EFME 84

The boss monster that appeared after an hour was a monster that looked like a giant slime.

“The village is Korean-style, but the monster seems to have no roots.”

Dakyung clicked his tongue and used a skill. If the skills he had used so far were close to child’s play, the skill he was using against the boss monster was Dakyung’s main skill.

[Using the skill ‘Blizzard’.]

A pure white blizzard began to rage. It wasn’t ordinary snow. It was snow that stole all the warmth from whatever it touched. The boss monster, hit by the snow, staggered and couldn’t move properly.

Just in case, Sunyul used the [Sanctuary Proclamation] skill one more time. Fortunately, the snow from [Blizzard] did not reach the village.

“Sunyul hyung, you land the final blow!”

Dakyung said with a grin. The boss monster, whose health had been drastically reduced by one of Dakyung’s skills, was in a state where it would be finished with just one more hit.

[Using the skill ‘Meteor’.]

Since the [Polar Night] skill was currently active, Sunyul used the [Meteor] skill. A meteor came crashing down from the sky and…

Crash!

The boss monster was crushed to death without so much as a squeak.

“One shot, one kill!”

Though it felt more like Dakyung had already done all the hitting than a one-shot, one-kill. In any case, Dakyung looked extremely excited.

B-grade dungeon clear complete.
Rewards will be distributed according to contribution.

Hidden quest completed.

Hidden quest rewards will be distributed.

Dakyung ran to the boss monster, pushed the meteor aside, then took out a giant sword from his inventory and split the boss monster in two. And then he tried to enter the blood-soaked place.

Sunyul hurriedly stopped him.

“Wait a minute, Dakyung.”

“Why, hyung?”

“You don’t have to go in yourself!”

[Using the skill ‘Researching Magician: Summon’.]

Sunyul summoned a homunculus with a skill he had been using quite well. The small homunculus crossed the blood-soaked area and pulled out the magic stone, the boss monster’s core.

Sunyul summoned several more homunculi and began collecting the dungeon byproducts.

After doing various small tasks like that, Sunyul withdrew the [Sanctuary Proclamation] skill that had been protecting the entire village.

Dakyung scanned the village with his eyes, then ran to the bottom of the totem pole. Then he picked something up and came running back in a flash.

“Hyung! Three Great General Under Heaven and two Female General of the Underworld dropped!”

“Really? That’s great.”

“We can sell these and split the money.”

“You two take one of each. I’ll take one Great General Under Heaven.”

While they were pondering how to divide them, Saebyeok conceded. Dakyung looked at him with eyes full of respect but still shook his head.

“Hyung, you don’t have to…”

“They sell much better as a set. If you insist, then just give me a few more of today’s byproducts.”

“Hmm… okay. Let’s do that then.”

The matter was settled cleanly. From clearing the dungeon to the subsequent settlement, Dakyung was extremely satisfied, thinking they had been a perfect raid party.

After leaving the dungeon, Sunyul checked his smartphone. A message had come from Muyoung in the meantime. As Sunyul stared at the message, Dakyung asked.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, the Guild Master said something came up suddenly and told me not to stop by the guild and go straight home.”

“Then I’ll take you home.”

“What? It’s fine, I can use a warp.”

“Hyuuung. You want to part ways right away when there’s so much I want to talk to you about? Let’s go together.”

Dakyung held onto Sunyul, who was about to just leave. Since they weren’t going to have a separate after-party either, Sunyul ended up getting in the car.

And so, the three of them headed up to Seoul. The trio first stopped at Dakyung’s house, which was the closest. As if sad to part, Dakyung couldn’t easily get out of the car.

“Hyung, today was really great. Your buffs and that new debuff, everything was completely… Ah, really, it was the best.”

Dakyung spat out a refined compliment, holding back the expletives mixed with admiration that threatened to come out in between. He couldn’t swear in front of Sunyul.

“I’m really getting off now. Get home safe, hyungs!”

“Get some good rest, Dakyung.”

“Take care.”

When Dakyung, who had led the conversation in the car, got off, a silence lingered. If he had known this would happen, he should have gotten off with Dakyung. Feeling a bit awkward with just the two of them left, Sunyul fiddled with his hands for no reason, then tentatively started a conversation.

“Hunter Yoon Saebyeok, since when have you been with the Cheongyeon Guild?”

“Calling me Hunter Yoon Saebyeok sounds so stiff. Call me Saebyeok hyung.”

“…Okay.”

“The Vice-Guild Master interviewed me and I joined recently. Actually, I haven’t been active as a hunter for very long.”

“You awakened not too long ago?”

“Not that… I just lived an ordinary life.”

“Why?”

“It’s more comfortable, isn’t it?”

Saebyeok glanced at Sunyul through the rearview mirror. The somehow meaningful gaze seemed to pierce right through Sunyul.

“Isn’t it better to live comfortably than to be tormented, desperately clinging to responsibility?”

“…Isn’t being active as a healer not such a terrible thing?”

“Haha, well, that’s true.”

He was a person who spoke in extremes. Thinking he was indeed a strange person, he cast his gaze out the window, but Saebyeok’s eyes still followed Sunyul.

“Sunyul.”

The voice calling his name was overly soft and affectionate. As if from someone who knew Sunyul very well, who cherished him.

“It’s good now, isn’t it?”

“…What is?”

“I’m asking if you’re happy now.”

“I am… happy.”

“See?”

“…”

What is he talking about?

He couldn’t understand the reason for such a sudden, out-of-the-blue remark. Whether Sunyul was puzzled or not, Saebyeok continued with what he wanted to say.

“I think it was a request that shouldn’t have been granted in the first place.”

“…Pardon?”

“Just because. I felt that you really like people.”

He really didn’t know what he was trying to say. He was a truly incomprehensible person.

And yet, the strange thing was, even though this weird person was suspicious and untrustworthy… strangely, he didn’t dislike him very much.

Should he say he felt a sense of intimacy instead? If he had to say, he liked him. It was different from the ‘like’ he felt for Muyoung. Strangely… it felt like he would be on his side.

He couldn’t understand why he felt this way.

As Saebyeok stopped talking nonsense, the car quickly arrived in front of Muyoung’s house in silence. Saebyeok, who had stopped the car, looked back at Sunyul with an apologetic face.

“Sunyul, I’m sorry, but could I use your bathroom?”

“Uh… yes, go ahead.”

It would have been one thing if it were something else, but it was hard to send him away heartlessly when he needed to use the bathroom. Even though it was Muyoung’s house and not his own. Muyoung would understand that much. Because Muyoung was a generous person.

Sunyul entered the house with Saebyeok.

“Mr. Sunyul, a guest. Welcome.”

“The guest will be using the bathroom for a moment.”

“This way, sir.”

“Are you a homunculus? Thank you.”

As Saebyeok headed to the bathroom, Sunyul went to the living room sofa and sat down, intending to wait for him to come out.

Sunyul recalled the events of the day. Then, suddenly, an old memory he hadn’t intended to recall forced its way in. A familiar headache began to torment Sunyul.

Since it wasn’t a very severe headache, Sunyul decided to ignore it. He was thinking he should go to sleep soon, when the bathroom door opened and Saebyeok came out.

As soon as Saebyeok saw Sunyul, he approached with a worried expression.

“Does your head hurt?”

“What? Ah, no…”

He thought he had gotten quite good at not showing it, as the pain was now familiar. In fact, everyone except Muyoung usually failed to notice. But how on earth did he know? Saebyeok came to Sunyul’s side and reached out his hand.

“Let me see. I’ll use a skill for you.”

“It’s no use, skills and things like that…”

Before he could refuse, Saebyeok’s hand touched Sunyul’s forehead. A cool energy spread from where his hand touched, and gradually, his head began to clear.

“…Huh?”

“It’s better now, right?”

“Yes, it’s… better.”

Saebyeok smiled and removed his hand. As soon as he did, his head began to throb again. Sunyul urgently grabbed his hand.

“Can’t you just keep your hand on for a moment?”

“Alright. But this is a temporary fix. If I keep doing it, the effect will diminish, so come find me when it’s severe.”

“…How do you know?”

“I can tell by looking. I’m a healer, you know.”

He can tell by looking. Is this something you can know just by looking? Besides, was there a skill that could treat this kind of headache? When he had looked at his status window a little while ago, he didn’t think there was such a skill…

Questions arose one after another. In the meantime, the headache had completely subsided.

Just as he was debating whether he should look at his status window one more time before Saebyeok left, he heard the sound of the door opening.

There was only one person who would be coming home. The owner of the house, Muyoung.

Muyoung naturally looked this way.

“What are you doing.”

“Hunter Yoon Saebyeok was helping me with my headache. Thanks to him, my headache has subsided a bit.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

Muyoung looked Saebyeok over from head to toe. Saebyeok removed his hand and bowed his head.

“Hello, Guild Master. I apologize for the intrusion, I had to use the restroom urgently.”

It was an extremely polite attitude, the complete opposite of how he treated Sunyul. Well, Muyoung was the guild master of Cheongyeon, so it was only natural.

“No. It’s fine. But what brings you all the way here?”

“I was clearing a dungeon with Hunter Maru and Hunter Lim Sunyul here today. For practice.”

“It seems you’re adjusting well to the guild.”

“It’s thanks to your consideration, Guild Master. Thank you.”

“Then you may leave now.”

“Yes. I apologize for the imposition.”

At Muyoung’s order to leave, Saebyeok bowed politely and left. He only made eye contact with Sunyul and they couldn’t even say a proper goodbye.

The atmosphere was somewhat strange for saying goodbye. Should he say he was conscious of Muyoung?

“You came back from a dungeon?”

“Yes…”

“Where?”

“Eumseong Dungeon B-277. The one with the totem poles where you protect the village.”

“Ah, that one. You must have had a tough time.”

“It was fine.”

“Go wash up and rest.”

Sunyul nodded his head. For some reason, Muyoung seemed to be in a bad mood… but he thought it must be his imagination.