Chapter 82:
Kwon Yi-soo clicked his tongue and waved his hand dismissively at her gaze.
“You two can handle the government’s complaints yourselves. I’ve done my part by granting permission. Now, leave.”
Baek Joo-won turned to leave at Kwon Yi-soo’s dismissal. Seo Jae-yi, instinctively following him, looked back at Kwon Yi-soo before exiting. His gaze was still fixed on her.
“Thank you.”
She bowed, genuinely grateful for his help. And then she left without hesitation, heading towards Baek Joo-won, who was waiting for her.
Click.
The door closed, and the familiar silence returned to the Center Head’s office. But for some reason, his shoulders felt heavier than usual.
Kwon Yi-soo took off his glasses, almost throwing them on his desk, and sank into his chair.
The facade of calmness he had maintained crumbled. The hand that had stamped the document trembled uncontrollably. He felt a hollow ache in his stomach.
It was ironic. He had never possessed it, so it wasn’t as if he had lost anything, but why did he feel this deep sense of emptiness?
He had known this day would come.
“…”
After a long pause, catching his breath, Kwon Yi-soo sat up and put his glasses back on.
There was no trace of his emotional turmoil in his posture as he straightened his back and picked up a pen.
Hiding his emotions was second nature to him. He had been doing it for the past eleven years.
But he couldn’t understand why his hand wouldn’t stop trembling today.
“Hehe.”
Seo Jae-yi giggled as they left the Center Head’s office. She was so happy that she couldn’t hide her smile. And she didn’t need to.
“Couldn’t we just act like we’re paired even if they don’t approve? I’m stateless, so I don’t have to follow Korean law anyway.”
“It’s different when it’s official. I can proudly brag that Baek Joo-won is my Pair, even if those jerks try to criticize me!”
Like Baldy, Baldy, and Baldy.
“Hah, I can’t wait to see Park Hyung-woo throw a tantrum.”
The thought alone was thrilling.
“Speaking of which, why do you have such a bad relationship with them? It wouldn’t be surprising if it was because of that Guild Leader’s personality.”
“Ah, it’s inferiority complex. Inferiority complex.”
It was a pathetic reason, but nothing brought out the worst in people like an inferiority complex.
“Taesan Guild was founded before Haeil. Park Hyung-woo awakened before the Guild Leader, and our Guild Leader awakened at nineteen, while he was still a minor.”
S-rank Espers could create Guilds without any conditions, except for one: age.
Only adults could create Guilds, so Kim Yoo-sung had founded Haeil after turning nineteen.
“Taesan quickly became the number one Guild with Park Hyung-woo, an S-rank Esper, as their Guild Leader. But that didn’t magically give him a good personality, did it?”
Driven by greed, Park Hyung-woo had pressured smaller Guilds, extorting dungeon subjugation permits, and ruthlessly poached talented individuals, even destroying their Guilds if necessary.
He had committed countless other evil deeds, but no one could stop him back then, as an Esper’s power was synonymous with authority.
And no one dared to intervene because Taesan had been diligently bribing the corrupt Guiding Center Head.
“Then our Guild Leader founded Haeil. With the appearance of a new, skilled S-rank Esper with a good personality, those who disapproved of Taesan’s behavior flocked to Haeil.”
Haeil started to catch up to Taesan rapidly, and then Kwon Yi-soo, who was incorruptible, became the new Guiding Center Head.
Taesan’s influence waned as they had been mistreating Guides, and Haeil eventually rose to become the second-ranked Guild.
And then Haeil completely turned the tables.
“Could it be…”
“Yes! It was when I, who had finally gained my freedom at twenty, joined Haeil!”
A Guild with two S-rank Espers, a first in Korea.
And Seo Jae-yi was a veteran S-rank, having awakened before Park Hyung-woo.
It was only natural for Haeil to dethrone Taesan and become the number one Guild.
“They’ve been throwing tantrums ever since. They tried to destroy Haeil.”
They ambushed Haeil Guild members after dungeon subjugations, spread rumors about Haeil, and even attempted to kidnap Haeil’s paired Guides.
When things went too far, Kim Yoo-sung reported Taesan to the government, demanding they be disciplined.
But the case was dismissed. There were various reasons, but the main reason was that they disapproved of Haeil poaching Seo Jae-yi.
That was when Seo Jae-yi thought,
They’re turning a blind eye to Taesan’s behavior? Then we can do it too, right?
“That was the beginning. We started taking them down, even more meticulously than Taesan, leaving no evidence.”
They ambushed Taesan when they were trying to attack Haeil, filmed their wrongdoings and spread them online – they didn’t even need to create rumors because Taesan had committed so many crimes – and even kidnapped and punished those who came to kidnap them.
It was mostly Seo Jae-yi’s doing, and she was surprisingly good at it. It was the perfect outlet for the anger she had accumulated during her seven years of confinement in the Center.
That was how she earned the delightful nickname, “Haeil’s Reckless Firestarter.”
“What we did was just justifiable retaliation.”
The story ended with Park Hyung-woo personally coming to kill Seo Jae-yi and then fleeing after being counterattacked, which slightly reduced the frequency of their attacks.
“Taesan deserves to be called Bean Mountain. You really stripped them bare.”
“It was fun.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled shyly, saying she was surprisingly good at that kind of thing.
“Huh?”
She suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu and turned her head sharply.
But there was nothing noticeable in the spacious Center lobby.
‘What was that? I didn’t smell anything, and I didn’t sense any distinct energy. What did I react to?’
She didn’t know. But her Esper instincts had definitely detected something.
What was it?
“Seo Jae-yi?”
Baek Joo-won, seeing her suddenly stop walking, looked at her curiously. Seo Jae-yi shook her head, having scanned the entire lobby and found nothing.
“…It was nothing.”
If it had been dangerous, she would have investigated immediately, but it wasn’t. It was a strangely familiar… a comfortable feeling that lowered her guard.
‘This is strange too.’
It was unsettling, but she couldn’t find it, as she didn’t sense anything anymore. Seo Jae-yi left the Center with Baek Joo-won.
And in the spot she had just left…
“Whew.”
Gong Ju-hyun, who had been hiding in a corner of the lobby, sighed in relief. Fortunately, Seo Jae-yi hadn’t noticed him.
‘…But it wasn’t a complete waste.’
He looked at his trembling hands.
Seo Jae-yi had definitely reacted to him. She had reacted more strongly to his presence than to Baek Joo-won, who was right beside her. She had searched for him like an animal driven by instinct.
It had been a brief moment, but it was a significant development.
“Noona is starting to notice me.”
It also meant that Park Jung-soo’s experiment was progressing successfully. Honestly, he had had some doubts, but today’s incident had erased them all. He was now certain.
He could push Baek Joo-won aside and become Seo Jae-yi’s true Guide if he continued with the experiment.
“I can’t wait for that day to come.”
Gong Ju-hyun smiled shyly, crouching behind the wall.
Seo Jae-yi’s paired Guide. Just the thought filled him with happiness.
【Awakened Individuals Only Community】
【Unauthorized access by non-Awakened individuals will result in a permanent ban.】
【Title: Found the place that sells the unknown dungeon plant Young Boss was force-selling】
【Did you guys know that Young Boss started selling some weird plants?
I actually bought one because I heard I could see her precious smile if I did. That was my main goal, so I didn’t have high expectations, but wow… I used it in a dungeon and was surprised by how useful it was. It was a plant that lured monsters using its barbs, like an anglerfish, and I was able to gather them all in one place and eliminate them. Jackpot.
So I went back to Young Boss to buy more, and she kindly told me about a shop that specializes in them. Have you guys heard of it? Have you guys heard her sweet voice???? I seriously checked multiple times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Hah… But Young Boss, can’t I just keep coming here? I want to see you… ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Why did you tell me about the shop? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ】
【Comments】
—I clicked so fast, thinking it was about the shop, but it was just Young Boss fangirling… Stop with the nonsense and tell us where the shop is. Wasn’t she growing those plants herself???
└Nope, she said she only grows a few and gets most of them from somewhere else.
└So where is the shop??? I’m the one who wrote that post about being force-sold by Young Boss, and now the Guild Leader is nagging me to get more after seeing how effective it is;; Please tell us, OP ㅠㅠㅠ
—??? What is this???? Young Boss smiled?? She was kind??? Is OP dreaming because of all the fangirling????
└|OP|: It’s real!!!! You guys wouldn’t understand. It only matters that she smiled at me. Sob, Young Boss…
└Stop crying and tell us where the shop is, you crazy bastard.
—|OP|: It’s a small flower shop next to Haeil headquarters. I think it was called Path of Flames.
└? A flower shop called Path of Flames? Is OP really dreaming?
└|OP|: Go see for yourselves if you don’t believe me.
└Huh, a flower shop called Path of Flames? And it’s next to Haeil headquarters? Is the owner Firestarter?
└What nonsense. Firestarter wouldn’t run a flower shop. Stop with the delusions and go outside and get some sun.
Seo Jae-yi, the owner of <Path of Flames> flower shop, was letting out happy screams.
Not only had she become paired with Baek Joo-won, but her shop was now known for selling dungeon plants, and customers were flocking in.
“Welcome!”
As she sent one customer off, another group entered. The three of them glanced around the shop.