* * *
Kang Yigeon let out a sigh.
“What on earth is that small hea—”
His purple eyes scanned over Lee Yuje’s head.
“What exactly goes on in that head of yours that you spout vulgar jokes every chance you get?”
Apparently, he couldn’t bring himself to call it a small head.
If it were facing Seohwa, the words might’ve come out naturally, but the ‘Lee Yuje’ created through [Stooge] had a fairly average-sized head.
“Why are you saying it like that? It’s not like I joke around all the time.”
Seohwa pouted his lips.
Truthfully, he regretted it.
That wasn’t like Hongsi at all.
He was supposed to act like an ordinary fan, but ended up reacting too emotionally…
To keep himself in check, he stared up at the floating clouds in the sky.
Whether that was the right move or not, Kang Yigeon was the one who spoke first this time.
“I heard you’re looking for Gaius Jung.”
Seohwa wasn’t surprised.
After all, he had posted on Danbaek’s community under Lee Yuje’s name saying he was looking for Gaius Jung.
If they were tracking him, they would’ve naturally seen that post.
“Yes. There’s an item I want to craft.”
“What kind of item?”
“A Pretty Boy Disguise item.”
“……”
“I’m self-conscious about my plain-looking face…”
Sniffle, sniffle—he pretended to cry, dabbing at the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
Blades of grass stuck to his clothes fell onto his face with a soft patter.
As he frowned, a large shadow loomed in front of him.
Long, thick fingers began plucking off the grass from his face one by one.
Thud… thud…
His heart didn’t flutter or pound softly—it thumped violently, like a drum beating out of sync.
Seohwa was sure Kang Yigeon heard it too, so he quickly sat up, making excuses.
“Ah, you startled me. When an EX-rank Hunter suddenly shoves a huge palm in your face, a plain C-rank like me can’t help but think you’re about to smash my face in. Geez, you scared me so much my heart almost jumped out.”
Kang Yigeon retracted his hand without much reaction.
“But why are you suddenly looking for Gaius Jung?”
“Danbaek is organizing a Gaius Jung tracking team.”
“Oh, really? If you find him, can you give me his contact info too?”
“I’ll recommend you as a team member. You should take the test.”
Seohwa’s heart skipped a different kind of beat this time.
This bastard… really suspects me, huh.
Seohwa chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
“I appreciate the offer, but teams like that should be filled with top-class people. If a plain C-rank like me joins, I’d just be a burden. I don’t have any tracking skills or magic that could help either. Aren’t there capable folks in Danbaek? Like Hunter Andante, or Hunter Jebuun?”
“We’re prioritizing people with a desperate will and a clear reason to find Gaius Jung.”
“I’m not exactly that desperate—”
“Judging by your face.”
Kang Yigeon meticulously scanned Lee Yuje’s features.
“You desperately need that Pretty Boy Disguise item.”
“……”
“Desperately and pathetically so.”
Seohwa’s fists trembled with frustration.
“Could I maybe… get a photo….”
“Sorry, but can I video call my little brother….”
After leaving the dungeon, Kang Yigeon diligently provided fan service to the low-ranking Hunters he likely wouldn’t see again—unless he overused potions, got re-educated, and was forced to run beginner dungeons again.
Autographs were a given; he also took photos and even video-called their families.
His expression remained cold and stoic, but even these Hunters knew Kang Yigeon was doing his best in his own way.
Kang Yigeon was the frigid, ruthless Duke of the North, but he was kind to mid- and low-ranking Hunters.
When B-rank or higher Hunters asked for autographs or photos, he coldly rejected them, yet when a careful C-rank or lower approached, he would always pull out the magic pen he carried in his inventory and sign for them.
Perhaps because he had once been a low-ranking Hunter himself.
Seohwa watched from afar, then quietly turned away.
‘What exactly goes on in that head of yours that you spout vulgar jokes every chance you get?’
At the hotel, and even now.
He shouldn’t have reacted like this. A small sigh shouldn’t have been the end of it.
He should’ve been colder, more cutting in his response.
He should’ve warned him sternly, that if he dared make such jokes again, he’d rip out his vocal cords.
Kang Yigeon wasn’t the type to tolerate such light jokes.
‘Is it because he suspects Lee Yuje might be me… that he’s holding back his anger?’
[Oath Violation Rate
■■■■□□□□□□]
Those black squares that were recently added…
Were those two squares Kang Yigeon’s?
If it was him, why weren’t there more?
Normally, if someone found out, the violation rate should’ve spiked dramatically—just like when Seohwa met him in the hospital room and it surged.
Seohwa quietly glared at the system window.
[Dungeon Clear!
Congratulations ٩(⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)و̣̩⋆̩
Time Limit: 1,000 hours 00 minutes 0 seconds
Completion Time: 993 hours 50 minutes 20 seconds
Dungeon Rank: Rank 6
Participants: 50 ←View Details
The Gate is opening!
Thank you for your hard work｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д`ﾟ)ﾟ｡
Hidden Mission ‘Dungeon Clear’ Achieved!
Failure Penalty ‘World Destruction’ has been lifted.
Success Rewards granted.
Vote Result: 50/50 votes ‘Seohwa’
Awakener ‘Seohwa,’ please accept your rewardsദ്ദി]᎑[)♥ ]
He cleared it with six hours to spare.
For others, it was a first-try success, but for Seohwa, it came after countless deaths and five failures before he barely made it.
A flood of indescribable emotions surged through him, but there was no time to bask in the triumph.
[Oath Condition Fulfilled!
S-Rank Oath Applied!
Beware of fire, traffic, people, breaking oaths, everything, always, constantly cautious〣(ºΔº)〣
Currently 1 Active S-Rank Oath Applied
Oath Partner: (Gaius Jung)
System grace period of 10 seconds begins.
If you don’t disappear within 8 seconds, [Magna Carta] will activate.
You have 6 seconds to say goodbye—disappear quickly｡ﾟ･ (]﹏[) ･ﾟ｡]
“Hunter Seohwa…”
Kang Yigeon grabbed Seohwa’s arm and tried to say something.
Timeline, rejection, erasure… fragmented words blurred together.
Seohwa met the elated glow in Kang Yigeon’s eyes for only a moment before stepping through the Gate.
That was when his disappearance began.
[Currently 1 Active S-Rank Oath Applied
Oath Partner: (Gaius Jung)
Oath Violation Rate
■■□□□□□□□□]
The first two squares of the violation rate were always filled.
—Kkyuuu! Kkyuing! Kkyuuuuung!
Seohwa looked down at the tiny snake clinging to his finger, wailing and whining, and understood.
One square per living being.
Gaius Jung and the tiny snake—two squares.
So even if he lightly showed himself to Kang Yigeon, it’d only fill one or two squares at most.
Seohwa hesitated but didn’t take the risk—what if his judgment was wrong?
[Beep beep! Please be cautious ].[
Oath Violation Rate Spiking!
■■■■■■■■□□]
When he visited the center where Kang Yigeon was hospitalized, the violation rate surged—and he realized he had been wrong.
Even with just Kang Yigeon recognizing him, six squares had filled instantly.
[Oath Violation Rate
■■■■□□□□□□]
Then why was it holding steady at four squares now?
Gaius Jung and the snake made two squares.
What about the other two?
‘It’s definitely not Kang Yigeon.’
He confirmed it at the center—just Kang Yigeon recognizing him caused the violation rate to spike wildly.
So… could the other two squares belong to different Ego Weapons?
But in the current timeline, Seohwa had never interacted with the other three Ego Weapons.
Their wielders weren’t part of the expedition team, and he hadn’t met them in this timeline at all.
‘Unless…’
Maybe this black box wasn’t simply counting the number of living beings.
What if it was calculating the probability of breaking an Oath, based on the system’s own criteria?
When only the little snake knew about Seohwa, the probability was low—just 20%.
But after he’d started operating under the alias ‘Lee Yuje,’ making himself known, that probability had jumped to 40%.
If that assumption was correct, it was actually good news for Seohwa.
It was practically the system giving him an early warning.
‘If it exceeds 50%, I’ll have to abandon Lee Yuje.’
Once the current [Stooge] disappeared, a new [Stooge] could be created.
In this context, “disappeared” meant exactly what it sounded like—erasure from existence.
In other words, death.
If Lee Yuje’s body died, another false body could be fabricated.
Things like death reports or bureaucratic cleanup would be handled by the Korean government.
And anyone who had built genuine friendships with Lee Yuje would have to mourn on their own…
‘Before I discard him, I’ll make full use of him.’
Seohwa mapped out his future plans in his head.
* * *
