Chapter 74
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: How to Protect My Man (1)
The Sohee-ji incident had finally come to an end.
She was locked away in solitary confinement, just waiting for her execution date, and all her clients—who had indirectly caused the crimes—had been punished to a man.
‘I didn’t expect it to wrap up this quickly.’
They must have been truly terrified of losing power.
The government hadn’t exactly dropped the ball until now, but failing to handle even one incident like this swiftly would affect the next general election.
Of course, public opinion already made the outcome of that election pretty clear.
‘Anyway, glad it ended well.’
As for the aftermath, at least within the visible range I could check, the news reports were all there was.
[The government has declared war on villains as of today. The president will no longer turn a blind eye to villains and…]
Whether this was just for show or if they’d actually catch them, I had no idea—but probably the former.
‘If there are no results, they’ll get flak for it.’
With their political careers on the line, no way they’d half-ass it.
‘More importantly, Sis should be here soon. Time to get ready.’
Today was the day I’d promised to visit somewhere with Yu-ra Sis.
I took a quick shower, dried my hair, and reminisced about the times I’d spent with her lately.
‘I had no idea she knew.’
That day, when I revealed I was an Awakener to hypnotize Sohee-ji, Sis already knew.
Of course, she only knew I was an Awakener, not about my skills, so I’d explained that part separately.
In any case, the reason I hadn’t told even Yu-ra Sis about my hypnosis skill until now was simple.
No matter how close a friend—or even family—you might be, no one wants someone around who can control their thoughts and actions.
[It doesn’t matter. There’s no way our Jun-hyuk would hypnotize me for anything bad, right?]
But Sis didn’t mind.
There was no displeasure or guilt in her eyes for lying, so her words were sincere.
[If anything, I should thank you. All those times you helped me when I was struggling… that was hypnosis, wasn’t it?]
I learned later that after becoming EX-rank, Sis had felt like she was looking at an Awakener, not a regular person, every time she saw me.
It was probably a side effect of her body enhancement skill reaching EX-rank, but in any case, even after I confessed, she treated me the same as before.
Ding-dong!
“Yes, coming.”
No, it had changed a bit from before.
“Sis, you’re here?”
“…Jun-hyuk, what if you open the door so carelessly like that?”
“I checked your face on the intercom before opening.”
“What if it was a villain with a transformation skill?”
“It was your arrival time, so it had to be you.”
“What if it was a villain who knew our plans in advance?”
“Then I’d just hypnotize them into submission somehow.”
“What if hypnosis didn’t work?”
“…Then I’d just let them have me, I guess.”
“Haa.”
With a long sigh, Sis grabbed my arm.
“That’s exactly what this is for. Come on, let’s go!”
The place we were heading to today was the Seoul Mana Engineering Tower.
Known in the community as the “Magic Tower” for short, it was a workshop housing all things mana engineering technology.
“That’s the Magic Tower?”
“Yeah. We have a reservation, so we can head straight to the workshop.”
It was a supertall tower with a hundred floors.
Sure, it sounded impressive just from the name, but floors 1 through 50 were basically just shops selling mass-produced artifacts.
“What floor is it on?”
But from floor 51 onward, it lived up to the hype.
When Sis told me she’d booked a spot here, I looked it up—entry required at least a mana engineering PhD starting from floor 51.
The strict requirements ramped up every ten floors, and from floor 90 up, only nationally certified artisans were allowed.
‘And floor 100…’
Vacant.
No idea why, but they said no artisan had moved in.
Though digging online, some people claimed to have seen lights on floor 100 late at night.
Probably just the cleaning crew.
Lost in those thoughts, the elevator arrived at floor 99 before I knew it.
Unlike the tower’s sleek exterior, the air was thick with the scent of an artisan’s workspace—strange tools everywhere, mingled with chemical smells that greeted us.
“You’re here?”
“Did you finish making the reserved items?”
“Straight to that the moment you arrive? Hmm…”
A beauty with soot smeared on her face looked back and forth between me and Yu-ra Sis, flashing a sly grin.
“Hi? So you’re Yu-ra’s boyfriend?”
“…Hello?”
“Don’t stare so obviously.”
“They say late learners are the scariest thieves. Look at her doting on her boyfriend.”
She took off her thick gloves and offered a handshake.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Ji-hye. As you can see, I’m an artifact artisan doing business here.”
For reference, I wasn’t wearing the couple’s ring with Yu-ra Sis right now.
Sis had taken it recently to have it made into an artifact, which meant this woman had worked on it.
“I made it exactly to your specs, pouring in the budget without skimping. A masterpiece like this doesn’t come around often. The mana stone’s quality made it a breeze to work with, too.”
“How’s the performance?”
The artisan picked up my couple’s ring from the desk and explained it to Yu-ra Sis.
“If an attack harmful to the body comes, it auto-activates a defense skill. It can block pretty much any standard B-rank attack skill.”
“What about joint locks?”
“If there’s pressure enough to strain joints or arteries, a strong current flows through the wearer’s body. No harm to the wearer, of course.”
“What if they grab from behind and try injecting drugs?”
“An A-rank neutralization skill wipes out any threatening drugs in the body.”
Wait, this wasn’t some artifact for public circulation.
This was the level a corporate chairman or top Hunter would carry.
But that wasn’t even the end of it.
“And if they break through all that and kidnap Jun-hyuk?”
“Stroke the mana stone clockwise four times, and it connects you via telepathy.”
“What if their hands and mouth are bound, making that impossible?”
“Strongly think a specific code four times in your head, and it activates the same way. Telepathy works with thoughts, so you can speak that way.”
“What if he’s already unconscious?”
“The previous functions would protect him.”
“What if a villain cuts off the ring finger at blinding speed before those activate?”
“Then you’re eating beef noodle soup for a while. The condolence money will be generous… Kyaa!”
While Yu-ra Sis yanked the artisan’s hair, I picked up the ring that had rolled across the floor amid the scuffle.
“You crazy bitch! No thank you, huh!”
“Make it more perfect!”
“Hey, do you know how much this cost to make?”
“Yeah? Probably ten apartments…”
I saw it all.
Yu-ra Sis giving the artisan a look.
“…I’m craving kimchi with no kimchi. Oh, and some ramen sounds good.”
“Jun-hyuk, this is just a gift, so take it without worry. What’s the price matter?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s the thought that counts.”
From what I overheard before she cut off, it was at least ten apartments minimum.
Refusing now would just dismiss Sis’s sincerity, so I’d accept.
‘Good is good.’
If my girlfriend got kidnapped by villains?
And it could happen again, with all the power and money at my disposal?
I’d probably do the same.
“Thanks, Sis.”
“Hee-hee, no big deal.”
At least it ended there.
She didn’t force an EX-rank Hero to guard our house or anything.
As we shared a deep hug, the artisan grumbled disinterestedly.
“Quit rubbing it in in someone else’s workshop and get out if you’re done? I’ve got orders piling up.”
“Thank you for making such a great item. I’ll thank you on Sis’s behalf.”
“If you’re grateful, hook me up with a guy. You must have some hot guy friends.”
“I’ve lived avoiding the world, so sadly no friends. But if I make any, I’ll let you know.”
“Oh, really? Here’s my contact!”
Getting friendly with someone like her wouldn’t hurt.
If a good guy shows up among my guests later, I’ll introduce them.
“So, Sis, what now? Wanna go on a date if you’re not busy?”
We exchanged numbers and left the workshop, hoping for a rare date with Sis—but disappointingly, she was swamped.
“Sorry, I have a shoot tonight.”
“No worries, can’t be helped if you’re busy.”
“I’d cancel for anything else, but this is really important.”
Hmm, what kind of show could it be?
“What show?”
“Just a talk show?”
“A talk show is important?”
“At least to me.”
Was it one of her favorite programs?
Nothing beats appearing as a guest on a show you love.
“What time’s it on? I’ll watch live.”
“It’s at 9, so tune in!”
“Got it. Date next time, then.”
She escorted me home, and I spent the time leisurely fiddling with the ring.
The artisan had even included a manual—it wasn’t just defense; it had offensive skills too.
“Wow, with this, even a non-Awakener could handle a B-rank Hunter?”
What skill didn’t it have?
I wanted to test everything, but held back to avoid bothering anyone nearby.
“Sis must’ve been really worried after this incident.”
Not just kidnapped.
Almost turned into a human doll.
No wonder.
Thinking back on that day made Sohee-ji’s punishment feel a bit light.
‘Should’ve made her live like No-Face, suffering.’
From what I remembered, death row inmates waited an average of five years for execution.
Up to ten in some cases. They don’t rush it to give time for reflection and instill fear from the uncertainty.
‘A hundred years ago, they’d declare death sentences for human rights reasons but never carry them out. The world’s changed a lot.’
Had human rights declined?
Or had investigation techniques advanced to prevent wrongful convictions?
Or maybe they just executed to avoid escape attempts harming civilians? I hadn’t studied criminal law or precedents, so who knows.
“Maybe it’s all the changes since the Gates.”
I couldn’t make her suffer alive, but we caught her clients thanks to it, so that’d have to do.
Lost in such thoughts, the talk show with Sis started before I knew it.
[The world’s first! Korea’s pride! EX-rank Hunter Choi Yu-ra has joined us!]
Korea’s pride.
Not wrong, but nationalism doesn’t change in a hundred years.
“Still pretty on screen.”
But Sis, was she getting treatment for premature whatever?
After I hypnotized her, she swore off weird folk remedies and begged me to trust her.
I hoped she was seeing a doctor, but would regular meds even work on her body?
“I wanna have sex!”
I just shouted it out.
Having two girlfriends but no sex made my life pathetic.
If I hadn’t sealed my lust with hypnosis—and periodically released and handled it solo—I’d probably be insane by now.
“But seriously, what’s Seo-yeon up to?”
She was waiting for me to pounce first due to self-esteem issues, but when would she?
I held back to preserve her pride as a woman.
“Let’s wait a bit more. She feels super guilty since the norovirus thing.”
Just then, the talk show host tossed Sis a cheeky question.
[By the way, everyone’s dying to know. Who captured the heart of the great Choi Yu-ra? The articles say he’s a regular guy—is that true? Not another Hunter?]
[Yes, he’s a regular guy. Way too good for me.]
[Oho, how amazing must he be.]
A celebrity’s lover was prime gossip fodder since my past life.
Searching Choi Yu-ra now pulled up “Choi Yu-ra boyfriend” and “Choi Yu-ra man” as related terms—if it got out, it’d be huge news.
“Sadly, Sis has no plans to reveal~”
I didn’t particularly want that either.
[Shall I show you? My boyfriend?]
[Yes?]
“Yes?”
The host’s face was suddenly mine.
[Here.]
Sis held out her smartphone.
The screen zoomed in instantly.
[This is my boyfriend. Yoo Jun-hyuk. Cool name, right?]
“Sis?”
I knew there’d be no answer.
But I asked anyway.
“Wait, why reveal that all of a sudden?”