Chapter 185:
After their farewells, Elizer created a large portal, big enough to transport even the massive dragon corpses.
“I can’t maintain a portal this size for long, so hurry up and move them.”
At Elizer’s words, Seo Jae-yi peeked through the portal. It led to Haeil Guild headquarters in Korea.
“Wow! It’s the Leader!”
“Leader! Welcome back!”
The Haeil Guild members, who had been eagerly awaiting her return, cheered and waved, their faces lighting up as they saw her.
Some even had tears in their eyes, having been so worried.
Seo Jae-yi nodded at her beloved Guild members and then yelled,
“What are you standing around for?! Get over here and move this stuff! The portal won’t stay open forever!”
Their cheers died down at her blatant demand for their labor.
“Seriously… you’re not even giving us a chance to celebrate…”
Moon Soo-hyun chuckled, exasperated.
Seo Jae-yi, who had dismissed their farewells before leaving for the US, having only summoned Kim Yoo-sung and Seo Won-yeong, had now ordered all the Guild members to assemble… and this was why.
“Move it, unless you want me to kick your asses!”
But what choice did they have? They had to obey Seo Jae-yi’s orders.
The Guild members glared at Kim Yoo-sung, who hadn’t warned them about the impending forced labor.
Seeing their Guild Leader subtly avoiding their gazes, they knew their Guild was doomed.
Thanks to the Haeil Guild members, all the rewards Seo Jae-yi had received were quickly transported from the US to Korea.
Seo Jae-yi hugged Elizer, thanking him for his hard work, and Grayson, her eternal friend, and then, with Baek Joo-won, stepped onto Korean soil.
She felt a strange mix of emotions, watching the purple portal shimmer and fade.
“Spatial Manipulation Espers are the best.”
She was friends with Elizer, but this was the first time she had truly experienced the convenience of his ability. It was a power she coveted.
She now understood why the US paid Elizer more than Grayson. She would have done the same.
“You’re right. They even offered to pair me with a Spatial Manipulation Esper if I joined them.”
Baek Joo-won whispered, his words meant only for her ears.
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What? Really?”
“Yes. I had no intention of going to the US, not with you having my Yeouiju, but I have to admit, that offer was tempting.”
Baek Joo-won nodded.
He had already been falling for Seo Jae-yi, swayed by her relentless pursuit, so he had dismissed the offer, but if she had been even slightly less… enthusiastic, he might have accepted.
A Spatial Manipulation Esper was that valuable.
“That’s probably why… I felt… strange when I saw him.”
Elizer, who was generally polite and respectful, had actually been a better option than Grayson. They might have even become… friends, if they had been paired.
It was a high praise, coming from Baek Joo-won, who was generally indifferent towards humans.
“…On second thought, I don’t need a Spatial Manipulation Esper.”
Seo Jae-yi changed her mind, seeing his reaction.
“Walking is better exercise anyway.”
Baek Joo-won looked at her, puzzled by her sudden change of heart, and then chuckled.
It was a rare sight, seeing her pout.
“Are you jealous?”
“You would be jealous too if I said I liked Grayson.”
Seo Jae-yi didn’t deny it. How could she not be jealous, hearing that her one and only had almost been paired with someone else, that he had even been tempted?
“Of course.”
Baek Joo-won, answering immediately, pulled her close and kissed her cheeks repeatedly, a wide smile on his face.
“I’m glad you’re jealous. It’s usually me.”
“Huh? Really? When were you jealous?”
Seo Jae-yi, experiencing jealousy for the first time, was surprised. She hadn’t noticed; he must have hidden it well.
“You don’t need to know that.”
But Baek Joo-won had no intention of telling her.
His jealousy meant someone was expressing interest in Seo Jae-yi.
He didn’t want her to know about those who harbored deeper feelings for her, like Kwon Yi-soo or Gong Ju-hyun. Not even about casual flirts.
He loved her obliviousness; he wouldn’t ruin it by revealing such unpleasant truths.
He would keep it a secret forever.
“Just focus on me. Love only me. That’s all you need to do.”
“Aren’t I already loving you enough?”
“More. I’m always… thirsty.”
He nuzzled against her, as if her affection wasn’t enough to quench his monstrous thirst.
Seo Jae-yi chuckled and wrapped her arms around him, her much smaller frame barely able to encompass his larger one.
“Look at them, shamelessly flirting while we’re stuck doing all the work.”
The Guild members, busy sorting through the rewards Seo Jae-yi had brought back, jeered. Moon Soo-hyun was the loudest.
But Seo Jae-yi and Baek Joo-won, unfazed, only clung to each other tighter, as if to spite them.
“Enough with the PDA. What are you two going to do now?”
Kim Yoo-sung, stepping before them, asked about their plans.
They were going to have Seo Won-yeong craft equipment with the dragon corpses and lava stones Seo Jae-yi had brought back.
However, the dragons were massive; it would be difficult for her to work on them in her workshop at home, so they decided to use the space at Haeil Guild headquarters.
The empty space next to the headquarters, where Seo Jae-yi’s flower shop had been, was perfect.
“Are you calling Seo Won-yeong now? We should start working on the corpses before they decompose further.”
“Well, Won-yeong will come running whenever I call, but there’s something we need to do first.”
“Something you need to do?”
Kim Yoo-sung tilted his head, and Seo Jae-yi belatedly realized she hadn’t told him about their plan to capture Park Jung-soo in the US.
‘Ugh… he’s going to lecture me again.’
But she hadn’t had the time; their schedule had been too tight.
Seo Jae-yi looked at Kim Yoo-sung with a complicated expression.
It was better to get it over with quickly. She told him she had something important to discuss and led him to his office.
Of course, she took Baek Joo-won with her, his hand clasped tightly in hers. It was always better to face a scolding together.
“My ears are bleeding…”
Seo Jae-yi, sitting in the car parked at the Guild headquarters, clutched her ears.
She wasn’t exaggerating; she thought her ears were actually bleeding after Kim Yoo-sung’s lecture.
“He’s getting worse.”
Seo Jae-yi grumbled, not even considering that it might be her fault.
‘I told you not to reveal Baek Joo-won’s identity, and you used his abilities to capture Park Jung-soo?! In America, no less, knowing full well that Association Head Taylor was nearby?! Why would you do that?! You’re going to shorten my lifespan!’
Kim Yoo-sung’s words, yelled in exasperation, still echoed in her ears.
“We caught him, didn’t we? He was lecturing us for an hour.”
Baek Joo-won was also massaging his temples.
Kim Yoo-sung, learning that Baek Joo-won had been the mastermind behind the plan, and not just a passive participant, had treated him not as Seo Jae-yi’s voice of reason, but as another troublemaker, just like her.
Baek Joo-won felt a bit wronged. The result was good, wasn’t it?
“You’re right. It’s better than letting him escape!”
Seo Jae-yi nodded vigorously. They were truly a match made in heaven.
Having escaped Kim Yoo-sung’s wrath, they drove to the Gapyeong forest dungeon.
She had Kim Yoo-sung call Seo Won-yeong, as she wanted her to assess the condition of the dragon corpses before starting work on them. They would also discuss the equipment designs together.
Dealing with Park Jung-soo, who had been alone in the forest dungeon for two weeks, was their priority.
“You told the dungeon plants not to kill Park Jung-soo, right?”
Baek Joo-won nodded at her question.
“I told them to keep him from leaving the dungeon. And Airok should be awake by now, so he’ll be keeping an eye on him.”
Airok was the only one who had known about their plan to capture Park Jung-soo in the US.
Seo Jae-yi nodded, relieved that she could rely on him.
The forest dungeon, after ten days, was as refreshing as ever.
She hadn’t had time to look around before, having been preoccupied with dumping Park Jung-soo and rushing back to the US, so she checked the flowerbeds near the gate.
“Thankfully, they’re all fine.”
She usually didn’t worry about them when she was away, as Airok or Baek Joo-won would take care of them, but she had been a bit concerned this time, as all three of them had been gone for so long.
Thankfully, they were mostly fine, being dungeon plants and having been infused with Baek Joo-won’s regenerative energy.
Seo Jae-yi started by feeding the fire-consuming plants. They seemed to have missed her, clinging to her as she sprayed them with flames.
“Yes, yes, I know. You were thirsty, weren’t you? Here, drink up. Good, good.”
She soothed the plants as she fed them, like babies clinging to their mother.
Some of them even tried to grab her arm, but they quickly recoiled, seeing Baek Joo-won glaring at them from behind Seo Jae-yi.
“Master!”
Airok, in his smaller form, flew towards her just as she finished feeding the plants.
Seo Jae-yi tossed the fire sprinkler aside and caught him in her arms.
“Logi!”
“Master!”
They hugged each other tightly, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, not just ten days.
“Logi, are you okay? I’m sorry. Was it too hot?”
“It was. But I endured, thinking of your love for me.”
Seo Jae-yi was deeply touched by his words.
“Thank you, Logi. Thanks to you, the US thinks both you and Hae-wi are dead and gave me lots of good stuff.”
“Oh, really? That’s great!”
“Yes! And I claimed all the dragons you killed. I even brought you their magic stones!”
Airok’s eyes widened, and he started drooling.
“I’m still not fully recovered… can I have just one magic stone? I think it’ll heal me completely…”
His pleading, puppy-dog eyes were too much for Seo Jae-yi to resist.
“Of course! I brought them for you!”
“You’re the best, Master!”
Airok’s tail wagged excitedly.
“Not fully recovered, my ass.”
Baek Joo-won scoffed at their heartwarming reunion, but they ignored him.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, he grabbed Airok by the scruff of his neck and pulled him away from Seo Jae-yi.
“Enough of that. Where’s Park Jung-soo?”
“Oh, he’ll be here soon.”
Airok, dangling in Baek Joo-won’s grasp, chuckled.
Just as he said, they heard footsteps approaching, heavy, clumsy steps, as if someone was stumbling.
A dark figure emerged from the bushes where Airok had been hiding.