Chapter 68

Thankfully, Joo Yian didn’t pull out any more Fear Soup since there wasn’t any for me.

Thanks to that, I got to watch Shin Jae-heon’s face crumple in real time.

“……Hoo.”

Shin Jae-heon let out another sigh that sent his bangs fluttering, then spat out his words.

“Once we get back to the palace.”

Back to the palace? What? Shin Jae-heon’s face was set like he was about to declare war on the temple.

He suddenly continued.

“I’m gonna stack a mountain of meat and booze on a table the size of my room and feast.”

The way he spat it out made him seem like a kid ignoring his mom.

Is he a brat? A little shit?

Joo Yian was pinching the bridge of his nose in front of him.

“Just hold out for three days, Hunter Shin Jae-heon.”

“Hm.”

Shin Jae-heon held up two fingers with a grave expression.

“Two days.”

“Two days and half a day.”

Joo Yian shot back like he wasn’t backing down.

“Two days and six hours.”

“Two days and three hours.”

“Two days, four hours, and thirty minutes.”

While this absurd haggling went on, I turned to So Yeri the hunter.

“But about that Apocalypse thing.”

By then, So Yeri was tearing into a massive chicken leg.

Whoa, isn’t that the premium dungeon chicken leg exclusive to New World Department Store?

“Nehng.”

Unlike the dealers who’d taken heavy damage, So Yeri was chowing down on her chicken leg with relish.

—Rip.

I sneaked closer and tore off a bit of meat from beside the chicken leg, popping it into my mouth.

Luckily, in my tiny state, it didn’t show. Nom nom.

“No more updates?”

I asked while munching.

“Like who’s interfering or how, any hints like that.”

If it said something like that, we could prepare, right?

Since it’s an RP dungeon, the main RP quest items probably wouldn’t have unchangeable futures written on them. If not, we could counter it.

“Hmm. Nothing up to what I saw.”

At my words, So Yeri flipped open the book again.

She could turn the pages with just her eyes while holding the chicken leg in both hands—thanks to her skill.

I sometimes really wanted that skill.

Like when it’s a hassle to turn off the lights at night…

Wait a sec.

Did So Yeri get that skill because she desperately wanted it?

Like me, too lazy to turn off lights?

How much did she hate going to turn them off?

While I stared seriously at the floating book in the air, So Yeri’s eyes widened.

“Oh, something new popped up!”

“What?”

At that, Joo Yian and Shin Jae-heon—who’d just settled on two days, eleven minutes, and fifteen seconds—turned to us.

“Look at this!”

So Yeri spun the book toward us.

It did a half-turn in the air and opened in front of us.

“Oh.”

New content had appeared.

But there was a problem.

Me, Shin Jae-heon, and Joo Yian’s faces turned serious.

We get that the gates cause the end.

But the preceding text is the issue.

“No key details?”

So how does it end?

“Why’s only this part a consonant quiz? We gotta guess?”

While Shin Jae-heon scowled seriously, I ripped more meat from So Yeri’s chicken leg.

“Yeah.”

Just as I was about to pop it in my mouth.

Snap.

“?”

My mouth bit empty air. The chicken in my hand was now in Joo Yian’s.

“No.”

“Tch.”

It was just a tiny bit!

As I brushed off my hands, Shin Jae-heon stepped up to the Apocalypse book.

Arms crossed, he glared at it and started reading.

“I was in humanities, you know.”

Then he suddenly started bragging.

We three stared at him in bewilderment.

We were humanities too?

“Kinda feels familiar.”

Shin Jae-heon pointed at the consonant part.

He seemed confident he’d figured something out.

As our eyes fixed on his mouth, he blurted.

“To the achy emperor, send the royal score.”

Send what? As we gawked, Shin Jae-heon said.

“I wanna eat sundae guk.”

Of course. Nonsense.

As I waved him off, Shin Jae-heon started reading the Apocalypse his own way.

“To the soft pope, feed money.”

So Yeri burst out laughing.

“Joo Yian does look kinda pudgy.”

Joo Yian reacted gravely again.

“I don’t eat money.”

Then he paused and pointed out the important part.

“But what the heck is ‘soft’—”

Meanwhile, Shin Jae-heon read the next line.

“The mage tower master’s daily noodle feet get blown…”

“Noodle feet?”

At the mage tower master mention, So Yeri peered at the book again.

As she giggled, Shin Jae-heon shook his head.

“No clue beyond that.”

I asked incredulously.

“But you’re sure about the front?”

Shin Jae-heon replied shamelessly.

“The pope part feels right, doesn’t it?”

As if. But Joo Yian’s indignant face flashed in my mind, and I replied without thinking.

“Dunno about eating money, but soft people fits.”

As we spouted nonsense, Joo Yian spoke up.

“Not sure about the rest, but it does point to the ‘Pope,’ ‘Emperor,’ and ‘Mage Tower Master.'”

His gentle voice held no jest.

Only then did we look at the Apocalypse seriously.

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.”

It’s about what happens to the three of them in the future.

Enough nonsense—let’s think.

“……”

I stared holes into the Apocalypse.

What-what emperor?

Milky… no. Curious… nope.

Maybe achy emperor after all?

I grimaced.

“Keeps reading as royal score ’cause of you, Shin Jae-heon.”

“Me too.”

“Same.”

Then arts-school hopeful Shin Jae-heon piped up.

“Could be staff paper.”

I finally turned to him.

“Shut it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

We racked our brains, but couldn’t get past royal score and money-eating pope.

After what was too long for a meeting, we had to part ways.

Of course, after Joo Yian’s desired “wholesome afterparty” ended.

The tiny potion effect was still far from wearing off.

“You guys saw I hit B-rank, right?”

From inside Shin Jae-heon’s pocket, I asked before leaving the room.

Joo Yian smiled warmly.

“I was so focused on healing earlier, I forgot to congratulate you.”

Fair enough. Intensive care.

As I nodded, Joo Yian continued gently.

“But as I mentioned before, once you’re back at the mansion, when moving your arm—”

“I knooow!”

He’s gonna bring up the LA treatment next!

I plugged my ears with both hands—this was the fifth time hearing the precautions.

“Shin Yuri’s the best.”

Shin Jae-heon chimed in. He patted my shoulder with an unsurprised look.

I stared at him, feeling oddly touched.

“?”

He shrugged, face saying it was obvious.

Not the look for witnessing something amazing, or seeing an amazing person.

An obvious face.

The face saying he knew I’d pull it off.

As my mouth parted slightly.

“What a legendary success story, and we can’t even tell the world!”

So Yeri clutched her head in lament.

“Right? People would freak if they knew a civilian hit B-rank.”

So Yeri cackled.

“Such a shame!”

“I know!”

I grabbed So Yeri’s outstretched pinky.

Partly ’cause we couldn’t share the B-rank success story.

But mostly ’cause once we left this room, we’d have to pretend to be distant again.

“Everyone, stay safe. Chat if anything happens.”

Shin Jae-heon said before stepping out.

“I’ll check my status window regularly.”

Joo Yian replied.

Not just me feeling wistful—their steps slowed like we’d planned it.

—Click.

Soon, at the door.

We looked at each other like we’d planned it.

Finish the dungeon quick and get out!

I thought, gazing at the three. Once out, real afterparty—no prying eyes!

—Creak…

Shin Jae-heon opened the door.

Outside waited the high priest, mage tower folks, and knights.

Now we were back to being not a hunter team, but distant acquaintances.

…Except for hunter chat.

I ducked back into Shin Jae-heon’s pocket.

The Guardian Knight Commander was officially on imperial secret business in the south, so if it blew up, I’d pretend to report to Shin Jae-heon, drop by the audience chamber, then head to Edelweiss Mansion.

I thought.

Big dungeon cleared, so it’ll be quiet for a while.

That’s what I thought until I returned to Edelweiss Mansion, before anything happened.