When both the vanguard and the rear party were dispatched to tackle the presumed A-rank double dungeon, it wasn’t just officials who paid close attention to the developments. The general public also anxiously followed the situation, hoping for a safe resolution as they awaited breaking news updates.
[Online Comments]
Finally, breaking news came through.
[Breaking News]
[Forum Post: The Boss Was an S-Rank Necromancer?]
***
"Yaaaawn..."
I covered my mouth with my hand as a light yawn escaped me. The warm sunlight streaming through the living room window cast a lazy, golden glow, making everything feel wonderfully lethargic.
Brushing a few stray strands of my long hair behind my ear, I gazed out at the weather outside. It was one of those days that could even make someone like me feel like going out for a stroll. ...Not that I was actually planning to leave the house. Lounging around at home was much more my style.
Holding my phone, I scrolled through the internet to check how yesterday's events had unfolded. Posts were flooding the community pages at an incredible speed—just taking a sip of water and refreshing the page would reveal an entirely new set of posts.
To keep up, I had to search with specific keywords about the "nun." People were curious about me, searching for any scrap of information. But with no solid details available, there wasn't much for them to speculate about. Even as I browsed, dozens of new posts popped up.
"Well, the management bureau will handle it," I said, nodding in satisfaction before reclining comfortably into the sofa.
As I leaned back, I let myself revisit yesterday's events. The scene from the dungeon surfaced in my mind—the necromancer's final, regret-laden words before her death:
"M-Ma...Lord... I’m sorry..."
That one line refused to leave my head.
The Demon King.
The Demon King... I killed him. The image of the Hero's sword cleaving through his neck was still vividly etched in my memory.
...Could he have resurrected somehow? But why was a necromancer like her invoking the Demon King's name? Why did she appear in a dungeon here, of all places? Was the otherworld fighting another war against a resurrected Demon King? Was the Hero’s party—now without me—back on the battlefield?
So many questions, yet no answers. Speculating endlessly wouldn’t get me anywhere. After all, there was no way for me to confirm anything. This wasn’t the otherworld; this was Earth.
...Well, they’ll handle it themselves, I thought. I’m an Earthling now. The problems of the otherworld are for its inhabitants to solve. I neither know how to return nor have any intention of going back.
I decided to shelve my thoughts about yesterday for now. If new information came to light, I could revisit it then.
Stretching my arms wide, I let out a loud groan, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts. My eyes fell on my fully extended toes at the edge of my vision.
Curling and uncurling them absentmindedly, I reached down and touched my feet. A random memory of Siyoon fiddling with my toes in the past flashed through my mind.
Squeeze, squeeze.
My feet were certainly softer now. Might as well give them a proper massage while I was at it. Pressing gently with my thumbs, I alternated between both feet. After finishing, I found myself chuckling at my own antics.
I stood up, washed my hands, and grabbed a drink from the fridge. Switching on the TV, I moved through my daily routine—preparing for academy lectures, studying educational materials, and of course, watching Momobin's latest stream.
Today’s stream was themed around a horror game.
"Ahhh! H-hehehe... sniff..."
As I busied myself with various tasks, time flew by, and soon it was evening. The sound of a door opening signaled Siyoon’s emergence from her room.
"Unnieee..."
"You're done? Good job."
"Yeah, good job... to me..."
She trudged toward me like an undead, collapsing beside me on the sofa.
"Today was so tough... Let’s order something delicious for dinner, okay?"
She slumped into my side, wrapping her arms lightly around me.
"Ahhh, your hair is so soft, Unnie... It feels nice."
"R-really?"
"Yeah, and it smells good too..."
"Uh... thanks..."
Her sniffing at my hair was a bit awkward, so I replied vaguely. Still, her exhaustion was palpable.
What kind of work was she doing to end up this drained? Feeling a bit sorry for her, I hesitated before gently suggesting:
"Um... You’re kind of squishing me. Could you move a little?"
"Ehhh, just a little longer—"
Instead of pulling away, she clung tighter, rubbing her face against me like a child clutching a comfort object to recover her shattered sanity.
With a resigned sigh, I shifted my thoughts elsewhere. If a little cuddling helped her recover, then it was worth it.
After a while, Siyoon broke the silence, still nestled against me and nuzzling my hair.
"Hey, Unnie..."
"Yeah?"
"Are there... ghosts in the otherworld?"
"Ghosts?"
"Yeah. It’s a fantasy world, right?"
It was an innocent enough question.
"You don’t even need to go to another world for that. Ghosts pop up in dungeons all the time."
"...Really?"
"Of course. I killed a bunch of them yesterday."
Siyoon slowly lifted her head, finally releasing me. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned closer and asked:
"Then... are you not scared of ghosts at all?"
"Ah," I said, the realization hitting me. Siyoon must’ve caught parts of Momobin’s stream while working. Watching that adorable wreck must’ve gotten to her.
"Obviously not. I’ve seen things far scarier than ghosts. Don’t worry—if one shows up, I’ll make sure to exorcise it for you."
"...I see."
Her expression wasn’t quite what I expected. Was that... a reluctant acknowledgment of defeat?
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
"Don’t tell me you’re scared of sleeping alone at night."
"What? No way!"
I teased her lightly, and she burst out laughing.
Once her laughter settled, she beamed at me.
"Dinner’s on me tonight! Let’s eat something great!"
"You already have something in mind, don’t you?"
"Heh, busted!"
Grinning, Siyoon fiddled with her phone, placing an order.
Dinner arrived, and we enjoyed a delicious meal together. As always, the food was fantastic.
***
A Few Days Later
I received a call from Section Chief Jang Han-Soo of the Hunter Management Bureau. His voice sounded fatigued as he explained he had some things to deliver and wanted to meet in person.
I agreed without hesitation and spent the rest of the day lazing around. The following day, I took public transportation to the café we’d agreed upon.
It seemed I’d arrived first; there was no sign of the section chief. Checking my phone, I saw a message apologizing for being late due to unexpected work.
I passed the time by casually observing the quiet street. Before long, I noticed the section chief rushing toward me, panting and out of breath.
"Haah...! Sorry about this, something came up, and I got held up," he said, still catching his breath.
"It’s fine, don’t worry about it," I replied with a light smile.
Dark circles under his eyes had grown even darker. He always had a tired look about him, but today he looked utterly worn out.
As I gazed at him with a hint of pity, he scratched his cheek awkwardly and said, "Before we go inside, could you follow me for a moment?"
"Sure."
I followed him as he briskly walked ahead, our steps leading us toward a nearby parking lot.
Once there, he cautiously glanced around before opening the trunk of a car. Inside was a large guitar case.
"First, take this and add it to your inventory," he said, gesturing at the case.
"Uh, okay," I replied, tilting my head in mild confusion.
Placing his hand on the case, the section chief added, "This is an incredibly expensive item. I thought it would be best to secure it quickly."
"Ah, I see."
I didn’t know what was inside, but his reasoning made sense. I nodded and moved to retrieve the item.