CH 20

Well, it’s a couple in name, but it’s not really an item that can only be used by lovers.

It was just an item with the restriction that you had to share one with your partner.

Furthermore, couples items usually had better stats than other items in their class.

It’s almost as if they compensate for the penalty.

“Ha, damn, I didn’t realise there was such a restriction.”

Geum Myeong-yeol stared at the earrings with eyes dripping with regret.

“Why did you have to attach them to a couple’s item?”

Part of me would like to stick them in my own ears right now.

But there was a reason they couldn’t.

‘Couples items are all about sharing.’

Whether they liked it or not, couple item wearers had to share one thing with their partner.

It could be a hidden skill or a title they’d been hiding.

Yes, that was a problem.

‘I can’t just give it to them and tell them to fuck off.’

I can’t take it because he’s an S-class with a lot to think about, and I can’t take it because he’s actually an assassin pretending to be a potion maker.

“Hah.”

Part of me wants to give it to him right now and tell him to leave my presence.

‘If I hand it over, I’ll have a mitigating circumstance if it turns out that I was the one who broke his earring.’

By erasing a debt, you make it impossible to pursue past wrongs.

It was a big win for me to get rid of one potential threat.

It was a troublesome situation in many ways.

Han Cha-soo let out an involuntary sigh, and Geum Myeong-yeol sighed.

“Ah.”

The man gave a small laugh and rolled his eyes. His golden eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

In that moment, Han Cha-soo felt an unexplained chill.

“Right, well, there is one way.”

Geum Myeong-yeol muttered and stood up from his seat. His gaze swept over Han Cha-soo as he slowly shook his head.

At the same time, Han Cha-soo realised the source of the creepiness.

In this world, attributed items would lose their attribution markings and drop as soon as their owners died.

Just as hunting a monster would cause the corresponding item to drop, the same was true for a hunter.

“…….!”

His golden eyes swept over the nape of my neck, and he reached out a hand toward me.

Whatever the penalty, Han Cha-soo quickly reached into his inner pocket and grabbed a dagger.

He tensed his arm and was about to slice his opponent’s jaw open.

“You can come to our guild, Han Cha-soo.”

The words echoed in his ears.

“…….”

Blink, blink, blink. Han Cha-soo closed and opened his eyes slowly.

He slowly closed his eyes and opened them, trying to remember if what he had just heard was true.

But before he could play the voice in his head, Geum Myeong-yeol laughed and said again.

Han Chasoo-ssi, you said you were going to leave the company anyway, so aren’t you free?”

But… what does that have to do with this situation?

“I don’t see how that’s a solution.”

Maybe he’s trying to recruit me into the guild and keep it quiet.

Han Cha-soo, who had now straightened up, looked at Geum Myeong-yeol with a very suspicious expression.

His grey eyes widened in frustration at the boundaries that were clearly etched in them.

“You don’t actually think I’m going to hurt you, do you?”

“Guild Leader Geum Myeong-yeol.”

Han Cha-soo looked at him with an incredulous face and sighed.

“You’re the one who destroyed the car I was riding in just a few hours ago.”

“Oh, right. I did.”

He really had forgotten. Han Cha-soo was dumbfounded.

Geum Myeong-yeol scratched his chin in amusement, then smiled broadly to himself.

“That was rash of me, I’m sorry, Han Chasoo-ssi.”

“……”

“Hmm, I wonder if this means you can’t come to our guild?”

I really don’t know what to do.

Han Cha-soo stumbles backwards in annoyance, but someone grabs his shoulder.

Heat from a large hand.

Despite the higher-than-normal body temperature, Han Cha-soo didn’t have to turn his head to know who it was.

“You’re telling an interesting story.”

Jung Yiheon broke the silence. Annoyance flashed in Geum Myeong-yeol’s eyes as he smiled.

“Are you taking my guildmates right in front of my eyes?”

“When we say we’re recruiting, we mean it. We’re headhunting for talent.”

Hah.

Jung Yiheon, who was now standing in the way like he was guarding a pawn, let out a short laugh.

It was a laugh that was full of meaning.

“Don’t talk in circles, Guild Leader. It’s not Han Cha-soo’s character and abilities that you think highly of, it’s the items he has.”

“You’re just selling people short, I see.”

“I’m sure he was thinking of putting a clause in the special agreement that he’d unilaterally waive ‘sharing’, I can see that.”

It was a golden rule that was unlikely to be broken no matter what he said.

But the moment he said the word ‘special contract’.

Han Cha-soo saw an unmistakable flicker of displeasure cross his nonchalant face.

‘…Wait, if it’s a special contract.’

It was as if someone had slapped him on the back of the head.

“Oh, my God.”

Han Cha-soo chuckled to himself.

In this world, there were special contracts.

Unlike where he lived, they weren’t just flapping pieces of paper with no power, but items that actually had power.

Hunter’s contracts were made from dungeon byproducts and had special powers.

They literally took physical effect the moment the contracting party broke their word.

Penalties ranged from blindness to death.

As a contract between hunters who didn’t trust each other, the penalties were stiff.

Of course, they were also rarely used.

He was about to write that very contract to himself.

‘You’ve been too soft.’

Han Cha-soo took a deep breath after wiping the smile off his face.

‘It was a bit of a shock, but today was just what I needed.’

Let’s not forget.

There are just as many people here as there were in the old world who would take your life for nothing.

We need to be more than cautious because they’re the enemy.

The affluence of the society and the peacefulness of the people awakened senses that I had buried.

With a calm face, Han Cha-soo bit himself silently.

It was only natural that he was agitated by Geum Myeong-yeol, who had been paying attention to him for a while now.

“Wait a minute, Han Chasoo-ssi. Don’t take this the wrong way. Do you think I’m the kind of guy who ties people up and makes them sign contracts?”

He was thinking about writing a contract for hunter.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you remember how hard I tried to protect you in the car, Han Chasoo-ssi?”

Geum Myeong-yeol shouted, but it wasn’t a very convincing appeal.

Instead of answering, Han Cha-soo looked back at the half-destroyed car lying on the grassland.

His eyes flickered to the mangled car with its doors blown off and bonnet crumpled.

“No, that’s the thing. I couldn’t help it….”

“Aren’t you getting a little tired of making excuses?”

Jung Yiheon’s timely interruption scratched at Geum Myeong-yeol’s insides.

“Why don’t you stop harassing my guildmates?”

Good on him, good on him. A fight is best fought amongst your own kind.

Han Cha-soo didn’t stop Jung Yiheon from standing up for himself.

But Geum Myeong-yeol didn’t seem to like it very much.

A deep furrow dug into his brow as he looked at Jung Yiheon

“Haah…. I won’t deny that I pushed Han Cha-soo.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Geum Myeong-yeol swept his hair with a rough hand. His golden eyes met his opponent coldly.

“But isn’t that the same for you, too?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Everyone already knows, and how long are you going to hold on to someone who isn’t a child and wants to leave?”

It was no secret that the head of the Heavenly Spirit Guild had rejected the resignation letter of the B-grade potion maker who had saved his brother dozens of times.

“Han Chasoo-ssi, am I wrong?”

Geum Myeong-yeol asked as he looked over.

“Hah….”

Han Cha-soo let out a deep sigh.

‘I knew it would be like this.’

In fact, he had been secretly feeling it ever since he was offered a job in the guild.

His departure from the Heavenly Spirit Guild, which had been almost like a wish since he was possessing, would probably be extended indefinitely.

‘It’s just that I’ve been blown away from the point where Geum Myeong-yeol wouldn’t give up on me in the first place.’

Geum Myeong-yeol was a hunter who staged a raid based on the mere suspicion that he might have an item.

An eerie execution of a bold plan.

At least he’s still in the Heavenly Spirit Guild now, so Jung Yiheon came to his rescue, but if he’d left the guild, he’d be in trouble….

‘I don’t even want to think about it.’

I had already seen how cruel he could be in the original.

So it was an unavoidable choice. One step forward, one step back.

“I’m….”

“…….”

“…….”

Gold and scarlet.

Under a pair of gazes that burned like suns of different temperatures, Han Cha-soo said.

“I’m thinking of staying at the Heavenly Spirit Guild.”

You can’t be dragged away and imprisoned as soon as you’re free.

‘I’ll have to leave after I resolve the matter of Geum Myeong-yeol.’

“Then I’m afraid it will be difficult for me to change guild.”

The two pairs of eyes burned even more fiercely as he finished speaking.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Han Chasoo-ssi….”

No, I understand if it’s Geum Myeong-yeol, but what’s wrong with Jung Yiheon?

Han Cha-soo couldn’t hide his puzzlement as he watched Jung Yiheon stumble towards him.

But the question was soon answered.

“You’ve finally understood my feelings.”

“What….”

“The new contract I gave you.”

Ah.

Han Chae-soo realised as Jung Yiheon smiled softly.

Did he really think I was going to sign a lifetime contract?

A cold sweat ran down my back.

TL/N: I screamed so hard when I read Yiheon said, “You’ve finally understood my feelings.” asdfghjkl