Choi Gang-hu appears in Busan, personally participates in port facility reconstruction…

From Hell Guild Master: “I’ll rebuild what I destroyed!” Compound skill usage that surprised the world

Korea-Mexico Deputy Minister talks likely to proceed as scheduled 

El Salvador reconsidering industrial cooperation with Korea

Association official: “From Hell Guild Master is the model of a responsible leader”

Japanese Foreign Minister: “Coastal area recovery work completed fastest in the world”

From Hell general employee Han Gaeul awakens as S-rank creator

Three S-ranks in one guild? Concerns raised about power concentration…

Wildly fluctuating Gangseong Trade stock price, can they defend management rights despite M&A issues?

Ryu Seo-ha, who had been blankly scrolling through internet articles, closed the laptop cover and rubbed his tired eyelids. The international community, which had been in an uproar, seemed to have calmed down and was now busily calculating gains and losses.

Whatever Choi Gang-hu had done behind the scenes, fortunately, the voices related to filing a complaint with the UN Security Council had completely died down. The only concern was whether the already struggling Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs would face more hardships.

‘They’ll manage somehow…’

Although he desperately wanted to help, knowing he would be an excellent negotiation card and being aware that he was one of the causes of the situation, he wasn’t in a position to step in for immediate resolution.

For now, he planned to leave it to Choi Gang-hu as promised and observe the situation. To be more honest, he didn’t feel motivated to actively engage in anything.

Status: Remaining lifespan 89 days 15 hours 33 minutes

It was because he had confirmed that the elixir Choi Gang-hu had personally obtained for him had no effect. His lover had flown all the way to Chile, endured complicated procedures, conquered a dungeon, and brought it back, but the result different from expectations had deflated him.

Not only the first elixir that appeared in the original work, but also the competing elixir that appeared the day before the auction, threatening Choi Gang-hu’s potential profits, had been directly consumed. Even Dr. Han Gang-seok’s efficient consumption method that had helped overcome that crisis was followed. Yet it was of no use.

-We just need to get another Dimension Core.

Choi Gang-hu had muttered in a deliberately calm tone to Ryu Seo-ha, who was trying not to show his disappointment. He said all they needed to do was completely crush the cult and Black Wing forces and secure research materials. Though the purpose was different, it was certainly an achievement the Choi Gang-hu in the original work had accomplished.

But was it really possible in just three months? Even he, who had prepared for battle by monopolizing various items and opportunities, had taken three years. Whenever he was lost in thought while Choi Gang-hu was briefly away from the island, all sorts of negative thoughts kept surging.

“What are you thinking about?”

As he was blankly staring down at Ruby sleeping soundly on the mini fireplace, he felt the reassuring sensation of being fully embraced from behind.

“Ah, welcome back.”

When he turned around a beat late and greeted him with a smile, the man carrying the smell of metal lightly furrowed his well-shaped eyebrows.

“You seem to have been spacing out more often lately. Is something bothering you?”

Though he had skillfully hidden his depression, it seems he couldn’t escape the eyes of his lover who always observed him closely. At the sharp observation, Ryu Seo-ha curved his eye corners a bit more roundly and shook his head.

“Just about the mana circuit creation route.”

“Hmm, is that really all?”

“Yes, of course. What worries could I have when I’m playing all day?”

“You’ve been sleeping a lot more too, haven’t you?”

“They say people want to lie down when they sit, and sleep when they lie down. Guess that saying is spot on.”

How could he explain that his avoidant tendencies, which usually manifested as busily immersing himself in work, had transformed like this? To none other than the man who was busily digging into the cult’s background for his sake, even in the midst of his incredibly busy schedule.

“Did you resolve the matter you entrusted to Gaeul?”

Fortunately, he could still ask about outside matters in his usual nonchalant voice. Choi Gang-hu, who had been quietly observing his brightly smiling face, let out a faint sigh and lifted Ryu Seo-ha’s body to sit him on his thigh.

“Thanks to Ryu Seo-ha.”

Choi Gang-hu, resting his chin on Ryu Seo-ha’s shoulder as he fully enclosed him in his arms, pulled out a sword from [Subspace]. The shape of it, floating in the air with his telekinetic skill, was exactly like the Yeouigum that had been shattered to pieces in Italy.

“I’m glad I could be of some help, even if just a little.”

Only the red wave pattern engraved on the jet-black blade was different from the original form. It was the first masterpiece created by Han Gaeul, who had recently awakened as an S-rank creator, by synthesizing the red cloth that had bound Ryu Seo-ha to the cross during the kidnapping incident with fragments of the Yeouigum.

In the original work, this was an achievement obtained much later, only after the first battle with higher beings, using an intact Yeouigum. It seems his recommendation of the red cloth with high dark mana absorption capacity and related auxiliary items had been effective. He felt a little relieved.

“Are you really okay not seeing your sister?”

Choi Gang-hu asked softly while interlocking fingers with the hand he had been fiddling with all along. It was a repetition of his offer to throw a cruise party inviting some acquaintances if he wanted. Perhaps he had noticed Ryu Seo-ha’s recent depression and was trying to comfort him.

“Yes. It would be troublesome for no reason.”

But he still thought it would be better for Ryu Jeong-ah to stay in the heavily secured Hannam-dong mansion. He wondered if the cult with global influence might not be able to reach out to the cruise company they had recently acquired, and his older sister would certainly have to go through thorough inspections to meet him.

Above all, he felt that if he met his sister and heard about the outside world, his firm resolve to not leave this island might waver. Until he was sufficiently accustomed to this voluntary confinement, it would be better not to encounter anything that could shake his determination.

“More importantly, I finally completed the first knot.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been quietly observing Ryu Seo-ha’s face as he changed the subject with a bright smile, soon smiled back.

“Let’s take a look then.”

He gently caressed the white cheek as if impressed, and softly grasped his young lover’s wrist. Then he suddenly took the fluttering fingers, like willow branches, into his mouth.

“Ah, what are you doing…!”

As he wrapped his tongue around the reflexively curling fingers and sucked them in deeply, making his cheeks hollow, Ryu Seo-ha’s eyes, which had widened at the sudden contact, trembled finely.

“Checking the mana circuit route.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had obediently answered his question with muffled pronunciation, licked the neatly trimmed index fingernail up and down like an affection-seeking pet dog. He was on the verge of sucking the finger in all the way to his throat.

“Ugh, it’s not there!”

Ryu Seo-ha urgently pushed his face away, his cheeks flushed red. It was because he had learned from the experience of the past few days that even starting lightly like this as a joke would eventually lead to being drawn to the bedroom. Once he ends up lying on the bed vaguely, it becomes harder to refuse deep skinship.

“It’s not?”

“……”

He was dumbfounded to meet eyes that looked as wronged as a large dog who had breached its owner’s loosened guard to taste sweet cream only to have it quickly taken away. The sight of him even lightly licking his lips added to the bewilderment.

“Didn’t we decide the location of the first knot to be the left wrist?”

It would be meaningless to argue that the body part you just put in your mouth wasn’t the wrist, or that with such high Perception stats, there was no need to check with your lips. Despite his innocent-looking face, it probably wasn’t something he had done unknowingly.

“The center of the circuit is here.”

His well-shaped long finger slowly touched Ryu Seo-ha’s chest. The fingertip touching beyond the smooth sensation of the silk pajamas felt strangely hot.

“We decided to make it near the heart.”

Choi Gang-hu, curling up one corner of his mouth slightly, stared straight into his slightly trembling eyes and slowly dragged his finger down. It was a touch that encouraged lewd imagination. The hand that reached the position where faint abs were located firmly cupped his lower abdomen.

“I remember judging it to be several times more efficient than below the navel or near the brain.”

The large palm caressing his abdomen clearly held a different intention from the mana exploration claimed as pretext. Instead of pushing away that shameless touch, Ryu Seo-ha overlapped his hand on top of the back of the hand subtly rubbing his flat stomach.

“No matter how you seduce me… that’s not allowed.”

But the quietly flowing voice was very firm, unlike the gentle gesture. Lowering his eyes as he brought his lover’s hand to his cheek, he let out a smile resembling a sigh. It was because his behavior seemed like what’s called leading someone on.

“Do my actions really feel like seduction to you?”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been staring intently at that face, slowly pulled the wrist towards him and pressed his lips to the soft skin on the inside. Ryu Seo-ha couldn’t affirm as clearly as he wanted and just nodded his head slightly.

“Then it’s a success.”

Choi Gang-hu slowly lowered his head towards him. Ryu Seo-ha, pressing his lips tightly, lowered his gaze and head diagonally to one side. Choi Gang-hu hesitated and distorted his eyebrows.

“Can’t you just pretend not to notice and accept it once?”

He couldn’t say anything. Choi Gang-hu muttered that there was no gap and smiled bitterly. Soon after, he buried his lips in his young lover’s nape as usual.

Ryu Seo-ha closed his eyes and let his body go limp. Unable to decisively push away or readily accept his lover who had bitten into his neck like biting an apple.