The Basilisk’s Fang found inside the West Sea Rift. A fang that Hong Ye-seong didn’t make, yet bears his inscription.

In truth, even without the inscription, considering the fang’s personality, Hong Ye-seong’s claim seemed plausible. Like father, like child, as they say.

As Uijae remained silent, deep in thought, Hong Ye-seong began to whine.

"Huh? Huh? Come on, please tell me! I’m going crazy with curiosity."

It really did resemble its "father"—stubborn and quick to assert its will.

But the real "father" of the Fang, Hong Ye-seong, knew nothing about the West Sea Rift. Simple logic would suggest that the Hong Ye-seong in front of him wasn’t the one who made it, but rather a different version. Given that the Rift distorts time and space, it wasn’t an entirely far-fetched thought. Uijae had already confirmed the possibility himself.

"There are plenty of cases where someone looks exactly the same but is a completely different person."

There was no trace of Hong Ye-seong in the fragments shown by Yoon Gaeul, but those were merely pieces from a world that had been destroyed. Somewhere out there, a fragment featuring Hong Ye-seong might exist. Uijae stared blankly at the grass swaying in the breeze.

‘I’ll have to meet Yoon Gaeul again….’

If he could discover how a fang crafted by another version of Hong Ye-seong appeared in the Rift, it might help him recover the people buried there. And he needed to ask more about the end of the world.

As Uijae stayed lost in thought, Hong Ye-seong tapped the floor impatiently.

"Hey? Secretary Kim, you’re listening to me, right? You’re thinking about it, aren’t you? I can wait."

Uijae’s gaze drifted past Ye-seong to the porcelain rooster, which was trembling non-stop, likely due to the phone vibrating beneath it ever since it sat on top. The only person who would be this persistent with their calls… was probably Lee Sayoung. Uijae glanced skyward, watching the fluffy clouds drift by. It was a moment of escapism.

‘Great, I’m screwed.’

"Secretary Kiiiim!"

Uijae’s eyebrow twitched at the voice that sounded as if it was on the verge of hysterics. Not only was Hong Ye-seong disturbing his thoughts, now he was interrupting his moment of escape too. Uijae let out a long sigh. He had restrained himself three times already. A surge of irritation bubbled up.

‘...Why is this guy acting so self-righteous after kidnapping me?’

Lee Sayoung’s masked face floated into his mind, and Sayoung’s teasing voice began playing on a loop.

‘I thought I told you to avoid unnecessary contact with others. If you like making friends so much, why don’t you join a mountain-climbing club or something?’

Just imagining Sayoung’s taunts made Uijae’s fists clench. It felt like climbing one mountain only to find another, even taller one in front of him.

‘Even if I escape, I’ll still have to listen to Lee Sayoung’s complaints later, huh?’

Uijae quietly spoke up to the fidgeting Hong Ye-seong.

"You’re asking where I got this from, right?"

"Oh! Finally ready to answer, huh? Yes, where did you get it?"

Uijae stared at Hong Ye-seong, who was nodding eagerly. His posture, once straight on the cushion, had gradually become more slouched.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Huh?"

Hong Ye-seong blinked in confusion. By now, Secretary Kim’s posture was as lopsided as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one knee up, arm draped lazily over it, his tone brusque.

"Why should I tell you anything? What reason do I have to trust you?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah. You’re offering just a verbal promise and expecting me to spill everything. Who does that? You should be offering a proper contract. If I tell you, what will you give me in return? Isn’t that how it works?"

"I said I’d keep it a secret! And I’ll even make you a weapon!"

"Oh, yeah, I’m sure nobody will find it suspicious when a hunter from the secretary’s office suddenly shows up with a weapon made by Hong Ye-seong."

Uijae had initially planned to brush it off with some sarcasm, but after being tossed around by Lee Sayoung all day, he was starting to get genuinely irritated.

"And why should I have to answer just because you ask? Isn’t this kind of a power trip?"

"Wow… I’ve never been called out like this since I awakened. This is kind of refreshing."

Hong Ye-seong, now caught up in accusations of abuse of power, pounded his chest in disbelief.

"I’m Hong Ye-seong! And what’s wrong with a parent asking where their lost child was found? Are you really not going to tell me?"

He tried appealing to emotions, but it wasn’t working on Uijae at all.

If Uijae revealed that he had found the Fang in the West Sea Rift, it would be the same as declaring that he was J. Was there any benefit to revealing that? Absolutely none. And since Hong Ye-seong had close ties with the Awakener Management Bureau, even if he promised to keep quiet, the information could easily leak out.

There didn’t seem to be any valuable information left to gain from Hong Ye-seong, and on top of that, Lee Sayoung was likely throwing a fit outside.

"You just said a minute ago that you didn’t make it. Now you’re calling yourself its parent? Which is it?"

With no more room to retreat, Uijae, emboldened by his situation, started pushing back hard, mocking Hong Ye-seong relentlessly. Ye-seong’s mouth fell open.

‘This guy… Did he pick up his snark from being around Lee Sayoung too much?’

To make things worse, the man sitting in front of him was wearing a gas mask, making it feel like Lee Sayoung himself was sitting there.

"You also said you’ve never even seen a basilisk. I’d like to tell you, but… honestly, it’s hard to trust you."

Sure, Secretary Kim had never seen a basilisk either, but the aura he was giving off suggested he knew far more than he let on. Flustered, Hong Ye-seong slammed the Fang’s black blade down. He raised his unscathed hand and waved it.

"Look, it’s got my name on it, and this sharp little guy isn’t turning its edge against me. It recognizes its creator."

"Let me see it."

Suspiciously, Ye-seong handed over the Fang. The blade, which had seemed comfortable in the loving hands of its "father," now writhed as if it was struggling, but Uijae gripped it tightly.

---

**[Updating Basilisk’s Fang’s thoughts!]**

**[Fang’s thoughts: If you strike me, I’ll cut your hand off.]**

---

The Fang didn’t recognize its owner, but Uijae had a plan.

---

**[Trait: Basilisk’s Poison (S+) is now active.]**

---

‘Get a grip.’

---

**[Updating Basilisk’s Fang’s thoughts!]**

**[Fang’s thoughts: I take back what I just said.]**

---

With the Basilisk’s poison active, Uijae effortlessly subdued the Fang’s rebellious attitude. Without hesitation, he brought his hand down onto the blade. Though it landed squarely on the blade, his hand remained unscathed. Hong Ye-seong’s eyes widened in shock. Uijae, completely unfazed, spoke casually.

"Maybe the blade’s just dull. I don’t think this proves anything."

"Wait! Let me sharpen it. I’ll sharpen it and we’ll try again."

Somehow, their roles had reversed, and Hong Ye-seong was now the one trying to prove that he was the Fang’s creator. His obsession with confirming his "paternity" had taken over.

‘Thank goodness Hong Ye-seong is so simple.’

As Uijae watched him get up and search for a whetstone, he let out a sigh of relief. But just then, Hong Ye-seong paused and muttered.

"…Something seems to be happening outside."

"Pardon?"

"......"

Without answering, Hong Ye-seong fidgeted with his phone. A moment later, the mechanical voice of a TTS message echoed through the air.

―Mr. Hong Ye-seong, could you please move up the auction restart time? ^^ We’re encountering some issues.

―Please disregard the previous message, Mr. Hong Ye-seong.

―Do NOT come outside under any circumstances.

The messages sounded like something straight out of a horror story—the last words of a survivor. Uijae’s face turned grim, but Hong Ye-seong looked serious.

"If Jung Bin is saying something like this… it means the situation outside is really bad, doesn’t it?"

"......"

"Gyu-Gyu is probably laying low after what happened last time, and the others won’t do anything because they’re afraid of me. So the only one who would pull something is…"

Their gazes met in the air. It was clear they were both thinking of the same person. To confirm their suspicion, the porcelain rooster had finally stopped vibrating. Uijae squeezed his eyes shut.

‘Damn it, Sayoung. What kind of mess did you get into this time…?’

---

A groan escaped from Gyu-Gyu as his disheveled white hair spread across the ground. A pair of black combat boots pressed firmly onto his shoulder,

"Urgh, ah…."

Gyu-Gyu groaned, his messy white hair sprawling over the ground. A black combat boot pressed firmly onto his shoulder, causing him to let out a strangled breath. He coughed violently, clawing at the boot with his hand while twisting his lips into a sneer.

"You think stepping on me like that is going to break my shoulder?"

"......"

The figure in the gas mask standing on Gyu-Gyu’s back tilted his head slightly while holding a phone to his ear. From the other end, a faint automated message announced that the call could not be connected. A mocking voice asked from beneath the mask.

"Who are you trying to call? …J?"

The moment the name "J" left his lips, the boot pressed down harder, a loud cracking sound resonating as bones shifted unnaturally. But Gyu-Gyu, still sneering, kept his gaze fixed on the gas mask. Lee Sayoung’s voice dropped to a menacing whisper.

"What makes you think you can get away with this?"

"Cough… ah, damn that hurts…."

"You should be careful who you pick a fight with…."

Suddenly, a wailing siren pierced the air from somewhere nearby. Gyu-Gyu instinctively turned his head to glance toward the noise, but Sayoung’s foot dug harder into his shoulder, shifting closer to his collarbone, forcing Gyu-Gyu to writhe in pain.

"Just because you mercenaries are used to fighting dirty, doesn’t mean you can play the same game here."

Sayoung, phone still wedged between his shoulder and ear, began taking off his gloves, when—

*Shing!*

A black chain shot toward him. Sayoung clicked his tongue and stepped back in time to avoid it. Gyu-Gyu clutched his shoulder, coughing violently as he was freed from the pressure. The chain, having missed its mark, slithered back to its owner. The sound of metal clinking echoed as a deep sigh followed.

"Lee Sayoung… Gyu-Gyu…"

The sound of the sirens had been accompanied by the arrival of Jung Bin. He calmly wrapped the returning chain around his arm as he approached, his usually gentle smile replaced with a stern expression.

"I think an explanation is in order."