NOVEL WEB 33. SPES Meeting (1)
In truth, on the day the 26th floor of Kill Screen was cleared, Kang Taeseo wasn’t the only one harboring suspicions.
“Fides-nim, Caligo and Solaris have successfully cleared the 26th floor of Kill Screen.”
“Of course they would…… Wait, what did you say?”
On the opposite side of the Earth, in New York.
Fides’ expression hardened as he was about to reply nonchalantly. In response to his question, the informant reporting to him explained again.
“It’s reportedly the fastest clear time in Kill Screen history. Moreover, they say the boss fled to another floor…….”
“Is this true?”
A stunned Hyun Siwoo stood up abruptly.
“……That’s impossible.”
The boss of the 26th floor, Demon King Kriksha.
One of the worst bosses humanity had faced before the regression. Neaiba chimed in.
[One of the worst bosses?]
‘It’s too powerful to remain on the 26th floor. It’s one of the seven Demon Kings that shouldn’t appear properly until at least the 50th floor……. Before the regression, we couldn’t clear it properly until we put Hyun Habin at the forefront.’
So naturally, he had expected Solaris and Caligo to fail as well.
He had planned to step in during that opportunity.
‘They cleared it so easily?’
And in record time, no less?
Hyun Siwoo’s expression darkened.
‘The future I knew has changed.’
Why?
As Hyun Siwoo was lost in confusion, the informant continued speaking.
“And about the target you asked us to monitor before…….”
‘Ah, Hyun Habin.’
The target the informant was referring to was Hyun Habin. As Hyun Siwoo nodded, the informant finished his report.
“That target was apparently at Kill Screen at that time.”
“……!”
Hyun Siwoo raised his head.
‘Hyun Habin happened to be there?’
The 26th floor, cleared in record time, unlike before the regression.
A changed future.
……And Hyun Habin was there?
Hyun Siwoo slowly raised his hand to his mouth.
‘Could it be that Hyun Habin stepped up and cleared the 26th floor?’
That would make sense.
In the current situation, the only hunters with the skills to clear the 26th floor would be Hyun Siwoo himself and Hyun Habin.
Even then, Hyun Siwoo would need to use his World Rank 1 skills along with the clearing tips from before the regression to make it possible.
‘Right, it’s Hyun Habin. No matter how I look at it, this is Hyun Habin’s skill level. Even Kang Taeseo, Korea’s Rank 1, couldn’t have succeeded in clearing the 26th floor in one go. And a record-breaking clear time at that, it must be Hyun Habin’s doing…….’
Having finished his thoughts, Hyun Siwoo asked the informant.
“Did you find out what that target did in Kill Screen?”
“Yes.”
“What did they do?”
“Well…….”
Hyun Habin’s actions.
Hyun Siwoo waited for the next words with a tense expression. The informant, unaware of the situation, opened his mouth with a dubious expression. He seemed perplexed as to why such a question was being asked.
“Um, they reportedly just looked at their phone while waiting at the entrance as part of the standby team. They were scolded for slacking off, and while trying to avoid the scolding, they slipped and fell off a cliff…… Fortunately, they were rescued.”
“……Is that all?”
“That’s all.”
“…….”
Hyun Siwoo quietly pinched the bridge of his nose.
They went all the way there just to look at their phone? To the point of being scolded?
“If that’s all they were going to do, why did they go to Kill Screen in the first place……!”
The informant, who had been listening to Hyun Siwoo’s muttering, quickly interjected. He looked proud of himself for uncovering even this information.
“Ahem, from what I hear, they participated in the Kill Screen raid to avoid attending the Hunter Training Institute activities.”
“So…… in conclusion. Are you saying they went there to play hooky?”
“That seems to be the case.”
“To Kill Screen?”
“Yes. I couldn’t believe it either, so I double-checked, but no matter how much I dug, that’s all I could find.”
“…….”
‘What on earth is Hyun Habin thinking?’
It was a secret he hadn’t told anyone, but Hyun Siwoo occasionally indulged in such imaginings.
‘What if Hyun Habin had actually decided to make a comeback?’
‘What if she was deceiving all of us, and her claims of taking it easy were just excuses?’
What if she was secretly working behind the scenes, planning to shoulder everything alone?
Between speculation and imagination.
[Isn’t that just wishful thinking? I bet Hyun Habin was just playing hooky.]
Neaiba dropped a truth bomb. In response to this blunt conclusion, Hyun Siwoo retorted.
‘What’s your reasoning?’
[When I saw her at home last time, that’s exactly how she looked. After all she’s been through, she seemed full of thoughts about just having fun now. And people don’t change that easily.]
‘……Yes. People don’t change easily. But that’s precisely why I’m suspicious.’
In the first round.
Hyun Habin had been willing to do anything to prevent the apocalypse.
Ignoring the numerous crises and obstacles around her, she had eventually solo-played through the 70th floor of the tower as humanity’s last hope.
Hyun Habin, who had dedicated her entire life to victory in the first round, even risking her life at the end.
‘……For someone like that to change 180 degrees in the second round, the more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems.’
Above all, this Kill Screen clear is certainly of a difficulty that couldn’t be overcome without Hyun Habin carrying the team.
‘No matter how much you try to hide it, it’s futile, little sister!’
In fact, Hyun Siwoo had always been good at seeing through Habin’s lies since they were young.
‘Hyun Habin, you used the computer secretly, didn’t you?’
‘……No, I didn’t.’
‘The CPU is hot. Come clean while I’m still asking nicely!’
‘It’s just your imagination. Anyway, it’s just your imagination.’
‘How can the temperature rise due to imagination?! It’s so hot you could fry an egg on it! Want me to bring a thermometer? I’ll measure it right now!’
‘Are you crazy? Who brings a thermometer for something like this? ……Wait, where did you even get a thermometer?’
‘Mom’s vanity drawer. Feel free to check if you don’t believe me.’
‘Ah, seriously……! You’re oddly persistent about unnecessary things. Okay, fine, I did use the computer. Are you going to tell Mom?’
‘No? I was about to play games too. Let’s keep today’s computer use a secret from Mom!’
‘Deal! As expected of my brother. It’s nice when we can understand each other like this.’
‘……And so we often formed dark alliances to realize our mutual interests.’
[You mean you two just conspired to use the computer behind your parents’ backs, right?]
‘Ahem. Of course, in common parlance, it might be described that way.’
[…….]
Anyway, to conclude, Hyun Siwoo was confident in his ability to see through Hyun Habin’s lies.
‘Just you wait, Hyun Habin. I may not look it, but I’m World Rank 1 in this round. I’ll show you the class of a number one.’
For the next few days, Hyun Siwoo diligently investigated information related to the 26th floor clear of Kill Screen.
The results were surprising.
“All the Caligo members who participated in the Kill Screen raid have resigned?”
“Yes. Upon investigation, it seems they were individuals who had disagreed with Kang Taeseo for some time. Most reactions suggest that tensions had been building for a while before finally boiling over.”
“Hmm…… Anything else?”
“Nothing else of note, sir.”
“What about Hyun Habin?”
“She’s been on sick leave and hasn’t been attending the Hunter Training Institute…….”
Sick leave.
Hyun Siwoo could hardly believe his ears at those words.
“Sick leave? She’s ill?!”
Hyun Habin, sick?
‘How is that possible?’
Her basic abilities and physical stats alone should surpass all the rankers on Earth.
Not to mention, most bosses wouldn’t be a match for her, and she should have high resistance to status effects. Even if she were to sustain an injury, a potion would heal it completely.
How could such a Hyun Habin get hurt?
If this were true, it would be a crisis for the entire world.
Hyun Siwoo’s demeanor turned grave.
‘Who could have done this? Don’t tell me the System Administrator has started to intervene directly…… Already?’
While he was racking his brains, the informant wore an indifferent expression, as if it were no big deal.
“It doesn’t seem to be anything serious. Apparently, she’s known for frequently feigning illness. They say she just took sick leave because she didn’t want to go to the institute.”
“…….”
“So she’s using her time off to visit the Solaris Guild Master’s home, I hear.”
“…….”
A moment of silence.
Fortunately, Hyun Siwoo maintained his composure and finished asking the necessary questions.
“Did you find out what she’s doing while visiting?”
“As you know, Solaris’ security and information control are incredibly tight…….”
Hyun Siwoo nodded.
‘It’s true that Solaris is thorough with information protection, given what they’re hiding underground. It’s probably because of their underground base, not because of Hyun Habin.’
“But it doesn’t seem like she’s engaging in any significant activities. She still hasn’t joined the Solaris Guild either.”
The informant bowed his head as he finished speaking.
“I’ve done my best to find out, but regrettably, this is all I have. That concludes my report.”
“……I understand. Good work.”
Hyun Siwoo sighed and dismissed the informant.
Finally alone, he ran his hand through his hair. His complex emotions were evident in this small gesture.
“Hah, could it really be nothing……?”
[See, I told you she’s just having fun.]
“Ah, I usually have good instincts. I’m sure there’s something going on. Something.”
Just as Hyun Siwoo narrowed his eyes suspiciously,
Ding-
His phone chimed.
Slacker
Alive?
“…….”
[It’s Hyun Habin.]
‘It’s Hyun Habin.’
[Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. A KakaoTalk message right on cue.]
Neaiba, having checked the screen, quipped amusedly.
[But what’s with this content? Just two words, ‘Alive?’ What does that mean?]
After silently looking at the screen, Hyun Siwoo answered briefly.
“……It’s a survival check.”
His tone carried a hint of a wry laugh. Neaiba exclaimed incredulously.
[What?! Are you two usually just checking if each other’s alive? What kind of cold KakaoTalk conversation is this?]
Ignoring Neaiba’s outburst, Hyun Siwoo quickly sent a reply.
Slacker
Alive?
1ㅇㅇ
‘It’s been a while since we had this kind of conversation.’
When they were younger, there were times when one of them would get severely scolded by their parents, shattering their mental state.
Both Hyun Habin and Hyun Siwoo often locked themselves in their rooms after being scolded, and at such times, the other would send a short KakaoTalk message first, conveying comfort or concern.
“We usually exchanged messages with repertoires like ‘OK?’, ‘Alive?’, ‘Eaten?’. ‘Alive’ was especially used when one of us had been scolded harshly, asking if the other was alright after such an ordeal, conveying our own form of concern…….”
[How can that be interpreted that way?! Are you sure about this?]
“Yes. What’s the problem?”
Hyun Siwoo tilted his head.
“But since this isn’t a situation where she’s been scolded, it’s literally asking if I’m alive and healthy.”
[……Is it because it’s still peaceful? The meaning of the word ‘survival’ seems to have become much lighter. No matter how much I observe, I can’t understand. Your way of communicating is always beyond my comprehension.]
Hyun Siwoo encouraged Neaiba with a voice full of confidence, as if telling him not to worry.
“It’s because you haven’t seen it many times yet. If you keep watching, you’ll get used to it and understand. It’s not difficult.”
[I don’t think so. Even when I was researching rare scripts used by minority tribes in remote regions throughout my lifetime, I never felt this level of incomprehension.]
Neaiba, once known as the wisest among the wise Constellations, grumbled, but Hyun Siwoo ignored it and continued to look at the KakaoTalk screen.
“Come to think of it, we do have KakaoTalk. I could have tried asking Hyun Habin directly.”
Hyun Siwoo had been relying on informant reports without considering the idea of directly asking his sister what she’s been up to lately.
After all, the standard method for the Hyun siblings to check on each other had always been to hear through their parents or other people.
But Neaiba immediately urged him on, as if it were a good idea.
[Yeah, that’s good. Why beat around the bush? Hey, just ask Hyun Habin directly. Start by asking how she’s been doing as a casual greeting, and then……]
“We don’t usually do that kind of thing.”
Hyun Siwoo frowned.
‘……But this is all necessary for official business.’
[The fate of the world hangs in the balance. If you want to know exactly what happened in Kill Screen, you have no choice but to ask directly.]
‘That’s true.’
Hyun Siwoo diligently typed on his keyboard.
What are you up to these days?
Ding.
Not long after, a reply came.
Slacker
Breathing
“…….”
[…….]
‘Right. It was my mistake for asking.’