CHAPTER 292: THE LAST STRAW

[WELCOME, Guide Chu Wonhee!

I am Hunter Hwang Yejun’s Administrator!]

A Status Window?

Wonhee was surprised when a Status Window suddenly appeared after she touched the block of ice where Hwang Frost was trapped in.

"What’s wrong, Wonhee-ssi?"

Hmm?

"Moonho-ssi, you don’t see it?" Wonhee asked, pointing at the Status Window. "There’s a Status Window there."

The Status Window didn’t say she couldn’t share what she saw.

"It says it’s Hunter Hwang Frost’s Administrator," Wonhee said, spilling the beans because she couldn’t solve everything on her own. Hence, she felt the need to share the information with Song Moonho. "Do you know anything about Administrators, Moonho-ssi?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Song Moonho said, half-confused and half-curious. "What else does it say?"

Wonhee turned to the Status Window again.

And then it flashed a new message.

[WE HAVE NO TIME LEFT!

Please evacuate Hunter Hwang Yejun’s body and hide it somewhere safe!

The explanations can wait!]

Right.

"Moonho-ssi, the System is asking us to hide Hwang Frost-ssi’s body," Wonhee said worriedly. "How do we do that?"

"Don’t worry too much, Wonhee-ssi," Song Moonho said, opening his hand. "I can take care of the problem."

After he said that, a huge shadow cast over them.

When Wonhee looked up, she was surprised when a large serpent emerged from what seemed like a black whirlpool.

Right, Moonho-ssi has an army of undead monsters at his disposal.

And then the large serpent opened its mouth wide— swallowing the entire block of ice in one gulp.

Oh.

After that, a new black whirlpool appeared on the spot where the block of ice had been, and then the black serpent dived into it before completely disappearing.

Wow.

"Does the stomach of that monster serve like an Inventory, Moonho-ssi?" Wonhee asked curiously. "Hunter Hwang Frost-ssi is safe there, right?"

"Of course," Moonho said, flashing that business smile of his. "Let’s get out of here, Wonhee-ssi."

And, when they did, Wonhee was greeted by the most tragic news of her life.

***

IT WAS the greatest tragedy of Wonhee’s life— the death of her parents.

The attacks on the churches that worshipped the System didn’t stop, and the World Rankers also started to make their presence known.

Her parents died during one of those attacks.

The tragic news was delivered by her older siblings.

After all, Wonhee had the same mother as Yeon Soobin while she had the same father as Jang Semi.

"Eomma and Uncle Wonseok were having a feeding program in the orphanage that we support when those bastards bombed the entire place," Yeon Soobin said in a cracked voice. "The orphanage should have been safe because of the barrier we installed there. I even made a special device for Eomma and Uncle Wonseok that would get activated the moment their lives were endangered. This shouldn’t have happened."

"Then what went wrong?" Wonhee asked between sobs. "How did Eomma and Appa died?"

"It’s because of those World Ranker bastards," Jang Semi said coldly. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes said everything— she was angry, sad, bitter, and on the verge of losing her mind. "When they realized that many survived the bombing, they hunted down the survivors hiding in the basement."

"What?" Wonhee asked in disbelief. "They killed Civilians?"

"Apparently, those World Ranker bastards believe that the current System— the one who tried to give you the power to end the Cracks— gets more powerful because of its devoted followers," Jang Semi added. "The orphanage where our parents went to had a church that was built to worship the System. Moreover..."

Her older sister’s silence didn’t sit well with her.

There’s something else.

Wonhee gulped nervously before she asked: "Unnie, tell me. I’m not a kid anymore."

"This is unverified, but the Hunters who got to the orphanage claimed that they saw Lee Seodam there," Jang Semi said, clenching her jaw. "So, there’s a possibility that he brought the World Rankers there on purpose."

To kill my parents...?

Wonhee lost strength in her legs— causing her to almost collapse on the floor.

But Yeon Soobin, fortunately, caught her by the shoulders. "Hee-ya..."

"Oppa, Unnie, please stop me," Wonhee said in an eerily calm manner. She may appear calm on the outside, but she was actually seething inside. "If you don’t, I’m going to find Lee Seodam and kill that bastard with my own two hands."

***

AH, OPPA and Unnie really knocked me out.

That was the realization that hit Wonhee when she opened her eyes and was greeted by the familiar ceiling of her bedroom.

It was ridiculous, but she still had a mansion despite the second apocalypse happening.

Since her house was surrounded by traps that Yeon Soobin and Jang Semi personally created, it was arguably the safest house in the entire country.

Haaah.

While staring at the ceiling, Wonhee couldn’t help but remember the tragic news about her parents’ death.

"We can’t even give them a proper burial..."

Apparently, according to her older siblings, they failed to retrieve their parents’ bodies because those World Ranker bastards burned everything.

"If they just want me dead, then..."

["You can’t kill yourself, Guide Chu Wonhee."]

Hmm?

The Status Window was talking to her?

To be honest, she didn’t have the energy to be surprised.

I mean, this is already my second Apocalypse. What else can surprise me at this point?

"I’m not going to kill myself," Wonhee said in a tired voice. "I’m sure Lee Seodam will do that for me as soon as I surrender."

"And that’s why I’m telling you that you can’t kill yourself, Guide Chu Wonhee."

Omo!

I take back what I said about not being surprised anymore!

Wonhee got up when a "kid" appeared above her— and the kid was wearing a cute tangerine head costume! "Who are you?"

"I don’t have a name. But we’ve met before," the "kid" said. "I’m Hunter Hwang Yejun’s Administrator!"

Oh.

Wonhee leaned against the headboard, still looking up at the "kid" floating above her. To be honest, it was hurting her neck. But she was too amazed to complain. "Then why are you here if you are Hwang Frost-ssi’s Administrator?"

"My master is still asleep, so I have no choice but come to the second strongest Awakened Person alive."

Pfft.

"I’m just a Guide, so how am I the second strongest Awakened Person alive? You came to the wrong person, kid. I believe you should find Moonho-ssi instead of me."

"I came to the right person."

Ah, the kid looks serious.

"The System told me I was a useful person, but Lee Seodam ruined the chance for me to stop the Cracks from appearing in this world," Wonhee said in a serious tone. "My best friend is still with the System in a different place. So, how can I be a useful again?"

That was the only reason she could think of for Hwang Frost’s Administrator to come to her instead of Song Moonho.

"There’s a being higher than the System."

"There is?"

"That being is called the Tower," the "kid" explained. "The Tower oversees all the parallel worlds where dungeons have appeared."

Oh.

"The System favors you, Hunter Chu Wonhee," the Administrator said. "If you pray hard enough, the Tower will definitely hear you. Well, I’m not sure how long it will take him to respond since the Tower is busy running different realities. But since this world is near its end, I believe the Tower will consider your prayer urgent. Hence, it’s worth a shot."

"What should I pray for?"

"You can ask the Tower for any kind of skill— but I can’t help you with that. You’re the one who should come up with what kind of skill you need at the moment, Hunter Chu Wonhee."

"If I do that, will the Tower grant my wish?"

"To be honest with you, I’m just a servant to the System. And I’ve been stuck with Hunter Hwang Frost for years, so I haven’t had plenty of chances to actually speak with the Tower," the Administrator explained. "But praying to the Tower for a skill that will help you save this world is better than sulking in your room, Hunter Chu Wonhee."

Aigoo.

This child has a sharp tongue— but he’s right.

"Thank you for telling me that," Wonhee said, smiling. "Now let me start praying to Tower-nim."

***

A WEEK after Wonhee prayed to the Tower, another heart-breaking news greeted him.

Three deaths.

Chu Sara.

Chu Muyeol.

The two were a married couple with the same last name.

And they were also my mother and father best friends.

Chu Sara and Chu Muyeol were also killed by the World Ranker bastards who weren’t done terrorizing Korea yet.

And, just like with Wonhee’s parents, the two’s bodies weren’t retrieved.

Worst of all...

"Do Ahyeon did his best to protect Chu Sara and Chu Muyeol, but he was attacked by two S-Class Hunters," Yeon Soobin said solemnly. "We tried to revive him, but we were too late."

That was how Do Ahyeon returned to Wonhee... lifeless, with his arms missing.

It was cleared that Do Ahyeon was tortured before he was killed.

Yeon Soobin immediately covered Do Ahyeon’s body with a white blanket after seeing Wonhee crying.

Ahyeonnie...

It was her fault.

I asked Ahyeonnie to bring Aunt Sara and Uncle Muyeol to my house...

"Hee-ya, this isn’t your fault," Jang Semi said, hugging her tight. "Do Ahyeon wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for his death either."

It was painful because her older sister was right.

Do Ahyeon was too kind-hearted to resent me.

And that only made Wonhee feel worse.

I’ll kill those bastards...

[Your wish has been granted, Hunter Chu Wonhee.]

What?

Her Status Window suddenly popped up in front of her.

[The Tower has granted you the You Don’t Deserve Me Skill!

However, there’s a condition.]

Haaah.

Wonhee couldn’t help but laugh bitterly after reading the Tower’s condition, making her older siblings worry about her even more.

They probably think I’ve lost it— and they’re not wrong.

"Oppa, Unnie, I’m sorry," Wonhee said, smiling bitterly at her older siblings. "Your baby sister is about to be a mass murderer."

***

Please ADD MY LIFE AS THE FIRST S-CLASS GUIDE to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :