Chapter 726: Must not be sane (2)

He came to kill the Hunter observing Kim Rok Soo.

"Who is the Hunter?"

"There are two candidates."

Choi Jung Gun was keeping an eye on two people who were potentially Hunters.

"Going through different dimensions puts a heavy burden on the person. Based on how Hunters have acted in general, one of them should have come here."

"How do they travel through dimensions? You said it is something that is difficult even for the gods."

Choi Jung Gun frowned at Cale's question.

"I don't know."

Choi Jung Gun got up from the bench and started heading toward the building where the event was to take place.

"I learned around last fall that there is a Hunter in this world. The area you live in was the last place I saw their tracks. That's when I figured it out."

His voice sounded dry.

"You are those fuckers' target."

There was something Cale had to ask about this.

"Why me? I'm not a tribulator."

"…I guess I need to explain the situation a bit."

His voice was giving off his years of experience now.

"Two tribulators have traveled through dimensions from Earth until now. I think the Hunters found traces of that."

Two dimension travelers. It must be talking about Choi Jung Gun and Choi Han.

"They then looked for any humans who have been touched by the power of a God and found you. The two dimension travelers were a result of a god's power, so they probably determined that another tribulator would have traces of that god as well."

"I've been touched by a god's power?"

Cale found it to be odd.

'Me? A god's power?'

Why would he live a life like this if he was touched by something like that?

'Ah.'

Cale then figured out what that god's power actually was.

'A curse is a god's power as well.'

The White Star was placed under a curse by messing with Dragon Lord Sheritt's two children. That curse made it so that he would reincarnate over and over with his memories without being able to have anything he cherished by his side.

It was a curse the God of Death had created after making a deal with Lord Sheritt. The White Star had done that in order to earn infinite reincarnations.

'My fate was influenced by the White Star.'

A life where he can't cherish anything… That was the life that Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo had lived because of the White Star.

Although it was a curse, Kim Rok Soo's life had been touched by the God of Death's power.

"Mm."

Choi Jung Gun looked up at the air and thought about something before responding.

"The god is currently trying to pull back the power that is influencing you."

"Who is that god?"

Cale asked while feigning ignorance and Choi Jung Gun frowned as he responded.

"The bastard I don't even want to associate with."

"The God of Death?"

"Yes. That god is currently trying to resolve the incident. I hope it goes well."

'I'm not so sure about that. I don't think it will go well.'

Cale knew a future that this Choi Jung Gun in the illusion did not know.

Choi Han could not stop the White Star.

As a result, the God of Death reaches out to Choi Jung Soo and is rejected. He then transmigrates Kim Rok Soo into Cale's body.

"But sunbae."

"What is it?"

Choi Jung Gun heard Cale's voice that made it sound as if he was laughing.

"Am I bait?"

"…Huh?"

He turned his head in shock. He could see Cale's sunken gaze despite the smile on his face.

"Did you call me here today to lure out the Hunter?"

Cale still thought that Choi Jung Gun called him here today to meet with Choi Jung Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk despite asking this question.

However, he couldn't help but ask about being bait.

'He's basically bringing the Hunter to Choi Jung Soo.'

Was he trying to use both Choi Jung Soo and Kim Rok Soo as bait to confirm the Hunter?

Cale had thought that Choi Jung Gun was quite an affectionate person.

That must be why he was trying to get Cale to at least get a glimpse of Choi Jung Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk.

'But that gaze earlier seemed dangerous.'

When Choi Jung Gun said that he was going to kill the Hunter…

His gaze seemed as if he was insane.

'…I don't think I should trust him completely.'

Humans were creatures who could change a lot to achieve their goals.

He had no idea of what Choi Jung Gun might do to a stranger like Kim Rok Soo, let alone his own family member, Choi Jung Soo.

There was a reason he was thinking this way.

'I have no memories.'

Seventeen years old Kim Rok Soo as a freshman in High School…

The memories of that time were hazy.

'He said that Hunters are able to modify memories.'

Choi Jung Gun had said that himself a few moments ago.

'Those sons of bitches know how to cross through dimensions and mess with people's memories.'

Based on that, he was certain that Kim Rok Soo had some kind of run-in with the Hunter in the past. Seeing as how Cale was alive after that, Choi Jung Gun was probably involved in it as well.

– Cale. Are we going to fight?

Cale ignored the fiery thunderbolt's comment that made it seem as if he was itching for a fight before he flinched.

The Super Rock spoke in a serious voice.

– Cale, this person has not noticed us, yet but he seems strong.

This is not his main body.

'It's not his main body? Does that mean it is a clone?'

– It is not a clone either. He seems to have hidden his strength. I think he might have put a restriction on himself so that he isn't noticed by the Hunter.

Anyway, this is not his true self.

'It's not his true self?'

Cale peeked at Choi Jung Gun before nonchalantly asking.

"I guess Hunters aren't able to recognize tribulators at a glance? They've been observing me since last year but haven't come to a conclusion yet."

"That's right. It is not easy to look at someone else's fate."

People started to walk past Choi Jung Gun and Cale.

They were slowly walking toward the event building that was crowded. Choi Jung Gun spoke without any emotion in his voice.

"Apparently they can see it if they kill the person."

"…Kill?"

"The Hunters are said to have the Hunter's Eye. They can see whether their prey was a tribulator or not by killing them."

He heard Choi Jung Gun's calm voice. Cale asked back.

"Sunbae, then me…"

'And Choi Jung Soo.'

"Are you going to let them do that to me?"

A faint smile appeared on Choi Jung Gun's face.

"I don't have any plans where you get hurt. So, you don't need to worry."

'It's not in the plans, but it can happen if things go awry.'

Cale wanted to say that, but said something else with a bright smile on his face.

"Right? There is no chance of that happening."

'Choi Jung Soo and I… Neither of us will get hurt.'

Shhhhhhh-

Cale could not see that the yellow dust covering the area was growing in size.

* * *

"Haaaa."

Cale sighed and plopped down on the ground.

It was so chaotic.

He had no time to rest because he joined the event as a staff to help Choi Jung Gun.

"…You look fine, sunbae-nim."

"You're just weak."

Choi Jung Gun seemed completely fine unlike Cale.

"There's going to be a demonstration over in the sword arts area. Let's go watch it."

"The Choi family ancient sword art?"

Choi Jung Gun flinched and looked at him after hearing Cale's stoic response.

"…How did you know?"

"Are there a lot of demonstrations today? It was written in the event agenda earlier."

"Really?"

Cale chuckled.

Choi Jung Gun must be planning on Cale seeing Choi Jung Soo at the Choi family sword art demonstration.

"Let's go rest in the staff room first."

Cale nodded his head and stood up. They were currently in a corner of a small exhibition area with documents related to ancient martial arts on display.

It was hard to rest here in their staff outfit because a lot of people came here to look.

"Shall we go?"

Cale then heard a voice he was happy to hear.

"Hyung. Look at this sword!"

"Haaaa. Jung Soo. Aren't you tired?"

Cale turned his head. He turned not toward the man looking at the model sword but in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Kim Rok Soo!"

He looked at the person who called his name.

"Jung Yi-Rang."

"Hey, why are you here? Staff? What the? What the hell?"

Jung Yi-Rang.

This was the person who sits next to Cale in his class, and the person who was in the book club before Cale and had connected him to the book club.

Cale realized it after seeing this person here.

"It's nice to see you here."

"Oh, Kim Rok Soo. What's up with you all of a sudden?"

Cale truly felt that it was nice to see Jung Yi-Rang.

'It's you.'

The Hunter.

'You are that motherfucking bastard.'

Why?

It was because Choi Jung Gun was smiling.

It looked as if he was smiling because he was happy to see his hoobae, but this guy's eyes were not smiling.

"Jung Yi-Rang."

"Oh, you were here too, sunbae-nim!"

Cale realized it at that moment.

'Look at these sons of bitches.'

Cale had thought that Choi Jung Gun was showing him goodwill when he first said that they should come here. However, their conversation earlier let him realize that Choi Jung Gun had this goal of finding the Hunter.

No.

There was probably some goodwill in there.

Goodwill and his goal…

The two of them were probably mixed together.

But the moment he saw Jung Yi-Rang… The moment he realized that this bastard was the Hunter…

The past few days passed through Cale's mind.

'Would Jung Yi-Rang not have known about Choi Jung Gun's identity?'

Why would he have joined the book club if he was observing Cale?

That bastard had also said something before.

When Cale had asked what Choi Jung Gun was writing…

'I overheard that sunbae taking to the club advisor last time.'

'I heard it was a fantasy novel. Ah, don't say anything about it because I only know it by accident. It's a secret. I'm only answering because this is the first time you've ever asked me a question.'

Jung Yi-Rang claimed he happened to overhear on accident, but…

What if Jung Yi-Rang was following Choi Jung Gun and heard his conversation with the teacher?

'Maybe Jung Yi-Rang knows that Choi Jung Gun is a wanderer.'

In that case, how would the current situation seem in his eyes?

'The wanderer is taking Kim Rok Soo along with him? Wow.'

Cale subconsciously gasped.

'Isn't this pretty much advertising that I am a tribulator?'

If that was the case, what about Choi Jung Soo?

'He'll be safe. The Hunter will think that I am the tribulator.'

Would Choi Jung Gun not have known about this?

Cale thought about the things Choi Jung Gun had said to him for the past few days.

'Anyway… I'll show you some fun things. Just follow me. I will take care of everything.'

'I'm sure of it. Someday… Even if it is not for writing, I'm sure these things will someday help you out in your social life or survival.'

The things he had said while telling Cale to come with him to the martial arts exhibition…

'…The threads of fate are bound to get intertwined at some point. I don't know what results will be born, but...'

There was also the somewhat profound statement he had said.

'I plan on giving you quite a wonderful memory today.'

There certainly was some goodwill in those words.

However, Choi Jung Gun had also said the following with a crazed look in his eyes.

'Killing all Hunters.'

'Making it so that there are no traces of them having ever existed in the world. Killing every single one of them. Thoroughly killing them. Making them perish completely without even a single blood stain left in this world.'

The ending that he wanted…

The other goal he had while creating this memory for Cale today…

'I also came to kill that Hunter bastard.'

Cale recalled one last thing he had said.

'I don't have any plans where you get hurt. So, you don't need to worry.'

There were no plans where Kim Rok Soo or Cale gets hurt.

But Cale also remembered something else.

'Am I bait?'

Choi Jung Gun had not responded to that question.

Cale finally realized it.

Jung Yi-Rang, Choi Jung Gun…

One of these shitheads was trying to hunt him while the other was using him as bait for his prey.

– Cale. Don't be angry. The young Dragon would tell you not to smile like this if he saw you.

– …Cale, should I shower them with fiery thunderbolts?

Cale simply put on a bright smile.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]