LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 424
Chapter 425
Everyone united in support of Im Yu-bin’s love life.
There’s really no need to mention that this became the main agenda of the gathering.
As for Yeon-woo, it was impossible not to be interested. After all, it was none other than Namgung Seong’s romantic situation.
Even though I thought that dimwit would someday experience love and marriage, the timing remained a mystery.
Having met Nea and fully understood what love was, Yeon-woo felt pity for those who were clueless about its wonders….
In that sense, if there were friends preparing for a love venture, Yeon-woo would be eager to jump in.
So here I was, actively stepping in to help Im Yu-bin right now.
However, aside from that, this atmosphere posed a bit of trouble for Yeon-woo.
Normally, with any atmosphere, Yeon-woo could blend in naturally due to excellent sociability, but this one felt a bit awkward.
“Really? Is that so? Oh my!”
“How brave! I couldn’t have done that….”
“Yu-bin unnie, you’re amazing!!”
“R-really? Thank you, hehe….”
This was what they called girl talk. Lost in their own world, the men present were completely disregarded, creating an atmosphere where they felt awkward interrupting the conversation.
Of course, since it was merely an atmosphere, it could be navigated if they chose to ignore it.
But that was a choice that required Yeon-woo to brace himself for.
If he awkwardly barged in during this massive group conversation, getting those clueless stares back would likely break even Yeon-woo, who prided himself on being mentally tough.
As Yeon-woo wrestled with whether to join in or not, his gaze met Jung Yu-jin’s.
Two guys caught between a multitude of women. They were practically soulmates in this struggle.
“Shall we just grab some drinks?”
“Honestly, I could easily join in, but let’s humor the rare gem in humanity, shall we?”
“Thanks, man….”
That was the confidence of someone from Sky Eye’s intel department. The belief that he could seamlessly penetrate this sticky, flower-patterned atmosphere was impressive.
However, it seemed he decided to stick with Yeon-woo instead of diving into their conversation, pouring him a drink with a grin.
Well, honestly, it wouldn’t harm him much. He could just eavesdrop on that conversation.
“So, what’s the vibe like at Sky Eye these days?”
“Hmm, well, everyone’s feeling a bit down. You know, a lot on our plate. The massive increase in Dopplegangers, for example, and sharing intel with other factions.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
Sky Eye was one of the top intel organizations in the world. In terms of “requestable intel organizations,” it was among the elite.
Most intel organizations were tied to families, companies, or guilds.
Being an organization accessible to anyone yet still providing quality intel, they were bound to have a heavy workload.
Especially for smaller towns, they were practically saviors.
In times like this, with Dopplegangers running amok, their presence was nothing short of a disaster for smaller populations.
A smaller population meant fewer Hunters and lower chances of finding a Synesthete to spot Dopplegangers beforehand.
Because of this, the Hunter Guild was quite busy. Even when they placed requests, they often got buried under a flood of them.
In those circumstances, there weren’t many groups as efficient as Sky Eye. First and foremost, their new recruit, Grimgnir, was a benevolent god collaborating with humanity.
Fundamentally, benevolent god organizations tend to pursue public benefit to some extent.
By cooperating with humanity, they gain benefits, while some of their resources are put to public use.
“Honestly, we’re getting well-compensated, but it’s a pain to find a Synesthete.”
“Ha ha ha.”
“By the way, you were the one who set those rules, weren’t you? Feel free to unleash some murderous intent!”
That was right. Yeon-woo had set the first principle of confronting a Doppleganger: bringing along a Synesthete. The second principle was to hire a Hunter who knew nothing about the person.
In other words, Yeon-woo was the one causing Sky Eye’s hard work.
“What can I do? It’s not like there’s much I can do as a natural monument!! That’s the limit of our legal system!!”
“Ugh, you human natural monument…!!”
“That sounds kinda weird when you put it that way…?”
“Take responsibility!! You’re responsible for my workload, Choi Yeon-woo!!”
As Jung Yu-jin shook Yeon-woo by the collar in her drunken state, Yeon-woo adjusted his chin.
Since he had already agreed to volunteer work, cooperating with Yu-jin didn’t sound bad.
“Alright, I’ll take responsibility. Send me to all the places suspected of Dopplegangers tomorrow. I’d prefer it not to be too far, but I can handle a bit of distance.”
“What? Really? Are you serious?”
“I can’t let myself be outdone by Namgung Seong. I’ll make this volunteering meaningful.”
“Oooh…. Oooooh, thank you! Really, thank you!”
Hearing Jung Yu-jin’s heartfelt gratitude, Yeon-woo nodded along, thinking that helping a friend is the essence of friendship.
*
There are generally two methods to catch a Doppleganger.
Either bring along a Synesthete to identify and apprehend it, or place surveillance on a suspected Doppleganger and catch it when it reveals its true form.
If one of those options is chosen, a location with minimal darkness should ideally be arranged.
Lastly, one must prepare magical tools to protect oneself from the inevitable self-detonation. That would mean all preparations were in place to capture the Doppleganger, assuming one is a skilled Hunter.
In that sense, Yeon-woo was always ready to take down a Doppleganger.
Being an experienced Hunter definitely counted, not to mention that he always prepared every possible plan.
“Ugh.”
“Oh man, the smell of alcohol. Dad, seriously.”
“Hehe. What a silly expression.”
It was bizarre. One would think being young would provide better detox abilities, but oddly, the hangover felt worse.
Was it because he didn’t drink much?
Of course, now that he was a Master, hangovers hardly held any significance. He could easily expel the intoxication using mana.
Slowly utilizing mana, the indescribably unpleasant sensations in his body got swept away into the flow of mana, escaping through his fingertips and toes.
Actually, the best option would’ve been to release it through the mouth. Burping a bit would be perfectly normal and not harmful to the body at all.
“Hmph, this isn’t like the old days….”
“Dad, saying that makes it super weird.”
“Damn it. Being a Regressor is so tiring!”
Why was there so much to be cautious about? If I had a choice, I’d never want to be a Regressor again.
While Yeon-woo grumbled with such thoughts, he arrived at the Hunter Guild. After all, he had rested long enough, and messing with Moryo would only bring benefits.
“Hello~.”
Upon entering with a cheerful greeting, the eyes within the guild instantly focused on him. It was only natural that chaos ensued.
Because the top output of South Korean hunters, Choi Yeon-woo, had made an appearance.
The staff also seemed taken aback. What’s going on? Did he not give a heads-up beforehand? Did they expect him to sneak in through the back door?
“C-Choi Yeon-woo…!! Choi Yeon-woo has appeared…!!”
“Hey, my daughter is a fan of yours!! Could you sign something for her!?”
“Kyaa, Shar!! You’re so cute!!”
Oh, I see. Typically, when moving about publicly, people wouldn’t recognize Yeon-woo due to his choice of quiet routes.
But entering the Hunter Guild so boldly deemed any chance of anonymity virtually nonexistent.
The staff probably thought he would enter through the back door, and were surprised by his audacious entrance.
However, this wasn’t a monumental problem.
“Everyone, over here.”
“What!? Who are you!?”
A fierce uproar erupted against a man in sunglasses attempting to guide the crowd.
The startled man gulped and cleared his throat, declaring, “I’m the daily manager for Hunter Choi Yeon-woo. Please cooperate.”
As he smiled, the man whispered something into the ear of an angry woman at the front. Startled, she stepped back.
“You, what are you…?”
“Everyone needs to cooperate with us for everything to go smoothly.”
Watching Jung Yu-jin organizing the crowd, Yeon-woo was chatting with the children.
“Wow, doing great there…. I guess I’m at fault for accidentally holding a fan meeting.”
“Right? How is she controlling them? It’s so fascinating!”
“Well, that’s….”
Probably intimidation. It felt a bit tricky to explain that to the children, but it was evidently effective.
Especially to see how she effortlessly subdued several angry individuals with just a few words, even Yeon-woo found it impressive.
Could it be that she memorized all the personal details of the Hunters staying in Harmony City? Or had she conducted some prior research? Either way, she seemed intimidating.
As he contemplated, Yeon-woo watched Jung Yu-jin handle the crowd.
Well, there weren’t even a hundred guild members. He could afford to spare some autographs….
“Oh, wait there.”
Yeon-woo called out to someone who was trying to sneak away to the side. Curious gazes turned towards the scene.
It almost felt like a fan among the crowd had been chosen by Yeon-woo ~.
However, as Yeon-woo approached, that person spun around, trying to flee.
As predicted, Yeon-woo swiftly unsheathed his sword and launched himself forward.
The shadows beneath his feet writhed. Tae-oh, feeling discomfort from that sight, clenched his fists.
The writhing shadows suddenly calmed down. The man attempting to escape wore a look of confusion. Hurriedly drawing a weapon, it was already too late.
Swoosh!!
The man’s head and torso separated, and there was no splattering of blood inside the guild….
The melting, slack body transformed into a dark shadow. Yeon-woo deftly grasped the gathered shadow and tossed it toward Tae-oh.
Tae-oh swiftly caught it, chewed a few times, and then swallowed.
He looked so adorable, savoring it like it was candy.
“Dopplegangers can hide even in places like this, so be careful.”
With Yeon-woo’s nonchalant remark and a grin, all that the guild members could do was nod in shock.
(To be continued in the next episode)