I Awakened With My Dark History - Chapter 15

========== CHAPTER 15 ==========

Colorful flowers bloomed all around, and a soft light illuminated the interior.

The light held within the flowers shone clearly upon the mist that had spread out.

Those who had been staggering to their feet swayed and collapsed, and smoke poured out from them.

It wasn’t just them.

Black smoke was flowing out from those who were simply asleep as well.

Baek Mun-il created an ice spear in his hand and carefully observed the flow of the smoke.

The smoke quickly swarmed toward Baek Mun-il. To be precise, toward the tiara he was holding.

The tiara, which had felt like it had no magic power, was suddenly emitting a gloomy light.

Even to my eyes, knowing little about magic power, it was visible that magic power had imbued it.

Chwajajak—

At the same time, the smoke that had gathered on the tiara struck at Baek Mun-il like sharp blades.

Baek Mun-il nimbly threw the tiara toward the stage.

“Tsk.”

Even so, perhaps because he was a little late, a deep wound remained on his hand.

Fortunately, the effect of Blooming hadn’t ended yet, so the wound disappeared in an instant.

The thrown tiara floated up, and beneath it, the smoke vaguely formed the shape of a person.

Only red lips were clearly visible above the black smoke.

The lips, distorted by rage, burst into a roar.

“[How dare you…! How dare you! I am the Queen of Dreams! No one can chase me out of the dream! No one!]”

Oh, that’s quite a grandiose statement for a monster that was just chased out.

Baek Mun-il didn’t even listen to it and quickly kicked off the ground.

He aimed precisely at the tiara and launched several attacks.

However, the black smoke extended in all directions like tentacles and caught all the ice spears.

Kwajak—!

“Oh my…!”

Baek Mun-il moved even faster, with my lament as his background.

As he attacked the tiara again, the black smoke rippled and swelled its body.

“[No one can escape the dream!]”

The purpose of the smoke spreading in all directions like a spiderweb was obvious.

Baek Mun-il blocked the smoke’s approach with ice, continuously firing spears, arrows, and the like.

I busily flapped my wings, dodging the smoke’s attacks.

Even while doing so, my eyes checked the spears and arrows that were pointlessly embedding themselves into the floor and walls.

Even after leaving Baek Mun-il, the spears and arrows remained firmly frozen, not melting, and held their positions.

Encircling the smoke more and more densely.

‘That…’

I think I know what Baek Mun-il’s goal is.

‘If so.’

I can help.

“Flower Spirits, rise up and let’s swallow that thing completely.”

I placed my hand on the floor and whispered softly.

‘It didn’t hear me, right?’

Fortunately, the black smoke didn’t notice me at all.

Therefore, it couldn’t deal with me.

Kkudeudeudeuk—

The entire wooden stage began to rise.

Trees grew, and stems full of green leaves passed through or wrapped around the smoke.

The smoke moved upward to escape between the trees.

The trees helplessly snapped with a crack and gave way to it.

But that was exactly what I wanted.

As it emerged from the trees, the first thing to be exposed was…

“Gotcha.”

Kwachang!!

Naturally, it would be the tiara.

The ice spears and arrows that had been stuck in the walls and ceiling extended icicles and pierced the tiara.

It was like the attack of snakes waiting for their prey.

“[Kyaaaaaaah!!]”

A shrill scream rang out through the room as if to tear the ears.

Soon, Baek Mun-il flicked his hand, and the ice moved, throwing the tiara completely to the floor.

Clang.

The red jewels and gold rim shattered, and the voice cut off.

The fate of the black smoke was the same.

“Oh, it’s disappearing.”

I lifted my head and stared blankly at the smoke.

An information window popped up in my field of vision.

[‘Curse of the Succubus’ has been completely cleared.]

[Your contribution is 2nd place.]

I didn’t even expect 1st place.

Without any disappointment, I watched Baek Mun-il approaching me.

His face was still composed, showing no signs of fatigue or excitement from the battle.

“The final support was good. It seems we work quite well together, don’t you think?”

“I suppose so.”

I used my salaryman skill to nonchalantly brush off the compliment.

Actually, I was a little proud of myself, but there was no need to show it in front of others.

He looked around once.

“Even if there are conditions attached to the healing, with healing abilities and even debuff removal… you look like a healer who would be at least B-rank.”

Is he a veteran after all?

He muttered, gauging even my rank, which I didn’t know myself.

A strange glint appeared in his black eyes for some reason.

“By any chance, do you have any thoughts of joining a guild?”

I do. I have a lot. Especially depending on the salary, I have a lot.

Except for one single problem.

“Haha… ha… yes, not yet. I don’t. I’m going to think about it a bit more.”

If this weren’t my Dark History, I would have welcomed it with open arms right away!

Baek Mun-il looked disappointed but didn’t press the issue.

Instead, he took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a business card, and held it out.

“If you don’t have one yet, contact me here when you do later.”

I received the business card with both hands.

“That’s my personal number. Even if you don’t join a guild, you can contact me if you need help with hunter work.”

“Uh… to that extent?”

There’s no such thing as a favor without a price, right?

I was keeping in mind and engraving in my heart that favors only go as far as pork belly.

Baek Mun-il smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Since we fought together, let’s consider ourselves comrades and friends now.”

Is he just sociable? Or is he taking care of me because I’m a healer?

Didn’t the Haje Guild have a healer of their own?

I had doubts, but I didn’t bother bringing them up here.

I’ll have to look it up later.

“There aren’t many skills that include both debuff removal and healing. You’ll be very bothered if it gets known. Call me when that happens.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“That way, I can receive help later, too.”

Baek Mun-il smiled in a way that wasn’t hateful.

I was momentarily dazed by his face smiling with playfulness.

I thought he had a cold and sharp face befitting a guild leader of a massive domestic guild, but when he smiled like that, his impression changed.

A light and comfortable atmosphere, like a friend you could easily meet, emanated from him.

His already handsome face showed such an extreme change in impression that I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Perhaps that’s why, even though it was a calculated remark about exchanging help, it didn’t sound bad at all.

I understand why people fangirl/fanboy over hunters.

In the end, I nodded once, meaning to agree.

Blink.

The synchronization rate is rising again.

No, isn’t this too much for someone who offered to help?

Did he notice I fell for his face?

“Ugh…”

And just in time, a groan flowed from a person who had collapsed on the floor.

I hurriedly gathered my hair, tucked it into my clothes, and pulled up my hood.

Baek Mun-il waved his hand at that action and said goodbye to me.

“Let’s meet again if there’s an opportunity later.”

“Yes.”

I wondered if such a coincidence would happen again, but I leisurely exited the auction house.

By the time I completely left the building and arrived at the subway station, I had already released the synchronization.

The Hunter Association’s security team and the Haje Guild’s raid team entered the Hunket building at the same time.

“Haje Guild Leader-nim.”

“Guild Leader-nim!”

The security team leader and the raid team member called one person at the same time.

Baek Mun-il, who had been sitting on a chair in the auction house, stood up.

“Both of you are late.”

The Association hunter bowed his head slightly with a face that looked apologetic.

“The report was late. Hunket’s grasp of the situation was quite late. It seems the space itself was separated, but could I ask for an explanation of what the situation was, Haje Guild Leader-nim?”

Baek Mun-il shrugged as if it wasn’t difficult.

“A Dream Demon appeared. It seems someone sold an item obtained while clearing a Dream Demon’s dungeon, and the Dream Demon wasn’t properly eliminated. Probably.”

The Association hunter understood the situation immediately.

The abilities possessed by special species were bound to occasionally affect the outside of the dungeon.

“Then, did you handle the Dream Demon, Haje Guild Leader-nim?”

As Baek Mun-il nodded, the guild member looked back at him with surprised eyes.

But fortunately, the Association hunter hadn’t managed to see the two people’s actions.

“It’s fortunate that I was there, so I was in a state to deal with it immediately. If not, the damage would have been great.”

This time, the guild member approached and checked Baek Mun-il’s condition.

“Then, are you not hurt anywhere, Guild Leader-nim? If it was a Dream Demon species, it must have been tricky to deal with.”

Baek Mun-il raised both hands to show his unharmed body.

Since a healer had treated him, there was nothing to worry about.

But the guild member immediately grabbed Baek Mun-il’s wrist.

“There’s blood here…!”

“Ah.”

Even if there is no wound, the blood on him doesn’t disappear.

Baek Mun-il pulled his arm away and cleared his throat.

“It’s not my blood.”

“Ah, then that’s a relief.”

The guild member still had slightly suspicious eyes.

Baek Mun-il turned his gaze to the Association hunter.

“It doesn’t look like item purchasing will be possible, so I’ll be heading back now. If the Association needs any further explanation, have them contact the guild.”

“Thank you for your help. We will do so.”

Baek Mun-il nodded and left the auction house.

By now, the Association and Hunket staff were checking the condition of the customers who had collapsed, treating them, and sending them outside.

Although they called it condition checking and treatment, there was actually nothing much to do for them.

Because they were in a perfectly fine state, with not even a trace of aftereffects, let alone debuffs.

The guild member glanced at that scene and then followed Baek Mun-il.

Once the Association hunter was somewhat far away, the staff member whispered lowly.

“Guild Leader-nim, is it really true that you fought alone?”

“I didn’t know I would be suspected of that. Am I not trustworthy?”

As Baek Mun-il tried to brush it off with a joke, the guild member thumped his chest as if frustrated.

“That’s not the problem. To handle a Dream Demon, debuff defense and removal skills are inevitably necessary. And not just for oneself, but for everyone within the Dream Demon’s domain.”

But Baek Mun-il didn’t have such skills.

Because his skills consist mainly of self-buffs and attacks.

“So what if I did it alone, and so what if I did it with others? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s not a problem, but…”

“For now, just pretend you don’t know and cover it up.”

Baek Mun-il cut off the guild member’s words and smiled.

“Because it’s a secret for me right now, and I think I’ll only be able to tell you later when the opportunity arises.”

The guild member’s face twisted mysteriously.

Even though he looked full of questions, he didn’t ask anything else.