Chapter 21 - Chapter 21

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 21

Chapter Title: Ghost in the Mirror

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"Gasp!"

My body suddenly floated up, and only then did my senses return. Looking around, I saw Se-bin-i supporting my waist as we dangled from the ceiling light, while Hunter Han Jin-woo clutched his head, sprawled face-down on the Lucky Rabbit's Foot.

'What the...'

Lowering my head, I spotted the worrywart completely ensnared by Se-bin-i's shadow hands, unable to budge an inch.

"W-what the hell was that?!"

"A mental skill. Not sure what kind, but it sent both you and Hunter Han Jin-woo into a panic."

There had been a skill called 'Despair' earlier. Must've been that.

"Lucky you weren't affected."

"Well, I..."

Se-bin-i started to say something but suddenly clamped her mouth shut.

'Hiding something?'

Boom!!

Before I could dwell on it, the worrywart was still locked in a fierce struggle with Se-bin-i's shadows right beneath our feet. The moment it tore free from the shadows, they grabbed it again, and the two went back and forth like that for a while.

"Killed it once more earlier, but it came back to life. Feels like there's a specific way to beat it."

"The real body is probably somewhere else."

Hunter Han Jin-woo had shared some ghost stories: rumors that dancing alone in Practice Room 1 at dawn made the ghost in the mirror dance along.

Speaker cable monster bursting from the practical music classroom speakers, canvas monster from the fifth-floor design classrooms, and the boss monster worrywart made from suicidal students.

This dungeon was unfolding just like the ghost stories. So the real body had to be...

"Practice Room 1 on the fourth floor."

"Huh?"

"There's a rumor about a ghost coming out of the mirror in Practice Room 1."

Screeeech!

The worrywart bit through the shadows and leaped toward us.

Bang!

I instinctively aimed and pulled the trigger, and its body exploded just like before. The fragmented chunks began wriggling, merging back together.

"The real one's gotta be there."

"Makes sense."

Se-bin-i slowly relaxed her furrowed brow and nodded.

"Buy me some time."

"Don't get hurt, got it?"

I nodded, and she released my waist. Her shadow cushioned my landing just before I hit the auditorium floor, letting me reach the entrance safely.

Thud!

The moment I exited the auditorium, I bounded down the stairs in one go. I passed the hallway where we'd fought the three portraits and reached the fourth floor, sprinting down the corridor while scanning for signs—but no Practice Room plaque in sight.

"Ahaha, haha! Haaaaack!!"

"Whoa, shit, you scared me!"

A voice that could have been crying or laughing echoed from the end of the hall. As I kept running, it grew louder, and finally, the 'Practice Room 1' sign came into view. I flung the door open and stepped inside, greeted by a music box melody playing backward—and the worrywart inside the mirror.

In front of the mirror sat a music box with a ballerina figurine spinning gracefully in the center. Ignoring my arrival, the thing danced elegantly on its limping legs, smoothly raising both arms.

Bang!!

The pristine white bullet struck the worrywart in the mirror dead-on. The glass shattered in an instant, and the forcibly stitched-together body scattered in all directions. The chilling music box tune and the worrywart's voice faded into the distance, leaving utter silence in their wake.

'Cleared... it?'

Thud.

Suddenly, a cabinet in the corner of the practice room toppled forward. My heart pounded so hard my hands shook, but I raised Ego and aimed at it.

Creak.

It moved! I'd hoped it was my imagination, but it shifted unmistakably.

'Wait, no way?'

Thump.

"Ugh!"

My heart hammered so fiercely my vision blurred.

Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr.

Ego began reacting violently.

Creak, creak.

The cabinet thrashed wildly too. I crouched in front of the fallen cabinet and shoved it with both hands.

Vreeee.

The moment the cabinet door faced the ceiling, a green orb shot upward, then bounced around the room like a pinball.

The orb's final stop was my hand. The light settled gently onto my palm like falling snow, and the entire world turned white.

"Monster?"

"No! Looks like an item! This bracelet here!"

Hunter Han Jin-woo?

Their voices, mingled and distant, reached me from afar. Memories from before my regression.

"Says it's the 'Wolf that Swallowed the Sun'? Let's take it for now."

My voice this time. Same team members in the previous timeline too, huh.

Fwoosh!

The light faded, and the scenery returned to the practice room. Staring at my hand where the light had gathered, I found a worn thread bracelet. Woven from red string with brown wooden beads dangling from it, a faint green glow flickered occasionally.

"Huff, huff... huff."

I caught my breath, calming my racing heart, and gazed quietly at the thread bracelet resting docilely in my hand.

'Definitely... called it a wolf, right?'

"Ji-ui! You okay?"

"Y-yeah!"

Se-bin-i's voice called out. I tossed the thread bracelet into my inventory and jumped to my feet. Rushing into the hallway, I was met by Hunter Han Jin-woo flashing double thumbs-up and Se-bin-i smirking subtly.

"The worrywart... er, monster in there dead?"

"Yeah. Made a huge noise and vanished. Got an item too."

"This one!"

"Whoa?!"

Hunter Han Jin-woo pulled something from his inventory—a hand. Looking closer, it wasn't a real hand but a glove with skin-like texture. The fingers were all different shapes, and there were stitched scars on the back, making it unappealing to wear. As I cautiously gripped it, the item window popped up.

The monster's name was 'Worrywart', the item 'Anxiety'. Fitting pair.

"If no one's interested, I'll just sell it to the Association!"

With that, Hunter Han Jin-woo stowed the glove back in his inventory.

We returned to the auditorium and stood before the lone gate amid the wreckage.

"I'll open the door."

"Sure~"

Grabbing the cold iron bars and pulling them open revealed the familiar container box interior.

Finally out...

I let out a long sigh of relief, patting my chest. The unexpected horror show and pre-regression memories had drained me—I just wanted to crash.

"Took almost two days."

"What?!"

At Se-bin-i's words, I fumbled for my phone. It was 8:20 a.m. on the 25th.

It had felt longer than a B-Rank clear, but a full day? Damn.

"Hey, do I look super puffy? You seem tired."

"Same as always."

Hunter Han Jin-woo busily checked his face in his phone camera, asking Se-bin-i repeatedly for confirmation.

"Why the sudden concern?"

"Reporters are probably waiting outside!"

Reporters?

I turned to Se-bin-i, ignoring the flustered idol.

"They usually show up after S-Rank clears, but this is a new dungeon, so high chance they're here."

"Plus, this one's famous! Tons of them for sure!"

Idol life looks rough.

After fussing over his face, Hunter Han Jin-woo pocketed his phone with a resolute expression and gripped the door handle.

We nodded, and he opened it. Camera shutters exploded from all sides.

"Hunter Han Jin-woo, over here too, please!"

"Hunter Kang Se-bin, was this A-Rank dungeon really made by ghosts?!"

Amid the barrage of questions and demands, a drone with a mic flew over and dropped it precisely into Se-bin-i's hand.

"The Gangwon Wonju A-Rank dungeon was based on ghost stories from Ye-seul Arts High School. Unlike past history, myth, or fairy tale dungeons, it'll require further investigation."

No script, yet words flowed from Se-bin-i like a pro. Reporters snapped photos and recorded every detail.

"The boss monster had a physical form separate from its true body. Thanks to Hunter Shin Ji-ui and Hunter Han Jin-woo's knowledge, we cleared it smoothly."

Not missing praise for the others—textbook dungeon clear interview.

Then camera lenses swiveled to me. The nearest reporter fired a question.

"Is that doll on Hunter Shin Ji-ui's shoulder the acquired item?!"

"...Pardon?"

Doll?

I turned to look at my left shoulder. A familiar-looking ballerina figurine sat there. Crudely painted features stared blankly ahead, blood staining its cheap lace romantic tutu.

'Isn't this the doll from the music box in the practice room?'

Why now? It wasn't there before...

My heart raced like it would burst from my throat, cold sweat trickling down my spine.

Creeeak.

As my mind went blank, the doll's head twisted around, staring straight at me—and my heart gave way to raw truth spilling from my lips.

"Ah, fuck. You scared the shit outta me—what the hell is this?!"

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