Chapter 74

“I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to die at thirty-four, so just come here for now. Someone’s trying to assassinate me.”

Hadn’t he said he would accept the deal immediately? Hadn’t he claimed that an assassin was already after an F-Class target?

The conversation had taken such a bewildering turn that even Kang Changho fell silent for a moment.

—...

But the silence did not last long.

—Wait there.

With that brief command, Kang Changho ended the call.

***

Raise the eyebrows using the frontalis muscle. Contract the zygomaticus major and orbicularis oculi to lift the corners of the mouth.

After manipulating several muscles to imitate an Earthling’s smile, I spoke.

“Thanks to you, Changho-ssi, I really did survive.”

It was a rather contradictory thing to say, considering that I had come here to promise him my death ten years from now.

“As expected, S-Class Hunters really are different. To think you could take down such a powerful Awakener in a single blow.”

In the end, I decided to accept Kang Changho’s proposal.

—Hunter Kang Changho! Before we talk, could you capture an Awakener nearby?

—An Awakener?

—I’ll send you the location through your phone.

Of course, by now, the problem of the intruder had already been dealt with.

With the detection abilities of a great magician combined with the strength of an S-Class Hunter, there was practically nothing we could not handle.

—Wow! I had no idea the human body could fold like that.

During the interrogation that followed, the S-Class Hunter demonstrated an impressive ability to bend the assassin backward at the waist.

Well, that was not particularly important, so let us move on.

“Hmm.”

We were now seated in a Japanese restaurant in Gangnam that the S-Class Hunter had recommended.

An elegant wooden interior. Neatly arranged dishes. A lattice door shut firmly against the outside world.

It was certainly an ideal place for a private conversation.

‘The only problem is that I’m sharing a table with an S-Class Hunter who has a history of assault charges.’

Clink.

My appetite vanished, and I set down my spoon.

“You’re done eating?”

Seeing that, Kang Changho put down his chopsticks as well and came straight to the point.

“Then let’s discuss our agreement...”

What Kang Changho placed before me was a single sheet of parchment.

“Is this your first time seeing one? It’s an item called [Knight’s Oath].”

“A knight’s oath?”

“It’s the highest-grade contract scroll there is.”

It was a single-use magical item obtained by defeating monsters that appeared in certain European gates.

Its function was exceedingly simple.

“If you break the agreement, the penalty is immediate death.”

Startled by his explanation, I hurriedly examined the parchment.

Fortunately, the contents did not appear especially complicated.

Wait a moment...

Contract Terms

In the year Kim Kiryeo turns thirty-four, as of 20XX-01-01, 00:00 GMT+9, Kim Kiryeo shall transfer all rights over his body to Kang Changho. Kang Changho shall not exercise those rights for any purpose other than activating the Improvement skill.Before voluntarily entering a gate, Kim Kiryeo must first notify Kang Changho.2-1. Before voluntarily leaving the country, Kim Kiryeo must first notify Kang Changho.

Kang Changho is obligated to accompany Kim Kiryeo into any dungeon reported under Clause 2. However, this obligation may be waived with Kim Kiryeo’s permission. Furthermore, the conditions defining accompaniment shall...Some of the clauses were rather puzzling.

“I understand the first one, but what is the purpose of the others?”

At my question, Kang Changho began to explain.

“They’re mostly there to protect you. It would be a serious problem if something happened to you while you were somewhere beyond my reach.”

“Ah.”

The S-Class Hunter spoke calmly, then continued as though he still had more to say about the contract.

“For your own sake, you should be careful about how you interpret the word ‘voluntarily’ in those clauses.”

“Yes?”

“For example... suppose you asked someone to abduct you and take you overseas. Even if you crossed the border while unconscious, it would still count as a breach of contract.”

“Of course.”

“I’m telling you not to try anything clever. Not unless you want to die.”

Kang Changho fixed me with a severe glare as he issued the threat.

I remained indifferent.

After all, asking me to report where I was going was hardly an unreasonable demand.

“We also deliberately left out details such as what to do if we encounter a monster outside a gate or precisely how the contractor is required to protect you.”

“Deliberately?”

“The more complicated the clauses become, the greater the chance that you’ll violate one by accident and die.”

In that sense, the contract’s vague wording had been unavoidable.

“But don’t worry. Even if I couldn’t specify every detail here, I’ll still do everything I can to keep you safe.”

A faint dimple appeared in the S-Class Hunter’s cheek.

“After all, you’re giving me your life. The least I can do is guarantee that life for the next ten years.”

Kang Changho regarded me with interest as he continued.

Naturally, I would have preferred him to remain by my side twenty-four hours a day, but that was not realistic.

Nor did I particularly want a protection system that deprived me of all privacy.

So from this point onward, we would have to strike a flexible balance between protection and freedom.

His tone was remarkably patronizing, but I had already experienced far too much to be swayed by empty reassurance.

“This contract seems to rely almost entirely on your conscience, Changho-ssi.”

Regardless of the risk involved, the only truly reliable element in a transaction like this was the binding power of the magical item itself.

But under these terms, could that S-Class Hunter not dispose of me whenever he pleased?

“Let me ask you something. What happens if I become seriously ill before I turn thirty-four?”

“What?”

“Or suppose a dungeon break occurs that even you cannot stop, and the contractor’s life is endangered...?”

More importantly, the [Knight’s Oath] contained no clause forbidding either party from killing the other before the agreed date.

“...What exactly do you think I would do?”

Perhaps the S-Class Hunter would simply activate Improvement in the middle of such a crisis.

Even so, I obediently accepted his offer.

“But Kim Kiryeo, let me ask you something, just in case.”

Kang Changho’s gaze sharpened.

“You don’t actually believe you have a choice in this, do you?”

Roughly three seconds later, an undeniable truth left his mouth, leaving me no room to argue.

“Just so we’re clear, I could kill an F-Class Hunter at any time without going through any of this. The only reason I haven’t done so already is because I feel a little sorry for you.”

Unfortunately, his cruel remarks did not end there.

“Besides, you already backed out of this deal once. Instead of showing some gratitude for being given another opportunity...”

“Th-thank you.”

“Only in words?”

Kang Changho rolled his eyes upward as though considering something.

“Last time, I was the desperate one. This time, you’re the one asking for the contract, Kim Kiryeo. So I think we should revise the terms a little.”

It seemed the S-Class Hunter intended to punish me for my earlier rejection.

“Sorry, but don’t expect any financial support from me.”

“What did you say?”

“Well, you shouldn’t have treated me so coldly.”

Since I had previously rejected him, he no longer had any intention of paying me.

He would simply allow me to remain alive until I turned thirty-four.

Kang Changho withdrew the money and protection he had included in his original proposal.

‘Just as I expected.’

The deal had become considerably worse.

Even so, it was a penalty I could accept.

The real purpose of this agreement was to secure my immediate safety and guarantee my survival for a fixed period.

‘I’ve already received enough compensation just from having him deal with that unwanted guest.’

Meanwhile, Kang Changho took a fountain pen from his pocket and rolled it across the table toward me.

“Now you sign it as well.”

As I had already said, a weakling like me had no room to negotiate.

The man sitting across from me was a top-tier Hunter capable of obliterating an F-Class individual whenever he wished.

In other words, this contract was the bare minimum of insurance available to me.

‘If my life is going to be targeted either way, I might as well sign quickly and secure whatever advantage I can.’

Scratch.

I wrote Kim Kiryeo’s name on the signature line.

At that moment, the [Knight’s Oath] activated.

Flash!

A brilliant blue light, signaling the contract’s commencement, seeped into the skin of both parties.

‘Huh?’

When I looked up again, however, I noticed that Kang Changho’s reaction was somewhat strange.

Instead of looking pleased, he appeared startled.

‘Did he notice something unusual?’

Had he found some clue that I was an alien?

Or perhaps...

I considered several possibilities, then quickly changed the subject to conceal my unease.

“I have a question. What happens to Improvement if I die as a result of violating the contract?”

Despite being a great magician, I found myself asking a thoroughly mundane question merely to keep the conversation moving.

“You were determined to kill me even before this. I’m the one who proposed the contract.”

In truth, someone who had gone so far as to stalk me for the sake of using his skill had probably never even considered that possibility.

“Ha.”

Whether by coincidence or not, the S-Class Hunter immediately brought up the very subject I had just been thinking about.

“Now that I think about it, there’s something I wanted to tell you regarding that surveillance.”

He was the one who mentioned the stalking first.

“Strictly speaking, what I did wasn’t serious enough to be called stalking.”

“Yes?”

“I was going to explain it last time, but our dear Hunter Kim Kiryeo woke up before I had the chance...”

He tapped his index finger rhythmically against the table.

“Would you like to hear something interesting?”

What followed was partly within my expectations.

Yet the longer he spoke, the harder his explanation became to understand.

“I can see other people’s mana with my naked eyes.”

“Is that an ability of the Dragon’s Eye?”

“Yeah. But among all the Awakened people I’ve seen, there’s only one person who looks different.”

Kang Changho pointed casually at me.

“Did you know that your mana is constantly fluctuating?”

My mana was fluctuating?

There was no reason for that to be happening.

“That’s why finding you is so easy. When I look over the city from a rooftop, there’s only one place that keeps flickering.”

I could not fully understand what he meant by fluctuation.

Although we spoke the same language, the foundations of our magical knowledge were fundamentally different.

‘Is he referring to the movement of particles as mana circulates through the body? No. If that were the case, every human should appear to fluctuate in the same way...’

It was an abnormality found in only one individual, something that did not occur in any other Awakener.

Then what was the greatest difference between me and the rest of them?

‘My soul?’

It was at that very moment.

Did Kang Changho suspect something?

Scratching the side of his neck, he continued speaking.