Chapter 114 – Episode 114 – Hong Chang-Gi “A Friend’s Secret Revealed as a Prank”

* Episode 114 – Hong Chang-gi “A Friend’s Secret Revealed as a Prank”

The story begins after rescuing Eo U-dong.

I talked about the information I shared with Nayami and what each constellation wanted from hunters.

“He revealed that much. That’s right. I didn’t tell the truth just yesterday, but he’s going to do that once he finishes conquering the 30th floor.”

“We will hand over all the hunters we rescued to the 15th floor and ask for mental treatment.”

“In some cases, the 25th floor will also be used. Since the minds of those people were damaged by the Incubus, they will know better how to cure it. The high-level onma who manages the 25th floor is also considering whether to cooperate with us like the 15th floor.”

In the meantime, the Constellation takes the Hunter’s side.

I took another cup of tea, saying that she would be happy if I told Ian about this.

As if the taste wasn’t as bad as he thought, he drank the black tea with his inexperience.

“But brother, why are you asking about the black market? It probably has nothing to do with you climbing the tower.”

“Do you guys know about the business cards being distributed on the 24th floor?”

“Do you mean business cards?”

What I will explain next is about the tower item that teleports to the 24th floor.

A scary object that moves to the 24th floor when the business card is torn, regardless of whether it is a hunter or an ordinary person.

Now that the gateway has been opened, and the transfer point has been opened, it is easier to access, but the space transfer ticket that could be used even before that…

“This is my first time hearing that. I’ve gone through regression a few times, but I’ve never heard of an item like that.”

“Me too.”

I liked the fact that it was an item that even Seongyeon didn’t know about.

“I guess such ridiculous items were being distributed on earth.”

“It’s a ticket to the 24th floor. Hmm… I don’t think it was distributed openly. If it had been, it would have been caught on our information network.”

“You’re worried that it might have been passed around on the black market?”

“Yes. There were a lot of ordinary people on the 24th floor that I could tell just by looking at them. Not only was business doing so well that Sun-ae’s article said, ‘The turnover rate downstairs is good,’ but it was also said that everyone who was in the know knew. In the camp. It is certain that it has been in circulation for some time, including the number of trapped people.”

“Maybe it was the only detour that could be used when the 20th floor gate was closed…?”

“… That’s a possibility.”

Everyone thought deeply at those words.

“What about the black market? Did you catch the guy there who runs a black market exclusively for hunters?”

“They are releasing their men, but there is no news of this kind. After we cut down the shoots that were sticking out, they seemed to have noticed something and stopped their activities.”

“Have you run away?”

“I don’t think that’s true. The market itself seems to be constantly moving, and new members are coming in. New posts are still being posted, so it’s bigger than I thought.”

“Now that I think about it, it looks like they were selling items related to the 20th floor. Maybe they were also selling business cards like my brother said.”

“Can’t we deal directly and catch it?”

“No. We bought this and that as an experiment, but I don’t think we can do anything with it.”

“When we purchased something, the product suddenly appeared at the designated location and time. The enemies are using that type of skill… I think we should think about it that way.”

“They are thorough bastards.”

In the end, it was Changgi who relaxed his shoulders saying that it was of no help, but Seongyeon and Ceres were the opposite.

They glanced at each other as if they had gotten a hint.

“… Why?”

“Thanks to you, I was convinced that the boss over there didn’t just have unique skills, but that he was a high-level hunter who was on the front lines like us.”

“Just that?”

“It looks like they were active even before the tower closed. Maybe they were the ones who suggested ways to attract customers to the Incubuses and asked for their business cards.”

“Hagi. I would have been able to do something like that if I had climbed the tower faster than you guys…”

“Due to timing, they must have been active before the tower closed. Since they know so much, they may have been the ones who taught the top rankers how to bypass the 50th floor.”

“Is that how it happens…?”

I scratched my forehead and licked my lips.

For someone who said he drank too much and felt like he was going to have an upset stomach, his lips are dry.

“Since we’ve already talked about this, I’m asking. Who do you think was the one who introduced the workaround against the former ranker?”

“Vagabond.”

“… Sooni? Why is she suddenly doing this?”

“If I talk long, it gets difficult, so let me keep it short…”

Seong-yeon gave an example of her regression so far and briefly explained that Bond behaves like her own colleague and then turns away from her at some point.

And without warning, from some moment, suddenly.

I told him everything about how I suspected that the last time he showed up on the 19th floor and handed me a map was some kind of trap.

“If I hadn’t given you a map to the 19th floor, I would have gotten lost. Isn’t that a misunderstanding?”

“The timing was too good to argue like that. It’s strange that you and Ceres were waiting there.”

“That naive kid suddenly becomes my enemy. I couldn’t believe it even after hearing it.”

“I don’t know. They may still be running a black market somewhere. From what I heard, all the members who are active in the shadows have teleportation skills, and this also overlaps with the characteristics of the draftsman’s guild.”

“Really?”

Ceres responded next.

“The executives of the draftsman’s guild all pride themselves on being quick on their feet. So they tend to give preference to people who are good at running or have related skills.”

“Well, Yeonyoung also ran really well. Even though Natalia and I were chasing after her, she took the lead as if it was natural.”

“Is that part of you?”

“Do you know?”

“No. I know him, but we’ve hardly ever talked to him. No matter what episode it is, he’s always the first one to come out, and Vice Gilma never shows up.”

“Really? That’s surprising. He has a good personality.”

As the story progressed to this point, Hong Chang-gi opened his mouth and said that everything went well.

She tried to hide it as best as she could, but swallowed her saliva and composed herself.

“It’s already been said, but I also have something to say about Suni… Will you listen?”

“What is it all of a sudden?”

“This is a hilarious story, but…”

In the end, she confessed that she met the future Leia on the 30th floor.

Of course she didn’t talk about sex and just passed it off as a coincidence that she met him.

Even if the story was passed over like that, everyone turned on her just because she ‘came to the gate.’

‘The prostitute did it with Leah.’

‘Poor brother. She did it with her future daughter.’

Normally, as a woman, she might have been angry, but the two people honestly sympathized with her.

Because I know exactly that ‘all the women who are attracted to this man are abnormal.’

“So, what did Leah say?”

“Please protect Suni. He told me not to misunderstand and that he was never an enemy.”

“Vagabond…?”

“… What do you think?”

“…”

Seongyeon scratched her forehead.

This was the first case like this.

“That can’t be possible… Bae Bond… Suni always interrupted me… At first, gently… Then at the end, she always burst out loud…”

“But Leah said she wasn’t an enemy. I believe our intelligent Leah.”

“But…”

I immediately thought deeply about whether I could believe it.

It’s the first time I’ve seen an episode turn out so well, so I can’t believe it.

“The investigation was already focused on the Draftsman’s Guild or Vagabond, but now it turns out that they are not the enemy.”

“… That’s right. But it’s something we can’t ignore. The fact that she came from the future means that we’ve reached a happy ending, which is exactly what we wanted.”

So it cannot be ignored.

Maybe there is a separate enemy other than Vagabond.

“Let’s put this story aside for now. Changgi rescued senior Eoudong this time, so you can go over there and listen to the story and sort it out.”

“That’s what you’re saying, Eou-dong. But Bridgeta, who climbed the tower with me, didn’t know either. Does she know?”

“Still, I have to ask. Since he was close to the former number one, he might know something.”

Then I tried to organize the story.

“So, did you receive compensation?”

“No, they said the gate was too easy and they didn’t give a reward. So I just answered a few questions and finished.”

“Hmm. What question did you ask?”

“Just my personal history? For example, why I suddenly became stronger.”

“Oh what, why did you get an answer like that?”

“I wasn’t in the mood to ask anything big. So this reward was actually a disaster.”

“I see… That’s right. I was curious.”

“Me too.”

Two people asked me to tell them a secret, and I tried to explain it without hesitation.

There is no way it can be said that the system is ‘the closer you get to Seongyeon’s secret, the stronger you become’.

“Why? Can’t you tell me?”

“There are circumstances like that.”

“Hmm. Then I won’t ask you any questions.”

Since we’re in a relationship with a lot of secrets anyway, there’s no way we’ll be dissatisfied with something like that now.

The moment I passed it off really coolly and chatted briefly based on today’s story, then raised my butt and said, ‘Let’s talk about the rest in the skyscraper’-

“That’s right. Ceres.”

“Why?”

“Seongyeon goes, and you stay here.”

“Ah…”

“Aang?”

Ceres’ face turned red at those words and Seongyeon reacted violently.

“Oppa… I’m in trouble…”

“What?”

“No matter what… You’re recommending it in front of the guild leader…”

“Huh?”

I was puzzled as to why Ceres would react like that, and only after a few seconds did I realize the meaning.

“Ana, you’re crazy! I called you here to talk about something, so don’t imagine anything strange!”

“Just me?”

“It’s a secret, right! Hey, Seongyeon! You go straight to your room!”

“Uh, yes… No, but why are you talking to just the two of us without me? What kind of secret is this!?”

“That’s because there’s a good reason! Anyway, hurry up and get back!”

“Chii! It’s a shame!”

Even as he said that, he walked away and slammed the door, just as the prostitute wanted.

The two people were still at the table in front of them, but it was very quiet for such a conversation to have just taken place.

Hong Chang-gi pursed his lips as if he was thinking about something, and I had an intuition that his one word was something that would cause a storm.

“Brother. What did you do?”

That’s why Ceres struck first.

He was able to speak easily.

“… What?”

“I feel like I’ve done something. I don’t understand why you even bothered to prepare tea. You’re feeling restless right now…”

“…”

When asked, he averted his gaze for a moment and broke into a cold sweat.

I wondered if he had made me drink something dangerous, but I knew he wasn’t the type of person to do that and asked again.

“What did you make me drink?”

“Well… I said I was worried about dying…”

“You’re going to die?”

“My head… I’m afraid it might explode…”

“Oppa?”

Ceres’ heartbeat grew louder.

She was running so fast that I thought she might be heard outside of her body.

The same goes for prostitutes, he managed to say.

“Ceres. Let me ask you one question.”

“If you think it’s dangerous, you don’t have to. Stop here.”

“No. I have to ask what happened like this. I assure you, if it’s not now, I’ll probably never be able to ask.”

“Uh, brother…?”

The gazes of the two people overlapped.

That’s when the prostitute’s face distorted and cold sweat ran down her chin and hit the floor.

“Seongyeon is a woman, right?”

I finally threw it away.