Seoul Central Player Hunter Agency.
I parked my motorcycle at the back door I frequently used.
"Looks like you got a new one. It's flashy."
I flinched and took off my helmet.
I had sensed a presence on the way here.
I just hoped it wasn't who I thought it was.
"Hello, Director Yoon Se-won."
Officially, I had nothing to be guilty about.
But it seemed my conscience hadn't completely crumbled yet.
Memories came flooding back.
The ruined artifacts I had sent back on a truck.
"I tried my best to restore them, but it didn't work out."
Momo and Kamela, with their deft hands, had scrubbed and polished and raised a ruckus, but the scattered divine energy never returned.
Yoon Se-won shrugged.
"Well, we agreed before I handed them over that they could get damaged. Of course, I didn't expect them to come back completely unusable to that extent."
His tone was ambiguous, making it hard to tell if he was saying it was fine or not.
In the meantime, Yoon Se-won, who had walked over at a leisurely pace, looked up at me.
"Anyway, what exactly is your identity, Yoo Jin-hyuk?"
"Hmm… A Runner?"
"That alone is a huge identity, but still."
Yoon Se-won trailed off and let out a hum.
When he handed over the artifacts, Yoon Myeong-wook, the chairman of the Cheonryeong Foundation and his father, had stated firmly.
He was lending them out because I asked, but from the foundation's perspective, it was a tremendous sacrifice.
So, upon successfully climbing the Tower, he would use the Runner to heavily promote the foundation.
But until now, the Cheonryeong Foundation hadn't done any advertising or promotion using the Runner.
And last night, Yoon Myeong-wook had told him why.
The Cheonryeong Foundation had prepared themselves mentally.
The condition of the returned artifacts was truly a mess.
They were certain the shamans who had lent them would be furious.
But contrary to expectations, none of the shamans were angry.
To be more precise, far from being angry, they all wept tears of joy, calling it an honor for their families.
"According to the shamans, it was clearly left on the damaged artifacts. The energy of the being called the greatest shaman since the birth of shamanism. An energy that, just by indirectly encountering it, felt like infinite glory and emotion. They said that if it was broken while that person used it, it was the will of heaven. They actually thanked us for choosing them. Naturally, the Cheonryeong Foundation, which was ready to take the blame and compensate them, was left dumbfounded."
'So that's why she said that.'
When I sent the artifacts off, Kamela had hinted at it.
She said she was sorry for breaking them, but that a proper shaman probably wouldn't get angry.
At the time, I just thought, 'Oh, really?' but there was a reason for it.
It seems there's something that shamans understand among themselves.
"I'm the type who can't stand not knowing something, so I dug into my family's history. And it was really there. Records of a shaman who unfailingly helped the Cheonryeong Foundation with national rituals and rites. But those records were written hundreds of years ago, you know? How could the energy of a shaman who lived in that era… No, why are you backing away? I'm talking to you."
Yoo Jin-hyuk, who had been subtly inching away, was now near the door.
Surely he wasn't going to just leave like that?
Vroom. Click.
Yoon Se-won's eyes widened.
"You're actually leaving?"
He stared at the firmly closed door.
Ah, come on. He'll come back out, right?
"Don't joke around. It's not funny."
He practically ran over and quickly swiped his key card.
Wow. He really left.
Sweat trickled down his side.
"That's just ridiculous."
Strangely, he wasn't angry.
Instead, a hollow laugh escaped him.
The Runner, Yoo Jin-hyuk.
He's as unique as his identity.
* * *
A quarantine facility located in a restricted area.
Jin Yun-ho, who had guided me to the entrance, spoke.
"Beyond this door, there are no recording devices of any kind. No one can enter or see inside until you open the door again, sir."
Jin Yun-ho handed over the only access key card.
He wasn't stupid.
He had long since figured out that the Runner possessed unusual abilities.
And that Jin-hyuk didn't want to reveal those abilities.
So, even without Jin-hyuk explicitly asking, he had prepared this environment on his own.
"Thank you!"
I shot him a double thumbs-up.
I'm always grateful for this kind of consideration.
"Then I'll see you in a bit."
Jin-hyuk bowed his head slightly, swiped the key card, and went inside.
As the door slowly closed, Jin Yun-ho let out a small sigh.
'I hope he gets something.'
He had granted Jin-hyuk's request, but he was skeptical about whether he would get what he wanted.
Ryu Jin-soo, the chairman of Jae-woong Construction, who was directly involved in the terrorism, and his son, Ryu Seung-kwon.
They had conducted a thorough investigation, but Ryu Seung-kwon knew nothing.
He wasn't pretending not to know.
He was essentially a figurehead, a puppet CEO, so he genuinely knew nothing.
That was why Ryu Jin-soo's recovery was more important than anything else.
Despite mobilizing all means—medical treatment, awakened abilities, drugs, and so on—they had failed to wake him.
There was nothing physically wrong with him.
It was as if someone had placed an irresistible command on Ryu Jin-soo's mind.
An absolute command: never wake up, slowly die.
He let out a small sigh and turned around.
He didn't know how it could be done, but he just hoped Jin-hyuk's trip wouldn't be in vain.
And beyond the door.
Jin-hyuk, who had entered, looked up.
A hospital bed in the center of the space.
Ryu Jin-soo was lying on it.
A rough count showed over a dozen IV drips attached.
He approached and looked down at Ryu Jin-soo.
Even though it hadn't been that long since he saw him at the building, he had become incredibly emaciated.
Though, it wasn't really his place to say that, considering he was the one who threw the man off a high-rise.
Whoosh.
Kamela, having manifested, blew out smoke.
"The connection between his body and soul is weakening. He doesn't have much time left."
Indeed, the heartbeat graph was slowly flattening.
And not long after.
Beeeeep.
The graph went flat.
As if she had been waiting, Kamela reached her hand toward Ryu Jin-soo's face.
I watched, my spiritual sight open.
"Come forth. There is nothing left to hold you now."
With a brief utterance, Kamela raised her hand.
A pale, whitish something was pulled out limply.
Though its form was unstable, it closely resembled Ryu Jin-soo.
Gulp!
This was a first.
Seeing a soul with such a complete appearance.
Was it because it had been forcibly extracted?
Ryu Jin-soo looked around with a bewildered expression.
"You are dead. I have grasped your departing soul. So, answer my questions."
Ryu Jin-soo alternated his gaze between Kamela and me without a word.
Had he grasped the situation to some extent?
"Kuhahahahaha!!"
He burst into laughter like a madman.
Too bad.
If he weren't already dead, I would have slapped him across the face.
"Answer your questions? Why should I, to the bastards who put me in this state? And if you want to ask, at least kneel. Bow your head. Then who knows? I might be generous enough to answer."
Kamela blew out smoke and curled one corner of her mouth.
"Interesting. When a soul is extracted, they are usually flustered and afraid."
"Who do you think I am? I am Ryu Jin-soo, chairman of Jae-woong Construction."
"What are you so proud of? I was saying you are an unusually stubborn and rotten human being."
Ryu Jin-soo chuckled and shook his head.
"I don't know who you are, but you seem ignorant of the ways of the world. Your impertinent remark just now has lowered the probability of me answering even further."
Did he think he held the upper hand?
With a triumphant face, he even crossed his arms.
Unfazed, Kamela continued.
"As one who honors the departed, I am quite lenient toward souls. So I will give you a choice. If you answer willingly, I will guide you to a less painful path. But if you refuse, I assure you, you will regret it bitterly."
Ryu Jin-soo burst into loud laughter once more.
"What do I have to fear? I'm dead anyway. Say whatever you want. I won't say a thing until you two put your heads to the ground."
Kamela looked at me, and I shrugged.
I had told her before we came.
That Ryu Jin-soo would definitely be like this.
Kamela let out a deep sigh and spread her fingers.
The ring on her index finger sparkled.
The Soul Veritas, the ring of the necromancer obtained from capturing Mortarion, the Necromancer of the Century.
A ring usable even outside the Tower, possessing the unique skill 'Interrogation' that forces a soul to answer.
"I normally try not to go against the natural order. Meaning, I do not force a soul, no matter how rotten it was in life, onto a more painful path. However."
Kamela wore a chilling smile.
"It is a different story when you choose it yourself. I gave you a fair choice, and you chose the latter. So, do not resent me."
She didn't wait for an answer.
The touch of Soul Veritas shot out instantly, binding Ryu Jin-soo.
His body twisted, and a terrible pain surfaced on Ryu Jin-soo's face.
After a moment.
"It is done. You may ask."
Kamela nodded and yielded her place.
I gave her a thumbs-up and approached Ryu Jin-soo, who was now consumed by Veritas.
And I asked.
About the Crown Jackpot.
* * *
Prague, Czech Republic.
Click, click, click!
I'd lost count of how many times I'd pressed the camera shutter.
It was that beautiful.
The Charles Bridge, traversed by the massive Vltava River, a symbol of Prague.
After taking enough pictures, I put my phone away.
Then, placing my hands on the railing, I took a deep breath.
"Wow."
A spontaneous exclamation escaped me at the refreshing breeze seeping in.
People weren't saying 'Prague, Prague' for nothing.
'It's really pretty. Grand and majestic.'
I had kept putting it off and never came.
I'm glad I declared a strike and came.
Well, it wasn't really a strike; I officially said I was going on vacation, but anyway.
"Excuse me…"
Tourists who had hesitantly approached carefully opened their mouths.
"I'm really sorry to bother you during your trip… but could you give us an autograph? We're huge fans!"
"Of course!"
After that, more people flocked, and I carefully signed autographs for each one.
As I was taking pictures and waving goodbye.
Ding!
A text message arrived.
"Huh?"
I couldn't help but question the sender.
Lee Gang-san, a Hunter affiliated with the Player Hunter Agency.
We got along well and chatted whenever we met, but we had never exchanged personal messages.
Besides, Lee Gang-san, the epitome of laziness, wasn't the type for that anyway.
Tilting my head, I opened the message.
"...What is this?"
My face hardened.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
----------
T/N:
Just for being a free member, you'll get 5 advanced chapters every week!
Access 35 chapters in advance on my Patreon:[email protected]//towerup