CH 42

Wow. The menu had so many options that it could’ve been a full-fledged restaurant.

‘I don’t know what to eat.’

Hyeon-woo was seriously reading the menu when the closed doors opened. He heard a familiar voice.

“How are you? It’s nice to see you again.”

It was Leon, the guild leader of the American Guardian Guild. Dressed in a bright suit, his soft blonde hair was half back. In his guild uniform, he looked like something out of a cartoon.

“What’s going on here?”

Seon-woo got up from his seat imperceptibly and faced Leon.

“You normally say ‘it’s nice to see someone,’ you know.”

“Are we supposed to be happy?”

One smiled and the other continued the conversation with an expressionless face. And Hyeon-woo, who was overhearing their conversation, soon realized a fact.

“You can speak Korean?”

Hyeon-woo was not wearing the translation item at the moment. Still, Leon’s words sounded like proper Korean! The last time they had met, they had only spoken in English.

“I’m very interested in Korea, so I’ve been very diligently studying the language. I’m not fluent yet, so I still use the language of my own country more.”

This is the first time he had seen a foreigner who can speak Korean so well. Anyone listening in would think he had lived in Korea for several years.

“By the way, you said you were going to America, right?”

“How did you know that?”

“It’s not a secret, is it?”

“I wasn’t trying to make rumors.”

Leon shrugged his shoulders at those words.

“I know you are waiting for your flight time, but I think I can be of some help in that regard.”

“There is no favor without cost.”

“Of course there’s a price. I wish to speak with the first generation for a moment.”

“I refuse.”

Seon-woo refused firmly.

“I guess there’s nothing I can do about that then. Since you refuse my price, I must do this as a favor.”

Seon-woo didn’t know what kind of tricks Leon had up his sleeves. He looked at the still-smiling Leon with cold eyes. The guild leader of a guild competing for 1st and 2nd place in the United States, a powerful country. Was he really intending to give them a favor?

The situation remained too suspicious, so Seon-woo naturally remained on guard.

“I brought a private plane. We have plenty of space, so why not go with us?”

Seon-woo had heard that he was the successor of a giant corporation, so Leon boasted of his great wealth. He was a different person from Seon-woo, who had climbed up from the bottom and made the place he is at today.

Seon-woo hesitated for a moment while trying to answer that he didn’t need it this time. It wouldn’t matter to him or Do-jin, but it would be a much better experience for his Hyung. No matter how good a seat was, it was obvious that a private plane would be more comfortable.

“I’ll serve you well.”

Leon smiled like a victorious man.

The private plane was more comfortable than Hyeon-woo had imagined. From the inside, it looked more like a living room than an airplane. The sofa was big and nice, and there were several games to pass the time. A personal chef was even on board.

‘It is amazing.’

Maybe because the portals had started not too long ago, but Ga-jun was the oldest among the guild leaders he has met so far, although he looked like he was still in his 20s.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”

While Hyeon-woo was lost in thought, Seon-woo asked with a worried expression.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just thinking about how all the guild leaders look so young.”

Leon seemed to have heard too. He let out a small laugh.

“Do I look so young?”

“Huh? Yes.”

“How old do I look?”

“Are you in your mid-20s?”

“Wrong.”

“Are you in your late 20s?”

Should he have guessed higher? While he was thinking, Leon continued.

“I’m in my mid-30’s.”

“Really? But you look so young?”

“I get that a lot.”

As Hyeon-woo exclaimed, Seon-woo, who was standing next to him, said in a dull voice.

“You are pretty old, huh?.” (TL: The direct translation would be something like Ahjussi, huh?)

Seon-woo was 21 years old. Even if Leon acknowledged their 10-year age gap, it was still rude for Seon-woo to say it. Hyeon-woo poked Seon-woo in the side. However, Seon-woo did not correct what he said. Leon didn’t say anything either.

“Ji Seon-woo-ssi is young.” (EN: “ssi” adds respect to the address, like Mr. or Mrs.)

Leon returned with ice behind his smile. Thanks to that, the atmosphere quickly became chilly. It was then that Do-jin muttered one more line in between.

“One is young, and the other is old, so I guess I must in the middle.”

He spoke with such a good-natured expression as he utterly wrecked them. Hyeon-woo hadn’t thought Do-jin was this kind of person, but these days he had started throwing bombs like this.

Although there were such minor problems, the flight was comfortable overall. The staff on board were all friendly, the food was delicious, and the bed was soft. It felt like Hyeon-woo was resting in a real hotel.

Even after landing, Leon’s kindness did not end.

“Are you here to see the monster too? I was just about to go there; wouldn’t you like to go with me? You will see it sooner if you guys come with me.”

Seon-woo resisted his impulse to immediately refuse. Leon brought them to see the monster as quickly as he had said, though it was from a distance.

‘I think it really is Spotty.’

Hyeon-woo, who was fiddling with the telescope from afar, sighed a little without saying anything. He was straining his eyes and could still barely make it out.

“Could we get closer?”

“It’s dangerous. Everyone in the vicinity has been evacuated. Just because it’s quiet right now doesn’t mean you shouldn’t remain vigilant.”

Then, there was only one way left. Hyeon-woo tapped Kero, who was wallowing at his feet. He pointed to a location on the tall building and took the seat next to him.

It was a simple move, but Kero did not disappoint his expectations. Understanding the motion, he immediately snuck away, shaking his chubby buttocks.

The Drake looked up at the sky. He was happy to lie under the blue sky. He stretched out and looked down the building. Most of them had disappeared, but some remained.

The so-called awakened people.

Although he feared people, he had been observing them during his time here and he felt some surprise. These people seemed to be weaker than the ones he previously experienced; the people he saw in the Demon Realm were unique.

Does anyone flinch when confronted with someone weaker than them? Of course not.

The Black Drake ripped open his motley mouth, revealing sharp teeth. Today, he was going to wipe out all the people nearby. And then he would leave to find more prey.

The creatures of the demon realm are basically creatures of darkness. For that reason, they are always violent and want to harm others — to become stronger, to build up darkness!

For that reason, Spotty gave a menacing grin and spread his wings. It was time for his hunt.

“Guild Leader! The black dragon is moving right now!”

The Awakened person, who was monitoring Spotty hastily reported.

“Where?”

“Where? Here, right here!”

As soon as the words fell, the large body crashed to the floor.

Thud!

The Awakened people narrowly escaped the blast zone of the dragon’s landing. They were immediately sore, but glad that they hadn’t died.

“Everyone, prepare for battle! Call for support!”

The team leader shouted, and the Awakened people surrounded the dragon.

“The raid starts right now!”

At first, they were stressed, but these were the guild members of the Guardian Guild. The best guild in America. The pride of being a member of that guild inspired their hearts. So they did not run away even when encountering the Black Drake head-on.

The tanker stepped forward, and the dealers launched their attack. Mass amounts of power filled the air and poured down on Spotty. However, Spotty snorted and took it all with his ease.

Black Drake was a monster with high magic resistance and a thick skin. He could easily withstand most attacks. After overcoming the first wave of attacks, he swung his heavy tail.

The tanker in front of Spotty blocked him, but almost collapsed on the spot as a result. His blow was that strong.

“Kirrruk.”

Spotty fluttered and ran wildly. Normally, he could have killed them right away, but he toyed with them instead.

Alright, alright. Spot’s body trembled, looking forward to the impending time of slaughter. He hooked his claws under a frontliner’s shield. Embarrassment appeared on the face of the person who had been covered by the shield.

Then, just as he was about to open his mouth, something gently landed on his head.

“Wang wang!”

It was a tiny little puppy.

The tanker, who had been caught taking a break from the attack, retreated back, but his team were similarly in shock at the intrusion.

“A puppy?”

“A Pomeranian?”

“Why is there a dog here?”

Whether or not he knew how these people felt, the puppy patted the spotted head with his front paw.

“Wang wang! Ahrrrk.”

For Kero, it was a warning in its own way, but the oblivious Spotty was furious. He shook his head. Kero had been planning on dropping onto the goofy creature, stomping on it, and then devouring it.