Three days had passed since the incident with Gong Chan-ho.
It was around noon, just like any other day, when the news suddenly came through—just after twelve o’clock.
On my way to the cafeteria after training, I happened to run into Jin Soo-hyun, who told me that the chief instructor’s office had processed Gong Chan-ho’s discharge papers. As soon as I heard, I rushed out to watch him leave.
Gong Chan-ho was really leaving. Accompanied by Seong Ha-yan, who had always been with him during the first round and was now brought along as his assistant.
Honestly, it caught me off guard. Given Gong Chan-ho’s personality, I expected him to throw a fit, demanding to know why he had to leave. But surprisingly, he accepted it quietly. Had something changed in his heart?
I closed my eyes gently, hoping that was the case.
“I’d like to discuss in detail about user Gong Chan-ho and the Suramachang.”
That night, with Seong Ha-yan’s consent, I treated Gong Chan-ho’s body. I believed the Suramachang had the greatest influence on his transformation, so I used Hwajeong’s power to thoroughly cleanse the energy inside his body.
Of course, it wasn’t out of pity, nor did I expect Gong Chan-ho to change overnight. As long as he kept wielding the Suramachang, Hwajeong’s purification was only a temporary fix. And the personality changes were beyond my control.
Still, I purified his body and sent him off gently for one reason only.
Because of potential.
There was nothing left to expect from Gong Chan-ho as he was now.
But if there was even a slight chance for growth.
If there was even the faintest possibility of regaining his unparalleled form.
…Then I wanted to give him one last chance.
In the end, everything depended on Gong Chan-ho’s will. If the next time we met he showed the progress I hoped for, that would be great. But if he failed to improve, or worse, repeated his current self…
…Then the owner of the Suramachang would change.
I sighed and looked back at Gong Chan-ho.
He had stopped walking for a moment, turning his head slightly to glance back at the User Academy.
But it was brief. Leaning more heavily on Seong Ha-yan, who was supporting him, he began to stagger toward the main gate. Wrapped around Seong Ha-yan’s back was the Suramachang, bundled up and tied.
Though I couldn’t see their faces, the way they clung to each other reminded me of the fresh days from two years ago.
A little while later, when the two users disappeared from sight, I took a deep breath and turned around. Jin Soo-hyun, who had followed me, stared blankly at the main gate. Normally, he should have been relieved that the person who troubled him was gone, but there was a faint bitterness in his expression.
I tilted my head in curiosity and activated my third eye.
[Strength 91 (+2)] [Endurance 85] [Agility 96] [Stamina 86 (+4)] [Magic Power 92 (+2)] [Luck 87]
I’d checked before, and Jin Soo-hyun’s stats were quite solid. His secret class as a Spell Sniper was impressive, and his abilities were commendable. Plus, the additional stats from his equipment were substantial, clearly showing he was under the care of the angels.
Compared to mercenary clan members, he was probably on par with Nam Da-eun, maybe even better if you considered his remaining potential.
But even diamonds have flaws. There was something that caught my eye—not entirely perfect. Specifically, his disposition was set as both hot-blooded and lethargic, two opposing traits.
In the first round, Jin Soo-hyun was a very active user—easygoing and sociable, someone who got along well with everyone. So the hot-blooded trait made sense. But pairing that with lethargy? That was a huge contradiction.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, Jin Soo-hyun’s eyes met mine, as if sensing my gaze. I smiled faintly and spoke.
“This incident ended well, didn’t it? You should be able to relax now.”
“Yes. Well… thanks to you. I really appreciate it.”
He bowed politely. His tone was a bit curt, but I knew that was just how he spoke, so it didn’t bother me.
Then it struck me—the lethargy might be the key to breaking through. Like Han-byeol before him, lethargy meant there was some inner wound. If so, healing that wound could be the key to recruiting him. Of course, I’d have to find out what that wound was first.
“By the way…”
Jin Soo-hyun looked at me quietly for a moment. When I raised my eyebrows, asking why, he scratched his head awkwardly and then spoke more cautiously.
“I’m really grateful for your help… but why are you helping me like this?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I mean… I’ll just be blunt. We barely know each other, yet you’ve helped me with all this, and you’re so meticulous about it. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. I’ve learned a lot, though.”
“Hmm.”
For a moment, I wanted to say, “Just repay me with your own strength,” but I held back. We weren’t at that level yet, and it could be easily misunderstood.
Anyway, it was true—I had helped him in various ways. Watching him still scratching his head, I chuckled softly.
“I helped because we share the same name.”
Jin Soo-hyun’s eyes went wide. I quickly waved my hand, laughing, then shook my head slowly.
“Just kidding. I’m not expecting anything in return. This incident was clearly Gong Chan-ho’s fault. I just hoped no innocent people would get hurt.”
In truth, that wasn’t entirely true. Considering Jin Soo-hyun’s hot-blooded nature, I said what I thought was appropriate. Deep down, I was thinking, “You were just standing there like an idiot, so I stepped in.”
If the other party had been me instead of Gong Chan-ho, I probably would have jumped at the chance to manipulate the situation. But the outcome was yet to be seen.
Jin Soo-hyun nodded repeatedly but still looked uneasy. I reached out my hand gently.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think I properly introduced myself. I’m Kim Soo-hyun, a third-year user. I run the mercenary clan called ‘Mercenary.’”
“I actually knew that. I’ve heard of the Mercenary Lord’s reputation.”
“Is that so? Haha. Anyway, if you ever need a job done, come find me. Oh, but I do charge a fee—no more freebies like this time.”
“…Heh.”
Jin Soo-hyun burst out laughing, clearly amused.
“You talk more interestingly than you look. That’s a compliment. I like fun people. But, well, when I first saw you, you seemed so cold and distant, it was hard to approach you.”
I instinctively touched my face. What’s wrong with how I look?
Anyway, it seemed he was finally loosening up, as words began to flow from him.
After muttering, “Well… I’m not even sure if I can call it a clan anymore…,” Jin Soo-hyun glanced at my outstretched hand. Then he grabbed it firmly and started shaking it enthusiastically.
“I’m Jin Soo-hyun, clan lord of Mage Hunters and a second-year user. If it’s not rude, I’d like us to get along from now on.”
Hearing his confident voice, I smiled quietly.
Looks like the first step went well.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
While Kim Soo-hyun was successfully laying the groundwork to recruit Jin Soo-hyun, the mercenary clan members had gathered in one place. Well, everyone except Shin Jae-ryong. As the chief instructor, he was buried under a mountain of work.
Still, except for Shin Jae-ryong, Jeong Ha-yeon, Lee Yoo-jung, Kim Han-byeol, and Ahn Hyun were all present at Kim Soo-hyun’s lodging. Why were these busy people gathered here? And why at Kim Soo-hyun’s place?
It was all because of Ahn Sol.
Here’s what happened.
After unexpectedly receiving a kiss from Kim Soo-hyun, Ahn Sol had been thrown into confusion. She babbled nonsense and lay sick, causing the clan members no small amount of worry.
Among them, Ahn Hyun was especially concerned. Given his doting nature, he checked on Ahn Sol several times a day. (So much so that once, when Kim Han-byeol was changing clothes, Ahn Hyun barged in, causing quite a scene.)
Today was no different. As usual, when Ahn Hyun went to check on Ahn Sol, he immediately sensed something was wrong. The sickly groans were gone, and the bed was empty.
In other words, Ahn Sol was missing.
Anhyun gasped loudly and immediately started searching for Ansol. Honestly, considering the possibility that Ansol’s condition might have improved, it wasn’t such a big deal. But with his eyes wild and frantic, Anhyun ran around asking everyone about Ansol’s whereabouts. His desperate behavior made the other three assume the worst had happened, so they joined in the frantic search.
Yet, Ansol was found surprisingly quickly. Kim Hanbyul, who had regained her composure, cast a tracking spell and soon picked up Ansol’s trail.
The trail led straight to Kim Soohyun’s dormitory. The moment Anhyun kicked the door open, the four of them saw Ansol lying sound asleep on Soohyun’s bed—drooling all over the pillow.
“…Looks like he’s just sleeping, Hyun-ah,” Jung Hayun said after watching Ansol for a moment.
Anhyun hung his head low, unable to meet the sharp glares from Lee Yujeong and Kim Hanbyul. The stares were so piercing he could barely stand it.
But they didn’t stop at just glaring. Soon, a barrage of scolding words rained down on him.
“Seriously, what was all that fuss about? Get a grip, will you?”
“I can’t believe you forgot already. Didn’t we tell you never to come into the dorm again?”
“Honestly, you’re something else. When it comes to your little brother, you don’t know fear or caution. When are you going to fix that?”
“We made you promise not to come in again, and then you do this? That’s just not okay.”
Lee Yujeong and Kim Hanbyul took turns criticizing Anhyun, their words sharp and unforgiving.
Meanwhile, Maru and Dodo, who had been sitting quietly off to the side, shifted their gazes back and forth between the two speakers—left to right, then left to right again. Their eyes met, round and wide, and they nodded simultaneously.
“Hehe… Oppa…”
Just as Anhyun’s gaze sank hopelessly toward the floor, a small murmured sound of sleep-talking broke the silence.
For a moment, everyone’s attention turned to Ansol.
He was smiling softly in his sleep, clutching the pillow and rubbing his face as if dreaming something pleasant. Was Kim Soohyun in his dream, perhaps?
Whatever it was, the sight was so innocent and pure, it was like watching a newborn baby. Jung Hayun gently brushed Ansol’s forehead and smiled quietly.
Truth be told, she wasn’t without a hint of relief. She had been very worried when she first heard Anhyun’s frantic words. But since they found Ansol so quickly and he seemed to have recovered from his unconscious state, one big worry was lifted.
“Alright, everyone, enough. At least we found him. What if something really bad had happened?”
“Y-Yeah, sister! That’s what I’m saying…!”
“Hyun, be quiet. No matter what, your reaction this time was completely wrong. Even if something bad had happened, did you have to act so recklessly? Do you want everyone to know? What would the Clan Lord say if he found out?”
“I’m sorry.”
Anhyun immediately apologized.
A brief silence followed.
Meanwhile, Ansol’s sleep-talking continued.
“Ugh… Yeah… I thought about it well… That big-chested sister doesn’t suit Oppa at all…”
Though his voice was small, everyone could hear it clearly. Lee Yujeong, who had been glaring at Anhyun, suddenly puffed out her cheeks and then, with a look of disbelief, glanced at Ansol before bursting into laughter.
“Big-chested sister? Haha! What’s going on with him? What kind of dream is this? Wait, was he talking about Yeonju unnie? Or Hanna unnie? Haha!”
Then—
“Of course… Yujeong unnie doesn’t suit Oppa either… That tomboyish sister is totally out of the question…”
This time, the name was clear. Yujeong immediately stopped laughing, her expression turning serious as she clenched her fists. Hayun stifled a laugh and gently stroked Ansol’s hair.
“That sister isn’t it either… What’s so great about that perfectionist workaholic anyway…”
Hayun’s face hardened. The gentle touch on Ansol’s hair suddenly turned firm as she ruffled it.
But no matter what, Ansol kept mumbling happily in his sleep.
“Mmm… Oppa really has no eye for women… Now, now. Forget that pumpkin-seed sister over there, come to me instead…”
Anhyun quietly turned his head. When he caught the cold gleam in Kim Hanbyul’s eyes, he silently, very quietly, stepped back. It wasn’t so much a conscious decision as his instincts taking over.
A moment later—
Ignoring the trembling pleas of Maru and Dodo, who clung to each other for support, Anhyun gently closed the door behind him and walked away.
And then, from inside—
“Eh, eh? Sisters?”
“…….”
“W-Wait a minute! Why are you hitting me? Don’t pinch me! It hurts! Waaah!”
The groggy voice echoed faintly down the hallway where Anhyun stood.
He closed his eyes softly and let out a deep sigh.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’m really sorry! I had an unexpected appointment today. I planned to finish by 8 PM, but the conversation went on, and it ended up being 10 PM. After about an hour of rest, my head cleared enough to finish writing safely.
My schedule has been really tight lately, so I ask for your kind understanding. (__)