The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably

Sura guild (4)

All this time, the Sura guild stationed in Korea had been gathering information about a boy named Ma Seongjin.

He was born in a Seoul obstetric clinic.

According to records, he was classified as an ordinary awakened, not a Mutamit.

But the birth details weren't what mattered.

What truly mattered was how he came to be connected to Sura.

'A childhood friend... is that it?'

Ai Hoon looked at Ma Seongjin sitting in the back seat of the car.

No matter how you looked at him, he just seemed like an innocent student.

In fact, after secretly observing his school life during this period, nothing strange had been found.

Of course, he was said to be the dictator of the second campus, but that's something most delinquent leaders do.

'But the people around him are far from ordinary.'

The daughter of the Hwasan guildmaster, the daughter of the Angel guildmaster.

And Sura herself, Kang Ah-rin.

Just looking at this, Ma Seongjin's network was nothing short of spectacular.

There were even rumors that he frequently visited the Angel central tower.

Another peculiar point was that the information about this boy was excessively ordinary.

Others might just brush it off, but to an expert's eye, it all appeared a little too normal.

'I tried to dig a little deeper, but...'

While she was coming to Korea, her guild members investigated the boy.

Yet, except for plain personal information and records, nothing came up.

'Even with our guild's network, only such mundane records show up?'

That meant there were only two possibilities.

Either he was truly a student above all suspicion,

Or someone's scheme had meticulously hidden his real identity.

Given the context, the first seemed more likely, but there were many suspicious points about this boy.

Not just his friends, but also those rumors of him coming and going from Hand Tower.

So, to get to the bottom of it, they'd have to mobilize Sura guild's highest-level investigation net, but that would take time.

If they did that, they'd still be investigating by the time Ai Hoon arrived.

'That'd do me no good at all, would it?'

So, the Sura guild changed tactics.

Instead of focusing solely on the investigation, they decided to prepare a trigger.

"Your name is Seongjin, right?"

"Yes."

"Seongjin. Since it's cold, nuna will turn on the heater for you."

Having shown a friendly impression, the boy obediently got in the car.

Besides, he couldn't refuse the tempting offer.

"But, aunt, is it really true that if I graduate, I can enter the Sura guild?"

"Of course. With your grades, Seongjin, you're more than qualified."

The Sura guild was considered the strongest existing guild in China.

Being scouted by such a famed guild?

There wasn't a single aspiring youth who wouldn't drool at the opportunity.

In fact, Ma Seongjin's school grades were said to be top-notch.

There would be no problem even if a major guild scouted him.

"But Seongjin, you should call me nuna, not aunt, okay?"

"Nuna?"

"That's right! Nuna."

Seongjin looked at Ai Hoon's face in the rearview mirror.

Her face, now without sunglasses, seemed familiar.

"Seongjin, haven't you seen this nuna somewhere before?"

"Um..."

Of course, he couldn't not know.

If he turned on the TV at home, he'd see countless stories about her.

In that sense, Ai Hoon winked at him in the mirror.

But...

"I don't know."

"···."

"And aunt, please don't wink so creepily. I'd rather not throw up the dinner I just had."

Ai Hoon's grip on the steering wheel tightened with force.

Veins stood out on her face and around her eyes.

She was only 27.

It was infuriating to be called 'aunt' already, but for him to claim not to know her was even worse.

And what? After she'd gone to the trouble of winking, he said he didn't want to throw up his dinner?

She truly disliked him. It reminded her of the family she'd met in Shanghai at the B-rank.

Right now, she was tempted to kill him, but she suppressed the urge.

"Ah, I see. Then nuna will cover her face."

"Are you mad by any chance?"

"..."

When Ai Hoon covered her face with a mask, Seongjin asked.

She wanted to snap, 'How could I not be angry?' but held on with extreme patience.

There was no need to kill him yet.

Soon, that boy would experience a hell so painful, dying would seem better.

"It suddenly got hotter, though?"

"..."

Ai Hoon turned the heater up higher.

Now, it was so hot, you could easily mistake it for summer.

With her nose and mouth covered by the mask, she had to be even hotter.

Even as she sweated, Ai Hoon smiled.

Because it wasn't an ordinary heater.

'Hot or not, it doesn't matter. You're finished now.'

What flowed from the heater was not just hot air.

That very air was the trigger the Sura guild had painstakingly prepared until now.

Ai Hoon wore the mask so she wouldn't inhale the air.

If she did, she wouldn't be able to live as a human.

'Our guild members put their heart and soul into making this.'

In exchange for giving up on the investigation, they'd spent over a month making it.

It had qualities similar to Underworld Formation, making it difficult to produce.

It was similar to the underworld air that turned nearby living things into monsters.

'Two more days.'

On the day the music program is held at Hand.

The effects of the air the guy inhaled will show.

The moment the Underworld Formation is triggered, the body of anyone who breathed in the air will transform.

At that moment, Ma Seongjin could be made into the origin of the catastrophe.

'He himself has no idea, though.'

Ma Seongjin just inhaled the air, knowing nothing.

His innocent appearance, without a clue, was truly pitiful.

Watching such people fall into despair was always a fun pastime for her.

—He wasn't the only target.

Ai Hoon was concerned that a better singer could appear among the Masked Singer contestants.

Everyone had to cover their face while singing, but once it's over, the mask comes off.

The best singer chosen at that moment had to be her, no matter what.

'All the attention must be mine.'

No matter how minor, she sorted out anything she didn't like.

The Masked Singer contestants were no exception.

.

.

"Alright, get home safe."

"Yes."

The moment I got out of the car, the cold air tickled my skin.

Ai Hoon, who had dropped me near the school, disappeared with the car.

As soon as she vanished, I sucked the outside air eagerly into my mouth.

Then, I breathed out in one go, savoring the freshness.

"Ha... To think I'd encounter that air again."

I could tell what trick Ai Hoon had tried to pull.

When I first got in the car, I didn't know, but after inhaling the air from the heater, I realized.

'She planned to make me the origin of the disaster.'

It was unmistakably the air drifting through the underground underworld.

And not just any underworld, but from deeper layers.

Other layers claim the lives of ordinary living beings instantly with a single breath, but this one's a bit different.

Exposure to that environment transforms all living beings into monsters—phantom spirits.

'But it didn't seem like she used it that strongly on me.'

Even if I were just a normal person, I wouldn't have turned into a phantom spirit right away.

That's how weak the air's strength was.

But that too was clearly their intention.

The moment you inhale it, your body forms a deep link with the underworld.

'If Underworld Formation is triggered in this state...'

As that conduit, I would also react.

Just as phantom spirits would spew out from the rift created by the Underworld Formation, rifts would form in my body and phantom spirits would pour out.

If people saw that, what would they think?

Of course, they'd see me as the cause of summoning phantom spirits.

—In other words, it's a witch hunt.

Sura would witness her precious friend being condemned by everyone.

Helplessly watching as I was pelted with stones and killed—that would drive her to utter despair.

Simply killing her friend wasn't enough to elicit total despair.

Only by showing her total hell could they achieve their goal.

If the one who inhaled the air had been someone else, that's exactly what would have happened.

'Yes, if it were someone else.'

Before I was reborn as the Demon King in Mewzealand.

Back then, I had spent tough days in the underground underworld, chasing strength.

Naturally, I'd breathed that air until I was sick of it.

At this point, breathing it again had no effect on me.

'Everything else would have gone as planned.'

It was just their bad luck that I happened to be the opponent.

"And she'd better ventilate her car, too."

She wore a mask so she wouldn't breathe the air, but it would do no good.

She did have a protective talisman blocking underworld air.

But now, it was in my hand.

****

October 10th.

The heat had completely faded, and chilly winds were blowing.

As the weather grew colder, leaves fell, and people bundled up.

On the Hand streets, with all traces of summer's energy gone,

the streets were packed with students and pedestrians in casual clothes for the weekend.

Especially in the park in the eastern part of Hand, crowds gathered even more.

"So that's the Masked Singer. It's the first time I've seen it in person."

Sang-ah marveled at the crowd gathered in the park.

A giant stage had been set up there, and TV station staff were bustling around with all sorts of cameras.

A variety show seen only on TV was now unfolding in front of her eyes.

"Sang-ah~ I'm here!"

Ah-rin called out cheerfully, running over from behind.

In her hands were all sorts of snacks: hot dogs, French fries, and more.

Sang-ah sighed at the sight.

"We're not here to play today, you know."

Right now, it was a large-scale event hall, but soon it would turn to a battlefield.

Not just this venue, but perhaps all of Hand.

Knowing this in advance from Seongjin, that's why they came to this spot.

To keep watch on one of the ringleaders, Ai Hoon.

"But you need to fill up when you're hungry! Aren't you hungry?"

"N-not rea..."

Suddenly, Sang-ah's words stopped.

The smell of skewers, hot dogs, and fries Ah-rin was holding made her head spin.

"Yeah, this really is crazy."

"Huh?"

Sang-ah muttered quietly to herself.

"I need to eat right now."

She swiftly snatched some fries and started eating.

In less than ten seconds, one bag disappeared in a miracle.

Watching Sang-ah's honest appetite, Ah-rin smiled warmly.

"Oh right, Sang-ah! I almost forgot to give you this."

"What?"

With a hot dog in her mouth, Ah-rin pulled something from her pocket.

Seeing it, Sang-ah's face turned pale.

"Here you go, Seongjin's boxers."

"Cough! Cough!"

"I'm returning them."

Ah-rin matter-of-factly handed over a boy's boxers.

Seeing this, Sang-ah choked as if ready to spit out the fries she'd just eaten.

"W-why are you giving this to me?"

"They were yours originally. I've used them enough for a month, so now I'm giving them back to you."

"Are you insane? You should return them to Seongjin, not me!"

This was a crowded place.

Sang-ah hurriedly dragged Ah-rin to a wall nearby.

As she was dragged, Ah-rin spoke.

"Should I really go give them to Seongjin, then?"

"What...?"

Come to think of it, that was no good either.

That would be like openly announcing, 'I stole these!'

What would happen if Seongjin found out?

"No way. Absolutely not!"

If that happened, she'd be dead.

100% dead.

"Then, why did you take them from him in the first place?"

"..."

She couldn't answer.

No matter how she explained it, there was no way the other would understand.

She just acted on instinct and snatched them.

Who would understand that? Only inmates locked up in prison, maybe.

"Ah... What was I thinking?"

In the end, Sang-ah, having got the underwear back, sat down in despair.

Just then, the stage lights changed, and someone climbed onto the stage.

Because of the show's rules, she wore a mask—but Ah-rin could tell who she was.

"That's the woman."

A-rank hunter, and active singer, Ai Hoon.

With a mask on, she stepped onto the stage and started singing.

Recognizing her scent, Ah-rin immediately tensed.

But, for now, nothing strange seemed to be happening.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you hear something?"

Suddenly, Sang-ah's eyes widened.

Aside from that woman's singing and the audience's cheers, there shouldn't be any other sounds.

"No, someone's screaming."

Sensing something with her hearing, Sang-ah ran toward the direction of the sound.