SMFC | Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There was no system, but Lee Soo had the spirits by his side. On top of that, the four people around him were constantly looking for chances to help. Adjusting to this world wasn’t all that difficult.

The spirits seemed to know everything, so he didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of guilt toward them. But with the four people, every time he saw them, a strange sense of guilt would creep in, making things a little awkward.

Yet, nothing he did felt out of place. Maybe it was because he’d read about them in the novel, but they didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar. In the end, Lee Soo got used to them perfectly.

By the time he’d learned everything about this world—so much so that it felt like an intense crash course—an investigator from the Awakened Headquarters came, just as Dajeong had warned him a few days earlier.

The dungeon Lee Soo had entered was high in rank, but it wasn’t lethal enough to kill everyone. Explaining what had happened and proving his innocence to the investigators wasn’t easy.

In the end, he had to summon the spirits. They staked their existence to vouch for his innocence, and only then did the investigators leave his hospital room. Already dealing with a frail body, the prolonged ordeal left him utterly exhausted.

“Why is it that only bad things keep happening to you, Hunter Leesoo… Are you okay?”

“I’m a little tired, but I’ll be fine after some rest. Thanks for worrying.”

“It’s only natural to worry about you. You don’t need to thank me.”

“Even so, it means a lot to me. Uh, but could you step out for a bit? I’ve been around people nonstop and just want a moment to myself.”

Once the investigators had left, the four companions came in immediately. Lee Soo calmed them down and ushered them out, despite their visible reluctance and concern. Watching them constantly glance back as they left was both amusing and heartwarming.

After reassuring them with a smile, Lee Soo let his expression relax the moment the door closed. Finally savoring a moment of solitude, he half-collapsed onto the bed.

He stared out the window for a while before turning his head. The tablet he had left on the snowy white blanket had turned off.

Stretching his arm, he picked it up and turned it back on with practiced ease. He resumed reading the information he’d been looking at moments ago. It was nothing else but details about potential guilds he might join after his transfer.

As soon as word got out that Lee Soo was switching guilds, he received offers from all over. Thanks to that, he now had a neatly organized list of guilds that wanted him. But, after receiving the materials, Lee Soo had only checked one of them and ignored the rest.

“Hawa Guild.” Murmuring the name as if talking to himself, he read through the guild introduction displayed on the screen.

Hawa Guild. Most people assumed the current Guild Leader, Eve, named the guild, but it was actually the previous leader who came up with it. It had no connection to Eve.

The previous Guild Leader had named it Hawa, thinking herself similar to the woman who gave Adam the forbidden fruit. As memories of that woman and her husband briefly surfaced, Lee Soo shook off the thought and focused back on the tablet.

The materials had been meticulously compiled by the four companions. While he’d pretended to examine them carefully in their presence, truthfully, Lee Soo had made up his mind from the start to join Hawa Guild—the guild Yoo Haeon belonged to.

Since there was no direct connection between Ryu Leesoo and Hawa Guild, he couldn’t outright declare that he’d join them.

Having read the rather lengthy document multiple times, he skimmed through it quickly now. After rubbing his stiff neck, he lightly tapped the screen.

Lee Soo thought he’d tell the four of them soon that he’d decided on a guild. His eyes dropped as the screen dimmed and the tablet turned off.

Instead of turning it back on, he set it aside and lay down properly, resting his hands on his stomach.

As he began to think about what needed to be done to save Yoo Haeon, he unwittingly drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the four of them huddled in a corner. They were speaking in hushed voices, trying not to wake him.

Rather than announcing he was awake, Lee Soo listened in, curious about what they were discussing. They were talking about which guild he should join.

Their tone was surprisingly serious as they debated the pros and cons of each guild. Lee Soo perked up when Yoo Sian brought up Hawa Guild.

“Hawa Guild. It’s great in many ways, but… hmm…”

Yoo Sian trailed off, seemingly searching for the right words. Before he could continue, Dahyun picked up where he left off, as if he already knew what Sian was trying to say.

“Hawa Guild is ranked highly, and its members are skilled overall. But there’s a lot of friction between the elders and the Guild Leader. More importantly, the top-rank healer is known to have poor social skills, leading to frequent conflicts with other guild members. That’s a bit of a concern.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true. That part does bother me a little. Wow, people really think the same way, huh?!”

Sian grinned brightly, pleased that others shared his thoughts. As he turned his head, he accidentally made eye contact with Lee Soo.

“Ah! When did you wake up? Oh no, was I too loud and woke you up?”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t that.”

Lee Soo chuckled as he wiped away tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, amused by Dahyun’s comments. To be fair, Yoo Haeon’s infamous personality was as well-known as his pretty face and exceptional skills. Such remarks were inevitable.

The funny thing was that the person others hesitated over was the very reason Lee Soo had chosen Hawa Guild.

Even so, given Ryu Leesoo’s lack of close ties to Yoo Haeon, he couldn’t admit that he was joining the guild for Haeon’s sake. Lee Soo struggled to suppress his laughter and managed to maintain a straight face.

“Seems like you’re discussing guilds. Do you have any particular one in mind?”

Lee Soo asked in his characteristic warm yet slightly detached tone. The four shook their heads in unison, indicating they didn’t.

As if he had expected that, Lee Soo wrinkled his nose slightly and spoke lightly.

“Then how about we try Hawa Guild?”

His voice was casual, implying no pressure. The four exchanged glances before Dahyun spoke up as their representative.

“Leesoo-nim, may I ask why you chose Hawa Guild? While it has a good work-life balance and skilled members, the top healer’s personality could make receiving emergency heals challenging.”

Lee Soo smiled ambiguously and shared the reasoning he had prepared. He explained that Hawa Guild’s balanced teams and high-level healers made it a great choice. Even if the top healer was difficult, the guild didn’t rely solely on them and had multiple skilled healers to maintain balance.

Dahyun nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging his point. Shortly after, the four unanimously agreed to join Hawa Guild.

Although Lee Soo had a specific reason for choosing Hawa Guild, the others were indifferent about the guild they joined. Yet, they insisted on following him, which momentarily made Lee Soo pull a puzzled face before bursting into a soft laugh.

“Let’s do our best at Hawa Guild. It’s rare for members from the same guild to end up in the same team, so we might get separated, but I’m sure we’ll work together often.”

Lee Soo’s narrowed eyes held a warm smile as the others nodded in agreement.

The meeting ended on a good note. As Dahyun left the hospital room, he informed Lee Soo that the transfer from the previous guild had been finalized.

Thanking Dahyun, Lee Soo moved to the sofa instead of lying down on the bed. There were still two days left until his discharge. If all went well, he’d leave the hospital and join Hawa Guild the day after.

Curling up slightly, Lee Soo closed his eyes and thought about Yoo Haeon’s death.

Yoo Haeon, like the protagonist of any novel, had survived countless crises. He seemed destined to make it to the end. But—

[Right now, Yoo Haeon is dying. As his last breath escaped his lips, he thought:

Considering the emptiness that nothing could fill, maybe dying isn’t such a bad thing after all.

“Ah, ahh… Ahaha!”

Yes, Yoo Haeon was oddly pleased. His death felt endlessly welcome and comforting.

Finally, peace.]

The narration of Haeon’s death from the novel flashed through Lee Soo’s mind, making him frown before relaxing his expression.

Most hunters died fighting monsters. It was inevitable. Yoo Haeon also died in a dungeon.

The difference was that Haeon’s death wasn’t an accident—it was murder.

Haeon had been sent into the dungeon with false information. The dungeon manager, hired by someone who wanted Haeon dead, had deliberately provided wrong details. Entering the dungeon under those circumstances, Haeon didn’t stand a chance.

Lee Soo was determined to prevent that unnatural death. Even if it meant becoming a spirit to resolve everything after his own death, he would do whatever it took.

And now, as he walked to the hotel where he’d stay for a day before heading to Hawa Guild, Lee Soo happened to run into Yoo Haeon on the street.

Looking at him, Lee Soo thought to himself.

He must not die like that.

The person he cherished most, the protagonist of this world, didn’t deserve such a fate.