Moving, finding fragments, and burning them—this cycle repeated.
I encountered a black slime monster along the way, but I managed to avoid it without much difficulty. If things continued like this, it seemed I could complete the quest smoothly.
And the final coordinates.
Thud.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a corridor of a building.
It seemed to be underground, as there were no windows. The walls and floor were clean, but there was no sign of anyone else.
"Where are we?"
"I'm not sure…."
What was strange was that the surroundings felt familiar for some reason.
I had never been in such a building before, but the structure and the shape of the walls were not unfamiliar.
Where have I seen this before? Where….
As I tried to recall, I heard a voice from beside me.
"Mr. Lee, I have a question."
"Didn't we agree not to ask each other questions?"
"Not that question."
What question was that, and what question was this….
"Alright, then ask."
His gaze was not on me. The bright light from the fluorescent lamp illuminated his profile.
While examining the structure of the corridor, Ki Yoo-hyun spoke.
"Why did you personally take on this case, Mr. Lee? Is it because the hunter swallowed by the monster was a family member or friend?"
"That's just the quest…."
I started to answer reflexively but trailed off.
I realized it wasn't the right answer, just an excuse to myself.
It's true that I'm concerned about the person swallowed by the monster. If it weren't for Jina's family, I might feel sorry but wouldn't take the risk myself.
'System must have told me to do this…'
It's also true that I'm being pushed by the system.
When the giant gate in the sky opened and the monster appeared, the city fell into chaos.
This situation is different from the future I knew before the regression. As a non-combat F-rank cafe owner, there's no way I can solve it alone.
If it weren't for the information and specific quest given by the system, the right thing to do would be to evacuate with As quietly. There are so many strong hunters in Korea; why would I, who isn't even a formal hunter, step forward?
But….
I recalled As's expression as he gently held my hand and looked down.
He couldn't express his feelings and hid his true intentions with a pout, but the slight tremor in his hand betrayed his hidden emotions.
I'm not a person with great moral integrity, and I hate dangerous situations. But seeing As like that, I couldn't pretend I didn't notice.
So, to put it simply, it's like this.
I'm not being pushed by the quest; the quest is just telling me what I want to do.
Thinking about it, it's been like that from the beginning. Making coffee and opening a cafe, wanting to help Seo Derek at the time—all of these were my own desires.
Even though I grumbled, I followed the system's quest because I wanted to.
Suddenly, I remembered what my cat at home said.
"Meow, meow (You always complain about work, but you're the one who keeps creating more work for yourself)!"
Sigh, that's true. I guess I'm the problem….
"Because I want to."
"Huh?"
"There's no specific reason. I just… can't ignore it."
Ki Yoo-hyun smiled slightly at my incoherent words and took a step forward.
"Here we are."
Only then did I realize where we were, as I saw the door at the end of the corridor.
The clear guild mark engraved on the iron door.
And….
"Lee?! Why are you here?"
My only cousin appeared.
Why is Kwon Ji-woon here?
No way. Could the closest person be the final villain?
Of course, that kind of cliché plot is out of the question.
"Kwon Lee, how did you get here…?"
"…Brother."
I want to ask why Kwon Ji-woon is here.
Even though Korea is small, what are the odds that I would encounter my awkward cousin while following the system's coordinates to eliminate an enemy?
I couldn't recall it earlier, but now I'm sure.
This is the basement of the <Silver Guild>. In the past, there was a guild storage room here.
When my uncle was around, I always visited the storage room whenever I came to the guild building, so it was familiar to me. The underground storage room, filled with various items, was a place that sparked my curiosity.
Well, that's a story from over ten years ago.
"There were some circumstances. I came here using a teleportation scroll."
"You used a teleportation scroll?"
"…! How dare an outsider enter the guild like this? What are you doing?"
The hunter Park Hee-young, standing next to Kwon Ji-woon, burst out in anger. Kwon Ji-woon tried to stop her, but her stern expression didn't change.
'If it weren't for the deputy guild master, really.'
That was exactly the look.
Still the same….
Park Hee-young, the B-rank tank of the <Silver Guild>.
She and I… don't get along well. She was always displeased whenever I visited the <Silver Guild>.
But now, I understand her sensitive reaction.
All hunter guilds in Seoul have a barrier to protect their buildings from cracks and monsters.
The barrier stone, essential for maintaining the barrier, is naturally very precious and kept in the most secure place.
If my memory serves me right… this iron door leads to the barrier room where the <Silver Guild> stores its barrier stone.
Entry by outsiders is strictly prohibited, and the door is not opened without special reasons.
Earlier, Ki Yoo-hyun said the final fragment was beyond this door.
I glanced at him. He met my gaze and nodded slightly.
Why is the fragment in the deep part of the <Silver Guild>?
Swallow. I swallowed dry. It smells like something illegal.
So far, I've been following the route of 'a beginner innkeeper in a village who ends up facing monsters.'
But I refuse the plot twist where the villain turns out to be a close person. That kind of twist is long past its freshness.
Moreover, what would Kwon Ji-woon say if I asked him to open the barrier room, which outsiders are not allowed to enter?
"…"
While hesitating, Kwon Ji-woon spoke to Ki Yoo-hyun.
"I've seen you before. You're Hunter Ki Yoo-hyun, right?"
"…Long time no see."
"What are you doing with Lee?"
"Hehe, I have a close relationship with Mr. Lee. We're traveling together."
"…"
Kwon Ji-woon turned his head, looking at me with a displeased expression.
I was a mess from running and rolling in the mall. Seeing me, he seemed to guess something had happened and quickly approached, speaking rapidly.
"Kwon Lee, it's dangerous outside now."
"Huh? Uh…."
"You've awakened, so I won't ask how you got here. An unprecedented alien gate has appeared, and it's an emergency. I'll assign Hunter Park Hee-young to you, so go home immediately."
"Wait, wait, Kwon Ji-woon!"
"What is it?"
"Before I go… I have a request."
"Go on."
"I need to open this door."
"…! Do you know where you are? This is not a place to satisfy your curiosity."
Park Hee-young rushed forward.
"Seeing you say that, there must be a reason."
"…Yeah, it's a long story… but there might be something wrong inside."
"Alright."
Surprisingly, Kwon Ji-woon didn't ask further and agreed to my request.
"Deputy guild master! I oppose this."
"Hunter Park Hee-young, step back."
As Kwon Ji-woon unsealed the barrier room and pushed the heavy iron door to the side, we immediately noticed something was wrong.
The barrier room was a small chamber with white stone floors and walls, and the entire room was the mechanism maintaining the <Silver Guild>'s barrier.
The square stones on the floor were inscribed with silver barrier runes. The walls served as the medium to activate the barrier.
The room was now completely black. It was as if paint had been poured, and the originally silver runes were now rust-colored.
"Ugh…!"
And the intense stench that could be felt even if you pinched your nose. It wasn't just a bad smell.
This was… the smell of decay.
"What happened here?"
Kwon Ji-woon was the first to rush into the barrier room. He sighed after examining the square stones on the floor.
A large bird was on the stone.
Its originally beautiful feathers were now blackened. Its wings were broken and couldn't move properly.
With each flutter, it made a pained sound, and its eyes were wet with tears.
The dark red stains around it… were the bird's blood.
I immediately knew. Death was near.
The smell of decay was coming from this bird.
As if sensing the end, the bird's body slumped. Blackened feathers fell to the ground as it fluttered.
Why is this bird in the sealed barrier room?
"Who did this?"
Kwon Ji-woon muttered.
The last time the barrier room was checked was four days ago, and there were no issues then. It was a place not easily accessible, and there were no signs of the door being opened.
Kwon Ji-woon and Hunter Park Hee-young, standing next to him, both looked confused.
As they approached in a hurry, Ki Yoo-hyun grabbed my shoulder.
"Mr. Lee, the bird."
"…What?"
His usually calm voice was slightly trembling.
"The fragment… the bird, the Long-tailed Phoenix, contains it."
Ding.
As he finished speaking, a quest notification appeared.
[2. Find the fragment of the fake Shining Trapezohedron
Destroy the fragment 4/5: (Unachievable)
Unachievable notification, followed by the next quest.
[3. The fragment fused with the offering
The offering, the Long-tailed Phoenix, has completely fused with the last fragment, making separation impossible.
Choose one method to destroy the last fragment.
Time limit (03:05:11) will result in quest failure.
Destroy the last fragment 0/1: (Incomplete)]
I had heard the name Long-tailed Phoenix before.
It was the journalist, not the reporter, who mentioned it in the store.
"The Long-tailed Phoenix is not an ordinary monster!"
"It emits the ether of light and lives only in special areas of dungeons."
"It's more like a holy water."
It was said to have the power to purify itself, but…
Now, it seemed to have lost its power.
"Gurgle…."
The black bird emitted a pained sound, mixed with foam.
When I brought my hand close, I felt intense heat. The bird's pain, as it was consumed by darkness, was vividly felt.
It was pitiful.
And if the fragment is fused with this bird, how am I supposed to deal with it?
As I thought this, another notification appeared.
[1. Burn the offering: the Long-tailed Phoenix (Difficulty: Easy) ☜ Recommended
2. Purify the offering: the Long-tailed Phoenix (Difficulty: Special Hard)]