At this moment, even Kim Soo-hyun—the renowned warrior of the realm—couldn’t hide his disbelief.
His usually composed expression, even in the heat of battle, now flickered with deep mistrust.
“…What’s wrong?”
When the other simply stared blankly, Kim Soo-yeon leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs.
Her toned calf slowly rested atop her left thigh.
The alluring curve of her leg made Kim Soo-hyun’s brow furrow.
Then, in an instant, their eyes both flashed sharply.
『User Kim Soo-yeon’s unique ability, Third Eye (Rank: S Zero), has been activated.』
『User Kim Soo-hyun’s unique ability, Third Eye (Rank: EX), has been activated.』
『Same ability… but User Kim Soo-hyun’s Third Eye is assessed two ranks higher than User Kim Soo-yeon’s Third Eye.』
『User Kim Soo-yeon’s Third Eye (Rank: S Zero) has been detected!』
“!?”
This time, it was Kim Soo-yeon’s turn to be startled.
Her Third Eye was the strongest unique ability she had ever possessed—never once broken.
The undying light of wisdom, the fairy’s eye piercing through truth, the mind’s eye gazing down from the heavens, the eye of ultimate reason.
Each was a formidable power, touching the very source of transcendental knowledge.
Yet none stood above the Third Eye.
And now, not only did her opponent share the same ability, but his rank was even higher.
Kim Soo-hyun stared blankly at the message displayed before him.
He scanned the woman glaring at him with a mix of shock and confusion.
Kim Soo-yeon.
The user who had introduced herself as the Mercenary Clan Lord was a woman reminiscent of a sharp, gleaming sword.
Her profile listed her height at 168.7 centimeters and weight at 52.4 kilograms.
Her jet-black hair cascaded down her slender back, still retaining its glossy sheen despite being stained with blood.
She wore a sleek, lightweight armor blending black and red, covering her upper body but unable to conceal her firm, petite figure.
Her face was surprisingly small, with finely sculpted, vivid features.
Every detail confirmed—there was no denying she was a woman.
“Who… are you?”
Her eyes narrowed sharply, but her voice trembled.
In fact, her lips quivered visibly.
“Fifth-year user… Kim Soo-hyun.”
He opened his mouth with the same introduction she had given.
“Kim Soo…hyun?”
“Yeah.”
Kim Soo-yeon’s eyebrows twitched.
A flicker of disbelief crossed her tense face.
“…Not from this world…?”
Kim Soo-hyun barely managed to add.
“From another world…”
Before he could finish—
“I’m the Mercenary Clan Lord.”
The room, which had been silent moments before, erupted like a bomb had gone off.
“What did you say?”
“Are you kidding me right now?!”
At that moment—
Bang!
“Everyone shut uuuup!”
A loud crash shook the heavy stone table.
The growling An Hyun and the shouting Jung Ha-yeon both snapped their heads toward the source.
Surprisingly, it was Kim Soo-yeon herself who quelled the uproar.
She slammed her clenched fists on the table, eyes wide and fierce.
“Is this for real?”
After a moment, she lowered her head slightly, muttering under her breath—not to anyone, but as if to herself.
“This isn’t a lie? What? Interference from another world? So it’s true?”
Her murmurs continued relentlessly.
The clan members exchanged glances, shaking their heads or shrugging.
But Kim Soo-hyun understood her reaction perfectly.
Because she, too, had a blazing fire in her heart.
It was already confirmed through user information.
If she was a Heavenly-level rookie with a fire spirit, she could explain this phenomenon better than anyone.
“Then why…? Why?”
Kim Soo-hyun watched the woman tilt her head, heart pounding.
After some time, Kim Soo-yeon slumped her shoulders and sank into her chair.
She sighed deeply, then pulled out a slender cigarette from her pocket.
“Me too… just one.”
A brief hesitation flickered, but Kim Soo-hyun finally spoke.
Though he had quit smoking, in this damn situation, he felt he couldn’t calm down without one.
Kim Soo-yeon glanced at him, said nothing, and flicked the cigarette between her index and middle fingers.
Kim Soo-hyun caught it mid-air, recognized it as the same kind he used to smoke, and gave a bitter smile.
Moments later, the two lit their cigarettes, drawing curious stares from the clan members.
From lighting up to tilting their heads back, their actions mirrored each other perfectly.
Tapping the table lightly with their left index fingers, they shared a brief, wry laugh.
Their faces still showed disbelief.
Yet, perhaps thanks to the insight and fire spirit explanations, Kim Soo-yeon seemed to regain a bit of composure.
Her lips parted, and a faint wisp of smoke drifted out.
“…Proof.”
“?”
“Show me proof that you’re from another world. Anything will do.”
“Right now, with the Crystal of Truth…!”
Kim Han-byul pushed back her chair and stood up.
But Kim Soo-yeon shot her a sharp glare, making her flinch and hesitate.
“The Crystal of Truth won’t work.”
She said firmly, locking eyes with the man across from her.
They both knew the Crystal of Truth wasn’t infallible.
If Kim Soo-hyun was truly who he claimed, he could easily evade its detection.
“Not hard.”
Kim Soo-hyun smiled inwardly, rummaging through his pocket.
Since his child was born, he’d gotten into the habit of always carrying his smartphone.
Originally to document his kids’ growth, who would’ve guessed it’d come in handy like this?
“Here.”
He slid the phone smoothly across the table into Kim Soo-yeon’s hand.
“What’s this?”
“Look at the album.”
Kim Soo-yeon obediently tapped the screen.
The clan members, sensing something, quickly gathered around her, peering curiously at the phone.
“Mom!”
Soon, Im Han-na screamed.
“W-what’s this photo? Why am I in it? And who’s this kid?”
“Na-hyun.”
“Huh?”
“She’s the child born between you and me. By the way, it’s a daughter.”
Shock and disbelief washed over Im Han-na’s face in turn.
She wasn’t stupid enough to misunderstand.
“So, you and I…?”
“Yes. Something like that.”
Im Han-na’s cheeks flushed red.
She bowed her head deeply, covering her face with both hands, shaking her head in denial.
Kim Soo-yeon gritted her teeth and flipped through the photos.
Jung Ha-yeon suddenly jumped up.
“M-me too!?”
“That’s a son.”
“What? No way!”
“…”
Kim Soo-hyun remained silent.
Both Jung Ha-yeon and the secretly glancing Im Han-na wore expressions of utter disbelief.
“Y-you bitch!”
This time, Lee Yoo-jung’s face darkened fiercely.
The ‘bitch’ in question was none other than Jegal Hae-sol.
Of course, she was in a photo with a child.
“Wow…”
“My god…”
A flood of varied reactions poured in.
Kim Soo-hyun scratched his head awkwardly and smiled sheepishly.
But this was just the beginning.
“!”
Kim Soo-yeon’s eyes suddenly widened, her mouth agape.
The third photo showed Gehenna and Suna together.
To her, they looked like terrifying hellish overlords.
“Cra…zy…”
“Oh, by the way, isn’t Gehenna not here? She’s a seventh-year user, right?”
Kim Soo-hyun desperately tried to change the subject, but no one was listening.
“You’re here too?”
“Isn’t that the Shadow Queen?”
“There’s even the Sword Empress!?”
“Huh? This photo looks like me… Why does my belly look so big?”
Flipping through the photos rapidly, Kim Soo-yeon finally dropped the phone.
Kim Soo-hyun cleared his throat and looked away, feeling the weight of their stares.
“…Beasts.”
Kim Soo-yeon said, her voice tinged with irritation.
“I… I don’t have one…”
At that moment, a user with pale ash-colored hair spoke in a subdued voice.
Kim Soo-hyun had been wondering who this bespectacled beauty was.
“May I ask your name?”
“Y-yes? I’m Shin Seo-yeon…”
The woman hesitated strangely as she spoke.
Yet, somehow, she felt familiar.
Kim Soo-hyun’s expression fell into despair.
Shin Seo-yeon cautiously asked,
“W-why do you look like that…?”
“Are you the one who summons demons?”
“W-what!?”
“Oh my god…”
Kim Soo-hyun buried his face in his hands.
Now that her profession was revealed, it was obvious who Shin Seo-yeon corresponded to.
He had hoped it wasn’t true, but apparently, more than one person had changed gender.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Though somewhat prepared, no one dared to speak.
Then—
Creak—
Breaking the long silence was not a person, but the sound of an old door opening.
“Excuse me.”
With the door closing behind her, a refined female voice filled the room.
Cold, yet elegant, like jade beads rolling on a silver tray.
Still reeling from shock, Kim Soo-hyun instinctively turned around.
The first thing that caught his eye was a dark, full-length wizard’s coat that cloaked the figure completely.
Her sleek black hair shimmered softly, sparkling like stars scattered across the night sky.
Her slender, pale neck, delicate as a deer’s, radiated a pure, almost ethereal femininity.
Taking in all this, Soo-hyun suddenly felt his breath catch.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest.
Though it was their first meeting, an intense, inexplicable pull surged through him, one he couldn’t control.
Then their eyes met—deep, profound eyes that held him captive.
Her lips, a vivid red like honey brushed with gold, slowly parted.
“This is…?”
In that fleeting moment—
“Uh, unnie…”
“Hamel Road!”
The voices of Kim Soo-yeon and someone else overlapped, echoing sharply.
Soo-hyun’s face stiffened abruptly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
A night that makes you crave a rice bowl dish…
That’s all there is to it. (?)