Chapter 26
So you shouldn't have been such a terrible person, 'Seong Dohyeon'. Then I would have lived at least a little more comfortably. A sigh escaped me naturally. But staying like this wouldn't change anything. I tried various things again to find something I could do.
I tried every skill I had, but nothing worked. As a last resort, I tried to use Asil to bundle up the slime, but before I could even properly contain it, the slime transformed its body and smoothly melted away.
While I was frustrated that things weren't going my way, an ominous premonition suddenly flashed through the back of my head. Feeling a chill, I turned around, and just in time, I saw a slime about to drop onto Baek Hamin's head and Baek Eunseong desperately reaching out his hand.
Baek Eunseong's golem was rolling over, but at that speed, it would be too late.
[Baek Hamin!]
I used 'Heavenly Command' and shouted toward Baek Hamin. His innocent face turning toward me seemed to move in slow motion.
"Huh?"
[Step back!]
At my words, Baek Hamin yanked himself backward like a marionette.
"Uncle...!"
I grabbed the body of Baek Hamin, who was running toward me with a moved expression, and spun him around to face the slime. Then I raised an eyebrow at Baek Eunseong, who was staring at me with a stiff expression.
My heart was already pounding from stress, wondering what nerve he would pick at this time. I watched Baek Eunseong's smooth lips open, but my eyes widened at the words that followed.
"Thank you for saving Hamin."
"...What?"
"However, I would appreciate it if you refrained from using skills on people."
Of course. Even when saved, he makes a fuss.
I was about to reflexively raise my middle finger toward Baek Eunseong's pink eyes, which shone particularly vividly today, but I recalled the past of 'Seong Dohyeon', who used to throw a fit demanding payback even after being saved, and quietly curled my finger back into a fist.
After finishing off the slime that was struggling until its last breath, Baek Eunseong immediately approached Baek Hamin to check his condition. When that guy stared at me without a word, I felt self-conscious and habitually picked a fight.
"What. What is it."
"To be honest, I don't understand why you're acting like this."
"Would it make a difference if you knew?"
When I asked sarcastically, Baek Eunseong sighed and averted his gaze before meeting my eyes again.
"Yes. A lot."
Baek Eunseong, who answered firmly, took another step closer.
"If it were the usual you, instead of saving Hamin, you would have attacked Hamin yourself."
That's right. If it were 'Seong Dohyeon', that's exactly what he would have done.
He would have massively increased the number of slimes with 'Plop Plop' and then quietly slipped to the back. Then he would have watched Baek Eunseong struggling alone and laughed creepily.
With my arms crossed, I looked down at Baek Hamin, who was already glancing between me and Baek Eunseong. Despite surveying us with round, tense eyes, Baek Hamin was growing white clover around the area to stay on alert.
'No matter how young, a hunter is still a hunter.'
Baek Eunseong stared at me as I blatantly ignored him, then turned away with a sigh. I thought he would just walk away, but he quickly came back and added a remark.
"We'll talk about this later."
Baek Eunseong, dragging out the end of his sentence, came close enough to grab me by the collar and whispered softly.
"I clearly remember how much you hated Hamin all this time."
Looking at him constantly suspecting and being wary of me, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
'Should I... be happy about this?'
That someone finally found me strange?
Of course, there was one thing I wanted to correct in Baek Eunseong's words. It was only half true that 'Seong Dohyeon' hated Baek Hamin. 'Seong Dohyeon' didn't just hate Baek Hamin; he hated everyone in the world. It wasn't that he specially hated only this kid.
No one noticed that the contents had changed even though the shell had been swapped, showing just how much of a wall 'Seong Dohyeon' had built against others. Even the Association President, who was closest to him, still didn't know that someone else was inside 'Seong Dohyeon'.
I watched Baek Eunseong dismantling the golem and scratched the back of my neck.
My circumstances are my circumstances. The reason I saved Baek Hamin just now was definitely not because I wanted him to notice that I'd changed or anything like that. I expected Baek Eunseong to think it was strange, but that was it; there was no deeper meaning.
Simply, because I already knew. How much it hurts when you get hurt.
Even an S-rank hunter could die if they weren't careful. After experiencing that firsthand, my wish for Baek Eunseong to fail remained the same, but I didn't want him to get hurt. It was the same for Baek Hamin.
If 'Seong Dohyeon' knew I was having such thoughts with his own body, he'd come to kill me. Thinking about that made me suddenly curious.
'What happens if I die right now?'
Would I return to my original body, or would I die and Seong Dohyeon reclaim his body? I pondered it deeply, but it was a question without an answer. I couldn't just die out of curiosity, so diligently gathering materials to return to my original world was the best option.
When would I ever gather all those materials, repair M's Belt, and return to my original world?
Sighing, I looked at the squirming Dungeon Core.
Since it's the last wave, I hope bats appear. Baek Eunseong said he'd prepare some from the warehouse, but I still wanted to obtain them myself. I didn't want to owe Baek Eunseong even a speck of debt.
After waiting a little, the flapping sound of wings could be heard from not too far away. And at the same time, a pain that felt like my ears were going to tear apart shot through me.
"It's a bat!"
Just as Baek Hamin said, the bat I had been hoping for appeared, but I couldn't do anything.
"Hunter Seong Dohyeon?"
"Uncle?"
Struggling in pain that felt like my brain was melting, I barely managed to turn off the 'Day Words, Night Words' skill. But the aftermath of the pain lingered, leaving me unable to stand and forcing me to stay collapsed on the ground for a long time.
After barely pulling myself together while dry heaving, I swung my hand at the bat shooting soundwaves straight ahead.
The bat deflected my attack using its soundwaves and retreated backward.
I could barely stand, but my head still felt like it was rattling, making me grind my teeth. After taking a deep breath, I used 'Plop Plop' on the bat. I watched the soundwave fired at the same time the bat opened its mouth clash with my attack and cancel each other out, then bit my lip hard.
...Ah, this is annoying.
This was the first time I'd felt this kind of powerlessness since being possessed.
Growing anxious because even 'Heavenly Command' didn't work, I alternated looking between the skill window and the bat, then swiftly snatched Baek Hamin, who was standing in my way.
"Hamin!"
As I pulled Baek Hamin into my arms, a wall rose right before my eyes. I reflexively stepped back and felt something hard touch the back of my head while confirming Baek Hamin, who was safely tucked in my embrace.
Eyes, fine. Nose, no blood. I confirmed that Baek Hamin was uninjured and immediately yelled.
"You! Why did you jump out like that?!"
"Uncl..."
"Did you learn or not that jumping in front of someone who's attacking can get you hurt?!"
"Wait a moment."
Turning around at the voice close behind me, I furrowed my brow as much as I could.
'Why is this bastard's chest right in front of my face?'
"Move."
It was the moment I tried to forcefully push Baek Eunseong's chest away.
The moment my palm made contact, it felt like all the blood in my body drained away, and at the same time, my legs wobbled uncontrollably. Startled, I quickly pulled my hand away and swatted away Baek Eunseong's hand that was trying to support me.
"Are you not going to move?!"
I fiercely yelled and looked up at Baek Eunseong, who was standing as rigidly as a tower. He was looking at me with a shocked face, as if he'd just seen a cat walking on two legs.
"Hunter Seong Dohyeon, just now..."
Our gazes tangled, and after enduring his stare for a moment, I inadvertently stepped back. Baek Eunseong's pink eyes were shining with a different light than usual.
Like a ravenously starving beast...
"Uncle!"
Startled, Baek Eunseong and I turned away from each other and reached out to Baek Hamin. Baek Hamin, who came to me instead of Baek Eunseong, glanced between the two of us while growing morning glories that lightly brushed against my knee.
...Knee?
Knee... As I muttered and chewed on the word, a fact I'd forgotten suddenly came to mind.
Baek Eunseong said he had a curse on his heart. The spot my hand touched just now must have been exactly that location. Since I had been using my skill until just now, it seemed I had inadvertently pressed the curse as well when pushing Baek Eunseong away.
I ended up doing someone else a favor for nothing.
I deliberately didn't embrace Baek Hamin, who was reaching out his arms, and hardened my expression.
"Just now... Hamin, you were in the wrong. You shouldn't do something so dangerously around a Hunter who's in the middle of attacking."
Baek Eunseong, who barely opened his mouth to break the silence, came over, stroked Baek Hamin's head, and then immediately avoided my gaze when our eyes met. I also turned away from Baek Eunseong.
In the past, the person who almost died from jumping in front of a Hunter in combat was 'Seong Dohyeon', and the Hunter who almost killed him was Baek Eunseong. According to 'Seong Dohyeon's' memories, that day was the first and last time Baek Eunseong ever got angry.
"Let's... talk about this later. Hamin is reflecting on his actions too."
"Talk about what later? Did you forget we're in the middle of a dungeon raid?"
It might have been fine this time, but this was an accident that could happen again and again while inside the dungeon. Shouldn't we drill it into his head so he never does it again, instead of trying to brush it off?
Is it because Yang Jihwan, who's close to him, is a healing Hunter, so it's fine as long as injuries are treated? Is that it?
As Baek Eunseong and I glared at each other, Baek Hamin, looking thoroughly cowed, apologized to me.
"Hamin just... was worried Uncle would get hurt... I'm sorry..."
Baek Hamin, fidgeting with his fingers while glancing at me, reached his arms out again as if asking to be held, but I steadfastly ignored him. Then, stepping past the wall Baek Eunseong had created, I strode forward.
Irritation flared up. I didn't like being in a position where I had to be protected by a kid like this, and I didn't like this situation where a kid like this sacrificed himself to save me.
Grinding my teeth, I glared at the bat shining its red eyes at me. If attacks don't work, you just keep going until they do, right? They said against a boss where Meteor doesn't work, you use basic attacks or counters.
With a light sigh, I surveyed the bats hanging from the ceiling and shook my left wrist.
[Heavenly Command]
At the loud ringing sound rather than a lullaby, the bats, which were already on edge, began to struggle. So this does work.
Feeling pain as if blood was pouring from my ears, I shook the bracelet. Agitated by the nerve-grating ringing, the bats spread their wings and swooped down toward me.