Chapter 31: The Seo Jehyun Kidnapping Incident

Back in the car with Do Yehyun, I handed over the document I’d just received.

“It’s yours, so you keep it. Burn it if you want. Probably just a copy anyway.”

“...Hyung-nim.”

“What?”

“No, nothing.”

“You gonna keep talking like that? You’ll get your ass kicked.”

I stared at the timid Yehyun, then balled my fist loose and jabbed his forearm. When his eyes widened, I added in a playful tone,

“Did I hire you or something? You’re basically doing free labor for me right now, so why the heavy conscience? Joo Seowon literally works for me and he’s living shamelessly just fine. Stop falling into weird thoughts.”

“You could say you hired me too. You paid off ten billion won for me.”

“I’ll take it back later from Infinite Guild.”

“...Hyung-nim, you’re not really F-rank, are you?”

“Not you too. You don’t believe me either?”

“Liar.”

Un-fucking-believable. I pulled the hunter license I’d gotten recently from my wallet and handed it over. Even after checking the rank written on it, Yehyun suspiciously held it up to the car light.

“You see something new if you look at it like that?”

“No... Just, the photo came out well.”

“I asked them to touch it up.”

When I answered coolly, his gaze lingered. Tilting his head, blinking, he let out a small laugh.

“Actually, it didn’t come out that well.”

“Liar.”

“In person you look... better.”

“I know. Now give me back the hunter license. It’s basically just a driver’s license.”

I tucked the license back into my wallet and tossed it with my jacket onto the back seat. My stomach still throbbed where that Infinite Guild bastard had landed a hit, and every other spot a fist had grazed felt sore. My chest still ached—either a bone or muscle had definitely gone wrong.

'Guess I should hit a hospital tomorrow.'

I hadn’t even gone into a Gate and yet here I was, forced to see a hospital healer because of a group beating. Life really had its own plans. Yehyun, who’d been eyeing every single thing I did from the side, cautiously asked,

“Are you hurt bad? You... don’t look so good right now.”

Really, kid?

“Well, I did just get jumped by a whole group.”

“...Didn’t you beat up the group?”

Now he was playing word games too. Felt about right for a twenty-year-old brat. Not that I intended to reply. I ignored him and drove us back home.

***

The next day, without Yehyun, I swung by the hospital, then headed to Infinite Guild’s office to settle the balance. A different face greeted me this time. Maybe they’d circulated my description—he grinned warmly.

“So you’re Hyung-nim Jehyun.”

“Looks that way.”

Now that I thought about it, maybe that’s where Yehyun had picked up calling me hyung-nim. Learned it from these thugs, no doubt.

“So... the balance payment—”

“It wasn’t much weight, so I just brought it with me.”

I slammed the box down in front of him with a bang. The fact that they’d shackled someone’s entire life for less than twenty kilos of cash made it feel all the more despicable. I waited patiently while the bastard counted it.

“Y-yes. It’s ten billion exactly! Just need this paperwork signed and we’re done.”

“Right.”

“Uh, may I ask what guild you’re affiliated with? Since Yehyun moved guilds, I mean...”

“Don’t talk shit. Did you hire Yehyun as a hunter? No? Then this isn’t a guild transfer, you just treated him like property.”

“Heh...”

“Paperwork.”

“Yessir! Here it is.”

I scrawled a signature on what looked like totally unofficial papers, then got up. He bowed repeatedly.

“See you again next time~!”

“Yeah.”

'Over my dead body.'

There was no way in hell I’d get involved with Infinite Guild again. They weren’t even in the original novel, so they could rot on their own, swindling money in some back alley. In my life, they were permanently out.

My body still ached from the beating. Thanks to an emergency healer’s patch job, hairline fractures and torn muscles were manageable, but the bruises still lingered. Sure, they’d fade with time, but the dull sting wasn’t exactly pleasant.

Anyway, with Yehyun’s debt settled, it was really time to reach out to Im Haekyung. Not right this second—I’d drop by SH Guild first and make the call around quitting time.

But I didn’t know that when that Infinite Guild lackey said “See you again,” what he actually meant was “I’ll be kidnapping you soon, so wait for it.”

'Hmph...'

To cut to the chase: that night, I, a good-hearted F-rank hunter, got caught up in a ridiculously dangerous kidnapping.

***

November 2nd, 9 p.m.

After stopping by Infinite Guild’s office, I headed to SH Guild’s «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» building for an appraisal request Song Hwayoung had personally asked of me. I parked, planning to grab a coffee downstairs before going up.

It was late, most stores shuttered except for a few still open. That’s when I felt movement behind me.

'...Someone?'

I hurriedly opened my Status Window—way too many unnatural windows clustered behind me. I froze in place and turned just as five men suddenly rushed me.

“Grab him no matter what!”

'What the fuck is this?'

Not a single day passed without some bullshit. For an honest citizen, this was an unbearably fucked-up event.

I’d hardly ever lost a fight, but that was one-on-one. Five men at once? Even for me, no way. Before I’d even fully grasped the situation, instinct kicked in—I spun around and bolted.

'Fast cardio on an empty stomach, what the fuck.'

They came after me like they’d been waiting for it.

I darted through alleys, weighing my options. Should I head for the main street to draw attention, or cut into a narrow passage to force them one by one?

“Hah, hah—why’s that bastard so fast?”

'Main street it is.'

Decision made, I swerved into a side alley. Two turns and I’d hit the main road. The risk? With so many of them, they could cut me off front and back.

'Then what about up?'

Most restaurants were already closed. Besides that 24-hour café I’d seen earlier, shutters everywhere. The buildings were low enough I might climb, but after that? Too much risk. One wrong move and I’d end up a splatter.

And sure enough, these bastards split up, charging to block the alley’s exit. They boxed me in front and back.

'Phew...'

I made my decision quick.

'Better not waste stamina.'

Whether they wanted to kidnap or beat me down, either way I was screwed. Better to get caught while I still had the strength to survive than collapse from exhaustion.

Unless their plan was murder. That would be a problem. A beating or getting dragged off was one thing, but death meant reset. I’d actually made some progress—dying now would be a damn waste, and in my next life my temperament might get even worse.

Watching them close in, I threw out the only line that might keep me alive.

“Please don’t kill me!”

I stopped, lifted both arms in surrender. Yeah, if you can’t run, begging’s the proper play.

I slowed down, scanning their Status Windows as they approached. Would’ve been less unfair if I recognized even one of them. Nope—total strangers.

'So who sent you?'

Didn’t look like they had personal grudges. Someone had ordered them. But who the hell would hold enough of a grudge to come after me like this?

'Why?'

I hadn’t lived that badly, had I?

I shelved the questions for later and tried talking.

“Where are you from—”

“Shut the fuck up and come with us!”

“Yes, sir.”

So much for conversation.

Three of them were Awakened, two weren’t. One of the non-Awakened pulled a knife and pointed it at me.

“...Stay quiet.”

“Yes, sir.”

Five grown men surrounding me with a knife—of course I had to comply. Knife-guy gestured, and one behind me rushed up and slammed me into the wall.

“Go easy. Easy.”

“Shut it, asshole.”

He twisted my arms, tied them tight. Fucking pricks. What if they scratched me up?

After binding me, he hauled me upright and shoved me forward.

“Walk.”

“......”

Yeah, that’s textbook kidnapping. Chase, subdue, restrain.

Only problem was, I’d already run farther than I realized.

“......”

“......”

So what the hell was this?