Chapter 30: First Meeting
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: First Meeting
17
Just as Ha-chan collapsed, Baek Seol-hyang, Cheon Hong-ryeon, and the other returnees arrived at the scene.
The moment they saw the blood-soaked Ha-chan, they had to hold back Cheon Hong-ryeon, who had lost her mind with rage.
It looked as if she was about to march off and destroy everything in her path, whether it was Girasung or something else.
Meanwhile, Si-ho stood guard over Ha-chan, fiercely vigilant. She only lowered her defenses after receiving a call from Seo-ho on the phone they had given her.
“It’s alright. Heavenly Demon, Mr. Ha-chan is safe.”
Baek Seol-hyang immediately had a returnee Saintess check Ha-chan’s condition. Only after confirming his safety did she bother to speak to Cheon Hong-ryeon, whom she had been ignoring.
“Safe? What do you mean, safe? You think everything’s fine just because he’s safe? How dare they leave him in this state!”
“Heavenly Demon, you know full well how many times we’ve clashed with Girasung. And you also know why we haven’t been able to eliminate them completely.”
“Don’t tell me you’re about to spout some nonsense about being patient.”
“Ha. Patient?”
Baek Seol-hyang’s cold eyes fell on Catherine, who was being dragged along limply by the returnees, as she answered.
“We will erase them. So that not even a speck of dust remains in this world.”
A murderous glint flickered in her eyes.
“We will officially declare war on Girasung. I have no intention of tolerating their antics any longer.”
Only then did Cheon Hong-ryeon stare intently at Baek Seol-hyang.
An all-out war with Girasung was highly likely to damage even the World Returnee Association.
Although the Association was far superior in both quality and quantity to the criminal organization, war was never that simple.
They, too, were returnees.
And a few of them were truly dangerous individuals.
Their existence was the very reason Girasung still had a foothold on Earth.
And yet, upon seeing Ha-chan, Baek Seol-hyang had decided to wage all-out war against them.
For some reason, Cheon Hong-ryeon felt a chill creep over her.
The woman standing before her, Baek Seol-hyang, felt more dangerous than Girasung itself.
‘I thought she was just teasing me or being difficult for no reason.’
This woman genuinely had feelings for Kang Ha-chan.
Feelings that were on par with her own.
The moment she realized that, Girasung no longer mattered.
Wasn’t the real enemy standing right in front of her?
‘What was her relationship with Domi? I’m sure they only met recently.’
She herself had her reasons for liking Ha-chan, but from Cheon Hong-ryeon’s perspective, Baek Seol-hyang had only just gotten to know him.
A woman who wouldn’t bleed if you stabbed her, a woman who moved only in pursuit of profit—was in love with Ha-chan, whom she’d just met?
She couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
‘Is there something about Domi?’
Did he have some hidden quality that would make this woman express such affection?
Cheon Hong-ryeon’s eyes scanned the surroundings.
A massive amount of energy lingered in the air.
It was proof that someone had used a technique with an excessive output.
She had assumed it was Girasung, but now, things were starting to look different.
‘Girasung didn’t run because they knew we were coming.’
This time, Cheon Hong-ryeon’s gaze landed on Catherine, who was being held captive by the returnees.
She had wondered if the hunter, Ha Si-ho, had fought her, but Catherine was a combat-type returnee.
Frankly, the chances of Ha Si-ho winning against her in her current state were less than ten percent.
Unless she got lucky and managed to teleport her away, it would be impossible to leave her in such a battered state.
‘Then.’
Who was it that fought her?
Finally, her gaze fell upon Ha-chan.
The massive amount of blood that had soaked his clothes, the visceral remains on his lips, and…
‘The walls… they’ve all been torn down.’
The walls a martial artist spends a lifetime breaking to reach a new state.
But Ha-chan’s walls had vanished overnight, leaving him completely clear.
As if he had become a martial artist of renowned mastery.
“…Iron-Blood, explain what happened here.”
And Baek Seol-hyang had clearly noticed this long ago.
The fact that she hadn’t said anything meant it was a truth she didn’t particularly want to share.
“Did you use the Crown on him?”
“No.”
Watching Ha-chan and Si-ho being transported, Baek Seol-hyang caught her silver hair as it fluttered in the wind.
“I used it on something else, not Mr. Ha-chan, and they overlapped.”
“What did you see there?”
When Cheon Hong-ryeon asked in a trembling voice, Baek Seol-hyang remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“Everything I say out loud will become destiny. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“…Never mind. Is that why you’re approaching Domi?”
In truth, that last question was the real point.
As Cheon Hong-ryeon’s eyes sharpened, Baek Seol-hyang let out a scornful laugh.
She shot her a sideways glance and began walking toward the spatial gate another returnee had opened.
“Don’t act so high and mighty just because you played a game with him for a few years, Heavenly Demon.”
It was the moment the two rivals truly began their confrontation.
18
It was a ceiling I’d never seen before.
I never thought the day would come when I’d say something like that.
As I stared blankly at the pure white ceiling of the hospital room, I felt a throbbing in my head.
At the same time, my entire body ached and burned as if it had been dragged across asphalt.
As I fumbled around for my glasses, I suddenly realized my vision was perfectly clear.
What is this?
“Ugh…”
The moment I let out a small groan, the hospital room door burst open with a clatter.
Turning my head toward the sound, I saw Ahyu standing there, looking haggard.
The instant our eyes met, her own widened, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Nuuuurse!”
Was that a Lion’s Roar?
You’re finally going to be the death of me.
As I tried to endure the ringing in my ears, a doctor appeared.
Seeing the doctor finally brought me back to my senses.
‘I almost died.’
No, didn’t I actually die?
That final electric current the Russian woman shot at me was definitely fatal.
“The muscle pain is severe, but… you’re fine. You should be able to be discharged tomorrow.”
As I listened to the doctor’s diagnosis, a question formed in my mind.
I had suffered a wound so severe my insides were spilling out.
And all I have is muscle pain?
“It was worth bringing the Saintess.”
After the doctor left, a voice came from the open doorway.
Baek Seol-hyang was leaning against the frame. Our eyes met, and she gave a small wave.
Had she been through a lot?
Her face looked incredibly weary.
The Saintess… could she mean the Saintess?
The returnee from Afghanistan who single-handedly ended the war there.
The specialist of all healers.
Hearing that, I finally understood why my body was in such perfect condition.
Right, with the power of the Saintess, she could probably just say, “Hey, guts, get back in there!” and they’d obey.
“Thank god. I’m so glad. Domi-oppa, I’m so, so glad.”
While I was thinking, I found myself in an awkward situation, with Ahyu hugging my waist and sobbing her eyes out.
But for some reason, she kept pressing closer.
Any more and you’ll go right through me.
“Heavenly Demon, what are you doing to a patient? Get off him.”
Suddenly, Baek Seol-hyang spoke, her face so cold I could feel a chill in the air.
In response, Ahyu buried her face in my stomach and said quietly,
“Actually, Domi-oppa is enjoying this too, you know.”
Without hesitation, I brought my hand down on Ahyu’s head in a karate chop.
I’ll split your mischievous head in two.
I was definitely not enjoying the distinctly feminine scent or the softness emanating from her.
No, really.
I mean, I just came back from the dead, and it was the first time anyone had ever worried about me like this, so I was just a little… moved.
I really thought I was going to die.
Besides, I probably don’t have to worry about getting sued by Ahyu anymore.
As Ahyu reluctantly let go and sat in a chair, pouting, Baek Seol-hyang approached my bedside.
“Mr. Ha-chan, how is your body?”
Her eyes were filled with concern.
She was so beautiful she looked like a painting just by standing there.
The fact that she was worrying solely about me stirred a stranger feeling in me than I’d expected.
“I’m perfectly fine. I think I can even come to work tomorrow?”
I said it as a joke to shake off the awkwardness, and Baek Seol-hyang smiled.
“Yes, please come to work first thing tomorrow.”
Shit.
My big mouth.
A model office worker should work less and earn more, yet here I was, walking right into the pit with my own two feet.
“I’m kidding.”
As I despaired, Baek Seol-hyang thankfully corrected herself.
She glanced at Ahyu for a moment, then leaned slightly toward me.
Her impressive chest swayed with the movement.
I fought the urge to let my eyes wander as Baek Seol-hyang quietly asked me a question.
“Mr. Ha-chan, do you remember anything?”
“Huh? Remember?”
I blinked, having been preoccupied with averting my gaze.
But she just stared intently into my eyes, so I stared back, until her gaze wavered and she looked away.
Her looking away kind of hurt.
“Ah, I mean about Girasung. The two people who attacked you.”
“What happened to them?”
“The Japanese one disappeared, and the other was found on the brink of death.”
I wasn’t sure what happened, but I guess that was the situation.
More importantly, Girasung.
I had gotten tangled up with a more dangerous group than I thought.
“Not yet, I suppose.”
I looked up at Baek Seol-hyang when I heard her mutter to herself, but she just smiled and said no more.
What was she talking about?
“Those Girasung bastards! I’m going to kill them all! Oppa, I’ll get revenge for you, so just wait a little longer.”
“You were running around all day yesterday, and you’re already raring to go again.”
As Ahyu ground her teeth, radiating killing intent, Baek Seol-hyang calmed her down.
“And don’t worry, I’ll be erasing Girasung even without the Heavenly Demon’s help.”
No, that wasn’t it.
While Ahyu was outwardly expressing her rage, a deep, profound anger lay dormant in Baek Seol-hyang’s eyes.
She was only holding back because I, the patient, was here. She was seething with fury.
Screech—
Just then, the hospital door opened again, and I turned my head as if I’d been saved.
Kkotbi stood there, looking out of breath as if she had run all the way.
The sunglasses and mask she wore seemed stuffy, but the moment she saw me, she collapsed to the floor.
Startled, I tried to get out of bed, only to fall over from the muscle pain, causing a brief commotion.
After that, Kkotbi looked at me and let out a small sigh of relief.
“I thought something terrible had happened.”
“Well, something terrible did happen.”
“If something like that happened, why didn’t you contact me?”
Kkotbi seemed quite displeased that I hadn’t even tried to contact her.
Apparently, she only heard I was missing after Ahyu called her.
“I couldn’t call someone as busy as you.”
Her expression remained deeply unsatisfied at my words.
“Girasung, what are you going to do?”
“Annihilate them.”
“We’ll wipe them from the face of the earth.”
When Kkotbi looked at the other two and asked, they answered in unison.
“If there’s anything I can do, please let me know. I’ll help.”
I thought she would calm the situation, but she was just fuel for the fire.
As I watched the three of them seethe and silently bid my final farewell to Girasung, Kkotbi placed her hand over mine.
“Please rely on me a little, too. I decided to rely on you, oppa. I was hurt that you didn’t call.”
“Next time, I’ll at least send a text.”
“Call me, too.”
Somehow, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to call her next time either.
“Mr. Ha-chan, I’ll give you my number as well, so please save it.”
Then, Baek Seol-hyang gave me her number.
The number of the Chairperson of the World Returnee Association.
Was it okay for me to receive something so valuable?
“We’re at the stage where we can exchange numbers, aren’t we?”
She was right. We had met several times already, so it was only natural to exchange numbers.
“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
“I’m glad you’ll treasure it.”
Since my phone had been destroyed on the island, we agreed that she would call me after I got her number, and that’s how we exchanged contacts.
“And yet the one who actually got a call just spouted nonsense and hung up.”
“Ugh, th-that’s!”
Ahyu, who had been watching Baek Seol-hyang exchange numbers with a sour look, flinched.
The incident seemed to be weighing on her conscience as her eyes darted around.
“I was, I was really, really, hic.”
“Huh? W-wait, are you crying?”
I was just teasing her, so I was completely taken aback when Ahyu actually started to cry.
“She’s not crying. Those are fake tears.”
“Hey.”
At Baek Seol-hyang’s remark, Ahyu shot her a glare and dabbed at the corners of her eyes a couple of times.
“…I’m sorry, Domi-oppa. I should have been there. I was trying to protect you, but I let you end up like this.”
“I was just kidding, so don’t worry about it. And back then, the outcome would have been the same no matter who was there.”
Even if the tears were fake, Ahyu looked genuinely downcast.
Seeing her guilt-ridden expression, I gave a bitter smile and said,
“Let’s play the game when I get out of the hospital instead. I need to farm to restore my weapon enhancement.”
“…Okay, okay! I’ll definitely help you!”
“I’ll help too, as a discharge gift.”
As Ahyu grinned and exclaimed, Kkotbi smiled beside her and added her support.
Seeing the two of them, Baek Seol-hyang looked like she wanted to say something, opening her mouth before biting her lip and turning away.
“…Why do they keep increasing.”
She muttered something after that, but I couldn’t quite catch what it meant.
More importantly, I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d be surrounded and worried over by three beautiful women like this.
‘How did my life turn around like this?’
Maybe Lord of Academy is actually a god.
As I entertained that thought, the hospital door opened once more.
Thankfully, it was a man this time.
To be precise, it was a man accompanied by his younger sister.
The two were none other than Ha Seo-ho and Ha Si-ho.
The moment Ha Seo-ho’s eyes met mine, he walked straight over and bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you for protecting my Si-ho.”
“Huh? Ah, no. It was nothing, really.”
“No, it wasn’t. I heard everything from Si-ho. If it weren’t for you, Hyung-nim, Si-ho would have been in grave danger.”
Hyung-nim?
I never expected to be called “Hyung-nim” by the Snow Mountain Wolf. I was completely flustered.
I mean, Ha Seo-ho is 25 and I’m 26, so it’s correct age-wise, but…
Being called Hyung-nim felt incredibly awkward.
“If anything ever happens to you, Hyung-nim, please contact me immediately. I’ll come running.”
It was a bit much, but he must have been through a lot because of Si-ho’s situation.
I had heard from Si-ho how close the two of them were, so I just nodded.
I figured it was fine if it helped ease the burden on his mind.
Meanwhile, Si-ho hesitantly approached.
Her expression, filled with guilt, was not good.
It seemed she thought I got hurt because of her.
In that case.
“Miss Si-ho.”
Si-ho cautiously looked up at me.
Seeing her pitiful look, like an abandoned kitten, I asked quietly,
“Is your mother okay? She must have been very worried about you.”
Hearing my question, Si-ho slowly lowered her head and nodded.
Thankfully, it seemed Si-ho had managed to protect her mother until the very end.
For some reason, her shoulders began to tremble.
“That’s a relief.”
That was enough.
My efforts were more than worth it.
My eyes met Si-ho’s, which were wet with tears.
“It’s a good thing, so why the long face?”
I playfully used my hands to lift the corners of my own mouth into a smile, and Si-ho followed my lead, managing a smile of her own.
It was a messy mix of tears and laughter, but that expression was more precious than any other smile.
“…Manager, she’s back.”
“Pardon?”
“Miss Si-ho.”
As I stood there with a confused look, Baek Seol-hyang suddenly called out to her.
Si-ho turned her head at the call and, as if understanding, stepped away from me.
What did she mean, ‘she’s back’?
“I’m sorry, Manager.”
Then, Si-ho bowed her head to me and apologized.
“Thank you for saving me. Me, and my mom.”
Hearing that, I was able to smile freely.
“So, Si-ho is going to change.”
At the same time, Si-ho spoke with a newfound resolve in her eyes.
“Not yet, not right now. But I’m going to overcome it. Mom, me, all of us.”
As she said this, Si-ho tightly gripped Seo-ho’s hand, who was standing beside her.
Seeing this, Seo-ho, for some reason, lifted his head toward the ceiling.
It seemed the two of them had talked a lot while I was unconscious.
And soon, they would probably talk with their mother as well.
“So, it’s going to be very hard for Si-ho.”
Si-ho then looked at me with pleading eyes.
“Could you… help me just a little, Manager?”
A heartfelt plea.
As an adult, how could I refuse a child’s request?
I readily accepted.
“Yes, if I’m good enough, then of course.”
At my words, Si-ho’s tear-streaked eyes transformed into a bright smile.
So she was a child who could smile so lovably.
I was sure the day would come when she could smile like that freely.
I thought to myself how proud I would be when that day came.
“…Hyung-nim, please take good care of our Si-ho.”
Just then, for some reason, Seo-ho made a request.
“Huh? Yes.”
I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I gave a bewildered reply, and he just nodded his head a few times.
What was that? What did that mean?
For some reason, the expressions of Baek Seol-hyang, Ahyu, and even Kkotbi turned strange.
A chill seemed to fill the hospital room.
“Mr. Ha-chan needs to rest, so let’s all head home for today.”
As I rubbed my arms, getting goosebumps, Baek Seol-hyang saw me and addressed the others.
As she said, I was feeling a bit tired since I had just woken up.
“Who are you to give orders? No way. I’m going to take care of Domi-oppa. Oppa, don’t you need to pee?”
“Go.”
I quickly agreed with Baek Seol-hyang and pushed Ahyu away. She grumbled but left with everyone else.
Thanks to everyone telling me to rest, I felt my heart grow a little warmer.
‘Is it because I’ve been alone for so long?’
After my parents passed away and my sister went missing, I had lived my life completely alone.
Maybe that’s why I was so attached to my game guild.
At least in the game, I was with other people.
I just never imagined it would carry over into reality.
“Are they all gone?”
It was then.
A voice suddenly echoed through the room.
I was sure everyone had left. Startled by the voice, I lifted my head.
Floating in mid-air was a man I had never seen before.
White hair tied in a ponytail.
Crimson eyes that reminded me of blood.
He was sitting cross-legged, elbows on his knees and chin resting on his hands, staring at me with those red eyes.
“Even at this point in time, you were surrounded by that many women?”
Hearing his casually tossed question, I could only look on in bewilderment.
That was my first meeting…
with the regressor, Baeksan.