Hero Hunt (5)
Successfully completed the final chapter 'Hero Hunt' quest in Birth of the Demon God!
Clear Condition: Assassinate 'Iron Fist' Yeom Ui-jun
Rewards will be distributed combining chapter clear and full series completion bonuses.
Proceeds to epilogue 'Funeral', leading into the official sequel to World Guardian: ???
Sequel title to be revealed after epilogue 'Funeral'.
Checking the flurry of messages that followed one after another, I immediately swung my right arm.
Boom! Boooom!
The ones battling our organization members hurriedly pulled back to avoid the mana I unleashed. The looks they shot me were filled with sheer astonishment, every last one of them.
Who could blame them? A heavyweight—one of the 36 Heroes, a man whose status ranked among the top ten in the country. No one could've imagined Iron Fist Yeom Ui-jun dying in a fight against mere terrorists.
I shook the blood from my hand and gave orders to the organization members.
"Mission complete. Disperse immediately as planned. I'll contact you later—stand by and stay out of trouble until then."
"Hey, if you're gonna tease us like this, why call us out at all? Can't we at least have some fun scrapping with these guys?"
"Fight by yourself if you want. I'm out."
The burly man looked exasperated, but the tall man replied with cold sarcasm.
Though we were in the same organization, we weren't exactly close. Hell, we didn't even know each other's true identities.
Our boss had cloaked us in mist, we'd altered our appearances, and we even wore masks. Only two people knew the full roster: the boss and me.
They didn't seem inclined to listen nicely, so I hardened my tone and repeated the order.
"We're not here to play. Move out—now."
Four shimmering lights already flickered in the air. Magic portals prepared by the boss—one each for me and the three members.
The tall man gave a casual wave and vanished into the rift. The burly one grumbled but leaped in after him.
And then the last one remaining. A slender woman stared at me and spoke in a calm voice.
"See you later."
"Good work. I'll hold them off—go first."
"...Thanks."
While keeping the hunters at bay, she slipped through her warp hole and retreated. A quick check of my condition showed plenty of mana left.
I drew some out, forming a massive orb of mana, and warned the hunters.
"Don't come any closer."
If they got any nearer, I'd have no choice but to launch it. At least half of them would die, and I didn't want to take innocent lives.
Of course, my silent inner plea wouldn't reach them. But fortunately, no one charged.
We stood in tense silence for a dozen seconds or so, their fear palpable. Someone gulped.
That tiny gap was all I needed. I hurled the mana orb at the bare ground.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The explosion roared, shards flying everywhere. Amid the thick smoke and flames, I kicked off the earth and leaped back.
The warp hole's mana pulled me away. And in the next instant—
I stood before a table with a bottle of liquor on it.
"Back already?"
A woman who had just lifted her glass to her lips asked coyly.
The boss of our organization, Phantom. The first ally I recruited at my parents' funeral.
Mist Witch Seo Yeon-hee.
Of course, even that wasn't her true identity. The last of the long-lived species, an immortal who'd lived over a thousand years. A transcendent being who had attained eternal life.
Currently disguised as a woman my age, she smiled brightly and added,
"10:25 p.m.... Finished earlier than expected."
"Why'd you send me so late?"
Ignoring her faint note of admiration, I scolded her outright.
I could've pulled it off solo, sure. But if the team had arrived even a minute later...
It would've gotten messy. Hunters beyond Yeom Ui-jun might've died too.
It was my way of protesting—be more careful—but Seo Yeon-hee brushed it off casually.
"I timed it perfectly, so don't be like that. Want a drink?"
"Sure."
As I held out my glass, she tilted the bottle. I downed the amber liquid she'd poured generously into the rocks glass, then swept back my tousled hair.
With that, my appearance reverted to normal, as if a spell had lifted. The dirt, bloodstains, and traces of battle all vanished cleanly.
But around then, Seo Yeon-hee spoke casually, as if it were nothing.
"Take off what you're wearing too. Gotta incinerate it."
"..."
Logically, she was right. Right before the op, when she stepped out briefly, I'd changed clothes. My originals were piled in the corner—no need to leave evidence, so the combat gear had to go.
The problem was...
"Give me a minute alone."
"Why? Incinerate the clothes first, clean up any traces, then change."
"...I can burn the traces with my mana myself, so could you just step out?"
"How can I trust your skills? If you half-ass it and get caught, that's on you."
"Jeez, what a lame excuse..."
"Excuse? What excuse?"
Seo Yeon-hee tilted her head innocently, then clapped as if suddenly realizing, humming teasingly.
"Dojin, you don't think I'm doing this because I wanna see you naked, do you? I've known you since you were a baaaaby, changed your diapers and all?"
"You never did that."
Change my diapers? She'd play with me a bit, then call my parents the second it got tricky.
"You were too young to remember."
"I was born smart— I remember my childhood just fine."
Unfortunately, my resistance ended there, and the humiliating ordeal dragged on.
With a deep sigh, I stripped off everything. Seo Yeon-hee snapped her fingers.
The combat suit and hidden bloodstains vanished like they'd never been. She meticulously checked the floor, table, and fixtures before finally saying what I wanted to hear.
"All good now. Don't wanna embarrass you—get dressed quick."
"Then don't look."
Grumbling, I grabbed my clothes and got ready to leave the room. Seo Yeon-hee watched from the sofa across the table, her expression faintly regretful.
"Heading out right away?"
"What's the point of sticking around? Sea's home alone—I should get back."
"Yeah...? You're probably the only brother in the world who dotes on his sister like you do."
"That's a compliment, right?"
I shot back simply and drained the last of my drink. As I headed for the door, I caught her softly murmured words.
"See you at the funeral. Get some real sleep tonight—no other thoughts."
"Got it."
We exchanged not a word about the mission. She was being considerate. My head was too tangled.
It wasn't guilt over killing Yeom Ui-jun. Just... something bitter on my tongue, for reasons even I couldn't pin down.
It wasn't too late yet—would Sea be secretly pleased if I got home early? Harboring that hope, I quickened my steps home.
Alone in the room, Seo Yeon-hee quietly tilted her glass. She drained the liquor sloshing near the brim, then let out a soft chuckle.
'When did that little squirt grow up so much?'
Lee Dojin. Thinking of that kid stirred odd feelings in her—regret, pride, joy, amusement. A unique glow from the tangle of emotions.
A memory from ten years ago surfaced.
At Lee Si-hyeok and Jeong Se-bin's funeral. Lee Dojin, claiming to know her true identity, asked for help in exchange for a condition.
One so tantalizing she couldn't refuse.
"Help me."
"Why should I? What's in it for me to help a kid like you?"
He'd replied in a voice that rang true, laced with conviction.
"I can help you meet your death. Not now, but someday."
Her long-held wish, born of unintended immortality. Complete annihilation into nothingness.
Lee Dojin said he could make it happen.
'Honestly, these days it's not as burning a desire...'
Even so, she was curious. Could he fulfill that bold promise? What choice would she make then?
Even an immortal couldn't see the future.
Seo Yeon-hee simply awaited the moment with eager anticipation—and for now, that was enough.