Lee Sayoung… what did he just say? Euijae stared at Nam Woojin with a stiff expression, but Nam Woojin turned away and began to walk slowly again.

“What I’m about to tell you now is a story that hasn’t been disclosed to the outside.”

He pointed his finger to the sky.

“It wasn’t long after the public announcement of J's death… the entire country was in an uproar. It was a time when the government failed to fulfill its duties.”

It was a chaotic period when the country had lost its strength. Naturally, those in power would have covered up many incidents to quell the public's anxiety. Euijae thought about the things buried in those eight years that he didn’t know about.

They had now passed through the garden and entered a quiet forest. Among the deep greens, Nam Woojin glowed white.

“Sayoung was discovered in a research facility.”

“……”

“No, it would be more accurate to say what used to be a research facility. Everything had been corroded by poison. In the midst of black ruins, he was said to be sitting alone in loose patient clothing.”

Images from the rift flashed in Euijae’s mind. Just a touch from Sayoung had turned a brilliant garden into a pitch-black toxic swamp, uninhabitable by anything. He had witnessed the once-vibrant forest begin to decay from the tips of Sayoung’s fingers.

A-level Hunters wouldn’t even dare approach the deadly poison. If he hadn’t possessed the Basilisk’s immunity, he might not have been able to stand near Sayoung.

“The surroundings were completely devastated. It was dangerous to approach carelessly; it was clear that death was imminent.”

Nam Woojin continued speaking slowly.

“Only Jeongbin, equipped with protective gear, could barely approach him. In the end, even he had to drink an antidote due to the poisoning.”

The Prometheus organization, which artificially creates awakeners, had discovered Sayoung after melting down its research facility. And now, the current Sayoung was chasing after them.

It felt like pieces of a puzzle that shouldn’t fit together were aligning one by one. Euijae felt a slight unease and frowned.

“Are you implying that Sayoung is the first successful subject?”

“Well, I can’t say for certain.”

Somewhere, a bird chirped.

“Whether he awakened due to their experiments or if the system granted him awakening in response to Sayoung’s fervent prayers.”

“……”

“Well, I believe it’s the latter.”

Despite recounting shocking stories, Nam Woojin wore a calm smile.

“Furthermore, at that time, their research had barely progressed, so they brought in people with some unique aspects to use as test subjects.”

“Unique aspects?”

“Yes. People who had been involved in the rift, or those who bore wounds from monster attacks. Anything that had a special connection to the rift. To put it frankly, it was an anarchic state, so kidnapping subjects wouldn’t have been difficult.”

Something about having a special connection to the rift echoed in Euijae’s ears like a whisper.

“Help… me.”

In the rift, where deadly poison had overwhelmed everything, a boy was dying while clinging to two individuals who had been melted by poison. J, who had been searching for the faint trace of a survivor, had only found him after tearing down the outer wall of a crumbling building.

Despite being drenched in poison and having his body melting away, the boy managed to look at J. His powerless lips trembled. Perhaps his vocal cords had been damaged by the poison, as his voice came out cracked and hoarse.

“Help me.”

The scene resembled the 17-year-old Cha Euijae, who had sought help… and Euijae couldn’t help but take the boy’s hand.

Even if, when he opened his eyes again, he had lost his entire family and was in a tragic situation where recovery was uncertain. Even if he would have to endure a life more painful than death. Even if all resentment fell upon him.

He couldn’t turn away from that desperation.

Euijae gazed silently at the white man. That boy might have become a target of Prometheus, just like Sayoung, because he had saved him. Nam Woojin was observing Euijae with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his white coat.

Suddenly, Euijae realized the source of the discomfort he had been feeling. He didn’t shy away from Nam Woojin’s burned-white gaze and asked,

“Why are you telling me this?”

“…….”

There must be a reason Sayoung didn’t speak about his background. Just as he had things he concealed, Sayoung likely had his secrets too.

The agreement between Sayoung and himself was possible because neither probed deeply into the other’s circumstances. Although that man had done some background checks, he hadn’t pressed Euijae about why he wished to live quietly.

So, he didn’t want to hear intimate stories about Sayoung in his absence. He wouldn’t mind if Sayoung chose to tell him directly.

“Just because I’m Sayoung’s supporter doesn’t mean I’m entitled to hear this story.”

As Euijae expressed his discomfort, Nam Woojin’s expression turned rather pleased.

“That’s a perfectly reasonable reaction. If you hadn’t reacted this way, it would have been more troubling for me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Consider it a sort of shackle.”

“What do you mean by that….”

Before he could ask further, he sensed a small presence behind him. Turning his gaze, he saw a young boy standing at the edge of the garden. It was instantly clear.

That wasn’t… a human. The boy’s glassy eyes reflected Euijae’s form. He bowed his head and greeted them.

“I have come to inform you that the patient’s treatment is complete. Master, and guest.”

“Shall we wrap up the walk then? I will guide you.”

Before long, the garden vanished, and the surroundings transformed back into a library densely packed with books. Nam Woojin gestured for them to follow as he moved ahead.

They passed by countless books, long since collapsed and rotting. Did he know? When the end arrived, this carefully curated library of his would also crumble.

At that moment, breaking Euijae’s thoughts, Nam Woojin asked,

“By the way, do you know Hong Yesung?”

“Yes, I do.”

Not just a passing acquaintance; he had unilaterally promised to hit that bastard. Ever since he harbored resentment toward the parrot-like Inhart Marse, he hadn’t forgotten about it once.

Upon arriving at the central hall, Nam Woojin turned around and pulled two stiff tickets from the pocket of his doctor’s coat, handing them to Euijae. The black tickets, resembling admission passes for an exhibition, had Korean and Chinese characters written in elegant brush strokes.

“Craftsmen Exhibition”

“…Craftsmen Exhibition?”

“The equipment auction by Hong Yesung is referred to as the Craftsmen Exhibition. It will be held in Songdo a few days from now, and only those with tickets can enter.”

Nam Woojin kindly explained as Euijae accepted the ticket in a daze.

If this was an auction for equipment crafted by Hong Yesung, there would undoubtedly be plenty of S-rank gear. Hunters with a desire for equipment would be eager to participate, as they would surely go crazy over the chance. The ticket would undoubtedly fetch a hefty price.

Of course, Euijae had no greed for equipment other than kitchen tools, so receiving this felt like being handed a rock.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

“It’s a reward for your bravery in retrieving PRO-009.”

Nam Woojin smiled broadly. Euijae’s mind was filled with chaos.

‘This is a hell of a predicament. This scrap is bound to become the source of all troubles in the future.’

Where would he say he got it? If he said Nam Woojin gave it to him, it would sound suspicious, and saying he found it on the street would be even more dubious. If it got listed at the Tomato Market, it would surely cause a bigger uproar than the Marse incident. Fortunately, Euijae began to anticipate what was about to unfold.

“No, I don’t need this as a D-rank. I don’t have the money to bid….”

“Then sell it to other Hunters. They’ll be going crazy over it since they can’t get their hands on one.”

No, he didn’t want to dangle bait in front of those crazy Hunters. The moment it became known that he was the seller of this ticket, his hangover soup restaurant might get shut down.

However, in the end, he was left holding the Craftsmen Exhibition ticket quietly. Euijae felt a strong urge to cry.

On the way back, the Seowon Guild had prepared a vehicle. Euijae’s grandmother and Haeun sat side by side, while Euijae and Sayoung sat behind them. Haeun, seemingly not tired at all, chattered away.

“Uncle, it was really fun there! There were so many books, and the uncles and aunties passing by were so kind. There were also so many comic books. Some boy even did coloring with me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! Oh, and…”

Haeun turned around and spread her palm wide, making a peace sign with her other hand and placing it over her palm.

That gesture looked familiar. That was what the gas mask used to do at the end of the weekend variety shows and dramas that Euijae watched! Whether she realized it or not, Haeun was excitedly talking.

“The older brother sitting next to my uncle did this!”

“Hmm?”

“When I asked him to do it, he did it more than twenty times!”

Euijae’s eyes widened as he turned to Sayoung. Sayoung, arms crossed, was looking out the window but turned to Euijae as if sensing his gaze. Their eyes met.

“You….”

You mean… you did that in real time? More than twenty times? Euijae could hardly get his mouth to move. Sayoung, watching Euijae, let out a short laugh. It was a clear mockery.

“What? Are you so grateful you’re going to lose your mind?”

“……”

“I didn’t even know I had a knack for taking care of kids. Thanks to who?”

“……”

You jerk…. You managed to do that ridiculous thing well.

Haeun must have seen something that wasn’t there. Euijae poked Sayoung hard in the side with his finger. The solid body beside him flinched.

“Ugh…. Hah….”

At the foot of Jirisan, a young man dressed in colorful hiking clothes, a hiking hat, and sunglasses stumbled down the mountain. He was panting so heavily that even the climbers ascending the mountain cast him curious glances. Behind him followed a group of burly men in suits.

Jeong Yeongsuk, the general secretary of the Hanmaeum Mountaineering Club, clicked her tongue as she watched the young man descend the mountain in a hurry.

“Oh dear… shouldn’t we report that young man?”

“Right? What are those agents doing on the mountain?”

“Let’s leave them be. They’re probably filming a movie.”

“Wow, am I going to be in a movie?”

As the murmurs of the Hanmaeum members faded, the young man in hiking gear finally reached flat ground. He plopped down on the ground, extending his arms and shouting.

“F*ck! Finally! I’m finally free!”

Just then, a gust of wind blew, slightly displacing his hat and revealing his face. Tears were welling up in his clear eyes. The man in the suit behind him pulled out a walkie-talkie to report.

“Yes, Team Leader. Hong Yesung just completed his descent. We’ll head to Songdo immediately.”

“Ahhhhh!”

“Excuse me? No, that’s not a deer call. That’s Mr. Hong Yesung screaming. Yes, yes. Understood.”

The young man, now stepping on flat ground and feeling happy, was Hong Yesung—the only existing S-rank craftsman. He had just finished a long confinement on the peak of Jirisan and was returning to the world.

“Yeehaaa!”

All to participate in the auction that would be held in Songdo!

And now, it was a week until the Craftsmen Exhibition.