Lv.99 Princess of Dark Flames (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7

“……Gone.”

Eun Ha wandered through the empty gate, then stopped in place and muttered.

The fifth named monster wasn’t appearing.

Subjectively, it felt as though several weeks had already passed. The gate had never stayed this quiet for so long—it was simply strange.

[Gate reset complete.] [ – – – Loading – – – ] [Lv.30 ‘Black Tiger with Red Eyes’ appears!]

There was another oddity.

The tigers, who used to charge at her like mad the moment they saw her, had grown strangely docile—perhaps it was just her imagination.

They still respawned repeatedly, yet increasingly often refrained from attacking her until she struck first.

Some monsters even fled outright when she attacked first, never baring their fangs to the end.

‘Could this be the result of repeated learning?’

Suddenly, she recalled a documentary about orcas she’d watched long ago.

Orcas, though notoriously ferocious, never initiate attacks on humans. Many theories exist for this, but one of the most compelling suggests they remember the ‘human-led orca massacres.’

“…….”

Glance.

Eun Ha turned her gaze toward the ‘Black Tiger with Red Eyes.’ The monster let out a weak whimper and immediately bolted away.

‘Repeated learning applies to monsters too?’

That couldn’t be. Even as she chased it, Eun Ha tilted her head in confusion. At least, none of the monsters she’d faced so far seemed that intelligent.

Thud!

With a dull sound, the tiger slammed into the ground. Even if it surrendered, she wouldn’t show mercy to a monster.

Armed with countless spoils and powers, Eun Ha now considered a mere Lv.30 monster unworthy of even the lowest rung.

‘Looks like I’ll be leaving empty-handed again today.’

Meanwhile, Eun Ha turned away, her face clouded with gloom.

She’d already reset at least twenty times, by her own count. Experience told her the fifth monster likely wouldn’t appear today either.

She wanted to explore a bit longer, but her body felt terrible—perhaps from scouring the gate relentlessly for days, even sacrificing sleep. It was probably best to head back and rest for now.

“…….”

Back at her hut, Eun Ha gazed at her reflection in a puddle of collected water.

A splatter of blood from the recent battle traced a red line from her cheek down her neck.

Though a stranger might be horrified, Eun Ha—quite accustomed to this sight—calmly wiped the stain away with her sleeve.

Ding.

[Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ awakens from its nap.] [It stretches languidly, then approaches you and rubs its cheek against yours.]

“Another wasted day.”

Unlike the seemingly cheerful cat, Eun Ha murmured in a subdued voice.

“Is it even possible to leave this place?”

[The Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ tilts its head, asking if you truly wish to leave.] [It looks at you as if bewildered—didn’t you choose to stay here yourself?]

It wasn’t wrong.

Eun Ha had willingly chosen to remain here in place of her comrade. Before her silent figure, the yellow message window appeared once more.

[The Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ quietly warns you that the outside world is dangerous.]

But Eun Ha thought differently.

‘At this point, even if I go outside, I doubt monsters could kill me.’

It wasn’t foolish arrogance.

For named monsters, each successive one was exactly ten levels higher.

The first named monster was Lv.68, the second Lv.78, the third Lv.88, and the fourth an astonishing Lv.98.

The known maximum monster level was 99. In other words, Eun Ha had defeated a creature nearly at peak strength.

[The Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ sweetly coaxes you, saying it would be better to leave this place and live happily together, just the two of you.]

Though the cat said so, Eun Ha left her hut the next day—and the day after that—to seek the final spoil. Yet again, she found not even a clue, let alone the treasure itself. She never even glimpsed the fifth named monster.

‘Why, exactly?’

Perhaps specific conditions must be met to summon the monster…

Or maybe it was simply an internal system error. The recent lack of monster aggression toward her might also stem from that glitch.

‘I don’t know.’

Leaning against the hut wall, Eun Ha stared blankly ahead with a weary expression. The characters carved into the cave wall—repeated strokes forming the Chinese character ‘zheng’ (正)—caught her hazy gaze. Habitually, she rubbed the wish bracelet on her left wrist.

‘My mother’s death anniversary has probably already passed by now.’

She couldn’t check the exact time, but it was likely so.

No matter how busy her hunter life became, Eun Ha visited her mother’s grave without fail each year—after all, no one else would go if she didn’t.

‘Subjectively, it feels like over two years have passed.’

That meant her mother’s grave had been neglected for two years—or even longer.

By now, weeds surely choked the site, and thick dust coated the tombstone. Perhaps wild animals had even torn it apart.

At that thought, Eun Ha abruptly stood up.

[The Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ gently bites the hem of your dress.] [It flops dramatically at your feet, asking if you’ve forgotten your promise to play word-chain games together today.]

“……Sorry. But I want to leave this place as soon as possible—even a day sooner.”

People were truly fickle.

When she’d resigned herself to never escaping, she hadn’t felt this way. But the moment a thread-thin hope—‘maybe’—appeared, her heart changed.

[The Divine Beast ‘Wandering Cat of Darkness’ looks at you with sad eyes.]

“I’m sorry.”

At Eun Ha’s will, the yellow message window vanished into the air like scattered puzzle pieces. Determined not to leave room for hesitation, she stepped out of the hut without looking back.

Seoul, Republic of Korea. 6:31 PM

Team Leader Kim Gwang Hyun of the Hunter Administration Association stared intently at the sheet of paper in his hand.

▷ Name: Shin Si Woo

▷ Registration Number: –

▷ Affiliation: Wolf Guild

▷ Stamina: S

▷ Magic Power: S

▷ Overall Combat Power: S

▷ Potential: 120%

▷ Unique Ability: Nature Affinity

▷ Remarks: Unregistered (Hunter License Required)

……No matter how many times he double-checked, the printed content never changed.

Measurement records didn’t indicate whether a divine beast contract existed or provide details about the divine beast—because the divine beasts themselves didn’t wish it.

Yet even without such notation, Gwang Hyun already knew he was the ‘Avatar of the Dog.’

Pulling his gaze from the assessment sheet, Gwang Hyun looked up at the young man seated before him—Shin Si Woo.

An oversized hoodie. Even with someone right in front of him, one earphone remained firmly in his ear, his chin resting loosely on his hand in a manner that looked thoroughly annoyed.

Si Woo hid his fine, dark-blue hair beneath his deeply pulled hood and quietly sucked on the straw stuck in his drink.

His blue irises seemed so vivid they might actually contain flowing water—or perhaps he was merely yawning.

Before him, Gwang Hyun spoke with utmost caution and politeness.

“Ah, regarding the tutorial I mentioned—it’s an unavoidable mandatory step, so even though you’ve been assessed as S-rank, it can’t be skipped.”

“……Once that’s done, there won’t be any more bothersome matters, right?”

Si Woo, who had silently listened until now, finally met his eyes for the first time.

Exactly 49 minutes had passed since their conversation began in this café. The ice barrier, once seeming unbreakable, had finally cracked. Afraid to miss this chance, Gwang Hyun quickly nodded.

“Of course. Once you complete the tutorial, you’ll be officially recognized as a hunter, and you may proceed with your activities however you wish. Should you ever consider it, our association is always—”

“Understood.”

Si Woo stood up before he could finish. He inserted the other earphone, shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, and shot Gwang Hyun a fleeting blue glance.

“I’ll see you in an hour. I’ll leave my bag here.”

Without even gathering his belongings, Si Woo walked out of the café.

The B-rank gate Gwang Hyun mentioned was nearby.

Upon reaching the gate entrance, a patrolling officer recognized him and approached.

“Hunter Shin Si Woo, correct?”

“Yes.”

The officer stared blankly at the young man.

‘So this is the Wolf Guild Master’s own son…’

Merely being the heir to ‘Wolf,’ Korea’s largest guild, had drawn relentless public attention to him—likely since the day he was born.

Yet for some reason, he’d remained veiled in secrecy, never appearing before the public until now.

Only a handful knew that Shin Si Woo and ‘Baek Rang,’ the recently prominent S-rank hunter, were one and the same.

Meeting Si Woo in person was vastly different from what he’d imagined. The rumors of his frail health must have been baseless.

‘From the outside, he just looks like an ordinary college student.’

……No, correction. His appearance was far from ordinary.

His black hair, as if splashed with blue paint, shimmered an even deeper blue under the streetlights.

His eyes—calm as a lake, clear as ice—were closer to pale aqua than true blue. Though eye color changes from awakening were common nowadays, his shade remained strikingly unusual.

Korea’s sixth S-rank hunter, possessing such looks—if he ever revealed his real name and face to the public, immense fame would surely follow. Then why did he hide his identity?

Suppressing the question he couldn’t possibly ask the man himself, the officer spoke.

“We’ve received prior notice from the association. Just say the word when you’re ready, and I’ll open the gate.”

“Open it now.”

Si Woo replied curtly.

‘He’s entering the gate like this?’

The officer’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Hoodie and jeans. The only thing he seemed to carry was the phone tucked in his back pocket.

Most high-ranking hunters usually bore special weapons or armor, yet his attire was strikingly minimal.

But what could he do? If asked to open it, he had to open it. The officer reached for the gate activation device.

As he activated it, the barrier sealing the gate entrance vanished. The vivid green gate yawned open as if inviting him in.

“What time is it now?”

“7:23 PM.”

“Thanks.”

Without hesitation, Si Woo leaped into the gate.

“Ah, new Hunter! You need to sign the consent form first—”

The officer called out belatedly, but Si Woo had already disappeared inside the gate.

“……Will he be alright?”

A junior officer sidled up and whispered discreetly, clearly worried about the young hunter who’d charged alone into a B-rank gate.

It was a concern born of ignorance—he didn’t know the young man who’d just jumped in was Korea’s sixth S-rank hunter and the Wolf Guild Master’s son.

Though itching to say more, the officer merely shrugged, adhering to protocol.

“Looks like I’m clocking out early today.”