Vol 7 Chapter 3

"No compensation is needed, and I understand."

[ Thank you. I should have told you sooner, but I've been quite busy with various things lately and found it difficult to make time. ]

Yoon Seok-ho smiled slightly and stretched his shoulders.

[ This must all be due to my uncontrollable popularity. ]

"You seem busy, so I'll hang up."

When Kapros responded stiffly, Yoon Seok-ho let out a low laugh.

[ Let's do that. ...Ah, but by the way. ]

Suddenly wearing an expression as if he had remembered something, Yoon Seok-ho opened his mouth with a strangely raised corner of his lips.

[ How much do you know about the people doing the same quest as you, Kang Mu-heon-ssi? ]

The same quest... did he mean the Superior quest?

"Why..."

[ When I contacted someone with the player name Kion a few days ago, it seemed he was quite close with you and several others. ]

"And?"

[ Do you perhaps know the person carrying out the Dark Knight quest as well? ]

Dark Knight... Yu-wan?

Though Kapros was momentarily flustered, he tried not to show it in his expression as he frowned and answered.

"Yes... I know him somewhat."

Know him? They had done things together just last night that couldn't be openly spoken about to others, but there was no reason to tell Yoon Seok-ho that.

At Kapros's answer, a strange light flashed momentarily in Yoon Seok-ho's eyes, but it disappeared so quickly that it seemed like it might have been a mistake.

[ Ah. I thought you would know. ]

"I don't understand why you're showing interest in others' relationships."

[ Haha. Calling them others. It's nothing much. I generally maintain good contact with other quest performers, but I can't seem to get in touch with him well. If you happen to get in contact with him, could you please tell him not to ignore my attempts to reach him? ]

"If I get in contact, I'll pass it on."

[ Thank you. ]

Yoon Seok-ho winked and let out a light breath before giving his farewell.

[ Then, Kang Mu-heon-ssi, please take good care of your wounds and health. Though you seem to have forgotten, we have many things to do together in the future. I haven't even seen your video that I'm looking forward to yet, so there shouldn't be any problems before that. I'll contact you again next time. ]

Before Kapros could respond, Yoon Seok-ho's image flickered and disappeared instantly. Kapros had to close his mouth that he had opened to speak.

'Why do I always feel so uneasy after talking with Yoon Seok-ho...'

Had Jin Je-hwan said he had trouble getting in contact with Yoon Seok-ho? He seemed to receive contact from others quite well usually. If he was deliberately not answering, Je-hwan must probably be avoiding Yoon Seok-ho because he disliked him too. That must be the reason.

'Hmm. Maybe I should try that too. Sounds appealing.'

While making this arbitrary conclusion, Kapros removed the towel he had wrapped around his neck to cover his wounds. His hair had already dried completely.

Meanwhile, as soon as Yoon Seok-ho ended the call, he turned his attention to the notification sound that rang without a moment's pause.

[ Registered number 005 is calling on port number 2783. Registered number 005 is calling on port number 2783... ]

"My, my. For this rare contact to come at such a time. How ungentlemanly."

Yoon Seok-ho looked at the floating text showing "Registered number 005" with a smirk before putting on the goggles lying beside him.

"Port access. Port number 2783."

[ Port number 2783 is a secure port. Please enter the user-designated password. ]

"Password, 'Team Jecsprot.'"

[ Correct password. Connecting to authorized location. 3. 2. 1. ]

After his vision distorted greatly once, he found himself in a room within a chaotically decorated virtual port. After calmly looking around at the dizzying wallpaper and furniture that seemed to make one's eyes spin just by staying still, Yoon Seok-ho's eyes met with those of the white man waiting for him in the middle.

"Hey, Yoon."

"It's been a while, Yup..."

"Feels like we just met before the open, yet here we are today. Time really does fly fast. To think that guy who seemed like he'd never leave suddenly slipped away completely. More fickle than the weather these days."

The man who responded brazenly pointed to the chair in front of him after taking his hand out of his crumpled researcher's coat pocket.

"Planning to keep standing? Sit."

"Very well. How were things on your end?"

When Yoon Seok-ho asked while taking his seat, the man raised the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

"How were they? They were shit."

"Haha. You did well to hold back from contacting me all this time."

"Well, I'm the one left with the role here anyway. I just stayed quietly holed up doing shitty work to avoid unnecessary suspicion."

Though his manner of speaking was somewhat rough, the man's eyes were quite gentle. Yoon Seok-ho nodded while looking at the man's pale-colored hair.

"Yes. I heard the news. Seeing that not only Mr. Lee but you as well were included in the audit inspection team, their intentions are obvious."

"When Leon Price is the leader of the audit inspection team, it stinks to high heaven from the start. They probably won't want to miss this opportunity."

Yoon Seok-ho just smiled with his usual expression. The man smiled crookedly in return and put his interlocked hands behind his head.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter to me. I'm not the one who has what they want. When I go to Korea, I should eat that first thing, like it's a vacation. That thing. What was it called? The thing that person used to talk about often."

That person. At hearing those words, Yoon Seok-ho hesitated momentarily before answering as if nothing had happened.

"You mean dak-galbi?"

"Ah. Right. That was the name. Buy me that first when I go to Korea. Surely you can afford at least that much as a branch manager?"

Meeting the suspicious glance, Yoon Seok-ho shrugged his shoulders.

"I can buy you as much of that as you want. But don't let your guard down too much."

"I got it. I said I got it."