The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log - Chapter 33

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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 33

 

Following the black lines spreading across the floor to their end, Lee Haechan could be seen crouched up in a ball.

 

He had squeezed his body into a corner, holding his head with both arms.

 

His shoulders were hunched up, and his entire body was visibly trembling.

 

“No…”

 

A hoarse voice leaked out from Lee Haechan.

 

“I didn’t look on purpose, I was wrong… I’m sorry for making you feel bad.”

 

He was crouched in the corner, holding his head with both arms.

 

The black lines extending from his wrists had already clustered around Haechan’s neck, wrapping around it as if strangling him.

 

“I, I didn’t want to enter the Gate for this reason.”

 

Lee Haechan muttered while sobbing.

 

After his mental-type skill manifested, the image of colleagues who turned their backs on him, calling it disgusting, floated before his eyes and tormented him.

 

In his previous guild, the criticism his colleagues poured out after entering Gate raids with Lee Haechan, saying their nightmares and weaknesses had been exposed.

 

The moment he finally couldn’t endure that criticism and left the guild.

 

Those memories were making Lee Haechan’s mental state extremely unstable.

 

And the deeper that anxiety became, the more fiercely the black lines spread out from beneath Lee Haechan’s feet.

 

“Doesn’t his condition seem a bit strange?”

 

At Hana’s question, Kang Hyeon nodded.

 

“It looks like symptoms before a rampage occurs.”

 

When Hana took a step toward Lee Haechan, Kang Hyeon quietly raised his hand to stop him.

 

“Wait.”

 

His gaze fixed on the back of Lee Haechan’s hand.

 

There, lines extending from a black dot were clinging to it.

 

The thing pressed against his skin was subtly writhing as if it were alive.

 

Kang Hyeon recalled that item that had been secretly spreading recently.

 

It was an item that supposedly triggered hunters’ rampages by touching memories that induced trauma or fear.

 

He roughly understood what kind of situation this was.

 

That item was probably causing Lee Haechan’s rampage.

 

Kang Hyeon reached out his hand, but the item showed no signs of falling off.

 

“…Damn.”

 

If Lee Haechan didn’t regain his senses like this, they might end up trapped in this Gate without finding an exit.

 

Just as Kang Hyeon’s expression was about to turn serious.

 

Another system message appeared in Hana’s vision.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

【Reward obtained from surprise mission will be distributed:</p】

-Ability to connect between Gates manifested

 

-Existing management area and current area will be connected.>

 

When Hana unconsciously recognized that message, one point inside the Gate opened up in a round hole like a dog entrance.

 

As if he had activated the shortcut skill.

 

And through that gap, a white furry bundle bounced out.

 

“Squeak!”

 

“Popcon?”

 

It was Popcon, who had been hidden in the garden inside Gangnam Station Gate in case anyone might discover him.

 

Popcon ran around with his small feet as if it were his own home, sniffing around, then immediately ran toward Lee Haechan.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Woof!”

 

Then he jumped up in one bound and precisely bit the item attached to Lee Haechan’s hand, or rather, the back of his hand.

 

“Aah!”

 

Lee Haechan, who let out a sharp scream, felt around the back of his hand.

 

He definitely felt like something had been torn away, but the skin he touched was smooth.

 

Not only that.

 

The unpleasant sensation that had been weighing down his mind had also disappeared.

 

“…Huh?”

 

Lee Haechan raised his head with a bewildered expression.

 

The depression and fear that had been suffocating him just moments ago had disappeared like a lie.

 

Instead, what spread before his eyes was cracked and overturned ground, black lines spreading in all directions, and himself crouched in the center of it all.

 

Plus a white cotton ball-like puppy wagging its tail vigorously at his feet.

 

Kang Hyeon looked down at the confused Lee Haechan with indifferent eyes.

 

“Let’s discuss what happened after we get out.”

 

* * *

 

Lee Haechan, who had come out of the Gate and been called to the Guild Leader’s Office, was slumped down like someone who had lost a pillar from inside his body.

 

His frightened gaze was fixed on the floor and rarely came up.

 

Like a child who had done something terribly wrong, Lee Haechan was tightly hugging Popcon in his arms and constantly stroking his fur.

 

“Excuse me, Hunter Lee Haechan. So you’re saying you don’t remember what happened?”

 

“Eek…! Y-yes! It’s true. I didn’t do it on purpose, please believe me!”

 

When Choi Kwon called out roughly, Lee Haechan curled up his body like a ball.

 

Two items were placed on the table in the Guild Leader’s Office.

 

The empty seed-like Gate core that Hana had put down.

 

And the other was the remnant of the item that had been clinging to Lee Haechan’s hand and nape until just moments ago.

 

Although its form was distorted because Popcon had bitten it, an unpleasant aura still remained.

 

Yun Taegyeom picked up the one that Popcon had bitten.

 

“So what you’re saying, Kang Hyeon, is that someone deliberately made Hunter Lee Haechan rampage? By attaching this?”

 

Seo Ganghyeon, who had been resting his chin on his hand, nodded slightly.

 

“And you’re also saying this Gate core has a different shape from naturally occurring cores.”

 

Choi Kwon, who had been quietly listening to Yun Taegyeom and Seo Ganghyeon’s conversation, opened his mouth wide.

 

“Then are you saying someone deliberately created a Gate?”

 

Yun Taegyeom answered seriously as well.

 

“We’ll have to investigate to find out.”

 

Kang Hyeon, who had been silently watching the situation, shifted his gaze to Lee Haechan.

 

“This. I think we need an explanation of what happened.”

 

Lee Haechan’s shoulders flinched.

 

He hugged Popcon tighter and shook his head vigorously.

 

“I, I don’t know. Really. I didn’t even know something like that was attached to me.”

 

Lee Haechan’s voice became so small it seemed like it would crawl away.

 

“Haven’t you had contact with anyone recently? Someone suspicious?”

 

At those words, Lee Haechan paused for a moment, then raised his head as if remembering something.

 

“Ah! Come to think of it, th-this morning someone from the Association came to see me and shook hands. They said they were from the Strategic Planning Department…”

 

The moment they heard those words, Yun Taegyeom and Kang Hyeon’s gazes met briefly.

 

Strategic Planning Department.

 

The organization that the Vice-Chairman practically used as his hands and feet.

 

Even without verbal explanation, the meaning was sufficiently conveyed.

 

“Hunter Lee Haechan. Please go back for today. We’ll call you again if needed later.”

 

At those words, Lee Haechan nodded repeatedly and got up from his seat.

 

After briefly trying to put down Popcon from his arms, Haechan hesitated and then hugged Popcon tightly again.

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

The quietly left words were an apology to no one could tell whom.

 

Taegyeom, who had been watching such Haechan, also got up from his seat.

 

“I’ll head out too. Seems like there’s a lot to look into.”

 

Then he took Choi Kwon, who was beside him, and went outside.

 

Lee Haechan followed behind them, walking with heavy steps while keeping his head deeply bowed.

 

Hana, who had been watching that retreating figure, spoke quietly.

 

“He must have been quite shocked.”

 

“What. Are you worried about Hunter Lee Haechan?”

 

Kang Hyeon’s question was calm.

 

However, subtly, his gaze was keeping track of Hana without missing anything.

 

“Yes, well… He looked dejected.”

 

When Hana answered without much thought, Kang Hyeon’s eyebrows slowly rose.

 

“I was the one who cleared the Gate and got caught by Hunter Lee Haechan’s skill. Your worry is going in the wrong direction.”

 

His tone was calm, but the end of his words was slightly pressed down.

 

As if he was expressing displeasure.

 

At that reaction, Hana blinked once.

 

Then his gaze collided directly with Kang Hyeon’s.

 

As he stared into those mysterious gray eyes, the image of Kang Hyeon shedding tears came to mind, and Hana’s gaze rolled away to the side.

 

He felt awkward for no reason.

 

As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

 

“I think I’ve said everything I needed to say, so I’ll be going… now?”

 

But Kang Hyeon’s voice stopped Hana in his tracks.

 

“Not quite. Don’t we still have something to talk about?”

 

Hana paused and looked up.

 

Their eyes met.

 

“Mr. Yun Hana.”

 

Kang Hyeon asked quietly.

 

“Earlier, did you see my nightmare?”

 

Hana lost his words for a moment, then let out a small breath and nodded.

 

“…A little.”

 

Anyway, even though he always knew everything, Seo Ganghyeon deliberately asked like that. As if he had to hear the answer directly to be satisfied.

 

“I didn’t see it in detail or anything. Just roughly?”

 

Kang Hyeon looked at Hana silently for a moment before speaking.

 

“Why aren’t you asking anything? Usually people ask this and that.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Hana scratched his cheek.

 

“I just peeked without permission, so it felt a bit awkward to ask freely.”

 

Hana scratched his cheek, feeling awkward about the somewhat serious atmosphere.

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep what I saw today a secret.”

 

At his gesture of zipping his lips shut, Kang Hyeon rested his chin on his hand again.

 

There wasn’t really a need to keep it secret.

 

That reaction of considering his feelings wasn’t too bad.

 

Kang Hyeon let out a small laugh and changed the subject.

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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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