“Hmm… I think it’s about time we started preparing to close up. You’ve worked hard, Sihyeon.”
“No, you’ve worked harder, Boss.”
It was nearing closing time.
I nodded in agreement as Gong Wiseon suggested we prepare to close.
Then, I gently roused the white-haired girl who was asleep, sprawled across the bar table.
“Sakura. Wake up.”
‘Does she really think this is her own home?’
‘A bar is for drinking, not for sleeping.’
Sakura slowly pushed herself upright, her eyes struggling to open.
She then tilted her head in confusion and asked me, quite unexpectedly,
“…Nyeah? Why is Big Brother Bishi here at my house?”
‘Was she actually under the impression this was her house?’
“Because it’s not your house.”
“Then… I wanna make it my house starting now…”
“If you wish to purchase the establishment, you should discuss it with the owner… No, I said don’t lie back down!”
Sakura was generally articulate and kind, but she became difficult when she started acting childish after a few drinks.
Just then, Gong Wiseon, who had been wiping down the tables with a disinfected cloth, glanced over at us, then chuckled softly as he spoke.
“You two seem to get along very well. I’ve always wondered, is she your girlfriend, Sihyeon?”
‘Girlfriend?’
‘What a ridiculous notion.’
“No. She’s just a friend.”
“Hmm, is that so? But for a friend, the customer seems quite dependent on you, Sihyeon.”
“Is that so?”
“If you like her, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try pursuing something. After all, customers often become friends, and friends often become lovers.”
‘Isn’t that the kind of relationship that only exists in comics or fantasies?’
“Yes. That’s how I met my wife, actually.”
‘Ah, so that was from personal experience.’
‘Wait, he’s married?’
‘Someone who looks barely thirty?’
“Boss, you’re married?”
“Ahahaha, even though I look like this, I’m in my sixth year of marriage. I met her while running this bar after quitting my Hunter work. She’s truly more than I deserve.”
Gong Wiseon gazed into the distance for a moment, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
With his eyes nearly closed, it was impossible to tell exactly where his gaze was directed.
“You look so young, I never would have guessed you were married, Boss.”
“Even with such compliments, nothing extra will drop for you, you know?”
He chuckled softly, then resumed wiping the table.
Initially, his peculiar, somewhat suspicious appearance had made me a little uneasy, but working alongside him, I realized he was simply a good-natured older brother figure.
‘Anyway… I really need to send her home soon.’
“Stop being stubborn and go home. Don’t sleep on the street like last time. Did you find somewhere to sleep other than a hotel?”
“Mmm… I found a place.”
Sakura peered up at me, her words slurred as she replied,
She then stared blankly at me before speaking.
“So… praise me, okay?”
“Excuse me?”
‘What does she want me to do?’
‘Praise?’
‘How perplexing.’
“…Ahem, well then, I’ll go tidy up the storage room. Sihyeon, take your time finishing up.”
Gong Wiseon shot a quick glance our way, a small smile playing on his lips, before heading into the storage room.
‘Ugh, that sly man.’
“What do you want me to do?”
“Praise, I want praise… I found a place myself, so praise me… If you praise me, I’ll go… You’re still working, Big Brother… so you have to host, right?”
‘What kind of ridiculous demand is this?’
I wanted to tell her to stop acting childish and leave, but fearing it would only prolong the conversation, I stifled a sigh and forced a smile.
“That’s impressive. Finding a place to live by yourself overseas. It couldn’t have been easy, so good job.”
“……”
“Whenever I see Sakura, I always want to emulate her. The way you handle your own responsibilities and approach everything with such passion is truly admirable.”
As Sakura listened to my praise without a word, her face slowly flushed, and her lips twitched with an uncontrollable smile.
Slowly, Sakura pushed herself up, clutching her skirt tightly.
“…Oh, how embarrassing.”
Then, with a blush spreading across her face, she gave a shy, bashful smile.
The sight was quite endearing, and as I watched her for a moment, Sakura rose from her chair.
“Okay. I’ll go now. See you later. Today was fun!”
“Yes. See you later.”
She then gave me a small wave before staggering out of the bar.
After watching her retreating figure for a moment, I quickly began to tidy up the bar…
‘Wait a minute.’
‘Something’s not right.’
“Your bill! You have to pay!”
“Nyeah?”
****
My departure was delayed somewhat as I had to apprehend an A-rank Hunter attempting to leave without paying, seemingly still half-asleep.
‘At least there’s a late-night bus.’
Without the late-night bus, I would have been forced to walk all the way home at this hour.
As I steadily walked towards the bus stop, a sudden ripple of magical energy caught my attention.
It emanated from approximately 400 meters to the northeast.
It was human in origin.
‘A villain?’
This was the first time I had sensed a villain’s aura on my way home from work.
‘Hmm… should I go investigate?’
It was also a good time for a blood meal, and since it wasn’t near my home, there was no chance of running into Choi Seon-hee, leaving me with no reason not to go.
Stepping into an alley, I activated Environment Blending.
I did not assume my combat form.
I had already learned precisely what could happen if I adopted my combat form in an attempt to arrive faster, having experienced it firsthand during my encounter with Choi Seon-hee.
Instead, I opted for a different approach.
-Thwack!
Using the Leg Power skill I had acquired a few days prior, I executed a light jump, propelling my body high into the air.
Landing steadily on the roof of a villa, I continued to leap from building to building, rapidly traversing the rooftops towards my destination.
This method allowed me to reach the scene quickly without needing to activate my combat form.
‘In a way, this is trespassing.’
While using someone else’s villa rooftops as a springboard might technically be a legal issue, I wasn’t stealing anything, so as long as I wasn’t caught, it shouldn’t pose a problem…
-Crunch!
“?”
Upon hearing a crinkling sound when I landed, I looked down.
“Ah.”
It was a spread of chili peppers someone had laid out to dry.
“…Ahem.”
Without a word, I pulled a 1,000 won note from my wallet, placed it on the ground, and hastily resumed my leaps toward the destination.
‘Next time, I should be more careful to check if anyone has dried chili peppers below.’
Continuing my leaps, I soon arrived at the scene and, holding my breath, peered down.
“……!”
“Yeah, wouldn’t it be great if you’d just shut up like that?”
Indeed, a situation was unfolding that was difficult to describe in words.
‘I’d heard that public safety was much better before the Gates opened.’
Of course, I was born after the Gates appeared, so I couldn’t even imagine what the world was like before then.
Regardless of gender, they say that many individuals like him emerged after the Gates opened.
‘For me, it’s a relief that there are more targets now.’
I assumed my combat form.
-Thwack!
Then, I landed lightly on the ground.
Perhaps sensing my presence, the villain turned their head in my direction, but then merely tilted it in confusion before resuming their criminal act.
To not even notice me standing right beside them in my combat form, their magical sensing ability must be truly abysmal.
For me, however, it made attacking quite convenient.
I quietly approached the victim and struck the back of their neck, knocking them unconscious.
Then, before my Environment Blending fully deactivated, I snatched a dagger from the villain’s waist.
“What the… f*ck, who are you?!”
The villain hurled the victim to the ground, backing away and frantically patting their waist.
However, upon seeing the dagger in my hand, their expression soured, and they silently began to gather their magical energy.
The level of their power was considerable.
‘About B-rank, perhaps.’
If my Blood Bond hadn’t grown, this would have been a tough opponent, but now I could handle them with ease.
“I don’t know who you are, but you f*cking picked the wrong person to mess with—”
I had heard such tiresome words so many times that it was now difficult to keep count.
Regripping the dagger, I activated my Leg Power skill and lunged forward.
“…!”
The distance closed in an instant due to my Leg Power, and the villain couldn’t react.
-Thud!
“Kuh-ghk!!”
After piercing their neck with the dagger, I maintained my momentum and kicked the villain’s head.
-Wham!
The villain, struck by a kick further enhanced by Leg Power, tumbled to the ground from the impact.
Today, I had an easy time of it, as the opponent’s skill was inferior to their rank.
I immediately plunged my fangs into their nape and drank their blood.
The thirst that had been gnawing at my mind gradually subsided, and with it, their recent memories began to surface.
Most of them were utterly useless, but one memory, in particular, caught my attention.
That morning, when the villain woke up, a pristine white note lay on their bedside table.
Though it should have been surprising, the villain merely sighed deeply, then took out a lighter and scorched the note with its flame.
As a result, these words appeared on the note:
– To all 6th-tier recruits. On September 2nd, at 3 AM, escort the client. Refer to the location below.
After that, the villain sighed again, then gathered cash and weapons before heading to a workshop to sharpen their gear.
No other memories after that particularly piqued my interest.
“……”
As soon as I finished drinking, I ended the villain’s life, thoroughly dispatching them, then deactivated my combat form and left the scene without delay.
Leaping across buildings with my Leg Power, I swiftly made my way to the bus stop.
Soon after, a bus arrived, and I boarded it, settling into an empty seat and gazing out the window.
The cityscape at night was a pleasing sight, but the contents of the note I’d seen in the villain’s memory stubbornly refused to leave my mind.
‘6th-tier recruits… Does that refer to members of an organization?’
It seemed the villain belonged to an organization or group I didn’t know.
Given that such a vile individual, who had just died by my hand, was a part of it, it certainly didn’t seem like a legitimate organization.
Truthfully, I had no need to concern myself with whatever instructions the villain received from their superiors or what actions they took.
Yet, there was a reason I felt so restless.
‘Why, of all places, near my house?’
The location written at the bottom of the note was not far from my home.
‘Escorting a client at 3 AM… they’re definitely planning something.’
In the villain’s memories, there was only the single note, no other useful information to be found.
If only I knew what was happening, I wouldn’t have to feel so anxious.
A vague sense of unease settled over me.
With a heavy sigh, I got off the bus.
I then headed straight home… but something felt off.
‘…What is that magical energy?’
A being possessing immense magical power was standing in front of my apartment door.
Its level was approximately A-rank.
‘Choi Seon-hee? No, Choi Seon-hee is sleeping inside the house.’
Choi Seon-hee, when concealing her magic, only emits a C-rank aura.
That C-rank magic was distinctly felt from inside Choi Seon-hee’s house.
Therefore, the source of this immense magical power was not Choi Seon-hee.
‘Who on earth could it be?’
A chilling sensation ran down my spine as I continued to ponder.
‘…Could it be that the Hunter Association discovered my identity and dispatched an A-rank Hunter in advance?’
Many dreadful scenarios unfolded in my mind at the mere thought.
After about ten minutes had passed, I reluctantly took cautious steps forward.
I desperately hoped that this wasn’t the worst-case scenario I was imagining.
“…Hah.”
Taking a deep breath, I cautiously entered the building, having activated Environment Blending in case of an unforeseen situation.
Then, I carefully ascended the stairs and reached the second floor.
Finally, I laid eyes upon that presence.
