Chapter 8

'How did he even get here? No—why here of all places?'

Ignoring Do Yehyun’s confusion entirely, the man kept his attention on the guild master’s voice nearby. When Yehyun grabbed his wrist to pry his hand off his mouth, the man finally let go.

“...Who are you?”

“Name? Seo Jehyun. But I don’t think this is the time for introductions.”

After introducing himself, Seo Jehyun glanced around, then pulled something from his jacket. Do Yehyun’s gaze instinctively followed it. Seo Jehyun smirked and spoke in a calm, almost conversational tone.

“A-rank item. Comes as a pair, can warp you anywhere, no matter the distance, one time only.”

“What?”

“Don’t you think now’s the time to go?”

“Uh... to where?”

When Yehyun asked, voice thick with distrust, Seo Jehyun furrowed his brows slightly, like the question was mildly inconvenient.

“My... place. Sort of.”

'It’s either your place or it’s not. What the hell does ‘sort of’ mean?'

Noticing Yehyun’s doubt, Seo Jehyun added,

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I just mean my place got blown up, so I’m living in a hotel.”

“What?”

'His place got blown up?'

But there was no time to press for details.

“Yehyun-ah! I think you’re here—come on out first. You’re making me tired.”

The guild master’s voice came from dangerously close by.

Seeing Yehyun’s face drain of color in real time, Seo Jehyun asked leisurely,

“Want to take a chance on me?”

Was it really the right move to follow him? They’d met at the Awakened Registration Center, and since he’d been moving with someone from the government, he was definitely a hunter.

'That would explain how he tracked me down...'

Suspicion and unease were growing fast, but there wasn’t time to deliberate.

'Fine. He’s gotta be stronger than that guild master. Even if he demands money for saving me, it can’t be worse than what the guild master wants...'

As if reading Yehyun’s frantic calculations, Seo Jehyun gave a small chuckle. Yehyun was just starting to get annoyed at that smile when Seo Jehyun pressed the A-rank item into his hand. The cube-like object felt solid for only a moment before it gave the strange sensation of sucking his body inside.

“Wh–what is...?”

“Forgot to mention—it only warps one person.”

Finishing the explanation, Seo Jehyun smiled brightly... then his face iced over in an instant. That already cold impression went glacial, and a shiver ran down Yehyun’s spine.

“So until I get there, don’t run off. Sit tight.”

'I think I just made a mistake...'

Too late. Moments later, the alley was empty of all traces of Do Yehyun, leaving only the cold-faced man standing there alone.

***

October 7, morning.

After checking into the hotel, I went right back out and headed to a department store. I wasn’t the type to splurge on clothes for fun, but sometimes it was necessary.

“That really suits you. Would you like to try on some other styles?”

“No. Just get me the same size.”

I made a point of buying several suits from the luxury section and a few sets of casual wear. I gave the address for hotel delivery, changed into a deep navy solid suit, and tossed the T-shirt and sweatpants I’d been using as sleepwear.

“If you contact me next time, I’ll serve you directly without the usual steps. And if there’s something you want, tell me first—I’ll set it aside for you.”

“Sure.”

Hm.

Even though I’d come to a department store I’d visited before, all my purchase records were gone. Maybe because Lim Sungyeon hadn’t known much about me in detail, or maybe because all my traces had been reset. I’d have to look into that.

Because my parents’ numbers were gone, but other traces of me were still uncomfortably intact.

I glanced at a poster hanging in the distance, then turned away.

'Time to do something a little more... novel.'

The info I had from the novel was limited. Narrative license—or just omission—was now my reality. And since the story’s focus was on Kwon Taehan, and we weren’t even into the start of his fifth life yet, all I really had to work with was his first-life flashbacks.

And spending all day on the internet trying to piece things together...

'Inefficient.'

Whether in modern times or the old days, three things were always needed to get things done: money, time, and blackmail. The last one was optional. Time could be shortened with money, so I went looking for something else.

[Tracking, surveillance, any request accepted. 24/7 private service.]

Whether or not they were trustworthy, I could figure out another way—because I had the status window.

I pushed open the door of the first office.

“Ah, hello. How can I help you?”

Name: Lee Gicheol

Age: 38

Rank: –

Title: –

Main Skills: –

Growth Limit: –

Unawakened.

“Wrong place.”

Next.

“Oh? Young guy. What can I do for you?”

Name: Kim Gwangtae

Age: 32

Rank: –

Title: –

Main Skills: –

Growth Limit: –

Another bust.

“No, wrong place.”

Next.

“Mmm... are you a client with an appointment?”

Name: Park Euicheon

Age: 50

Rank: –

Title: –

Main Skills: –

Growth Limit: –

“Nope. Good luck.”

“What the hell? Freak.”

Next.

After taxi-hopping all over Seoul, I finally came to the last agency within same-day reach.

'Do people with tracking skills just not go into # Nоvеlight # this business? They’d make more money here...'

Ding.

The door opened with a cheerful chime.

Name: Min Jeongbae

Age: 44

Rank: –

Title: –

Main Skills: –

Growth Limit: –

“Customer? Looking for something?”

The man at the owner’s desk, fiddling with a clock, greeted me the moment I stepped in.

'Damn it, again...'

I was just about to turn and leave when another status window popped up.

Name: Joo Seowon

Age: 26

Rank: B

Title: –

Main Skills: Blind Spot of Trust (A), Tracking (B)

Growth Limit: B

...Jackpot. Didn’t even hope for it, but here it was.

It felt like I was being repaid in full for all the pointless running around. Couldn’t help the smile spreading on my face.

Never imagined I’d find Joo Seowon here. Either way, walking away now would be the bigger mistake. I ignored Min Jeongbae entirely and strode straight to the interior door.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I twisted the knob—locked. Ignoring Min Jeongbae’s squawking, I knocked.

Knock knock.

“Mr. Joo Seowon.”

“...”

“I’d like to make a one-on-one deal.”

Calling him by name without hesitation brought a brief clatter inside, then the creak of the door opening.

In the original, Joo Seowon was a fairly prominent figure. Never thought I’d be meeting him now. Tall, brown-haired, handsome, always with a bright smile. His cheerful personality made him popular with everyone—but he had a secret. One I obviously knew.

Should I play that card now? There was a chance he’d try to kill me, but... maybe I should trust in the rule of law, just this once.

Joo Seowon looked at me steadily, then grinned.

“Joo Seowon’s special on-site service~”

“...”

“...Unfortunately for this customer, I’m fully booked right now. Sorry about that.”

As he started to close the door, I shoved my foot in. Pain shot up as the door caught my toes. Shit, that hurts.

But missing this moment would mean taking much longer to get him to cooperate. By now, in the timeline, Joo Seowon would be in hiding, not taking jobs. Of money, time, and blackmail, time was what I was shortest on—so speed it was.

Taking advantage of his brief confusion, I smiled wide. I’d already made my choice. If I knew a secret or a weakness, I might as well use it.

“Want me to tell you where Joo Minha is?”

His reverse scale—his younger sister, nine years his junior. She’d vanished two years ago in a dungeon accident, even beyond his tracking skill’s reach. Of course she had. She wasn’t on Earth anymore.

An instant later, his hand was on my collar, yanking me inside. My back slammed into the wall.

'Pretty much what I expected...'

I just smiled up at him. And there was no penalty pain this time—which meant it wasn’t breaking causality.

“How do you know that?”

His usual bright voice had gone cold and low.

Bringing up family was definitely a dirty move. I pried his grip off and straightened my clothes. A little collar-grabbing was fine—I wasn’t doing this to make him my enemy.

I raised my hands to show they were empty, proving I wasn’t a threat. Not that he cared; just the mention of Minha had his eyes half-wild. If talking failed, I might have to subdue him, but I didn’t want to go that route. With this rank gap, I wasn’t sure I could completely overpower him.

The only way to calm him now...

“Relax, Joo Seowon. I was in the same place as Minha until just recently.”

'Let’s spin a little lie.'

I slipped my hands into my pockets and smiled.