D-Rank Constellation Hunter… Stuck Without Internet! - Chapter 95

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

Chapter 95
“I came here to fight.”
“Is that so? Then fight.”
“Yes.”
I didn’t ask further, and Dan Yibum didn’t elaborate either.
To outsiders, it would seem like an excessively terse exchange, but it was sufficient.
Besides, we had no leisure for heartfelt conversation while navigating such a complex dungeon.
“You two are quite rational, aren’t you….”
But perhaps it was excessive, because even Ha Gyuhyuk said this.
I shrugged awkwardly and looked ahead.
“Even if I’m a Constellation, I can’t live his life for him. What can I do?”
“That’s true, but….”
“He’s not my client, and he doesn’t need the Constellation’s help. This is the best I can offer.”
A chance to escape.
And I knew he wouldn’t take it.
His fight wasn’t merely against the monsters in this dungeon or some battle of wills with the Three Major Guilds.
It was to fight against everything he’d been avoiding until now, to not lose.
And this wasn’t the time to judge him for it.
“S-something feels strange. The distance isn’t closing….”
“But this way is the shortcut. I’ve always gone this route and even avoided being late!”
Along with the bewildered voices of the group came Ji Chae-ah’s indignant response.
I clicked my tongue lightly. I hadn’t expected an SS-rank dungeon to wrap up easily.
Tasha glanced at me cautiously.
She seemed to be gauging how I would respond.
I smiled bitterly.
“Ha Gyuhyuk, what do you think should be our top priority in this situation?”
Ha Gyuhyuk’s face showed confusion at why I’d suddenly ask such a question.
“Rescuing the survivors. And after that, clearing the dungeon.”
“Right. Then no matter what happens, don’t even think about changing that priority.”
At my calm response, Ha Gyuhyuk’s nodding face suddenly twisted with shock.
Then came a cry.
“Y-yes… Se-um!”
“Don’t worry.”
With Ha Gyuhyuk’s confirmation, I kicked Dan Yibum hard from behind as he walked ahead.
He staggered forward as if about to fall….
And then vanished before our eyes. As if he’d plummeted somewhere.
Everyone fell silent at what had just happened.
While we’d seen people disappear before, we never expected a Constellation to so brazenly orchestrate a disappearance like this.
“See? It’s a place you can’t reach by ordinary means.”
“So should we just fall forward here as well?”
Whoever came up with it, the solution was refreshingly one-dimensional.
I was honestly curious whether they’d actually go through with it, so I decided to watch.
Tasha stepped forward.
“Each location has a separate entrance point, so you’ll need to search for them on foot. Each person can find one entrance.”
“She’s not making this easy on them.”
Tasha’s gaze drifted toward me.
It was as if she were asking whether I wanted to throw the kids into crisis.
Well, I’m not entirely sure of my own psychology either, which is the problem.
It’s true that growth requires adversity, but right now it’s less about their development and more about pure entertainment for myself.
[ Tasha: You’re not dissatisfied with the idea of someone being saved here, are you? ]
[ Se-um: It’s just that when they call themselves the Three Major Guilds… ]
[ Se-um: I wonder whether our kids’ contributions will be properly recognized. ]
The people here are generally favorable toward Touch One.
So naturally, they’ll do their best to demonstrate their abilities.
But if you ask whether our kids are skilled enough to hold their own against the Large Guilds, the answer is obviously no.
‘To be honest, the only person who could definitely win against these three guilds’ members is Hunter Dan Yibum.’
Kim Gyuwun delivered that assessment with a gloomy expression.
Even in this situation, he seemed to lament having to judge things so objectively.
But his words gave me certainty.
The more those guilds strut around trying to impress us, the less credit our kids receive.
[ Se-um: But if there’s someone who could endure being thrown alone into that situation and produce results worthy of it… ]
[ Se-um: Then I shouldn’t hesitate to throw them in. ]
People will say I pushed Dan Yibum into crisis first, but that’s not true.
I gave him the privilege of entering the dungeon first.
Because I trust without a shadow of doubt that he’ll endure this situation and safely bring back the results that follow.
[ Se-um: So isn’t it only natural to choose the person who’d do best when left alone? ]
He said he’d fight.
So I intend to show him directly what a lonely path that fight will be.
If I’m wrong about this…
Well, I’ll just offer my condolences.
[ Franson: Still, it feels like you’re sending him down a pretty harsh path alone… ]
[ Franson: How are we supposed to move around? ]
[ Se-um: Once all the kids are in position, we’ll just teleport. ]
I watched the people scatter with orderly efficiency, my arms crossed.
Even without revealing that I was a Constellation, Tasha’s voice carried a weight that demanded obedience.
One who reads and commands everything.
A ruler of benevolent yet merciless inquiry.
“Se-um, please show us the way.”
Just as I was about to fill my thoughts with affection for my friend, Ha Gyuhyuk’s voice reached me.
When I turned, he was looking at me with a serious expression.
“You want me to show you the way?”
“Yes, please tell me how to get inside.”
“So you’re not going to find it yourself.”
I had to admit, I was somewhat surprised.
Until now, Ha Gyuhyuk had struck me as the type of child who would push through any difficulty to accomplish everything on his own.
Even in moments when I wished he would rely on me a little.
Yet now, that same Ha Gyuhyuk was asking me to show him the faster path.
“Is it too difficult? Does it seem impossible?”
“No, I think I could find it if I kept trying. I can even feel strange mana vibrating from various places around here.”
If he could sense even that much, he had truly grown considerably.
From what he was saying, it seemed he believed he could manage it if given sufficient time.
Yet neither Tasha nor I had imposed any time limit on him that I could recall.
As I slowly closed and opened my eyes, Ha Gyuhyuk’s expression grew anxious.
“You said it yourself when we were talking earlier. The highest priority is saving the people who are still alive.”
“That’s right.”
“And I’ve made the resolve to betray my conviction of accomplishing things alone, or even your expectations, if it means achieving that goal.”
“Betray my expectations?”
“Because you hope for me to succeed on my own and are pleased when I improve.”
And so Ha Gyuhyuk, who believed in himself so deeply, was now asking me to give him the answer key.
It meant he was that worried about the missing people, including Dan Yibum.
He hadn’t broken his conviction.
“I understand.”
The moment I stomped my foot, something vast resonated in response to my action—a deep, thunderous sound.
And just like that, as if an earthquake had struck, cracks spread and swallowed the people whole.
Those searching for a place to jump into, those who had thrown themselves in the wrong spots and fallen over repeatedly—none were exceptions.
“You haven’t broken your conviction, Ha Gyuhyuk.”
I spoke gently as I looked down at him falling.
Your conviction was never about growing through your own strength alone—it was about the altruism of saving others.
You’ve upheld your conviction to the end, and I’m supporting that conviction of yours.
* * *
It had been crouching within that building for an extraordinarily, impossibly long time.
It wandered after a peculiar aura that was difficult to express in this world’s language, demanding ever more sacrifices.
Even though only a fraction of its kind had arrived, this land trembled.
When it shrieked, living creatures became mere chunks of meat, and when they met its peculiar gaze, they lost all reason.
The living beings called it a “hunting hound.”
But they were far more than that.
Confined within a circular dome devoid of light, they existed as slaves to the peculiar.
In other words, it was a servant of an otherworldly god.
Yet when consciousness returned, it found itself transcending space and time, arriving in a place where light existed.
“….”
A low, guttural growl rumbled forth.
Now I could move freely.
The first thing I did was feast upon human souls.
While I consumed seven of them, the rest fled in terror.
With an unsteady gait, I prowled through the building.
Emitting intermittent shrieks so piercing that blood would seep from one’s ears merely hearing them.
And in that moment.
Shwing!
A brilliant blade of light tore through the air with a violent sound, cleaving through the hound’s body.
“A being from another world?”
Dan Yibum muttered, drenched in black blood.

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