Chapter 236. The Silent One (3)

Step, step, step.

Though there was still a considerable distance between him and the other person, he felt as if the sound of someone approaching footsteps was brushing right past his ears.

Sssk.

Just before the man in question crossed the gate, the archmage swiftly completed his spell. A true master often makes the difficult seem effortless—and this was no exception. He cast a quadruple-layered spell, simultaneously concealing his internal magic power and masking all sound, appearance, and scent. He finished hiding with an indifferent expression and quickly held his breath.

‘Why am I in this dungeon?’

First of all, no matter how straightforward the tunnel layout might be, there was no way he’d end up clashing with Kang Changho directly in here. The alien, now cloaked in layers of spells, had already become imperceptible by Earth’s standards. Trusting in his magic, Giryeo began confidently making his way back toward the entrance... but then—

‘No, that’s not the right question.’

A moment later, a familiar magical presence fully entered the dungeon. And as the distance between the hunter and the prey closed, what rose to the surface was a question.

‘Why is that inside the dungeon?’

Why is Kang Changho here? Despite all his overwhelming wealth, Kang Changho wasn’t even wearing a single stealth item. In other words, he had walked in openly, showing his face to the Association staff at the entrance. With an S-rank awakening level, he essentially held a free pass to enter virtually any gate at will—so logically, his presence wasn’t all that strange.

But the problem was, he had never actually seen the man use that privilege. Kang Changho had never entered a dungeon of his own will before. Whenever a contractor mentioned heading off on a raid somewhere, he would occasionally show up—solely for the sake of protecting the “offering.” That was the full extent of the third S-rank’s known activity.

“The Republic of Korea’s most notorious slacker personally showing up at a brand-new gate?”

Step. Step. Step.

Far from away, at the end of the dark path, the heavy footsteps of someone approaching could be heard. This time, it wasn’t a hallucination.

After waiting for a moment, a familiar figure soon appeared through the dim glow of the magic stones. Could it be that [Dragon’s Eye] also enhanced night vision? Despite entering the pitch-dark cave, Kang Changho didn’t use any external light source. Like a carnivorous creature with a membrane attached to its retina, his green pupils shone brightly as he quietly surveyed the cave.

“...?”

“...?”

At last, the two raiders passed each other in silence. As expected, with the inferior body of an Earthling, Kang Changho couldn’t perceive the archmage hidden by magic. Just as the one who had broken the curse item’s pact quietly breathed a sigh of relief—

Whoosh.

Kang Changho suddenly turned his head.

“...?”

However, it wasn’t because he had sensed any presence. From the moment the large figure stepped into the gate, he had been shifting his gaze repeatedly as if on guard. Even now, he wasn’t looking at the invisible Kim Gi-ryeo, but rather, his eyes were fixed on the small magic stone behind him.

“He’s not empty-handed, huh?”

Kang Changho was holding an unfamiliar object in his usually used hand. Unlike the pain-inflicting dagger of an F-rank swindler, it was a rugged, high-tech, genuine stake-shaped item.

And its function was...

‘So Earth had equipment like that too.’

The archmage glanced sideways at the thin, blue-glowing stake in Kang Changho’s hand, then promptly turned away. It was certainly an intriguing sight, but unfortunately, he no longer had the time to observe. With layer upon layer of magic woven over his body, his magic power was being consumed at an alarmingly steep rate. If one of the concealments spells were to break during this, that stake would surely be driven into his own body.

‘How could this be a coincidence? If—by even the slightest chance—he came here knowing I broke the contract... Oh, dear god.’

Tak, tak, tak.

He hurriedly moved his steps.

Hmm.

In the meantime, the contractor’s muttering echoed inside the cave, but the alien had no time to listen to it slowly.

‘...Seoul would be a problem.’

***

Outside. After escaping from the gate, Giryeo immediately returned home and checked the dummy’s condition.

“Oh my.”

However, contrary to his worries, the magic disruption device for dealing with the dragon’s eyes was working very smoothly.

[0 missed calls]

[0 missed texts]

Moreover, as seen, no issues were found in other areas either. This meant that Kang Changho had not entered the dungeon after noticing the contractor’s deviation.

“Uhm?”

However, the problem was that if things continued like this, the situation would only become more strange.

A few hours later, when dinnertime came around. First of all, knowing that the clause in the contract had been ignored, the violent ex-convict wouldn’t stay quiet. The fact that the other party was still silent was the only reason for concern, but at least the integrity of the most worrying secret had been proven.

“Huh.”

Kang Changho, despite holding the title of a Hunter, was someone who rarely ever went out on hunts. Still, just in case, he opened the Hunter exclusive app and checked the status of the gate in question.

[Nameless Cave]

[Grade: B]

[Current Status: Clear]

[Raid Participants: Kang Changho (S)]

Just like that, the gate was marked as cleared. Kang Changho had gone through the proper procedures via the Hunter Association and officially cleared the gate.

‘Am I seeing this wrong right now?’

And then, the man’s final muttering that he had heard inside the cave.

‘...Seoul would be a problem.’

He wanted to ask right away, “Why did you go to the dungeon? What did you mean by that last comment?” But he couldn’t. He had secretly gone to the dungeon without the contractor’s permission, so it was obvious that he couldn’t bring it up. Logically, he shouldn’t even know that Kang Changho had gone to that dungeon. From now on, if the topic of [Nameless Cave] came up, he’d have to pretend not to know, no matter what.

“Haa...”

But seriously, that really gave him a scare.

Kim Giryeo pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to steady the breath that had become ragged only after the fact. Thank goodness he figured out the cause of the possession phenomenon in that monster nest—whatever it was called, the stolen item—it knew that much later. If he had gone just a little deeper into the dungeon, the stealth spell might have broken halfway through, unable to bear the high maintenance cost it demanded.

‘If a new presence suddenly appeared in the cave, those sharp, piercing eyes of Kang Changho would have immediately fixed on the source of the problem.’

Just imagining it sends a chill down his spine. Giryeo definitely didn’t want to experience such a threatening situation again. So, he made a silent vow to himself—no matter how resistant he was to the curse effect, he would never break a promise so recklessly again...

‘Hmm.’

Amidst all this, another realization struck him. If he was this tense over just the face of a primitive sorcerer, it seemed like he wasn’t quite ready to meet his end just yet. If he truly believed that dying carelessly didn’t matter, he would have been calm and indifferent, even in such a dangerous situation.

‘Wow, even after living so much, I still have this survival instinct...’

The dry, withered eyes of the corpse slowly began to regain the lost sense of refinement and wit.

Indeed, there had been many hardships before successfully reincarnating. Now that a young body has been gained, it would be a waste not to use it to the fullest. Isn’t it a wasteful and uneconomical choice to give up life because of that failure?

‘Rustic.’

Giryeo got up from his spot and began tidying up after a long time. On the floor of the studio apartment, a round-shaped soda-lime glass bottle was rolling around. This was the cheap soju from a discount mart, bought by the alien who had taken over the Earthling’s body. Although he himself had gone through an awakening, he hadn’t been able to experience drunkenness with such a small amount, but it still helped to resolve a curiosity. Specifically, he finally understood why he had no memory of getting drunk in the brain of the body owner.

The moment he took a sip of the liquid called soju, he recalled additional minute information that had yet to be recovered until now.

‘Huh? What is this—Kim Giryeo, you’ve had this before, haven’t you?’

After becoming an adult, he had once bought soju out of curiosity at a convenience store. But when he actually tasted the drink, to his surprise, it had the scent and taste of an alcohol lamp you’d find in a science lab, making him frown after just one sip—

‘I gave up drinking it. In the end, the memory of using the leftover soju as a refrigerator deodorizer still remains in the body.’

The taste of the cheap liquor feels unpleasant on this body’s tongue.

That’s right. He still hadn’t managed to fully analyze even this small Earth creature called Kim Giryeo. And just like with that Act, meaning there might be a key to solving everything hidden somewhere between the synaptic connections severed by depression.

‘Right. What kind of pitiful behavior is this for me?’

Clatter.

The blonde man thought as he neatly piled the discarded items around the room into a trash bag.

‘After all, a scholar should be doing research.’

It was the moment when his original motivation returned. Like a starving organism, he would diligently consume and absorb the planet’s knowledge. With the strength he’d created from that, he would ultimately achieve complete safety. This time, he swore, he would live happily. He finished his resolve and stood up, holding the trash-filled bag in both hands.

Arrogance was this wizard’s persistent flaw, but his twisted personality, like that of any other creature, also had its advantages. Because the speed at which he could escape from despair was exceptionally fast.

***

20 hours later. Clear day.

<Chatroom>

[Me: Yoonsung-ah]

[Me: Did you say the exact closing time today is 1 O’clock?]

[Me: I made a reservation for 2 O’clock at the restaurant. That means we won’t be short on time to change clothes, right?]

[Ahn Yoonsung: Yes, yes! It’s 1 O’clock, Hyung-nim! I’ll report back as soon as I get out of the gate!!!]

By the way, today is just a typical weekday with no schedule or anything planned. I sat in front of my desk, checked the message I exchanged with an A-rank hunter, and switched to another screen on my phone.

“Oh my, my shoulder.”

For now, about 20 hours ago, I had once again resolved to live my second life with determination. But life, in general, has a way of hitting harder when that than when climbing. Perhaps because I had been a high-level sorcerer in my previous life, I felt a brief sense of discouragement in my current situation, unable to escape this lowly body.

‘The body of an F-rank Hunter, huh.’

Come to think of it again, surviving in Kim Giryeo’s body wasn’t actually that impossible. After all, there were magical items, the soul incident, there might be food over 50,000 won... Anyway, to enjoy some beef, I needed the help of that dearth held more than enough potential ability to take on even S-rank Hunters.

In other words, with the right legendary item, I might even be able to stop Kang Changho from taking my life when the contract expires.

‘Hmm.’

The problem, however... is that every single Legendary currently existing on Earth already has a formidable owner.

The Book of Annihilation in the U.S.

Jung Haeseong’s Sword of Sunset.

And the mysterious ash-gray greatsword from the Kagoshima Raid.

To be honest, that Legendary greatsword from Japan might eventually go up for sale, but either way, it’s not something someone like me, an F-rank, can even wield. So I was against all charges, right?

‘Besides, in about two years, my lie will have been completely exposed, and my relationship with Jung Haeseong will have already fallen apart. So probably fully charged Sword of Sunset doesn’t exactly sound realistic either.’

Hahaha. Anyway, what should I do about this?

I sat on the chair with one leg propped up on the opposite thigh, continuing my contemplation in that awkward posture. In the past, though earlier, there was a lot I had to do to clean up all the pretentious messes I had created in my past. Just thinking about it made me want to laugh in disbelief. But the thing about these kinds of problems is, if you keep putting them off because you don’t want to deal with them, they only become bigger headaches down the line.

‘The top priority is to collect the magical tools again. For now, I need to increase my strength if I want to do anything at all.’

I made a rough plan and got up from my seat. And today, as a way to celebrate regaining my motivation, I was thinking of giving myself a small reward.

‘I should just grill some salchisal.’

Unfortunately, most Korean BBQ restaurants tend to avoid serving single customers. So, I quickly made a plan with a fellow Earthling that last night to go to the restaurant together.

Calling that A-rank again, huh? Is Yoonsung really that easy to call up? That’s right. Honestly, it’s not like I can hang out with someone ranked number 1, a cursed sorcerer, and a guy with two assault charges, right?

‘I have no choice.’

Seonwoo Yeon, who is at B-rank and the lowest rank among them, is restricted by the Public Servants’ Bribery Prevention Act, meaning I can’t treat her to food over 50,000 won... Anyway, to enjoy some beef, I needed the help of that defensive sorcerer.

I briefly got lost in thought but soon put on my clothes and went out. The current time was 12:30 PM. Yoonsung, the poor office worker (guild member), had already gone to work according to his employment contract. Although the expected completion time for the dungeon he entered this morning was still far off, for some reason, I felt hungrier than usual today.

Jingle, jangle.

“Welcome~”

“Heuk, it’s Hunter Kim Giryeo.”

“Where?”

So, to survive until the restaurant reservation at 2 O’clock, I decided to enter a nearby cafe and quickly satisfy my hunger.

“One vanilla latte, please. No shot, and I’ll be drinking it here.”

“A shot? Shot?”

“Yes.”

“Then the drink, uh... it’s just steamed milk with vanilla powder.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Ah.”

Kim Gi-ryeo’s body, being that of an awakened person, has a high basal metabolic rate, so having a drink like this before a meal would be no problem. No, rather, he reduces minor energy waste by keeping his body temperature a bit lower, but today, as a treat and a way to refresh himself, it wouldn’t hurt to indulge in some high-calorie intake for a change.

‘Now that my body has completely recovered. Maybe because I had been doing simple labor often before, my body remembered the normal muscle mass that wasn’t bad.’

Come to think of it, Kim Giryeo really has a lot of good points, right?

Slurp.

I sipped the Earth-style drink that was brought to me and enjoyed a moment of relaxation. After finishing the latte, I left the cafe and walked around the nearby street, mentally reminding myself of the strengths of my body one by one. It was a peaceful time in many ways.

“...”

But it shouldn’t be this calm and quiet.

“Hmm.”

At the point when the last advantage of my body, which was good eyesight, came to mind, I used that trait of Kim Giryeo to check the screen of my phone, which I took out of my pocket.

[1:13 PM]