#160
Dan Joo-hyuk’s face hardened coldly, shedding its boredom as he saw the word implying Yoon Pa-ran.
Following his mood, the frigid winter wind swirled around. The biting wind that fiercely struck the ground swept through the dark mountainside where the sun had completely set.
“Ha.”
With that very unsettling phrase, the status window fell silent. No matter how many times he mulled over the content, it was undeniably random and irritating.
Having captured Lee Tae-jung, clues and useful information would gradually emerge. However, Dan Joo-hyuk frowned deeply at the immediate problem.
Although he was borrowing the power, ultimately the Disciple of the Sacred God was none other than Yoon Pa-ran. He had been trying to hide that fact, but now Yoon Pa-ran’s existence had become widely known.
“……”
To whom, exactly?
❖ ❖ ❖
Two days later.
“Hmm……”
Standing in the middle of the orphanage yard, Yoon Pa-ran looked around with a serious face.
As he had confirmed over the past few days, nothing unusual had happened.
“Brother, what’s wrong?”
Finding it strange that he had been scanning the surroundings intensely with his arms crossed, Min-woong came over and hung onto one of his legs.
Only then did Yoon Pa-ran soften his hardened expression and gently stroke his younger brother’s head.
“It’s nothing.”
Indeed, nothing had happened. He just felt a bit odd.
Having suffered from these intermittent symptoms for days, Yoon Pa-ran once again swept his gaze over the orphanage building. Only the peaceful sounds of children playing echoed inside.
This morning, he had thoroughly searched every room in the orphanage but found nothing. Just in case, he had checked the durability of Ju-hee’s necklace barrier and even applied a weak [Sacred Energy] that wouldn’t be noticed by the children.
Still, nothing particularly caught his attention. It seemed to be just a feeling.
“Brother, are you going out today?”
“Yes.”
Today he was supposed to meet Dan Joo-hyuk and go to the hunter’s medical center.
The people from the Karma Guild were consistently gathering and sending information. They planned to personally meet patients whose credibility had been verified.
“Are you going to meet a friend?”
At that moment, Min-woong looked up at him with an innocent face and asked.
At the word “friend,” Yoon Pa-ran found it strangely difficult to speak as he answered.
“Y…yes.”
“Wow……”
With that single word, Min-woong’s eyes grew even brighter.
Ever since hearing from Ju-hee that Yoon Pa-ran’s friend had given her a gift, he had been reacting like this. If he had been envious and asking for something himself, it would have been understandable, but he was merely expressing admiration. Although he was his brother, he truly was exceptionally gentle.
“Is it that big brother from before?”
Min-woong even cupped his small maple leaf-like hands in front of his mouth and whispered to Yoon Pa-ran as if sharing a secret.
He seemed to remember well the time he had encountered Dan Joo-hyuk in the orphanage’s backyard.
“…Yes.”
Feeling somewhat embarrassed for no reason, Yoon Pa-ran tousled Min-woong’s hair wildly as he answered.
He couldn’t understand why the word “friend” felt so awkward. Well, it wasn’t like he and Dan Joo-hyuk were close enough to be playing friends anyway.
“I’ll be back. Be good. Don’t fight with your sister.”
“Okay!”
After waving back at Min-woong, Yoon Pa-ran left the orphanage. He had just confirmed the text message from Dan Joo-hyuk saying he had arrived.
As he walked through the main gate, Yoon Pa-ran glanced back at the orphanage once more. Though he thought there would be no problems, he felt like a small red lamp was blinking in a corner of his mind.
Deliberately ignoring that feeling, Yoon Pa-ran looked up at the sky. His breath spread out white into the air like a cloud.
“Hoo……”
In just two more days, it would be the new year.
As he turned the corner of the orphanage, Dan Joo-hyuk’s car was parked in its usual spot. Today it was a black sedan that wouldn’t attract much attention.
Dan Joo-hyuk always drove this kind of car when he didn’t want to reveal their destination. Yoon Pa-ran’s expression became a bit strange as he realized he had picked up on this habit.
Why did he keep thinking about Min-woong’s innocent question about whether they were friends?
“I’m here.”
“Hey.”
As soon as he got into the passenger seat, he came face to face with Dan Joo-hyuk’s bright smile. That made yesterday’s events suddenly come to mind, and Yoon Pa-ran hastily turned his gaze toward the window.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I did.”
The ticklish question made it even harder to make eye contact. After needlessly rubbing his nape once, Yoon Pa-ran finally fastened his seatbelt.
Yesterday, he had filled Dan Joo-hyuk’s skill.
‘Does it hurt?’
The memory sprang up with startling clarity, causing Yoon Pa-ran to stiffly stare out the window again.
Two days ago, Dan Joo-hyuk had confronted Heo Sang-yeon. It happened after he heard that Heo Sang-yeon was moving with A-rank hunter Lee Tae-jung.
When asked to come over briefly, Yoon Pa-ran headed to his house without much suspicion. He did think that the payment he owed was still quite insufficient.
When Yoon Pa-ran headed to his house without asking anything, there was something odd about Dan Joo-hyuk’s attitude as he welcomed him. The explanation that he had used up all his power in a major battle and needed to recharge was as expected, but something felt off.
Anyway, Dan Joo-hyuk told him a surprising story. That Heo Sang-yeon was being controlled by the energy of that stone fragment.
Upon hearing the truth, Dan Joo-hyuk’s somewhat peculiar attitude became more understandable. Although the [Sacred Energy] had been a great help, Yoon Pa-ran wondered if he had been injured while fighting Heo Sang-yeon.
…Though he could clearly confirm several times that there were no particular wounds on his body.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing at all.”
As Yoon Pa-ran stared blankly into space, he felt a touch that poked his cheek. Startled by the sensation, Yoon Pa-ran reflexively answered.
Unconsciously turning to the side, he saw Dan Joo-hyuk smiling as if he had just painted it on.
Yoon Pa-ran, who was about to stare at that face absentmindedly again, suddenly came to his senses.
“Ahem. Let’s get going.”
“…Okay.”
Finally, the car slowly began to move. Glancing at the unusually bright weather for winter, Yoon Pa-ran scratched his cheek. It was still quite ticklish where Dan Joo-hyuk had touched it earlier.
He said that all of Heo Sang-yeon’s suspicious behavior toward the orphanage seemed to be due to the influence of that stone. Heo Sang-yeon, who was seriously injured, was recovering somewhere, he said. All while keeping that fact hidden from the Gate Management Office and the press.
Some trust in Heo Sang-yeon had been restored, but they hadn’t stopped reviewing the materials. Since they couldn’t know when Heo Sang-yeon had started being controlled, the credibility of the data sent to Dan Joo-hyuk remained low.
The Karma Guild people’s skills were surprisingly good. Though they had limitations in extracting special information, they were talented at gathering information circulating among lower-ranked hunters. So they seemed quite suitable for this matter.
Still, to think there was a power strong enough to control even an S-rank hunter like Heo Sang-yeon.
Though he would need to learn more details, Yoon Pa-ran glanced at Dan Joo-hyuk with newfound perspective.
Though they were both S-rank, Heo Sang-yeon was currently in recovery, unconscious, he had said. Meanwhile, Dan Joo-hyuk was perfectly fine without a single scar. And that was despite being ambushed first.
Even though they were both S-rank, for there to be such a difference in skill. Impressive.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Shrugging his shoulders needlessly, Yoon Pa-ran focused on the window again. He worried about what to say if Dan Joo-hyuk were to persistently ask for a reason.
Fortunately, Dan Joo-hyuk’s phone connected to the car rang.
It was Kim Sin-cheol.
“Yeah?”
“Hey. Um, I think you need to come over for a bit? I caught a suspicious person.”
Unlike Dan Joo-hyuk who had paused briefly before answering the call, Kim Sin-cheol immediately conveyed his business without taking a breath. His attitude seemed quite urgent.
“Handle it yourself. I have other business.”
“Well, ahem, I think you need to see this in person. He’s one of Kim Tae-jun’s people.”
In contrast, Dan Joo-hyuk just acted annoyed. In response, Kim Sin-cheol repeatedly called Dan Joo-hyuk’s name so unnaturally that it was noticeable.
Only then did Dan Joo-hyuk pull the car over to the shoulder and answer.
“…Fine.”
The call ended quickly. As soon as the car fell silent, Yoon Pa-ran said to Dan Joo-hyuk.
“Shouldn’t you go? I’ll visit the hospital by myself.”
He had said that Kim Sin-cheol was handling the important task of investigating Lee Tae-jung’s associates. The matter might be urgent.
He had heard about the status window message saying that the existence of the ‘Disciple of the Sacred God’ had become widely known. However, Yoon Pa-ran was also vaguely aware that the power of his [Sacred Energy] skill was considerable.
Whether due to the rank difference, it seemed the skill became even more powerful in Dan Joo-hyuk’s hands.
Anyway, because of this, Yoon Pa-ran was confident. Confident that even in a crisis, he could at least escape with his life.
“I think I should. Since yesterday, I’ve been feeling strangely short on time.”
Dan Joo-hyuk nodded as if he had similar thoughts. Though his attitude seemed reluctant, there was conviction in his tone.
Yoon Pa-ran had also been feeling oddly anxious because of Lee Tae-jung’s unexpected behavior. It would be better to quickly resolve issues that could be addressed.
“Take this with you instead.”
Dan Joo-hyuk pulled a shopping bag from the back seat and placed it on Yoon Pa-ran’s lap. Inside was something that looked like a white cloth.
As Yoon Pa-ran picked it up, wondering what it was:
[Shadow of God S]
Can perfectly conceal one’s existence.
Durability: 2/3
“……”
A consumable item status window like [Forgotten Sacred God’s Protection] appeared before his eyes. And it was S-rank.
Though it was just a piece of cloth, Yoon Pa-ran felt his hands trembling with tension. Then he immediately became certain.
No wonder things had felt so strange for the past few days.
A different assumption from yesterday finally occurred to him. With a deeply concerned look, Yoon Pa-ran stared at Dan Joo-hyuk’s forehead.
“Did you hit your head or something?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
