Ch.30Rescue Operation Is Dangerous (1)

Before leaving, I used necromancy to extract Johan’s memories, albeit imperfectly, and discovered several facts.

First, Johan hadn’t been lying.

“Is he really a member of Styx?”

“I-I think so.”

Looking at his memories, he was even a promising talent. And we had just buried such a person in the dungeon.

“What should we do?”

“Technically, wasn’t it self-defense?”

“True, but…”

The problem was that we had no way to prove it.

The second fact I learned was that Styx’s upper management hadn’t actually intended to harm us.

In other words, this blatant operation was entirely Johan’s personal initiative.

“Damn it. Things got complicated. So from their perspective, this came out of nowhere.”

A promising guild member sent for recruitment and simple intimidation goes missing?

This was serious enough to put Styx on high alert.

‘Honestly, it’s all that Johan guy’s fault, but…’

Would a massive British guild like Styx even care about such details?

I didn’t think so.

They would suspect us and consider us thorns in their side, regardless of how it happened.

This could escalate from a small dispute between individuals or groups to a national issue.

‘…It’s still a bit much.’

If I were my former self, I wouldn’t have cared about such trivial matters. But not now. My current level was still disappointingly far from my prime.

At that moment, Song Hayeon awkwardly continued.

“L-let’s just keep our mouths shut?”

“…”

“We’re just a B-rank and a low C-rank. If we pretend we don’t know anything, how could they suspect us anyway?”

She had a point.

Logically, it made no sense that Johan, who was on the verge of advancing to A-rank, would meet his end at our hands.

Even Styx might suspect but couldn’t be certain.

“Let’s just act like nothing happened. Styx will make moves, but they can’t take action based on uncertain suspicions.”

“We’ll eventually clash with them, though?”

“We just need to buy time until you get stronger, Master.”

Her words convinced me.

The battle happened inside the dungeon anyway, and there was no concrete evidence.

“But what if… he was caught on CCTV or something on his way here?”

Due to my limited power, the memory extraction wasn’t perfect. So I couldn’t know Johan’s exact movements.

“Come on, unless he was a complete idiot, he wouldn’t have been so careless. He must have been careful once he got close.”

It felt a bit unsettling, but we didn’t have many options.

We agreed to feign ignorance if any issues related to Johan arose.

When we exited the dungeon about 30 minutes after defeating the boss, we were greeted by an unfamiliar staff member.

“Ah, did you clear it?”

“Um, where’s the person who was here before…?”

I thought Johan might have done something to them, but surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn’t tense.

“My senior was feeling dizzy, probably from overwork, so I came to replace them.”

“Oh, I see…”

Song Hayeon subtly turned to meet my eyes.

It seemed Johan hadn’t been as careless as we thought.

We nodded to each other, completed the exit procedures, and headed back.

“You understand, right? Nothing happened today.”

“…”

A significant secret had just formed between us.

#

Surprisingly, nothing notable happened for a while afterward.

【B-rank hunter from British major guild Styx goes missing after entering Korea.】

【Trail ends near airport, authorities cooperating fully with investigation.】

These headlines briefly caused a stir, but surprisingly, neither Song Hayeon nor I received any contact from authorities.

‘Either there was simply no connection to us, or there’s something else going on behind the scenes.’

I wasn’t sure about others, but Styx, who sent Johan to Korea, definitely knew about our existence.

Whether their current lack of action was good or bad news remained unclear.

But it didn’t really matter. I had a backup plan if things went south.

‘…It seems they’re hostile toward Helena.’

When I extracted Johan’s memories, I learned a bit about the relationship between Styx and Helena. That’s why I wasn’t particularly worried now.

I planned to handle things myself if possible, but if things went wrong, I intended to ask Helena for help.

Click.

Click click.

Boom!

【Defeat!】

“Sigh.”

After clearing the C5-rank dungeon, I stayed home for a while without tackling any dungeons.

Initially, it was for physical recovery.

Using the Book of Death with my still-insufficient abilities had left me suffering from muscle pain and flu-like symptoms for days.

But that wasn’t the case anymore.

To be honest, I was experiencing burnout.

‘Leveling up is so slow…’

It’s the same in games, but reality is even worse. Just approaching level 20 had already significantly slowed my growth rate.

‘Finally at level 19.’

Even after clearing a C5-rank dungeon with just two people, I only reached level 19.

I couldn’t help but sigh. At this rate, how long would it take to regain all my power?

‘Should I move beyond small dungeons?’

However, getting permission for a two-person party in medium-sized or larger dungeons is extremely difficult. You need to join a proper raid team or guild to access those areas.

That was too troublesome for me right now.

‘…Too annoying. Don’t want to go out.’

I’ve been talking to people too much lately. Even though the side effects have decreased compared to before, it’s still mentally draining.

For now, I needed rest in various ways.

Boom!

【Victory!】

Boom!

【Defeat!】

After being immersed in games for days, I eventually reached a shocking realization.

【Grandmaster: 642P】

‘The points… they’re not changing…’

Logically, this made no sense. My level had increased significantly, and my physical abilities had improved accordingly.

The points should have increased, not stayed the same.

Yet the score remained unchanged.

It just maintained its current state.

What could this possibly mean?

‘Is this the limit of my brain’s capabilities?’

I couldn’t accept it. But there was no other explanation.

I continued playing games, as if denying reality.

Boom!

【Victory!】

Boom!

【Defeat!】

Boom!

【Defeat!】

【Grandmaster: 632P】

“N-no way…”

I finally fell into despair.

#

Baek Seoha had been deeply troubled recently.

‘Could everything my brother said be true?’

The phone call she received from a high-ranking Association official not long ago had been shocking.

“A new record?”

[Yes, that’s right. It’s clearly superior even compared to current S-rank hunters during their rookie days.]

Seo Injae, known as the Association President’s right-hand man, carefully conveyed the Association’s opinion afterward.

[Considering these factors, the circumstances suggest…]

His words certainly had merit. But the biggest question remained unresolved.

“Even if what you’re saying is true, isn’t it even stranger?”

Baek Eunha, once a tall boy, had become a small girl. And she still couldn’t communicate properly due to various mental conditions, including anthropophobia.

If Baek Eunha truly was a powerful necromancer from another world, why would she end up in such a state?

[H-honestly, that part remains a mystery to us as well. That’s why we wanted to ask you to confirm…]

“…I understand what you’re saying.”

That conversation from two days ago was why Baek Seoha had been unable to sleep, lost in deep thought.

‘If it’s true, I feel so sorry…’

Wouldn’t that mean she had been deliberately ignoring Baek Eunha, treating her like a patient, when her sister had been desperately confessing her circumstances?

After much contemplation, Baek Seoha made a decision. She needed to have a serious conversation with her sister.

Nothing would change if she just waited.

Step.

Step.

Click!

“Sister. Um, I need to talk to you about…”

“Ugh.”

Entering the room without knocking, Baek Seoha saw her sister sitting on the floor, hands raised, staring intently at a sketchbook.

Torn pages were scattered everywhere, covered with various shapes drawn clumsily, like a child’s drawings.

“Uh…”

“T-this is. Well, it’s for brain training…”

“…Oh. Sorry for interrupting.”

Click.

The scene was somehow fitting, and Baek Seoha almost laughed out loud. As she hurriedly closed the door and walked away, she thought to herself:

‘That’s supposed to be the Lord of Death…?’

No matter how she looked at it, it just couldn’t be true.