The Struggles of the #1 Rank - Chapter 4

“…Hunter Seo Joo-ah.”

 

The person in the hospital bed was Hunter Seo Joo-ah, who was asleep in Kwon Eun-young’s body.

 

“I’m sorry for using Hunter Seo Joo-ah’s body without your permission.”

 

Joo-ah raised her hand and pulled the blanket up to Eun-young’s neck.

 

Even though she could not break her contract with the Constellation right away, she could not allow Eun-young’s treatment to be stopped.

 

After all, someone else was currently inhabiting Eun-young’s body.

 

“I’ll find a way to convince my parents. I heard they listened to the other Hunters last year, so I’m sure it’ll work again this time.”

 

Stopping the treatment would not do her any good, either.

 

It would mean she could never return to her original body.

 

Would her parents still love her as they used to if she had someone else’s body? Even though she was inside Hunter Seo Joo-ah’s body, would they still see her as Kwon Eun-young?

 

It would probably be difficult.

 

She herself could barely get used to it.

 

The Constellation had said that their current situation was actually stimulating each other’s immune systems, allowing them to regain consciousness more quickly.

 

It had also said that if she had remained in her original body, she probably would have had difficulty waking up.

 

The same was true for Hunter Seo Joo-ah.

 

Although she had not awakened yet, she would likely wake up soon.

 

Until then, Eun-young had to hold on.

 

Once Hunter Seo Joo-ah woke up, they would be able to return to their original bodies. And that would be the time to deal with the Administrator.

 

After staring at Eun-young, who lay asleep for a long while, Joo-ah turned away, her body feeling heavy.

 

She had taken only about two steps when the hospital room door opened, and a familiar face entered.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Joo-ah’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

The person who entered the room was none other than Chae-rin, her red hair neatly twisted up into a bun.

 

Perhaps she had stepped out for a while. She placed the water bottle in her hand on the table, then looked at Joo-ah with a puzzled expression.

 

“I’ve never seen you before… Do you know Eun-young?”

 

Chae-rin asked, tilting her head.

 

Joo-ah found herself unable to speak.

 

Her heart was pounding violently.

 

Just a few days ago, Chae-rin had been in a coma. She had lain there with her eyes tightly shut, barely managing to breathe.

 

Joo-ah had heard through the news that Chae-rin had awakened, but she had found it difficult to believe.

 

Even now, the battle on the 999th floor remained vivid in her mind. Facing an opponent they could never hope to handle had been utterly devastating. She could not stop her hands from trembling.

 

Joo-ah bit her lip and took a moment to steady her breathing.

 

Only then did it finally feel real. Seeing Chae-rin standing right in front of her made her believe that she was truly alive.

 

Their last battle had left nothing but wounds that would never heal for the entire team.

 

Every outcome had been so despairing that she could hardly imagine things getting any worse.

 

“Um, are you okay…?”

 

Chae-rin asked in a cautious voice.

 

Joo-ah had kept her head lowered without saying a word for quite some time.

 

“…I once received help from Hunter Kwon Eun-young. I was being chased by a monster.”

 

Joo-ah managed to speak with difficulty. Chae-rin nodded as though it were nothing unusual.

 

Most Hunters occasionally encountered monsters that had escaped from the Towers, so rescuing people was a common occurrence.

 

Considering Joo-ah’s current stats, she was weak enough to need help from another Hunter, so her explanation was not entirely unreasonable.

 

Chae-rin accepted it without suspicion.

 

“I see. Is that why you came all the way here?”

 

“Yes. I’ve always wanted to thank her, but I never had the chance.”

 

Joo-ah paused briefly before speaking again.

 

“Recently, people have been talking about the possibility that Hunter Kwon Eun-young’s treatment might be stopped.”

 

“Ah… People already know about that?”

 

Chae-rin’s expression darkened. Joo-ah, looking at her, could not bring herself to look cheerful, either.

 

Joo-ah asked a more specific question.

 

“Did Hunter Kwon Eun-young’s parents really… say that they wanted to stop her treatment?”

 

At her question, Chae-rin looked at Eun-young on the bed.

 

“No. Eun-young’s parents have decided to wait a little longer for now.”

 

Chae-rin sat down in front of Eun-young and gently smoothed the blanket as she continued.

 

“Three years. It’s only been three years. It makes no sense to stop all treatment after just three years… I also slept for several years before waking up, just like Eun-young. How could I give up hope?”

 

Her voice carried a faint trace of resentment and desperation.

 

She resented Eun-young’s parents for growing tired so soon, and she desperately feared for her friend, who might cross the line between life and death at any moment.

 

Joo-ah bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze.

 

It seemed that Eun-young’s treatment had nearly been stopped, just as people had said, but Chae-rin’s persuasion had managed to extend it a little longer.

 

Her chest felt tight.

 

At that moment, a blue status window appeared before her eyes.

 

【………Checking for violations!………】

 

【This process may take some time to complete.】

 

【Verification complete!】

 

【No violations found.】

 

Joo-ah read the words floating in the air with an expressionless face. After briefly saying goodbye to Chae-rin, she immediately left the hospital room.

 

As Joo-ah hurried down the hallway, another system window appeared in front of her.

 

【The Anonymous Constellation makes excuses, saying it had no choice but to check for violations this time because its big sister’s emotional state seemed extremely unstable.】

 

Without replying, Joo-ah stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.

 

【The Anonymous Constellation watches nervously, saying its older sister seems very angry with it.】

 

Soon, the elevator reached the first floor, and the tightly closed doors opened.

 

Joo-ah walked out, weaving through the crowd before leaving the hospital. A cool breeze brushed against her skin.

 

She stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky before giving a weak smile.

 

“Yeah, you did a good job checking. If you hadn’t, I might have ended up telling Chae-rin everything without even realizing it.”

 

That was also why she had hurried out of the hospital room.

 

She was afraid she might reveal her true identity to Chae-rin.

 

She was afraid she might be unable to withstand the overwhelming tide of emotions and end up breaking her contract with the Constellation.

 

With an impassive expression, Joo-ah looked straight ahead and continued walking.

 

Since it was lunchtime, the streets were crowded with people who had come out to eat.

 

A Hunter’s treatment varied entirely according to their rank and Tower record.

 

The discrimination extended beyond restaurants to dormitories and even the monthly allowances they received.

 

That was why Hunters worked hard to raise their ranks as quickly as possible and climb to higher floors of the Towers.

 

They firmly believed that if they could reach the 999th floor, the highest floor among the six Towers, a beautiful paradise unlike anything they had ever experienced would surely await them.

 

Originally, whenever a Gate opened, the Association assigned a team that was required to enter the Tower. However, many teams also chose to climb the Towers voluntarily.

 

Of course, not everyone returned alive.

 

Joo-ah was heading toward the dormitory when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. A loud emergency alert had sounded on her phone.

 

【Emergency Disaster Alert】

 

X Month XX, 12:32. A Gate has appeared on Floor 321 of the Fourth Tower. Nearby residents are advised to evacuate immediately. If you spot a monster, please remain in a safe location until Hunters arrive.

 

【Ministry of Public Safety】

 

◇ Guidelines for Responding to a Gate Appearance

 

1. Avoid going outside.

 

2. Request assistance from Hunters.

 

3. Evacuate to a safe location, and so on.

 

【This is a one-way message. Replies cannot be received.】

 

Joo-ah lowered her gaze and checked the emergency alert watch strapped to her wrist.

 

【…………Calling Hunters…………】

 

Fortunately, it did not seem to be her team that had been called.

 

Since it was lunchtime, many people were outside. The Hunters nearby were helping people evacuate without causing them to panic.

 

A short while later, the summoned Hunters could be seen hurrying into the Tower. A few teams of Hunters who had chosen to enter voluntarily were also there.

 

Joo-ah turned her head and looked around to see if any monsters had escaped into the area.

 

“P-please save me!”

 

A child’s voice suddenly rang out from somewhere not far away.

 

Joo-ah hurried into an alley and saw a child trapped in a corner, under attack by a monster.

 

Her body reacted before she could even think.

 

Joo-ah rushed straight toward the monster, kicked it in the abdomen, and pulled the child away.

 

She quickly took a taser gun from her inventory and aimed it at the monster.

 

Fortunately, the child managed to escape into an open space while the monster was temporarily down.

 

The monster seemed to regain consciousness. It violently shook its head from side to side before turning to look at Joo-ah.

 

Its entire body was covered in black fur, and sharp spikes protruded from its face like those of a hedgehog. It was larger than a human and had four legs like a beast.

 

The growl of a ferocious animal echoed through the narrow alley. The monster snarled fiercely, as if it could charge at her at any moment. A chilling breeze brush

ed against her skin.

 

Joo-ah stared at the monster with an expressionless face before pulling the trigger.

 

Bang!

 

The sharp gunshot pierced her eardrums. The monster’s roar echoed through the otherwise silent space.