Chapter 39: Universe

The price for breaking curfew was unexpectedly high.

I tried to plead with them, saying I was late because of a request, but it was no use.

First, according to our family rules, I was banned from the internet for a day.

As for Haim, well, since she likes exercising so much, maybe she was banned from going to the gym?

I lay in bed, lost in thought.

‘What should I do?’

I had taken two consecutive days of unplanned broadcast breaks.

For now, I had put up an urgent announcement, so I could only hope the viewers would understand.

Ding-a-ling~!

“……?”

My charging phone suddenly rang.

The caller was none other than Rona.

As soon as I answered, Rona’s voice came from the other side of the phone.

-It’s Unnie, right?

“Why?”

-It’s nothing special, but about that request I asked you to come to the guild for before. I was thinking of just setting a date.

‘Setting a date?’

To set a date already, it seems it’s more urgent than I thought.

-When is convenient for you?

“Today?”

-…Haha, Unnie, stop joking.

“I’m serious?”

-…….

I still had some broadcast breaks left, but I had to save the last remaining one for the unforeseen future.

Meeting now was much better.

-…I’ll get you access this afternoon. Please come with Haim.

“Okay.”

I hung up the phone right away.

After a few minutes, I suddenly felt something strange.

‘With Haim?’

***

The building that stretched so high it seemed to touch the clouds displayed its beautiful appearance.

Admiration automatically came out.

“Wow… are all guilds like this?”

“No way, it’s because it’s Haeyeon Guild.”

Haeyeon, the number one conglomerate in Korea, its status was truly beyond imagination, to the extent that even foreigners who didn’t know the country of Korea knew the name Haeyeon.

The Chairman with a challenging spirit, and children who are all exceptionally skilled in their respective fields.

Thanks to them, Korea was able to rise again even from monster attacks.

It was no exaggeration to say that Korea was able to rise again because of Haeyeon.

I glared at Haim, who works as a freelancer.

“Why aren’t you joining a guild like this?”

How great would it be to join a guild like Rona?

But Haim started to retort.

“Sorry, but joining a guild isn’t always a good thing.”

“There are so many restrictions.”

Most basically, if you belong to a guild, you are called a hunter and move for profit.

Naturally, you had to give up on ethical aspects.

That didn’t suit her.

It suited her aptitude better to help people by taking various requests.

“Let’s go in quickly. Rona is waiting.”

“Okay, well, it’s your life, you’ll figure it out.”

I shrugged and walked towards the guild with Haim.

The automatic door opened, and we first stopped by the information desk.

“Hello. Rona called and we’re here.”

“Rona-ssi?”

“What’s your name?”

“Lee Seonga.”

When I said Rona’s name, the staff seemed surprised, and after checking, they sent a look of suspicion.

“Excuse me, but that name is not on the list?”

“Huh?” It’s not there?

My face turned bright red for a moment and my whole body felt hot.

Surely it was a joke…

“Please check under Lee Haim.”

“Yes.”

“……?”

Haim suddenly interrupted.

Using her name would be useless anyway.

I was invited, but it’s under someone else’s name, the well-mannered Rona wouldn’t do something that rude…

“Confirmed. Are you A-class Awakened One Lee Haim-nim?”

“…….”

“Yes, here is your Awakened One certification.”

“Yes, it has been confirmed. You can go up the elevator, but, please wait a moment.”

The staff took out a signing paper from under the desk.

The cold expression from earlier quickly disappeared, and she had the face of a girl in love for the first time.

“…Um, I’m a fan, could you sign this?”

“……?”

Fan?

No, more importantly, why is the signing paper under the desk?

“Ah, you’re a fan, thank you! I’ll sign it right away!”

“……?”

Suddenly, a signature?

No, more importantly, why did a signing paper appear from under the information desk?

“I’m really a fan! How can you appear every time someone is in danger? The news is always about Haim-ssi!”

“Haha, thank you. It seems my desire to help people has been helpful.”

After the conversation, we got on the elevator.

Haim just kept looking at her phone as if nothing was happening.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked.

“What was that just now?”

“Huh? What?”

“I mean the signing. Do you appear on the news and stuff?”

“The reporters just film whatever they want.”

Based on the conversation earlier, it seemed Haim went wherever monsters appeared, even if she didn’t receive a request.

In the end, I came to one conclusion.

“Are you perhaps using media play to aim for S-class?”

Haim made a displeased expression at my question.

“…Sigh, you really have a twisted mindset.”

“How can you interpret it like that?”

“It’s not?”

“Of course not! I just can’t stand by and watch people get hurt, so I go!”

“…….”

I couldn’t understand.

How can you help someone you’ve never met?

‘Well, maybe it’s not that hard to understand.’

Considering her personality of being nosy, she wouldn’t just secretly watch if someone was in danger, she would jump in, so it’s not strange.

“Okay, well, be careful, and if you get into trouble, I don’t know anything.”

“I’ll handle it myself, so mind your own business.”

-9th floor.

-The door is opening.

The elevator we were talking in had already reached the 9th floor.

As expected of a large corporation, the interior was clean, which I liked.

“Unnie!”

Rona ran towards us from afar.

She embarrassed me and is coming now?

As expected, Rona started apologizing as soon as she arrived.

“Sorry. I should have come to meet you, but I was too busy…”

“No, more importantly, how did the reservation name end up as this kid’s?”

To be honest, my pride was hurt.

It was this bich’s name, not mine, the one who’s scared.

Rona awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

“It’s because I thought if I invited you under Unnie’s name, the Guild Leader Unnie would definitely investigate…”

“…Is that so?”

Seonga’s expression brightened for a moment.

Fortunately, it seems I’m not lagging behind Haim.

“But is this the research lab?”

Beyond the transparent glass wall, men and women in white coats were researching something.

“Yes, please take a look at this.”

“……?”

Rona suddenly held out a bright yellow amber.

And inside it, a tiny piece of flesh was embedded.

“Yes. It’s the Lizard you sealed, Unnie.”

I held the amber up to the sunlight coming through the window.

The piece of flesh wriggled slightly.

“It’s moving a little?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s a complete monster.”

How is it moving inside there?

I turned my head and looked at Rona.

“You called me to solve this?”

“Yes, the researchers said that it will break the amber and resurrect in at least a month. So we tried to eliminate the piece of flesh one by one in this state, but…”

Rona trailed off.

They tried, but it all came to nothing.

The amber didn’t melt at temperatures over 1,200°C of magma, and it didn’t react at all even in absolute zero.

But it was okay.

Because there was only one hope before her.

“It could really resurrect like this! If it becomes like New York…!”

“Hmm, sorry, but I don’t have a method either.”

“Huh?”

The sole hope disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Haim next to me also looked flustered.

“No, you really don’t?”

“Normally, creatures in this amber cannot move because time is stopped.”

The secret art I used was not just a simple seal, but a secret art that sealed time.

Unless the user released the secret art, it could never move or grow.

“It’s moving?”

“That’s why I said it’s a monster.”

The fortune-teller who defeated the Demon Lord said it was a monster.

The weight of those words was by no means light.

This crazy Lizard bich was even now evolving to move within stopped time.

Rona’s face instantly turned pale.

“W-What should we do?

-I-Is there really a method…”

“No, there is a method.”

At my answer, both their gazes focused on me.

Haim made a look as if I was joking.

“Are you kidding me?”

“I’m serious.”

“You said there was no method earlier…”

“That’s a method I can’t do, but Haeyeon Guild can.”

“……?”

Rona tilted her head.

Unnie can’t do it, so how can Haeyeon Guild?

“It’s simple. Send it into space.”

“……!”

Space.

It was one of the places humanity had not completely conquered and was an unknown space.

And it was also a place where once you wandered in, you could never get out.

Perhaps if the Lizard was sent into space, it would break out of the amber a month later and wander in space, adapting to it.

Well, it wasn’t completely killing it, but I could expel it from Earth.

“Are there any countries launching rockets or satellites within a month?”

“Um… I haven’t checked, but there probably are.”

“That’s good.”

“Ask them.”

Who would refuse Haeyeon Guild’s request?

“It’s over now, right? Then I’ll be going.”

“Ah, yes.”

Rona felt deflated.

Was it this simple?

Just as I was heading for the elevator, the elevator door suddenly opened with an announcement sound.

As the door opened, my eyes met with a middle-aged woman.

Who…

“Guild Leader Unnie?”

“……!”

I was surprised for a moment at the word ‘Guild Leader’.

Is this person the Haeyeon Guild Leader?

“Hello.”

I bowed 90 degrees at the waist and greeted her respectfully.

The Guild Leader seemed quite surprised by the unfamiliar face.

“Rona, who is this person?”

“Ah, she’s Haim’s Unnie.”

“She came for a tour with Haim this time.”

A lie naturally came out of Rona’s mouth.

“Ah, is that so?”

Kim Mihyang passed me by as if it were nothing and went to Haim.

“Long time no see. Nice to see you.”

“Yes, you too…”

Unlike usual, Lee Haim was completely huddled up like a mouse facing a lion.

“Are you interested in the guild?”

“Haha, a little…”

“Okay, if you want to join the guild, contact us anytime, the door is always open for talented people like you.”

“Yes!”

Lee Haim answered quickly and grabbed my arm, entering the elevator.

And after confirming the door was closed, she relaxed.

“Whew, I thought I was going to die…”

“Are you that scared?”

“Of course!”

“She’s an S-class, one of only 8 in the country!”

Moreover, she was the eldest daughter of the Haeyeon Group Chairman.

It was impossible not to be scared.

However, the most frightening thing was something else.

“She’s even scarier because she resembles Mom!”

“Ah, I admit that.”

I only saw her for a moment, but she greatly resembled Lady Kim.

It was a pity.

If I had a little more time, I could have even read her face.