Chapter 139: A Seeping Fragment (1)
“Taking a B-rank hunter on an outing? This might become our third kidnapping incident.”
Yuhyun smiled pleasantly as he held an umbrella over my head. To any observer, he’d appear to be Hunter Kim Minui.
“If anyone’s foolish enough to try something, I’ll gladly greet them and burn them down to their roots. So please don’t worry, Han Yujin.”
“You’re as reassuring as my brother.”
I stifled a laugh as I walked ahead. On our way to the parking lot, several hunters voiced their concerns, questioning whether a mere B-rank hunter would be sufficient protection.
“Hunter Kim Minui is more than capable.”
Curious eyes turned to Yuhyun. To them, it must seem odd—Kim Minui was only B-rank, specialized in support skills, and supposedly meeting me for the first time. Why would I place such trust in him?
But maintaining distance wouldn’t do. This was a perfect opportunity to elevate Minui’s standing. After all, wasn’t I the most well-connected person these days?
Kim Minui’s car was an adorable imported yellow compact. The learner driver sticker bore a cute character—he’d only recently gotten his license.
“Even the air freshener is charming.”
A Disney Minnie doll dangled from one side. So this was what young people liked these days? The thought of Yuhyun’s stark, austere car made my heart sink a little.
“Do you have any hobbies?”
“…Hobbies? Not particularly.”
Yuhyun replied as he started the engine.
“Anything you enjoy? Or would like to try?”
“The environment wasn’t exactly conducive to that.”
His calm tone made me regret raising the subject. Still, perhaps if circumstances changed, my brother might learn to relax more. Though preferably not like Seong Hyunjae or Liette. S-ranks weren’t born to be role models. Should I pin my hopes on the other two?
‘I need to find them. Please let them be decent people.’
Haven’t I suffered enough already? Give me a break. Liette’s bound to appear soon—do I really have to face her with diminished fear resistance? I’m already on edge.
First priority was replacing my dead phone. While television and internet buzzed with fresh topics, I was instantly recognized both inside and outside the telecom store. One elderly lady even clasped my hand, patting it gently while expressing sympathy for my ordeals.
Embarrassed, I hurried through getting my new SIM card and retreated to the car to call Sesung’s esteemed Guild Leader. Surprisingly, he didn’t answer. Was he occupied? After a second failed attempt, I tried Kang Soyeong instead.
[Hello, Han Yujin!]
“Hello, Soyeong. Any idea where the Guild Leader of Sesung might be? He’s not picking up.”
[The Guild Leader is officially in a dungeon raid right now.]
“I saw him last night.”
A sudden lightning strike must have caught quite a few eyes—they’re trying to cover their tracks.
The association had likely claimed credit with pleasure. Television reports attributed last night’s dungeon break resolution to a team led by Song Taewon and other association hunters.
But no other hunters had been visible. Despite an S-rank monster’s appearance, none had dared intervene, and they’d lacked even a healer.
[Oh, I see. You weren’t mentioned, so I had no idea. These days, when the Guild Leader makes unexpected moves, it’s linked to you 99% of the time, Han Yujin.]
Is it that frequent? Though I suppose I have been rather unpredictable lately. Normally, everything would follow careful scheduling and planning.
[If it’s urgent, why not visit the guild? I’ll try reaching him.]
“Yes, please do.”
The sooner we caught this lead, the better. After ending the call, I attempted to reach Song Taewon as well, but got no response. He probably hadn’t replaced his phone yet. Not just his phone—all his cards were likely rendered useless.
“Let’s head to Sesung.”
“I know we can’t quite match them yet, but it’s frustrating. I wish you had no reason to seek out the Sesung Guild.”
Yuhyun grumbled as he turned the wheel. In terms of dungeon raiding within Korea, if Yerim joined an S-rank team, Haeyeon would rival Sesung. But in other areas, we still lagged far behind. The fact that a teenager’s guild had grown this substantial was already remarkable.
“You’re only twenty. How could a minor starting from scratch possibly catch up so quickly with an established adult? Sesung’s Guild Leader was successful even before awakening.”
“I heard he never struggled financially.”
“Do you know his previous occupation?”
Not that I had any personal interest in Seong Hyunjae, but I was curious. Was he truly mixed-race? If he’d lived in Korea, someone of his appearance couldn’t have gone unnoticed pre-awakening, so perhaps he’d been abroad?
“No idea. And I couldn’t care less.”
“Still, as another S-rank hunter, it would be beneficial to… Well, I can’t say you should be friends. But he’s not a bad business partner.”
There must be much to learn from him about guild leadership. He was undeniably capable.
“Just don’t get too close. You might pick up bad habits.”
“I’m not close with him.”
“Good. If you’re going to befriend a guild leader, Moon Hyunah is the better choice. For friends, there’s Noah. Soyeong is fine too. It’s best for people your age to stick together. Forget about the older crowd.”
The thought of Yerim and the kids all gathered together brought a smile to my face. Such a refreshing, heartwarming image.
“After all this is over?”
It happened in an instant—Yuhyun’s arm shot out toward me. A long blade materialized, slicing through my seatbelt, spinning above my head before piercing the car door and embedding itself in the road. And then—
Screeeech!
Tires screamed against asphalt.
Bang!
Something slammed into the yellow compact with devastating force. Simultaneously, Yuhyun’s sword absorbed the collision’s impact, deflecting the oncoming vehicle.
Crash!
Through the severed door, I glimpsed a large truck splitting in half. Han Yuhyun wrapped one arm around me, completely shattered the door, and leaped clear. We landed atop the truck, now lying at a diagonal angle, as he assessed the chaos on the road.
“Wow, damn.”
Still dazed, I could clearly see the truck had aimed to crush our small car—targeting the passenger seat specifically. This was what happened the moment I ventured out with a B-rank hunter? If it had actually been Kim Minui from the support department, he couldn’t have properly protected me. Without Grace, I would have been severely injured at minimum, if not killed instantly.
‘They’re quick to act, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up.’
Had they been waiting all this time? My heart raced, probably due to my diminished fear resistance. While Yuhyun checked the truck driver, I called Haeyeon about accident management and a replacement vehicle. Then I surveyed the street again.
“The driver’s dead.”
“Really? Yuhyun—I mean, Hunter Kim Minui—could you please help those people trapped in their cars?”
The large truck had caused a pile-up, catching several vehicles that couldn’t avoid the collision. Yuhyun looked displeased at my request, but when I mentioned using Grace, he jumped down. He returned with the umbrella.
“Stay here where you’re visible.”
He insisted on opening the umbrella and handing it to me before approaching the overturned sedan. It’s summer—what’s wrong with getting a little wet? It’s refreshing.
With Yuhyun’s intervention, the road quickly came under control. He easily tore off crumpled car doors to rescue people. Mindful of the dangers in moving the injured, he liberally used mid-level potions when someone’s condition seemed serious. He cleared the road-blocking vehicles to create access for ambulances.
Meanwhile, emergency services and police arrived. Among the paramedics was a low-rank awakened individual. Though high-rank individuals were still absent, over a dozen mid-rank awakened firefighters served nationwide. Most had awakened at accident scenes and chosen to remain firefighters rather than becoming hunters.
“Thank you for your work, Hunter.”
After properly greeting the paramedics, Yuhyun returned to my side, sharing the umbrella as he asked quietly,
“Who could it be? Someone from the association?”
“Might be connected to the auction house. They have their grievances too.”
“Both were asking for it, but isn’t this extreme? Even then, wouldn’t they consider it too soon for assassination?”
“They lost their entire hotel. Some might be seeking revenge.”
This was precisely why they’d insisted I maintain at least an A-rank, preferably an S-rank hunter, as escort.
Haeyeon personnel and the Hunter-related accident department arrived shortly after. Since it was just a vehicular incident, Song Taewon wasn’t present.
After a brief discussion, Haeyeon took responsibility for the driver’s body. Hunter Kim Seonghan, whom I hadn’t seen in some time, approached.
“Hello, Seonghan.”
“Are you unharmed?”
After confirming I was fine, Kim Seonghan said little else before turning to retrieve the driver’s body. He still showed warm concern, but… his attitude toward me had shifted.
‘Come to think of it, he hasn’t sent any gifts or tonics recently.’
Just to be certain, I checked the status window. Kim Seonghan’s name remained listed. But his demeanor had definitely changed.
“Kim Seonghan.”
I called out as he descended from the truck with Yuhyun’s assistance.
“Yes?”
“Remember when you said I reminded you of your grandfather?”
“Ah… Yes, I do.”
Kim Seonghan nodded, appearing slightly embarrassed.
“I apologize for such a strange remark.”
Sorry? Does that mean…
“You don’t think that anymore?”
“No. I still see some similarities, but you’re an entirely different person.”
He answered without hesitation. An entirely different person, huh.
‘Does the effect of making someone view me as their original caregiver have a time limit?’
But Yerim, Peace, and Chirp still treated me the same as before. The difference between them and Kim Seonghan was that I had neglected him. He had cared for me unilaterally, and our meetings were infrequent. Lately, we hadn’t seen each other at all.
‘Does the keyword effect only provide temporary assistance, leaving the rest up to me?’
Well, it would be too advantageous if I could maintain unconditional favor from the keyword alone, even for an L-rank title.
Judging by when Kim Seonghan stopped sending gifts, the effect seemed to last about two months. I wondered if others had experienced changes too. With Yuhyun… he’s my brother regardless, so it’s impossible to tell. I’d have to ask Yerim once she returned.
‘I need to pay more attention to Hyunah.’
I have to strengthen our bond before the keyword effect fades.
Mentally apologizing to Kim Minui for the loss of his beloved car, we arrived at the Sesung Guild in our replacement vehicle. Kang Soyeong, who came out to greet us, widened her eyes at the sight of Yuhyun, or rather, Kim Minui.
“You must be new.”
“This is Hunter Kim Minui of Haeyeon, a B-rank hunter.”
“A B-rank? Han Yujin, are you insane, or just reckless?”
“I trust him. Now, where’s Sesung’s Guild Leader?”
“…Please follow me.”
Kang Soyeong cast doubtful glances at Yuhyun as she led the way. After passing through security and donning inventory-sealing bracelets, we entered a heavily guarded area where Kang Soyeong halted.
“I apologize, but the Haeyeon hunter cannot proceed beyond this point.”
Yuhyun immediately frowned at her words. But Kang Soyeong stood firm. With an unusually composed and stern expression, she reiterated that access was restricted to unauthorized personnel.
“Hunter Kim Minui, please wait here.”
“I can’t let you enter alone.”
“I’m not alone. Soyeong is here, and… there might be something else as well.”
Like a certain little lizard. I approached Yuhyun and discretely took his hand to reassure him. While Kang Soyeong wasn’t looking, I allowed Iryn to slip onto my hand. The tiny lizard climbed to my shoulder and transformed into a tattoo.
“Please wait here comfortably.”
“Very well. Be careful. If anything happens, let’s go with the eleventh one.”
He must have meant the remaining contract from the Hong Kong kidnapping. What was the eleventh clause again? I’d need to check my notes.
I patted Yuhyun’s shoulder companionably and followed Kang Soyeong deeper inside.
“The Guild Leader seemed out of sorts this morning.”
Once we were alone, Kang Soyeong spoke.
“He appeared lost in thought, or perhaps troubled by a bad dream. Though he instructed me to admit you if you requested entry, his tone was… off.”
She cautioned me to be careful today as she retrieved her mini-portal key. Perhaps Seong Hyunjae had experienced a nightmare similar to mine. What could he have dreamed?
–TL Notes–
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