Chapter 150: Reality (26)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: Reality (26)
Im Hye-rin, Im Hwa-yeon’s mother.
I studied her intently. Her demeanor alone told me everything.
The Halcyon Guild had a different, true master.
Officially, the bear of a man standing beside her seemed to be serving as the interim guild master.
I let my eyes slowly trail over her body.
…As expected of Im Hwa-yeon’s mom. She’s fucking hot.
Flowing red hair, smooth skin, and a powerful charisma veiled beneath a haughty expression.
She possessed both feminine charm and an overwhelming aura—exactly my type.
I’d rather not do anything to stand out in the real world, but…
As if sensing my gaze, Im Hye-rin raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at me.
"What do you find so amusing?"
"You’re far younger and more beautiful than I imagined, Mother."
A meaningful smile played on her lips.
"Thank you for the compliment. But ‘Mother’… hmm."
Im Hye-rin glanced back and forth between me and Im Hwa-yeon, her eyes narrowing with interest.
"Our Hwa-yeon seems to have good taste in men. What a relief."
"Ugh… It’s not like that!"
Im Hwa-yeon’s face flushed red as she waved her hands dismissively.
Just then, a low, rough voice suddenly cut in.
"No way! I’m dead set against her dating a guy like that!"
The man with a bear-like face scowled, raising his voice as he glared at me.
His sudden outburst was so absurd that I let out a snort of laughter.
"Dad! I told you, it’s not like that!" Im Hwa-yeon shouted, her face beet red, but her father’s eyes were filled with the murderous intent of a man who would kill anyone who touched his daughter.
"I don’t know who you are, but if you so much as lay a finger on Hwa-yeon, I’ll snap you in half."
I scoffed internally at the ridiculous warning.
…What is this now?
I stared at him with a look of disbelief. He just huffed and glared right back.
At that moment, Im Hye-rin sighed as if exhausted.
"You need to be quiet. Hwa-yeon is twenty years old; she can date whomever she wants."
"But some scrawny-looking guy who appeared out of nowhere isn’t good enough for Hwa-yeon!"
In response, Im Hye-rin looked at my face and said, "He’s not bad in terms of looks or ability, is he?"
Her words made his face turn an even deeper shade of red.
"Grr… You, you’d better watch yourself."
Watching him, Im Hye-rin sighed deeply and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Hah… You’re not a child, honestly…"
"Honey, think about it. There are better men than him…"
She turned to him, her voice laced with irritation.
"Jo Han-su…"
"H-Honey…"
"I’m about to get angry, so let’s go. Now."
He flinched at her cold tone. Grumbling, he finally backed away.
Watching the scene unfold, I slowly sized up Im Hye-rin again.
She looked so much like Im Hwa-yeon that they could have passed for twins.
But she exuded a far more mature atmosphere.
Is there a way to fuck her?
Suppressing my primal desire, I quickly racked my brain.
Several methods came to mind, but the aura she gave off was anything but ordinary. It was the kind of presence only someone on the same level of power as Seo Ryeo-hwa could project.
Shit, if I mess with her lightly, I’ll get my head chopped off.
But I had no intention of giving up. I was the man who had already conquered Seo Ryeo-hwa.
The greater the challenge, the greater the sense of accomplishment.
As if sensing my gaze, Im Hye-rin looked at me.
"Why are you staring so intently?" she asked, her voice calm.
I smirked and shrugged.
"Because you seem like a truly incredible person, Mother."
A meaningful smile touched her lips.
"Hmm. If that’s a compliment, then thank you."
The moment she finished speaking—
Pinch.
A sharp pain shot through my side.
I glanced down to see Im Hwa-yeon pinching my side, her eyes blazing with fury.
Her fingertips were digging in with all their might.
She gritted her teeth and whispered, "If you don’t want to die, don’t even think about touching my mom…"
I looked at her with an expression of pure innocence.
"Hwa-yeon, I wasn’t thinking anything of the sort."
"You expect me to believe that when your eyes were practically devouring my mom with lust?"
"I’m telling you, it’s not like that."
I offered a smooth smile and an excuse, but her fingers were still digging into my flesh.
Her voice dropped even lower as she warned, "Seriously, I’m saying this for your own good. If my mom gets angry…"
But before she could finish her sentence—
"Hwa-yeon, is what you told your father true?"
Im Hwa-yeon flinched and turned her head.
"Yes."
She pulled a smartphone from her pocket and handed it over.
"Hmm. So the evidence is on here?"
"That’s right."
Im Hye-rin’s eyes grew cold.
"Honey, I want you to review the contents of this phone, formulate a report on how to pressure the Sun Guild, and submit it."
After issuing the swift command, Im Hye-rin turned to us.
"Alright, kids. It’s about time you all left."
"Yes, ma’am."
The women naturally stood up and headed for the helicopter.
As I followed them, I snuck a glance at Im Hye-rin.
Our eyes met for a moment. I gave her a smile before boarding the helicopter.
*
"What did you just say?"
A heavy, cold voice cut through the room.
Silence fell.
The pressure in the air was suffocating.
The people standing around held their breath, not daring to move.
The man who had been reporting swallowed hard.
"Well… the Halcyon Guild handed Master Gyeong-hun over to the Association…"
Before he could even finish, a chilling silence descended, as if the entire space had frozen over.
The man who had heard the report’s expression slowly began to contort.
A heat like the sun flared at his fingertips, and a heavy killing intent filled the room.
However—
His interest lay elsewhere.
"I don’t care about that failure. Who did you say came back?"
"The Witch of Dreadfire… has returned from the United States…"
CRASH!
A violent impact echoed through the room.
The desk shattered, and the entire room shook.
The people nearby flinched and took a step back.
The man’s energy churned more violently around him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
But—
His patience had already worn thin.
"Damn it! What the hell is the American Association doing?! A little more time and the plan would have been complete!"
His fingertips trembled. Watching him, his secretary continued in a shaky voice.
"And… we’ve received a message from above."
"What did those old geezers have to say?"
"…They said to stop this foolishness and lay low for the time being."
BOOM!
Another powerful impact.
This time, the floor rumbled.
Energy, thick with rage, swept through the room.
"Grrrind… Those fucking old bastards…"
The sound of grinding teeth filled the air.
Amid the tense atmosphere, the man who had finished his report spoke cautiously.
"What are your orders…?"
The man let out a deep sigh.
"Hmph… I can’t go against the old geezers just yet."
In an instant, his eyes turned ice-cold.
"Handle this matter quietly. Make sure nothing about it leaks to the outside."
The secretary immediately bowed his head and replied curtly, "Understood."
"And… contact the Halcyon Guild. Tell them we want to negotiate."
"I will relay the message to the Halcyon Guild."
The secretary gave a quiet bow and left the room.
Only then did the man lean back heavily in his chair.
As the ceiling light flickered faintly, he muttered to himself.
"How could a creature that carries my blood… be born such a half-wit?"
Compared to the others that had been born, this one was utterly useless.
He needed a true child, not some incompetent fool. A child who possessed the same superior genes as himself.
Until now, he had been forced to couple only with women chosen by the elders, and the resulting offspring lived as test subjects, never seeing the light of day.
Oh Gyeong-hun had simply been lucky. He never imagined that one of the women he’d been with would turn out to be one of the elders’ granddaughters.
As a result, Oh Gyeong-hun was his only official child, but…
This time, he wanted a true heir.
His fingers tapped slowly on the armrest of his chair.
"I’m so sick of this."
He opened a drawer, pulled out a file, and opened it.
The moment he did, a photograph of a woman with red hair and red eyes filled his vision.
Her gaze was intense, like an unwavering flame.
"Yes… Im Hye-rin. A woman like you is worthy of bearing my child."
He slowly traced the photograph with his finger.
The Witch of Dreadfire.
The first time he saw her, he had felt an intense attraction.
If they were to unite… a perfect heir could be born.
But she had rejected him so coldly.
The memory made him scowl.
He gritted his teeth and muttered, "To think she’d take in some pathetic bastard who married into her family… instead of someone superior like me."
He simply couldn’t comprehend her choice.
He still didn’t understand why a woman who valued strength so much would choose such a worthless being over him.
The thought made his fingers tighten.
The edge of the photograph crumpled slightly.
"A little more time… and you would have been mine. What a shame."
He took a deep breath.
But it wasn’t too late. This time, he would not let her get away.