Chapter 106

Chapter 106

**** Month ** Day.

27 returned, 2 injured, 0 dead.

Britten Dungeon had been conquered.

From start to finish, it had been a journey full of unexpected incidents and accidents, one after another, but the injured were few, and no one died or failed to return.

In truth, when it comes to high-rank dungeon raids, casualties are common, and considering that the actual rank of the Britten Dungeon we challenged this time was close to S+, this result was astonishing.

But beyond this incredibly surprising outcome, there was another ending that brought even more astonishment to people.

I looked at the two hosts on the tablet screen, who were deep in conversation about this “complete conquest of Britten Dungeon.”

—This isn’t a temporary event dungeon or a quest dungeon; it’s the first case of a semi-permanent dungeon being completely conquered.

—That’s right. Of course, this case might be specific to Britten Dungeon, so we can’t rashly generalize, but…

Britten Dungeon had been, literally, “completely conquered.”

Click.

The tablet screen, which had been showing experts commenting on the Britten Dungeon conquest, went black. I turned off the tablet, set it on the small table, and rubbed my eyes lightly.

“Tired a lot?”

“Mm, a little.”

Maybe it was because I hadn’t rested properly, trying to look into all sorts of things after the Britten Dungeon conquest. Leaning back into the plush seat of the private jet, drowsiness washed over me. I shook my head a couple of times to shake it off and continued my thoughts.

After the dungeon conquest, which we had completed almost as if chased out by King Arthur, all the hunters who had participated in the Britten Dungeon raid were suddenly teleported outside the dungeon. This was the same for me and Jeong Seojin, who were directly teleported by King Arthur, as well as those who had been fighting the Black Dragon outside.

As everyone was startled by the sudden teleportation and raising their voices asking what was going on, the only entrance to the dungeon, the “Gate,” suddenly disappeared.

The first to notice this was James Hunter. “Confirming the Gate’s disappearance!” Following James Hunter’s urgent shout, we turned our heads and witnessed the bluish Gate slowly fading and finally vanishing, just as he said.

And that wasn’t all. Right after the Gate disappeared, the Britten Dungeon itself began to undergo a similar process. The Britten Dungeon, which had originally looked like a sharply pointed spire, gradually became translucent, just like the Gate, and before long, its entire form vanished completely.

We didn’t know it at the time, but according to what we learned later, due to the “complete conquest,” the dungeon itself and its dungeon log had been erased. To explain it a bit more simply,

Britten Dungeon had ceased to exist.

And, all the various changes caused by Britten Dungeon had also disappeared.

For example, things like the effects of “Reality Erosion” created by monsters that had escaped outside the MP.

“How about getting some sleep? I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Did I look that bad? Jeong Seojin, who had been quietly watching me without showing it, suggested I get some rest. And he wasn’t the only one. Hunter Joo Minjeong, who was sitting in the seat in front of me teasing Hunter Lee Yoomyeong, who was still wrapped in bandages all over his body, turned her head toward me.

“Yeah, really, get some sleep, even if it’s just a little. We can go a whole week without sleep and be fine, but you’re not like that, Seohee.”

“There’s only about ten minutes left until we arrive anyway. I’ll just stay awake a bit longer and then sleep soundly once I get home.”

It’s not that I don’t understand their concern, but since things are already like this, I thought it would be better to sleep after getting home, to help adjust to the time difference too.

Besides, no matter how low my rank is, I’m still an Awakened. It’s not comparable to an S-Rank, but compared to a normal person, I have a considerable level of stamina, so I can handle this much.

Fortunately, Hunter Joo Minjeong and Jeong Seojin didn’t force me or stop me. Instead, she added, “Still, if you feel like sleeping, just go ahead. If worst comes to worst, Jeong Seojin can carry you on his back.” And Jeong Seojin…

“…Stubborn as always.”

He muttered one line, let out a small sigh, then turned his head and began staring out the window. I’d felt this before, but Jeong Seojin never tried to stop me from doing what I wanted, even if he didn’t like it. Of course, he makes a sulky face or gives me a look that clearly shows his displeasure, like now.

‘Of course, there are also times when he tries to move me the way he wants.’

With all the incidents that had been happening, I’d temporarily forgotten, but after that sudden kidnapping incident, Jeong Seojin had confessed to the “lies” he’d been telling me all along.

“So that thing you said about needing to stay by my side for a certain amount of time to receive the enhancement from the Ruler’s Garden… that was a complete lie, wasn’t it.”

The topic of his “lies” came up right after we arrived in England, while we were still talking about that confession whose meaning I still couldn’t grasp. I’d been saying something along the lines of, “I want to ask what you meant by what you tried to tell me. It’s just my guess, but I think your words had a different meaning than romantic interest. So I’d like you to explain that meaning.” Something like that…

“I wasn’t really hiding any meaning… Ah, before that. There’s something I need to confess.”

“Huh? A confession all of a sudden…?”

“The truth is, I told my master exactly one lie.”

I figured that if I was going to properly convey my true feelings, at least I shouldn’t have any lies piled up. Jeong Seojin said that with a perfectly calm, expressionless face, and then immediately started spilling his “lie.”

“Actually, what I said right after being hit by the ‘Ruler’s Garden’ — that the enhancement effect lasts as long as the time spent with you — that was a lie.”

“Ah, what? …Huh?”

“Back then… I wanted to watch and see what kind of person had such a dangerous ability, and how they would use it…”

After saying that much, Jeong Seojin fixed his golden-tinged black eyes — especially deep in color from the sunlight — fully on me.

“There are no other lies besides this one. There are things I’ve kept silent about due to circumstances, though.”

“……”

“I don’t know about the rest, but I felt like I needed to be clear on this part, so I’m telling you now. I don’t want to build my relationship with you on top of lies.”

‘Thinking back on it now… yeah, that’s something.’

I snapped back from the memory to reality and chugged the drink sitting on the small table. The refreshing cold fruit juice a staff member had personally brought me managed to cool my anger somewhat. Still carrying the lingering heat of my anger, I shot a sidelong glare at Jeong Seojin sitting next to me.

‘It’s not like I’m angry enough to not forgive him… Honestly, I’ve mostly let it go by now.’

Maybe it was because so many things had exploded right after that one-sided confession and apology — which wasn’t even really a fight. To be honest, Jeong Seojin’s non-confession confession felt like a distant memory. I stopped glaring at him and picked up my tablet again, planning to catch up on the news during the remaining time until the private jet reached its destination.

—We have an announcement.

Right on cue, the arrival announcement began to play. I put down the tablet I was holding and turned my gaze toward the scenery visible through the airplane window.

‘I didn’t know I was the sentimental type.’

Beyond the small airplane window, unlike the utterly unfamiliar landscape of England, a familiar and welcoming scene spread out beneath the white clouds.

* * *

What greeted us as we gathered our luggage and stepped off the plane wasn’t a longed-for face or a friendly smile, but a barrage of camera flashes. The moment the automatic doors opened, I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut against the blinding flashes.

“We heard that Hunter Yoon Seohee and several other hunters participated in the Britten Dungeon raid this time!”

“Could you share your thoughts?!”

“We heard you met that ‘Knight’ Adam Rogers! Just one word on how it felt!”

“Do you know kimch?”

I had no idea where that last question came from. Unlike me, who was frozen stiff, unable to do anything about the sudden flash barrage, Jeong Seojin grabbed my arm with an utterly calm demeanor and started leading me in one direction.

“Just ignore them all. If there’s a really necessary and important interview, it’ll come through the guild anyway.”

“That’s right. The ones over there are just desperate to dig up some sensational story; they’re not actually curious about anything about Yoon Seohee.”

“Mm.”

Just as Jeong Seojin and Hunter Joo Minjeong said, the reporters currently surging toward me like a wave were throwing out questions that were practically gossip.

“Everyone’s been raving about Adam Rogers’s looks — what was your impression when you saw him in person?!”

“A week ago, suspicions were raised that Yoon Seohee and Yoon Juyeong were in a relationship — are you aware that, with those suspicions still unresolved, your companionship with ‘that’ Hunter Jeong Seojin is sparking new dating rumors?!”

“Did you break up with Yoon Juyeong?!”

…I really don’t understand why people are so obsessed with other people’s love lives. Making a face of utter disgust before I could even react, I looked toward where Jeong Seojin was pulling me by the arm. Over there, security guards — presumably dispatched by the guild — were physically blocking the reporters and fans that were swarming in.

“Face genius Jeong! Seo! Jin!”

“Jeong Seojin, please just show us your face!”

“Kyaaaaah!! Unnie, I love you!! My heart is beating eighty times a minute because of you, Minjeong unnie!”

“Hunter Jeong Seojin! We understand you don’t usually do public appearances — please tell us why you decided to participate in this escort mission!!”