EFME 87

Sunyul returned home and got into a bathtub filled with warm water. A refreshing scent wafted pleasantly from the bath, into which he had put a bath bomb.

It felt like the fatigue from today’s ordeal was easing a little.

He had gone through so much while being punished by Muyoung. Of course, it wasn’t just an ordeal, it was also good, but…

‘Ugh.’

Feeling his penis, which he thought wouldn’t get hard anymore, starting to stiffen, Sunyul forced himself to think of something else.

After bathing for a good while, Sunyul came out, wearing only a bathrobe, and lunged onto his bed. He didn’t even have the energy to change into his pajamas.

Sunyul snuggled under the covers and, while lying down, recalled what Muyoung had told him on the way.

‘Valeria said she wants to meet you.’

‘Valeria… you mean the prophet?’

‘Yes. She suggested meeting in mid-April if you agree to see her. She said she wanted to hear your thoughts on it first.’

‘Mid-April is still a long way off, isn’t it?’

‘She said there’s an ominous fate in March, so she’s not meeting anyone.’

Muyoung said, sounding extremely displeased.

‘Why would she want to meet me?’

‘It’s not an urgent meeting, so it’s probably not anything important. If it were important, she would have at least called. It’s just my guess, but I think she might be trying to apologize to you.’

An apology.

He didn’t know what to do.

To be honest, he didn’t have good feelings toward Valeria. Her prophecy, ‘Sunyul and the Fissure are related,’ was what had driven Sunyul into a corner, so there was no way he could like her.

But that didn’t mean he hated her so much that he couldn’t forgive her. Valeria, too, must have announced that prophecy only because she was worried about the Fissure. If she were to apologize… he could probably accept it.

In that sense, he did want to receive an apology. But the idea that she was trying to apologize was, after all, just a guess.

‘You don’t have to meet her. It’s not even funny that she’s suggesting a meeting so much later, when she should be coming to beg for forgiveness right now.’

That’s what Muyoung had said. It seemed like he had a point, but it also felt like a bit of a waste to miss the opportunity to see Valeria.

She was a prophet, after all. She might be asking to meet because she has some good information.

Sunyul tossed and turned on the bed, deep in thought.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ asks if you had a good time.]

Just then, a message from the constellation arrived. Sunyul glared at the message in front of him.

‘…Is that you? Yoon Saebyeok.’

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ is surprised that you figured it out sooner than expected.]

Sunyul had half-guessed. He had thought the probability of him being wrong was over fifty percent… but to think he was really a constellation.

There were several odd things. The constellation’s message that interjected at a moment when it normally wouldn’t, and the powerful skill that was suddenly added so casually.

Above all, the hunter name ‘The Dawn That Never Comes’ was the deciding factor.

If the dawn doesn’t come, the eternal night continues. It was a rather blatant naming choice.

‘How is this possible? Can you just interfere with the system? And how did you become a human?’

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ whispers that it’s a trade secret.]

‘Then you shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.’

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ says that Sunyul was the one who spoke first.]

But wasn’t the constellation the one who had been subtly dropping hints? Sunyul couldn’t agree with his constellation.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ clears his throat.]

‘Lim Sunyul points a finger, saying, “Look at that.”’

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ asks if you are imitating him now.]

‘Lim Sunyul asks if you have a problem with it.’

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ likes it, saying he’s doing it because you’re cute.]

“…”

Sunyul stopped immediately. The constellation, finding it so amusing, sent messages saying he was laughing three times in a row.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ explains that, to tell you just a little, becoming human itself is not impossible, and it’s possible with a little bit of know-how.]

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ explains, however, that freely registering with the system is normally impossible, even for a great being like himself.]

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ explains that as a result of the system’s desires and his own desires aligning, he was granted permission to register Yoon Saebyeok into Earth’s system.]

Sunyul talked a little more with the constellation.

The constellation had created a human body through some method. Then, he had falsified his identity by manipulating electronic records and was integrated as a normal citizen of the Republic of Korea.

In this process, he had awakened as an A-rank Awakened and registered with the system, which is something that’s impossible even for a constellation. Unless there was some sort of deal with the system.

And so, the constellation ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ entered the Cheongyeon Guild under the human guise of ‘Yoon Saebyeok’… or so the story went.

Sunyul decided he had to share this fact with Muyoung immediately.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ says that wouldn’t it be no fun if he’s found out already.]

“…”

Fun, my ass. This won’t do. I should really go and tell him right away…

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ cries sorrowfully that that’s too cruel.]

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ threatens to stick to you every day as Yoon Saebyeok if you do that.]

The constellation, flustered, sent messages rapidly.

I don’t want that⋅.

If the other party was a constellation and not an ordinary human, it seemed possible for him to stick to Sunyul no matter what.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ cries sorrowfully that it’s such harsh treatment when he just joined in a little because it looked fun.]

Fun, he says. How absurd. Wouldn’t it be better to tell Muyoung? A dangerous person—no, a dangerous constellation—is sitting right here in the guild.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ persuades you that it will by no means be a loss for Sunyul either.]

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ appeals to you to think of our loyalty.]

Sunyul clicked his tongue.

Well, he was his constellation, anyway.

Even though he was noisy, occasionally annoying, and mostly useless…

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ indignantly states that he is kind and useful.]

…Anyway, on the day of the monster attack, it was true that he helped by telling him to use [Polar Night] and [Meteor]. And he had taken his side in many ways.

‘Alright. I’ll keep your secret.’

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ is overjoyed.]

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ asks you to register his phone number then.]

“…”

What on earth does that have to do with anything? As Sunyul hesitated, he received a phone call. The caller was the constellation he had been talking to just moments ago.

─Hello?

“What is it?”

─Haha. It’s nice talking like this. Don’t you think?

“I don’t know about that.”

Sunyul said bluntly. He didn’t usually talk to others this way, but for some reason, the words just came out with this constellation.

In reality, the being on the other end was a mysterious entity with transcendent power. It was right to be afraid. But Sunyul wasn’t afraid of him at all. Rather, it felt like he would put up with all of Sunyul’s stubbornness, or something like that, and that vague feeling made him feel at ease.

A low laugh could be heard from over the receiver. The calm voice, now that he knew his identity, suited the ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ quite well.

─Are you not going to call me Saebyeok-ie hyung anymore?

“Why should I call you that?”

─What are you going to call me in front of others?

“Hunter Yoon Saebyeok.”

─You’ve already dropped the formalities with me, though? Everyone will find it strange.

“…”

─It’s better to use the same form of address even in private, just in case. Go on, try calling me. Saebyeok-ie hyung.

“I’ll try my best without calling you that.”

─Haha.

His laugh was a little annoying.

─Well, I guess it’s better not to act too close, right? I don’t want to get kicked out of the guild.

“Did you do something that could get you kicked out of the guild?”

─I did today.

“What in the world are you going around doing?”

─Haha.

He just laughed and didn’t answer properly. Sunyul, feeling anxious for no reason, lowered his voice.

“Don’t do anything weird. You worked so hard to get in, you should stay for a long time.”

─You think so, too, right? Okay, I’ll be careful from now on.

“…Yeah.”

The constellation wasn’t an idiot, so he would do fine on his own from now on. Sunyul felt a great sense of relief.

─On that note, I’m going to hang up soon. Save this number.

“…Okay.”

The constellation hung up without any lingering attachment. Sunyul saved the constellation’s number. It felt strange to have a means of two-way communication now, between a relationship where he had only been receiving one-sided contact every day.

Always, forever, in the darkness where no one was, there had been times when he passed the time… waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting again… for him, the only one who would talk to him.

“…”

Sunyul felt a throbbing in his head. Even amidst the splitting headache, a smile formed on his lips.

‘…Not bad.’

Sunyul put down his smartphone and lay back down on the bed. And in an instant, he fell asleep.