Chapter 92

-The hotel bombing incident that occurred in Seoul has been concluded as the impulsive rampage of Chinese hunter A-rank. In response, the S-grade hotel is proceeding with a lawsuit for damages against the B-rank guild to which A-rank belongs….

The anchor’s voice flowed clearly from the news. Zhixuan was currently sitting on the top floor of Paehyeok, specifically in Taehyeok Sa’s Office, pulling at his hair. To be precise, he was just messing with his hair with his head bowed, but to Cho-i Hyeon, it just looked like he was tearing at his own hair. Slurp- Cho-i was happily watching him, drinking an iced Americano that Yeonhan Kim had bought for her. Taehyeok Sa looked at Zhixuan and spoke with a laugh, as if it were none of his business.

“Charge us for half the repair costs. But the lawsuit, that’s a shame.”

“It’s fine. Unless you’re going to help.”

He sighed deeply and lifted his head. His long hair was a mess. Cho-i Hyeon went to his side and smoothly tidied his disheveled hair with her hand. Zhixuan looked at her with a bewildered expression, and Cho-i grinned at him.

“I didn’t destroy the hotel….”

“What are you talking about? The news says you destroyed it, you criminal!”

“Ha…….”

Zhixuan buried his face in his hands again. Cho-i Hyeon and Taehyeok Sa merely looked at his distress with amusement.

“Do you think I’ll just stand by and take this?”

“What are you going to do if you don’t, you criminal?”

“Indeed, what will you do, Mr. Terrorist?”

The two answered in turn. Zhixuan felt his head spinning and couldn’t keep it still. Regardless, he was the one who made such a deal. Even if you roll in a field of feces, it’s better to be alive. Zhixuan ran his hand through his hair, recalling the Korean proverb.

“First, Hunter Cho-i Hyeon.”

“Why.”

“Do you not intend to go to China with me?”

“Why would I go there?”

“I’ll pay you double whatever you receive from Paehyeok.”

Taehyeok Sa interrupted them again.

“What’s the reason for that?”

Then Cho-i Hyeon chuckled as if she understood.

“Do you think I’d go all the way there to work as your blood bag for that money?”

“……I’m not just going to make you a blood bag.”

“You’re not denying it, you bloodsucker.”

“Then, just one last bite….”

“One bite, my foot. Am I an ice cream cone?”

“If you let me drink your blood, I’ll say Zhu Rui died in the dungeon.”

“Selling out a comrade to benefit yourself? You pig.”

“Then, if Zhu Rui died at the hands of a Korean hunter and I just let it happen, the Black Society would be very pleased, wouldn’t they?”

Zhixuan said that, then pulled Cho-i Hyeon, who was sitting next to him, onto his lap. And without hesitation, he unbuttoned the top of her clothes. Then he paused, his hand stopping, and Zhixuan looked at Taehyeok Sa with a look that asked why he was interfering.

“Must you bite her neck?”

“That’s my preference.”

“What does it matter where you bite and feed? Just eat quickly and tell him to get out.”

“You can bite my wrist, can’t you?”

Cho-i Hyeon looked at him with a ‘why is this jerk acting like this?’ expression, then frowned and offered Zhixuan her wrist.

“What can I do when our Guild Master is suddenly throwing a tantrum? It’s all good. Suck your fill and get out. It’s a service.”

“Huh, really….”

Zhixuan looked bewildered, but he didn’t refuse to drink her blood. His fangs soon pierced her skin, and Cho-i Hyeon quietly watched his dark hair, now lower than her line of sight. The sensation of her blood being drawn still felt strange. She also wondered how such a guy had managed to survive all this time.

“He told me to suck as much as I wanted, and he really did…”

Cho-i Hyeon, who had briefly died and come back to life, later learned that Zhixuan had only let go of her lips after being caught by Taehyeok Sa while still sucking her blood.

“He’s the kind of guy who would empty a family’s granary if you told him to eat a lot.”

“Didn’t you also take a lot from me?”

“My stats didn’t even go up, you jerk. You’re useless.”

“Stats?”

At that, Cho-i Hyeon, remembering something, opened her mouth.

“Oh right. You. Your stats go up when you drink hunter blood, you jerk.”

At that, Zhixuan frowned.

“That’s not something I can easily answer.”

“The fact that you say that means it does go up.”

“It doesn’t even go up much. But why? Do you do that too?”

Cho-i Hyeon deliberated. Briefly, for about 3 seconds.

“Yes. But I don’t have to eat them whole.”

“So, your stats go up just by killing them?”

“That seems to be it. I don’t know what happens when you devour them yet. But I have another question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Where did you go in the hidden dungeon?”

“…It was a dungeon where vampire bat monsters appeared.”

“What kind of item did you get?”

Zhixuan brushed back her hair. There was a small, piercing-like object on her earlobe.

“This is it.”

“There are all sorts of weird shapes.”

Zhixuan tidied her hair again and asked Cho-i Hyeon.

“Then what exactly have you been doing to put something like that inside your body? The person I saw then clearly wasn’t you, was it?”

“That’s right. I also went to a hidden dungeon.”

“You can get something like that in a hidden dungeon?”

“Why, are you going to go in to get one too?”

Cho-i Hyeon scoffed. Zhixuan shook her head.

“I don’t think I can handle it.”

“I can’t handle it either. I didn’t get it because I wanted to.”

Zhixuan stared at her silently. It seemed the taste of an S-Rank’s blood was indeed special, judging by the fact that she was only thinking about her own blood bag in this situation. Cho-i Hyeon looked at Zhixuan with disdain, then leaned back deep into the sofa’s backrest. She crossed her legs and said,

“Since there’s someone here who’s been to a hidden dungeon, let me ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think are the conditions for entering a hidden dungeon?”

“How would I know that?”

“I’m asking you to think about it with me, you jerk.”

“……”

Zhixuan frowned, but still closed her mouth for a moment, seemingly thinking deeply. Then she tilted her head slightly.

“A dungeon with compatible attributes…?”

“Compatibility?”

“Yes.”

Zhixuan nodded.

“When the Vampire Bat dungeon appeared, I thought it was a bit strange.”

“What is?”

“I quite liked blood even before that.”

“What are you talking about? You pervert.”

“When life is like that, it sometimes ends up that way.”

“What are you talking about, you perverted criminal?”

“It sounds so weird when you say it like that.”

“It’s not wrong, though.”

“Anyway.”

He opened his mouth as if to change the subject.

“If you don’t intend to go to China, then it’s fine.”

“You’re giving up easier than I thought?”

“I can’t think of a way to force you to come.”

“What were you planning to do if I wasn’t in this state?”

“I would have knocked you out somehow and smuggled you into China.”

“Am I an object? An object? You blood-obsessed maniac!”

“It seems the names you call me are getting more and more upgraded.”

“Just leave Korea quickly.”

Zhixuan nodded at Taehyeok Sa’s words. And soon he stood up from his seat.

“That seems for the best. Then I’ll be going now.”

“Get out quickly.”

Cho-i Hyeon nudged his calf, but he stood still as if he had no energy to react. Taehyeok Sa waved his hand casually. Neither of them seemed to have any intention of seeing off the guest. Zhixuan sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time, and disappeared into the elevator.

After he left, Cho-i Hyeon looked into space for a moment, as if deep in thought. Seeing her, Taehyeok Sa asked,

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m not telling you.”

Saying that, she got up from her seat and headed for the elevator. After getting on the elevator that came back up, she started making a call somewhere. Ring, ring, ring. After a moment of ringing, someone answered the phone.

-Honey?

It was Gihyeon Park.

“Who’s your honey?” -Why did you call me out of the blue? “You still haven’t settled up for losing to me last time.” -Let’s speak clearly. “Oh, I did speak clearly, didn’t I? You got beaten by me, right?” -Ah, damn it. “And your stock price dropped because of that, right?” -So, where are you going? “I’m going to your company.” -Oh, Taehyeok Sa must be sweating bullets. “Let him sweat, damn it. I’m going now.” -Okay.

Cho-i hailed a taxi. And immediately headed to Gihyeon Park’s guild, ‘Hwayeon.’ On the way to Hwayeon, Cho-i began to organize the questions she would ask him. First of all,

‘Regarding the hidden dungeon.’

Although he hadn’t entered the same hidden dungeon as her, she needed to gather information about hidden dungeons in order to re-enter the same one. Squeak. The taxi stopped and Cho-i got out in front of Hwayeon. As she got out of the taxi and headed for the company entrance, a man spoke to her.

“Hunter Cho-i Hyeon.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been waiting. Please come up.”

“Ah, I see~”

Is it convenient like this when your face is known? Cho-i Hyeon headed to the top floor with the man who appeared to be Gihyeon Park’s secretary. After taking the elevator to the very top floor, Gihyeon Park welcomed her with open arms.

“You dressed up a bit to see me?”

“What are you talking about, I didn’t even wash my hair.”

“……”

“Sit down.”

“Alright.”

Cho-i Hyeon sat on the sofa first and crossed her legs. Gihyeon Park sat opposite her, ordered coffee from his secretary, and then faced her.

“So, why did you come? It looks like you had quite a fight with the China hunter this time.”

“That bastard sure gets news fast. But that’s none of your business. I came to hear about the hidden dungeon you went to.”

“Did you come so dramatically just to hear that?”

“It’s incredibly important to me.”

“Now that you mention it, you and hidden dungeons….”

There was no way to know when he had returned. As Park Gihyeon stared at her, Hyeon Cho-i wiggled her toes and said,

“I’ve been twice.”

“Twice?”

“Surprised?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Hidden dungeons don’t just pop up anywhere.”

“Well, I’m surprised too. I don’t know how I went twice, though.”

“Not many people know about hidden dungeons. But why are you looking into them?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You really don’t give an inch.”

“What’s the point of giving an inch?”

“So I can benefit.”

Park Gihyeon winked at her. Then Hyeon Cho-i said,

“When is the coffee coming?”

“Why?”

“To pour on you.”

“Damn it.”

Just then, the secretary brought the coffee. Cho-i took a sip of coffee and said,

“Alright, quickly tell me what it was like during the hidden dungeon.”

“Uh, just a moment. It was a long time ago for me too. Let’s see…”

Park Gihyeon fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette and lit it. Then, Hyeon Cho-i smiled brightly and. Splash! Poured coffee on him. His fancy Zippo lighter went out, his cigarette went out, and Park Gihyeon looked at Hyeon Cho-i with a defeated expression.

“No smoking indoors.”

“But this is my company…”

“So what?”

Hyeon Cho-i smiled brightly. No one smokes in front of Hyeon Cho-i.