After that, they went to eat and ordered ramen.
"It's okay, Sarah, today is my treat. Eat as much as you want." Sarah finished a whole bowl of ramen. "This place is really delicious. Can we eat here again next time?"
He nodded
While they were eating, the television displayed a headline about what had happened in the dungeon. Half of the dungeon had been destroyed, and it was suspected to have been attacked by a high-tier monster.
However, there were no traces found for now. As a safety measure, the dungeon would be closed temporarily for new hunters.
Sarah was shocked. "Kaizen, wasn't that our doing? Why does it sound so bad in the news?"
"That's why I told you not to use maximum power. That's my ability—any weapon I enchant or create becomes incredibly powerful, but the downside is it can only be used once. But it's fine, we managed to escape earlier. Maybe they don't have any evidence."
"But why don't you want to register as a hunter? With your power, you could easily get an S rank."
" No, it's just that I'm afraid of fighting. I have a past that I can't forget. Let's just eat first. Later, we'll head back to the guild—Emma might scold us again."
---
After the destruction of half of the Rank E dungeon, two representatives from the Hunter Association came to inspect the damage that had occurred.
The ones who came for the investigation were two Rank A hunters named Maya and Samuel. They were dressed in suits and began asking the guards what they had seen.
"Did you see what happened?" Maya asked one of the guards.
But their answer was no. They explained that after the earthquake occurred inside the dungeon, everyone started running.
"We went in and focused on rescuing all the hunters inside. There were no signs of a disaster-tier monster, but all the goblins were killed by the attack."
Maya and Samuel started discussing.
" Samuel, what do you think caused all this? Surely it wasn't one of the ranked hunters who did this. Should we check the list of hunters who entered today?"
" I think so too. And don't forget to check the guardians and their subordinates as well. Maybe someone incredibly powerful did this. This level of power could be considered a world disaster—it could destroy the earth in an instant."
Meanwhile, at the Honey Bunny Guild, Kaizen seemed to be asleep, and Sarah was busy playing games on her phone. The guild looked quiet and deserted.
Emma seemed to have returned after managing to leave the Snake Guild. She saw the two of them lazing around. She screamed in excitement after successfully leaving the guild.
Hey everyone, let's eat! I'm really happy today!
But Kaizen and Sarah ignored her
"Her is enticing them to listen. If you guys don't want to eat today, we will go to rank S dungeon."
"Kaizen suddenly got up, but we've already eaten. How about going for a walk in the city today? I need new clothes. As the vice leader, I need to look smart, right?"
"Hmm okay, let's go.
They all went to the mall for a walk. Once they reached the clothing store, Emma chose for Kaizen, 'These clothes are suitable for you. Go try them on.'"
"After Kaizen entered the fitting room, he came out in full style. 'How's my style now? Have you fallen for me? I feel like all the girls might fall in love after seeing me like this.'"
"Emma and Sarah felt like throwing up seeing Kaizen's behavior. 'Where did you meet him, Emma?' Emma replied, 'I picked him up by the roadside when he was little out of pity. I should have just ignored him back then.'"
"Kaizen, you forgot to wear pants, we can see your underwear," they both blushed.
He looked down to avoid the embarrassment.
"It's bigger than you think," he said, quickly closing the curtain.
After shopping for clothes, a group of people approached Emma. It seemed like her ex-guild.
"What are you doing here, Emma?"
"Just shopping for my new member."
"Ohhh—they look really weak. Why did you leave the guild anyway? Even though your powers are cursed, you could at least be our lackey." They laughed.
Emma didn't bother to entertain them and asked Kaizen and Sarah to leave, but they were stopped. Sarah felt angry, "Hey, you brats! Can you let us go now? Or else I'll kick each one of you!"
They started mocking Sarah. "What can you even do? It looks like a Rank E trying to back up their useless leader."
" Kaizen held Sarah and said, "I don't feel like interfering, but they've gone too far mocking Emma. But, Sarah, minimize your power this time, and don't kill them."
Emma stopped Kaizen and said, "Don't do it. Sarah, I'm fine. Let's just leave and ignore them." She wanted to avoid any trouble.
Sarah has started to calm down, and they left the place. Kaizen began to ask, "What made you change, Emma? You're so gentle now. This isn't the Emma I know, but if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. It's like you have a lover there, don't you?"
Emma remained silent. It seemed like she didn't want to revisit the past. Kaizen noticed that Emma was feeling sad, so he started making jokes.
"Ahhh, how could you do this to me? We've been together since we were young. Why does the past have to lose? I hate new guys..." he said, while peeking.
"Haha, it's okay, Emma. Even if you're with another man, I'll be the loser who always supports you. Consider it a reward because your family has taken care of me since I was little."
Sarah laughed, "Lucky Emma, she always has someone to support her."
"Did you get jealous, Sarah? I'll also support you as a reward for being our guild member. Let's go home. They really spoiled the mood."
As they went back home, Kaizen accompanied Emma to her house. He noticed she looked very sad. Kaizen offered to cook for her.
"Do you want to eat anything? I'll cook for you. Just wait, I'll make it quick."
"I didn't even know you had a boyfriend before this. It's not about the curse, right? Is that why you left the guild?"
"You should have told me if someone hurt you. I'm not just a place for you to stop by and forget your past. That really hurt when you lied to me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't have the courage to tell you. I just didn't want you to worry."
"But if you created this guild just to prove something to your ex-boyfriend, then forget it. I won't help. People aren't toys to be used and then thrown away. Here's your food. I'll take my leave."
"Don't forget to eat. Take your time. About the guild, let me and Sarah handle it. Don't interfere with us."
Kaizen walked out of the house without looking back. As a childhood friend, he felt used and discarded after achieving success. He lit a cigarette and walked toward the bus station.
"Today feels really shit-- . Maybe I should drink some beer." Suddenly, a woman's voice could be heard from a distance.
It was Emma, but Kaizen was wearing headphones and didn't hear her. He boarded the bus and left. Emma felt guilty for using Kaizen, but it was all too late now.
She had taken Kaizen's loyalty and support for granted, and now, she was left with regret. Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered to herself, "I'm sorry, Kaizen. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Kaizen, on the other hand, decided to stop at a small bar on his way home. He ordered a beer and sat alone, reflecting on everything.
"Maybe this is for the best," he thought.
"Sometimes, you have to walk away to find your own peace."
All this time, my life revolved around her. Without my buff, her stats would be a piece of shit. Kaizen started to feel regret deep in his heart.
Alert!! A dungeon has appeared around Kimsan. The hunter's watch indicated the emergence of an abnormal dungeon, and it was located near the stall.
Monsters began pouring out of the dungeon, and among them was a high-rank scorpion. However, Kaizen was already drunk and had passed out. The monster started attacking the surroundings, destroying nearby stalls. It raised its pincers and charged straight toward Kaizen.
System Alert : Owner of this body in danger!! The owner of the body is near death. Skill triggered: Soul Change in 5...4...3...2...1...
"Soul Change Complete. New Host Detected. All Skills Unlocked."
Kaizen—or whoever was now in control of his body—stood up, his movements sharp and calculated, as if a completely different person had taken over. The once-drunk and helpless hunter now exuded an aura of power and danger.
The high-rank scorpion's lifeless body lay nearby, and the surrounding destruction came to a halt as the new soul assessed the situation.
System Notification:
- Host Status: Unknown Soul Detected
- Skills : Fully Active
- Warning : Proceed with Caution. Unknown Entity in Control.
Suddenly, the high-rank scorpion dropped dead instantly. The system scanned the surroundings and detected that the soul inhabiting the body was no longer the owner's. All skills in the body were now active.