RG 117

I ran after the Hunter sent by Spider’s Web, sorting out the situation as I moved.

‘As expected, they’ve been watching us.’

He said he understood when I told him not to spy on us—how shameless can you get? This is why I can’t trust Eun Woojeong.

‘Considering he waited for me to come out, he must’ve noticed the fight at the office too.’

Not just noticed—it’s likely he even knows that Cha Sahyeon was kidnapped. That’s why he stationed his subordinate in the back alley. He must’ve anticipated that I would come looking for him to get information about Cha Sahyeon’s whereabouts.

And yet, considering he didn’t come himself or even pass the information through his subordinate…

‘So he has no intention of giving up the info easily.’

There’s a high chance Eun Woojeong will ask for something in exchange for the information. He might even suggest a new contract. Through this negotiation, I’ll find out whether the bounty in Eun Woojeong’s head for the Hunter known as ‘Cover’ has gone up—or down.

It had been about 30 minutes of moving non-stop through the night sky when the Hunter guiding me finally came to a halt. Just like the first time I met Eun Woojeong, it was on the rooftop of a tall building.

The guide, who gave me a slight nod as a greeting, vanished quickly, as if his task was now complete.

Whoosh—a gust of wind blew from somewhere, ruffling my hair beneath my hat. At the same time, a sharply honed killing intent flew at my shoulder from behind.

Clang!

I struck it dead on with the sheath I had already drawn. The silver chain, having lost its target, wavered and then scattered into glimmering dust.

“This is my way of saying hello—you could at least acknowledge it.”

“What a shitty way to greet someone.”

When I turned my head, I saw him standing leisurely with his arms crossed. Just as before, his silver hair fluttered in the wind, and his face was hidden behind a mask.

This wasn’t the time to be exchanging pleasantries like how have you been? I spoke in a low voice. “You already know why I came.”

“Hm.”

“Give me the location.”

Still masked, Eun Woojeong touched the corner of his mouth and shrugged. “Well, fine. Dragging it out and testing your patience wouldn’t benefit me either.”

“…”

“As you might’ve guessed, I never stopped surveilling the office of Hunter Cha Seohu that you’ve been guarding. I already got a report about the kidnapping this morning too.” Perched on the rooftop railing, he continued with a tone of amusement, “Actually, we weren’t the only ones keeping an eye on that place.”

“There was someone else?”

“You didn’t know?” He soon nodded as if it made sense. “Well, makes sense. They were watching from pretty far away—probably afraid Hunter Cha Seohu would notice. I doubt they saw anything more than who came and went from the building. They were so far, they probably couldn’t even sense the aura of Awakened individuals. No way they could tell a regular person from a Hunter.”

“That’s not what I was asking.”

“I’m talking about Guildmaster Kwon Taehyeok.”

Kwon Taehyeok? Then that means Yesung?

It’s true… I didn’t know about this. But why would Kwon Taehyeok bother surveilling the office?

‘Did Kwon Taehyeok also catch wind of the kidnapping?’

The thought crossed my mind, but I let it go quickly. If that were the case, Hunters from the Yesung Guild would’ve shown up at the office already. Maybe even Kwon Taehyeok himself. The Kwon Taehyeok I knew wasn’t the type to turn a blind eye to something like this.

If the surveillance point was far enough, he might not have noticed the kidnapping—or even the Hunters who had visited the office.

As expected, for now, the only viable lead was Eun Woojeong’s information.

‘And that bastard knows it well.’

Which meant all that talk earlier was just pointless chatter.

Frustration and impatience surged up in me, but showing it would only put me at a disadvantage. I forced down the curse that had risen to the tip of my tongue.

“What do you want?”

“If I tell you, are you actually going to hand it over willingly?”

“You called me all the way here because you have no intention of giving up the information for free, right? Cut the crap and talk. I don’t want to waste any more time.”

I was the one in need here. That was the undeniable truth. Whatever he proposed, I was prepared to accept it—within reason. I could deal with it after rescuing Cha Sahyeon.

But what was odd was Eun Woojeong’s attitude.

Even though I had opened the conversation, he didn’t speak right away. With his arms crossed, he tapped one arm with his fingers for about a minute before finally opening his mouth. “To be honest… I planned to talk about this after seeing the results of the second ranking match.”

Makes sense. Our initial deal had been for me to maintain Rank 1.

I had planned to keep negotiating even if I dropped in rank, using the influence I’d built as “Cover.” But with the situation as it is now, that rank no longer matters.

“For me, it’s not a loss. I’ve gotten hold of information that’s far more solid and powerful about the research lab you asked me to find.”

“…”

“So, shall we make a new deal based on this?” With a soft tone, Eun Woojeong clasped his hands together and looked at me. “The information I’m offering is the location where Hunter Cha Seohu’s brother is being held. I kept gathering data while waiting for you to show up, and I’ve already confirmed the number and scale of the Hunters stationed there. I’m confident it’s information you’ll be satisfied with.” He tilted his head. “What can you give me in return?”

It was a relaxed question from someone holding the upper hand. The current location of Cha Sahyeon and an analysis of the enemy’s power—flawless, complete information.

Yeah, this was what I expected. I responded calmly, without wavering, “I said tell me what you want.”

Go on, say it, you bastard. You clearly dragged me all the way here because you want something.

“Hmm… fine.” As if disappointed that I didn’t lose my composure, Eun Woojeong let out a small sigh and spoke in a slightly colder tone than before. “I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“Your skill.”

“I told you last time, didn’t I?”

Eun Woojeong let out a dry chuckle. “That was a funny joke. Do you think I’d believe that crap? I didn’t expect you to still be clinging to that nonsense at a time like this.”

“What if it wasn’t a joke but the truth?”

“Oh yeah? Then why don’t you answer this question too?”

Clang—several chains materialized in the air and began to fill the space around us. Radiating outward from Eun Woojeong, they resembled the threads of a spiderweb.

“When did you sneak into the office where Cha Seohu was?”

“What?”

“We were monitoring every entrance of the building and tracking any Awakened energy in real time… and yet, your energy suddenly appeared inside the office.”

“…”

“You must’ve used a teleportation item or a related skill. But then, why was it seven hours after Cha Seohu was injured? Why couldn’t you come earlier? And what happened to the wounded Cha Seohu?”

“…”

“Those are the kinds of things I’m curious about.”

Inside the mask, I bit my lip. There was no way an excuse would work. Maybe with someone else—but this guy couldn’t be deceived with a half-baked lie.

“And the other thing is the same as last time. Your face. I just can’t give that up.”

“…So you’re demanding two things?”

“Isn’t the information worth that much? Honestly, I think I’m still on the losing end. But you’re the one who needs something.” A chuckle slipped out from behind his mask.

Hearing that, I slowly closed my eyes. A deep breath calmed the anxiety swirling in my mind, if only a little. He was right. If it weren’t for the Spider’s Web, I wouldn’t even have had the faintest hope of going after Cha Sahyeon.

But—

‘Sorry, but I’m not the type to just sit back and get played, you know?’

A crooked smile tugged at my lips. With my decision made, I opened my eyes and strode forward. I ignored the chains tightening around me from all sides, walking without hesitation. As I approached Eun Woojeong, who was seated straight ahead, I spoke. “I’m proposing a new deal.”

Eun Woojeong, watching my approach in silence, lifted his head. “A new deal?”

“Information I possess.”

I cut myself off mid-sentence and smiled with deliberate flair, the corners of my eyes curving. Even with a hat and mask on, he should be able to see clearly at this distance. “I’ll trade it on the condition that you keep quiet for three months.”

“…What are you talking about?” I could feel Eun Woojeong’s eyes fixed on me from behind the mask, now steeped in darkness. “If this is some kind of wordplay…”

“Of course not. If you consider the value of the information, it’s more than fair.” I slowly leaned in, closing the distance between our faces. Past the mask, I brought my lips close to his ear and whispered, “Isn’t that right, Actor Eun Woojeong?”

“…!”