The Cornerstone of the Future
I couldn't be certain that both the Management Agency and the Association were involved in a single hypothesis. Still, everything I'd experienced so far and my instincts told me they were. 'Anyway, I have to take the promotion test. Maybe I should casually ask Maeng Seong-yong about it? Hmm... No. That's still too dangerous.'
We were still far too weak to take aggressive action, and we didn't know our enemies well enough. Just how strong did we need to become? It felt like even after surpassing Jo Giman, another formidable foe would be waiting. An endless battle. That was the kind of fight we had thrown ourselves into. 'Let's put the Management Agency and the Association on hold for now.'
I organized my thoughts about the Evolution Water organization. If I took their claims at face value... 'The cornerstone to prevent the future's destruction...''The Chairman, expected to be stronger than an S-grade hunter.''A substance that lets non-awakened people use abilities, even temporarily.'
I had witnessed the world falling apart in my previous life, but who in this timeline would act with the firm conviction that the current world was doomed? Combining all these elements, I tried to build one coherent hypothesis. '...They're preparing non-awakened people so they can respond to something that will happen in the future... Is that too much of a stretch?'
When I recalled the hazy memories from my past life, the Orc Legion Commander's invasion showed that the heaviest casualties weren't among the awakened who fought back. It was the non-awakened who suffered catastrophic losses because they couldn't respond properly to the gates that erupted simultaneously. What if they could at least run away faster, like by equipping a Rune of Swiftness?
'The cornerstone to prevent humanity's destruction...'
Assuming the hypothesis was correct, I turned my thoughts to this Chairman. '...... It has to be one of two things. Either the Chairman is also a regressor who lived through the future, or he possesses future sight.'
It wasn't an absurd assumption, since I myself was a regressor. The possibility seemed high enough that preparing for it was the right move. 'It couldn't be that the Chairman is Jo Giman, could it?'
His behavior patterns were quite different, but I couldn't completely rule it out. A regressor or someone with precognitive abilities. '...It might actually be better if he's a regressor.'
Given how badly the future had already been twisted into a completely different path, dealing with another regressor would probably be easier for us to handle. However. 'If he has the ability to see the future, the story changes. That would be incredibly exhausting to face.'
If someone could see through the constantly shifting future with perfect clarity... 'Then did the Chairman fail to see me infiltrating the building?'
I had no idea what price the Evolution Water I stole would fetch, but I'd taken well over a thousand bottles. Even at a hundred million per bottle, that exceeded a hundred billion. The real value was surely much higher... From what they'd said, other branches seemed to hold supplies as well. At least ten branches. 'A business worth trillions... Yet the blow I dealt today should still be significant. The fact that there's been no response... It really does point to a regressor.'
As I stroked my chin, lost in thought, Yeonhee sat cross-legged on the bed with her eyes closed, fine-tuning something. 'She must be examining her new abilities. She's studying them more seriously than usual.'
She had experienced a situation where someone was driven to death because of her. It would be strange if she didn't change after that. Some time later, Yeonhee opened her eyes and began fiddling with her phone again. It seemed she'd made up her mind.
"The call isn't connecting. What should I do...? It must be because it's the weekend."
'Rather than contacting them, it would be better to...'
Through Lan, I suggested reaching out to Kang Yeonsu instead. 'Kang Yeonsu has her own independent forces, and she has no reason to tell Jo Giman.'
"Ah... W-would that be okay? I don't want to burden her."
Yeonhee's hesitation was starting to frustrate me, so I grabbed her finger and began pressing the screen myself.
"Ahh—ah—W-wait—don't. Aish, seriously."
Since Yeonhee's call history was limited, it didn't take long to scroll through her recent calls and find Kang Yeonsu.
"Hing..."
Riiing— The ringtone finally sounded. Yeonhee shot me a pouty look for a moment before Kang Yeonsu answered and the conversation began.
"Ah, hello. Yes, yes—it's not like that..."
Yeonhee explained about the organization producing Evolution Water. The moment Kang Yeonsu heard it, she expressed clear anger and said she would rush over immediately. Even though Yeonhee hadn't given any detailed explanation of how she'd ended up here or how she'd gotten tangled with such a group, Kang Yeonsu believed her without question and came running. It was both touching and a little pitiful. 'Yeonsu... You really were bored on the weekend, weren't you?'
Her slightly excited tone revealed her current mood. For the record, Kang Yeonsu had no one to meet on weekends. Her guild connections were wide, but they were purely business relationships. The number of people she could truly call friends was small enough to count on one hand. 'That's why I used to call her often back then too.'
After I began investigating behind Jo Giman's back, I turned down her invitations, but before that we had met quite frequently on weekends.
"Yes, yes, but you're not planning to come alone, right, sis?"
"Of course I'm coming alone. Waking up the kids at this hour on the weekend would be a total nuisance. The younger generation is so sensitive about that stuff—they'd report it to the Management Agency and cause a huge scene. You wouldn't know about that, would you, Yeonhee? Sigh—I really went running the moment my seniors called when I was younger. Kids these days are seriously—"
"Uh—yes, yes. Th-that's true. Yes."
Kang Yeonsu's sudden rant left Yeonhee flustered. But the fierce sound of wind whipping past suggested she was already racing this way.
"Uh—sis? The signal's really bad. Yes! I can't hear you well!"
Running faster than an airplane, there was no way the call would stay clear. 'A truly precious person is gracing us with her presence.'
Things had progressed so suddenly that even after hanging up, Yeonhee wore an expression that said she wasn't sure this was okay. 'Looks like I won't be able to use Mimicry today.'
After the call with Kang Yeonsu, Yeonhee had become visibly anxious. I laid her down on my lap and stroked her hair, silently urging her to calm down. She stayed quiet beneath my touch for a while before whispering.
"Haa... Ilwol. You know... I acted like a complete idiot today. It was so hard knowing Jinhyuk-ssi ended up like that because of me. I just..."
'I know. You were trying your best.'
It must have been an incredibly long day. She was clearly mentally exhausted. And the day wasn't even over yet. Once Kang Yeonsu arrived, we would head straight to that building, and no one could predict what would happen then. 'If there's still no preemptive response this time, the Chairman who created the Evolution Water organization is most likely a regressor.'
But if that S-grade I saw inside the building was waiting for us, I needed to steel myself too.
Ssk, ssk— Yeonhee had been tense at first about Kang Yeonsu coming, but the knowledge that there would be nothing to fear once she arrived eventually loosened her nerves. She drifted off to sleep.
'Kang Yeonsu...'
Excluding god-like hunters positioned in the divine realm such as Jo Giman and Hyeon Jung-gil, she was undoubtedly one of the strongest in the country. 'Once she gets here, S-grade or not, it'll be over. The only thing that worries me is whoever stands above her. If he truly has future sight, then probably...'
I had barely finished piecing together my own scenario when Kang Yeonsu entered our room.
"Whoa!! Wh-what? Who are you?! You've gotten insanely handsome?!"
Yeonhee had been sound asleep when I opened the hotel door, but Kang Yeonsu's excited outburst at my changed appearance woke her right up.
"Uung? Huk! S-sis. Look at me, losing my mind like this."
Yeonhee jumped up from the bed in surprise and greeted her.
"Yes, my cute little Yeonhee. Have you been well?"
"Yes, sis. I accidentally fell asleep."
"It's fine. But why has this guy gotten so good-looking? I almost didn't recognize him. At first glance now, you wouldn't even know he's a summon, would you?"
"Hehe—R-right?"
Kang Yeonsu scanned me from head to toe, licking her lips. 'Ugh... Scary.'
She wasn't harboring any ill intentions—she was simply looking—but it still sent goosebumps across my entire body. It must have been because she had already shifted into a battle-ready mindset.
She soon turned her gaze away from me and began speaking with Yeonhee in earnest. She must have had many questions. 'Kang Yeonsu... The woman who sacrificed herself trying to save me in my previous life.'
The last thing I had seen was her running toward me to save me, so I would never know what happened afterward. But I suspected she had met an end similar to mine. The woman who had given her life to pull me from death's grasp, and the woman who had run to save me without hesitation. Being in the same room with both versions of her gave me a strangely poignant feeling.
"Ah, seriously. Look at my hair."
"Eh? It's fine! Sis, you look beautiful."
"Really?"
'She somehow kept her hairstyle perfect.' It was impressive that her hair remained undisturbed despite running fast enough to make her eyebrows flutter.
"Let's look at the item first while you tell me the story."
"H-here."
Pop— The moment she received the bottle of Evolution Water, Kang Yeonsu opened the lid and inhaled its scent.
"Hmm—definitely. It carries a strange energy. Ah, can you give me the rough version of events again?"
"W-well—"
We told her we had been ambushed without warning by mysterious hunters, luckily subdued them, and found this in their possession. Sensing something suspicious, we traced their movements backward, discovered the building, and sent a summon to infiltrate and learn what they were doing inside.
"I see. This... is a scent I've smelled several times before. This is without a doubt related to Evolution Stones. The aroma is quite faint, but my nose can't be fooled."
Although she had asked for the full story, Kang Yeonsu didn't seem particularly interested in the slightly distorted tale we presented. Sniff, sniff— She was the type who trusted only her own senses when making judgments.
"Still, your summon is incredibly talented. Infiltrating the building—was that Ilwol?"
"Yes? Uh, um, that is..."
"Hehe, you don't have to answer. I can already tell. Anyway. What do you want to do? Going together would be valuable experience, but you'll need to be prepared."
Kang Yeonsu asked with a rare serious expression. It must have been concerning to bring mid-tier hunters like us to a clash between S-grades.
"Ah... Yes. We would like to go together."
"Really? I don't mind. But remember one thing. Once I enter combat and some time passes, I won't be able to look after my comrades. You'll see what I mean soon enough. You have to protect yourself, got it?"
"Ah, of course!"
"Well, I'm sure your friend here will handle himself just fine."
'Tsk... I thought I'd hidden it well. Guess not.' It seemed Kang Yeonsu had easily sensed my elevated rank.
"Hmm—a skeleton soldier capable of infiltration... I almost want to keep him by my side and observe."
"Yes? Uh... No. Ilwol can't..."
"Hehe, I'm just saying. This guy."
"Yes, yes."
Beads of sweat had formed on Yeonhee's forehead. Kang Yeonsu might be sly and calculating, but she wasn't a bad person by nature. Even so, the aura radiating from someone who had far surpassed the S-grade framework was enough to make anyone tense.