A Raid with the Protagonist (1)

Seeing the timer on her system showing 4 hours remaining before the upgrade would be completed, Joo-Hee let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At least she had some time—enough to hope her system would return before anything disastrous happened.

Her mind, however, remained restless, playing through worst-case scenarios in the background.

She waved toward Jin-Woo with a warm smile, which Jin-Woo quickly returned with a small wave of his own.

Beside him, Song Chi-Yul noticed the exchange and chuckled.

"So, are you two dating already?" he teased, his tone light but playful.

Jin-Woo's eyes widened in shock, and a faint blush spread across his face.

"N-No! We're just friends, Mr. Song," he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Nothing more..."

Chi-Yul grinned, clearly enjoying himself.

"Nothing, huh?" he said, nudging Jin-Woo with his elbow.

The younger hunter flushed deeper, scratching at his neck as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

Joo-Hee, catching the exchange, approached them with a slight bow toward Chi-Yul.

"Mr. Song, it's nice to see you again," she greeted politely.

Her voice faltered mid-sentence as her gaze landed on his left arm.

The sight of his severed arm was a sobering reminder of the sacrifices he had made.

Chi-Yul had lost it protecting them during the nightmare of the double dungeon incident.

Forcing a smile, Joo-Hee continued, speaking sincerely on behalf of the real Joo-Hee.

"I know this is a bit late, but... thank you. For doing your best to protect us back then, Mr. Song."

Chi-Yul responded with a kind, heartfelt smile.

"It was something I needed to do as an adult. After all, the youth… they're the future of this country."

His voice softened as his gaze turned toward Jin-Woo.

"And honestly, it was Jin-Woo who saved us all. Without him, none of us would be here right now."

Joo-Hee followed his gaze, her eyes settling on Jin-Woo with a wide smile.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed, her tone warm with genuine admiration.

As the conversation carried on, Joo-Hee's eyes briefly flicked to Chi-Yul's severed arm.

A thought crossed her mind as she clenched her fists subtly.

'Maybe… someday, when my healing skill reaches a certain level, I can help him. Joo-Hee owed him that much, after all.'

As they arrived at the gate, Jin-Woo and Chi-Yul's smiles faded when their eyes landed on Kim Sang-Shik and Kang Jeonho.

The atmosphere grew tense, but Chi-Yul managed to maintain his ever-kind demeanor, smiling faintly.

"Today must be something special," he remarked with a dry chuckle.

"To think most of us are all gathered here."

Jin-Woo's eyes lingered on Kim Sang-Shik, whose gaze kept darting away, unable to meet Jin-Woo's stare.

The weight of shame was noticeable in his stiff posture—no words were necessary to understand how deeply his betrayal still haunted him.

Before they could engage further, a new presence made itself known.

A voice interrupted their moment, causing the group to turn toward the source.

Joo-Hee, who had been standing slightly off to the side, let out a sigh.

She had anticipated this, though she had hoped her assumption was wrong.

'Fate really does have its ways,' she thought bitterly, her eyes narrowing at the familiar purple-haired figure approaching.

'I guess no matter what I do, this body cannot escape the shackles of fate. Even if my actions are no longer aligned with the story's path...'

Her gaze lingered on the purple-haired man for a moment before looking back to Jin-Woo.

Her thoughts churned as she tried to suppress her unease.

'That guy… he's going to die soon. Not that he doesn't deserve it; he's a murderer, after all.'

Yet, despite rationalizing it, the thought of someone dying—even a criminal—made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

As someone who had lived a peaceful life in the real world, this was something she wasn't used to.

She let out another quiet sigh, trying to shake off the grim thoughts.

Her inner thoughts were interrupted when Jin-Woo spoke, his voice filled with gentle concern.

"Joo-Hee, are you okay? You seemed… rather tired."

Caught off guard by his sudden attention, Joo-Hee blinked before a small, teasing smile spread across her face.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied, waving it off.

"I just didn't get much sleep last night."

Then, leaning slightly closer, she covered her mouth with her hand as if stifling a giggle.

"But wait… are you worrying about me, Mr. Sung Jin-Woo?"

"My, my, how much you've grown! To think our dear Sung would worry about others now."

Jin-Woo flinched at her teasing, his face flushing as he stammered, "Joo-Hee! S-Stop it! You're starting again!"

Her soft laughter rang out, easing the tension in the air.

"Alright, alright, Jin-jin," she said with a playful grin, but her eyes briefly flickered toward the purple-haired man again.

The unease lingered at the edge of her thoughts, even as she bantered with Jin-Woo.

Song Chi-Yul watched the lighthearted exchange between Joo-Hee and Jin-Woo with a soft smile, his thoughts warm.

'I'm really glad… Both of them seem unaffected by everything that happened. Thank God for that.'

But his gaze shifted toward the probationary prisoners gathered nearby, and his smile dimmed.

His eyes hardened as he studied them.

'Still, it looks like today's raid won't be easy. To think we'd have to fight side by side with criminals...'

Jin-Woo broke his train of thought, speaking quietly to Joo-Hee.

"Joo-Hee, I don't have a good feeling about this raid. Something feels…"

Before he could continue, Joo-Hee interrupted him, her tone unexpectedly firm.

"I'll be okay, Jin-Woo. No need to worry so much."

Her determination was written all over her face, and Jin-Woo, after a moment's hesitation, relented.

"Alright," he said softly.

"But please… be careful, okay?"

Joo-Hee smiled, her voice steady.

"I will. You too."

As they stepped closer to the gate, the looming presence of Kang Tae-Shik and the other criminals stirred continued unease within Joo-Hee.

She glanced at them briefly, then lowered her gaze, her thoughts resolute.

'These are inevitable things… events that are bound to happen. I just have to steel myself and embrace the flow of fate. There's no point in resisting a predetermined destiny.'

The gate shimmered ominously before them as the group began entering one by one, each carrying their own silent thoughts and unspoken worries.

When it was Joo-Hee's turn, she paused at the threshold, her gaze lingering on the swirling portal.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to fall silent around her as a question entered her mind.

'Could I really bring myself to kill someone when the time comes? Just like the protagonist?'