Sooho opened his eyes slowly.
The first thing he saw was a white ceiling, and the sharp smell of disinfectant assaulted his nose without mercy.
"…A hospital."
He tried to sit up, but his body protested immediately with collective pain—every bone in his body screaming.
"Ah… damn it…"
"Please don't move."
The voice came from the right.
Sooho turned his head with difficulty and found a man sitting on a chair beside the bed, his posture straight, features sharp, gray hair neatly styled in a military fashion.
The head of the Association's regional branch—the man he had met when he arrived.
Aleksei Fedorov.
"You're lucky," Aleksei said calmly. "It's good that you didn't suffer any serious injuries."
Sooho gave a faint smile.
"Serious injuries? Why? I was sure I fought quite elegantly."
Aleksei shook his head with a sigh.
"Elegantly? You turned half the district into rubble. The doctors are still arguing about whether to treat you first—or the city."
Sooho's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen.
Investigator Park.
He muttered, "Ah… no…"
He answered.
"Yes?"
"Have you lost your mind?!" Park's angry voice exploded immediately. "Do you have any idea what you did? Reports, international pressure, calls from five different Associations—"
Sooho pulled the phone slightly away from his ear.
"Ah… that's loud."
"Don't change the subject! You were injured, disappeared, and then suddenly we find an entire city turned into a battlefield!"
Sooho sighed.
"At least you said 'battlefield.' That's artistic appreciation."
A short silence…
then a long exhale from the other side.
"Damn it… you're hopeless."
Sooho smiled.
"Speaking of that… did you arrange my entry to the next gate?"
Silence.
"..."
"Park?"
"I swear I'm going to transfer you to an administrative department as punishment."
Aleksei laughed as he listened.
"Listen carefully," Park continued. "You'll recover first, then come straight to the Association headquarters. No arguments."
"Alright, alright."
The call ended.
They were silent for a few moments.
Then Aleksei said:
"You are a man who cannot be advised."
Sooho laughed.
"I've been told that many times."
Aleksei continued, "And I won't advise you against recklessness—because you wouldn't listen anyway."
The two looked at each other… then laughed.
After a moment, Aleksei straightened in his seat.
"By the way… what's your bank account number?"
Sooho looked at him.
"…What?"
"Your bank account."
"Why?"
Aleksei gave a sideways smile.
"The Association has allocated a special financial reward for you."
Sooho gave him the information, still not fully processing it.
Aleksei took out his phone, typed quickly, then stopped.
"Check your phone."
Sooho picked it up.
Looked.
His expression stiffened. His eyes widened.
He froze.
"…What is this number?"
Aleksei burst out laughing.
"One million dollars."
Sooho slowly raised his head.
"…Is this mine?"
"Yes."
"Mine, really?"
"Yes."
"No typo?"
"No."
Sooho sat there stunned, staring at the screen as if the number might disappear if he blinked.
Aleksei said apologetically, "Sorry, it's relatively small, but with the current pressure from the large number of gates in Russia—"
Sooho interrupted him, "Small?! This number has an overwhelming aura!"
Aleksei laughed again.
That night.
The former battlefield.
Blackened ground, traces of blood, remnants of cracked ice.
On one of the rooftops stood a masked figure, slender body, movements silent.
He spoke into a communicator:
"Yes… it's the same person from the Canada incident."
A distorted reply came back:
"Understood. Suspend surveillance for now."
"But—"
"If he enters the continent of Astarion… inform us immediately of his movements."
"Understood."
He closed the device, and the shadow vanished.
Jin's residence at the academy.
Lily sat in front of the television, swinging her legs excitedly, holding a small toy.
"No, no! Not like that!"
In the adjacent room, Instructor Yura rummaged through clothes, earphones in, humming along with the music.
Ding-dong.
Lily jumped.
"Daaad!"
She ran over, pushed a small chair toward the door, and climbed carefully.
"Daddy told Lily not to open the door…"
She smiled.
"But… this is Daddy. He's late."
She opened the door.
We see from the perspective of the person standing in front of her.
Her eyes sparkle.
"Daddy!"
Then—
Her expression changed.
The smile vanished.
The scene ended.
Office of the Korean Association President.
The president sat behind his desk, an open file in his hands.
Across from him… Investigator Park.
The president raised his eyes.
"Is this all you've found?"
Park bowed slightly.
"Yes, sir… the matter is extensive, spanning multiple regions in both worlds. Information exchange is extremely difficult due to secrecy and fear of leaks."
He paused, then added:
"I managed to contact the Intelligence Corps of the Kingdom of Irenval on the continent of Astarion. Without that… we wouldn't have obtained anything."
The president closed the file.
"That's fine."
He looked out the window.
"At the very least… we'll see how the boy handles this."
Korea.
A quiet Italian restaurant.
Sooho sat as usual, a plate of pasta in front of him, fork in hand.
"Food first, the world later," he muttered.
"As expected."
A young man sat across from him.
Blue hair, sharp eyes, a balanced aura.
Martin Griffinmark.
Sooho said without looking up, "Martin Griffinmark. Third place in the combat exam."
Martin smiled.
"It's an honor that you remember."
Sooho asked, "What do you want?"
"I observed you… your personality. That's why I decided to ask for your help."
Sooho twirled the pasta and said, "Eat first."
After they finished eating—
Martin sighed.
"There are… disturbances in my family. I suspect my older brother."
Sooho raised his head.
"How?"
"His personality changed. He became… closer to evil."
Sooho's eyes widened slightly.
"And what do you think?"
"I think black mages are involved. His disappearances, his repeated entry into the tower…"
He paused.
"I know this doesn't concern you, but you're the only one who has dealt with demons."
He bowed slightly.
"I apologize for the trouble."
Sooho smiled and said,
"It's not a bother. You're a good person… and a friend."
He asked, "Why hasn't your family intervened?"
Martin replied,
"In front of them, he's normal… even better than before. But in secret… he's no longer my brother."
"Then why not report it?"
"Without proof… I'd be punished for sowing discord."
Sooho laughed.
"Damn… your family is really strict."
He straightened.
"Don't worry. Bring me a report of his disappearance times and the locations he frequents."
Martin's face lit up.
"I will."
End of the chapter.