Chapter 18: Dungeon Name: Si-woo’s Room

“Let’s settle this head-on and finish it in one go.”

Saria’s detection abilities were not as advanced as the magical security system installed in the dormitory.

The dorm’s security system was created by Hunters specializing in detection, a craft they had honed to perfection.

No matter how skilled Saria was as a mage, it was only natural that she couldn’t surpass a system crafted by specialists in this single field.

“But if it’s a curse, that’s a different story.”

A curse—a form of magic capable of affecting even an unknown person—was an exception.

As long as certain conditions were met, a curse could leave traces even on someone you’d never encountered before.

Because of this, mages specializing in curses were often seen at crime scenes more frequently than Hunters.

Even if the intruder left no visible traces, as long as they existed in this world, a record would remain.

Detection worked in real-time, while curses functioned like rewinding a completed video, allowing you to affect something or someone that had been there previously.

“Still, that doesn’t mean you can find everyone. Unlike detection, even if traces manifest, they fade quickly, and re-cursing someone takes time.”

“Like any ability, it’s not perfect.”

That was fine by Si-woo.

He was already confident that the culprit was someone within the Academy.

And as luck would have it, tomorrow was a lecture-free day.

If Saria could mark the culprit with traces from a curse, he could use those traces to wander the Academy and track them down.

Even if the culprit tried to flee, it wouldn’t matter.

As long as the traces were captured, he could report the information to the Hunter Association.

Unlike the Academy, the Association didn’t hesitate to handle such matters discreetly.

They would deal with it efficiently without causing a scene.

“… Haah, fine. I guess I was expecting too much from you.”

Hearing the full story, Saria let out a deep sigh from the depths of her core.

It all made sense now.

There was no way Si-woo, who was usually so reserved, would suddenly become this proactive overnight.

Realizing his explanation wasn’t a dream, Saria voiced the question that had been bothering her.

“But wouldn’t it be easier to just tell the instructors if it’s a stalker?”

“This isn’t going to be a one-time thing.”

“Oh.”

That single word of understanding from Saria said it all.

For a brief moment, Saria caught the fleeting expression on Si-woo’s face—a resigned, self-deprecating smile.

It stung her deeply, filling her with quiet guilt.

Hunters being stalked was more common than people realized.

Hunters, transformed into idealized versions of themselves through their engravings, often unintentionally attracted others just by existing.

Even ordinary Hunters often dealt with this burden as a part of their daily lives.

So how much worse must it have been for Si-woo, with his Symbol of Allure engraving?

“He’s too calm about this.”

Someone hadn’t just been stalking him—they had broken into his home.

Anyone else would’ve been in a complete panic.

What might have been done to them while they slept?

Were any valuables missing?

Just the thought of being in such a situation gave Saria chills.

If she were in Si-woo’s place, she would’ve done anything and everything to track down the culprit, abandoning all thoughts of what came next.

Si-woo, on the other hand, simply laughed it off, calling the intruder a “kind stalker.”

But there was no such thing.

A criminal was still a criminal.

No amount of kindness or gentleness could erase the fact that they had committed a crime.

And beyond that…

Saria couldn’t even bear the thought of someone else being close to Si-woo romantically.

And to imagine that he had been defenseless, asleep, while some unknown person toyed with him—it filled her with a burning fury.

The very idea of someone mocking or harassing Si-woo in his sleep made her blood boil with murderous intent.

“Si-woo, could you give me a little time?”

“Sure, I don’t mind. Did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing important.”

Just… a simple curse won’t be enough to satisfy me.

Packing items needed for her curse—a few tools, clothes to change into, and toiletries—Saria followed Si-woo.

Their destination, the male dormitory.

It was a place that most female students wouldn’t dare to enter.

Walking down the path to the right at the fork instead of her usual left, Saria found herself in unfamiliar territory.

The silence was unsettling, as there wasn’t even the faintest trace of other people.

She tilted her head curiously as they walked down the deserted hallway.

“Si-woo, is it always this empty?”

“Yeah, hardly anyone from this batch uses the male dorms.”

“Huh?”

That single sentence sent Saria’s tension skyrocketing.

The thought of spending the night in the same room as Si-woo made her face flush red.

Her breaths grew hot, and her lower abdomen began to throb as if her body was already preparing for something it shouldn’t be.

Her mind protested, telling her it was wrong, but it was already conjuring up scenarios so lewd they couldn’t even be spoken aloud.

“I-I can’t help it! If you say a man and a woman in their early twenties are going to spend the night together, how could I not imagine something like that?!”

Saria firmly reassured herself that she wasn’t some lust-driven pervert.

She was just a perfectly normal person, justifying her thoughts as she tried to calm her frenzied mind.

“We’re here.”

They arrived at the male dormitory.

The exterior looked no different from the female dormitory.

The only noticeable difference was the silence.

Unlike the lively chatter that always filled the female dorm, the male dorm was eerily quiet.

“Isn’t there a dorm manager?”

“The dorm manager is a Hunter too, and they didn’t want to make me uncomfortable. So they adjust to my class schedule, quietly clean, and restock supplies without me ever noticing.”

“That’s… kind of strange, isn’t it?”

Saria, following Si-woo, desperately tried to steady herself.

This wasn’t a casual visit as a lover entering her partner’s space.

No, this was strictly for problem-solving.

She was here to help as a partner in resolving the issue at hand.

With that near self-brainwashing level of resolve, she stepped into the elevator alongside him.

As the elevator began to rise, the vibrations startled her, causing her to flinch slightly.

The elevator climbed quickly, eventually reaching the top floor—the special suite reserved only for the top student.

Si-woo, completely at ease, approached the door and input the passcode into the digital lock.

…0828.

Saria instinctively saw the passcode.

She hadn’t meant to look, and she quickly turned her head away, but it was too late.

“Is that Si-woo’s birthday?” she wondered as she followed his call and stepped into his room.

The moment she entered, Saria froze.

“Hah…!”

Forgetting even how to breathe, she was hit by a scent that bypassed her rational mind and attacked her instincts.

The room was saturated with the familiar aroma of Si-woo—one that had always subtly tempted her during their training sessions.

But in this confined space, it was overwhelming, like a perfectly crafted trap to break down a woman’s composure.

It was pheromones that struck her brain like a hammer.

For the first time in her life, the word “arousal” surfaced in Saria’s mind, and it terrified her.

“Is something wrong?”

“N-no! Nothing at all! I think it’s just a little hot in here, that’s all!”

“Is it?” Si-woo tilted his head at her odd response but walked to the window and opened it.

Cool air flowed into the room, diluting the intoxicating scent bit by bit.

As the fog clouding her judgment began to clear, Saria placed a hand on her chest, relieved to regain her composure.

With her sense of smell dulled by the fresh air, she was finally able to look around the dorm calmly.

“Hmm… I don’t see any signs of an intruder, at least not to my eyes.”

“That’s secondary, really,” Si-woo said, pointing at the bed.

“It’s obvious that today, someone was back playing the invisible housekeeper again.”

Unlike usual, Si-woo had purposely left his blanket unmade before heading out, pretending to be in a rush.

Yet now the blanket was neatly folded, just as it always was.

That could only mean one thing: someone had entered his dorm while he was gone.

“It couldn’t have been the dorm’s cleaning staff, right?”

“Definitely not. I’ve never even heard the name of the person who cleans here.”

“What do you mean?”

This time, Si-woo was certain. The culprit was someone who already knew him.

It wasn’t a guess—it was a certainty.

From the way the room was organized to the perfectly folded blanket, every detail matched his habits and preferences.

These weren’t things someone could imitate in a day or two.

The level of precision required to match Si-woo’s routines and patterns wasn’t something a stranger could achieve unless they had observed him closely for a long period.

“It has to be someone who knows me well.”

The fact that even the placement of his skincare products matched perfectly sent chills down Si-woo’s spine.

“The cleaning staff isn’t the culprit. When I saw them for the first time, they looked genuinely impressed, like they’d never seen me before. It’s most likely someone else.”

“What kind of life have you been living, Si-woo?”

Saria asked with an exasperated sigh.

“I hate how used to this I’ve become.”

With that, they began the plan.

Saria carefully etched curses into strategic points around the room, ensuring that any unfamiliar presence entering the space would leave behind an unmistakable trace.

She worked meticulously, filling every corner with the subtle energy of the curses.

When she finally finished, she stood back and nodded in satisfaction.

“There, perfect.”

“Hah, so it’s finally done?” Si-woo asked, stretching slightly.

“Yeah, just finished… just… now…”

Her words trailed off as she turned to look at Si-woo.

Having just come out of the shower, Si-woo’s damp hair clung lightly to his forehead.

The slightly oversized shirt he had thrown on revealed hints of his toned muscles underneath, and the sight was far more devastating than Saria had anticipated.

Her instincts screamed, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if he wasn’t doing this on purpose.

“Is this some sort of calculated move to tempt me?”

Panicking, she shot up from her seat.

“C-could I take a shower now, too?”

“Sure, but it might be better to wait a bit. There’s still a lot of steam—”

“No! I’ll go in right now!”

She needed to cool her head, and fast.

Practically fleeing to the bathroom, Saria slammed the door behind her, only to realize she’d made a critical mistake.

She hadn’t brought any of her toiletries—or a change of clothes.

“…Oh no.”

By the time she noticed, she was already halfway through shampooing her hair.