SSS-Class Hunter is Going to Rest - Chapter 89



Only Krnovel

Episode 89 Towards the 100th Floor (2)
2024.06.16.

“Just now… … Weren’t you just beyond the crack?”

“Yes?”

“So Elaine… … .”

Suzy stopped talking and looked at Elaine’s face, who was quietly listening to what she was saying, before closing her mouth.

Even I thought it was too strange.

‘Was it a mirror… … ?’

When I thought about it, the doors to the next floor were always made like mirrors. So it wasn’t that surprising that Elaine’s figure was reflected on the other side of the crack.

She couldn’t see it properly because her vision was shaking while escaping from the tower, and there was no way the player would be in such a place in the first place.

However, coincidences kept happening to him.

Suzy remembered it clearly.

SSS-class and SS-class. There was a clear difference in skill between her and Elaine, but he was the first to notice an attack that she hadn’t even detected.

No matter how excited I was and my judgment was clouded… … How could that have been possible?

“Elaine.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have anything you want to say to me?”

Elaine blinked slowly.

As if to say, “I don’t know anything,” that face seemed almost plain, and she kept thinking that she had been fooled until now.

It’s not that she didn’t trust him.

As I said before, I trusted him the most.

But… … there was something.

“What are you talking about?”

When Suzy couldn’t answer right away, Elaine shrugged her shoulders and took out a water bottle.

“Would you like some water?”

“No, it’s okay. Um… … So… … Elaine is a believer in the Messiah?”

“… … Cough. What, that kind of talk.”

As he drank the water, he suddenly collapsed and coughed for a long time as if he had caught a cold. Suzy rolled her eyes as she watched his reaction.

“… … It can’t be you, after all. Then what other possibilities are there?”

At that moment, Saint, who had short brown hair and a rabbit headband, ran over and hugged Suzy who was lost in thought.

“Team leader!”

“Saint?”

Opening my eyes wide and looking to the side, I saw Peace and Nature with worried faces.

“Are Elaine and the team leader okay?”

“Daphne, are you okay?”

Surrounded by people who were worried about me like this, it felt like I had acted immaturely by going into the tower on my own.

Suzy smiled and nodded.

“Were you worried?”

“Of course, team leader!”

“We waited because we thought Elaine would take care of it, but if it had been a little longer, we would have gone in too.”

Saint’s eyes turned red from worry, but it was a little surprising that Peace was seriously reprimanding me. Of course,

it was right for team members to take care of each other, but since he was so easygoing, I thought it was sometimes hard to gauge the distance.

“… … It was a difficult situation to judge calmly. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Looking back, Suzy wasn’t acting as a team leader. It was a decision she made for her own needs.

Suzy apologized meekly.

Peace’s expression was still stiff, but he shook his head gently, as if he wasn’t particularly hurt.

“There are things that we can’t compromise on.”

“Peace seems like a real adult.”

“I was worried, too. My leg was torn apart by that bastard. I told you, he’s not an ordinary guy.”

Nature suddenly interjected, grinning.

Soo-ji laughed bitterly at his joke that wasn’t really a joke.

“I’m sorry for worrying you all. Oh, and by the way, what happened to the crack?”

“It disappeared as soon as the team leader came out.”

Soo-ji stood right below the tower and tilted her head to look up.

The Tower of the Philosopher was tall, and it wasn’t a common-sense structure with a narrow bottom and wide top, but rather a random design with different equilibriums on each floor, so it wasn’t easy to see the top from up close.

However, she could definitely feel that the crack had disappeared.

She reached out and checked the status window to see that the great beings’ reactions had subsided, and then looked back at the crowd that seemed to have taken refuge on one side of the square.

Fortunately, thanks to the control of the government officials, everyone seemed to be safe.

“What floor did it look like from the outside?”

In response to her question, Saint quickly showed her the photo he had taken.

Even when I enlarged it very much, the cracks that continued like a skein of sand didn’t look like they were broken. I could only guess at them vaguely.

“It looks like the top floor… … Anyway, it was like the very top floor. It’s hard to tell because each floor is different in height.”

Suzy nodded.

If it’s that intimidating, it’s EX-level or higher. It wouldn’t be strange if it was the final boss of the tower.

“They’ve prepared all kinds of monsters in the tower.”

She said leisurely, but her hands were trembling belatedly.

She couldn’t tell if it was because of her instinctive fear or the excitement of facing a barrier that she absolutely had to overcome.

Saint held her hand tightly.

“Don’t think of it as personal revenge. We have to go together anyway.”

“… … I know.”

Because of her young face and playful behavior, Saint sometimes felt like a younger sibling. However, at times like this, she was definitely an older sister.

Suzy turned to Elaine and spoke to the group.

“After discussing it with the team members, Nature is welcome to join the team. As long as Nature is okay with it.”

Nature opened her refreshing eyes wide and smiled brightly. It was the smile of someone who already knew how charming my smile would be.

“The average appearance of the team has gone up.”

Saint grinned and took pictures of the three men, and Peace wiggled his eyebrows and asked.

“Hey, Saint. What does that mean? Huh?”

“Why are you asking when you already know?”

“Does the average going up mean that there were ugly people up until now?”

“You must have a sense of entitlement. Oh my! Gosh, Team Leader! Help me!”

Saint ran up and clung to Suzy, and Peace put both hands on his waist and sighed deeply.

“If someone saw me, they’d think I was going to hit them. Ha, it’s so unbelievable. I’m the one who always gets hit with words.”

“I told you, you haven’t changed at all. It’s an honor to join such a cheerful team.”

Nature laughed heartily as if they were watching a variety show and expressed their appreciation.

They could feel that each of them was joking around to relieve the tension, so they didn’t even think about establishing discipline.

Suzy glanced at Elaine, who was standing quietly to one side and watching the team members laughing and chatting. She

had never been one to go along with Saint and Peace’s pranks, but now she was completely distant. It seemed like she didn’t like Nature very much. She

felt a little sorry.

If I had to listen to only one person’s opinion between Elaine and Nature, it would naturally be Elaine. She had been in sync with her on the team for a long time, and they had naturally become each other’s defense shields even in life-or-death crises.

Thinking about the trust he had placed in her… … his words naturally carried weight.

However, given the current situation, there was nothing she could do.

Suzy raised her hand slightly to comfort him.

But she hesitated strangely.

She could have just reached out and patted his shoulder.

It was uncomfortable.

Why?

If I had to find a reason, I don’t know.

I didn’t want to know.

She covered the hand she had raised with her other hand and asked awkwardly.

“… … How are you?”

“Yes?”

“… … “You said you had someone you loved last time.”

Elaine, who had been quietly looking at Nature, turned her head to look at her. Suzy felt her side face get hot.

‘… … How did you bring up such a pointless topic?’

It was not the time to say such things.

There was a battle right before her, and there were other things she had to ask him.

Why did she ask such a worthless question?

As Suzy was blaming herself for acting out of character, Elaine answered.

“You’re finally asking me.”

It wasn’t a teasing tone, nor was it a tone of accusation as if asking why she was asking such a thing. It was just plain and honest.

Suzy tried to hide her awkwardness and looked at him as usual.

“It’s our private life, so… … .”

“I don’t intend to be greedy. It’s just my heart, and I don’t need a conclusion.”

There was no loneliness or shame on her calm face.

It was like a confession about religion.

Who could it be?

The person who made Elaine make such a face.

Last time, I thought I was jealous, but this time, I felt jealous.

Suji glanced at the large scratch on one side of Elaine’s armor.

I only saw it now.

Fortunately, the armor was strong, so there was no damage to the inside, but it looked like a mark from when she saved me.

“If something like that happens again, just give me a verbal warning.”

“If I have the time, I will.”

I was about to tell them that they didn’t have to be nice to me, but I felt like I was revealing and letting out some emotions, so I just kept my mouth shut.

Then, I turned my gaze to Peace and Saint, who were circling around Nature and playing tag.

The two were wasting their talents, even using the speed buff effect. Thanks to the skills they used, the area around them sparkled.

The other hunters cheered with expressions of surprise as they watched Peace and Saint running at a speed that was difficult to follow with their eyes.

Suzy clapped her hands and caught the attention of her teammates.

“I’m thinking of going to challenge the 83rd floor now, but does anyone need more time?”

There was no answer.

It seemed like it was time to climb the tower again.