I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 45

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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 45
“Gasp… gasp……”
The Queen’s body erupted, but I couldn’t escape the shockwave unscathed.
The Skill description about consuming half my health didn’t simply mean my strength was drained.
It meant I’d taken damage severe enough to consume half my health because I couldn’t avoid the massive explosion myself.
I caught my breath and looked down at my body.
It was a mess—charred black and covered in burn wounds from the blast.
On top of that, blood was pooling and dripping steadily.
Fortunately, the Queen’s remains didn’t rise again.
That alone made the wounds worth bearing.
I flapped my wings slowly and turned my body backward.
“Eep!”
An Je-hwan recoiled the moment our eyes met.
Even someone who loves beasts would feel fear facing one without any gear at all.
An Je-hwan’s reaction looked exactly like that.
I noticed the empty Potion bottle in his hand.
It told the story of his brief and harrowing situation.
“You managed to survive, somehow.”
Relief bubbled up as a stifled laugh.
At that reaction, An Je-hwan seemed to find his courage.
He took a step closer to me.
“Are you a Beast? Or a Hunter?”
It was a question I hadn’t thought through beforehand.
I turned my gaze toward the Queen’s remains.
‘What was the original setting again?’
Of course the setting came to mind just now—annoyingly.
It grated that I couldn’t forget this dark history even if I wanted to.
‘In any case, arrogantly. Arrogantly……’
I wasn’t sure what arrogance looked like, but I gathered every shred of it I had.
“Do I owe you an answer?”
This wasn’t arrogance at all—it was just rude.
[Current Synchronization Rate]
96%
Wait, why is he feeding me his Synchronization Rate?
I glanced at An Je-hwan sidelong, a bit baffled.
I could see him swallowing hard against his nerves.
And yet his eyes still seemed to gleam.
“How…… are you here? When did you enter through the Gate?”
There’s no help for it. I’ll maintain this rude attitude.
“You lot are the ones who entered. Noisy creatures.”
I didn’t miss the opportunity to think on my feet.
“One of your companions got dragged into the tree—is he one of yours? He was screaming loudly enough.”
“Ah, I see. So that commotion woke you? Does that mean you were staying near the Boss Room?”
……Is it really all right to let the Healer’s location slip past so lightly?
Are you really going to ignore news of a captured ally like this?
I nearly lost my composure and was about to confront him.
If this was a way to test me, I’d almost give him a standing ovation.
But there wasn’t the slightest hint of ulterior motive in An Je-hwan’s eyes.
“Hmm, yes. Ahem! I have no reason to reveal my dwelling to strangers. If you’ve made enough noise, then be gone. I need nothing but silence.”
I flapped my wings and moved away from An Je-hwan.
By naturally withdrawing, I was also abandoning any reward for dealing with the Queen—the raid party would handle it properly.
‘Mine! Keep my share safe!’
Once I’d put adequate distance between us, I lowered my body and flew low into the forest.
Then, when the Boss Room came back into view, I shifted my form to that of a Sprite and tumbled across the ground.
Already filthy, I deliberately coated myself further in ash and dirt before my mind settled.
‘This should be enough that they won’t recognize me even if I show myself.’
What would be the most natural way to make an entrance?
What on earth has happened here?
“What on earth has happened here?”
Good. That sounds natural enough. That should work.
“……”
Damn it.
I’d lost my moment to speak.
Though innocent of the crime, I hid behind a tree and surveyed the situation.
The raid party approached the Boss Room entrance, their clothes disheveled with grass and twigs.
“Why did the Dryads retreat? What was all that smoke and fire just now? Where’s the healer?”
Baek Mun-il fired the questions at An Je-hwan like accusations.
An Je-hwan remained transfixed, his gaze fixed on the queen’s remains and the ash scattered across the ground.
“I witnessed an extraordinary, beautiful Skill.”
“Yes, yes—but where did the healer go?”
Baek Mun-il hesitated, as though there were many things he wanted to ask.
Yet unlike An Je-hwan, he didn’t lose sight of what mattered first.
At last, it was my turn to make an entrance.
“Cough! Cough, cough!”
I produced the most natural cough I could manage and stepped forward into view.
Baek Mun-il spotted me and closed the distance at a speed that was staggering.
No ordinary Hunter could have matched that pace.
Even I, moving at a sprite’s velocity, doubted I could keep up with him.
To match Baek Mun-il’s speed, I’d need to assume my Demon King form.
“Are you hurt?! Are you all right? No, wait—take this first……”
Baek Mun-il didn’t even give me a chance to answer.
In a flurry, he pulled a translucent potion from his Pocket Space and thrust it toward me.
“No, wait. Guild Master, please calm down. I’m fine.”
“Drink it anyway.”
Baek Mun-il said nothing more and pressed a blue potion into my hands.
I had no choice but to gulp it down.
Yet even after drinking it, my wounds didn’t heal.
“The wounds didn’t close?”
“That’s a Status Abnormality Recovery Potion.”
This man—
I’d thought he was only worried. Turns out he was guarding against enchantment.
Only then did Baek Mun-il produce a red potion.
It was the color of the Healing Potion I knew.
This time, when I drank it, the wounds began to close.
Not perfectly, but the bleeding stopped and the damage visibly diminished.
Now Baek Mun-il had regained his composure.
He swept his hair back lightly and asked in an even tone.
“What in the world happened? I was wondering why the Dryads retreated, but……why is the queen dead? Did some other Beast suddenly appear?”
I decided to deploy my best excuse.
“Well……I’m not entirely sure. I was dragged into the Boss Room, and then suddenly fire broke out, and I barely managed to escape.”
I know nothing of such things.
I resolved to pass this difficult answer on to An Je-hwan.
“After escaping the flames and coming to my senses, you were all here.”
Baek Mun-il turned his head briefly to look at An Je-hwan.
Was he checking the situation again?
I waited to see how he’d handle it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Baek Mun-il’s approach was remarkably flexible.
“Dungeon raids are always a series of unexpected turns. First, we clean up. Gather any Mana Stones and Items, then prepare to leave.”
“Understood!”
The Hunters answered with vigor and scattered in different directions.
I approached Baek Mun-il’s side.
“Aren’t you going to investigate further?”
Baek Mun-il nodded.
“I understand the desire to know what happened—you nearly burned alive in there.”
Ah, but that wasn’t it at all. I’d simply wanted to make sure later that my various forms didn’t get exposed.
Still, I didn’t bother correcting his misunderstanding.
Silence is golden, after all.
“But you can’t afford to waste time inside a Dungeon. If you linger just to check details, you risk a second attack and total annihilation.”
Baek Mun-il fixed me with a look that said I should remember this.
“If you want a full account later, I’ll send you a written report. I’ll be getting a written briefing from team leader An anyway.”
“Ah, yes, that works well.”
“Got it. I’ll send it the same way I did with the contract before.”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
Fortunately, I’d found a way to keep on top of the situation.
‘I really need to be careful about re-syncing.’
The reminder made me tense all over again as I glanced around.
The raid team had cleared away the Queen’s true body from the Boss Room and discovered a Gate hidden beneath the wreckage.
Then, moving quickly, they gathered up Mana Stones and Items before regrouping at the Gate.
“Raid complete. We’re heading out!”
After more than ten days, the Dungeon clear was finally finished.
The Hunters filed out of the Dungeon at a rapid pace.
Unlike the formation we’d maintained throughout, this time the support staff exited first, with Baek Mun-il coming out last.
The moment they emerged, the Hunters threw their arms skyward and erupted in cheers.
“Ahhhhh! We made it!”
“We’re alive!”
“Beds!”
Whether it counted as cheering was debatable.
The raw shouts and desperate wishes blended together, nearly incomprehensible.
More pressingly, we were standing in the middle of the City, and pedestrians had turned their attention to us.
People in ordinary clothes walked past, staring at our group.
It was inevitable they’d draw eyes—armed with armor and cold weapons that looked utterly out of place in the modern world.
Those accustomed to Hunters, however, simply snapped photos and moved on quietly.
When Baek Mun-il finally emerged from the Dungeon, the attention intensified.
Among Hunters, he was famous enough to rival a celebrity.
Baek Mun-il seemed used to such moments; he lightly brushed back his hair.
Though it was merely a casual gesture—dust and ash falling away—it was somehow photogenic.
I quickly reached for my hood to pull it on.
But my hat was a wreck from the intensity of our final battle.
“Sigh……”
As I fumbled with the half-ruined cap, a nearby Hunter tried to console me.
“Give it up. Nobody’s looking at anyone but our Guild Master anyway.”
“You think so?”
I attempted to cover my face with one hand.
Unfortunately, the effort proved largely useless.
Baek Mun-il had stepped closer to me.
Camera lenses from pedestrians’ phones captured us both.
“We’ll inventory the Dungeon Items and Mana Stones. We’re planning to send you 10% of it—just decide whether you’d like it in goods or cash.”
“Should I decide now?”
All the spotlights are on you; this is rather overwhelming.
“It’s fine to let me know later.”
Baek Mun-il offered a smile so radiant it felt almost intimidating.
“Better yet if you give me your personal number.”
“……I’d prefer not to share my personal number, but would it be all right if I had someone else connected to me pass along their contact instead?”
“But my number is direct.”
Baek Mun-il’s expression shifted to something almost wounded—though it seemed calculated.
The clicking of cameras around us grew noticeably faster, though perhaps I was imagining it.
“I apologize, but I prefer to remain anonymous.”
As always, Baek Mun-il was a Hunter who knew when to step back.
“Well, it’s a shame after all you’ve done. I’ll call that number instead. You’ll take the call, right?”
It wasn’t easy to refuse even this much.
I nodded, my gesture carrying the weight of defeat.
Baek Mun-il seemed satisfied; he accepted my stubbornness with a smile.
“Then I’ll wait for your call.”
“I’ll be in touch without delay.”
Baek Mun-il laughed warmly, as though he’d heard the most obvious thing in the world.
“Since you need to tell me whether you want your payment in cash or Items, you’d better call soon.”
Ah, right.
I laughed awkwardly.
“Then I should take my leave now. I suppose you’re all heading back as well?”
“We’re stopping by the Guild first, then we’ll each take a bit of leave. Want to swing by the Guild before you go, if you’re free?”
“No, thanks. I’m heading straight home.”
I gestured pointedly at my wings. I was confident in my speed, at least.
“I was hoping to show off some of the Guild’s perks.”
It was the most tempting offer I’d heard since becoming an involuntary ex-employee.
But I beat my wings and lifted myself into the air.
Besides, after already having my photo taken, I had no desire to travel with them.
“See you next time.”
There was no graceful way to refuse such a smooth goodbye.
“Of course.”
I accepted their farewell with a smile and climbed higher into the sky.
After camping for over ten days, I missed my bed more than anything.

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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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