Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Grounds of Distrust (1)
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The night before, what Sa-yoon had said to Geon-ju about making him run gates until he puked wasn't just empty talk. He'd actually scheduled it so they could head into a gate right after lunch, and Jong-sik had scouted one with a decent difficulty level.
C-Rank Gate "The Grounds of Distrust."
As an upper-tier C-Rank gate, it was perfect for testing Geon-ju's abilities.
Geon-ju, who had only recently graduated from beginner status, had probably never tackled anything higher than E-Rank. Jong-sik and the intel team members had voiced concerns about dragging him straight into a C-Rank, but Sa-yoon ignored them and pushed ahead. He'd already conceded a step in his previous talk with Jong-sik.
If he couldn't handle even that much, there was no point in grooming him for S-Rank.
Of course, it would be tough. Brutally so. But growing step-by-step like everyone else meant even talented people couldn't stand out. Plants that sprouted in barren soil grew stronger, after all.
That's why he'd insisted on S-Rank gates.
Among the Night Rat members, a few had caught Sa-yoon's eye right after beginner phase and jumped straight to C-Rank assaults. Every one of them had risen to executive level within three years.
Geon-ju, with his overwhelmingly superior talent, would grow even more if thrown into an S-Rank. Sa-yoon had solid proof of that conviction.
He himself had been the one to conquer an S-Rank as his first gate after beginner status.
Not even the world's top Awakeners, flying high and mighty, had shown such dominance from the start. Only Sa-yoon had rolled through an S-Rank gate, emerged with a massive rank-up, and made his mark. Starting ahead of the pack naturally put him dozens of steps further along ever since.
Sa-yoon took a certain pride in that fact.
"The thrill of getting stronger precisely because it's harder than what others face... but the kids always chicken out."
He'd died a few times, sure, but the rewards after all that suffering were satisfying. Sa-yoon clicked his tongue thinking of his guild members who cherished their lives. High risk, high return wasn't a saying for nothing.
Muttering complaints, Sa-yoon stepped inside and checked the bed. Geon-ju was sleeping innocently, like a boy oblivious to the world. Without his usual relaxed smile or vibe, his expressionless face looked far more boyish than when awake. He still had that teenage charm for his age.
Sa-yoon glanced at the clock and pondered how to wake him. He didn't want to start the morning yelling, so he let Frost's energy seep into the room.
The brutal chill he'd harvested from a glacial gate slowly spread from his body, dropping the room's temperature.
1 degree.
2 degrees.
3 degrees.
The cold dispersed rapidly, plummeting the temperature. Even Sa-yoon, who barely felt chill, found it a bit brisk.
Crack.
Soon, a sharp cracking sound echoed from where Sa-yoon stood. The floor began to freeze bit by bit. Around then, Geon-ju's lips turned blue.
"...Ugh."
He groaned in his sleep and pulled the blanket higher with a hand. Sa-yoon amped up the skill as he instinctively curled up.
Can't let it freeze his heart.
He had no idea how far a B-Rank like Geon-ju could endure. Better if he woke before any accidents.
Fortunately, Geon-ju seemed to sense Sa-yoon's intent. Moments later, he groaned and opened his eyes. Strong survival instincts kicking in, maybe.
"What the... why's it so cold..."
Whoa. Geon-ju trailed off, spotting Sa-yoon by his bed, and his face twisted in confusion. His voice, fresh from sleep, sounded even nicer than yesterday.
Sa-yoon waved casually, meeting his startled gaze.
"Morning, pretty boy."
"...?"
"Sleep well?"
Geon-ju scanned the room at the gentle question. He frowned, sensing the disconnect between the situation and Sa-yoon's tone.
"...What the hell is this?"
"Situation where I put in some effort to wake you."
"...Can't you just wake me normally?"
"Wasn't that normal?"
"This?"
Anyone would think you came to assassinate me.
Geon-ju grumbled as he swung his feet down from the bed in the ice-rimed room. The chill raced up his bare soles, making him shiver.
"Freezing my ass off..."
A dissatisfied mutter reached his ears. Suddenly uneasy, Sa-yoon quickly pulled up the quest window to check the relationship tab.
Fuck, for real.
The caution he'd barely shaken off was back. It had even shoved out the mildly positive interest to take its place.
What a fickle bastard.
Stick to one emotion and push it through, why keep flipping back and forth? Had he done anything harmful? Just made the bed a bit cold. Way simpler and more dignified than shaking him awake yelling.
Feeling wronged, Sa-yoon opened his mouth to protest, then shut it. Asking why the sudden caution would just breed more suspicion.
What a picky son of a bitch.
No doubt, he was the hardest person Sa-yoon had ever dealt with. He rarely catered to anyone as it was, and with Geon-ju's personality still a mystery, it felt like groping in the dark. Might as well wear a blindfold.
"Wasn't trying to kill you, pretty boy."
"I know. You'd have done it already if you were. So, what, here to threaten me?"
"Nah."
"Then what?"
"Taking you into a gate."
"Huh?"
"What's with the 'huh'? Told you yesterday we'd be hitting a gate."
"...Oh."
Geon-ju paused, recalling, and let out a small exclamation. Sounded more like a sigh, though.
"You were serious. And this damn early?"
"Sun's high in the sky already. Early my ass."
"I just woke up."
The shameless retort made the guy sit up in bed. Sa-yoon sprawled on the remaining bed like it was his, sending Geon-ju to the bathroom. Told him to wash up and come out, and suddenly Geon-ju turned back with realization dawning.
"Wait, my stuff isn't here."
"Our guys dropped it off this morning. No worries. You're a lone bachelor anyway—no one at home to fret over."
He glanced at the presumed luggage the guild members had left on their way by. Geon-ju followed his gaze and scowled.
"You ransacked my place and personal info already?"
"Perks of an intel guild."
Geon-ju's eyes sharpened with caution at the grinning reply. He stared like he had words, then shook his head once and unpacked the guild-delivered bags.
Rummaging briefly, Geon-ju grabbed clothes and headed to the bathroom. Sa-yoon rubbed his head against the fluffy pillow and stared at the ceiling.
After ten minutes of lounging, boredom hit. Scanning the room Geon-ju had stayed in just a day yielded nothing new. Bored, he summoned the status window. The blue panel he'd checked before unfurled endlessly again.
His gaze lingered there. Lying still, Sa-yoon summoned the quest window moments later.
[Quest – Second Step Toward Activation]
[Sub-Quest – Abundant Gate Owner]
[Sub-Quest – Bloodied Achievements]
[Daily Quest – Evil as Habit]
[Weekly Quest – Noble Interrogation]
[Weekly Quest...]
...
...
[Proof – 180th Step Toward True Evil of Humanity]
Even scrolling down six times didn't reach the end of the quest list. One entry stood out with its vivid, glowing border.
Proof.
When he'd first gotten the True Evil of Humanity quest, it was labeled a test. After completing the tenth, the category shifted to Proof.
Sa-yoon took a deep breath and opened the quest he'd forcibly ignored for a week.
180th Step Toward True Evil of Humanity
'Slay a high-rank Awakener to lower Earth's salvation odds.'
📍 Condition: Check World Awakener Association rankings and kill one in the top 100
🎁 Reward: 1,000 Karma
⚠️ Failure: Rank Down S → A+
⏰ Time Remaining: 108 days 18 hours
Sa-yoon still remembered the system message crystal clear when that directive first arrived.
A week ago, that blatant mockery had popped up when he'd been neglecting other tasks hunting for a trait holder. And it slapped a rank-down risk on failure—the first time ever for a risk like that.
That was why he hadn't touched this quest in a week.
Even after ten years, that message proved he was still the system's puppet. Recognizing it himself was unpleasant, a blow to his pride. Who were they to arbitrarily downgrade a rank he'd earned?
Intel suggested rank-down didn't just drop stats a grade—it tanked two main skills too.
For him, Frost and Murder Game were prime candidates. Screw up, and he'd have to overhaul years of combat habits. Still, Sa-yoon figured the system would issue a new quest before he adapted.
Bet it'd demand he reclaim S-Rank within a timeframe, invoking True Evil of Humanity, with a regression clause on failure back to the rank-down trigger.
That was the system's MO.
"So damn tiresome..."
Reflecting on his predicament made his head throb. He'd been enjoying banter with the prickly pretty boy moments ago, but now fatigue settled in. Sa-yoon eyed the closed bathroom door with narrowed gaze.
"The Resistor..."
To escape this life, he needed it fast. For that, Geon-ju had to grow quickly. Sa-yoon hurled the pillow under his head toward the bathroom.
His way of saying hurry up—no time to waste.
Maybe thinking of the system right before was bad luck. Or he threw too hard. Even a fluffy pillow hit with a bang like thunder. Startled even Sa-yoon.
Water sounds from the bathroom stopped. Moments later, the door cracked open, Geon-ju peeking out towel-wrapped and flustered.
"......"
Sa-yoon stayed silent. Geon-ju scanned around, spotted the pillow by the door.
"...Guild Leader threw this?"
More puzzled than suspicious. Instead of answering, Sa-yoon remarked on the fine weather. Geon-ju alternated glances between pillow and man, face crumpling soon after.
"No way... you threw this to make me hurry?"
"Light toss. Playing around."
"How hard do you play that the door shakes?"
Hard to argue. Sa-yoon muttered about the nice spring breeze outside. Geon-ju swept back his wet hair, scowling.
"What, anger issues or something...?"
"Harsh words."
We've only known each other days, and he's already rude. Sharing drinks must've skewed his manners. Should've drilled some discipline at the villa, Sa-yoon grumbled inwardly. Geon-ju sighed, shut the door. A mutter leaked out loud enough: "Is he actually insane?"
"I can hear you, pretty boy!"
Raising his voice quieted the bathroom. Or so he thought—soon a tiny chant: "Actually a psycho."
Sa-yoon could've yelled again or chucked another pillow. But hearing that, he did nothing.
For someone who'd spun 360 degrees to play normal, it was irrefutably true.