DEB 54

“No matter how I think about it, you’re out of your mind.”  

“Oh, that’s exactly what I’ve always wanted to say to you.”  

Huiyun suppressed his irritation at Jiwook, who looked at him as if he were crazy for wanting to clear a gate right after returning from the treatment room. He wanted to retort, asking how Jiwook had dragged him to a gate, but he held back, not wanting to cause more trouble for Huigang. He resorted to a mild sarcasm instead, making Jiwook’s face twist in annoyance. Handsome people really stayed handsome no matter how much they scowled. 

It wasn’t fair.

“I’m worried, but honestly, I like the idea. If Vina is going to nag, why doesn’t he just stay behind?”  

Grabbing the opportunity, Juan chuckled and subtly pulled Huiyun closer to him, suggesting they stay together until Huiyun’s house was built. Huiyun gently stomped on Juan’s foot.  

“I used too much power in the demon realm, so I’m not confident I can use it again. So, you three need to clear the gate as quickly as possible.”  

Having strong companions was a benefit he intended to exploit. It made more sense to use their labor instead of his.  

“I don’t mind, actually. It’s less worrying that way. But why do we need to clear a gate all of a sudden?”  

“If we clear an intermediate-level gate, we might learn the whereabouts of one of the other three missing disciples.”  

“What?”  

“Interesting.”  

Nameless showed immediate interest. Huiyun shrugged.  

“I just asked the system nicely.”  

“…Really?”  

“Yes, the system actually promised to tell me.”  

Nameless gave him a look that plainly said he thought this was nonsense. Huiyun’s explanation only made Nameless more confused. Still, with no more to explain, Huiyun urged Juan to guide them. Since Ash was a large guild, they should have plenty of gates. They didn’t need anything particularly difficult, just an intermediate-level gate they could clear quickly.

“Surely, you three can clear an intermediate gate in ten minutes.”  

“…You’re underestimating us.”  

“Hey, don’t underestimate us.”  

“We can handle it with the dolls.”  

Prodding them lightly seemed to ignite their enthusiasm. Realizing he was beginning to understand how to handle his disciples, Huiyun saw a notification from the Disciple Education Book.

[The teaching ‘Getting excited over minor provocations prevents seeing the bigger picture’ has been registered in the Disciple Education Book!]

[When the disciples understand the registered teaching, a bonus of 10% respect will be granted.]

So, the things written in the Disciple Education Book were insights Yasha had realized.

If that was the case, then the commands, punishments, and compliments were all methods Yasha had used.

Good grief.

There was no need to blame his disciples. Clearly, his past self wasn’t entirely sane either. Following Ash to the gate he suggested, Huiyun watched as the three hunters quickly cleared the monsters within ten minutes, rewarding him with the gate clear notification.

Satisfied with the quest completion, Huiyun received the reward: a location clue. His Mana Hypersensitivity treatment had also progressed.

That might explain why the pain was less this time.

The treatment’s progress was gradually healing his Mana Hypersensitivity. Complete recovery wasn’t a distant dream anymore. With determination, Huiyun turned to the notification asking which disciple’s location to identify.

“Which of these three should we locate first: Verita, Zenith, or Vita?”

“Zenith?”  

“No, we should find Verita first.”  

“I suggest Vita.”  

As expected, they couldn’t agree. Each had their reasons, but when asked, they all said it was just a feeling. Huiyun decided to go with his own intuition.

He chose Vita.

Absolutely not because Verita’s ability to discern truth made him uncomfortable.

[Searching for the fifth disciple, Vita. Please wait.]

After a loading screen, a congratulatory message popped up. The system identified Vita’s location as…

“…It’s in the demon realm.”

Of course, it was. As expected, it was the demon realm. Though he hoped otherwise, Huiyun wasn’t surprised. Finding someone in the demon realm was difficult, and pinpointing the exact location even more so. With a frown, he shared the information with the others. As the gate they cleared began to collapse, they quickly exited, exchanging worried glances.

“So it’s really the demon realm. What do we do? Should we just enter random gates and hope for another glitch?”

“I told you, that’s a stupid idea.”  

“Then stop criticizing and suggest something useful.”  

Juan snapped at Jiwook, who remained silent, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Huiyun couldn’t help but think they looked like students struggling with a difficult exam. Watching them, he realized this was no time for idle thoughts. He folded his arms, tapping his elbow as he pondered their next move.

They knew the location, but what now?

[What else? Complete another quest to open a path to the demon realm!]

The system eagerly appeared with a cheerful notification. Huiyun, still feeling uneasy about it, acknowledged that there was no other option. He confirmed that it was truly possible to open a passage to the demon realm using the system’s power. The system’s confident answer reassured him, but his thoughts shifted in a different direction.

In that case, there was no need to gather all six disciples. They could just use the system’s power to open a passage and proceed with the subjugation.

[Trying to take the easy way out, are you? Such rewards can only be given when the situation aligns perfectly. We can’t just hand them out randomly. Even this world has its own rules.]

The flicker of hope was promptly extinguished by the system. Huiyun, who had been briefly satisfied with the idea of having his own dedicated demon realm gateway, sighed.

“Then give it to me.”

“Huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

Huiyun, out of habit, spoke to the system aloud, leading to puzzled reactions from Juan and Jiwook.

[Lolololololololololololololololol]

The one who should answer was having too much fun to care. It seemed the system had grown weary of constant rejection, forgetting that Huiyun was the one in control.

He needed to remind the system of its place.

Huiyun mentally remarked that the system was already annoying, and he couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be if he underwent an awakening. The system, appearing slightly shaken, argued back that Huiyun never intended to awaken anyway. The exchange made it clear that the system had grown too familiar with his tricks to fall for them again.

But that didn’t change the fact that Huiyun held the upper hand. He reiterated his refusal to awaken, just to ensure the system remembered who was in charge.

[For our stingy savior, Siho has decided to grant a quest!]

As always, Huiyun emerged victorious.

Siho, wagging its tail, seemed to view the system with disdain, and soon enough, a new quest window appeared.

[Disciple Education Book, Chapter 3]

– Only the master cares for the lost disciple (2)

Shouldn’t you find the missing disciples to register them in the Disciple Education Book? Clear a gate to find clues about where the disciples are!

Condition: Clear a high-level gate

Reward: A passage to the disciple whose information was viewed

The quest’s content was similar to the previous one, but without the progress reward. The difficulty had also increased to a high-level gate.

Huiyun’s disciples, realizing he was engaged in a mental conversation with the system, guarded the gate entrance while he worked things out. After a moment, Huiyun scratched his cheek awkwardly and explained the next quest’s conditions.

“Let’s go, we need to clear a high-level gate.”

“…What’s the reward this time?”

“They’ll open a passage to Vita.”

“Seriously, you picked Vita? I recommended Verita.”

“…Zenith is out, then.”

“A wise choice.”

I just said the reward was a passage to the demon realm. 

Did you not hear?

Despite presenting such a significant reward, the disciples’ attention was elsewhere. Frustrated, Huiyun glanced at them disdainfully before moving on.

The more time he spent with them, the more he realized that their personalities differed vastly from the initial impressions he had in the hospital.

Those stern, perfect, and terrifying figures he had seen were now acting like children demanding their master’s attention.

They looked impressive from a distance, but up close, they were a disappointment.

Thinking back to how endearing they had been when they were younger, Huiyun couldn’t help but feel disheartened.