Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Coffee and Choices
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Uptown Funk you up."
Singing along to the upbeat finale of the music, Oh Shin-woo sat down across from Su-hyeok and placed one of the paper cups he held in both hands in front of him.
Su-hyeok slowly opened his eyes and checked its contents.
It was the familiar instant mix coffee he'd already guessed from the smell.
"This stuff tastes amazing, seriously.
There's a reason foreigners go crazy for it.
I love it too. You don't like it, by any chance?"
Oh Shin-woo asked with a smile.
"I like it."
Su-hyeok gave a small chuckle, nodded, and lifted the paper cup to his lips.
The sweet, milky flavor of the instant coffee, made with hot water from the kettle boiled on the gas stove, filled his mouth.
"Good."
Oh Shin-woo flashed a wide grin, gave a thumbs-up, and sat across from him, raising his own cup of mix coffee.
"Honestly, I hate ordering my secretaries to make coffee for me. They're already busy enough—why burden them with something this trivial? I've got hands and feet, right?"
Su-hyeok just smiled without a word.
It was a sentiment too foreign to him to even nod along casually.
By now, another song was flowing from the speakers.
A famous one, as expected.
Maroon 5, Moves Like Jagger.
Surprisingly, Su-hyeok and Oh Shin-woo's music tastes seemed to align pretty well.
As Oh Shin-woo sipped his coffee and listened, he picked up the remote and turned down the volume.
"I love this kind of music.
But you don't seem too into it."
"I like it."
"Your face looks so stiff though?"
"I'm here for a purpose."
Su-hyeok flashed another faint smile.
Oh Shin-woo smiled back.
"Fair enough. Let's get to the point.
Yang Su-hyeok, have you ever thought about joining the Association? It wouldn't be anything fancy, but I can promise you the top treatment within the organization."
"No."
"Whoa, that answer's sharp as a blade."
Despite his words, Oh Shin-woo didn't seem flustered at all.
"Well, I figured half the folks becoming Hunters wouldn't want anything to do with the Awakener Association anyway."
The Association handled Awakener management and national defense.
He didn't think Su-hyeok was unaware of that.
That's why Oh Shin-woo wasn't surprised.
"Then moving on to the next question..."
"No plans to join a guild either."
"What about immigrating?"
Oh Shin-woo asked with wide eyes. It was exactly the question he'd been about to pose.
"Figured you'd ask that. Oh, and for reference, no plans to emigrate either."
"Perfect, nice. No, I mean great—absolutely great! I love this country, Korea, with all my heart."
Oh Shin-woo jumped to his feet and clapped his hands.
Su-hyeok had known from the start what this man wanted.
It was a bewildering situation, but the outcome wasn't bad.
From Oh Shin-woo's perspective, he'd created this meeting just to hear Su-hyeok out.
And that sparked another question.
"You seem awfully sharp for someone who was bedridden for so long. So, what is it you want, Mr. Yang Su-hyeok?"
When Oh Shin-woo suggested they talk things over, Su-hyeok had calmly followed along.
He didn't seem intimidated by the name "Association."
In fact, he could have just refused.
He might have even answered everything right there if he knew the intent.
Yet he'd chosen to move to this private space and open the conversation.
And he'd hinted upfront that it was a purposeful discussion.
How could anyone not be curious?
What does this monster with endless potential desire?
Oh Shin-woo's eyes sparkled.
He didn't know Yang Su-hyeok well.
Just rumors from the training institute and this brief encounter.
That was it.
But even that revealed something.
This isn't some green rookie I'm dealing with.
He was facing an Awakener who might become Korea's—no, perhaps the world's—greatest.
Whatever his actions might seem, there was no room for levity.
Oh Shin-woo listened intently.
And he planned to accommodate Su-hyeok's wishes as much as possible.
Why?
To build rapport.
The higher, the better.
The immediate answers were ideal, but people's hearts were fickle as reeds, weren't they?
First impressions are everything.
So, standing there, Oh Shin-woo spread his arms wide and declared confidently.
"Whatever you want, just say it. If it's within my power, I'll make it happen."
And Su-hyeok spoke.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The path as Su-hyeok left the Association.
Countless guilds, having already heard the news, swarmed toward him.
Korea's Big Three guilds—Baekdu, Cheonhye, and Imugi Guild, of course—along with plenty of others hoping against hope, all made contact.
As he'd told Oh Shin-woo, Su-hyeok made it clear he had no intention of joining a guild.
Even so, some persisted and handed him their business cards.
Once the pursuing gazes finally died down, Su-hyeok tossed most of the cards he'd received that day.
To be precise, all but one.
He kept only a single card.
Awakener Association Vice Chairman, Oh Shin-woo.
"Hope I get the answer I want..."
Heading out from Yeouido toward Ungam-dong, Su-hyeok already had a clear direction in mind.
Come to think of it, how'd Yi-yeon and Chang-hyeok do?
As curiosity bubbled up, his phone chimed with a message notification.
He stopped running and checked it.
The sender was Baek Yi-yeon.
"A photo?"
It showed Baek Yi-yeon grinning brightly, arm in arm with Jin Chang-hyeok.
There was a message too.
[Uncle! We're both Rank 3. Feels amazing! Kyaa >_It even included a dancing emoticon with a character he'd never seen before.
"Rank 3, huh. Things are about to get busy for them."
As he'd said, Rank 3 alone marked them as promising rookies.
They'd likely get flooded with offers.
Su-hyeok wasn't particularly keen on it himself, but it might be just what they needed.
It was time for everyone to walk their own paths, but they were comrades who'd trained together—he couldn't help caring.
[Congrats. Hope things keep going well for you.]
So he sent a heartfelt reply.
Then he pocketed his phone and resumed running.
A few more notifications followed, but he didn't check again.
Figured it was probably Baek Yi-yeon anyway.
And if not, he could see when he got home.
Speaking of which, Su-a's been acting suspicious lately.
Unlike his worry-filled parents, Yang Seung-bon and Han Jeong-hee, who were busy with daily life and fretting over their reawakened son, his little sister Su-a often showed hints of suspicion toward Su-hyeok. Still, she held back her emotions, probably not wanting to worry Mom and Dad.
Maybe I should explain things to her?
Su-a would worry, sure, but she'd likely accept the situation better than most.
Lost in those thoughts as he ran, flashing lights from the bustling streets flickered around him.
Near Sinchon Station.
As he ran along the road lined with famous universities, a brief ringing echoed in Su-hyeok's ears.
What the...?
Since mastering martial arts, tinnitus was rare.
Only from major head trauma, sound-based attacks, or bewitching spells—otherwise, it was virtually nonexistent.
In other words, without physical impact, it shouldn't happen.
Yet here it was.
And fairly prolonged.
That wasn't all.
The flow of qi shifted.
Su-hyeok's gaze turned to the bus stop across the street, in the median.
The space amid the crowd waiting for the bus warped.
No way?
His eyes widened.
It matched the precursors from theory class before a portal appeared.
The difference? No warning whatsoever.
Normally, before a portal formed, nearby Association branches detected it with magic tools and issued evacuation orders.
Guardians were deployed swiftly for containment, and if the world was narrow and hostile, Hunters moved in to clear it—that was standard protocol.
Things got messy with intelligent life or high difficulty, but that was rare.
And situations like this were even rarer.
Without warning, a section of the world twisted like a vortex rewinding, then burst with pale green light.
A portal appeared.
A gate to another world had formed.
"Kyaaah—!"
"W-what is it?!"
"A portal!"
"People are getting sucked in!"
Screams and chaos erupted in an instant.
A portal manifesting without warning or evacuation order.
Weee-ooo-weee-ooo—!
A massive siren blared belatedly.
[A portal has appeared. Citizens, please calmly and safely proceed to the underground bunker at Sinchon Station. We repeat: A presumed Rank 5 portal has formed near Sinchon Station. Citizens, please...]
Weee-ooo-weee—!
The panic began.
After the Portal Impact and the Dimensional Alliance's formation, people hadn't faced sudden portals like this—they were thrown into confusion.
Fortunately, the Awakener Association wasn't slow to respond amid it all.
In under a minute, eight Awakeners arrived alongside police.
"Stay calm! Awakeners are here!"
"Children, elderly, pregnant women first! This way!"
The police impressively sorted the fleeing, panicked crowd.
The Awakeners hung back, looking somewhat relaxed, but their eyes were locked on the portal emitting faint green light.
Who knew when it might spit out threats from another world?
Even so, the situation seemed to be calming bit by bit.
One problem remained, though.
"Over ten people got sucked in?"
"It's been more than three minutes already."
Su-hyeok approached the Awakeners chatting among themselves as they checked their watches.
"Aren't you going in to rescue them?"
"Who are you?"
Their glaring eyes quieted the moment Su-hyeok raised his left arm to show the silver bracelet.
"An Awakener?"
"Hunter."
The gathered Awakeners exchanged quick glances at Su-hyeok's words.
"Kim Yu-min here. Rank 3 Guardian."
A young man in his late twenties stepped forward as representative, posture a bit cocky.
"No Hunters in our group.
You planning to go in alone?"
Su-hyeok frowned at the follow-up question.
Truth be told, from the moment the portal appeared, he'd been debating rushing in. His body itched to go, but he'd hesitated for one reason.
Hunters weren't allowed to enter portals alone. Earth valued its Awakeners dearly, cherishing every one. Solo actions were restricted for that reason—comrades were essential for mutual support in emergencies. Violating it meant severe sanctions and fines.
For Su-hyeok, freshly certified as a Hunter, it was a dilemma.
Then the Awakener group and police arrived.
No more reason to hesitate—or so he'd thought, until this baffling question.