Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: Twice Betrayed
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It had been a short time.
The conversation with Gyu-seong and their parting.
Was that why?
Every word the dying man had said came back to him clearly—not a single syllable or breath forgotten.
"Got backstabbed twice like an idiot. This time by that bastard's little brother."
He didn't know what had happened.
The only clear facts were that Lee Won-jae was the cause, and the clue of that tiresome betrayal.
If he'd been betrayed, it meant they had been allies at least for a while.
'So that's how it was.'
Anything else might have been hard to understand, but this made sense. The offer had felt as sweetly tempting as a poisoned apple or a tainted grail.
For a moment, Soo-hyuk was swept up in a sticky impulse.
He wanted to cut out Lee Won-jae's snake-like tongue right in front of him.
"Looks like you weren't hiding after all. I understand."
Lee Won-jae was misunderstanding.
He must have thought Soo-hyuk was angry about Kim Il-su.
But not now—not on any other day, but definitely not this one. Right now, Soo-hyuk was furious at Lee Won-jae himself.
But if he was misunderstanding like that, it was a relief.
No.
Soo-hyuk let Lee Won-jae mistake him for Ye-ryeong.
This situation was actually advantageous for him.
"Kim Il-su isn't what's important right now."
Because.
"Where's Hyo-min?"
Maybe he could get a clue to find Hyo-min from this.
Lee Won-jae's eyes lit up in that instant. Reading his expression, it seemed like he was thinking, 'Just as I thought.'
It was natural.
Not many people knew Hyo-min was here. And the only ones who would come to rescue her were Ye-ryeong or Si-woo.
With this, Soo-hyuk had firmly become Kim Ye-ryeong in Lee Won-jae's mind.
"It really... was you."
Lee Won-jae looked genuinely pleased.
The lingering suspicions in the corner of his mind had all vanished.
"Weren't you sure?"
"I rated the possibility high. Not certain."
"What if you were wrong?"
"Then I'd just kill you. A rookie who just reached the 8th floor."
"I really don't like you guys."
Soo-hyuk tried to channel Ye-ryeong's speech patterns as much as possible, speaking like her.
"Anyway, I'm not interested in Kim Il-su's head. Not right now."
"I know. That you two care about Lee Hyo-min more than anyone."
"If you know that, you know what's the priority, right?"
"Sorry, but it's my insurance too."
Lee Won-jae shook his head.
What would Ye-ryeong do here?
'She'd rip that bastard's mouth open first.'
Soo-hyuk wanted to do the same.
But he couldn't. If he tore Lee Won-jae's mouth now, the rankers outside would swarm in.
No.
'Maybe that guy just thought about it and held back for now.'
If he tore Lee Won-jae's mouth here and turned him hostile, he'd lose the clue to Hyo-min.
No matter how hot-blooded and thoughtless Ye-ryeong was, she wouldn't do that.
Ye-ryeong had been closer to Hyo-min than anyone. The deeper her feelings for Hyo-min, the cooler she'd stay.
"Then this meeting's pointless."
Soo-hyuk stood up.
It was to test the reaction, and the bait worked.
"Me too! I'm under suspicion!"
Unlike before, his voice carried strength.
Soo-hyuk, half-risen, paused and looked down at Lee Won-jae.
"If this goes wrong, I'm done for too."
"Suspicion? Why?"
"Kim Il-su probably knows I'll betray him."
"So, why?"
"You know better than anyone. That guy's instincts aren't ordinary."
Soo-hyuk sat back down at the earnest plea.
Thinking his sincerity had gotten through, Lee Won-jae let out a sigh of relief. Soo-hyuk sensed a deep disgust from the worry-lined face.
'I think I get it now.'
Why Gyu-seong trusted this guy, and why he got betrayed.
No matter how you looked at it, Gyu-seong wouldn't fall for such a naive fool. At first, the talk of killing Kim Il-su together must have been genuine.
'Then Kim Il-su found out.'
It was all that guy's setup.
Lee Won-jae was moving without knowing, becoming bait called "sincerity" to deceive Gyu-seong.
"You dog bastards..."
"Pardon?"
"No, nothing. Talking to myself. Your crap is just too disgusting."
"......"
"Continue."
"Understood."
Soo-hyuk sat back down.
The condescending gaze and tone. The arrogant, confident attitude.
Lee Won-jae felt from Soo-hyuk something similar to when he'd met Gyu-seong.
'All Blue Eyes guys are alike.'
The phrase "birds of a feather" fit perfectly. Seen this way, Kim Il-su must have seemed like a strange mutation among them.
'In that case... it's even better.'
Lee Won-jae's body shuddered.
He recalled the day he'd fought Hwang Gyu-seong without realizing it.
The man addicted to god-tier items, pushing back him, Uncheon-geuk, and Jin Do-ha.
It felt like the demon king himself had descended. Each punch made his body feel like it would burst, sending chills down his spine.
He didn't dare hope for someone like Hwang Gyu-seong.
But if Si-woo and Ye-ryeong could handle even half of what he did...
'It's possible.'
Forgiveness comes only once.
The Kim Il-su that Lee Won-jae knew wouldn't forgive betrayal twice.
So, it had to succeed.
"I don't know the exact location either."
"You messing with me right now?"
"It's true. Didn't I say I'm under suspicion too?"
It wasn't wrong. Kim Il-su wouldn't be careless enough to tell Hyo-min's location to someone who'd already betrayed him once.
If Lee Won-jae secured Hyo-min, he could move Ye-ryeong and Si-woo like he'd done with Gyu-seong.
"That's why I couldn't join the Guardian raid this time. I've already lost trust."
"Who knows where Hyo-min is?"
"Not many, but one for sure."
"Who is it?"
"Adolf."
Soo-hyuk's brow furrowed.
'That guy after all.'
It circled back to square one.
The clue was with Adolf. Chasing him would reveal Hyo-min's location.
"Then you're useless."
"That's..."
"Dig it out."
"......"
"You're higher up, right? Break his limbs, twist his arm, whatever—find Hyo-min's location and bring it. That's where our talk starts."
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"Anything else, but anything involving Lee Hyo-min is controlled even from me, the vice guild master. This is real."
At this point, whether it was true or not didn't matter.
Lee Won-jae was convinced Soo-hyuk was Ye-ryeong. He knew what kind of person she was.
The top specialist in stealth, disguise, and assassination.
To say that in front of her meant one of two things.
'Risking his life on a lie, or it's true.'
Either way, it didn't matter. What mattered was confirming he couldn't get the info from Lee Won-jae right now.
"Check once anyway. If I can find Hyo-min, I'll take Kim Il-su's head without you asking."
Try it, and if not, whatever.
He hadn't expected much. No disappointment either.
Lee Won-jae had been an uncalculated variable from the start. Great if he led straight to Hyo-min, but that was too optimistic.
So.
"And help me out."
This guy seemed useful elsewhere.
"You're vice guild master. You must have some value."
Lee Won-jae nodded at Soo-hyuk's words.
"Just give the order."
His expression resolute, like he'd pretend to die if told to.
"First..."
Lee Won-jae returned to his office.
A spacious, tidy room with an open view.
He walked in with heavy steps, picked up the kit tossed on his desk, and called someone.
-What is it?
"Come to my room."
-The trial's in progress.
"I know. You think I don't?"
-Whatever it is, can't you say over the phone...?
"No backtalk."
-......
The one who answered was Adolf.
At Lee Won-jae's firm tone, Adolf fell silent for a moment before replying.
-I'll be right there.
Click.
Lee Won-jae hung up immediately.
He sat, propping his chin, lost in thought. Soon, someone knocked.
"May I come in?"
"Enter."
With permission, the door opened. Adolf bowed slightly in greeting and stepped inside.
"Pardon the intrusion."
"Intrusion my ass. I called you. Sit there."
A sofa set for facing guests was in one corner. Lee Won-jae and Adolf sat opposite each other.
No tea prepared despite calling a guest. Adolf eyed the empty table and spoke.
"Something urgent, I suppose."
Summoning a busy man without even a cup of tea.
Of course, Lee Won-jae wasn't that rude. The neglect had intent.
A blatant, dirty message: You're beneath me.
"Called you 'cause it's urgent."
"Did you just meet her? Kim Ye-ryeong?"
Adolf had reported on Kim Ye-ryeong. Issues with Blue Eyes weren't for him to handle alone.
"Yeah. Met her."
"Then, as expected—"
"Nope."
Lee Won-jae shook his head.
"Not Kim Ye-ryeong. Just some weirdo."
"Just... what?"
His words trailed off awkwardly.
It was that hard to understand. "Just"?
"The guy who beat a top ranker with that crude martial art."
Anyone could see it. It was so obvious it was suspicious.
Not being Kim Ye-ryeong was understandable. But he couldn't rule out the slim chance.
Maybe even a demon in human disguise infiltrating.
So, "just" didn't make sense either way.
"He's definitely hiding his identity. Definitely—"
"You don't trust me?"
"......"
It was a tough question to answer.
No.
He could answer. Of course not.
No matter how great Lee Won-jae was, he was just the eternal number two in Kim Il-su's shadow.
No guarantee he'd spot Kim Ye-ryeong's disguise.
But he couldn't say it. It would bruise the vice guild master's pride.
"Send that guy up to the next trial anyway."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah. You were planning that anyway, right? Since Jeong Chan-young suspects he's not Kim Ye-ryeong."
"......"
True enough, Adolf nodded.
But the incomprehensible order followed.
"And pull all surveillance."
"Vice Guild Master!"
"I have my reasons. No backtalk—just do it."
Forceful and baffling attitude. Adolf clenched his fist, swallowing his anger.
"Doing this because the Guild Master's away?"
A roundabout way of saying he wouldn't act so rashly with Kim Il-su here.
And Lee Won-jae wasn't the type to miss it.
"Ha, you little shit..."
A smirk escaped his lips. Lee Won-jae leaned forward from his half-reclined position on the sofa.
"Don't get what I said?"
The eyes closing in gleamed fiercely. Their gazes clashed in the air, filling the room with savage mana.
"That's an order. From me."