ICPBAG CH 08

What was certain was that information had leaked.

No… was it leaked on purpose?

There was more than enough possibility that the Association had planted another informant besides me. If that were the case, then in the worst scenario, the one who would die a meaningless death would be me.

If they were carrying out operations without giving any notice to me, the one most closely tied to Cha Wooshin on-site…

“Oh? Cleared it.”

My mind was in hell, but my hands moved quickly. The moment I cleared the stage effortlessly, Cha Wooshin leaned in closer.

His eyes sparkled as they alternated between me and the clear rewards on the screen. At times like this, he really was simple.

“Don’t sell the Hexion fragments you got as a reward. Save them. You’ll need them to upgrade to the next weapon.”

“There’s another upgrade weapon coming out?”

“According to the developer notes, it’s scheduled to be updated within the year. I’ll organize your inventory.”

“Ah. I just spent money on it not long ago.”

Cha Wooshin sighed. He had been extremely serious about the game lately.

Not that someone who fought with his wallet had much to worry about. Still, the one who would be inconvenienced was me.

The reason I had been memorizing strategy guides for a game I had neither interest nor affection for day and night was because of him.

To deal with Cha Wooshin, I had to match his particular tastes and preferences.

Before mobile games, it had been collecting figurines. Before that, rare loot collecting, monster taxidermy, and so on.

There was no end to listing them, but ultimately, he was simply fickle.

Rather than an obsessive maniac, he clearly showed the traits of a collector maniac. Cha Wooshin was a man with no middle ground.

In any case, it seemed like I had gotten through the immediate crisis.

Guild members believed I held the highest position of trust under Cha Wooshin, but that was both true and false.

At this point, it was worth reminding myself again. Cha Wooshin did not trust others. He simply kept me close because I moved exactly as he wanted without crossing his mood.

“Iseo.”

His voice rang clearly in the quiet office.

“Don’t go getting hurt carelessly.”

The twisted parts of my body throbbed.

“I never gave you permission.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Sometimes, I imagined my neck being crushed or pierced by Cha Wooshin.

It felt like that day would come eventually. Because I knew how miserably I died in the original work, I both wanted to please him and wanted to run away at the same time.

Every day felt like walking on thin ice.

The reason I infiltrated Habeck was to monitor Cha Minseung.

Approaching Cha Wooshin, who ranked lower in the family hierarchy than Cha Minseung, actually carried greater risk.

Cha Wooshin did not easily take people under him. More precisely, people didn’t survive under him.

Even among hunters who dominated this field, he was an unparalleled existence.

As the youngest S-rank ability holder and the undisputed number one guild hunter, Cha Wooshin was often mentioned as the only active hunter who could stand against Joo Inhyeok.

My wish was to retire before such a thing ever happened.

Not long after infiltrating under Cha Minseung.

Cha Minseung was an unlucky superior in a different way from Cha Wooshin, who was full of cunning. Perhaps it was the family’s inherent trait.

That day, as always, I was preparing Cha Minseung’s meal. Then the damned man stopped cutting his steak and grabbed my backside.

“Have you been working out? Why is it so firm?”

For a moment, I almost broke his wrist.

I wanted to smash the wine glass on the table over his head right then and there. But I endured it.

Back then, I had no choice. It was a time when every action had to be especially careful.

That night, Cha Wooshin had been invited as a dinner guest.

It was our first meeting.

Sitting across the table with his chin propped on his hand, Cha Wooshin idly picked at his salad before looking at me.

Not because he was interested, but simply because I happened to be where his gaze landed. He soon yawned and turned his head away.

At that time, I responded with a smile instead of contempt for Cha Minseung.

It was humiliating.

I went out to the backyard to catch my breath. My teeth clenched on their own.

In reality, I couldn’t endure such an unreasonable situation, yet here I was making a living out of it.

I even thought about confronting Joo Inhyeok.

That I couldn’t keep doing this. That I would rather burn down the mansion, make a big scene, and live the rest of my life as a fugitive.

“Son of a bitch.”

Tears fell, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. I alternated hands so my sleeves wouldn’t get soaked.

There was no one to rely on but myself.

I forced strength into my eyes to wipe away the moisture. Harsh emotions swirled inside me.

There’s no one to rely on but me.

As I bit my lip and turned around, I saw a spark burning in the darkness.

Only then did I notice the smell of cigarette smoke.

There had been no presence. I was certain. Even with my senses sharpened to their limit, I hadn’t noticed him.

“Son of a bitch.”

Cha Wooshin slowly repeated the words I had muttered to myself, as if rolling candy in his mouth.

“Are you talking about my brother?”

He let out a laugh and flicked away the ash.

He looked exactly like I had imagined when I was still a reader.

Delicately sculpted handsome features. A gentle smile, yet eyes with a dangerous glint. A tall frame that seemed to always look down on others.

As expected of a protagonist, his presence was overwhelming.

When he said “my brother” so casually, I couldn’t help but think, I’m screwed.

Later, I asked him what he had been thinking when he brought me over that day.

After thinking for a long time as if he had completely forgotten, he answered with a question.

“Because you called Cha Minseung a son of a bitch?”

I hadn’t said that exactly.

“Is that all?”

“What else was there?”

“No, nothing.”

“Oh, I remember. I thought you’d cry prettier in front of me. You were really pretty.”

I shouldn’t have asked.

“Ta-da! The November issue of Monthly Guardians is officially out!”

Right after finishing my report to Cha Wooshin, something was shoved in front of me.

It was a magazine that mainly covered hunter-related information and gossip.

Already distracted, I was startled when the glossy cover filled my vision, and startled again when I recognized the face on it.

“I bought two on purpose. Take one, Iseo!”

Han Seolyoung, an A-rank guild hunter, said cheerfully.

She had been chatting with other guild members in the lounge but rushed over the moment she saw me.

“It’s fine. I don’t need it.”

I quickly shut my mouth that had almost opened in surprise.

Han Seolyoung was extremely extroverted and often startled me like this.

This time, I was really startled. I hadn’t expected the person who had been on my mind to appear as the cover model.

“Why! You like Hunter Joo, don’t you, Iseo?”

“No? Me? You’re mistaken.”

“Look how fast you answered. That means you do.”

“I don’t.”

“You do. You totally do.”

She waved the magazine playfully with a bright grin full of mischief.

The person I least wanted as an enemy after Cha Wooshin was Han Seolyoung.

“So what if you like a national hunter? It’s not like people get criticized for that. I’m a fan of our Yoongyoong.”

“It’s not about being criticized. I just don’t like him.”

“But I saw Joo Inhyeok goods at your desk.”

“You left those there after getting too many from random pulls.”

“Then why didn’t you throw them away after a month? You even placed them neatly next to your favorite plants.”

I had just missed the timing to throw them away. That was all.

Despite wanting to stay calm, I felt my face heat up.

Han Seolyoung was like a ticking time bomb. If I responded carelessly, she would definitely come back at me twice as hard.

Seizing the moment, she slung an arm around me and whispered,

“Honestly, Hunter Joo is your type, right? His face isn’t a crime. He’s handsome, what can you do? Ah, it’d be amazing if our boss released merch too. It’d boost the guild’s image. Our guild’s image is trash anyway. Criminal group, drug supporters… well, not entirely wrong.”

“Anyway, you can take it back. I don’t need it.”

I answered firmly, and she made a dejected expression.

“Ah… I overstepped again, didn’t I? I bought two just thinking of you… I thought we’d gotten closer… I guess I’ll just use it as a coaster.”

She had crossed the line.

Using that pretty face like this was unfair.

Suppressing a sigh, I took the magazine from her hand.

“If you bought it for me, I’ll accept it. But don’t buy things like this again.”

She nodded, and I glanced at the cover again.

Joo Inhyeok was, as always, in uniform.

He looked like someone who had been dragged in front of the camera against his will, with no trace of a smile.

Yet he still gave off a clean, upright impression.

The nation’s hero appears on gossip magazine covers too.

The Association’s PR team had done it again. No hunter captivated the public like Joo Inhyeok.

A symbol of integrity and righteousness.

But today, because of him, I had almost died.

For a brief moment, I had seen suspicion in Cha Wooshin’s eyes.

The topic had passed smoothly, but that didn’t mean his suspicion was gone.

Did I miss anything?

Even for a moment, I couldn’t afford to be caught slipping.

Of course, as long as the Bond skill remained active, my life was guaranteed.

But if the Association’s goal went beyond simply monitoring Cha Wooshin…

If they shifted focus to Cha Minseung instead…

Then raising Cha Minseung as guild leader would be more advantageous for controlling Habeck.

What the government and the Association feared most was Cha Wooshin becoming the next power holder.

Are they trying to overturn what’s practically inevitable?

It wouldn’t be easy.

Many would die.

Cha Wooshin was the kind of man who would pierce through his brothers’ hearts if necessary to take that position.

If things continued like this, my position would become unstable.

Joo Inhyeok was still part of the Association. If ordered, he might try to break the Bond.

So far, I had used the Bond as a shield, but I wasn’t sure if it would still hold while being tied to Cha Wooshin.

The thought, no, the certainty, came to me that the day Cha Wooshin would be marked for elimination might come sooner than expected.

After leaving the noisy Han Seolyoung behind, I quietly went to the kitchen.

I poured lukewarm water into a disposable cup, took out a capsule from my inner pocket, and swallowed it.

Anxiety and dizziness surged.

The capsule, disguised as an ordinary painkiller, was medication for Bond side effects.

Bond required regular meetings and physical contact with the target, but I couldn’t do that, so I relied on medication.

After swallowing it, I leaned against the sink using both arms.

Perhaps due to long-term use, the effects were slow.

A wave of nausea rose, but I forced it down.

Bond side effects came in various forms. This was relatively mild.

Joo Inhyeok, being a top-tier awakened, was probably much better off.

I had never asked, but he seemed like someone who didn’t even know what side effects were.

Thinking that way made me feel a little resentful.

(no name)
Are you injured?

At dawn.

After sending my daily report as usual past midnight, I received an unexpected message.

I had been debating whether to include details about Cha Minseung but decided to hold off.

Since I hadn’t mentioned being suspected by Cha Wooshin either, I felt oddly guilty.

There were injuries during a joint raid.

(no name)
I am aware of the details. Hunter Park Juhwan belongs to Central Division.

Ah, so that rookie was one of the hunters personally selected by Joo Inhyeok this year.

But I didn’t understand the point.

If he already knew, why ask?

I frowned at the screen, unsure how to respond.

Why ask if I was hurt? He could’ve just asked if I was alive.

Ah~ yes.

I shouldn’t have added the tilde.

Joo Inhyeok seemed slightly flustered. He read it immediately, but his reply came much later.

(no name)
I was wondering if there were other injuries.

There aren’t.

(no name)
Then it must be Bond side effects. Is the medication not working?

It’s not as effective as the last one.

(no name)
Understood. I’ll prescribe a new one.

Okay.

But how did you know?

Are you unwell?

Could even an S-rank suffer side effects?

He had never shown it before, so I was curious.

His reply came after a long pause.

(no name)
That’s not the case.

Of course.

Worrying about him was pointless.

They say worrying about hunters is the most useless thing in the world.

And I had almost worried about the most successful one.

Just as I was about to end the connection, a long message came.

(no name)
Lighting a scented candle by your bedside may help. There is one developed by AD Company with new compounds. I recommend the Planeon scent. It’s lavender-based with a mild intensity.

Oh? I have that.

I had bought all sorts of things said to help awakened symptoms.

Including AD’s candles.

Have you used it?

(no name)
Occasionally.

That’s surprising.

(no name)
What is?

I didn’t think you’d rely on things like that.

(no name)
I tend to rely on such things quite well.

A small laugh slipped out.

His tone was stiff, but he answered everything properly.

Clear distinction between work and personal matters, yet unexpectedly considerate.