"I think that's... good?" I leaned back, staring at the words on the notebook.
It was just a story.
But my chest felt heavy.
It felt like the kind of story that belonged in an S-rank dungeon.
It was tragic, final, and poetic.
Of course, I could've given it a happy ending. The Saintess survives, defeats the demons, escapes her chains, maybe find another world and lives happily ever after as a normal person.
But why should I?
A story without sacrifice... is just a bedtime tale. And the system look like they would prefer a tragic story over a happy one...
『 Quest Complete! 』
『 You have earned the following rewards: 』
‣ Stat Boost: +5 vitality, +3 Focus
‣ Me▓▓▓▓ S▓▓▓: 10% ▲
‣ Random Skill Acquired: Eyes of the 12 Gods – Can see information according to your will.
[ ??? is now watching you. ]
I barely had time to process the notifications before a sharp force yanked me forward.
My vision twisted, and then everything vanished.
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the library-like dungeon.
Instead, I was outside... still holding Jinhyuk's arm, just like before we walked through that strange golden door.
"Jinhyuk-ssi?" I blinked, confused. "What happened? Wait... are you okay?" You look like you went through a storm.
He didn't answer right away.
Blood was dripping from his face, trailing down his chin.
His black sword hung low in one hand, soaked in deep red, leaving a trail behind him.
Then, with a sharp breath, he ran a hand through his hair with an unreadable expression. Cold? No, I think he's annoyed.
What's up with this guy?
I quickly loosened my grip on his arm. Just in case he decided to hurl me into the stratosphere or something.
"...Fuck," he muttered under his breath.
I flinched.
His eyes still didn't meet mine.
"U-uhm, Jinhyuk-ssi?" I asked again, this time more carefully. "Are you... alright?"
He finally looked at me.
Just a glance, but it felt like he wanted to stab me. Like he was trying to play out the scenario in his head or something.
I tried not to squirm under the pressure... Was there something on my forehead? Maybe some dirt? No, wait... was he mad at me?
"It sent you somewhere else," he said quietly.
I blinked. "Huh? Oh... right. The room with the books."
His brows twitched. "Books? You didn't fight anyone?"
"No." I shook my head. "Just wrote a story and got kicked out."
He didn't respond. Just kept staring at me, like I'd said something strange.
"You're telling me," he began slowly , "that your trial... was writing a story?"
I nodded.
"And you survived."
Another nod.
He stared at me for a long second, then let out a sharp breath. It sounded almost like a laugh, but there was no humor in it.
"Well, at least you're fine."
Poor guy. He looked like he'd just crawled out of hell.
"What about you?" I asked, cautiously. "What did you go through? Was it not the same for you?"
He ran a hand through his messy, blood-matted hair and exhaled heavily.
"I'm guessing... it shows you your worst fear." His voice was rough. "But you just wrote a story, so now I'm starting to question what kind of twisted dungeon that was. Don't tell me... your biggest fear is writing?"
Huh?
"What are you talking about?" I blinked, completely lost. "No? I actually think I'm pretty good at writing."
I smiled a little too proudly in front of someone who looked like they almost died.
He paused.
"...Fuck," he muttered, his expression darkening again.
Yikes. That reaction felt personal.
Now I felt guilty. Whatever trial he faced clearly wasn't easy.
"...Uhm," I hesitated, unsure how to lighten the mood. "You, uh, want some coffee?"
He didn't answer. Just stared for a moment with that unreadable expression again.
Then, without a word, he turned on his heel and started walking ahead.
I stood there awkwardly until he paused a few steps away, glancing back with a tilt of his head, subtle, but clearly motioning for me to follow.
I quickly jogged after him as we walked together side by side in silence.
I took this chance to breathe and check the system screen again. I'd been too surprised to really read it earlier.
『 Quest Complete 』
『 You have earned the following rewards: 』
‣ Stat Boost: +5 vitality, +3 Focus
‣ Me▓▓▓▓ S▓▓▓: 10%
‣ Random Skill Acquired: Eyes of the 12 Gods – Can see information according to your will.
[ ??? is now watching you. ]
"..."
I stopped in my tracks.
...What?
I stared at the last line, blinking slowly.
I dismissed the screen, but that last message refused to leave my head.
[ ??? is now watching you. ]
Not exactly the kind of sentence you just shrug off. But I wasn't going to get any answers by standing here and overthinking.
I jogged a few steps to catch up with Jinhyuk. He walked silently ahead, like nothing had happened. Even now, he looked completely unbothered. A little bloody, sure, but composed.
Must be nice being B-rank.
I frowned as I stared at his back.
...Should I try it?
The screen did say "according to my will."
Just a quick peek.
『 Name: Han Jinhyuk 』
『 Rank: L 』
『 Title: Regressor (88th), Emperor of the Sky, Dragon Slayer...click to see more. 』
『 Constellations: Fist of the Thousand Blossom, Watcher of the World-Root, Shade of The Stars』
『 Abilities: Blossom Strike, Eyes of The Stars, Mana Tracking, Shadow Step, Beast Tongue...click to see more. 』
『 Fate Entanglement: 8%▲ 』
Stats:
— Strength: 999
— Agility: 999
— Vitality: 999
— Focus: 999
— Defense: 999
— Luck: 10
I let out a loud gasp before I could stop myself.
What... What in the gods' names are those stats?
No, seriously. What is this? A bug? A cheat code?
How is this even allowed?!
My eyes darted across the status window, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
Isn't this guy supposed to be a B-rank hunter?
What part of this is "B-rank," huh?!
Are you telling me I've been walking around next to the world's strongest hunter?!
"...What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
I looked away quickly, pretending I was just admiring the sky.
Act normal. You're fine. You're totally fine. Just don't scream again.
But seriously...
Why would someone that powerful pretend to be average?
Why lie about his rank?
Wait. Hold on. Isn't this guy one of the top-ranked hunters in the world? Then why is he pretending to be some average civilian?
Is he... hiding his identity?
I mean, that would make sense. Someone with those stats wouldn't exactly blend in. Maybe he's keeping it under wraps to avoid attention. Or maybe there's a deeper reason.
Okay. Fine. I'll mind my own business. It's not like I'm anyone important.
Come to think of it, his face did look familiar. Did I see him in a ranking article once? No, that can't be right. If he's really someone that important, why would he be talking to someone like me?
Ah... no, wait.
This man...Was the same man who walked up to me at the grocery store and asked if I needed help carrying my bag. The same man I thought was a creep and tried to shake off rudely...
Back then I was convinced he was stalking me.
Arghhh!!!
I buried my face in my hands. My ears were burning.
Seriously, what was I even thinking?! I thought he was interested in me? Me?
I'm so embarrassed I could just evaporate.
There's no way someone like him would have even the slightest interest in someone like me. I must've been hallucinating. I was delusional. Actually, I must've been insane.
I don't know anymore...