CH 11

Hi there! My name is Kirara and as you might have guessed, I absolutely adore everything that sparkles. My love for reading webnovels and light...

With a nervous heart, I began to run.

It appeared that someone had already cleared the way before me, as the tree limbs were trimmed, making it simpler to traverse the woodland path. Eventually, I came upon the stone door that signified the boss room’s entryway.

The door, seemingly carved from an enormous boulder, was bound with vines, and I needed to remove them all to gain access to the boss chamber.

“Time to open the door. Time to open the door.”

Despite possessing the Disassembly skill, I couldn’t use alchemy to dismantle the vines since they were plants.

Humming a melody, I cautiously retrieved an object from my cross-body bag—a lighter infused with fire-elemental magic. Although disposable, it was ideal for eliminating the vines, as it would vanish only after incinerating everything in its way.

“Flames, arise and consume.”

The fire rapidly devoured the vines, and once they were no more, the stone door unveiled an etching of the entrance gate to the forest dungeon. I quickly pushed the stone door open, aware that if I hesitated, the vines would regenerate.

“Ugh… this is… too heavy.”

My strength and stamina were both depleted, making the stone door too heavy for me to move. After a few grunts, I managed to open it just enough to slip through. Instantly, the vines started growing back, covering half the door. I hurried into the boss room before the door was completely covered, and it closed behind me with a resounding thud, losing its push power.

As the door shut, the room grew darker, but a light emanated from the boss’s location. I followed the vine-laden path, reaching into my cross-body bag as I walked.

At the end of the vine path, I encountered the “Death Apple Tree” or simply “Death Tree,” a tree monster known as the dungeon boss of the “Animal Forest Pandemonium” dungeon. Though its attack power wasn’t particularly high, it was still a challenging foe, as it attacked using its leaves and roots. However, at its core, it was a wood-type creature. Like all trees, the Death Tree was weak against fire.

I planned to follow Seo Taeju’s team’s strategy from the novel, hiding in a corner and setting fire to everything until it all burned down.

Gripping the lighter tightly, I stepped into the boss’s lair.

I was about to throw the item at the tree when suddenly…

‘Why are you here?’

[Passive skill ‘Diagnosis’ has been activated.]

[Shin Sooha – Contamination level 28%]

Diagnosis was activated as soon as I saw Shin Sooha, but I couldn’t see the message.

‘What could possibly bring someone of Shin Sooha’s rank to a C-rank dungeon?’

My eyes quivered as I gazed upon the felled Death Tree, upon which Shin Sooha was perched.

I always considered he handsome even with my eyes closed, but now, with my eyes wide open, it felt like his good looks had doubled. His ruby-red eyes, in particular, exuded an almost otherworldly air. At this moment, Shin Sooha was the epitome of beauty, meticulously crafted by the hand of a god.

“Why here…”

Although I was taken aback, Shin Sooha remained composed, as though he anticipated my arrival. In fact, he appeared to be waiting for me.

‘There’s no way he could have spotted me in the tower, could he?’

“Seo Go-woon, the Hunter.”

I had discovered, during a visit to the department store, that Seo Go-woon was well-known among hunters. Still, I hadn’t expected Shin Sooha to be aware of this. He spent more time abroad than in Korea, and the novel described him as disinterested in people. Momentarily pushing my astonishment aside, I courteously greeted him, as he was one of the party members I needed to complete the ‘Cradle’ with.

“Hello.”

“What brings you here?”

Then, the answer escaped my lips before I could stop it, as I hadn’t anticipated running into anyone in the dungeon, “…I came to investigate the dungeon.”

Shin Sooha’s brow furrowed slightly. He appeared displeased with the term ‘investigate,’ but there was nothing I could do since I had already spoken. I simply offered the most innocuous smile I could muster.

“Seo Go-woon, here in the dungeon?”

‘Yeah, you probably wouldn’t believe it either.’

If the novel had mentioned Seo Go-woon coming to the dungeon, I wouldn’t have believed it either.

“Yes. I also… need to get used to the life of a Hunter, so I’m trying to get familiar with dungeons.”

My answer to Shin Sooha was half true.

To clear the ‘Cradle,’ I needed to level up and get used to killing monsters in dungeons.

“What item you’re holding?” Shin Sooha’s gaze shifted to the item in my hand.

I nonchalantly put the item in my crossbody bag and said, “You might not know this, but I’m still a D-rank. It’s for self-defense.” Before Shin Sooha could speak again, I quickly changed the subject, continuing, “But why is Guild Master Shin Sooha here?”

“You know me?”

“Is there anyone in Korea who doesn’t know Guild Master Shin Sooha?”

Even if his abilities as a hunter were secondary, the man was none other than Shin Sooha, the guild master of the top-ranked guild in South Korea, who possessed otherworldly looks, wealth, and power, along with a prestigious family background.

Even if you were to ask any ordinary person, “Do you know Shin Sooha?” Those who didn’t know him would be treated as spies. And he’s asking me this question?

Shin Sooha chuckled at my incredulous tone, replying, “I just came to warm up a bit.”

Warming up in a C-rank dungeon… I, on the other hand, had to come here with insufficient alchemy abilities, bringing items.

I stared at Shin Sooha, speechless. “Are you here to watch?” I asked, after sensing his gaze.

“I am.”

I clicked my tongue inwardly and pretended to look around as if I had really come to observe the dungeon. I then sneaked a glance at Shin Sooha. Fortunately, he only killed the boss and seemed unaware of the item I had intended to retrieve.

I sighed with relief and pretended to be even more engrossed in observing. I didn’t know why he had come here, but I couldn’t search for the item through the secret passage in front of Shin Sooha.

However, he just stared at me without moving.

Why is this guy, who killed the boss, not leaving? There’s no more monsters coming out anymore after the Death Tree, right?

As I stole a glance at him, our eyes met, and he asked, “You ever seen a boss item? Want me to show it to you?”

Huh? He wants to show me an item out of the blue?

I knew from the novel that a large magic crystal would come out of the Death Tree, but I was a beginner hunter who had never actually done any hunter work. In this situation, I should naturally want to see it.

“…If you’d like to show me.”

Contrary to my answer, Shin Sooha, who had waited for me to approach, cleaved the Death Tree in half with the sword he was holding. Inside the hollow body of the Death Tree, the magic crystal was embedded in its center, like a heart, entangled with its own branches. After cutting off all the branches with his sword, Shin Sooha took out a fist-sized magic crystal.

I had only known about it through descriptions, but seeing the actual magic crystal for the first time, it emitted a mysterious light. I didn’t know about other people, but seeing the magic crystal for the first time was fascinating to me.

[The passive skill ‘Truth’ is activated.]

[Death Apple Tree’s Magic Crystal]

Description: A magic crystal that transformed an ordinary apple tree into a Death Tree. It inherited the traits of the apple tree and contains the energy of the forest. Holding it makes the body feel refreshed.

※ There is additional information available through your existing skills.

The passive ‘Truth’ skill activated automatically when looking at an item, and once an item had been checked, the information was added to my system list. So, even if you looked at the same item again, it wouldn’t activate again, but you could check the detailed information about the item later through the list.

Strangely, while looking at the magic stone, Shin Sooha suddenly chuckled, “Wow.” An exclamation burst out.

A laughing Shin Sooha was a thousand times more dazzling than an emotionless Shin Sooha. It felt like the joke that the gods had made him while fasting from food and drink for a thousand days was actually true.

No, should a person really be that good-looking? If you stand next to him, you wouldn’t even be treated as a squid, let alone an octopus.

“Why are you doing that?”

“No reason.”

“But? Can I touch that?”

The magic stone didn’t exist in my reality, and it wasn’t a very common item here either. I was curious about how it would feel to touch the magic stone.

“Sure,” Shin Sooha nodded and slowly walked towards me.

The first time we encountered each other, he was lying unconscious, and I hadn’t realized how tall Shin Sooha was since he had been far away before. But as he drew nearer and I gazed at him, my head instinctively tilted upwards.

‘Height has never been an issue for me then, but ever since I possessed Seo Go-woon’s body, I  find myself constantly being pushed back. In fact, I’ve always been overpowered by muscles, but this is the first instance where I am being overpowered by someone’s towering stature. This feels a bit strange. Did the original author have a grudge against Seo Go-woon? Creating a character that gets pushed back physically too.’

Shin Sooha, who had come right in front of me, grabbed my hand.

‘So it’s true that big hands and feet come with height.’

Seo Go-woon has small hands for his height, so when compared to Shin Sooha’s hands, they felt like a child’s hands. Shin Sooha opened up my palm entirely and placed the magic stone on it with a thump. As soon as the magic stone touched my palm, my body felt refreshed, just as the description stated.

It felt like I had taken a shower with phytoncides.

“Take it.”

“What?”

“Since you seem to like it, please take it.”

I frowned. ‘Why is he giving this to me? Did he think I wanted it and was waiting for him to give it to me? What does he take people for, making such a misunderstanding?’

I might have possessed Seo Go-woon’s body, but inside I was Kim Hae Ah.

“Why me?”

“Think of it as a souvenir.”

“A souvenir? No thanks, if I get used to freebies, I’ll go bald.”

“Ppi!”

‘Huh? Salt?’

Suddenly, a bird sound similar to Salt’s cry came, making me turn my head in the direction of the noise. At that moment, a white bundle flew rapidly towards me from the boss room’s door.

“Ppi-ppi!”

“Ah?!” As the white bundle hit my chest, I reflexively caught it with my hand. “Salt?”

The white bundle that I thought sounded like Salt was indeed him.

Salt, sitting in my palm, shed tears from its bean-like eyes. ‘Why is this little one, who was sleeping well at home, here?’

“Salt, why are you here?”

“Ppi-ppi! Ppi-ppi!” Salt’s chirping voice was filled with sorrow as if something was upsetting him.

Unaware that Shin Sooha was staring intently at Salt, I stroked Salt’s head with my finger and said, “I’m just going to go out briefly while you were sleeping.”

“Ppi-ppi.”

“Alright, I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll take you with me wherever I go, okay? Don’t cry.”

“Ppi?”

“Yeah, for real. So, calm down and stop crying. I made a mistake.”

“Ppi. Ppi-ppi,” Salt, who seemed to say it would forgive me just this once, finally relaxed.

Seeing its lack of energy, it seemed that Salt had been startled when it woke up and found me gone and had flown all the way to the dungeon.

‘I had taken him in my pocket when I went to the department store, but I couldn’t do that in the dungeon. I didn’t expect it to follow me here. Is it because of its homing instinct? But how did it get into the dungeon?’

Placing the limp Salt on top of my head, Shin Sooha looked at it with curious eyes.

‘Why is Shin Sooha interested in Salt? That couldn’t be, right?’

For a moment, a bad premonition swept over me.

Because, Salt was too much of an aggro magnet.