The Magical Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! - Chapter 14

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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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The Magic Girl Hunter Builds a Dungeon! Episode 14
Watching a nine-year-old struggle to hold back tears, even though she’d done nothing wrong, was torture to both his sympathy and conscience.
“I’m sorry. An adult being my colleague, and I—sniff—*sob*…”
“That’s not the issue! Look, dungeons are way too dangerous!”
“I only go to safe places, being super careful… and I’ve cleared two dungeons already, so—*sniff*—I thought that would make me a colleague…”
“You cleared two of them? Wow, that’s incredible! Huh? You’ve got real talent! So when you get older—”
Empty praise crumbled the moment the child pushed back.
“Please don’t patronize me. You think everyone below your level is just a ‘trash tier hunter.'”
“Trash tier hunter? Where on earth did you learn that?”
“From the Hunter community forums… Everyone calls you that…”
“…”
For the first time, Jin Siheon contemplated the negative effects of the internet on children’s development.
Before the silenced Jin Siheon.
The tears hit the accelerator.
“So it’s true… *sniff, sob*! You think all of us colleagues are garbage, don’t you? I’m sorry for becoming garbage…”
“That’s absolutely not it! Come on, sit down for a second. Wipe those tears!”
Did he have a tissue? Jin Siheon reached for his pocket but ended up just petting the rabbit’s belly, embarrassing himself in the process.
“Would you… use this instead?”
“The rabbit’s ears, sir?”
“I don’t have any tissues. It’d be a waste to wipe your nose on such a pretty dress.”
“*sniff*…”
The mention of the pretty dress made Iji stop crying for a moment. When Jin Siheon actually offered his rabbit ears, she even managed a small smile.
For the first time, Jin Siheon was grateful he’d been transformed into a rabbit.
‘If I’d told her not to cry with my original face, I’d look like a kidnapper threatening a child!’
While Iji tugged at the rabbit ears and swallowed her tears with soft hiccups,
Jin Siheon rapidly reassessed his situation.
He had no power to stop the little one from entering dungeons.
He had no money to end her dungeon exploration.
He had no obligation to stop her—but
‘If something happens to that kid, I could be dragged down too.’
The current Jin Siheon was a magic girl’s magic rabbit.
The moment Iji was hurt or lost her life, he might be trapped again in that hideous crystal.
The conclusion was singular.
“Listen, Iji. Take your hands off my ears and listen up.”
“Oh, okay!”
“I’m going to join you on your dungeon explorations.”
“Join me…?”
“I’m saying I’ll be your colleague in the dungeon. However—”
Jin Siheon poured magical force into one front paw, then swung it at a nearby rock.
Crack!
The rock shattered like honeycomb.
Iji’s jaw dropped.
“Wow… you’re really strong!”
Jin Siheon pretended his throbbing paw was fine, shaking it casually as he spoke.
“As you can see, I’m incredibly strong, so anything bothersome—you leave to me. Understand?”
“Yes! Thank you so much, and thank you for having me!”
Iji bowed deeply, hands pressed together.
His chest warmed for a moment.
Then Grimoire sighed near Jin Siheon’s ear.
[Watching a fellow in desperate straits strut about like he’s got it all figured out—my viscera are twisted in knots.]
“…”
[If Iji wishes it, I’ll help you. But don’t mistake me for a free guide.]
“I know. I won’t dump everything on you like you owe me anything, so relax.”
It was only natural.
‘I don’t even know what this book really is.’
The child seemed to trust the book unconditionally, but an adult couldn’t afford to.
While Jin Siheon engaged in this delicate sparring match with Grimoire,
Iji let out a massive yawn.
“Haaah… This is weird, I’m so sleepy…”
[Your magical force is hitting its limit. Time to rest.]
“Oh! But I need to go to the tea party!”
[Those creatures’ tea party runs eternally—you can show up later.]
“Then…”
Iji looked down at Jin Siheon with concern in her eyes.
“I’m going to close the skill now. When my magical force recovers, I’ll call you again, so please stay strong until then.”
“Don’t worry about me—just focus on recovering.”
Jin Siheon pushed past his embarrassment and added one more sentence.
“Thank you.”
“Hehe.”
Iji spoke with her eyelids already growing heavy.
“We’re colleagues, after all!”
With that, Grimoire drew her book pages closed over Jin Siheon’s vision.
Beyond the darkness, chaos unfolded in an instant.
Every stimulus—sight, smell, touch—crashed down on him violently once more.
Having tasted brief freedom, the pain was all the more intense, but—
Jin Siheon realized something had changed.
‘Before, I could see six different worlds at once, right?’
Now there were only five.
The realm where the white rabbit and card soldiers thrashed about was gone.
What remained, showing through like a puzzle base, was gray—
‘Looks like an ordinary Korean hospital ceiling.’
A far more stable scene than the dungeon.
His touch and smell also felt less chaotic than before.
‘Grimoire said my soul was scattered into six fragments trapped in dungeons, right?’
Each time he recovered a fragment of his soul, the dungeon’s stimulus that fragment experienced seemed to fade.
Understanding didn’t stop there.
‘All the dungeon noise is gone!’
His ears caught only hospital sounds now.
The hum of machines, the distant beep of cardiac monitors.
Jin Siheon grasped it instinctively.
His body was lying in a hospital bed right now.
He still couldn’t move a single finger, but his mind eased.
‘Each soul fragment I recover reduces the stimulation, and my body in the hospital is regaining one sense at a time.’
The first fragment he’d recovered must have been the one connected to hearing.
Jin Siheon.
Twenty-seven years old, who’d spent far too long thinking the world was garbage.
For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt the emotion that life could be beautiful.
He felt he could love someone, even if they asked him, “Do you know the Way?”
Then a voice came from somewhere near what he assumed was his hospital room.
“Teacher. That Special Disaster patient has no sensations, right? Can’t hear anything either.”
Closer. Someone answered gently.
“I know, but just in case.”
“Don’t strain yourself.”
The distant voice faded further, while the gentle one drew nearer.
“Hello, patient. Today is March 2x, 202x.”
It felt like he could respond, but Jin Siheon didn’t try. He wanted to hear that voice more.
“You were found on Inwangsan last December. Since we couldn’t confirm your identity or take vital readings, you’re on bed rest and conservative treatment. It seems something happened to you in a dungeon somewhere.”
It was all information Jin Siheon desperately needed.
‘Three months since December, huh.’
Had this nurse been talking to an unresponsive patient all that time?
‘She seems like a kind person…’
“Today’s high is eleven degrees, fine dust at 85, with expected yellow dust effects.”
‘…’
“Yesterday the KOSPI closed at 4980.11 points. The dollar is at 1,325 won.”
‘…Is she kind, or…?’
“Opening day for the pro baseball season is tomorrow in Jamsil. I won’t spoil the results.”
With that, the nurse’s footsteps faded away.
‘Do nurses usually say stuff like that to comatose patients?’
And yet. In those moments hearing her voice, he could forget the violence of every other sensation.

* * *
After the rabbit Jin Siheon disappeared,
Iji instinctively turned back to the crystal. But the crystal was empty.
“Where did the rabbit mister go?”
[Souls naturally seek comfort. If he’s left the dungeon, I can’t track him, but I can summon him anytime, so don’t worry.]
Grimoire spread open a page in the middle of the book.
♧Friend List♧
No. 1
Jin Siheon
Below the name was a drawing of a black rabbit. Contrary to its nature, it had fierce eyes that looked exactly like Jin Siheon.
[Open this page and shout “Summon Jin Siheon,” and your friend will appear.]
“Wow! That’s so like being a real magic girl!”
[I’m glad the summoning method appeals to you.]
Iji imagined calling her friend in her mind.
Then she hit a small obstacle.
[Your expression changed. What’s wrong?]
“Calling an adult by their bare name feels a bit…”
[Hmm. Should we change the title?]
“You can do that?”
Whoosh—the letters on the page shifted.
No. 1
Trash Tier
“No! That’s a bad word!”
[Tch.]
The text “Trash Tier” changed back to Jin Siheon. The letters looked conspicuously messier this time.
‘Grimoire is childish.’
With that principal-like manner of speaking, she’d seemed so mentally mature.
But her behavior was like second-grade boys at elementary school.
[So what will you change it to?]
“Hmm… Since he’s the magic girl’s colleague, can you give him a cool codename?”
[He’ll definitely like that.]
“Right? What should it be?”
[Take your time deciding. Don’t you still need to choose one more skill to decorate with the Song of the Gardener?]
“Oh, right.”
[Please, I’m begging you—make a normal choice this time. Don’t go picking another crazy friend!]
“…”
[Now let’s exit the dungeon… Why aren’t you following?]
After a brief moment of thought, Iji answered.
“I’ve decided what to decorate with the Song of the Gardener.”

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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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