The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 32

 

“What is that, Vice-Chairman?”

 

“Ah, this? Is this your first time seeing it? It’s one of the quite useful items these days. It’s an item that makes high-grade Hunters’ abilities unstable.”

 

He glanced sideways at Lee Haechan’s personal file spread out on the table.

 

“Good thing I made preparations in advance.”

 

* * *

 

“The completion message appears, but why can’t I see the exit?”

 

Following Yun Taegyeom, Choi Kwon also searched every corner inside the Gate.

 

But nowhere could they see the familiar light of an exit.

 

The scenery inside the Gate began to slowly distort as if looking into water.

 

The outlines of buildings blurred, and the boundaries of the floor collapsed.

 

The entire space shook as if writhing.

 

“This is strange… Unless we’re under some spell, there’s no way we can’t find the entrance like this—, ah!”

 

At that moment.

 

A puzzle piece clicked into place in Choi Kwon’s mind.

 

He suddenly shouted.

 

“That’s right! That S-rank Hunter!”

 

Choi Kwon’s gaze cut through the air toward a single point.

 

It was where Lee Haechan, who had already disappeared, should have been standing.

 

“That person called Lee Haechan or something, he was in the same guild as me before. I just remembered now. Come to think of it, doesn’t that Hunter have skills like this? I think there was confusion or perception distortion or something?”

 

Yun Taegyeom frowned at Choi Kwon’s words.

 

“Wait. Then you’re saying this current situation is something Hunter Lee Haechan caused?”

 

As soon as those words fell, the black lines connected to Kang Hyeon’s heels began to crack with creaking sounds.

 

The cracks that started as thin fissures like hair instantly spread and extended to beneath Yun Taegyeom and Choi Kwon’s feet.

 

As the black lines that had spread everywhere writhed, the ground shook as if turning over soil.

 

In an instant, Yun Taegyeom and Choi Kwon suddenly stopped moving and stared blankly into space.

 

Sensing the threat, Kang Hyeon protectively grasped Hana’s hand.

 

It was an instinctive action that came out without him realizing it.

 

And almost simultaneously as Kang Hyeon intertwined his fingers between Hana’s fingers, the system’s warning window rang out.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【Skill ‘Nightmare in Illusion (S-rank)’ is manifesting.】

 

【Users’ nightmares will be recreated as illusions】

 

【Release condition: Cessation of caster’s skill manifestation】

 

Choi Kwon, who discovered the warning window, pointed accusingly out of habit.

 

“Right. That Nightmare in Illusion skill is also that bastard Lee Haechan’s skill, isn’t it?”

 

But with those words, Choi Kwon’s face contorted. Yun Taegyeom beside him was the same.

 

Like people who had fallen into a deep and unpleasant dream.

 

“Ugh…”

 

A groan leaked from Choi Kwon’s throat.

 

A short curse also flowed from Kang Hyeon’s mouth as he stood beside Hana.

 

“…Damn it.”

 

The focus in Kang Hyeon’s gray eyes, which had been clear just moments before, gradually blurred.

 

“Seo Ganghyeon? Are you okay?”

 

To Hana, who was being held by Kang Hyeon’s hand, that change was felt all too clearly.

 

And soon the surrounding scenery cracked like breaking light, the world flipped, and Hana was dragged into Kang Hyeon’s nightmare just like that.

 

Along with the text of the system window that appeared before his eyes.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【Interference from a skill of lower grade than user ‘Yun Hana’s’ mental defense skill has been detected. Automatically defending against mental interference occurring from outside.】

 

Hana opened his tightly closed eyes.

 

Then the scenery had changed once again.

 

At first glance, it looked like the same ruined city as before, but there was something decisively different.

 

The Gate entrance was floating in the air.

 

Moreover, Hunters scattered everywhere were groaning and writhing.

 

For a moment, it was such a vivid scene that one could forget it was created by illusion.

 

Hana was watching that scene as if observing from a step away.

 

When he turned his gaze, the soot-stained station sign reading ‘Gangnam Station’ came into view in the distance.

 

Below it stood Seo Ganghyeon, who looked younger than now.

 

His protective gear was half torn, with soot and blood clotted all over his skin, and Seo Ganghyeon was in a physical struggle with other Hunters.

 

“Let go.”

 

Kang Hyeon in the illusion said through gritted teeth.

 

The Hunters holding his arm shook their heads with alarmed faces.

 

“You can’t! Going back into the Gate now is suicide!”

 

“Let go!”

 

Kang Hyeon twisted his body.

 

“My senior is trapped in there right now!”

 

His voice was already cracked.

 

It was a sound tangled with anger, fear, and desperation.

 

“Hunter Seo Ganghyeon! ‘1’ isn’t trapped, but chose to remain inside there himself.”

 

“So what?”

 

Kang Hyeon’s eyes gleamed coldly.

 

“The sacrifice of the few for the many is unavoidable.”

 

“You sure spout bullshit in such variety.”

 

Kang Hyeon muttered lowly.

 

There was no laughter, no trembling.

 

It was a voice with only anger remaining.

 

“The sacrifice of the few for the many? What the hell is that supposed to be.”

 

Kang Hyeon roughly shook off the arms holding him and rushed close to the Gate entrance.

 

Then, as if following that gaze, the surrounding scenery also changed with a whoosh.

 

The view that had been watching the situation from a step away was now overlapping with the nightmare Kang Hyeon’s view looking at the Gate entrance.

 

The white-glowing interior of the Gate was unstably fluctuating before his eyes.

 

A faint human silhouette was visible inside.

 

Kang Hyeon reflexively reached out toward that silhouette.

 

“Senior! Grab it! Damn it. I said grab it!”

 

But because an explosion began inside the Gate, a dazzling light flashed and the interior flickered white.

 

Hana was watching that scene while holding his breath.

 

Hana unconsciously narrowed his eyes.

 

Between the gap of the closing Gate, Kang Hyeon reaching out his hand and the silhouette of Hunter ‘1’ standing inside.

 

The moment he tried to confirm ‘1’s face, an alarm sound hammered at Hana’s ears.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【ERROR! ERROR!】

 

【This is an ungranted reward.】

 

【Casting superior interference.】

 

Clang!

 

Instantly, with a sharp sound like breaking glass, the scenery shattered to pieces.

 

The nightmare was forcibly torn away.

 

“Ugh—!”

 

Hana’s body, thrown back into reality, staggered.

 

His vision darkened for a moment, then returned.

 

What was that?

 

Hana was momentarily dazed by the suddenly severed sensation.

 

It felt like the inside of his ears were ringing, and his heart was beating one beat faster than usual.

 

After taking several deep breaths, his sense of reality slowly returned.

 

“What I just saw… was that Seo Ganghyeon’s nightmare?”

 

Coming to his senses, Hana looked back at Kang Hyeon standing beside him.

 

And he froze while taking a breath.

 

Kang Hyeon was still holding onto Hana’s hand. But his gaze was fixed somewhere far away.

 

His gray eyes were unfocused, and transparent moisture was quietly flowing down his cheeks.

 

“…Huh?”

 

Hana was startled.

 

He was crying.

 

Seo Ganghyeon was.

 

Flustered, Hana fumbled around and pulled his loose shirt sleeve to start wiping Kang Hyeon’s face.

 

Then, a low and dry voice was heard.

 

“…Are you planning to scrape off someone’s entire face? It hurts, so be gentle, will you?”

 

On Kang Hyeon’s face slightly revealed under the shirt, faintly reddened marks remained wherever it had been wiped.

 

Hana froze in place, then got startled once again and quickly pulled back his sleeve.

 

“I, I didn’t see anything. Me!”

 

The words came out incoherently.

 

Kang Hyeon’s face, revealed again, was no longer crying.

 

Though the moisture that had gathered around his eyes had disappeared, dampness still remained like an echo at the corners of his deep-set eyes.

 

“They say strong denial is affirmation.”

 

“A, ahem.”

 

“What happened? Did Yun Hana lift the status abnormality?”

 

“I think I did it, but I’m not exactly sure how it happened. Suddenly an error message appeared and the illusion broke.”

 

Hana cleared his throat for no reason.

 

Meanwhile, Kang Hyeon took a breath to compose himself before speaking.

 

“The illusion suddenly broke.”

 

Kang Hyeon didn’t ask further.

 

Though puzzled, he seemed to quietly accept those words.

 

Hana shifted his gaze.

 

A little distance away, Yun Taegyeom and Choi Kwon were still standing with blank faces.

 

“Ugh… my precious hair…”

 

Choi Kwon was holding his head and mumbling.

 

“This is ridiculous. Cherry tomatoes are sold out…!”

 

Yun Taegyeom was searching for cherry tomatoes with an extremely serious expression.

 

Hana lost his words for a moment watching them, then made a judgment.

 

‘…Hmm. They don’t seem to be having very serious nightmares.’

 

Having the same thought, Kang Hyeon also moved to find Lee Haechan rather than wake the two.

 

“Let’s find the caster first. We need to get out of here before it’s too late.”

 

It had already been over 10 minutes since the strategy was completed. If they stayed like this, they might end up disappearing along with the Gate.

 

As if gauging Lee Haechan’s location, a red light appeared in Kang Hyeon’s right eye.

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