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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: I'll Have to Find the Girl Named Seo-yeon
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[Activating ‘It’s just a candle flame, but I can do it! (S)’.]
[Skill proficiency is low. Activating at an E-rank level.]
In other countries, only those who receive a high rank after a preliminary assessment undergo a forced awakening.
But Korea is different. Anyone E-rank or higher is shoved into an awakening machine and given at least one basic, unremarkable skill.
The first skill Ha-ra received when she became a civil servant was ‘It’s just a candle flame, but I can do it!’. An E-rank skill, of course.
So, what exactly was at the level of a candle flame?
A straight beam of light shot out from Ha-ra’s light stick.
“Whoa.”
The kids watched in awe. A white beam, nearly twice the length of the hand-span-long light stick, shot out from it.
Ha-ra aimed it at a dry twig. *Sizzle.* The twig made a burning sound.
[Mana is decreasing.]
“Wow, it’s burning!”
“Whoa!”
The twig blackened and smoked. *Crackle, crackle.* Sparks flew. Even this simple display of power made the kids clap and cheer.
Only Se-heon, sitting beside her, narrowed his eyes.
“Is that what you meant by starting a fire?”
“Ah, yes.”
Ha-ra awkwardly waved the beam over the twig. It sizzled and charred wherever the light touched, but it wouldn't catch fire easily.
That was to be expected. A candle-level beam could cause a burn, but actually starting a fire was a different matter.
But when Ha-ra grunted and focused her power, it soon caught flame. It seemed the upgrade to S-rank was worth it, even with low proficiency. It felt like she could make the beam longer if she tried, but for now, she was content with just starting a fire.
Meanwhile, Su-gyeong, who had been skewering meat on sticks nearby, excitedly brought them over to the flame.
“Ah, hot!”
“Be careful.”
The kids waved the meat skewers around wildly. It was hard to tell if they were playing with fire or trying to cook.
In the end, Se-heon took all the skewers and cooked them one by one.
“You’re good at this.”
“Camping is a hobby of mine.”
“Oh…”
Surprised by his deft hands, Ha-ra understood. As he cooked, Se-heon added an unprompted comment.
“I like being active.”
“Wow, do you go to nearby places?”
“I go farther when I have the time. Come to think of it…”
Se-heon said bluntly.
“Even a shoddy countryside campsite run on a whim wouldn’t stoop to mining magic stones. It’s absurd.”
“Ah…”
He was talking about the broadcasting station. Ha-ra sighed and smiled.
“It would be nice if everyone just followed the regulations.”
“It’s all because the penalties are too weak. What is the National Assembly even doing? A dungeon could burst, and they’d probably just pay a thirty-million-won fine and be done with it.”
The anchor, who used to be a social affairs reporter, started grumbling. Ha-ra kept her mouth shut.
The kids held their breath during the boring conversation, waiting for the meat to cook. Then, Hui-yeon cautiously asked Ha-ra if she could see the light stick.
“Oh, sure, of course.”
To civilians, it was just a light stick anyway. Hui-yeon took the light stick from Ha-ra and examined it from all angles, letting out a gasp of surprise.
“Huh? Unni, are you a fan of Kwon Wook?”
“Huh? No! Definitely not!”
Momentarily flustered, Ha-ra grew embarrassed and quickly denied it.
It was true. The light stick was one Ha-ra had bought at a fan meeting for the idol group Kwon Wook had been a part of.
It was from a fan meeting held in a small club hall during their fourth year after debuting. They didn't even have an official light stick, so this was a custom one that fans had ordered together. And so, the name ‘Ugi,’ Kwon Wook’s stage name at the time, was stamped right on it.
No one would judge her for being a Kwon Wook fan anymore, but out of old habit, Ha-ra denied it.
“It’s not mine, it was just lying around at home. It’s, uh, my cousin’s!”
“Wow, they have stuff like this?”
“Hey, it must be custom merch.”
*It is custom merch, if you want to call it that, but it’s pre-Awakening merch, hahaha.* Should I explain that in detail? Probably not, right? Ha-ra felt awkward.
Fortunately, the kids didn’t seem too curious.
“I like Kim Jeong-a better than Kwon Wook.”
“I don’t like Kim Jeong-a. She looks too scary. What about Im Yun-hyeok?”
“Im Yun-hyeok was a jerk.”
They bickered among themselves, rattling off the names of S-rank Hunters. When Se-heon handed them the cooked meat, they must have been hungry, because they took it with a quick ‘Thank you!’ and stuffed it in their mouths.
“It doesn’t taste good…”
“Sorry. We don’t have any salt.”
It was monster meat, so of course it tasted bad. It was gamey and tough.
But at least it was edible. The children ate a little, then started sucking on their fingers. Se-heon and Ha-ra also ate just enough to fill their stomachs.
Just then, Su-gyeong said, ‘I have some caramels,’ and rummaged through her pocket, pulling out a rustling handful of strawberry-flavored caramels.
Ha-ra’s face lit up at the sight of the snack.
“Can I eat this, Unni?”
“Definitely. Should I give some to you, mister?”
Se-heon furrowed his brow.
“I’m fine.”
“You can have some!”
Whether he disliked sweets or for some other reason, Se-heon adamantly refused.
In the end, only Ha-ra and the two girls chewed on the caramels. The sweet scent wafting from them lifted their spirits, if only for a moment.
Meanwhile, the children watched in fascination as a giant carnivorous rabbit passed by nearby.
“Don’t go near it.”
“Okay.”
The safe zone was visible even to civilians. Though not as clearly as Ha-ra saw it, the children were careful not to cross the faint yellow boundary. They bumped into it and fell, then burst into giggles among themselves.
Se-heon watched the kids blankly for a moment before sighing.
“How long will it take for the Seoul Branch to get here?”
“It’s a B-rank dungeon, so it would normally take about three days, but since civilians are involved, they might arrive within a day.”
Ha-ra shrugged.
“The Chief is a field commander, so he probably won’t come. I imagine one or two of the S-ranks from the Seoul Branch will be dispatched first as an emergency rescue team.”
That was why the children were able to relax. Se-heon and Ha-ra had told them that since the incident happened in the middle of Yeouido, a rescue team would arrive soon.
“The broadcasting station building collapsed, so once they secure an entry route, they should come right away, don’t you think?”
Even as they were swept into the rift, Ha-ra and Se-heon had confirmed the gate was small. There probably weren’t many civilians caught up in it. The ones here were likely all of them.
“And with a celebrity like you, Anchor Yoon, on the list of the missing… You’re going to have a tough time when you get out.”
Ha-ra shrugged, and Se-heon let out a short laugh.
“No, this actually works out for the best.”
“…Getting swept into a dungeon?”
*Has he lost his mind?* Ha-ra looked at Se-heon with questioning eyes.
Sensing her gaze, Se-heon smiled faintly and waved his hand.
“There’s a reason for it.”
It was something Ha-ra didn’t need to know. Thanks to being trapped in this dungeon, Se-heon would be able to give a massive ‘fuck you’ to his sworn enemy.
But that was his personal business. In any case, all they had to do was wait for rescue in the safe zone.
But a moment later, Ha-ra spoke up.
“Excuse me, Anchor Yoon. Could you help me with something?”
“What is it?”
Se-heon raised an eyebrow. Ha-ra’s expression was unusually serious.
Ha-ra glanced at the children, who were now exhausted and dozing, leaning against each other, then turned her head back to Se-heon.
“I think… I have to go find the girl named Seo-yeon.”
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The girl named Seo-yeon had been weighing on her mind.
This dungeon was a stroke of incredible luck for Ha-ra. Although she hadn't completely transformed into an S-rank, she had seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Even if that opportunity came from a Constellation that spouted nonsense about dating the man in front of her.
Despite that, Ha-ra was terrified of this place. Naturally. In her ten years as a civil servant—no, a Hunter—this was the first time she had ever entered a dungeon.
So far, thanks to a string of good luck, she had managed to save Se-heon and the children without any major trouble. She had even found a safe zone.
But even in the safe zone, the monsters roaming around were just as frightening. The memory of her struggle with the carnivorous rabbit was still vivid.
It was no wonder the children had cried and clung to them the moment they met. They were scared. If Ha-ra was this scared, how much more terrified must the children have been?
Even while eating, Ha-ra was in constant conversation with the system window. She reviewed her skills.
[User: Kang Ha-ra (Trait: Idol Stan)]
[Skill List]
- Multiplication (Locked)
Unlock Condition: ???
- Just Thinking of You Makes Me Stronger S
Activation Condition: Contact with designated user ‘Yoon Se-heon’
- Flight S (Proficiency 14/100)
- Time to Move (Locked)
Unlock Condition: ???
- It’s just a candle flame, but I can do it! S (Proficiency 7/100)
- #HAPPYYOURDAY C(S)
Activation Condition: Acknowledging the target’s birthday
- Other Acquirable Skills: To be updated.
She was starting to get the gist of it. When she was in contact with Se-heon, ‘Just Thinking of You Makes Me Stronger’ would activate, raising her stats. Though she didn’t understand why she had to be touching him for a skill that claimed just *thinking* of him was enough.
And on top of that, the ‘stronger’ part meant physical strength.
She felt like she was beginning to understand the choreography of her favorite girl group, who would kick while singing about getting stronger just by thinking of someone.
Anyway, putting that aside.
Her basic skill, ‘It’s just a candle flame, but I can do it!’, had also changed to S-rank. The only problem was its low proficiency.
She’d learned her lesson from the Flight skill. The higher the proficiency, the more powerful it would become. When she was trying to start the fire earlier, she’d practiced with the light stick, and the output had changed drastically.
So, what was left…
