Chapter 13

Of course I hadn’t known that Im Haekyung was the one running that shop.

‘Not a bad feeling though.’

Haeseong Guild. Currently the largest guild in Korea and still ranked among the top even worldwide. And its guild master, Im Haekyung, could be considered the strongest mental-type hunter in existence.

‘And that same Im Haekyung killed Do Yehyun....’

But why? Just for the skills?

‘Sure, those skills are tempting.’

But there’s no point questioning it. That future no longer existed.

I was planning to keep Do Yehyun alive and by my side for a very, very long time.

Which meant there was something more important right now.

‘The kid you killed? I’m going to save him.’

Time to go find my other lottery ticket—my pretty little healer.

***

The moment I stepped outside the shop, I called Joo Seowon.

—Hey, asshole.

“Where are you?”

—Office, obviously. I just busted my ass trying to find Do Yehyun’s location. Where the fuck else would I be?

“Then wait there.”

I hailed a cab and gave the driver Seowon’s office address.

—You’re coming now?

“Why else?”

Still, running into Im Haekyung at the hunter shop Seowon used was so unexpected that it kept nagging at me. Seowon probably had no clue, but maybe I’d toss the question out.

“You know who runs that hunter shop you introduced me to?”

—Night market? No idea.

Figures. Wait, night market?

“Night market?”

—Yeah. The actual name was... Althea? Can’t remember. Everyone just calls it the night market, and people get it. Why?

“Fits the vibe.”

I pictured something between a seedy street market and a club, when Seowon dropped another surprise.

—But I can kinda guess. Probably run by a guild, right? One of the big-name ones.

“Why?”

—Too big for a private operator, and if the government was running it they’d cover their tracks differently.

Sharp as ever. My question must’ve sounded weird to him, because he pressed me.

—Why’re you asking? See something off? Share some info, come on.

Look at this bastard.

“What the hell would you even do with the info? You can’t sell intel for a while anyway.”

—Can’t I just be curious?

“Nope. If you take another job ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) and I catch you, you’re dead. Seriously.”

Something in my voice must’ve hit home, because Seowon went quiet.

There was a reason I didn’t want him taking other requests. I called him my lottery ticket, but honestly he was more like a defective lottery ticket—came with risks.

His whole deal with Kwon Taehan was only under the condition of guaranteed safety.

Which basically meant Seowon had lived in constant danger for a long time. Even after meeting Taehan, he’d been marked by both Damyeon and Cape Prime.

And Damyeon and Cape Prime were both among Korea’s top five guilds. Haeseong, Damyeon, Neo Core, Cape Prime, and Clavis. To get on the shit list of two of them? Impressive. He claimed it was unfair, but I barely remembered the details. Wasn’t important, and I wasn’t in those chapters, so I skimmed.

Still, I could guess. He probably got caught flipping intel back and forth. “Unfair” was his spin on it, but the possibility was pretty damn high.

Sure, he had poured a lot of money into searching for Joo Minha, but the truth was Seowon was just plain addicted to money. The moment someone offered more, he’d flip and sell. No wonder the first guild went ballistic. Even a Trust Covenant didn’t mean shit with his skill—he could scam, vanish, and that was that.

If he didn’t bail before cooldown, he’d get dragged off and beaten. Which is why now was his time to lie low. No wonder he kept screaming for safety guarantees. S-rank dungeons weren’t what scared him—it was the guilds he conned.

Anyway, relying only on Seowon’s ability was risky, so prevention was the only way forward.

‘Trusting people too much never ends well.’

Especially for a kind soul like me.

—...But we’re partners, aren’t we?

“Partners? Seowon, what the hell are you talking about?”

After a long silence, that’s what he came out with. Unbelievable.

“I hired you. Snap out of it. Should I ask for my money back?”

It hadn’t even been that long since I paid him.

He started loudly defending himself, but I ignored it since I’d just reached his office. I hung up. He immediately called back, but I brushed it off and took the elevator.

Inside the detective agency, Min Jeongbae was gone—must’ve gone home.

Without hesitation, I shoved open Seowon’s office door. The whole place was thick with smoke.

“Hey! Why’d you hang up on me—what’s with that face? Did I do something wrong...?”

This chain-smoking fucker.

“Out.”

Ten more minutes in here and I’d have lung cancer.

“For fuck’s sake, quit smoking, you idiot.”

I meant every word, but Seowon just mumbled while shoving stuff into his bag.

“You look more like a smoker than me.”

“The fuck are you talking about?”

No one had ever told me I looked like a smoker. In the army, when I said I didn’t smoke, my senior just nodded and took the cigarette back.

I grabbed the deodorizer from his desk, shook it, and dumped it on him without hesitation.

“Argh! Hey! That’s for spraying, you asshole!”

“Didn’t seem enough. Grab your car keys.”

I emptied the whole can on him as he protested, tossed the plastic in recycling, and dragged the wheezing bastard down to the garage.

“Never in my life have I met a bigger lunatic. Fuck! I smell like deodorizer now!”

“Better than smoke.”

“Goddamn it... psycho piece of shit!”

Before we got in the car, I leaned in and sniffed at his neck.

“Wh-what the fuck are you doing?”

Still reeked. I shoved him into the passenger seat.

“Argh!”

“Get in.”

“Wait, wait—you’re driving? It’s my car!”

“Then you drive, brief me, and do everything yourself.”

As usual, my logic shut him up. I started the car.

“Christ, of all the people to get stuck with...”

Stuck? Please. He’d been marked by two guilds at once, and I was the one who picked him up.

I ignored his whining and drove toward the hotel.

“You’re not going to find Do Yehyun now?”

“I am. After I drop you off.”

“Drop me off at the hotel? Why?”

“Because that’s where I live.”

“Why?”

Why did he keep asking shit? I glanced at him, and he flinched before adding—

“I-I mean, why would I go to the same hotel you’re staying at?”

“I’m sending Do Yehyun there. You’ll keep an eye on him.”

“You’re not... coming too?”

“You’re already being tracked by Damyeon and Cape Prime. Want to add an illegal guild on top of that?”

Ungrateful bastard. He just stared at me, dumbfounded.

“...How the hell do you know all that? You stalking me?”

“Seowon, shut the fuck up already.”

“No, seriously! How do you know? You’re not a Damyeon mole, right? You’re here to nab me, huh? But I signed the Trust Covenant! If I go into that hotel, Damyeon hunters will be there waiting to beat me up, won’t they?”

That was the most detailed bullshit I’d ever heard. The guy’s imagination was so wild he’d already plotted the whole story out.

...Honestly, he felt less like a lottery ticket and more like a punishment. Maybe I should just get a refund.

I stared at him long enough that he finally got the hint and shut his mouth.

He only spoke again once we were nearly at the hotel.

“So what’re you gonna do with him?”

“Who?”

“Do Yehyun.”

“What about him?”

“You’re kind of a psycho, so....”

“What?”

“I mean, the kid’s only twenty. Isn’t he too young to get tangled up with you? Did he do something to piss you off?”

I almost crashed.

“What the hell are you on about?”

“...So not that?”

“Of course not. He’s caught by an illegal guild. I’m going to save him. Think I’m joking?”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m a good person, obviously.”

“Bullshit....”

He acted like I’d said something insane. Sure, I planned to make use of his healing, but still. And what the hell did he mean, “too young for me”?

“I’m twenty-four. That’s a four-year difference, dumbass.”

Hmm. He went quiet, maybe finally convinced.

“...Wait. You’re twenty-four?”

“Yeah.”

“You son of a bitch! I’m twenty-six!”

Convinced, my ass. If I lived like Seowon, I’d probably burn out early too.