EFME 112

Even though he had concluded the matter he was targeting, many worries still remained.

The biggest worry was regarding the rift between dimensions, and there was no proper solution for this. He couldn’t directly ask Sunyul either, who would fall into a panic at the mere mention of thoughts related to it.

The next problem was a realistic concern: the mastermind behind the Awakener Research Society.

It wasn’t a certainty, so it hadn’t been reported in the news, but the Bureau of Ability Users speculated—no, was almost certain—that there was a mastermind behind them.

This was because the scale of the case was too large for the Awakener Research Society to have pulled it off alone.

Regarding that matter, a request for cooperation had been issued to several guilds, and the Cheongyeon Guild had also received that request.

Among the several suspected organizations, the place the Cheongyeon Guild was asked to investigate was the ‘Doomsday Church’.

There was a rumor that the current leader of the Doomsday Church was not the actual power, but that the true power lay with someone else entirely. There were a few people suspected of being the true power, and it was speculated that the leader possessed a mind control skill.

Therefore, the request was to visit the suspected individuals directly and verify them using Muyoung’s [All-Thing Encyclopedia] or Sunyul’s [Researching Magician: Insight].

After finishing the cake, Muyoung brewed some coffee to drink while bringing up the story to Sunyul. Sunyul listened quite seriously, then nodded his head enthusiastically, saying he would do it.

“If I can help, I will.”

“Good.”

“But how do we approach them?”

“Neither of them will be difficult. The first target is a businessman named Jeong Changyu.”

Muyoung showed Jeong Changyu’s profile.

“He’s an A-rank Awakener and runs a clothing brand. Coincidentally, Jeong Changyu placed a reservation at the Melior Market downstairs for tomorrow. I’ve already requested cooperation from the market, so you can just wait and use your skill.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“And there’s an actor named Yoo Seongheon, who is a B-rank Awakener.”

“Ah, I know him! He’s the actor who played the male lead in The Angel’s Supper!”

Before Muyoung could even finish his sentence, Sunyul spoke up excitedly. Muyoung’s eyebrows twitched.

“You know him well.”

“I’ve seen him on variety shows a few times. He’s a good speaker.”

“Is that so?”

“His acting is amazing too. I didn’t watch the whole drama, but even from the brief part I saw, he was really good.”

“You must have liked it.”

“Yes… yeees.”

Sunyul, who was heaping praises, suddenly sensed a strange vibe and shut his mouth.

While weighing how to dote on Sunyul, who was speaking so happily about another man, Muyoung finished bringing up the business at hand.

“Yoo Seongheon is currently under a security contract with the Cheongyeon Guild. Go as a substitute just for that time.”

“That’s simple enough.”

Since using the skill didn’t require any grand preparation either. He just needed to be careful with his gaze so he wouldn’t get caught staring intently like he did at dawn, and carry out the investigation.

“Right. I’ll handle the rest, so you take care of those two.”

“I can take on more though.”

“It’s fine, so just do two.”

“Yeees….”

At Muyoung’s firm attitude, Sunyul became somewhat downcast. This was because there were many more candidates, but since he was only being assigned exactly two, he wondered if it was because he wasn’t trusted.

Muyoung comforted Sunyul.

“The number of tasks isn’t what’s important, it’s about how perfectly you pull them off.”

“True. I’ll do well!”

Seeing Sunyul instantly cheer up and brim with motivation, Muyoung considered it a relief. Since right now, Sunyul looked quite alright.

The next day, Sunyul waited for Jeong Changyu at the Melior Market located in the Cheongyeon Guild building. Since the reservation time was roughly set, he didn’t need to wait long and just waited accordingly.

Sitting quietly in the market, a fair amount of attention was focused on Sunyul. Since it would look strange if he ignored all that attention and only approached Jeong Changyu, Sunyul accepted the interest appropriately.

He declined photos since he didn’t feel like it, but he diligently signed autographs, held hands to shake them, listened to stories, and spent time providing services that were no less than a fan signing event. Finally, while he was resting alone.

Jeong Changyu finally arrived at the Melior Market.

Sunyul did not hesitate and immediately checked Jeong Changyu’s information window.

Jeong Changyu / The Jeong Family’s Third Son

Rank: A Health: B Strength: B+ Agility: B Mana: A Traits: Ledger (A), Recording Device (A), Booster (B) Skills: Contract with the Devil (A), Book of Curses (A), Eye of Truth (B), When Flowers Bloom and Wither (C)

Among them, the name of one skill was extremely unusual. [Contract with the Devil]. Wasn’t it a skill that anyone could see had something behind it?

Sunyul subtly searched Hunternet to check. Only posts like ‘Is there anyone who has this?’ popped up from time to time.

At least the database provided a detailed explanation.

Contract with the Devil (A): Is there a wish you want fulfilled, no matter what you have to offer? If so, let’s make a contract with the devil. The devil will grant your wish in accordance with the contract.

It was truly suspicious beyond belief.

Sunyul was about to look into it a bit more, but sensing Jeong Changyu approaching him, he shut the Hunternet window.

“Aren’t you Mr. Lim Sunyul?!”

Jeong Changyu’s voice was full of excitement. He was a man in his mid-40s, but his eyes sparkled like a boy’s.

“Ah, yes…. That’s right.”

“Heugh.”

Suddenly, Changyu clutched his chest. Startled, Sunyul stepped closer to see what was wrong, but Changyu abruptly snapped his head up. Then, he opened his mouth with a serious face.

“You look even more radiant in person.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, I wouldn’t mind dying today…. I’m really a fan. Truly. I was a fan five years ago too.”

“Ah… Oh, thank you.”

“C-Could I get an autograph….”

…For some reason, it was a repetition of what he had been doing earlier. Sunyul pulled out an autograph paper he kept in his inventory and wrote his name in block letters. It felt like he would need to create a signature soon.

Jeong Changyu, who received Sunyul’s autograph, stared at it quietly with his eyes even welling up with tears, before placing it preciously into his inventory.

“I will cherish it as a family heirloom.”

“There’s no need to go that far….”

“By the way, what brings you here, Mr. Sunyul?”

“There was something I needed. I bought it all.”

“Ah… Then, could you wait for a moment?”

“Pardon? Why do you ask?”

“I’d like to treat you to at least a meal. Actually, when my wife was pregnant, she survived thanks to you, Mr. Lim Sunyul. I vowed to definitely repay the kindness if I ever saw you again….”

Sunyul’s eyes turned round.

“That is truly a relief.”

“Please allow me to treat you to a single meal. I beg of you.”

Sunyul smiled awkwardly. Normally, he would decline such a request in a heartbeat, but since he might be able to observe more of Changyu’s suspicious sides….

“Yes, alright.”

Sunyul waited for Jeong Changyu’s business to finish, and then they had a meal.

The meal was quite enjoyable. Jeong Changyu had a good way with words and led a pleasant atmosphere throughout. To the point where it felt absurd to think that such a person could be the true power behind a cult.

When he snapped out of it, he had even exchanged contact information with Jeong Changyu.

“Get home safely, Mr. Sunyul.”

“You get home safely too, Mister.”

Sunyul greeted him quite amiably and then warped home. Seeing Sunyul return tipsy, Muyoung frowned.

“I heard you went to have dinner with the target.”

“Ah, Mister Changyu?”

“Mister Changyu?”

“It’s just that he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“….”

Instead of saying anything, Muyoung quietly stared at Sunyul in silence. He wanted to say a lot of words, but precisely because of that, no words came out.

“…Of course, you can’t know just by looking at the surface.”

Sunyul, who had been grinning happily, sobered up instantly and subtly read the room while rolling his eyes. Muyoung let out a sigh.

“Was there anything strange?”

“Ah, yes. He had a skill called [Contract with the Devil]. That and [Book of Curses] stood out too. For traits, he possessed [Booster].”

“He has an unusual skill. And Booster on top of that….”

“What kind of thing is a contract with the devil?”

“It’s offering a price equivalent to the wish one desires. The greater the wish, the greater the price becomes. Conversely, it means that as long as you pay a heavy price, even a massive wish can be fulfilled.”

Sunyul swallowed hard.

“That’s a dangerous skill.”

“I’ll have to meet Jeong Changyu once.”

“You, Guild Leader?”

“Because I can verify to some extent with [Survival Strategy].”

If he was a dangerous figure, the [Survival Strategy] trait would react. Sunyul nodded his head. Inwardly, hoping that it wasn’t Jeong Changyu.