Most Hated Hunter in Every Regression chapter 60

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Sometimes, when Kang Yigeon was away, people would come and talk to Seohwa.

It was always the same—interrogations about what he had done to the Vice Guild Master, demanding he set things right.

Seohwa was curious too.

What had he done to Kang Yigeon?

Once, after returning from battle, Seohwa found his tent completely destroyed.

The hunters guarding the hideout had torn everything apart, looking for proof of some nonexistent curse.

While he scrambled to gather what he could and shield himself from the cold night air, Kang Yigeon showed up with blankets, food, and medical supplies.

From his inventory, Kang Yigeon pulled out his own tent and set it up.

“From now on, you’ll be staying with me.”

“Uh… what? But…”

“I’m sorry about what happened. I’ve made sure they won’t lay a hand on you again.”

Kang Yigeon finished setting up the tent and seated Seohwa gently on a soft blanket.

His expression grew grave as he examined the injury on Seohwa’s ankle.

Seohwa could sense the other team members lingering nearby, voices carrying over:

“Why is the Vice Guild Master with him again—?”

“Damn, what did Hate do to him this time?”

As Kang Yigeon moved to get up, Seohwa quickly grabbed his wrist.

“Let it be. The team’s boss toying with a disgusting creature must be… complicated for them.”

Kang Yigeon froze for a second, then sat back down.

“‘Toying with you’? What do you mean by that?”

“Or is it not toying? Was it boring for you?”

“…”

“Am I not fun enough?”

Kang Yigeon stared at him with eyes full of unspoken words, then sighed heavily.

“I’m not toying with you. I… treasure you.”

Seohwa nearly hiccupped from shock.

“Kang Yigeon treasures me?”

“Would I be changing your bandages right now if I didn’t?”

“You’re changing them to monitor my injuries. To see how messed up my left arm still is. To know which side to target if you need to take me down fast.”

That’s what Seohwa had always thought—the nightly check-ups were just for assessing his weaknesses.

“Why do you think I’ve been coming into your tent every night?”

“For… dealing with your sex drive?”

Kang Yigeon pressed his palm to his forehead.

“Everyone else figured it out, but you’re still clueless.”

Figured what out?

Seohwa mulled it over while Kang Yigeon finished tending to his injuries.

He tied the bandage neatly around Seohwa’s ankle, then moved to check the scars on his right arm.

After cleaning the blood, disinfecting, and dressing the wound, he gently pulled down the sleeve.

Seohwa suddenly remembered how, in the past, Kang Yigeon had quietly tended to him, only to suddenly grip the injury so hard it nearly burst open.

“Don’t. If you want to break something, use the left arm. Let’s at least keep the right one intact. You know, for basic human decency.”

“…”

Kang Yigeon paused, then let go of his arm.

Seohwa rubbed the spot through his sleeve, feeling an odd itch where he’d been touched.

Kang Yigeon calmly began packing away the medical supplies.

“I won’t attack you again out of nowhere. I was confused back then, but now…”

He closed the lid on the supply box with a firm click and lifted his gaze to meet Seohwa’s.

“I’m not confused anymore.”

“What… do you mean?”

“It seems… I’ll have to confess to you directly.”

Seohwa blinked, caught completely off guard by what Kang Yigeon was implying.

Then, Kang Yigeon spoke, voice steady:

“I…”

“…”

“In this timeline too… it seems I’ve fallen in love with you.”

For a moment, Seohwa wondered if he was dreaming and pinched his cheek.

A love confession from the human cockroach, the human centipede, the bane of the earth itself… that was shocking enough.

But ‘In this timeline too’?

There had been no foreshadowing.

Seohwa had only once asked what their relationship had been in the previous timeline, and love had never come up.

So how did Kang Yigeon know?

And why speak as though he’d always loved Seohwa—even in timelines Seohwa couldn’t remember?

The shock left him frozen, unable to even avert his gaze.

Kang Yigeon turned his head away and exhaled, a long breath he’d been holding in.

“The side effects are still there. Your face, your voice… even the air when we’re in the same space. Everything tells me to hate you. That’s why… I still can’t look into your eyes for long.”

Kang Yigeon clenched his hand into a fist, resting it on his knee—a clear show of resistance.

“But despite all that… this is love. I love you.”

Somewhere along the line, Kang Yigeon had grown gentle.

Though he’d always been different from the others, there were times when he couldn’t control his urges and hurt Seohwa.

But recently, he hadn’t harmed him even once.

It was only Seohwa’s accumulated wariness that kept him on edge.

It probably started after Seohwa reached EX-rank.

As if breaking free from the rejection of the timeline itself, Kang Yigeon had come at him relentlessly, without hesitation.

“Why…?”

Seohwa’s voice trembled.

His eyes burned.

He forgot to control his expression—it was impossible now.

“Why… is it always you…?”

Why do you always end up loving me in every timeline?

In the first… in the sixth, which was supposed to be the last…

You defy the world’s will to reject me—again and again.

What am I to you…?

‘Kang Yigeon… If you really love me in the next life too…’

‘…’

‘Then maybe… I’ll try to believe in love. Just once.’

Maybe this was punishment for that careless promise before the world’s end.

A punishment designed so he couldn’t help but believe in love.

So he’d always feel guilty toward every version of Kang Yigeon who loved him.

“For now, let’s focus on conquering the dungeon. Love can come after everything’s done.”

Kang Yigeon smiled faintly, the corners of his lips lifting.

“When the incident ends, love follows.”

‘After the incident, love always comes next.’

‘That’s how it always goes, right? After the incident… love follows.’

Seohwa barely held back tears, forcing a small smile.

Kang Yigeon’s tone lightened in response.

“I heard something from the committee. The hidden reward this time… is a wish token.”

“A wish token?”

“A precognitive ability user predicted it. The hidden reward will be a wish token—anything within the system’s power, it can grant.”

“Sounds fitting for a sixth-tier hidden mission. I bet the committee told everyone to keep it from me.”

“They did.”

“Then why are you telling me? Because you love me?”

“When you get the wish token, use it to erase the timeline’s rejection.”

In theory, it was possible.

But…

“The divine system likely prepared this reward for you. A gift from the gods to the hero.”

Seohwa lowered his gaze, bitter.

But I already made a vow.

Once the dungeon’s cleared, I have to disappear from the world.

In that sense, the hidden reward truly is a gift from the gods to the hero.

It’s just… that hero isn’t me.

‘The wish token is yours, Kang Yigeon.’

Wish for something just for yourself.

You deserve happiness more than anyone.

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1. Love Effect Market

The day had finally arrived.

The opening of Love Effect Market Island.

At the promised hour, an uninhabited island emerged in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

It was an island that surfaced along with the system 36 years ago.

With an area twenty times the size of Yeouido, it was by no means small and had an environment quite similar to that of a dungeon.

Unlike dungeons, there were no deadly traps, poisonous plants, or monsters, but it was filled with mysterious flora unseen on Earth.

So, around this time of year, even non-Awakened people would flock there for sightseeing.

Non-Awakened individuals rarely got the chance to experience dungeon-like environments, so they took advantage of this opportunity.

Access to the island was only allowed for three days: the day before the market opened, the day of the market, and the day after it closed.

Outside of those days, the island would disappear from Earth entirely.

The spot where the vanished island reappeared was always the same.

Every time the island was about to open, the surrounding sea, sky, and the area itself would swarm with people hoping to visit, often leading to fights breaking out.

To control the chaos, the World Hunter Alliance had implemented a reservation system ten years ago.

Large guilds like Danbaek had permanent, secured slots.

Seven members of the tracking team gathered at one of those designated spots.

“I’m heading over to the Pollock guys. Good luck, hyungs! You better pass the test!”

“I’m going to the Cod guys. Uh, I mean… good luck, I guess, but I don’t really expect much from those two couples, so I’ll just say good luck to Wookwon and myself!”

“Pollock” and “Cod” were slang terms used within the New Humanity Church and Enterra.

While the two couples prepared for their test, Cho Wookwon and Anis were assigned to keep an eye on them.

Watching the youngest ones set off as cheerfully as if they were going on a picnic, Go Junyoung muttered under his breath.

“Anis is wise. Rather than wasting time cheering for others, it’s far more rational to focus on encouraging yourself.”

In just a few days, his complexion had noticeably paled, and he shot a sharp glare at the three of them—who either laughed awkwardly, looked indifferent, or pretended not to notice.

He couldn’t glare at the one stoic person there, as that was his superior.

“The highest scores so far have been 50 and 70 points… It’s hopeless. Expecting anything would be foolish. I’ve never seen people so terrible at memorization in my life. If I hadn’t recruited you myself, I would’ve seriously suspected you were spies from a terrorist organization.”

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