Chapter 76
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Transition
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―You can travel even longer distances.
"Really? For today, let's organize the coordinates Han Seung-woo gave me first, check how far I can go, and head back."
―Understood.
"How's Keres doing?"
―She seems busy these days.
"Besides guarding the lake, does she do anything else?"
Janyeong seemed to choose her words carefully for a moment.
―Lady Keres is... what humans would call a low-ranking priestess.
"Low-ranking priestess?"
―She's at the very end of the line for the Lords' purposes. That's why she gets involved directly in various matters.
"She's the new recruit, huh? That's unexpected. I thought she just dumped everything on you and watched the news herself."
―I used to handle it before, but now I have to stay by your side, little master. So Lady Keres is handling things personally.
"She's got more loyalty than I thought."
While clearing the low- and mid-level gates around the A-rank gate with Janyeong, a message arrived from an unfamiliar person.
Ding.
[Park Jin-woon (E): Hello! This is Weapon Shop No. 1 at Yongsan Lounge. We have S-rank materials you requested earlier. Please visit at your convenience.]
"Looks like more materials came out from an S-rank gate. That leaves just two. It'd be faster if I could tackle the S-rank with Janyeong."
―It's not difficult.
"The problem is Han Seung-woo. That guy's got too many worries."
Lee Ru-ri grumbled to Janyeong as she replied to the weapon shop staff that she'd visit soon.
"Alright, shall we start clearing the A-ranks now?"
Looking over the file Han Seung-woo sent again, there were six A-rank gates in total.
"A-ranks should give random skills too, right? Since B-ranks did."
―If the Nameless Ones have anything, I'll let you know.
"Thanks. Now I can't even remember how I cleared gates without you."
While clearing all six gates with Janyeong, she unfortunately didn't acquire any new skills.
"Best to avoid Han Seung-woo's nagging, so let's call it here for today. Janyeong, can you give me the coordinates for the farthest place I can reach from here?"
Janyeong pondered for a moment.
―330649, 1261606. It's the boundary between land and sea.
Lee Ru-ri visualized the coordinates Janyeong gave her and activated the skill.
"Teleport."
Lee Ru-ri and Janyeong arrived on an unfamiliar island in an instant.
"Where's this?"
She looked around to check her current location.
"Oh!"
What caught her eye was a stone marker reading 'Southernmost Point of the Republic of Korea'.
"It's Marado Island."
―If you train your mana and bond with many contractors, little master, there will be no place you can't go.
"Will that day really come?"
―I believe it's not far off.
"Thanks. Anyway, the scenery here is amazing."
Lee Ru-ri took in the sea breeze leisurely on the quiet Marado Island for the first time in a while, then returned to her room, leaving her regrets behind.
A few days later.
While frantically clearing low- and mid-level gates across the country with Janyeong, a message arrived.
Ding.
"Who's this?"
[Yang Jeong-hyun (A): Ru-ri, you're out conquering gates? Wrap up and come back. We have a guest.]
"A guest."
Lee Ru-ri teleported back to her room.
She roughly placed the loot on the table and hurried to Yang Jeong-hyun's lab.
"Teacher."
"What? Weren't you out conquering?"
"I hurried back. Who's the guest?"
"Even if you rushed, I just saw your clearance signature from Gapyeong a few minutes ago when I sent the message?"
"Actually..."
Lee Ru-ri hesitated for a moment, then teleported to the farthest corner from the entrance of Yang Jeong-hyun's lab.
"Wh-what's this?!"
Yang Jeong-hyun jumped in surprise at what had just happened and froze.
"I happened to find a way to teleport using mana."
"My god..."
Yang Jeong-hyun stared blankly at Lee Ru-ri, then continued.
"Right, yeah. We agreed not to think of what you can do in the old framework. So cancel my surprise. Who knows about this being possible?"
"Seung-woo doesn't know yet. I haven't told him since I'm still testing various functions."
"Okay. If possible, could you let me analyze the mana flow during teleportation?"
"Can I just teleport onto that platform here?"
"That'd be perfect!"
Lee Ru-ri quietly asked Janyeong for the coordinates on the platform, then teleported there as instructed.
Yang Jeong-hyun checked the monitor intently.
"How is it?"
"It's dark mana, so the pattern isn't readable. Hmm, nothing we can do."
"Too bad. But you said a guest came..."
"Oh, they dragged me to the conference room for a bit."
"Dragged? Who?"
"Seung-woo quietly took the guest there. Curious? Let's go."
Yang Jeong-hyun led Lee Ru-ri to the conference room where Han Seung-woo and the guest were.
As they neared the small conference room, voices could be heard.
"Still, this is too reckless."
"No choice. It could become irreversible if we're not careful."
"What?"
Yang Jeong-hyun asked as she entered first.
"You're here. Ru-ri too. This is..."
"Hello."
"Hello, I'm Lee Ru-ri."
"Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, but you said this is my guest... who are you?"
"Guest might not be the right word."
"Pardon?"
"I'm Kim Jong-cheol, Director of the Hunter Surveillance Bureau."
The man named Kim Jong-cheol introduced his position and offered a handshake to Lee Ru-ri.
When hunters commit crimes, they're imprisoned in the Hunter Surveillance Bureau.
Hunter criminals have far superior physical abilities compared to regular criminals.
They also have the special trait of being able to use mana.
Thus, regular prisons couldn't hold them.
They adopted a method using super-large mana stones to control gate entrances, creating special spaces that suppress mana.
Hunter criminals are held in these special spaces.
"Why would the Director of the Hunter Surveillance Bureau come to see me...?"
"There's someone who wants to meet you, Miss Lee."
Han Seung-woo interrupted the director.
"Nothing's decided yet."
Lee Ru-ri lightly grabbed Han Seung-woo's arm and asked the director.
"Who wants to meet me?"
"Special detainee Choi Tae-san."
"Special detainee?"
Han Seung-woo answered instead.
"Someone whose surveillance level exceeds Class 1."
"But why me...?"
Kim Jong-cheol stared at Lee Ru-ri for a moment before continuing.
"It was like that then, but the situation's changed a bit now."
"Why?"
"He's the one who attempted to assassinate Chairman Han."
"Why would someone like that want to see me...?"
"Choi Tae-san was nearing the end of his sentence. But Chairman Han blocked it this time. And now, the man who hadn't spoken until then claims the assassination attempt on Chairman Han was to protect you, Miss Lee."
"What? He tried to kill Chairman Han to protect me?"
"Please meet Choi Tae-san, even just to verify."
The long-dormant whirlpool was stirring up again.
Yang Jeong-hyun patted the confused Lee Ru-ri's back, while Han Seung-woo watched her with worried eyes.
"But your conversation sounded completely different. Don't hide it—tell me."
Lee Ru-ri spoke firmly, and Han Seung-woo hesitated.
"Actually..."
As Han Seung-woo trailed off, Kim Jong-cheol continued.
"I'll explain. In truth, the Surveillance Bureau has been under Chairman Han's influence until now. But with Vice Chairman Han Seung-woo submitting evidence of crimes by Chairman Han and former Vice Chairman, Chairman Han is in a bind. Amid this, with special detainee Choi Tae-san's release date approaching—a man who still poses a major threat to his safety—Chairman Han made a desperate move. That move involves a tip about a connection between Choi Tae-san and Miss Lee."
"A tip?"
"That under Choi Tae-san's orders, Miss Lee hacked the hunter system and raked in a fortune."
"Haha?"
Yang Jeong-hyun let out a disbelieving chuckle midway through.
Kim Jong-cheol seemed to ponder briefly before continuing.
"An investigation started immediately after the tip came in. So we need to clarify the relationship between Choi Tae-san and Miss Lee to find a way out for you. That's why I came urgently."
"How can I trust you?"
"You can trust that."
"Why?"
"Director Kim Jong-cheol is..."
Baek Eun-an, passing by the conference room, spotted Kim Jong-cheol and snapped sharply.
"Why are you here?"
"Honey."
"Why are you here, I said?"
"I have business with Ru-ri. You're here too."
"That's why I'm asking why you have business with Ru-ri and what for."
"Auntie! Calm down for a sec!"
Lee Ru-ri grabbed Baek Eun-an's hand.
Watching them, Kim Jong-cheol continued.
"So that rumor was true."
"Yes."
At Han Seung-woo's reply, Kim Jong-cheol looked at Baek Eun-an and said.
"Ru-ri really is your niece."
Han Seung-woo added an explanation for the still-confused Lee Ru-ri.
"Ru-ri, Kim Jong-cheol is Baek Eun-an's ex-husband and your uncle by marriage."
"Uncle...?"
"Ex now. Vice Chairman, explain. What's the exact situation?"
"Ah, Professor Baek. Do you know anything about special detainee Choi Tae-san?"
"Choi Tae-san..."
"You know something?"
"No, nothing. But why bring up Choi Tae-san suddenly?"
"He wants to meet Ru-ri. Chairman Han linked him and Ru-ri with a tip. Said she hacked the system to make money."
"Ha..."
"Everyone knows all the profits Ru-ri donates to Light Guild are from her abilities... but to outsiders, it looks suspicious."
"Should I reduce my clearance count a bit?"
"No. That might look even stranger."
Kim Jong-cheol interjected suddenly.
"The important thing now is whether Miss Lee is willing to meet Choi Tae-san."
"I'll meet him."
"Ru-ri! No!"
"Auntie?"
Baek Eun-an flailed in panic at Lee Ru-ri's answer, trying to dissuade her.
Kim Jong-cheol asked Baek Eun-an.
"Honey, be honest. There's something, right?"
"Nothing to tell you."
"Come on. This isn't the time for old feelings?"
"You, when I was going crazy looking for Ru-ri, what did you say? If I'm gonna live like a lunatic chasing a kid that doesn't exist, get out. Even if I brought the kid back, you said you couldn't raise it. Now you talk about old feelings? The situation? Hilarious. Vice Chairman, I know some things, but I don't want to talk to this man."
Han Seung-woo took Kim Jong-cheol out to sort things.
Lee Ru-ri quietly held Baek Eun-an's hand tightly until the excited woman calmed down.
"Ru-ri."
"Yes, Auntie. If you say not to meet, I won't."
"Sigh... Choi Tae-san... he's your uncle's foster father."
"Foster father...?"
"Your grandfather."
"Grandfather?"
At the unexpected words, Lee Ru-ri shot up and shouted.
"Your uncle grew up alone without parents. But Choi Tae-san supported him for a long time. He kept proposing adoption, but your uncle refused vehemently, saying it'd make him too reliant and shameless. Then you were born, Ru-ri. Just as he decided to become a foster father late, your uncle..."
"Ah... But why can't I meet him?"
"Choi Tae-san is a greater danger to you than Han Ho."
Han Seung-woo, having persuaded and sent Kim Jong-cheol away, returned and asked.
"A danger?"
"Yes... Choi Tae-san believes your uncle died because of you, Ru-ri."