Chapter 21
[Baeksan is nearby.]
Hwang Ji-young’s text arrived, but Hyuk-min’s steps toward the Rogue Guild didn’t change.
‘I told you, I know.’
As he reached the entrance of the Rogue Guild, another text came.
[I said they’re nearby, what are you doing?]
He let out a long sigh.
‘I know. If I know and still do nothing, can’t you tell?’
He replied.
[Can’t avoid Baeksan’s Tracking Team. Sooner or later, I’ll have to face them.]
Baeksan—Seoul’s number one guild, the strongest guild in all of South Korea.
A guild so massive it couldn’t be compared to the current Azure Lake Guild.
In the future, for some reason, they would be conquered and absorbed by the Azure Lake Guild that took Busan… but for now, Baeksan was not a place you should ever provoke.
“Looks like she finally gets it.”
No more texts came.
“Can’t avoid it. Baeksan’s Tracking Team has…”
He glanced around and sighed again.
“I heard they’re excellent at tracking.”
But why did it come to this?
He dug into his memories of his past life.
At this exact time, Baeksan Guild had been busy with cultural exchanges with Jeonsin and The Unrivaled Guild.
They were preparing for a partnership. Jeonsin himself later visited Korea because of that.
That was why Baeksan hadn’t conducted any large operations recently—they were too busy.
‘They should be drowning in work right now… so why is Baeksan’s Tracking Team moving?’
He didn’t know the reason, but he couldn’t avoid this.
He had to confront it directly.
Hyuk-min pushed open the Rogue Guild entrance—
Thud.
Someone shoved him back.
‘So it’s them…’
A thick-bearded man blocked the entrance, having pushed him aside.
“What?”
Without a word, the man opened his leather jacket.
On the inner shirt: a white mountain-shaped insignia.
Baeksan.
“Let’s talk.”
So that’s why Hwang Ji-young warned him not to go in.
“Why is Baeksan looking for me?”
Another man approached—skinny, yellow-dyed sports hair.
“If you’re thinking of running, don’t. We can find you anywhere.”
“Tracking Team. Moving in pairs… so it’s true.”
“Oh? You know us? So you weren’t trying to run—you were trying to find my location?”
“Tell me why you’re looking for me.”
“This isn’t the place to talk.”
“I want to hear it here.”
“My Hyung here swings his fists before talking. You think you get to choose? A nobody without a guild, standing in front of Baeksan?”
Hyuk-min looked around again.
The yellow-haired man scoffed.
“Look at you—you were planning to run. Why would someone who knows us so well do that?”
“Oh? Hyun-jung.”
The moment he said her name, the two men instinctively turned around.
“Shit.”
By the time they realized no one was behind them—
Hyuk-min was gone.
= = =
He sprinted toward the apartment complex behind the Rogue Guild and slipped into the bushes.
Then—
“…?!”
A spine-chilling warning shot through him.
He drew the Immortal Demon Sword and swung behind him.
Clang!
The force blasted him deeper into the bushes.
“Keuk.”
His hands tingled from the impact as he got up.
“Your senses aren’t bad. Didn’t think you’d block that.”
The yellow-haired man landed lightly, amused.
Another chill swept his spine—he threw himself aside.
Thud!
The ground he’d been standing on caved in.
The bearded man stood there.
“You said you wanted to talk. Looks more like you’re trying to kill me.”
“Sometimes it’s easier to talk after killing.”
The bearded man advanced, confident he could crush Hyuk-min.
Hyuk-min moved first.
He dashed in and swung his sword.
Clang!
The blade hit the man’s bare arm—but it sounded like metal.
“You don’t know Mana Shield? You thought you’d escape us without it?”
Behind him, the yellow-haired man had appeared again.
“I told you we won’t let you go. I only spared you earlier because I didn’t want to cause a scene. But now? You can’t run.”
Both members of Baeksan’s Tracking Team looked entertained—this was playtime for them.
“You’re unlucky. Rare mission. We want to enjoy it. Let’s start with a little beating.”
The yellow-haired man lunged.
Hyuk-min kicked back—but the bearded man blocked his retreat.
A perfect pincer.
A hit was unavoidable—
But instinct honed through a lifetime of battle took over.
Hyuk-min twisted violently midair, shifting his trajectory, and latched onto the bearded man’s back.
Then he swung the Immortal Demon Sword.
“…!!”
Clang!
The bearded man aborted his attack in shock, blocking instead.
“Oh! Not bad?”
The yellow-haired man laughed.
Hyuk-min stood.
“Run? Who said anything about running?”
“Think you can win just because you dodged—”
“Stop.”
The bearded man cut him off.
Blood dripped down his palm—the one he used to block.
“Huh? The Mana Shield… got cut?”
“Who said I can’t handle Mana Shield?”
Hyuk-min raised his head and glared.
“Why are you looking for Hyun-jung?”
“I said, I’ll tell you after I kill you.”
The bearded man’s rage spiked.
His movements sharpened—shockingly fast for his size.
He appeared in front of Hyuk-min in an instant and struck.
Thud!
“Guh!”
The blow sent Hyuk-min flying like a projectile into a wall.
“Whew~ Problem now. Daegon’s pissed.”
The bearded man walked into the dust cloud and unleashed a barrage.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each impact shook the ground.
Dust swallowed them.
“Tsk. Hope we can find the body.”
Eventually, the hits stopped.
The yellow-haired man waited, humming.
Swish—
The bearded man emerged… exhausted.
“You vent enough? Look dead on your feet. Keuk keuk.”
But something was off.
Step… step… step…
The yellow-haired man’s smile faded.
Thud.
The bearded man collapsed to his knees—
Then fell face-first.
The yellow-haired man froze.
‘Daegon… lost?’
He drew his gun, trembling, and aimed at the dust.
A sudden wind swept the dust away—
No Hyuk-min.
His blood ran cold.
Then—
Whoosh.
A presence appeared beside him—silent, sudden, wrong.
Before he could turn—
Crack!!
“KKKEEUUUGH!”
Both arms bent into grotesque angles.
The agony drove him crawling across the ground.
“Wh-who… who are you!! KKEAAAAK!!”
The figure stepped into view.
Regression Mode, fully unleashed.
Hyuk-min.
He grabbed the man’s legs and hurled him into the wall.
Thud!
“Keok!”
Hyuk-min approached, expression cold.
“Why are you looking for Hyun-jung?”
“I–I asked who you are—”
“Doesn’t matter. If you won’t answer, I’ll kill you and ask him.”
“We’re Baeksan’s Tracking Team! If you kill us, Baeksan will hunt you down!”
Hyuk-min scoffed.
“You think I’d care after doing all this?”
The yellow-haired man’s eyes darted—his instincts finally screaming.
“It’s annoying how people keep showing up. I’ll just kill you and ask the other one.”
He raised his fist—
“J-Jeonsin!!”
Hyuk-min paused.
“Jeonsin needs that girl!”
Jeonsin?
“The leader of The Unrivaled Guild? He’s never been to Korea. How could he know Hyun-jung?”
“That girl—Hyun-jung—was someone Baeksan had been watching!”
Hyuk-min lowered his fist.
The man gasped and continued.
“There’s someone in Baeksan who can detect potential. He spotted her. We sent that info to Jeonsin.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s the type Jeonsin likes!”
“What?”
“Jeonsin likes potential—especially in kids whose values aren’t set yet!”
The puzzle pieces clicked together.
Baeksan, The Unrivaled, Jeonsin, Hyun-jung—
“So we planned to send her to Jeonsin! As a gift for partnership! A country’s top guild sending him talent he likes—he’d have no choice but to accept it!”
“Then why attack us?”
“Because you ruined everything! You stole the child we were watching!”
Now it made sense.
‘So that’s why Hyun-jung ended up with Jeonsin in my past life…’
He’d never known the truth.
He thought Jeonsin recognized her on his own.
But Baeksan orchestrated it.
In the end, things worked out for them:
Hyun-jung met Jeonsin, escaped her Water Rat life, became Sogoe.
Baeksan gained favor and rose higher.
But…
‘Whether it’s Azure Lake in my past life or Baeksan in this one—they’re all the same.’
And this time?
They tried to kill him.
They tried to steal Hyun-jung.
And they never once helped her when she was suffering.
No different.
Trash then, trash now.
He grabbed the man’s collar and lifted him.
“See that? CCTV. And this?”
He showed his phone—recording everything.
The yellow-haired man’s eyes widened.
“Go tell them. Hyun-jung is my family now. This is your only warning. If anything like this happens again, I’ll destroy every shred of honor Baeksan built. Try me. I’ll send this footage straight to the news.”
He showed the recording and the CCTV again.
“Imagine it. Baeksan—champion of ‘citizens first’—caught on video kidnapping a young girl and beating an innocent guardian half to death. Wonder how fast that’ll spread.”
He released him.
Thud.
“Cough… cough…”
By the time the man looked up again—
Hyuk-min was already gone.
( T/N : That was immesely satisfying. )