If I disappeared of my own will, I told Yuhyun, Yerim, and Noah not to come looking in the most likely places. I hadn’t been able to explain in detail, but there were only a few methods I could use if my escape route got cut off.

-Bbeeek!

Grace fluttered around me in a panic. My leg was yanked and I collapsed to the ground, and a blue gemstone accessory fell beside me. Before I could say anything, someone quick on the uptake stopped moving.

“My leg’s about to rip off. I’m a fragile F-rank right now.”

There were probably already marks on my leg. The chain couldn’t pull any further and instead loosened. I turned my head. The first thing I saw was a massive black wyvern. Comet, with Kang Soyeong riding on her back. They must’ve been watching Blue with Comet, then followed the moment they saw suspicious movement.

If they expected me to come here, it was better to let Blue loose and follow rather than stop her. If Blue hadn’t shown up, I would’ve disappeared entirely. Up to that point, they’d handled it well.

In front of the black wyvern stood Seong Hyunjae. His pale hair looked even more washed out against the backdrop of pitch-black scales. His cool, quiet gaze was fixed on the blue gemstone accessory, Grace. Without giving him a long moment to hesitate, I spoke.

“Or you can just take my leg. 3, 2.”

Before the countdown finished, the chain was released. Not what I expected. Losing a leg wouldn’t kill me. Seong Hyunjae opened his mouth with a slightly stiff expression.

“I won’t stop you. Take Grace and go.”

What kind of nonsense is that. Grace chirped loudly in distress. Why wasn’t he stopping me. This is why I told the others not to come. Yuhyun, Yerim, and Noah were obviously out. Moon Hyunah was risky due to keyword activation. Kim Seonghan too. Even if the keyword’s effect was gone, the memories remained.

So it had to be Seong Hyunjae, or Song Taewon. I thought one of those two might be able to stop me.

“…How can I believe that.”

The curt voice came out of my mouth. If my leg got torn off, Park Hayul wouldn’t be able to take me to China. Even with a potion for emergency treatment, without a top-grade dungeon potion, I wouldn’t survive a two-hour flight. They didn’t plan to kill me, so they’d give up. Even if Park Hayul pushed for it, Blue likely wouldn’t obey. If she judged I was in critical condition, she’d refuse commands, prioritize treatment, and seek help from familiar people.

So just hold me until the end.

“Han Yujin.”

Seong Hyunjae stood motionless, as if rooted in place. He didn’t move an inch, but the tension in the air was sharp enough to sting. Should I go for it? The chain was already released, but he could restrain me again faster than I could use an item. So the chance was still there.

But.

The slack chain clattered softly as it was retrieved. ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ It went into his inventory.

“Please.”

Seong Hyunjae stepped back with one foot. He bent slightly at the waist, showing both hands open to the sky to indicate he wouldn’t interfere.

“Take her.”

I smiled at him. Instead of picking up Grace, I used the item I was holding. A single-use teleportation item. If I had used it while still bound, I would’ve been in a pathetic state, but now I could teleport right above Blue without a scratch. Park Hayul caught me as if he had been waiting.

“Hyung! Let’s go!”

With a cry that was almost a cheer, Blue launched into the air. Even before she picked up speed, no attacks came flying. I had no way to defend myself right now. The earring’s shield was only B-rank. If an attack strong enough to stop an S-rank monster like Blue came, it wouldn’t be able to block it.

In the end, the golden griffin rapidly gained speed and soared across the sky without a single hindrance.

“I thought we were totally caught!”

Once even the large wyvern had disappeared completely from view, Park Hayul shouted with relief.

“…Yeah.”

It should’ve been that way. My mind was blank. Where did it go wrong?

“I thought the Sesung Guild Master would never let you go.”

I thought so too. But Seong Hyunjae let me go, even though I was as good as caught. He realized instantly that I was using myself as a hostage to resist, and gave up.

Different from what I expected.

“…Damn it.”

“Hyung?”

I had thought Seong Hyunjae wouldn’t hesitate even if I got seriously hurt. But he had. Did I really not know things would turn out this way? …No. I’d definitely been threatened by him before, even dehumanized. But lately. Lately, things had clearly changed.

Same with Song Taewon. If it had been Chief Song, he might have successfully held me back. But what then? He was someone who had forced himself to face the parts of himself he didn’t want to see, just to avoid hurting me. Whatever the reason, how could I think it was okay to order Chief Song to hurt me seriously?

“Seong Hyunjae couldn’t hurt me.”

“But he did catch you. Is your leg okay?”

Only then did I feel a dull ache in my right leg.

“You have to be careful around S-rank Hunters.”

“Don’t say that. I’m fine.”

“You were lucky. Even from a distance, it looked terrifying. I thought they were going to drag you off right then.”

“No, I mean, even if he’s S-rank…”

“I heard that chain was SS-rank, and using it so harshly on someone like you with low stats? Not just once or twice either, treating you like an object. I’ve heard the Sesung Guild Master was scary, but that was next level.”

I kept my mouth shut, knowing that if I said more, I’d only get dragged along by Park Hayul’s words. At this rate, I might start to feel more uncomfortable around S-rank Hunters, or even hostile. The kids were still okay, maybe because the Nurturer keyword, which is higher than even L-rank, was taking precedence over his skill, but it was better to be cautious.

Words grow more powerful the more they’re repeated.

“Give me the map and compass.”

I checked the direction and gave Blue a command. My mouth tasted bitter.

‘…I should’ve taken Grace with me.’

But in that moment, I couldn’t trust Seong Hyunjae. I felt like if I grabbed Grace, he’d attack again. Emotionally, I still felt that way. It was only because I had already experienced him letting me go that I could barely reason otherwise.

“…What a mess. I ended up doing everything myself.”

At my words, Park Hayul, sitting behind me, gave an awkward laugh.

“Well, after Choi Seokwon died, the people in China had basically given up on extracting you. How many S-ranks are around you? Add in the monsters, and it’s insane. There aren’t any more S-ranks in Korea who would cross over, so they weren’t really prepared.”

“So you just rushed in barehanded to kidnap me?”

“Not quite. Since you have Stealth, if you showed up yourself and we just had to keep it hidden for about two hours, it would be easy to take you. That’s why they sent me. With me, all they had to prepare was a getaway flight.”

But we got caught, and now you’re trapped, so I figured it was over, he said, babbling on excitedly. If Seong Hyunjae hadn’t caught on, we probably would’ve flown off quietly without all this mess. Using a bunch of high-rank Hunters would only increase the risk of getting caught. It actually made sense to use Park Hayul and a few low-rank Korean Hunters instead.

“Still, if it looked like it was failing, you should’ve pulled out and waited for the next chance. Make a scapegoat, offer them up, and try again once things quieted down.”

“My noona said that too, but I begged to try convincing you just once more.”

“…Noona?”

Where’d this noona come from all of a sudden? Park Hayul hesitated, then answered.

“I can’t really tell you much yet, hyung, but there’s this cool noona. She’s a bit older, but really cool, so I call her noona.”

A cool, older noona? I couldn’t even guess. Maybe she’s an awakener?

“Is it the Saintess?”

I tried naming the most famous older female Hunter, but Park Hayul shook his head with a grin. Then who the hell is it?

“Weren’t you working with the Chinese side?”

“For now~ I’ll tell you later, hyung.”

So someone else was behind Park Hayul. Most likely, this noona had sent him to China, and he was only pretending to be working with them to kidnap me. …Well, technically I kidnapped myself.

As we gained altitude, the already intense wind grew even colder, slapping my cheeks. My body shivered instinctively.

“…Cold.”

“Oh, right, your stats are low. Should I give you my jacket?”

“No. Clothes…”

I had some in my inventory. I pulled out a hot pink bundle of fur. It was a long cardigan. Plus an extra-long scarf.

“Hyung, your fashion sense is kinda unique.”

“It was a gift.”

“If it goes into inventory, it must be handmade. It’s well made, aside from the color. Who made it?”

“Someone who’s unnecessarily good at everything.”

Wrapped in the cardigan and scarf, I quickly warmed up. The tightness in my chest also eased a little.

‘Right, I’m still dealing with humans after all.’

They’re not Transcendents. No need to worry too much. My inventory was stocked for emergencies, and I still had access to the point store. Points were limited, so I had to be frugal, but no matter where I ended up, I was confident I could take care of myself.

Well, the people after me would probably be careful with my body anyway. As long as I didn’t wreck things like in Achates, I’d be fine. It was a shame I didn’t have Grace, but if I used her even once or twice, I’d probably get caught and have her taken anyway.

“If someone in China is after me, I bet they’ve prepared a few baby monsters from the Monster Mounts line, huh?”

“Huh? Probably.”

Maybe they even had an S-rank monster with Cold Resistance. China had more land and people than Japan, so they probably had more S-rank gear too. I should empty my inventory and refill it completely once we get there. No matter what I do, the ones doing the kidnapping are in the wrong. If I trace the main culprits behind this, I might figure out a way to break free from Park Hayul’s skill. If it weren’t for that skill, I could easily escape on my own.

‘I hope the kids aren’t too worried.’

I gave them a heads-up, so it should be okay. You can take your time, everyone.

-BBEEEEE! BBEE! BBEEK! BBEEK!

A small blue bird flitted up and down, crying out pitifully. Unable to stray far from its true body, it circled in the air, looking upward. The sound of heels approached. Smooth fingertips picked up the blue gemstone that had been thrown to the dirt ground.

-Bbee bbee.

Watching her superior’s back, Kang Soyeong debated whether to run. The urge to launch Comet into the air gripped her, but she wasn’t confident she could handle the consequences. Her lips tensed slightly with anxiety.

Even as a Hunter who had faced countless monsters, even ones stronger than herself, she felt like she was standing before a true monster—someone she couldn’t even consider going against. Her instincts screamed warnings down her spine. If she were a normal A-rank Hunter, she would have run without looking back. Even Comet, the S-rank monster, had bristled with her tiny spines raised stiffly.

“…This is the most disgusted I’ve ever felt.”

You look it, Kang Soyeong muttered silently to herself. Normally fearless, even she found it hard to speak out loud this time. When Seong Hyunjae turned around, the oppressive weight that had been crushing the air around them immediately lightened. A sigh slipped out between Kang Soyeong’s lips.

He must have calmed down, for now.

“You should’ve just caught him.”

There were plenty of chances. From the start, he could have restrained Han Yujin entirely, making him unable to move. But Seong Hyunjae had acted unusually soft.

He approached Comet and looked down at the blue gemstone in his hand. Grace, who had been chirping, quietly disappeared into the gem, as if there was no helping it. The gemstone then returned to its original form: a glass sword with a bluish glow.

“I can’t just shove Cinderella down the stairs for trying to run away.”

“If you did, it wouldn’t be a fairy tale anymore. It’d be a thriller. But honestly, I think the thriller suits you better, Guild Master.”

“I don’t want to lose any more points with Han Yujin. Even if the mental skill is broken, the memories will remain.”

“None of that matters if he’s not here.”

Kang Soyeong’s comment about how he had ended up kidnapped anyway made Seong Hyunjae slightly raise one corner of his mouth.

“I should go return a lost item.”

“China seems like it’d have a lot of dragons. Bring back a baby one.”

Kang Soyeong flicked her fingers loosely, free of tension now. Nothing serious would happen domestically, at least.

“I kind of want to tag along.”

“It’s not far. If you get bored guarding the house, come with Liet.”

“Chief Song isn’t in China to write you a fine, after all.”

“I can’t stop them from arresting me after I return to Korea.”

“Oh, Guild Master. So irresponsible. Then again, you’ve been cuffed a few times before.”

There had been more than one time the Guild Master returning from overseas had been welcomed not at the airport but at a detention center. Though he’d always been released soon after.

“By the way, you think Director Han will be okay?”

“Assuming the mental skill isn’t stronger than expected.”

“The guy riding Blue was the caster, right? Why didn’t you take him out first?”

“Some mental skills don’t break even if the caster dies. If that happened and Han Yujin stayed suspicious of S-rank Hunters forever, that’d be a real problem.”

That’s why letting him go in a way that reduced his wariness was better. Han Yujin wouldn’t just sit and take it—he’d try to break free of the skill himself. Seong Hyunjae could simply assist that. Like a good partner.

Even having decided that, the heavy disgust inside him wouldn’t go away.

Seeing her superior furrow his brow, Kang Soyeong quickly adjusted Comet’s reins.

“Let’s head back! Should I contact the Special Surveillance Office?”

“No, I’ll do it myself.”

Seong Hyunjae mounted Comet’s back. The black wyvern spread her wide wings and gently lifted into the sky.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep