225. I'm Truly Sorry.
No Song-rin took a seat at the table behind where Kang Moo-hyuk was sitting. His mission was to watch for any suspicious signs around them while guarding Kang Moo-hyuk.
While Jang Deok-gu dealt with the surveillance, No Song-rin sipped his coffee and assessed the situation via message skill.
'What the hell does this guy think I am, nagging like that? Does he think he's my warden or something?'
No Song-rin harbored plenty of resentment toward Jang Deok-gu but couldn't show it.
Whatever the past, they were guildmates now, but Jang Deok-gu's infamous reputation among Ujungdo alumni made No Song-rin instinctively wary.
Still, he couldn't show any weakness.
That was when it hit—a ferocious aura suddenly whipped up out of nowhere.
No Song-rin whipped his head around to trace the source. What caught his eye was Thomas, his eyes gleaming gold. Mana was surging wildly toward him.
And right beside him was Kang Moo-hyuk.
Jang Deok-gu sent another message, but there was no time to reply.
"Damn it, Boss...!"
No Song-rin launched himself forward.
Boom!
"Kyaaak!"
"Argh!"
The blast of wind hurled people in every direction. Glass shattered, tables and chairs toppled. Teacups smashed against the walls.
The outdoor terrace patrons hit the deck in terror from the sudden gust, flattening themselves to the ground. Those who couldn't react in time were flung onto the sidewalk. A few pedestrians tumbled into the street, but luckily no cars passed, avoiding any accidents.
Inside the cafe, it looked like a storm had ripped through.
"Boss, you okay?"
Kang Moo-hyuk was pinned under No Song-rin. It had been a close call. He was so near the epicenter that even a split-second delay could've meant serious injury.
'If that happened, I'd be dead too.'
For a moment, No Song-rin shuddered, imagining Joo Se-ah and Jang Deok-gu as horned monsters.
Considering Kang Moo-hyuk's position in Iron Will Guild, failing to protect him meant death.
"I'm fine. What about Hunter Thomas?"
"You worried about someone else right now?"
Kang Moo-hyuk tried to push No Song-rin off and stand, but a normal person's strength couldn't budge a hunter.
"Thomas?!"
Frustrated, Kang Moo-hyuk barked. No Song-rin finally shifted aside but kept his arm out to shield Kang Moo-hyuk, holding his position.
With no choice, Kang Moo-hyuk peered over his shoulder at Thomas.
Thomas was unharmed.
'Wait, is he really?'
No visible wounds, but those golden eyes remained, and his hands trembled.
Thomas stared down at his shaking fingertips, dropping to his knees.
"Hunter Thomas. You alright?"
"Don't come near!"
As Kang Moo-hyuk tried to approach past No Song-rin, Thomas thrust out a hand in warning.
A line scored the floor along his swinging arm, extending straight to Kang Moo-hyuk.
Crack!
No Song-rin blocked the invisible force with his karambit knife. The rebound shot up, piercing the ceiling like a razor slice.
Kang Moo-hyuk's sharp eyes identified the power.
'Wind magic.'
Among basic elemental magics—fire, water, earth, wind, light—wind was second only to light in difficulty. Yet Thomas wielded it as easily as breathing.
The problem was his lack of control.
No Song-rin noticed too.
"Wind, huh... Boss, this guy's dangerous."
Kang Moo-hyuk caught the oddity in No Song-rin's words.
An A-rank calling a C-rank dangerous? Unheard of.
Catching his puzzled look, No Song-rin showed the karambit that had blocked the spell.
"!!"
Half the blade was snapped off.
"Blocked it with mana sword. Even a standard one shouldn't shatter against C-rank magic."
"You mean..."
"He's no C-rank. At least my level—similar even accounting for matchup."
Minimum A- rank.
Even No Song-rin, who knew Thomas's backstory, looked incredulous.
'Jumped five ranks or more in one go. Or... regained his original rank?'
That explained why Thomas's state wasn't normal.
"Urk, what's happening...? Get back, everyone..."
Thomas clutched his arms around himself, hunching over. The rampant magic calmed, but the whirlwind circling him sped up.
Now even Kang Moo-hyuk could see clearly: mana stampeding toward Thomas like wild horses.
'He can't control the power.'
Kang Moo-hyuk drew parallels from Joo Se-ah's case.
Normal hunters ranked up one step at a time. But S-rank wasn't just A+ plus one—it was a massive leap.
Joo Se-ah hadn't fully grasped her power until fighting the tyrant. Her body had already reached S-rank physically, so she avoided rampage.
Thomas was different.
His body already compromised by illness, suddenly regaining his rank meant he couldn't handle it.
'If he were just melee, no issue. It's his trait. Mana-specialized ability turned poison.'
Plus, from Kang Moo-hyuk's own mana addiction experience, Thomas's body was hypersensitive now.
"Hunter No Song-rin! Can you knock out Hunter Thomas now?"
"Through that?"
No Song-rin eyed his broken knife.
'I'm no guild master. Taking magic barehanded without armor coat? Pass.'
As he hesitated, a savior's voice rang out.
"I'll do it."
Jang Deok-gu.
"Please."
Jang Deok-gu nodded and drew his sword.
Thomas flinched at the sight from the corner of his eye. Not hostile, but Jang Deok-gu's aura was intensely threatening. His anxiety stirred the mana more, baring teeth at the approaching Jang Deok-gu.
Jang Deok-gu warned.
"Stay still for the bit, or I'll have to get rough."
"I-I'm not doing this on purpose... Can't control it... Urk!"
"Yeah? Don't worry. I've tamed wild colts before."
Kang Moo-hyuk guessed who Jang Deok-gu meant.
'Guild master's old war stories.'
He'd heard—and seen—the method.
Joo Se-ah used it sometimes.
"Hit till it heals."
"......"
In a flash, Jang Deok-gu's sword sliced the wind, creating a tiny gap. A kick exploded through it. Thomas went flying.
Mana raged with wind magic, but powerless before Jang Deok-gu's blade. Each swing shredded the gusts.
Strikes landed in the recovery gaps.
Watching Thomas cough blood from the impacts, Kang Moo-hyuk shouted.
"Don't kill him!"
"Boss. Trust me. Best way to draw out power or kill. Guild master approved."
Jang Deok-gu grinned, eyes like Joo Se-ah's.
'Beatdowns as training? Only works on Joo Se-ah.'
Kang Moo-hyuk thought it but couldn't stop him.
Soon, as Jang Deok-gu promised, the magic subsided. Thomas began regaining control.
"It worked?"
Kang Moo-hyuk muttered in disbelief.
"S-stop... hitting..."
Thomas gasped before passing out.
"See? Works."
Cleaning up Thomas's unintended mess proved surprisingly simple.
"I'm truly sorry."
Kang Moo-hyuk bowed to No Song-rin.
"Why me...?"
Handcuffs clicked onto No Song-rin's wrists. Strangers gripped his armpits.
Hunter investigators in dark blue armor coats marked "HCF" arrested him.
"H-Hold on. Boss! This for real? Feels off!"
"Called the Federation for help. You'll be out soon. Think of it as a break."
"Vacation like this? Wait! Hold up! Hey, it wasn't me!"
No Song-rin protested innocence, but the investigators shoved him into the special transport van without mercy.
As the van drove off, Jang Deok-gu handed Kang Moo-hyuk something.
"Retrieved. Can't spout nonsense now."
A translation item—issued to the whole U.S. trip crew—yanked from No Song-rin.
Even if truth slipped from his poor-English mouth, it wouldn't be understood for a while.
'Boss is no slouch. Framing No Song-rin in this mess. Smart improv, though.'
Kang Moo-hyuk called it necessary, without asking permission.
Fleeing police and HCF would've escalated things.
Explaining Thomas's sudden rank explosion risked Ithaca Guild brass hearing, derailing extraction plans.
Jang Deok-gu's knockout of watchers would've been wasted.
So, scapegoat it was.
No Song-rin, Ujungdo alum, would ping on Korea-U.S. hunter criminal pacts instantly.
Most suspicious suspect.
Whispering away from cleanup cops, Kang Moo-hyuk asked Jang Deok-gu.
"Cafe CCTV?"
"Storage drive trashed. Unrecoverable."
"Good work. Where's Hunter Thomas?"
"Sedated on rooftop opposite."
No sedative—just Jang Deok-gu's iron grip. Kang Moo-hyuk paled.
"He'll be fine?"
"Plenty of practice back in the day."
Investigator days.
'What kinda life did this guy live?'
Even unflappable Kang Moo-hyuk grew curious about Jang Deok-gu's past.
"What about No Song-rin?"
"Admit mistake, compensate damages guild-wide. Alerted Federation—they'll support test incidents, can't ignore."
"Shame. Heard 66 District bread's decent."
66 District: Korea's Ujungdo equivalent.
Among world's four most notorious hunter prisons, worse than Ujungdo.
"Kim Myeong-jun stuff too. Hunter No Song-rin has work in Korea. Waste to send him there."
Overhearers would've laughed it off as joke; both dead serious.
Jang Deok-gu meant it.
'Really a shame.'
Kang Moo-hyuk shrugged like relieved.
"Grab Hunter Thomas. Meet two blocks over in 30. Car's ready."
"Kyaaah!"
LA's Sophia Stadium was on fire.
BTA concert hadn't started, but fans' cheers filled it already.
Go Eul-ji couldn't believe she was here. World tour dream come true. Hugging her friend, singing BTA medley hits, screaming cheers.
"Nari-ya, I'm not dreaming, right? Pinch me."
"Yep. Pinch won't hurt—you're a hunter. But not a dream."
"Then whack me with a bat."
"Nah. I'm normal. But seriously, real."
"So I can relax? Enjoy the concert?"
"Yep. Go wild."
"Kyaaah! BTA! BTA!"
Go Eul-ji knew this concert would be an eternal memory.