D-Rank Constellation Hunter… Stuck Without Internet! - Chapter 40

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 40
“…Ah, Hunter Kim Gyuwun.”
Something felt off.
I understood why Kim Gyuwun would be nervous seeing Ha Gyuhyuk.
If he’d acted nonchalant in front of him from the start, I wouldn’t have been able to tolerate my irritation.
After what he’d done to my boy, I might have lost my temper at his audacity for carrying himself with such composure.
“But why are you trembling?”
The real question was why Ha Gyuhyuk was so tense.
There was nothing in this place that could harm him.
Not just Kim Gyuwun, but everyone from Taemyeon Guild, or even all the S-rank Hunters in the entire world combined—he could defeat them all standing beside me.
“No, no, it’s nothing.”
“Hunter Ha Gyuhyuk, I didn’t expect you to visit this place.”
Ha Gyuhyuk seemed to want to say something, but Kim Gyuwun approached with an oblivious expression.
Ha Gyuhyuk blocked the path in front of him as if protecting me.
Who was protecting whom here, exactly?
“The reason you came alone… well, there’s no need to ask anyway.”
Kim Gyuwun smiled bitterly as if he knew everything.
Only a few days had passed, but word must have spread that he’d been kidnapped by Taemyeon Guild and suffered.
Kim Gyuwun wasn’t a foolish person.
He wasn’t cunning enough to step forward and cause trouble.
But he wasn’t so naive as to be unaware when someone was scheming on his behalf.
A bystander.
I’d realized too late that he was also an accomplice in tormenting my Ha Gyuhyuk.
“Alone?”
But Ha Gyuhyuk seemed fixated on a different point.
I stood beside him with my hands clasped behind my back, glaring at Kim Gyuwun as if I’d kill him, yet he seemed unaware of my presence entirely.
[ Just pretend you don’t know. If I appear here too, it’ll be annoying, so I’ve made myself invisible. ]
Taking Ha Gyuhyuk out to eat was different from barging into Taemyeon Guild.
Eating together draws no one’s attention.
But crossing the threshold of another guild meant exposure to everyone in that building.
Someone who’d just been kidnapped and rescued appears at the guild with a stranger.
Then at minimum, the Guild Master here and Kim Gyuwun would realize I was that Constellation.
That a Constellation was with him—I couldn’t hide that, but it was better if word that I’d manifested an avatar and was keeping him by my side spread later.
[ Don’t worry. You can read my thoughts just by thinking about it. ]
As I sent the message in real time, Ha Gyuhyuk’s expression hardened with resolve as he glanced at the empty air.
He didn’t seem particularly skilled at lying.
“You’re not alone? You have companions or something?”
“No, I’m alone. Same as yesterday.”
I was worried internally that he couldn’t even lie, but he instantly changed his expression.
At the word “yesterday,” Kim Gyuwun’s face darkened.
It seemed he’d noticed that I was pointing out the situation where Taemyeon Guild had kidnapped him.
“This isn’t really a conversation to have in front of the building, so would it be alright if we moved inside?”
He carefully turned his body first, as if to guide Ha Gyuhyuk inside.
I could see the people around us hesitate, as if they wanted to block the way but couldn’t since Kim Gyuwun was making space for him.
[ Don’t worry and feel free to follow along ]
And at my signal, Ha Gyuhyuk nodded lightly as if nothing was amiss and began walking behind him.
Honestly, moments like these really show how extraordinary he is.
As I slowly followed after him, I heard the sound of a connection being established with Sungdo.
A familiar message window appeared before my eyes.
Generally, Constellations have something like the messaging applications that humans use among themselves.
And at that moment, messages from Tasha began arriving one after another.
While my feet kept pace with Ha Gyuhyuk, my eyes eagerly read through the incoming messages.
[ Tasha: Se-um, I thought something had happened since you hadn’t contacted us in a while ]
[ Tasha: We’ve been staying connected to the Server, but whenever we tried to enter the world, we got kicked out right away ]
[ Tasha: Did you get an alert when we tried to log in? ]
[ Se-um: Huh? Nope, looks like it kicked us out before the log even appeared ]
[ Se-um: Nothing’s wrong~ just had too many people messing with my client, so I’ve been cleaning that up ]
[ Se-um: Currently raising a new one ]
[ Se-um: I’ll be back up soon. ]
[ Franson: Se-um tends to completely neglect us whenever she latches onto a single client, so ]
[ Franson: In Se-um’s world, we’re basically leftover rice, right? ]
[ Se-um: Apologize to the leftover rice. ]
[ Franson: Sorry, leftover rice ]
[ Franson: But seriously, why?! ]
Time spent with Ha Gyuhyuk was wonderful, but time with these friends I’d known for so long was equally precious and joyful.
I must have walked far more than intended while reading the screen and smiling.
‘Ulrim!’
Only when I heard Ha Gyuhyuk’s panicked mental voice did I snap back to reality.
I’d not only crossed straight through Kim Gyuwun’s room but was now standing in mid-air after breaking through the window.
[ Don’t worry, you think I’d fall from something like this and die? Not a scratch on me ]
I casually walked back to my original position as if to reassure him.
Ha Gyuhyuk had already turned pale the moment I’d gone out for a brief stroll outside the window.
“Ha Gyuhyuk Hunter…?”
And Kim Gyuwun, who watched his complexion worsen in real time, found himself in an awkward situation.
“Ha Gyuhyuk, lift your head and get your mind straight.”
I stood beside him and deliberately spoke aloud.
Even if Kim Gyuwun couldn’t hear me, speaking would naturally draw Ha Gyuhyuk’s attention this way.
That’s why I usually tried to avoid using this method.
But hearing my voice actually seemed to snap him out of it, as a glimmer returned to Ha Gyuhyuk’s eyes.
“Ah, no. It’s just that the moment of being kidnapped came back to me.”
“Ah.”
Kim Gyuwun sighed softly, his face tinged with guilt as he seemed to understand immediately.
Now that I looked at him, he seemed to have something rather vacant about him too.
It was such a transparent excuse that anyone could see through it, yet he was falling for it anyway.
Had I lived too long that I could see through everything like this?
[ Don’t say too much—just tell him you have a request ]
“I didn’t come here to have a discussion or negotiate. I came because I have a request.”
“Please, go ahead.”
[ Since Taemyeon Guild is participating in the upcoming SA-rank Dungeon anyway, tell him to secure a spot for you while he’s being nice about it ]
“Is it true that Taemyeon Guild is planning to participate in clearing an SA-rank Dungeon?”
“How did you know that? Well, it is true, but….”
“I wish to participate in it as well, so I’d appreciate it if the guild would make arrangements. I already have an entry permit.”
I lifted my chin slightly and straightened my spine.
No matter what reaction he showed, I would never avert my gaze first.
It was fine to act somewhat arrogant and commanding. After all, I held the upper hand here.
Without me giving detailed instructions, Ha Gyuhyuk was already acting as if he understood everything.
It was more than gratifying.
“I’m not sure how you obtained an entry permit, but that’s not a decision I can make alone.”
[ He’s lying ]
“Are you asking me to believe that Hunter Kim Gyuwun lacks that much authority? Do you think I don’t know why I’ve experienced what I have?”
“….”
I could feel Kim Gyuwun’s eyes wavering slightly behind his glasses.
It was the look of someone caught in a predicament.
But it wasn’t so obvious that Ha Gyuhyuk would notice.
“You’re quite skilled, as if you’ve been taking orders from someone.”
“Do I seem like I brought someone with me?”
“That couldn’t be. Otherwise, you would’ve been caught by the tracking functions or other detection items scattered throughout the guild.”
There were things like that?
The world had certainly improved these days.
From his confident demeanor, it seemed that any human would definitely be caught by them.
“So, what’s your answer?”
“To be honest, I can manage to bring one more person at my discretion, but I won’t be able to protect Hunter Ha Gyuhyuk inside the dungeon.”
Kim Gyuwun’s face darkened.
It was clear he couldn’t bear the guilt if Ha Gyuhyuk were to die in there.
[ He seems worried you might die ]
Ha Gyuhyuk blinked before opening his mouth.
“My life is not your responsibility to bear.”
I laughed without meaning to.
Yes, go forward with that confidence.
Feel clearly who stands behind you.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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