"Hunter, may I have your business card?"
"…Sure."
Yoon Seo hesitated briefly before taking out a business card and handing it over.
The Guild of Leaves' business cards were far from polished. Yoon Seo had requested multiple times for them to be improved, but the overly proud guild master ignored his pleas.
"This is the first time I've ever received a hunter's business card."
The building owner looked at it with reverence. If they had seen even a single business card from another guild, they would have realized just how shabby this one was.
"Hunter, do you also have a hunter name?"
"I don't use a hunter name since I'm not part of the combat division."
"Ah, I see."
"Well, if there's any issue, please contact the number on the card."
"Are you leaving already? How about a cup of tea before you go?"
"I'm behind on work. Please head inside since it's hot."
"Oh, you must be busy. I understand…"
After parting ways with the regretful building owner, Yoon Seo got into his car, parked in the building's lot.
"Driver Yoon Seo, identification complete. Please specify your destination."
The automatic biometric recognition finished, and the car's AI started the engine. As Yoon Seo checked his U-Pad and entered the next address, a notification appeared.
Old Gi
The name of the guild master, Gi Sanghyuk, flashed on the screen. Yoon Seo moved his finger to accept the call.
"What is it?"
– What kind of greeting is 'What is it?' when talking to your guild master?
"What do you want?"
– Hey, Yoon Seo. Watch your tone. If I'd gotten married young, I'd have a kid your age by now.
"If you've got nothing important to say, I'm hanging up."
– Wait, don't hang up!
The finger that had been hovering near the end-call button paused.
– If you've finished setting up the traps, head to Yeouinaru Daesung Securities right now. An emergency maintenance request just came in.
"Is this subcontract work?"
– Yes, it's subcontracted from the Rainbow Guild. Two of your team members are already there, but it looks like it'll take them all day on their own. You'll need to go help.
Yoon Seo smirked. The guild master talked as if there were plenty of team members, but the Guild of Leaves was a small guild with a total of twelve people: one guild master, five dungeon raiders, three from the management team, and three from the civilian support team. In other words, the civilian support team consisted of Team Leader Park Youngbum, team member Goh Heewon, and Yoon Seo.
"I'll head there right away. It'll take 10 minutes."
– Good. And make sure you come to the gathering tonight. It's an all-hands meeting, and there's an important announcement.
"That sounds annoying."
– You brat, watch your tone…
"Just send the announcement via text or tell me now. I've got a rabbit-like drama waiting for me at home."
– You mean that bizarre drama about making kimchi stew?
Yoon Seo's eyebrow twitched.
"Love in Han River isn't bizarre. It's a profound series that reminds us we're not the only beings in this vast universe who make kimchi stew."
– Sure, sure. What's bizarre is you. You've watched that drama, where kimchi stew is the entire plot so many times you've memorized all the lines and scenes.
"Well then, goodbye."
– Ah! Wait! Don't hang up. I'll end the gathering early so you can hear the announcement and get back home in time to watch your drama.
"You'll really end it early?"
– Of course. I'm too scared of you not to. Damn it, this guild is full of people who treat their guild master like some pushover…
The voice trailed off. Yoon Seo ended the call without hesitation and added the rest of the day's schedule to a free time slot for tomorrow.
"Sticky Rice, take me to Daesung Securities headquarters."
"Yes, Master. Departing for Daesung Securities headquarters in Yeouinaru."
The car moved smoothly. The guild master was probably cursing up a storm right now, but he wouldn't call back. He already knew from experience that Yoon Seo wouldn't answer.
[Mustache] (Photo) Look at my daughter's drawing skills, lol.
[Assistant Manager Kim from Management Team] Yoon Seo, are you coming to the gathering today?
[Annoying Park] It's almost the anniversary, and you're not coming again this year?
Since his phone was already out, Yoon Seo checked the backlog of messages. There were no urgent ones, and while the guild group chat was noisy as usual, he ignored it. However, it was harder to ignore a message from Park Juhwang.
[Me] Sorry, I'm busy with work |
[Me] I've got a business trip scheduled that day |
[Me] Sorry, I won't be able to make it |
Yoon Seo tried various ways to phrase his rejection but eventually gave up and closed the chat. It had been 10 years since he last went; they'd surely expect him to skip again this year.
His already dampened mood, worsened by the hot weather and rooftop labor, sank further at the mention of the anniversary.
'It's that time of year again.'
He thought about it every year, how fast time flew.
Yoon Seo opened the internet. On the portal site's main page, the words "10th Anniversary of the Great Dungeon Clear" were displayed in large letters. The anniversary was two weeks away, but the world had been in a frenzy for nearly three months now. It was always like this around this time, but the 10th anniversary seemed to amplify the hype even more this year.
When Yoon Seo entered the news site dedicated to Awakeners, it was filled with stories about the Great Dungeon. He projected a video into the air. It was a panel discussion featuring experts on Awakeners that Yoon Seo was already familiar with.
"Ten years ago, the Great Dungeon was a truly horrific nightmare. From the day the dungeon appeared to the day it was cleared, those three months were the period with the highest human casualties on Earth since the first day of the Great Cataclysm. Most Awakeners entered the dungeon, leaving none to handle the dungeons still appearing outside. Monsters poured out, explosions erupted here and there… I only remember spending that time inside a bunker."
"That's right. It was also the period with the highest suicide rates in human history. Many who predicted the Great Dungeon would fail to be cleared chose to end their own lives. Thinking back to that time is still painful and distressing. It's hard to believe it's already been ten years."
"I thought that was how the world would end. Those three months were truly horrific."
'Three horrific months, they say….'
Listening to the discussion with dry eyes, Yoon Seo smirked bitterly to himself.
They don't know anything. What true horror really is.
"Not only outside the dungeon but also inside the Great Dungeon, there were many noble sacrifices by the Revengers. Out of 1,203 Revengers, only four survived. Let's not forget that Korea was the nation that bore the greatest sacrifices."
"That's right. Back then, as now, Korea was the strongest country on Earth and bore the duty of protecting the planet. Many hunters participated. Seo Chaeyoon, Lee Domin, Kim Miji, Lee Kangjin, Bae Suyeon… Korea contributed 691 Awakeners, more than half of the total. However, the only Korean Awakener who survived was Seo Chaeyoon, the youngest Revenger and the ace of the Revengers."
"I remember watching the live news coverage. His face wasn't visible, but he was carried out unconscious and disappeared completely afterward. Not even the Korean government, the Hunter Association, or the World Hunter Federation knew the identity of Seo Chaeyoon. Is that true?"
"Only Gaia would know the truth about Seo Chaeyoon's identity. Seo Chaeyoon was an alias, and he always wore a mask when appearing in public. The European hunter La Bijina, who entered the Great Dungeon with him, knows his true face, but her mental state is unstable, making proper communication difficult. Additionally, she's bound by an unknown skill that compels her to keep his identity a secret. Ultimately, no one in this world truly knows who he is."
"Fitting for the nickname 'The Little Savior,' he's a truly mysterious hunter."
"Haha, there's a rumor Seo Chaeyoon hated that nickname. He supposedly said he wasn't little."
"Really? Well, he must be a full-grown adult by now. If you're listening, we're sorry. Please come and let us apologize."
The people in the video laughed warmly. Meanwhile, Yoon Seo's expression grew darker.
"Now, let's recap the known details. Seo Chaeyoon is male, presumed to be in his late twenties to early thirties, and one of the first Awakeners, active since the early days 12 years ago…."
Yoon Seo turned off the video. Suddenly exhausted, he pressed his fingers against his forehead. Around the 10th anniversary, everyone everywhere talked about Seo Chaeyoon, but this year, it was worse than ever. Honestly, it was absurd to hold the commemoration on July 17th. Ten years ago, July 17th was the day they entered the Great Dungeon, not the day it was cleared, that was October 2nd.
"Sticky Rice, dim the lights."
"Yes, Master."
As the car lights dimmed, Yoon Seo reclined the seat and leaned back deeply with his eyes closed. He wasn't planning to sleep, he knew he'd just have nightmares. Instead, he let his thoughts wander in the silence.
Three more days until payday. Last month's phone bill was 60,000 won. Should I switch to unlimited data for an extra 10,000 won a month? They say signing up for the unlimited drama app reduces the phone bill. When I get home, I'll have kimchi stew with fried eggs. Eat quickly, work out a bit, then watch some drama.
Damn it….
Yoon Seo opened his eyes. He'd thought of someone who used to sprinkle an obscene amount of pepper on fried eggs. A scruffy, bearded man who added pepper to every meal. Before dying, the man left a will, he wanted one last bowl of peppered soup. Those who heard it couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
'All those wills were a complete mess. And yet here I am, still alive because of those damned wills.'
Yoon Seo sighed. He rummaged through his pockets but found them empty, prompting another sigh. Finally, he summoned his inventory in his mind.
A translucent window appeared in front of him. Yoon Seo took out a pill bottle containing antidepressants, anti-panic medication, and various other tranquilizers. He opened the cap and poured them directly into his mouth. Swallowing three or four pills at once without water, Yoon Seo put the bottle back into his shirt pocket instead of his inventory.
'Ah, I want to die. Seriously….'
Even after taking the pills, his head throbbed.
Wherever he was, whenever it was, whatever he thought about, it all connected back to them.
Even ten years later, the past when he was Seo Chaeyoon still haunted him.