Reader
chapter-63

“Did you say Soo Hyuk? Are you sure?”

Rupert asked again hastily.

“…What’s wrong?”

From Rupert’s reaction, it was obvious that he knew this Soo Hyuk. There seemed to be more to the story than Rhino had known, but Rupert’s reaction made it seem like they weren’t too friendly or close. And so, Rhino replied,

“Uhh…”

After receiving Rhino’s answer, Rupert nodded absentmindedly and closed his mouth.

‘Soo Hyuk-nim attacked someone?’

Soo Hyuk attacked someone? Rupert couldn’t believe it. Rhino’s words had been shocking in itself.

“Is he someone you know?”

Rhino asked.

Rupert answered as he snapped out of his thoughts.

“How could I not know him…”

Magicians below the Rank 2 didn’t know Soo Hyuk that well. But most of the Rank 1 magicians knew very well about him. Wasn’t he the immeasurable talent?

‘Although I don’t know the circumstances behind this…’

Rupert stared at Rhino with a regretful look.

‘And even if he was the one in the wrong.’

He didn’t know what happened, or who’s fault it was, but even if it turned out to be Soo Hyuk’s fault,

‘I can’t do anything about it.’

That’s right. Rupert couldn’t do anything. Even if they were far away from each other, wasn’t he the peak existence that lead the Tower of Poison?

“Is he someone close to you? Then can you introduce him to me?”

Rhino was continuing while Rupert was feeling conflicted.

‘I have to tell him.’

Rupert thought as he stared pitifully at Rhino. Although he couldn’t help him get revenge, he could help him avoid a potential mishap. If he didn’t, this matter could blow out of hand.

“First, I have to tell you exactly who Soo Hyuk-nim is.”

“Nim? Why are you attaching honorifics to him?”

Rhino asked in response to Rupert’s words. Rupert was a Rank 1 magician. Who was Soo Hyuk, that a Rank 1 magician had to use honourifics?

‘Just who is he?’

“Soo Hyuk-nim is…”

Rupert paused briefly, then continued after letting out a small sigh.

“The next Spire Lord.”

There was a brief silence, then when Rhino finally processed Rupert’s words, his pupils enlarged to twice their size. He was so shocked that he couldn’t let out a single sound from his mouth.

“W-what did you say?”

Rhino finally asked. He was still stuttering from the impact of those words.

“I said he’s the next Spire Lord.”

Rupert answered again.

Rhino’s expression twisted at his answer. What kind of… The situation had gotten out of control.

‘The next Spire Lord?’

“Isn’t he just someone with the same name? Aren’t there other Soo Hyuks?’

Rhino asked fearfully.

“No.”

Rupert immediately rejected Rhino’s assumption with a shake of his head.

“In the Tower of Poison, there’s only one magician with the name ‘Soo Hyuk.’”

Rhino couldn’t say anything to that.

“…Hoo.”

Rhino, who had returned to Hadrac’s outskirts, sighed deeply.

‘What do I do now?’

He was troubled greatly.

‘The next Spire Lord…’

Rhino wasn’t a low rank magician of course, but the existence of a Spire Lord was much higher than the likes of him.

‘I can’t just ask more about him.’

How could information about the next Spire Lord be easily revealed?

‘Do I have to tell them?’

Today, he was planning to visit the Demon guild’s vice master, Haggis. Should he tell Haggis about what he had found out?

‘No matter how greedy I am…’

Greed. Rhino knew full well how greedy he was. But he wasn’t stupid enough to pass on confidential information about the next Spire Lord.

‘I don’t want to die.’

He could die as a consequence. No, he would die.

‘But then there’s the Demon guild…’

Rhino also knew the nature of the Demon guild. They wouldn’t stop even if they got an apology from Soo Hyuk himself.

‘Then wouldn’t it be better to tell them?’

Rhino pondered. If he didn’t tell them what they were dealing with, then it could become a bigger problem. Then wouldn’t it be better to tell them in this situation?

‘They wouldn’t be able to touch him anyway.’

The next head of the Tower of Poison. A mere Demon guild wouldn’t be able to touch them.

‘No, it could be possible.’

Rhino changed his thought soon after. Looking at their past actions, they would still attack someone even if that someone was the next Spire Lord.

‘Should I just pretend not to know?’

What if he played dumb?

‘They won’t find out anyway.’

All Demon guild knew about Soo Hyuk was his name and that he belonged to the Tower of Poison. They wouldn’t be able to find and kill the next Spire Lord with just that amount of information.

‘Okay.’

Rhino decided to play dumb and stopped brooding over this issue.

Tap. Tap.

At that moment.

“Vice lord, the vice master of the Demon guild has come.”

Haggis had arrived.

* * *

“Is a guild mark the thing on top their heads?”

“And they look the same as the bastards that killed us?”

Soo Hyuk was thinking while listening to his parent’s conversations.

‘Why has the Demon guild bastards increased so suddenly?”

Just before they logged out, the Demon guild members had appeared again. And there were more than ever.

‘I thought they wouldn’t appear today.’

Soo Hyuk had thought that he wouldn’t see the Demon guild again for a while after the Solitude incident. But contrary to his expectations, the Demon guild members were running around everywhere.

‘Thankfully, they don’t know what my face looks like.’

There were only two people in the Demon guild that knew his face. Loken and Haiden. However, Loken had died to the Solitude guild and Haiden had died to him.

As an added measure, he had stopped wearing his poison tower robe. As a result, the Demon guild members couldn’t recognise Soo Hyuk’s identity.

At that moment.

“Ah! What was that!”

An unknown user charged into a Demon guild member running past him.

“I’m sorry. It was an accident…”

It wasn’t an accident. It was clearly a charge. How could he call it an accident? Yet the user insisted it was an accident anyway.

Soo Hyuk was speechless as he watched the scene.

‘Where do you even find these kinds of weirdos?’

The user’s charge would’ve been sensed as an attack and the enemy message would’ve been sent to both.

Consequently, they would find out each other’s names. If a stranger suspiciously approached then suddenly charged at you, you would probably remember their names.

‘This can’t go on.’

He had originally thought that today would be an enjoyable day, but changed his thought. As this rate, there was a likely chance that he would get exposed.

Of course, he wouldn’t usually care about this, but he wasn’t alone. If he was exposed, then his parents would be in danger as well.

‘I have to divert their attention.’

Soo Hyuk opened his mouth and called his parents.

“Mum, dad.”

“…?”

Ji Song and Ji Soo looked at Soo Hyuk when he called them.

“Please go on first.”

Soo Hyuk continued.

“Why?”

“Is there something urgent?”

His parents asked in worry. Previously, Hedlin had been once again enveloped in chaos as the Demon guild and Solitude appeared one after another. They had been worried as Soo Hyuk had logged in just before that incident.

“I’m just going to buy some food.”

He couldn’t tell them the truth. But he wasn’t going to lie either. He was really thinking of buying some tasty food on the way back.

“Hmm? Food?”

“Let’s go together!”

“No, it’s okay. The shop’s a bit far from here. I’ll come back soon!”

Soo Hyuk refuted while shaking his head. They couldn’t go with him.

“How will you find us?”

“Dear! You can use the chat function.”

“Ah, right.”

“Then I’ll send you a message later.”

“Alright. We’ll go ahead first.”

And so, Ji Song and Ji Soo headed to the beach after Soo Hyuk persuaded them. Soo Hyuk sent them off with a smile then turned around.

‘I’ll have to buy a mask.’

First, he searched for a clothing shop. He was planning to buy a mask. Although there were already people that knew his face, there was no need for more people to know.

Ring ring!

Soo Hyuk was able to find a clothing shoop a few minutes after.

“Welcome!”

The shopkeeper welcomed him with an enthusiastic voice as he entered the shop.

“Hello.”

Soo Hyuk greeted the shopkeeper and looked around the shop. There were various types of clothes, and most importantly, masks displayed all around the shop.

“What might you be looking for?”

The shopkeeper approached him and asked.

“I want to look at some masks that are popular.”

Soo Hyuk didn’t like the so called ‘latest trends’, but in this situation, it was best to buy popular items. This was because people couldn’t easily track him.

“Ah! So you’re looking for the trending masks right now! Could you please come this way?”

At Soo Hyuk’s words, the shopkeeper led him to a stand where masks were displayed, and picked up a mask.

“This is the recently popular red fox mask. We currently only have 3 more in stock. You were extremely lucky.”

“How much is this?”

Soo Hyuk asked straight away.

“5 gold! It’s on the cheap side as well.”

“Then give me one.”

Soo Hyuk said as he pulled out 5 gold from his inventory. Then after checking the gold, the shopkeeper handed him the red fox mask.

“Have a nice day.”

“Please come again!”

Soo Hyuk came out of the shop after buying his mask. Then he started searching for other clothing shops.

‘Let’s buy a few more.’

He was planning to buy more masks to confuse the Demon guild by switching them frequently.

The reason he didn’t buy all of them from one shop was because of possible unknown trackers. Although unlikely, it never hurt to be safe.

And so, after buying different kinds of masks, Soo hyuk headed to the warp gates. After arriving at the warp gates, he got in line while equipping his fox mask. When it was his turn, he warped to Hadrac.

“Hey, have you heard about the war between Laind Kingdom and Kesud Kingdom?

“Of course. They’re apparently recruiting lots of people for the war.”

“Did you see the announcement that the guild master put up?”

“Gilma put up a notice?”

“Yep, a quest apparently came in from the Laind Kingdom. They’re accepting any members that want to participate.”

Near Hadrac’s warp gates, numerous users were bustling around. He could also see some Demon guild members.

‘I can’t kill them here.’

He could attract unwanted attention if he killed them in this crowded place. Innocents could also get caught in the crossfire.

Soo Hyuk started walking away from the warp gates. His destination was the Demon guild’s headquarters. He had gotten the information from Yeon Jung and he could pinpoint the exact location with the help of the internet. And so, Soo Hyuk was soon able to arrive in front of the Demon guild’s headquarters.

‘It’s bigger than I thought? And they’re also ranked amongst the top.”

The Demon guild’s base was massive. The rumour that the Demon guild was capable of competing over the top spot in Hadrac didn’t seem to be false. After taking in the sights, Soo Hyuk stared at the Demon guild members coming and going from their guild house and softly muttered,

“Poison Fog.”

Translator and Editor Notes:

1/5 chapters for the week.

Support this novel on NU by adding it to your reading list or by submitting reviews and ratings.