NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65
Chapter 65
“Oh dear…”
Si-hyun could only fall into momentary silence as a sudden ripple of complexity surged through his mind.
Had they met before…?
How on earth was he supposed to respond? Grasping the intent of the question in such a short time was a Herculean task. He had to somehow hit the nail on the head instinctively.
Desperately, Si-hyun wracked his brain. Then, an idea flickered in his mind.
The other party was a Predator in appearance. Even if they had crossed paths, how would he know? It was impossible to tell.
But the other person spoke as if it was only natural for them to know each other from the very start.
That meant…
As soon as that thought came to him, a way to respond became apparent.
Si-hyun opened his mouth again.
“That’s a strange question, Cheonbyeon. I must have definitely met someone with your face before, right? So you showed up on purpose with that face?”
Did I actually answer correctly?
Si-hyun gazed at Cheonbyeon with a calm expression, carefully observing her reaction. Deep down, he worried that any negative response might arise.
“Hahaha.”
Thankfully, she laughed.
“I’m sorry. You just awakened, so I thought you might not remember, and I mentioned it. I guess it was a foolish thought.”
Memory?
That was a word that caught his attention. He felt a similar prickling sensation when he was asked earlier if they had met in this realm.
Could it be…?
Was there a type of Awakened Being who could share the memories of the original wielder of a power? He had never heard of such a thing before.
Yet, from what she said, he could make a guess.
What if only S-Class beings could do that?
Naturally, it wouldn’t be known to the world. With that thought, her words began to make sense, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place.
She believed herself to be an S-Class Awakened Being.
Why?
It couldn’t just be because she had taken down two C-Class assassins. So what had she left behind at the intersection with the Black Cross? Could it be…?
Hellfire?
He had witnessed it and felt it, but Hellfire was not a spell an ordinary wizard could wield.
It was probably a terrifying high-level magic.
So, was she mistaking herself for a Great Sorceress?
No.
There were witnesses who had seen him wield magic with a sword in front of the Black Cross.
Then, does the sword imbued with Hellfire have such a legendary status?
The description as one of the continent’s five legendary swords was enough to assume it. Thus, it wouldn’t be hard to guess who its owner was.
If she too was an S-Class Awakened Being and could share the memories of the original wielder as speculated, she could easily find that out. Somehow, she seemed to be mistaking him for that unknown man who was a friend of Po-ahim.
Since the strength of the dead could transcend, it seemed she didn’t suspect that the Acureruts was in Po-ahim’s hands.
“If that was your intention… I understand. I get it.”
“Thank you.”
“But I have some tasks to finish this evening. If there’s nothing else to discuss, I’ll take my leave.”
Si-hyun attempted to end the conversation first. Given how confused she was, it seemed like a good opportunity. Moreover, it would be a troublesome situation if the conversation dragged on and his identity got revealed.
At this moment, he couldn’t handle her at all. If she had even a hint of malice, he would simply be killed.
“I see. I’m sorry to have stolen your time. I hope to see you again under better circumstances.”
Fortunately, Cheonbyeon didn’t impose any further. Instead, she vanished into the shadows as if she had never been there at all.
Her stealthy movement sent chills down his spine. And that with a form that could morph into anything. Was there another assassin as terrifying as her? It felt like she could kill anyone at will.
“….”
Silently, Si-hyun stared into the empty air and eventually began to head home.
◈ ◈ ◈
‘There’s still so much I don’t know.’
Lying flat on his bed and gazing at the ceiling, Si-hyun considered how entangled he had become with matters like the Face-avoidance Technician and Double Gate, exposing him to various kinds of information that an ordinary low-level Hunter couldn’t grasp.
However, going through today’s events made him acutely aware of just how much was still beyond him.
‘Multi-class, multi-reputation.’
The woman called Cheonbyeon had a status screen that was completely different from the other notorious Awakened Beings Si-hyun had seen so far. In fact, it resembled Po-ahim’s status screen more closely.
He could make a guess.
Because she was S-Class.
That was the only reason he could think of.
“Looks like Po-ahim was also S-Class.”
Si-hyun muttered with a strange expression. Had he known that fact when he just awakened, he would have jumped for joy, possibly making the room shake with his excitement.
Yet, having awakened Po-ahim’s power and experiencing various events until now, he had drawn the rough conclusion that Po-ahim was a figure of far greater magnitude than he had initially thought. A connection to the Great Sorceress Hyris and a friend with the Acureruts couldn’t possibly be normal.
Of course, he was still in a good mood.
But something felt off. It felt like someone else’s story. So he could accept it somewhat cool-headedly.
No… wait a minute? That can’t be right.
Oh no, thinking back, he had still activated the Executioner’s Cold-bloodedness!
Si-hyun hurriedly deactivated the cold-bloodedness.
Suddenly, the lingering feelings of coldness exploded within him.
“I’m… I’m S-Class! Huh? S-Class! Did you know? Big bro is S-Class! Kim Soo-jin, the one who dumped me, are you listening?”
Si-hyun clenched his fists on the bed and began his celebration.
…Rolling forward, rolling backward, bouncing around, push-ups.
He expressed his joy so fervently that dust was flying everywhere.
“Truly, Po-ahim is the best guard. I believed in you. Uncle Po-ahim, I love you!”
Of course, there was no reply.
However, this time, he didn’t kick the blanket aside.
The number of S-Class beings in Korea was at most five. Expanding globally, only the USA and China had more than ten.
Certainly, there would be S-Class beings hidden in the shadows, but even considering that, they were exceedingly rare globally.
Now he could hope to be one of those beings!
“Yes, good! Awesome, awesome!”
After a while, his excitement finally began to calm down. Feeling parched from all the movement, Si-hyun grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge and gulped it down.
Thud.
As Si-hyun placed the glass down, his expression returned closer to normal.
“But… when will I get stronger?”
Whether it was intentional training or an unavoidable circumstance, Po-ahim was gradually revealing his abilities. It was odd for an S-Class to have no legends at all. Perhaps he was just holding back until his reputation grew or until he got promoted.
Was he truly incentivizing him to become motivated? Or was it more like, “You’re just not qualified yet”?
No, more importantly… how long would he sulk?
Whenever he opened the status screen, the words “Depressed Guard” greeted him at the top. The S-Class qualification he had seen from Cheonbyeon earlier was “Legendary.”
Legendary Guard.
That was truly a phrase that resonated magnificently. The problem was that he didn’t know when that would happen. How many quests he had to complete, how famous he needed to become, how much he had to get promoted, and when he could even reach the threshold of S-Class—all remained a mystery.
“Haa… I guess I have to take it one step at a time.”
Rushing wouldn’t help. He thought it would be best to empty his mind and live earnestly.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“Jang Hak-ki.”
“Of course, if it’s news, I’ve certainly heard of it. He’s quite the famous figure.”
“Well, that’s true. I guess when a person gets severely hurt to the point of death, they definitely change.”
“I still can’t bring myself to believe it. Isn’t there something fishy going on?”
“It’s understandable with the way that man has acted up until now. But listen.”
“Okay.”
“Eyes can’t lie. Looking into his eyes, the arrogance that used to look down on others has completely vanished, and he’s become as simple as a cow.”
“Pffft… No, is this guy trying to make me laugh? Jang Hak-ki, simple? Come on… that’s just absurd. Ridiculous!”
“Try seeing him in person sometime. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”
The rumor that Jang Hak-ki had changed after getting hurt was the talk of the Daehan Correctional Facility. The disbelief in such rumors only heightened their prominence.
That was to be expected since it was none other than Jang Hak-ki himself. Every correctional officer working at the Daehan Correctional Facility had either experienced him firsthand or heard of his notorious reputation. So, it was hard to take it seriously.
In the beginning, the prevailing opinion was that he hadn’t fully recovered yet. They thought he would return to his troublesome nature once his strength returned.
However, as days turned into weeks, Jang Hak-ki’s behavior showed no signs of changing. With the passing of time, the guards began to believe that he had genuinely transformed.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Mr. Jang Hak-ki.”
“Yes, Officer.”
“Today is your court hearing.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I hope you don’t come back again.”
“Thank you.”
Today marked the day of Jang Hak-ki’s final ruling at the Supreme Court. If found guilty, he would be back behind bars, but if acquitted, he would be released right from there.
Si-hyun hoped for Jang Hak-ki’s acquittal, as it would greatly enhance his value.
If released without a conviction, being elected to the National Assembly again would be a breeze. That would make it his sixth term. Naturally, his standing within the party would grow.
“Mr. Jang Hak-ki.”
Si-hyun draped his arm over Jang Hak-ki’s shoulder.
Normally, physical contact between inmates and officers was to be avoided as a basic guideline that seasoned guards would warn new recruits about. It could provide grounds for complaints or grips of force.
However, Si-hyun didn’t feel a hint of discomfort. He knew very well the position Jang Hak-ki was in front of him.
“…Yes, Officer.”
Upon physical contact, Jang Hak-ki flinched involuntarily. He trembled slightly, perhaps from nervousness.
Si-hyun spoke in a hushed voice so that no one else could hear.
“Do you remember what I asked of you?”
“Yes, of course.”
What Si-hyun had requested.
That was to draft and pass a bill to include Hunter activities as an exception to the public service restriction rule. If Jang Hak-ki took the initiative and utilized his connections in the political circle, passing that kind of law wouldn’t be too difficult.
Once the bill passed, Si-hyun would be able to conduct raids freely, without worrying about getting reprimanded.
Si-hyun opened his mouth again.
“Okay, I trust you. Oh, and.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t go disappearing after you get outside.”
“Uh, how could I say such a thing? That would never happen. Feel free to reach out anytime.”
“True, that wouldn’t happen. Mr. Jang Hak-ki is my eternal servant, after all.”
“Y-Yes. I am Officer’s eternal servant.”
“Haha, great. Make sure to enjoy the fresh air and eat some tofu.”
“Yes, Officer.”
“Well then, let’s meet again outside sometimes.”
Si-hyun patted Jang Hak-ki’s back.