The Problem Child
Inside a meeting room at the Blast Guild headquarters, Yunjae sat across from Anton, his face deadpan and utterly serious. "What do you call it when Pooh falls from a tree?"
Anton stared back at him, his eyes trembling with a mixture of dread and confusion. "Kung Fu!" Yunjae supplied brightly.
Anton snapped, his temper flaring. "You punk! Did you think just because I'm an old guy, I'd actually like that kind of garbage?!"
"Ah! I really thought you would!" At the Russian man's outburst, Yunjae slumped, wearing a thoroughly dejected expression.
"I'm sorry, Anton. I was just trying to break the ice..."
"If you want to get closer, I've told you a hundred times we should just grab a vodka!"
"But I need my personal time, too..."
"And yet you're the one asking me to go hiking with you every single weekend?"
"Ah! That is strictly for team bonding!"
When standing before the public, he exuded the overwhelming aura of a supreme powerhouse, but when they were alone like this, he was no different from his usual clumsy, naive self. He strictly maintained formal honorifics in public, but in private, one-on-one settings, he was incredibly easygoing, never getting angry no matter what was said to him.
"I really don't know what to make of you..." Was it because of that gap? Though Yunjae was hard to pin down, Anton let out a soft chuckle. He realized that this side of Yunjae—showing the same genuine, unpretentious self to everyone—was likely his true face.
"I'm just an office assistant, after all. Anyway, Anton, how has life been treating you lately?"
"What are you trying to get at?" Anton asked. At that, Yunjae looked a bit troubled. When he suddenly became quite serious and hesitated to speak, Anton spoke up first. "Is it because of Ileyna?"
"...Yes," Yunjae replied, nodding solemnly. Anton looked away, staring blankly at the wall. "Not good, not bad. Same as usual."
It was a curt response, but it was a far cry from Anton's usual gruff confidence. Sensing the clear emotional pain hidden in his eyes, Yunjae took a deep breath. "I heard she's in very bad shape."
"And?" Anton's voice hardened. "Pardon?" "What does that have to do with you? Why are you bringing this up now?"
It was his daughter battling a brain tumor, so it was only natural for Anton to react defensively. At his slightly agitated tone, Yunjae calmly shook his head.
"I didn't mean to provoke you, Anton. If I offended you, I apologize. I'm truly sorry!" Yunjae bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the desk, leaving Anton completely speechless.
"I figured the reason you couldn't participate in public activities was actually because of Ileyna."
"It has nothing to do with that. I will faithfully fulfill my contract from now on, so don't worry about it."
"If it's alright with you... I'd like to cure her."
Anton froze. "What?" Did he hear this Slender Forearms kid correctly? "Cure Ileyna?"
Anton stared at Yunjae, his mind racing. Come to think of it, hadn't this kid completely healed Gyojin's horrific wounds after their brief clash?
"Is... is that really possible?" A parent would throw away their very soul if it meant saving their child. When Anton, who rarely showed any outward emotion, shouted in sheer, desperate excitement, Yunjae gave a gentle, reassuring nod.
"Yes. I've mastered the Priest class as well, after all."
"I saw you use recovery magic before. But can that really cure a brain tumor? An actual illness?"
"I haven't tried it on an illness yet, but it's definitely possible. Recovery is a spell that cures all status ailments, after all."
"Without even needing surgery...?" At that, Yunjae slowly nodded. "Ah! I can even resurrect the dead, you know?" If he could bring back the deceased, how could mere cancer cells possibly withstand his magic?
"I beg of you! Please!" Anton choked out, grabbing Yunjae's hands. Seeing the stoic, burly Russian man on the verge of tears, Yunjae offered a warm, gentle smile.
"Of course. If you have the time, I can go and cure her right away."
"Thank you so much! Truly, thank you!"
Anton was one of the most active hunters in the Blast Guild. His loyalty was high and his reputation was stellar, but he strangely avoided public-facing promotional events. While wondering what the cause could be, Mari had looked into his family records and uncovered the truth: Anton's daughter, Ileyna Chekhov, had been hospitalized long-term.
Ever since the Portal Incident, the medical system had been in shambles. Most medical facilities had been destroyed, completely upending the healthcare infrastructure. As a result, hospital bills had skyrocketed to astronomical heights. Even an S-class ability user who earned as much as Anton found the financial burden of long-term hospitalization to be a massive strain.
In the end, Anton had hoped to cure his daughter using advanced nano-machines, but the price of such technology was far too high to afford while simultaneously paying for her ongoing hospital care. That was why he avoided public events and spent every spare moment hunting to save up money. Upon learning this, Yunjae, in his typical, soft-hearted fashion, had decided to cure Ileyna himself.
"If only Ileyna gets well, I swear I would gladly give you my life!"
"No, Anton. Even if it weren't you, it's only natural to help someone in need. So please don't worry about that." Seeing Yunjae chuckle so warmly, Anton looked deeply moved all over again.
"Instead, once Ileyna is fully cured, please look out for people in similar situations as you, just once. That will be more than enough."
"Why..." Anton murmured. Even amidst his overwhelming gratitude and emotion, he couldn't help but feel a profound sense of confusion. "Why do you not want any reward or compensation?"
In truth, Yunjae's presence was still a subject of fierce debate within the Blast Guild. No one could understand why someone with his god-like abilities was content working as a mere office assistant. If he wanted to, he could easily become the richest man in Korea—or even the world—and rise to the absolute pinnacle of power. Perhaps he lived like this because he knew he could achieve those things whenever he wanted? That was the prevailing theory, but talking to him today, Anton realized it wasn't that at all.
"You don't need a reward or compensation just for doing what your heart wants to do, do you?"
At those words, Anton stared at Yunjae as if he had been struck over the head. "But if you use your power to help others, it's only natural to receive a corresponding..."
"It's not because someone made me do it, but simply because I wanted to do it."
At that moment, Anton realized. This kid in front of him wasn't just acting relaxed because of his overwhelming power; his way of thinking was fundamentally different from his own and the other guild members'. He had no interest in wealth or status. What he cared about was genuine human connection. He was a being who could generously bestow all the goodwill he possessed on those around him, without expecting a single thing in return.
"...I feel ashamed," Anton muttered. For the first time in a long time, he felt a deep sense of shame. In a world rife with distrust, greed, and deceit, how long had it been since he had seen someone help others with such pure, unadulterated goodwill? And to think this came from an incredibly powerful being. Yet, the other hunters had whispered behind his back and mocked him, calling him a freak they couldn't understand. Even without the matter of Ileyna, Anton would have felt deeply ashamed of his own cynicism.
"That's not true. Everyone is different, after all." Yunjae shook his head, dismissing the notion that there was anything to be ashamed of.
"Anyway..." "Yes," Anton replied, hanging on his every word. Ready to do absolutely anything to save his daughter, he listened with utmost gravity. Yunjae leaned in and whispered with equal seriousness, "What do you call a ballad singer who slips and falls backward?" Anton blinked. "Ballad-ang!"
Anton snapped. "I told you I don't like those stupid jokes!"
"Ah! I'll think of something more creative next time!"
"Don't bother! They aren't funny at all!" But even as Anton shouted, a genuine laugh escaped his lips. In that brief moment, the distance between the two men shrunk just a little.
Knock, knock! "Yunjae!" Mari urgently knocked on the meeting room door.
"Mari?" Seeing her flushed face gesturing frantically for him to come out, it seemed like a matter of extreme urgency. Did something happen? As Yunjae tilted his head in confusion, Anton spoke up.
"I'll sort out our schedule soon and let you know, so go on ahead." "Ah, yes!" Yunjae stood up and hurried out of the room.
"Mari, what's wrong?" Before he could even finish his question, Mari grabbed him by the shoulders, staring straight into his eyes. "We found the ability user who was active at the Hwagok Portal."
"Ah!" Yunjae's eyes widened in surprise. "Has their identity been revealed?" Mari nodded, her gaze never wavering. "A photo was uploaded online." She pulled a printed sheet of paper from her coat.
"Ah!" The moment Yunjae saw the image, he gasped, visibly shaken. "Th-this is..." Seeing his flustered state, Mari's gaze grew even more intense. "Why on earth is she here?" Yunjae's pupils trembled. "...I don't really know either."
Mari stared at him for a long moment. "Well..." Realizing that Yunjae was likely just as clueless as she was, she crossed her arms with a sigh. "Why on earth would the mastermind behind all this help people?"
Indeed. The person captured in the photo attached to the Hwagok Portal review was someone they had never expected to see there. Although the image was blurry due to her high-speed movement, the icy-blue hair and the distinct black-and-white outfit were an exact match for what they had witnessed that day.
"It's definitely her, right?" Mari asked, wanting to be absolutely sure. Yunjae nodded slowly. "Yes. It's the same person we saw back then."
Watching Yunjae stare so intently at the photo, Mari felt a strange, prickling sensation in her chest. "What on earth is her deal?" In truth, the mystery of that day remained completely unsolved. A mysterious man had suddenly appeared to attack Yunjae, only for this enigmatic, blue-haired girl—the supposed mastermind—to save him.
"But I knew it. My gut feeling was right—she really is a good person," Yunjae murmured, looking genuinely pleased that his intuition had been validated. Seeing the warm, soft smile playing on his lips, Mari felt a sudden pang of jealousy and blurted out, "Is she a good person just because she showed you her panties?"
"Ye... No!" "If it's yes, say yes! What on earth is 'Ye-no' supposed to mean?!" "Ah! That was a trap! That's playing dirty, Mari!"
Seeing Yunjae completely flustered, having never expected her to strike with such a low blow in the middle of a serious conversation, Mari let out a soft chuckle. "Anyway, there are too many unanswered questions. I feel like we won't get any real answers until that perverted goddess shows her face again."
The biggest mysteries right now were the identities of the blue-haired girl and the man who had attacked them that day. The assailant had used the exact same skills as Yunjae, and judging by the context of his crazed rants, they strongly suspected he was a former Hero. But why a former Hero would try to assassinate Yunjae was something they couldn't begin to fathom.
"What are you so curious about?" At the sound of a familiar, breezy voice, Mari shrugged. "Well, obviously we want to know—*Eek!*" Trying to answer casually, Mari shrieked in terror as she spun around to find the peerless, platinum-blonde beauty, Lupinus, standing right behind them.
"Ah! Lady Lupinus! When did you get here?!" "Y-you scared the life out of me! You crazy, perverted goddess, seriously!" Seeing Mari trembling with her hair practically standing on end from shock, Lupinus—who was currently dressed in a sleek office lady uniform—let out a melodious laugh and elegantly swept her hair back.
"I came to deliver a special costume reward for our darling Yunjae! A slightly more... disheveled look, perhaps?" Lupinus purred, casually popping open the top button of her blouse.
"Ah!" Yunjae squeaked, his face flushing crimson as if his deepest, secret desires had just been targeted. Mari, incensed, yelled even louder. "I asked how you got in here in the first place!"
"I figured you two would have sorted out your thoughts by now!" At Lupinus's shamelessly confident reply, Yunjae chuckled and nodded. "Yes! I've sorted out my thoughts completely!"
"But there are still a few things we can't make heads or tails of," Mari added, stepping in to show her the printed photo captured at the Hwagok Portal.
"Ah..." The moment she saw the image, the playful smile instantly vanished from Lupinus's face, replaced by a profound, heavy sorrow. "This is..." Seeing the goddess look as if she might burst into tears at any moment, Mari flinched.
"It's not just this girl," Mari said, pressing on. She had to tell her, since Lupinus was the only one who held the keys to all these mysteries. "We also ran into a weird guy who used the exact same skills as Yunjae. He kept muttering about things being 'cancerous' or whatever..."
"If he was complaining about things being 'cancerous'... then you've finally run into the problem child," Lupinus murmured, letting out a heavy sigh. A deep, dark shadow of worry fell over her face, completely at odds with her peerless, radiant beauty.
"A problem child?" "His name is Domian," Lupinus explained quietly. "He was the Hero chosen right before you."
Yunjae's eyes widened. "Ah! To think Domian would actually appear!" More than anything, he seemed utterly shocked by the linguistic progression—that after Demian and Damion, a literal "Domian" had actually shown up.
"Huh? Is *that* what you're surprised by? Not the fact that he's a former Hero?" Lupinus asked, looking thoroughly bewildered. Ignoring her confusion, Mari pressed on