Chapter 50
‘Swoosh.’
Late evening had arrived—the time when Hyuk-min, wearing the Death Knight’s Helmet, began his work.
‘The time has come.’
With one foot on the windowsill, Hyuk-min looked down.
The Death Knight’s Helmet.
The Dark Ring.
And finally, the pink gem obtained from defeating the Succubus Queen.
The Essence of Succubus.
Everything he had written down in his notebook was now in his hands.
The time for a counterattack had begun.
Under the light of the half-moon, Hyuk-min swept his hand through the cold night air.
Blue mana slowly rose over his pale skin, turning green as it touched his soul.
“This feels good.”
His pale hand, extended toward the moonlight, clenched as if grasping the moon itself.
When the window was left behind, only Hyuk-min’s faint scent remained as proof he had been there.
= = =
No restriction could bind the green-tinged soul.
The soul of the dead knight drifted freely through the estate, ignoring the guild members of unknown affiliation monitoring Jang Han-bit’s residence, and even the faint barrier layered like ironclad security.
Hyuk-min’s bright red lips curled upward.
‘They even set up a barrier. They must have expected me to come again.’
Considering that their experimental plans had been stolen, it wasn’t a bad precaution.
As if anticipating a repeat offense, Jang Han-bit and Park Jae-hyun had made thorough preparations, surrounding the estate with countless barriers like a trap laid for a bear.
So much so that without the Death Knight’s Helmet, he would never have dared trespass.
He hated to admit it, but Jang Han-bit and Park Jae-hyun were brilliant.
That was how Jang Han-bit had transformed a real estate business into a capital firm aiming for the top of South Korea’s corporate ladder, and how Park Jae-hyun had managed to bring down Black Label.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will win a hundred battles.
Though they were enemies he loathed and wished to kill, there were things he had to acknowledge.
That was the only way to win.
‘Still…’
The smile never left Hyuk-min’s lips.
‘Right now, I have the upper hand.’
Even a trap meant to catch an ogre—not just a bear—wouldn’t be enough to capture him as he was now.
It was then, as he circled the estate gathering information—
A voice rang out, instantly drawing his soul’s attention.
“Then I will now begin the briefing.”
Park Jae-hyun.
Perfect timing.
The words “Park Jae-hyun’s briefing,” heard at precisely the right moment, propelled his soul forward.
There were fewer than ten people in all of South Korea who could detect the Death Knight’s soul.
There was no reason to hesitate.
‘Swoosh.’
The soul slipped into the estate in an instant.
Hyuk-min frowned briefly at the sudden brightness flooding his vision.
The soul that had peeked into the estate—
And Hyuk-min’s body, wearing the Death Knight’s Helmet—
“How curious.”
Both froze the moment they saw the face of the first person they encountered.
‘Th-that guy…’
Because Park Chung-ho—who was supposed to be in Busan—was inside the estate.
‘Why is that bastard here…!?’
===
“A pleasure to meet you for the first time.”
Park Jae-hyun’s greeting was directed at a single person.
A man seated in the place of honor, where Jang Han-bit usually sat.
“So you’re the master of that Information Guild?”
It was Park Chung-ho.
“That is correct.”
He looked to be in his early thirties, with copper-colored skin untouched by wrinkles and an unkempt beard.
His build was solid, his body riddled with scars.
Among them, the most prominent was a long sword wound running across his right cheek.
‘He’s no ordinary man.’
In that brief moment, Park Jae-hyun finished sizing him up, inwardly filled with admiration.
“Nice to meet you. Director Jang prepared the master of the Information Guild with great ambition, and you certainly look capable.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“You’ve got some nerve.”
Park Jae-hyun’s eyebrow twitched.
Then an immense pressure erupted, as if an invisible hand had seized his heart and squeezed.
“To openly size me up while I’m standing right in front of you.”
“Ghk…!”
Park Jae-hyun clutched his throat and chest as he collapsed forward.
Unable to breathe, drool spilling from his mouth, he raised bloodshot eyes to look at Park Chung-ho.
“Hm.”
Park Chung-ho hadn’t done anything.
He hadn’t even shifted from his cross-legged position.
He simply looked down at the fallen Park Jae-hyun with a faint smile.
“Impressive.”
“Hah… hah… hah…”
Again, he did nothing.
Yet the crushing pressure that had driven Park Jae-hyun to the brink of death vanished as if it had never existed.
“Are you planning to stay like that?”
Wiping away drool and tears, Park Jae-hyun hurriedly stood up.
He clasped his hands and stood before Park Chung-ho, far more respectfully than before.
And thought:
‘A monster…’
This man was a monster, leagues beyond anyone he had ever met.
“Director Jang.”
“Yes, Guild Master.”
Jang Han-bit stood beside Park Chung-ho, bowing deeply.
Park Chung-ho pointed at Park Jae-hyun.
“He’s quite a find.”
“I apologize.”
“No, this time it’s a compliment. He’s got guts. To think he’d dare look at me while I’m in my Full Demon state.”
“Thank you!”
The praise was directed at Park Jae-hyun, yet Jang Han-bit clenched his fists and bounced on his feet, barely containing his delight.
“What’s your name?”
“Park Jae-hyun.”
“If you’re Director Jang’s man, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. Don’t be uncomfortable. Sit.”
Still shaken by what had just happened, Park Jae-hyun glanced at Jang Han-bit.
At that, Park Chung-ho’s sharp voice cut in, sweat beading on Park Jae-hyun’s forehead.
“Is my word worth less than Director Jang’s? You’re not some damn dog that only serves its master. There’s a hierarchy here.”
“What are you doing? Hurry!”
At Jang Han-bit’s urgent shout, the tension surged back through Park Jae-hyun’s body.
He hurriedly sat on the sofa.
“Hey, it’s a joke. I like joking around. I’m not a bad person, you know.”
This was an incredibly dangerous man.
Park Jae-hyun was the guild master of the Information Guild, someone who dealt in human hearts and minds.
He was a man who had clawed his way up from nothing to build his current network.
Yet now, that same Park Jae-hyun fidgeted like a puppy desperate to relieve itself, unable to act freely under Park Chung-ho’s gaze.
The boisterous mood soon died down.
An ill-timed silence followed.
“Ahn Hyunwoo.”
“Yes, I felt it.”
At Park Chung-ho’s cold voice, Ahn Hyunwoo slowly raised his head.
The smile had vanished from Park Chung-ho’s face as he stared at an empty wall.
“Was my instinct right?”
“I saw it. It’s no ordinary ability. What should I do?”
“Find it. Bring it here.”
“As you command.”
At the order, a thin man in his early forties snapped open a fan and kicked off the ground.
Ahn Hyunwoo rushed straight toward the wall Park Chung-ho had been staring at.
‘Fwoosh.’
Blue flames erupted as he passed straight through the wall, vanishing from sight.
“Director Jang.”
“Yes.”
Clueless as to what was happening, Jang Han-bit approached and bowed.
Park Chung-ho grabbed the back of his neck and violently yanked his head up.
With a terrifying expression, he asked:
“That bastard who broke into your estate—what kind of bastard did you say he was?”
===
Something was wrong.
‘Or is there something I don’t know?’
Park Chung-ho.
And why was that monster in Seoul at this hour?
‘Fwoosh.’
‘And of all things, he brought both of his arms with him.’
Blue flames soared into the sky above the estate.
Hyuk-min knew exactly what those flames meant.
Ahn Hyunwoo—the Western Shaman.
The guardian who never left Park Chung-ho’s side.
There were rumors he was possessed by a god, befitting his title, but even with Hyuk-min’s past-life knowledge, Ahn Hyunwoo was the one person he knew least about.
Aside from being Park Chung-ho’s final gatekeeper, there was only one thing he knew for certain.
‘Fwoosh!’
‘The blue flames.’
Whenever those eerie blue flames appeared, someone lost their life.
“Bloom, oh red-eyed bird.”
A chant echoed from the estate’s yard.
“Oh, wicked crow that sees the dead. Where are you hiding? Let’s play a game.”
Just hearing it sent chills down his spine.
‘This is my chance.’
Hyuk-min circulated his mana and once more formed the green soul of the Death Knight.
‘I’ll have to face him someday anyway. This is the perfect chance to learn.’
Things had gone off course, but crisis was opportunity.
With Park Chung-ho staying put, this was the ideal moment to probe Ahn Hyunwoo.
‘Even better if I can kill him.’
The green soul darted forward, brushing past Ahn Hyunwoo.
‘I locked eyes with Park Chung-ho and he couldn’t track the moving soul. What about you?’
Ahn Hyunwoo stood still, letting the soul pass.
Or so it seemed.
“Are you testing me?”
A scoff rang out.
Hyuk-min halted and looked at him.
Only then did he see Ahn Hyunwoo’s eyes.
His body stood still, yet his eyes were staring straight at the Death Knight’s soul.
‘That bastard… he can see it.’
Ahn Hyunwoo slipped a hand into his wide sleeve and pulled out several yellow talismans.
Then—
‘Fwoosh!’
Blue flames erupted from the talismans as he hurled them forward.
“Reverse Spirit.”
There was no dodging it.
The talismans chased the fleeing soul to the very end.
‘Crack!’
With a violent shockwave, the Skill of the Death Knight’s Helmet shattered.
“Kuk.”
The backlash struck Hyuk-min directly.
“A shaman, are you?”
Ahn Hyunwoo tilted his head lazily, fanning himself.
“Strange. No divine energy, yet your fate is filled with gods. You command a spirit, yet possess no spiritual power?”
‘Bang!’
A pistol appeared in Hyuk-min’s hand and fired.
With a flick of the fan, the bullet dropped harmlessly to the ground.
Ahn Hyunwoo remained calm.
“It’s usele—”
The sneer froze.
Hyuk-min’s form had changed.
A completely different presence stood there.
“What…?”
Regression Mode.
Holding the Immortal Demon Sword, Hyuk-min wrapped it in a Railgun, mana far denser than before surging through him.
“I’ll deal with a troublesome bastard like you.”
For the first time, bewilderment crept onto Ahn Hyunwoo’s face.
He tightened his grip on the fan, drawing on an unknown power.
Then—
In a blink, Hyuk-min was in front of him.
‘Grab! Crack.’
The fan—able to deflect bullets—snapped in half.
“Puhk!”
Blood sprayed as Ahn Hyunwoo collapsed.
Hyuk-min seized his neck, slammed him down, and raised the Immortal Demon Sword.
‘KUNG!!’
“Keoheok!”
He was about to drive the blade through Ahn Hyunwoo’s mouth—
“?! Tsk…”
A powerful presence.
‘TANG!!’
A giant axe smashed down, forcing Hyuk-min back.
Even in Regression Mode, the impact sent him skidding across the ground, carving twin trenches.
‘Chiiiiik.’
Hyuk-min raised his head.
He knew immediately.
Park Chung-ho.
‘That axe…’
‘PUNG!!’
Part of the estate exploded as two figures burst out.
Park Chung-ho.
And his other arm.
‘Jjeong!’
“Grrrrr…”
In werewolf form, Yaksha Hwang Kitae locked hands with Hyuk-min, matching him strength for strength.
“Are you alright?”
Park Chung-ho stepped in front of Ahn Hyunwoo.
“I’m fine.”
“He’s no ordinary opponent.”
“So it seems.”
“We’ll talk later.”
Park Chung-ho twirled the axe once and slammed it down.
“It looks like things are getting interesting. Someone like this showing up.”
He bent his knees—
Then froze.
Hyuk-min vanished.
Without a trace.
For the first time, Park Chung-ho frowned.
“Kitae, can’t you find him?”
“Awoong?”
Hwang Kitae tilted his head, clueless.
“Hyunwoo.”
“I couldn’t see him either. The Thread of Wish can’t find him. We lost him.”
All three of them.
Left behind.
“Haha… Hahahahahaha.”
Park Chung-ho laughed loudly.
‘Thud!’
The axe sank into the ground.
Eyes gleaming with murderous delight, he shouted:
“This is why I can’t stay satisfied with Busan. Seoul is full of fun things like this. How could I ever give it up? Jang Han-bit!”
Jang Han-bit rushed out, breathless.
“Yes! You called!”
“Find him.”
“Wh-who…?”
“Bang Hyuk-min.”
Jang Han-bit’s eyes widened.
“That bastard just now… is a Legendary Title Holder.”
Legendary Title Holder.
At those words, everyone froze.
“To think the Legendary Title Holder I’ve been searching for would come to me himself… how interesting.”
(T/N: Yup, things are getting more and more interesting. Should I set up advanced chapters for this series too? Hmm.)
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