"Ugh…."
-Thud.
"…Maybe I should've just put them in my bag."
Hiking up a mountain while carrying a stack of thick novels turned out to be way harder than expected.
The moment she set the books down on a nearby rock, her arms started trembling on their own.
-Knead, knead.
-Knead, knead.
"Why on earth are you putting yourself through such hardship…."
"It's exercise. Nothing weird about it."
"B-but I'm right here."
"Arkiel. You can't do someone else's exercise for them."
"But…."
Arkiel, who had been diligently kneading Ji-woo's arms, wore an expression of deep concern.
She clearly couldn't understand why Ji-woo would do something like this.
But to Ji-woo, it was necessary.
She had to build up her stamina whenever she could, even like this.
Regardless of the powerful S-rank skills she'd awakened, her physical endurance was, to put it kindly, pretty terrible.
"Right?"
"…I can't exactly argue with that."
Kim A-rin admitted it too — Ji-woo's stamina was weak.
So for now, the goal was to be able to walk around normally even after using Avatar Manifestation.
At the moment, the second the skill's duration ended, she was completely knocked out.
An S-rank Hunter who faceplanted after using one skill didn't exist anywhere in the world. To be a true S-rank, your stamina had to be S-rank too.
-Murmur, murmur.
-Murmur, murmur.
"…Huh."
But the Haeinsa Dungeon Gate, which she hadn't visited in a few days, felt different from the last time she'd been here.
Last time it had been quiet and peaceful, but today there were noticeably more people around, and the atmosphere was buzzing.
There were even temporary tents that hadn't been there before.
-Whisper, whisper.
"…They're here to investigate. They can't just let what happened last time slide."
"Ah."
Kim A-rin explained that they were Haetae Guild personnel who'd come to look into the smugglers Ji-woo had taken down last time.
Of course, those people believed it was Kim A-rin who had apprehended the smugglers, not Ji-woo. The fact that Ji-woo could use Hwaran's skills was still a secret.
Honestly, having to go back and forth to the police station for questioning sounded like a massive headache.
"It's better if you stay out of it. …It's not exactly a good thing to be involved in."
"Yeah, fair enough."
The official story was that Ji-woo had just been standing off to the side watching while Kim A-rin beat up the smugglers.
After all, the only people who knew what had actually happened inside the Haeinsa Dungeon were Ji-woo and Kim A-rin.
Well, Hwaran knew too — but Hwaran wasn't about to show up at a human police station to give a statement, so that was fine.
"Oh, Hunter Kim A-rin!"
One of the Haetae Guild Hunters moving around the area recognized Kim A-rin and came over.
Then came a flood of chatter.
How long the smugglers had been privately using the Haetae Guild's Dungeon, who the accomplices were — all sorts of details about the smuggling ring bust.
None of it had anything to do with Ji-woo, so she let it all wash over her and headed toward the Gate with Arkiel.
Then Kim A-rin grabbed her again.
"Hold on, Ji-woo. Wait."
"Why?"
"Just a moment."
A little while later, Kim A-rin stepped into one of the Haetae tents, confirmed that no one was currently inside the Dungeon, and came back out.
She followed up by saying it would be a problem if anyone happened to witness Ji-woo meeting with Hwaran.
Hearing it put that way, Ji-woo felt a little sheepish. She had to admit it was a fair point.
Maybe it was because she'd only been awakened for five days — she kept missing things like this.
"…That's just how it is. Nobody knows everything from the start."
"R-right?"
"Still, you can't just act without thinking first."
"Ah, that's… …Sorry."
"You insolent—! How dare you speak to her like—!"
"No, no, Arkiel. She's right."
Ji-woo held back a glowering Arkiel and finally stepped through the Haeinsa Dungeon Gate.
Ahead of her spread a vast, open plain.
Monsters were scattered here and there in the distance.
But the one she'd come to see wasn't any of those monsters — it was the Hidden Boss, Hwaran.
【❮(P) Let's Be Friends❯: Active】
"Hmm…."
The passive that raised the chance of encountering a Hidden Boss was already active, but unlike last time, she wasn't suddenly teleported to wherever Hwaran was.
Still, there was a way to call her.
Last time, Hwaran had clearly heard Kim A-rin's thunder and come out grumbling about the noise.
In other words, if the sound was on the level of Kim A-rin's thunder, Hwaran could hear it.
"A-rin, shoot off some lightning. Really loud."
"…You think she'll actually come out?"
"Just try it."
From what she'd seen last time, even a Hidden Boss couldn't stand noise pollution.
Ji-woo asked Kim A-rin to call Hwaran out from deep within the Dungeon with a massive thunderclap.
Kim A-rin reluctantly raised her hand toward the sky.
-Rumble, rumble rumble……
Dark clouds gathered, and before long they began to churn with blue lightning coiled inside.
Ji-woo shouted alongside Kim A-rin with full energy.
"Hwaran~! Your copy of The Lord of the Rings is here~!"
Would a delivery announcement work on a Hidden Boss too?
Just in case, she'd brought Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia along with it.
"Hmm…. A-rin, a little louder——"
"My, how noisy you are, little one."
Creak. The sound of a door opening came from right behind her, and pink tails appeared.
Tousled pink hair. Drowsy eyes.
Hwaran had materialized through a door she'd conjured out of thin air, and she looked very, very sleepy.
She'd clearly been asleep until just a moment ago.
And yet somehow she looked even more beautiful for it — Ji-woo couldn't help herself.
-Click.
"…Little one?"
"You're just so pretty."
Arkiel and Fenrion were both beautiful, but Hwaran felt like she was on a whole different level.
Maybe it was the nine-tailed fox thing.
Even looking at her again, she had exactly the kind of face that would make suspiciously wealthy people fall head over heels.
"Here you go, Hwaran. The books I promised last time."
"Hmm…. These are indeed things I know nothing of."
"And these are some other books too. I think you'd enjoy them."
"Oh?"
Ji-woo handed over the books she'd carried up herself, one by one.
She'd brought Western novels that Hwaran probably wouldn't know — hopefully they'd make for an entertaining read.
Glancing up at Hwaran, Ji-woo caught a look of genuine interest on her face.
"By the way, little one."
"Yes?"
"This time… you've brought one more along with you."
Hwaran turned her gaze away from Ji-woo and toward Arkiel at her side, blinking slowly.
Arkiel quietly held Hwaran's gaze in return.
Now that she thought about it, Arkiel had seemed to know Fenrion.
Could she know Hwaran too?
"You hold your head high, Arkiel."
"…It has been a long time, Hwaran."
Bow. Arkiel dipped her head respectfully.
It did seem like they knew each other.
…But why was Hwaran the one with the higher standing?
Hwaran was a fox and Arkiel was a dragon. Hmm.
"She is far stronger than I am. Even the you of the past relied on Hwaran deeply."
"Yes. That she did."
"And Hwaran has known you since I was still a tiny hatchling…."
"Ahem."
Whoosh. Just as Arkiel was about to reveal the age gap between herself and Hwaran, Hwaran cut her off first.
A lady's age, she said, was not something to be carelessly disclosed.
"I-I beg your pardon."
Arkiel bowed her head again.
The hierarchy between Arkiel and Hwaran was apparently even more clear-cut than Ji-woo had imagined.
It felt a bit like watching a first-year private getting dressed down by a seasoned veteran.
"Hwaran. We require your wisdom."
"Mine?"
"She wishes to grow stronger. Please, lend us your guidance."
Arkiel said this while gently placing a hand on Ji-woo's shoulder.
She was clearly still bothered by what had happened at the Hunter Association yesterday.
She'd already seen right through Ji-woo's desire to become stronger.
Arkiel had a surprisingly perceptive side to her.
Ji-woo felt a warm gratitude for the way she kept looking out for her. Truly her summon.
"Little one. Is what that little blood-drop says true?"
"Uh…. Yes! I want to get stronger."
"Good grief…. Very well, follow me for now."
"Oh."
It felt like a scene straight out of a martial arts novel — stumbling upon a fateful encounter.
Was she about to be handed some secret manual?
Or maybe taught new skills?
Hwaran had the air of someone who knew something, and Ji-woo readily fell into step behind her.
***
"Now then, little one. Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Why you wish to grow stronger. What kind of strength you seek."
"Hmm…. I want to be able to protect myself. Like, if some shady people try to kidnap me, I can just go like this and like that and teach them all a lesson."
Ji-woo explained her current goals to Hwaran.
Guild President Kang Baek getting her on the news. Calling in a ton of reporters.
Strength great enough to make a name for herself as a powerful S-rank Hunter, the way Kim A-rin had.
"For now I'm trying to build up my stamina. Build some muscle too."
"Pfft, little one. The strength you're describing is already more than enough for you."
"Huh…. But I barely have any muscle?"
-Ding.
[Your physical stats far exceed those of an ordinary human.]
"I still don't look like I have any muscle though…."
What the selfie camera showed was just a soft, squishy body.
Not every S-rank Hunter was built like Kim A-rin or Yoo Do-a, but they were all still training consistently to some degree.
There were plenty of S-rank Hunters like Guild President Kang Baek who were absolutely stacked.
At the very least, among all the S-rank Hunters Ji-woo knew, none of them were a soft, squishy kid like her.
"The younger sister seems to understand what kind of strength I'm referring to…. Isn't that right?"
"………."
When Hwaran turned her gaze toward her, Kim A-rin quietly gave a single nod.
What was going on between those two? Were they reading each other's minds or something?
"Little one. You lack experience."
"Experience?"
"Even a tyrant who holds the world in the palm of his hand can be stabbed to death by a woman he shares his bed with."
"I, I don't think that's the kind of experience I need."
"…I mean that no matter how powerful one is, dying a pointless death from inexperience is always possible."
No matter how much muscle Ji-woo built, it was all for nothing without experience — that was what Hwaran said.
The strength Ji-woo was imagining and the strength she actually needed were two different things entirely.
"However, little one. I am not in a position to teach you such things."
"Huh?"
"That kind of teaching is not something I can offer. Though I could teach you any number of ways to enchant a man."
"N-no! She's still at an age where— …No, it's not even about age, there's just no reason she ever needs to learn something like—!"
"…Why are you the one freaking out."
Kim A-rin's face had gone red for some reason as she frantically tried to stop Hwaran.
Ji-woo hadn't been planning to learn it either, for the record.
What was she supposed to do with techniques for bewitching men?
"Hmm…."
-Swish.
[Individual: Hwaran is temporarily controlling Individual: Lee Ji-woo's body.]
Wait a second.
[Your physical charm stat has been temporarily amplified.]
"Mnyaa♡"
"Younger sister of my little one — are you truly sure you don't need this?"
"………!"
"I could teach you far more than this…."
"I-I… don't need it!"
"Good grief, alright, alright. No need to get upset."
Hwaran, looking vaguely disappointed, waved her hand again and undid whatever spell she'd cast.
And in that moment, Ji-woo understood with absolute clarity.
A Hidden Boss was, in the end, a Hidden Boss.
These terrifying monsters.
Did they just toy with people however they pleased?
"In any case, little one. It would be best for you to seek out someone other than me. I will tell you now who you ought to visit…."
"…………."
"…Wipe that look off your face. It was just a joke."
