Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Repulsion and Favor
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Repulsion and favor. In that instant, the scales tipped toward the latter.
It was only natural. The lifelong agony that had tormented him vanishing in a flash was no different from a miracle he'd never experienced before.
No Guide or guiding agent had ever brought him anything but pain—they'd certainly never granted him this sense of serene peace.
Her black hair was tied back in a single tight ponytail, and her upturned eyes gave her a faintly fierce look. She wasn't strikingly glamorous, yet one's gaze refused to leave her.
"You asked me to make a coupon, right? It'd be easy for you to lose it, so I'll keep it here at the cafe. But to do that, I need to write it on the coupon—could I have your name?"
As her gaze turned to him, he beamed with utter satisfaction, like a child thrilled over a long-desired gift.
"I'm Yeon Woo—"
[Fellow citizens!! Our proud Korean guild 'Messiah' has achieved the world's shortest record for clearing an upper A-rank gate!!] It was the voice from the television that swallowed his words.
Irritated by the interrupted conversation, he frowned slightly and stared with a bored expression at the screen displaying news of the previous gate clear.
The bland look on his face vanished because of the words that slipped from the mouth of the woman before him.
"Yeon Woo-jin, you fucking bastard... Just let me catch sight of you."
Killing intent laced her voice, accompanied by the murderous grind of her teeth.
"Yeon-woo. Ju Yeon-woo."
Without a moment to think, his mouth moved on instinct.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Yeon Woo-jin began dropping into the cafe like it was his own home. It was no longer just about its convenience near his place—the meaning had changed.
Ding-a-ling. The little bell chimed, and the first thing he sought was the employee named Kim Yu-jeong.
Their first encounter had been stiff, but their conversations had gradually grown, so Yeon Woo-jin figured it wasn't such a bad situation.
...That was just a little while ago.
Lately, she'd started avoiding him noticeably, and he could no longer hide his mounting dissatisfaction.
'...What did I do wrong?'
No way. He hadn't done anything rash that might earn him more dislike.
A voice dripping with sarcasm addressed Yeon Woo-jin, who sat sullenly on a chair in front of the gate.
"Wow... Isn't this the Messiah Guild Master whose precious face is so rare to see? What's the occasion for you to show up here?"
It was a woman with gray bobbed hair tied back in a half-up style. In the time since he'd last seen her, she'd added more piercings—her entire right ear was studded with jewels.
She clamped a pipe embedded with diamonds, like something from a snowy peak, between her teeth and asked,
"Time to die?"
Yeon Woo-jin tilted his head obliquely as he eyed the woman standing there.
"You gonna die first by my hand?"
She responded to his retort with a savage grin.
Her name was Kwon Si-hyeon.
She was a classmate of Yeon Woo-jin and Ha Do-kyung from the Great Cataclysm era. Like Yeon Woo-jin, she was one of the only five S-rank Espers in Korea and the Guild Master of Ion Guild.
As the two S-ranks unleashed their ferocious auras, the atmosphere grew chillingly heavy. Seeing the guild members trembling, Ha Do-kyung ultimately volunteered to play the shrimp caught between battling whales.
"Whoa, Kwon Si-hyeon, you ignoring summons from above—what brings you here?"
"Got a talented newbie. She's only recently manifested as an Esper, but she's brimming with potential, so I brought her along to show her around. Unlike that bastard, she's so cute."
A girl peeked out from behind Kwon Si-hyeon and bowed toward them.
Standing next to the nearly 180cm Kwon Si-hyeon, she looked especially small—and she was still in her school uniform, like a student.
"...I see."
Ha Do-kyung gave a wry smile.
Kwon Si-hyeon wasn't normal either. What lunatic drags a fresh guild recruit into a major gate?
Even if the gate's measured danger level was close to mid-tier, it was rare to bring a newbie who'd only recently awakened right from the start.
Ha Do-kyung sighed, wondering if all Guild Masters were like this.
It started with the guild names they chose, which were anything but ordinary.
Kwon Si-hyeon had named hers on a whim while chugging an Ion energy drink, and when Yeon Woo-jin was told after the Great Cataclysm that he needed to pick a guild name, he'd lazily suggested using the third comment from some online thread.
That third comment had praised the young saviors who'd cleared a top-tier gate, and so the guild became 'Messiah.'
Even years later, Ha Do-kyung was sincerely grateful it hadn't been one of the comments below it.
The fourth had been, 'Spit out my kimchi fried rice.'
Nearly became 'Kimchi Fried Rice' guild.
Regardless of Ha Do-kyung's thoughts, the two continued their conversation.
Kwon Si-hyeon and Yeon Woo-jin. Both were the types who refused to bend to anyone, so friction was common, but their long acquaintance meant they at least acknowledged each other.
Kwon Si-hyeon asked,
"Anyway, you just gonna let those bastards slide?"
"Those bastards?"
"'Error.' That guild that's shot up in the last two years. Wrote 'em off as clowns at first, but lately they're up to some dirty shit."
"Not my problem."
"Yeah, figures from you. I asked Ha Do-kyung too. Everyone knows he's the real Messiah Guild Master."
"Maybe I should actually retire..."
Ha Do-kyung buried his face in his hands with a groan.
Soon the gate opened, revealing the dungeon.
Thud.
A musty, crumbling underground city.
It resembled the labyrinth of the mythical Minotaur. The dungeon's bedrock fused together to form an otherworldly monster with a bull's face.
The demonic beasts endlessly emerging from the floor would crumble only to reform repeatedly.
It was a dungeon grotesque in every way, but right now it housed no fewer than two S-ranks.
Excluding the untested Ion Guild newbie, the rest were upper-rank Espers as well.
'Shouldn't have brought my people if I knew those two were coming.'
What a waste of manpower. As Ha Do-kyung regretted it, Kwon Si-hyeon approached after partitioning the space with smoke to let the newbie move.
"So why's he really here? Yeon Woo-jin doesn't do gates like this. Another whim?"
"Dunno. Heard it's near his house, so he came."
"Found a matching Guide yet? Or still a walking time bomb?"
"Why do you suddenly care about Yeon Woo-jin?"
"Why? Worst case, we might have to huddle up and defuse the bomb."
Smoke billowed from Kwon Si-hyeon's pipe clenched in her teeth.
Defuse. Meaning, executing a rampaging Esper.
The artificial chemical scent stung his nose. Ha Do-kyung grimaced and waved it away. Kwon Si-hyeon chuckled at the sight and said,
"You're his deputy GM. Do something about that guy. I don't relish killing someone I know. Don't wanna cut my own lifespan either."
Kwon Si-hyeon smirked.
Like it or not, they'd survived the Great Cataclysm together. She didn't trust Yeon Woo-jin as a person, but she trusted his strength.
Ignoring Ha Do-kyung clawing at his hair in response, Kwon Si-hyeon finished her piece and returned to the newbie.
That was when it happened. The moment she moved, space warped, and Yeon Woo-jin flew to her side. He asked out of nowhere,
"Didn't you have a dedicated Guide?"
"Hah... Yeon, you little shit showing interest in my candy? Hey, you really ready to die? At least warn me so I can prepare."
"Cut the bullshit. So how'd you lure that Guide? No one in their right mind would walk into your arms."
"Why's that crazy? You're the psycho."
Her irritation was brief. Replaying Yeon Woo-jin's question, Kwon Si-hyeon looked shocked.
"...Hey, you for real? You're not Yeon Woo-jin, are you?"
She couldn't believe such words had come from the guy who treated Guides like disposable chargers.
This made her realize even crazies could go a level crazier.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Perhaps because he'd pushed his already broken body too far, his condition rapidly worsened.
Overdosing on guiding pills in tablet form did nothing to improve it, and Ha Do-kyung kept shoving Guides at him, being a nuisance.
To dodge the nagging, he'd slipped out in the dead of night using his ability, but unlike usual, he lost control and vaguely remembered crashing onto the street.
"..."
Tracing his memories step by step, Yeon Woo-jin slowly blinked.
Was it a reward for holding back so well until now? When he came to, Kim Yu-jeong was in his living room.
'I was in agony one moment, then suddenly at ease...'
His wrists were tightly bound with a cable, and a damp cloth lay on his forehead.
Staring at the half-dried towel, he sensed a familiar presence in the house and headed to the living room, where Kim Yu-jeong—who'd been dodging him for days—lay on the sofa.
Wearing his clothes, covered with his coat.
He'd never believed such fairy-tale nonsense, but in this moment, he felt like Santa had dropped off a gift.
'...Can't recall doing anything good. Christmas is long past.'
He absently moved to cover his mouth, then paused at his bound hands.
Snapping the cable would be trivial even without his hands, but now that he knew who was behind it, he had no intention of doing so.
Lest she think he was on guard, he obediently kept his hands clasped and listened to the steady rhythm of her soft breathing.