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A colourful roulette spun around and around beneath a grand chandelier that resembled a cluster of grapes.
The cries of those who won chips drowned out the sound of the DJ’s flashy music. Men in tuxedos and women in dresses cackled and laughed as they sprayed various types of alcohol in all directions as punishment for the slot machine’s results. A naked Santa was carrying a basket that read “SAVE THE WORLD” as he went around gathering chips.
A server offered Juwon some champagne, but he didn’t even want it near his mouth as he didn’t know what could’ve gone in it. Despite stepping outside due to the commotion, the scene remained largely unchanged.
A stage resembling a bupo had been set up in the centre of the spacious swimming pool. On top of the stage, dancers wearing feathers that resembled those of peacocks danced in rhythm to the fast-paced music. People sporting fur coats over their swimwear danced together, and unable to control their excitement, some even jumped into the water in the shape of a T.
The charity party the BH Group was hosting turned out to be quite different from what Juwon had initially anticipated. He had expected a gathering of company board members to discuss trivial matters, but it proved to be even less fun than he had imagined.
“As expected, she’s not in her right mind…”
Sending out an official invitation bearing the company’s name for a private party like this, as expected, Min Seungah wasn’t the average lunatic.
He could sense people glancing at him from various directions. They must’ve been attempting to discuss matters in hushed tones in their own way, but perhaps their inebriation made it challenging for them to control their voices as he could overhear them.
“Over there, that’s the CEO of December, right? Lee Juwon?”
“Seems like you’re right, but has he always been close with Seungah noona?”
“…Seeing him in person…”
He was used to it all, whether it was the stares or whispers behind his back, so he didn’t care. It was just that, unlike before, there were a lot of people actually approaching him and striking up a conversation with him now, so it was a hassle having to deal with them in a reasonable manner.
From celebrities Juwon could recognise to famous influencers. Chaebol families’ prodigals, etc., there were many people of all races and genders, but he hadn’t even seen a hair of the actual party host.
“Does she think she’s Gatsby or what…”
As Juwon was thinking that she was doing all sorts of things, someone sat down next to the balustrade he was leaning on.
“Hey?”
Juwon turned to the side after hearing the slightly awkward Korean pronunciation. Juwon met the gaze of a man with curly, reddish-brown hair.
Perhaps because his eyes were green, they went well with his deep green suit, which may appear to be overkill at first glance. The man, who appeared to be a little younger than Juwon, smiled brightly while speaking English with a French accent.
[Cool style you’ve got there.]
[Thank you.]
Wow! Oooh!
It appeared that the slot machine near the pool had just hit a jackpot, prompting cheers from the crowd. The man briefly glanced in that direction before returning his attention to Juwon.
[Did you win some chips? I heard a whole ash elixir is the prize.]
There was a reason why everyone was so excited. It was unclear whether they were trying to raise money for charity or a slush fund, but the person who exchanged the most chips would receive an ash elixir.
The yellow bottle looked like orange juice, but it was treated like a panacea among hunters. Not as much as the top-tier green elixir, but it was still an item that held sufficient value.
Although it had little effect on those who weren’t awakened, there were many people in the world who desired to own things simply because they were valuable, regardless of their utility. Even more so for the people gathered here. Much like how items became more expensive when celebrities wore them, it was only natural for individuals to covet the items treasured by hunters as if they were their lifeline.
Juwon shook his head.
[I don’t play games with low chances of winning.]
[Oh, so you’re the honest type? A realist, perhaps?]
[Not precisely, but I’m more of the type to give donations in cash rather than chips.]
With his lips curved into a smile, the man reached into his arms and pulled out a cigarette case. He offered him one, but Juwon turned him down. The man placed the cigarette in his mouth and mumbled,
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
[You don’t gamble, and you don’t smoke either; isn’t it boring?]
Ktf wjc ilutais rtbbx atf hlqqb ilutafg, jcv atf rqfiilcu fcugjnfv bc atf ilutafg uifjwfv rlinfg. Lf atfc fzafcvfv j tjcv jcv mbcalcefv,
[I’m Maël.]
[Lee.]
[Mr. Lee? Is it okay if I smoke?]
[Do as you wish.]
[I won’t smoke, then.]
Qtfc Aekbc ibbxfv bnfg ab tlw, atf wjc mibrfv atf ilv bo tlr hlqqb ilutafg klat j mijmx jcv oijrtfv j uglc.
[I want to make a good impression on you.]
[..….]
[Lee, how about joining me in a fun game with high chances of winning?]
[Sorry, but I have a partner.]
[…Oh.]
Ktf wjc ifa bea j rlut gfwlclrmfca bo mlujgfaaf rwbxf jcv fzqgfrrfv tlr vlrjqqblcawfca lc jc fzjuufgjafv abcf.
[I’ve been observing you for a while, you know? I had a glimmer of hope when I saw you turn down all those women, but… Why, men won’t do for you either?]
[Well, man or woman, there’s only one person for me…]
Juwon rose from his perch on the balustrade. He walked away, leaving behind the gaze fixed on his back.
Should he have actually brought a partner after all…? But Inheon already had his hands full with several missions, unable to even see his face properly for the past few days. Having a surrealistic hero as a lover, there were many instances when the world would steal him away from him.
Anyhow, he had already made his appearance at the party, so it probably wouldn’t make a difference if he left now. Because the mansion was so large, finding the exit required some effort as well.
Boom, boom! Boom!
Golden fireworks erupted in the black sky. While everyone’s attention was drawn to the fireworks embroidering the night sky, the host of the party made their appearance, walking down the spiral staircase connected to a two-story building.
Min Seungah, dressed in a simple black dress, descended the stairs while being surrounded by men with their upper bodies clearly exposed. Each time the multicoloured fireworks bloomed, cheers erupted from various corners of the gathering.
A man standing next to her placed a coat made of sleek material on her shoulders once she finished her descent down the stairs. She picked up a glass offered by a server and made her way toward Juwon.
“Hello, CEO Lee Juwon.”
Juwon couldn’t help but sneer at the polite greeting, which felt out of place with the atmosphere. Min Seungah returned his smile and continued, “Are you enjoying the party?”
“Well, it’s certainly an unexpected sight.”
“I apologise if it surprised you. It wasn’t easy inviting you,” Min Seungah said as she sipped the transparent liquor. Juwon, too, had long been obligated to attend social gatherings to some extent, but he only ever remained on a formal level. He had no interest whatsoever in these kinds of parties.
“Still, isn’t a trivial little charity party boring? Isn’t it better to have some excitement when doing something good?”
Juwon gave a slight nod. After all, he had his own reasons for meeting with Min Seungah. There was nothing he could do if the location was inappropriate.
“I apologise for the matter from last time. Only now am I capable of extending my greetings to you.”
He accepted a request from BH last winter, but due to an emergency dungeon situation, he had no choice but to cancel it. On that particular day, he had been trapped in Gnipahellir, and even after that, several events had kept him occupied, leaving him with no time to take care of matters.
He later discovered that it was well taken care of at the company level, but it was a request that Juwon had accepted anyway. Regardless of the reason, they had even sent him an invitation, so he needed to address it.
“Oh, that.”
Min Seungah smiled as she handed her empty glass to her entourage.
“Talking about work as soon as we meet, you’re more heartless than you appear.”
Did he look like someone affectionate? He had often heard that he was as mannerless as he appeared, though… While Juwon held questions about this certain appraisal of his first impression that he was hearing for the first time, Min Seungah said, “Shall we go for a little walk?”
The people around them stepped back in response to the chin gesture she made.
They left the swimming pool area and retreated to the back of the mansion, where, despite it being winter, a well-maintained garden came into view. The lights that were erected here and there glowed softly. Walking on the path that was much quieter than earlier, Min Seungah chatted, “Our maknae was so excited to meet a hunter, so he was very disappointed. Still, it was a national issue, so there was no getting around it, was there? In fact, I wanted to sponsor the good work… but you went ahead and sent triple the cancellation fee. There was no need for that.”
Sent triple the cancellation fee? That was something even Juwon wasn’t aware of. Assuming that Inheon had taken care of the matter, Juwon replied nonchalantly, “Even natural disasters require compensation.”
“But aren’t there people out there who don’t need pocket change?”
Juwon listened indifferently and checked the watch on his wrist again, wondering who was bragging about money in front of whom. He said what he needed to say, so their business was over. That was until Min Seungah made a strange remark.
“I wish we could’ve met a little sooner.”
Juwon’s pace decelerated as a faint voice reached his ears.
“…What?”
“We could have been such a great match, don’t you think?”
Speaking in a tone reminiscent of lovers who couldn’t be due to wrong timing, Min Seungah continued, “CEO Lee likes money, and I happen to have a lot of money… Oh, but don’t get me wrong. Of course, CEO Lee has many things as well, but… I’m good at using it too, aren’t I? I had hoped to show you just how good I was at spending money, but the opportunity has now slipped through my fingers…”
“…Isn’t today our first face-to-face encounter?”
“You sadden me, we crossed paths at the entrepreneurs’ gathering last year. My memories of that time are still vivid.”
Juwon rubbed the end of his chin. Roughly piecing together Min Seungah’s words, it appeared that she had been interested in him in the past, but he hadn’t reciprocated those feelings. He just found it funny how she went as far as declaring her motives, even though she was well aware of his existing civil union.
“As you may know, I have a spouse.”
“I see… It’s because I can’t conquer the world, either…”
What was she saying? Juwon shook his head, having given up on understanding. He was intending on just slowly returning. Turning his steps towards the mansion, Juwon said, “Have you not yet completed the recommended corporate manager training designated by the government? Please go and see it for yourself instead of telling your secretary to listen on your behalf.”
“What training?”
“Raising gender sensitivity awareness, I heard.”
Min Seungah replied in a stupefied tone, “Did I ask you to date me in secret or what? I just said it was a shame.”
“The content of the training is to keep such thoughts to yourself.”
What would Inheon be doing right now? Juwon continued to stroll, his mind drifting to other matters, when the look in his eyes suddenly sank. His indifferent voice took on a more calm tone.
“Director, do you have bodyguards?”
Confused by the abrupt shift in the conversation, Min Seungah nodded.
“They’re over there, following us.”
“And at the party?”
“…There must be some there too?”
“Evacuate everyone.”
“…Huh?”
“Do you see that?”
The area Juwon pointed to was the wall at the back of the mansion.
“It appears that a crack is forming… We can stop it like this, but there’s also a chance that a dungeon could form within two hours. There’s about a 30% probability.”
Min Seungah narrowed her eyes. As it was winter, all that remained of the vines were skinny branches that looked like fissures, making it difficult to discern at first glance. She approached the area and used her hand to lift one of the vines before letting out a crabby sigh. The wall was riddled with tiny cracks.
“…Isn’t it just poor construction?”
“The form is different. Hurry and evacuate everyone. If there’s a hunter among the bodyguards, bring them here.”
“Oh, what a headache.”
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Min Seungah pulled her styled hair into a knot with her hands and quickly turned back to the mansion.
The music, which had been booming loud enough to shake the ground, was suddenly turned off. The brilliant disco ball light, which flashed in a variety of colours, was also turned off. Instead, the whole mansion was illuminated bright enough for even an ant to be lit up, similar to the lights of a baseball stadium.
The sound of an evacuation order could be heard. While Min Seungah managed the party situation, Juwon reexamined the condition of the crack.
It was different from the typical dungeon indication. Concealed by the ivy vines entwining the wall, it wasn’t immediately noticeable, but there was a faint depiction of a dungeon outbreak acceleration diagram. Someone had drawn that there to ensure a dungeon outbreak.
The presence of an acceleration diagram didn’t guarantee that a dungeon would certainly manifest. There were numerous instances where it remained impossible. Nevertheless, with the correct timing and location, a faint possibility could escalate to a probability in the tens. It was classified as an act of terrorism and strictly prohibited, but there was no telling who did this.
“Will you be able to destroy it?”
The security hunters that Min Seungah had sent over observed the crack before shaking their heads.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“If we make a slip of the hand and it explodes…”
Juwon nodded in response to the expected reaction. It was only natural, given the rarity of the diagram.
Dungeons that could manifest due to acceleration diagrams were typically of low class. In fact, if a dungeon did materialise, the hunters would be able to handle it. However, destroying the outbreak itself would be difficult even for them.
“We’ve evacuated everyone outside for the time being, but what the hell is this?” Min Seungah, her hair now tied in a ponytail and clad in her secretary’s jacket, grumbled as she approached. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that they were able to swiftly move everyone out before the crack could fully materialise.
“…Have you done anything in the meantime to make people hold a grudge against you?”
Juwon provided a brief explanation regarding the origin of the crack. Min Seungah’s expression was perplexed, possibly because there were too many areas to touch on when it came to grudges.
“How am I supposed to remember all that?”
For the first time, Juwon found himself in agreement with Min Seungah’s words. It struck a bit too close to home, so he offered her words of comfort.
“It’s only natural for people to accumulate the resentment of others throughout their lives…”
The two, who had unintentionally bonded, looked at each other and smiled. Min Seungah spoke with a hint of lingering laughter in her voice, “So, what’s our next move?”
“The same way we detonate bombs, we’ll have to call a crack disposal unit. What to do? You’ll have to send a request to December, won’t you?” Juwon said jokingly, not taking his gaze away from the crack’s progression. He had sent an emergency message to the crack disposal team as soon as he checked the signs earlier, but as it was the season where traffic congestion was heavy, he had been notified that they would be a little late due to a car accident nearby. Nevertheless, there was still time left in its progression, so it wasn’t a major concern.
The corners of Min Seungah’s lips, which had been quiet for a while, lifted.
“I did mention that my hobby was tossing money around, but… it looks like I’ve summoned someone far too costly for a dungeon that hasn’t even broken out yet.”
“.…..?”
Juwon turned his head in the direction of Min Seungah’s gaze. Then, he blinked, uncertain whether what he was seeing was correct.
orcinus comments:
I’m fully convinced that Min Seungah is BH Electronics·m*** and I will die on this hill
For those who don’t remember, Min Seungah is the BH director who Juwon referred to as trash that’s on a different level from him and a junkie lol, she has also been aiming for his number since chapter 3 and also made her reappearance in extra 10
Thanks for the translation!!! Is that Inheon appearing at the end :”)?
Have a nice day btw~~
Pretty sure you’re right for the pseudo xD
sobs I’m in somehow a cliffhanger where the plot of the extra seems lit! 🙈
Anyway THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR CONTINUING TRANSLATING THE EXTRAS!!!
Thank you for the chapter
Hubby is here?