Gulupdo Island Gate, which caused a stir at domestic and abroad, also belonged to Incheon, but the incident was so special that it was decided to disclose the gate information to all guild masters.
Kim Young-seok (김영석), the master of the IMS Guild, the owner of the gate, who had analyzed and collected information on the inside of the gate for the past ten days, entered the conference room of the management headquarters in Seoul for a scheduled briefing.
The only people who attended the meeting were Choi Mi-jin Choi, the head of the gate management centre, the Seoul Guild Masters who had to deal with S+ rank monster or remained until the last, and a few staff from the management headquarters.
“Let’s get started.”
After seeing that the projector screen came down and the laptop was on, Choi Mi-jin gestured to Kim Young-seok and sat down closest to him.
“Ahem. Hm.”
Kim Young-seok, who stood in front of the screen coughing, started the briefing. Participants in the meeting listened to the information from the exact coordinates of the gate location to the internal size and the found plant-type item materials with a boring look.
“This is the information we have been able to find so far. After that, additional aggregated data will be officially reported to the management headquarters…”
“Master Kim Young-seok.”
“Ye, yes?”
When the briefing was over, Kim Young-seok, who had said the last word with a somewhat relieved expression, looked up at the sudden call. The one who called him was Cheon Sa-yeon, who listened to the briefing, held his chin in a crooked posture.
“There seems to be a bit of a lack of information on monsters. Is this the answer?”
Kim Young-seok swallowed dry saliva at the pointed that was pointed out in a relaxed tone.
‘Calm down. I expected this.’
For some reason, he had goosebumps on his back, but Kim Young-seok answered with an indifferent expression.
“Yes. We don’t have enough time, so it’s hard to grasp more than this.”
“You said you don’t have enough time.”
Before he could finish his words, Cheon Sa-yeon raised one corner of his mouth and laughed. The atmosphere inside the conference room subsided as if cold water was sprayed.
“Three days ago… I heard rumours that the research team belonging to the IMS Guild took the monster corpses and used them for research on making items.”
“Pardon? Oh, no…”
Kim Young-seok was greatly embarrassed and broke into a cold sweat. He couldn’t even guess how Cheon Sa-yeon knew information that only the guild leaders, including himself, knew.
‘Damn, what! Who was betraying me? Maybe from the research team?’
Kim Young-seok clenched his teeth after recalling the face of the research team leader who smiled meanly, saying that he would make sure this never leaked out when providing monster corpses. Calm down. There is still a hole to get out of.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Master Cheon Sa-yeon. Isn’t that kind of rumour going around all the time? It’s difficult if you’re just saying this through a rumour.”
When Kim Young-seok got angry and asked, Cheon Sa-yeon muttered in a dull voice.
“Because it really doesn’t go against my expectations even one inch…”
He tapped the centre of the watch he was wearing. Everyone’s attention was focused on the documents that fell from the air.
Cheon Sa-yeon, who held his chin with a look of boredom, turned the first page of the document.
“Master Kim Young-seok. You said it well. It’s not okay to beat someone just through rumours.”
Flap.
“So I looked it up. I was wondering if it was true that there were ingredients that were stolen and used before they were officially registered.”
“Wh, what does…!”
“Tentacle cells. Tentacle fluid. Monster skin. Monster blood. A part of the sword found in the internal organs of the monster… You also ate a variety of things. Would you like me to continue reading it for you?”
Kim Young-seok’s face turned pale and cold sweat poured down like rain. Choi Mi-jin, who was listening to Cheon Sa-yeon’s words, frowned, and Hong Si-ah and Lee Joo-ha sighed.
“Wait! This is, I mean…”
“The gate, which is not too big, was dragged for over a week with all kinds of excuses, so I thought he also prepared something really great. It was rather disappointing to know that it was just this kind of stealing.”
At the harsh criticism, Kim Young-seok shouted with his neck and face dyed red.
“What do you mean stealing! You there, Master Cheon Sa-yeon!”
“They didn’t analyze the difference between the participants who were trapped in the egg and the participants who were not, as well as the debuff ability and regeneration ability that monster showed. I understand. You must have been busy stealing the monster corpses.”
When he pointed out each disturbing part with a soft voice, Kim Young-seok could not even make a proper excuse and took a step back.
Cheon Sa-yeon smiled at Kim Young-seok, who was shivering like a cornered rat. However, only the mouth drew the line, contempt and ridicule were deeply revealed in the gaze looking straight ahead.
“It is amazing that there were so many victims of the gate incident and that they did such a thing, Master Kim Young-seok. Wouldn’t it be nice if you did it right so that we didn’t get caught up in it? Then there wouldn’t have been a situation like this.”
“Stop it, Master Cheon Sa-yeon.”
Choi Mi-jin, who interrupted in a tired voice with a frown on her forehead, hurriedly organized the meeting.
“Master Cheon Sa-yeon. First, give me the data, and Master Kim Young-seok, please talk to me separately. Today’s meeting ends here.”
“Yeah~ hard work, hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
As soon as the words were finished, Hong Si-ah and Lee Joo-ha got up from their seats without hesitation. Kim Young-seok, who was suspected of committing an illegal act, was called by Choi Mi-jin and caught by an employee.
“Ohyu, I’m so exhausted.”
Hong Si-ah, who came out into the hallway with Lee Joo-ha, pressed the elevator button and sighed.
“Master Kim Young-seok did something stupid, but Master Cheon Sa-yeon is no joke either. I know he wasn’t usually interested in things like that.”
At that, Lee Joo-ha nodded her head with a tired face.
“Yeah. He looks very sensitive today.”
“His personality is filthy, it’s not a day or two, but he does show it obvious today.”
After thinking for a while, Lee Joo-ha rolled her eyes and said.
“Come to think of it, even when we ran into each other a few days ago, he seemed in a bad mood. He doesn’t even laugh… what’s going on?”
“Isn’t it because of the Gulupdo Island Gate? From what he said earlier, it seems that he was aware of what Master Kim Young-seok had done. Why, that A-rank mercenary. Was it Talented Han Yi-gyeol? He worked really hard to catch the monster that came out of the gate, but Kim Young-seok was just trying to skip it without saying thank you.”
“Is that so…?”
Talented Han Yi-gyeol. Lee Joo-ha heard the name and thought of his soft brown hair. A man with a slender body wrapped in bandages and a sly personality, with an atmosphere that exuded a breath-taking atmosphere.
“I guess he cares about the Talented Han Yi-gyeol quite a lot if he gets angry like that instead. So is that why there’s such a rumour going around?”
“Rumour?”
Hong Si-ah confirmed that there was no one around and explained noisily.
“The Requiem Guild has a vacant position as a deputy master.”
“Uung.”
“Reporters were talking around that Talented Han Yi-gyeol would be seated there. Rumours have already spread.”
“Talented Han Yi-gyeol in the position of Deputy Master?”
If true, that would be great news. Hong Si-ah shook her head and opened her mouth to Lee Joo-ha, who was surprised.
“It’s still just a rumour, so I’m not sure… Looking at the current situation, I don’t think it’s impossible. There has never been a person whom Master Cheon Sa-yeon liked so much.”
At that, Lee Joo-ha nodded her head. Surely… he seemed pretty close to the Master Cheon Sa-yeon. While Han Yi-gyeol was receiving first aid from the healer, Cheon Sa-yeon, who was close to him and did not think of falling, was quite impressive.
“But why does he let him wander around as mercenary instead of joining the guild? If he’s really planning to put him in the deputy master’s seat, it would be more convenient to bring him in as soon as possible.”
“Um…”
“I’ve felt this for a long time, but it’s really hard to understand Master Cheon Sa-yeon. What is he thinking about when he lives?”
Lee Joo-ha, who rolled her eyes with a puzzle expression, hinted.
“Doesn’t Talented Han Yi-gyeol do not want to join?”
“Ei. Any reason to hate it? I don’t know about other guilds, but it’s Requiem. Anyway, it’s fun.”
Lee Joo-ha kept her mouth shut at the feeling of being somewhat complicated. For her, the existence of Han Yi-gyeol, was filled with incomprehensible things from beginning to end.
He came up with a brazen smile and poured out all the help he could give to Ha Tae-heon, who was wary. It was a little understandable that Ha Tae-heon, who always maintained the balance of his emotions, kept losing his balance and shaking when he looked at Han Yi-gyeol.
“Master Hong Si-ah.”
Triing, at the same time as the sound of the elevator arriving, a voice came from behind. Turning back to her puzzled face, Cheon Sa-yeon was standing there.
“Ung?”
“Let’s talk for a second.”
“With me? Talk?”
She had known Cheon Sa-yeon for several years, but this was the first time this had happened, so Hong Si-ah and Lee Joo-ha look surprised. Looking at the two of them, she smiled as if she was drawn by Cheon Sa-yeon.
“Um, then… I’m going first. Master Cheon Sa-yeon, see you next time.”
“Yeah.”
Lee Joo-ha, who was hesitantly watching, got on the elevator and left. Only the two of them left, Hong Si-ah blinked her eyes with interest and asked Cheon Sa-yeon.
“What is it? What are you trying to say so seriously?”
“I have a favour to ask.”
A favour to ask? Cheon Sa-yeon smiled at Hong Si-ah, who showed her interest, bending his eyebrows.
* * *
After meeting Ha Tae-heon, the uncomfortable feelings that tormented me for a week had been sorted out to some extent.
To be honest, I felt proud. It was not enough to be invited to Ha Tae-heon’s house, which no one had ever been to, but also to have a glass of wine. It wasn’t a bad experience.
I should have cleared up the misunderstanding and became closer with Ha Tae-heon. Lying on the sofa with a more relaxed mind, I read the new data that Kim Woo-jin brought.
The plan to clear half of the gates belonging to Seoul, which started two months ago, seemed to come to an end. Now, when the remaining half of the gates were also cleared, a gate that was not a gate in which an abnormal phenomenon had occurred could be classified.
‘Even if that happens, it will be much more stable than it is now.’
In other words, you only have to work harder than you have done so far.
Is it worth doing? If the gate problem was solved, there would be room to learn about Han Yi-gyeol’s past, which had been delayed.
“Not bad.”
I closed my eyes and closed the data I was reading. The still silence fell.
From noon to evening, Kim Woo-jin also went to the training room, so it was the only me-time. While enjoying the peace that had come after a long time, someone knocked on the door.
Somehow I could imagine Yi-gyeol as Deputy Master of Requiem Guild… (๑♡⌓♡๑)
Bad mood!Sa-yeon is a positive sign for his love feeling towards Yi-gyeol… (´-﹏-`;)