Chapter 389: Human World [R-18] (43)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 389: Human World [R-18] (43)
After the meeting, our guild members gathered for a quick chat to share our thoughts on the mission before parting ways.
And that night.
I was sitting in a room with Im Hye-rin, just the two of us, talking quietly.
“What do you think?” she asked, perched on the edge of the bed. The lighting was dim, and beyond the curtains, the cold night air gently tapped against the window.
“To be honest, this mission… it’s too suspicious,” I replied, leaning my back against the headboard with my arms crossed, staring at the ceiling.
“I think so, too. Moving something all the way to Northern Ireland, only to bring it back to London… It’s strange, no matter how you look at it.”
“Besides, the Templar Knights have more than enough strength to transport it without us. I don’t understand why they’d go out of their way to hire an outside guild.”
“Exactly. It feels like there’s another motive here, something more than a simple transport job.”
She crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hand, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Is there any reason to move this secretly?”
Im Hye-rin nodded silently in response.
“We have too little information. All we were given was the schedule and the route, with no real details about the cargo.”
“That’s true, but… Mother-in-law. That man in the black robe we saw today. Do you know who he is?”
Her gaze shifted for a moment at my question before she slowly opened her mouth.
“Ah, you mean Ashir. I’ve only heard his name. This is the third time I’ve seen him in person, and I’ve never spoken to him directly. Why? Did he seem suspicious?”
I nodded quietly.
“His aura… it was strange. It went beyond just being powerful. It was gloomy… and felt somehow alien, not quite human.”
“…Really?”
Im Hye-rin pressed her lips together, lost in thought for a moment before speaking again.
“I ran into him once with the American Association, but I never got that kind of feeling… Hmm.”
“The fact that no one knows his true identity is even more unsettling.”
“Well, I thought so too at first… but I’ve never seen him do anything particularly bad. Though there was a time someone was spreading strange rumors about him, as if to keep him in check.”
I stared out the window in silence.
“This is giving me a headache.”
“I know. Let’s just stop thinking about it and get some sleep. We have to move out at dawn tomorrow.”
She quietly moved closer to my side. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Im Hye-rin smiled slyly and placed a hand on my leg. Her warm, soft fingertips slowly slid inside my pants.
“And…”
Her breath, hot and wavering, brushed against my ear.
“We should… recharge our energy. Just once today, alright?”
As if I didn’t know better than anyone that it would never end with just once.
“Mother-in-law, we have a mission… Aren’t you being a little too lewd?”
At my words, she gave a wicked smile and pushed her fingers deeper.
“Hehe… This is a form of training, too.”
Licking my earlobe lightly, she whispered slowly.
“The Aether you give me… its concentration and quality are different. My own firepower changes. And just being near you makes my body… grow hotter and hotter.”
As she whispered, her hand wrapped around my penis. Feeling how hard it already was, Im Hye-rin let out a small gasp.
“…As I thought♡ I’m looking forward to it again today, my dear son-in-law♡”
With those words—Im Hye-rin’s hands pushed against my chest.
I lost my balance in an instant and fell back onto the bed, and she climbed on top of me without hesitation.
I quickly formed a Qi Barrier around the entire room. A perfect one, to ensure no sound or presence could escape.
*
As dawn broke, the guilds began to assemble, fully equipped.
Among them, five figures in deeply hooded black robes stood out.
Even without that guy, the aura I’m sensing from them is considerable for barrier mages. They don’t seem like simple support…
Just then, one of the black-robed figures—the one Im Hye-rin had called Ashir yesterday—slowly turned his head toward me.
At the same time, I felt a strangely piercing gaze.
Through the shadows of his robe, I could see a silhouette from the nose down.
Skin with a bluish tint.
Is he a special ability user because of his blue skin? And those wrinkles… he seems quite old, too.
After watching me for a moment, he turned his head away as if he’d lost interest.
Soon after, the vice-commander of the Templar Knights appeared, leading a group of his knights. He strode forward with heavy steps, looked around, and addressed everyone.
“We will now board the designated vehicles and begin moving.”
Evan Carter shrugged and spoke up.
“I don’t see Alexander. Don’t tell me he’s sitting this one out?”
The vice-commander gave a short, firm reply.
“The Commander will not be participating directly in this mission. From this point on, I will be in full command of the operation.”
At William’s curt and decisive words, a slow smile spread across Evan’s lips.
“Heh heh… Is that so.”
He gave a meaningful grin and strode toward the vehicles.
“Let’s get ready, too,” Im Hye-rin said, turning her head to me.
The members of the Halcyon Guild immediately boarded their assigned vehicle.
At that moment, William’s voice came through the vehicle’s internal radio.
『We will now proceed to the location of the cargo. We will retrieve it immediately upon arrival and move according to each team’s designated route.』
A concise directive.
Simultaneously, the line of vehicles began to move. The sound of tires scraping against the pavement filled the air as the lead escort vehicle cleared the way, gradually picking up speed.
I stared blankly out the window at the passing London cityscape. The sun had not yet fully risen, and the entire city was hazy, as if submerged in the morning fog. The damp roads and the glow of the streetlights spreading across the moisture-beaded window created a dreamlike scene.
A short while later, the vehicle’s speed slowly decreased, and we entered a new area.
The convoy came to a halt in front of another building guarded by the Templar Knights. The security here was on a completely different level from where we had departed. Armed personnel surrounded the perimeter, and equipment was stationed all over the building.
This must be the Templar Knights’ headquarters.
As soon as the vehicle doors opened, an object was brought out, carried by four men who appeared to be Templar Knights.
A massive metal box. It was completely sealed, but from within… I could feel something.
Deep inside my body, my energy stirred.
“……!”
It was a faint aura, one that an ordinary person would never be able to detect.
…Is it just my imagination?
No, it wasn’t. It was definitely an aura very similar to that of the man called Ashir.
What is this…?
Before my thoughts could go any further, Ashir walked out. As if he’d been nearby the whole time, he silently lifted his head and stared at the box.
His gaze was piercing, as if seeing right through it, yet it held no emotion. For a brief moment, his red eyes met mine.
In that instant, a subtle light flickered somewhere within those eyes.
Excitement.
My instincts screamed with alarm. This wasn't simple interest. It was a craving bordering on obsession.
Ashir soon broke eye contact and looked back at the box.
That small gesture was enough to convince me.
That bastard knows what’s inside there. And he… wants it.
He turned away as if nothing had happened. The hem of his black robe fluttered strangely as he walked silently toward his vehicle.
…I’m sure of it. That guy is connected to whatever is in that box.
I knew I had to be more wary of him.
Just then, William’s voice rang out.
“We are moving out now.”
I quietly opened the car door and sat in the back seat where I’d been before. Im Hye-rin was already sitting next to me. The moment the door closed, I whispered softly.
“…Mother-in-law. I think we need to be on high alert.”
“Hm?”
She turned her head.
“Ashir. That man is deeply entangled with the cargo we’re escorting.”
Im Hye-rin’s eyes narrowed.
“…Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“The faint aura leaking from that box is almost identical to his. And the way he looked at it was far from ordinary.”
Im Hye-rin glanced at the front seat, then lowered her voice even more.
“…If that’s true, we need to report this. The problem is, will they believe us if we tell them…”
“If you tell them yourself, won’t they at least trust you to some extent?”
Im Hye-rin made a vague expression and shook her head slightly.
“Well… not necessarily.”
Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were embarrassed. She avoided my gaze and trailed off.
“Is there some kind of problem?”
“When I was younger, I caused quite a bit of trouble. Even after Hwa-yeon was born… there was a little bit of that, too…”
“What did you do when you were young?”
“…Ah, don’t try to find out.”
I’ll have to do a quiet search later.
I mentally saved the search term ‘Im Hye-rin young days’ and turned the conversation back to the serious matter at hand.
“Still, given the situation, we have to inform the Templar Knights. Ashir is the one maintaining the barrier on that box… If he decides to, he could steal it at any time.”
“Alright. I’ll talk to them.”
Im Hye-rin replied, then seemed to fall into thought.
Just then, the vehicle began to pick up speed. The transport had officially begun.
Outside the window, deserted suburban roads and fog-draped forests flashed by.
『All vehicles, current route is clear. Estimated time to first checkpoint is approximately 40 minutes. All teams maintain alert status. Over.』
The inside of the car was quiet, but I had a nasty premonition that something was crawling just out of sight, beyond the fog.
I quietly toyed with the Flying Heaven Sword at my waist and muttered under my breath.
“Things are already getting messy…”
At that moment, the vehicle screeched to a sudden halt.
“Huh?”
The driver in the front seat let out a startled voice, and a sharp alarm blared from the radio, followed by an urgent voice.
『All vehicles, stop! Unidentified vehicles confirmed ahead! All personnel, assume combat alert!』
Looking out the window, I saw that the entire convoy had stopped. Templar Knights were quickly disembarking and forming a defensive line on both sides of the road.
Im Hye-rin placed her hand on the car door and commanded.
“Everyone, get ready.”
I immediately assessed the situation. About 200 meters ahead of our vehicle, several black vans were blocking the road, and unidentified figures were slowly emerging from around them.
…They showed up sooner than I thought.
But something was strange. The enemy’s movements were clumsy somehow.
“This is weird,” Jung Ji-hun muttered in a low voice.
“What is?” Kim Tae-hyun, who was next to him, asked back.
“They appeared way too openly. And… the way they’re walking, those aren’t the movements of the strong.”
Im Hye-rin’s eyes narrowed into cold slits. She watched the front for a moment without a word, then gave a firm command.
“Everyone out of the vehicle. Reinforce the perimeter around the cargo. And if the barrier mages make any suspicious moves, kill them.”
The moment her words fell, the expressions of the Halcyon Guild members hardened instantly. They drew their weapons and quickly fell into formation.