"Han Yi-gyeol."
Kim Woo-jin, who had been quietly watching the conversation, grabbed my arm and spoke for the first time.
"So the person who gave you that book… didn't know anything?"
It was not a particularly surprising question. Since Yeon Seon-woo was the one who had personally handed me the book, he couldn't help but ask.
I answered with a tight smile.
"…Yeah. I guess so."
I, too, had a fleeting thought for a brief moment. The book that had been kept at Yeon Seon-woo's family home for over 10 years, ultimately ended up in my hands.
Is all of this really just a coincidence? Or is it fate, including that? Was it destiny that I would become Han Yi-gyeol and cross over to this world...?
There was no clear answer to this problem yet. However, I knew for sure that Yeon Seon-woo hadn't been hiding anything, nor deliberately handing the book over to me.
There was no way that all the gestures Yeon Seon-woo had shown me were a lie.
"You two seemed… pretty close."
Kim Woo-jin, who had been hesitating with a hesitant expression, asked next.
"What was your relationship with him? A store employee?"
"No, that kid was just…"
My answer trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
This wasn't the first time I had been asked about my relationship with Yeon Seon-woo. Ever since I got to know Yeon Seon-woo, I'd heard it from so many people, including Go Dong-ju.
What was my answer each time? An occasional customer, a nuisance. The explanations started out like that, but they soon turned into "a close little brother," or "a kid I cared about"… and in the end…
"He wasn't a store employee; I knew the kid personally."
My voice, which flowed out steadily, rang out in a low tone. I tried my best to answer cleanly, without any emotion, but I wasn't sure if I succeeded.
"…Now, let's talk about the Praus Cult."
Cheon Sa-yeon, who had been looking at me and Kim Woo-jin for a moment, opened his mouth as if to change the subject. It was a matter of discussion just as important as the contents of the book 'Abyss'.
I nodded and looked back at Elohim.
"Before that, there's one thing I'd like to address, El."
"Go ahead."
The feeling once I woke from that dream was still vivid. Kwon Se-hyun's energy overflowed from my heart, and the intervention ability severed the threads of energy connected by Kali's blood without any resistance.
"Is it true that my power has grown stronger?"
"...."
"Is it because I drank the liquid Samael gave me…?"
The air surrounding me turned cold in an instant. Elohim, who had been staring at me from within, spoke with a stern expression.
"Yes. Kali's blood has brought about a change in your body. So you had sensed it after all."
"It was too obvious a change to ignore."
"We have never seen a case like this before, either. So we have no way of knowing what side effects it might bring. The fact that you have become stronger is by no means a good thing as well."
Elohim had never been fond of my ability to intervene. While it is true that he asked for my help to save the world because it was a versatile ability, he'd never once praised my power. On the contrary, he was worried about me.
Great power comes with a great price. We knew that all too well.
Kwon Se-hyun's power, which I'd already had to use with caution, grew even stronger after drinking Kali's blood, making it difficult to control. No, was control... even possible? I wasn't sure anymore.
"If you attempt to use it recklessly, you might not be able to control the energy and it could run wild. So, from now on, do not rashly bring out Kwon Se-hyun's power."
"…All right."
Even as I answered, I still didn't feel confident.
From now on, we had to confront Samael head-on. Could we really stop Samael, who could use his mind control abilities with a snap of his finger, without any means of intervention?
"In that case, it would be better to move quickly to prevent the Praus Cult from retaliating."
Park Geon-ho touched the corner of his mouth and offered his opinion. Sharing the same thought, I agreed and added.
"I think so too. If we give them too much time, as we had done before, they might come up with another item we won't be able to predict."
The pressure was greater than ever because I failed to capture Samael and Azazel, who had witnessed my transformation into Kwon Se-hyun and my intervention abilities. If I hesitated to act this time, we could face an even greater danger than during the Gwanghwamun incident.
"Of course, the pressure from the government and the management headquarters, as well as the media causing such a huge uproar, are a burden, but for now, we have to move on. Let's ignore all of that and track down the traces of the Cult first. By any means necessary."
When things get complicated, start with what needs to be done right now. This was the most important mindset I'd learned since becoming Han Yi-gyeol.
As I turned to my teammates and spoke firmly, Cheon Sa-yeon smiled broadly.
"I like your straightforwardness. With that in mind, I was thinking of giving Center Director Choi Mi-jin a call. What do you think?"
"Center Director Choi Mi-jin?"
"Wouldn't it be a shame to just let the guys we worked so hard to capture slip away?"
As Cheon Sa-yeon gestured, Woo Seo-hyeok handed me a tablet. What appeared on the screen was an internet article uploaded along with a photo.
Upon confirming the report that the members of the Praus Cult captured during the Battle of Gwanghwamun Square had been transferred to the Guild Management Headquarters, I suddenly lifted my head and looked at Cheon Sa-yeon.
"Surely, contacting Center Director Choi Mi-jin doesn't mean that you....."
"Of course, it is to ask for her cooperation."
Cheon Sa-yeon, leaning back on the sofa with a relaxed expression, continued speaking.
"I can guarantee that the Cult members currently being held captive are all those who joined voluntarily. That means they must have quite a bit of information. Given Center Director Choi Mi-jin's position, we should be able to extract at least one of them."
Cheon Sa-yeon had been fighting the Praus Cult for an unimaginable amount of time. Even if the person's face was hidden behind a mask, he would be able to tell at a glance whether or not the person was under mind control.
"But… is it really appropriate to make such a request? From Center Director Choi Mi-jin's perspective, it would be no different than forcing her to become a criminal. She might refuse."
"If we leave them alone, the captured Cult members will all escape anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Samael won't just sit around and watch his henchmen as they're being held captive by the management headquarters."
"...!"
Right, Samael was the reason the government and management headquarters were putting pressure on us in the first place.
I don't know how deeply his mind control had taken root, but given that it was enough to put pressure on Alice, who was practically a guest from Australia, it was clearly something not to be taken lightly.
"Right now, it's fine because the management headquarters is too busy cleaning up the mess at Gwanghwamun to pay attention, but as soon as things settle down even a little, they'll take immediate action. They will come up with any excuse to release the Cult members and erase their tracks. Choi Mi-jin alone won't be able to stop that."
"Since they're going to let them get away anyway, we have to drag at least one of them in before then."
Given this reasoning, it made perfect sense. Once Choi Mi-jin heard this explanation, she would have no choice but to cooperate with us. Choi Mi-jin was just as resentful towards the Praus Cult as we were.
"If we succeed in bringing the Cult member here and obtain even the slightest bit of information, it would definitely be a win for us. And if we can find any trace of Samael, that would be the icing on the cake."
"Just trust me."
Kwon Jeong-han, meeting my gaze, smiled gently as if to say not to worry. He was Kwon Jeong-han, who always exceeded expectations. There was no way I wouldn't trust him.
"Alright. Woo Seo-hyeok, contact Choi Mi-jin's personal number right now. I'll talk to her later."
"Understood."
"And Han Yi-gyeol."
As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, wondering what was going on, Cheon Sa-yeon opened his mouth with a look of displeasure.
"Deputy-Master Alice asked to meet you."
"…And why are you telling me this so willingly for once?"
"I felt like she'd start sulking if I kept it from you again."
Who's going to start sulking? She's just going to get angry. As I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief, Cheon Sa-yeon stood up from his seat and added.
"If you agree to meet with her, I'll lend you the reception room. However, make sure you take Woo Seo-hyeok with you, no exceptions."
"Why does Woo Seo-hyuk ssi have to come?"
"You brought him just fine last time. There's no need to report back—so just take him. And the two of you are not meeting alone without Woo Seo-hyeok. Ever."
"That's right, Han Yi-gyeol. Make sure to take him with you."
"Yi-gyeol ssi, you absolutely must go with your secretary."
"Do you really need to meet with her? Just ignore it."
Behind Cheon Sa-yeon, who was earnestly pleading, Kim Woo-jin, Min Ah-rin, and Ha Tae-heon each chimed in with their own comments. I don't know why everyone seems to think the same thing.
Since I'd already made a huge mistake, I couldn't exactly refuse outright, so I nodded with a sigh.
***
"It's such a shame to leave like this."
Alice, whom I met in the reception room, looked very upset.
Alice, who had been excited about her plans to travel for two weeks, ended up having to fly back to Australia this evening due to the Gwanghwamun incident and pressure from the management headquarters. It was as if she were being kicked out before even finishing her trip, let alone seeing it through to the end.
"I'm disappointed too. But…"
I set down the teacup I was holding and shifted my gaze behind Alice.
Behind Alice, who was sitting on the sofa across from me, her personal assistant Theo stood with a stiff posture. That wasn't the problem. What caught my attention was something else.
Alice smiled slightly when she noticed me looking at Theo.
"Come to think of it, this is probably the first time you've met him, Talented Han Yi-gyeol. Isn't he cute?"
"Cu-… um...."
He was cute, I suppose... but I couldn't bring myself to agree with it out loud, so I just smiled awkwardly.
Protruding from the top of Theo's head were animal ears with rounded tips. Not only his ears, but his face was also marked with black patterns that were hard to describe, and a long, slender tail was wiggling back and forth behind his back.
"Theo is an A-class shapeshifter. His animal form is a leopard. He is currently in this transformed state to protect me. When he does that, his hearing and sense of smell become incredibly sharp."
"I see. That's amazing."
I thought he looked familiar—they were the same kind of leopard ears and tail I'd only ever seen in documentaries. Feeling intrigued, I watched Theo's expressionless face for a moment before sneaking a glance at Woo Seo-hyuk, who was sitting next to me.
Since Alice could take out only wings from her back and Theo could bring out his ears and tail, could Woo Seo-hyuk transform in a similar way?
As if sensing my gaze, Woo Seo-hyeok looked back at me. As I came face-to-face with him up close, I found myself unconsciously starting to imagine things.
I pictured pointed wolf ears poking up through Woo Seo-hyeok's black hair and a bushy wolf tail swaying gently behind him.
'That… actually suits you quite well?'