St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Once a must-visit tourist attraction for visitors to this city, it was now a place closed by decree of the Austrian Federal Government’s Prime Minister. This was due to rumors that approaching carelessly would result in a spiritual curse.

As Ryu Seo-ha approached the entrance, all doors opened by themselves. The black iron gate with warning signs, the outer stone door with delicate carvings in relief, and the inner wooden door simply decorated with a grid pattern.

-I’ll follow you with my concealment skill. Just act as usual.

The interior of the cathedral, once grand and magnificent, was cold and gloomy, probably because it had not been visited by people for a long time.

Only the sunlight seeping in from outside the stained glass windows and the candles placed in front of the central altar diluted the darkness, with no other lights turned on.

As he looked around, small arrow marks appeared as if drawn with fluorescent material on the floor. Someone was definitely watching.

They must have checked if he came alone as instructed and then displayed the guidance marks. Ryu Seo-ha obediently followed the arrows. Soon, stairs leading down to the catacombs appeared.

At the bottom of the stairs was a single small, black arched door. It seemed a bit too modest for an entrance to an underground communal tomb where the skulls of martyred early Christians were enshrined.

“Show the invitation.”

While he was debating whether to go down the stairs or wait at the top, a voice distorted by mechanical sounds was heard. Startled, he turned around to see a figure wearing a skull mask.

Dressed in a black robe, it was difficult to guess even their gender, let alone body shape. Surely there had been no one there just a moment ago. It seemed they had deactivated their concealment skill after confirming his arrival.

“Follow me.”

After he operated his phone to show the text message, the skull mask began descending the stairs. The staircase wasn’t long, so it only took a few seconds to reach the black door.

Click.

After the skull mask touched the door, the sound of it unlocking was heard. It seemed to be a similar type of door to the magical power recognition device he had seen in the From Hell Guild Master’s office.

“Enter first.”

The skull mask, who had slightly moved aside towards the wall, ordered him in a monotone voice. As he slowly moved forward, he felt the familiar sensation of an arm wrapping around his waist.

“Your tongue is short.”

Splash─!

An unpleasant noise of blood gushing like a fountain rang out, but Ryu Seo-ha didn’t witness any cruel scene with his eyes. This was because his face was buried in Choi Gang-hu’s embrace.

Soon after, he felt the presence of rescue team hunters who had appeared using scroll items. This was possible thanks to Choi Gang-hu transmitting real-time spatial coordinates for movement.

“Front gate team 1, arrived at entrance. Entering immediately.”

With Kwon Se-jeong’s voice contacting the team in charge of the back door, the temperature of the air touching his skin changed. Choi Gang-hu’s [Spatial Jump] skill had been activated.

When he turned his head, the main gate of Prague Castle came into view. Moving from Vienna, Austria to Prague, Czech Republic with just one spatial skill – he was once again amazed by this ability.

“Are you dizzy?”

He must have been unconsciously gripping the coat hem again, as a worried voice and a hand checking his forehead were felt. Ryu Seo-ha shook his head with a slight smile.

“I guess it’s become a habit.”

As he patted his collar with an embarrassed expression, a chuckling sound came back.

“It’s a very good habit.”

The whispering voice, fixing his disheveled bangs, was several times sweeter than chocolate cake. He wanted to whisper such sweet nothings back. He resented himself for his lack of eloquence.

“You two, state your purpose of visit and identity.”

While he was choosing his words, a man in an elaborate uniform approached them and spoke in English. He was a guard who had been standing watch under the right pillar statue of the modest castle gate.

“Ryu Seo-ha. He should be on the list of reservations.”

Choi Gang-hu answered instead. As if he wished his lover wouldn’t even exchange a single word with an unfamiliar man. It was a familiar sight of him trying to preemptively block situations he might not like.

“Confirmed. The accompanying person’s entry is not allowed.”

The guard, who had taken out a portable electronic device from his pocket and scrolled through the list, replaced a greeting with a precise salute and then announced the set rules.

Like St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Prague Castle, once a famous tourist attraction, was now under strict access control. This is because the entire premises were being used as the residence of the S-class healer who until recently had been the only one in the world.

It was a place where no one could enter or leave unless they were a visitor with a confirmed reservation. With reservations surely fully booked for years in advance, even the chairman of Gangseong Group must have had to use considerable money and political power to advance his turn.

“Ryu, you have exactly 30 minutes.”

As he silently stepped forward, the guard informed him of the time limit. When he nodded obediently, the guard turned around and began walking. It seemed he was going to guide him to where the S-class healer was.

After briefly exchanging glances with Choi Gang-hu, Ryu Seo-ha followed the guard. Surely he would be accompanying him with an undetectable concealment skill. Because he wouldn’t leave him alone without Last either.

After passing through item detection and facial recognition checkpoints installed in front of the main gate several times, they passed a fountain and were guided to the Royal Garden behind St. Vitus Cathedral. The hunched back of a white-haired woman seated at a black table came into view.

“30-minute timer, starting now.”

With the beep of the timer being pressed behind him, he approached the table. The other person turned their head, sensing his presence. Her white hair and wrinkled face indicated that it was due to aging.

The distinctive appearance of what is commonly called a gypsy or Bohemian was noticeable. She had the skin color and features typical of Indo-Aryan people.

“The evil angel’s treasure that the pure demon covets has arrived.”

The elderly woman who stood up smiling to greet him offered a greeting that sounded like a Zen koan. Surprisingly, it included words that alluded to the black-winged and white-winged factions of the higher dimension.

It was a statement that would be difficult to make without being affiliated with the cult or at least knowing of its existence. A chilling tension tightly pulled all the muscles in his body. His mind quickly spun with complex calculations.

“Please, have a seat first.”

The white-haired S-class healer, Emily Kitlova, politely gestured for him to sit down.

“Would it be alright if we talk standing like this?”

When he asked without sitting down obediently, Kitlova smiled generously and nodded.

“Of course. Then shall we set up a sound barrier for smooth conversation?”

Her wrinkled hand pointed to a sonic barrier item placed on the table. It was an essential item for consultations to prevent sensitive personal information leaks.

Judging by its shape, it surprisingly appeared to be one of the cult’s divine instruments. It was an item that the black-winged apostles in the original work often used to block eavesdropping by the white-winged higher beings.

In fact, it was an item Ryu Seo-ha needed as well. If Choi Gang-hu, who was likely concealed nearby, heard the contents of the consultation, he would rush in without thinking twice. But first, he needed to confirm the danger the other person posed.

“May I ask a few questions before that?”

“Speak freely. You’ve already paid a fair price to purchase time here, haven’t you?”

Kitlova was no fool. She was a person famous not only for her healing abilities but also for her unique erudition and wisdom, capable of having in-depth conversations with notable figures in politics and business.

Yet she offered a greeting that would raise the other’s guard from their first meeting? It could only be thought of as an intentional revealing of her affiliation or position. Still, it was necessary to probe once more.

He needed to ask a question that could confirm Kitlova’s position but that Choi Gang-hu, who was likely eavesdropping, wouldn’t immediately understand. Just then, he recalled a rumor that the Czech S-class healer liked to quote passages from various scriptures.

“Do you know of Haman, who was a vizier in ancient Persia?”

“Of course. Isn’t he the villain from the Bible who plotted to massacre the Jews?”

“If I were in the position of Mordecai, the Jew who noticed this extermination policy and was in danger, what should I do?”

“You should seek out Esther. The woman who will thwart the evil plan after reassuring Haman with courage risking her life.”

‘Seek out’ instead of ‘go to’. ‘Will thwart’ instead of ‘thwarted’. It was a subtle choice of English words and tense that implied a nuanced meaning.

Unlike his earlier refusal, Ryu Seo-ha obediently sat down across the table. And he nodded while maintaining direct eye contact with the other person. Kitlova, recognizing the signal, pressed the item button to spread a sonic barrier around them.

“While I’m pleased and glad to meet you like this, let’s skip the introduction as we don’t have much time.”

And as if she wished she could allocate more time but couldn’t due to circumstances, she began with a regretful expression.

“Are you affiliated with the cult?”

When he nodded as if that was what he had been hoping for and asked directly, Kitlova smiled and shook her head.

“I’m just one of their many long-term pawns.”

“Why did you reveal that fact to me?”

“Because only you can save me.”

There were many things he was curious about, such as why she was so certain and how she ended up being used by the cult, but he decided to move on to the main point first.

“It seems you knew in advance that I would come here… Do you also know why I came?”

“Isn’t it to find an answer to ward off the shadow of death that falls without pain?”

He was also curious about how she knew all of this, but finding the cause of the lifespan problem came first.

“And do you know what that answer is?”

“You need to resolve the discrepancy between soul and body.”

“Discrepancy…?”

He couldn’t manage his expression at the unexpected answer.

“Doesn’t your soul have its origin in another world?”

His heart shook violently.

“In that world where the savior of this world, hiding over there, once wandered.”