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Just a second ago, his body was being cooled by the air conditioner, but now, a wave of hot, humid air hit him. Instead of bright, white lights, he sees a red sky slowly darkening, and instead of smooth, polished floors, he’s standing on bumpy pebbles and dirt.

“What is this place….”

The first thing he sees is a shabby, abandoned building. Behind the abandoned building is a low hill. And behind Jiho is an empty, deserted field.

Jiho quickly pulled out his terminal, but all methods of communication like calls and the internet weren’t working. Just like when he’s inside a dungeon.

He’s unable to call for help. Jiho vigilantly looked around himself as he pulled out a dagger from his inventory and gripped it in his hand.

At that moment, Jiho heard the sound of heavy footsteps cut through the dark. Jiho turned his body to the sound.

A man so large that, at a glance, he could be mistaken as a bear, was approaching. He bore an expression so fierce that Jiho might’ve preferred the bear. 

The person with an aura so violent that it’s hard to believe he was just messaging cute emoticons up until recently is….

Delta’s vice-guildmaster, Cho Seung Taek.

Seung Taek stopped about 5 meters away and chuckled when he saw Jiho quietly glaring at him.

“You don’t seem very shocked.”

“This wasn’t unexpected.”

Jiho shot back since there’s no need to continue being polite with this person.

‘Once a guild grows as big as Delta, the guildmaster and vice-guildmaster don’t always know what all the other’s doing.’

While Cho Seung Taek pushed him to suspect Adrian, Jiho suspected both Adrian and Cho Seung Taek. Because the reasoning Cho Seung Taek used to draw attention to Adrian can be applied to himself as well.

On top of that, Adrian’s attitude just now was the final clue. Adrian was too confident for someone hiding a secret. Beyond confidence, he looked like someone eager to prove his innocence.

So Jiho was just starting to consider placing a heavier focus on Cho Seung Taek….

But now that he’s appeared in front of him like this, naturally Jiho would suspect him.

Jiho carefully tightened his grip on his dagger. Even though he has a weapon, the possibility of him beating one of the strongest S-rank hunters is close to zero.

He can only wait for reinforcements. Jiho nervously licked his dry lips and observed the other person.

“Did you abduct Mireu’s guildmembers?”

“That wasn’t me.”

“…”

“Really. My skills are specialized in killing, they don’t really suit things like abduction.”

Cho Seung Taek grinned at Jiho, who stared at him doubtfully.

“This much I should be able to answer. The one who abducted them isn’t me but Joo Yiwon-nim.”

“Nonsense….”

“If not Him, who else?”

When he heard Cho Seung Taek ask back, Jiho was overcome by a strange feeling.

Joo Yiwon-nim, Him.

Cho Seung Taek uses high honorifics for Joo Yiwon. This far exceeds the basic courtesy towards another guild’s guildmaster.

Like he’s naturally pledging his loyalty to someone way higher than him.

This attitude made Jiho experience a strange sense of deja vu.

He heard something like this before….

“Ack….”

As soon as he grabbed onto a tiny clue, a small crack appeared on the seal repressing Jiho’s memories again. Jiho grabbed his head from pain so intense that it felt like his head was splitting open.

He’s sure he heard that person’s voice before.

That is, three years ago.

The day everything suddenly changed for Jiho.

‘Listen carefully. …’

‘■■ and ■■. Everything.’

‘You will only be a burden for ■■■.’

‘■■■ ■ is….’

Sweat dripped down from Jiho’s forehead down to his chin. He can’t understand anything from these fragmented words.

System Management

Sealed memories exist due to ‘Setero.’

Jiho glared at the window that popped open in the air as if to warn him. These memories that someone sealed because they didn’t want him to remember might just be important to Jiho.

He needs to remember. 

A terrible pain overtook Jiho. Although Shin Jiho can’t do anything in this situation, Cho Seung Taek simply observed him as though he found it amusing.

Jiho pieced together, piece by piece, his fragmented memories through this pain.

‘Listen carefully. You will now forget everything about Joo Yiwon.’

‘Your memories and your feelings. Everything.’

‘You will only be a burden for Joo Yiwon.’

‘Our King is….’

“OOEUK!”

As soon as he pieced together the conversation, Jiho couldn’t hold back and vomited. While his stomach churned, one scene played in his head.

At the time, Jiho desperately resisted Cho Seung Taek. That moment’s desperation appeared faintly in front of his eyes. 

Shin Jiho screamed and recklessly threw around his newly-awakened power. He poured out this power that he couldn’t fully control again, and again, and again….

Until he destroyed himself.

Shin Jiho fainted and wasted two whole years.

The damage was beyond his imagination. Even after two years, he wasn’t fully recovered. When he woke up, his body, which was in bad condition to begin with, was even worse.

And he even forgot that he was prepared to die for Joo Yiwon when he used his powers.

Jiho’s body trembled. Though his memory hasn’t fully returned, he clearly remembers the fury he felt towards Cho Seung Taek at the time.

“You….”

“Hm, it looks like you remembered something?”

Cho Seung Taek looked interested. Jiho knows that that leisurely attitude stems from the certainty that he can kill Jiho in an instant.

He might die. But right now, what grips Jiho is not fear but doubt.

“What… did you do to Joo Yiwon?”

“He belongs on the throne. I simply placed him there.”

“…”

“He does not belong by your side acting like an imbecile.”

Cho Seung Taek’s face contorted from such anger that Jiho can feel the intense animosity he has for him.

An emotion so rough and raw that it’s amazing he hid it until now.

“If it weren’t for you, He wouldn’t have returned here.”

“…”

“You must die for Him.”

When Cho Seung Taek made a fist, Jiho tightened his grip on the item in his hand. 

Cho Seung Taek stared not at Jiho’s hand holding a dagger, but at his other hand that appeared empty and chuckled.

“It looks like you’ve been making some sort of futile effort since earlier…. Naturally, I’ve already handled that kind of item.”

“Really?”

Of course he has, since both Jiho’s terminal and teleportation items don’t work at all. It’s likely that Cho Seung Taek wants to kill him here without leaving a single trace.

Actually, the item Jiho’s been holding for a while is [Treasure Chest of the Dragon Palace], which Kim Tae Yong gave him.

An item gifted to use when he’s in danger, to run away to Mireu’s guildmaster’s office.

Because this item’s a rare teleportation item, Jiho tried to use this to escape, but it failed….

Still, Jiho held onto the item and continuously tried to use it. Since Jiho has no other way to survive, this is like his last resort.

Cho Seung Taek looked at Jiho in dissatisfaction.

“I don’t understand. Sure, you have a pretty face, but you’re otherwise ordinary.”

“And you… you’re strong, but it doesn’t look like you have any other ability, how did you trick the system window?”

Seung Taek snorted at Jiho’s obvious attempt to buy time.

“Hm, I don’t really want to reveal that. It’s my hidden card, you see.”

Cho Seung Taek mumbled, and he stretched his hand out to the side. As he did so….

Swoosh!

A huge flame shot out of Cho Seung Taek’s hand, forming the shape of a long spear. The flames burned an ominous color, a dark red that belongs not in this world, but the underworld, flickering violently as if to engulf everything and leave ashes.

“Maybe I can say it as a little bonus before I send you off, but….”

Cho Seung Taek casually swung his spear. Flames spread like waves from the tip of the spear along its trajectory.

[Blessing of the Star].

Jiho hurriedly used the skill on his dagger and cut through the flames. However, even though he only cut the tip of the flames and avoided the center, the buffed dagger couldn’t withstand it and melted slightly.

Seung Taek snorted at Jiho’s failure and mocked.

“Many villains fail here because they talk too much. So I’ll keep my lips shut.”

“Seems like you’re aware you’re a villain.”

“I must be from your perspective, hm?”

Cho Seung Taek adjusted his spear. 

“Yet to us… this is only a necessary action.”

Cho Seung Taek said solemnly before raising his arm holding the spear behind him. Jiho can feel Cho Seung Taek’s determination to end this with one last strike from his solid spear-throwing stance.

CRASH!

The spear of flames made an immense roar as it stabbed the spot Jiho was standing in. Thick smoke rose, and a smile appeared on Cho Seung Taek’s face as he inspected the other.

“Still, you aren’t completely weak.”

“Huk, huk…”

Jiho was barely standing.

First, he built a fort out of defense items. Then, he took out all of the weapons he could use and cast [Blessing of the Star] on them to somehow withstand the attack.

Of course, he didn’t come out unscathed. His hand and arm were severely burned. He probably can’t block the next attack.

Knowing this, Cho Seung Taek didn’t waste any more time. He soon made another spear with flames larger than before. The dark-red flames danced dangerously, as if to consume everything.

“This is the end of your petty tricks.”

The spear flew towards Jiho, who no longer had the energy to fight back.

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LaZ Bird Corner

The reveal…. Did anyone expect this???

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