What I was pondering was what I wanted to do, or what I should do.

The feeling of whether it was okay to live like this as an extra, and the inexplicable anxiety that was rising.

An Un’s words floated in my mind like a mirage.

‘Try opening up and talking once.’

Even though I tried to forget, those words kept coming back. Ah, really. I swallowed a small sigh and opened my mouth.

“Um.”

There was no answer. Should I continue talking? After briefly contemplating, I voiced my next thoughts.

“I still don’t understand why you’re trying to… protect me so much. Even if we’re family, we’ve only met after 14 years including the time I was missing, and I don’t have any memories of you, so I don’t really have any particular feelings.”

When I hadn’t found my family yet, I thought I would feel a surge of affection when I met them. But when I actually met them, I didn’t feel that way.

“But I think it might be the same for you…”

The words that followed didn’t come easily. Cheon Shin Woo’s eyebrows twitched. Honestly, I was nervous.

“…Go on.”

“Well… I’ve been living on my own until now. I don’t want to suddenly be confined and live quietly as I’m told, and it’s also a bit burdensome to receive items of such value that I can’t repay.”

“…Burdensome?”

This won’t do. I tried to estimate the price of the staff I just received but gave up.

Seeing my gaze, Cheon Shin Woo muttered while resting his chin on his hand and looking out the window.

“…So, what do you want?”

Contrary to my expectations, he straightforwardly asked me what I wanted. Can I say it? I thought, but I decided to finish what I had started saying.

“I understand it’s dangerous, but it’s quite suffocating. So I wish you wouldn’t try to control my actions so much.”

“And?”

“…I want to work on something.”

“Alright, then.”

“Even though the fact that I’m doing something itself… Huh?”

“Do as you like.”

Expecting him to object, I forgot to close my mouth at Cheon Shin Woo’s words. Without even glancing my way, he spoke in an indifferent tone.

“I was planning to keep that guy as your bodyguard anyway, so if you want to work, you can. However, revealing your rank and attacking gates are not allowed.”

“…Why not?”

“If I say it’s not allowed, it’s not allowed.”

It was a firm statement. I hadn’t thought about entering gates, but his words made me curious. Why wasn’t it allowed, I wondered.

In fact, the reason I hid my identity was simple.

To avoid troublesome situations.

Globally, there are fewer than 300 S-rank individuals.

Although South Korea unusually has 5 S-rank individuals living here, considering the total population, that number is significantly small. Naturally, the attention they receive is enormous.

Just look at Cheon Shin Woo’s tremendous popularity.

I refuse to have articles like ‘Yohwa drinks lemonade at a regular cafe. Does she like sour food?’ just for having a drink at a cafe.

While I was lost in thought, Min Yu Shin suddenly raised his voice.

“Hey, are you crazy?! You might as well put me on guard duty and let her attack gates! She’s an S-rank. Another S-rank has appeared, one of only 5 in the country! She could just safely attack low-rank gates. Do you know how much of a waste of manpower this is?”

He wasn’t looking ahead while driving…

“No.”

“I understand you’re worried, but isn’t it more suspicious for a B-rank combat awakened to do nothing?”

“Not allowed.”

“Is it because of the Hunter exam? The questions are easy and the practical isn’t much either.”

“No.”

“No, think about it! Even if she only participates in C-rank, no, D-rank gate attacks, there won’t be any safety issues!”

“Um, shouldn’t you be looking ahead?”

“If I say no, it’s no.”

“If I go with her, I’ll do all the attacking! You know up to B-rank is fine!”

“What if there’s an error in the gate rank measurement?”

“That’s extremely rare!”

“As long as there’s a possibility, even if it’s rare, no.”

“No, ha… Still, think about it. If someone with that much ability doesn’t do anything…”

Why are they talking about me among themselves? Isn’t this something I should decide? But there was a more pressing issue at the moment.

“Look ahead! Look ahead, I’m telling you! You’re not looking ahead right now, you idiots!”

There’s a truck right in front! Min Yu Shin turned the steering wheel incredibly. Then he continued shouting at Cheon Shin Woo.

“There are already complaints coming from the guild, have you thought about what will happen if the problem gets bigger?”

“I don’t think that’s the issue right now.”

“If that’s not the issue right now… Huh?”

My body swayed due to the car’s sudden rotation. I barely regained my balance and looked ahead.

A suspicious person standing on top of the truck with arms spread.

“The end of the world will soon be realized. Oh, comrades, rise up. Compatriots, remember the sorrow!”

An unpleasant noise that pierced the ears spread. Did they use a loudspeaker? I held my head and looked outside to see a madman in a robe shouting loudly on top of the truck.

“Worship the apocalypse! Then the path of salvation shall open for you…”

“Wow, we’re seeing all sorts of crazy cults.”

“……”

Min Yu Shin muttered in an incredulous voice.

Is this scene something that can be dismissed with just one word, ‘cult’? It was too bizarre not to ask.

“This is a cult?”

“It seems to be a cultist from a pseudo-religion that’s been rampant for exactly a month… I don’t know what they’re doing here now.”

People started getting out of their cars and murmuring. Some were shouting at him for blocking the road, while others were raising their voices anxiously.

Min Yu Shin gently turned the steering wheel and parked the car.

“Ah, Shin Ah. Are you okay? An S-rank wouldn’t usually get hurt in a car accident, so there’s no need to worry much… It’s fragile A-ranks like me who need to be careful. But just in case, how’s your physical defense and magic defense?”

Is that really the issue right now? Still, just in case, I checked my information.

[Name: Yohwa Cheon Shin Ah

Health: 31

Strength: 27

Agility: 57

Intelligence: 61(99)

Wisdom: 87(99)

Mental Power: 99

Charm: 73(99)

Control: 99]

Isn’t this too biased? After checking my defense stats, I was left speechless.

Wow, is this really the defense of an S-rank?

“Um, my physical defense is 24 and magic defense is 42.”

“Huh? Even if you’re not a tank, that’s a bit low… Is it because you don’t have any equipment? What about your other stats?”

I cautiously said.

“My health is 31 and strength is 27.”

“Eh? Your stats are… only that much?”

What’s with that reaction? I mentioned the stats after that.

“My agility is 57.”

“Hmm, I see… You really shouldn’t go to gates.”

“What? Suddenly?”

Cheon Shin Woo sighed beside me. Seeing that, Min Yu Shin said sheepishly.

“Sometimes there are hunters who are only good at specific abilities. Or their stats are trash but their skills are good. But as you go up in rank, usually abilities become more balanced. Even if they have specialties, they can at least take down an A-rank boss monster alone? But strength 27 is a bit too much… Even C-ranks have that much, and some D-ranks with good strength ability have higher than that…”

Hey, you’re the one who asked… I suddenly felt wronged.

“But my other stats are 99!”

“Of course an S-rank would have some 99s. So what are they?”

“…Control.”

I’m not sure about the rest because they have parentheses. Hearing my answer, Min Yu Shin started laughing loudly.

“Haha, no wonder you acted normally even after awakening. Newly awakened people often break things because they can’t control their strength. If their agility is high, they can’t control their running speed and fall over. But it’s good that your control is high.”

No, I really feel wronged. Feeling aggrieved, I checked my other stat windows more thoroughly.

Then I suddenly had a doubt. When Cheon Shin Woo told me to register, he gave me information with stats that were exactly one level lower. As if he knew my information window from the beginning. Is it a coincidence?

I hurriedly tried to check Cheon Shin Woo’s information window.

Or rather, I would have if not for the cultist far away setting themselves on fire, causing the car in front to explode.

[This is the timeline separator]

“…Are you okay?”

With a big impact, my ears rang. When I opened my eyes, I saw Cheon Shin Woo using his body to prevent me from rolling out of the car.

“Uh, uhh…?”

“If you’re okay, get out for now.”

He kicked the car door open roughly and pulled me out of the car. I could see the front that had been crushed by the explosion’s aftermath.

“What about the secretary?”

“He’ll get out on his own.”

It was an excessively indifferent statement, but also one filled with trust.

Looking around, the situation was simple to understand.

There was an explosion. As a result, cars collided in succession. And what’s burning in the distance is.

“……”

It looked like a ritual where someone offers themselves as a living sacrifice.

“Ah, oh apocalypse. Please, our noble intention…”

[Warning!] [Danger detected.] [Warning!] [Ga÷€ invasion in 300 seconds…]

A bright red window popped up in front of my eyes. At the same time, a strange sense of déjà vu crept up from my toes.

“This is…”

Starting from the burning body, space began to distort little by little, and at its end, an unpleasant smoke wavered.

Min Yu Shin, who escaped from the car as Cheon Shin Woo said, called him in an official tone.

“Guild Master!”

“…It’s a sign of a wave. The quality of the sacrificed offering isn’t good. At best, B-rank. It’s not our business anyway, so we’re out.”

“Is there no other information? Even if it’s B-rank, it could cause significant damage depending on the range and scale.”

“There won’t be any major problems if we just seal off this area.”

“Okay. I just got this car not long ago, geez…”

It was a casual conversation. Min Yu Shin speaking formally to Cheon Shin Woo, calling him Guild Master as if he had never treated him as a friend, felt unfamiliar. So did Cheon Shin Woo’s attitude of dusting himself off and trying to leave as if it wasn’t his business.

“Are we leaving?”

“There’s no need to care, nor any value in it.”

“Won’t those people be in danger?”

“They’re strangers who don’t concern us.”

At those words, I felt something becoming distant.

There’s no way to explain this feeling. I bit my lip and asked like this.

“Isn’t it okay to help just a little, just until other association staff arrive?”

“……”

Cheon Shin Woo’s blue gaze fell on me.

At that moment, numerous things I wanted to say disappeared like bubbles. Even if they’re unrelated strangers, they’re still living people, and they must fear death. Really, it should be fine to help just a little bit.

But faced with those cold eyes, it wasn’t easy for my mouth to open. I thought briefly.

“Then I’ll go.”