Chapter 25 – Reveal Your Identity!

Riding along the road, Se-min passed by cars heading toward the promotion test center. They were expensive foreign vehicles.

Among them, Se-min discovered a familiar face.

A woman driving a convertible.

It was Bang Yu-bi, the hope of the Iron Horse Company, who remained faint in his memory. She seemed not to recognize Se-min because she was looking only ahead. Looking straight ahead was just like her.

Just like Kim Seon-ha did, she was probably on her way for her colleagues at the Iron Horse Company.

Bang Yu-bi was one of the rising stars receiving attention in the raid industry.

It was not only her, but also the trainees of each company who had received attention in the test Se-min participated in.

People like Oh Shin-hoo and Yoon Mu-jin, including Bang Yu-bi of the Iron Horse Company, and John McKellan, who became Se-min’s business partner, were also members of that group.

People collectively called them the New Generation.

“They’re doing well.”

Now, everyone had become a Gold mark.

Se-min was still a Blue mark.

But he did not mind.

He did not need the approval of others.

“Huh?”

Se-min saw another familiar face in the car following behind Bang Yu-bi. However, it was hard to be sure because the tinting was dark.

Se-min tilted his head.

“No way.”

It was probably just someone who looked like him.

He shook his head and proceeded toward his destination.

His old scooter stopped.

It was in front of an old building located in a back alley of the city. The first floor was an old supermarket, and above it, all the windows were covered so that it was impossible to tell what was going on.

Se-min climbed the dark stairs and knocked on the second-floor door.

Soon, the door opened.

“Welcome, client.”

“Hello.”

“Please have a seat.”

A bulky man was waiting for him. Tattoos could be seen through his shirt collar.

It was an errand center.

It was a place that would do even illegal work as long as money was provided.

Se-min had requested them to obtain several pieces of information. Although the clues Se-min provided were few, they readily accepted. This was because the retainer fee Se-min paid was substantial.

The man went straight to the point.

He handed over documents in a booming voice.

“Client. First is the information found about the man named Noh Hak-jae. Here it is.”

Se-min received the folder and opened the first page.

A photograph of a man appeared. It was a young face. Se-min could find traces of Noh Hak-jae in that face.

“It’s a somewhat old photo, but this person was a Raider since his youth. Just as you are, this man was also a Raider, but his reputation was not very good.”

His career was brilliant. He was of the first Raider generation, and having his skills recognized since his youth, he conducted various raids.

However, perhaps due to his rapid success, he was caught up in various incidents. He had a criminal record of violence against civilians, and his relationships with women were complicated, leading him to get involved in love disputes. With his arrogant attitude, he was known as a troublemaker in the industry.

“Then, he worked as a team with the Raider Han Su-in, whom everyone knows…”

The legend of raids, Han Su-in.

He was one of the three Raiders who first obtained a unique mark, and was a person who was the world’s strongest in terms of individual combat power.

“They got along well at first, but later discord arose and they parted ways. Afterward, Han Su-in even attained a unique mark and played an active role before dying in an accident. Noh Hak-jae also did some work, but he mostly lived in seclusion. And he completely disappeared around the time Han Su-in died.”

“Yes.”

“He was a more famous person than expected. It wasn’t very difficult. Although it was impossible to find information after he went missing, that would be the same anywhere else.”

“It is enough.”

Se-min nodded.

Noh Hak-jae had said that he regretted his youth.

Was it because of that he roamed the north alone doing work that no one recognized, and eventually sacrificed his life?

As Se-min fell silent, the man cleared his throat and continued.

“The second one is, well, you gave it as a sort of bonus. Yoon Woo-jae. This guy is nothing special.”

Se-min had also requested information on Yoon Woo-jae.

It was not an intention to take revenge or anything. Se-min understood him. Se-min was probably the person who understood Yoon Woo-jae’s actions more than anyone else.

He was just curious about how he was doing.

Since they were no longer in a relationship to contact each other directly, he paid an additional fee and requested an investigation on him. Since he had survived by pushing Se-min away, he hoped he was at least living well.

“He was an aura adaptant, and after entering the military and being discharged, he got a job. It seems he gave up on becoming a Raider and joined a raid-related company. Where was it… Geoseong Metal Industries. He joined a weapon manufacturing company.”

“I see.”

He handed over another folder. Yoon Woo-jae’s face and his personal details were recorded in detail.

Geoseong Metal Industries. It seemed Jeon Woo-yeon had exerted his influence.

“Lastly, about that item…”

Se-min leaned forward.

In a way, the first two matters were investigations to satisfy his interest.

What he needed the most was the information on the last item.

“It is currently not in the country. It’s not an item that appears often, and even if it does, the raid participants usually pocket it and trade it on the black market. It’s not easy.”

“I expected as much.”

“They say one appeared in Gangwon Province recently, but it seems to have been sold to China immediately. There is intelligence that the Raider at the time contacted a Chinese tycoon. There is no confirmation, but the situation looks exactly like that.”

“Yes.”

Se-min nodded.

“I will continue to check on this matter, and as soon as information arises, I will contact you immediately.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Se-min took a thick envelope out of his chest pocket and handed it over.

It was cash.

The man opened the envelope to check the inside and then placed it in his chest.

“Thank you for using our services. If you need anything else, please contact us anytime.”

“Yes.”

Se-min stood up. The man held out a thick hand. There were many scars on the hand. Se-min shook his hand.

“Client, take care.”

“Yes. Keep up the good work.”

Se-min left the building. He felt a few people quickly turning their bodies outside. They seemed to be errand center employees preparing for any emergency.

There was also a presence that seemed to be an aura adaptant.

Not all aura adaptants can become Raiders. Some fell into the underworld.

Se-min ignored them and started the scooter.

“Phew…”

Se-min opened his cell phone. A few messages had arrived. One of them was from Park In-jae.

He had contacted Park In-jae after returning from another world. Without meeting him directly, he notified him of his survival through the phone. The kid said he had wondered if Se-min had settled down in the military.

The reason he came today was also because of Park In-jae.

Park In-jae had lost his arm while fighting magic beasts. Se-min had promised to gift him an arm.

To give him an arm, the corpse of Hazardous Magic Beast Identification No. 77, Einkel, was needed.

It was rare and expensive.

It was a creature that could even return a lost human body part. Every time they were hunted, they were sold for large sums. Most became the possession of powerful people or tycoons.

The path to keeping the promise seemed remote.

Se-min wiped his face dryly and pulled the scooter accelerator.

Today’s raid was waiting for him.

***

Lately, Hyeon Jae-yeong looked to be in a good mood.

He seemed satisfied in his own way with the Green mark promotion test. Although he didn’t say it, he had an air of taking his promotion for granted.

“Oops, here comes the Green mark.”

“Why are you like this.”

“How could a mere Blue mark stand tall before a Green mark. I will lower my eyes.”

“Ah, hyung.”

“Ah! Did I offend the Green mark’s feelings?”

“I told you to stop.”

When Se-min teased him, Hyeon Jae-yeong fled to his room.

Watching his back, Se-min made a spiteful expression.

While Hyeon Jae-yeong was in a good mood, Se-min was the opposite. He was in a totally down mood. The reason was nothing special.

A topic he hadn’t cared about for a while decorated the main page of Mangonet.

The Raider Ahn Seong-jun.

It was that the guy had rejected a huge scout offer from an overseas company. The opponent was McDowell, considered the best raid company in the world.

The guy mentioned patriotism and a sense of duty in the interview.

Saying that the place he would protect was not the United States but the Korean Peninsula.

“Unpleasant bastard…”

Had he suddenly reformed?

No.

Se-min knew him well.

“We’ll see if he says that in front of me in the future…”

Se-min buried his face in the sofa again and rolled around. After banging his head against the pillow, he turned on Mangonet again with his cell phone.

He searched his own name.

His name was not completely absent.

Most of it was due to the Koud eating show that happened a while ago. At first, he was known just as a geeky Raider, but as the fact that he was gaining fame under the nickname Factory in the industry became known, he gained cult popularity.

Se-min turned off his cell phone.

He knew very well how fleeting popularity was. He became a Raider to save people, not to merely have his name mentioned on the internet.

“Hyung, is there something good happening? Why are you smiling like that?”

“Nothing like that.”

“The corners of your mouth are twitching though?”

Se-min turned his body on the sofa to hide his face.

“Where are you going?”

“To meet Ye-na.”

“You guys are getting along well lately?”

“It’s the best.”

Since he took the Green mark exam, the relationship between the two had been very good.

Hyeon Jae-yeong made sure to wear the watch Kim Ye-na gifted him.

He even wore it when sleeping.

Se-min had hated looking at that and teased him that it was definitely a knockoff, but Hyeon Jae-yeong, on the contrary, gave a sympathetic smile to Se-min, a solo-since-birth who had never had a girlfriend, with a gentle expression.

Se-min, who suffered internal damage from that smile, avoided him for a while.

“Have a good time. Buy something delicious when you come back.”

“Okay.”

Hyeon Jae-yeong left the house, spinning his Ferrari key.

Watching his gleeful back, Se-min vowed to steal the smile from Hyeon Jae-yeong’s face.

Although he was enjoying being a Green mark now, Se-min had no intention of leaving him alone. He would whip him even more harshly to make him reach at least a Gold mark. No, at least Platinum. Only then would they save face as the descendant of the Hak-jae Divine Art.

“Enjoy it while you can…”

Tolstoy said that the appearances of happiness are all similar, but the appearances of misfortune are each different.

I will show Hyeon Jae-yeong the various faces of misfortune and pain.

Se-min stood up.

A few messages had arrived on his cell phone.

As he gained the nickname Factory, he became a sort of cleanup duty. Every time there was a raid that everyone avoided, they requested help from him.

It was hard and dangerous, but the reward was small.

But it was something someone had to do.

Thanks to Se-min, SH Company, the company of Yoo Sang-heun to which he belonged, was also growing in size by establishing a good relationship with the Raider Bureau.

“There is a lot of work to do today as well.”

Se-min stood on the veranda and looked at the distant scenery.

Suddenly, he saw Hyeon Jae-yeong’s Ferrari leaving the apartment entrance.

“Good luck, kid.”

He had not known either that he would become this close with Hyeon Jae-yeong.

When he returned from another world, he had thought that among the ragtag crowd, he was the only guy who acted like a decent human.

Even at the moment when everyone tried to escape, he shouted the duty of a Raider by himself.

In front of a true crisis, people change easily. Se-min, who first faced the Gate, was like that, and Yoon Woo-jae, who abandoned him and left, was like that. But Hyeon Jae-yeong was different. That was why Se-min chose Hyeon Jae-yeong.

Just as Dokgo Cheonma had chosen him.

“I must go.”

Se-min left the house wearing the souvenir jacket that had become his symbol.

Just as he was about to start the scooter, a call came.

It was Yoo Sang-heun.

“Yes. Boss. I was having a date with the movie actress Park In-na.”

[What are you talking about. You’re on your way, right?]

“Of course. In-na, I’m busy so I must go now. My malicious boss is calling.”

[Hehehe, cut the nonsense. I’ll let you meet a celebrity today as you wished.]

“A celebrity? Is it my fan?”

[It seems so. There is a raid that the broadcasting station decided to film this time, and the performer there specifically picked you and said they wished you would come.]

“Huh?”

“M-me? Who, who is it? An ex-lover? I h-hate sloppy things.”

[Why is your voice trembling?]

“No. Why would it tremble. Haha.”

Se-min replied, calming his fluttering heart.

He was the type to get nervous and awkward once the stage was set, even if he talked big.

“W-what is it about?”

[Be honest. You’re nervous, right?]

“No, I’m not.”

[You just need to do as you usually do. It’s a show that shows celebrities’ families, and it seems one of the celebrity’s younger siblings is a Raider. One of the celebrities coming there called you.]

“Why did they call? What is it? Do they know me? A real fan?”

[How should I know. They probably did it because you’re a guy who eats magic beasts and they found it fascinating. Go and ask.]

“Oh, boss, you watched it too?”

[The kids showed me. But is that really delicious?]

“It’s no joke. Next time, I will treat you.”

[Right. I will send other kids to what you were originally supposed to take charge of, so go quickly.]

“I didn’t say I would do that…”

[I already received the appearance fee.]

“Cancel it!”

[Cannot be canceled. Sorry. Good luck!]

“Boss!”

The call ended. Immediately, Yoo Sang-heun sent the raid documents. Se-min let out a deep sigh and checked the documents.

The raid itself was nothing special. It was a Zorg raid that Blue marks commonly take charge of, and the only concern was the appearance of Karg, the upper species.

“Why me…”

Se-min banged his head on the scooter and agonized.

However, even if he thought about it, the answer did not come out. The speculation that they got curious after watching his Koud eating show video was influential.

“There is no reason to avoid it.”

Se-min debated whether to buy and drink a bottle of Woohwang Cheongsimwon, and pulled the scooter accelerator.

His scooter moved forward, rattling.

***

The raid site scheduled for broadcasting was noisy as expected.

All the guys who wanted to get attention were gathered. He wondered what kind of preparation they had done ahead of the raid, as they all applied wax and spray to their hair. Their protective gear was plastered with luxury equipment unsuitable for a Blue mark.

“The last Raider has arrived.”

When the Raider Bureau employee spoke, people’s gazes gathered.

Discovering a certain punk who got off the scooter and walked sloppily, people’s expressions changed in various ways.

From his walking form to his fashion and expression, his personality looked extremely dirty.

A broadcasting station staff member approached him cautiously.

“You are Lee Se-min, right?”

“Yes.”

“Please go over there and get makeup…”

Se-min glared at her and replied.

“Fine.”

Because his tone was irritable, she thought for a moment that he had said, ‘No thanks.’

“Pardon?”

“I said fine.”

“Ah, yes. Follow me.”

She seated the man.

The dragon pattern of the souvenir jacket caught her eye anew. He looked like a biker from a school violence webtoon.

The man closed his eyes and said bluntly.

“Make me look pretty.”

The man waited for her touch with his eyes tightly closed.

She cleared her throat and applied powder to the man’s face. Since he stayed quiet with his eyes closed, his appearance was quite decent. In fact, he might be a cute type.

“I will do your neck too.”

“Yep.”

It was the moment when she giggled to herself while applying foundation up to his neck.

Suddenly, she discovered something.

A scar mark was visible from inside the T-shirt up to the neck.

“…”

Was he really from a gang or a biker background? She quickly finished his makeup. His skin was cleaner than before, and his features had become distinct.

“Please go talk over there.”

“Is there no mirror?”

“Ah, here. If there is any part you don’t like, please tell me.”

Se-min reflected his face in a hand mirror. Painted with powder, it looked whiter, and with something applied to his lips, color returned. Se-min held his chin alone and made a melancholic expression.

Se-min began to think that he had chosen the wrong career path. Should he not have chosen a job where he makes a living with his face?

Containing his surging vanity, Se-min puffed out his chest and walked away.

The Raiders were already gathered and chatting among themselves. Looking at them, they all seemed to belong to large corporations that received good support.

“The newcomer is a Blue mark, right?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you have a mark display? Since it’s a broadcast today, I think we should follow the regulations.”

Se-min nodded.

“Ah, I forgot. I will bring it.”

And he ran to the scooter and brought a children’s Taekwondo blue belt from the luggage compartment. Having washed it regularly, it didn’t even smell now.

When Se-min tried to tie it on his forehead, the Raiders stopped him.

“D-don’t do that!”

“I think it’s fine without it.”

Se-min tilted his head.

“Really? Isn’t it correct to wear it?”

“That really is a bad idea.”

Due to their intense opposition, Se-min laid it down with regret.

“I think I’ll look like a delinquent Raider…”

“That’s actually better.”

“Understood.”

Se-min looked at the broadcasting station crowd gathered separately in the distance. Even from afar, there were two women whose beauty could be felt and one man assumed to be a comedian.

“They said there is a celebrity’s younger sibling? Which one is it?”

“This guy. His older sister is Yeo Soo-yeon.”

A handsome-looking man laughed quietly. Indeed, genes did not lie. The face of a female celebrity he had seen somewhere was visible.

“Who are the other celebrities that came together?”

“Lee So-jin, a member of the same group, and comedian Park Chul-woong.”

They were all names he was hearing for the first time. One of the two must have called him, but he couldn’t know.

“What is the name of the girl group?”

The man who was said to be Yeo Soo-yeon’s younger brother replied.

“Honey Beez. We are rookies so you probably won’t know.”

“What are you talking about. They are famous as the girl group to succeed Thrice. You don’t know?”

“Yes. I only know Thrice.”

Honey bees… the name was bizarre.

Having shared a few words with the Raiders, Se-min waited until the start of the raid. Soon, the support team leader of the Raider Bureau briefed them about today’s raid.

“Today, after the raid ends, we will have a brief talk in an interview format. Don’t push yourselves too hard just because there are cameras. Yeo Soo-han.”

“Yes.”

“Be careful, and since today’s protagonist is Yeo Soo-han, everyone please support him.”

The surrounding Raiders cheered for him. Yeo Soo-han stood up and bowed his head.

“We ended up filming because of my sister, and I thank everyone for coming like this. Please take good care of me today.”

“Cool!”

“Handsome.”

Se-min also could not hold back and shouted.

“Get me an autograph!”

Yeo Soo-han laughed.

“Yes, of course. I will get autographs for everyone. Thank you.”

Soon, the Raiders equipped their gear completely and stood in front of the gate opening point.

Everyone had strong personalities, so Se-min, who did not wear protective gear, did not stand out much either.

The gate opener operated, and a unique airflow arose to form the shape of a pupil. It was a sight he saw often, but it was unpleasant.

The pupil swept over them as if it had a will, and then began to split left and right.

Zorgs poured out.

The difficulty was moderate. It was a gate carefully selected for the broadcast. The Raiders each set up their formation and killed the Zorgs mechanically.

Occasionally, Karg appeared to liven up the hunting atmosphere. After the Raiders gestured with their eyes, they passed the turn to today’s protagonist, Yeo Soo-han.

Yeo Soo-han stepped forward and confronted the Karg.

The celebrities watching the fight from behind could be heard chatting. They screamed even in trivial situations, securing screen time.

Indeed, they were professionals.

Se-min gripped the claymore. He was also a professional. Since professionals from each field had met, should Se-min not do something as well?

His Tai Chi Accord wavered. Se-min did not deliver critical blows on purpose and mingled with the Zorgs.

Looking from afar, it would probably feel like watching a close, fierce battle of giants.

Rather, the Zorg seemed flustered, but how much could a wordless beast appeal?

Se-min did not care and put on a method acting performance.

“Haha! You bastards are pretty good!”

Surrounded by three Zorgs, Se-min allowed a light wound and slumped slightly.

“Urgh! They’re strong!”

The colleague Raiders seemed to have noticed his acting. One of them rushed to him while holding back laughter and joined the acting.

He confronted the Zorgs attached to Se-min together.

“Se-min! I will save you!”

“Yes! If we combine our strength, we can defeat them!”

The other Raiders also began securing screen time.

Perhaps the Zorgs, which used to die in one sword stroke, had suddenly powered up, as they began to wage a bloody battle with them.

Even accepting wounds from occasional claw grazes, the Raiders acted as Raiders opposing terrifying magic beasts to protect citizens.

Se-min fought a life-and-death battle with an additionally appeared Karg. The Karg already seemed to realize the gap in power and didn’t want to fight anymore, but Se-min stubbornly approached and poked it with his sword.

Eventually, the Karg gave up resisting.

It looked as if it were telling him to just kill it since it had done enough.

At this rate, it wouldn’t look good.

Se-min kicked the Karg up from an angle that the cameras couldn’t catch.

“Oooh! An aerial attack!”

The cameras captured the sky all at once.

The sight of the Karg flying high was a spectacle.

“Dodge!”

The Karg, kicked and launched into the air, suddenly became the protagonist of a super special move that jumped high into the sky and plummeted downward.

“An ascending leap attack that only some among Kargs are said to use! Good heavens!”

Se-min looked up at the sky and slunk toward the crash point.

“If hit, it’s instant death!”

The moment the Karg fell, Se-min rolled on the ground.

It was the appearance of a practical fighter, accepting even the Lazy Donkey Roll to survive.

*Thud!*

And the Karg died, burying its head on the ground.

It was a death by fall.

“…”

Instantly, the atmosphere of the raid site turned cold.

Se-min cleared his throat and stood up.

“T-to deploy a final killing method that leads even oneself to death upon failure. Although an enemy, I pay respect to that boldness. Karg.”

Se-min raised his thumb toward the Karg’s corpse.

Even so, the atmosphere did not easily recover.

They’ll edit it appropriately.

The fight continued.

The Raiders created many scenes for Yeo Soo-yeon’s younger brother, Yeo Soo-han. Perhaps on the broadcast, he would be depicted as stirring up the raid site far and wide, helping colleagues, and repelling enemies.

The raid ended.

“Great job, everyone.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Everyone stood tall and greeted each other, saying they had worked hard.

“Se-min. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Yeo Soo-han requested a handshake. Se-min had indeed secured a lot of screen time by showing off. Se-min held his hand.

“Is it hard to get Thrice’s autographs, by any chance?”

“That might be hard, but I’ll ask. Hahaha.”

“Yes. Fighting to Honey Beez as well.”

“Actually, I like Thrice too.”

The subsequent process remained. The Raiders who participated today were scheduled to gather and interview as a group, and Yeo Soo-han was supposed to shoot in the studio separately.

Everyone tidied up their outfits and stood in place.

The celebrities were seated in front.

Looking at their backs, Se-min suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

It was a familiar silhouette.

A shoulder line that proceeded straight, then bent and fell steeply. A straight posture that never bent or curved. Beautiful curves that seemed slender but felt elastic.

Where had he seen it?

Se-min stared at that back blankly.

“Shooting will begin soon.”

Suddenly, she looked back.

It was Lee So-jin, said to be a member of Yeo Soo-yeon’s girl group.

Se-min realized.

She had called him.

“Lee Se-min. Long time no see.”

Memories of the past arose.

He was a high school student, an aura adaptant, and had a fight with Ahn Seong-jun.

He had ended up showing a pathetic appearance of being broken miserably in front of the girl he had a crush on.

While staggered up with a messed-up face, he discovered her face among the classmates looking at him.

Lee Yoo-jin.

The girl who now used the stage name Lee So-jin.

Se-min had liked her.

If she had not been among the gazes surrounding him when he collapsed from being beaten by Ahn Seong-jun, perhaps Se-min would not have quit school.

However, the humiliation suffered in front of her remained in his heart, and he left school.

She was before his eyes.

Se-min contained his widened eyes and smiled bitterly.

“It was you.”