The White Lion's Arrival
The Alchemy Clan building.
Those who had safely escaped the Chimera Dimension were now inside the building.
The fireplace they had emerged from had lost its dimensional travel function and now burned with ordinary, steady flames.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“I will never forget this debt!”
Lee Kang-hyun and the other men bowed repeatedly to Kang Yoonsoo.
Kang Yoonsoo had blocked the lightning with his own body and killed Rabian. Without him, they would all be dead.
Yet Kang Yoonsoo remained silent, methodically loosening the bindings on his wrists and ankles.
“He must be very tired.”
Shanette, who had been kneading his calves, quickly offered the excuse. Kang Yoonsoo had no social skills whatsoever, so she had to speak for him.
Kang Yoonsoo gave no reply, but Lee Kang-hyun’s group continued offering their thanks.
Lee Kang-hyun pulled a leather pouch from his old backpack, intending to offer it as thanks, but Kang Yoonsoo shook his head.
“No need.”
“Is that so? You don’t have to refuse.”
Lee Kang-hyun turned his head. He glared at Shin Hanyul, who stood alone and silent.
“Hanyul-hyung, you should at least say thank you.”
The other swordsmen’s gazes were no kinder. Shin Hanyul had already lost their trust. Their respect had begun to crack the moment he ordered them to abandon their comrades. On top of that, his magic had backfired and nearly gotten them killed. Even if the outcome had been unexpected, issuing timely commands in a crisis was his responsibility.
After a long silence, Shin Hanyul finally spoke. His words were far from grateful.
“You knew Rabian would absorb magic, didn’t you?”
Kang Yoonsoo stayed silent. Shin Hanyul was no fool. He pressed on without hesitation.
“You said it yourself earlier. You have to kill a boss monster the moment it absorbs magic if you want a good reward. You already knew the boss absorbed spells. So why didn’t you tell me, the only sorcerer here?”
“Hey, Hanyul-hyung. Thanks to Kang Yoonsoo fighting in person, no one died.”
Lee Kang-hyun tried to defend him, but Shin Hanyul only scowled.
“Shut up. If he had just shared that information, I wouldn’t have wasted that precious magic scroll.”
He grew angrier.
“Now that I think about it, it’s strange. How did you know we had to kill Rabian to escape the Chimera Dimension? Who the hell are you?”
At that moment, Kang Yoonsoo opened his mouth.
“I knew.”
Shin Hanyul sneered.
“Hah! I knew it. You kept quiet so you could hog the best rewards and dragged everyone else into danger. Someone could have died. Was playing hero really that important to you?”
Kang Yoonsoo slowly stood and walked toward Shin Hanyul. He extended his right hand. Shin Hanyul tensed. A moment later, Kang Yoonsoo grabbed the clasp of the White Lion Cloak. Everyone’s eyes widened. In an instant, he had stolen the cloak right off Shin Hanyul’s shoulders. His movements were so natural that the theft was almost invisible. Even a veteran thief with decades of experience would struggle to match that skill.
Shin Hanyul stammered, “W-what are you doing? Are you stealing my cloak now?”
Kang Yoonsoo shook his head.
“I told you. I knew.”
He tossed the White Lion Cloak into the fireplace. The flames slowly consumed it.
Shanette looked puzzled. Why would Kang Yoonsoo suddenly do something so pointless? He never acted on impulse or emotion. The others reacted differently.
“What the—?”
“Why is the cloak burning so easily?”
“The cloaks the White Lion Clan issues are made from wyvern hide. Fire shouldn’t damage them at all.”
Lee Kang-hyun’s group had desperately wanted to join the White Lion Clan, so they knew the clan’s symbols well.
Kang Yoonsoo pulled the burning remnant from the fireplace. It showed a white-eyed lion roaring at a throne.
“The lion eyes on real White Lion Clan cloaks are blue. These are white. The dye faded over time. This cloak is a fake.”
The group’s gazes toward Shin Hanyul changed. Lee Kang-hyun’s men trembled with rage. They had followed him hoping to enter the White Lion Clan, only to discover he was a fraud.
Shin Hanyul’s face twisted with displeasure.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you have proof?”
His expression remained defiant, but there was no evidence. In this remote southern border region, there were no actual White Lion Clan members to compare the cloak against.
“Unbelievable. You’re accusing a legitimate White Lion Clan member without any proof. You just wasted a perfectly good cloak. Damn it.”
Despite his bold words, Shin Hanyul tried to slip out of the building. A loud voice stopped him. It carried a hint of amusement and absolute confidence.
“No need to worry! The proof just walked in on its own.”
A man with an imposing presence entered the Alchemy Clan building. His ash-gray armor and brilliant cloak made it obvious his level was high. Lee Kang-hyun and the others stared at the emblem on his cloak, jaws dropping.
“A white lion entwined with white flames!”
“A Unique-grade cloak made from White Lion fur, personally crafted by the imperial tailor!”
They swallowed hard, unable to believe their eyes.
Lee Kang-hyun asked in a trembling voice, “D-don’t tell me… H-Han Sehyun? Are you the leader of the White Lion Clan, Han Sehyun?”
The man scratched his cheek, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Usually no one recognizes me just from my appearance… You must have sharp eyes.”
“Aaaah! Please give me your autograph!”
Lee Kang-hyun and the men looked ready to offer their hearts. Han Sehyun smiled and politely declined. Shin Hanyul, however, shouted in disbelief.
“Han Sehyun? The leader of the White Lion Clan? Don’t make me laugh! Why would someone that important come all the way out here?”
“Hmm. The leader of the White Lion Clan does dislike troublesome matters.”
Han Sehyun smiled, but his eyes were ice cold.
“The leader rarely leaves the capital headquarters. I came here personally for two reasons.”
He held up one finger.
“First, I heard a rumor that a clue to a request I’ve been searching for was in the Chimera Dimension. That alone was reason enough to travel from the capital. Unfortunately, someone had already cleared it.”
He glanced briefly at Kang Yoonsoo, then looked away and continued. His voice turned cold.
“Second, someone named Kang Yoonsoo reported through the Alchemy Clan that some worthless scum was impersonating a member of my clan. Thanks to that, I moved up my schedule and came here immediately.”
The person Kang Yoonsoo had sent a message to upon first visiting the Alchemy Clan was none other than Han Sehyun, leader of the White Lion Clan.
“T-that’s impossible! You called the leader of the White Lion Clan just to catch me?”
Shin Hanyul’s voice cracked with panic. He trembled violently. As Han Sehyun approached, Shin Hanyul gritted his teeth and yanked down his collar. A grotesque black tiger tattoo was inked across his collarbone.
“D-don’t come any closer! If you’re really the White Lion Clan leader, you know what this tattoo means! Touching me is a declaration of war against my clan!”
“Hmm. I don’t have a hobby of staring at men’s collarbones.”
Han Sehyun smiled and flicked his finger at the tattoo.
Crack—!
Shin Hanyul’s collarbone shattered instantly.
“Graaaah—!”
Shin Hanyul screamed in agony. Han Sehyun grabbed him by the collar with one hand. His voice was now utterly merciless.
“Declaration of war? Don’t make me laugh. Have you ever seen a lion fear a stray kitten?”
“Kuh! Keck—!”
Shin Hanyul coughed painfully, but Han Sehyun showed no mercy.
“So you really were from the Black Tiger Clan. You’ve gotten quite famous in the underworld lately and let it go to your head. Is your boss still making good money from drug trafficking?”
“Ke… Keck! I-I’m sorry. P-please spare me! Please!”
“Killing a small fry like you would only dirty my hands. Tell your boss this: if he tries forging my clan’s cloaks again to pick a fight with me, his neck won’t be safe. Actually, are you even in a position to deliver a message to your boss directly?”
“I-I’ll tell him…! I’ll definitely tell him…!”
Han Sehyun tossed Shin Hanyul aside like trash. Shin Hanyul crashed to the floor and scrambled out of the building in a panic. Lee Kang-hyun and the others cheered wildly.
“That was amazing!”
“My name is Kim Sang-cheol! Please remember me!”
“I-I’m Ahn Hyung-soo! Remember me too!”
Han Sehyun barely acknowledged them. He walked past the group and stopped in front of Kang Yoonsoo, smiling.
“What’s your name?”
“Kang Yoonsoo.”
“So you’re the one who sent the report. I came a long way and I’m hungry. I was thinking of having a meal to shake off the fatigue. Care to join me?”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
Han Sehyun looked genuinely surprised at the rejection. Shanette, sitting nearby, quickly spoke up.
“Please forgive his rudeness. You can’t persuade Kang Yoonsoo with words like that.”
Han Sehyun chuckled.
“Then, beautiful lady who rivals even our vice-captain, do you know how to get this blunt man to share a meal? Ah, and if you don’t mind, your name as well.”
“I’m Shanette Elogran. And… well, in that case…”
Shanette whispered something into his ear. Han Sehyun raised an eyebrow, then walked back to Kang Yoonsoo with a half-doubting expression.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“Fine.”