I Can See the Comments on the Doomed Novel

Side Story – A Strange Encounter

“So when are you going to get a job?”

Eve, who had come to Earth, asked while sipping on her lemonade.

With Ji-hoon successfully opening the dimensional gate, Eve was able to cross over to Earth as well.

Since then, she has been frequently visiting Earth under the pretense of meeting Ji-hoon.

Well, wanting to see Ji-hoon is probably the primary reason, but judging by her recent behavior, it seems she simply enjoys Earth’s culture.

Right now, there’s a honey bread right in front of her.

It’s understandable that a child would like sweet foods.

She probably hasn’t had any of that in her world.

Though all the snack expenses come out of Ji-hoon’s wallet.

“I’m a bit anxious with my guardian being unemployed.”

“Isn’t ‘oppa’ a more fitting term than ‘guardian’?”

Ji-hoon asked subtly, but Eve stubbornly refused to call him oppa.

Even now, she maintains a sullen expression.

“Anyway, if there’s no money, I won’t be able to eat the snacks I like.”

“If it’s money, that’s not really a problem.”

Fortunately, Ji-hoon’s talent as a wizard is overflowing.

Considering his young age, it could be said to be unprecedented.

He’s managed to open a dimensional gate after intense independent research, so that says it all.

Of course, that’s a miracle influenced by his past life memories, contact with Pandora’s box, and the fact that he made a contract with Eve in the past, among other factors.

Still, the fact that it’s impressive remains unchanged.

Above all, the world is currently overflowing with gates and monsters.

If he sets his mind to it, he can earn as much money as he wants.

“Just recently, you participated in a gate raid and made some money, didn’t you?”

“By swinging a baseball bat to knock the zombies away, you know.”

Ji-hoon isn’t particularly affiliated with any guild.

He merely participates in temporary jobs that involve tackling low-level gates as a free hunter.

Naturally, these gates aren’t very dangerous, and the pay is quite meager.

It’s no surprise, as these are the kind of insignificant gates that guilds don’t even bother with.

In essence, they’re the sort of cleanup jobs for those without work.

Though not Ji-hoon, it seems that in some cases, the medical expenses can end up being higher.

It’s a task suited for low-level hunters who can’t even get into a guild in the first place.

Still, with Ji-hoon’s level of skill, he manages to earn a decent amount.

“I’d like to do a bit more research on dimensions, and I feel like leaving this as it is could be dangerous.”

Regardless, Ji-hoon opened a dimensional portal to the world where Eve is.

The problem is, he doesn’t know how to close it.

Thanks to that, Ji-hoon has moved the entire portal into his closet at home.

Unintentionally, Eve ends up commuting to Ji-hoon’s closet every day.

“Isn’t it okay? After all, I can’t connect to anywhere else anyway.”

The fact that Ji-hoon opened the dimensional portal was nothing short of a miracle.

And it was only possible because the owner of that dimension was none other than Eve, who was nearby.

In reality, searching for specific coordinates in the vastness of dimensions is as difficult as finding a needle in a desert.

The energy and magical power required for that is a separate matter altogether.

At least, Ji-hoon judged that with his current skills and abilities, connecting to another world was out of the question.

At least it meant he wouldn’t be zipping around to other places like during the ‘destruction.’

“But just because it’s me doesn’t mean I know the future. There might be someone who misuses this technology later on. If I’m not careful, it could end up costing a life or two. I need to be cautious.”

“……Isn’t that something you usually think about before opening it?”

To be honest, Ji-hoon did consider that before opening it.

He just prioritized meeting Eve again above all else.

The image of Eve being lonely in that vast garden was vivid in his mind.

‘No, maybe I just wanted to meet her again, no matter what.’

Anyway, since things turned out well, he decided to think that everything was fine.

After all, he understood that the affairs of the world wouldn’t all resolve just because he worried and tried to solve them.

Ultimately, the matters of the world are in the hands of the heavens.

What Ji-hoon can do is to try his best, and if that doesn’t work, to blame the heavens.

“Hm, by the way, with skills like yours, don’t other guilds recruit you?”

“How do you know that?”

“Yuri unnie told me. That guy has talent but just lazes around and doesn’t work, it drives her crazy.”

“I didn’t realize you two were gossiping about me behind my back.”

“Why do you think it’s just the two of us? There could be more.”

“If I say that much, I’ll just feel too pathetic.”

Hye-na and Eun-byul also seriously asked if he should join a guild.

Eun-byul’s café is always doing well, probably thanks to her looks.

Hye-na and Yuri are already part of a guild.

Both are famous hunters, well-known enough that their names pop up with a quick internet search.

But right now, Ji-hoon doesn’t want that.

Of course, he thinks he should join a guild someday, but being affiliated with one doesn’t suit his personality.

Above all, it’s a big deal that he can make a living just fine as he is.

If he’s a wizard who can smash zombies with a baseball bat, he’d probably be welcomed anywhere.

It was then, while he was quietly contemplating.

Suddenly, a car crashed into the guardrail.

-CRASH!!

With a deafening sound, the car crumpled.

The car door shattered and swung open, releasing a plume of smoke.

Out came two people.

They bubbled and boiled, transforming into monsters made of black flesh.

At first glance, they resembled the fire giants he had seen countless times in the underworld.

“GRaaaH!”

And then he realized that the gate is ultimately a passageway connecting to another dimension.

Perhaps they are indirectly affected by it.

In any case, it’s not a pleasant sight.

As the people around them screamed and fled,

only Ji-hoon and Eve remained remarkably calm.

“Is it normal for things like that to just pop out here?”

“No, usually it’s not like that. Isn’t there some kind of incident happening around here? Like a kid in glasses with a red bow tie wandering about.”

“So what are we going to do about that?”

“We have to catch it.”

Even these sudden monsters that pop up can earn you money if you report them to the government.

Since it helps prevent casualties and major accidents, it’s worth a decent amount compared to regular gates.

Just catching that thing would cover the cost of our meal.

“They’ll be here soon, so let’s place an extra order.”

“I’m not sure the staff will have the presence of mind for that.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate the Korean spirit of hunger.”

“Well then, I’d appreciate it if you could keep the blood splatter to a minimum so I can maintain my appetite.”

“Hm, that’s a bit of a tricky request.”

Ji-hoon immediately pulled out a baseball bat.

Then he dashed forward and swung at the monster.

The creature’s head cleanly flew off in one blow.

And then, right next to it, something else—

‘Huh?’

Before he could swing the bat again.

Suddenly, a man in a black suit was standing beside him.

He was also throwing punches at the black monster.

No, the monster was already sent flying and crashed into something.

Could he have caught that with his bare hands?

‘He seems extraordinary. Is he a Hunter?’

A sturdy physique and a faint aura of danger emanating from him.

Above all, a slightly sharp and cold expression.

It was definitely the same feeling Ji-hoon had sensed from Yuri.

That kind of atmosphere was radiating from the man.

Despite his appearance, Ji-hoon had faced death multiple times in the apocalypse and was well-versed in combat.

It was rare for him to feel this way about someone.

He probably wouldn’t find anyone among the S-rank Hunters who were rumored to be human weapons.

“Whoa, impressive.”

The man looked at Ji-hoon and let out a light gasp of admiration.

From the glint in his eyes, it seemed he had roughly sensed Ji-hoon’s potential.

Those with exceptional talent and rich experience in martial arts could feel such things.

The man paused for a moment, deep in thought.

“Want to try blocking this?”

Suddenly, he lunged forward, throwing a punch at Ji-hoon.

It had power, but it wasn’t an exceptionally fast attack.

At Ji-hoon’s current level, he could contemplate whether to dodge or block.

Above all, there was no malice behind the punch.

It was merely a test, an attack thrown without the intent to take down his opponent.

If Ji-hoon couldn’t block something like this, he would truly be a disappointment to Yuri.

But the one who blocked it wasn’t Ji-hoon.

– Splash!

A sudden wall of water appeared before him, intercepting the man’s punch.

Soon, from a distance, Eve walked slowly from the café.

“What are you doing, touching someone else’s man?”

There was a palpable sense of danger and anger in her eyes.

What had just happened was merely a punch akin to a greeting, but Eve, watching from afar, couldn’t know that.

“Uh? Wait! I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Die.”

As Eve spoke softly, the water shield surged upward.

It transformed into a massive spear aimed at the man.

This was clearly an attack intended to kill.

It was at this moment that Ji-hoon found himself pondering whether he should intervene.

“Sorry about this.”

Suddenly, from somewhere, a green, slimy tentacle shot out.

It struck the water-made spear, shattering it to pieces.

“This fool has been busy making new friends lately.”

The person who walked out like that was a small blonde girl with a build similar to Eve’s.

She wore a white dress shirt, a checkered skirt, and black stockings.

If there was a defining feature, it would be the hat on her head that resembled a slime character.

“But jumping straight to murder seems a bit much.”

“Wasn’t it you who made the first move?”

“Well, I already apologized for that.”

“If it was just going to end with an apology, we wouldn’t need the police, would we?”

Sparks flew between the two little girls.

The man and Ji-hoon watched with expressions that said, “What do we do…?”

Soon, their gazes met, still holding that same expression.

Suddenly, they felt a sense of empathy and began to feel a bond.

“I’m Ji-hoon Lee.”

“I’m Yu-jin Kim.”

Without a clear indication of who initiated it, they shook hands.