Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

I wasn’t exactly skilled at comforting people, so I awkwardly patted Han Seo-jin’s back, waiting for the trembling in his shoulders to subside. Meanwhile, I noticed Park Mu-il’s expression shift from embarrassment to shock. He seemed to realize something, staring at Han Seo-jin as if he had just figured something out.

 

“Han Seo-jin, you…”

 

His face slowly hardened after the initial surprise. I tilted my head, confused, but there wasn’t time to ask what was going on. Park Mu-il was still fixated on Han Seo-jin, his voice rising in disbelief.

 

“Have you been suppressing it? Ever since hyung… died?”

 

“…”

 

“You crazy bastard!”

 

“What? What are you talking about?”

 

I asked, baffled. Han Seo-jin, who had been leaning against me, finally pulled away. His eyes were red, but he just looked at me quietly and muttered in a flat tone.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“Nothing!? Hyung! This guy has been—”

 

“Shut up, Mu-il. Don’t talk nonsense to him.”

 

Han Seo-jin’s icy tone cut off whatever Park Mu-il was about to say, and the words died in his throat. That only made me more curious, but before I could press for answers, Han Seo-jin smoothly changed the topic, expertly diverting the conversation and guiding me back to the sofa.

 

“The more pressing issue is about going back. Are you really planning to leave now? You should stay a little longer, at least until the investigation into Novarion is complete. I’ll send someone to protect the people at the workshop, so don’t worry. But if you’re the one who made the potion, you’re in even more danger. I can’t let you go there alone.”

 

“Hyung, are you seriously telling me that

you

made the Guiding Potion? The one nobody else could, not even Kang Eui-jin? How did you pull it off? Have you been hiding your potion-making skills this whole time?” 

 

Park Mu-il, who clearly couldn’t hold back his curiosity, bombarded me with questions. My blood boiled at the mention of Kang Eui-jin’s failure, but I reminded myself that Mu-il was talking about the fake. Begrudgingly, I gave him a short reply.

 

“How many times are you gonna ask? I awakened in the dungeon before. I don’t remember all the details.”

 

“Uh… can I at least ask what grade your skill is?”

 

“Do you really think that’s okay? What are you, trying to dig into my secrets now? Anyway, I have to leave. I’ve got things to do, and there are unreliable caretakers and ticking time-bomb patients waiting for me.”

 

“Patients? What kind of patients?”

 

“People who ate fake Illimital and are dealing with the side effects.”

 

It didn’t seem like something worth hiding, so I answered without hesitation. Both Han Seo-jin and Park Mu-il fell into an awkward silence. With a furrowed brow, Seo-jin stayed quiet, while Moo-il took it upon himself to respond, his tone filled with concern.

 

“Uh… Hyung…”

 

“What now?”

 

“That’s Kang Eui-jin’s potion causing those side effects… and here you are, treating the victims? That guy already wants you gone just for making the Guiding Potion. Now, if he finds out you’re cleaning up his mess too, he’s definitely going to want you dead even more.”

 

“I don’t have much of a choice. It’s customer orders.”

 

Frustrated by how much time we were wasting, I finally raised my voice. There was so much I had to take care of, and these two were still dragging their feet.

 

“What’s the problem? The Guiding Potion will be announced by the center first. It’ll be credited to an anonymous potion maker, not Kang Eui-jin. That way, they won’t even think of trying to steal it. Plus, the Illimital issue isn’t tied to Novarion; it’s the fault of Nox. All I need to do is be careful of Novarion when I get back.”

 

“Hyung, it’s not that simple. They…”

 

“There’s a cult behind this.”

 

Instead of Mu-il, Seo-jin answered, and I widened my eyes in surprise at the unexpected revelation. 

 

“A cult?”

 

“Novarion is just a tiny part of something much bigger. Like I mentioned before, we have no idea how extensive their influence is. They have branches all over the country, and their followers number in the tens of thousands.”

 

“And they’re infiltrating everywhere while hiding their identities. They keep popping up no matter how many we catch, in guilds, associations, and even at the center… There’s even someone you know among them.”

 

“…Ye Sung-woo?”

 

Mu-il nodded. I knew it! Ye Sung-woo was definitely a weird guy. I never thought he could be tied to a cult, though.

 

“So you’re saying Kang Eui-jin and Novarion might also be connected to this cult?”

 

“Yes. It makes sense that Kang Eui-jin, who was loyal to Nox, suddenly disappeared and then reappeared under Novarion.”

 

“Exactly. He probably got brainwashed by the cult that had infiltrated Nox.”

 

I might have been stepping onto shaky ground, but it sounded plausible. Thinking about how my name had fallen so low, I rubbed my face in frustration and let out a heavy sigh. Sensing my distress, Han Seo-jin gently took my hand and spoke.

 

“Don’t you think that there aren’t any cult members among the people who come to your workshop, hyung? Employees or customers, anyone could be a cultist. In this situation, how can I let you go there?”

 

“This is classified information, but we’ve found similar organizations abroad. The investigation is still lacking, but they’re cults that have spread globally. If we knew their purpose, it would make things a lot easier…”

 

“Several teams are investigating the incidents happening in dungeons and at the center, but only our team knows that they’re all part of the same cult. For now, this place is the safest, so let’s stay a little longer. You’ve already become a target. We need to know what they want to prepare for it, at least until we figure out their goals.”

 

“Goals….”

 

Ye Sung-woo and Fake Eui-jin, who were targeting Cloud. If they’re all part of the same cult, then their intentions are clear. My quest to protect the light of the constellations suggests that the cult’s aim is to kill specific awakened beings to extinguish the stars’ light. 

 

Yet, Seong San-ha, who was acting in direct alignment with my quest to protect the constellations, was currently unaware that Fake Eui-jin was a cult member and was being fooled.

 

I glanced at Han Seo-jin and Park Mu-il, who were sitting across from me. 

 

This might be an opportunity. 

 

Seong San-ha, who wouldn’t have listened to my words, would likely pay attention if it came from the Center. He’d learn that Fake Eui-jin is a cultist and not someone to be trusted. But for that to happen, I would need to tell Han Seo-jin about the constellations. I could only imagine how he would react if he found out that I was protecting Hamal and Castor, given how cautious he was about the dangers outside.

 

‘Maybe I shouldn’t say anything.’

 

Han Seo-jin, who was eagerly trying to catch me, and foolish Seong San-ha, who was falling for Fake Eui-jin’s trap. 

 

I weighed which side posed a greater danger. No matter how many times I thought it over, the potential for catastrophe was more threatening than the possibility of being caught by Han Seo-jin. With a deep sigh, I opened my mouth.

 

“Actually, I have a hunch about something.”

 

As I cleverly concealed the fact that Cloud, whom I was protecting, was Hamal and spoke about the constellations, Park Mu-il looked completely bewildered, while Han Seo-jin’s expression suggested he was beginning to understand.

 

“Oh, so that’s why you said it was Hamal… Is Castor also a constellation?”

 

“…If you read my memories again, I really won’t let it slide.”

 

Thanks to him having read snippets of my memories on the first day, persuading Han Seo-jin was relatively easy. As soon as I decided to return to the workshop, I asked him to hand over my phone and the ring. However, the phone he willingly handed over was dead, and he pretended not to have heard anything about the ring.

 

Without them, it would only be a matter of time before people remembered my face and my identity was exposed. I eloquently explained to Han Seo-jin that both of us would end up in a difficult and dangerous situation, and she reluctantly brought out the ring.

 

“But who gave you this ring?” 

 

At his question, I absentmindedly mentioned Seong San-ha’s name. But the moment Han Seo-jin heard it, his expression twisted, and he tightly clenched the hand that was about to pass me the ring.

 

“Why would the Guild Leader of Cheon Rang give you a ring? And why are you wearing it on your fourth finger?”

 

“I don’t know. It only fits there. It’s just an item, right?”

 

“…This won’t do. People will misunderstand.”

 

“What? Hey…! What misunderstanding!!”

 

I hurriedly reached out, but the situation got tangled when Park Mu-il entered the room.

 

“I’m all set. If we want to catch the flight, we need to leave now…! Or should we push it to the next flight?”  

 

“No! We’re leaving now!”  

 

***  

 

“It’s still not too late to change your mind.”  

 

It was amusing how I was already at the center airport and still couldn’t let go of my reservations. I unbuckled my seatbelt and grumbled.  

 

“Just give me the ring, man. What if someone sees my face?”  

 

“I’ve already blocked the roads. There’s no one around to see you.”  

 

“You didn’t throw it away, right? That’s an S-rank item!”  

 

“If I threw it away, so what? I’ll get you another S-rank item, so don’t dwell on it.”  

 

I stared in disbelief at Han Seo-jin’s back as he slammed the door and got out.  

 

Since I had been part of Team Raven, I had used helicopters or fighter jets, so this was my first time at the center airport. Looking far off toward the entrance, it didn’t seem like there was a lack of foot traffic, but Han Seo-jin’s claim that the roads were blocked seemed true; there wasn’t a single ant in sight on the path we were taking. 

 

After passing through several doors marked as restricted zones and “No Entry for Civilians,” I found myself on the plane before I knew it.  

 

As the plane took off and I looked out at the clouds, I thought about Gureumi, who was quietly hiding among the patterns.  

 

‘What should I do, Cloud? It seems like Han Seo-jin will be seeing you often.’

 

Even now, I could almost hear Cloud’s annoyed whines echoing in my ears, making me smile. When I felt a gaze on me and turned around, I found Han Seo-jin staring intently. 

 

“What’s with the glare?”  

 

“I’m annoyed.”  

 

“Why?”  

 

Han Seo-jin abruptly turned his head away without answering. What a brat.  

 

I should check on Yoon Ha-yan’s condition first. I also need to find out about the mana potion supply for the patients, and if it’s insufficient, I’ll have to ask Seung-yeon to make some mana potions first… 

 

There’s a mountain of tasks waiting for me once we arrive at the workshop. I felt restless, even though we were on a plane, eager to get there as quickly as possible.  

 

However, the person waiting for me at the airport was someone I never expected. As soon as our eyes met, I couldn’t help but stare, my mouth agape at the unmistakable appearance. A perfectly straight brow furrowed slightly.  

 

“Playing hard to get, are we?”  

 

“Seong San-ha?”  

 

“Hey, puppy. Come here.”

Flo here!

The updates are now every Monday and Friday!

Make sure to support the author on ridibooks! It's free chapter a day, so even if you don't understand Korean, just click it to support them! Also, consider buying me kofi if you like my translations~