#155
“Sit down. Stop acting so restless.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dan Joo-hyuk quietly commanded the people who had frozen like statues.
At that single statement, the three individuals quickly sat down across the floor table as if they had never been stiff. It seemed like their movements had improved significantly, perhaps due to achievements in the gate.
Yoon Pa-ran scratched his cheek as he watched them sitting on their knees and checking the atmosphere. The suffocating atmosphere seemed to be his fault.
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were waiting for my contact.”
He had been wondering why Kwak Sang-wook seemed quite welcoming when the call connected. Seeing that Na Young-mo mentioned feeling neglected as he entered, Yoon Pa-ran guessed they might have had something to ask of him.
Either way, it wasn’t bad. Since the three came here willingly despite just returning from the gate, it would be even better if this was a transaction.
“It’s fine. People don’t die from feeling a little neglected.”
“Shut up, you idiot.”
Just then, Kwak Jung-min answered Yoon Pa-ran’s comment with a very firm voice. Na Young-mo, sitting next to him, frantically covered Kwak Jung-min’s mouth in alarm.
Is Dan Joo-hyuk that scary?
Yoon Pa-ran’s gaze briefly touched Dan Joo-hyuk’s cheek before falling away. Watching Dan Joo-hyuk who had stopped organizing his aura as soon as the three sat down, Yoon Pa-ran silently affirmed.
Yes. He could be scary.
Though he was sorry for not telling them in advance, it couldn’t be helped. He wanted Dan Joo-hyuk to control the information to some extent.
Besides, he would prefer to keep his teaming up with Dan Joo-hyuk hidden as much as possible. Though it wouldn’t be easy since hunters like Heo Sang-yeon already knew.
“So, what urgent matter made you want to see us?”
Kwak Sang-wook, who had been silent, soon asked with a grave face. Yoon Pa-ran quietly observed this face, contrary to his slick behavior inside the gate.
These people were trustworthy. It was an intuitive judgment after working together in the gate several times.
Even now, Kwak Sang-wook didn’t ask unnecessary questions like why Dan Joo-hyuk was here. He might have sensed something, or perhaps he didn’t want to know more information than necessary. Either way, it was a cautious attitude.
Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been looking at the three, soon started the introduction.
“I assume you’re already aware of the uneasy atmosphere surrounding gates recently, without me having to tell you.”
At Dan Joo-hyuk’s words, the three exchanged glances secretly.
Seeing that response, as if they knew something, Yoon Pa-ran also raised his tension.
“We’re currently investigating the cause.”
“May I ask why?”
Kwak Sang-wook asked about their intentions with an even more serious face.
Since this was a question with no difficulty, both of them answered without hesitation.
“Because it’s fucking annoying.”
“Because knowing will make us safer.”
Similar answers came out simultaneously. Kwak Sang-wook looked at Yoon Pa-ran and Dan Joo-hyuk with strange eyes.
Lightly ignoring those eyes, Dan Joo-hyuk tossed a file that had been placed beside him to them.
“This is what we need to check right away.”
It was a list Yoon Pa-ran knew about. Originally received from Heo Sang-yeon, it contained the names of hunters who had died or been injured.
Glancing at it, Yoon Pa-ran noticed the list had become much longer than he remembered.
It meant that recently, many hunters had indeed died or been injured. These people must have felt this unusual atmosphere firsthand.
“If you know any rumors about these individuals, tell me.”
At Dan Joo-hyuk’s low voice, Kwak Sang-wook slowly examined the list.
However, he still expressed his opinion directly to Dan Joo-hyuk with eyes full of caution.
“Since I’m familiar with most of these guys, I’m not sure exactly what you’re looking for…”
How much information could be revealed? Yoon Pa-ran fell into contemplation. He thought it was natural for Kwak Sang-wook to be cautious now.
Then Yoon Pa-ran suddenly thought of Won Dong-hyun. If they were related to that power, it must have been noticeable enough.
“Are there any among them whose personalities changed too much or became violent?”
At Yoon Pa-ran’s sudden question, a puzzled look spread across Kwak Sang-wook’s face.
This time, Na Young-mo, who was sitting next to him, slipped in.
“People who live by the sword all have nasty personalities, but…”
Na Young-mo spoke while desperately keeping his wavering eyes fixed only on Yoon Pa-ran. His determination not to glance at Dan Joo-hyuk seemed tremendous.
It appeared his survival instinct was quite strong.
At that moment, Kwak Sang-wook’s nephew, Kwak Jung-min, who had been quiet, scratched his head vigorously and opened his mouth. His shoulders were tense, as if the unfolding situation was strange.
“Well, Sang-deok crawled into the gate like he was possessed, right? Even though his injuries hadn’t fully healed. When I tried to stop him, he got so angry.”
“That’s right. Sigh… In the end, we couldn’t even recover his body. Though they somehow managed to retrieve other guys who died in the same gate.”
The three began to mention things they knew as they passed around the list.
“That bastard Min-cheol was in the news for beating a civilian recently…”
“That guy was always like that. Maybe his head got too big after barely reaching B-rank.”
“Ah, I heard from my friend that when he got into an argument with that civilian, he looked like he was possessed by something. I remember they even did a medical examination to check if it was an injury aftereffect.”
“Really?”
Dan Joo-hyuk watched them with an unreadable expression. With one arm on the table and his chin resting on it, he almost seemed bored with the situation.
Meanwhile, under the table, he reached out to gently scratch Yoon Pa-ran’s knee. While firmly pushing away that hand, Yoon Pa-ran focused on the three people’s conversation.
Eventually, their stories branched out in various directions. Apparently, many guys had collecting Blessing Fragments as a side job, or this A-rank hunter was famous for his bad personality which seemed to have gotten worse recently.
After chatting adequately, the three eventually turned their attention back to Dan Joo-hyuk.
His face was still inscrutable.
“You probably don’t need such trivial information.”
Kwak Sang-wook, who had flipped over the document he was holding, now spoke in a fairly strong tone.
Dan Joo-hyuk, on the contrary, opened his mouth with an even deeper smile.
“It’s useful that you’re aware of the situation.”
He seemed to have gauged something from the three during that time. Yoon Pa-ran also looked at Dan Joo-hyuk with puzzlement.
This time, he took out a small note from his chest. Unlike before, it was a list with fewer than ten names.
However, Kwak Sang-wook frowned as soon as he saw it, as if he immediately recognized what it was.
“This is a list of hunters who recently suffered from injury aftereffects of unknown cause.”
“Ah…”
Na Young-mo inserted an exclamation that sounded like a lamentation from the side. Kwak Jung-min still didn’t seem to understand the situation, rolling his eyes around.
After a long silence, Kwak Sang-wook, having discarded his previously puzzled demeanor, asked seriously.
“Is this something that humans can resolve?”
“Probably.”
“Then, you’re making an official request to our guild.”
“Check the back page for compensation.”
At the mention of a request, Hunter Na Young-mo’s expression became even more serious.
However, he soon spoke solemnly to Kwak Sang-wook. His attitude was very different from when he was chatting in the gate.
“I’ll follow the Guild Leader’s decision.”
At this indication of complete trust, Kwak Sang-wook’s face showed deeper contemplation.
But it seemed that his earlier question about whether humans could resolve it had significant meaning.
“We accept the request. What exactly do you want from us?”
“Find out about the people or objects those who suffered from injury aftereffects encountered before they got sick. Specifically, to verify the accuracy of the contents written in that document.”
This was why lower-ranked hunters with wide connections were needed. To determine how credible the data sent by Heo Sang-yeon was, and what corrupted information might exist in the process.
Yoon Pa-ran added a word to Dan Joo-hyuk’s statement. After all, he wanted them to be particularly careful since it could be dangerous.
“If you find anything suspicious, try not to touch it and contact us. It’s dangerous.”
They decided not to give details about the black stone for now. The document only mentioned the connection with hunters who collected Blessing Fragments.
So they probably wouldn’t touch stone fragments or suspicious items carelessly.
“Then you three should eat something before you go. I’ll tell them. Report intermittently as appropriate.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Wow… This place is supposed to be impossible to get reservations…”
Kwak Jung-min muttered childishly, but Dan Joo-hyuk easily ignored him this time too.
“Yoon Pa-ran. Let’s go.”
“Huh? Oh.”
Though they had delegated the task, they were equally busy. It was just as Yoon Pa-ran, who had hurriedly stood up, was saying goodbye to the three.
“You seem busy, so I’ll see you next time, Hunter Yoon.”
“Sure.”
Kwak Sang-wook spoke with a somewhat relaxed face, as if suggesting they meet separately later without Dan Joo-hyuk. Though Yoon Pa-ran didn’t know why he wanted to see him, he readily agreed.
If they wanted something from him, he wanted to accommodate them as much as possible.
“If you need to see these hunters directly, you should go to the hospital first. Some guys are still hospitalized.”
“Really?”
Na Young-mo also provided useful information from the side.
Then this time, Kwak Jung-min, who had been happily eating fruit, abruptly said.
“Oh, speaking of hospitals, Hunter Lee Ha-min has been desperately waiting for your call, Hunter Yoon.”
“Lee Ha-min?”
Who was Lee Ha-min again?
As Yoon Pa-ran asked quizzically, Kwak Jung-min looked at him with an expression of disbelief.
“That guy from the linked anomaly incident, the one you saved and carried out on your back even though you were injured yourself.”
“Ah.”
The hunter who said he would propose after leaving the gate. Yoon Pa-ran belatedly remembered that his name was Lee Ha-min.
But then he felt a cold sensation somewhere and turned to the side.
For some reason, the gaze of Dan Joo-hyuk, who was looking at him from beside, was extremely sharp.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
