My body sank down and settled into the soft embrace as expected.

“… What in the world.”

As if she had obviously expected a fight, Ageha was looking at Suji with an expression like a dog chasing chickens. Suji, mounted on the unicorn that had flown in response to her whistle, waved her hand.

“Whether you’re being chased or whatever, that’s not my business. Don’t pick a fight when you’re tired, just go home, wash your feet, and sleep.”

“… What kind of situation is this.”

As if thoroughly provoked, Ageha glared fiercely at Suji.

Paying no heed, she tossed Ilaine, who had been dangling in her arms, behind her as if throwing him, and he smoothly found his place.

Unable to shake off her fatigue, Suji leaned limply into Ilaine’s embrace as he supported her waist.

“Let’s go back.”

“Yes. I’m too tired.”

There was so much she wanted to say.

What was it that she had seen?

If one of the two videos she saw was a prophecy of things to come, what did Ilaine’s words to her mean? What did that scene signify?

But none of it came out as words.

She had only been forcibly holding out because of Ageha, but her body and mind, tormented by the unfamiliar emotion of fear, were in tatters.

She only wanted to cling to the warmth of human body temperature, even if just a little.

Suji inwardly expressed gratitude to Ilaine, who didn’t ask anything, and closed her eyes right there.

[This is the timeline separator]

The top floor of the Gate Stabilization Department.

In the conference room where usually only a few executives came and went, today twelve key figures who controlled the country, starting with the current government’s president, were gathered.

Although only of ministerial rank, Night sat closest to the president. It was proof of how high the status of the Gate Stabilization Department was.

They were all looking at the mass of light gathered on the huge table, and the real-time footage of the Laurel Tree being broadcast on the screen next to it.

On the floor just below this, the working-level staff of the Gate Stabilization Department would be gathered watching the same footage.

In that heavy silence, the first to speak was Yeonju, who had been praying alone while watching Suji’s vital signs. Only after ending the communication from Suji did she stand up and address everyone.

“Daphne has received the reward, she says.”

At her voice calmly delivering the result, the room was instantly covered in exclamations.

“… Is that true? That means Hunter Daphne was the first to climb the tower, right?”

As the president let out an admiring sigh and looked at his watch, Night nodded and picked up the conversation.

“That’s right. We expected the results to be good, but we never thought it would be shortened to this extent.”

“She’s really an amazing talent. Truly.”

President Kim In Sung kept expressing his admiration while fixing his gaze on the screen.

But since they couldn’t see inside the ‘Laurel Tree’, all they had to rely on was Yeonju’s report.

Everyone waited for Daphne to come into view.

But there was no signal indicating the ‘Laurel Tree’ had ended, nor was there any particular change in the appearance of the ‘Laurel Tree’ being broadcast on the screen. Only the sight of drones from various countries circling around it could be seen.

Just as the group once again fell into silence, a beautiful unicorn with its wings spread like a picture approached the top floor, carrying Daphne on its back.

And almost simultaneously, two team members of Team Daphne were also confirmed to be emerging on the first floor.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Clap clap clap clap.

Starting with the president’s applause, everyone present clapped with one heart, filled with reverence. It was applause filled with enthusiasm, making the previous silence seem like a lie.

“It’s only regrettable that we can’t show you the inside through the broadcast.”

“Yes, that’s right. I too would like to observe the inside. What could be happening… And how Team Daphne is dealing with it!”

“The ‘Laurel Tree’ only has windows on the lowest level and the last floor, so we can’t report on what’s happening inside. We can only inform you that the transport team and medical staff are standing by in front of the ‘Laurel Tree’. The shortest ‘Laurel Tree’ so far took just over 10 hours, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. To be precise, 11 hours, 3 minutes, and 20 seconds! That was the fastest record.”

“How long do you expect it to take this time?”

“Compared to the usual number of people entering, this time a really small number of people entered, so the boss battle might be more difficult.”

“Do you think it will take longer?”

“But conflicts between hunters could also be reduced. So it’s hard to predict, but considering the prowess of Team Daphne, which shows completely different skills from other countries, within 8 hours… W-what, what am I seeing now?”

“Time! Time! Fif-fif-fifty! 5, 57 minutes! In 57 minutes Daphne! Hunter Daphne! Now! Ohhhhh!”

“Calm down! Please calm down! Everyone, can you believe this? Just 57 minutes after the ‘Laurel Tree’ door opened, South Korea’s proud SSS-rank Hunter Daphne has appeared on the last floor!”

“She’s safe! She’s safe!”

“The medical team is waving their hands! It means her vital signs are fine!”

“Team Daphne seems to be returning to South Korea immediately! Everyone! South Korea has taken this ‘Laurel Tree’!”

“We’ll make up for the regret of not being able to show you the key scenes by showing you this scene of conquering the tower in such an amazing time! Ah, ah, I’m still in shock! We’ll take a short break while showing you again the scene of Hunter Daphne and Ilaine coming out of the last floor together!”

Clap clap clap clap clap!

Clap clap clap!

Not just at the Gate Stabilization Department, but at Seoul City Hall Plaza, Gwanghwamun, Pyongyang Central Park, Daedong River Park, and various large and small places like pubs, in front of hunter exchanges, and other places where people could gather to watch large screens together, applause erupted simultaneously.

Among them were people belonging to Daphne’s fan cafe ‘Dryad’, but even those not specifically belonging to fan cafes, anyone who was a person of South Korea cheered for Daphne.

On the internet, since it’s not speaking directly to a person’s face, it was easy for big and small controversies to arise, and it was not uncommon for people to try to tear down the great person that was Hunter Daphne.

But seeing her achievements in reality, it was impossible not to cheer for her.

Just 19 years old.

The sight of a girl of such a young age representing a country and returning after performing amazingly in the ‘Laurel Tree’ gave tremendous inspiration.

For Daphne’s privacy, the broadcast was cut off as soon as the unicorn moved away from the ‘Laurel Tree’, but people’s cheers and applause did not stop.

Green cloths with the fairy mark, Daphne’s symbol created by the fan cafe ‘Dryad’, fluttered in every street.

Although being a hunter was in some ways just a job for individual rewards, it was unusual for Korean people to gather like this and pray for an individual’s victory.

[Peace Maker ‘Daphne’, A Song of Peace Echoes in the ‘Laurel Tree’] [The Most Peaceful ‘Laurel Tree’ in History. Daphne Sets Shortest Record Avoiding Conflicts] [‘Laurel Tree’ Cleared in Less Than an Hour. Previous Fastest Record Was 11 Hours 3 Minutes 20 Seconds?] [New History Written Today in the ‘Laurel Tree’] [South Korea’s SSS-rank Hunter Daphne Establishes ‘Laurel Tree’ Fastest Record] [Will the Reward of the ‘Laurel Tree’ Finally Be Unveiled?]

Although many had foreseen Daphne’s conquest of the ‘Laurel Tree’, the unexpectedly fast breakthrough record that no one had anticipated was enough to fill newspaper pages.

Everywhere people could gather, everyone was talking about Daphne.

It was no different on the hunter bulletin boards.

[Title: I’m Crying

Daphne, she’s really amazing

How can a person be so cool?

I’m so grateful that at such a young age, she consistently works like this, giving up even a short rest period to step up again.

Above all, I think it’s so cool that it was a bloodless victory without harming anyone.

Genius and benevolence.

└Totally agree. The outcome is so different from the previous ‘Laurel Tree’;

└└How can you compare to that, they produced a murderer then;

└└└Speaking of which, what’s happening to Ageha? The Japanese government really became like a dog chasing chickens. Are they just going to release him?

└└└└I think there must have been some kind of deal about that too. Anyway, I hope they don’t let such a bastard loose in the world

└Daphne really needs to rest……

└No need to say it twice

└She’s really cool, it’s almost not reality but like watching a speedrun

└How do such talents keep coming from a small country like South Korea……? Our people’s ability stats are really off the charts

└└South Korea isn’t even that small after unification ㅋㅋ I don’t know why everyone thinks like this, “such a small~” with their hands and feet

└└└This is right, and about our people… it’s rare to have a country with such long-standing pure-bloodism ㅋㅋㅋ That must be a joke right? I’m laughing as I go]