Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Night of the Welcome Party (2)
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“How long do I have to keep up this ‘good relationship’ nonsense?”
“Until you reach S-rank.”
“But you’re already S-rank, Hyungnim?”
“If you thought that far, why couldn’t you think a little further, Jong-sik? Who do you think will reach S-rank first?”
“...No way, that Geon-ju guy?”
“Yeah.”
Jong-sik’s mouth fell open at the straightforward affirmation.
“S-rank? Isn’t he B-rank?”
“His status window makes him look like the type who could pull it off. His trait is Supreme Under Heaven, after all. Nothing seems out of reach for him.”
“Still, S-rank? That’s not just any dog’s name. Your system is something else...”
Jong-sik trailed off, glancing at Sa-yoon’s expression. Sa-yoon didn’t mind people badmouthing his system. He sprawled on the sofa and let out a wide yawn.
Lately, the aftereffects of the Eye of the Prodigy skill had been leaving him fatigued more often.
It only causes pain, my ass. What a con artist.
His mistake had been taking the system’s warning at face value.
“I’ve been thinking about it. No matter how good our relationship gets, if Geon-ju doesn’t reach S-rank, it’s a problem.”
“Got any ideas?”
“What ideas? I’ll just have to stick to him like glue.”
“With Geon-ju?”
“Yeah. Fastest way, right?”
For nearly three months, he hadn’t entered a gate unless it was a mandatory quest enforced by the system for finding a trait holder. No battles, just daily skill grinding until he passed out. His body’s senses had inevitably dulled.
He needed to grind some gates just to sharpen them back up. And since he had to go anyway, bringing his pretty boy along would help him grow too.
Sa-yoon smirked, having planned to push him to S-rank in the shortest time possible to activate The Resistor. He was enjoying the schedule he’d mapped out—one that would have other guild members saying he’d grind until he dropped dead.
A presence was detected 50 meters away.
He’d spoken lightly about it, but only Jong-sik knew he was being coerced by the system’s quests. Unless they were alone, he couldn’t talk carelessly about it anywhere. Sa-yoon straightened up from his sloppy sprawl on the sofa.
An unknown figure was approaching. Attackers or guild members? It was prime time for the welcome party, so both Sa-yoon and Jong-sik narrowed their eyes.
Knock knock.
A knock sounded. Sa-yoon exchanged a glance with Jong-sik and called out, “Yeah?” It meant come in, but the person lingered outside the door. Feeling puzzled, Sa-yoon said directly, “Come in.” Only then did the door click open.
“...You really were here.”
How long had it even been since they met, and his voice already felt familiar? It was the kind of smooth, even tone hard to forget. Sa-yoon stared at the black-haired young man. It was Geon-ju.
“How’d you know to come here?”
“Some others told me.”
“Isn’t the welcome party in full swing right now?”
“You’re not there, Guild Leader.”
“...?”
“The guy who kidnapped me shows up to drag me here, but then he’s MIA at the welcome party. Felt weird.”
The words carried a subtle sting. What the hell happened at the party for him to come back bristling like this after just a short absence?
When he’d told Geon-ju to rest after arriving at the guild, he’d nodded obediently and left. Now, though he wore a faint smile, his displeasure was obvious. Sa-yoon checked the quest window, but the relationship entry showed no real change.
As Sa-yoon puzzled over it, Geon-ju’s eyes flicked to Jong-sik on the sofa, then back to Sa-yoon across from him. His gaze lingered on Sa-yoon’s disheveled clothes from handling paperwork in anger earlier, and he let out a low chuckle.
“Not joining the welcome party?”
“Not a fan of the noise.”
Strictly speaking, it was closer to not wanting to see his guild members. Half of them he’d recruited himself because they were competent, but they only looked good in small doses. Grouped together, the screw-loose weirdos were downright bizarre.
The Night Rats had more than their share who were obsessively fixated on him, plus guys with strange tastes. Some got excited when ignored or despised and begged to be beaten just short of death. He had no desire to sit with a crowd like that.
He could curse and kick them out any other time, but not with Geon-ju watching.
They were the type where work ethic inversely correlated with normal thinking.
Suddenly, Sa-yoon worried if Geon-ju would be safe in that madhouse. Recalling one guild member who’d follow him to the ends of the earth just for a glance at his face, he eyed the man before him closely.
Come to think of it, Geon-ju was flashier-looking than him. Those delicately upturned lashes could easily stimulate deviants.
“With a face that could sell a country.”
“Pardon?”
“Oh, did I say that out loud? Eh, take it as a compliment.”
His monologue habit must’ve slipped out again. Jong-sik had caught on to his system situation because of it too. Sa-yoon touched his mouth.
He’d meant to fix it someday, but five years had passed with just the intention. It happened so often a skill wouldn’t be surprising. Brushing it off casually, he waved his hand. Geon-ju, who’d been scanning him intently, slightly curved the corner of his eye.
With black hair and black eyes, he should’ve had a plain, neat image, but Geon-ju’s sharp, vivid features gave him a bright, radiant vibe. When such a beauty smiled, it carried a subtly seductive air.
This guy looks like he’s actually sold himself before.
As that thought crossed his mind, Geon-ju spoke up.
“You seem to like my face.”
His voice was surprisingly gentle and amiable. They said praise could make even a whale dance, and here was the pitch-black leopard-like Geon-ju smiling at a compliment on his looks.
His eyes curved deeply, like he was seducing him.
It wasn’t overthinking— it matched the sly smiles his guild members gave when hitting on the opposite sex.
Even though he was a guy.
He didn’t recall seeing “gay” in the report.
It said he’d only had female lovers and partners. Wondering if he was imagining things, Sa-yoon tilted his head and gave a criminal-guild-worthy assessment.
“Pretty and talented types help with scams.”
“That’s it?”
“What else? If there’s something specific you wanna hear, spit it out.”
Whatever his pretty boy wanted, he’d say it. Staring as if he’d indulge any request, Sa-yoon watched Geon-ju fall silent. The smile around his eyes had vanished.
Pondering if he’d picked the wrong option while searching for where the smile went, Sa-yoon noted the time had passed and nodded toward the door.
“If not, beat it. It’s not an everyday welcome party, so go enjoy more. No matter how much I favor you, a newbie barging into the guild leader’s office will stir backlash. Sneak out when no one’s looking. Crash here after you’re done partying.”
“Here?”
“Precisely, the dorms on the second floor. That lounge you napped in earlier isn’t for long stays. The guys will tell you after the party—follow and crash there.”
The building had dedicated guild member dorms. Floors two through five were all lodging, enough for over a hundred people.
“Do I get my own room?”
“Probably. Why, scared to be alone?”
Want me to bunk with you?
Jong-sik flinched behind him at the teasing remark. Wondering why he’d react to words meant for Geon-ju, Sa-yoon glanced at the ambiguously expressive man. After a pause, he replied a beat late.
“Not that. I just prefer sleeping alone.”
“Few stick around overnight, so you’ll be solo. If any drunks stumble into your room, name-drop me to shoo them off. Now go.”
The break had stretched long enough. Time to work. Waving him off, Sa-yoon suddenly recalled something and grabbed the departing Geon-ju.
“Oh yeah, pretty boy. Party hard, but don’t drink so much you can’t get up tomorrow.”
“Worried about me?”
“Maybe I am.”
“Why?”
“You’re hitting gates with me starting tomorrow.”
“Gates?”
Geon-ju blinked at the abrupt mention. Sa-yoon curled his lips into the perfect villainous grin.
“Yeah, gates. We’ll grind till you puke, so no hangover worries.”
Typically, advancing one rank took half a year. That was for F to E; higher ranks demanded even more time.
By averages from past cases, Geon-ju would need at least three years to hit A-rank. Five if longer, or ten if unlucky—but his status window suggested otherwise.
Even the fastest was three years.
A-rank’s efficiency and rarity made it worth investing in, but Sa-yoon didn’t have three years to wait.
His goal wasn’t A-rank, but S-rank. How could he wait?
So, just three months.
Gate grinding raised ranks eventually, and brutal training forced stats up. He knew from experience. Higher-grade gates yielded better efficiency, so a harsh method could aim for a month.
Flashing the fox-like grin Jong-sik always nagged about, Sa-yoon asked how it sounded. Geon-ju nodded with a thoroughly reluctant expression.
Sa-yoon caught his lashes trembling faintly as he muttered thanks. A chill ran down his spine, and he opened the quest window.
‘Current relationship: Distrust and caution, slight interest’
Sa-yoon’s pupils shook briefly, like Geon-ju’s lashes.
The positive “interest” had downgraded to “slight interest,” and new “distrust” appeared. Stunned by the sharp shift, Sa-yoon turned to stare at the departing Geon-ju. He shut the door with a noisy bang.
Fuck, I said I’d raise you up—what’s the problem?
The curse slipped out naturally.