“The new skill of Hunter Seol Mo Gyeon is a skill that inevitably binds him to others… When exactly did this skill occur?”

“I heard it was when I first saved Mo Gyeon from a monster. It would be about 3 weeks ago.”

“Hmm… Has Yu Bom also had any quests or other sub-skills appear?”

“How did you know…?”

While the probability of quests or other sub-skills appearing in the early stages of awakening was high, receiving them itself was a special occurrence.

Even more so for a low-ranking hunter like me.

Knowing it was a very slim chance, I added something else. I didn’t want to be suspected of lying unnecessarily.

“But my skills and quests aren’t anything great. They’re low-ranked and have many conditions attached, so they’re useless except when running the campsite.”

“I see.”

However, he replied monotonously as if that fact wasn’t very important and sipped his tea. The flower scent that only appears in dungeons spread faintly inside the tent.

“It’s good that you seem to be doing well in the dungeon. I’ll report to the center director based on what Yu Bom has said.”

“Thank you.”

Was it just my imagination after all? Maybe because of his beautiful face, he somehow made me feel cautious.

While Hunter Chae Dong Hwa and Mo Gyeon were also handsome, Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon was different. Though smiling, he seemed more cunning and mature than them.

The pressure of feeling like I had to answer quickly and without mistakes, as if being attended to by a hospital or bank employee – kind but making you feel watched.

Someone who would seem to smile without showing their true thoughts even if thinking something else inside. Moreover, although I didn’t know him well yet, I got the feeling that his insides might be a bit dark due to his unique way of speaking.

As I was fidgeting with my fingers, having nothing more to say, he opened his mouth while savoring the tea.

“Have you heard of system fatalism?”

“What’s that?”

It was a somewhat abrupt topic.

“It’s a theory that everything the system does has a purpose.”

His expression became more serious than before.

“According to this theory, the system appeared to save humanity, and the awakening of hunters only manifests in those talented individuals who can save humanity.”

When gates appeared to humanity, countless bizarre phenomena that could never be scientifically proven occurred. Among them, the most mysterious was the appearance of the ‘system’.

The system awakened people by displaying graphics that looked like they belonged in a game in mid-air and helped them defeat monsters.

“Now that you mention it, I think I’ve heard of it… But isn’t that theory only discussed in cults?”

When life becomes harsh, people tend to cling to religion. When scientifically unexplained calamities strike, there’s an even stronger tendency to blindly believe in such things.

So when gates first appeared, many new religions emerged. Most of them explained the purpose of the system, enticing people by saying that if they prayed and showed sincerity towards the system, they could awaken.

That sincerity mostly demanded money.

“Haha, it did branch off negatively in that direction. It becomes a cult when personal gain is sought based on this theory.”

“…”

“Even among researchers, opinions are divided on this theory, but I tend to believe it. There are several pieces of evidence for system fatalism around Yu Bom, aren’t there?”

“Who?”

“Your family. Hunter Jo In Young, Center Director Yu Myung Hyun, and Hunter Yu Tae Rim.”

“Why my family?”

“As far as I know, all three of them received favoritism from the system. From high-grade awakenings to quests. Now with Yu Bom, that makes four.”

Ah, so that’s why he asked earlier if I had received quests to confirm.

As he said, my sub-skills and quests could be seen as favoritism from the system, but maybe because of the theory he just mentioned, it felt too elaborate.

“So are you saying that I’m a talented individual who will save humanity or something?”

But isn’t it contradictory to give an F-rank to someone who’s supposed to save humanity?

No, awakening someone with such insignificant abilities that they get an F-rank in the first place is also a bit…

‘Isn’t this person in a cult?’

Belatedly, suspicion arose. Even though I checked his association ID, I think I believed too easily that my dad had sent him.

When I suddenly gave him a wary look, he burst out laughing.

“The talented individuals who would save humanity were probably your parents. That’s the truth. I’m not sure about Tae Rim, but seeing how the children have awakened sequentially after Hunter Jo In Young went missing, it seems the system’s plan isn’t over. That’s why I believe Hunter Jo In Young is still alive.”

“Um, I don’t really understand what you’re saying.”

I understand that according to Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon, the talented individuals who would save humanity were our parents, and that the system’s plan remains given that my brother and I have awakened in succession.

But I didn’t quite understand why it suddenly concluded with the certainty that mom would be alive.

“So the system might have awakened Tae Rim and Yu Bom to save Hunter Jo In Young.”

“Pardon…?”

“Because Hunter Jo In Young is a hunter with enough ability to save humanity from crisis.”

If the system’s purpose is really to use me to save mom, then giving skills and quests to an F-rank hunter like me makes sense, but still.

Why give me a campsite owner class of all things…?

“Sigh, I really wish it was as Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon said, but it seems like too much imagination. I appreciate you looking positively at my family’s future, though…”

I had been listening to his story as if entranced, but then I snapped back to my senses.

‘So this is how people fall for cults!’

I almost nodded along to his trustworthy voice.

“You’ll see in time. There are no coincidences. The fact that Hunter Chae Dong Hwa appeared as the first guest at the campsite, that Hunter Seol Mo Gyeon had to stick with Yu Bom for a while, and that I’m appearing in front of you to tell you these things.”

“…”

“Isn’t it worth suspecting at least once that the system made it this way?”

He expressed his opinion until the end. Even though I thought it was nonsense, those words lingered in my mind for a long time.

Then if I follow where the system leads me, could I find mom?

If so, I wish the system would send some kind of signal, but the system window was silent.

This morning’s breakfast was jajang rice. I put a round fried egg on top of each bowl of rice well-seasoned with the salty sauce.

“Wow! Owner, this is so delicious!”

Teddy was the first to praise my cooking, his cheeks flushing.

“Right? I told you I wasn’t lying.”

At first, Teddy had said he couldn’t eat this when he saw the jajang sauce, asking if it was all burnt.

‘I guess it could look that way.’

I ate it naturally outside, so I didn’t think anything of it, but if someone saw jajang for the first time, I realized it could definitely look that way.

“You’re a good cook, unlike Tae Rim.”

Next, Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon spoke up. He was also eating with the campsite staff.

I had suggested it first, thinking he might be lonely by himself.

“Tae Rim used to mix in a lot of strange things to the point where some might consider it bizarre food.”

My brother’s name came out of his mouth casually again. After finishing our conversation yesterday, I had asked more about his relationship with our family, and it turned out he was quite close not only to dad but also to my brother.

I didn’t like him at first impression, but didn’t my brother save Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon from some crisis?

Even though Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon is also an A-rank and thus a strong hunter, I was a bit curious about what danger he had fallen into, but I didn’t pry too deeply.

By the way, I forgot to ask Mo Gyeon to keep our family relationship a secret. But shouldn’t he naturally keep it secret anyway?

He’s also famous in the hunter industry. Being the same S-rank and similar in age, he might know my brother.

Mo Gyeon’s expression seemed to subtly harden, perhaps because they did know each other.

“By Tae Rim, you mean Hunter Yu Tae Rim? I didn’t know that hunter had such tastes.”

When I mentioned my brother’s name with some distance, Hunter Ju Cheong Yeon slightly raised the corner of his mouth. My intuition spoke.

‘He must have mentioned it on purpose.’

Whether he just wanted to see me flustered or enjoyed this subtle atmosphere, whatever it was, it couldn’t be anything but a nasty hobby.

‘He seems to have a bad personality. Why was my brother friends with someone like that?’

“You don’t have to worry about food while you’re here.”

“Will you be staying at the campsite for a long time?”

“Maybe? Actually, besides looking around the campsite and checking on Bom, I have another purpose.”

“Another purpose?”

I thought he was just staying for one night since it got late yesterday. It seems he had another reason for entering the dungeon.

“Have you heard of dungeon natives?”

“You mean races other than monsters that live in dungeons, right?”

“That’s right.”

Dungeon natives referred to living beings that settled and lived in dungeons. The biggest reason they were classified differently from monsters was that they formed groups and some races had intelligence similar to humans.

The appearance and lifestyle of natives varied from dungeon to dungeon. Not all dungeons had natives either.

“Are there any in the Blue Starlight Valley too?”

“Yes.”

I thought there weren’t any in the Blue Starlight Valley since I had never seen anything even remotely similar to dungeon natives, but it seems they existed in this dungeon as well.

“The dungeon natives of the Blue Starlight Valley are called the ‘Lamie tribe’. The males use bows or spears, while the females use magic. Their specialty is teleportation. Since dungeon natives aren’t recognized as monsters, they can even enter shelters.”

Teleportation is divided into two types. Blink and teleport. Short-distance teleportation is called blink, while long-distance is called teleport.

Seeing that he simply called it teleportation, I wonder if this race can use both types.

“And the Lamie tribe has quite an aggressive nature, so there used to be frequent friction with hunters in the past.”

“But I’ve never seen any natives in this dungeon…”

If I had encountered such an aggressive race, it would have immediately turned into a fight.

I haven’t gone out of the campsite much, but it’s a bit strange that I haven’t encountered them while they’re settled in the dungeon.