JaeHyun was going home in a deluxe taxi Yoo Sung-Eun had called for him.
Although he had adamantly refused, saying that he was fine with taking the bus and that she didnât have to, Yoo Sung-Eun had been stubborn.
Proclaiming that since he was a member of their Yeonhwa Guild now, she stated that this much was natural.
âWell, it did let me go home pretty comfortably.â
JaeHyun propped his chin up and looked out the window.
He recalled what Park SungJae had explained while spitting out his saliva.
According to him, the fact that he had broken out of the mana cube in 10 minutes broke the current world record.
Although it was an informal record, it was 20 minutes less than the best record of 36 minutes made by Camilla from the US.
So JaeHyun could only be dumbfounded.
âHuh. WellâŠâŠ how did things turn out like thisâŠ.â
Hadnât he just used an expedient way by breaking the nucleus?
Receiving such cordial treatment was a little embarrassing because of that.
âWell, whatever. Itâs fortunate that I didnât give them the impression that I was useless.â
This was what he was really worried about as he entered the mana cube.
Verifying the worth of his existence.
If he hadnât managed that, he wouldnât have a position within Yeonhwa Guild,
and as a result, it would weaken his right to speak and he would be pushed out by external influences.
A world where the law of the jungle had become the basic law.
In this place, those weaker could only remain alive with subservience.
This was the same for the JaeHyun of the past.
Clearly feeling miserableâbut desperately carrying on.
Such was his past filled with tragedy.
âNow, I wonât live like that even if I were to die.â
JaeHyun promised himself.
His future would change depending on how much effort he put in right now.
And to JaeHyun who had already felt what it was like to fail once, that effort was not a difficult thing to surface.
âHowever, before thatâŠâ
JaeHyun turned his gaze to the window with his mouth tightly shut.
âNight Shade⊠How can I defeat that thing in two months? If I succeed, I might also find out more about the Nornir System and Adversary thing.â
JaeHyun took a deep breath and gathered his determination.
[Main Quest]
Helâs Trial
Hel, the Ruler of Helheim, has given you a trial. Get Helâs recognition by defeating the Night Shade within the time limit.
Difficulty: C
Reward: Helâs Gift (the content can be checked after clearing the quest)
Remaining Time: 58 days 18 hours 54 minutes
Failure Penalty: Death
Tomorrow was a new beginning.
***
âJaeHyunâs still not hereâŠ..â
âIt seems so. Heâs a bit late today. Heâs not answering his phone either.â
Lee SeonHwa and Kim YooJung were talking as they waited for JaeHyun in the alley in front of the house.
It was because JaeHyun, who normally spent most of his time at home and didnât wander around until late, hadnât come home yet even by such a late hour today for some reason.
Of course, Kim YooJung had come over just a moment ago to have a show-down when JaeHyun didnât reply.
Anyway, what was certain was that the two were both waiting for JaeHyun impatiently.
Screech!
<At that moment>
Both their eyes turned to the car coming down the alley.
A black van, for which just a glance showed it was a fancy vehicle.
A moment later, the car stopped and a familiar face appeared from within. It was JaeHyun.
âTh-Thatâs a really expensive car, isnât it? Why is JaeHyun coming out of there?â
Kim YooJung asked with a dumbfounded look on her face.
Lee SeonHwa also looked bewildered as she asked JaeHyun, who was walking over.
âI know⊠By any chance, JaeHyun wouldnât have done anything badâŠâŠ would he?â
Oblivious to the twoâs grave imaginations, JaeHyun happily waved his hand at the two people waiting for him.
***
It had been 10 minutes since he came home.
JaeHyun had gone into his room with YooJung.
Although they were a male and female alone in a room together, there was not a speck of excitement to be found.
Kim YooJung, who was glaring at JaeHyun, asked first.
âSo. You finished preparing. The contractâs already been written. Being a warrior now would be excruciatingly tiresome.â
âAll this from a kid who until just a few days ago said that there was no future in magic or whatever. Did you eat something bad? Did you go insane by any chance?â
As Kim YooJung asked with a dissatisfied expression, JaeHyun retorted sassily.
âHey, a personâs mind is normally like a reed. It changes easily.â
âI never expected to hear those words from you of all people.â
At Kim YooJungâs words, JaeHyun calmly yawned as he asked.
âBy the way, what are you doing here? Where are your parents? Did they go on a business trip again?â
âYup. So I came over to play. But Auntie asked me to just sleep over.â
âHow come you like it here more than at your own house? I canât understand. Why do you come to such a tiny place when you have a big house?â
Like JaeHyun said, Kim YooJung was the only daughter of a pretty affluent household.
Kim YooJungâs parents worked on dismantling the corpses of demonic creatures and selling them to different countries.
There was nothing to throw away from a demonic creatureâs corpse,
and the monsters that appeared in each country were different, so there was a big profit to be had.
As a result, there were a lot of instances where Kim YooJung was left alone at home.
In the 12 months of the year, the time she spent with her parents only comprised two months. Usually, she would just come hang out at JaeHyunâs house.
Lee SeonHwa and Kim YooJungâs parents were close friends,
and although JaeHyun and Kim YooJung were always bickering with each other, they were good friends who always took care of one another.
JaeHyun quickly turned to Kim YooJung, who was sitting beside him, and spoke.
âAnyway. Thatâs what happened. Teach me a little magic theory. As a favor.â
âYouâre asking with just words?â
At Kim YooJungâs joking words, JaeHyun stretched out his hand and put it on her head in outrage.
âThen hand over the payment for staying over at our house. You stayed over for a few days last time, too.â
âWho cares. Auntie is the one letting me stay over, not you.â
As Kim YooJung retorted, JaeHyun let out a sigh as he fixed his posture.
âSo. What is it you want? You should let me know so I can decide.â
âHmm⊠now that you ask, I havenât thought about it.â
Kim YooJung was silent for a moment, then she spoke with a bright smile.
âGranting one wish. Whatever it is.
Refuse if you donât want to.â
It was an unbelievable suggestion. How would he know what kind of wish she would ask for?
But JaeHyun had no choice.
It was impossible to find a magical theory tutor at this point,
and although Kim YooJung was the way she was, she had never lost top honors when it came to subjects related to magic.
JaeHyun was surprised but nodded thinking it wouldnât be a very difficult wish.
âOkay. But thereâs an expiry date of 1 year. If you donât use it in that time, then you get nothing. Understood?â
âHey, unfair!
âŠWell, okay.â
Hearing her answer, JaeHyun smiled.
âIf itâs a year, sheâll forget again.â
Kim YooJung had a careless personality.
She would probably not remember it in a year.
Hiding his sinister thoughts, JaeHyun put on a carefree expression.
âBy the way, what kind of wish is it for you to be talking with such a serious expression? You really became uglier. I didnât know that was possible.â
âWhat?! Ok⊠you really want to die, donât you?! Ah! You left me and just went away that day, too? Ok, letâs see how you die today!â
Kim YooJung clenched a fist and punched JaeHyunâs side with it.
There was a genuine sound as he was hit.
JaeHyun shouted in a fit of rage.
âHey! Isnât it too much to hit me just for that!â
âShut up!â
Until Lee SeonHwa called them a moment later to come eat dinner, they spent the whole time bickering.
It wasnât too bad of a feeling.
***
Reaper Scans
Translator â Rainypup
Proofreader â Lyze
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/MaRegMFhRb
***
The next day was the official start of his magic lessons.
After receiving his ID card at the lobby, JaeHyun was waiting for the two individuals.
He didnât know when they had made his ID, but it already showed that he was a member of the Yeonhwa Guild.
âThough, since Iâm still a minor, this kind of card probably doesnât have a legal effect.â
This was sort of Yoo Sung-Eunâs way of showing off.
Since he was now a member of Yeonhwa Guild, it was a type of warning to stop him from meeting up with other guilds or doing things that go against regulations.
JaeHyun smiled slightly as he recalled how he had signed a contract with the Yeonhwa Guild.
âBefore I returned to the past, I didnât have the ability to join a guild and had to crawl on the bottom. Even with the agency, I couldnât find a job, so it was really difficult.â
But in this life, heâd signed a generous contract even before he became an adult, so it might be normal that he felt the way he did.
As JaeHyun was locked in his thoughts, a loud voice rang in the guild lobby.
âSo! You just need to give me a bit of time, okay? Why is that such a problem?â
A man was yelling in anger while holding on to the wrist of a woman sitting at the reception desk.
JaeHyun narrowed his eyes.
âThat person is⊠Yoo SunJae?â
Having the same purplish-black hair as Yoo Sung-Eun and a clear impression,
âYoo Sung-Eunâs only blood-related family and little brother, Yoo SunJae. In addition, before returning to the past, he was the culprit who took over Yeonhwa Guild the moment Guildmaster Yoo Sung-Eun fell into a vegetative state.â
JaeHyun frowned as he watched from the side while Yoo SunJae acted violently.
Even as the woman refused, he didnât pay any attention and kept making a nuisance.
âSo⊠no one will know if you leave for a moment and come back. Donât you know this is my sisterâs guild? If I explain wellâŠâŠâ
âNo, leaving my position without permission during working hours is completely forbidden. If youâre done talking, please leave. Otherwise, you will disturb my work.â
Although she was replying calmly, the lady at the desk was trying to calm her anger internally.
JaeHyun shook his head as he watched Yoo SunJaeâs grotesque behavior.
âIt looks like this has happened more than once. I guess he was always a gangster-like playboy.â
As if his inborn personality would go anywhere.
Yoo SunJae was the person who controlled Yeonhwa Guild the moment Yoo Sung-Eun fell into a coma.
After he swallowed the guild, Yeonhwa fell to the bottom in just 5 years and disbanded. And after 10 years, the guild was even forgotten from peopleâs memory.
âHoweverâin this life, Yeonhwa Guildâs destruction will not happen.â
JaeHyun laughed internally.
Originally, after Yoo Sung-Eun lost consciousness, the rights to Yeonhwa Guild would pass to Yoo SunJae,
and after that, Yeonhwa Guild would quickly fall to rock bottom and Yoo SunJae would go behind bars.
That was the original story.
âBut now, Guildmaster Yoo Sung-Eun wonât die. Why? Because I will make it that way.â
A time wherein that gangster of a playboy would get the rights to Yeonhwa would never come. As he watched Yoo SunJae and the lady quarrel, JaeHyun approached the two.
He stopped beside the desk and spoke.
âUhm, I came for something, would you please help me?â
âHuh? What kind of bastard are you?! Donât you see that I was talking to her first?â
At Yoo SunJaeâs rude words, JaeHyun smirked as he asked the receptionist.
âIâm sorry. Did he come here for something important?â
âNo.â
A decisive answer. She must have been extremely tired of Yoo SunJae. JaeHyun smiled sickeningly at Yoo SunJae, who stood in front of him, and spoke.
âIf youâre not here for something important, please scram. Iâm a bit of a busy person.â