Chapter 189

At the entrance to the Edelweiss Mine, the central figures of the Western Empire’s three major powers had all gathered.

“…….”

Tension hung thick in the air before the mine.

Even as each faction busily prepared the emperor, the Tower Master, and the pope to enter the gate, they couldn’t hide their underlying anxiety.

The most powerful dungeon.

Naturally, it made sense for the empire’s strongest three—including the Guardian Knight Commander, who had excelled in gate responses—to go in.

“Shouldn’t we add more personnel…?”

“It’s true that the four of you are strong. But four people for an unprecedented L-rank dungeon in history? This directly concerns your safety.”

Some voices opposed just the four of us entering.

They argued it was absurd to send only four into an L-rank when even S-rank dungeons required hordes.

You think so too?

Then why don’t you say that to the Hunter Association Chairman one more time?

They had no way of knowing, but we were people who had already cleared an L-rank dungeon with just four.

If that dungeon weren’t right here, anyway.

“No need to worry.”

Shin Jae-heon addressed the gathered heavyweights of the Western Empire.

—Kwajik!

His red greatsword slammed firmly into the ground.

“Approach it with the resolve to die, but you won’t.”

People held their breath at Shin Jae-heon’s words.

Of course, as the Western Empire’s Emperor Ivan, he was giving a speech to reassure them.

He’s just doing it to avoid penalties.

But his words were sincere.

And they matched my own feelings.

‘Apply skills here too?’

‘You never know what the dungeon environment will be like.’

Before coming here, we had already made full preparations.

We had bundled various skills onto our items using Hunter So Yeri’s ‘Skill Grant (SS)’ skill.

Most were, of course, Hunter So Yeri’s defensive skills.

‘Should I put my healing skill on…’

Hunter Joo Yian suggested it, but we all refused in unison.

‘No.’

‘?’

No matter what kind of dungeon we were entering, the safest way was one thing.

That the four of us wouldn’t get separated.

But we applied skill grants in preparation for if we inevitably did.

‘You know items with granted skills shatter, right?’

Of course, we kept some high-rank items intact, but most would break.

‘They react to the dungeon’s mana too. If things go south, ditch them. Got it?’

That was why we hadn’t used skill grants much until now.

Unlike Hunter So Yeri, who could control her own skills instantly, we couldn’t freely control items with her skill grants.

It meant we couldn’t react quickly if they interacted with the dungeon’s mana.

Even so, we concluded skill grants were necessary for this dungeon conquest.

‘We should still store a healing skill…’

‘In an L-rank, getting hit means no time for healing anyway. Dead. Period.’

Hunter Joo Yian kept insisting on healing, but we stubbornly refused.

We knew it was absurd luxury for an L-rank, but we had no choice.

We had to come out together, all four of us.

“Waaaaah!”

Shin Jae-heon’s short, powerful speech ended, and the fired-up crowd erupted in cheers.

“We pray for your safe return.”

Unlike the first gate outbreak, the now-friendly mages, priests, and knights from the tower spoke in unison.

“We’ll be back.”

Hunter So Yeri waved to them. Hunter Joo Yian gave a slight bow.

And I took one last look at the familiar faces.

I couldn’t tell them due to the RP dungeon penalty, but if we cleared this dungeon safely…

We couldn’t return here.

According to Apocalypse Revelation, this continent’s doom came from this very gate. Clearing it would end the crisis.

That fulfilled the clear condition for this ‘I Possessed a Fragile Terminally Ill Young Lady (L)’ RP dungeon itself.

So once we exited that dungeon, we’d naturally return not here, but to Korea.

This was goodbye to them.

Even as we acted like we’d return.

“Well then.”

I gave them a greeting.

In my turning view, Count Viya and Lady Carlen ta appeared.

With two S-ranks now, plus their territories’ potential, the Eastern Empire wouldn’t gain ground while we were gone.

So that quest should be fine too.

Besides, Shin Jae-heon said he’d properly groomed the capable politicians despite being a tyrant, so the empire wouldn’t collapse without us.

…Though whether this place remains after we leave is another question.

—Tak.

We left the well-wishers behind and stepped into the mine.

Instead of running in, we used Hunter So Yeri’s skill to swiftly head deeper, arriving quickly at the space in question.

—Woooong!

The box we’d seen before was there.

Unlike last time, it was slightly ajar.

From the gap, black smoke sparkling like the cosmos billowed out.

The gate it formed was pitch-black, like ink.

An L-rank gate.

“…….”

We exchanged glances.

Having prepared thoroughly on the way in, there was nothing more to say.

—Tak.

After a brief look, we placed our hands on the box simultaneously.

My vision went pitch black.

And then.

Even after crossing countless RP and special dungeons, this one was a first.

As an L-rank, I expected something insane, but not in this utterly unpredictable way!

The most absurd part?

I never imagined I’d see Shin Jae-heon’s stats so plainly laid out.

[Inventory]

Opening the inventory, mostly unfamiliar items greeted me, mixed with a few familiar ones.

Of course, anything Shin Jae-heon hadn’t shown would feel alien.

This was his status window perfectly manifested before me!

Synchronizing skills and inventory too? Unheard of!

Peeking at someone else’s stats was secondary; clearing like this?

No wonder it was rated L-rank.

SS+ dungeons are solo-proof even with your own skills; with someone else’s?

Luckily, Shin Jae-heon and I shared a class. If Hunter Joo Yian synced with dealer stats, or Shin Jae-heon with her healer ones?

Nightmare difficulty.

Then a system window popped up.

The memory owner was obviously Shin Jae-heon. But what time point was this?

“…….”

Looking around, it was a darkened Hunter Association building.

In darkness, my own status would have activated something like Dark Adaptation, but Shin Jae-heon’s stayed silent, as expected.

[…….]

So I had to endure the discomfort and scout around.

Being S-rank, adaptation didn’t take long.

“?”

Once I grasped the location, I raised an eyebrow.

Those four glowing letters on the rundown building.

This was the temporary Hunter Association building.

Right after the gate outbreaks, when they hastily procured a structure.

And this hallway was familiar.

The floor where Shin Jae-heon and I had stayed.

‘An S-rank hunter; make yourselves at home.’

With those words, the entire 14th floor was given to me.

The Association wanted to impress me and recruit me, but kid-me had no interest.

Still don’t.

‘Wow! Thanks! Let’s go!’

Young me naturally dragged Shin Jae-heon to the 14th floor.

‘That person…’

‘Just leave him.’

The staff looked visibly displeased. Shin Jae-heon didn’t want it, probably.

As that old displeasure resurfaced and I narrowed my eyes…

“Hic… sob…”

A crying sound came from a bit further away.

“?”

Turning curiously, the door was familiar. My sleeping room.

Ah.

In that moment, I realized exactly when this was.

When we were at the Hunter Association. During the hardest times.

The night I feared the dark, feared even waking to tomorrow, and cried.

That day.

—Srulk.

Then, cloth rustling from the opposite room.

Shin Jae-heon’s room.

Not the adult 27-year-old I knew, but young Shin Jae-heon, of course.

But at this time… wasn’t he sleeping?

I thought he was asleep when I cried?

I hadn’t sobbed loudly. I muffled it under the covers, thinking he wouldn’t hear.

But as Senia, having gone through C and B-ranks, I knew.

Shin Jae-heon back then would have heard me.

“…….”

Besides, this first building the Association rented ignored hunters’ monstrous senses.

In short, poor soundproofing.

He heard everything…

I covered my face with both hands.

“…….”

Right, not the time to dwell!

I dropped my hands and opened the chat window.

Now that I knew the time point, I could just ask him what young Shin Jae-heon wanted.

Hunter chat wouldn’t show as Shin Jae-heon too, would it?

Oh…

Debuff blocks chat?

But I knew how to fix it.

Only three uses, a shame to waste, but ‘saving it until you lose it’ is a truth, right?

A soft light flowed from the proof of friendship I held, tinting the system window silver.

And.