Ch.63The Returnee Shin Doyun (1)

“How did it go?”

“…I put her to bed for now.”

Song Hayeon walked over to the sofa with an exhausted look and sat down.

In her condition, she would undoubtedly have to spend the night here.

Behind Song Hayeon, who was sighing, Trione, who had been silent all along, approached Helena and spoke.

“What exactly are you thinking?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. You orchestrated all of this, didn’t you?”

Baek Eunha, who killed Jackson and became enemies with Hades, turned out to be close to Helena? Logically, this couldn’t be a coincidence.

Trione continued with a disgruntled expression.

“This was all planned from the beginning. Starting with Jackson, are you planning to wage an all-out war against Hades?”

Helena responded with a gentle smile.

“That’s not quite right. It was my master who first came into conflict with Jackson, not me.”

“You expect me to believe that? If you weren’t involved, why would that woman risk her life fighting Jackson?”

The answer came not from Helena, but from Song Hayeon.

“Well, her game account was deleted…”

“What are you talking about?”

“This Jackson person deleted my master’s game account.”

To Trione, who looked completely bewildered, Song Hayeon continued.

“After that, she was furious to the point that she went to kill him…”

“…Are you mocking me right now?”

Trione seemed dumbfounded, but what could be done if it was the truth? Song Hayeon smiled awkwardly and said to Trione.

“You’ve spent some time with her, haven’t you? You should know what kind of person my master is.”

“……”

After hearing this, Trione pondered for a moment before nodding slightly, as if finding it convincing.

“…That little one certainly isn’t normal.”

Someone who spends all her free time sitting in front of a computer building a virtual life would indeed be capable of anything if something upset her about it.

“But do people normally kill others over a game?”

“I can’t argue with that logic…”

Helena, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, took a sip of wine and spoke.

Clink.

“That’s how she’s lived her life until now.”

“……”

“And she probably had no choice but to live that way. Over there.”

Simply put, Baek Eunha was a ruler and a predator.

In her mind, acting according to her own will was the natural order of things.

“Is there any point in debating this now? You’re also an enemy of Hades now.”

“…Damn it, you’re not wrong.”

To Trione, who wore a troubled expression, Helena took another sip of wine and asked a question.

“By the way, you mentioned there’s a necromancer with a returnee background on that side. I’d like to hear more details about that.”

“……”

“I’m interested in that person.”

And so, the night in London grew deeper.

#

“Master, you really don’t remember anything?”

“I told you several times, I don’t.”

“That’s amazing… So this is what they call a blackout?”

Having finished all our business, we had parted ways with Helena and were preparing to return to Korea.

Song Hayeon, who had been constantly chattering about yesterday’s events, thought for a moment and then continued with a concerned expression.

“Master, I’m saying this out of concern, but you absolutely must not release the effect just anywhere, understand?”

“…I know that.”

As long as I use it properly, there shouldn’t be any problems. I waved my hand to brush Song Hayeon aside.

Meanwhile, I suddenly had a question and removed the ring from my finger, passing it to Song Hayeon.

“Here, you try it too.”

“What? Absolutely not.”

“Come on. Just for a very short time.”

At that, Song Hayeon reluctantly used the ring for about a minute before immediately deactivating it.

“…How is it?”

“I don’t feel anything special. Oh, maybe my lower back feels a bit sore…”

It was as I expected.

According to Aila, the demerit occurs proportionally to the time the ring’s effect is used and the benefits gained from it.

In other words, it seemed that for someone like me who suffers from various mental side effects, the demerit would hit even harder.

‘Well, it depends on how I use it.’

The forced state of intoxication was painful, but there was nothing I could do about it. I would have to use it judiciously depending on the situation.

“We’re almost at the airport.”

As we were moving toward the private jet that Helena had prepared for us, a man about 2 meters tall passed by me.

And then.

Whoosh.

“……”

“Master? What’s wrong?”

For an instant, there was a faint vibration from the Book of Death connected to my soul.

It felt like a soul ignition. However, there was no further reaction after that.

‘What was that?’

I paused briefly, wondering if it was just my imagination, then turned my attention away and boarded the private jet under the guidance of the staff.

And so, our affairs in London came to an end.

And then.

“Why have you been making that face since earlier?”

“…Brother, did you go wild just because you’re feeling a bit better?”

“No, it’s just…”

“Last time you went out with Song Hayeon without me, and now you’re even traveling abroad. Do you like Song Hayeon that much?”

“……”

Facing Seoha’s inexplicably sour mood, I had to spend the entire day trying to appease her.

#

Anyway, with the ring obtained, I was once again able to engage in various activities.

I focused on running dungeons with the party members who had each finished their rest periods, accumulating experience.

Ding.

【Level Up!】

That makes level 37.

The once distant 40s were now not far off.

“Good work everyone. Let’s disband for now. Ah, Ms. Kwak Minji, could you help me organize the materials for a bit? I’ll provide additional compensation, of course.”

“Sure, why not.”

After completing today’s dungeon run, I returned home, sighed, and flopped onto my bed.

Twang.

Along with the sound of the bed’s springs, a familiar coziness began to envelop my entire body.

‘…It’s been quite a journey.’

Some might say I’m being ungrateful. My growth rate was certainly faster than others, and I hadn’t encountered any major obstacles.

But it’s not enough.

For someone like me who had already reached much higher levels before, this was still unsatisfactory no matter how I looked at it.

After lying in bed for a while, I approached Seoha, who was in the living room, and casually asked a question.

“What level are you now?”

“Level? I reached 61 during the last run.”

That was certainly an impressive level.

Before, I just thought it was a high number, but now I even felt a subtle sense of respect.

I brushed back my flowing hair and asked Seoha.

“Even at that level, you can’t get an S-rank?”

“From that point on, it’s not determined by level alone…”

Of course, unlike A-rank and below which are designated by national agencies, S-rank requires meeting standards set by international organizations through direct evaluation.

“Are you thinking of applying for evaluation?”

“Not yet. I’m quite satisfied with my current life.”

I somewhat knew this already, but it seemed Seoha wasn’t the type to be overly concerned with ranks.

While I was lost in thought, Seoha gave me a suspicious look and asked.

“Brother, you haven’t forgotten our promise, right?”

“…I remember.”

She must be referring to our agreement to go on a trip together, which I had promised when trying to improve her mood last time.

I sprawled out on the living room sofa and recalled the recent news that had been causing a stir.

The information that was first reported along with the news of my promotion during Kwak Minji’s kidnapping incident.

It was about a new returnee who had appeared in Korea.

‘…It is quite interesting.’

So far, I’ve personally met two returnees. Choi Hamin from Korea, and the elderly Brooks who served as Aila’s bodyguard.

Among them, I couldn’t even have a proper conversation with Brooks due to the circumstances. It was quite regrettable.

I asked Seoha, who had established herself in the Korean hunter community.

“Have you heard anything about the new returnee?”

“…News does come in from time to time.”

This new returnee is Type A, meaning a human who returned with powers gained from another world.

And according to what Seoha heard, the estimated rank was around A-rank.

“Then it’s nothing special.”

“You never know, it’s not certain yet. They might have something different, like you do.”

Putting it that way made me even more interested.

“Is there any way to meet them?”

“Well, if they become a hunter, they’ll probably join a guild soon. We might be able to make contact then.”

Basically, we’ll have to wait and see.

While I was lying face down on the sofa in a daze, Seoha temporarily left to answer a sudden call from the guild.

When she returned after finishing the call, she approached me with an expression that suggested an incredible coincidence.

“They’re interested in our guild. There’s going to be an interview tomorrow. Want to come along?”

To that, I nodded without the slightest hesitation.