Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

I didn’t think a national event would be this boring. Not only were there no appearances from the potion makers of Wolgye Naru, even Fake Eui-jin didn’t show up. I had been staring at the bald man giving the congratulatory speech for what felt like forever before I picked up my phone. I should check on that annoying thing from earlier.

 

‘Side effects, they said….’

 

I was the only potion master in the world. Furthermore, with several clinical trials under my belt, there was no way there could be side effects. It was clear there had been some misunderstanding.

 

When I searched for ‘Kang Eui-jin potion side effects’ on a portal site, several articles came up. Clicking on an article that was posted just a few minutes ago, I saw a photo of the protesters I had passed by earlier. The article detailed hunters and their families suffering from the side effects of my potion and how they had come out to protest due to the lack of acknowledgment of these side effects.

 

After reading all of that, I clicked on other articles immediately. By the time I had read through all the articles on the site, deep furrows had formed on my forehead, and I couldn’t smooth them out. All the articles repeatedly mentioned the problematic potion being the Mana Amplification Potion. One thing was clear in my mind.

 

‘… Are they talking about Illimital?’

 

Illimital is a type of buff potion that triggers a burst of remaining mana to deliver a final blow. I remembered producing it due to frequent gate appearances in Japan. Once consumed, it turns the user into a nearly berserk warrior, leading to it being officially banned in duels and competitions right after its announcement.

 

When the effects of Illimital wear off, the user becomes so weakened that even low-level skills are difficult to use, requiring a week of rest and recovery. However, this is a natural counter-effect of squeezing mana to its limits and shouldn’t be considered a side effect. Moreover, I had meticulously ensured that resistance materials were added so that the potion couldn’t be stacked or re-administered until the body had fully recovered!

 

I was curious about what these so-called side effects could be but found that there were few related articles or writings, perhaps because I was affiliated with Nox. Knowing well how Nox suppresses such matters, I gave up searching further and leaned back.

 

“Side effects… What nonsense.”

 

I felt like going over to the protesters and asking them directly what the problem was. Feeling frustrated, I gulped down my wine. 

 

Was it the boring promotional event, or was it the wine that I might have overindulged in? I remember trying to cool off by leaning my cheek against the window after feeling a bit tipsy while searching for Yeon Seung-yeon downstairs. 

 

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the bed. Looking out the window, it was already dark. I heard a rustling sound and turned my head to see Seong San-ha sitting on the sofa, his legs crossed, flipping through documents under the light of a desk lamp.

 

‘How long have I been out?’

 

Rubbing my eyes and getting up, Seong San-ha looked over at me as if he heard the sound. A playful glint flickered in his previously bored eyes as he smirked.

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

“Yeah… I slept so well it’s a problem. When did you get here? Is the press conference over?”

 

Seong San-ha nodded, then walked over to the bed, turned on the lamp by my head, and sat down.

 

“So, you knew there was a press conference for Kang Eui-jin after the promotional event?”

 

“Of course. If not, why would I have come?”

 

“I see you have a lot of interest in Kang Eui-jin.”

 

“Isn’t that obvious?”

 

He snorted and then, as I looked around for my phone, he tossed it to me from the bedside table.

 

“It’s late, so just sleep here. I’ve already informed Yeon Seung-yeon.”

 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

 

“You were sleeping so soundly. How could I have woken you?”

 

So it was indeed Seong San-ha who had put me to bed. The table by the window, which had been littered with the remnants of my drinking and eating, was now neatly cleaned.

 

I sent a reply to Yeon Seung-yeon’s worried messages, and despite the late hour, a call came right away.

 

“Yeah, Seung-yeon ah… Work? No, I was just sleeping. It’s nothing major. I’ll come by tomorrow. Okay.”

 

I barely managed to calm down the worried Yeon Seung-yeon and hang up the phone. When I looked over at Seong San-ha, who had been watching me blankly the whole time, I couldn’t help but ask, puzzled.

 

“Aren’t you going? When are you leaving?”

 

“Where would I go? This is my room, after all.”

 

His nonchalant response made me scowl. While there were several rooms in the suite, there was only one bed here. Acting on my instinct to claim my territory, I sprawled out on the bed.

 

“There’s only this one bed.”

 

“It’s so spacious; can’t you share a bit? You were a guide, so you should be used to it.”

 

Hearing the word “guide” after so long made me narrow my eyes. Though Seong San-ha was right that it wasn’t unusual in the center, and with it being just us men, it wasn’t a big deal, his casual tone was irritating. I scoffed.

 

“You’re not an Esper, so you don’t need guiding.”

 

“Are you willing to do it if I were an Esper?”

 

If Seong San-ha had been part of Team Raven… judging by his first impression, he would probably have been as much of a jerk as the team leader. Even now, I wouldn’t want to shake hands with him, let alone be close.

 

“What’s with the sudden curiosity? Why ask about that now?”

 

I asked, slightly annoyed, and Seong San-ha shook his head with a vague expression.

 

“Just wondering. I’m curious about what it was like for you as a guide. It’s hard to imagine you as one now. I can’t believe you used to be a guide.”

 

Muttering to himself, Seong San-ha considered where to lie down and moved aside so I could make room. Raising his eyebrows with a smirk, he then settled down beside me, resting his body on the bed. I watched his hair slowly cascade down, covering his face. His lips curved into a relaxed smile as he spoke in a laid-back tone.

 

“You seem awfully relaxed.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“If you’re a former guide… shouldn’t you be more cautious?”

 

It was only when I felt his hand tap my forehead that I finally understood the absurdity of his words and responded in disbelief.

 

“Are you gay?”

 

“No.”

 

“Seriously? But why the hell…?”

 

“I’ve never really thought about it, but now I’m considering it.”

 

His firm answer put my mind at ease, but the follow-up made me shut my mouth.

 

‘This crazy bastard… What the hell is he trying to figure out?’

 

I didn’t want to know or ask any more. The thought of Seong San-ha being gay was too much. I subtly shifted away from him.

 

“You… You should go sleep on the sofa.”

 

“But you said we should sleep together.”

 

“Fuck off. I don’t have a hobby of sleeping with gay guys.”

 

Turning my back without another word, I heard Seong San-ha chuckling behind me and pretended to gag quietly.

 

“Are you trying to sleep more?”

 

“Don’t talk to me. I’m going to sleep.”

 

The bed felt lighter as someone got up, and soon the desk lamp dimmed further, leaving only the faint rustling of paper to fill the quiet room.

 

Despite the cozy atmosphere, my eyes were wide awake. After a good night’s sleep and the effects of the alcohol completely worn off, I wasn’t feeling drowsy at all—Seong San-ha’s nonsense had contributed to that too. At times like this, a good workout followed by a shower and then bed would be perfect.

 

I stared blankly at my reflection, faintly visible in the dark window opposite me. The face of Joo Ho-hyun, looking just like mine. Now that I think about it, wasn’t Joo Ho-hyun gay as well?

 

I lifted my hand and traced my cheek and jawline with my fingertips.

 

‘…Is this the kind of face that appeals to gay people?’

 

Then again, I’d heard that highly developed looks can appeal regardless of gender. They say handsome faces are universally appealing. It’s annoying to think about this stuff. I squeezed my eyes shut and gathered the blanket to pull it close. Better to sleep than waste time on useless thoughts.

 

The quiet stillness and the occasional soft rustling of paper provided a peculiar psychological comfort. The bedding was plush and warm, exactly how I liked it, and despite having slept enough, I soon found myself drifting off.

 

Knock, knock.

 

The sound of a knock from outside jolted my almost-sleeping mind awake. Waking up like this was unpleasant.

 

‘Who could it be at this hour?’

 

Since there was no one else who would come to Seong San-ha’s room at this late hour, I naturally assumed it was Lee Cho. Another knock came just then.

 

Knock, knock.

 

I didn’t have the energy to move, so I just opened my eyes slightly and looked at the reflection in the window. Seong San-ha, who had put down his documents, turned his head to check that I was asleep before getting up from his seat. A moment later, the sound of the door opening was followed by a voice that made me jerk awake.

 

“San-ha hyung.”

 

Isn’t that Fake Eui-jin? All traces of sleep quickly vanished. Seong San-ha, clearly surprised by the unexpected late-night visitor, responded with a slightly startled voice.

 

“What’s the matter at this hour?”

 

“I wanted to talk with you. Do you have some time?”

 

The voice was much more familiar than I had expected. I should have realized something was off when he bought flowers, claiming they were for Kang Eui-jin!

 

‘Hyung? Hyuuuuuuuung? When did they get so close?’

 

I was so curious about Fake Eui-jin’s intention of pretending to be close to Seong San-ha while wearing my guise. Moreover, Seong San-ha had a 79% chance of being gay!

 

All my attention was focused on the door. I perked up my ears to eavesdrop on the conversation outside. Worried that he might come in, I was relieved to hear that Seong San-ha, not forgetting that I was present, declined Fake Eui-jin’s request.

 

“It’s not a good time right now. Let’s talk later.”

 

“But…”

 

“Go back. It’s late, so you should get some rest.”

 

Just as the door was about to close, Fake Eui-jin shouted.

 

“I know about the Constellations! Hamal and Castor are in danger…”

 

“What?”

 

“That’s why I’m here. Hyung, please spare me a moment.”

 

“……Let’s talk in your room.”

 

As soon as I heard the door close, I bolted upright.

 

“He just mentioned Hamal, didn’t he?”

Hi everyone! I am so sorry for disappearing for the past few weeks. I had a huge event going on with my work life and I had to go on my first ever international trip, solo on top of that so it was very hectic. I have many free time now so I will try to translate as many chapters as I can. Hope you enjoy it! <333