VSP 113

The purification process had already been slowly progressing, even before anyone knew it. Because of the original work, Sejun’s negative image had made the progress slow, but no matter how much his haters wanted to deny it, it wouldn’t last long once the things he built became visible. This incident has blown it up.

In reality, there were more reactions of admiration for Sejun’s performance than those who were anxious to criticize him.

The system captured and organized all the positive responses to show Sejun later.

He was worried that Sejun would be hurt if he found the harsh comments when he looked for them alone, but he didn’t think it would be a problem at this point.

Of course, the internet wasn’t just filled with reactions about Sejun.

– But is Seo Sejun actually alive?

└ Shouldn’t the one we’re worried about be Cha Dogyeong? He screamed when he saw the blood.

– Damn, I turned off the screen when I saw Seo Sejun coughing blood. What the hell happened?

└ Hoya proved again that he’s the strongest summoned creature in the world.

└ Cha Dogyeong proved that he loves Seo Sejun.

└ ?

└ Sounds like nonsense, but it’s all true.

└ Yeah, that can’t be explained any other way.

└ It’s love, obviously.

└ Love’s sacrifice.

“……”

Clack, clack, clack, clack.

After several rounds of resetting and solving the cube, the system finally sighed and made the cube disappear.

Love…

The system didn’t understand the nature of that emotion. But from observing Sejun closely and learning from him, he had come to understand its definition to some extent.

If he had to define Cha Dogyeong’s actions right before Sejun lost consciousness, that would be the right emotion.

But what is this uncomfortable feeling?

The system stood still for a long time. Doing nothing was his specialty. He always did this when Sejun was asleep or passed out.

The system, who had been quiet for a while, sensed Sejun getting up and quietly opened his mouth.

“I’ll step out for a moment.”

[Huh? Why? Oh, is Sejun awake?]

“Yes, soon.”

[You too are really devoted.]

“Aren’t you the one who made me this way?”

The one who claimed to be the creator had designed the system to exist solely for Sejun. Isn’t that true?

[……Well.]

It’s true that I made you for Sejun, but you… …she sighed softly as if she had nothing more to say.

[Okay, go ahead. It’s a problem I have to worry about on my own anyway.]

Ha, how did I end up like this… … Her grumbling voice grew distant.

The system didn’t know what she was muttering. But since there was nothing to say in response, he chose silence.

He summoned the cube again in the quiet space and began to solve it for who knows how many times.

Until Sejun wakes up.

•••

Sejun woke up in an instant, as if a switch had been flipped in a dark room.

“Ugh…”

Sejun, who was pressing his throbbing head and habitually searching for his phone by the bedside, had no choice but to open his eyes and get up when he couldn’t find anything no matter how much he fumbled around.

As was always the case when he woke up from a nap, Sejun sat there blankly for a while, not knowing what he had been doing when he fell asleep or what day it was. Then, memories of the past began to slowly come back to him.

Taeseong Department Store, S-rank dungeon, Lee Yongseok, the tree boss, Hoya…

Sejun, who had been carefully recalling the situation, looked down at his body. He felt a little empty, but that was probably due to hunger. There were no visible external injuries.

Though he had a lot of scrapes from rolling around here and there, his body felt clean. Even the pain that caused him to vomit blood had vanished. If his memory wasn’t so clear, he might have thought it was all a dream.

How did I get here?

[You were carried here, of course.]

As soon as Sejun voiced the question in his mind, the familiar voice of the system answered.

“Wha… ahem, what happened?”

[You don’t remember?]

“No, it’s not that I don’t remember, but…”

To be exact, his memory was cut off at important scenes, and he felt hazy and dazed overall, as if his head was covered in fog.

Sejun, who was rubbing his head, aching from missing memories of a crucial moment, as if the screen was left with only the cruel “To Be Continued” floating on it, asked.

“Where’s my phone?”

[After all that chaos, you expected it to be fine? It’s completely destroyed. Maybe someone picked up the pieces.]

He figured there would be news articles and calls from the Association, so he could get a grasp of the situation, but apparently his phone was smashed. Well, considering how spectacularly he had rolled around, that made sense.

He wanted to at least check the date and time, but there wasn’t even a clock in the room. With his phone gone, even that wasn’t possible.

Normally, due to his special position as a summoner, he would often wait in the rear, so he rarely lost or damaged his belongings. However, this time, he rolled around here and there, and it seemed like he couldn’t hold on.

“Oh, shit. I’ll have to buy a new one.” Sejun scratched the back of his head, realizing the added hassle.

[Sejun-nim.]

“What?”

[You should check your stats.]

Stats? That was sudden, but Sejun followed the system’s words without question.

[Seo Sejun (S-rank Hunter)

Ability: Summoner

Alias: Pet Hunter

Stats

Health: 95/95

Mana: 20/190

Attack: 80

Defense: 60

Agility: 70

Intelligence: 100

Luck: 30

Skills

Summoning, Spirit Summon, Summoned Beast Contract, Combat Tactics, Evasion Agility

Passive

Dependence of Summoning]

“Huh?”

Sejun blinked. Everything else was the same, but his mana was strange.

It wasn’t 180 anymore, it had increased by exactly 10.

And for some reason, his mana, which should normally recover with rest, was only at 20. Judging by his body’s soft, fluffy state and the fact that he woke up from a deep sleep, he doubt he’d slept more than an hour or two.

“When did I complete a sub-mission? Why’s my mana drained? How long was I out?”

[Two days have passed since the department store incident. As for the sub-mission, that’s because you were flirting. And there’s only one reason mana would be drained.]

Two days? Flirting? A reason for mana depletion?

Sejun was still half-awake and was trying to clear his dazed mind, but the only thing that kept his thoughts going was the system’s last words.

Why would his mana be consumed? There couldn’t be a reason for that. If there were, there could only be one: Hoya’s summoning.

But, it must have been a while since Hoya was last summoned?

Wouldn’t it be impossible for Hoya to be summoned to this world himself while Sejun was down?

Hoya was summoned into this world without Sejun’s will? This had never happened before, and there was no reason for it.

Why was Hoya summoned to this world? Why should he stay by Sejun’s side and watch over him, even though he didn’t even like it when Sejun called him?

[There’s something more important than that.]

But Sejun’s thoughts were interrupted by the system’s words.

Sejun was about to ask, “What is that?” when he realized that the familiar phrase had disappeared from his information window before the system could even give him the answer.

Under the main mission with the embarrassing phrase “Eat Cha Dogyeong,” there was always a submission mission that existed as if it were a given.

[Sub-mission: (none)]

“Huh?”

That submission was gone.

The usual two-week flirting period, a week-long break, and then another sub-mission. Even during the break, the cooldown timer was displayed, boasting a certain presence. The sub-mission to flirt with Cha Dogyeong, which had been given out every day, has disappeared.

Leaving only the word (none) behind, as if to prove that it was there.

“What, it’s gone… Huh?”

[Yes, I don’t think it will appear anymore.]

“Ah.”

Sejun blinked blankly.

What was it? It felt strangely empty. At first, he’d complained and accepted it because of the pressure to protect his hair, and later, he’d grown to like it, perhaps because of the mana reward. But now that it was gone, he wasn’t even slightly relieved.

It’s not just that the means to increase mana has disappeared, it’s that… well, it’s like he felt empty inside… … a feeling he couldn’t quite put into words.

And as Sejun remembered who the target of the sub-mission was, the situation before he lost consciousness flashed through his mind.

Cha Dogyeong.

“Cha Dogyeong!”

Sejun shouted the name that suddenly came to mind. He remembered Cha Dogyeong’s face. The roots of the giant tree, as if in a final struggle before death, Cha Dogyeong embracing him, the pungent smell of blood tickling his nose, yet he felt no pain.

Even though he was merely recalling the facts, he couldn’t help but notice how things unfolded. Sejun’s face immediately turned pale.

How did he not remember this until now? No matter how absent-minded he was!

Forget the sub-mission or the mana. Sejun’s mind was filled only with Cha Dogyeong. He shouted anxiously.

“Where’s Cha Dogyeong? Cha Dogyeong!”

It was the moment when Sejun was about to ask the system what was going on. The door swung open. Sejun’s gaze turned to the door.

Surprisingly, Sejun’s mother was standing there.