Chapter 19: #8 The Unexpected Visitor (Part 1)
There was someone at the gate where there should have been no one.
A man dressed in a black suit that looked stifling just to behold. He grimaced the moment he saw me.
"Who the hell are you to come out of that illegal gate?"
I wanted to ask the same thing. Who the hell are you to be standing here? Are you one of Seol Rok-jin's lackeys? Just as I gathered the last remnants of my mana...
I sensed others behind him.
The gatekeeper wasn't alone. When I saw who stood behind him, my blood ran cold.
"Ishin?"
Jung Ho-san—why are you here? My jaw dropped in shock.
But what made my eyes bulge more than Ho-san's presence came next.
'Why the fuck is Red Dog here?!'
Kim Myeong-cheol, the Flame Hound of the Guild, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Jung Ho-san.
What reason could two members have for being here? If the first man was also from their guild, that meant three elites were guarding this illegal gate.
Jung Ho-san: A-rank physical enhancer, 5-star Hunter.
Kim Myeong-cheol: A-rank pyromancer, 7-star Hunter.
The man before me looked at least 4-5 stars. Even if I died and resurrected, there'd be no escape.
Shit.
I rolled my eyes.
Getting caught exiting an illegal gate—worst fucking scenario.
"That your friend?"
Unlike my panicked self, Kim Myeong-cheol lounged like this was a picnic. When he jabbed a finger at me, Ho-san nodded dumbly.
"Secretary Hwang. Restrain him."
The man called Secretary Hwang surged with magic. His pupils flooded cobalt blue as I bit my lip.
Could I take this secretary down?
"Boss."
At Ho-san's interjection, Kim Myeong-cheol scratched his neck awkwardly. "Since he's our Ho-san's pal, let's hear his story. Maybe he was trapped in that gate and escaped, eh?"
Then the gate disgorged a flood of people.
Kim Myeong-cheol and Ho-san tensed first.
"Who're they?"
Even Secretary Hwang flinched at the fifteen emaciated, dust-caked men stumbling out.
My hand drifted to the smoke potion on my belt. Against Secretary Hwang alone, it might've worked—but with a pyromancer present? Useless. Kim would incinerate the smoke instantly.
I lowered my hand.
"Who are these people?"
Secretary Hwang's question met my silence. Tension thickened as his fingers twitched. The rings on his hand melted into gauntlets.
Fuck—magic gear. Should've guessed from all those gaudy rings. My own fingers brushed a dagger's hilt.
"Hey, Secretary Hwang! Why not invite our new friends too?" Kim chimed in. "We'll all chat about what happened inside."
Secretary Hwang sighed and jerked his chin toward a corner. I stayed rooted—being in Kim Myeong-cheol's sight terrified me more than this secretary.
"The Master wishes to speak. Move."
When I refused, Secretary Hwang's voice turned icy. "Persist, and I'll drag you."
Han Jo-hee opened her mouth to defend me, but I shook my head sharply. Her interference would doom everything. Sure, I'd killed people—but only to save the exploited. Not that it mattered.
<Why?>
'Seol Rok-jin mustn't learn about me.'
'Among other complications.'
I shoved the thought away.
<You can't get captured here.>
'Exactly.'
No way I'd obey.
Kim Myeong-cheol massaged his temples as we glared. "Why's everyone so tense? Ho-san—bring your friend over."
Secretary Hwang's face twisted at the dismissal. "I'll handle it."
"No. Inspect the gate—it's not collapsing yet."
"Is that wise?"
"I'm Kim Myeong-cheol."
That settled it. A 7-star pyromancer—rumored to border 8-star—could obliterate us all. Secretary Hwang retreated into the gate with a scowl.
With him gone, escape seemed... worse. Kim Myeong-cheol's gaze now pinned me directly.
"I'll take this one."
Death approached—until Ho-san intervened.
"Let me talk to him first."
"You?"
"Yes."
Kim shrugged. Ho-san approached, hazel eyes blazing.
"Kang Ishin. You."
"Ho-san! Never thought we'd meet here."
I kept my tone light, praying for casual banter.
"Neither did I." Ho-san's jaw clicked. "When I heard you vanished while investigating illegal gate mining, I worried."
My lips parted. Had dodging his calls caused this snowball?
"But now..." He glared at my bloodstained hands. "What did you do in there?"
"Not my blood."
<That makes it worse,> Ray snorted.
Ho-san's eyes narrowed. "Your identification tag?"
I rubbed my bare neck. "Removed it. Uncomfortable."
His voice dropped. "You know that's a capital offense?"
Murder paled next to tag removal. Combined? Death sentence++.
"Kim's not listening," Ray observed.
Now or never.
"Ho-san. One favor."
"What?"
"Let me run."
His pupils shook. "What did you do?!"
"Enough to get fucked if caught."
I clutched his arm. "The awakened prison—you know how they treat us there. Shackled 24/7. Lifelong..."
<Begging your righteous friend? Pathetic.>
But Ho-san wasn't just righteous. He'd taken bullets for me. To him, I was family.
"Can't stall long."
<Found the world's biggest fool.>
I nodded. As I sprinted past him, Kim Myeong-cheol roared.
"Sorry, boss!" Ho-san blocked Kim's path.
"Really, Ho-san?!"
Kim seethed but held back—his flames would scar his protege. Naked combat? Ho-san outclassed him.
"Sorry."
Kim's anger faded at Ho-san's guilt-stricken face.
