Ch.9Downtown Is Dangerous (2)

Getting entangled with them could be extremely dangerous.

Their presence was fundamentally different from ordinary people walking down the street.

Sensing that alien quality about them, I hurriedly tried to leave.

However, the woman caught me by the arm.

Tap.

“Wait a moment.”

“Eek.”

This body truly has little resistance to being touched. Except for Seoha, skin-to-skin contact is enough to make my mind go blank.

Seeing my confusion, she lowered her face to meet my eyes.

A gaze that seemed to stare into deeper, much deeper places.

Perhaps just as I sensed something from her, she might have sensed something from me as well.

‘Is she… challenging me?’

Since I came out with Seoha, I naturally didn’t bring any magic stones.

Watching me anxiously dart my eyes around, the woman brought her hand to my cheek. Then, with a smiling gaze, she wiped something away with her finger.

“You have ice cream on your face.”

“Ah. That… yes.”

The woman chuckled and turned away, leaving one last comment.

“How cute.”

“…”

I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but it seemed I’d avoided immediate danger.

I looked at my slowly melting ice cream, pulled my hat down tighter, and continued walking.

I couldn’t help thinking that my luck had been particularly bad lately.

#

An upscale café in downtown Seoul.

In this unique space that even had private rooms, there was one woman who felt completely out of place.

It was Song Hayeon.

‘I never knew places like this existed…’

For someone who only ever frequented franchise coffee shops, this was quite an unfamiliar environment.

She somehow felt like she had become someone important.

But she couldn’t afford to indulge in such feelings. The person she was about to meet wasn’t just important in feeling, but truly was someone of high standing.

Step.

Step.

Click.

Feeling the leisurely hand opening the door, Song Hayeon turned her head while frozen stiff as a totem pole.

“Nice to meet you. This is our first time meeting.”

The woman before her was Helena, the famous S-rank hunter from Europe.

Song Hayeon couldn’t gather her wits in the face of such a radiant presence.

‘Are all S-ranks like this?’

The atmosphere around her was simply different.

That quiet yet heavy pressure. Beneath that calm exterior, there must be a tremendous power hidden like a typhoon.

“Ah, hello!”

“There’s no need to be so tense.”

Helena smiled like a young girl her age and took a seat. Seeing this, Song Hayeon seemed to relax a little.

‘Come to think of it, she looks younger than I expected…’

Of course, she didn’t look like a child. But amidst her clearly beautiful features, there was somehow a youthful appearance coexisting.

In a word, she looked like what one might imagine a noble princess from old tales to be.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Ah, no. I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but stare…”

“Hehe, I’m pleased to hear that, even if it’s just flattery.”

After showing another smile filled with goodwill, Helena finally began to speak about her original purpose.

“Anyway, I have many things I’d like to ask you.”

“Ah, yes! Please go ahead!”

“Then, if you don’t mind…”

The first question that followed completely overturned Song Hayeon’s expectations.

“Was it the red skeleton? How did you create that?”

“Um… the Skeleton Masher?”

“So that’s what you call it.”

Though she didn’t outwardly show her confusion, Song Hayeon realized from that one exchange that everything she had assumed until now was completely wrong.

‘Was she really not my master?’

Honestly, something had seemed off. The image of HellLord12, whom she regularly chatted with, didn’t match well with Helena.

But it’s also true that she had thought only Helena would have such deep knowledge about necromancy.

“Actually, I’m a bit different from orthodox necromancers, but the undead I saw in your videos had many fascinating aspects.”

“Ah. Is that so…?”

It wasn’t Helena.

Then who on earth was HellLord12?

But now wasn’t the time to think about that comfortably.

‘How much am I allowed to say?’

Now that she knew Helena was different from her master, she couldn’t just tell her everything straightforwardly.

Even if it was just an online master-disciple relationship with someone she’d never met in person, it certainly wouldn’t be right as a disciple.

‘But…’

The person before her now was someone who absolutely shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Since Helena wasn’t the type to engage in public activities much, Song Hayeon couldn’t even guess what she might be capable of.

No matter how elegant she appeared, who knows? She might be a madwoman whose eyes could suddenly go wild like Hitler’s.

Song Hayeon was generally positive, but she knew one thing. For an S-rank, burying one person would be nothing.

Rather than needlessly offending her, it seemed better to show some goodwill by telling a certain amount of truth.

“Ah. To be precise, these weren’t originally created by me…”

“…What do you mean?”

“Most of my necromancy was taught by my master, so there are limits to what I can tell you.”

“Master?”

That must have been quite an unexpected story for Helena as well.

As far as anyone knew, there was no necromancer in Korea as skilled as Song Hayeon.

Therefore, the question that followed was only natural.

“Then, who might this master be?”

“…”

Song Hayeon hesitated briefly, but her decision was quick.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

A firm answer. It was a declaration of her will not to discuss this matter any further.

“…I see.”

For a moment, Helena’s eyes changed. But it was quickly concealed in an instant.

“Then I won’t ask any more about that. Let’s talk about something else.”

Unlike the extremely tense Song Hayeon, Helena laughed it off and continued the conversation.

After about an hour, the two women who had finished their business prepared to leave.

‘She might have been a better person than I thought.’

A small smile played on Song Hayeon’s lips as she left the café.

She had met the legendary S-rank hunter she’d only heard about, received various pieces of advice, and even got a precious gift. It seemed like it would be an unforgettable memory for Song Hayeon.

And after Song Hayeon had completely left, Helena, who remained behind, made a phone call with a meaningful smile.

Tap.

Ring ring.

After a few dial tones, she immediately spoke to the person who answered.

“Yes. Please investigate everything around her. By any means necessary, down to the smallest detail.”

Helena was the type of person who had to confirm anything she was curious about before she could be satisfied.

#

“Oppa, we’ve arrived.”

“…Yeah.”

I blinked my eyes as I pulled my face away from Seoha’s embrace.

The day had finally come.

When I first left home, I regretted doing something unnecessary, but the hotel room we finally arrived at was truly luxurious.

“…Is this a regular room?”

“Huh? Of course not. I don’t know much about it either, but it’s something better.”

Well, Seoha is an A-rank hunter after all. She’s a talent that should be treated with the highest regard at the national level.

‘This looks ridiculously expensive.’

Can I really just lounge around playing computer games in such a splendid place?

Such thoughts were brief, and I soon set up my laptop and equipment, finding the place more comfortable than I had expected.

This might be heaven.

“I’ll be going out for an event in the evening, but I’ll have them prepare meals inside the room.”

“Okay.”

“Most requests can be made through the room phone. You should be… fine with that, right?”

“I can handle that much.”

She worries too much.

I responded with a slightly disgruntled voice.

After lounging around for a few hours, Seoha came out to the living room dressed in elegant clothes. She looked exactly like a celebrity.

“…It suits you well.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back.”

Soon, silence fell over the room.

‘Since the environment has changed, ranked games might be difficult…’

I logged into the RPG game I usually played and sent a message to my internet friend.

Tap tap tap.

[Let’s do a raid, come online.]

Ding.

[JP: Ah, sorry. Work’s running long today, so I can’t.]

Really, he’s never helpful when it matters. The limitation of an incompetent cyber friend.

‘…’

As I was killing time alone, suddenly the room’s intercom rang.

It seemed dinner had arrived.

“I-I’m coming!”

Thud.

After quickly covering my head with the blanket I had been wrapped in, I fumbled to open the door.

However, there was no one with dinner there.

Instead, there was someone who didn’t look like a hotel employee at all.

Who are you?