NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9
If entangled, it’s a very dangerous type.
Their presence was already different from those walking along the street.
Feeling that sense of alienation, I hurried to escape the scene.
But then a woman grabbed my arm.
“Stop right there.”
“Eek.”
I have very little tolerance for being touched. Just skin-to-skin contact other than Seo Ha makes my head turn blank.
Seeing me in confusion, she lowered her face and matched her gaze with mine.
Her eyes seemed to gaze into a deep and deeper place.
Perhaps, just as I felt something from her, she might have felt something from me too.
‘Is she, suggesting something?’
Since I came out with Seo Ha, I naturally didn’t bring any magic stones.
While I anxiously looked around, the woman brought her hand to my cheek and, with a smile, brushed something away with her fingers.
“You’ve got ice cream on you.”
“Ah. Um… yeah.”
The woman chuckled and left me with those parting words.
“How adorable.”
“……”
I had no idea what was going on, but it seemed like I had managed to get through the immediate crisis.
I adjusted my hat again as I looked at the melting ice cream and moved on.
Lately, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was particularly unlucky.
#
A high-end café in downtown Seoul.
There was a woman, seemingly overwhelmed, in this unusual space that even had individual rooms.
It was none other than Song Ha Yeon.
‘So there are places like this in the world…’
For someone who used to frequent franchise coffee shops, this was quite an unfamiliar place.
Somehow, it felt as if she had become a higher-status person.
But she couldn’t get lost in that feeling. The person she was about to meet was genuinely of high status, not just in her mind.
Step.
Step.
Hearing the leisurely sound of the door opening, Song Ha Yeon turned her head, frozen like a statue.
“Nice to meet you. It’s my first time seeing you.”
The woman in front of her was the famous S Rank Hunter Helena from Europe.
Song Ha Yeon was completely unable to wrap her head around the radiance before her.
‘Is S Rank like this for everyone?’
The atmosphere was simply different.
That calm yet heavy pressure. Behind that quiet exterior, there was definitely a colossal power akin to a storm hidden within.
“Oh, hi there!”
“There’s really no need to be too nervous.”
Helena smiled like a girl of her age as she sat down. Seeing her, Song Ha Yeon seemed to relax a little.
‘By the way, she looks younger than I expected…’
That wasn’t to say she looked like a child. Yet there was an unexpectedly youthful quality mingling with her undoubtedly beautiful features.
In short, she reminded Song Ha Yeon of the noble princesses in old fairy tales.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Ah, no. Sorry, I just couldn’t help but stare…”
“Hoho, even if it’s just flattery, I appreciate it.”
After giving another smile filled with kindness, Helena finally started to speak her true intent.
“By the way, I have so many questions I’d like to ask.”
“Ah! Yes! Please go ahead!”
“Well then, I won’t hold back…”
The first question that came out completely flipped Song Ha Yeon’s expectations.
“Was it the red skeleton? How was it created?”
“Um… Skeleton Masher?”
“So that’s what it’s called.”
Although she did not show her surprise on the outside, Song Ha Yeon quickly realized that her thoughts up to that point had been completely wrong.
‘W-was my master really not who I thought he was?’
Honestly, things had felt off all along.
It wasn’t that the Hell Lord 12 and Helena matched up well in imagery.
But considering that there was someone with such deep knowledge of necromancy, it was really only Helena that fit that bill.
“To be honest, my necromancy isn’t quite traditional, but the undead you showed in your videos were very interesting to me.”
“Ah. Really?”
It wasn’t Helena.
Then what could be the identity of Hell Lord 12?
But now wasn’t the time to think about that comfortably.
‘How far can I go with my words?’
Now that I knew Helena was different from my master, I couldn’t just speak out everything as it was.
Even though it was just an online master-apprentice relationship without ever meeting in real life, it definitely wasn’t the duty of a disciple.
‘But…’
The person in front of me absolutely shouldn’t be underestimated.
Helena didn’t really engage much in external activities, so I couldn’t even begin to imagine what her true self was like.
Though she looked so dignified, who knows? She might be a madwoman who could flip like Hitler if things went awry.
Song Ha Yeon was generally positive but understood the stakes. If she was an S Rank, it would surely be no biggie for her to bury someone.
Rather than provoke her sensibilities for no reason, it seemed wiser to speak at least some truths while extending goodwill.
“Ah, to be precise, these weren’t my original creations…”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“My summoning techniques were mostly taught to me by my master, so there are limits to what I can disclose.”
“Master?”
That must have sounded quite unexpected for Helena too.
As far as it was known, there wasn’t another necromancer as outstanding as her in Korea.
Therefore, the next question was somewhat natural.
“Then, what kind of person is that master?”
“…”
Song Ha Yeon hesitated for a moment, but her decision came quickly.
“That’s something I can’t really share.”
A firm response. It was a declaration of intent not to discuss any further on that matter.
“…Is that so.”
In an instant, Helena’s gaze changed. But it was just for an instant before disappearing again.
“Then I won’t ask about that anymore. Let’s talk about something else.”
Unlike Song Ha Yeon, who was extremely tense, Helena laughed it off and continued the conversation.
After about an hour passed, the two women finished their business and began to prepare to leave.
‘She might not be such a bad person after all.’
A small smile lingered on Song Ha Yeon’s face as she left the café.
Having met the S Rank Hunter she had only heard of and received various advice and a precious gift, it felt like she would retain an unforgettable memory.
And once Song Ha Yeon was completely gone, Helena remained, wearing a meaningful smile as she dialed a number.
Tap.
Ringing.
After a few rings, she immediately began to speak to the person who answered.
“Yes. Please investigate everything around her. Regardless of the means, even the tiniest details.”
Helena was the type of person who couldn’t feel at ease without clarifying her curiosities.
#
“Brother, I’ve arrived.”
“…Yeah.”
I blinked as I pulled my face from Seo Ha’s embrace.
Finally, this day had arrived.
At first, I regretted leaving the house, but the hotel room we finally arrived at was really luxurious.
“…Is this, a regular room?”
“Huh? Of course not. I don’t know much, but it’s a better place.”
Well, Seo Ha is an A Rank Hunter. At the national level, she is someone to be treated with utmost respect.
‘It looks ridiculously expensive.’
Can I really just lounge around here and play on the computer in such a splendid place?
For a moment I thought about that, but then I immediately set up my laptop and equipment in the unexpectedly cozy space.
This might just be heaven.
“I’ll be going out for an event in the evening, but I’ll ask for dinner to be prepared in the room.”
“Got it.”
“Pretty much any request can be made through the phone in the room. A call shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“I can do that much.”
Worrying too much.
I responded with a somewhat dissatisfied voice.
After lounging around for a few hours like that, Seo Ha appeared in the living room, dressed in elegant clothes. She looked completely like a celebrity.
“…It suits you well.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back.”
And soon the room was filled with silence.
‘Since the environment has changed, it might be weird to play ranked games…’
I logged into the RPG game I usually played and sent a message to my online friend.
Tok tok.
[Going to raid, so join in.]
Ding.
[JP: Ah, sorry. Work ran long today, so I can’t.]
Really, at critical times, he’s of absolutely no help. The limits of my incompetent cyber friend.
‘…….’
As I killed time alone like that, suddenly, the room’s intercom chimed.
Seems like dinner had arrived.
“I-I’ll go out.”
Bam.
Quickly covering my head with the blanket, I stumbled to the door and opened it.
But there was no one there holding my dinner.
Only someone standing who definitely didn’t look like a hotel staff member.
No, who are you?