Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Simultaneous Incidents (12)
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Kang Ha-neul had been kidnapped. Possibly as much as two days ago.
Of course, they had to go rescue her right away. But in a cruel twist of fate, Min Chae-ryeong currently had no subordinates she could deploy for Kang Ha-neul's rescue.
They did have Ji Ye-won, but with no idea how many enemies there were, charging into the enemy base with just the two of them would be suicide.
So, what should I do in this situation?
It seemed like there was no way out at first glance, but after some thought, I arrived at a surprisingly simple conclusion.
Min Chae-ryeong had no one she could use? Then I just had to call in my own personal connections.
"...Thanks for coming on such short notice."
And so, right now.
In a midsize sedan speeding down the highway (borrowed from Min Chae-ryeong), Ryu Tae-hyun—who had rushed over upon hearing about Kang Ha-neul's kidnapping—sat in the passenger seat right next to me.
"No problem. Ha-neul got kidnapped, right? Of course I had to come running."
As his words suggested, it had been incredibly easy to bring Ryu Tae-hyun into this. He was a natural-born protagonist and hero from the story. There was no way he'd back out when a classmate from the same class had been taken by a gang of villains.
"You already know where Ha-neul is, right?"
"Yeah."
"Did you report it to the police...?"
"No. There are circumstances."
"I see."
Ryu Tae-hyun didn't pry any further. When I glanced over at him, he smirked and said,
"Nah, I figured as much."
"Figured what?"
"Ha-neul's had a lot going on since the start of the semester. She tried to drop out but changed her mind, got attacked by some weirdos..."
"Yeah, that's true."
"And back then, she kinda seemed... off? Like she didn't quite fit in. So I thought, yeah, she's definitely got some secret she can't tell anyone about."
Ryu Tae-hyun flashed a grin, showing off the protagonist's keen insight.
'Ha-neul seemed off...'
I might have chalked it up to her personality before, but things were different now. There was a chance Kang Ha-neul was a possessor like me.
Who could blend right in and laugh along with the characters after suddenly ending up in a novel world? Her dropout fiasco at the start of the semester was probably the same deal.
'So dropping out to become a streamer was her way of straying from the original plot? Bold or reckless... not sure which.'
Unlike me, who'd possessed a character that didn't even exist, she'd ended up in a minor villain role. To survive, staying low and avoiding the main cast as much as possible was probably her best bet.
All assuming she really was a possessor, of course.
"But hyung, you sure get tangled up with Ha-neul a lot."
That's when Ryu Tae-hyun propped his chin on the passenger window frame and spoke up.
"You saved her from those thugs the first time, counseled her when she wanted to drop out, rescued her in the double dungeon, and now this. You're jumping right into a situation where we can't even call the cops like it's no big deal."
"...And?"
"Just wondering what you two are to each other. Is it this?"
Ryu Tae-hyun held up his pinky finger with a sly grin. I could only turn away awkwardly with a wry smile at the playful gesture.
'What are Ha-neul and I...'
I'd promised to figure that out before seeing Ji Ye-won again, but before I could, this mess happened.
"So? Are you two dating?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet? So soon...?"
"Not sure about that either. There's, uh, various circumstances."
"I heard you two even went on dates. What circumstances could there be...? Wait, no way."
Ryu Tae-hyun eyed me suspiciously. Soon, his signature mischievous smile spread across his face.
"Popular guys have it rough, huh? I get it."
"...Why are you talking like you know everything?"
"It's obvious just looking at you. Got confessions from a bunch of girls at once and you're torn between them, right?"
"... "
Not quite on the mark... but pretty damn close. Impressive protagonist insight. Still, deducing that with zero info seemed impossible.
Which meant...
"...Did Ha-neul tell you something?"
"The girl next door works at that restaurant you took her to on your date? And you drank at her place? Oh, and she asked for kinda relationship advice a few times. Said it was about a friend, but it was obviously her."
"I see..."
I couldn't just be happy about that. My head was a mess. My feelings for Kang Ha-neul were complicated, and so was the situation with her kidnapped. It was driving me insane.
"Anyway, hyung. Don't worry too much."
Ryu Tae-hyun said to me as I scowled and gripped the wheel.
"Ha-neul's probably fine. Those kidnappers want something from her, or they wouldn't have taken her, right?"
"... "
"Plus, who's sitting next to you right now? Year 1 Greenhouse Academy Hunter Division ranking number one! Top candidate for A-rank promotion next quarter! That's me, Ryu Tae-hyun. I took down a Dawn Legion exec—handling some kidnappers will be a breeze."
Ryu Tae-hyun joked with exaggerated flair. I could sense the consideration woven into his antics. He was trying to lighten my load since I'd been so grim.
"Ryu Tae-hyun."
"Yeah, hyung?"
"Thanks. For real."
"Heh. Good, as long as you get it."
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he flashed a cheeky V-sign with a grin. His smile finally eased my expression into a chuckle.
"No brother's as good as me, right, hyung?"
"Yeah. No one like you."
"For real? Then can I drop the formal speech?"
"Go ahead."
"Sweet."
Even though I'd given permission, he went quiet after that. I had nothing more to say either, so I focused on driving in silence.
The lively chatter from moments ago felt like a lie in the heavy quiet.
But my heart felt just a tiny bit lighter than before.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
On the way to the Uijeongbu factory where Kang Ha-neul was held. Midway.
I arrived at the rendezvous point with Ji Ye-won and waved to her from afar. As I approached, she gave an awkward smile.
"Ye-won."
"Yeah."
"You been okay?"
An excruciatingly awkward question. Was this the time? But it slipped out anyway.
"Eh, hanging in there. You?"
"Same..."
"Feels like forever... but not really."
"...Yeah."
I'd thought we wouldn't see each other for a while after parting. Who'd have guessed it'd be just a week?
Ji Ye-won and I fumbled through the awkward reunion. But maybe I'd missed her more than I realized, having her right there next door all the time. Seeing her now, a warm gladness welled up despite the situation.
"Still, nice to see you like this."
Ji Ye-won seemed to feel the same; a faint smile played on her lips. Then she gasped as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. That guy got here a bit ago too."
I peered behind her. A woman who had been watching us approached slowly.
"A-hyeon."
"Yes, Ahn Su-ho."
Seol A-hyeon bowed slightly in return to my nod.
Black Dragon Guild Master. Leader of the Black Dragon Guild, Seol A-hyeon.
She was another personal connection I'd called in, just like Ryu Tae-hyun. Technically, we weren't quite at "connection" level yet, but I could summon an S-rank guild master in the dead of night thanks to the "lie" I'd planted with her before.
Seol A-hyeon was a regressor. And she believed I was a regressor from the future too.
That made things simple. Tell her rescuing Kang Ha-neul would prevent a horrific future disaster—that it was crucial—and she'd drop everything to help. And it wasn't entirely a lie; Na Ju-yong was a persistent villain through the late story, so stopping his plans did avert disaster.
"Before we move, we should probably introduce ourselves first."
The three strangers exchanged quick glances at my words. Ryu Tae-hyun, top of the friendliness charts, spoke first.
"Hello, noonas! Ryu Tae-hyun, first-year Greenhouse Academy Hunter Division! Superhuman rank B+, superpower is body enhancement! Su-ho hyung and I are tight bros! Friends with Ha-neul too, the one we're rescuing! Nice to meet you!"
He shouted energetically like a freshman greeting upperclassmen, then bowed at 90 degrees. Ji Ye-won and Seol A-hyeon exchanged awkward glances, flustered.
"...Ji Ye-won. Personal acquaintance of Ahn Su-ho's, know the kidnapped Kang Ha-neul too. Superhuman rank around low C, superpower is this."
Kaduk! A purple blade sprouted from Ji Ye-won's palm. Seol A-hyeon nodded slightly and continued.
"You probably don't need mine, but since everyone's doing it... I'm Seol A-hyeon, Black Dragon Guild Master. Superhuman rank S. Superpower is foresight. Su-ho and I... uh, have a solid personal relationship? Anyway, we're on good terms."
She glanced at me as if asking right?, her expression awkward. When our eyes met, her pupils trembled, and she quickly looked away.
Her ears looked a bit red.
"...Solid?"
Meanwhile, Ji Ye-won stared daggers at Seol A-hyeon, lips twitching like she wanted to ask something.
"Anyway, let's move."
But we didn't have time to indulge curiosities. We'd interrogated the Stephanie disguised as Kang Ha-neul—they'd know we were onto them any moment.
The four of us piled into my sedan and headed for Uijeongbu. Toward the textile factory warehouse on the slum borderline where Kang Ha-neul was held.
"Ahn Su-ho. Heo Seong-chan said to pass a message if I saw you."
While driving the dark road, Ji Ye-won spoke from the passenger seat.
"Oh yeah, you said you met him. What'd he say?"
"Yeah. Something about killing you next time he sees you."
"Ah."
Come to think of it, I'd heard similar back when we fought at Kang Ha-neul's place. Not much time had passed... but he was still holding a grudge.
Of course— I'd burst one of his eardrums.
As I recalled the fight with Heo Seong-chan, I quietly summoned my status window so no one else could see.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: D+* 💨 Agility: B+* ✨ Magic Power: C 💪 Stamina: D 🍀 Luck: B 🛡️ Endurance: C 1. Whisper of the Morning Star equipment effect applies + correction to Strength and Agility. Skills: 1. Academy Guard (Unique. D) 2. Frost Spirit Contract (Unique. E) Equipment: 1. Mana Absorption Talisman 2. Whisper of the Morning Star 3. Frost Spirit Emblem
Compared to when I fought Heo Seong-chan, there'd been some progress. Especially Agility, up a rank thanks to recent training—now on the cusp of A.
Still lacking compared to major characters, but I could hold my own.
With talismans and artifacts, I could even scrap with A-rankers momentarily. I'd even bested Han Gyeo-wol, who was A-rank equivalent.
'The problem is I've used up all my Whisper of the Morning Star stocks...'
Whisper of the Morning Star had 3 daily uses, resetting at midnight. It was just before 10 p.m., so over two hours until recharge.
ETA to the factory: around 10:40. Unless the fight dragged, no using it this time.
Even with Seol A-hyeon and Ryu Tae-hyun, not having my usual trump cards against tough foes bred unease.
"...We're here."
Our car finally pulled up—not at the target, but in an alley about 1km away.
"Isn't there farther to go? Why stop here?"
"This is it. We'll leave the car and hop rooftops to the factory."
"Rooftops...? Ah, CCTV?"
I nodded at Ji Ye-won's question. Exactly—to avoid road cams. Min Chae-ryeong's idea.
We parked in a public lot and headed to a pre-scouted rooftop. Ho-won-dong, on the slum edge, had low buildings close together—superhumans could manage.
"...Crap."
But even packed buildings had exceptions: main roads.
Leaping rooftops, I halted before a wide 6-lane road. The other three caught up.
"Su-ho, what's wrong?"
"Wider than I thought."
"Hm. Yeah, a bit."
She said that, but Seol A-hyeon could clear it easily. Ryu Tae-hyun too.
"Ye-won. Think you can make it?"
"With a run-up, maybe barely... Or not."
"Sorry. My bad. Looked jumpable on the map. Guess we detour..."
"N-no need to detour, right?"
Seol A-hyeon spoke hesitantly, glancing at me.
"M-me and Tae-hyun can jump it fine. We each carry one over?"
"You sure?"
"Yeah. N-not hard at all..."
If we could carry someone, no detour needed. Seol A-hyeon said she could, so what about Ryu Tae-hyun?
"Yeah, should be fine."
He replied awkwardly, dropping formal speech like in the car—but still adjusting.
"Good. Then if you would."
"Sure! Uh, I'll carry Su-ho...!"
"Huh? Why?"
Ji Ye-won gently blocked Seol A-hyeon as she awkwardly opened her arms.
"Why you carrying Su-ho? Shouldn't you take me, A-hyeon?"
"Huh? Well... I'm stronger than Tae-hyun, so I should take the heavier one... right?"
Sounded logical. Ryu Tae-hyun looked buffer, but Seol A-hyeon outclassed him in strength.
"...Ugh. B-but guy-girl stuff like that... Urgh."
But Ji Ye-won wasn't buying it. She knew it made sense but pursed her lips in dissatisfaction.
'...Does she hate me touching Seol A-hyeon?'
Silly reason to nitpick, but it fit her reluctance.
Really? In this rush?
"...Not wrong. Can't be helped. A-hyeon takes Su-ho."
Ji Ye-won conceded with a deflated tone. Seol A-hyeon clenched her fist, face a mix of smile and blush.
But then.
"Nah. Guys carry guys, girls carry girls? I'll take hyung."
"Eh?"
"What?"
"I can clear this with 200kg on my back no problem. C'mon, hyung."
"Uh? O-okay..."
Ryu Tae-hyun hoisted me piggyback confidently, backed up four or five steps on the railing, then exploded forward.
Thud! Boom!
Light jump. Light landing.
He crossed the gaping 6-lane gap like half-flying—with me on his back.
Down from his back, I looked across. Seol A-hyeon and Ji Ye-won gawked, mouths agape. Seol A-hyeon pouted disappointingly; Ji Ye-won secretly pumped her fist in triumph where Seol couldn't see.
Ryu Tae-hyun whispered slyly to me as he watched them.
"Hyung. Nailed it, right?"
"...Yeah. Good job."
"You have it rough, hyung. In every way."
His expression mixed pity and commiseration.