Chapter 15

[Explosion of fluff balls.]

After parting with Ayu, Ggotbi and I continued to climb the building.

As expected of a Returner, the Dimensional Beings were helpless against Ggotbi’s power as a Spirit Speaker.

Every time she shouted, a Dimensional Being exploded, making her seem even more terrifying than Ayu’s true form as Cheonma to ordinary people.

‘If Ggotbi grabbed a mic and shouted “Explode!” in front of everyone…’

That would never happen, but I shook my head at the thought.

Just imagining it was horrifying.

“We finally reached the top floor.”

As Ggotbi walked ahead up the stairs, I looked around.

From the broken windows, it seemed we had climbed up to the 10th floor.

“The Dimensional Gate must be at the top.”

“Alright. Let’s finish this quickly.”

Though I was a bit worried that Ayu was taking longer than expected.

“By the way, Domi Oppa, you must have studied a lot about Hunters.”

“Well, it was my major.”

The Dimensional Gate that opened this time is classified as Otherworld · No. 31.

The fluff balls continuously appearing now are called Lete.

Despite their cute appearance, they are terrifying creatures that insert their tongues into orifices to devour internal organs.

Their weakness is that their insides are fragile compared to their thick exterior, making them vulnerable to psychic powers, magic, or unique martial arts.

“But that doesn’t help Ggotbi much.”

For Ggotbi, who solves everything with her Spirit Speech, they were no challenge.

“Hehe, no. Knowing your enemy and fighting blindly are very different.”

“I only know the old Dimensional Beings. I don’t know the recent ones.”

It’s already been 5 years since I left the Hunter business.

Even though I’ve started studying again after recently rejoining, I’m still far behind the active Hunters.

‘At least until Ji-eun officially debuts as a Hunter, I’ll have to study as much as I can.’

While thinking that, we suddenly arrived in front of a room on the 10th floor.

Originally, it would have been a place for an office, but now only the peeling paint of the building’s interior was visible.

“I’ll go in first. Domi Oppa, follow carefully.”

As I nodded, Ggotbi opened the door first.

At that moment, a pungent smell wafted out.

As I covered my nose and coughed, I suddenly noticed Ggotbi freezing in place.

“Ggotbi?”

When I called her nickname, Ggotbi was staring ahead with a blank expression.

Following her gaze, I saw a large eye.

Tentacles sprawled everywhere, merging with the ceiling, the eye had no other body parts, and I realized it was a Dimensional Being from Otherworld · No. 31.

‘Lepranomicon.’

Its characteristic is immunity to all mental attacks.

‘A mental-type anti-enemy.’

If Ji-eun had encountered it, it would have been the worst match-up.

Of course, excluding that, it only attacks with tentacles.

‘The Dimensional Gate.’

I turned my head to quickly locate the Dimensional Gate.

Past the ceiling, on a half-broken desk, a computer emitted a faint light.

Wondering why a computer was glowing, I noticed a gate image on the monitor and tilted my head.

What is that?

“Ggotbi, something’s off.”

A normal Dimensional Gate should show a distortion in space and the other dimension.

But all I see now is a computer screen displaying a gate.

As I pulled Ggotbi’s arm, I noticed her body was drenched in sweat.

Startled, I looked at Ggotbi, who was trembling and sweating profusely.

“Ggotbi?”

“Ah, ah, ugh.”

At that moment, Ggotbi suddenly muttered something strange and collapsed.

As I panicked and tried to catch her, a tentacle flew towards us, and I quickly shielded Ggotbi.

Damn, this is going to hurt.

Closing my eyes and bracing for the impact, I heard a slicing sound behind me.

Startled, I turned my head to see Cheon Hong-ryun, who had appeared out of nowhere, holding a sword and glaring at the Lepranomicon.

“How dare you touch my lord.”

I don’t know why I’m the lord, but I realized I was alive.

“Ayu! Ggotbi’s condition is strange! And for some reason, that computer feels off!”

With Ggotbi in front, I relayed the situation, and Cheon Hong-ryun glanced at me before nodding.

“Stay back for a moment.”

Then, camellia flowers began to scatter around Cheon Hong-ryun.

Leaving it to her, I supported Ggotbi and quickly exited the room, leaning her against the stairs.

“Ggotbi! Snap out of it!”

“Ugh, ugh.”

Ggotbi’s eyes were tightly shut, tears streaming down her face.

Her clenched fists were bleeding, and blood was seeping from her lips.

Panicking, I forced her hands open and wiped her tears.

Why did Ggotbi end up like this?

Thinking back, I realized she became like this after seeing the Lepranomicon.

‘The Lepranomicon’s characteristic is mental immunity.’

Its combat ability isn’t exceptional, and it’s not a common sight, so only that much is recorded, but what if it had a special ability?

‘Mental invasion? But I’m fine.’

As I pondered, I recalled that the Lepranomicon had mental immunity.

‘What if.’

What if the mental immunity affected everyone around it?

Reaching that conclusion, I looked at Ggotbi.

Her tightly shut eyes.

Fists clenched as if she couldn’t feel the pain.

Cold sweat pouring from her entire body.

It resembled the symptoms of a mental attack.

At least she wasn’t having seizures.

‘Could it be.’

I placed my hand on Ggotbi’s forehead.

Her body was burning up as if overworked.

“…Ggotbi, you cast a suggestion on yourself.”

Ggotbi is a Spirit Speaker.

Spirit Speech affects everyone who hears it.

So, Ggotbi hunted the Lete by directly mentioning them in my presence.

She must have been worried about me being affected by the Spirit Speech.

Moreover, Spirit Speech affects the caster too.

The somewhat forced demeanor I saw in Ggotbi.

Those were traces of suggestions she cast on herself to endure something.

‘She was too excessively bright.’

Who would have thought she cast suggestions on herself.

I don’t know Ggotbi’s Returner information.

She returned when I had already quit being a Hunter, and she debuted as an idol.

I know nothing about her.

“Ugh, ugh.”

At that moment, Ggotbi began to writhe.

“Ggotbi! Yoo Ah! Calm down!”

I grabbed her arm as she tried to claw at her throat, but she was a Returner before being a Spirit Speaker.

Despite my strength, she tried to claw at her throat, but I desperately clung to her to stop her.

Damn, she’s too strong.

As I struggled to hold on, I heard footsteps behind me.

“…What are you doing while I’m cleaning up?”

Cheon Hong-ryun, holding a closed computer, looked down at me with an angry expression.

Why is she mad?

I don’t know, but I shouted at her.

“Ggotbi is trying to harm herself! Ayu, do something!”

“Haa, she’s not in her right mind, so I’ll let it slide.”

Cheon Hong-ryun tapped Ggotbi’s forehead with her scabbard.

Then, Ggotbi, who had been trying to claw at her throat, began to calm down.

Seeing that, I sighed in relief, and Cheon Hong-ryun tucked the computer under her arm and said.

“Let’s go down. That annoying woman is coming this way.”

Annoying woman?

As I tilted my head, I realized who it was when I saw the person coming down.

“She’s the chairman of our company.”

“She’s an annoying woman, right?”

As Cheon Hong-ryun reverted to Shin Sora, she adjusted her hat and clicked her tongue.

Baekseolhyang was there.

Just like at the company, she arrived in a car and waved at me before opening the door.

“Get in with Yoo Ah. There are too many eyes.”

Anticipating this, I had put on the sunglasses and mask Ggotbi brought and placed her in the back seat.

Then, I got in too, and Baekseolhyang closed the door.

“Hey! What about me?”

“Figure it out yourself.”

Why do these two not get along?

Watching Baekseolhyang coldly tell Ayu to figure it out herself and step on the gas, I let out a hollow laugh.

“What’s your relationship with Yoo Ah?”

As Baekseolhyang drove, she asked me.

I fastened Ggotbi’s seatbelt with a vague expression.

How should I explain our relationship?

“Ggotbi, no, Yoo Ah and I played online games together. I only found out today that she’s Blackstar’s Yoo Ah.”

“Same relationship as Cheonma, then.”

I nodded at Baekseolhyang’s words.

Then, I wondered if I had told her that I met Ayu through a game.

I couldn’t remember.

‘Did I mention it in passing?’

Or maybe Ayu told her.

As I pondered, the car kept moving and soon arrived at the World Returner Association.

As she parked, a burly man came down from above.

He greeted me, effortlessly lifted Ggotbi, and we took the elevator up together.

After laying Ggotbi on a prepared bed, he left.

“Who was that man earlier?”

“Yes, he’s a fellow Returner. He works for the Association.”

Indeed, the World Returner Association.

Every single person here is a Returner.

‘Well, it’s strange that I, a normal person, am here.’

Normally, ordinary people can’t easily enter this place.

“Ugh.”

Meanwhile, Ggotbi groaned as if having a nightmare and curled up.

I covered her with a blanket and scratched my head, looking at Baekseolhyang.

“Um, Baekseolhyang, I think Yoo Ah…”

“Was casting suggestions on herself, right?”

She already knew.

Since she holds a high position in the World Returner Association, I nodded.

“Whatever the suggestion was, the shock of it breaking seems to have hit her hard. That’s why she tried to harm herself.”

For some reason, Yoo Ah couldn’t even utter a sound.

Perhaps, as a Spirit Speaker, she instinctively knew that using her voice would be dangerous.

She seemed to be in great pain.

“Ha-chan, Returners usually have some mental scars.”

Baekseolhyang casually said as if it were obvious.

Listening to her, Baekseolhyang plopped down on the sofa.

“Being suddenly caught in a dimensional shift and suffering in that world, most Returners end up mentally broken.”

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Of course, those who are truly broken often don’t even return.”

I already knew that part.

Most Returners need psychiatric treatment due to severe mental issues.

“That’s why some Returners occasionally impose limits on their own minds.”