If you haven't read A Trace of Wonder, I think you'd like it. It also deals a lot with the MC's PTSD and survivor's guilt. The Hero Wants to die novel too; it has a manhwa adaptation but it's only one season so far.
I have read it! I actually read that one first! I really loved it, but wished we could see more of the mc's and ml's feelings for each other play out at a slower pace (but that's personal preference). All in all, it was an amazing story and will always be a favorite. I will definitely have to check out that novel though!! Thank you so much for the rec!!
That’s exactly how I felt about A Trace of Wonder, it kinda felt like the feelings came out of nowhere. So I read the novel - you do see more of that there, and the side stories especially focus on their relationship. I wish the manhwa had included those!
Girl you said everything I feel about this story and why it's permanently at the top of my list
I fell like this story, and “the hunter wants to live quietly” are similar in that way! Love when the story depicts such real emotions as if they were true yk
This manhwa does what I wish so many other hunterverse/guideverse stories did...it shows the emotional effects of such a traumatic world on the characters and their relationships. It's so beautiful to see how each character's experiences (positive and negative) shape their perspectives of dungeons, their identity as a hunter, and their willingness to connect with others. They constantly push each other to see things in new ways, and it's so organic and real that I can imagine people actually growing closer like this. Nothing feels rushed or forced. They argue when they don't understand each other and reflect on their mistakes when they realize why the other person reacted in a certain way. The MC is super cynical because he had to watch over a thousand people die when he was a literal child, including his best friend. He views being a hunter as some futile struggle against inevitability. The ML, conversely, is optimistic despite his childhood, because he's seen the good his powers can bring and formed lasting relationships with people he wants to fight for. It's amazing to see how they challenge each other and grow as they learn more about each other. It feels like this story really explores the human aspect of a hunterverse/guideverse story that I feel like I rarely see, at least in BL/yaoi (which never made sense to me, because how can characters go through such traumatic events then bounce back like it's nothing?).