You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 19

As the woman’s scream echoed through the office, shadows fell over everyone’s faces.

A daycare in a building where a dungeon break occurred? It was nothing short of a nightmare.

“That’s right, there was a daycare on the second floor of the Central Administration Building for welfare purposes,” Han Jaeyeong commented in a tone that didn’t seem overly serious. “And by now… isn’t it usually nap time in the afternoon?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” an employee responded, voice trembling. “They sleep until exactly five, so the curtains must be drawn!”

I blinked at the unexpected detail. The building was made of glass, so sunlight would stream in most places, but if it was naptime at the daycare, the curtains would definitely be drawn. Moreover, Hunters usually didn’t visit at this time, meaning only civilians were likely gathered there.

Everything was pointing to a bad situation.

“Shadow monsters… from what the Hunter said, they’re probably in the daycare too….”

“That makes sense. Monsters tend to prefer younger prey.”

“Hunter Han Jaeyeong,” Yu Hanul’s voice came out as a brief warning. 

Han Jaeyeong raised both hands. “I was just stating facts. It’s important to be realistic.”

“Don’t incite more anxiety. Still, the employee cannot leave. You two, come here and make sure she stays seated on the couch. Do not let her leave.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, sir!”

“Understood!”

The two designated rookie Hunters grabbed the arms of the struggling employee, who looked like she was about to bolt, and forced her back into the chair. Another female employee nearby looked lost and restless, not knowing what to do.

“Hyejin-eonni, it’s going to be okay. The kids will be fine, alright? Try to calm down.”

“How can I calm down in a situation like this? Please, let me go!”

“If you go out there now, you’ll only get caught by the monsters. And Shadow Wraiths multiply when they consume nutrients. It could make things even worse for the children.”

“But still…!”

“Um, don’t most daycares have surveillance cameras these days? Can’t we check the situation at least…?” one of the rookie Hunters hesitantly suggested. The employee’s eyes widened, as if she had been struck by a hammer.

“That’s right!” she screamed and frantically began typing on a laptop.

“But when a dungeon break happens, doesn’t it sever all connections with the outside world? We won’t have internet, so how are we supposed to check the cameras?”

“It’s part of the internal infrastructure, so it should work. Plus, emergency power keeps the lights and surveillance cameras running inside the building. Ah…” The employee covered her mouth with both hands.

A collective sigh of disappointment escaped from those watching the monitor. Through the daycare’s large windows, they saw monsters roaming outside. Shadowy figures were slithering beyond the door.

Maybe in an attempt to avoid being noticed by the monsters, the curtains were drawn across the glass. Behind them, two women, presumably teachers, were huddled with what looked to be about a dozen children, keeping their bodies as low as possible. Even with the poor quality of the camera feed, you could tell they were trembling.

Even Han Jaeyeong clicked their tongue. “It doesn’t look like we have the luxury to wait for a rescue.”

The woman’s scream rang out, “Ayeong! Please, please! Let me go!”

“I can’t allow that. If a civilian goes out, it will only lead to more casualties.” Yu Hanul stood as he spoke, “I’ll go.”

Of course, I knew he’d say that.

I sighed internally. After all, in a previous life, he had been a hero. No wonder. Even though a message had appeared stating his overall level had temporarily dropped after inhaling that mysterious smoke, he didn’t seem to care at all.

“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!”

As Yu Hanul calmly volunteered for the rescue, the woman collapsed in relief, grabbing onto his hands. Her face was full of gratitude, perhaps even reverence, as if she were gazing at a deity.

It was a reaction fitting for a mother concerned about her child.

“My Ayeong is the one wearing the hat on the camera. Please, hurry…”

“Don’t worry. Of course, we’ll protect all the children at the daycare.”

Yu Hanul squeezed her hands reassuringly, then gently pulled away and turned. It was hard to tell whether the fleeting look in the woman’s eyes was embarrassment or fear.

Yu Hanul glanced back at me. There was no mistaking it—he was worried. 

I shrugged. “Not the time to be worrying about me, is it?”

Even though he’s an S-rank Hunter, without magic, he’s essentially just a normal person with a physically enhanced body. Better than a mage who can’t use magic, but still… Swordsmen don’t fare well against mental-type monsters.

This situation revealed the careful planning of whoever orchestrated this.

Maybe they figured out that I escaped the last crisis using magic, or perhaps they targeted us knowing Yu Hanul would be involved.

There were many possibilities. For now, it was just speculation. Yu Hanul smiled at my remark. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

“Where on earth are you getting that idea? I never said anything of the sort.”

“It’s just my instinct. As for Hunter Han Jaeyeong…”

“Oh, I’ll stay here and monitor the cameras.” Han Jaeyeong waved their hand limply, clearly lacking enthusiasm. “Mages are pretty much useless if they can’t use magic. I wouldn’t even make a decent meat shield—my stamina and strength are trash.”

“Go ahead. We need someone to look after the trainee Hunters anyway.”

“Ah, but I can’t guarantee I’ll protect them~”

At this point, even the most patient person would be irritated. Yu Hanul certainly was. He raised his eyebrows and looked back at Han Jaeyeong. “Han Jaeyeong, save the jokes for the right situation.”

“Hanul, your seriousness about everything is your strength. Take care~”

It seemed like he had more to say, but Yu Hanul decided not to continue. Perhaps he thought it would be a waste of time.

Yu Hanul gave a few more instructions to the rookie Hunters before heading straight out through the glass door.

“Finally, the nagging is gone.” Han Jaeyeong let out a satisfied sigh after Yu Hanul left. When I stared at them, they smiled sheepishly. “You’ll understand once you work with him, Hunter Jeong Da-on. He’s so restrictive. It gets tiresome.”

They spoke as if describing an ex. How had this annoying guy survived so long? It had to be due to their skill or their striking looks.

Since I didn’t respond, Han Jaeyeong started glancing around the office before turning to the employee who was wiping her tears. “Hmm, if it’s part of the internal infrastructure, can’t you access the surveillance footage?”

“Uh, well, we have a folder for the surveillance cameras, but only the security officers can access it…”

“Mind letting me take a look for a moment?”

After receiving the laptop, Han Jaeyeong typed something in, and soon, the surveillance footage from cameras throughout the building appeared on the screen.

“What? Is that magic?”

“Magic, yes. I got access to an ID that lets me into the building’s internal infrastructure.”

So, they had just stolen an ID.

Looking at the intranet, I saw the title of the Central Administration Director flash on the screen. Well, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone like Han Jaeyeong had access to that. When I stared at them again, they winked playfully.

“Keep it a secret from the Director.”

“Yeah, sure.” I scoffed but focused on the laptop, interested in the situation being displayed. The cameras installed throughout the building offered a clear view of the interior.

“H-Holy… that, that’s blood, isn’t it?”

“Damn it, we already have victims…”

The rookie Hunters who had gathered to watch the screen were horrified.

The scenes on the cameras showed intense, vivid signs of survival. Pools of blood, people collapsed and convulsing. Dark, shadow-like creatures slithered over the fallen bodies.

“They’re probably not dead yet. The Shadow Wraith drains its victim’s life by instilling their worst nightmare, slowly wearing them down.”

“How comforting.”

Although Yu Hanul’s explanation was brief, the Shadow Wraith was far from an easy monster to deal with. It takes on the form of a shadow, planting fear in its victim, slipping into the cracks of their mind, and manifesting that fear into a nightmare. Then, it opens its maw and sucks out the person’s life force. The nightmare doesn’t end until the very moment they die.

From the victim’s perspective, it’s torment for both body and mind.

Unlike a succubus or incubus, who at least offer some pleasure before death, the Shadow Wraith delivers only agony, tormenting the soul right up to its end.

If the one responsible for this dungeon break intended to unleash a monster like the Shadow Wraith, then they must have a deep, seething hatred for me.

Crash!

Of course, none of this applied to Yu Hanul as I watched him on the other side of the camera.

“What’s he doing?”

“Didn’t they say his stats were lowered…?”

Even so, Yu Hanul facing off against the Shadow Wraith appeared overwhelmingly powerful.

I kept watching the screen. After leaving the office, Yu Hanul headed straight for the restroom next door. I heard the sound of shattering glass, likely from a mirror he broke off the wall.

Carrying the mirror, Yu Hanul reached the emergency stairwell, ripped off the door to the stairs, and shattered the mirror once more. Up until that point, I wasn’t sure what he was planning. Then, he angled the mirror to reflect the sunlight streaming through a window, casting it into the dark stairwell.

Light filtered into the emergency passage, which had been cloaked in darkness except for the emergency lights.

That’s when I realized what he was up to.

He’s clever, I’ll give him that.

The Shadow Wraith’s weakness is light, especially sunlight.

Yu Hanul had figured out how to create artificial sunlight using the mirror.

How did he come up with that idea so quickly? It was the smartest choice given that the stairwell had no windows to let the sunlight in.

“Why is Hunter Yu Hanul going down the stairs instead of using the elevator?”

“The power’s out, genius.”

Ignoring the rookie Hunters’ banter, I kept my focus on Yu Hanul.

Once light had filled part of the stairwell, he wasted no time. He sprinted to the end of the illuminated section.

But a single beam of light wasn’t enough to banish the darkness.

The Shadow Wraith, lurking in the shadows, pounced at Yu Hanul.

But he wasn’t an easy target.

Kiyeeeek!

Yu Hanul skillfully lured the monster into the light reflected from the mirror. Mesmerized by the beam, the creature hesitated for just a moment, and in that split second, Yu Hanul fearlessly thrust his sword straight into the creature’s gaping mouth.

Crunch!

I didn’t hear the sound, but I knew the monster had been killed in an instant. It looked simple, but I knew just how much agility and quick thinking that maneuver required.

“Impressive, huh?” Han Jaeyeong, who had been watching alongside me, grinned. “This is when I envy swordsmen. Why bother using your brain when you have a body like that, right?”

You don’t seem to use your brain either.

Still, I had to agree.

Whether Yu Hanul retained memories from his past life or not, he had been a remarkable swordsman in his previous life.

I first heard of his fame when he, a commoner, became the youngest swordmaster. I remember how the emperor promoted him to captain of the knights in recognition of his achievements. The emperor blessed him by pouring holy water over his head, and I still recall the radiant silver armor bestowed upon him.

…But those are memories of the past.

There’s really no need to worry about Yu Hanul.

Shaking my head to dispel the memories, I turned my attention to the screen showing the daycare center.

“Please, please… Ayeong…”

Perhaps the mother’s desperate prayers had been heard. The monsters crawling down the hallway hadn’t yet detected any signs of life behind the door and were simply lurking.

It seemed the teachers’ efforts to keep the children quiet were still effective, as the creatures primarily reacted to sound.

How long until Yu Hanul reaches the second floor?

Though it looked effortless on camera, Yu Hanul was moving slower than usual, likely due to his lowered stats. He was methodically placing shards of the mirror as he advanced, but the emergency lights now showed he had only reached the 6th floor.

It’s going to take at least another ten minutes…

Just as I thought that—

“Huh?”

One of the rookies watching the screen nearly pressed his nose against it.

“Huh? Huh? What’s happening?”

I was just as shocked.

“What the…?”

Yu Hanul, who had been effortlessly tearing through monsters just moments ago, had vanished from the camera feed. It was as if he had been a mere illusion all along.

Now, the screen only showed an empty hallway, bloodstained stairs, and the shadowy monsters swirling about.

I reflexively glanced over at Han Jaeyeong. They were smiling brightly.

But it wasn’t a smile of joy.

“This is getting interesting.”