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After arriving at the hotel, I shoved Joo Seo-won into the room with the other half of the Teleportation Box.

“Teleportation Box?”

“I’m going to send Do Ye-hyun there, so keep a good hold of him if he tries to run. You’re good with words, aren’t you? If possible, lower his guard a little.”

“What… so I just have to wait here?”

“Yeah. It’s nothing much. I’ll call you when he arrives, so answer it.”

“Not using a communication item?”

“Nope.”

I did buy a communication item, but its form was ambiguous to use right now. I stared at Joo Seo-won’s ear for a moment before adding,

“It’s a bit much to use now. I’m thinking of doing some processing on it too.”

“What are you trying to do…?”

“Curious? Then I’ll tell you.”

After saying that and staring intently at Joo Seo-won, he seemed to sense something was off, shaking his head and laughing awkwardly.

“No. I’d rather not know.”

“Suit yourself.”

“So I just stay here and keep a good hold of Do Ye-hyun?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Okay! Fighting. Customer~”

This guy really can’t get his act together.

I swallowed the words to stay put and left Joo Seo-won behind in the room. Walking to the parking lot, I took out the Teleportation Box from my pocket and rolled it in my hand. This had better work properly.

* * *

According to Joo Seo-won’s report, the guild where Do Ye-hyun was being held was the Infinite Guild, an unlicensed illegal guild that wasn’t even registered. The Guild Master, Na Seok-kyung, was a C-rank hunter with a few miscellaneous skills including Tracking Skill, and was known for doing all sorts of nasty things.

Seeing as I don’t remember the guild at all, it doesn’t seem to have much influence.

What they mainly do is take Dungeon items without permission and sell them for unfair profits, using that money to lend money to people at high interest rates. And if they can’t repay it, they send ordinary people to the stores they operate, and if they’re hunters, they put them in Dungeons and make them run in circles.

“People should live kindly from the start.”

I muttered to myself and stepped into the alley.

‘It’s more daunting than I thought.’

I knew Do Ye-hyun was in the vicinity, but I had no idea how to track him exactly.

Maybe it’s because the distance is ambiguous, but the status window isn’t even visible. Of course, it would have been easier if I had brought Joo Seo-won, but I only had one Stealth item, so it was difficult.

‘Even if that weren’t the case, I don’t intend to take the risk.’

I promised to guarantee Joo Seo-won’s safety, after all.

I wandered aimlessly around the alley, bringing up status windows whenever I saw someone. However, the alley itself was a secluded place with hardly anyone passing by, so there were no suitable hints.

That’s when it happened.

Name: Na Seok-kyung

Age: 38

Rank: C

Title: –

Main Skills: Exploding Light (B), Tracking (D)

Growth Limit Rank: B

‘Found him.’

The Guild Master of the Infinite Guild where Do Ye-hyun was being held. In his status window, I could see the Tracking Skill as reported.

‘But his other skill ranks are higher.’

The Tracking Skill is only a D-rank skill. Still, it wouldn’t be difficult to track someone nearby, but…

I quietly followed Na Seok-kyung.

As expected, Na Seok-kyung was searching around the alley alone, finding his way. Occasionally, he seemed to take the wrong path, retracing his steps and stopping to get his bearings, but the distance was gradually closing.

‘Good job!’

Na Seok-kyung just needs to close the distance. After that, I’ll definitely find him first.

Suddenly. Na Seok-kyung stopped in his tracks. In that case.

‘View character information.’

As expected.

Name: Do Ye-hyun

Age: 20

Rank: D

Title: –

Main Skills: Moonlight’s Blessing (S), Crashing Wave (B), Fight Poison with Poison (A)

Growth Limit Rank: A

Do Ye-hyun’s status window was faintly visible at the very end. I quietly backed away from Na Seok-kyung. From now on, it’s a speed battle.

Currently, Na Seok-kyung is a C-rank hunter, and even though it’s an illegal guild, he’s the Guild Master leading a guild, so the probability of winning in a one-on-one fight is close to zero.

Therefore.

‘I have to strike first no matter what.’

My plan was just two things: find Do Ye-hyun and send him away, and then use the Stealth item to return quietly.

I went around the alley and approached the place where Do Ye-hyun was hiding from the opposite side.

‘Found him.’

Do Ye-hyun was commendably hiding well among a pile of discarded furniture.

“Ye-hyun. I think we have something to talk about, huh?”

One problem is that he’s also too close to that bastard Na Seok-kyung.

I brought up the status window to check the distance to Na Seok-kyung one last time, then strode behind the pile of furniture where Do Ye-hyun was hiding. Oh, he’s going to scream.

Immediately after pulling the crouching Do Ye-hyun into my arms, I firmly covered Do Ye-hyun’s mouth with my hand.

“Shh.”

We only met the day before, but so much had happened in the meantime that it felt like we hadn’t seen each other in ages. I smiled at Do Ye-hyun, whose eyes had widened in surprise, and whispered,

“Shall we run away?”

The breath on my palm was hot.

* * *

Immediately after sending Do Ye-hyun to the hotel through the Teleportation Box, I took out the Stealth item I bought at the night market and put it in my mouth.

Stealth Bead (B)

A Stealth item that hides your presence.

Do not swallow after putting it in your mouth.

I felt my stamina plummeting, probably because I had been wandering around so much today and searching this area like a rat to find Do Ye-hyun. I sat still, catching my breath until Na Seok-kyung passed by, but footsteps stopped nearby.

‘Could I have been discovered?’

Na Seok-kyung was trying hard to find Do Ye-hyun, going back and forth in the alley, wondering if it was strange that the mana he felt nearby had suddenly disappeared.

“I definitely felt it around here…”

“…”

‘He doesn’t know.’

Fortunately, Na Seok-kyung couldn’t get a grip. It’s a good thing his Tracking Skill rank is low, or I would have been screwed.

I leaned against the wall and waited long enough for Na Seok-kyung to pass me. Na Seok-kyung’s status window lingered nearby for a while before finally disappearing from view.

I should find out the exact distance at which the status window is visible. Being able to sense someone’s location is more useful in many ways than I thought.

Just in case, I didn’t spit the bead out of my mouth and returned to Joo Seo-won’s car, immediately calling Joo Seo-won.

-Seo Je-hyun!

“Yeah.”

-Where are you? Are you coming?

“Yeah. Did Do Ye-hyun go?”

-Yeah. He’s here, but…

I hadn’t even started the engine, but the beginning is half the battle. I put on only one earphone and started the car.

-Hey, but what are you going to do with him? Just leave him there?

“Have you never met a person before? Talk to him.”

-What’s there to talk about… Hello. Um, why don’t you sit down?

Over Joo Seo-won’s voice, I heard another voice that must have been Do Ye-hyun’s. They’re doing well. I ended the call and got on the road.

Okay, what should I do now? It would have been more fun if there was a mission to solve one by one, but it’s difficult because there’s ambiguously autonomy.

Hmm, but the conclusion was similar. For now…

‘I need to level up.’

I can’t do anything with this body.

* * *

After arriving at the hotel and parking Joo Seo-won’s car, I went straight up to the room. Actually, the reason I told Joo Seo-won to hold onto Do Ye-hyun was purely because I was worried Do Ye-hyun would run away, not because I wanted them to have an active conversation. Well, logically, what would they have to talk about? And they’re not kids, they’re two grown adults, so they’ll be fine.

However, as if to shatter my expectations, a bizarre sight unfolded as soon as I entered the room. Joo Seo-won was on top of Do Ye-hyun…

“Fuck.”

It was a fucking scene that really shattered my fragile aesthetic sense.

“Hey, hey! It’s a misunderstanding.”

Joo Seo-won, who looked at me at the sound of the door opening, took a short breath and quickly got up. What misunderstanding, you fuck.

I closed the room door as it was at the dirty scene unfolding before my eyes. Yeah, two young, virile men can fall for each other. No, fuck. In my room? You bastards.

Then, the door burst open and Joo Seo-won, his clothes and hair disheveled, jumped out and spouted nonsense.

“Hey! Fuck! That’s not it.”

“Seo-won. Fuck. Are you kidding me in my room right now?”

“I said that’s not it. You fucking bastard! Why are you so prejudiced?”

Wait a minute. Didn’t Joo Seo-won tell me earlier that Do Ye-hyun was twenty years old? This bastard.

I pushed the door and Joo Seo-won at the same time and went into the room, and Do Ye-hyun, with eyes that were clearly terrified, stopped tidying his clothes and flinched when he met my eyes.

“No, listen. There was a misunderstanding between Do Ye-hyun and me.”

“H-How did you know me?”

“Ah, damn it. I’m going crazy! How would I know you? That bastard told me to hold you, so I was just holding you!”

“…I heard you have a Tracking Skill.”

“No, I’m saying I’m not Na Seok-kyung’s mole, right?”

The two of them continued to argue without caring whether I came in or not.

Fortunately, after listening to the story, it seemed to be a mutual misunderstanding, not one-sided bullshit. What’s fortunate is that my eyes wouldn’t be attacked.

‘I almost accidentally killed them both.’

Yeah. They wouldn’t do that in someone else’s hotel room if they had any sense. What a misunderstanding.

I listened to Joo Seo-won’s fervent explanation with one ear and let it out with the other, looking for the room service menu.

“No, he was fine at first, but later he went crazy when I found him with Tracking Skill. I tried to calm him down and grabbed his shoulder, but he tried to hit me with a wine bottle, you know?”

“Did you succeed?”

“Would I? You fucking bastard? Hey, are you implying that I should have succeeded? If something happens to my safety, you know you’re fucked because of the Oath, right?”

“Anyway, you’re alive.”

Do Ye-hyun, realizing that he had misunderstood something, sat quietly on the sofa, watching my expression. He looked timid and weak, but he’s the type to do things when he needs to. Hmm, commendable?

Of course, it would be troublesome if he continued to have animosity towards Joo Seo-won or me.

It seemed that Do Ye-hyun had more animosity or fear towards the Infinite Guild than I had expected. I could roughly guess how they treated him inside. I only stole a few glimpses of the illegal business status of the store, and it was quite a sight.

Anyway, there were too many bad guys in the world, which was the problem.

Infinite Guild. I didn’t pay much attention to it because I thought it was an unimportant guild, but if I were to move with Do Ye-hyun, it would be easier to eliminate it. If he keeps being scared, how will his trauma come up later if I leave him alone? I had to nip it in the bud beforehand.

‘He’s a precious healer, it’s troublesome if he can’t do his job.’

More than that, there was something I had to make clear now.

“Ye-hyun.”

At my call, Do Ye-hyun slowly raised his head. I said nonchalantly.

“I won’t kill you. I won’t send you back to the Infinite Guild either.”

“Then why…”

“I brought you here because I want your skills.”

Do Ye-hyun asked back as if he had misheard.

“Pardon?”