Chapter 126:
We kindly ask for your understanding regarding the inconsistency of character pronouns, particularly for the Entities (ex. The Greedy Predator). In Korean, pronouns are rarely used, making it challenging to ascertain a character's gender or identity until later narratives unfold. Given this is a guest-funded site, the time to backtrack is better used to keep other works' going. On a more important note, refrain from sharing this work on social media to ensure our survivability. Thank you for your cooperation!
“It’s been a while since I received a gift from the director.”
Although she said it casually, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment.
Snap! The fox lightly nibbled on her finger at that moment to avoid hurting her.
【Administrator: ＼＼?(?`^′?)?／／】
Seora smiled and playfully poked the fox’s mouth. “Why? Are you jealous again?”
Grr!
【Administrator: ????*(>д<)*????】
The fox wagged his tail as if asking her to look at him. She gently stroked his fluffy tail and kissed his forehead.
“Alright, alright, I see you.”
Seora plopped down on a bench that was along the beach. The fox that had been tapping on the wooden chair jumped onto her lap as if not liking the seat and now claiming it as his own.
“Liza.”
Yip?
“I have something for you.” Seora took out a small box from her inventory. It was a lovely box wrapped in ivory paper with a green ribbon. “It’s a Christmas present.”
【Administrator: ∑(?o口o?)!!!!!!!!!!】
【Administrator: ??(*′□`)??】
The administrator was so moved that he used emoticons of tears welling up to express his feelings.
In truth, for Seora, December 25th felt more like a birthday than Christmas. So, on this day, the concept of receiving or giving gifts didn’t really exist for her. But now, she had precious Elizabeth by her side. Since she had always been on the receiving end, this time, she had prepared for a long time to give him a gift. She was relieved that they could leave the Labyrinth before Christmas.
“Open it.”
Whine. When Seora handed him the present to open, the little fox struggled and used his claws to scratch at the ribbon. His fluffy tail wagged excitedly as it moved around.
Seeing him struggle to tear the ribbon properly, even when he could easily tear through an L-class skin, Seora felt like bursting into laughter. She deliberately wanted to see this adorable sight, so she bit down on her lips tightly to hold back the laughter.
Whine.
【Administrator: ??(σ*′□`)??σ】
Though the administrator pleaded for some help, Seora refused to assist and let him struggle for a whole hour before he could finally tear open the wrapping paper. Seeing him like that for a whole hour was so satisfying that when the gift box was finally revealed under the torn wrapping, Seora personally opened it for him.
【Administrator: ??? ???】
A question mark filled the administrator’s eyes. He alternated his gaze between Seora and the gift inside the box, his face looking dazed. Seora smiled at him in response.
“What do you think? Do you like it? I really put a lot of thought into finding something that can be used in your fox form too.”
【Administrator: ???…】
The administrator touched the gift with a perplexed expression. A clear and melodic sound filled the air as the small bells on the necklace tinkled. The deep green strap perfectly complemented the fox’s green eyes, and the golden bells shimmered beautifully even in the late afternoon.
It was a necklace adorned with bells.
【Administrator: ??? ????】
The administrator looked at her as if asking if this was really a gift.
“How do you like it? The design turned out well, didn’t it? This is not an ordinary item, you know. The strap is made of Werewolf’s Fur, and the bells are crafted from a part of that damn Cerberus’s Core. It’s a one-of-a-kind, precious necklace, not just a collar.”
The item creator was quite surprised when she asked for this custom creation. They had probably never used a core of a Level 1 monster for a summoned creature’s necklace before. It cost her a lot of money, but the result was highly satisfying. Look at it. Didn’t it match Elizabeth’s white fur surprisingly well?
“Now, try it on quickly.” Seora approached with a smile, holding the necklace. The fox, still in a daze, couldn’t avoid her and eventually had to let her put the necklace around his neck. Tinkling sounds echoed from his neck, and the fox’s face looked even more adorable.
“Aww, you look pretty. It suits you perfectly! You’re so cute, my Elizabeth!”
The fox stopped whimpering, and the emoticons didn’t return. Seora, with a happy expression on her face, gently tapped the bells.
As the night began to fall on the beautiful beach in Hawaii, the sound of tinkling bells filled the air, reminiscent of the fox’s cry, creating a poignant atmosphere.
***
The WDO branch in Hawaii had just finished a major raid, and for a few days, the L-classes were enjoying their leisure time. However, their carefree days came to an end when Alexander Rodrick, the head of WDO in the United States, arrived at their location.
This particular meeting was serious, so only the L-classes, including Rodrick, were present.
“Let’s begin the 8th floor of the Labyrinth raid summary meeting.”
There were two types of meetings related to the Labyrinth raids. One was the meeting before the raid, focusing on the strategies and progress. The other meeting took place immediately after the raid, compiling and analyzing the events during the expedition.
The latter meeting was considered more important because it involved sharing the dangers encountered in the Labyrinth and preparing for future expeditions based on that information.
“First of all, congratulations to everyone on a safe return. You’ve all worked hard. I extend my gratitude to each of you on behalf of the world.” Rodrick lowered his head respectfully toward the L-classes gathered around the conference table. “While you were inside the Labyrinth, exactly 27 Earth days passed outside. During that time, one Level 1 Dungeon and three Level 2 Dungeons emerged worldwide. The Level 1 Dungeon was in Russia, and it has been successfully cleared by Russia’s top-ranked Hunters, led by Viktor Ivanovich Chekhov. As a result, there were multiple casualties, but no other noteworthy incidents.”
“He might not be able to enter the Labyrinth, but he handles Level 1 Dungeons well. We should give him a pat on the back when we meet again.”
“Isn’t it too frequent for Level 1 Dungeons to appear? The one in Korea was an upgrade from a Level 2, but still, before we entered the Labyrinth, there was one more in Northeast Asia, right?” Ali, with her arms crossed, furrowed her brow.
Level 1 Dungeons required at least two L-class Hunters to be feasible for conquest. That dungeons of such high difficulty were appearing frequently was not a positive sign.
“That’s true, but when we look at the overall trend of gates appearing worldwide, there’s no significant anomaly,” Rodrick replied, projecting a graph on the large screen in the conference room. It showed data compiled and organized by WDO; indeed, there was no noticeable issue with the frequency of gate occurrences worldwide. “For now, the situation is manageable. Besides, we just had three new L-class Hunters emerge,” he continued.
“They showed up right on time,” Ali chuckled, looking at the three L-class Hunters from Korea—Kang Sejun, Seong Jarim, and Yun Seora.
These three individuals had confidently proven their abilities in the Labyrinth. They were in no way inferior to other L-class Hunters; in fact, they might even be above them. Yun Seora, in particular, who had made significant contributions this time, stood out even more.
“How was the situation on the 8th floor of the Labyrinth? I heard the Red Dragon of Revelation appeared. Thank you all for your hard work,” Rodrick inquired.
“Yeah, after Nidhogg, it’s the second time, huh? There’s a good chance more mythological creatures might appear in the Labyrinth,” Monique replied.
“The prophecy that reached Earth ended with the dragon’s defeat, but in that world, the dragon emerged victorious. Seong Jarim said it’s because it was a parallel world.”
Rodrick looked at Seong Jarim with surprise in his eyes. It was the first time she had engaged in the discussion, appearing disinterested in the meeting before.
“Seong Jarim, we were too focused on the Labyrinth raid at the time, so we didn’t inquire about your statement. But now, I’d like to ask. What do you know?” Monique wasn’t the only one with that question; everyone in the conference room was now calmly looking at Seong Jarim.
With ease, Seong Jarim glanced at Seora and then at Kang Sejun. Seora’s eyes were fixed straight ahead, but when their gazes met, Kang Sejun nodded.
Now was the time to reveal it.
“WDO’s head must have already heard about me from Song Hanna, the president of the Korea Association, right? About my situation,” Seong Jarim spoke, and all eyes turned to Rodrick. With a nod, he unveiled Seong Jarim’s remarkable secret that had been hidden until now.
“Seong Jarim is the world’s first and only dungeon survivor.”
“What do you mean? A dungeon survivor?”
“Exactly as it sounds. Seong Jarim was a missing person who ventured into a dungeon for conquest but couldn’t return when the gate closed. However, several months ago, five years after her disappearance, she was confirmed to have survived inside the dungeon and safely returned to Korea.”
Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment. Julian stared at Seong Jarim with a blank expression.
Countless people have gone missing inside dungeons all over the world, but not a single one of them has ever come back. It was a given, as once a dungeon closes, it never reappears.
Yet, Seong Jarim returned?
“It’s hard to believe.”
“Is it the first time something considered impossible has happened?”
Ali raised an eyebrow. Oliver, too, seemed perplexed. Rodrick, the head of WDO, cut through the growing suspicions. “This information was confirmed by four S-class Hunters, including Do Junyeong, the director of the Korea Association office.”
When it was stated that not just anyone but S-class Hunters, especially under Song Hanna, confirmed the information, everyone, to some extent, became convinced. Nevertheless, the content of the revelation was so incredible that complete belief was difficult.
“Seong Jarim, tell us,” Rodrick urged her.
Monique raised an eyebrow. “Is this for real?”
“What would make you believe? Would you believe it after you bring a Hunter who can see the Awakened’s information and have them read my data?” Seong Jarim chuckled. “Believe it or not, it’s up to you. I’m not here to beg you to believe me. What’s important is not that I’m a dungeon survivor but the true nature of the dungeon and the gates.”
“What do you mean by ‘true nature’? How do you know about it?” Rodrick’s face, which had been stern since he only received the information of her being a dungeon survivor from Song Hanna, hardened even more.
“I spent quite a long time inside the dungeon, longer than I’ve lived on Earth. Why are you so surprised that I noticed the true nature of dungeons and the gates? We spent only about a week in the Labyrinth, but 27 days have passed on Earth. Did you never consider the possibility of the opposite?” Seong Jarim smiled as she drove home her point. “I lived there for 108 years. It was a time so long that I, once an A-class Hunter, became an L-class. No one on Earth knows more about the dungeons and the gates than I do.”
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