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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Question
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“What a fearsome aura. I get that you're strong, so rein it in. There are more than a few people here who would perish if you so much as lifted a finger.”
“Oh? Whoops, I don’t get to do this often, so I forgot. My bad.”
Jarim scratched her head and retracted her aura. The sound of relieved sighs from employees who had been holding their breath could be heard from all around.
“Honestly, I’m not too sure about the others, but I definitely recognize that cool lady over there. You’re the one ranked number one in the country, right? Wow…”
Jarim let out a sound of admiration as she looked Song Hanna up and down.
“That Jeong Hoyoung over there is a monster, too, but you’re the real deal. How are you so strong? Goodness me. The number one ranker is something else.”
“Not anymore. The world’s changed a bit while you were gone, Jarim.”
“Huh, did I tell you my name?”
“I saw it on the list of missing Awakened. While you were gone, five years have passed here.”
The atmosphere around Jarim, who had been laughing like a big dog—a fitting description from Yoo Su-eun—subsided for the first time. A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
“Five years… I see.”
“I’d like to hear your story, so let’s move. Chief Do and the guild masters, please follow. We don’t know when we’ll encounter another missing Awakened, so it would be best to hear what she has to say beforehand.”
Only after everyone had left the office did Seora finally let out a sigh of relief and peek her head out.
*Success. Unlike with Kang Sejun, she didn’t look this way, so at least I won’t get entangled with her right away.*
【The title ‘Contractor of the System Administrator’ is activating. Checking the target’s information…】
But the moment that message appeared, Seora quickly ducked her head back down.
*Nope! Not looking!*
Was she supposed to see something strange again and get shocked, just like with the Regressor? Absolutely not.
There was a reason for the saying, “Ignorance is bliss.” It was best to know nothing and just go with the flow.
* * *
“I am the Saint who restores health with my sacred deals, leading all to salvation.”
The Association President’s office. The atmosphere turned frigid at Jarim’s introduction, her head held high with confidence.
“…So, your name is?”
After a long silence, Do Junyeong asked again, and Jarim shrugged.
“Seong Jarim.”
The atmosphere grew even colder. This time, Yoo Su-eun looked like she wanted to rip the woman’s mouth open. Song Hanna soothed the angry chihuahua.
“So you’re a healer? But you were registered with the Association as a combat type.”
“I awakened a second trait as a healer. If I hadn’t, I would have been dead already.”
“A combat type awakened a healer trait, of all things. That’s an extremely rare case. And you’re confirmed as an L-rank without even using a measuring device… Did you contract with a top-tier Constellation?”
L-ranks were special; once confirmed, a notification was sent to all Awakened. Just like when Kang Sejun had measured his rank with the Association’s official device.
But Seong Jarim had been announced without being measured. That meant she was with a Constellation so powerful that the contract alone was enough to make her an L-rank, like Song Hanna or Ju-eun.
Yet, surprisingly, Seong Jarim flatly denied it.
“A Constellation isn’t the only thing that can confirm a rank. The achievements you build up all on your own are also recognized.”
“What? Then does that mean…”
Jarim looked at the wide-eyed Yoo Su-eun with a faint smile.
“You can get strong enough without contracting with a Constellation. Of course, you’d need both talent and time.”
“No way, you mean you don’t have a contracted Constellation?!”
It was unbelievable. To have reached L-rank solely through her own power. As far as anyone knew, there wasn’t a single person like that in the entire world.
Yoo Su-eun slammed her hand on the table, unable to believe it, but unlike her, Song Hanna wasn’t particularly shaken.
“Dungeons are different from the reality we live in. If she repeated life-or-death battles there every day, it wouldn’t be strange for her talent to have been forcibly awakened.”
“You need some basic talent, I guess. As it’s registered in the Awakened system, I was originally an A-rank hunter.”
“A-ranks these days are terrifying. The L-rank Awakened who appeared before you was also originally an A-rank.”
At Song Hanna’s words, Jarim’s eyes widened.
“Oh? There’s another one besides me? Wow, the world really has changed a lot in five years.”
“Looks like I’m number three now. With so many powerful young people emerging, first-generation folks like me will be put out to pasture soon enough.”
“If the great Tiger is being put out to pasture, what does that make us? Are we supposed to lock ourselves in a closet?”
Yoo Su-eun grumbled, telling her not to be ridiculous.
“This at least gives us a small chance that the missing Awakened who were swept into dungeons might be alive. I must report this case to the dungeon organization.”
The World Dungeon Organization, WDO, which was focused on investigating dungeons. They would undoubtedly be delighted to hear this news.
But contrary to Do Junyeong’s expectations, Jarim seemed indifferent.
“I wonder. Of course, I can’t say the probability is absolute zero, but it’s extremely close. Honestly, I never imagined I’d return to Earth either.”
“Pardon?”
“I was a little unsure at first, but after listening to you all, I know for certain.”
The bright, puppy-like smile vanished in an instant. Once her eccentric, screw-loose demeanor disappeared, the atmosphere instantly froze over.
The five S-ranks in the room realized it once again: this person was truly an L-rank, a level above them.
“Earth still doesn’t know what the dungeons and gates are connected to, does it?”
“Are you saying that you do?”
Everyone’s expression hardened.
The reason the WDO was founded was to find out where the gates and dungeons originated from and to eliminate their source. But even though it had been over a decade since the world had been turned upside down, it still hadn’t been discovered…
And Seong Jarim knew?
“I spent a long time in a dungeon. I couldn’t help but find out, even if I didn’t want to.”
With an indifferent expression, Jarim pointed to each of the people facing her. The Awakened flinched every time her short, cracked fingernails, which told of a brutal life, were aimed at them.
“Let me tell you, you can’t close them. Give up on the idea. You, you, you—no powerhouse in this world can ever close the gates. In the end, only destruction awaits this land.”
The first missing person to return alive from a dungeon declared it so.
A heavy atmosphere, incomparable to before, descended upon the Association President’s office.
* * *
Even after becoming an S-rank, Seora’s hopes remained modest.
*Please, just let me leave work on time.*
For Seora, who was more accustomed to being a low-paid civil servant than her S-rank status, it was a natural desire.
But here’s the thing. She wanted to leave work on time to be completely free from it, not to have to take her work home with her.
Why was she being put through this ordeal?
“Sorry, Seora. I need you to look after this mutt—I mean, this Awakened for a while.”
5:50 PM. With only ten minutes left before she could go home, Seora had to face Song Hanna.
To be precise, Song Hanna, who was holding Seong Jarim by the scruff of her neck.
“…”
*Auntie, how could you do this to me?* When she sent a resentful glare, Song Hanna slyly avoided her gaze.
“We need someone to watch over this baggage—I mean, this Awakened to see if she’s a dangerous person or not, but it can’t be someone strong. And right now, the person with the weakest presence in the Association is you, Seora.”
“As if it’s not bad enough that I’m weak, now I have to take on this baggage…”
She could leave work on time, but she had to take overtime home with her. This was no different from working late.
As Seora stared with a look of despair, the damn baggage grinned.
“You see, I’ve been rolling around in some rough places for a long time, so if there’s anyone even slightly strong next to me, my fists fly out first. But someone like you, who’s practically no different from a civilian, is fine!”
It was the first time she’d ever wanted to punch someone with such a bright smile.
*Have you ever been hit with an EX-rank weapon?*
Seora, now facing overtime with her eyes wide open, shot a cold glare. Seong Jarim quietly lowered the corners of her mouth.
“Think of it as me being your bodyguard. With me around, huh? No one will ever look down on you. I’ll take care of them all for you!”
There was no reason to listen to this nonsense any longer.
“I… would like to resign.”
She couldn’t take it anymore. Seora finally said the words she had swallowed so many times. Along with the letter of resignation she always carried with her.
*Gasp.* At the sudden appearance of the resignation letter, Jarim, who had been boldly proclaiming that Seora could count on her, clamped her mouth shut. Her mystical golden eyes darted toward Song Hanna.
Song Hanna silently looked down at the white envelope, on which “Resignation Letter” was neatly written.
“I never thought a resignation letter would appear so readily, as if you’d been waiting for this.”
Seora gulped. It was do or die. But she really didn’t want to take a risk because of this L-rank. It would be far better to be dragged to Song Hanna’s house and have her identity revealed there.
At least she could trust her.
“Hoo, alright. Taking care of a person is no easy task. To the point of submitting a resignation letter, no less. I was wrong.”
At the rather positive words, Seora, who had been gripping the resignation envelope so tightly it was wrinkling, brightened up. The reaction was much better than she’d expected. It seemed Song Hanna felt sorry for trying to make her work such absurd overtime.
Just as she was getting excited at the prospect of an unexpectedly easy resignation, Song Hanna nodded her head firmly, as if having made a big decision.
“Alright. Let’s do this. I’ll give you overtime pay plus one more S-rank weapon.”
“…”
Seora felt a surge of emotion. Not accepting her resignation, but offering extra pay and an S-rank weapon? Was she trying to bribe her with such things?
She couldn’t stand it any longer. She swung her hand out.
Where to?
Right in front of Jarim.
“My name is Yoon Seora, from the Dungeon Management Team. I look forward to working with you! Very much so! If there’s anything you need, please let me know, anytime, whatever it may be!”
*I’ll be your little bell. Jingle, jingle.*
Seora, extending her hand for a handshake, wore a beautiful smile, like a spring flower in full bloom. The resignation letter she had so proudly presented was now shoved into a nearby trash can.
Neither overtime nor resignation stood a chance against money.
It was a free S-rank weapon, too great to refuse.
* * *
When the news spread that Seora would be temporarily in charge of Seong Jarim, the S-ranks who had come to the Association with her expressed their concerns.
“Isn’t she that civil servant who had a hard time because of Su-eon-jji before? This time it’s this mutt. Gosh, the poor kid.”
Yoo Su-eun, Korea’s youngest S-rank and around the same age as Seora, was the first to speak.
“How about staying at the Cheongrang Guild dormitory instead? That would be more convenient in many ways.”
Han Su-eon made the suggestion once again, only to receive a cold glare from Song Hanna.
“Please contact me anytime if anything happens.”
Do Junyeong, who seemed to have opposed this and been shot down, glared at Seong Jarim with piercing eyes.
“I’m looking for a shaman. I’ll let you know once I confirm if they’re really skilled, so just wait.”
The most helpful of them all was none other than Jeong Hoyoung. Seora bowed her head to the woman patting her shoulder, pleading with her to make it happen. She was determined to walk on sharpened blades herself if she had to.
How could she be so dejected? She was sure she had vowed to avoid S-ranks at all costs, so why was she encountering an L-rank of all things most often?
The only consolation was…
*‘This person doesn’t seem to know my identity.’*
There was no hint of suspicion in Jarim’s brightly smiling face.
Come to think of it, the Administrator’s blessing had even worked on Kang Sejun. He had only found out because he’d witnessed her taking down a Grade 2 magical beast. If not for that, he would have never noticed.
So, if she was just a little careful, she should be able to fool Seong Jarim completely.
*‘I’ll endure it by thinking of the S-rank weapon.’*
Seora recalled Song Hanna’s promise to take her to the Association President’s private armory soon and regained her inner peace.
* * *
Seong Jarim’s claim that she had escaped a dungeon after five years seemed to be true; on the way to the hotel the Association had arranged for her, she was busy looking around with an excited expression.
*‘Thanks to her, I get to experience hotel life.’*
The place the two of them would be staying for the time being was none other than the hotel’s finest suite. As expected of the country’s second L-rank Awakened, the treatment was excellent.
Hotel life, a pretty hefty bonus, and an S-rank weapon. This babysitting gig wasn’t so bad, was it?
“It’s been five years since you’ve been back. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
Even better, any expenses incurred with Jarim were covered, so she could spend freely without worrying about money.
*Since I’m working overtime anyway, I might as well live it up.*
“Chicken and beer!”
Seong Jarim shouted without a second thought. She was already drooling.
*‘The fact that she knows the joy of chicken and beer proves she’s Korean.’*
Seora, who had to report Jarim’s every move to Song Hanna, thought she should mention this too.
“If there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”
Even though she was a missing person, no one who had been swept away into a dungeon had ever returned, so she was, for all intents and purposes, socially dead. Because of that, her house and all her belongings had been disposed of, and she would have to get everything anew.
Still, the Association was going to provide her with a house as a gesture of respect for the first returned missing person and an L-rank Awakened.
*‘The Association President really handles these things well.’*
Such perfect handling of the matter. As expected of the one with the overwhelming number one approval rating.
“Something I need? Right, now that I think about it, there is one thing.”
Jarim, who had been lying on her side on the sofa, flipping through TV channels, shot up.
“You said your name was Yoon Seora?”
“Yes. I’m a hunter from the Dungeon Management Team.”
“When did you make a contract with the System Administrator?”
…Excuse me?
*Wait a minute. Are you allowed to just spring that on me?*
