Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

Seong San-ha immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me into a corner. As I followed him, I asked. 

 

“What was that just now? Did you find that bastard? Does this mean he’s coming back?”

 

“It’s exactly as you saw. We just pinpointed his location, and we expect him to return to Nox soon.”

 

“Damn it…” 

 

I muttered, my face turning pale. It was an excessive reaction for someone like Joo Ho-hyun to show, but the sudden emergence of Tae Jae-heon caught me off guard. 

 

Seong San-ha’s expression was no better, seeing my distressed state. He grabbed my chin and made eye contact as if to imprint his words.

 

“Stay at the workshop until I contact you. Don’t wander around.”

 

“…”

 

“Got it, puppy?”

 

“I don’t even have a leash now…” 

 

When I grumbled, getting annoyed at being ordered around, Seong San-ha sighed deeply and said.

 

“I would put you under surveillance if I could. Please, just stay put.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Remember, the ring’s effect on Tae Jae-heon is useless. Even if he doesn’t remember your face, he’ll remember that you resemble ‘Kang Eui-jin.’ If you run into him, he’ll definitely take an interest in you.”

 

Seong San-ha was right. I should avoid Tae Jae-heon entirely. I wasn’t confident I could hide the fact that I was Kang Eui-jin if we met. And even if I could, he would turn violent and dangerous if I crossed him. I was so fed up with the name that I didn’t even want to hear about him.

 

“But why is he suddenly coming back?”

 

“I’ll go find out. I don’t know why he’s been hiding all this time, but he leaked the information to us on purpose. He must have another motive.”

 

What do you mean, another motive… I quickly grabbed Seong San-ha, who was about to leave.

 

“Let me know if you get any information about Tae Jae-heon.”

 

“I will.”

 

Watching San-ha leave with a hurried Lee Cho, I felt a strange emptiness. I absentmindedly touched my neck. 

 

I lost track of time. I frantically searched the internet, news sites, and Huntropolis, but there wasn’t a single mention of Tae Jae-heon’s return. Well, of course, information that the leader of the Cheon Rang Guild had just received wouldn’t have spread already.

 

Even though I knew Tae Jae-heon would return someday, I didn’t expect to feel this anxious when the time came. It seems life was more comfortable without him around. 

 

Unable to sleep, I lay in bed with my eyes open past midnight. Finally, I got up, unable to bear it any longer, and headed to the rooftop of the workshop for some fresh air. The cool breeze instantly relieved the tightness in my chest.

 

“Ha…”

 

I lay down on the rooftop floor and stared at the sky. The most frustrating part was my reaction to Tae Jae-heon. Just hearing his name made me anxious, showing I still hadn’t escaped his shadow.

 

“Why don’t you just go die somewhere, you damn bastard…”

 

“Mehhhhh.”

 

“Oh, Cloud.”

 

Cloud approached and lay down beside me, resting his head on my stomach and looking at me with his big, dark eyes. This calmed me somehow.

 

“When did you come out? Are you here to comfort me? You’re so loyal, Cloud.”

 

“Meeehhh.”

 

“Yeah, this isn’t Nox. It’s my workshop.”

 

I was no longer a dog trapped in Tae Jae-heon’s fortress.

 

“…Nothing’s going to happen.”

 

I had died right in front of him. Unless he was out of his mind, he wouldn’t be looking for me. Even Seong San-ha, who had freaked out at first, had given up. There was no need to cower in fear.

 

I raised my hand to pat Cloud’s fluffy, firm head while looking up at the sky. The clear night sky was filled with countless stars shining down on me. Among them, I watched one faintly flicker for a long time.

 

***

 

“Ho, Ho-hyun nim! Ho-hyun nim! Arghh!”

 

Yeon Seung-yeon burst into the room and nearly fainted at the sight of my exposed abs. 

 

I had been doing pull-ups on the bar I’d installed on the doorframe to clear my mind. I dropped to the floor and asked curiously.

 

“What’s the rush?”

 

“That… Can you please get dressed first….”

 

“I haven’t finished my workout yet. Is there something urgent?”

 

“It’s… about that thing.”

 

“The Guiding Potion?”

 

Yeon Seung-yeon nodded but he was unable to make eye contact with me, blushing furiously. So I had no choice but to put on the clothes I had taken off. 

 

As the only person who knew about my success with the Guiding Potion, Yeon Seung-yeon had been asked to relay any contact from the center. Seeing how urgent this was…

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Just as you said, the center has started searching for it. There’s even breaking news about it now. Here…”

 

Yeon Seung-yeon handed me several sheets of paper. I took them and quickly scanned through. The papers were filled with official documents from various organizations proving the impact of the Gai-ding Potion. I was taken aback.

 

‘It hasn’t even been a few days, and they’re already acting like this?’

 

The Hunter Association had sent a cooperation request to the production community. The Wolgye Naru Union had issued a notice. The Esper and Guide Center had sent an appeal, and their international organization, the World Psychic Organization (WPO), had even issued a global public alert.

 

It was no surprise that everyone wanted to secure the Guiding Potion. I had expected a period of covert competition as they assessed each other’s moves, but this rapid and unified response was unexpected. Yeon Seung-yeon hesitated as he spoke.

 

“In fact, I received a call this morning as well. I had to cut it off because I was receiving the notice from Wolgye Naru. They… they might have suspected me of making it. I said I didn’t know anything, but it seems like the center is in quite an uproar.”

 

“Suspecting you? Have they already figured out our nationality?”

 

“I don’t think so. But since our country is ahead in potion development, the WPO will likely suspect us.”

 

“I should start contacting the center soon.”

 

As I scribbled down the reporting hotline written on the papers, Yeon Seung-yeon’s eyes widened in shock.

 

“Already? Maybe…”

 

Yeon Seung-yeon, who had forgotten about the confidentiality agreement, suddenly collapsed in pain. I rushed over to help him up as tears welled up in his eyes and he muttered.

 

“Ugh, it hurts…”

 

“Yeon Seung-yeon!”

 

“Are you sure you’re not being too hasty? It would be more beneficial for you to finalize the recipe before making any deals…”

 

As Yeon Seung-yeon pointed out, dealing with a confirmed recipe would indeed be more advantageous. Given Seong San-ha’s warning, I wanted to focus on research until the Tae Jae-heon issue was resolved. But, the movements from the Esper side were too concerning to ignore.

 

“It’s better to take the initiative if we’re going to get caught anyway.”

 

“But, Ho-hyun nim…”

 

“And besides, I don’t have the funds. Confirming the recipe through thorough research will require significant financial support.”

 

I shrugged, trying to mask my worries, and Yeon Seung-yeon, despite his concern, nodded in agreement. I patted Yeon Seung-yeon’s shoulder and said,

 

“Call that person who called earlier again.”

 

“Huh? Why…?”

 

“To schedule a preliminary visit.”

 

Yeon Seung-yeon looked puzzled but made the call nonetheless.

 

[Oh! Yeon Seung-yeon! Was that a customer earlier? Are things going well at the workshop?]

 

“It’s not like that… We’re still in the initial stages. How have you been, Sunbae (Senior)?”

 

[I’ve been barely keeping up! Things are so hectic lately. Can you believe it? A guiding potion! It’s like a lifelong mission for us. I never thought I’d hear news of its successful production in my lifetime! If it weren’t for the quests dropped to the Espers, I wouldn’t have believed it. The director and the head of the center even came over, warning that if there’s anything hidden, we’d be in big trouble…!]

 

“Did they really make such threats?”

 

[Oh, it’s just a figure of speech. No need to be so shocked. It’s just a bit of seasoning. By the way, are you… perhaps… more sensitive?]

 

“No, that’s not possible!!”

 

[Really? We actually had some suspicions. You left right when things were going well.]

 

“There’s no way I could make it… I was actually curious about the documents, too.”

 

[Hahaha. Just kidding. Even your workshop is only level 6. The rumors are all out now.]

 

Both of them had signed exclusive agreements with the center, so they spoke about the Guiding Potion as if it were common knowledge. Seeing Yeon Seung-yeon’s disoriented state, I mouthed a whisper.

 

“Ask them about the situation with the Espers.”

 

“Huh? About what…?”

 

“How are the Espers doing? Like, the Raven team. There’s been a shortage of guides since I left, right?”

 

I was actually more interested in Han Seo-jin, but I disguised my inquiry under the pretext of the Raven team. Yeon Seung-yeon hesitated momentarily, then asked into the phone.

 

“What’s the situation with the field teams?”

 

[Well, of course, the foreigners suspect our country. But we know the reality, don’t we? This is a secret, but the center is even investigating the possibility of a third country……]

 

Seeing the conversation might drag on, I tapped Yeon Seung-yeon to hurry him along. He refocused and asked more specifically.

 

“Oh, I see… I’m also curious about the Seoul Center teams. Like, the Raven team.”

 

There was a brief silence on the other end. Then, with a burst of realization, the man’s voice came back.

 

[Ah! I see what you’re asking now. Raven team? That team has been disbanded for quite a while. They’re completely done for.]

I am so excited to see Han Seo-jin back!