Chapter 37: The Phantom Hunter’s Secret Revealed

At an hour when everyone was asleep, before I slipped out of the room in shadow form, I brought up the quest window.

It was rewarding for having diligently moved around during that time.

To think I’d already killed the boss 8 times! Just looking at it brought a pleased smile to my face.

The sheer number, the consistency of it, was a testament to my dedication.

I felt a surge of satisfaction, a quiet pride in my nocturnal endeavors.

The thought of how far I’d come, from merely exploring the shadows to actively engaging with and defeating these formidable creatures, was immensely gratifying.

Each kill represented a step closer to my goal, a tangible achievement in a world that often felt shrouded in ambiguity.

[Master, if you kill the boss this time, will you get one skill back?]

Sahin asked, his gaze fixed on the workbook splayed across the desk.

It was a workbook I’d spread open just to pretend to study.

Since it wouldn’t have any problems solved despite always having it open, there were traces of me copying from the answer key everywhere.

The irony wasn’t lost on me; here I was, a hidden hero battling monstrous entities, yet my mundane existence was riddled with such trivial deceptions.

The thought brought a wry smile to my face.

“No, two more times.”

My voice was a low murmur, careful not to disturb the sleeping household.

Sahin, who tilted his head looking at the part where math problems were solved—a silent acknowledgment of my academic charade—shifted his gaze to outside the window.

As if he felt a headache just by looking, like me, he slammed the workbook shut with a resounding thud.

[The moon is bright tonight.]

He observed, his voice tinged with a hint of concern.

“Indeed.”

I agreed, my eyes following his to the luminous orb in the sky.

It’s not good when it’s this bright, though.

A dark, cloud-filled night is the best for going around closing gates.

The less light, the more effectively I could blend into the shadows, the more seamlessly I could perform my duties as the Phantom Hunter.

It was a shame, but I could get my skills back if I only killed the boss two more times, so I had to go out no matter what tonight.

The urgency of my quest outweighed the minor inconvenience of a bright moon.

The thought of reclaiming a lost skill fueled my resolve, pushing me onward.

I looked at the clear, cloudless night sky and leaned my head out the window. 

Soon after, my body, hidden in shadow, quickly descended to the apartment below.

Sahin also became one with the shadow and followed behind me, a silent, unwavering companion in my clandestine adventures.

This time, I didn’t have a specific gate in mind.

For the past few days, I’d searched every corner of the neighborhood for any small gates that might have opened, but I hadn’t seen any.

The scarcity of readily available targets had been a minor frustration, but I was confident that tonight would yield a new opportunity.

‘Come to think of it, I heard Onsaemiro secured a gate during the day today.’

The news I saw this evening came to mind, a fleeting thought that quickly solidified into a plan.

It was news that Onsaemiro had secured a gate that opened near a building in Yeoksam Station.

The possibility of finding an unguarded gate, or at least one that presented a challenge, was an enticing prospect.

‘Surely there will be someone guarding it?’

A faint note of skepticism crept into my thoughts.

It had been quite a while since I’d acted as the Phantom Hunter, but the guilds didn’t seem to be letting down their guard.

Every time I went out at night, I felt so disappointed seeing an Awakened One standing guard in front of the gate.

It was a recurring frustration, a constant hurdle in my path.

If it were an Awakened One who enjoyed combat like me, maybe, but guild masters who aren’t like that might welcome the Phantom Hunter.

Do they suspect I’m siphoning off a certain amount of dungeon byproducts?

I felt a little unfairly treated.

The accusations, though unspoken directly to me, still lingered in the air, a source of mild indignation.

My motives were pure, or at least, entirely self-serving in a way that ultimately benefited others.

I arrived in front of a building near Yeoksam Station, thinking there was nothing to lose.

The gate’s energy could be felt nearby, a faint hum in the air that only Awakened Ones could perceive.

After confirming there were no people near the building, I carefully moved to the side of the building, my shadow form allowing me to remain undetected.

The silence of the area, broken only by the distant hum of city life, was a good sign.

“Oh?”

A soft exclamation escaped my lips as I observed the scene.

[No guard.]

Shahin’s voice, a mere whisper in my mind, confirmed my observation.

It was as Shahin said.

Around this time, an Awakened One should have been standing guard in front of the gate, but there was no one.

Even after checking for anyone hiding nearby and watching, no energy was felt.

The absence was almost too perfect, almost suspicious.

‘Don’t get excited yet. There might be a trick.’

I quickly searched the surroundings without letting down my guard, my senses on high alert. Indeed, no one was visible.

Except for a drunk old man staggering by with a soju bottle, there were no non-Awakened people walking on the street.

The scene was oddly serene, almost too quiet for a gate that had just opened.

My lips curved upwards uncontrollably.

What a windfall!

The thought of an unguarded gate, a clear path to my objective, filled me with an exhilarating sense of triumph.

Come to think of it, Do Ihyeon didn’t seem like the meticulous type.

Did he think there was no need to waste manpower now that the Phantom Hunter hadn’t appeared recently?

The conjecture made sense; perhaps my recent inactivity had lulled them into a false sense of security.

Whatever it was, it was good for me.

After confirming no one was there, I quickly dispelled my shadow form and stepped into the gate.

The air shimmers around me, the familiar sensation of crossing into a dungeon enveloping me.

If I clear this one, I’ll only have one more left. Until skill unsealing.

The countdown to reclaiming my power was almost complete, and the anticipation was almost unbearable.

‘I wonder if she’s gone in by now.’

Do Ihyeon, who had finished his early morning walk, unconsciously smiled faintly as he wiped Choco’s paws.

The gate he had secured today.

A subtle sense of accomplishment settled over him, a quiet satisfaction with his unconventional decision.

At the time of securing it, he hadn’t thought much of it, but then the girl came to mind when Haemaleum innocently asked who would be standing guard today.

The question had sparked a nascent idea, a flicker of an alternative approach.

As soon as the topic of Rank 0 came up in the lounge, she immediately began to control her expression.

What was her name again?

Dana, was it?

He didn’t remember her last name.

This was because he had been sleeping continuously since entering the lounge, except for when he occasionally woke up.

His memory of her was hazy, a fleeting impression of a girl who seemed to harbor a secret.

Recalling Dana secretly entering gates, he made a rather unconventional decision.

Haemaleum and Kang Yedam, who heard his words, asked him simultaneously in a tone of incomprehension.

Their disbelief was palpable, their voices a chorus of protest.

“Do you want to get looted?”

“Do you want the gate to get looted?”

He just said one thing to his friends and then shut his mouth, a cryptic response that offered no further explanation.

“Let’s just see what happens.”

His words hung in the air, a testament to his unorthodox thinking. In truth, it had been a while since the Phantom Hunter had stopped operating, but the reason why several guilds continued to post guards was one: having a guard was much better than having the gate looted.

They were certain that the Phantom Hunter didn’t hand over all the byproducts from the dungeon and the items dropped by killing the boss.

They claimed there must be something being siphoned off, and otherwise, why would she do such a thing?

The prevailing wisdom was that the Phantom Hunter was a thief, a clandestine operator siphoning resources for her own gain.

Do Ihyeon had thought so at first too, but he just, somehow, felt that Dana wouldn’t do that.

A gut feeling, an inexplicable trust in the girl he barely knew, guided his decision.

He also was slowly tired of seeing his guild members struggling every dawn on rotation, so he made a decisive choice this time.

The practicalities of guild management, coupled with his intuition, led him to this bold move.

He thought about going near the gate and secretly watching, but then decided against it.

He had almost been caught once before, so he wasn’t keen on encountering her again.

The memory of their near-miss was a deterrent, a reminder of the delicate balance he sought to maintain.

If she were caught secretly looting gates, Dana might become wary of him and visit gates less often.

He didn’t want to interfere with her stress relief.

His primary concern was her well-being, her unique method of coping with the pressures of her life.

‘She hits really well.’

Recalling her literally beating goblins, he even more so didn’t want to interfere with her stress relief.

The vivid image of her prowess in combat further solidified his decision.

Before awakening, there was nothing particularly interesting besides fighting, and after awakening, nothing besides dungeon clearing.

The life of an Awakened One could be monotonous, and he recognized the need for a diversion, a release.

A new interesting diversion appeared.

He went to bed early for the first time in a long time.

The peaceful slumber was a luxury he rarely afforded himself, a testament to the unexpected tranquility his decision had brought.

[Early this morning, the gate secured by Onsaemiro was looted by the Phantom Hunter. The Phantom Hunter once again placed the dungeon byproducts in front of the Onsaemiro Guild…]

“Tsk, tsk. I thought she quit, but she looted it again.”

Early in the morning, after barely an hour of sleep, as soon as I stumbled out of my room, I heard news of myself.

News reports about the Phantom Hunter were in full swing, the familiar headlines splashed across screens and newspapers.

My dad, sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, clicked his tongue and spoke with disapproval, his voice laced with judgment.

“She definitely isn’t returning all of those dungeon byproducts. I bet she’s siphoning some off.”

His unwavering conviction in my supposed deceit was a source of mild annoyance.

“If she’s going to siphon it off, why wouldn’t she siphon all of it? Isn’t it just that she likes killing monsters?”

My mother’s voice, surprisingly, came to my defense, her logic a refreshing counterpoint to my father’s cynicism.

Thump –

My steps towards the bathroom halted.

It wasn’t just that I liked killing monsters; to be precise, I liked killing boss monsters because it benefited me.

The distinction was crucial, a nuanced explanation that would only further complicate matters if I were to articulate it.


“Can’t you tell by just looking? Where’s the crazy person who would do that every dawn for such a petty reason?”

My father’s exasperated tone was a familiar refrain.

‘I haven’t consistently looted every dawn, though…’

My lips pursed at the harsh backbiting.

Even while I was washing up in the bathroom, my parents’ debate continued, a background hum to my morning routine.

At least my mom wasn’t badmouthing me as much, so I guess that was a relief…

Her partial understanding, however misguided, was a small comfort.

During breakfast, other news was being reported, shifting the focus from my nocturnal activities to a more pressing concern.

It was about the suspect in the previous dungeon murder case.

The ominous headlines filled the screen, a grim reminder of the dangers that lurked in the city.

[Shocking investigation results have been released, revealing that the victim of the ‘Dungeon Murder Case’ that recently shocked many people was not just one person.]

The news anchor’s grave voice filled the room, sending a chill down my spine.

“So, it’s a serial murder?”

My mother’s voice was barely a whisper, laced with horror.

“Huh, seriously. The world is going crazy.”

My father’s exasperation had transformed into a grim resignation.

My parents, watching the news, continuously cursed the suspect as they ate breakfast, their disgust palpable.

The suspect’s face, which had been shown before, was on the screen again.

A chillingly ordinary face, belying the heinous acts he had committed.

At first glance, he looked like an ordinary neighbor, but to have committed such acts…

Indeed, you can’t judge a person by their face alone.

I memorized his face in case I ever ran into him, a mental bookmark for future reference.

“Dana, you have to come straight home on the main road as soon as school ends.”

My mother’s voice, tinged with a new layer of worry, broke through my thoughts.

“You have that, what’s-his-name, that amazing friend, don’t you?”

My father interjected, trying to recall a name.

“Hayeon?”

I supplied, knowing exactly who he meant.

“Yes, the Blood Scent Guild leader! Ask that friend to drop you off.”

His concern was evident, a tangible manifestation of his parental instincts.

Most of the incidents occurred in Gwangjin-gu, but my parents were fuming, saying there was no law that the suspect would only commit crimes there.

The fact that I had awakened was just a rumor spreading at school; it hadn’t reached my parents’ ears yet, so their worry was natural.

The irony of their concern, given my hidden abilities, was not lost on me.

“Is the bodyguard not coming anymore?”

It had been a few days since the Axe-wielding Uncle, who used to pick me up every morning, hadn’t come.

Perhaps seeing the news, my mom, with a worried expression, peered out the window and asked.

The absence of the familiar black car was a new source of anxiety for them.

Normally, a black car would be waiting, but Yeon Hayeon’s car, which always waited in the same spot, was, of course, not visible.

“Yes. He can’t just guard me all the time. He has his own main job.”

I offered a causal explanation, attempting to alleviate their fears.


“Yes, that’s true, but…”

My mother’s voice trailed off, her concern undiminished.

Perhaps feeling uneasy about the heinous criminal being in Seoul, my parents’ worried expressions wouldn’t fade.

I had originally planned to tell them a little later. I put on my backpack and said casually, deciding that now was as good a time as any to reveal my secret.

“I’m awakened, so I’m fine.”

The words hung in the air, simple yet profound.

Even when I revealed my awakening at school, I was swept up in the situation.

This time, the situation wasn’t much different. I ended up telling them earlier than planned to reassure my parents, their visible distress outweighing my desire for discretion.

My parents’ eyes widened as if they would pop out, surprised by the news of my awakening.

My dad immediately threw the newspaper he was holding, still folded, onto the sofa and asked, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief.

“Really? No, when in the world?”

“It hasn’t been long.”

I responded, a faint smile playing on my lips.

Now that the entire school knew about my awakening, what was the big deal about telling my parents?

With one less secret to hide, I felt a little more at ease, a burden lifted from my shoulders.

“Oh my goodness. Then I’ll worry a bit less. No, you have to be stronger than that suspect. What’s your rank? Is it high?”

My mother’s rapid-fire questions, a mixture of relief and renewed anxiety, were almost comical.

“Hmm… I think I’d win.”

I stated, a confident smirk playing on my lips.

“Haha, alright. Then it’s fine. Still, come home early.”

My father’s laughter was a sound of immense relief, his previous worries temporarily forgotten in the face of my newfound power.

Receiving my parents’ send-off, I put on my shoes and opened the front door, ready to face the day.

“Kyaaah!”

And I almost fell backward in surprise, a startled cry escaping my lips.

“Unnie! I came to pick you up.”

Yeon Hyeongwang was standing in front of my house door, his bright smile a stark contrast to my near-tumble.

His unexpected presence, a sudden splash of vibrant energy, served as a comedic punctuation mark to the morning’s dramatic revelations.