CH 92

“You said that before.”

“What do you mean?”

“Awakening doesn’t mean you become a different being.”

Ah. Was it on the way back from buying the Purifying Tree at Dungeon Plant Farm? I vaguely remember that I said such a thing while talking about the twins, Joo Shinwoo and Joo Shinhee.

“The moment I heard that, I felt relieved. I feel like you’re telling me that I also haven’t become a different person.”

“But that … that’s something anyone can say.”

Indeed, it is. It’s not a big deal to hear what I said again through his mouth. If I randomly asked anyone on the street, they would say the same thing.

“That’s possible.”

Ki Yoohyun readily affirmed what I said. He added straight away.

“But Rieul-ssi is the only one who actually said that to me. So….”

His voice fades into a trembling breath. I turned my head and looked at Ki Yoohyun quietly.

“So I wanted to tell Rieul-ssi. About who I am. At least, I want to be honest with Rieul-ssi.”

“…….”

Blurry? No presence? Why did I think of such a ridiculous idea earlier?

The man who’s staring at me looks so clear. The eyes that shone even in the dark, the warm gaze, the well-shaped chin, and even the softly closed lips.

My heart was beating loudly.

This was different from the reflexive tension of facing a man who looked incredibly beautiful. I felt unfamiliar with this feeling.

Surely, I am not sensible. I don’t know what’s going on, but….

The problem is that I’m not ignorant enough to mistake this feeling as a sense of debt or concern for a man who sealed the Demon Gate alone.

I hurriedly turned my head and murmured a little.

“That … it’s late, let’s hurry up and go back. Ash asked me to come back quickly.”

“Haha, yes.”

Ki Yoohyun also turned around and straightened his posture. It was only after his eyes had moved away from me that I could barely breathe.

My grandmother told me to run away if I felt sorry for a man because I couldn’t give an answer.

Grandma, I think I’m kind of screwed….

We hardly spoke to each other while driving toward the store. Finally, the car stopped in front of the store in a tense but not uncomfortable silence.

I tried to open the car door quickly, but it didn’t open well, perhaps because I was in a hurry. Ki Yoohyun’s upper body got close to the point he could pull the lock without any problems. I tilted my head back in surprise.

“Rieul-ssi, seat belt.”

“……Ah.”

Click. Ki Yoohyun reached out toward me and unfastened the seat belt that had not been loosened properly. Then, he added with a smile.

“Rieul-ssi, think carefully about my proposal.”

***

“Huh, ah, haaa…..”

When the car that left after dropping me off was completely out of sight, I took a deep breath. As I inhaled the cold air, my mind finally calmed down. My cheeks were so hot that I could tell without having to touch them.

Cafe Rieul was right in front of me, but I couldn’t go in like this. My face right now was obviously looked like someone who had something special happened to them.

It was difficult for me to respond to the overflowing curiosity of the animals in my family. I have to to cool my cheeks for a while before going inside.

It was when I was about to go around the alley in front of the store with that in mind.

“….Huh?”

I felt a strange gaze and turned my head.

There was a stranger standing on the other side of the road.

The first thing that stood out was a very beautiful appearance. Although the gender was not clear, I felt a strong charm that attracted my attention.

However, the eyes that are just staring without any expression are creepy. The eyes that emptied the emotions that human eyes naturally contained seemed empty.

I’ll go into the store and cool my cheeks. At first glance, the stranger didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

I felt reluctant and tried to open the cafe door quickly, but my body didn’t move. It was as if someone had paralyzed my body.

The strange man narrowed the distance with me in an instant.

His hand touched my cheek. I could feel a creepy coldness on my hot cheek. Before I knew it, a suspicious person’s long finger slightly touched my hair and then moved away again.

“….it’s you.”

What?

“The owner of the key. The one who will reach the Ultimate Gate.”

….pardon?

I want to ask what on earth is he talking about, but my lips don’t move. I had no choice but listen to this strange man’s words.

“Ah, what absurd misunderstanding I have! Ha, hahaha … why did I just find out now! The change has already begun. So, this round has become an independent loop out of the infinite spiral. Yes, since the old human survived, or even earlier, the catastrophe had already begun.”

It’s been a while since I’ve heard someone talking nonsense, without caring whether I listen to it or not, like this.

The eyes that were empty, as if they had been pierced with glass eyes, twinkled, and the feeling of this strange person was clearly felt.

It’s joy. He trembled with joy.

The things that Ki Yoohyun said a while ago flashed my mind. He told me that a crazy religious group will appear.

I knew it right away. It’s this guy. There was a sapidity in his eyes, drunken with his own thoughts.

The strange person mumbled the unknown words for a while, and then smiled brightly.

Hick. It was like crazy pseudo-religion to do missionary work in a place like this. I want to run away, but my body doesn’t move.

“Are you wary of me? Don’t worry. Will I harm the owner of the key that finally appeared?”

Again, his hand brushed my eyes and the pressure eased a little. I managed to utter my words with a barely suppressed breath.

“It’s … what is it?”

Is that it? You’re Messiah or something, so pay for the apocalypse or buying a statue, is this that kind of pattern?

“You don’t have to know now. As long as you reach the Gate, we will naturally meet again.”

“No, I don’t know anything about that!”

I tried to speak as sharply as I could, but the trembling ends of my words were swallowed in my breath. Before I knew it, the sweat went into my eyes and it stung.

I closed my eyes tightly, and when I opened them, the person holding me was gone.

***

Crash!

“Heuh, huuh….”

When I hurriedly opened the cafe door and entered, Ash and the animals turned their heads, as if they were waiting for me.

“What’s wrong with you, waeong!”

When I heard Mieum’s carefree voice, I finally realized that I had returned home. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and pretended to be calm.

“Oh, it’s too cold for run.”

“What? I didn’t see him like that, but he has no manners. I can’t believe he’s not taking you home after a date!”

“Date?”

Ash asked sharply. Mieum added, throwing her front paws at Ash.

“Then what did you think the two went for, waeooong!”

“….Humph.”

It wasn’t a date, and Ki Yoohyun took me to the front of the store.

No, rather than that, since when did Ash understand Mieum’s words?

There was a lot of things to tackle, but I sat on the floor without saying anything. What had just happened was terrifying, and my body lost all strength. I murmured in my mind.

‘What, I’m scared….’

I should seriously consider Ki Yoohyun’s proposal.

On the way back in the car, he made me an offer.

The proposal was to officially reveal <Cafe Rieul> as a cafe selling drinks with special effects. He said that it can be registered as a special business by requesting to the Dungeon Management Office. In return, he would make his guild guard this cafe in case something unpleasant happened.

So far, the cafe has been running without any problems, but it was unexpectedly popular. I don’t know where and how the rumor spread.

The dream of a five-day work-weekend (which means five days of rest) has not been fulfilled, and there is no guarantee that it will be fine in the future even if it has been successful so far.

‘But….’

Seeing my face filled with dislike, Ki Yoohyun added.

“If you don’t like having too many customers, you can only take a set number of people by reservation.”

Ah. I didn’t think of that.

It’s not a damaging proposition for me. Rather, it’s a proposal that doesn’t benefit Ki Yoohyun.

When I asked him that, Ki Yoohyun shook his head.

“No way. If I can stably drink Rieul-ssi’s coffee every day, that’s a benefit.”

Still, I feel like I’m one step further away from a relaxed and comfortable cafe. I put his offer on hold to think about it more and came back home.

Immediately, a crazy pseudo-religious man appeared.

It’s not enough to simply say that I was subjected to unpleasant missionary work, the joyous expression on his face was making me too uncomfortable.

I immediately took out my phone and tried to send a message to Ki Yoohyun. However, the input was not done properly because my hands were shaking.

Huu, let’s calm down. It’s late, so I’ll go to bed first and I’ll call him tomorrow morning to ask about the offer in detail.

I turned off the chat window and stood up.

“I’m going to bed.”

“Kkyuuu!”

But the next morning.

I couldn’t contact Ki Yoohyun right away.

Because something unexpected happened.

“Eh….?”

***

In the same time when Kwon Rieul was in shock, Lee Sein slowly raised her head.

Her mind was clear as if she had woken up from a long dream. The throbbing headache and the strange voice disappeared. In that sense, Lee Sein could look around with a perfectly calm head.

The guild leader’s room in the quiet C&L Corporation.

She could see what she had accomplished so far. Glittering skyscrapers, numerous commendations, strong position, fame, and countless Hunters who follow her words….

….and for her who doesn’t have a family, Choi Cedric and Choi Rona are like her real family members.

How long has it been since she stopped by Choi Rona’s hospital room? Has she ever had a quiet conversation with Choi Cedric?

She has already had enough success, so why was she so restless? Didn’t she miss something precious because she was chasing a mysterious thirst?

“…Let’s stop.”

Lee Sein, who made such a decision, stood up.

In her hand was a request for the attendance as a witness sent by the Dungeon Management Office. The content was about explaining her relationship with the Neo-Crown Party.

It’s better like this. It’s still manageable. Let’s quit the plan, acknowledge what they need to admit, and focus on the operation of the guild.

Click!

Then, the door opened. In front of the door stood Lee Sein’s secretary, who had been missing for a while.

“…Aeon.”

Days have passed since the Otherworld Gate was closed and the power of The Faceless One █████ was deactivated. Lee Sein did not bother to look for her secretary even though she noticed that he had disappeared. He was always a reliable secretary, but from some point on, she felt uneasy.

“Aeon, where have you been?”

Therefore, Lee Sein’s words flowed out somewhat stiffly.

“CEO Lee Sein-nim.”

Aeon entered the room with a silent step.

The secretary in front of her is smiling incredibly brightly. The beautiful eyes that would catch anyone’s attention disappeared under the eyelids and then reappeared.

Startle.

Lee Sein felt goosebumps on her back.

Wait, was Aeon originally look like this? What did he look like? How come … the person in front of her felt so unfamiliar.

No, was he human in the first place?

A cold voice reached her ears.

“You failed. This time, too.”