The Second Member (6): The Dragon's Leash

The moment I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stepped out the front door, I wasn't greeted by the yard but by a blinding white space. It was the same sensation I'd felt just now while exiting the door—like stepping into another dimension, akin to entering a dungeon. The 'Rescue Service Started' alert floating in the corner of my vision. All of it told me this pristine white expanse was part of the Safe House's ability.

"There it is."

About five steps ahead stood an ornate door. A massive double door straight out of some drama set in a grand mansion. Open it, and Baek Ji-an, in dire peril, would surely be inside.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when instinct screamed a warning.

An S-rank gate explosion? For Ji-an to be in mortal danger, just how fucked was the situation? Could I even help in a place that hazardous? Could I save her with my own power?

Reason in my head blared that what I was about to do was suicide. But right now, it wasn't reason moving my body—it was emotion. The moment I confirmed the warning that Ji-an could die, reason's alarms fell on deaf ears. My body charged ahead without hesitation toward a danger I couldn't handle.

Bam!

I grabbed the handle and shoved the double doors open with all my might. What unfolded before me was...

"What the."

Not an S-rank dungeon dubbed a world-ending catastrophe, nor an S-rank gate. Not even a city rampage by disaster-class monsters bursting from dungeons and gates.

A massive portrait of a great white dragon with pristine scales and crimson eyes. A dark wall bearing that enormous frame. A grand desk for work, backed by the dragon portrait. And seated in the chair behind it—a middle-aged man with silver hair slicked back and red eyes.

The instant I saw his face, I knew exactly where I was. Because it was a face I recognized. No—anyone in Korea would know it.

The man's name was Baek Gonghyeok. Leader of Baekga Guild's Paeryong Unit, acting patriarch in place of the family head in secluded training for 20 years. Effectively, the true master of Baekga.

This place where he sat wasn't a dungeon or gate—it was Baekga's patriarch office.

"......"

Scritch—scratch—scraaatch.

Even with an intruder like me popping in out of nowhere, Baek Gonghyeok calmly signed documents on his desk without a care. It made sense, in a way. He was one of Korea's nine S-rank hunters, Baekga's strongest. To him, a D-rank like me wasn't even an annoying bug.

"......Wha?!"

As my gaze slowly shifted from Baek Gonghyeok downward, I jolted in shock. Ji-an was collapsed on the floor, blood pouring from her mouth.

No, this isn't a gate or dungeon—it's Baekga's patriarch office. What the hell happened?

Everything from one to ten made no sense, but that wasn't important now. From the moment the red alert popped up, my only concern was Ji-an.

I rushed to her side and checked her condition.

"Ugh... uuurgh......"

"Ji-an."

No visible external wounds. But her breathing was growing shallow. Her face was deathly pale, and I could feel her heartbeat weakening.

Internal injuries. If I leave her like this, she'll die soon.

The alert that had appeared before coming here: Baek Ji-an in desperate crisis. I'd experienced firsthand last time with Yoo Seo-ah that it wasn't exaggeration.

This was an emergency. My mind filled with nothing but getting Ji-an home.

As I moved to scoop her up...

"Your name... ah, right. Jinseong. Kang Jinseong, was it? First time seeing your face."

Baek Gonghyeok, who'd been handling work at his desk, finally spoke. His deep baritone made my head snap up involuntarily. His presence forced it.

Now he looked not at the documents, but at me.

The moment I'd touched Ji-an, he'd turned his gaze and called my name. Clearly, he didn't want me taking her.

No fucking way, but it's real.

I gritted my teeth and demanded, "What did you do to Ji-an?"

Having lost my parents 20 years ago and raised as an orphan from age five, I'd always yearned for family. A bond from the heavens, unbreakable except by blood or death. I'd always believed family ties were the most special and unbreakable.

That's why they call it cheonyun, heavenly kinship.

Yet here was someone defying that very bond before my eyes.

To my question, he replied nonchalantly, "I didn't sense your presence when you entered. Your skills are worse than a bug's, but that ability is certainly special. Some kind of rescue power? I see why the rumors have been flying lately."

Not an answer to my question. I asked again. "What did you do to Ji-an?"

"How about working for Baekga?"

Again, not an answer. I repeated, "What. Did. You. Do. To. Ji-an."

"With that ability, you could advance Baekga further. Skills... can be improved. This is an offer from the patriarch himself. Not an opportunity that comes easily."

Baek Gonghyeok kept spouting nonsense. "Answer me! What did you do to Ji-an?!"

I couldn't hold back my emotions anymore and bellowed at him.

"...Hah, this won't make for a conversation. Fine. No reason not to answer."

Only then did Baek Gonghyeok sigh softly and respond.

"I merely put a leash on her. On the dragon that should have been born a snake."

"What? A leash?"

"Yes, a leash. I had no intention of killing her like this. I just didn't know the collar I'd prepared was too small for a dragon's neck."

"......"

"For a dragon to choke to death because the leash was too tight—truly regrettable. I'm sincerely devastated."

Baek Gonghyeok spewed bullshit about sincerity and devastation, but his expression didn't change a bit. I'd confirm the details later with the Black Box, but one thing was clear: this man wanted Ji-an dead, right here.

I'd never dreamed Ji-an was treated like this in Baekga. With her talents blooming post-awakening, I'd assumed the family treated her accordingly. But reality was different. To Baekga, Ji-an alive meant leashing her; dead was fine too.

My childhood friend wasn't even treated as human in her own family.

My teeth ground together.

"There, I've answered your question. Now it's your turn. Will you work under me?"

From my position to the office door: three steps at full sprint. Exit through the door I'd entered, and I'd be home. Scoop up Ji-an and dash three steps—I could save her.

But impossible.

"If I say I'll work under you, will you let her go?"

The bastard at the desk wouldn't let me and Ji-an leave peacefully.

"Polite now. Interesting. Yes, I'd let you go. No reason to kill a worker. But leave her. Now that I know there's no leash fit for a dragon's neck, I can't let her live."

I faced Baekga's Paeryong Unit leader, S-rank hunter Baek Gonghyeok. He could kill me with a flick of his finger from his chair. That's why he watched leisurely as I subtly hugged Ji-an.

"What if I pledge lifelong loyalty under you? Could you spare Ji-an then?"

I slyly lifted Ji-an into my arms like a princess and asked.

"Can't do that."

As expected. Baek Gonghyeok was dead set on killing her.

"...Hah, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I have no choice."

I stood with Ji-an cradled. Baek Gonghyeok's eyebrow arched curiously.

"Hmm, think you can escape? Don't you know one flick and you're dead? That foolish?"

Even with Ji-an in my arms, he hadn't attacked. Seemed he liked my dramatic entrance, bursting through the door with my ability. But his tolerance ended here. Turn to run, and he'd kill me.

So, what I needed was to nudge just beyond his allowed line.

Time to deploy the silver tongue I'd honed over 10 years as a half-assed hunter.

"I know. But what can I do? She's my friend."

"Throwing your life for one friend?"

"To me, she's more than 'just' a friend. 15-year pals who've seen it all—without her, life'd be boring as hell."

"I knew you were close, but... closer than I thought, it seems."

Baek Gonghyeok was Ji-an's great-uncle, late 50s. Meaning? Testosterone waning, estrogen rising. Not sure if it applied to S-rank hunters, but grasping at straws.

I gazed at him wistfully. "Sacrificing for first love... romantic, right?"

No way it'd land in this shitshow where an uncle tries to kill his niece, but it was my best shot. Please, fuck, work! Touch his heart! Ripple that psycho's mind!

I clenched my teeth, acting my ass off, praying inwardly my "romance" hit home.

Then Baek Gonghyeok...

"Hah, young indeed."

Let out a chuckle. Seeing it, I slowly turned my back and pleaded, "If you're killing me, make it quick—one shot."

"Sure. Don't want to dirty my office, so one strike to stop your heart."

"Ah, one more request..."

Whoosh!

I cut off mid-sentence and sprinted full throttle. Pique his curiosity to delay judgment—my ace escape trick.

Crackle—!

But against Baekga's master? No chance. Red lightning from his finger struck my back before I took a step.

BOOM—!!!!

Baek Gonghyeok was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠certain his Chekroe stopped my heart and felt regret. Such a waste of ability. Space-transcending rescue for contracted members—pity, but he refused.

"Farewell."

As he bid adieu to the valuable youth he couldn't claim...

"Yep, see ya! Thanks for the send-off!"

Pat-pat-pat! Bam!

I, who should have dropped dead, responded brightly, dashed two more steps, and bolted out the office door.

"......"

Baek Gonghyeok stared blankly at the door I'd fled through, then spotted something glittering on the floor.

"Protective ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Necklace. Hah, so you had something to rely on."

Shards of the Protective Necklace I'd always worn, gifted by Baek Ji-an long ago.

Would've taken at least three Chekroe blasts. Time for three blasts equaled time for my three steps.

"By the time I watched your back turned, the escape had succeeded. Bold youth."

Recapping my actions, Baek Gonghyeok chuckled.

"But merely clinging to life by a thread. No escaping a death sentence."

Snap.

He flicked his finger into the air. Six men in pitch-black attire from head to toe, masked, emerged from his shadow.

"Clean everything up before I arrive. Ah, exclude Baek Ji-an."

Baek Gonghyeok commanded the six—the patriarch's blade, Black Sword Unit, forged by his hand.

Swoosh—

Receiving orders, the Black Sword Unit melted back into shadows, seeping into the dark wall.

Scritch, scratch, scraaatch.

Finishing the last documents, Baek Gonghyeok finally rose.

"Even a heaven-defying wretch is Baekga blood. Severing blood ties is the patriarch's duty alone."

His crimson eyes flashed murderous intent toward his niece.