Chapter 11: A Peculiar Encounter

He was a handsome man, so striking that even the laborers paused in their work. His custom-tailored coat, draped over his broad shoulders, fit him perfectly, as if painted on.

He offered me a benevolent smile, which only heightened my tension. My instincts, honed over years of battle, screamed a warning not to be deceived. His neat suit, tie, and coat felt less like attire and more like a disguise, concealing his true nature.

“What a mess, what a complete mess…”

“Or a chaotic scene, then. In any case, this seems to be a Gate opening site, but where are all the Hunters? Why are there only laborers?”

The man had an associate with him. This individual also possessed a sturdy physique and a handsome face, yet their presence was utterly overshadowed by the man, much like baby’s breath flowers next to a vibrant hydrangea.

The associate surveyed their surroundings, then retrieved a piece of black fabric from within their clothes and handed it to the man. It was a mask. The man’s lips twisted into a smirk.

“Now?”

“We hardly expected you to step out so openly. Do you still recall that this visit is strictly unofficial?”

“Of course,”

The man let out a small laugh.

“I’m not the one who’ll have to clean up the mess.”

He ignored the mask, brushing past his associate. The associate, smiling sweetly, cursed him silently with their lips. As if by magic, the man instantly turned around.

“You bastard, you just cursed me, didn’t you?”

“Impossible.”

“I think you did.”

“I did not.”

The associate denied it with an impassive face. The man narrowed his eyes but didn’t press further, swiftly turning away.

Left behind, the associate once again mouthed a silent curse.

This time, I read it clearly: ‘That ghostly bastard.’ Just then, my eyes met those of the man who had put the mask back into his pocket. He offered a soft, kind smile, momentarily disorienting me.

‘Just who are these guys?’

As I remained frozen with an uncomprehending expression, the man simply grinned and shrugged.

“It’s really just laborers here. Did the Hunters just leave? Without even properly confirming if the monster was dead or alive?”

“Who would make such a foolish mistake? Not unless they wanted to end their Hunter career.”

“Foolish?”

“Saying ‘f*cking’ would hardly be dignified, would it?”

“You lunatic.”

For the first time, the associate’s expression turned serious.

“I’d rather not hear that from the boss, of all people.”

“My, my, quite a few people died.”

The man, completely ignoring him, scanned the entire area.

“That’s the problem with these rural towns. Everything is so shoddy. The Association’s system is shoddy, the Presidential Suite is shoddy…”

“If that room is shoddy, then my home must be a doghouse raised by a beggar.”

“…”

“Wait a minute. Why no answer there?”

Despite their ridiculous banter, the man’s associate was no less formidable. I could sense a strength in them that rivaled even Kratus’s closest retainers.

What business could such individuals possibly have here? As I watched them with wary eyes, I finally met the man’s gaze once more.

A sound of cracking echoed from somewhere.

It was an intensely peculiar sensation. It felt like being trapped inside a violently shaken snow globe, or perhaps cast into a torrential downpour pounding the earth. It was akin to the vivid sense of life I’d felt while gazing up at the violet sky during a meteor shower.

The man, grinning, approached and stood before me. He was close enough to touch. Utterly tense, I stiffened my body.

He gazed at me silently. It wasn’t a casual glance, but a penetrating stare that seemed to look right through me. My heart tightened in my chest.

Though it was impossible, I felt as if the scars hidden beneath my thick protective gear, and all their accompanying secrets, had been laid bare.

Observing my continuous flinches, the man offered a languid smile.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Three dead. One critically injured. Six lightly wounded.

The media unanimously declared it a favorable outcome for a scene where a C-rank monster had run rampant. The circumstances surrounding the incident were dismissed with a fleeting mention, then forgotten.

Collusion between the press and the Association was hardly new. It was especially prevalent in small cities like this, where power tended to stagnate.

All arrows of blame were directed at the Hunters who had neglected to properly inspect the site. They would likely find it difficult to continue their careers as Hunters in Baekdam.

There was a high probability they would soon apply to relocate to another city. While a large city would reject them, a small city of similar rank might accept them.

I only learned this after returning, but the concentration of Hunters in major cities is severe. Smaller cities are perpetually short on Hunters.

Having considered this much, I ceased to dwell on it further. My concern for unrelated strangers ended there.

“I knew Cheol-su had a scary face, but I never imagined it would work on a monster.”

“Ah, that’s because you didn’t properly see Cheol-su’s expression then. I was right in front of him, you see. It was so embarrassing I couldn’t say anything, but he almost wet himself.”

“…”

With so many people chattering in the confined space, my ears ached. The laborers’ behavior stemmed from their unease. People they knew had brutally burned to death before their very eyes—an experience none should ever endure.

Yet, the Association had fulfilled its duty by providing reasonable financial compensation. While that money could have been used for counseling, none of them were likely to spend it that way.

“Cheol-su, don’t just stand there, say something!”

“Yeah. We thought you couldn’t even talk all this time.”

The laborers felt a greater sense of relief from the questions about their injuries than from Spenta’s death itself.

Those who had been frozen in shock suddenly rushed forward. They attended to Foreman Park, aided the injured, and surrounded me. Questions of ‘Are you alright?’ poured in from all sides.

Even as I nodded repeatedly, assuring them I was fine, they didn’t believe me and began to pat me down. Startled by the unexpected touch of strangers, my single word, ‘I’m fine,’ proved to be the catalyst.

The laborers were more astonished than when Spenta had appeared. Questions erupted: ‘You can talk?’, ‘If you could, why did you act mute all this time?’, ‘Say something again!’, and so on.

The man who had killed Spenta rescued me from my predicament.

“The patient needs rest. I apologize, but could everyone please leave now?”

His words carried authority. The laborers, suddenly struck dumb, exchanged glances before nodding in understanding and moving en masse toward the door. The man’s associate, receiving a subtle nod, herded the laborers out like a Border Collie guiding sheep.

Click. The ivory door closed, and silence descended. Only he and I remained in the room. Sweat beaded on my neck. The chaotic moments just before had been preferable.

“Kim Cheol-su, was it?”

The man spoke to me. My body visibly flinched. Although he must have seen it, he simply curved his eyes into a smile, as if nothing had happened.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Sagyeol.”

He leaned back in his chair with an air of leisure. He seemed to be waiting for me to speak, but I remained silent. When no reaction came after a long wait, his gentle tone once again pricked at me.

“Why are you so wary? Did I do something? Hmm, as I recall, I only saved your life.”

Everything the man said was true. I conceded as I questioned myself internally. ‘Indeed. Why is that?’

“When someone speaks, you should look at them. Isn’t that basic courtesy?”

I snapped my head up. Our eyes met. My chest felt tight, an inexplicable tension constricting my heart.

My already impassive nature had become like high-purity steel since meeting Kratus. Never be swayed by what happens before my eyes, and even if shaken, never show it outwardly. These two principles were my survival guide and my motto.

Yet, within mere hours, two incidents had defied these principles. The first was blocking Park Myeong-seok’s path, and the second was my current excessive rigidity.

“You really are a man of few words.”

I lowered my head once more. It was still awkward. Even more so because I didn’t know why. What was it? What about him made me feel like a mouse before a cat?

“Alright, I understand. I won’t force you, so please lift your head. Anyone watching might think I’m tormenting you.”

“…”

“Hmm, alright. How about this?”

Sagyeol smiled like a child plotting mischief.

“You, even if I hadn’t stepped in, you could have handled that monstrous cub, couldn’t you?”

I reflexively lifted my head. I drew a sharp breath.

His face was right before me, I hadn’t even noticed him approach. He grasped my shoulder as I tried to pull back. It was a gentle yet unyielding strength that allowed no escape. My eyelids trembled as I stared at the man’s grin.

‘You’re mistaken,’ the answer swirled in my mouth, but before I could voice it, Sagyeol turned his head. His gaze landed on a small cabinet where clothes and work uniforms were stored.

“What did you intend to use that for?”

I bit my lip.

When Spenta had fallen, and confusion and fear still lingered, when no one else was paying attention to the dead monster, I had quietly approached and stabbed its chest with a utility knife.

Sagyeol leisurely continued.

“A confirmation kill? Indeed, some monsters occasionally move even after their brains have been destroyed.”

I had almost reflexively pocketed the cub’s magic stone. After that, the laborers, belatedly snapping out of their shock, had rushed towards me in alarm. Could he possibly have seen that?

Just as my wariness threatened to morph into faint hostility, he skillfully adjusted his pace.

“I’m merely curious, not trying to interrogate you. What’s the big deal about pocketing a single magic stone? You must have your reasons for misrepresenting your rank. Isn’t that how this world is? Everyone lives with at least one untold story.”

“…I didn’t misrepresent my rank.”

I hesitated before speaking. Seemingly satisfied to have elicited a response from me for the first time, the man ceased his pressure, stepped back, and smiled.

“Your voice. It’s sexy.”

“…”

“Is it so sexy that you keep it hidden from others?”

‘He’s insane.’

My expression hardened, and I tensed up again. He watched me intently, then let out a laugh.

“I’m joking. If you make such a serious face, I’ll feel awkward.”

As I tensed further and hunched my shoulders, the man’s eyes narrowed. Whatever he was thinking, he pulled a chair right up to the side of my bed. Then, with an excited voice, he began to chatter to himself, occasionally flashing an eye-smile.