Chapter 58: Emotional Fracture

After Im Haekyung wrapped things up with a few curt ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) answers to the reporters and promised a follow-up, we were able to get back into the car fairly quickly. Sliding into the driver’s seat with an empty stomach, I started mapping out the next step.

‘Grab food at the first restaurant I see, then once we’re home, get Do Yehyun a license.’

“Is it fine if we just head straight back?”

“No.”

“...What?”

“We’re pulling into the first restaurant we spot.”

“...You that hungry?”

“Hungry enough to eat someone alive.”

I quickly found a 24-hour bean sprout soup place nearby and hit the gas. My hands were trembling from hunger, so I was driving fast enough to risk an accident. Luckily the roads were empty—unless I rammed a guardrail, nothing was going to happen.

“Jehyun-ssi, want me to drive us back?”

As soon as we arrived, Im Haekyung snatched the keys from me. I happily surrendered them and followed him inside.

Considering his fame, I took us to the most secluded table. Then, ignoring both of their opinions, I waved over the owner.

“Boss, three bean sprout soups, please.”

“Sure thing. Just a sec.”

“Yes, sir.”

No time to pick through a menu when I’m starving to death. The simpler the order, the faster the food comes out.

“You’re not even going to ask what we want?”

“Unifying the menu makes it faster. Otherwise we’ll be waiting a thousand years and starve.”

“Hyung, I like bean sprout soup.”

“Good. Eat a lot. Guildmaster, do you?”

“Mm... I don’t think I like it much.”

“Then just eat what you can.”

My blunt answer left Im Haekyung speechless. Whether he liked it or not, the food came out in steaming bowls within minutes. I dumped in the rice, cracked an egg from the table into the soup, and pulled out my spoon.

“Everyone grab your own utensils. Normally I’d set them out for you, but right now I’m too hungry.”

From here on, it was self-service. I cooled the scalding soup with a bit of cold water and shoveled a spoonful into my mouth. God, finally—I could live again.

Do Yehyun got up and returned from the side-dish corner with some extras.

“Hyung, have some kimchi too.”

“Thanks.”

Not really a kimchi fan, but I took it. Meanwhile, Im Haekyung wasn’t eating; he was staring at the TV while poking at his soup. Some old drama rerun was on, with a breaking-news banner across the bottom.

[B-Rank Gate near Hwaseong, Gyeonggi cleared]

That’d be the one we’d just come out of. I drained my first bowl in seconds, ordered more rice, mixed it in, and downed another. Only after two bowls demolished did my brain start working again.

Chopsticks in hand, I glanced at Haekyung’s untouched bowl.

“Not going to eat?”

“I’m not that hungry.”

“You leaving it?”

“...Probably.”

So S-ranks burn less energy? Strange, considering he’d just burned through a gate—should’ve used plenty of mana. Yet he looked fine.

“Mind if I finish it?”

“I’ve already touched it.”

“I’m not squeamish.”

“...Do as you like.”

I set aside my empty dish and dug into his soup, pulling out my phone at the same time. Battery was low. I flipped it face-down on the table, recording app running, then reached a hand out to Do Yehyun.

“Phone. Hand it over.”

“Yes.”

He passed it obediently, then hesitated.

“Should I unlock it?”

“I’m calling Joo Seowon. My battery’s dead.”

“One moment.”

He unlocked it and even pulled up Seowon’s number before giving it back. I was about to call when the contact name caught my eye:

[Joo Seowon (26)]

...That number next to the name—is that his age? Who the hell saves contacts like this? So I’d be [Seo Jehyun (24)] in his phone?

'Unbelievable.'

I let out a dry laugh and dialed. I could’ve used the comm device, but not in front of Haekyung.

“Excuse me, I’ll take a call.”

Still had food left, but whatever. I shoved my hands in my pockets and stepped outside.

“Tell them not to clear the table yet. Yehyun, keep eating.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be quick.”

I pushed out through the door. The line rang for a while before clicking through.

- Do Yehyun, what is it.

Hearing Seowon’s voice—the same voice I always heard after clearing dungeons—relaxed me by reflex.

“Seowon.”

- Huh? Seo Jehyun?

“You at the SH building right now?”

- Yeah. Why’re you calling on Do Yehyun’s phone? What about the comms device?

“Battery’s dead. Borrowed his. Didn’t want to use the device under watchful eyes.”

- Im Haekyung?

“Smart boy.”

Not hard to guess—we’d said we were heading to meet the Haeseong Guildmaster. Seowon cleared his throat.

- So... dungeon cleared? Any injuries? Where are you now?

“Yeah. Cleared it. Bit messy, but we held out. Neither me nor Yehyun’s hurt. We stopped at a restaurant with Haekyung, I was starving.”

- What’s Haekyung like?

“Average psycho. Manageable.”

- Worse than you?

“Seowon, shut the fuck up and tell me the situation.”

Sure, part of this was just checking he was alive, but mostly I needed info. As expected, he reported crisply.

- News says the Hwaseong gate was cleared. Photos only show Haekyung.

“Got it.”

- And... Infinite Guild update. Supposedly raided one of their shops around Seoul—big flashy bust, police and Hunter Association teamed up.

“The Association, not Special Response Team?”

What the hell? I’d handed Ryu Taeyoung the tip, not the Association.

As if reading my thoughts, Seowon added:

- Looks like credit-splitting. Higher-ups pushed gate clearing to the Response Team, then claimed the Association filled manpower shortages.

“And yet the gate credit went to Haeseong.”

- Which leaves the Response Team looking incompetent, but whatever. Anyone in this world knows the Association and government are in bed together. Just hush-hush.

Comments on today’s articles had seemed supportive of the Team... but yeah, can’t treat comments as public opinion.

In Korea, oddly enough, the government partnered with the Hunter Association instead of their own Special Response Team. The novel touched on it, but mostly to get to the point of hacking down rotten heads. The “reason” was just that the Team had been formed under the previous administration.

“I don’t like the Association.”

- Neither do I.

“And you hate them and the guilds both. Great position.”

- Fuck off. I told you, I’ve got reasons!

“So, Na Seokgyung—caught?”

That was more important. Pulling Seowon out had been partly to avoid Na Seokgyung’s madness.

'If they raided his shop, surely they caught him...'

But Seowon’s answer was the opposite.

- They didn’t.

“What?”

- Said they’ve expanded the search nationwide.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

- By the time they raided, he was already gone. They’ve nabbed some of his men, tracking his location, but no solid leads. One hunter with Tracking joined, but...

“That bastard’s just C-rank. How do you not catch him? The Association’s that useless?”

- Beats me. House seems untouched, though... You coming straight here?

“Yeah. You slept?”

- Just dozed in the lounge.

He must be exhausted. While I set up safety measures at the house, I’d probably stash Seowon and Yehyun at a hotel. I was running through options in my head when he spoke again.

- Aren’t you tired?

“Of course I am. Song Hwayoung still there?”

- She was earlier. And your guess seems right.

“What guess.”

- That Haekyung used a mental skill. Song Hwayoung told me to check myself for memory errors. She seemed...

“Ah. Her tone?”

- Yeah.

For Song Hwayoung to warn him directly—how close had they gotten? Suspicious, I pressed.

“You’re not, like, flirting with her, are you?”

- Are you kidding? No. She’s not someone you can seduce in the first place.

“But if you could, you’d try?”

- What, you think I’m you?

“What bullshit. Who the hell have I ever seduced?”

This time, silence. Even he realized he was spouting nonsense. Anyway, I had the info I needed. Orders could wait until we met.

“Seowon.”

- What.

Before I said the most important part, I glanced back into the restaurant at Yehyun and Haekyung. That dungeon had been for a bit of skill adjustment, but all I’d come out with was a pile of questions. And one stood out.

“For now, don’t say anything to Yehyun. Just treat every word from me as coming from you.”

Something happen?

“Im Haekyung worked on him.”

...What? You mean Haekyung hit on Do Yehyun?

What the hell. I froze, dumbfounded. Seowon realized and quickly corrected.

- You mean Haekyung used a skill?

“Yeah. Don’t know why. Until we figure it out and break it, don’t tell him.”

- And how do you even know that?

“I’ll explain later.”

Of course, I couldn’t mention the status window. But I could bluff. Half-turning, I looked at the ever-glowing window only I could see.

Mental Domination (S) is active.