CH 28

“Here’s your appraisal, number 72. Check it out and tell me now if you find anything wrong.”

Han Cha-soo stared at the specially coated paper. He paid for the appraisal and took the rattling elevator to the first floor.

-Descending.

He heard a mechanical voice and felt his body shut down. As he leaned against the glass wall and looked out, the ground seemed to grow closer.

‘If you run, they’ll catch you.’

I wanted to break the window and disappear if I could, but of course I’d be caught as soon as I did.

“Huu.”

The first floor was getting closer, and soon he would have to meet the S-classes he didn’t even want to look at.

Han Cha-soo ran a hand through his hair as he looked at his reflection in the glass. His gray eyes shone calmly from beneath his well-groomed forehead.

‘Whatever it is, you just have to keep your cool. If you show any signs of panic, you’ve already declared defeat.’

It wasn’t my fault that the Earring of Cursed Resonance had a less than one percent chance of breaking through.

It was inevitable that the item would feel the way it did once Geum Myeong-yeol decided to keep it.

The information was going to come out eventually, no matter what. It’s better to think about your next move than to be swayed by it.

‘The biggest problem is that the earring is an attributed item.’

Was there anything he had read that helps unlocking the attributed item?

He felt a vibration as he slowly replayed it in his mind. The senders were Geum Myung-gyeol and Jung Yiheon. Both had urgent business and were leaving early.

‘Lucky me.’

Han Cha-soo replied happily.

[I hope you’ll take your time with your business.]

I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope it takes a very long time, because in the meantime, I need to figure out how to pass the earrings.

He sent a similar message to Jung Yiheon, but received an unintelligible reply.

[Han Cha-soo, I sent you a person, don’t get confused and go the other way.]

I reread the message from Jung Yiheon, wondering what he was talking about.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened with a cheerful sound. The squeaky high-pitched sound instantly pierced my eardrums.

“There they are!”

“Go get the recruits!”

“Waaaah, protect the crow!”

“You’re a bunch of crazies, aren’t you?”

“Oh, shit. Who released the fog, Ko Seok-jin, is it you?!”

“Heavenly Spirits members are going down! Kids, go get the crow first!”

…So that’s what they were talking about.

Over the wide-open elevator door. A group of black hunters were running toward this side with dark clouds.

Apparently, the damned S-classes were busy and left the guild members behind.

“Stay right there!”

Leading the way was a man in a black scroll. His long navy blue hair fluttered in the wind along with the hem of his robe.

“Young crow!”

No way, that thing is calling me.

Han Cha-soo nonchalantly slammed the close button. Unfortunately, the man’s feet were faster.

The scroll man stepped on the elevator’s threshold.

“Young crow, we’re going to…. Keuk!”

“Where!”

An orange-haired woman appeared from nowhere and threw him against the wall. Han Cha-soo couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

But it didn’t look like he was in a good place. There was a popping sound and a flash of fluorescent lights.

Huuuung-

Thanks to that, the elevator went out.

“…….”

Let’s go.

Han Cha-soo took his hand off the closing button and sighed. The fog that filled the first floor was almost upon them.

In the distance, he could still hear the clanging of nails.

‘What the hell were they thinking sending these guys?’

Common sense told me they hadn’t sent them to fight. But they should have at least seen this coming.

Slowly, I crawled along the wall, and suddenly, someone appeared in front of me.

“Are you okay? I’m here to fill in for the guild leader!”

It was a woman with a short, cheerful bob. Her orange hair stood out in the fog.

I searched my head, but I didn’t recognize her from the original. But there were clues to her identity.

‘She said she was here on behalf of the guild leader.’

Since she didn’t say guildmaster, she must be the Heavenly Spirit Guild member.

Geum Myung-gyeol insisted on using guildmaster instead of guild leader.

“Why don’t you take cover, and if you go that way, I can help you….”

The woman held out her hand. A firm hand with calluses from holding a weapon for so long.

Instead of taking the hand, Han Cha-soo lifted his head. He had no intention of choosing between Geum Myeong-gyeom and Jung Yiheon.

‘If I lean on one, the other will pounce.’

He had no desire to become a new kind of hostage in this mess, so.

Han Cha-soo raised a hand and pointed behind her.

“Be careful.”

Her round eyes turned fierce and her body swiftly turned.

“Ack!”

It was a perfect spinning kick. The scroll man came at him without a sound and kicked him cleanly.

Watching him fall in a parabolic arc, the woman screamed.

“You cultist! Get away from me!”

“Get out of the way, young raven, the resuscitator is here to pick you up, come this way!”

The man scrambled to his feet and stretched out his hand. Blood trickled down his pale face.

It was a madman’s lair.

Instead of answering, Han Cha-soo took off his robe and wrapped it around his fist. He wrapped it loosely, not carefully, because it was dark.

“Get away from our VIP!”

“Ew! What have you been eating to make you so ferocious, did you swallow a tiger?”

The two people were busy fighting amongst themselves. Han Cha-soo glanced around.

“These bastards have been brawling since the beginning, fight fair!”

“You guys started it first!”

The fight was becoming more and more like a brawl. The heat was strangely overheated.

Now they were too busy fighting amongst themselves to pay attention to me.

‘Uncomfortable, but not a bad situation for me.’

Ducking into the corner of the elevator, he downed the potion.

[You have taken a body strengthening potion (10 minutes)]

[Increased physical abilities, including strength, for 10 minutes.]

His body feels lighter. With a shake of his head, Han Cha-soo stuck to the edge of the window.

In his robe-wrapped hand, he held a dagger. Gray eyes scanned the glass wall.

Fortunately, no one was passing by.

Han Cha-soo pressed down on the edge with all his might.

Kung, Crash…

The sound of cracking glass. But no one noticed, drowned out by the shouting and black fog.

Han Cha-soo tapped the cracked window. Hood ducked. Chunks of glass covered the floor.

‘That’s neat.’

Han Cha-soo silently cast a skill before the fog dispersed.

[Dilute Presence (A)]

[Soundless Steps (B)]

[Warning!]

[Actions inconsistent with your cover identity will be penalized!]

“Ugh…. Keuk!”

Damn, even with the body-enhancing potion, this is what it’s like.

A splitting pain shot through his head. Barely regaining his senses, Han Cha-soo carefully pulled himself out.

‘I should have taken out the health potion beforehand….’

The pain was worse than he thought. But it wasn’t unbearable.

‘Good, the worst is out of the way.’

He hid himself safely in the shadows of the alley. Han Cha-soo quickly deactivated the skill.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“What the hell.”

A low whisper whispered past his ears, and a violent jolt hit him in the back of the neck.

Han Cha-soo lost control of his body in an instant.

“……!”

His limbs went limp like a doll with a broken thread. Before he could struggle, someone grabbed him by the back of the neck.

“You’re writing something funny.”

“Do you think it’s a guild?”

“I don’t know. A guild or a victim. Or just a creep. Either way, we got him.”

A sarcastic voice piercing your eardrums.

“Woo-ji.”

“Yes.”

“Stop watching and go in and get the rest of them.”

His breath caught in his throat as he heard the rush of people. Han Cha-soo remained stunned.

Seon Hee-da, a Class A Hunter from the Heavenly Spirit Guild, sincerely wanted to turn back time.

‘How did I end up in this situation?’

I was clearly just picking up a VIP at the request of the guild leader…!

“If you resist arrest, I will open fire immediately. Drop your weapons and place your hands above your head.”

In the blink of an eye, the Awakening Management Bureau’s Team Leader Woo Jeo-geun appeared through the fog, along with dozens of suits surrounding him.

“Surrender, hunter Seon Hee-da. And hunter Nam Se-woo.”

They quickly subdued the battle-weary guild members, and only two remained.

“Yes….”

Seon Hee-da raised her hands in a tired gesture, but Nam Se-woo spoke up.

“Team Leader Woo.”

“Yes.”

“We are victims. They came out of nowhere and attacked us.”

“Is that so?”

“What? Wait a minute, dude, you’re the one who stabbed us in the back!”

It was no secret that fighting in the city center in broad daylight was not a good idea, even for an F-class hunter.

So Seon Hee-da tried her best not to fall for Exilis’ taunts.

But it didn’t take long for things to blow up. Someone from Exilis’ side suddenly attacked the Heavenly Spirit Guild members.

“Are you crazy!”

“Hey, catch him!”

The situation spiraled out of control. Seon Hee-da tried to control them at first, but to no avail.

“Lunatic, this is really crazy. Who attacked first…. Oh no, my head.”

Sudden pain shot through her head. Why is this happening? She bit her lip tightly.

An intense realization pierced through the pain like a revelation.

“Wait.”

“?”

“V, VIP. Where’s our VIP?”

Seon Hee-da and Nam Se-woo’s faces turned bright blue at the same time.