CH 21

“At least my efforts weren’t completely useless.”

With a faint smile on his face, Jung Yiheon looked overjoyed.

The corners of his mouth gently curved upwards in delight, as if his hard work had been rewarded.

“It’s worth it to me to have made so many changes to the contract to make it more acceptable to Han Chasoo-ssi.”

His scarlet eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

Han Cha-soo was speechless at his openly pleased face.

Even if it was a misunderstanding that he was going to sign a lifetime contract, why was he so happy about it?

‘What a bunch of good-hearted bastards the Jung brothers are.’

He left his seat, promising to fix my body somehow, or clung to me, promising to repay my favour.

He’s too good to be a protagonist.

Han Cha-soo inwardly clicked his tongue.

If he had been the original Han Cha-soo, Jung Yiheon would have been smacked right in the back of the head.

What’s ten times his old salary for, he might as well have asked for Jung Yiheon’s life.

‘No way.’

In that respect, it was probably a good thing he’d been possessing Han Cha-soo.

Thanks to this, I’ll live, and Jung Yiheon won’t lose his brother…

“Hah.”

Looking at Jung Yiheon, who was still in a daze, Han Cha-soo sighed deeply.

“Guild Leader.”

“Yes, Han Cha-soo?”

“I’m sorry if I confused you, but I didn’t say I was going to sign a life contract.”

“You weren’t?”

Jung Yiheon’s eyes widened as he realised what was happening.

“I thought you were going to stay in the Celestial Guild and be by my side for the rest of your life.”

Of course not.

Han Cha-soo felt a pang of pain at his words. But he didn’t show it and continued calmly.

“No, I meant that I would stay in the guild, just like everyone else.”

“Hmm. That’s a shame.”

He says that, but he looks very disappointed.

But only for a moment. Jung Yiheon nodded, as if he hadn’t been thinking about it.

“Okay, okay, I get it, it’s a good thing for me that you’re not leaving.”

“Then….”

He’s finally giving up on that damned lifetime contract.

Han Cha-soo felt his heart skip a beat as a ray of hope danced in front of his eyes.

“Actually, it doesn’t matter one way or the other, the Heavenly Spirit Guild, including me, will all be happy as long as you stay.”

What a bunch of bullshit. Han Cha-soo was deeply impressed.

“Are you done talking?”

Geum Myeong-yeol strode toward them with a swagger.

His large frame and decorations combined to make him feel like a tiger approaching.

“Let’s get back quickly, the people will be waiting for us.”

Han Cha-soo glanced up at him, surprised at the cleverness of his words.

Then Geum Myeong-yeol smirked at him.

“…….”

Han Cha-soo looked away, pretending not to see. He almost stabbed his hand back into his inner pocket where the dagger was.

‘I see, you’re an S-class, so you’re just as shameless as Baek-dam.’

It’s a different kind of shamelessness, but it’s almost as bad when you put it together.

Throughout his conversation with Jung Yiheon, Han Cha-soo felt that he was looking at this side, pretending not to be Geum Myeong-yeol.

Probably, if he saw the slightest gap between Jung Yiheon and himself, he would immediately step in.

After all, earlier he’d tried to lure him into joining our guild, and then actually tried to get him to sign a contract for a hunter…. He was a man to be reckoned with.

In the meantime, Jung Yiheon gestured for us to return.

“The irregular gate is different from the others, you have to open the exit yourself. Don’t stay far away, come over here and stand.”

“Yes.”

As he walked, he couldn’t take his eyes off the green heat soaking the ground.

The returning stone, obtained after slaughtering a thousand monsters, was in the centre of the circular camp.

The stone trembled slightly as if it was ready.

Whooong, whoong-

The blue concentric circles gradually expanded their area in time with the vibrations. Han Cha-soo watched in wonder as the concentric circles touched his body.

The heat of the returning stone heated the air. The haze from below was beginning to obscure his view.

“All you have to do is wait.”

Jung Yiheon, worried that he was new to the Irregular Gate, grabbed his shoulder.

Han Cha-soo glanced up at him and nodded. He spent the rest of the time rummaging through his inventory.

‘Let’s see, I think it was in the temporary storage earlier….’

Ah, here it is.

Han Cha-soo pulled out the Ghostly Leathers from the stash.

It was one of the items he acquired after killing the Frostgiant Shaman’s original spirit, and unlike the earrings, it was more of a miscellaneous item.

Still, it was far more useful to me than the earrings.

The name is Geojuk, but Jung Yiheon asked quietly because it looks like a mask than anything else.

“What is that?”

He seemed to be curious when he took out a mask with a cloth on his way back.

“Oh, this is….”

Han Cha-soo was about to reply.

A bright blue message popped up, blocking his view.

Ttiring

[Irregular gate (synchronization) clear confirmed]

[Return request received]

[Proceed with return of survivors]

[Exploring Designated Area Residuals…]

[Confirmation that the designated zone remains…]

[Execute temporary quarantine of return zone]

[Quarantine complete]

[Proceed with return…]

[Caution! Any sudden action on the way back can cost you your life, always be careful].

The sound of the wind in the meadow soon faded, along with the feeling of strangeness that washed over you.

And in its place.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, they’re out!”

“Where is it, over there? Oh, no, it’s over there! Son of a bitch, grab your camera and get over here!”

“You can’t do this!”

It was a frenzy of excitement on the part of the reporters, eager to get the scoop: ‘Two S-class people entered an irregular gate in the middle of the city centre.’

“Who’s there? Oh, shit, I can’t see you, you’re covered, look up!”

“Mr Jung Yiheon, is that you, Mr Jung Yiheon, please answer me!”

Beyond the fences and barriers erected by the Emergency and Disaster Safety Agency, the barred journalists shouted their names at the top of their lungs.

They had rushed to the scene after hearing that two S-class people had been caught in an irregular gate on the bridge.

They were even caught in the middle of a fight.

No reporter is going to let a scoop like this go to waste.

‘I’m going to get a piece of it somehow.’

The eyes of those with camera lenses glistened with greed.

He glanced over at the press from inside the fence and turned his head with a strange expression on his face.

At his side was a man wearing a neutral-coloured mask that covered his shoulders.

It was Han Cha-soo.

“…….”

“What is it?”

“…Han Chasoo-ssi is good.”

“?”

“You’re prepared in many ways.”

In response to Jung Yuheon’s praise, Han Cha-soo shrugged.

“I don’t want it to get loud again.”

What would happen if word got out that the popular B-class had come out of the irregular gate with the S-class.

Han Cha-soo sighed silently at the future that came to him without even trying.

You can’t throw kindling on a dying fire.

Tugging at the brim of his mask, the cloth covering his shoulders, Han Cha-soo said.

“Guild Leader, do you not need to go that way?”

It was hard to see through the crowd, but in the direction he was looking, there was Geum Myeong-yeol.

He had been surrounded by government officials ever since he stepped out of the gate.

“Don’t ask me if I knew the gate was going to burst, that makes no sense, no…. I was there for a different reason.”

Jung Yiheon, who had just looked in Geum Myeong-yeol’s direction, let out a gasp.

Then he smiled, uncharacteristically mischievous.

“Let’s leave it at that, that’s the Guild Leader’s own gesture of apology to us.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s what it is.”

Jung Yiheon said, adding.

“Anyway, they know they only need to capture me or the Exilis Guild Leader, so don’t worry too much about it.”

Geum Myeong-yeol’s secretary was a little further away, leisurely sipping cocoa.

‘If you’re willing to take the bullet, then I’m grateful.’

He didn’t need to worry about the S-class who didn’t worry about the secretary.

Han Cha-soo quickly turned his attention away from Geum Myeong-yeol.

‘Then I’ll have to time my exit…’

The fence was meticulously built around the crater where the gate had risen. Beyond it, frantic reporters waved their cameras at the bubbles.

“Tsk.”

I can’t see any way out.

‘I guess I’m just going to have to stay put.’

As I frowned under my mask, Jung Yiheon shrugged and came to my side.

“You want to go home, don’t you? Do you need help?”

“……How?”

“Before I tell you, I need you to promise me one thing.”

“No life contracts.”

Jung Yiheon laughed as if he’d been hit on the head.

“I thought we were supposed to treat that as a non-issue?”

“No, but you never know.”

“You’re so sincere.”

Letting out a laughing sigh, Jung Yiheon waved his terminal.

“The Irregular Gate has a way of affecting a person’s mind and body without them realising it. I’ve experienced it many times, so I’m fine, but I don’t know how it will affect Han Chasoo-ssi.”

In other words.

“You want me to go to the hospital.”

He always says, ‘let’s go to the hospital.’