The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 50

The entire top floor of the Haechi Guild building was Kanghyun’s penthouse.

 

After a moment’s admiration, Hana spoke clearly.

 

“I’ll sleep somewhere else!”

 

“Where else? The Hospital Director said Yoon Hana-ssi wouldn’t have anywhere to go.”

 

However, her spirited declaration was rejected in a single second.

 

Hana inwardly scolded the Hospital Director.

 

Director, why did you have to go and tell him that….

 

Hana slunk back into the elevator.

 

“I came to the guild, so I thought I’d naturally be going to the night-duty room. I can stay there. It’s only for a few days, anyway.”

 

Hana smiled brightly and quickly pressed the close button.

 

However, the closing elevator door was easily blocked by Kanghyun’s hand.

 

“Our guild has good security, but we can’t stop the Vice Chairman if he suddenly raids the place in the middle of the night.”

 

Kanghyun spoke with a tired face.

 

“So just stay here. Don’t go making things bothersome for me for no reason. If my affiliated guild member getting caught illegally entering and exiting Gates comes out, I’ll get pretty tired too.” 

 

Since she had committed a transgression.

 

Hana eventually stepped out of the elevator again.

 

Besides, Kanghyun’s complexion didn’t look good enough for her to start a pointless argument.

 

When Kanghyun raised his wrist for biometric recognition, the door at the end of the hallway opened smoothly.

 

“That side is the guest room Yoon Hana-ssi will be using.”

 

Kanghyun’s fingertip pointed toward one side of the hallway.

 

“And I’m this way.”

 

It was the complete opposite direction. 

 

Even though they were on the same floor, the spaces were completely separated.

 

At that fact, Hana’s expression grew visibly comfortable. 

 

Seeing that, Kanghyun’s eyebrow quirked up crookedly. 

 

“I wonder what on earth you were thinking. Most things you need should be there.”

 

Shaking his head, Kanghyun entered his own space curtly, as if his work was done.

 

Only Hana and Popcorn, brought along from the vegetable patch, remained in the hallway. 

 

Hana cautiously opened the guest room door.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Greeting the empty space as she stepped inside, she found a room that was easily ten times the size of her cabin.

 

The sofa was wider than the bed she originally used, one entire wall was a bookshelf, and a mini-bar was even prepared on one side.

 

“So South Korea’s top hunter lives in a place like this.” 

 

Hana felt a newfound sense of awe toward Kanghyun.

 

“Woof!”

 

The excited Popcorn ran around frantically, but Hana, who merely found this space burdensome, subtly perched on the very edge of the bed. 

 

She wondered if she would even be able to sleep well in a place like this.

 

Still, she had to receive her rewards, so she tried to check the system window, but contrary to her intentions, her eyelids felt heavy.

 

Perhaps it was because she had experienced so much in a single day, but drowsiness began to wash over her.

 

“Why does this day feel so long?”

 

In the end, Hana flopped down onto the bed.

 

The mattress received her body softly.

 

The ceiling felt exceptionally high.

 

The unfamiliar space was uncomfortable, but strangely, she didn’t feel anxious.

 

Was it because of the fact that Kanghyun was nearby? After all, there was likely no place safer than here.

 

With the sound of Popcorn’s paws tapping the floor as background noise, Hana let out a yawn. 

 

“I need to check… the reward.”

 

Making her worry about whether she could sleep look foolish, Hana began to let out even breaths in a deep slumber before long.

 

And over such a version of Hana, the system window appeared.

 

【SYSTEM】

 

<Mission Reward: Commencing the distribution of ‘A Fragment of Lost Memories x2’.>

 

“Ugh, I thought I was going to die of boredom from that rookie training or whatever it was!”

 

Hana flinched for a moment at the sudden sound of her own voice.

 

But she soon realized. That this was a dream.

 

She had experienced this before.

 

It seemed the reward, the fragment of memories, was manifesting as a dream once again.

 

Hana tried to examine her appearance.

 

She could see the name of a middle school on the jacket held in her hand, but since there was no name tag, she couldn’t obtain any more information.

 

Her body in the dream moved like a pre-written script, regardless of her will.

 

Right down to her thoughts and the words she spoke.

 

“To all the examinees, you’ve worked hard!” 

 

The announcement flowing out from the speakers outside the shop. 

 

As if the CSAT had just ended, the streets were crowded with students in school uniforms.

 

While Hana, who was biting a candy in one cheek, was walking among them.

 

Wee-woo— Wee-woo—

 

The sound of sirens rang out, piercing the air, and fire trucks shot across the road.

 

Now that she noticed, sparks were flying in the surroundings.

 

Acrid smoke was rising from everywhere.

 

Because her eyes stung, Hana waved her hand in the air.

 

Then at some point, people began running toward Hana from the opposite direction.

 

“It’s an outbreak! Everyone evacuate!” 

 

Only then did her narrowed field of vision widen abruptly, and the surrounding situation entered her eyes. 

 

Everything around her was bright red.

 

A rift that had expanded to the brink of collapse without being cleared in time.

 

From inside it, a massive lizard spewing fire popped out. 

 

Red scales like lava.

 

Flames leaking from between its split jaws.

 

Every time the creature took a step, the asphalt melted, and building windows shattered into pieces with a thunderous roar.

 

People screamed and scattered in all directions.

 

In the midst of that, a car flipped over right in front of the monster entered Hana’s sight.

 

The surroundings were an entire sea of fire, a state where it wouldn’t be strange if the fire spread at any moment, but there were still people inside the car.

 

Those riding in the driver’s seat and passenger seat had no movement. 

 

Only a male student in the back seat, who looked to be about a high schooler, was barely gasping for breath.

 

Bleeding and covered in glass fragments.

 

But no one tried to save them.

 

It was because they were within the monster’s range.

 

No one wanted to dive into a distance where a single wrong step would lead to being engulfed in flames.

 

However, despite the long distance, the male student inside the car made eye contact with Hana.

 

The student’s lips moved slowly.

 

‘Help… me.’

 

No sound was heard, but Hana, who read those words, scratched the back of her head.

 

As if about to spew flames over the car body, the lizard’s jaw was bulging in lumpy surges. 

 

“Ah, seriously. I was told not to use my skills yet.”

 

Muttering softly, Hana reached out her hand.

 

Then, tzzz—, the surrounding air distorted as blue dots gathered and transformed into a long rifle.

 

Moving the candy to her other cheek, Hana braced the rifle against her shoulder and took a shooting stance.

 

Then, after taking a deep breath and pulling the trigger.

 

Thump—.

 

Along with the feeling of her upper body being pushed back by the recoil, a beam of light emitting a blue flash flew toward the monster.

 

As the beam of light accurately pierced the core of the lizard that was burning red, the monster’s body convulsed violently.

 

The red heat spreading between the monster’s scales was instantly dyed with blue light.

 

Thud.

 

Soon, the massive body collapsed on the spot.

 

Simultaneously, the entrance to the gate distorted and exploded.

 

A timely rain shower began to pour from the sky where the gate’s fluctuations remained shimmering.

 

Sshhh.

 

As heavy raindrops poured onto the burning asphalt, the fierce flames died down in vain.

 

Only then did firefighters rush in and begin the rescue operation around the overturned vehicle.

 

The only one who survived was the male student in the back seat.

 

Hana, who bit into her candy, approached the male student who had been laid on the ground before being moved to a stretcher.

 

Perhaps because the dream was unstable, the boy’s face was not clear.

 

The outlines were blurred as if ink had bled into them.

 

However, only his light-gray eyes could be seen vividly.

 

His empty eyes, filled with loss and frustration, were out of focus.

 

They were eyes suffering from the fact that he had survived alone.

 

Looking down at that gaze, Hana reached out her hand.

 

“Why aren’t you getting up?”

 

The boy didn’t answer.

 

His unfocused gaze remained in the air.

 

Nevertheless, Hana grabbed the boy’s hand.

 

“If you aren’t dead, you should live.” 

 

Soon, the scene in the rain began to blur like a watercolor painting.

 

The light-gray pupils blurred, and the sound of the sudden shower grew distant. 

 

Another scene overlapped over the scene. 

 

“Hey, a rookie joined this time.”

 

Someone’s voice was heard faintly.

 

The ground was no longer wet asphalt.

 

Hana realized this time as well.

 

This was another memory.

 

In front of her stood someone tall enough that she had to tilt her head back considerably to see his face. 

 

“Introduce yourself. This is the rookie hunter assigned under you that I mentioned earlier.”

 

Hana reached out her hand without a thought.

 

Then, the other person also reached out a large hand and took Hana’s.

 

“I look forward to working with you, Hoobae. But what is your name, Hoobae?”

 

“…It seems I can’t remember.”

 

Despite it being a dream, it was a strangely familiar low voice.

 

Hana reflexively raised her head.

 

To see the face.

 

But all she could see was his lower face.

 

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. If you don’t remember, I can just wait until you do.”

 

While she was staring at the neat jawline and the elegantly curved corners of his mouth, those corners curled up smoothly.

 

“You asked what my name was. It’s Seo Kanghyun. Let’s see each other often, Sunbae.”