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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: A Journey of a Thousand Miles
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In short, I was supposed to date Yoon Se-heon. In return, I’d become an S-class, get to use skills… My head was throbbing.
Ha-ra rubbed her forehead and asked again.
“Why does it have to be a relationship?”
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ says there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.]
No such thing as a free lunch, huh. She wondered if other second-awakening Hunters had made similar deals.
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ replies that maybe they did, maybe they didn’t.]
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ asks if you’ve ever seen any S-class Hunters who act bizarrely.]
A few S-class Hunters, known for being eccentrics, flashed through Ha-ra’s mind. It seemed they must have been given missions like hers to achieve their S-class awakening.
Is this what Constellations are like? She suddenly recalled Cupid mentioning something about being bored when they first spoke.
Is this what I think it is? Like when you’re bored, so you watch a livestream and dare the streamer to complete a challenge? And when they do, you send them a donation or something?
Except here, I’m getting a quest instead of a challenge, and the reward for completing it is a second awakening as an S-class?
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ cackles that you’re not so dumb after all.]
Ha-ra’s mind went cold.
So S-class Hunters are just some kind of super pigs created by bored gods for their entertainment.
Cupid chimed in, ‘That’s not exactly it,’ but Ha-ra was lost in thought.
There was so little information about Constellations that it was hard to guess, but thanks to Cupid’s less-than-helpful help, she was starting to get the general idea.
Now she understood why he’d been so angry, saying that kids these days don’t know a thing about love.
The Constellation who had contacted her was Cupid. The god of love, known by practically everyone in the world.
His claim that, back in his day, people crossed oceans and went to the underworld for love—thinking back, he was talking about himself. He must have been referring to Psyche’s journey to the underworld for him.
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ blushes.]
She felt a little annoyed, though she didn’t know why. At the same time, the quest she’d received was starting to make sense.
It was only natural for the god of love to assign a romance quest. He had every right to be offended when she’d said she was in no position to even think about dating.
But why did it have to be *this* guy?
Ha-ra pleaded with the Constellation.
“I’m sorry, but could you please just change my partner?”
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ says no take-backs.]
“Wait, you’re a Greek god. How do you know a phrase like that?”
She was dumbfounded. Of all people, it had to be Yoon Se-heon, the walking embodiment of her cringiest memories!
Ha-ra begged several more times, but the Constellation was adamant. In the end, she rubbed her face in frustration a few times and began to negotiate. She had to, because of her current situation.
“Oh, come on, listen to me, sir. I have to get out of this dungeon before I can even think about dating or whatever, right? And what am I right now? An E-class.”
This is a B-class dungeon, and I’m an E-class! Ha-ra brandished her low rank like a weapon.
“If I just walk up to him and say, ‘Yoon Se-heon, if we don’t start dating, we’re both going to die in here, so let’s be a couple!’ won’t he just think I’m a lunatic?”
And then your little super pig that you were thinking of raising would die right here, wouldn’t she? What do you think about that?
Ha-ra was truly desperate. But Cupid was shameless.
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ asks if a man facing death wouldn’t just pretend to be crazy and accept such an offer.]
“That only happens in the movies!”
Ha-ra cried out desperately.
“Besides, dramas are only fun when they build up a solid narrative and emotional arc! You know why those singing competition shows get so popular? It’s because the viewers get invested as the contestants build their stories! What’s the fun in watching people kiss and start dating in the very first episode!”
Her words seemed to get through, as Cupid appeared to consider it for a moment. Finally, a new message appeared.
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ is attempting to negotiate with the System.]
Negotiate? You can do that? This was the first she’d heard of negotiating with the System. But the important thing was whether it would work.
When the next message popped up, Ha-ra unknowingly clenched her fists.
[Adjusting quest difficulty…]
[For user ‘Kang Ha-ra’s’ convenience, mini-quests will now be available during the second awakening quest. Rewards will include temporary S-class awakening status.]
And the quest that fell to Ha-ra was this.
[New Quest: A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step]
[You have met a charming man…]
In short, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and a relationship begins with an introduction. Of course, just exchanging names was too easy, so there were a few extra conditions.
[Quest Condition 1: You and the designated user ‘Yoon Se-heon’ must call each other by name.]
[Quest Condition 2: Hold hands with the designated user ‘Yoon Se-heon’.]
Call each other's names! Hold hands!
This seemed much simpler than starting a relationship right off the bat. At least she’d managed to get this much!
＊ ＊ ＊
But the moment she saw the look on the face of the man staring at her, Ha-ra realized she was mistaken.
It was the face of someone looking at a person who’d clearly lost their marbles.
Ha-ra quickly tried to think of an excuse.
Hey, so, I became an S-class while you were unconscious? But not a full S-class. You have to say my name so I can go to you and become an S-class…
There was no way she could say that. It wasn’t a matter of whether he would understand or not.
“Kyarararak!”
Just then, the carnivorous rabbit shrieked and clawed at the crevice. Se-heon groaned as its claws finally tore the back of his arm.
“Ugh—”
Startled, Ha-ra tried to pull Se-heon back, but it wasn’t easy in the narrow crevice.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
The man spoke calmly, but he didn’t look fine at all. Having drawn blood, the rabbit was now in a frenzy, screeching even louder. Each time it cried out, its jaws gaped open, revealing glinting, sharp teeth.
Beads of sweat formed on the man’s forehead. He seemed to want to look back, but the crevice was too narrow.
“We just have to hold out—Ugh.”
As Se-heon spoke, the rabbit swiped its claws again, tearing at his back. Ha-ra grew frantic.
“Yoon Se-heon, you remember my name, right?”
“…What?”
“My name!”
If this man said her name, at least one part of the quest would be complete.
Ha-ra glanced past the man’s shoulder. A couple more rabbits were prowling outside, likely drawn by the shrieks of the frenzied one.
Just then, the man, looking baffled, gave an odd reply.
“Yes? I remember, but…”
Seriously? You’re getting your shoulder torn apart, and that’s what you say?
But Ha-ra, who had to say something like, ‘Please say my name,’ felt even more pathetic. She was sure he wanted to ask her the same thing.
Are you really asking me to say your name while a rabbit is tearing my shoulder to shreds?
“…Say it!”
“…What?”
Of course I am. I have no shame right now. I’m just a crazy person. A crazy person… Ha-ra chanted the words like a mantra and spoke again.
“Please, just say my name!”
The man’s expression grew even stranger.
“Uh… right now?”
“Yes! You remember it!”
Se-heon’s expression was now twice as bewildered. To be precise, it was a look that said, ‘I think the woman I pushed into this crevice to protect from a monster might actually be insane.’
Ha-ra wanted to cry. But she had no choice.
We both need to get out of here, don’t we! she screamed again.
“Please! Just this once, think of it as saving a life!”
Saying a name can save a life? The man’s baffled expression seemed to ask, but Ha-ra met his gaze with a look that firmly declared, ‘Yes, it can!’
Just then, the carnivorous rabbit shrieked again from behind him. Afraid he’d get mauled again, Ha-ra instinctively grabbed Se-heon and pulled him sharply toward her. At the same time, their faces became incredibly close.
Se-heon flinched.
“Kang, Ha-ra?”
With that, a message popped up.
[Quest Condition 1: Complete!]
[You can now unlock one skill.]
[Which skill will you choose?]
She had already decided which skill to pick.
Still holding onto him, Ha-ra tried to wave her finger in the air, but she was too close to Se-heon to press the system window.
She couldn’t push him away either, not with the enraged monster swiping its claws right behind him. In the end, Ha-ra shouted.
“Just Thinking of You Makes Me Stronger!”
[This skill has already been unlocked. Please choose another skill.]
But the System displayed a message Ha-ra couldn’t understand. At the same time…
“What?”
The man, who had just called out her name only to receive a line from a once-popular song in reply, asked again in bewilderment.
Suddenly, Ha-ra wondered. *Is there a skill to erase other people’s memories? Because right now, I’m a little… no, extremely embarrassed.*
