Chapter 11

Episode 11: True Intentions

My heart was pounding as if it were about to explode.

At the very least, this wasn’t a positive physiological reaction.

Why did Harin, who claimed she would heal me, try to harm me instead?

Was it simply a mistake on her part?

Or perhaps an error in the System… No, the assumption that there could be errors in this System is frankly close to zero possibility.

This System is an unparalleled technology, immune to the concept of glitches like in a game.

If an EX-grade skill were to have a defect, wouldn’t that be the ultimate joke?

“You… how’s your body feeling?”

“Hm… I’m not quite sure?”

When Harin asked about my condition, I felt a slight chill run down my spine.

Because of this, I ended up giving her an odd response.

Though I couldn’t see her face clearly in the dim light, Harin looked somewhat flustered.

‘What is going on in this situation…?’

Fortunately, this time Harin genuinely healed me.

‘If I hadn’t obtained Soul Protection, I might have been…’

‘And if she had truly intended to place a debuff on me…’

Various thoughts swirled furiously in my mind.

My senses, honed from enduring multiple betrayals, were loudly warning me that this situation was far from favorable.

Suddenly, I remembered something Eunbyul had told me in the past.

Even though it was only a few days ago…

– “Do you understand, Siwoo? I just want you to remember one thing.”

– “What is it?”

– “In our world as Hunters, we might die or be betrayed at any time.”

Right now, the only thing that comes to mind in this context is that one line Eunbyul gave me.

“Ha… Harin…”

“Yes. Is something the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing…”

“You. Your voice is trembling. Is something wrong? Do you feel any discomfort? If you’re in pain, please let me know. I’ll heal… you.”

My ultimate goal is to repay every ounce of vengeance upon those who betrayed me.

I can’t afford to fall victim here.

My instincts screamed that I shouldn’t ask her to heal me.

“I’m fine. We should… find a way out of here soon, right?”

I suggested that we look for a way to escape this place.

Harin nodded lightly, seemingly accepting my suggestion.

However, as soon as we mentioned this, the dungeon boss that lay hidden in the corner suddenly turned into a Gate.

This Gate was clearly not the one we entered through, as it wasn’t a Black Gate.

Only a Black Gate would turn the dungeon boss into a world-exiting Gate.

But the Gate we entered through was a Blue Gate…

A Blue Gate would require us to leave the dungeon normally after defeating the boss.

It might have been an anomaly caused by the Gate disappearing mid-journey.

But if the Gate had disappeared, all of us—me, Harin, and the dungeon monsters—should have been ejected back into the world through another Gate.

Yet, that didn’t happen.

Or rather, it couldn’t have happened.

Not only did the Gate close, but it trapped all of us inside—me, Harin, and the monsters.

“You… didn’t we enter through a Blue Gate? Is it possible for a Blue Gate to transform into a Black Gate mid-journey?”

“Hmm… I’ve never encountered such a phenomenon before… But once we’re out, I’ll need to report this to the Guild immediately.”

We jumped into the Gate anyway.

The sensation of passing through, one I was never fully accustomed to after nearly two years of being a Hunter, was still eerie.

As the dungeon boss transformed into a Gate and we moved through it, the unsettling feeling coursing through my body this time was a welcome sensation.

As if anyone escaping a dungeon might have their own stories.

It felt like we were gradually moving away from the dungeon’s interior.

*Chime!*

Suddenly, the System activated and delivered shocking news.

[You have cleared the Ruins of the Serpent.]

This message… it was the same one I received when I cleared a Black Gate alone the last time.

This phrase appears only after clearing a Black Gate.

Could it be that the Blue Gate truly transformed into a Black Gate mid-journey?

There’s far too much that I don’t understand.

The place where we were isolated seems to have been beneath the ruins.

If it was indeed a Black Gate, then it’s a field-type Black Gate.

This means the area above this cave is part of the ruins.

Why would we be transported directly to the boss’s location?

Thinking about all this speculation isn’t suited for a low-ranking individual like me.

Sometimes, one needs to defer to their superiors for help.

The internal view of the dungeon had completely disappeared from our vision.

Bright light flooded my eyes, forcing me to close them.

******

*Whoosh!*

*Snap!*

Harin and I returned to the location where we first entered the Gate.

“Uh… I’m feeling a little dizzy. How about you?”

“I’m feeling… not too good, actually… But I think I’ll be okay?”

Harin wobbled a bit.

If I hadn’t chosen Soul Protection, I could have been defeated by that seemingly fragile fashion-conscious S-rank Hunter.

“Do you know what time it is?”

“Uh… hold on, let me check.”

It was clearly 12:25 when we first entered the Gate.

However, it’s now 12:30.

We cleared what turned out to be a Black Gate disguised as a Blue Gate in five hours, so only five minutes have passed in the outside world.

I would immediately report this to the Guild, but given it’s lunchtime, there may not be many people available to listen to our report.

“It’s 12:30. Lunchtime.”

“That’s right… thank you for letting me know.”

I informed Harin of the current time.

“You… if you have some time, how about sharing a meal with me? We can eat and then report to the Guild together afterward.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t you… want to?”

‘Hmm…’

At this very moment, I want to distance myself from Harin.

After all, the potentially fatal debuff she might’ve tried to place on me earlier—even if it was only a suspicion—worries me.

Soul Protection has a cooldown of 24 hours, so it cannot shield me from her actions again.

‘Oh well…’

‘Hmm…’

But out of respect for Harin, I have to decline this invitation…

‘Wait…’

No, no.

A brilliant idea just occurred to me.

“Sure, why not? What’s the big deal about sharing a meal anyway?”

Her smile softened upon hearing my answer, and she playfully covered her mouth with her hand as if shy.

Looking at her react so positively… which side of her is the real her?

“Aah… but I left my wallet behind. What do we do?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Money isn’t important…”

She referred to money as a trivial thing, clearly confident in her wealth.

Of course, as an S-rank healer with skills capable of saving nearly dead people, she likely earns tremendous amounts of money.

And this is my scheme.

If I subtly bring up the fact that my weapon was damaged during the battle, there’s a chance she might offer me a magic-infused weapon as a gift.

Since she may have intended harm towards me earlier, it seems necessary to take advantage of her this way.

It only makes financial sense to manipulate her a little, doesn’t it?

Given how wealthy Harin is, she’ll probably take me to a fancy steakhouse…

I was already salivating at the thought of indulging in luxurious food.

***

With that, we ended up at a local Pig Stew restaurant.

‘What is this?’

The restaurant isn’t named “Shibal.” That was just an exclamation.

The name “Pig Stew Speciality Shop” was plainly displayed.

I expected her wealth would lead us to a place offering high-class dining experiences.

“Harin… did we come to the wrong place?”

“What? Where is this?”

“Uh… Pig Stew Shop?”

“Then it seems we’ve come to the right place. Don’t scare me unnecessarily.”

Yes. Despite her astronomical income, she’s an ardent fan of pig stew restaurants.

I don’t dislike pig stew, but I was disappointed due to the high expectations set earlier.

Normally, I enjoy pig stew quite a bit; there were even times when I would eat it for all three meals.

Despite considerable disappointment, I still appreciated Harin treating me and entered the restaurant to eat pig stew.

She ordered the same pig stew as I did.

I occasionally stared at her in amazement at how efficiently she ate, despite lacking eyes.

Of course, Harin, with her heightened senses, reacted amusingly every time I stared at her.

Following the plan I conceived earlier, I fibbed about my weapon breaking during the battle.

Technically, it broke far earlier while fighting goblins.

After finishing our meal, we went to settle the bill.

She pulled out a card from her clothing, not her chest.

I saw that the card was black.

The woman standing before me must be extraordinarily wealthy.

I looked blankly at Harin as she returned from paying the bill.

“You mentioned earlier that your weapon broke, right? I’ll get you a new one.”

“Huh… uh…”

She suddenly linked her arm with mine, declaring that she knew an excellent armory, and dragged me there.

It was becoming increasingly unclear which side of her was genuine.

“Snicker…”

Tightening her grip on my arm and flashing a suspicious smile, we set off to buy me a new weapon.

With our arms linked, her sensitive side occasionally brushed against my arm.

‘If this keeps up, it really feels like a date…’

Her subtle laughter and her tighter grasp on my arm accompanied our journey to procure a new weapon.