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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 27
Baekya continued hunting on the 23rd floor.
"Can I come again today?"
"Of course. Let's be together tomorrow and the day after tomorrow too!"
The synergy between the 'Praetorian's Articulated Ring' and Law of Light was superb.
With a single blast of Law of Light channeled through the ring, countless ants were cleaved in two, their severed halves turning white and disintegrating.
He also earned a decent side income by selling the useless artifacts that occasionally dropped.
"Soldier Ant's Armor Set, Acid Sprayer, Praetorian's Gauntlet, Compound Eye Glasses, Drone Ant's Wing Glider... Shall we sell them all?"
"Yes, please. The commission is 30%, right?"
"How could I take that from you, Senior?"
"Take it. Taking care of these things properly prevents friction in relationships."
"You did say that back then, too. Well, since I've earned money for free, I'll buy you a meal. Let's go eat meat tonight!"
"Sounds good! Oh, except for the Drone Ant's Wing Glider. I think I'll keep that one."
"This one?"
'Flight,' whether through artifacts or skills, was a fairly rare ability.
【Drone Ant's Wing Glider (Rare)】
【A glider made from the wings of a drone ant that gracefully fell after its mating flight. Guarantees short flights and long glides. Hoping for a different fate than its previous life, which existed solely for a single flight.】
It was only Rare-grade, but it was precious enough to be carefully stored in the subspace ring he received from Lee Eunwoo.
'I got a decent artifact, and more importantly, the hunting efficiency is really good. Maybe I can even remove the hyphen from my rank here?'
Baekya headed towards the Gate at the center of the floor with Ryu Haneul, thinking about the hunting efficiency and artifacts.
He was particularly focused on the 'Praetorian's Articulated Ring.'
'I never thought I could use Law of Light like this.'
Law of Light was already an overpowered skill on its own, so unlike normal flames, there was no need to explore its various applications.
But now, having fallen to the bottom and needing to hide his identity and conserve mana, it was crucial to use Law of Light in a way that didn't look like Law of Light.
'I need to think about various ways to apply it. The current method is good, and mixing it with normal flames could also work.'
As Baekya continued these thoughts...
'I wonder what Senior is thinking about now. Is it revenge against Cheong Siyeol? Or maybe the spar with me tomorrow?'
Ryu Haneul stared intently at Baekya's face with his amethyst-like purple eyes.
He always loved Baekya's gaze, the way it seemed to look beyond the horizon.
To the 'Heavenly Demon,' who was destined to destroy the heavens and establish new ones, Baekya always showed him new horizons.
Two weeks passed, with the two of them visiting the 23rd floor every day.
One day, Baekya asked.
"Isn't it a bit much, sticking to me like this? Doesn't the guild say anything?"
Ryu Haneul nodded with the utmost seriousness.
"Yes."
Baekya thought he should humor him and go along with it, even if it was just to appease Ryu Haneul.
"...Alright."
Of course, Ryu Haneul wasn't lying.
There had been rumors circulating within the Guild recently.
"Did you hear? The pyromancer who's always with the Vice Guildmaster closed a Gate all by himself."
"I heard he's a Re-Awakened."
"They say he's B-Rank? But there's no way the Vice Guildmaster would be so attached to a mere B-Rank."
"I heard that pyromancer also has a martial arts-related title. We have plenty of physical ability users in our guild, but long-range ones are rare."
"A martial artist who's also a pyromancer? Does he have a skill like Blazing Yang Energy or something?"
"Well, I'm sure the Vice Guildmaster knows what he's doing."
"He's truly amazing."
"I know, right? At his age."
Within the guild, praise was circulating about Ryu Haneul, who had recognized a rare talent.
While the Vice Guildmaster's reputation was soaring within the guild...
The opposite was happening at Ilha and Wolha's house.
"Senior, let's go!"
"Okay, let's go."
Every morning, a pristine white Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped in front of their prefabricated house.
Wolha, taking a break from studying for his civil servant exam, looked out the window.
'He's here again today. Doesn't he have work to do?'
The Heavenly Demon, with his purple circle and square halo, was clearly delighted as he pulled his brother along.
Ilha naturally put his hand on Haneul's shoulder.
Wolha couldn't understand why he felt a sense of emptiness in his chest.
He couldn't even put a name to this feeling.
Was he annoyed?
Unlike his childhood friends, he wasn't the type to lump all negative emotions into a single word.
Was he feeling left out?
If his brother, who had always been like a child needing constant care, had become close to the Vice Guildmaster of a major guild, he should be overjoyed.
He couldn't even understand why they would come all the way to pick up his inadequate brother like this.
But still...
'Why do I feel so uneasy?'
The emptiness wouldn't go away.
And the one receiving all those emotions...
'Heavenly Demon' Ryu Haneul clearly recognized the emotions in the eyes he saw through the window.
"Senior, please get in."
He let Baekya get in first, then turned his head slightly to look at the house window.
The way he pretended nothing was wrong and then quickly turned away when he looked was pathetic.
'A fake sibling acting like they're the real one?'
Ryu Haneul suppressed the rising murderous intent.
His Senior, Baekya, attracted devoted followers wherever he went.
'Cheong Siyeol was already a handful, I can't have more rivals here.'
It was also one of his amazing Senior's abilities, but as his one and only junior, he couldn't help but wish to remain the only one.
'Should I kill him?'
Ryu Haneul pondered for a moment before getting into the car and closed the door.
Matters related to his Senior should be handled with his Senior.
"Senior, how long are you planning to stay in that house?"
"Why?"
"It's inconvenient, isn't it? It's cramped, it's in the outskirts of Seoul, and there are no amenities nearby. Why don't you move into the guild dormitory, Senior? We recently relocated, and it's very spacious and nice. You'll have your own room, and it's closer to the academy district than your current place."
"Should I?"
"Besides, it's not good for you to stay there, Senior."
"I've thought about that. There's only one way in and out of here."
"Yes. If something happens, you can't escape by car."
At that moment, there was someone else who had a similar thought to Ryu Haneul's.
* * *
"Sir, as you instructed, we have finished stockpiling consumables. We are now capable of effectively dealing with even spiritual or divine-type enemies."
"Well done. I refuse to be thrown unprepared in front of ghosts again, like last time."
In the president's office of the Iron Blood Legion guild.
Lee Eunwoo received his secretary's report in his 60th-floor office, which resembled the bridge of a spaceship.
The overlapping blue and black diamond-shaped halo floating above his head cast a cold light on his deep-set eyes.
"Also, try contacting foreign Enchanter Awakened who want to seek asylum. You know, those who were labeled as dissidents by China. People from Xinjiang would be good too. In the long run, we need to focus on upgrading our equipment itself."
"Understood."
"Anything else I need to know?"
"The agents assigned to track Ilha have requested additional stealth equipment."
At those words, Lee Eunwoo's well-shaped eyebrows twitched.
"...Understood."
His emotions didn't show on his face.
He was a rational man, not one to be swayed by frustration.
But his secretary, through long experience, could tell that he needed some time alone to think.
"I'll come back in a bit."
The secretary left the room.
Lee Eunwoo let out a deep sigh in front of the 16-split monitor.
Images of Baekya's house, Ryu Haneul's sedan parked in front of the Tower, and Baekya and Ryu Haneul getting out of the car played on each monitor.
Lee Eunwoo watched the Divine Guild Hunters greeting Baekya.
He reached for his Awakened-use cigar.
'He's becoming too famous too quickly. I don't know if he's thinking or not. This is happening even with my efforts to conceal his return. Does he want to be discovered by the hardliner Regressors and get himself killed?'
He took a couple of puffs, organizing his thoughts.
It was unlikely that Ryu Haneul had given them any useful information.
Even before the regression, he had only participated in Tower climbs.
'I know he's arrogant because he's never had a rival, but even considering that, he's too unguarded. Perhaps... he's figured out that I'm watching his back. It's also possible that he's deduced that there might be one or two Regressors who would find him useful.'
Reaching that conclusion, his turbulent emotions slowly calmed down.
'I have no intention of being used, but maintaining a loose connection isn't bad. The timing to cut that connection is in my hands anyway. The moment the domestic Hunter forces are strong enough that his absence won't cause problems for Tower strategies or national defense, I'll take his head.'
Just then, the door opened.
Click
"Guildmaster."
Lee Eunwoo turned around, feeling more puzzled than displeased.
Secretary Kim was always perfect in these matters...
"We received a call from the Awakened Support Agency."
She held out her smartphone with a troubled expression.
Lee Eunwoo took it, feeling like he wanted to shoot the phone with a gun.
"Chief Ri?"
"It's been a while, Chairman Lee."
The unpleasant voice crackled through the speaker.
His smooth tone made him want to vomit every time he heard it.
"Get to the point."
"Well, it seems you're looking for someone. If there's anyone you want to keep an eye on, we might be able to 'help' you with that."
"!"
But with superhuman rationality, Lee Eunwoo understood the implication.
'Son of a bitch!'
It meant that the Awakened Support Agency had caught their tail.
'We've been discovered.'
Beep
He immediately ended the call and instructed Secretary Kim.
"Prepare the car, no, the helicopter."
"Sir?"
"I said, prepare the helicopter. We're going to Baek-, no, Ilha."
"C-Chairman!"
Lee Eunwoo's sculpted face contorted as he grabbed his gun.
'Damn it.'
Chief Ri Baejeong of the Awakened Support Agency.
A formidable barrier mage, he was an even more radical hardliner than Cheong Siyeol.
He was the Regressor who insisted on killing Baekya 'immediately.'
'I don't understand how much blood he's willing to spill while climbing the Tower. Has he completely forgotten how efficient Law of Light was?'
Lee Eunwoo wholeheartedly agreed that Baekya had to die.
But not today.
* * *
"I'm home... Huh?"
Upon returning, he found the house filled with Awakened agents in black suits.
There were even a couple of Rankers mixed in.
"H-Hyung."
Wolha was visibly flustered, drenched in cold sweat.
I quickly typed an auto-complete text message on my smartphone and sent it somewhere, then placed it on the nearby desk with an exaggerated gesture.
"Oh, are you Mr. Hong Ilha?"
A smooth voice emerged from among the black suits.
Two bulky figures parted to the sides, revealing a man.
"I'm Ri Baejeong, Chief of the Management Bureau at the Awakened Support Agency under the Gate Management Administration."
He wasn't particularly tall, but his slender build and small face gave him good proportions.
A plain, white, ring-shaped halo floated above his head.
His narrow eyes curved like crescent moons, and his thin lips held an enigmatic smile.
His shoulder-length hair, dyed an unconventional mix of yellow and mint green, clashed with the image of a typical government official, yet somehow complemented his sharp black suit.
I knew that face.
He was the one who had relentlessly pursued me for a month, shadowing my every move as I sought refuge in Panic Rooms across the nation.
We weren't exactly on friendly terms, so I had tried to kill him a few times.
Each time, Cheong Siyeol had intervened, and I failed, which left a lingering frustration.
"Pleased to meet you."
Swish
He offered me a handshake.
The constellation shouted in my head.
【"Run away immediately or incinerate him on the spot."】
I thought about using Law of Light as I clasped his hand.
He looked at me with eyes that were a mix of yellow and green.
His gaze was like a cat toying with a mouse.
I wasn't sure if I could kill everyone here.
But I was confident I could kill him.
Just as I was about to channel mana into the Praetorian's Articulated Ring...
"I'll get straight to the point, even though it's a bit sudden."
He smiled, his expression almost bewitchingly gentle.
"Would you be interested in working for the Awakened Support Agency?"
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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