No. I even lost Mr. Cat in the dungeon today.”

“Oh, now that you mention it, what’s with that cat headband on your head?”

“It suits me, doesn’t it?”

“Whatever.”

Cho-i Hyeon chuckled, poking Nara Shim until Nara Shim’s stress reached its peak, then let go. Nara Shim stomped off, grabbing the documents she was looking at, and headed to her room, then clicked the door shut, locking it.

“Look at her, she’s not even a teenage daughter.”

Cho-i Hyeon lay leisurely on the living room floor, tapping her fingers on the floor, making a rhythmic sound. The regular sound calmed her mind and body. She felt overly excited.

“How do I kill Taehyeok Sa?” ‘Eat him.’ “The Entity wouldn’t be bad either.” ‘I picked up something not bad.’ “I didn’t pick it up, I rolled around like crazy to get it, you know?”

Then the Entity chuckled and disappeared into the back of her mind. Come to think of it, if she killed Taehyeok Sa…

“How much will my stats increase?”

She suddenly remembered when she killed Zhu Rui. All her stats went up by 3. Leaning against the sofa, she began to doze off. Somehow, she felt like she would have a sweet dream today.

* * *

So the next day, Cho-i Hyeon was on her way to a D-Rank dungeon on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do in the car Taehyeok Sa had sent. A D-Rank dungeon was perfect for quickly clearing out and then having a place for the two of them to fight. Cho-i Hyeon couldn’t hide her excitement, even stomping her feet in the car.

“Today is~ the day to kill~ Taehyeok Sa~”

“Excuse me?”

“Hmm, hmm~”

She hummed to herself without answering the staff member’s bewildered question. The driving staff member thought he must have misheard and continued driving. Soon after, they arrived at the D-Rank dungeon on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do. Cho-i jumped out before the staff member could even open the door and cheered.

“I’m here!”

“Welcome, Hunter Cho-i Hyeon?”

“Yes!”

“The Guild Master has already gone in.”

“Huh? Why?”

“He said he’s tidying up inside first.”

“Hmm, is he polishing his own coffin?”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s just a thing.”

Cho-i Hyeon grinned and soon stepped into the dungeon. Then, with a wave of dizziness, she saw the man she had been so eagerly anticipating.

“Taehyeok Sa.”

“Yes.”

My killer, with black hair and a clean face. My killer who killed me. Cho-i Hyeon smiled brightly. More than ever before.