These Lunatics are Obsessed With Me-Chapter 170

Park Ho-su.

Jin Myung-seop.

And the side story.

Those words were stuck in my head. I thought I was dreaming inside a dream, but maybe that had been the real dream all along. I looked up at Kang Yoo-hyun and let out a sigh.

“Haa… I guess I was dreaming.”

“Dreaming?”

“Yeah.”

“Was it a nightmare?”

“Nightmare…?”

“You were talking a lot of nonsense.”

“Uh…”

I was talking nonsense? I probably just got a bit chatty because I was happy to see an old friend after so long. I muttered to myself, then answered reluctantly.

“I’m not sure. I can’t remember anything after waking up.”

“…”

The truth was, I remembered it vividly, but I lied to Kang Yoo-hyun without even realizing it. I doubted he would press me for details, but I couldn’t be certain.

“It was just some silly dream. Haha.”

“…Is that so?”

“Y-yeah.”

Kang Yoo-hyun gave me a strange look. Had my conversation with Jin Myung-seop been loud enough for him to overhear? That would be a problem. I studied him carefully, and he sighed before speaking.

“As long as it wasn’t anything serious, that’s fine.”

“Uh, yeah…”

I answered reluctantly, and Kang Yoo-hyun pulled his face back before stepping away. Only then did I feel like I could breathe again. I still wasn’t used to his intense gaze.

“Anyway, where are we?”

I looked around and realized this wasn’t my room. Kang Yoo-hyun answered bluntly.

“I didn’t think you could get any rest in your room, so I brought you to the hospital.”

“Ah…”

I nodded at Kang Yoo-hyun’s words. I thought of the guys who were frequent visitors to my room—Yong-sik in his human form, along with Yong-sun, Eden, Kang Soo-hyun, and Do-gyul.

Ŗ𝒶N𝘖𝐛ËS̈

They probably would’ve checked on me often, saying they were worried. And if they’d overheard me talking in my sleep while I was dreaming, that would’ve been pretty embarrassing.

“…?”

But even if Kang Soo-hyun was fine, hadn’t Eden and Do-gyul collapsed in the pop-up dungeon because of Max Bryan? Were they both okay?

The thought hit me belatedly, and I asked Kang Yoo-hyun.

“Are the others okay?” 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

“They’re all fine. You were just the last to regain consciousness.”

“Ah… haha.”

As expected from a B-rank, my stamina wasn’t great. I let out an awkward laugh and carefully sat up. I’d been lying down for a long time, so my body felt a bit stiff, but nothing hurt.

Come to think of it, Max Bryan had only attacked me with mental skill and hadn’t done any physical harm. That was at least a small mercy amid all the misfortune.

“Wait a moment. I’ll call the medical staff.”

As soon as Kang Yoo-hyun pressed the nurse call button, the medical staff quickly rushed in, as if they had been waiting. The VIP rooms under Odin Guild always had a medical team that moved efficiently, no matter the time.

Just like last time, after I had woken up, they asked me a few questions and ran some quick tests. They said there was nothing wrong with my body. Still, they suggested it would be best to stay admitted for another day, just in case there was any brain trauma from the shock.

The VIP room’s daily fee must be ridiculously expensive, but since I’m not the one paying, it doesn’t bother me. The Odin Guild would probably cover it like a workplace injury claim.

“Then, please be sure to tell us if you feel anything wrong with your body.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The medical staff left the room, leaving just Kang Yoo-hyun and me. If no one else were here, I’d probably be rolling around on the big bed, but with him here, I couldn’t. Without realizing it, I started watching his every move—when suddenly, he reached out his hand toward me.

“Take it.”

“…?”

I looked to see what he meant, and there, in Kang Yoo-hyun's palm, was a ring with a simple design. I stared at it in puzzlement and asked—

“What’s with the ring?”

“It’s the new pair item.”

“…What?”

I frowned at his words. A pair item? A ring? A matching pair?

So I’d have to wear the exact same ring as Kang Yoo-hyun? No way. Absolutely not.

I wanted to reject it outright, but then I remembered—the previous pair item I was supposed to use looked like a dog collar. So my choices are a collar or a ring? Those are really the only options I get?

If at least the design were different, I might let it slide—but they’re identical, making them look just like couple rings. That’s just gross.

I kept my mouth shut and gave Kang Yoo-hyun a displeased look. He suddenly frowned.

“Hurry up and take it.”

“N-no, I don’t want to.”

“You don’t want to?”

Kang Yoo-hyun’s expression turned cold in an instant. He gritted his teeth and spoke sharply.

“You said you didn’t like the pair item from last time, so I went through hell to get another one, and now you don’t like this either? Is that what you’re saying?”

“No, what I mean is…”

Of all things, the pair items have the weirdest designs! They’re just accessories, but we’re guys—wouldn’t it make more sense if they were simple and normal?

I’d rather get a piercing! I’ll pierce my ears if I have to—even the ones I’ve managed to keep unpierced for thirty years! Why is this happening to me?

I screamed inwardly in frustration.

Then Kang Yoo-hyun came closer, his expression grim.

“Take it. Put it on right now.”

“W-wait a second…”

“You don’t have any options left, Han Yi-jin.”

This guy was determined to make me wear that embarrassing pair item. I could feel the fierce will of an SS-rank radiating off him. Maybe because he was holding a ring, even with the anger in his voice, his words somehow sounded a little romantic. I must be going insane, really.

But I really didn’t want to receive a ring from someone of the same gender. He should be giving it to one of the countless heroines he’s got instead! Faced with this sudden, awkward situation, I could only sweat profusely.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door, like a savior had arrived. I quickly turned my head toward it and shouted.

“Come on in!”

Anyone—please, just come in. At a time like this, I’d even welcome Raisu showing up.

“I’m coming in, Hunter Han Yi-jin.”

“Guildmaster Park Yoon-sung…!”

“…?”

Park Yoon-sung, who had just received my enthusiastic welcome, tilted his head in confusion.

Tsk. Kang Yoo-hyun clicked his tongue and stepped back. It was such a huge relief.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine. How about you, Guildmaster? What brings you here?”

“Oh, before that—how are you feeling?”

Park Yoon-sung approached the bed and asked. I shrugged and answered him.

“I’m fine. But the hospital recommended I stay admitted for another day, just to be safe.”

“I see. I’m glad to hear that.”

“…”

“…”

A brief, awkward silence filled the room. I could guess what Park Yoon-sung wanted to say.

Seeing his darkened expression and hesitation, I spoke up first, on his behalf.

“He… Max Bryan…”

“He ran away.”

“I see…”

Since he was with Baek Si-hoo, who specializes in stealth and escape, I figured as much. Still—being able to infiltrate and flee so easily from a place managed by the Odin Guild… They were definitely not to be underestimated.

“He’ll go after Yong-sik again.”

“…”

That was expected. Though our encounter was brief, I could clearly feel just how intense Max Bryan’s obsession was. He wasn’t called the Collector for nothing. He wasn’t the type to give up after a single failure. And next time, he might succeed—because he has the ability to.

“That’s probably true.”

But I wasn’t going to let him take Yong-sik away so easily. I had to stop him, no matter what. I looked at Park Yoon-sung with a determined expression.

“But I can’t let Yong-sik be taken away from me.”

“I agree. From the Odin Guild’s perspective, Yong-sik is a valuable asset.”

Park Yoon-sung nodded, then looked at me as he spoke.

“The only ones who have directly witnessed Max Bryan’s ability were you and Hunter Han Do-gyul. I heard about it from Do-gyul, who woke up before you, but it seems the impact of Max Bryan’s skill was so great that he can’t remember much.”

“Ah…”

Like me, Do-gyul resisted Max Bryan’s mental skill, but he couldn’t hold out for long. Unlike me, he even tried to fight back using his usual ability, which put a heavy strain on his body and caused him to lose parts of his memory. In the end, I was the only one who truly witnessed Max Bryan’s ability firsthand.

“Max Bryan… his ability is…”

I told Park Yoon-sung what had happened in the pop-up dungeon. His eyes went wide—he was clearly stunned to hear about an ability he hadn’t anticipated at all.

“I didn’t realize he possessed that kind of ability…”

“Max Bryan wasn’t merely stealing rare species with the support of a villain guild. He himself was a top-tier hunter.”

Having people around would’ve only slowed him down. Instead of carefully using such a strong ability on friends or foes, applying it indiscriminately and without restraint made him far more dangerous. He was truly a bold and ruthless guy.

“Besides, it’s a powerful mental skill, and it’s incredibly troublesome. Even fellow S-rank hunters are helpless against it.”

“But… Hunter Kang Yoo-hyun can withstand it, right?”

“…”

Our gazes turned to Kang Yoo-hyun. He looked at us silently and shrugged.

“I haven’t faced him directly, but if it’s an S-rank skill, I should be able to withstand it.”

“Then if Hunter Kang Yoo-hyun goes up against him…”

“He’s a calculating bastard who used Baek Si-hoo to trap Kang Yoo-hyun in the pop-up dungeon before making his move.”

“Hmm…”

Catching Max Bryan through ordinary means would have been difficult. Especially paired with Baek Si-hoo, their synergy was incredible. And next time, they would definitely come up with even smarter tactics.

“…”

Lost in thought, I glanced at Kang Yoo-hyun’s hand. Max Bryan had to be dealt with before the final dungeon opened.

Even if we couldn’t kill him, we had to bring him close to death—enough to keep him immobilized for the time being.

For Yong-sik’s sake, and for the sake of this world. With my resolve set, I looked at Park Yoon-sung and Kang Yoo-hyun and spoke.

“I have a good idea.”

T/N: Hello guys, good day to y'all. I've come back with a new project. This time it's a pseudo-guideverse and have 3MLs. Hopefully the MC is not dense like HYJ. I've haven't read that far but the MC is likeable and smart imo. Feel free to check it out. If you cannot access the site, please use VPN. Thank you. Click here for the link.