Episode 22

Hwang Taesan did not take her hand.

He still looked at her hand and face with suspicious eyes.

“Ah, you’re the type who doesn’t shake hands?”

Saebyeok let out a light, cheerful laugh and pulled her hand back.

Even though it might have felt bad to be refused, she brushed it off with a smile—
because she had already known he wouldn’t take it.

He had been like that in her previous life too.
He avoided contact altogether, not just handshakes.

There were famous stories about him:
how he would instinctively grab a falling child only to drop them as if he’d touched something hot,
or how he had flung away a young hunter who grabbed his arm for an autograph, looking utterly horrified.

Saebyeok knew his tendencies well, so she wasn’t offended.

But she hadn’t considered how different it might look to Hwang Taesan.

It was rare to see an S-rank hunter who didn’t care about saving face.
His shoulders eased slightly, and his gaze toward her softened.

“I haven’t registered yet, but according to my status window, my title’s potential is S-rank.
And my going with Kim I-han that day was purely for mutual benefit, not because we’re close.”

Saebyeok, who had traded every bit of information carefully with Kim I-han,
was spilling everything easily to Hwang Taesan.

Because she knew that to lower his guard and win his favor,
she needed to approach him with honesty—
given his empathetic nature.

“My title, as I said, is <Lancer of Dawn>, and my main weapon is a spear.
Strictly speaking, the title requires me to have one.”

She pointed at the pipe hanging on his back.

“That’s why I fought with that pipe that day too.”

…

Her power rested in the spear—
so she had to have one.

“If you’re curious about anything else, feel free to ask.”

Hwang Taesan looked at her again, his face hardening slightly.
But it wasn’t the wariness from earlier—
it was the look of someone confused.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

If what she said was true, these were things she should hide.

But Saebyeok only smiled softly and said:

“Because I want to get along well with Hunter Hwang Taesan.”

“…Is that necessary?”

“Yes. Because in this harsh world,
having a hunter you can contact without worrying about betrayal or rejection
is a big blessing.”

…

Saebyeok then picked up a pencil from behind the old craftsman’s ear and held it upright.

She softly whispered a skill name—
and the pencil tip flickered with a droplet, a spark of static, a bead of fire.

Even an ordinary pencil was recognized as a spear by the system.

“Hairpins, toothbrushes, anything rod-shaped works,” she added.
“Staves, short swords—those can substitute as well.
So honestly, it’s not much of a weakness.”

…

Finally, she handed him a small, weathered notebook.

<Item: Nine-Headed Record Notebook vol. 9 (F)>
“The summoned greed and hatred will hold a festival of the world’s sins.”

She explained it had been found on a fake cult leader the previous day—
untouched by fire, engraved with strange runes, and speaking of “destroying the world.”

“So I came here to ask your agency to track down the remaining heads of Hydra.”