Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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‘Assassinate Lee Ji Cheol?’

Honestly, it was quite an abrupt topic of conversation.

However, that was precisely why it became an even more important clue.

‘That means there’s something about Lee Ji Cheol.’

After a brief thought, I turned my gaze towards the restrained Shin Do Yoon and spoke.

“What else?”

“That’s it. I only vaguely remember that, and beyond that, I had no contact at all.”

It didn’t seem like a lie, so I lightly nodded my head.

An unknown entity that formed a contract with Shin Do Yoon. Could it possibly be related to my current situation?

‘At the very least, there’s a possibility.’

Finally grasping this lead, I felt a slight exhilaration and looked at Shin Do Yoon with an ecstatic gaze.

‘…Should I just kill him?’

Since it was a direct contract, perhaps Shin Do Yoon’s death would elicit some sort of reaction.

Glancing back, I noticed Kan slowly blinking, signaling that I should proceed as I wished.

But then, I set that thought aside.

‘…It’s not time yet.’

To be honest, if the other party reacts, it could complicate things further, and they hadn’t revealed their true intentions yet.

Hence, I wanted to let him go free for a moment and observe the situation.

“For now, I’ll spare you.”

“……”

“And about what you said earlier.”

“About Lee Ji Cheol?”

“Yeah. That.”

Hooou.

Crack.

I commanded Kan to release Shin Do Yoon from his restraints and wore a meaningful smile.

Then, as Shin Do Yoon moved his body around, I spoke again.

“I want to be involved too.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I’ll help you kill Lee Ji Cheol.”

After all, I thought Shin Do Yoon alone couldn’t take on an S Rank Hunter.

The opponent was veiled in mystery, completely concealed, and I wasn’t sure what grand plans were swirling in his head.

‘I’ll have to step in from this side.’

I decided to flip the table right from the front.

#

And at a similar time, somewhere in Incheon, South Korea.

“So, are you asking me to help your lot?”

In a dimly lit, eerie room, two men were engaged in conversation.

“Yes. As you may have heard, Hades can grant you what you desire the most.”

“Hmph. You’re quite the smooth talker.”

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The sound of fingers drumming on the table resonated in the air, and at some point, silence settled in the room.

“Are you contemplating something? I thought you’d be the ideal partner, but this is a bit disappointing.”

At those words, the sitting man’s forehead twitched.

“You cocky brat.”

Hooou.

Swoosh─!

“Ugh!”

With a mere gesture from the man, his opponent was instantly yanked as if pulled by a magnet, caught by the collar.

“…Do you not know who I am?”

Whoa!

In an instant, an overwhelming density of mana burst forth, causing blood to flow from the eyes and nose of the man suspended in the air.

“Gah, cough!”

“Just a nobody, huh? Get lost.”

Swish.

Bang!

Leaving behind the man who had been carelessly thrown against the wall, just as I was about to leave, he calmly straightened his posture and spoke again, despite the evident mess he was in.

Thud.

Thud.

“Wow, you really do have a temper, huh.”

“Who the hell are you…?”

“As you can see, we have quite the capability. Moreover, the one who made you this proposal possesses a power beyond what I can compare to.”

“Oh really.”

Thus, pondering over it, Lee Ji Cheol, the S Rank Hunter of South Korea, briefly curled his lips into a smirk and offered his response.

“If that’s just hot air, you and your superiors better be prepared.”

That wasn’t certainly a refusal.

#

After forming a tacit alliance with me, Shin Do Yoon officially joined the Clear White Guild. Naturally, this became quite the hot topic in the public eye.

【Returner Shin Do Yoon! Official Announcement of Joining Clear White Guild!】
【The reputation of Clear White Guild rising day by day, now eyeing the top position in South Korea.】
【Three strong candidates for promotion. Who will be the second S Rank Hunter of Clear White Guild?】

And simultaneously, my own existence was also finally officially announced to the public.

【Hunter Association, Major Announcement Last Night.】
【Current B Rank Hunter Baek Eun Ha, in fact, has familial ties with Returner Baek Seo Ha?】
【A Rank Hunter Baek Seo Ha, “I delayed the announcement due to circumstance. Nothing will particularly change.”】

The reactions were explosive.

After the article came out, for a week, internet communities were practically flooded with discussions about me and Seo Ha.

– Damn. Are we really considering bloodlines for Hunters now? D Rank is just too miserable to bear.

– For real, both sisters being high-rank hunters seems unbelievable.

– Wait, Baek Eun Ha is the older sister? Not the younger one?

┗ I thought it was a typo at first, but turns out it’s true.

┗ I vaguely heard that it’s due to the awakening effect.

┗ Rumor has it she’s actually around thirty years old?

Finding out that a promising candidate at the center of attention turned out to be a Returner and had familial ties with Baek Seo Ha was honestly more surprising than not stirring up noise.

– Then Baek Eun Ha will also join Clear White, right?

– It’s gonna explode……. Hold on tight…….

– For real, it looks like Clear White is about to become number one soon.

Because of this, a sensational uproar caused the stocks of Clear White Guild to skyrocket, and Seo Ha received endless offers to appear in ads or programs alongside me for some time.

Of course, she turned them all down.

Using the new ring would allow me to chat with people all day, but I didn’t want to bear the risk just for that.

As a result, unless it was a truly critical situation, I had no intention of using the ring.

‘Being drunk is quite embarrassing enough.’

However, that resolution was short-lived, and I soon found myself in a situation where I had to use the ring.

Vroom.

“I’ve taken my first day off this year, so don’t even think about slacking off.”

“…Ah, I know.”

Thus, I was currently in the car driven by Seo Ha, heading to a department store.

“Isn’t a local clothing store sufficient?”

“Since we’re going out to have fun, when else would we get the chance?”

Seo Ha was surprisingly excited, even humming a tune. I, who had been lying in the backseat, timidly argued by citing side effects, but Seo Ha’s response was firm.

“After all, you went out of your way to get it, didn’t you? Or do you think other places are fine but not me?”

“W-well, that’s not exactly true.”

I was completely caught between a rock and a hard place. I had no choice but to comply with her mood as we headed to the department store.

‘Once or twice won’t hurt….’

And about two hours later, I regretted that choice.

“How about this type? I think dressing a bit more mature would be nice.”

“I’ll make you try it on. Oh, and that one too.”

To be honest, I had no idea because I hadn’t paid attention to it until now.

I just thought she was a workaholic, but it seemed Seo Ha loved shopping far more than I’d imagined.

“I think this is more than enough….”

“After all, you won’t be coming for a year once today is over. I can’t let you leave until I get my money’s worth.”

Thus, I had to become a mannequin for a grueling four hours.

#

After purchasing clothes suitable for all four seasons, we were greeted by Song Ha Yeon and Kwak Min Ji, who had decided to go on a trip together.

“Master, you’ve bought a lot of clothes, huh?”

Unlike Kwak Min Ji, who seemed cautious around the famous Seo Ha, Song Ha Yeon, who was naturally sociable, wore a face full of anticipation.

“Excited, huh? Tsk.”

“Why are you like that again?”

“Why are you here when you could be grinding in dungeons at your level? Got too much time on your hands?”

My disciple was about to face off against an S Rank Hunter one day, and yet she was still found lingering at the bottom of the hierarchy, making it frustrating for her.

Out of nowhere, Song Ha Yeon started nagging me with a dissatisfied expression.

“Technically, Master is lower in rank….”

“Shut up.”

After our light chat, we split up into cars towards our destination.

We arrived at a beach in Gangwon Province.

“Ha Yeon, did you bring all the cooking ingredients?”

“Yes! Of course. Trust me, I have my qualification certificate.”

Though the weather was too chilly for swimming, it was a famous camping spot, so there were more people than expected.

I quickly entered the tent, spread out a blanket, and told the others outside.

“I’ll be using the ring, so don’t wake me up.”

“Okay. Take your time to rest and come out whenever you’re ready.”

At first, I thought of not using it in the car, but due to the memories of the last vehicle ambush and the nature of being drunk, I was worried about causing any mess, so I held back.

I covered myself with the blanket I had brought and deactivated the ring.

Hooou.

Then, when I regained consciousness after a while.

“…What’s going on?”

“Eh? Nothing at all?”

Three people were taking pictures of me with an oddly expensive-looking camera.