EFME 104

Sunyul felt a sudden sense of déjà vu.

He had seen a white hand floating like that once before.

On his way being dragged away by the ability user, right before he was kidnapped.

Everyone had lost consciousness from the smoke coming out of the bottle that the white hand was holding.

Just like that day, smoke was already leaking from the bottle.

“Mph…….”

Sunyul covered his mouth and nose. As Sunyul stumbled, the hand that had thrown the bottle away tried to reach out and grab him. Just then, a protective barrier naturally manifested and flung the hand back.

It was the effect of the bracelet Muyoung had bought for him at the auction house a while ago.

With that brief window of time, Sunyul flew back up. However, perhaps because he had already inhaled the smoke, his head was spinning.

‘I can’t.’

Sunyul pulled out the dagger from his inventory. Then, without hesitation, he tightly gripped the blade of the dagger.

“Augh…….”

A wound was cut at once by the sharp blade. It was painful. But right now, this pain would keep his mind alert.

Still gripping the blade of the dagger, Sunyul flew away and escaped the area.

And the place where Sunyul disappeared.

The white hand vanished along with the bottle. Without leaving a single shred of evidence.

Meanwhile, Sunyul landed near a bustling downtown street.

It would have been better to use the [Warp] skill to go straight to the guild, but… perhaps because his head was spinning, it was strangely difficult to use the skill.

Originally, the [Warp] skill required focus, so it seemed it couldn’t be used well in a situation where his head was dizzy.

For now, Sunyul put the blood-stained dagger away into his inventory. Thanks to the [Regeneration] skill, the wound was healing, albeit slowly, but he was still dizzy from the effects of the drug. Just as he was about to contact the guild, he noticed a message that had arrived.

Unsaved Number

We found Ms. Serda.

They seemed to have left a message, perhaps because things were chaotic. Sunyul placed a call.

“You said you found Valeria?”

─Yes, we found her. Thank you for your cooperation.

“No problem. I’m glad she was found.”

The other party’s voice sounded extremely busy, so Sunyul hung up the phone for now.

A slightly chilling thought crossed his mind.

Sunyul rarely deviated from his set routes. He always went only to places he frequented. If it weren’t for an event like today, there would have been no reason for him to go into such a secluded alley.

If Sunyul had collapsed there, if he had vanished just like that, when would have been the point where someone noticed his disappearance? It wouldn’t have been fast. Because everyone would have just assumed Sunyul was looking for Valeria.

Sunyul pondered whether it was an overblown assumption or not to think that this kidnapping targeted not just Valeria, but himself as well.

In any case, contacting the guild came first. While debating where to contact, Sunyul reached out to Jaehoon, the Vice Guild Leader. Jaehoon answered immediately.

─I heard you were looking for Valeria, what’s going on?

“I… think I almost got kidnapped.”

─What?!

“My head is a bit dizzy right now… please send someone over. I’m near Hongik University Station.”

─Hey, what… wait, I’ll send someone right away.

“Yes…….”

─Hold on. Don’t hang up! Just wait.

Jaehoon seemed to be barking orders to someone, and then he promptly spoke back to Sunyul.

─What is it, what happened?

“Well…….”

Sunyul briefly explained what he had experienced. Including all the deductions he had made himself. Jaehoon listened to the story with a serious demeanor, checking on Sunyul’s condition mid-conversation by asking, “Are you okay?” from time to time.

Before long, a hunter came running over. It was a face Sunyul recognized.

“……Hunter Pyo Junseo?”

“Mr. Sunyul! I came because they said they urgently needed a hunter to pick you up, but… your complexion looks awful. You’re—you’re bleeding, too.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine, so… let’s head to the guild first.”

“Understood. Let’s go right away.”

Sunyul got into his car following Pyo Junseo. Even after getting into the car, Jaehoon still didn’t hang up the phone. Instead, he switched to speakerphone and continued the call while receiving a report on the situation together with Pyo Junseo.

Sunyul remained anxious, unable to fully let his guard down, until he finally arrived at the guild.

“Lim Sunyul!”

As soon as he got out of the car, he ran into Jaehoon, who had been waiting. Sunyul looked at Jaehoon, and only then did his tension unravel, causing him to instantly fall asleep as if collapsing.

Sunyul opened his eyes abruptly, as if chased out of his sleep.

As he blinked, Jaehoon came into view within his sight.

It was a bit disappointing that the face he saw wasn’t Muyoung. At that, Jaehoon clicked his tongue.

“Are you going to make such a disappointed face?”

“……I didn’t make a disappointed face.”

“Oh please, like hell you didn’t. You were openly disappointed.”

Jaehoon grinned and thoroughly ruffled Sunyul’s hair. Sunyul tried hard to dodge Jaehoon’s hand, but it was impossible since he was on the bed. Only after his hair was completely disheveled could Sunyul finally escape Jaehoon’s touch.

“How much time has passed?”

“About three hours.”

“I wasn’t passed out for long, then…….”

“What do you mean you weren’t passed out for long? My heart was seriously burning up with worry that something might go wrong with you.”

Jaehoon clicked his tongue, “Tsk, tsk.”

“And you even left a scratch like that on your hand.”

Sunyul looked down at his hand. Whether a healer had treated it in the meantime, his palm had completely healed, leaving only a faint hairline scar. This, too, would clean up and disappear before long. In other words, it wasn’t something worth worrying about.

“It couldn’t be helped.”

“What do you mean it couldn’t be helped? Why is a kid so extreme?”

“It’s better than passing out just like that.”

“Yeah, look at you, so full of yourself.”

Jaehoon clicked his tongue.

“What you said, about that… kidnapping. I thought it made sense, so I searched the vicinity, but… well, nothing particular turned up.”

“There’s nothing?”

“Yeah. It looks like they cleanly erased their traces.”

“…….”

“Don’t worry. I’ll catch them somehow and crush them.”

Jaehoon’s eyes gleamed darkly.

When he said nothing turned up, Sunyul had momentarily wondered if Jaehoon didn’t believe his words. Jaehoon’s momentum was so solemn that it made him feel sorry for having such a misunderstanding. At the same time, he was dependable. Sunyul was inwardly impressed.

“Vice Guild Leader…… you really seem like a Vice Guild Leader.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Huh?”

Jaehoon poked Sunyul in the flank. As Sunyul proved to be ticklish, Jaehoon began to tickle him wildly. Sunyul burst into laughter and surrendered.

“Look at you acting cute.”

“I’m going to tell the Guild Leader that the Vice Guild Leader bullied me.”

“Go ahead and tell him. I’m going to tell him that you cut your palm with a knife, too.”

“…….”

That was way too petty.

Jaehoon patted Sunyul on the back.

“Hey, anyway, you went through a lot.”

“Then don’t tell him.”

“That’s a no.”

Seriously petty…… fly.

Muyoung emerged from the dungeon, and Sunyul was scolded really all night long. Really all night long.

Watching the morning sun rise, Sunyul spoke with a completely cracked voice.

“I really, really won’t do it again…….”

“What.”

“I won’t recklessly hurt my body…….”

Muyoung clicked his tongue, “Tsk,” and let Sunyul go. Because there was no strength left in his body at all, Sunyul collapsed onto the bed, fluttering like a paper doll. Muyoung affectionately kissed Sunyul on the forehead and walked into the bathroom.

Sunyul remained stretched out just like that. Truly, he had no strength left at all. Even if he forced himself to squeeze it out, it felt like nothing more would come.

Compared to that, a perfectly fine Muyoung came out of the bathroom.

“Wash up and go to my room to sleep.”

Sunyul nodded. No matter how tired he was, it felt too unpleasant to sleep here.

Muyoung picked Sunyul up in his arms and headed to the bathroom.

Muyoung had Sunyul, who was inside the bathtub, lean against one side, and then washed Sunyul’s hair from the head of the tub. He hadn’t thought much of it, but Muyoung’s skill was better than expected.

“You wash it…… really well.”

Did he have experience or something? There shouldn’t be many occasions to wash someone else’s hair. Unless it was a special relationship.

……Whose hair had he washed?

“It doesn’t seem like a very difficult task.”

Cutting off Sunyul’s thoughts, Muyoung spoke.

“Yeees…….”

“Doing it to you is the first time.”

It wasn’t like he had a skill to read minds, but he spoke as if he knew everything. As always, Muyoung maintained a relaxed attitude. He was envious of that attitude sometimes. Sunyul also wanted to show a relaxed, cool side in front of Muyoung.

Muyoung subsequently washed Sunyul’s body as well. Far from showing a relaxed appearance, Sunyul ended up showing an entirely embarrassed appearance once again.

Muyoung carried and moved Sunyul, who had become soft and fluffy. Being completely exhausted, Sunyul quietly tucked into the bed just as Muyoung placed him in. While lying down together, Sunyul carefully opened his mouth.

“Guild Leader, you see…….”

“What is it.”

“The person who tried to knock me out… I want to investigate them directly.”

Sunyul swallowed hard, tightly tense.

“Is it okay if I do that?”

“Of course.”

Permission dropped far more easily than expected. Sunyul opened his eyes wide in slight surprise.

“Really?”

“I didn’t take on the role of a guardian to get in the way of what you do.”

Muyoung spoke as if it were a matter of course.

“Because I knew you’d say that, I scolded you more yesterday. Do as you wish, but cherish your body.”

“……I will.”

Because he had experienced right down to his bones yesterday and today exactly how he would get reamed if he didn’t cherish his body.

“Keep it in mind. No matter what, you are the top priority.”

Sunyul nodded.