CH 280

「I’m Ha Tae-heon from Roheon.」

Cheon Sa-yeon looked at Ha Tae-heon standing in front of him.

Korea’s first SS-rank awakener and second SS-rank awakener. The first place where they met was the hall on the first floor of the guild management headquarters.

Two years ago, Kim Hyung-won, the Master of Roheon Guild, retired as master by handing over his position to his deputy master, Lee Joo-ha. Ha Tae-heon was the first talented person Lee Joo-ha brought under her personal judgment.

Cheon Sa-yeon raised the corners of his lips slightly in response to a blunt face with no change in expression and a clean greeting.

「Nice to meet you.」

Sparks flew weakly from the two hands holding each other. It was a reaction that occurred when SS-rank energy collided. Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon’s black eyes looked at each other at the same time.

Like Cheon Sa-yeon, Ha Tae-heon was quite uncomfortable with this meeting. There were only two SS-ranks in the country and it was the first for Ha Tae-heon to meet someone with a similar level of ability. So it was only natural for him to be instinctively vigilant.

「Tae-heon-ah, could you deliver this to Center Head Choi Mi-jin?」

While talking with Hong Si-ah, Lee Joo-ha, who cared about Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon, gave him the documents she was holding and asked if it would be possible.

Lee Joo-ha, who had been waiting for Ha Tae-heon, who had left to look for Choi Mi-jin, to get farther away, opened her mouth to Cheon Sa-yeon.

「This is the first time you and Tae-heon have officially met, right?」

「That’s right.」

「Please take good care of him. There are many things that you two can relate to, as you are the same SS-rank talented person.」

「I can relate. Well.」

「Could you at least make it less obvious? You’re underestimating him too much. Well, he’s more immature than you in many ways right now, but…」

「It was cute.」

Cheon Sa-yeon wasn’t offended by Lee Joo-ha’s sharp tone and responded softly.

「I admit he’s being immature. However, he has an honest personality that doesn’t like playing the trick, so I’m looking forward to the future.」

Lee Joo-ha immediately noticed that Cheon Sa-yeon saw the scars on both hands of Ha Tae-heon. Only that time di Lee Joo-ha also loose her stiff expression a little.

「You have good eyesight.」

「Master Lee Joo-ha will be very reassuring. A newcomer like that came in. Isn’t the Deputy Master position vacant right now?」

「Well, it’s hard right now, but it’s true that it’s reassuring. What about Master Cheon Sa-yeon? There’s an empty vacant in Requiem, too.」

「We have a dark future. There are no good talents.」

「Is it really absurd to say something like that while going out like this? Anyway, I’m glad Tae-heon doesn’t have a bad impression. Then see you next time.」

With a pleasant smile, Lee Joo-ha turned her back. I joined Woo Seo-hyuk, who was waiting near Cheon Sa-yeon, and left the guild management headquarters.

It was April when Cheon Sa-yeon turned 28. At this time, Cheon Sa-yeon had a good relationship with Roheon, acknowledged Ha Tae-heon’s upright personality, and changed his mind regarding Kim Woo-jin, who was brought in for the purpose of digging up information, to be hired officially as a bodyguard.

Time went by like that. Cheon Sa-yeon loved and cherished the guild more than ever. He considered ‘Requiem’ to be his real home, which he finally found after a long search.

The people around who truly care for him, the status and abilities recognized by others, and the world where stability had finally been restored.

Peaceful and cozy daily life. Cheon Sa-yeon smiled more and more.

* * *

Cheon Sa-yeon’s birthday came at the beginning of autumn when the heat that was scorching outside had stopped.

On a day like this, Woo Seo-hyuk rarely agreed with Park Geon-ho’s strong argument that a party should be held.

「Do you not need time to rest sometimes?」

It was similar to the advice given by Park Geon-ho, who was selected as the representative guild in Seoul and went to the guild management headquarters for a meeting.

Cheon Sa-yeon now understood that he could last a long time only if he had time to breathe. Spending a day without needing to be nervous gave him the strength to live in the future in itself.

So he accepted the offer and threw a big party. From the first floor hall to the fifth floor, professional companies were invited to decorate it and prepare alcohol, drinks and dishes. He gave all the employees vacation and those who wanted to come and enjoy the party.

「Happy birthday to Master Cheon Sa-yeon!」

「Congratulations!」

The party started in earnest with all the party participants holding champagne and shouting.

Gifts from different places came in like a flood and everyone he met sent congratulations with a bright smile.

Cheon Sa-yeon stood in the hallway outside on the second floor and looked down at the hall on the first floor, where the party was in full swing.

Park Geon-ho, who made a lot of noise with the members of the Special Operations Division, opening a beer bottle, Woo Seo-hyuk holding a document and a wine glass at the same time as if he was forced to receive a glass while working, Kim Woo-jin chatting with the security team members, and Min Ah-rin taking a group photo under the party decorations, caught my eye.

A long time ago, there was no longer a child who spent Christmas alone lying in a room like a warehouse with an injured body. Looking at what he had accomplished, Cheon Sa-yeon felt deep satisfaction.

Cheon Sa-yeon thought came to mind with a faint smile.

「My home.」

He didn’t have to live in someone’s shadow anymore. He didn;t have to wrestle with anxiety from day to day, holding onto the power he couldn’t handle. That’s so… fortunate.

Emptying all the champagne in the glass, Cheon Sa-yeon put down the empty glass and moved on. Cheon Sa-yeon’s heart, tangled with both happy and bitter emotions, reached me as well.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who needed some alone time, head to the rooftop garden. With a bit of cold air, the wide night view under the building at a glance.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who walked closer to the rooftop railing, took a deep breath. I walked slowly and stood next to Cheon Sa-yeon, looking up at his face.

The little boy, who was only seven years old, turned 28. Seeing this, it was very strange to see his childhood face still there. If Cheon Sa-yeon later got married and had a child, would that child be similar?

I suddenly remembered that I met Cheon Sa-yeon separately before going to America.

Even then, he was in the rooftop garden. Like the day Cheon Sa-yeon, who seemed to be in bad mood, I hugged him in hope of comfort, I wanted to comfort him this time as well.

‘Of course, the present Cheon Sa-yeon doesn’t know me, so there’s no way I’ll be able to hug him.’

It was a moment where I smiled lightly, thinking nonsense.

「Hi?」

An unfamiliar voice was heard. Our gaze turned to the right.

The long golden hair down to the thighs fluttered in the wind. Even in the dark night, as soon as I met the sparkling wine-coloured eyes that embraced the light, I felt goosebumps.

Even though it was just the past that the book showed, I felt a strong force that made my spine shiver. I and Cheon Sa-yeon took a step backwards at the same time.

‘That being is…’

My mouth was dry. An instinctive fear of becoming prey upon encountering a predator came rushing in.

I had had a similar experience like this before. At that time, when Ha Tae-heon, who was about to take me, and Elohim’s energy, who wanted to hold me, collided at the same time, I felt the same fear in energy that had a different level from Elohim.

Kali raised the corners of her lips long. She opened her mouth as she raised her white hand and flipped her fluttering hair over her shoulder.

「It’s so nice to meet you, Cheon Sa-yeon. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time.」

「…who are you?」

「My name is Kali. Um, should I say that I’m your benefactor who made you who you are today?」

Cheon Sa-yeon, who felt the danger of Kali as much as I did, slowly widened the distance, revealing a strong sense of caution.

「Benefactor?」

「Yeah. I recognized your potential and helped you, so I was like your benefactor.」

「I don’t know what nonsense you are talking about.」

「You don’t get it at all.」

Kali, who looked sadly at the confused Cheon Sa-yeon, narrowed the distance in an instant.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who saw Kali appearing in front of him in the blink of an eye, had a pale face and hurriedly pulled back his upper body.

「Cheon Sa-yeon. Was it just a coincidence that you left the mansion?」

「…what?」

「Do you really think that the mansion that imprisoned you collapses and that your life, in which you have a strong ability that everyone recognizes, is the result of your own creation?」

「……」

Cheon Sa-yeon, who frowned, put his hand on the watch to pull out his sword, but before the item could even come, his wrist was caught in Kali’s tiny hand.

「I was the only one who recognized your talent.」

「Let go…」

「You are the chosen one. Are you not happy? I made you.」

No matter how hard he tried to shake off the caught wrist, Cheon Sa-yeon couldn’t move. Except when he was young, Cheon Sa-yeon, who first encountered someone stronger than him, couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

「Then come to me. You have to. That’s why I was brought here to you.」

With a benevolent expression as if Kali was looking down on a poor child, she stroked Cheon Sa-yeon’s cheek.

「I try to make all beings that breathe and live in this world stronger like I made you.」

「……」

「We need a proper disaster for that. It’s not enough just to summon beings from other worlds.」

After spitting out the terrible story with a deep smile, Kali let go of his wrist and stepped back. But Cheon Sa-yeon didn’t even dare to take out his weapon.

「That’s why I chose you. Your abilities are perfectly suited to use as a disaster. The weak will be consumed by fire, leaving nothing behind, and only the strong will survive and carry on to the future.」

「…I was wondering what it was, it was just a crazy piece of garbage.」

「Crazy piece? No. This world is so rotten now. That, Cheon Sa-yeon, you know it well, right?」

「……」

「The story of Noah’s Ark is very famous. God has always been the same. If the world is rotten, you can wipe out all but a few things you need and then start over. Neatly. That’s why I chose you.」

The more Kali spoke, the more Cheon Sa-yeon’s face distorted.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who barely escaped from the fear that gripped his whole body, stiffly moved his stiff hands and pulled out his sword. The blade of the S-class sword shone sharply in the rooftop garden lighting.

「I have no desire to agree with such a disgusting idea.」

「…why are you angry?」

Kali, who tilted her head innocently, asked as if she couldn’t truly understand the reaction.

「The world is crumbling and rotting… You’ve been thinking the same thing as me. It had some success just by connecting the passage to the other world. The weak disappeared neatly and the strong like you survived.」

Cheon Sa-yeon raised his sword, biting his lips, without answering. Kali glanced at the pointed tip of the sword and blinked.

「I thought you would like my offer. You would be willing to get down on your knees and say you would be a disaster for me. This is really not a place for anyone. It’s a glorious situation…」

「Glory? If you want to go crazy, go crazy alone. Don’t cause harm to others.」

At Cheon Sa-yeon’s blatant ridiculous, Kali touched her lips.

「Right. It can’t be a perfect disaster with your current strength anyway…」

Kali muttered as if she had come to a conclusion on her own. Then she turned her back without hesitation.

「You will regret what happened today, Cheon Sa-yeon.」

「Wait…!」

A strong wind blew from somewhere and obscured the view. Kali disappeared as quickly as when she first appeared.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was left alone with his sword, looked down blankly. A red mark was clearly visible on the wrists held by Kali.