Chapter 47

At the Hunter Management Agency, Section Chief Jang Han-soo was taking a short break in the lounge, sipping coffee.

Though he’d been pretty worn out from all the recent chaos, things weren’t going too badly overall.

Originally already quite famous, Hunter Kim Ji-a had recently hit her stride and risen even further. Inspired by her exploits, high-ranking hunters had suddenly become much more active.

Not just the top-tier hunters—overall hunter activity was on the rise. This had made things busier for everyone, and incidents were happening more frequently. But compared to when an overdue gate would go berserk, it was still way better.

“Back then… it was terrible…”

The section chief reminisced about old times.

Back in the early days after the Great Change, before the first returnee from America introduced his inventions, undetected dungeons often went berserk. While you could carefully reduce the number of monsters inside bit by bit, a berserk dungeon would unleash all its monsters through the gate at once.

To stop that without losses required massive manpower. At minimum, you’d need 15 hunters of the same rank, or rather 20 or more. Since it was so hard to gather that many, there were always huge casualties each time.

Thinking back on those days, despite high-rank dungeons appearing more frequently now, things had gotten much more peaceful.

‘Of course, this is under the premise that high-rank dungeons don’t go berserk…’

It was thanks to hunters like Kim Ji-a. Honestly, regional dungeon runs were still nerve-wracking every time. High-rank hunters were in short supply not just in Korea but worldwide.

That’s why even though the work was tiring, the section chief welcomed the current atmosphere.

– Zzziiing…

“Hmm?”

Reacting to the vibration in his pocket, the section chief pulled out his smartphone. It was a message from one of the hunters he’d been closely observing recently. He slowly read the content.

“Director, hi. This is Si-hyun. Is it okay to bring an E-rank hunter along to a C-rank dungeon?”

Such a simple request. Guilds often made similar requests when training new recruits.

‘This is perfect.’

The section chief quickly thought things over.

There was actually a troublesome dungeon causing headaches. He’d been trying to clear his head about it in the lounge. If Si-hyun took care of it, she’d probably do a clean job.

If he asked politely, she’d surely agree—he believed they had that level of rapport built up.

After finishing his thoughts, the section chief called Si-hyun.

“…Yes, hello.”

“Hi, Si-hyun. I’m responding to your message.”

They exchanged formal greetings before moving straight to the main topic.

“The E-rank hunter accompanying you on the C-rank dungeon run is approved right away. Before that, though, could I ask a favor of you?”

“…A favor?”

“Yes, something I’m sure someone like you could handle easily.”

The section chief summarized the situation for Si-hyun.

A large C-rank dungeon had appeared in Seoul recently. Two hunter parties mostly consisting of C-rank members, totaling eight people, had been deployed. However, one party was wiped out, delaying progress. He wanted her help clearing it.

“Just to clarify, this isn’t forcing anything using the E-rank hunter as an excuse. It’s purely a request. What do you think?”

“…Ah.”

A moment of silence followed her response.

She was clearly thinking it over.

The section chief silently prayed that she’d accept.

Large dungeons were naturally avoided by hunters. Depending on their scale, they were often impossible to clear in a single day.

Plus, rumors about this particular dungeon had spread—about how one party got wiped out.

Because of that, it had become a full-on “avoidance dungeon.” Luckily, the existing party had stated they’d continue if they could just get enough members.

With Si-hyun joining, she’d definitely be able to clear the dungeon easily. Actually, she could probably do it alone.

‘Please, please…’

The section chief stared at the lounge ceiling with bloodshot eyes.

A minute that felt like ten passed.

He gulped down the rest of his coffee.

Leaning his head back again, he looked at the ceiling.

The brief yet long-feeling moment finally ended when a reply came.

“…I’m fine with it, but I can’t decide alone. Let me discuss it and get back to you, okay?”

“Absolutely! Take your time and let me know whenever you’re ready.”

It was a positive response!

The section chief couldn’t hide his joy as he grinned widely.

Though it wasn’t fully confirmed yet, at least some progress had been made on the pesky dungeon.

When the call ended, the section chief left the lounge. Though he still had plenty of work left, he felt lighter somehow.

He returned to his office smiling, feeling satisfied with how well he’d cultivated a relationship with her.

* * *

Si-yoon, who had been slumped over her desk, slowly lifted her head. The bold “GAME OVER” text on the monitor loomed ominously.

As soon as the opportunity arose, the audience pounced with glee.

– Hahahaha!

– Oh no…

– She died again.

– Haha!

– For real hahaha!

Her mental state shattered, Si-yoon stared blankly at the chat before chugging some water.

“Everyone, I’ll be back from the restroom…”

Turning off her mic, Si-yoon flopped onto her bed. Playing these kinds of games occasionally for the viewers was fun, but every time she tried, it felt like pure hell.

And lately…

– Just dodge well and hit accurately, right? Kk

“Uuuuugh…”

Thanks to certain comments, her mental health had taken twice the damage.

Normally she didn’t act like this at all. Even her Ttube comments were always written neatly and nicely.

But the moment live chat started, she got tainted by the audience and transformed into someone completely different.

“What if I start writing weird comments too…?”

Chat hadn’t always been like this. Though lines were still being maintained, she feared becoming just like other viewers someday.

Is this what they call the corruption of a holy maiden? Why does my broadcast have to be the cause of this?!

Feeling wronged, Si-yoon pounded the bed lightly with her fists.

“Guess I’ll use the restroom…”

Sighing deeply, she got up. As she headed to the living room, she saw her sister on the phone. Naturally, Mombin’s broadcast was playing on the TV.

Letting out another deep sigh, she went to the restroom and came back.

Suddenly, Si-yoon felt a mischievous urge.

“Just dodge well and hit accurately, huh?”

Why not let her try it herself and see if she still says that?

She couldn’t suffer alone! Her sister needed to understand how she felt!

Smiling deviously, Si-yoon approached her sister who had just finished the call.

This game cost only a few thousand won and had low system requirements. It would definitely run fine on her sister’s work laptop.

“Sis, sis!”

“Hmm?”

Si-yoon called out excitedly. Si-hyun turned her gaze from the laptop to her younger sister.

“Do you want to try this?”

Pointing at the TV, Si-yoon rapidly continued.

“I’ve heard it’s surprisingly fun when you actually play it. It’s not expensive either. Interested?”

“You’ve played it before?”

Si-hyun’s eyes widened. She couldn’t imagine her little sister playing such a game.

“Why? Is that so strange?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Puffing her cheeks, Si-yoon waved her hands frantically as Si-hyun quickly reassured her.

“Isn’t this game super hard? Didn’t you struggle?”

“Yeah, it’s ridiculously difficult…”

She had just been playing it moments ago. Si-yoon swallowed her next words.

“Wouldn’t you be curious just watching? Give it a try.”

Si-yoon tempted her sister again. Maybe experiencing the game’s difficulty firsthand would restore the corrupted holy maiden to her original self.

She wouldn’t be able to write those annoying chats anymore once she realized how insanely hard it truly was.

Just imagining it made Si-yoon smile happily.

However…

“Hehe, check this out.”

Si-hyun turned her laptop around so her younger sister could see better. She scrolled down from the open document to reveal her game library.

‘Huh? She’s already played it?’

Si-yoon watched quietly as her sister clicked on a game from the list—the very game Si-yoon had recommended.

‘Already…?!’

Her eyes widened as she instinctively checked the playtime. 1 hour 50 minutes. Still within refundable range.

Si-hyun clicked on the challenge objectives next to the playtime and proudly leaned back with a confident grin.

“How’s it? Impressive, right?!”

“Eh, uh…”

Bright sparkling eyes awaited her praise.

Hesitantly, Si-yoon rubbed her eyes. Looking back at the screen…

Challenge completion rate: 85%.

This was exactly why Si-yoon had been struggling during her broadcasts.

Unable to resist, Si-yoon scrolled through the list.

‘My goodness… what is this?!’

Everything except the grind-heavy “do X times” types were completed. In just 1 hour 50 minutes, she’d thoroughly milked it dry.

‘And I’ve been stuck on this for hours…’

It was a complete defeat.

Her sister really could say “just dodge well and hit accurately.” She had the skill to mock her in the chat. Unlike other viewers, she was different.

Turning her gaze from the laptop, Si-yoon looked at her sister again. Smiling brightly, eagerly awaiting praise.

Even as her cheek muscles trembled, Si-yoon forced herself to speak.

“…Impressive! Sis, you’re good at games too!”

“I used to play a lot back in the day!”

Receiving her younger sister’s compliment, Si-hyun beamed with a bright smile, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest confidently.

Si-yoon’s gaze naturally fell to her sister’s ample confidence. She looked down at her own chest and felt another wave of defeat.

“…Sis is good at everything. Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Huh? No way. I have plenty of weaknesses.”

Answering Si-yoon’s question, Si-hyun met her skeptical stare and replied earnestly.

“Take this game for example—I’ve failed at everything possible. I just remember whatever I’ve seen once.”

“…”

“As for other things too… I’m bad at cooking, cleaning, organizing. Oh, and I don’t know much about clothes or fashion.”

Si-hyun listed off her shortcomings. Si-yoon listened attentively.

Then…

‘I see it! A crack in the armor!’

Si-yoon forcefully placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder. Surprised by the sudden action, Si-hyun looked at her quizzically.

“Sis.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“If there’s something you don’t know, shouldn’t you learn it?”

“Eh… well, I guess?”

Detecting something suspicious, Si-hyun’s eyes began to twitch slightly.

Smirking, Si-yoon continued.

“Fashion coordination. Let’s learn together.”

“…”

Their roles had reversed. Now it was Si-hyun looking gloomy as Si-yoon patted her on the shoulder before heading back to her room.

Sitting comfortably in her chair, Si-yoon basked in the sweet taste of victory. Though a small part of her mind whispered it was a moral victory, she chose to ignore it.

Si-yoon slowly resumed her broadcast.

《Sorry for the delay! Let’s get started again.》

That day, a mentally refreshed Mombin successfully cleared the game and completed all the challenge objectives.

* * *

Right after dinner,

Si-hyun sent a message to the student she tutored.

“Arum, are you free the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes! I have plenty of time!”

Seeing Arum’s energetic reply, Si-hyun nodded satisfactorily before sending another message.

“I’m going to a large C-rank dungeon with some members from the Wings Guild. Come along to observe.”

The unread count of 1 immediately disappeared from the additional message she sent. Meaning Arum had read it, but the reply didn’t come right away.

“Hmm…?”

Tilting her head curiously, Si-hyun took a drink from the fridge she had opened. Finally, the reply arrived.

“Yes……”

An extremely weak response.