NOVPUBResponsibility.
To Lee Pyeong-hwa, the words felt entirely unreal.
"Who should take responsibility if we save Nam Seong-hee and let hundreds die?"
"Then you...?"
Honestly, Lee Pyeong-hwa still couldn’t understand the situation.
Why was she having this conversation with Jeong Da-on, and why were they discussing this? She didn’t know.
But it was clear that something was wrong.
"Are you saying we should kill this woman now because she might kill more people in the future?"
After saying those words, the absurdity became even more apparent.
What right did Jeong Da-on have to speak like that? Who could say with certainty how the future would unfold?
"Yes."
But Jeong Da-on nodded, as if she were some sort of deity.
"People don’t change. Do you think that woman, Nam Seong-hee, will repent? The person who killed her own child?"
"Th-that's not certain! But can we say for sure she’ll never change?"
"No, that's called irresponsibility. In the end, you can’t take responsibility for what happens in the future, and you don't have the courage to punish her yourself, so you rely on the law or some other dead words."
It felt like her breath was being choked off.
Was Jeong Da-on really calling killing someone "courage"?
It was a wall.
Lee Pyeong-hwa closed her mouth tightly.
No matter what she said, Jeong Da-on countered with reality, and she no longer had the confidence to persuade her.
No, to be more honest, Lee Pyeong-hwa didn’t have any grounds to contradict Jeong Da-on’s words.
Jeong Da-on was right.
Lee Pyeong-hwa was just a young beginner in society, just like Jeong Da-on said.
‘I... Why am I saying this?’
At the same time, it felt absurd.
Lee Pyeong-hwa didn’t have some great moral obligation to save Nam Seong-hee.
In fact, it was ridiculous that she was even trying to save someone who had tried to trap and kill her.
But she was just acting reflexively, trying to save a dying person.
Just like she had learned in society.
Just as she thought was natural.
‘Maybe... maybe I should just let Jeong Da-on do what she wants?’
Was that it?
For a moment, that thought crossed her mind.
The truth was, Lee Pyeong-hwa was just tired.
It had been a draining day.
She had simply gone to work as usual, but suddenly, she was excluded from Jeong Da-on’s party and witnessed a murder.
And if that had been the end of it, that would have been one thing. But then the dungeon break happened.
She had tried her best to deal with it—fighting monsters, saving people...
She had been running around frantically and nearly died in the trap set by the crazy woman who had killed her own son.
Honestly, there was no reason for her to defend Nam Seong-hee like this...
‘...’
Lee Pyeong-hwa tightly shut her eyes and opened them again.
Her body, dragged around while searching for Jeong Da-on, and her mind were both on the brink of exhaustion.
Should she just close her eyes now?
Hadn’t she already done enough?
Did she really need to argue with a friend about saving someone who had tried to kill her?
‘Why not just pretend I don’t know anything?’
Lee Pyeong-hwa didn’t want to act like some frustrating moral textbook.
In this exhausting situation, she desperately wanted to avoid any more conflict if possible.
And while Lee Pyeong-hwa remained silent, Jeong Da-on stared at her intently.
Not knowing that her soul was being fully exposed, Lee Pyeong-hwa spoke.
"Okay. Maybe what I’m saying is nonsense because I don’t know reality yet. Maybe you're right."
Still, Lee Pyeong-hwa spoke.
In the end, this was how it was.
"That person might not be punished in court. Maybe she’ll go on to kill hundreds in the future. Who knows what the future holds?"
"......"
"But, Jeong Da-on, there’s one thing that’s certain."
Jeong Da-on waited for Lee Pyeong-hwa to speak.
"If Nam Seong-hee survives and kills again in the future... It’s not your responsibility."
Yes.
The thing that had been hanging around her neck, like a thorn.
That was it.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lee Pyeong-hwa didn’t feel her body getting better, but she felt her mind clear up.
Lee Pyeong-hwa opened her eyes.
Jeong Da-on °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° stood before her. No matter how fierce the look in her eyes or how intense the pressure she gave, it was still Jeong Da-on.
She was the friend Lee Pyeong-hwa had chosen.
"You’re not responsible for someone else’s death."
To Lee Pyeong-hwa, it seemed like Jeong Da-on thought she had to take responsibility for other people’s lives.
"What gives you the right to take responsibility for those deaths? Is it because you’re strong? Because you’re an S-rank hunter?"
If that were the case, it would be sheer arrogance.
"If Nam Seong-hee doesn’t get the punishment she deserves, those who are responsible for that should take responsibility."
Lee Pyeong-hwa still didn’t know much about society, and she still didn’t know Jeong Da-on very well.
But she did know that when Lee Seung-hee had died and when she had been stranded in another dimension with Jeong Da-on...
Jeong Da-on had been constantly concerned about Lee Pyeong-hwa and Lee Seung-hee’s deaths, even though she wasn’t showing it.
"No matter what happens, it’s not because you couldn’t kill her that this is happening."
Jeong Da-on didn’t need to bear everything.
Just because someone was strong didn’t mean they had to take responsibility for everything.
There was no reason to feel responsible for all of this.
It was such an obvious fact, but Jeong Da-on, as if she were some deity, was questioning who should take responsibility for what.
"If anything, if you kill this person... that would be your sin. Why should you take on that responsibility?"
The only thing Lee Pyeong-hwa could say now... was that.
Jeong Da-on’s eyes widened briefly at Lee Pyeong-hwa’s words. For a moment, her gaze seemed to waver, but she quickly lowered her head, unable to read any further.
Lee Pyeong-hwa couldn’t even guess what Jeong Da-on was thinking now.
And when Jeong Da-on lifted her head again, Lee Pyeong-hwa could no longer read any emotion on her face.
At that moment, Lee Pyeong-hwa realized something.
"That’s your answer, right? I understand." 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Jeong Da-on, clearly dissatisfied with her own answer.
"I...," Jeong Da-on started.
"Whatever I think, it’s not really important."
Lee Pyeong-hwa tried to say something, but Jeong Da-on interrupted her first.
"In any case, I’m not the one who’s judging. And you... well, I don’t know, but you’ve convinced some foolish collective intelligence."
Jeong Da-on glanced at Nam Seong-hee, who was lying on the beach.
"This round is yours."
Lee Pyeong-hwa didn’t know who the subject of that sentence was.
Who was it that had won?
Soon, Jeong Da-on snapped her fingers.
The scenery around them changed instantly.
The beach that had felt like a dream quickly transformed into the rooftop of an old building.
Lee Pyeong-hwa, stunned by the sudden change, fell to the ground.
"Ah..."
Had they just left the illusionary world?
She looked up, and a system message appeared.
Without any time to recover, Jeong Da-on spoke.
"I’m going to solve this dungeon break now."
"Huh? Then I’ll go too. Let’s go together..."
"You should take care of yourself first. What do you think you’re going to do with that body?"
Jeong Da-on looked at Lee Pyeong-hwa with contempt.
As she had said, Lee Pyeong-hwa’s body was drenched in sweat, and honestly, she could barely move now.
"And you said you were going to save that person."
As she said this, Jeong Da-on pointed to Nam Seong-hee, lying at her feet.
The body of Nam Seong-hee twitched slightly on the dirty rooftop floor.
"Let’s see what you’ll do. Well, it won’t take three months for you to realize how futile your words were."
Jeong Da-on turned and walked toward the rooftop railing.
Her steps, though, didn’t seem to carry any regret about what she had said, and she was walking without looking back.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Lee Pyeong-hwa, panicked, called after her.
"Huh? Huh? Where are you going?"
"It's faster to jump down than to use the stairs. Oh, and..."
Before jumping off the rooftop railing, Jeong Da-on turned to Lee Pyeong-hwa with cold eyes and said,
"Never get involved with me again."
A merciless declaration of severance.
[Title: Anyone who received the disaster alert in northern Seoul?]
Content: Another dungeon break, this time it’s too much, isn’t it?
└ Seriously.
└ Honestly, it’s amazing that public safety is still maintained, considering the GDP ranking.
└ Where are you writing from, then?
└ At work, man. Gotta make a living.
└ So what, dungeon breaks don’t happen in Gangnam? If the myth of real estate invincibility is ever broken, it should be with a dungeon break in Ma-yong-seong.
└ If you want to make money, check the note I sent. I’ll invite you to a leading room that will give you guaranteed money-making tips. With a little study, earning 1 billion a month is easy.
└ I got liquidated in futures trading. I wish there was a dungeon break at my house.
└ Seriously selfish. People might be dying from a dungeon break, and this is what you’re saying.
└ There are a lot of people like this lately.
└ You didn’t know? S-rank mages are put in substitute military service due to training fees.
└ Isn’t this corruption?
└ You can’t really call it corruption. They stopped the dungeon break while on guild service.
└ God Da-on?
└ She didn’t even go to the military, what are you talking about?
└ I was reminded of my grandma, and now I’m crying.
└ I wonder if the people who criticized her for her character are still alive.
└ The media used to say stuff like "S-rank Hunter character controversy" but now they’re writing praise articles like crazy. It’s disgusting.
└ What? Is it Lee Un-gyeol?
└ Isn’t he the hunter who was on TV recently?
└ I heard from a friend too. Someone stabbed him to death before the dungeon break.
└ Fuck, that’s terrifying.
└ Was there a money issue?
└ Hey, do you have money in your account?
└ Judge, my cat types really well.
└ That judge might be from the same family.
└ I think it just got taken down? Lol
