CH 14

The sound of a gunshot.

Flock of birds flew in unison.

It wasn’t far away.

Baek Do-hyun raised his head.

‘Was there anyone on this run who had shooting-related traits?’

Of course, it wouldn’t be strange if he just didn’t know about it since there was no such a thing as handing out weapons last time.

Due to the limitations of a gunner, it was meaningless if it wasn’t a part of a magic category.

If someone had such talent, there is no way he wouldn’t remember it.

‘I thought it sounded powerful… Maybe I was just mistaken. I’m not who I used to be, I shouldn’t forget this.’

Was there even a variable?

Baek do-hyun pulled out the sword from the monsters body while checking the ranking that hadn’t changed.

The change in difficulty and the mutation of monsters.

They were all things that shouldn’t have happened yet they did anyways.

It was a problem since he didn’t know if it was a simple butterfly effect or something more caused by his regression.

‘Let’s… do what we have to do first.’

He had to finish the tutorial as soon as possible and get back with the contractor. That was his priority.

Baek do-hyun got back up after a short rest.

The special points caused by eliminating the same race were now gone and the difficulty had gotten messed up due to the sudden mutations.

It was time for him to change his plan.

[Attribute ‘Tracker’ is activated.]

[Your five senses are slightly increased.]

‘I need a healer.’

Hoping that she was still alive, he went back to the streets where he parted ways with Na Jo-yeon.

Had it been around 30 minutes?

“Oh? Do hyun-ssi…?”

The trait ‘Tracker’ was not a skill so it was quite useful, even though it was lacking in professionalism.

Before long, Baek Do-hyun found Na Jo-yeon by the back of a stream.

To be more precise, a Na Jo-yeon who was becoming one with the wild and water.

“…Jo yeon-ssi. I have been looking for you for a very long time and this is what you look like…?”

Na Jo-yeon who was catching fish like a caveman hurriedly hid the wooden harpoon behind her.

However, Baek Do-hyun had already witnessed all the slaughtering and the fish trapped in a rope behind her.

Even the intestines had been neatly removed and trimmed.

‘Just… What happened? Why did you suddenly become Bear Grylls.’

“A-ah no. this is not…”

“No… I am glad you are doing fine. Even a tutorial can cause you to get hungry.”

‘It’s only been two and a half hours.’

“You have… a great ability to survive.”

“T-These are not for me to eat!”

“Yes?”

A crying Na Jo-yeon. Her reaction was quite stellar.

While she was suppressing her embarrassment, Baek Do-hyun carefully looked at her again.

Messy hair, muddy cheeks, and smudged tear stains.

Now instead of Bear Grylls, she looked like something else. An ancient slave who was being held up…

Baek Do-hyun’s eyes sank.

Since he had been a hunter for a long time it wasn’t hard to understand what had happened. Baek Do-hyun carefully took a step closer .

“Na Jo-yeon-ssi, are you being threatened?”

“W-What?”

“That’s all right. I’ll help you. I checked and there are no signs of people around here. If you are being forced to do unwanted labor just nod a little.”

“O-Oh no no! It’s not like that at all! It’s just…”

The world of hunters was a world of strict thorough power.

They didn’t touch the general public, but there were also ranking systems such as the ones among peers.

There were plenty of trash that harassed those that were relatively weak.

But he couldn’t believe it was being done so openly in the tutorial, which was the starting point.

If someone was that much of a trash, it was best to wipe it out from the get go.

Baek do-hyun had a cold smile that was unbelievably kind.

“Then, had Na Jo-yeon-ssi been hunting for fish that you wouldn’t eat and even carefully trimmed it out of your own will? There is even some purified water over there. Did they ask you to get some drinking water?”

“Do-hyun-ssi, I’m telling you. I was never ordered or forced. It’s just, just!”

“Yes.”

“W-well, without me realising it. I am not sure. I just started moving.”

The murmuring Na Jo-yeon raised her head.

“Don’t tell me you plan on hurting them! No, don’t do that! Leave us alone!”

“…what kind of trash. You have been completely brainwashed.”

Did they specialise in mental attacks? They must be quite strong.

With a stiff face, Baek Do-hyun took Na Jo-yeon’s arm that had been holding him off of him.

“I see. But your luggage seems heavy, so I’ll help you out with it. I’ll also make sure Jo-yeon-ssi is safe that way. You’ll let me do that much right?”

Na Jo-yeon reluctantly nodded with a hint of hesitation.

“…If that’s all then sure. But instead promise to Babel. That you won’t hurt them.”

“Yes, I promise.”

Even Babel would understand white lies that were done in good faith.

Baek Do-hyun looked up at the sky for a moment and then started following her.

The sky was clear and the wind was cold.

If a fool was buried under the ground then no one would know…

Baek Do-hyun honestly thought that.

Na Jo-yeon, who took the lead, guided him to an empty lot. It was an empty area as if the middle of the forest was cleared out using scissors.

And then a figure of someone sitting there was revealed.

“I was late! I was meeting up with someone… Do-hyon-ssi say hello!”

“…”

“J-Jo, Jo-nim. I don’t know if you’ll like it but this is a bit of my sincerity…!”

“I don’t like fish, I am more of a meatie.”

“Cough! Is that true! Damn it!”

“The Dobby in this house is insincere.”

“Bad Jo-yeon! Mean Jo-yeon!”

“Oh, stop that.”

“O-Oh how merciful…”

‘What kind of mental manipulation is this?’

With cold eyes, Baek Do-hyun looked at the pervert who had a face full of excitement.

He had forgotten for a moment, the pervert Dobby, who looked so happy.

Na Jo-yeon.

To be more exact, a ‘Fanatic’ Na Jo-yeon.

In his first life, she was a famous follower of the world famous Jo.

A fanatic who was even recognised by the extreme fans publicly as the biggest output of Jo’s fandom.

Her body moving without her knowing?

It was just her instincts that made her act…

Unfortunately, instead of giving her ghostly fanatic instincts. Heaven seemed to have not given her the insight to see through an insincere pseudonym.

Gyeon Zio, who was patting Dobby(Na Jo-yeon)’s head , raised her head.

Like an old hong kong actor she cooly raised her hand while chewing on a toothpick that he had no idea where it came from.

“Oioi.”

‘Don’t be so uselessly cool…’

“What is it? D-Do you know each other?”

‘D-don’t stare at me like that…’

A total disaster.

Baek Do-hyun took a deep breath and walked towards her with a stiff face.

“…What are you doing without a bonfire in such cold weather? Isn’t the floor too cold for you to sit down!”

“That’s fine. I’m fine. H-Hapchoo! Cough cough.”

“J-Jo, Jo-niim! You’re like a white fox with the face of a large dog with a good breed! You are such a pain in the ass as soon as you arrive here!”

“That’s enough. This is the limit of the ‘first meeting’. This ‘acquaintance’ here is skillful enough to get some firewood. Na Jo-yeon who we met for the ‘first time’ will rest here.(Useless)”

“W-What! You just muttered something at the end!”

“Yes? Did I… You have a pretty violent personality. Don’t you…”

Gyeon Zio yawned as she listened to the conversation of the two that spread to the level of a bonfire war.

Then she thought with a desperate wish.

‘I want to lie down…’

It was good to be blinded by the lump of meat in front of her eyes and just jump in.

She had forgotten that the maximum time for the motivation battery was just 3 minutes.

‘Is it too much to carry a bed in the inventory?’

Zio began seriously thinking about it.

Three hours of tutorial.

Although the S-rank relief pitcher Babel bought for a high price had appeared, the direction the game was heading in was becoming more and more certain.

***

/The 1st round.

/An interview with D.I. Guild’s AA-rank  assistant ranker, Na Jo-yeon.

Long brown hair.

A neatly pigmented eye.

It wasn’t easy to obtain a hideous nickname like ‘fanatic’ with a face that would suit the description of an angel or princess.

In the middle of the interview, the reporter couldn’t hold it in and eventually asked out of curiosity.

「Na Jo-yeon-nim is the top ranker in 14th place. In addition you’re an AA rank specialising in devotion.

As part of a privileged class who has earned both fame and money. It can’t be denied that being chased suits you more than chasing someone.

Nevertheless, is there a reason you insist on keeping the title of a follower at the expense of the loss of your image? Of course, I don’t mean to judge at all.」

「Reporter-ssi, what do you think is the reason people chase hunters?」

「There are no citizens who hate heroes. They’ll keep doing it forever.」

「And the reason why citizens like ‘heroes’ is because they are saviors who sacrifice themselves for no reason.」

「Well, I don’t fully agree. But I also can’t say it’s completely wrong.」

「Please think about it more simply.」

Na Jo-yeon smiled.

「To me, they are a hunter. Not like a hunter who sees another hunter, but the hunter of the human Na Jo-yeon. My hunter who has saved me without a reason or condition.」

「…Ah. Perhaps! As expected, it’s been a long time but it’s that one right? Incheon gate.」

「Wow, you know it. Yes, I am a survivor of the first class disaster that took place at the Incheon airport. It’s not really a secret but everyone kept it as if it was.」

The eyes of Na Jo-yeon who thought of the past softened.

「Sir Reporter, when someone is saved. There are many things they wouldn’t remember. Right? It’s chaotic, it’s all messed up. But at the moment of despair where you think it’s over, the light that falls…

That ray of light, it’s so vivid as it touches my face. I will probably never forget it.

So as Na Jo-yeon, or as a supporting actor, I have to say that I am after it.」

‘Survivor, there is a survivor!’

‘Ah, Mom.. My mom is still there.’

‘Relax, we are here to rescue you. It’s over. It’s all over…’

‘I-I thought I was going to die…’

When Na Jo-yeon asked what happened, the agent pointed to the sky.

Unlike back in the dying darkness, the summer sky was filled with bright sunlight

And there, there was a black dragon flying as if it was a sunspot.

A hero who shines brighter in reality than in movies.

Na Jo-yeon blankly stared at the sky.

The radio that she was hugging like a treasure within the collapsed ruins rang clearly.

The young news reporter couldn’t hide their overwhelming feelings as they shouted vigorously.

「Everyone! You can relax now. The situation is over. The threat is gone. Incheon gate, the 1st degree crack, the disaster is now over! Don’t forget today. Please remember one name. Ladies and gentleman, the name of the hero who saved us today is…」

There was no way she could possibly forget.

Her savior, her hero.

「Why did the hero go there that day?」

「It’s simple.」

Because there were lots of people.

As a person. For people.

「My fame as a hunter doesn’t really matter. Looking at it in a big way, chasing them is about leaving one’s identity as a hunter and instead looking into yourself as a human being without losing that humanity」

「…」

「Because I am a human being, If I forget that I was saved by a human being, then that’s the end of my humanity. I want to live like a ‘human’ rather than someone ‘cool’.」

That was all.