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The Mist Vol 2 Chapter 35
🕑 Added 2024-08-16 08:50:55 +0000 UTCVol 2 Chapter 35
"Ah, then what should we do from now on?"
When Kapros grabbed Kion-hyung and asked without having time to think more deeply about his words, Kion-hyung tilted his head and then pointed his thumb towards the outside. It was a confident posture.
"You'll be staying here for a while, right? For now, just move around carefully without being noticed by that nasty Knight of the Demon God guy. And there's still a lot we haven't talked about, so let's do that later."
The fact that he specifically emphasized "nasty guy" showed that Kion-hyung really had built up emotions against him. As Kapros nodded and stepped back, Kion-hyung opened the door vigorously with a pleased smile.
"Then for now, the best mage is part of our guild! Hahaha!"
"What are you talking about?"
Although Kapros was laughing as he followed Kion-hyung out, only one name had been circling in his mind for a while.
'Yu-wan.'
In fact, there were a few more things that had come to mind while talking to Kion-hyung earlier.
When they first received the quest in the Endless Maze, Kran had excitedly told them exactly what quest he had received and how. On the other hand, Yu-wan had said he received a quest but only briefly mentioned that there was a penalty of losing his sword if he refused, without giving any detailed explanation.
Then, could it be that Kapros had just assumed Yu-wan had newly received the Dark Knight quest like Kran because of the timing that coincided with Kran's words?
After that, another thing that came to mind was Yu-wan's frequent disappearances on the way to Zagreb. He usually said he was going out to train with his sword, but thinking about it, he often trained without any problem while they were constantly moving together, so it was strange that he only went out separately to train when they were in cities.
When Kapros bought a sword from a special sword shop tucked away in a corner of Tolang under Yu-wan's guidance, he had asked how Yu-wan found such a place, and Yu-wan had answered that he discovered it while practicing in the city's back alleys or fields. What on earth did wandering around city back alleys have to do with sword training? In Kran's case, although he had similar skills to Yu-wan, he seemed to gain sufficient experience just from hunting during their travels without specially training with his sword in cities.
Had Yu-wan really gone out to train? Or...
'Damn it, I really don't know.'
The more Kapros thought about it, the more he felt his nerves sharpening without realizing it. As he had told Kion-hyung earlier, those things must have been nothing special since there had been no problems so far without worrying about them.
'No. Is it really nothing special?'
The dark shadow within him, which he thought had relaxed due to having people who trusted and liked him, began to stir again because of the conversation with Kion-hyung.
"I think you shouldn't completely lose your former coolheadedness, no matter how good a friend you think someone is. Honestly, you weren't the type to open up to others so easily, were you?"
It was an undeniable statement. Since when had he become so trusting of people?
"But even if you think of someone as a friend, they might not feel the same."
A stinging pain throbbed inside him. Those words were like the worst lesson he had learned. When had he started to forget the most expensive lesson he had gained in exchange for his leg and his life, a lesson he couldn't forget even in his dreams?
Unlike his outward expression, Kapros's heart was rapidly cooling.
[Beep.]
[Beep-. Branch Manager, this is the secretarial office. Mr. Nam Mugeon, head of Operations Management Team 3, has arrived.]
Yoon Seok-ho slowly lifted his eyes from the paper he had been reviewing. Normally, it would have been quite unpleasant to have his concentration broken, but perhaps because it was a visit he had been expecting, he didn't feel that way.
"Send him in."
[...]
After a moment of silence, the door clicked open, and a familiar man stepped into the office.
"It's been a while, sir."
"Hmm. We saw each other in MIST not long ago, so we can't say it's been a while."
Nam Mugeon, known as GM Mugeon in MIST, raised an eyebrow at the leisurely, glib tone in response to his polite greeting.
"Ah, yes. May I sit?"
Mugeon plopped down before hearing Yoon Seok-ho's answer and nervously stuffed his employee ID, which he had been wearing around his neck, into his pants pocket.
"This is unusual. What brings you here during work hours, leaving an AI substitute in your place? ...Is something happening in the eastern part of MIST?"
Yoon Seok-ho asked bluntly, lowering his gaze back to the documents in his hand and turning a page, with an attitude that suggested he didn't care whether Mugeon sat or not.
"Nothing special. All the H-ZERO quest users in the east have moved to other regions, so I have nothing to do."
"Hmm..."
Yoon Seok-ho turned another page of the document and briefly glanced at the grumbling Mugeon.
"Then it must have been convenient to focus only on the task I asked you to do?"
However, the moment he heard those words, Mugeon's expression contorted.
"Ah, about that. Actually, that's why I came today."
Mugeon approached Yoon Seok-ho, who was looking at him with puzzled eyes, and held out a small portable storage device he had been holding.
"I don't feel the need to say anything else, so just take a look first."
Yoon Seok-ho put down the pen he was holding in his right hand and took the device. He looked at Mugeon for a moment, his eyes demanding an explanation, but Mugeon only showed a firm determination for him to look at it first.
"Did he cause some kind of trouble? There was nothing like that in the recent reports I received."
Muttering, Yoon Seok-ho pressed a small button beside him. Soon, a hole opened in the seemingly empty desk to connect the storage device. The soft whirring sound of the device reading the contents inside broke the silence.
[Recognition complete. Turning ON the monitor.]
"Hmm."
As soon as Yoon Seok-ho's vague response fell, a holographic 3D image unfolded in the air in front of him and Mugeon.
It was a scene that started in the middle of a dangerous battle. The video, shot from an overhead angle, showed a black, giant insect-like monster stomping and rampaging in what appeared to be a plain, and in front of it, a small human figure was moving quickly, flickering like a shadow without leaving any afterimages.
