A Worthy Companion

The bell above the front door tinkled softly, swaying from side to side.

John Doe stared intently at Yu Jinho’s back as he stepped outside.

“How was he?”

“Now I understand why you did something as bizarre as taking over the Korean branch.”

“He’s an unpredictable one.”

“Ambition and confidence that don’t match his age. Not a bad person to keep close.”

“I never imagined you would speak so highly of him, Boss.”

Madam.

Priscilla wore a faint, elegant smile.

She had been the one to build the bridge between the Black Network and Jinho. John Doe’s generous evaluation was, in effect, indirect praise for her insight and judgment in making this partnership possible.

He’s no ordinary man.

John Doe closed his eyes gently. Madam moved with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deliberate care, careful not to let her footsteps disturb his thoughts. The café quickly sank into silence.

Goodness. Where in the world did someone like him come from…? Truly astonishing.

The leader of the Black Network had met countless people throughout his long life—ambitious politicians, businessmen blinded by greed, dreamers lost in their own sense of justice, and every other type of human being imaginable. The Black Network existed to connect the lawless underworld. John Doe had clashed with more people than he could count while building an organization that spanned the globe.

Even among them, Yu Jinho stood out as exceptionally unique.

John Doe slowly recalled the data he had reviewed an hour earlier. A person’s personality, judgment, and character were heavily shaped by their environment. Just as cutting a tree revealed its growth rings, a person’s past actions could reveal the principles that drove them. That was how John Doe discerned a person’s true nature.

Yet…

That boldness of his—does it come from innate talent?

He continued comparing their recent conversation with the records, thinking without pause. Jinho’s life had been ordinary, if not uneventful. Losing his parents young must have shaped his worldview, but compared to refugees in the Third World, it had been a peaceful existence.

It felt like sitting across from a seasoned politician.

Heh heh heh—

John Doe let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. No matter how long he meditated on it, evaluating Jinho by ordinary standards was impossible.

And that wasn’t all.

It was almost as if he could see straight through me.

Mind reading. It was rare, but some players possessed unique abilities that let them read others’ intentions. John Doe had chuckled at the thought. If that were the case, I would have noticed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skill activation.

As a countermeasure against mind reading, he had learned several mental barrier skills. If Jinho had tried to read his thoughts, some kind of signal should have appeared.

But the sharply honed mental barriers had detected nothing unusual.

He never let me seize the initiative.

His information network was impossibly wide, covering even the deeper workings of the Black Network. And his combat ability? The Gold Moon tried to keep it quiet, but John Doe already knew that Jinho had single-handedly defeated the Golden Circle team.

A player who could be called the strongest on Earth without exaggeration.

I still don’t know why he’s interested in Klyphoth.

The one fact Jinho had tried hardest to conceal throughout their talk—that his true goal was Klyphoth itself—had only become clear at the very end of their conversation. Even after seeing through to the core, John Doe had chosen not to voice it aloud because doing so would bring no harm to the Black Network.

Priscilla. That child’s eye for people never ceases to amaze me.

John Doe smiled once more before rising from his seat.

“I’ll need to step away for a while.”

I gathered the guild members in one place and cut straight to the point.

Analyst Thomas’s eyes widened. “Master, so suddenly?”

“Yes. I’ve caught the tail of Klyphoth.”

“Klyphoth… You mean the Eldritch Dragon you defeated in the DMZ?!”

“Different faction, but the root is the same.”

I couldn’t explain any deeper than that. Information about Klyphoth was heavily restricted. Without reaching the upper levels of the Tower, uncovering its secrets was nearly impossible. The only reason I had shared any of it with the Black Network was my confidence that it wouldn’t leak further. Telling the guild like this, however, meant I couldn’t guarantee secrecy.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them. Slips of the tongue tended to happen in small, everyday moments rather than grand events. That was precisely why secrets were rarely shared with many people.

“Another monster like the Eldritch Dragon might appear…”

“Didn’t you say it was in an incomplete state?”

“If it had been summoned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in perfect form, it would have been a literal catastrophe.”

One of the players from the former Yellow Storm team swallowed hard. Even these elites—ranked among the top 0.01% of Korean players—grew tense at the mere mention of the creature. The name Eldritch Dragon carried that much weight.

“Master, I’m coming with you.”

Jiyoung stepped forward, biting her lip. Her eyes were steady, burning with a fierce determination that refused any negotiation.

You don’t have to tell me. I can see that much.

I remembered the time I had disappeared for nearly a month to dismantle the mafia and the Mexican drug cartels. I had strongly warned her never to do anything dangerous alone again. Seeing her determined expression brought that moment back vividly.

“No.”

“You promised.”

“This isn’t that dangerous.”

“If it’s not dangerous, then you should take us even more. We’re comrades, aren’t we?”

She had struck the heart of the matter.

I swept my gaze across the guild members. When the Eldritch Dragon was first mentioned, fear had flickered across their faces. Now it was different. The air had grown hotter. Jiyoung’s cry had completely burned away the fear they felt when facing the Eldritch Dragon, replacing it with fighting spirit.

This was troublesome. I hadn’t said it to intimidate them, but now solo action would be difficult.

Don’t laugh while watching someone else suffer.

Information about Klyphoth. My relationship with the Black Network. Both were things I couldn’t reveal at this stage. I had planned to give the guild a vague excuse, but Jiyoung’s words had completely flipped the mood.

I cherish them?

That’s to prepare for the future…

I let out a soft “Ah” of realization at Nyx’s words.

That was true. The members of Yellow Storm and Team Mugeuk aside, the guild members—including Jiyoung—had all reached High Ranker or even Monarch status in the previous timeline. Just as I had rapidly regained my peak strength after regressing, they were growing far faster than before because of their connection to me. Both physically and mentally, they were completing themselves at an accelerated pace compared to their past lives.

“Master?”

“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

I smiled gently. The guild members were no longer children I needed to keep protected in my embrace. They were comrades I had gathered to open the future. They had already crossed that line once during the bloody battle in the Dunhuang Desert. No matter who the enemy was, they had been forged into people who would not fear raising their blades.

“Ellen, Director.”

“What? Have you made up your mind?”

I turned to Ellen, who had been quietly observing until now.

“Your guild has connections with the Black Network, doesn’t it?”

“Asking something like that in an open place is rather shocking, but… it doesn’t look like I can postpone answering.”

Ellen let out a small sigh.

“The Master will be the one exchanging messages. I don’t know the details.”

“This time, the Black Network was the one who caught Klyphoth’s tail. I accepted their request.”

The order of events was reversed, but I couldn’t tell her that I had become a new executive director of the Black Network.

“You were planning to face those bastards alone, Uncle?”

“What’s surfaced so far is nothing but the lowest ranks. That’s why I intended to move alone.”

“Master, as Jiyoung said, we are comrades. Don’t try to shoulder that burden by yourself.”

Both Enrique and Ping Lei raised their voices. These two usually spent their time growling and fighting with Jiyoung, yet here they were speaking with one voice. For some reason, it made me smile.

“Ellen. I have one favor to ask.”

“As long as it’s within my authority, anything.”

“If you discover any trace of Klyphoth, share it with the Black Network.”

“And you want me to pass that information to the Yeokcheon Guild?”

“Yes. Because I’m the only one who can track them down.”

Klyphoth factions had infiltrated the underworld. Finding their traces wasn’t something that could be done in a day or two.

“I’ll contact you when I need the guild members’ strength.”

“Understood. That much is fine.”

Ellen answered readily. I turned to the two rankers.

“Can you accept this much?”

“Since our junior has made a concession, we should accept it.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard. I still haven’t fully repaid the debt for saving Yesul.”

Shin Junseok and Hong Yunsu spoke on behalf of their teams.

Now came the final hurdle.

When my eyes met Jiyoung’s, moisture shimmered at the corners of her eyes. I felt like I had done something terribly wrong.

“Wait for me just a little longer.”

“…Next time, I will stand beside you, Master.”

I swallowed a sigh.

The comrades I had gathered to prepare for the coming war. Until now, I had only thought of the guild members as people I needed to protect. If Nyx hadn’t pointed it out, I would have tried to persuade them with some plausible excuse.

Goddess, thank you.

I expressed my gratitude through a message only she could hear and smiled softly.