RE: Player again

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[Chapter 095] [A Heart That Must Not Change (2)]

In the past, the Player Academy built on land that transformed into a red dungeon.

The dungeon located beneath the academy still maintained its existence even after more than 30 years had passed.

Now it had become a place of learning where students could experience dungeon conquering firsthand.

On the other hand, it could be said that students were working to suppress the erosion of the red dungeon.

Nevertheless, the academy strictly restricted middle school academy students from entering the dungeon.

Unlike high school academy students who were recognized as quasi-adults who could take responsibility for their actions, middle school academy students were classified as ordinary people.

Especially 1st year students who couldn't prove they could take down monsters were prohibited from entering at all.

They say you can enter from 2nd year, but the procedure was so complicated I was worrying...

It got resolved thanks to Yeon-hwa noona.

I had business in the Player Academy red dungeon.

So Eun-ha was looking for a way to enter the academy red dungeon as soon as the year changed.

It was a red dungeon.

Even though the boss monster had been subjugated, the 5-floor dungeon was still functioning as a red dungeon.

He couldn't enter alone as an outwardly middle school academy student, and he also had to find people to enter the dungeon with for formality's sake.

But Yeon-hwa suggested it.

"You seem to have grown taller since I last saw you?" "How long has it been since we met? I don't think I've grown much."

"...No. We met last year, and this is the first time we're meeting this year."

"That's right, it's been a year since we met." "Yeah."

Player Academy red dungeon.

Yeon-hwa who was in front of the entrance going underground greeted Eun-ha like that.

Eun-ha burst out laughing inadvertently hearing the joke she made.

Because he didn't expect her to speak casually like this.

In his previous life, they had only spoken for work.

No, she always tried not to show her emotions to anyone except Ha Baek-ryeon.

She was cold like ice, and clear like crystal without impurities.

As a window solely for one person, as if even impurities didn't exist.

"You do seem to have grown taller."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when we met right before vacation you came up to here, but now you're up to here." "It doesn't seem like much difference..."

She who was like that pointed to below her chest with her hand, then pointed to around her chest again.

A height difference he couldn't feel much.

It's probably a degree that only she who sensitively remembers spear length and weight differences in order to reach the realm of unity between body and spear could notice.

"Me... do I seem to have changed?"

"......"

So Eun-ha found Ryu Yeon-hwa's question quite ambiguous.

Given that she was asking like this, there must have been changes during the vacation, but he couldn't tell what had changed.

What is it? What changed?

Is it her hair? It's originally blue...

Eun-ha agonized inwardly.

Her appearance of twirling her hair with her fingers while waiting for an answer made people quite perplexed.

If Eun-a hadn't told him just then, he would have kept her waiting.

"...Hair... ...hairhairhair..."

"...Ah, did you grow your hair?"

"...That's not it..."

"...No, she cut it..."

"...You cut your hair?"

"Yeah... I cut it a little this time. How does it look? Does it seem okay?"

Eun-ha gave an awkward smile.

There was no sign she had cut her hair.

But how on earth did his noona immediately notice she had cut her hair?

Eun-a who stuck right next to him and tipped him off seemed amazing.

"...Quickly tell her it suits her well."

"It suits you well after cutting your hair?"

"...Really? I guess cutting my hair was better after all. Thank you."

"...You should smile at times like this..."

"Ahaha..."

Ryu Yeon-hwa answering Eun-ha with a smile like thin ice melting.

Meanwhile, Noh Eun-a's robot Eun-ha just smiled as told.

Like reading a Korean textbook.

"Hmm... suspicious, Ryu Yeon-hwa?"

"...Me?"

"You were contacting Eun-ha often without telling me..."

Regardless, Eun-a who moved away from him approached Ryu Yeon-hwa closely and looked up at her.

With narrowed eyes, as if trying to see through her.

Conversely, Yeon-hwa tilted her head and showed her a pleasant smile too.

"When I could have just called Eun-ha, you suddenly sent him a message... I was next to Eun-ha then, making him tell me..."

"Sorry, are you angry?"

"No, I'm not angry..."

Eun-a pouted her lips.

Ryu Yeon-hwa who had known her for several years hugged her tightly.

Then Eun-a burrowed deep into Ryu Yeon-hwa's embrace.

Then Eun-a who gently raised her tiptoes whispered in her ear.

"Don't try to meet Eun-ha without me knowing. I'm not even interfering, but that hurts..."

"...I'm sorry I couldn't tell you until now."

"So? What kind of relationship are you two?"

"...We meet every morning and train together?"

"Really?"

Eun-a who grabbed Yeon-hwa's shoulders tried hard to put strength in her eyes.

Yeon-hwa liked that appearance too.

No matter how much strength Eun-a put in her eyes, she smiled brightly at her.

They seem to get along really well.

Meanwhile, Eun-ha was watching the two hugging each other and having a friendly staring contest.

He hoped the two would become people who could rely on each other even after graduating from the academy.

"Sorry, I'm late right?"

Just then, the final party member finally appeared at the meeting place.

Han Chang-jin who was covering his mouth with a black muffler greeted them cheerfully while slightly pulling down his muffler.

Han Chang-jin who became one of the 3rd Generation Twelve Seats before the regression.

He had good eyes like Ryu Yeon-hwa too.

Chang-jin who excelled at reconnaissance and covert actions even immediately noticed Ryu Yeon-hwa's change.

"Yeon-hwa, looks like you cut your hair? Now that I see, about 2cm..." "That's right."

"...Oh... I see... No wonder..."

A cold wind blew fiercely.

When Han Chang-jin who met Ryu Yeon-hwa after a long time greeted her cheerfully, she quickly turned her head away.

Han Chang-jin had to wonder if he had done something wrong.

But his purpose wasn't to talk to Ryu Yeon-hwa anyway.

His goal was to naturally talk to Eun-a next to her while talking to Ryu Yeon-hwa.

He who quickly came to his senses tried to use changes that happened to Eun-a during vacation as a conversation topic, but─

"─Earrings?"

"Huh? Ah, these?"

For some reason, Noh Eun-a who usually didn't wear accessories saying they interfered with movement was wearing earrings on the day of entering the dungeon.

Silver butterfly earrings that sparkled.

When Chang-jin mentioned the earrings, Eun-a touched her ears happily.

"I received them as a gift."

Noh Eun-a smiling broadly with a hehe.

It was a smile that seemed to take your soul away.

But Chang-jin shed tears of blood in his heart seeing her smiling brightly while recalling someone.

"...Wh-who from."

He couldn't control his tone.

He asked who gave her the earrings as a gift in a choked voice.

While clenching his fist.

While thinking in one corner of his mind how to eliminate that person without consequences.

"Huh? Who... Of course─"

"─It was me."

"...Huh?"

But the answer to the question came from elsewhere.

Chang-jin turned his head towards the direction the voice came from.

He had completely forgotten Eun-ha's existence while focusing on Eun-a.

"I gave them to her?"

"...I-I see... ...Thank goodness."

Eun-ha glared at Han Chang-jin with furrowed brows.

Chang-jin who met his gaze relaxed his face that had stiffened like a lie.

While smiling foolishly.

He hurriedly flipped his palm.

Regardless, Eun-ha didn't withdraw his sullen gaze.

Why, got a problem?

I've almost finished sorting out the hit list.

Eun-ha seriously considered whether to add Han Chang-jin's name to the hit list too.

☆

People entering the Player Academy red dungeon had to fill out a list at the waiting room in front of the entrance.

Stating who the party representative was, who the party members were, etc.

At the same time, they had to submit a pledge that in case of death in the dungeon, the responsibility lies solely with themselves, not the academy.

Additionally, the administrative staff checked if students had written their will at the beginning of the semester.

Man, it's really complicated.

Eun-ha especially had a much longer procedure than others.

Though there are three , he was officially unverified in skill since he hadn't advanced to 2nd year yet.

Moreover, the administrative staff in charge of him thought the rumors circulating about Eun-ha in the academy were exaggerated.

Of course, Eun-ha showed them his skills by defeating an 8th tier monster in person.

"I know your skills well Eun-ha, but you must follow my words for now. The red dungeon isn't a place you can take lightly."

"Yeah, I got it."

The group was going down the stairs leading to the dungeon.

A narrow stairway for two people to go down.

Amid candles installed on the wall illuminating and darkness faintly visible at the base, everything around was tinged with bright red.

Proof it was a red dungeon.

Eun-a kept telling Eun-ha following behind to be careful.

Actually, Eun-ha found Eun-a speaking with a hardened face so lovely.

Especially her appearance of worrying about him.

"Noona, please protect me well."

"Even if I can't protect Chang-jin, I'll definitely protect you Eun-ha." "Um... why are you making me anxious like that?"

There was no navigator in the party.

So the role of exploring the surroundings was taken by Eun-a the supporter and Han Chang-jin the hunter.

Among them, Chang-jin with excellent mobility was deploying his detection net at the very front.

If a problem occurred, he would be the first person to be sacrificed.

So it was understandable for him at the vanguard to be sullen.

"If a problem occurs, we can just abandon Chang-jin hyung as a sacrifice and run away?"

"Right? You don't have to worry too much Eun-ha since Chang-jin is here."

"Yeah, that's right."

"You guys..."

Yeon-hwa joined in teasing Chang-jin too.

In the end, he had to be the butt of jokes until they arrived at the 1st underground floor.

"...Let's get ready. Hold hands tightly."

"Eun-ha, hand."

Chang-jin signaled back before the last step.

Eun-a and Yeon-hwa who had conquered the academy dungeon several times held hands as if used to it.

Eun-ha also took Eun-a's outstretched hand.

It's been a while since I conquered this place too.

I used to really hate this in the past...

A red dungeon consisting of 5 floors total.

Among them, there was a trap installed from the entrance on the 1st underground floor.

A trap that summoned people who stepped into the 1st floor to different places.

So party members had to hold hands to be summoned to the same place.

"You must absolutely not let go of hands."

Eun-ha recalled memories from before the regression while taking Chang-jin's warning to heart.

Back then, he hated having to hold hands with party members he was inevitably grouped with every time he entered the red dungeon.

But now it was different.

He liked holding someone's hand.

Because it made him feel he could be here.

Above all, because it was Eun-a's hand.

There were a lot of accidents because of this trap.

People passing through the trap are randomly summoned somewhere on the 1st underground floor.

Thanks to that, there were cases of being summoned to locations where monsters were gathered if unlucky.

As a result, there were many accidents.

He had experienced similar accidents in the dungeon several times before the regression too.

Among them, he had been caught up in schemes of those who disliked him a few times too.

So he wasn't that surprised even when the desolate wide open area changed scenery.

Rather, he calmly explored the surroundings.

"...We got the worst from the start."

To think we'd be summoned to a path where a goblin horde was passing by.

Eun-ha sighed after making eye contact with a goblin.

Meanwhile, the guys with wide open eyes rushed in.

"Eun-ha, stay next to me. Chang-jin!"

Shadow Step

But the party wasn't composed of ragtag members.

Eun-a quickly manifested her internal mana and deployed a barrier to protect Eun-ha.

At that moment, Han Chang-jin rushed out.

He who pulled out two swords from his waist attacked the goblin at the front while taking a reverse grip.

Then he stepped on the shadows of the guys and instantly moved long distances to confuse them.

But he lacked the power to decisively cut off their windpipes.

Winterplum Style

Rainy Season

But this was party play.

The role of cutting off their windpipes was assigned separately.

Yeon-hwa who had somehow burrowed into the horde activated magic while cutting down the goblins around her.

Thin thorns created in midair.

The thorns made of ice due to the influence of Gift were sharply honed.

And the moment she signaled, the thorns floating in the air instantly fell.

Well-sharpened ice gouged the guys and raised dust.

Kieeee─!!

It wasn't ordinary dust.

The ice thorns shattered and froze the ground, cooling the surroundings coldly.

The goblins who barely avoided the attack screamed as if their flesh was falling off in the secondary damage that occurred.

Even as the temperature dropped rapidly, Yeon-hwa was still doing her role.

"Yeon-hwa is using magic from the start."

"Why? Does she not use it usually?" "Yeah. She usually doesn't use it much saying she's learning spear techniques. It's my first time seeing her use magic on the 1st underground floor too."

Eun-ha watched those who stood out among while receiving Eun-a's protection.

Ryu Yeon-hwa was finishing off the guys who stubbornly survived.

Han Chang-jin who had escaped from Ryu Yeon-hwa's magic early was observing the situation and dealing with monsters trying to alert their companions.

The two who turn 19 this year.

Their movements without waste, instantaneous situational judgment ability, and seasoned combat techniques were indeed worthy of being counted among the top .

"...Everyone's amazing."

"Right? Especially Yeon-hwa is considered top in both theory and practice in the 027th class. And there's no one more well-known than Chang-jin among hunters..."

"What about noona?" "...Me? Hmm... I wonder...?"

Eun-ha looked at the barrier Eun-a deployed while seeing her being shy.

There was no incantation.

Yet she deployed this much of a barrier instantaneously.

He could tell Eun-a's abilities were that amazing

After all, whose noona is she?

He was envious of Ryu Yeon-hwa and Han Chang-jin too.

He wanted to draw the two into his own party if he could.

It was regrettable they weren't in the same class year.

And Eun-a too.

...I can't draw noona in.

The path he had to take was treacherous.

Eun-a could become a supporter to replace Yoo Jeong, but he didn't want to draw her into his party.

He had no choice but to just salivate.

Whether she knew that or not, Eun-a─

"─Looks like it's all over. How was it? We did pretty well, right?"

"The clan that takes noonas must be really blessed."

"Right? You didn't get hurt anywhere?"

"...I didn't do anything. Noona was protecting me, thank you."

Before they knew it, the situation was completely resolved.

Eun-a who released the barrier walked over to the two.

"Just trust me today."

"For what?"

"I'll carry you today!"

Noh Eun-a speaking with a lively smile.

Eun-ha really liked that smile.

So he felt a little sorry towards her.

Because she would soon be wearing a grim expression.

"Noona."

"Hm? What?"

"I'll apologize first. I'm sorry."

"Huh? For what?"

"For something."

The dungeon conquest that would take place over 3 nights and 4 days.

He planned to make the most of it during that time.