Chapter Text
Kwon Jihan looked over at Yoon Sro, ears flushed. He wondered what he was thinking... listening to the team dissect his abilities, debating his existence.
Yoon Seo sat in his seat, face blank. He hated this. All of it: the stares, the whispers, the attention. Why? What has he done to deserve this?
Was this his retribution? Because he no longer acted as righteous as he had in the past? Because he was a coward, no longer tit for the title "Chosen One"?
If that was the case, the Gaia System could just revoke his Gaia Skill and title... he didn't even use his skill anymore, anyway...
Park Soobin decided to speak honestly based on what he knew.
“He hasn’t fought any monsters for a year, so I’m not sure about his offensive skills. However, it’s certain that he has excellent mana control and extremely strong defensive skills."
"Well, since he's Seo Chaeyoon, his offense skills must be just as great!"
A highschooler tilted her head, "But would it? I thought he became famous for his shields?"
A veteran hunter nodded, "Sure, but he was still one of very few S-grades. There's tons of stories about his capabilities. I'm curious to find out which ones are accurate."
Park Youngbum smiled, "It's true, your mana control is really enviable. I mean, you never drink any potions, but still manage to install all of those shield traps with no issues."
"I think that's more to do with his mana reserves," Park Soobin speculated. The true size of his mana reserves was unknown, but S-grades typically have the most. Very rarely did a lower ranked hunter have reserves even remotely comparable to S-ranks.
"But even with huge reserves, doing that much work would still exhaust them, right? So Yoon Seo would still have to manage his mana really well."
[The God of Life smiles.]
Yoon Seo watched them discuss with some confusion. Was this really worth this much fuss? It wasn't even anything impressive, he's never gone below 50% while working for the Guild of Leaves.
“Send me the report.”
“Yes.”
Park Soobin transferred the report he had compiled on Yoon Seo to Kwon Jihan’s U-pad. Kwon Jihan projected a hologram into the air. Yoo Juncheol, noticing Kwon Jihan’s unusual behavior, asked abruptly.
“Why, Jihan? Do you find Hunter Yoon Seo suspicious? Does he seem like Seo Chaeyoon?”
"He doesn't just seem like Seo Chaeyoon, he is Seo Chaeyoon," Lawrence Mille giggled to her sweetheart. They squeezed eachother's hands, Rio raising the hands to press a kiss against the back of her's.
“I’m not saying he’s Seo Chaeyoon. I’m saying he’s the most suspicious among the candidates. That guy has four guardian gods.”
Hong Euiyoon frowned, "But his guardians weren’t all shown."
Soo Jaehee agreed, "Yeah, i really wanna know what Chaeyoon-hyung's guardians are!"
“The number of guardian gods doesn’t correlate with a hunter’s rank. Remember that F-rank hunter who had the protection of five gods? What about Yoon Seo’s traits?"
“That trait wasn’t there.”
Yoo Juncheol exchanged confused glances with Do Deungsoo and Grace Elysia before remembering "False Memory". That overpowered ability has managed to obscure a good chunk of the profile after all, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to think it had also hidden the "Chosen One" trait.
"There's no way he doesn't have a Gaia Skill," Do Deungsoo firmly believed.
On the other hand, the ones not in the know were confused. What trait were they looking for?
[The God of Death smirks.]
Kwon Jihan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
“And there’s something else strange. Since I was using "Night of the Underworld", I should have received an alert whenever someone used a skill. Everyone else triggered a notice saying they used an insight skill as soon as they saw me, but Yoon Seo was the only one for whom no such alert appeared.”
"That's what it meant with "It has no effect on you."?"
A hunter nearby shrugged, "I guess so."
After quietly listening, Park Soobin cautiously spoke.
“Yoon Seo is indifferent and apathetic toward others by nature.”
"That's not true, Soobin-oppa, Yoon Seo-oppa is a big softie," Heewon playfully scolded him.
Park Soobin, slowly regaining his strength after the devastating humiliation ritual, smiled sheepishly. He now sat back in his seat, mostly upright. His face was also a normal shade but his ears were still stained a light red.
Kwon Jihan sneered at what sounded like an excuse.
“The alert didn’t appear. That doesn’t mean he didn’t use the skill."
“Then….”
Kwon Jihan closed his mouth, giving a look that said, You already know, don’t you? A chill ran through Park Soobin’s entire body as if he’d been electrocuted.
In other words, Yoon Seo had used an insight skill without being detected by Kwon Jihan.
The fanatics started cheering again, once again impressed and awed. While few had actually encountered Kwon Jihan and his abilities, both the screen and the people in the room had proven how difficult such a feat was.
A few fans of Seokyoung Guild’s top hunter pouted, "I still wish we could see his profile too!"
Kwon Jihan, now slowly coming to grips with his stunning revelation, was also impressed. It seemed like Yoon Seo truly earned the title of strongest hunter, at least before disappearing. He really wanted to test whether that still held true. He knew that a spar with Yoon Seo would really teach him well and help him evolve his lower ranked skills, finally upgrading some of them.
For an S-rank hunter not to notice, the only possibility was that the other person was of the same rank.
“Jihan, are you saying… Yoon Seo is…."
“Yeah. He’s S-rank.”
Kwon Jihan drove in the nail.
Park Soobin immediately flushed again, the embarrassment rearing its ugly head once more. He knew that Yoon Seo knew since the beginning, but to watch his other-self have that same realization reminded him of how clueless he had been to the reality. He had thought he was doing such a good job of hiding his intentions, of being a spy, only to find out his target had been aware from the beginning... he hid his face in his hands.
[The God of Death cackles.]
Yoon Seo sighed and sipped some water. He's starting to grow tired from all of this bullshit.
Currently, there were only fifteen active S-rank hunters. Although the number had doubled compared to ten years ago, the number of dungeons had tripled, making it still a small figure. If Yoon Seo truly was S-rank—or if he was Seo Chaeyoon—mentioning it carelessly could turn the world upside down. It was terrifying information, impossible to ignore or hastily reveal.
The audience shifted, the words hitting very close to home. They remembered their mad scramble to get to Seo Chaeyoon until they were forcibly stopped by the System. Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to do...
Unfortunately, only very few select people had that revelation.
Most didn't really think too much about those words, more focused on the feeling of pride and superiority of being in on a secret. Knowing the identity of Seo Chaeyoon... was something so few people could claim to know that it automatically made them feel superior to others for having that information.
‘This makes no sense. It can’t be true.’
Even as he dismissed the possibility, cold sweat formed on Park Soobin’s palms, and he rubbed them against his clothes. A shadow fell over his anxious face. If it was true, then Yoon Seo must have already known that he was only A-rank.
Park Soobin bit back a whine at the reminder. His face was starting to feel hot again.
The Guild of Leaves snickered. They didn't feel too bad for Park Soobin, he sort of deserved it for lying for so long. They might have decided to accept him and forgive him for lying to them, but they still didn't like how he had tried to spy on their ace.
Lying about your rank? Weird but ultimately harmless. Lying about your rank to spy on someone who was doing nothing to deserve it? Maybe forgivable depending on the victim, but certainly deserving of some retribution.
[The God of Death grins maliciously.]
[The God of Life sighs but also smiles.]
All the strange, overly cautious behavior came to mind. The way he bristled like a cat at every word and action. But Yoon Seo was ordinary. Aside from being a beauty and indifferent, he mingled normally with his colleagues, complained about his superiors, and enjoyed various hobbies like an ordinary person. It was impossible for an arrogant, lofty S-rank to live such an ordinary life.
And down he goes, Park Youngbum grinned as he watched Park Soobin melt back down again.
A few people laughed at the image of Yoon Seo acting like a cat, while others agreed that the comparison was quite fitting.
Kwon Jihan caught himself smiling genuinely at the screen, which showed a cartoon version of Yoon Seo as a cat. It was pretty cute.
[The God of Life coos.]
Yoon Seo glared at not only the screen but also the notification and the ones laughing in the crowd. He felt his grudge towards Park Soobin deepen, he'll get him back for this...
"Well of course, Seo Chaeyoon-nim isn't a normal hunter even for an S-rank! He's special."
Meanwhile, the other S-ranks felt a bit offended. Sure, they may be a tad bit prideful, but they deserved it! They're powerful, after all, and they regularly deal with highly dangerous monsters, rifts and dungeons! But perhaps they could learn a thing or two from Chaeyoon..
“Yoon Seo might not have an insight skill. Just because you have it doesn’t mean everyone else does."
When Yoo Juncheol spoke calmly, Kwon Jihan furrowed his brow.
“What S-rank doesn’t have an insight skill? Even F-ranks carry insight items these days.”
A civilian frowned, growing uneasy. They know that apparently using insight skills was really common for hunter society, since both the screen and hunters in the audience had repeatedly demonstrated this. But using probing skills was still... rude to them. Invading someone's privacy just like that, all the time... it was icky, to put it simply. Went against all of the manners and etiquette they learned.
"That's true, though," a C-grade hunter nodded. "Insight items are pretty common and cheap, too. Of course, the good quality items are way above my paygrade." There was a bit of resentment flickering in his eyes.
“So are you sure he’s S-rank? Did you see with your own eyes a profile that clearly stated he’s S-rank?”
“…….”
“What was the profile rank?”
Kwon Jihan pouted, as if unwilling to answer. In moments like this, he showed his childish side.
A few of his fans fawned over the sight, taking pictures.
Kwon Jihan, who had seen that, grew a bit uncomfortable. He rarely showed his childish side and when he did, it was around the ones he trusted or knew wouldn't spread it around.
Yoon Seo, surprisingly, felt a bit of warmth at the sight. He's been annoyed and frustrated at Seokyoung Guild and its hunters, but he realized that some of them were still pretty young. He has a sizable soft spot for younger people, as evident from when he agreed to let both Kwon Jihan and Soo Jaehee call him "Hyung".
“The profile said B-rank.”
Yoo Juncheol narrowed his eyes as if to say, See? But Kwon Jihan raised his eyebrows and responded confidently.
“Hyung, you know what my insight skill is, right? It’s a skill that sees everything.”
The crowd grew restless again. They still didn't know too much about that skill. They were greedy to know more, to hoard more secrets. They wanted that rush of learning something forbidden, of becoming one of very few people to know about something important.
Yoon Seo shook out another pill from his rapidly depleting medicine bottle. He rolled the white pill around his palm for a short minute, memories of the woman clouding his mind. Finally, as the memory of her brutal death flashed across his vision, he quickly swallowed it.
“I know.”
“But even with my insight skill, parts of Yoon Seo’s system profile text were glitched."
“…That’s definitely strange.”
Yoo Juncheol furrowed his brows.
“Until now, the only profiles my skill couldn’t fully read were those of S-ranks. That much, I’m certain. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”
Yoon Seo went still. At the time of the last holder of "Gaia’s Eye", System Profiles were not nearly as detailed as they were now. So, this was new information.
It seemed as though, even if he had managed to hide his true abilities and rank, purely by the fact that he had managed to hide this information he had given himself away.
He felt himself grow hot with rage.
Kwon Jihan, as if unwilling to explain further, spoke curtly and zoomed in on Yoon Seo’s photo in the hologram. His pale, delicate face, jet-black hair, and brown eyes gave off a subtly mysterious aura. While he looked youthful enough to pass as a student, his indifferent expression, as if he had been through everything and transcended worldly concerns, made him appear older than twenty-nine.
Once again people were stunned at his beauty. Beauty, smarts, abilities, what didn't he have?
[The God of Life smiles proudly.]
Kwon Jihan focused back on the screen and flushed a bit. Aware of his feelings now, he didnt know how to react. He's never had a crush before!
Park Soobin peered out from behind his fingers.
Yoon Seo smiled bitterly. Why does anyone care about this? Really? Out of everything being shown, was this really so important?!
His privacy was being invaded, completely destroyed, and they cared about his appearance?!
Glaring at Yoon Seo’s photo as if he wanted to devour it, Kwon Jihan smirked.
“He looks too frail to fight, but his insides are different.”
[The God of Life giggles.]
Yoo Juncheol pushed up his glasses again. He glanced over at Kwon Jihan and saw he was blushing a little again. "Ready to devour", huh? Maybe his other-self was already attracted to him...
“Hey, hey."
When Kwon Jihan smiled broadly, Yoo Juncheol, sensing unease, lightly tapped his shoulder.
“Stop smiling like that. Every time you do, my stomach hurts, you bastard. This person hasn’t been confirmed to have offensive skills, and we’re not here to fight him. We’re looking for Seo Chaeyoon.”
... or maybe not.
It's not that he was attracted to him, but that he wanted to fight him.
He opened his mouth to remind him again that he shouldn't fight Seo Chaeyoon, but Kwon Jihan cut him off. "I know, I know."
He still wanted to spar with him, even now. But he knew there was more to it than he first thought. Some of the things that the screen showed and the reactions he witnessed from Yoon Seo pointed towards there being more to his disappearance and reluctance to fight.
Not to mention that third reason that had been censored by the System...
“I know. Stop nagging.”
“You’d better remember. You don’t look like you understand when you smile like that.”
“Well, wouldn’t it be fun to fight him along the way?”
“What’s fun about that? Does this guy have the blessing of a battle-obsessed god or something?"
A few people actually started cheering and chanting for a spar. They wanted to see a clash of giants, so to speak.
The debate on who was stronger between the two legendary hunters was a common one and often got quite heated, too.
[The God of Death also joins in the chanting.]
The chanting started to spread across the crowd as they grew more excited. People made bets and chatted about known feats, comparing strengths.
Yoon Seo scoffed, hands balling up in anger. Heewon and Youngbum quickly noticed and they quickly let the others in their guild know, who started trying to calm the crowd. They were unfortunately unsuccessful. No one really cared what such a small guild said, even if they been given a lot of attention from the System.
Finally, Kwon Jihan frowned, "Shut up."
The crowd abruptly silenced.
The screen continued, uncaring.
Yoo Juncheol’s lament was sincere, but the other guild members smiled as if they had just heard an amusing joke. Everyone except Park Soobin.
In truth, the Seokyoung guild hunters didn’t find Yoo Juncheol or Kwon Jihan particularly intimidating. Yoo Juncheol naturally created a relaxed environment for his subordinates, and Kwon Jihan wasn’t the type to take much interest in weaker individuals.
[Discussed Kwon Jihan’s past of challenging strong people.]
That cooled some of the flames in Yoon Seo's mind. He was a bit surprised to hear about Kwon Jihan’s limits regarding challenging others. He was definitely a interesting person...
The others on Team Perfect, suddenly reminded of their losses, flinched and grew nauseous. Rio, in particular, hugged his stomach, curling up in his seat. His honeybee gently patted his back, her own face pale.
“Jihan, how was Hwashim’s profile? Was it clear and readable?”
The man tensed.
“How many times do I have to say it? There was nothing special. No flame skills, and he was C-rank. He only had one guardian god.”
The ones around him eyed him, curiosity gnawing at him. If Yoon Seo was truly Seo Chaeyoon, could Hwashim also be hiding something? After all, it seemed like Kwon Jihan's ability wasn't as infallible as he had thought, so maybe he missed something..
“That’s really suspicious.”
Yoo Juncheol stroked his chin. The guild member in charge of Hwashim quickly interjected.
“I definitely saw Hwashim using a flame skill with my own eyes.”
“Yeah, even I don’t think Hwashim gave off a C-rank vibe. I find Hwashim more suspicious than Yoon Seo. What if your insight skill just doesn’t work on him, Kwon Jihan?”
“Think whatever you want. Anyway, I don’t feel like fighting Hwashim.”
Hwashim let out a relieved sigh at that. At least that damn skill was good for something...
A few people muttered about the inconsistencies show on screen. The last time such a thing was shown, it was Yoon Seo hiding his identity. Hwashim’s fans took it as a sign that there really was something special about him, even if Keon Jihan didn't agree.
[The God of Death scoffs.]
Kwon Jihan crossed his long legs and sank back into the sofa as if to signal he was done with the topic. Despite this, Yoon Seo’s report remained displayed in front of him.
Though the conversation soon shifted to Hwashim, Kwon Jihan kept his focus solely on Yoon Seo’s report.
[The God of Life cheers.]
Yoo Juncheol glanced at the present Kwon Jihan as it seemed like he was similarly focused purely on Yoon Seo. Sure, his identity as Seo Chaeyoon was likely the most important piece of information they would get in this room, but it was far from the only piece.
He shook his head and quietly told the investigation team to keep making notes.
Yoon Seo pursed his lips, frustration bubbling under his skin. His fingernails would have carved red, bloody crescents into his palms with how hard he clenched his fist if he hadn't been such a high-ranking hunter.
And so did one other person: Park Soobin.
He didn’t think Yoon Seo could possibly be Seo Chaeyoon, but he was anxious at the thought that Yoon Seo might truly be S-rank and might have realized he was secretly investigating him.
Park Soobin forced himself to sit back upright and take his hands off his red face. He cleared his throat and turned to Yoon Seo, still red in the face, "I'm really sorry. Spying on you was wrong, whether or not you knew. I caused you great distress."
Yoon Seo was startled out of his fuming, not having expected such a direct apology. He looked at Park Soobin for a long moment, searching his eyes for sincerity and finding lots of it. He turned back to the screen, his hands no longer clenched, "I already said it was alright."
When he first heard that the subject of observation was a potential Seo Chaeyoon candidate, he had gone with anticipation, only to meet someone who looked like they were bored with life itself—someone who didn’t seem like they could possibly have diverse hobbies. Honestly, Park Soobin didn’t want to distance himself from Yoon Seo. His feelings for Yoon Seo went beyond simple interest or goodwill as one person to another.
The Guild of Leaves snickered again, relaxing as the apology helped ease the tension. Really, the only one who didn't know about his crush was Yoon Seo.
Yoon Seo looked confused, brows furrowed. What did that mean? What other feelings did he have? Did he feel some strange sort of responsibility as his spy? Was he that motivated for his task?
Kwon Jihan hadn't realized he was frowning until Yoo Juncheol tapped him on his arm, giving him a complicated look. He cleared his throat, relaxing back into his chair.
[The God of Life giggles.]
[The God of Death groans.]
A few rows away, Lawrence Mille had a feeling that someone just experience some intense jealousy. It was like a gut feeling, but in her heart. Ever since she found her other half, she had been sensitive to such things. She wished whoever that was all the best, she hated that sour feeling of jealousy..
Park Soobin, ignoring the meeting entirely, asked Kwon Jihan.
“Then, Hunter Kwon Jihan, do you think Yoon Seo is the most likely candidate?”
Kwon Jihan answered lightly, as though he had been asked a simple math problem.
“Yeah, he’s the most worth fighting.”
"Say what you will about his combat obsession, but his radar is really accurate," a shopkeeper joked.
"Is it a skill?" Another joked back.
"Yeah, S-grade," Lee Jungin smiled.
“…….”
What should we do about Yoon Seo? He’s caught the attention of a dangerous person.
"You're the one spying on him," Park Youngbum pointed out, eyebrow raised.
Soobin scratched the back of his head, chain tinkling.
It seemed necessary to inform the guild leader and remind Kwon Jihan again that they were looking for Seo Chaeyoon, not a sparring opponent.
"No need," The guildmaster immediately said. He has already reminded him often enough that he felt comfortable in the fact that Kwon Jihan won't try to challenge Seo Chaeyoon. Right?
***
‘Ugh…’
Yoon Seo shivered at a sudden chill.
The sudden switch back to the missing Revenger startled the audience. The scene now showed him in comfortable loungewear, sitting at a table with a book and some colored pencils.
There was a not insignificant amount of people checking him out as the screen slowly zoomed in. There was more skin shown than before, rivaled only by the now infamous scene in the bathroom.
A few people even took pictures.
Yoon Seo mirrored the other Yoon Seo and shivered. He felt immensely uncomfortable and embarrassed. Why were they reacting like that to him in normal clothes?
Kwon Jihan froze, face blank as he tried valiantly to process what he was seeing.
Slowly, the gears turned and a violent red splashed across his cheeks as he saw the pale skin.
Yoo Juncheol watched him from the corner of his eyes, concerned. He looked through his inventory for some sort of tissues or ice pack, anything that might be helpful if he got a nosebleed or similar.
No one noticed the numerous scars scattered across the skin.
He had too much to do—more precisely, there were too many wills to fulfill—so he was even busier after work. He had to exercise, draw, play the piano, bake cookies, and make sure to have dinner.
"Gods, I'm getting exhausted just seeing all of that, how does he find the time and energy?" A office worker complained. He usually just ate and played some computer games after work, maybe read some books and manwha, but that's pretty much it. He couldn't imagine doing all of that after a full day of working.
"Well, he's Chaeyoon. Plus, he's a S-grade," another office worker shrugged. It's common knowledge that all hunters have higher stamina and can go longer without meeting their basic needs, S-ranks are in a whole other playing field in that aspect too.
Heewon tugged at Yoon Seo's sleeve, "Would you mind making us some more cookies again, Yoon Seo-oppa?"
He looked at her for a moment before sighing. "Sure." He had planned to maybe leave the country after this whole thing, to go into hiding, but delivering some cookies wouldnt be a big deal. After all they've done to support him in this room, it's the least he could do.
Today’s chosen task was coloring. It was his 991st children’s coloring book. Since the total number of wills was 1,000, there weren’t many left. He should have felt excited, but today, he couldn’t focus.
"Again with those wills," Grace Elysia mumbled. She was sad at the mention of these wills since they were obviously connected to all of the hunters that died in the dungeon.
Kwon Jihan, who overheard her, narrowed his eyes at the screen. There was something off about these wills, but he didnt know what it could be. It didn't seem malicious, just sad. All of these people who had their lives mercilessly cut short... of course they would have regrets and wishes. But his gut feeling was telling him there was more to it than just that. And he's long since learned to trust his intuition.
After coloring one page, he couldn’t concentrate anymore. Deciding to watch a drama instead, he sat in front of the TV, but the screen didn’t hold his attention either.
Yoon Seo eventually gave up everything and lay down on the sofa, stretching out long.
Kwon Jihan’s system profile was the most fearsome one Yoon Seo had ever seen.
The crowd grew silent, the occasional, random conversations cut short. This was what they had been waiting for.
They sat straight in their seats, leaning forward in anticipation, their eyes gleaming with an unholy thirst for more knowledge- more leverage, more power.
The higher-ups in Seokyoung shifted, already bracing themselves for what would come.
[Encyclopedia of People: Kwon Jihan, 22 years old, Male
Rank: S
(Using the item ‘Dark Shroud’, all attack abilities are enhanced)
(With the skill "Evolution", the Gaia system grows automatically)
Traits: Predator, Evolver, The Chosen One.
(Protected by the God of Life)
(Protected by the God of Destruction)
(Protected by the Gaia)
(Gaia is watching Kwon Jihan)
Skills: "Rendering Star" A Lv 2/3, "Fallen Hero’s Wings" A Lv 3/3
Special Skills: "Evolution" S Lv 4/5, "Pluto’s Night" S Lv 4/5, "Golden Time" A Lv 2/5, "Thirst" B Lv 2/5, "Utopia" B Lv 1/5, "Food Chain" A Lv 2/5, "Quasar" B Lv 1/5, "Predator" S Lv 4/5
(The skill "Predator" has not reached its limit, so it remains locked)
(The skill "Evolution" has not reached its limit, so it remains locked)
※Gaia Skill: "Gaia’s Eye" L
※Other information is unavailable.]
Once more, the crowd sat, stunned. What the hell?
Yoon Seo was also shocked. That really was, the most fearsome profiles he's seen so far. Evolver? Chosen One?
He knew it was coming, considering the Gaia Skill, but seeing that trait felt like a punch to his gut. His breath hitched and his eyes shook. Despite having consumed so many pills in a relatively short time, he could still feel his heartbeat stuttering in shock and his hands trembled.
He considered taking another pill, but the mere thought left him nauseous. It seemed he reached his limit for now. Instead, he once again pinched his thigh, knuckles white.
‘This can’t be the entire profile I’ve seen.’
When viewing an opponent’s profile through "Encyclopedia of People", the message ‘Other statuses can only be viewed in the dungeon’ typically appears. However, with Kwon Jihan, the message ‘Other information is unavailable’ appeared instead. He clearly had some defensive skill or item. Therefore, there was a possibility that even this profile was fake. Since Yoon Seo didn’t know what kind of defensive skill it was, he didn’t use "Fake Memory" either.
[The God of Death wolf whistles.]
"It's not fake," Kwon Jihan announced, to the shock of everyone but especially the ones already in the know. They hadn't expected him to just announce that openly, not after keeping his abilities secret for so long!
He looked at Yoon Seo and grinned at him boyishly. "Hyung, your ability really is great!"