1 minute. The machine’s lamp flickered yellow.
2 minutes. Igyeol’s breathing became rough. The hand gripping Sung Yohan’s wrist tensed until the knuckles turned white.
2 minutes 30 seconds.
Ding-!
Finally, with a cheerful notification sound, the result was displayed on the large monitor at the front of the measuring device.
[Subject: Moon Igyeol / Rank: C-rank / Magical Wave: Within Normal Range]
“Haah…”
The moment he confirmed the result, the strength went out of Igyeol’s hand with a thud. His legs trembled, but he forced himself to hold on and released Sung Yohan’s wrist. Sung Yohan also composed a calm expression while arranging his slightly roughened breath.
The investigator looked at the clear letters ‘C-rank’ displayed on the monitor and furrowed his brow.
“…It is C-rank. However.”
The investigator flipped through detailed data on the tablet and looked at Sung Yohan with suspicious eyes.
“The texture of the magical wave is different from a typical gathering hunter. There’s a subtle but very heterogeneous and unstable wave mixed in. How will you explain this?”
A moment of tension hung in the air, but Sung Yohan smiled elegantly without a hint of wavering.
“It’s the residual wave of my Holy Power.”
“…Pardon?”
“Mr. Moon Igyeol was seriously exposed to demonic energy during the Dumang Mountain dungeon incident and was suffering from severe contamination aftereffects. I’ve been performing continuous purification procedures for the past two days. That heterogeneous wave the machine read is not Mr. Moon Igyeol’s magic power, but merely a byproduct of my Holy Power.”
It was such shameless yet perfect logic. When it was residual from an SS-rank Exorcist’s purification procedure, a mere investigator handling a C-rank measuring device couldn’t dare to refute it.
“…Is that so. I understand. Let’s conclude the procedure with this.”
The investigator’s displeasure was evident, but in front of data that showed perfectly normal, there was no longer any justification to detain Igyeol.
Igyeol, exiting the investigation room, finally let out the breath he’d been holding tightly.
‘…I survived.’
Cold sweat ran down his spine. A sense of relief washed over him that he’d passed the biggest hurdle.
***
“Hey, you two! Looking at your faces, seems like it went well?”
On the way out of the Association Management Bureau building, a familiar voice came from the parking lot direction. It was Gi Taeyeon leaning against a jet-black jeep with a lollipop in his mouth. When Igyeol and Sung Yohan approached, Gi Taeyeon threw out a light greeting then immediately lowered his voice with a serious face.
“Sorry to pour cold water without time to celebrate. Those Baekya bastards are getting ready to cross the line.”
“What do you mean?”
When Sung Yohan asked with narrowed brows, Gi Taeyeon glanced around and answered.
“Using Union or whatever to probe while pretending to be legal was just the start. They’ve already started spreading people around Miyang-dong. Around Jangchun Health Clinic.”
After Executive Director Jang from Union Law Firm retreated, even the pressure through the Association failed as of today. Then Baekya’s next move was obvious. A shift from ‘legal approach’ to ‘physical approach.’ It was a chilling warning that the threat had come right up to their chin.
“…Thank you for letting us know, investigator-nim.”
“Hey, if you’re grateful, buy me a drink later. I’m not as expensive a man as you’d think.”
Gi Taeyeon grinned and habitually fiddled with the blue sapphire earring dangling at his left ear.
At that moment, Igyeol’s gaze fixed on that earring once again. The transparently shining blue jewel. Seven years ago, a relic left behind by a dying comrade. Igyeol’s pupils wavered for a moment.
“You’re looking at my earring again?”
Gi Taeyeon noticed Igyeol’s gaze and laughed playfully.
“Do you want my earring? You’ve been staring at it more than once or twice.”
“…No. It’s just, it’s pretty.”
“It is pretty. It’s the only one in the world. It’s the only thing my master left behind.”
‘Master.’
The moment that word struck his ear, Igyeol’s lips trembled.
He knew. There was no way he wouldn’t know. How much he had boasted about his disciple. He said the disciple he left behind in reality before falling into the Demon Realm had no talent whatsoever but was amazingly good at talking back. That brat was right before his eyes.
Igyeol hastily lowered his gaze to the floor to hide the emotions surging up. But Sung Yohan’s sharp gaze standing beside him captured every bit of Igyeol’s momentary agitation without missing anything.
“Ah right, Mr. Moon Igyeol.”
Gi Taeyeon added lastly as he opened the jeep door.
“Really be careful. Those Baekya bastards might really cross the line this time. Contact me anytime if you need.”
“…Thank you for your concern.”
“What. I’m kind to people who are interested in me.”
“…”
…His disciple was really good at pulling tricks too. Igyeol smirked.
In the car returning to Miyang-dong.
Sung Yohan raised the privacy partition toward the driver’s seat. The air in the back seat instantly sank cold and heavy.
“Gi Taeyeon’s earring.”
Igyeol, who had been looking out the window, flinched in surprise and turned to look at Sung Yohan. Sung Yohan was sitting with his legs crossed, penetrating Igyeol with persistent eyes. It was different from last time when he threw a jealous tantrum asking if Gi Taeyeon’s style was his type. Sung Yohan had noticed. That every time Igyeol looked at that earring, his expression wasn’t favorable interest but ambiguous pain and strange sadness.
“Do you know that item?”
Sung Yohan’s question flew sharply. Igyeol looked ahead with an expressionless face. If he talked about one earring, there were too many connected things. The Gate of Reversed Heaven, the 100 Apostles, the Demon Realm and such. He’d have to reveal the truth completely. Igyeol had absolutely no intention of dragging anyone into this ugly and dark past.
“I don’t know it.”
Igyeol answered without even looking at Sung Yohan.
Sung Yohan stared blankly at Igyeol in silence.
“…I have a skill. If you lie, I hear noise in my ears.”
“What. Agreement and what… Ears of Truth? That one?”
“…”
“Then listen. Whether what I’m saying now is a lie.”
Igyeol smirked and looked straight into Sung Yohan’s eyes. Sung Yohan met those eyes and fell silent.
The eyes meeting his were calm without wavering an inch. As Sung Yohan looked into those eyes, he frowned slightly at the strange emotion rising.
After a long silence of facing each other, he turned his head away first.
“…I understand.”
At Sung Yohan’s attitude of not prying further, rather Igyeol’s eyes widened. The guy who would normally have latched on had retreated obediently.
Sung Yohan turned his gaze out the window. Inside, he urged himself to hear it even if forced. To hear it by any means. Honestly, he had means to pressure him. He could torment him with Holy Power. But this man probably wouldn’t open his mouth even if he did that.
‘…Then I’ll have to wait.’
Until this man completely leaned on him and spilled the truth. Would such a day come? Sung Yohan honestly thought he didn’t know. But… he wanted it to come. He found himself thinking he wanted to make it happen.
***
Afternoon after returning to the clinic.
Igyeol went out to the alley market to buy insufficient medicinal herbs. The Association inspection had finished safely, and he was about to console himself that peaceful daily life had returned.
But as soon as he turned the alley corner, a chilling sensation crawled up Igyeol’s spine.
‘I’ve got a tail.’
It wasn’t his imagination. Clear and sticky murderous intent he could feel without looking back. Igyeol slowed his walking speed then repeated walking quickly again. The footsteps following behind also perfectly adjusted their breathing to match Igyeol’s pace.
Two people. Not ordinary neighborhood thugs but thoroughly trained bastards.
Gi Taeyeon’s warning was right. Baekya had finally started spreading rats in the Miyang-dong alley.
Igyeol considered whether to change direction right there and exit the alley, but without stopping his steps, he headed straight toward the clinic. Dealing with them here and now would only increase Baekya’s suspicion. He returned to the clinic acting like a perfect C-rank civilian hunter.
Ding-
Igyeol, who entered through the shop door, dropped the bag of medicinal herbs on the table with a thud and spoke softly toward Sung Yohan sitting on the sofa.
“…The rats have increased lately.”
“…Rats?”
Sung Yohan narrowed his brow as he lifted his eyes from the documents.
“I was about to catch them but stopped, they’re quite big. Two of them. In the alley.”
At Igyeol’s calm words, Sung Yohan’s expression instantly sank. There was no way he couldn’t understand. It meant Baekya’s tail had attached. The two people’s gazes tangled in midair.
As if nothing had happened, Igyeol began sorting the medicinal herbs, but without saying it, both knew. That the storm had come right up to their noses.
That night, Igyeol silently tightened the old lock on the window at the back of the clinic once more.
At the same time, on a dark roadside at Miyang-dong’s outskirts.
Inside a black sedan parked where even streetlight didn’t reach, a man reported lowly into a radio.
“Confirmed. Jangchun Health Clinic. Sung Yohan hardly comes outside and is holed up like in a guild leader’s office.”
The man flipped through materials sprawled on the passenger seat. Igyeol’s, Yeongwon’s, and another boy’s movements were densely drawn with red pen.
“Found a gap in security. One part-timer at the clinic goes to school at the same time every day. No escort is attached to him.”
From beyond the radio, along with a bizarre crackling sound, a chilling and brief order fell.
-Grab that one first.
