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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 14: The Navigator and the Peculiar Spirit (3)
Yeonwoo, whose appearance now surpassed that of formerly popular but now faded male celebrities and actors once considered flawless
He frowned slightly at the tightness of the suit.
Having mostly worn relaxed clothing on the Rune Continent, he was well aware of what a suit was and had worn them several times before, but even after all that, something still felt awkward.
"Um... do you not like it?"
"No, is it weird or something?"
As Yeonwoo looked himself over, Jihee shook her head vigorously.
"No, not at all! It really suits you...."
'Oh my god, what do I do! He's way too handsome...'
Despite her thoughts, her voice came out barely audible, as if crawling out of her throat.
"Anyway, thanks. I’ll wear it well."
He was already wearing it, after all.
As Yeonwoo casually tossed his casualwear shopping bag into his inventory and expressed his thanks, Jihee, appearing to be waiting for an opening, carefully asked,
"Um... you’re a Hunter, right?"
"For now, yes."
He had indeed become one after reawakening by defeating the troll.
"Then... could you maybe give me your Hunter Code? The guild will definitely repay you later."
Hunter Code.
It was essentially a Hunter’s ID, like a secondary resident registration number.
It was a system used to quickly identify and categorize Hunters, originally created to distinguish them quickly and identify those who caused trouble or died in battle against monsters.
'I can’t give her my real code... it's probably already erased.'
After a brief moment of silent thought, Yeonwoo scribbled down a random number, different from the Hunter Code he once had.
It was from so long ago that forgetting it wouldn’t be surprising, but he remembered it perfectly, proof that even as a half-dragon, his memory was exceptional.
"Not sure if this is correct."
As he scrawled the number on the paper she handed him and gave it back, Jihee bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
"Then, let’s meet again if fate allows."
When she hesitated to say something, Yeonwoo quickly cut her off.
He had saved her, yes, but if he stayed any longer, he felt like his pride would suffer irreparably.
Even when he saw the flustered look on her face, he promptly turned his back.
Though unintentional, he had saved Jihee, and Jihee had repaid him.
Anything beyond that was meaningless.
There’s even that old saying: Leave while the applause is still going.
She looked ready to give her liver and gallbladder out of gratitude for having her life saved, it was too pitiful to keep watching.
Yeonwoo walked away without looking back, Jihee’s hand half-raised in frozen protest, but the words never came
His old Hunter Code must have been deleted.
He had given his real name, sure, but there were plenty of people with the same name.
It wasn’t a big issue.
Unless, of course, she turned out to be someone really important.
Yeonwoo quietly walked into a deserted alley.
***
Progress: 95 percent.
After a ridiculously long time, the Navigator’s creation was finally nearing completion.
Up to 90 percent had been excruciatingly slow, but once it crossed that point, the speed surged dramatically.
And now, the percentage that had stopped at 99 finally hit 100.
At that moment, a translucent yellow light began to form the shape of a small human in front of Yeonwoo.
The form, initially about the size of a fetus, gradually grew to that of a child around 4 or 5 years old.
The fading light still illuminated the streets, but Yeonwoo knew better than to trust this system.
He slipped into a deserted alleyway - quiet, shadowed, and most importantly, empty.
There were no onlookers.
Yeonwoo’s gaze sharpened with the keen interest of a scientist on the verge of discovery.
Compared to the damned cube system that did nothing but talk then fall silent, he hoped the Navigator would at least be more communicative.
He stayed hidden since stepping outside would only draw attention.
"Hm?"
Just then, watching silently as the form developed into a child, Yeonwoo's eyes twitched.
The form was becoming oddly familiar.
Though the light made everything appear white or yellow, the face shape and hair, even with eyes closed, unmistakably resembled someone he knew very well.
"No way..."
The absurd comment the cube system had once made surfaced in Yeonwoo’s mind, and he clenched his fist.
[To improve resonance with the owner, the system has...]
"Heh..."
Even as he told himself it couldn't be, deep inside he was convinced, it was exactly what he feared.
Also, considering the cube system had used her voice, a small part of him had wondered if this might happen.
Shhhk...
As the light disappeared and the form was fully revealed, its natural colors appeared.
Pale skin and silver hair down to the calves.
Far too familiar.
Except she looked like a child, with baby fat still on her face.
"Khhp..."
Yeonwoo flinched involuntarily and his face contorted.
'I’d imagined what she might’ve looked like as a kid...'
But this was way too cute!
Yeonwoo had never seen her as a child before.
His hand instinctively reached out but froze mid-air.
'Wait... didn't I say my ideal type? But this is her as a kid?'
He had very normal tastes.
He was sure of it.
He didn’t lust after children.
Definitely.
As he squinted in confusion, preparing to say something,
"Greetings. Owner Park Yeonwoo. Navigator Code MH-238342."
She beat him to it.
Her tone was formal and stiff.
Yeonwoo’s warm, fuzzy feelings evaporated instantly.
He began to realize, slowly but surely, that the little girl in front of him wasn’t her.
"Navigator?"
"Yes. I am an entity generated to support Owner Park Yeonwoo from this time forward. Please assign a name for me."
At her words, Yeonwoo sighed lightly.
Then he looked around.
"MH... ah!"
As if having spotted something, he turned back to her, who was expressionless, and declared,
"Mulhoe. Let’s go with Mulhoe."
Her eyes twitched ever so slightly.
But Yeonwoo casually took the name straight off a sign nearby.
"MH... I was wondering what that could stand for. Mulhoe fits perfectly."
[TL/N- Mulhoe is a Korean cold raw fish soup, punning on the initials “MH.”]
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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