Chapter 9
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a good solution. For a fleeting moment, I muttered to myself whether I should ask Seo Taejoo for help—then quickly shook my head hard.
As befitted the protagonist of the novel, Seo Taejoo was, at his core, a fairly righteous man. If Michael were truly in danger, Taejoo wasn’t the type to just stand by and do nothing.
But what excuse could I use to ask for his help?
I couldn’t very well say, “I read the novel, and a monster wave is about to break out here,” nor could I say, “I saw the future, and soon a monster wave will erupt—want to come hunt monsters with me?”
He’d think I was insane and probably lock me up.
Just picturing that ending made me shake my head furiously.
“No, he’d definitely do it. Yeah, locking me up is right up his alley.”
Imprisonment was one thing, but the real problem was that on the day Michael encountered the monster wave, Taejoo had been inside an S-rank dungeon in Busan. That dungeon was critical—where he’d obtain an important item. Stopping him from going there wasn’t an option.
“Tch. What do I do then?”
I circled Michael’s name on my notes and went back to worrying. Since the monsters’ attribute was fire, all I really needed was to summon a large enough amount of water to put them down. But where could I possibly get that much water?
If only there were a Hunter who could summon water in large quantities. But in the novel, the strongest water Hunter was only a B-rank—and a foreigner at that—so calling them here was impossible. And since the monsters originated from a dungeon, ordinary water would be useless anyway.
“What item was it again? There was something in the novel that summoned water…”
Then suddenly, an idea struck me.
“Ah, that’s right.”
The item’s name floated into my mind: Cheongun (Azure Cloud).
It was discovered in the later parts of the story and tossed aside as useless in the Cradle arc, but against fire golems, it was more than sufficient—no, it was perfect.
“So then…”
Pulling out the new phone I had bought a few days ago, I searched for Seoul’s dungeon map. For such a cramped city, there were so many dungeons. Clicking my tongue, I filtered the list by ‘forest’ attribute. From seventy-two dungeons, the number dropped sharply to ten. Then, adding the monster type ‘Forest Guardian,’ the results shrank to just one.
“Found it.”
A C-rank forest dungeon in Seoul.
Too difficult for someone like me, who was barely D-rank and already low on stamina. But unlike others, I knew this dungeon inside and out thanks to the novel. Every monster that appeared, every method to defeat them—it was all in my head.
I couldn’t kill every monster with alchemy, but if I brought along a few key items, clearing my way to the boss room was entirely possible.
“Guess I’ll swing by the item shop while I’m out grocery shopping.”
My eyes flicked to the hideous clothes hanging in the closet.
“I should sell all of those off.”
“This again? What is it?”
“Breakfast.”
I yawned lazily and handed him the egg-dipped toast I was holding. Taejoo looked between me and the toast with a baffled expression, as though I’d just offered him poison instead of food.
“There’s no drugs in it. No poison either.”
But apparently, he really did think I’d laced it with something. His brow furrowed sharply, and without a word, he snatched the plate out of my hands and hurled it straight into the sink.
Crash! The dish shattered loudly.
“You—”
My vision went white with fury. I hadn’t expected him to sit and eat it happily, laughing with me. Even ignoring me would have been fine. But…
He threw it away? Right in front of the person who made it?
Before becoming a cop, I’d lived on scraps, grateful just to have one meal a day. And this bastard had the audacity to throw food away in front of me?
The rage I’d been suppressing exploded all at once.
“You son of a—what the hell do you think you’re doing?! Food isn’t a joke!”
“Ran out of money, is that it? You’re desperate again? Well, I’m not giving you any more. Not now, not ever.”
“…Money? You unbelievable piece of—”
What, does he think I’m some beggar? Desperate?
Even in my real life, as an orphan raised in a group home, no one had ever treated me this way. My blood boiled.
Meanwhile, the bastard who had lit the fuse didn’t even seem to care.
“Getting cocky just because you purified a monster? Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just seeing your face makes me sick.”
He slammed his shoulder into mine as he stormed out the door.
“What the hell did he just say?”
As a reader, I used to curse at Seo Gowoon—the original owner of this body—for always making Taejoo act like he’d swallowed a cactus. So when Taejoo treated me coldly after I possessed Gowoon, I understood it. It was natural.
But after the purification incident with Sogeumyi, I’d thought our relationship had improved, if only slightly. I had even stayed up all night thinking about how to clear the forest dungeon, and as a gesture of goodwill—like giving a rice cake to a brat you hate—I’d made him toast.
So much for my sunshine policy.
This wasn’t about getting along. This was about humanity’s survival. No need for friendship.
Besides, once I get the Wish Orb and meet God, I’m going back to my own world. Why bother cozying up to that bastard?
He could do his thing, I could do mine. No reason to reconcile.
And don’t tell me he reminded me of my childhood. That’s a damn lie.
Sure, I had my rough edges, but I wasn’t the kind of scum who would do something like that.
“When he was a kid, he was just a mad dog biting at anything. Now he’s grown up and pretending to be human.”
The class rep’s words floated into my mind, but I ignored them.
“Pii?”
Sogeumyi tilted his head, confused by my silence.
“It’s nothing. Let’s just sleep. I’m tired.”
No matter how much I liked cleaning, I wasn’t about to pick up the broken dishes in this mood.
The one who broke it should clean it up. Why the hell should I?
I yawned widely, pretending I hadn’t seen the wrecked sink, and was shuffling back to my room when the doorbell rang.
“…Now who?”
On the intercom screen stood a red-haired man, scowling impatiently.
“…Don’t tell me that bastard Gowoon actually borrowed from loan sharks?”
It was a ridiculous thought, but knowing the old Seo Gowoon from the novel, it wasn’t impossible. If he really had borrowed, what would I do? I couldn’t ask Taejoo for money anymore.
The doorbell rang again and again, insistent.
Sighing, I pressed the intercom button. “Who is it?”
“Who the hell do you think? I’m here on Taejoo-hyung’s errand. Open the damn door already!”
Taejoo-hyung?
In the novel, Taejoo was the type to tolerate conversation, but he never let people close. The only ones he could be called ‘close’ to were his guildmaster and a few party members.
So who the hell was this guy, calling him hyung? A guildmate?
But seriously, the bastard only just left—what kind of errand could he already be sending someone on?
Annoyed, I snapped back through the intercom.
“If you’re a guild member, fine. But why the hell are you so rude?”
“What?!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll open the door, you asshole.”
Grumbling, I unlocked the door. Moments later, the red-haired man barged inside without hesitation.
“Damn bastard—what took you so long to open the door in this heat?!”
He stomped in furiously.
Vice guildmaster, guildmate, whatever—just do your business and leave already. I’m dead tired.
The lack of sleep from preparing breakfast was catching up with me.
Maybe I should just skip the item shop and nap instead. Why did I have to get stuck possessing this idiot, wasting my time like this? Coffee. I need coffee.
I dazedly stared at Taejoo’s room, thinking of brewing some, when the redhead returned holding an envelope.
“Must be nice, living easy like this while Taejoo-hyung’s busting his ass out there.”
And that has what to do with me?
I shrugged, waving him off. “Save the speech. If you’re done, get out.”
As I turned toward the kitchen, he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
“You little shit. That’s all you’ve got to say?!”
“…What’s your problem now?”
Did he think I was some pushover? If you’re going to curse, at least do it under your breath like me.
I frowned, and his face twisted in anger.
“‘What’s your problem’?! That’s what you’re saying right now?!”
“Yeah, what else? Am I supposed to say, ‘Thanks for the insults, much appreciated’?”
“Unbelievable. You’ve lost your damn mind.”
“I don’t know why you’re flipping out, but leave while I’m still being civil. I’m already pissed off.”
I shoved him aside and turned away.
Sure, I was in Seo Gowoon’s body, but I was still Kim Hae-ah. Whatever trouble Gowoon had stirred up, I had no reason to take responsibility for it.
That’s when he shouted, voice sharp with rage.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble Taejoo-hyung’s in because of the Seohyeon-dong monster wave?!”
Seohyeon-dong? Wasn’t that the wave I stopped by erasing the gateway after I possessed Gowoon? What the hell was he talking about?
Grinding his teeth, he spat, “That day, Taejoo-hyung was raiding with the Center! If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have had to abandon the dungeon halfway. It was because of the text you sent! Because of trash like you, he ended up owing the Center a debt!”
The Center… right, the government’s dungeon force.
I let out a disbelieving snort.
“And that’s my fault how?”
“What?!”
I had no idea whether Gowoon had sent a text before I possessed him. But even if he had, so what?
“Whether a text was sent or not, the choice was Taejoo’s. If he didn’t want to owe the Center, he shouldn’t have come.”
“You crazy—how can you say that?!”
“If I begged for help by text, he still had the option to say no. Didn’t he?”
“Goddamn… you’re not just trash, you’re a lunatic.”
“Yeah, sure. I’m a lunatic. So don’t waste your time with me. If he’s really that precious to you, why don’t you focus on helping him pay off that debt instead?”
Clicking my tongue, I turned away again.
Two confrontations in one morning. No wonder I felt twice as tired.
What is it today? Why do I keep running into rabid dogs barking in my face?
“You’re a disgrace of a brother. Taejoo-hyung deserves better.”
“Thanks. Now kindly get lost.”
Unable to contain his frustration, he stamped his foot loudly. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
Like a little Chihuahua.
Such loyalty to his master.
I almost swore I could see an imaginary wagging tail behind him as I brewed my coffee.
