Chapter 133: Contract (10)
Chapter 133: Contract (10)
For Han Shin, this was his first real outing in Korea since the time he had rushed to a large mart to buy clothes for Grace right after they first met. Naturally, he found himself at a loss as to what to wear.
"What should I put on..."
At his idle mutter, the eyes of Kang Yujin, Grace, and Laysia all snapped toward him.
Kang Yujin was the first to move. She immediately pulled Han Shin toward the dressing room, picking out clothes and holding them up for him.
"Shin, how about this?"
Choosing clothes for her man was one of those things a woman didn't want to yield to anyone else. The outfit in Yujin’s hands consisted of casual grey slacks and a black T-shirt. She had chosen them thinking a plain look would be best to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Han Shin didn't particularly care about fashion and usually wore whatever Yujin picked out for him since they started living together. Without even realizing it, he had been trained to suit Yujin’s tastes, and he instinctively accepted her suggestion this time as well.
"Looks good. I'll wear this."
Watching this, Grace and Laysia also wanted to pick out clothes for him, but they were well aware that they still knew little about Earth's culture. Even though they had followed them into the room, they could only stand by and watch Yujin work.
I want to pick out Han Shin’s clothes one day, too...
I really need to study up on this...
Both women felt a pang of envy seeing how naturally Yujin chose his clothes and how willingly Han Shin accepted them. Noticing their gazes, Yujin felt a small swell of pride.
Then, Yujin remembered that Grace and Laysia also needed to dress for the outing, as they were going out to search for suspicious Awakeners.
"Let's pick out something for you two as well."
Since the women's dressing room was right next to Han Shin’s, Yujin led Grace and Laysia there. She felt like she was playing with dolls as she began selecting outfits for them.
The fact that Yujin had bought plenty of clothes for everyone in advance after they moved proved to be a massive help. It was much easier to choose from an existing wardrobe than to rush out and buy something new at the last minute.
It didn't take much imagination to realize that both Grace and Laysia would draw everyone's eyes with their stunning beauty the moment they stepped onto the street. Their exotic features only added to that effect. Nevertheless, Yujin began searching for outfits that were as ordinary as possible while still looking good on them.
*
The next day, having finished their preparations, Han Shin’s group left the house.
Yujin drove them to the vicinity of the Association. After parking, they headed to a cafe that offered a wide view of the streets surrounding the Association headquarters.
The area in front of the Association was always crowded, but surprisingly, Han Shin’s group didn't draw much attention. Even if one overlooked Han Shin, it was strange for Kang Yujin, Grace, and Laysia—all beauties with their own distinct charms—not to be the center of every man's gaze.
While picking out clothes the day before, Yujin had reached the conclusion that Grace and Laysia would stand out no matter what they wore. She worried that trying to hide their features or covering their hair like they did during their last outing might actually draw more suspicion.
As Yujin was fretting over this, Grace offered a solution.
"Why don't we use an artifact?"
"An artifact?"
"Yes. Wait a moment, I'll go to the Sanctuary."
Grace vanished in a flurry of light. When she reappeared a moment later, she held four necklaces in her hand.
The items Grace brought were Perception Distortion Artifacts. They were similar to the one Yujin used when moving as Wolyeong, but while the one Yujin had received from Grace focused on erasing one's presence, these were designed to make the wearer's face appear entirely ordinary to others.
After hearing Grace’s explanation, Yujin spoke as if wondering why she hadn't brought them sooner.
"If what you're saying is true, we can move around freely with these. Why are you only bringing them out now?"
"We couldn't use them before. These require a certain amount of Tiamat’s Holy Power to function."
These necklaces had been created by Tiamat to allow her and her followers to move comfortably without drawing attention. Because they were high-quality items designed to minimize any sense of incongruity, they required a significant amount of Holy Power.
Hearing the explanation, Yujin nodded in understanding. She had only recently reached Level 40 and been accepted as a follower; it seemed one had to be at least that strong to use these artifacts. Until now, they had been nothing more than useless treasures.
In truth, this was the first time Grace and Laysia were using them as well, as they’d had no reason to use such artifacts until now.
The group took seats by the second-floor window of a cafe overlooking the circular plaza in front of the Association. The space was divided by thin partitions, and the large glass windows made it easy to watch the outside world.
Yujin leaned toward Grace and whispered with a smile.
"These really work well, don't they?"
"Yes, Tiamat made them herself. Their performance is guaranteed."
"With these, I'll be able to go on dates with Shin later."
Since Han Shin was always her top priority and the center of her world, Yujin’s first thought was the prospect of dating him freely. Grace gave a small smile at Yujin’s reaction.
For a while, the group felt nothing out of the ordinary.
About fifteen minutes after they had settled into the cafe, all four of them simultaneously felt a wave of revulsion and discomfort.
Yujin’s eyes widened slightly, surprised to feel the same sensation she had experienced the day before. Deep down, she had worried that she might have been mistaken.
But it wasn't a mistake.
"Yujin was right. They really are here."
Laysia recognized the feeling immediately—it was the same sensation she had felt from the traitors back when they were defending Bürg from the demons.
Han Shin and Grace also understood instantly that this was what Yujin had described, even without further explanation. They could feel it in their skin; these were beings whose very existence was repulsive and negative.
They quickly used a pre-prepared camera to photograph a group of Awakeners heading toward the Association. Identifying them was the priority, and having photographic evidence was the best way to do that.
Even Yujin, who had been active the longest among them, didn't know many other Awakeners because she hadn't bothered to build relationships with other clans. Everyone, including Han Shin, Grace, and Laysia, was pleased to have found a lead so quickly.
They expected that by asking the Association to identify the people in the photos, they would be able to uncover much more.
However, their eyes remained glued to the window, and their good mood quickly soured.
"There's another one over there!"
"There are this many of them?"
"Sigh... this is a serious problem..."
Now Han Shin was also using a camera to photograph the repulsive Awakeners. From the time they arrived in the morning until the sun began to set past lunch, the scale of the traitors who had sold their souls to demons in the plaza was staggering.
Regardless of whether the individual Awakeners were strong or weak, there were far more of them than they had anticipated.
After taking a sufficient number of photos, Han Shin’s group prepared to head home. Yujin immediately contacted the Association as Wolyeong, requesting an identity check on the Awakeners they had seen today.
The Korean branch of the Awakener Association was puzzled by Wolyeong’s sudden request, but they didn't refuse. The trust built over the past two years was deep, and knowing that other countries were currently targeting Wolyeong, they felt the need to accommodate her as much as possible.
Generally, the state and the Association managed Awakeners, so cases like Yujin’s were rare. In particular, Awakeners belonging to large clans had verified identities, so the Association was able to identify them quite quickly.
"These individuals are Awakeners belonging to the Goryeo Clan and the Geumwa Clan."
Han Shin’s group finally knew the identities of the Awakeners who had become minions of the demons.
Because Wolyeong had never made a request like this before, the Association was curious.
"May I ask why you requested this investigation?"
At Park Min-woo’s cautious question, Yujin slowly explained that they suspected these individuals had become lackeys for the demons.
Naturally, Park Min-woo was struck with shock, his jaw dropping in disbelief.