Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 51

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

Episode 051

 

For my hastily devised plan to work, there are two things I absolutely need.

 

One is Yu Jin-chae’s help, and the other is a bit of time.

 

“The Summoning Ritual will begin today at 4:44 AM. Until then, the Believers may wait here comfortably.”

 

Fortunately, I’ve bought some time.

 

The current time is 3:44 AM.

 

I could hear the Man on Platform informing the Believers of the current time in detail.

 

I immediately approached Yu Jin-chae, who was lying curled up like a shrimp.

 

‘Her face does look a bit better than before.’

 

With my now-free hands, I set down the bag I’d been carrying on the floor. Then I slipped the bag between Yu Jin-chae’s head and the bare floor.

 

I separated the White Dog Doll and put it in my pocket.

 

I brushed away Yu Jin-chae’s blonde hair that was stuck to her forehead with sweat and asked.

 

“Teacher, if you don’t mind, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

 

Her gently closed eyelids fluttered at my question before opening with difficulty.

 

“…Please go ahead.”

 

“You seem to have acrophobia. How severe is it?”

 

Yu Jin-chae momentarily made a flustered expression, then later laughed defeatedly as if giving up completely.

 

“Severe enough to be lying here like an idiot~”

 

Very… serious indeed.

 

In this state, forget carrying out the plan – I wasn’t sure if Yu Jin-chae could even escape properly if this place collapsed right now.

 

Eventually, after much deliberation, I asked Yu Jin-chae once more.

 

“Teacher, if your acrophobia got a little better, could you transform into that bastard too?”

 

She rolled her eyes to check what was behind my thumb pointing exactly behind my back.

 

He’s probably coming here right about now.

 

That bastard called the Cult Leader.

 

“That annoying bastard with the punchable face?”

 

“Yes, that bastard.”

 

“…Well, sure. Mana gets replenished if I just stay still without using my ability. But it won’t be any use, will it? My body is completely stiff right now. Even if I change into that bastard, what could I possibly do?”

 

“…”

 

Yu Jin-chae, who had been staring into space, spoke in a sad voice.

 

“I’ve tried everything, but it doesn’t work. Whenever I’m in high places, it’s always… I’ve tried counseling and received all sorts of ridiculous treatments, but none of them had any effect. It’s so frustrating.”

 

Watching her, I sighed and took off my outer clothing, covering Yu Jin-chae’s face with it.

 

“…What’s this?”

 

“Keep it covered. That annoying bastard with the punchable face is the Cult Leader. There’s no way the Cult Leader wouldn’t know Team Leader Moon Chae-yeong’s face.”

 

Especially since the Moon Chae-yeong facial disguise I’d been maintaining has now disappeared.

 

I dusted off my knees and stood up, calling to Yu Jin-chae.

 

“Teacher.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What I’m doing might be different.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

The footsteps approaching from behind grew louder. I listened carefully to that sound while looking at the Status Window floating in the air.

 

“Its effectiveness has been verified once.”

 

 

Even with Kwon Hae-seong, the suddenly appeared ‘NEW STORY’ was directly related to his abnormal condition.

 

‘I don’t like seeing other people’s pasts, but I have no choice right now.’

 

If I watch this, there’s a high chance Yu Jin-chae’s mental stability will automatically increase too.

 

‘If that happens, she’ll at least be able to stand and walk… There’s no reason to hesitate.’

 

 

“Yes.”

 

 

 

I steadied my mind and lightly placed my hand on top of it…

 

My vision flipped… and finally switched over.

 

Ah.

 

Not to the underground space crawling with fanatics.

 

But to the middle of Seoul, now ruins reminiscent of an apocalypse.

 

***

 

Na Hwi-yeon opened his eyes. As expected, his consciousness was dwelling in the body of someone familiar.

 

Specifically, Yu Jin-chae’s body.

 

When he lowered his gaze, he realized it was the exact same clothing as the field uniform Lee Seo-hyeok usually wore.

 

‘Wait, hold on, this person was a Hunter too?’

 

She had done close-range combat training, conducted interrogations, and casually used the term “civilian” – I thought it was strange, but…

 

‘And she’s from BOND just like Kwon Hae-seong?’

 

I could see a blue patch with ‘BOND’ embroidered on the right shoulder.

 

No, but why?

 

‘Why did she get a job at a kindergarten right next to her former workplace?’

 

It’s a structure where she’d inevitably run into former colleagues at least once just coming and going?

 

‘Isn’t it awkward for both of them? Are they perverts?’

 

If it were me, I wouldn’t set foot within 10 meters of that area after quitting.

 

While I was disgusted by the body owner’s past behavior, the body suddenly started moving on its own.

 

‘I’ve experienced this before, but it still doesn’t feel great.’

 

The only thing I could still control was my eye movements.

 

What I could see through the shared vision was a gate emitting aurora-like light and a half-destroyed bridge visible behind it.

 

Between the broken bridge sections, a crushed car was falling into the river.

 

‘Where is this place?’

 

As soon as I formed the question in my mind, fragmented information began flooding in like with Kwon Hae-seong’s case.

 

And along with it, I could feel Yu Jin-chae’s memories and emotions seeping in completely.

 

 

…One day, a request came in to clear a C-rank dungeon.

 

They said it was a dungeon judged to have no more value to maintain since there were no resources to extract and no monsters found either.

 

Her team accepted the request without much consideration after hearing the details the Assignment Team had conveyed.

 

C-rank means we’ll just have to work a little hard.

 

But when they actually entered, the dungeon’s scenery made them laugh bitterly.

 

A silence as if the world had ended.

 

Crushed and abandoned cars on the streets.

 

Naturally, no human figures could be seen anywhere.

 

“Those bastards. They said it was a plains dungeon.”

 

Crack. That sound came from Yu Jin-chae’s mouth as she twisted her neck audibly.

 

That’s just how the Assignment Team guys are. I gave them hell last week for giving me a shitty request, so this is how they respond?

 

After fiddling with the watch on her hand several times, she let out another deep sigh.

 

“Damn it… And no one’s responding to contact either, this is driving me crazy.”

 

In the end, she decided to start moving.

 

She quickened her pace. Following her silently moving legs, the scenery changed rapidly.

 

She searched between buildings, reacting sensitively to even the slightest signs while looking for something.

 

What Yu Jin-chae was looking for was clear.

 

Her team members and this dungeon’s boss.

 

The four team members including herself seemed to have opened their eyes scattered in different places right after crossing the gate.

 

Getting separated inside a dungeon is dangerous.

 

With this simple yet terrifying truth in mind, Yu Jin-chae desperately began searching for her team members.

 

Thinking that her team members would be doing the same.

 

About 4 hours had passed like that…

 

Yu Jin-chae stopped walking in front of a department store.

 

Old and somewhat damaged, but still in relatively decent condition compared to the other buildings around it.

 

As she quietly looked up at the building, a fairly reasonable suspicion naturally arose.

 

“These bastards aren’t hiding somewhere slacking off, are they.”

 

They were guys whose pranks were usually excessive to the point of being too much, so it seemed unlikely but….

 

In a situation where they were all looking for each other, not being able to meet like this was hard to understand, which led her thoughts in this direction.

 

Hmm…. A department store with its wide space and many convenience facilities would be good for hiding and conspiring together.

 

She knew well that they were serious guys when on the field site, but right now, she’d rather it be a prank…

 

“No way. If they get caught doing that, they’ll die by my hands.”

 

She quickly covered the suddenly arising anxious imagination of unknown origin with anger.

 

And Yu Jin-chae used that anger as fuel to boldly enter the department store.

 

 

…The dust-covered revolving door turned and the 1st floor of the department store with all lights off came into view.

 

She quickly scanned the 1st floor and climbed the stopped escalator step by step toward the upper floors.

 

Past the 1st floor where cosmetics and accessories were displayed, she looked at the 2nd and 3rd floors densely packed with women’s clothing.

 

Impatience was evident in her footsteps.

 

About an hour later, Yu Jin-chae finally came up to the 6th floor where appliances and furniture were gathered.

 

There had been no particular gains during that time.

 

“Not even a hair to be seen.”

 

Now she accepted the reality she had been trying to deny.

 

Something was seriously wrong.

 

It was a moment that made her years of hunter life seem ridiculous.

 

“To realize this only now, what kind of fucking… Ha, really.”

 

Even standing calmly and catching her breath, her mind wouldn’t settle easily.

 

Impatience and fear rippled below her throat.

 

Yu Jin-chae sat down on a bed that was visible and buried her face in her palms.

 

She tried to… organize her thoughts while breathing slowly and deeply.

 

…Let’s give up finding the boss and get the kids out.

 

Yeah, it’s simple.

 

Simple…. right.

 

Her pride might be hurt dealing with a C-rank dungeon, but so what.

 

“Survival comes first.”

 

She wasn’t even sure if it was really C-rank to begin with.

 

“Assignment Team, these fucking bastards, I’ll turn everything upside down when I get out.”

 

It was the moment she was trying to force her weakened legs to move and stand up again.

 

“…Team – Leader!”

 

?

 

“Hey… Team- bastard!”

 

Her body shot up at the familiar voice. As she turned her head, focusing on the faintly audible voice….

 

The sound was coming from a long full-length mirror right next to the bed.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Team Leader!!”

 

Inside the full-length mirror, her team member was looking this way and shouting.

 

He didn’t seem injured, but his face was covered in dust as if he’d fallen into a pit.

 

He was grabbing the mirror and shouting something, but it wasn’t coming through clearly. Yu Jin-chae also grabbed the mirror and shouted toward the person inside.

 

“Where are you?! What about the kids? Hey, get out of there right now! Gather in front of the gate!”

 

“…What are- you saying? I can’t hear you!”

 

“No, hey! Just get out! Just get out through the gate you came in through if you don’t want to die!!”

 

“…What? – No, where is this place right now-“

 

In her frustration, Yu Jin-chae’s gaze fixed on the background behind her team member in the mirror.

 

Where is that place now?

 

The cupboard is full of cups, and several roasting machines are visible.

 

Round tables and chairs could be seen on both sides.

 

A cafe that looked like customers would come rushing in to buy coffee at any moment.

 

Of course, it’s old and abandoned just like everywhere else.

 

Yu Jin-chae suddenly shouted at the mirror.

 

“Stay right there and don’t move! I’m coming!”

 

“What?… Ugh… What are you saying.”

 

“Argh!!”

 

She turned around and rushed out of the department store.

 

Coming out of the department store at tremendous speed, she searched every cafe she had seen on her way here.

 

But.

 

It’s not here.

 

Not here.

 

Not here either.

 

Then, at some point, Yu Jin-chae found herself at the location where the gate she had passed through to enter the dungeon was.

 

“…”

 

And at the same time.

 

Na Hwi-yeon, who was sharing everything with Yu Jin-chae, felt his mind go blank in an instant.

 

The screen, no, his vision shook frantically before suddenly fixing on one spot.

 

The flowing river was visible with a half-destroyed bridge over it.

 

The gate had been located in a position where this scene was directly visible.

 

But now… it’s gone.

 

“Fuck.”

 

The exit to escape this hell had disappeared.

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