The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 10
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 10
Hana frantically brushed off her clothes.
Her eyes and nose were itchy, causing her to sneeze repeatedly.
Sniffling with her reddened nose, Hana felt something was strange.
Just like when she dealt with the slime, a message saying ‘Test completed’ should have appeared, but nothing showed up.
Most importantly, the monster was still sprawled on the ground.
“It disappeared before. Why isn’t it disappearing?”
Could it be that it wasn’t over yet?
As Hana cautiously tried to approach the monster,
Fizz—.
Sparks suddenly flew from the machine labeled ‘Simulation Room Grade Assessment Device’.
The numerical gauge on the assessment device’s measurement window was rapidly shooting up.
99.9… 120… 358…
The gauge needle that had been steadily climbing began to tremble, then the assessment device monitor flashed violently while making error sounds.
“Uh, what…? Why is the machine acting like this?”
Hana panicked and grabbed the monitor.
[System Error Occurred]
[Preliminary registration information does not match actual evaluation information.]
[Duplicate registration attempt detected. Error, error! Normal data processing is impossible.]
Crackle crackle.
More violent sparks flew from the wires connected to the monitor, then soon, with a deflating sound, the screen went dark.
Along with the final message.
[F-rank Production-type ‘Yun Hana’. Hunter registration has been completed.]
At that moment.
CRASH────!
Dust poured from the ceiling and vibrations rang in Hana’s ears.
What was that sound?
The moment Hana turned around.
The metal door at the entrance of the simulation room, which had been tightly locked, split in half with sparks.
Through that gap, a man slowly walked in, lowering his sword.
A great sword rippling with red energy,
When the flames burning at the sword’s tip brushed the floor, the monster’s sticky corpse burst into flames from the heat.
Thanks to that, even the spore seeds that had clung to Hana like maggots evaporated in an instant.
The man who brushed off his sword pressed his radio button.
“Hyung. How’s the Gate situation.”
-It’s closing! Boss monster conquest complete! What about the person in the simulation room?
“Safe.”
Only then could the man’s face be seen clearly.
Seo Ganghyeon.
Guild master of the ‘Haechi’ Guild and an SS-rank Hunter.
Neat features. Sharp eyes.
Seo Ganghyeon, wearing the guild mark ‘Haechi’ on his pristine black combat uniform, looked like a high-rank Hunter to anyone.
Kang Hyeon’s gaze turned toward the monitor.
“Are you alright?”
Without even looking at Hana, Kang Hyeon asked formally.
“Y-yes, I’m fine…?”
Standing there dazedly while holding the monitor, Hana unconsciously nodded her head.
Then she flinched and took her hands off the monitor.
“Th-this wasn’t broken by me. Really!”
At that aggrieved voice, Kang Hyeon finally turned his head.
The moment his emotionless gray eyes turned toward Hana, Kang Hyeon’s body froze greatly.
Soon his sharp eye corners trembled slightly.
Over the small frame and familiar silhouette, the image of ‘1’ flashed by.
“Sen…bae?”
“Yes? Senior?”
Wondering if he meant her, Hana blinked her eyes.
Kang Hyeon approached Hana.
His coldly settled gray eyes shook narrowly.
“If you were alive, then why on earth-!”
Choke.
Kang Hyeon’s throat trembled as he let out a choked voice.
It was because an unfamiliar look was seeping into Hana’s light brown eyes that were looking at him.
It was the gaze toward someone she was seeing for the first time.
“Senior, you-.”
“I think… you’ve mistaken me for someone else, haha.”
Hana awkwardly scratched her head toward Kang Hyeon.
Then when sparks flew from the machine, she made a tearful face.
“Um, I really didn’t do this. Please believe me…!”
At that sight, Kang Hyeon’s brow furrowed slightly.
A low voice, calmer than before, flowed through his teeth.
“What is, your name?”
“Uh… Me?”
Momentarily flustered by the sudden request for introductions, Hana soon answered spiritedly.
“I’m Yun Hana.”
“Yun… Hana.”
No. This person isn’t senior.
His head cooled down as if cold water had been poured over him in an instant.
Kang Hyeon didn’t know ‘1’s real name.
‘1’ was that kind of person.
Usually going around so carefree that you couldn’t find a trace of wariness, but absolutely never allowing others to invade personal territory.
So.
If it had been ‘1’, they would have answered the question about their name like this.
‘What, what are you going to do knowing my name, junior? Don’t tell me identity theft? This is a scary person!’
Kang Hyeon could be certain.
Because this was something Kang Hyeon had heard countless times during the years he spent with ‘1’.
Recalling ‘1’s ridiculous frivolous jokes, his expression naturally crumpled.
Ironically, Kang Hyeon didn’t know not only the name, but even what ‘1’ liked or disliked.
Except for parts that couldn’t be hidden out of habit, ‘1’ had never told him anything.
So he didn’t know.
Despite the time they spent together, the line ‘1’ allowed him was exactly that far.
Kang Hyeon’s gaze, swallowing a bitter smile, dug into Hana a bit more persistently.
Looking closely, even the appearance was different.
Not the long straight hair that was always tied up tightly in any situation, but light brown short hair.
Not the pitch-black eyes like a deep night, but transparent, light brown irises.
Different. From ‘1’.
Recognizing that difference, Hana’s outfit came into view one by one.
“…Checkered pattern.”
A bright pink checkered shirt that was painful to look at.
If he had offered such clothes to ‘1’ who insisted only on black combat uniforms, they would have made a fuss saying they’d rather die than wear it.
If nothing else, they were someone who felt nauseated just looking at checkered patterns and was utterly disgusted by them.
Most importantly, ‘1’ was not the type of person to speak with a tearful voice.
Transparently revealing emotions was never her way.
“…Ha.”
Kang Hyeon let out a low sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry. I mistook you for someone else.”
The woman before his eyes was not ‘1’.
But even as he reached that conclusion, Kang Hyeon’s gaze didn’t easily leave Hana.
Despite all of Hana’s actions being completely different from the ‘1’ he knew.
* * *
Meanwhile.
The moment ‘Clear Shot’ was activated.
On the other side of the earth.
A loud notification sound rang out at the server center that managed the World Hunter Database.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[Hunter ‘1’ ONLINE status detected.]
* * *
「Hunters’ Hideout – Basement 99th Floor」
-Free Board Real-time Popular Post #1-
[Breaking] Did anyone see Hunter ‘1’ come online??
Username: NewbieHunter_145
Is it real that ‘Hunter 1’ showed up online in the Hunter Central DB just now??
A senior who’s an agent showed me a screenshot;;
They say it appeared briefly then disappeared, is she really alive??
(138 comments)
⌎ Anonymous1: lololol crazy what are you saying. ‘1’ died ages ago
⌎ Anonymous2: Yo, I got that screenshot too. It showed connected to the official DB ㄷㄷ
⌎ Anonymous3: 1 is really alive? Wow shit is that possible?
⌎ Anonymous4: Then she didn’t die in that explosion incident that day??
⌎ Anonymous5: Wow crazy. The Association is gonna blow up over this
⌎ Anonymous6: Blow up my ass. The Association won’t even care. Those guys don’t do work anyway
⌎ Anonymous7: For real lol And the ‘cherry tomato’ listing just went back up. Exchange is surging right now let’s go
⌎ Anonymous8: Wait, tomatoes in the middle of all this ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
⌎ Anonymous9: But if ‘1’ is alive, why hasn’t she appeared? Where is she and what is she doing
⌎ Anonymous10: Maybe she lost her memory and is farming somewhere?
⌎ Anonymous11: If you’re gonna talk nonsense, go run raids instead
* * *
“There are no injuries at all. Bones, muscles, mana flow are all normal. Very healthy.”
At the Association Infirmary, the nurse spoke indifferently.
Yun Hana smiled awkwardly.
‘But this is kind of burdensome.’
Hana slowly raised her head to look at the two men surrounding her on both sides.
One was Yun Taegyeom, who had introduced himself as the vice guild leader of ‘Haechi’.
The other one was….
‘Seo Ganghyeon.’
Yun Hana’s lips parted involuntarily.
Interviews, news, community boards, even virtual reality Hunter training simulators.
There wasn’t a place where the face of the man in front of her wasn’t displayed.
That’s how much Seo Ganghyeon was practically the face of South Korea, a star Hunter.
Enough that even Hana could recognize him at a glance.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————