Under Creature Chapter 2.6

“…Why? What about our conversation just now?”

Uh… uh. What? Was there something special about it? Did I make a fuss? Was that funny? Or, or what else? Is my face funny? Do I look amusing?

“Huh? No? Your face isn’t funny. Rather, you’re a bit scary because you’re so big.”

“Really? Did I overdo the exercise? Ugh, then I’ll have to cut back. The 5 minutes are almost up. Could you remind me later? To ease up on the exercise.”

As Yigeom watched the flustered Sanha park the car on the side of the road, a mischievous grin spread across his lips.

If asked whether he liked or disliked it, it was closer to dislike. Thanks to Dohyun’s dreadful simulated world, he’d both saved and lost many lives.

If only he didn’t remember. Then he could live a perfectly normal life.

Even so, the fact that he knew more than others, that he remembered things others didn’t, that he and Seo Dohyun experienced the unknown world Namgoong Sanha was so curious about countless times…

He thought he might, just might, start to like it, just a little.

Soon, everything returned to nothing, and Jewoo waved.

“Be careful, both of you!”

Yigeom rested his hand on the car window frame and quietly looked up at Dohyun.

Despite his timidity, Namgoong Sanha was perceptive. Though he didn’t remember the difference in Yigeom’s attitude from before, he keenly noticed it. He stopped the car, which he was about to start, and looked at Yigeom.

Yigeom murmured with a faint smile,

“I think I made the right choice joining Latter.”

Dohyun responded, his eyes crinkling into crescents,

“Yeah. Welcome.”

The foreign substances of the forgotten world thus acknowledged each other’s existence.

🦅࿐

“So, what were the results of the experiment?”

Doa asked Yigeom and Sanha as they arrived at the Latter office.

“We checked several times…. It just kept resetting.”

“What do you mean by ‘just kept resetting’? Do you mean that even without Dohyun around, people repeat the same actions as long as the 5 minutes repeat?”

“Yes. That’s what we observed.”

Even if they drove away within 5 minutes, they couldn’t go beyond a certain distance. So Yigeom closed his eyes, trying to see even a little further.

The results were the same. Even though the flap of a butterfly’s wings could cause a typhoon, it was difficult to confirm that typhoon within 5 minutes.

Even away from Dohyun, people performed the same actions according to the time loop. Namgoong Sanha was the same. He always took the same route. However, he seemed to have sharp senses, as his reactions changed even with Yigeom’s slightest actions.

He seemed to be acting while keeping in mind what attempt it currently was. If it was the first, he would do this, if it was the second, he would do something different since he’d likely done that action the first time.

Thanks to this, Yigeom didn’t get easily bored when he was with him. However, the repetition of conversations was unavoidable.

The first experiment was to determine the radius of Dohyun’s ability, but after realizing they couldn’t escape its range within 5 minutes even at driving speed, they started a different experiment.

Since they had cell phones, a convenient communication device, Yigeom and Sanha started by going very far from Dohyun, driving a long distance before activating the ability. Even then, they returned to 5 minutes prior. It seemed they’d have to increase the distance further and try the experiment in another region next time.

Sanha said excitedly, his voice trembling, that Dohyun’s ability might affect the entire Earth.

Yigeom glanced at him and massaged his stiff neck. He then collapsed onto Doa’s bed, which had become his nest, burying his face in the pillow. He used the bed more than Doa did now.

Repeating the same 5 minutes was mentally exhausting. Seo Dohyun, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine.

“Want some medicine?”

Yigeom’s eyes widened at Dohyun’s sudden question.

“You take medicine too?”

“Just vitamins.”

Oh. For a moment, he thought it was medication for a mental illness. Was I worried about him? What did he say?

Whatever. The exhausted Yigeom rubbed his tired eyes and mumbled, “Anyway, we couldn’t figure out the simulated world….”

“It’s not a simulated world!”

“…Huh?”

Yigeom and Jewoo awkwardly stared at Sanha, who vehemently denied it. Dohyun and Doa reacted indifferently, as if saying, “There he goes again,” and went about their business.

Sanha blushed slightly as if embarrassed, but firmly stated his opinion.

“Since nothing has been proven yet, it’s more accurate to call it an unknown world, or World X, or something else, rather than assuming it’s a simulated world.”

He then brought paper and a pen and started writing something frantically. Curious about Sanha’s behavior, Yigeom sat up and shuffled over to check what he was writing.

Hypothesis 1: In World X, the ability does not affect any entity outside the radius of the subject, ‘Seo Dohyun.’

Materials: World X, Seo Dohyun, Yoon Yigeom, car (replace with something faster if available), 5-minute alarm, determining the range of Seo Dohyun’s ability (Important ☆☆☆☆☆)

As confirmed by ‘Yoon Yigeom,’ who can remember World X besides the subject ‘Seo Dohyun,’ it works. (There is a possibility that Seo Dohyun’s radius is wider or that his ability affects the entire Earth).

Experimental results: Essentially a failure, as the materials with an importance of 5 points were not fully prepared. Unable to confirm any hypotheses.

“…What is this?”

Yigeom’s bewildered gaze turned to Namgoong Sanha. He roughly grabbed his own short, almost crew-cut hair, which was hard to grasp, and shouted,

“Argh!! There are too many variable 2), so there are too many possible outcomes!”

He then kept muttering “delete, delete” and started writing down hypotheses in double digits in handwriting only he could decipher.

…He’s not planning to test all of those, is he?

Feeling a chill, Yigeom nudged Dohyun, the only one besides Sanha who could drive.

“Hey, want to go grab some food?”

It was almost dinner time, and he intended to escape before getting caught up in Namgoong Sanha’s schemes again. Dohyun licked his lips and nodded in agreement.

“Huh!? We want to go too!”

“Why are only the oppas going? Take us too.”

Jewoo and Doa quickly grabbed their coats, afraid of being left behind. Dohyun nodded again, agreeing.

‘What is he thinking?’

He suggested going out to eat to avoid Namgoong Sanha, but if Jewoo and Doa came along too, what would happen to Namgoong Sanha, who would be left alone?

“Sanha-hyung! Let’s go get dinner!”

“Oh… should we?”

Just then, Jewoo shook Sanha awake, who was engrossed in formulating his hypotheses. Yigeom buttoned his coat, thinking, whatever happens, happens.

‘He won’t talk about it during dinner, right?’

But Yigeom’s thoughts were proven wrong.

“If we replace Yigeom’s field of vision with water, as long as there’s water around, Yigeom’s field of vision is wider than Dohyun’s, so….”

Obsessed with something again, Sanha mumbled like a man caught in the rain, whether they were deciding on the menu, drinking water, or using his chopsticks.

“Hyung, rather than that, please make my weapon later.”

“Ah! Oh, right! Yeah! I’ll definitely make it for you later! More importantly, if both of you can remember the simulated world, during battle, when Dohyun focuses on hunting creatures, Yigeom can….”

Despite Yigeom’s attempts to change the subject, the conversation quickly returned to its original topic.

Doesn’t he get tired? Yigeom, feeling tired in Namgoong Sanha’s stead, leaned his head on Dohyun’s shoulder, who was sitting next to him. It was a kind of skinship he initiated for the first time. He felt a small hand stroking his hair.

“Tired?”

“Yeah.”

“You always get tired after the simulation.”

“I’m not used to it.”

Yigeom closed his eyes.

“Let’s eat quickly and go when the food arrives.”

“…”

“I’ll take you home.”

With his eyes closed, Yigeom heard a gentle voice, so unlike the Seo Dohyun he’d come to know, that he could hardly believe it was him.

🦅࿐

A few days later, after his lecture, Yigeom arrived at the office as usual to find Dohyun there.

“You’re here?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s cold outside. I should have picked you up.”

“Why bother? I took a taxi.”

Jewoo and Doa were still at school, and he’d heard that Namgoong Sanha would arrive a little later.

Come to think of it, Namgoong Sanha’s leave was ending soon. Yigeom had become close enough with him that it wouldn’t be awkward even if they were alone together. Maybe they’d have a party before Sanha left. Seo Dohyun secretly enjoyed things like that, so he might organize a dinner party under the guise of some anniversary or another.

He was getting tired of eating meat so often; maybe he should suggest omakase (chef’s choice) for the next dinner. It would be expensive, of course, but Seo Dohyun never skimped when it came to money. Perhaps because he earned so much.

“I heard you can take the rank test starting today. Want to go to the Association?”

“Now?”

“Yeah. There’s no CA Area today.”

Is the building construction finished? Yigeom put his coat back on.

“Sure, why not.”

🦅࿐

It was almost time for high school to end. He’d told Doa and Jewoo to meet him at the Association after school, not the office, and Namgoong Sanha said he was on his way to the Association now.

Yigeom looked around the Association building. The most renovated area was the first floor entrance, where the fiercest battles had taken place. They must have decided to completely transform the interior while they were at it, as it was unrecognizable.

“The rank test is in the basement.”

He followed Dohyun, who walked with a familiar gait. Basement level 1. He remembered there being a training room there.

Sure enough, there was the training room, and next to it, a small sign indicating the rank test area.

“Is the rank test very difficult?”

“Easy. It only takes about 30 minutes.”

“It ends that quickly?”

Don’t they do physical tests or anything? Yigeom’s eyes widened in surprise, to which Seo Dohyun replied indifferently,

“Yeah. The Hunter test is harder, if anything.”

The Hunter test only involved catching a low-rank creature. Easier than that? He felt somewhat relieved.

“You’ll probably get a high rank for the first test, even if you don’t for the second, so don’t be too nervous.”

Yigeom noticed that Dohyun had become much gentler. He was even offering comforting words. He wasn’t usually like that. Had he become nicer?

That thought was fleeting.

As he opened the door to the rank testing room, an employee greeted him with a friendly smile.

“Welcome. Are you here for the test?”

“Would I be here for fun?”

Dohyun retorted sarcastically.

…What’s with this kid? Having juggled his university studies with numerous part-time jobs, Yigeom saw Seo Dohyun as nothing short of a difficult customer.

Dohyun stood leaning with his hands in his pockets. His sharp features only reinforced the impression of “I have a bad personality.” Trying to ignore him, Yigeom handed the documents to the employee.

“Twenty-two years old, Yoon Yigeom. Affiliated guild is…. Yes, confirmed.”

The employee glanced at Seo Dohyun and, holding back further comment, guided Yigeom.

“Please come this way for the examination.”

“Okay. Hey, don’t cause any trouble and stay put.”

Yigeom sternly warned Dohyun, worried he might pick a fight with the innocent staff.

He then waved briefly to Seo Dohyun and followed the employee. He was led to a sealed room containing a machine that looked like something out of a hospital.

“Could you take off your top, please?”

“Sure.”

Yigeom started taking off his clothes, revealing layer after layer. He seemed to be wearing endless layers.

Starting with the scarf, then the oversized coat, a thick sweatshirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt peeking out from underneath, a thin white short-sleeved t-shirt, and finally, thermal underwear, the grand unveiling of his upper body came to an end.

He was thin but had well-defined muscles. The employee, who was checking the machine, spoke to Yigeom, who was waiting patiently shirtless.

“…You can wear a short-sleeved shirt.”

“Oh, okay.”

He’d said short-sleeved, so he decided to take off the thermal underwear. To be honest, Yigeom had been embarrassed, wondering how much he had to take off. He wanted to take it all off at once, but then putting it back on would be another problem, so he had no choice but to peel off each layer one by one.

Yigeom put on the short-sleeved t-shirt and sat in the machine as instructed.

The employee took the numerous wires connected to the machine and attached them to Yigeom’s body. Then, they tapped the screen of the machine, which whirred to life.

“The examination takes 30 minutes, and the results will come out immediately. I’ll be back when it’s done. Read a book if you’re bored.”

“Okay.”

The employee handed him a book and left, closing the door behind them. Left alone, Yigeom looked around.

He thought the rank test would involve a physical examination. High jump, agility test, long-distance running, and so on. But it was over after sitting still for 30 minutes? Yigeom felt a little let down, as it was different from what he’d expected. It was surprisingly modern.

Were the wires attached to his body measuring his breathing and pulse? He examined the machine curiously. Was this also made by the Ireon company in Busan? He suddenly became curious about the structure of the manufacturing company, Ireon.

While Yoon Yigeom was examining the machine, Dohyun was sitting rather calmly in the waiting room.

‘Don’t cause any trouble and stay put.’

It wasn’t that difficult, so he decided to do as he was told.

However, as they say, all resolutions crumble the moment they’re made. Someone appeared to provoke Dohyun.

“Are you the punk who shoulder-checked our Hyunsik?”

Someone picked a fight with Dohyun, sounding like a gangster from the 80s.

Dohyun slowly raised his head to look at the person who addressed him. He didn’t recognize the face. He might have been seeing him for the first time, or perhaps he’d had a previous altercation with him but forgotten his face.

How should he handle this? While he was pondering, the man poked Dohyun’s forehead with his index finger.

“Hey, are you scared? Say something. I’m Kim Jihwan from Yeho’s 2nd team. I rented the training room right next door. How about it? You look bored. Want to spar with me?”

“…”

Dohyun understood Kim Jihwan’s intentions. Apparently, he wanted to spread the rumor that Yeho’s 2nd team, not even the 1st team, had defeated Latter’s master, Seo Dohyun. Where did he get such confidence?

“Spar?”

“Yeah. My ability is physical enhancement. Since it’s a light spar, how about we fight without using our abilities?”

“Well. I don’t like your attitude. If you want to ask for something….”

Dohyun extended his leg and kicked Kim Jihwan hard in the shin.

“Ugh!”

Crack! A bone-crunching sound echoed as Kim Jihwan fell to his knees in front of Dohyun.

“You should ask politely.”

“…Senior Jihwan, are you okay!?”

A teammate from the same 2nd team helped him up.

“Serves you right.”

“…”

“Why act tough when you can’t even win?”

Dohyun clicked his tongue, noticing the gazes directed at him. There was never a peaceful day.

Kim Jihwan’s eyes were bloodshot.

“I said spar, not attack so brutally…! You coward. I wouldn’t have lost if I hadn’t let my guard down.”

“Why would you let your guard down? You idiot.”

Even with a knife to my heart, I’d still say I was careless. Dohyun fiddled with his ear piercing, as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have.

“What? Another fight? Where’s Gyeom oppa?”

“Hyung won, right? You won, right? You won against Yeho, right!?”

The basement suddenly became noisy. Doa and Jewoo, both in school uniforms, approached Dohyun. Cha Jewoo shouted repeatedly, intentionally loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Why does Yeho keep picking fights with Latter when they’re no match for them!? They always get beaten up by us during sparring!”

“What sparring! We’ve never sparred once.”

“See? He’s pretending again. Do you think playing dumb will work? How much longer does Latter have to go easy on them? There have been over 10 unofficial sparring matches! Last time, even the Masters fought and they got crushed, right?”

Yeho felt wronged. They had never actually sparred, and no one knew what had happened between Kim Yiseong and Seo Dohyun in the VIP room.

In short, Cha Jewoo was lying.

In politics, the loudest voice wins. He knew that better than anyone.

“Are they here to fight again today? Seriously, aren’t these people tired of this! They got beaten so badly last time, and now they crawl back out again! Like some kind of moles.”

He spoke clearly, as if reading from a textbook, each syllable distinct, his voice booming with air rising from deep within his belly.

“What, Yeho and Latter have unofficial sparring matches?”

“Makes sense. Latter is right behind Yeho in the guild rankings.”

“If they keep losing in sparring, doesn’t that mean Yeho is below Latter? The rankings should be corrected.”

Kim JiHwan’s face turned bright red.

“Stop making up stories! You little punk, how dare you talk to an adult like…! Argh!”

He’s infinitely lenient towards his own people. Dohyun, who had been watching Cha Jewoo’s performance with satisfaction, stood up and kicked Kim JiHwan’s shin again, the same spot he’d kicked earlier.

“You should say, ‘Please stop making up stories.’ Did you forget already?”

I told you to be polite when asking for favors.

“…What are you guys doing?”

Yigeom, who had finished his test and came out holding a test result sheet marked “Excellent,” blinked.

Dohyun greeted Yigeom casually, as if nothing had happened.

“It’s nothing. Are you done with the test?”

Doa, who had rushed over, snatched the test result sheet from Yigeom’s hand.

“As expected, it’s ‘Excellent.’ Congratulations.”

“Oh, Gyeom hyung got ‘Excellent’? I knew it.”

“…Forget that. What’s all the commotion?”

I told them not to cause trouble, and they couldn’t even wait 30 minutes? And when did Seo Doa and Cha Jewoo get here? And they didn’t even try to stop it, they just jumped right in?

Yigeom’s gaze shifted and landed on Kim JiHwan. He felt a surge of sympathy, seeing his past self in him.

“Why are you picking on innocent people again? Cha Jewoo, I thought you were reflecting last time, but was it all an act?”

“No, it’s not! That person is from the Yeho guild! It’s obvious. They must have started it with Master! I’m sure of it!”

“Seo Dohyun got picked on? Don’t be ridiculous. I just saw him getting beaten up by Seo Dohyun. What kind of guts does that weakling have to pick a fight with him?”

Kim JiHwan, suddenly reduced to a weak and gutless person, hung his head and trembled with rage. Even so, Yigeom’s nagging didn’t stop.

Seo Doa, you should at least try to stop them instead of just watching. Are you going to wait until someone dies? Seo Dohyun, you couldn’t even wait and caused trouble again? Didn’t I tell you to stay quiet?

“…Sungho.”

“Yes, JiHwan sunbae.”

“Request a spar.”

“…Yes? Me?”

“Yes.”

If they returned to the guild in this state, the rumor that Yeho had lost to Latter would spread. Moreover, that new Latter recruit was further damaging his image by pretending nothing happened.

This wouldn’t do. If he went back quietly without refuting anything, false rumors about being crushed in unofficial sparring matches with Cha Jewoo would definitely circulate.

Even now, some people are starting to believe it. He couldn’t let Yeho’s image be tarnished any further. In this situation, he had to spar in front of everyone and crush Latter to save face.

Ji Sungho knew this too.

“But sunbae, who should I spar with….”

“That guy over there.”

JiHwan’s index finger pointed towards Cha Jewoo. Ji Sungho nodded and approached Cha Jewoo.

🦅࿐

“…Why me?”

In the training room, Yoon Yigeom, who stood before Ji Sungho at Seo Dohyun’s suggestion, muttered with a bewildered look. He couldn’t understand why he was the one going out when that person from Yeho had clearly challenged Cha Jewoo to a spar.

And Ji Sungho was equally perplexed.

His opponent was the new recruit who had taken the test with Noh Jeonggyu, a reserve member of Yeho’s 2nd team. If he sparred with Yoon Yigeom, it would be like a general from Yeho going against a foot soldier from Latter.

If he won, it’s a draw, if he lost, it’s a disaster.

Latter’s Master, Seo Dohyun, must have been aiming for this.

He should have stopped his hot-headed senior, Kim JiHwan, when he approached Seo Dohyun. This is all my fault….

He himself ended up with a fractured shinbone, and now he had to deal with the aftermath.

He felt sorry for himself, but since he had to spar anyway, he wouldn’t go easy. Moreover, a large crowd had gathered to watch. This was a spar he absolutely couldn’t lose.

“I’m Ji Sungho from Yeho’s 2nd team. I’ll spar using only hand-to-hand combat, no abilities.”

He couldn’t even break even if he used his abilities against a rookie. He had to win without using them. Ji Sungho immediately entered combat mode.

On the other hand, the newcomer Yoon Yigeom from Latter just stood there awkwardly. He occasionally looked back at Seo Dohyun with a questioning expression that seemed to ask, “Are you serious?”

Dohyun nodded confidently. Then he beckoned him over.

“…Just a moment.”

Seeing this, Yigeom excused himself and went over to Dohyun.

“You really want me to fight?”

Dohyun replied as if it were obvious.

“Yeah. Beat him to a pulp. It would be even better if you break a bone or two during the fight. How about the shinbone? It would be funny if a senior and a junior had the same injury.”

There would be nothing funnier than a Hunter from Yeho’s 2nd team being defeated by a rookie from the newly established Latter guild.

Conversely, Latter’s status would rise even further.

Unlike Ji Sungho, who had to win, Seo Dohyun saw it as a win-win situation. If Yoon Yigeom lost, it was a draw, and if he won, it was the best-case scenario. He had no reason to refuse Yeho’s offer.

But Yigeom had no idea what Dohyun was thinking. How can I possibly beat that guy?

“…What if I lose?”

Yigeom asked worriedly.

“Gyeom hyung! You can do it! Crush Yeho!”

“It’s okay. You can win. I’ll cheat for you from behind.”

…Thanks a lot. That didn’t sound like encouragement at all. It drained him of what little strength he had. Dohyun smiled prettily.

“You won’t be able to lose even if you want to.”

“…….”

Yigeom’s brow twitched at his words.

Dohyun was setting the alarm on his wristwatch.

“Yoon Yigeom from Latter.”

“Ji Sungho from Yeho.”

As soon as the greetings were over, Ji Sungho shot towards Yigeom like a bullet. The most important thing in the basics of combat is composure, maintaining a cool Yiseong at all times.

However, most beginners don’t know such rules and get flustered by the first quick attack.

Ji Sungho was aiming for that.

But Yigeom deftly dodged the punch by ducking his upper body.

‘What…!’

Ji Sungho flew right over Yigeom. He rolled in the air and landed on his feet.

He tilted his head. His first thought after landing safely was a sense of違和感 (iwakkam), strangeness or incongruity.

There are many people in the world with fast reflexes. But just now…, Yoon Yigeom’s reaction was different.

‘It’s less like reflexes and more like….’

He knew. What he was trying to do.

Does he have a hidden ability? That couldn’t be. He was a brat who had just finished his second awakening. Not only could he not handle it well, but it was clear that his ability was related to clairvoyance.

What if it wasn’t clairvoyance…but the future? He couldn’t be sure yet.

Sungho looked at Yigeom’s expression. It wasn’t the face of someone pleased with dodging an attack, nor was it a bewildered face. He looked displeased, as if he didn’t like the current situation.

After a brief hesitation, he charged again to see if the fluke was real.

Since it was a light spar, they were fighting barehanded without weapons. Ji Sungho decided to use a little feint. Pretending to attack to the right….

“……!”

Yigeom’s gaze was fixed precisely on Ji Sungho’s foot. As if he had anticipated him whipping it out like a lash.

Confirming this, Ji Sungho flinched his leg and then punched Yigeom directly in the right cheek.

“Ugh.”

He flew back as if thrown by the force of the blow. Yigeom sat up and touched his cheek with the back of his hand, then spat out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. The saliva was mixed with blood, indicating a cut inside his mouth.

Doa was startled and carefully helped Yigeom up.

“Oppa! Are you okay? This won’t do. Just say you lost, and I’ll step in and kill them all!”

“…….”

“Hyung! In the spirit of turning the other cheek! You can do it!”

“…….”

Are they devils? My cheek is throbbing, and if I offer the other cheek, how am I supposed to eat?

Yigeom slowly got up. Unlike the competitive Latter members, Yigeom felt differently.

He was reluctant.

His opponent was fighting him barehanded, without using abilities, to accommodate his lack of control over his own abilities, but he was getting ahead using Seo Dohyun’s ability.

It was clearly cheating. It felt like a scam.

He had no desire to win this spar.

He didn’t have the grand goal of raising Latter’s status by winning, and he wouldn’t gain anything personally from it. If losing was a draw, then losing didn’t seem so bad.

Sigh, what was the next attack?

He definitely got hit on the chin earlier. Should he pull his head back this time?

Yigeom sluggishly got up, intending to finish the fight half-heartedly.

“Yoon Yigeom.”

He turned around at the sound of his name and saw Seo Dohyun standing there looking annoyed.

“Why?”

“Clear your head.”

…Easier said than done.

Yigeom pouted and licked the cut inside his mouth. He tasted the metallic tang of blood.

For a moment, he blinked, and Ji Sungho’s shoe filled his vision. He instinctively backed away, grabbed Ji Sungho’s ankle, and threw him like a shot put. He crashed loudly against the wall, but Yigeom knew he wouldn’t die from that.

He charged again, intending to finish it. But Ji Sungho, who had regained his composure, made him lose his balance and stumble.

Thud. He got hit in the face, and his nose started bleeding. Blood in his mouth, blood from his nose. He wasn’t unscathed anywhere.

Behind Ji Sungho, he could see Yeho with a confident face, expecting victory.

And the alarm went off.

“…Yoon Yigeom from Latter.”

“Ji Sungho from Yeho.”

Yigeom, as if he hadn’t been injured, greeted him normally and skillfully dodged Ji Sungho’s punch by ducking his upper body. But he didn’t stop there. He grabbed Ji Sungho’s wrist and slammed him against the wall like a shot put, just like before. Then he quickly dashed towards him.

A similar situation to before. His elbow would soon fly towards his face. And then his nose would bleed.

So…, Yigeom ducked under Ji Sungho’s elbow and struck his side. Cough. Ji Sungho coughed, staggered, and clutched his side.

Slowly and meticulously, Yigeom observed Ji Sungho’s habits, formulated countermeasures, and calmly defeated him.

Gasp, Ji Sungho inhaled and held his breath.

How, how could this be?

If he attacked this way, he would be dodged, and even if he used that to his advantage and aimed for an opening, it was useless. Yigeom was reading all his moves with an indifferent expression, as if he had expected them.

Ji Sungho couldn’t believe it. He was being pushed back by a mere rookie, a newcomer. It was absolutely impossible.

Of course, combat sense is partly innate, but it mostly comes from experience. He definitely had more experience. It should be that way.

That Yoon Yigeom…

He got goosebumps. Was this how a criminal felt when meeting a genius? Every move he made was read.

At that moment, Ji Sungho had a premonition.

Of his defeat.

In this state, he wouldn’t even be able to touch a hair on Yoon Yigeom’s head.

“…I lost.”

He could push him physically, but not with combat sense or experience. That wouldn’t be a victory. He sprawled out on the training ground floor, unashamed.

Yigeom looked down at Ji Sungho, catching his breath.

“Oppa! You did great! Look at you sweating. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Hyung, hyung. Water? Do you want some water? Should I help you up? Are you okay? You were so cool.”

Doa and Jewoo rushed towards Yigeom, making a fuss in front of Yeho, followed by Seo Dohyun.

He put his arm around Yigeom’s shoulder.

“Good job.”

“Wow! So, are we having a celebratory dinner tonight? Hyung, let’s eat meat! Meat! A celebration party!”

“I prefer fish. How about a sushi restaurant? Omakase!”

Amidst the noisy atmosphere, like a festival, Yigeom stood silently, seemingly lost in thought.

He didn’t even greet Ji Sungho, whom he had just sparred with. Grumbles erupted from Yeho about how exchanging pleasantries after a spar was basic etiquette, but Latter simply ignored them.

They were the winners, after all.

However, Yigeom was different. He didn’t skip the pleasantries; he couldn’t do them.

An uneasy feeling kept pricking his conscience.

🦅࿐

The news that Latter’s new recruit had defeated Ji Sungho of Yeho’s 2nd team in a spar spread quickly. Word travels faster than feet, and it soon reached the ears of Yeho’s Guild Master, Kim Yiseong.

“Hunter Ji Sungho, active in the 2nd team, lost a spar to Latter’s rookie.”

He gripped the glass with brute force. The shattered glass shards cut his palm, but the wounds healed instantly.

However, his fierce, bandit-like expression remained unchanged.

“…What?”

🦅࿐

After their victory against Yeho, they headed to a luxurious Hanwoo Omakase restaurant for a celebratory dinner.

Namgoong Sanha, who had said he was leaving for the association earlier than Jewoo and Doa, ended up meeting them at the restaurant. Namgoong Sanha, arriving breathless, apologized profusely, explaining that he had been delayed helping an elderly person carrying heavy luggage on his way to the association. It sounded like a common excuse, but it felt genuine.

If Seo Dohyun had said that, he would have scolded him not to make excuses, but seeing Namgoong Sanha, sweating profusely even in the middle of winter, as he ran into the restaurant, it didn’t seem like helping an elderly person was just an excuse.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! I’ll pay for everything today!”

“Hey, it wasn’t like you were late on purpose, hyungnim! Do you know how much this will cost?”

“No! I have that kind of money!”

When Sanha insisted on paying and tried to take out his wallet, Jewoo stopped him in alarm.

Although he had the lowest combat power within Latter, Namgoong Sanha was a technician and exceptionally skilled at making weapons. He prioritized distributing the weapons he made to Latter members and sold the rest to other guilds at high prices. Thanks to this, Namgoong Sanha held the position of the second wealthiest member in Latter, after Dohyun.

However, since he enlisted right after joining Latter, no one except Dohyun and Doa knew this.

“It’s okay! I have nowhere to spend it while I’m in the military. Where else would I use it but here! Eat a lot, everyone, should I order more?”

“Oppa, then I want this.”

“Sure! What about you, Jewoo? Dohyun and Yigeom, choose something too!”

“Uh… I…”

After Doa ordered additional dishes, Jewoo, who had been looking around with a troubled expression, quietly chose the dish he wanted.

“Anything is fine with me.”

“Don’t you know ‘anything’ is the hardest request? Do you have any allergies! What are your favorite foods! Can you handle spicy food or not! You should at least tell us that much before saying ‘anything’.”

Doa yelled at Yigeom’s answer, ranting from how the “anything” species should be eradicated to seeing if saying “anything” is still possible even after burning a pile of expensive Hanwoo.

Normally, Yigeom would have glanced at Doa and chosen any dish that caught his eye, but today was different. He had been unusually quiet since they arrived at the restaurant. He didn’t even tell Doa and Jewoo to stop fighting, which he usually did. He just kept looking out the window with a troubled expression.

Namgoong Sanha carefully asked,

“Yigeom, is something wrong?”

“I’ll have this. You can have the same as me.”

Seo Dohyun chose a dish for Yigeom and then called him over.

“What’s been up with you?”

“…….”

“Yoon Yigeom. You have to tell me what’s wrong.”

Despite the prompting, Yigeom kept his lips tightly sealed. Everyone’s gaze fell on him. He felt like a childish kid throwing a tantrum at the dinner table because he didn’t get what he wanted.

“It’s a good day to celebrate, why do you keep ruining the mood? The others are getting uncomfortable.”

Uncontrollable anger welled up inside him at those words.

“Fuck.”

“…What?”

“I said, ‘Fuck.’”

Yigeom declared defiantly, demanding an answer.

“Who made it a good day? Who are we celebrating thanks to?”

“Well, thanks to Gyeom hyung winning against Yeho…”

“Exactly. I don’t feel good about it.”

“Huh? Why…?”

To Jewoo’s hesitant question, Yigeom muttered the reason for his unease.

“It feels like I cheated.”

“Cheated?”

“Yeah. The opponent was considerate enough to fight without using abilities, but you guys probably don’t remember, but I used Seo Dohyun’s ability.”

“I kind of figured. But why does that matter?”

Doa stared at Yigeom with wide, innocent eyes. Yigeom nibbled on the inside of his cheek.

That was the problem. Yigeom had been hit several times by Ji Sungho during the spar. Ultimately, he had won, but not through pure skill. He had only won by predicting Ji Sungho’s moves.

Even that wouldn’t have guaranteed a win if Ji Sungho hadn’t conceded and dragged the fight out. In that case, Seo Dohyun could have solidified the advantage and started the next five minutes, but…

In any case, Yigeom was unhappy about it.

“Latter won anyway. Are you dissatisfied?”

“That’s not what I mean. I…”

Yigeom suddenly felt choked up as he met their gazes. He couldn’t find any understanding in their eyes. They were filled with questions like, ‘Why? Why are you angry?’

He realized in that moment that explaining himself would be pointless.

“…Sorry for ruining the mood. I’ll be going first.”

He grabbed his coat and stood up, but Dohyun stopped him.

“Yoon Yigeom.”

Seo Dohyun’s calling of his name contained an unspoken command: sit down if you don’t want to ruin the mood further.

‘Who are you to tell me what to do?’

He ignored him and left.

Namgoong Sanha, unable to intervene in the tense atmosphere, watched anxiously as Yigeom opened the restaurant door and walked out. Then he carefully called Jewoo.

“Did something happen during the fight with Yeho?”

“Nothing special happened. Why?”

Even after hearing the answer, Namgoong Sanha’s eyes darted around nervously. He hadn’t known Yoon Yigeom for long, but he knew that he wasn’t someone to get angry or upset over trivial matters. Something must have happened at the association.

Jewoo and Doa looked genuinely puzzled… and Seo Dohyun? He had a knowing look on his face.

“I’ll be going first. Enjoy your meal. Sanha hyung, can you give the others a ride home? I need to talk to Gyeom.”

“Oh, yeah! Of course! I’ll take them home safely! Have a good talk!”

Dohyun followed Yigeom out.

“Shouldn’t we go too?”

“Let’s eat first since Dohyun’s going to talk to him.”