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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Cupid's Compulsory Quest
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*Heeeelp meeeeee, Ha-ra, when are you coming back? There's so much work ㅠㅠ*
Ha-ra wondered what to reply to Yu-jeong's text, then put her phone in her pocket with a complicated feeling.
What could she say? She couldn't reply in the first place. Because…
[Happy Happy Dungeon Time with the Constellation 'Cupid'! ╰( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )つ──☆*:・ﾟ]
…because Kang Ha-ra was currently inside a dungeon.
＊ ＊ ＊
To summarize the situation, it was simple.
She was about to watch some X-Tube while looking forward to the ticketing, when the Constellation returned. And it came with a barrage of system messages.
['Love and War' Quest Complete!]
[Updating user 'Kang Ha-ra's' status.]
[Status will be upgraded as a quest completion reward.]
Her heart pounded. Since she had completed the quest, she was sure the upgraded status would be S-rank.
Sitting on her bed, Ha-ra quickly scrolled down the system messages.
['Love and War' Quest has been completed.]
[Due to the use of a shortcut, user 'Kang Ha-ra's' status upgrade is limited to one item.]
[The upgrade item will be selected randomly.]
[Due to the use of a shortcut, user 'Kang Ha-ra's' skill upgrades will also be limited.]
*Ah, why!* Ha-ra lamented, but she soon understood. Right after she'd agreed to the contract relationship with Se-heon, the system had given her a heads-up.
[The Constellation 'Cupid' likes the contract relationship.]
[If the quest is completed this way, some restrictions will apply to the reward.]
[A follow-up quest will ensue.]
[Will you complete the quest? Y/N]
Recalling the messages that had appeared at the rest stop yesterday, Ha-ra nodded. If only one stat was going to be upgraded, she could only pray it would be her magic power.
Ha-ra's magic power was currently 9. While her Multiplication skill could temporarily square it, she normally had to fight with a magic power of 9. Naturally, this also negatively affected her skill duration.
“Please! Magic power!”
Or stamina or strength would be fine too. No, agility is also good. Dexterity would be great.
Ha-ra's dexterity was 2. It was practically at rock bottom, but if her dexterity stat were high, she could have considered going down a crafting path.
A crafting path… *Maybe I could make potions and get rich?*
But the system message extinguished her swelling hopes in five seconds flat.
[In accordance with causality, the upgrade will be prioritized for the 'Luck' stat.]
“Ah, why!”
The system continued to display messages, as if mocking Ha-ra.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[User: Kang Ha-ra (Trait: Idol Stan)]
Rank: S
Title: Heartless Rascal (Agility+1), One Who Approached the Truth (Dexterity+3), To the Constellation's Side in One Go (Stamina+2)
Available Special State: Berserker
*Status Effect: Contract Relationship*
Stamina: 7
Agility: 3
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 2
Magic Power: 9
Luck: 77
“Why luck! Ah, whyyy!”
Ha-ra shed tears looking at her status window. In game terms, you couldn't find a more mixed-up build. *My STA, STR, and AGI are all pathetically low… Meanwhile, my luck stat, which I have no idea how to use, is S-rank high…*
[Skill List]
- Multiplication A
- Just Thinking of You Makes Me Stronger S
Activation Condition: Contact with designated user 'Yoon Se-heon'
- Flight S
- Time to Move (Locked)
Unlock Condition: ???
- It's Only Candlelight, But I Can Do It! S
- #HAPPYYOURDAY C(S)
Activation Condition: Awareness of the target's birthday OR contact with designated user 'Yoon Se-heon'
- Other Acquirable Skills: Can be checked after entering a dungeon.
Besides 'Time to Move,' all her skills were already unlocked anyway.
On top of that, '#HAPPYYOURDAY' had been newly updated. It seemed it had been changed so that she could use the skill just by touching Se-heon, even if she didn't know the target's birthday.
And…
‘Can be checked after entering a dungeon.’
Ha-ra narrowed her eyes. This had to mean she could only acquire the skill by entering a dungeon.
“I have to enter a dungeon?”
[The Constellation 'Cupid' asks if it isn't obvious.]
[The Constellation 'Cupid' urges you to enter a dungeon today.]
But Ha-ra shook her head firmly at the Constellation's words.
“No way. I have to get tickets today.”
[The Constellation 'Cupid' is flustered.]
[It asks if getting idol tickets is more important than an S-rank skill right now.]
*You bet your ass it is. You're asking me that now?* Ha-ra wondered how the god of love could not understand this.
However, the Constellation was insistent.
[The Constellation 'Cupid' throws a tantrum.]
[I even let you get away with that shortcut (｡•́︿•̀｡)]
*Where did it learn to use emoticons and act all cute?*
But what's impossible is impossible. She even had a plausible reason.
“The government manages all the dungeons. I can't just waltz into one.”
In reality, for a Hunter to enter a dungeon, a complicated procedure was required. It started with an official request for cooperation, a plan of what they would do in the dungeon, and after returning, they had to sort the dungeon byproducts and send them to a government warehouse. Approval from the higher-ups was also necessary.
[The Constellation 'Cupid' asks if you can't just ignore all that.]
*As if.*
*I want to be an S-rank Hunter, not an S-rank criminal.*
After some thought, the Constellation asked again. What about a newly formed dungeon?
[The Constellation 'Cupid' tempts you, saying it will give you a good item instead of a skill.]
Ha-ra thought for a moment before nodding.
*‘There's no way a dungeon would just pop up any time, right?’*
A new Gate would probably take a few days to appear. The Gate generation cycle in South Korea was usually seven to ten days.
Ha-ra had already seen the news that a small Gate had opened in a seaside town near Ulsan last night. So the next Gate generation would take at least a week.
In the meantime, Ha-ra planned to report to Chief Jeong that she needed to go to a dungeon for such-and-such reasons.
[Calculating causality at the request of the Constellation 'Cupid'….]
A week is…
*‘A week, my ass!’*
[Causality error margin below 0.0003%. Gate generation approved.]
A system message popped up as if to mock Ha-ra.
Stunned, Ha-ra dropped the phone she was holding.
“Does this even make sense…?”
But after seeing the next message, she couldn't even think that.
[Generating Event Dungeon….]
[Time remaining until Gate generation: 11 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]
[Constellation Event Quest: If a dungeon appears on Bamseom Island in the Han River, would it be under the jurisdiction of the Mapo branch or the Yeongdeungpo branch?]
[Objective: Clear the dungeon before the Gate opens]
[Special Reward: Trail of Chaos (A)]
*Bamseom? System, have you gone crazy along with the Constellation?*
Ha-ra's mind went into a panic. A Gate opening next to a Han River bridge was a massive disaster.
Ha-ra tried her best to calmly examine the objective: the phrase ‘Clear the dungeon before the Gate opens.’
“I can enter the dungeon before the Gate opens?”
[This is an event dungeon created for user 'Kang Ha-ra's' quest.]
[Additional reward for successfully clearing the dungeon before the Gate opens: Kang Ha-ra's successful ticketing.]
[Penalty for failing to clear the dungeon before the Gate opens: Yulli's concert will be canceled.]
Ha-ra's eyes shot open. What kind of penalty was this? Not just failing to get tickets if she failed the dungeon, but her idol's concert being canceled.
[Additional penalty for failing to clear the dungeon before the Gate opens: Mapo Bridge, Seogang Bridge, and Wonhyo Bridge closed to all traffic (until the end of next year).]
“You're insane…”
The cancellation of Yulli's concert wasn't the issue. Ha-ra's vision swam.
All three bridges to Yeouido would be closed. For over a year?
What did this mean? It meant the Mapo branch office would be flooded with an insane number of civil complaints. For Ha-ra, a public servant, this was an SSS+-rank disaster.
*Ah, I'm so screwed.* The ticketing wasn't the problem. On the verge of tears, Ha-ra tried to call Kwon Wook. She was going to explain the situation and ask for his help.
But once again, the Constellation blocked her.
[The Constellation 'Cupid' offers you a hidden quest.]
[Hidden Quest: 'Time for Two']
[Clear Condition: Clear 5 dungeons in a two-person team with designated user 'Yoon Se-heon'.]
[Reward: Cupid's Bow (S)]
[Will you accept the quest? Y/Y]
“I'm asking why there's no N!”
She frantically tapped the empty air, but the non-existent N button was never going to appear.
“And what's this hidden item!”
[The Constellation 'Cupid' subtly recommends. Ma'am, you need to gear up.]
[This is good stuff.]
The Constellation's argument was that if Team K was involved, it was obvious any items Ha-ra received as quest rewards would go straight to the government's repository.
And so, in the end, Ha-ra had no choice but to sadly send a text to Se-heon.
*Could we possibly meet a little earlier?*
*When are you suggesting?*
*2 p.m....?*
*Don't you think that's a bit too early for dinner?*
*I think so too, but it seems the Constellation doesn't…*
As Ha-ra continued her explanation, Se-heon thankfully understood immediately.
About 11 hours remained until the Gate's generation. Se-heon, too, was clearly appalled by the message, ‘If you fail to complete the quest in time, three major bridges will be closed until the end of next year.’
Because the reply from Se-heon, who usually texted without a single typo and with perfect spacing, was [Comign now.]
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Se-heon, who had come to pick Ha-ra up from her house, parked his car in an outdoor parking lot behind a large church next to the Seogang Bridge. Aside from being on the Seogang Bridge itself, it was the best place to get a view of Bamseom Island.
In the meantime, Ha-ra was thoroughly scanning the system window, familiarizing herself with the quest conditions.
As soon as she got out of Se-heon's car, the river wind blew, mercilessly whipping Ha-ra's long hair about. Finding it cumbersome, she tied her hair up, only for her ponytail to slap her across the cheek. It was a bad omen.
But what could she do? She had to go in.
However, there was one thing bothering her.
“Um, Anchor Yoon.”
“Go on.”
“There's no way for a civilian to get onto Bamseom Island, is there…?”
That was right. Bamseom was a migratory bird habitat, classified as a 'Natural Ecosystem Conservation Area,' so there was absolutely no way for civilians to enter.
Getting out of the driver's seat and closing the door, Se-heon replied with a frown.
“Not that I'm aware of.”
While she was getting slapped by the river wind, the man somehow managed to look cool even as the wind blew against him. The world was so unfair.
Ha-ra hesitated before speaking again.
“I guess the only way is to go to the middle of the Seogang Bridge, and then I can hold you, Anchor Yoon, and fly down using my skill…”
“The Seogang and Mapo Bridges are frequent suicide spots, so emergency services would be dispatched immediately.”
Ha-ra shut her mouth. It was the best method she could think of, but it seemed it wouldn't work. The details of this quest couldn't be shared with anyone but Se-heon. If they were spotted, it would all be for nothing.
“…What should we do? Should we take a swan boat or something…?”
Se-heon looked at his watch. It was 2 p.m. They had ten hours until the Gate's generation. He sighed.
“Even if we took something like a swan boat, it would be impossible to get to Bamseom, and if anyone saw us, they'd report it to the police immediately.”
Was that so? Ha-ra imagined herself pedaling a swan boat furiously all the way to Bamseom and had to agree with Se-heon. *I'd do the same thing. It's totally suspicious…*
“Follow me.”
“Huh?”
As Yoon Se-heon started walking, Ha-ra's eyes widened.
A few steps ahead, Se-heon turned back, raising an eyebrow.
“Aren't you coming?”
“Uh, where are you going?”
He shrugged.
“To ride a yacht.”
