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"Byeong-gi! The girl is here again."

"Alright, please tell her to wait."

Yoo So-eun had arrived.

Although she said she stopped by my house occasionally in the name of monitoring a Hunter of Interest, the frequency of the visits had increased as time went on.

[Why do you have to change clothes to go see this girl?]

"I can't meet her in pajamas now can I?"

[The same girl you met while wearing a skirt?]

"I couldn't help it then."

[Are you really not interested in her? I'm telling you to check So-eun's condition with your skills!]

"Why do you keep pestering me when I've already told you I'm not interested?"

[Is it because of Seol-ah? If you were in the Martial World, Seol-ah would be at a marriable age, but...]

"Why are you bringing her up now?"

As I was about to change and leave my room, I overheard a conversation between So-eun and my mom.

"…That's what I mean. He mumbles to himself a lot these days."

"He must have been through a lot in the Tutorial Dungeon. I sometimes worry too, mother."

'Mother?'

[Kukuku, I think So-eun is making the first move.]

"But miss, isn't it dangerous to work in the Hunter Management Bureau?"

"Don't worry. The risk isn’t as bad as you think. I can serve the country and get a higher salary than a normal job."

"Really? The economy isn’t doing well because of the gates, and his father's factory is not doing well... It would help us if Byeong-gi had a part-time job."

My mom still didn't know how much I had. I intended to reveal that later when I established a guild.

It would be a pleasant surprise.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to Mr. Byeong-gi. The Management Bureau is recruiting a lot of hunters."

I didn't want to eavesdrop any more, so I opened the door and stepped into the living room.

"I will N-E-V-E-R work for the Management Bureau."

"Oh, did you hear us, Mr. Byeong-gi?"

"Wasn't it meant for me to hear?"

"You have a sharp ear."

"I think you two should talk."

My mother left the room, making sure to whisper as she passed.

"She's a nice lady. Go for it."

"Why are you winking?"

"Oh, my? He's always joking, hohoho!"

Mom poked me in the ribs as she left with an awkward smile.

[Your mother seems to have fallen for So-eun.]

‘…’

So-eun smiled.

"It's been a while, Mr. Byeong-gi."

"You were here yesterday. Aren't you busy?"

"Why do you talk like that? It makes me feel bad."

Contrary to what she said, her eyes had turned into half-moons. Her smile was attractive.

[Look at you. Don't you think So-eun is pretty too?]

'I'm telling you to stop.'

The Heavenly Demon continued to tease me, but I ignored him.

"What are you doing today?"

"I have a request."

"Request?"

"It's about a recently opened gate."

"Oh, I saw it on the news."

[You wanted to talk about this gate, right?]

'Yes. This gate is also related to Seol-ah. I didn't know So-eun would ask about it first, though.'

[Seol-ah is related to the gate?]

'Yes. In the past, when she was manipulated by Choi Yoo-hwan, though...'

[I see.]

Seol-ah became famous because of this gate. She was the leader of her party, and with a party from another guild together they cooperated to save a missing group.

Seol-ah's party suffered after being poisoned there. They couldn't destroy the Gate, so they rescued the survivors and brought them out.

I knew that a member of the party from the other guild with them, had got the Advanced Potion Crafting Skill Book by killing the Named Boss Arachne.

Of course, that skill was useless until they got a recipe scroll.

The scene where Seol-ah's party left the Gate with the survivors was aired. Viewers cheered and said, "A Goddess has appeared." The video was so popular that the number of views exceeded several hundred thousand.

"You're spacing out again. I will fall for you if you keep doing that."

[What is she talking about?]

"Don't speak nonsense. So, what are you asking me to do?"

"I wanted you to go to the gate with me. This is also what Seol-ah requested."

"Seol-ah?"

"Yes. She is living with me now."

Seol-ah's parents had died in the recent Cataclysm. So-eun was living alone, so they had moved in together after they met at Hyehwa-dong Gate.

And in that case, she must have already told Seol-ah she had met me.

[It's definitely….]

'If you're going to talk about the time paradox again, forget it.'

[…]

This gate had recently become a problem.

It had suddenly appeared in the middle of the Olympic Peace Park, but no monsters had emerged from it. Moreover, all contact with the guild that had ventured in to hunt had been lost.

Monsters didn't come out of the gate, as there were only Poison Spiders. Instead, they lured hunters inside.

The missing hunters were probably paralyzed by the Poison Spider's venom and trapped in cocoons.

They weren't strong monsters, but if they hadn't been prepared for their poison, the hunters wouldn't be able to do anything.

The problem now was that a martial law force consisting of hunters controlled access to the gate after this incident.

[Actually, this is better.]

'Well… I was hoping to sneak in and level up with the new title effect.'

[You mean the title 'Shining SOLO?’]

'Why are you singing it?'

[It's because I can feel the tune in this title.]

‘…’

When I lost myself in conversation with the Heavenly Demon, So-eun started talking.

From now on, I'd have to fix that habit of spacing out while talking to the Heavenly Demon.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with Seol-ah going with us?"

"No, not at all. When do we leave?"

"An advance party is going in to check the situation today. We plan to prepare and depart as soon as we get their report. According to the scout who went in earlier, the monsters that appear inside take the shape of spiders."

They knew about the Poison Spiders. Now I could talk with So-eun about crafting the advanced potion.

But I decided to put that thought aside for a while. If I remembered correctly, the advance party would be annihilated.

"It would be good to leave as soon as possible. Also, please have your crew prepare gas masks and protective clothing beforehand."

Poison Spiders relied on their toxins. They weren’t fatal, but it was enough to paralyze most hunters.

Since their poison worked through the respiratory system, a gas mask and protective clothing were essential.

Yoo So-eun looked confused.

"Hmm… you're too suspicious. You know something, right, Mr. Byeong-gi?"

“…”

So-eun stared at my face for a while, waiting for an answer.

"What? Am I too handsome?"

[Do you think she'll let it go with such a lousy joke?]

"Yes, enough that I could actually fall for you."

[Damn!]

Again, out of the blue. She put on her characteristic smile and leaned closer.

I was so dumbfounded that I could only sigh.

"Why do you keep doing this? It's uncomfortable."

When I pulled back, seemingly annoyed, So-eun instantly returned to her normal appearance.

"Well… I think there must be a reason that you’re unable to answer."

Unlike before, the way she spoke was now businesslike.

"Ahem, I don't know what kind of guild went in, but the fact that there is no news at this point could only mean the monsters inside the gate are strong."

"It sounds like you're saying you can take care of it if you go."

“… ”

[This girl is also an expert at making people speechless.]

"Let's go quickly."

"It looks like you're not going to answer until the end. I'll contact headquarters. If you are going, please prepare yourself as well."

***

It was definitely not a good location. Since it was a space for citizens to use, it had to be destroyed.

However, since I had talked to Yoo So-eun, it would be managed by the Hunter Management Bureau for the time being.

The gate was generated at the Olympic Peace Park. A black portal shimmered in the middle of the grounds, and soldiers patrolled the surrounding area.

"So-eun Unnie!"

Woo Seol-ah, spotting Yoo So-eun and me getting out of the car, came running at a breakneck speed.

'She must be an athlete.'

It seemed like a leisurely pace for her, but to the average person, she was practically sprinting.

[She seems to have gotten prettier since you last saw her. You didn't approach Seol-ah after seeing her future self?]

'Don't talk nonsense.'

[What?]

No matter what the Heavenly Demon said, I ignored him. Since Woo Seol-ah didn't know me by my face, she slightly bowed to say hello and started chatting with Yoo So-eun.

"Unnie, I missed you. How are you doing?"

"If you miss me, don't just go hunting by yourself. Come home. I was worried about you."

"Hehe. My skills leveled up recently, so hunting is fun."

"Oh, again? You're amazing."

It seemed that Woo Seol-ah had nothing to hide from Yoo So-eun. As they spoke, I could tell that she went over every little detail.

'Her skill level has risen?'

As expected from the number one on the recruitment wish list. I sneakily checked Seol-ah's condition.

[User: Woo Seol-ah Lv. 40]

[Title: Blood Dancer (Critical Rate +35%), Beyond 50 Battlefields (Attack Power +10, MP +10)

-Title Effect: (Beyond 50 Battlefields) Attack and magic power increases.

[Skill: Lv. 3 Shadow Dance, Lv. 3 Sword Barrier, Lv. 1 Hectopascal Kick]

-Hectopascal Kick: Dash forward and perform a powerful kick. A successful attack can stun the target for 2 seconds.

[Status: Excited/Happy/Expectant]

Level 40? Come to think of it, I remember Choi Yooseong said Seol-ah was B-Rank at Gangnam Station.

'Has she been only hunting the past few weeks?'

[She was a teenage master, right? Her starting line is different from yours.]

'As I expected, she is full of talent!'

[And what is talent?]

'There’s such a thing, you know.'

[Anyway, she's impressive for sure.]

'I guess she became famous for a reason.'

[Maybe her growth sped up after you saved her?]

'Maybe it's because she realized her energy center?'

[I don't know about that.]

That new title particularly caught my eye.

'What on earth has she been doing?'

[It means she wasn't just watching TV, stuck at home like you.]

'What do you mean? I practiced martial arts hard.'

[I'm telling you that it's not enough. I mean, instead of trying to earn money, or make guilds or whatever you're doing, use that time to practice.]

"Oh, Mr. Byeong-gi, you're spacing out again."

Woo Seol-ah was startled at Yoo So-eun's words and looked at me.

"What? Is this guy that clumsy... no, that perverted man?"

[Kha-ha-ha!]

"Be careful with your accusations. There was nothing I could do at that time."

"Oh, sorry."

We battled together at the Hyehwa-dong Gate, but this was the first time she’d actually seen my face. But to call me a pervert as soon as she realized who I was!

Seol-ah's face turned red with embarrassment.

[I don't think she’s blushing because of that.]

'Psh, what is she thinking about?'

As the Heavenly Demon said, remembrance and curiosity were added to her status window.

"Pervert man… No, Byeong-gi, you look better than I thought you would."

"Ah, come to think of it, this is the first time you've seen Byeong-gi's face, right? I should have put a shopping bag on him today. Hohoho."

"Let's not talk about that."

"But Seol-ah, you told me to bring Byeong-gi with me. What are you doing?"

When Seol-ah started to treat me in an unfriendly manner, So-eun changed the topic to break the awkward situation.

"Today's mission is to find the missing hunters. I want to go with you, but I must be prepared for outside accidents."

"Can't you go with us, Unnie?"

"Hey… you know I can't help it. That's why Byeong-gi is going too. You're the one who wanted to see him."