Chapter 32 – Another Level

“Did you do a background check on me?”

As Se-min’s face stiffened, Min Ji-hyun shrugged her shoulders.

“Isn’t that a story everyone knows?”

“Everyone knows?”

“I’m a member of Se-min-ssi’s fan cafe. Some member posted it, though I don’t know how they found out about Se-min-ssi’s story. Many fans are also lamenting that Kesia came out when you won the Einkel Raid.”

Se-min made a sour face.

“If you have any business, please drop by again. And send my regards to Jae-yeong-ssi.”

At the subsequent words, Se-min’s expression turned appalled.

Recently, the couple Hyeon Jae-yeong and Kim Ye-na broke up. Se-min was the one who witnessed everything at the intersection of their hearts.

He focused on Hyeon Jae-yeong’s expression. He had babbled about how his horizon broadened as he became a Green-mark. Although he wrapped it up diligently, Se-min guessed it meant he met another woman in the end, and looking at it now, it seemed to be Min Ji-hyun.

Could this woman really be Hyeon Jae-yeong’s new lover?

“No way!”

“Pardon?”

“I can’t tolerate it.”

Se-min stood up, shuddering. Min Ji-hyun only harbored a strange smile. Indeed, in terms of appearance, she was above Kim Ye-na.

Before leaving the interview room, Se-min asked her.

“By the way, which department do you belong to?”

In the past, he had met Min Ji-hyun for the first time when he reported about the magic beasts beyond the Gate. Back then, he took it as it was, but when he came to protest about Kesia this time, she appeared again.

It felt as if she was in sole charge of everything regarding Se-min.

Min Ji-hyun answered calmly, as if there was nothing to hide.

“I belong to the World Headquarters of the Raid Association. Right now, I’m dispatched to the Bureau’s Forecasting Room.”

“World Headquarters?”

After the appearance of magic beasts, all nations cooperated to share technologies and systems to combat them. Thus, the Raid Association emerged. They integrated gate forecasting technology and information on magic beasts to provide them to each country.

In Korea, the Raider Bureau was connected with them.

“Why does such a person handle me?”

“Handle you, is that how you felt?”

Min Ji-hyun grinned, looking at Se-min standing by the door.

“That’s right. I handle you. Because Se-min-ssi is a precious talent.”

Se-min stared at her confident expression, then raised his middle finger before he knew it.

Before her expression could distort, he closed the door and ran away.

***

Se-min finished the Einkel Raid and obtained the corpse. And through the hospital introduced by the Raider Bureau, he gave Park In-jae a new arm.

“Hyung, thank you.”

Park In-jae lay in the hospital room and expressed his gratitude to Se-min.

Park In-jae was all grown up and had an adult shape. Before, he was a skinny high school student, but now he had a body trained by exercise.

The kid moved his given new arm here and there as if it was fascinating. Although there would be a feeling of discomfort because it was not yet properly synchronized, if he kept using it, it would eventually move like a part of his body.

“They say this arm is stronger than an ordinary arm?”

“Once you get used to it, it will be like that.”

Making a prosthetic arm from Einkel’s corpse ultimately meant replacing a part of the body with that of a magic beast.

Therefore, the appearance was also subtly different from an actual arm. It had a faint gray hue and had no hair at all. It was also strangely gross.

“If you keep using it, it will become like a real arm.”

Once the nerves were completely connected, the appearance would also replicate the original one.

It was the same as before, but stronger power could be used. The damage to that area was also self-repaired to some extent.

It was an item of immense value when converted to money. There were even rumors that some people deliberately removed their flesh and replaced it with Einkel’s.

“My parents told me to give you this.”

“Why did they buy such a thing?”

It was a red ginseng set.

“Since a Raider’s body is their asset, they told you to take care of your body while eating this at least. They said thank you so many times, and they wanted to meet and greet you in person.”

“Tell them it’s fine.”

“They say they’ll also join the fan club.”

“Hey.”

Se-min also accessed that place called the fan club.

It was burdensome.

He was not that great of a person, and not a particularly good person either. He just did what he had to do. However, the members there wrapped and overinterpreted Se-min. To them, Se-min was already a hero.

“Hyung is a Platinum Raider now, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I knew Hyung would rise that high.”

“How?”

“Just, you know, there’s a feeling.”

Se-min chuckled.

“Back then, I had nothing, though?”

“Just, you know, that kind of thing. This person is different from ordinary people.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You were different.”

Se-min seemed to know what Park In-jae was talking about, but since he said he received such a feeling from him, Se-min could not understand it.

At that time, he was nothing but a Raider aspirant who had nothing. He only had the Tai Chi Wisdom passed down by Dokgo Cheonma, and that was all. Other than that, it was truly a trivial life.

“How is it now?”

Se-min asked, sitting on the window sill.

“Just so-so.”

“Do you want to die?”

He checked his phone.

The raid time was approaching.

After wearing the Platinum mark due to the Kesia Raid, this was his first formal raid, excluding Einkel.

“In-jae. I must go now.”

“Yes. Go ahead. Thank you so much.”

“No need for greetings.”

Se-min checked his messenger.

There were no particular people on his friends list. At most, they were company people or guys like Park In-jae.

And the profile picture of Hyeon Jae-yeong, one of his few close friends, changed. In the new photo, Min Ji-hyun stood side-by-side with Hyeon Jae-yeong.

Se-min made a distorted face and said.

“Watch out for women.”

“Pardon?”

“Then, I’ll come again.”

Se-min waved his hand and jumped out of the window.

As a person fell from the sky, startled people let out low screams. Se-min brushed off his clothes as if nothing was wrong.

Se-min soon rode on his worn-out scooter roughly parked in the hospital parking lot.

Those who recognized his souvenir jacket pointed their phone cameras.

Se-min asked the brave boy who approached closest.

“Should I give you an autograph?”

“No need.”

He was a bold kid. Se-min started the engine and said.

“Get out of the way, you punk.”

“Wow, is a Raider allowed to do that?”

“Didn’t you say you don’t need my autograph either?”

“I already received it. Did you forget, Hyung?”

Se-min looked at the kid again. Looking closely, it was the kid who recognized him and asked for an autograph when Park In-jae was first hospitalized. He was a patient hospitalized long-term due to poor health.

The public sentiment around turned hostile. People began to whisper. An article might pop up, something like ‘The Two Faces of a Famous Raider’.

Se-min stood up.

“My friend. What is your name?”

Suddenly, his voice became gentle. The child flinched.

“Kim Yong-hun.”

“Yong-hun. There is a dragon in your name. Wonderful. Here.”

Se-min took off his dragon souvenir jacket and gave it to him.

“It’s a present.”

The kid’s eyes widened.

“Really?”

“Of course. I’m giving it to you so you become a wonderful person.”

Se-min raised his thumb. He began to express dignity through the authoritative style.

“Then what about you, Hyung?”

Instead of answering, Se-min opened the scooter trunk and took something out.

It was a new souvenir jacket.

“This hyung keeps a pile of them at home to wear.”

Those who witnessed it began to send desperate gazes to Se-min.

Their eyes were filled with the desire to receive one, put it on a secondhand trading site, and get some free money.

Se-min shook his head.

“I have to go because of a raid, so everyone please step aside. I must leave to protect the safety of the citizens. Magic beasts do not rest.”

The path opened. Se-min’s scooter began to move forward. His back would be photographed.

Se-min suddenly stopped the scooter and looked back. Sure enough, mobile phones were pointing at him.

Se-min gathered his index and middle fingers, placed them on his eyebrow, and posed.

“Adios.”

***

Harmful Magic Beast System Number 66 Odoros.

It was a whopping Black rank.

It was a level that the past him wouldn’t even have laid eyes on, and was not disclosed to the general public.

By rising to the Platinum mark, Se-min formally entered the inner circle of top Raiders. The gap between Gold and Platinum was much larger than the interval between the previous ranks.

From now on, it was another level.

Meeting the real heavyweights.

Among the Raiders who joined today’s raid, there was also one Black-mark. A Black-mark, of which there were only five in South Korea.

“Could those women also come?”

Perhaps he would meet faces he knew.

Because one of the few Black-marks in South Korea was precisely Ryu Gwan-woo, the president of the Iron Horse Company.

I heard he is coming in person today.

It was highly likely that Raiders from the Iron Horse Company, including Kim Seon-ha and Bang Yu-bi, would come.

“If it’s a Black-mark, it would radiate brilliance just by looking at it.”

Even Se-min was seeing a Black-mark in person for the first time. Black-mark Raiders did not expose themselves much to the outside.

The only one relatively known was Joo Ho-san of Hosan Company, one of the Big Three, who carried out public activities under the title of the nation’s best. However, even that was closer to an annual event held occasionally.

“I’m looking forward to it. Pant, pant.”

Ryu Gwan-woo was a person well-reputed to combine both skill and character.

Se-min decided to arrive first and leave a good impression.

As he approached the vicinity of the control line, the employees opened the way. It was a support team he was seeing for the first time. It would probably be some support team with an early number, like the case of the Limitless Association before.

Se-min greeted them.

“Hello. I am Lee Se-min, the magic beast slayer, magic beast sweeper, magic beast’s nightmare, and exemplary Raider.”

“Hello. Welcome. You arrived early.”

An employee welcomed him, beaming.

The atmosphere was good.

Se-min gave them a thumb up and entered the control line.

“Am I the first?”

The support team leader was a middle-aged woman with her hair tied back. Her experience was visible in the way she directed the employees. She discovered Se-min and clapped.

“Oh, Se-min-ssi, about whom rumors have been rife lately?”

“That is me.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Support Team 6 Leader Park Yu-ri.”

“Nice to meet you too. You are a beauty.”

“Oh, hohoho. Se-min-ssi is also a handsome man. Go greet the person who arrived first over there. The others will be here soon too.”

“Yes.”

A woman was looking at the gate open location with her arms crossed.

She was not tall but wore a long sword and a tight combat suit that highlighted her elastic figure. Her back looked strangely familiar.

Se-min’s desire to greet her vanished instantly. He felt it would be better to hide somewhere.

However, sensing his presence, she turned around first.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

It was Bang Yu-bi.

They had brushed past each other on the road during Hyeon Jae-yeong’s promotion exam, but looking at her closely now, it felt different again. As years passed, her past childish appearance had disappeared. She was now a complete veteran Raider.

She strode toward Se-min. Se-min retreated as much as she approached.

“What is it?”

“Self-protection.”

Bang Yu-bi twisted her eyes. Her displeased gaze was no different now than in the past.

She let out a sigh.

“Whatever, the people you want to meet will be here soon.”

“Who wants to meet me?”

“You’ll know when you meet them.”

It would probably be the people from the Iron Horse Company.

“Could it be that woman?”

“Seon-ha Eonni is… too busy to come.”

“Really? She must have become a Platinum.”

“…”

She stared at Se-min.

With that expression, he realized.

“My mistake.”

He lacked tact. Bang Yu-bi had expressed it indirectly out of politeness. Se-min had said that guessing Kim Seon-ha would be around Gold rank, and it seemed that was indeed the case, which was why she could not participate in this raid.

The world of Raiders was cold.

Effort was essential, but effort did not guarantee everyone could become a top-tier.

Just as the past Se-min could not increase his aura no matter how hard he tried, Kim Seon-ha had also failed to overcome the wall of Gold.

“Anyway, I heard the news. Congratulations on catching Einkel.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The background of how he came to face Kesia was already known. And in the industry, rumors spread that the Raider Bureau had arranged the Einkel Raid as compensation for the accident.

Einkel was a precious magic beast that rarely appeared.

And the Raider Bureau was not a group that gave out benefits simply out of apology.

It meant Se-min was a talent receiving the attention of the Raider Bureau.

He changed the subject.

“An Odoros Raid, it’s not something that happens often, right?”

“That’s right.”

A magic beast on the level of Odoros was rare.

As technology developed and the level of Raiders rose, society found stability. Now, unless a forecast failed or a missing gate appeared, cases of civilians suffering damage disappeared.

However, if the number of powerful magic beasts increased, the story would change.

There were five Black-mark Raiders on the Korean Peninsula.

In other words, if five or more Black-rank monsters like Odoros appeared on the Korean Peninsula, an emergency would occur.

“Lately, the appearance of high-risk magic beasts has been increasing. There is also the Southeast Asia incident.”

Around the time Se-min took the Raider qualification exam, missing gates had appeared consecutively in Southeast Asia. Many Raiders from Korea also went to support.

While Se-min was beyond the Gate, the situation continued, destroying half of the Philippines and Indonesia. Other regions also suffered massive damage.

Even now, Southeast Asia was groaning from the aftermath, experiencing difficulties in recovery.

“Since you’ve become a Platinum-mark, brace yourself. There’s a lot of work to do. I’m telling you this as a senior.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Ah, they’re coming.”

Soon, vehicles began to appear one after another from the direction of the control line.

Se-min’s eyes widened when he discovered the black foreign sedan approaching at the lead.

That vehicle was the very one that had run after Bang Yu-bi during Hyeon Jae-yeong’s promotion exam in the past. And beyond the tinted windows, Se-min saw a face that was somehow familiar.

Back then, he had thought it was an illusion.

However, the man who appeared as the door opened was indeed him.

Se-min shouted loudly.

“Hyung-nim!”

That man.

The man who had continued a lonely battle while spewing hot steam at the Self-Strengthening Gym.

“It’s been a while, cool young man.”

Ryu Gwan-cheol.

It was indeed him.

“How did this happen, Hyung-nim!”

A Raider following Ryu Gwan-cheol became wary of Se-min. However, Ryu Gwan-cheol waved his hand to stop them.

“Were you also a Raider, Hyung-nim?”

“That’s right.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Work is work. Private life is private life.”

Ryu Gwan-cheol chuckled.

Although years had passed, his bulky physique was still the same. Rather, he had become a level sturdier, emitting an energy like steel.

“I heard the news about the young man. You went through a lot.”

“Kuh-heuk…”

Se-min was embraced in his broad chest.

When he, who was a big brother in his heart along with the gym owner Kim Deok-bae, spoke like that, he felt his past hardships melting away.

Se-min stepped back and grabbed Ryu Gwan-cheol’s hand, asking.

“Which means, after all…”

No matter how he looked at it, Ryu Gwan-cheol exuded the aura of a boss. The Raider standing behind him had his hands politely gathered.

“Were you the Black-mark Raider, Ryu Gwan-woo, Hyung-nim…?”

“It’s a name I use for public relations. Brother, just know me as Ryu Gwan-cheol.”

“I respect you.”

One of the five Black-mark Raiders supporting South Korea was precisely Ryu Gwan-cheol.

Only then could Se-min realize something. At that time, Ryu Gwan-cheol had hung around the gym with an inhuman stamina, repeating heavy weight training. Se-min had thought he was an abnormal middle-aged man, but there was a reason.

A master whose trace of aura the Se-min of that time could not even feel.

He had enjoyed his daily life while hiding that he was a Raider.

It was the same now. Even now, Ryu Gwan-cheol looked just like a well-built middle-aged man. Only the occasionally wavering trace of aura informed him that Se-min’s level had developed.

“I look forward to working with you today.”

They were the subordinates of his big brother. Se-min politely greeted them. The members of the Iron Horse Company also responded politely.

Ryu Gwan-cheol placed his hand on Se-min’s shoulder.

“My wife is a fan of yours.”

“I’m embarrassed.”

“I also watched the Kesia Raid. You are indeed a cool young man.”

Se-min and the Raiders of the Iron Horse Company had a harmonious conversation.

Bang Yu-bi subtly provoked him.

“Let’s have a spar next time.”

“No thanks.”

“Why?”

“Raiders are not supposed to fight each other.”

“Che.”

The very person who said that would beat up Hyeon Jae-yeong under the guise of training, but there was no way Bang Yu-bi could know that.

Still, not everyone had arrived. Soon, a group of foreign cars appeared, just like when Ryu Gwan-cheol had arrived, parked in the parking area, and the occupants got out one by one.

It was an arrival like gangsters.

Se-min whistled.

The attire he had seen before—it was the Limitless Association.

The man leading the Limitless Association was a man approaching his forties, who waved his hand and ran over as soon as he discovered Ryu Gwan-cheol.

“Hyung-nim!”

Se-min, whose position as a younger brother was threatened, felt hostility.

“Manager Jin, you’re here.”

Fortunately, Ryu Gwan-cheol did not permit him the title of brother.

“I lost sleep last night at the thought of meeting Hyung-nim. Hehe.”

Unlike his fierce-looking face, he was frivolous. His voice was also high and thin, exuding the air of a sycophant. He rolled his eyes and greeted them amiably.

“It’s been a while for the Iron Horse Company friends here too. Hehe! How have you all been!”

“Hello.”

“It’s been a while.”

Perhaps they already knew each other, as they greeted each other warmly. He greeted around and soon reached Se-min’s turn.

“This side is…?”

Se-min could read the look in his eyes.

It was a look of looking down on him.

“I am Lee Se-min.”

“Ah, the one from before?”

His expression was completely different from when he dealt with the Iron Horse Company. When he reached out his hand, Se-min also held it. It was an insincere handshake.

“He’s a younger brother I know well.”

Ryu Gwan-cheol added.

At that, his hand changed. He grabbed Se-min’s hand with both hands, shook it up and down, and smiled brightly.

“I watched the video well. You said you’re Se-min brother, right? Our lacking Mu-jin caused trouble. You went through a lot, and thank you. Hehe!”

“Ah, yes.”

“Let’s join forces and do well in today’s raid! I am Jin Bu-sik.”

“I am Lee Se-min.”

He was a hypocritical person.

Se-min disliked such people. Although Se-min showed his aversion, Jin Bu-sik did not care and even patted Se-min’s shoulder.

Since Ryu Gwan-cheol was there, Se-min could not push him away either, so he only nodded with an uncomfortable face.

Limitless Association.

The name was cool, but the way it was run was spectacular. Perhaps because it was the largest among the Big Three, they seemed to have gathered all sorts of guys.

Anyway, all members gathered.

Three Raiders from the Iron Horse Company, including Ryu Gwan-cheol and Bang Yu-bi; five Raiders from the Limitless Association; and Se-min, making nine people who would conduct the Odoros Raid.

It was a raid with the Black-mark Ryu Gwan-cheol and eight Platinum-mark Raiders.

A raid of this scale was rare.

The support team leader soon began the briefing.

“The magic beast we will meet this time is Odoros. The system number is 66, the very guy that devastated Eastern Europe upon its first appearance.”

Since it was Black-rank, the magic beast also had a history. Odoros had first appeared in Slovakia back when Raider power was not yet stable, destroying the area and killing numerous people.

Its appearance was also ugly. A giant bipedal creature, tall like a giant and with long limbs.

The bastard usually swept its long arms that reached the ground, caught humans in one breath, and swallowed them in its mouth.

It always accompanied a thick fog, earning the nickname ‘The Fog Devil’.

“There is no standardized way to deal with it. Since it is a very strong guy, you must show adaptability on your own. Originally, we planned to deploy more people.”

The support team leader smiled, looking at Ryu Gwan-cheol.

“But I thought there would be no need for that since our Raider Ryu is here. As you all know, the Gates have been unusual lately. The Raider Bureau guideline is to leave as many available resources as possible.”

While everyone nodded, only Se-min looked blank. There seemed to be some information shared among them.

Bang Yu-bi whispered.

“Once you become a Platinum or higher, news periodically comes from the Raider Bureau.”

Se-min had been a Blue-mark until recently. He had been discriminated against without knowing. Se-min wiped his eyes.

The support team leader’s gaze turned toward Se-min.

“Besides, since our rising star, Raider Lee Se-min, has also joined, there won’t be any problems, right?”

Everyone looked at Se-min.

Se-min struck the dragon head on the left chest of his souvenir jacket with his fist and said.

“Of course. I will turn Odoros into duck roast (ori-roast).”

At his ambition, Jin Bu-sik burst into laughter.

“Hehehehe! Our Se-min brother has overflowing spirit! Cool!”

The other Raiders also laughed.

Soon, they stood at the gate deployment site. They chose a nearby vacant lot in preparation for the fight with the giant creature Odoros, but since the opponent was who it was, the destruction of the area would be unavoidable.

Placards were attached here and there on nearby buildings.

Please carry out a safe raid.

Please minimize building damage.

Thank you for the hard work of the Raiders.

And such.

Unfortunately, Odoros was not a magic beast that could be dealt with while showing consideration.

South Korea’s Raider power was on the superior side. If Odoros had appeared in a country with weak power, the land would have been erased. For example, a country like Singapore could not handle a Black mark without the support of other countries.

And Se-min now stood in a position to handle such an existence.

He recalled the past.

He was a nobody.

And now, he stood in a position to bear human lives and handle a Black-rank magic beast called Odoros.

Se-min gripped the handle of the claymore and gathered his tension. It was a pleasant pressure.

[Counting to ten until the gate deployment.]

His heart pounded.

A guy several times more powerful than Kesia.

Was waiting for them beyond.

[Ten.]

[Nine.]

[Eight.]

…

[Two.]

[One.]

[Deploying.]

Soon, the gate opener opened the dimensional door. A sinister eye stared at them. Although he felt it every time he saw it, it seemed as if that thing also had emotions.

Yes, it looked like it was laughing.

Before spitting out Odoros, the gate’s eye sneered at them once.

Subsequently, the iris split. From beyond, fog began to spread. It was a mist so thick that the Raiders next to him could not be seen.

And it appeared abruptly.

Se-min recognized the giant shadow looming overhead. He realized it was a giant claw stirring the fog.

It was Odoros’s hand.

It lunged at him, erasing the sense of space. Se-min rolled on the ground, startled. However, a bizarre finger wrapped around his body.

“Damn it!”

He swung the claymore. He wounded the bastard’s skin, but Odoros did not care and pressured him. He had not even seen the main body yet. Se-min was struggling, captured by a mere finger.

The presence of the Raiders who had stood with him could not be felt either.

Voices tangled in the radio.

[Encountered Odoros’s hand.]

[What is this! Damn it!]

[Everyone, stay calm.]

[Argh, what bad luck!]

Se-min raised his aura and struck down on the grip. The skin split and body fluid scattered. However, the creature seemed unable to feel pain.

Se-min realized his aura was being absorbed by the creature.

If this continued, he would be defeated just like that.

The Tai Chi Wisdom wavered. The power of all creation dwelled on his blade. At that, Odoros’s body flinched.

Se-min swung his claymore and sliced off the creature’s finger. The tough skin that wouldn’t split was soon severed.

“Uwoooooooong.”

A resonance that did not seem to be made by a living creature shook the area.

Se-min kicked away the finger that had been wrapping him.

Could that be called a finger?

It was closer to a tentacle. And Odoros had countless fingers.

“Where is everyone!”

Se-min shouted, but no answer returned.

Instead, the support team leader’s radio followed.

[The fog is thick, making it difficult to cooperate. Please be careful individually. Based on past experience, to kill Odoros, cutting the neck is the fastest.]

Odoros was a giant and thin creature.

Cutting the neck was fast.

[Then we’ll strike the neck.]

It was Ryu Gwan-cheol’s voice.

Se-min looked up at the sky. Because of the fog, let alone Odoros’s body, only the arms and claw-like fingers extending from the fog caught his eye. They swept the ground and disappeared, then reappeared through the fog.

Se-min operated the Cloud-Ascending Steps and leaped into the sky.

The fog mixed into his breath, causing discomfort.

It smelled of another world.

Through the fog, Odoros’s skin was visible. It was a nasty green color. On the scaling skin, mysterious boil-like things popped out, oozing pus. And something wriggled in there.

It would be an otherworld species parasitic on Odoros’s body.

He got goosebumps.

Se-min spat once and kicked off the air again.

A person appeared.

Of all people, it was Jin Bu-sik.

“Se-min brother?”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m crawling!”

He was crawling up Odoros’s body. It seemed he did not possess a lightness skill to fly in the air like Se-min.

“Even though you’re from the Limitless Association, you don’t have a flying martial art?”

“I didn’t learn it because my points were lacking! Pant, pant.”

“What a stingy place.”

The Limitless Association seemed to transmit martial arts according to points.

“Then, keep up the hard work.”

“Go, go together!”

“Hmm…”

He wanted to leave him behind, but this was a raid. The top priority was hunting Odoros. After a moment of worry, Se-min grabbed Jin Bu-sik by the armpit and lifted him.

The two of them soared as one.

Suddenly, a foul odor rose, making Se-min frown. Jin Bu-sik’s body was covered in fluid from crawling on Odoros.

“Ugh, the smell.”

“Isn’t this the destiny of a Raider? Hehe.”

“Let’s go quickly.”

They climbed along Odoros’s tall height and reached the creature’s shoulder.

Perhaps it was continuously identifying the Raiders’ positions, as the creature’s shoulders were moving back and forth. Se-min lowered him onto the shoulder.

“We have to target the neck.”

Surprisingly, the progress was easy.

If the claws were the problem, couldn’t they just fly up and cut the neck off from the shoulder?

***

However, that was a misjudgment.

On the shoulder, they came to face Odoros’s ugly face.

Everyone was lost for words.

Countless things estimated to be eyeballs were attached to its face, and tentacle-like tongues flickered in its mouth. Small creatures struggled inside the oozing pus.

Confronting the bizarre appearance of the otherworld species, the two froze.

They withdrew the plan to cut the neck in one breath.

“Uwoooooooong.”

Facing that cry close up, even their thoughts seemed paralyzed.

“What are you doing?”

A voice was heard from behind.

Three members of the Iron Horse Company, headed by Ryu Gwan-cheol, were floating in the air. However, their movements did not seem as free as the Cloud-Ascending Steps Se-min used. Bang Yu-bi asked in an awkward posture.

“We were going to attack the neck…”

“Then why are you standing there?”

“Look at that face. My feet won’t move.”

Bang Yu-bi frowned and turned her eyes. She stared hard as if she couldn’t see well through the fog, and suddenly, startled, she lost her balance.

Falling about two meters, she regained her senses and floated up again.

“Manager Jin, where are the rest?”

“They should be coming.”

“Hmm.”

The voices of the Limitless Association Raiders calling them from below were heard. They seemed to be crawling up like Jin Bu-sik did earlier.

“Odoros is quieter than expected,” Ryu Gwan-cheol said.

It was as he said. Although they had approached this close, Odoros did not move. It just stood blankly, waving its arms.

“Since we cannot just let this opportunity go.”

Ryu Gwan-cheol raised his weapon.

Like his pseudonym Ryu Gwan-woo, his weapon was a giant Guan Dao that looked like it would appear in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. White aura gathered there. Se-min floated up to their side, carrying Jin Bu-sik.

Ryu Gwan-cheol’s Guan Dao vibrated.

Se-min watched his figure. It was the martial art of someone stronger than him. Sure enough, the momentum emitting from Ryu Gwan-cheol was like a giant mountain. His internal energy spread grandly, causing ripples.

“I will attack first, so let’s see the reaction and cope.”

Perhaps even Odoros could not ignore that energy, as countless eyeballs turned toward Ryu Gwan-cheol.

However, it was already too late.

Ryu Gwan-cheol swung his Guan Dao.

A giant current expanded toward Odoros in a half-moon shape.

It was a strike that quieted the surrounding fog.

It rushed toward Odoros’s neck.

“Uwoooooooong.”

Odoros spat out a bizarre cry again.

The creature’s arm moved.

It was completely different from its previous zombie-like, slow waving of both hands. That long arm was retrieved in a flash to protect its neck. It happened in the blink of an eye.

The current sliced off several of Odoros’s fingers. However, the creature still had many fingers.

The eyeballs turned red.

It was the start of the full-scale battle.

Odoros swung both arms. Everyone quickly descended to the ground. The arms were long and long, destroying the buildings beyond their radius.

Se-min avoided the debris of the buildings. Odoros pursued them and swung its arms again. The ground was gouged.

The fingers extending from the hands thrust at them, targeting them. The tips were sharp. They were now complete thorns instead of fingers.

Se-min avoided them.

Although he had the Cloud-Ascending Steps, his movements in the air were not free after all. Against a creature moving this fast, trying to do something in the air was a suicidal act.

If so.

He had to bring the creature down to the ground.

“I will cut the legs and bring it down,” Se-min radioed. Soon, the Raiders responded.

[I will block the bastard’s attacks.]

[I will help Se-min-ssi.]

The Raiders of the Limitless Association also conveyed their thoughts.

[We are still clinging. We will keep grating Odoros’s nerves.]

Ryu Gwan-cheol declared a direct confrontation, and Bang Yu-bi stepped forward to help Se-min. Jin Bu-sik also said something, but it was not heard well.

Se-min immediately pushed through the creature’s claws and went inside. He saw the giant foot rooted to the ground.

It was a leg sufficient to support that long body.

The two legs were like giant pillars. Se-min raised his claymore and generated aura.

“Let’s attack one together.”

Bang Yu-bi stood by his side. The energy of the two flared up. Se-min could feel that power he had experienced before from Bang Yu-bi standing on the right.

Subduing Demon Sword.

It was a bizarre killing intent like that of a magic beast. However, Se-min could now tell that the killing intent dwelling in that sword was different from that of a magic beast. That, too, was ultimately a branch of Tai Chi. It was nothing more than the dark part of all creation.

If so, where did the magic beasts, whose origin was unknown, come from?

Even in the other world where he had lived, those things called magic beasts were strangely heterogeneous.

“You’re not scared, are you?”

It was a double-edged expression. What she meant would not just refer to Odoros. Se-min chuckled.

“Impudent.”

“Still, I’m the senior, you know?”

Bang Yu-bi also laughed.

Time passed. The clumsy Raider aspirants of that time were now facing Odoros together, wearing Platinum marks.

Sensing Bang Yu-bi’s menacing momentum, Se-min raised his aura without losing. His aura collided and blended on its own, generating a stronger output. A storm-like momentum arose.

The two ran toward Odoros, facing each other across the giant leg, and swung their swords. Receiving attacks from both sides, Odoros’s outer skin split, bursting with body fluid.

Se-min wiped the fluid on his mouth and swung his sword even more fiercely.

Soon, Odoros’s arms loomed above their heads. However, they did not need to worry about the bastard’s counterattack.

The Black-mark, Ryu Gwan-cheol, the head of the Iron Horse Company, was protecting them.

Rough rupturing sounds echoed. Se-min glanced up. The fog was lifting. And beyond it, he could see the terrifying majesty of Ryu Gwan-cheol confronting Odoros.

Black-mark.

The skills of Raiders have larger gaps as the ranks rise. Therefore, excluding the unique marks, the difference between Platinum and Black marks was the largest.

They could not be expressed simply by the words ‘stronger than Platinum’.

Se-min felt his chest swelling.

That was the Black-mark, and the realm he had to go. And he had to surpass even that to follow the hyungs and nunas of the Transcendent Network whom he respected.

“Cool.”

Se-min muttered before he knew it. Bang Yu-bi shouted.

“Right?”

Ryu Gwan-woo wrapped his entire body in a white current. Every one of his movements brought about a storm of aura.

When he gestured, a giant current struck Odoros, and when he swung his Guan Dao, lightning filled the surroundings, pressuring Odoros.

He was like a divine general descended from heaven.

Watching that scene blankly, Se-min returned to his task.

Odoros’s foot flinched.

It meant the attacks were working. Odoros kept swinging its arms to shake them off, but it could not achieve its goal because of Ryu Gwan-woo.

Soon, Odoros lifted its foot.

As the weight concentrated on one leg, the ground seemed to tilt.

“Avoid it!”

Bang Yu-bi shouted. Se-min rolled his body, sensing Odoros’s giant foot stamping down on him.

The creature was not slow.

As experienced earlier, despite its giant body, it could move incredibly fast. It was a speed that seemed to defy physical laws.

Se-min rolled and rolled on the ground.

Bang Yu-bi began to attack the single leg supporting the body. Odoros’s target changed. Odoros now tried to trample Bang Yu-bi. She moved nimbly and escaped the attack radius.

Now it was Se-min’s turn again.

The two alternately avoided and struck, attacking Odoros’s legs.

Odoros soon stamped its feet on the ground alternately.

“What is In-ho Oppa doing?”

She contacted through the radio. Kim In-ho was a Platinum Raider of the Iron Horse Company who had come with Ryu Gwan-cheol and Bang Yu-bi.

Soon, he replied, breathing heavily.

[My weapon broke, so I went to replace it.]

“Are you okay?”

[I think I can move soon. Where should I go?]

“We’re targeting Odoros’s foot, so help us.”

[I’m going now.]

As the radio stopped, Se-min contacted the Limitless Association.

“Where is everyone?”

Soon, Jin Bu-sik replied.

[We are fighting the bastard on the shoulder right now. Hehe! The tongue is fierce.]

[We are striking the shoulder, but it is not easy.]

“Understood.”

The Limitless Association was also fighting hard in their own way.

If the Black-mark Ryu Gwan-cheol was blocking Odoros’s attack means alone, they were attacking the shoulders to weaken the arms, targeting the neck, and grating Odoros’s nerves.

“I will make you fight on the ground soon.”

Kim In-ho appeared through the fog. He grasped the situation immediately upon seeing Se-min and Bang Yu-bi, and matched their pace.

Odoros was now thrashing its limbs wildly to eliminate them. It seemed like random movements, but the tentacles attached to it accurately flew to target their windpipes. None of the attacks were blind.

“Ah!”

A kick struck Bang Yu-bi. Fortunately, it just grazed her. It was a giant Odoros. A direct hit meant instant death.

Her protective suit tore, revealing the bare skin of her flank. Blood burst and flowed. She clutched her abdomen.

Se-min shouted.

“Fall back!”

“I’m fine!”

“You’re in the way, so get lost!”

“Che!”

Bang Yu-bi staggered, trying to escape the attack radius. However, Odoros seemed to have eyes on its feet, as it kept targeting her. In the end, grazed once more, Bang Yu-bi rolled, dropping her weapon.

Over her head, Odoros’s giant weight loomed.

No doubt it was crushing death.

Bang Yu-bi closed her eyes tightly. However, nothing happened. Instead, a shouting voice urging her rang in her ears.

“Snap out of it!”

It was Se-min.

He was supporting Odoros’s giant body.

Bang Yu-bi’s eyes widened.

It was unbelievable. No human could withstand the giant weight of a magic beast. It seemed impossible even for a Black-mark.

However, Se-min supported it with his back, trembling.

“Get lost!”

Bang Yu-bi snapped out of it and rushed out.

At the same time, Se-min also lowered his posture and escaped the boundary as if bouncing. Odoros’s foot stepped on the ground in vain. The ground vibrated. Odoros cried long and thrashed again.

Se-min picked up the sword thrown on the ground again.

“I almost died.”

He ended up laughing, clicking his tongue.

He would have died.

However, his body rushed forward on its own. What he learned was the Tai Chi Wisdom and the Form-Intention Fist. They dominated his movements in the realm of combat where instinct should rule over head.

He had to save her.

The moment he thought so, his body was already supporting Odoros’s body. He could not know where such power came from. The Tai Chi Wisdom filled in his entire body protected his flesh.

It was the power that supported the body of a magic beast.

If so, it would also be possible to smash that body.

Se-min ran toward Odoros, holding the sword with both hands. Kim In-ho was rolling on the ground to avoid the attack. Odoros’s kick stamped the ground in vain. And over it, Se-min’s attack overlapped.

“Die!”

Se-min yelled, fully loading the Tai Chi Wisdom on the claymore.

At his will, the aura exploded.

He transmitted that impact to Odoros as it was.

The claymore was stuck to a depth of about three times the blade width.

“Hiyaaaaa!”

Still not enough.

Se-min pushed in as it was. The blade vibrated and opened the way. Like a carpenter sawing, the blade tore the magic beast’s tissue and dug inside. Odoros lifted its foot, but Se-min clung without falling.

The thrashing became violent.

Above, Ryu Gwan-cheol also let out a shout and swung his Guan Dao wildly.

In the sky, a god-like martial prowess unfolded, and on the ground, the monster kicked wildly, collapsing the surface.

[How is it going? Odoros’s expression is very savage right now! Hehe!] Jin Bu-sik shouted.

[Brother. Are you okay?] Ryu Gwan-cheol also asked about his well-being.

However, Se-min had no spare capacity to answer. Odoros now began to concentrate its attacks on Se-min as the target.

The creature’s hands, which Ryu Gwan-cheol could not completely block, flew toward Se-min.

The hands and feet only targeted Se-min. The claw-like fingers expanded like a net, flying toward him.

Se-min clenched his teeth.

He couldn’t avoid it anyway.

If so, he had to cut it off.

Die, or cut.

A binary choice on the line of death.

Of course, there was only one option.

Using the subtle principles of the Cloud-Ascending Steps, Se-min kicked off the air and pushed the sword in. The Tai Chi Wisdom wrapped around the sword rotated continuously, multiplying the cutting power. The tough tissues were severed in turn.

Subsequently, Se-min’s blade touched something hard.

It was Odoros’s skeleton.

The moment Se-min’s blade scraped the bastard’s bone.

The creature could no longer attack and collapsed.

[Avoid it!]

Everyone’s voices overlapped.

Needless to say. Se-min discarded the claymore and leaped to avoid being caught in the aftermath of Odoros’s collapse.

The bastard’s body folded here and there and fell, covering Se-min, and as he avoided it, the arms and fingers flew through the air, heading toward him.

Se-min stepped on the ground, kicked off the air, and did a somersault.

It was still inside the thick fog.

“You did wonderful.”

A voice was heard from behind. It was Ryu Gwan-cheol. The appearance of Ryu Gwan-cheol, who raised his aura and entered the battle, seemed to have expanded in size several times.

“The young man of that time has now become a strong man.”

Se-min grinned.

“Shouldn’t a man naturally strengthen himself?”

Self-Strengthening!

It was the spirit of the gym that connected them.

“That’s right. No one can fight in your stead, and one should naturally strengthen oneself.”

Ryu Gwan-cheol looked down with hollow eyes.

The fog was starting to thin.

Odoros was not dead yet.

“Let’s start the main game now, Hyung-nim.”

“Hmm.”

A shout was heard from far away. It was the voices of the Limitless Association members. They were not crushed, but fell from a high place and tangled with Odoros.

The battle continued. Se-min’s and Ryu Gwan-cheol’s figures disappeared simultaneously.

The collapsed Odoros was thrashing its entire body, destroying the surroundings.

The thin and long body now became a whip, extending in all directions. It was not a bipedal creature, but like a mollusk waving tentacles.

And in the center, the bastard’s ugly face was distorted.

“It was better when there was fog,” Se-min muttered, parrying the lunging tentacles. However, he could not cut them easily as when dealing with other magic beasts. Rather, it felt like his weapon would break.

“As expected of a Black rank.”

It was not an easy opponent.

[I will take the attacks, so you brothers cut the bastard’s windpipe.]

Ryu Gwan-cheol again volunteered for the difficult task.

He took Odoros’s attacks throughout the battle. Thanks to that, Se-min and other Raiders could accumulate damage on Odoros. If not for him, they would have been hacked all over by Odoros long ago.

Ryu Gwan-cheol raised his energy again.

Swelling muscles, terrifying momentum, and the giant Guan Dao spinning in his hand.

Se-min realized the reason why their company name was the Iron Horse Company.

Ryu Gwan-cheol was like an iron horse made of steel, not a human.

He rushed toward Odoros’s front. At that, sensing danger, Odoros mobilized all its attack means to block him. Explosions and rupturing sounds continuously echoed in the air.

The Guan Dao and the bastard’s claw-like fingers collided, bursting with sparks.

In the blink of an eye, they clashed dozens, hundreds of times.

White aura became mist, wrapping around Ryu Gwan-cheol’s entire body.

It was a fight like a scene from mythology.

However, there was no time to keep watching. Se-min advanced toward Odoros, taking advantage of the gap when the creature could not pay attention.

Jin Bu-sik kept radioing in his ear. They were targeting Odoros’s head, but the resistance of the face area was fierce.

The resistance of the face area.

Just imagining it made his skin crawl.

However, he was a Raider. He couldn’t avoid it because it was gross. He had to silence the creature even if it meant getting covered in filth.

The sword he left earlier could not be retrieved. It would still be stuck in the bastard’s leg.

Se-min clenched both fists and advanced to the deep part.

He soon met the Limitless Association members.

Perhaps three of them were defeated, as only Jin Bu-sik and one other remained. Se-min asked.

“Are the rest safe?”

“They didn’t die!”

Seeing that Kim In-ho was not visible, it seemed he had also fallen back. Now participating in the battle were Ryu Gwan-cheol, Se-min, Jin Bu-sik, and one member of the Limitless Association, a total of four.

It was by no means a good situation.

However, Se-min was rather filled with energy.

Se-min shouted.

“Rule Ten of the Limitless Association!”

At that, the expressions of Jin Bu-sik and the Limitless Association Raider turned blank.

Se-min smiled and continued.

“Risk your life for the mission of protecting human lives! Don’t you know it?”

At those words, Jin Bu-sik began to laugh.

“Right. Hehe! That’s right! That’s the Limitless Association!”

“Then, shall we go?”

The Raider of the Limitless Association replied loudly.

“Let’s go!”

Se-min clenched his fists.

“Good. That’s indeed the Limitless Association.”

“Brother! Do you want to come to our company?”

“I’m fine.”

The face of the fallen Odoros stared at them, flickering its tongue. A sinister energy emitted from the countless eyeballs.

“Going!”

Se-min leaped first.

Following behind, Jin Bu-sik shouted.

“But Se-min brother! Without a weapon?”

“I’m also good at punching!”

“Hehe!”

Odoros’s mouth opened, and multiple branches of tongues flew toward them.

Their shape was no different from the claw claws on the hands. Like a magic beast, there was no system in its form. The same things were attached to the hands and the mouth.

Se-min avoided the attacks and advanced inside again. At that, a new claw was launched.

He couldn’t avoid it.

Se-min raised his aura to form a barrier. The tentacle failed to pierce the aura and bounced off.

Se-min yelled and pushed inside. The two covered him from his left and right.

“We will block it, so Se-min brother go in!”

“M-Me?”

“Yeah!”

“Fighting!”

“Damn it!”

He didn’t want to get close to that sinister face, but the Limitless Association members were two. Victim to politics, Se-min bit his lip and approached the creature.

No more tongues came out. The ones already out were being blocked by the two from the Limitless Association.

A few tongues lunged at him, but Se-min threw them off.

Odoros cried loudly and widened its eyes. It was an ugly sight. Se-min clenched his teeth, advanced, and punched the bastard’s eyeball.

Fluid burst.

The sound of Odoros’s cry turned into something else.

It was a cry closer to a scream.

It was definitely effective.

Se-min threw off all the tongues tangling from behind and kept punching. The eyeballs popped out. Odoros’s thrashing became severe.

The arms and fingers Ryu Gwan-cheol was blocking returned to protect the head. Se-min leaped into the air, escaping the attack radius.

If the attention was concentrated on Se-min.

Now it was Ryu Gwan-cheol’s turn.

A giant lightning charged in the sky, then plunged like a thunderbolt toward Odoros’s abdomen. Odoros let out a bizarre cry.

Se-min saw the scene clearly. The giant energy became a single line, stamping down on Odoros.

Odoros’s body convulsed.

However, the bastard was still not dead.

It swung its legs while lying down.

At the sudden blow, Ryu Gwan-cheol was sent flying. There was no time to worry about him. Odoros went mad, twisting its limbs to attack them.

In the aftermath, Jin Bu-sik lost his balance and slumped down. Without missing the gap, Odoros launched its tongue. Jin Bu-sik was struck by the attack and rolled.

“Ah!”

He dropped his sword.

Odoros’s tongue kept flying, targeting him.

Se-min returned to Jin Bu-sik, picked up the sword in his stead, and held him up to evade the attack. And he handed him over to the other Limitless Association Raider.

“Take this person to a safe place.”

“What about you?”

“Odoros is also on the verge of death.”

Ryu Gwan-cheol’s aura was felt far away. He was joining the battlefield again.

“Hyung-nim and I will end it.”

Although the resistance was fierce, Odoros was also in its final struggle.

Ryu Gwan-cheol returned in a fine state, though he looked a bit uncomfortable. He had also joined the head vicinity now.

“Hyung-nim!”

Even so, he could not end it in one breath with his strength.

“I will block it this time, so please finish it!”

He met Ryu Gwan-cheol’s eyes. Se-min smiled confidently. Ryu Gwan-cheol also grinned.

“Understood. Cool brother.”

Odoros’s arms attacked them again.

Se-min moved quickly to mark them.

Jin Bu-sik’s sword was smaller than his. It was a normal one-handed sword. Therefore, the speed was faster than when swinging the claymore.

Sensing the energy of the Tai Chi Wisdom pushing his back, Se-min flew like a bird to protect Ryu Gwan-cheol’s back.

Aura was gathering on Ryu Gwan-cheol.

Swooooosh…

Along his inhalation, the surrounding energy gathered. It was like the strike Noh Hak-jae had shown in the past. The surrounding energy was sucked toward him.

“Haaah!”

A giant energy extended from his Guan Dao.

It was a wave of sword qi that could not be resisted.

It became an infinite blue wave, continuing forward. Odoros cried bizarrely, moving its tongue and arms to block it, but Ryu Gwan-cheol’s strike broke the resistance and advanced grandly.

The great river does not stop.

The aura hit Odoros’s head.

The thinning fog completely cleared.

In the place where the wave of aura ended, Odoros’s head, messily collapsed, was visible.

The bastard’s head was severed from its body.

[Raid concluded.]

Ryu Gwan-cheol’s heavy voice announced the end.

Se-min approached Ryu Gwan-cheol.

“Hyung-nim.”

“You worked hard.”

“I love you.”

“Whoops.”

***

The raid ended.

The profits were distributed. In Ryu Gwan-cheol’s case, since he was a Black-mark and took the order, a larger share was given, and the rest was equal.

Jin Bu-sik stepped forward to buy Odoros’s fingers, saying he needed them to make weapons. Since others had no intention to buy, it was immediately auctioned off.

“Everyone worked hard.”

Se-min wiped the retrieved claymore.

Such a hard raid was the first since Kesia.

In Kesia’s case, it was a raid that had failed in power deployment in the first place, but this time, the Raider Bureau had estimated a high probability of success. Nevertheless, there were many dangerous moments. This was the world of top Raiders.

“Let’s have an afterparty.”

Looking back, Bang Yu-bi was suggesting to Ryu Gwan-cheol.

“President, let’s have a company dinner.”

“Alcohol is not good for the body.”

“Didn’t you also meet your brother after a long time?”

Bang Yu-bi winked.

Se-min did not enjoy social activities among Raiders and pursued being a lone wolf, but if his idol was there, it was a different story.

“Hyung-nim. Hmph, a drink, hmph.”

When Se-min spoke, Ryu Gwan-cheol smiled warmly.

“If everyone wants to…”

At that, Jin Bu-sik cut in from behind.

“Hyung-nim! If it’s a dinner, we cannot be left out either! Hehe!”

The gazes of Bang Yu-bi and Se-min crossed. It was a look that they really hated Jin Bu-sik cutting in. However, Ryu Gwan-cheol, who had the demeanor of a great man, did not discriminate against people.

“Then, shall we have a brief chat among the people who worked hard?”

Everyone was in a mess.

“Since our company is the closest from here, let’s all stop by and wash up.”

“Sounds good.”

“Great! Hehe!”

Raiders usually carried an extra set of clothes to change into after operations.

Se-min had also stuffed a few souvenir jackets and clothes in the scooter trunk.

“Then, let’s go.”

Thus, they came to visit the Iron Horse Company.

Everyone got out of their cars. Se-min’s worn-out scooter was parked loftily between a Lamborghini and a Maybach.

“This is the Iron Horse Company.”

The Iron Horse Company was a three-story building located in Yeongdeungpo.

The land price must be expensive, but next to the headquarters, there was even a dome-shaped structure that looked like a training ground.

Se-min found it hard to face Ryu Gwan-cheol.

“Why is that?”

“Because it’s blinding…”

SH Company, located on the outskirts of Seoul, could not compare. What was even in the name SH Company, wasn’t it named after Yoo Sang-heun, who sat in the president’s chair every day, reading overseas football articles and leaving malicious comments?

In contrast, a gallant spirit was felt from the name Iron Horse Company.

The Iron Horse Runs!

That phrase was stamped largely at the entrance of the company. And like the name, a life-sized steel horse was sculpted. It was the shape of an animal, but it strangely resembled Ryu Gwan-cheol.

Perhaps because it was a Raider company and they didn’t worry about trespassing, there was no particular security procedure.

As they entered, the employees greeted them.

“Hello!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

Everyone welcomed Ryu Gwan-cheol’s return loudly. Ryu Gwan-cheol smiled and responded to each of them.

A hearty corporate culture was felt.

There were quite a few general employees who were not Raiders. It was like a mid-sized company comparable to the Big Three. In SH Company’s case, there were only two general office employees, and even that was increased as the scale grew.

Se-min whispered to Bang Yu-bi.

“When is the open recruitment for the Iron Horse Company?”

“There is no such thing.”

“Kuh-heuk…”

Although it was a joke, being flatly rejected somehow made him stubborn.

Rather, Jin Bu-sik, who followed behind, made advances.

“Brother. Our Limitless Association is always open to you! Hehe!”

“No thanks.”

“Kuh…”

A person’s regret grows larger when rejected.

Just as Se-min had a longing for the Iron Horse Company, Jin Bu-sik seemed to covet Se-min even more, licking his lips while scanning him up and down with sinister eyes.

Se-min got goosebumps and quickened his steps.

Jin Bu-sik caught up.

“Men get close while showering. Hehe!”

“No, thank you.”

“Brother, you are very shy!”

They finished showering in the shower room of the Iron Horse Company. Fortunately, the individual booths were divided, so there was no disaster of socializing naked with Jin Bu-sik.

Although it was a pity that he couldn’t rub Ryu Gwan-cheol Hyung-nim’s back, since they were people who had seen everything of each other at the Self-Strengthening Gym, there was no regret.