The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C49
$49
“Halo?”
When I called his name, he put his index finger to his lips, gesturing for me to be quiet. Following him, walking silently, I heard Kwon Ho-jun’s voice through the soundproof wall.
“Are you saying you’re done with me now that you’ve met my dad?”
“How could that be?”
Halo beckoned with his hand for me to come closer.
“I’m glad you’re becoming more successful. Your value increasing is good for me too. But that doesn’t mean you can ignore me too. You know that.”
Kwon Ho-jun’s voice was high and sharp, with no trace of the lovey-dovey affection he used to show.
“Right. I know everything.”
Seo-heon’s indifferent reply was extremely short and quick.
“I’m advising you because it seems you’ve forgotten that you agreed to think of me first and act that way in front of people.”
“So, was your father satisfied after meeting me?”
I thought it was an abrupt question, but with that one question, Ho-jun’s angry breathing subsided.
“Yes, well, he was pleased. He said it was the first time he approved.”
As Kwon Ho-jun lowered his guard, the sharp atmosphere instantly dulled.
“It was all for you. Are you going to be angry knowing that?”
Halo pulled my hand as if to say we’d heard enough. I also thought that if I stayed here any longer, I might be discovered eavesdropping, so I quietly followed him. We moved far enough away from the room where Seo-heon and Kwon Ho-jun were and arrived back at the conference room door. Before going in, I had something to ask Halo.
“Why are you showing and letting me hear these things?”
Halo smiled at me.
“Woo-hyun-ssi, I just think you have the right to know everything and make your choice.”
“What?”
As always, Halo’s words were abrupt. Speaking only conclusions without context seemed to be both a defense mechanism and a bad habit of prophets.
“Kang Seo-heon-ssi is a person who chooses to hide things either for your sake or for his own desires.”
He took my hand and placed it on his chest.
“My position is that Woo-hyun-ssi should know anything related to himself, no matter what the content. Everyone should carry their own burden. Otherwise, problems are bound to arise somewhere.”
“I don’t see what’s different besides the fact that those two aren’t as lovey-dovey a couple as I thought.”
In any case, the one Seo-heon chose is that person. If Seo-heon, who hates politics and flattery more than anyone, is doing that, it must be for Ho-jun’s sake. It was sad that the person I loved wasn’t receiving the full love of their partner, but I didn’t have the ability to stop his love.
“Of course you don’t understand now. Actually, there’s someone blinding your eyes. But you’ll have to know in the future.”
***
When I returned to my seat with Halo, Ihan looked curious about what we had been doing, but I was too troubled myself to have the leisure to answer.
‘I knew Seo-heon was doing a lot of things without my knowledge, but could there be another reason even for him being with Kwon Ho-jun?’
No, there couldn’t be such a reason. If there was, it would be politics at most, but even then there would be many other ways, so it didn’t seem likely he would approach Kwon Ho-jun just for that.
The meeting resumed about five minutes after Seo-heon returned. I pushed my thoughts aside for a moment to focus.
“Continuing from earlier, we’ve concluded that this team needs to experience actual combat. Therefore, we ask that you participate in the A-rank dungeon conquest we acquired last week. The conquest is expected to take about one to two days.”
Not all A-rank dungeons were the same. They could be roughly divided into five levels, and according to the explanation, the dungeon we were being dispatched to was exactly in the middle, at the third level. It was an appropriate level for practicing coordination.
“We’ll proceed with the formation as per the initial information I sent you. There may be some adjustments depending on how well we coordinate after trying it out. Also, we’re distributing documents with brief descriptions of the abilities each person will use in combat, so please absolutely do not leak them. Although we’ve only included information that wouldn’t be a big problem if exposed, please remember that if it gets out, the person who leaked it can be punished according to the contract.”
No one here was likely to do such a thing, but it was content that needed to be announced as a procedure. After that, the meeting mainly consisted of requests for position adjustments and gathering information about the dungeon we would conquer tomorrow. I felt excited about going on a full-scale subjugation with Ihwa people after a long time.
‘I’ll need to manage my time well during combat’
While in the dungeon, it was okay to step away for about five minutes for a brief maintenance, but it was difficult to leave during combat. It might be okay to pretend to be injured and step away briefly until my skills return, but it seemed easier to get help from Halo, who knew my situation.
‘I don’t like being a burden, but…’
The time of entering the boss monster’s nest could be adjusted, so I could somehow fill the one-minute gap. If that was difficult, I could forcibly activate my skills using the ‘Flame of Life’ skill. I had already checked that forced activation was possible during the battle with the succubus.
“If there are no more points to discuss, we’ll end today’s meeting here. Please get plenty of rest for tomorrow and we’ll meet at 10 AM. I believe that as veterans, you’ll bring items and simple food to eat in the dungeon without me having to remind you.”
Miyeon-ssi, who wouldn’t be entering the dungeon herself, tended to worry more. Though not as much as Seo-heon, she seemed to feel quite anxious about situations she couldn’t control. I looked around quickly and, seeing no other topics likely to come up, stood from my seat. I was planning to leave a text message for Halo.
“Woo-hyun.”
But Seo-heon blocked my way. I tried to move to the other side to escape, but Seo-heon’s feet moved in the same direction, blocking my movement. I let out a small sigh.
“Shouldn’t you go see Kwon Ho-jun-ssi? He was angry earlier.”
I asked questions in a calm manner, with content that others would accept with an “I see.” I thought Seo-heon would fully understand the hidden meaning between the lines, that shouldn’t he reassure the person who was misunderstanding our relationship.
“Do you want me to go?”
There was a shadow on Seo-heon’s face. Whether it was because things weren’t going well with his lover or because he wanted something from me, I didn’t have the emotional or time luxury to weigh and consider.
“Since when did my feelings matter?”
There were 10 days left until we entered the S-rank dungeon, and I didn’t have much life left.
There was no other way but to push Seo-heon away.
***
At 9:30 AM, I arrived first at the gathering place, thirty minutes early. Not long after, Lee Hye-ssi appeared, greeting me.
“Hello. Woo-hyun-ssi, are you feeling alright?”
Seeing that no one else was around, Lee Hye-ssi lowered her voice and added a question.
“Yes. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
As the only guild member who knew something about my condition, she seemed quite worried. When I deliberately exaggerated my gestures to show I was fine, her tense expression softened.
“Still, you shouldn’t overdo it. You’ve earned quite a bit of money, so I actually recommend quitting.”
It was a typical statement from Lee Hye-ssi, a healer who considered the health of guild members most important.
“I’m thinking of quitting after this one anyway.”
“Really? You’ve thought well. I was worried because you seemed like a workaholic.”
Lee Hye-ssi’s expression brightened considerably, as if her worry had lessened. Of course, she had no idea that Seo-heon, who knew nothing of my circumstances, was opposing this.
“Hello. You two came early.”
Juhee-ssi, known for her sociability, approached with a loud greeting. She was especially close with Lee Hye-ssi, and the two exchanged intimate eye greetings.
“Hello.”
“I’m a bit nervous about going on a subjugation with the Vice Guild Master after so long.”
It was because I had been traveling abroad for nearly two years, making the title of Vice Guild Master almost meaningless. Before that, I had briefly trained her, so this was just small talk.
“I’m the one who should be nervous.”
It wasn’t just lip service, but sincere. Moreover, now that my body was like a time bomb, it was natural for me to feel this way.
“Come on. For someone like Woo-hyun-ssi, that’s just false modesty.”
Lee Hye-ssi joked while praising me. I appreciated the consideration, but feeling embarrassed, I just laughed it off.
“Good morning!”
The next to arrive was Halo. I thought he was a person with a loose sense of time, so I was staring at him in surprise at his early arrival when he quickly stuck to my side.
“Did you get home well yesterday?”
It made sense that Halo would subtly ask, since he not only knew but had even directly caused my state of being full of distracting thoughts.
“Of course. Would you like to come over here for a moment?”
To get out of sight of the others, I took Halo to a secluded spot, and in that time, a couple more people arrived.
We need to go further away.
We retreated to a distance where voices wouldn’t be heard if lowered, though we were barely visible. I had something I wanted to say, but it was Halo who spoke first.