These Lunatics are Obsessed With Me-Chapter 173

“That… how do you know that?”

“…”

“I mean, you’re talking about Max Bryan, right?”

Confused, I blurted the words out without thinking. Yong-sik fixed me with an unreadable gaze. For some reason, the look in his eyes brought back the piercing, expressionless gaze he had worn just moments ago when he repelled Max Bryan’s energy.

“Well, that guy has already played his part.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Anyway, don’t worry about it.”

“…?”

I stared at Yong-sik, baffled by how calmly he spoke. Just then, the scenery around us shifted, and the connection to the pop-up dungeon was severed.

“Let’s head back for now.”

“…Okay.”

Kang Yoo-hyun stepped forward as he spoke, and I gave a small nod in response. I still felt uneasy about letting Max Bryan slip away, but there was nothing we could do right now. After pulling ourselves together, we headed straight back to the Odin Guild.

“It is… time.”

A delicate voice came from the woman whose face was hidden behind a translucent veil. Yet somehow, her voice left a clear impression. As usual, the people nearby tensed slightly at her unusual aura, their expressions anxious as they looked at her.

“When you say… it is time…”

“Do you mean… the final dungeon is about to open?”

At that question, everyone’s attention immediately turned to her. The woman on the platform slowly nodded, her face hidden behind a veil that reached the floor.

Delia Clemens—Guildmaster of the Norn Guild, and the only hunter in the world known to possess the Prophecy skill. Her name carried weight far beyond mere reputation.

From the Gate Incident that had plunged the world into chaos, to the countless crises that followed, Delia Clemens played a decisive role in swiftly managing and stabilizing them. Even matters that could never be publicly disclosed were entrusted to her.

Now, the most influential figures from across the globe had gathered here—the heads of the Association, the Global Alliance, and more. Beyond the guilds, the leaders of every hunter organization focused their attention on Delia Clemens. Finally, she slowly opened her mouth.

“On the very last day of this year, the final dungeon will open

“Oh…!”

The last day of the year—December 31st. Until now, even when Delia Clemens had made prophecies, she had never revealed an exact date, making this an extremely rare occurrence. It was a testament to how much her prophetic ability had improved.

Delia Clemens’ eyes were vacant as she stared into the air. Normally blue, they had turned completely white, like the sclera of her eyes. Even through the translucent veil, it was clear they no longer looked human. Her eyes always turned fully white when she used her Prophecy skill.

“Is it possible to clear the Final Dungeon with our current forces?”

“…”

The leader of the Alliance asked in a serious tone. Delia Clemens had previously prophesied that if the Final Dungeon, Ginnungagap, was not cleared, humanity would face destruction. Because of this, the Association and the Alliance—usually fierce rivals—had joined forces, devoting all their efforts to clearing the Final Dungeon.

Could the current forces actually accomplish it? Delia Clemens’ words would determine the course of action for everyone present. Up until this moment, her gaze had been fixed beyond the table; now she turned to face the leader of the Alliance. Her blank eyes, which had been staring into the air, gradually regained focus.

Delia Clemens’ Prophecy skill was said to involve communicating with the dead. When her eyes appeared vacant, as they had just now, she exuded an indescribably cold and ominous aura. Under ordinary circumstances, Delia Clemens, in her early twenties, wore a simple, modest smile and appeared fairly ordinary. However, when using her Prophecy skill, she radiated a noticeably more mature presence. The heads of each allied nation, sensing that aura, instinctively tensed and swallowed hard.

“…Humanity has never once cleared the Final Dungeon.”

“What does that mean…?”

Delia Clemens’ words caused a small murmur among those nearby, as her statement was difficult to comprehend. It sounded as if humanity had already attempted the Final Dungeon—not just once, but several times, perhaps even dozens—and had failed each time. But that couldn’t be true. The Final Dungeon had not yet opened, and everyone was paying close attention to see if it could be cleared or if it might turn into a disaster. Naturally, people were shocked by Delia Clemens’ unexpected declaration.

“Quiet!”

“…”

At the stern command of the Alliance leader, the room fell silent. His eyes swept over the assembly. Since Delia Clemens’ Prophecy skill could not be maintained for long, everyone had to be careful not to disturb her in the slightest. She herself did not remember what she said while using the skill. The Alliance leader cast a glance at the scribe recording her words, then scanned the now-quiet room once more before turning his head away.

“Are you saying… that this time will be different?”

“This time…”

Delia Clemens’ lips moved again as she stared blankly into the distance. Her eyes, already white, became even whiter. After blinking once, she fixed her gaze on the Alliance leader and spoke.

“This time, it will be different.”

“…!”

“But…”

“But…?”

“…”

Delia Clemens’ lips moved as if to speak more, but in the end, she let out a sigh. Then her body slumped. The Alliance leader’s thick brows furrowed.

“Haa…”

“…Damn it.”

Realizing that Delia Clemens’ Prophecy skill had ended, the Alliance leader muttered a curse under his breath. Soon, Delia Clemens, who had closed her eyes, opened them again—now shining a vivid blue.

“Oh my, you’re all gathered here again?”

“…Yes.”

“Ah, I must have just used my Prophecy skill…”

“That’s right.”

Delia Clemens, sitting in her chair with a puzzled look, murmured quietly as she tried to recall what had just happened. In truth, her Prophecy skill did not activate whenever she wished. The key officials visited her regularly, but sometimes the timing aligned and the skill activated, while other times it did not. Today, it had just happened to align.

Because the Prophet’s prophecies were top secret, both the Association and the Alliance strictly controlled them. They held regular meetings to ensure her Prophecy skill would not activate in the presence of others. That was why it was considered fortunate that Delia Clemens had been able to activate her skill today.

However, it was a shame that they had not heard the entire prophecy. Since such opportunities were rare, they should have listened until the end. The Alliance leader felt the disappointment inwardly but kept his expression composed as he looked at Delia Clemens.

“You must be tired, so go ahead and get some rest. You’ve done well.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

With a bright smile befitting a girl her age, Delia Clemens seemed like a completely different person from when she had used her Prophecy skill. She stood up, gave a polite bow, and was the first to leave the room. The key officials who remained continued their meeting with serious expressions. Although it was frustrating not to hear the full prophecy, it was certain that her words would once again have a significant impact on humanity’s survival.

“December 31st?”

“Yes.”

I took the hair tie out of my mouth, held it in my hand, and looked at Yeon Seung-won. I was in the middle of tying Yong-sik’s long hair. Originally, I had planned to trim it, but it felt like a pity to cut his silken hair. So I grabbed a hair tie and began tying it up instead, and over time it had become a habit. By now, I was quite skilled at it. I had thought about doing a braid this time, which was a bit more complicated, but since my conversation with Yeon Seung-won looked like it would take some time, I simply tied it into a ponytail.

“The Ginnungagap Dungeon will open then?”

“According to the Prophet, yes.”

“Whoa…”

Delia Clemens, the Prophet of the Norn Guild.

In the original story, I don’t think she could predict the exact date so precisely. Has the Prophet’s ability improved since the world reset? Even without coming into direct contact with me, the transmigrator, perhaps she was affected indirectly—like through a butterfly effect.

I nodded to myself and brushed off my hands, pleased that I had tied Yong-sik’s hair neatly. With him growing taller day by day, tying his hair like a girl might have looked strange, but surprisingly, it suited him very well. I suppose being handsome solves everything. I looked at Yong-sik with a satisfied smile and patted his head.

“One week left, then.”

“That’s correct. An important meeting is scheduled soon.”

“A meeting…”

“Hunter Han Yi-jin, you are required to attend as well.”

“Ugh…”

It was as if Yeon Seung-won could see right through my annoyance—he spoke firmly. Honestly… it felt stressful and burdensome. It wasn’t just the major guilds in Korea; all the Alliance guilds would be there too. That meeting… could it even go smoothly?

With doubts in my mind, I asked Yeon Seung-won.

“So, when is the meeting scheduled?”