By the time Hyeonu and Yeongchan arrived at the hotel where they had made the appointment, the surroundings were already bustling. It was due to the people originally using the hotel and the reporters who came to attend Dwayneâs press conference.
Hyeonu and Yeongchan passed through it. Yeongchan took the lead. Hyeonu held Yeongchanâs shoulder and pushed people away like a car.
âIs the door closed?â Yeongchan pointed his finger at the tightly closed door.
âThere is still some time left. It is around 30 minutes?â Hyeonuâs eyes widened as he looked at the watch on his wrist.
âThen what should we do?â
âWhat else should we do? Just wait and someone will come to guide us.â
Hyeonu calmly put his hand into his coat pocket and whistled. Yeongchan shook his head like Hyeonuâs actions were irritating. Nevertheless, Hyeonuâs actions were clearly effective.
âPerhaps... is it Alley Leader?â A man in a black suit, a white shirt, and an in-ear piece in his ear approached Hyeonu.
âYes, I am Gang Hyeonu, also known as Alley Leader.â Hyeonu quickly pulled out the hand in his pocket and held it out to the bodyguard.
âIt is an honor to meet you. I will guide you to the waiting room.â The bodyguard lightly shook hands with Hyeonu before taking the lead to guide him somewhere.
âHey, did you see it? Did you see?" Hyeonu patted the shoulder of Yeongchan, who was standing blankly behind him.
âLetâs just go.â Yeongchan frowned and pushed at Hyeonuâs back. Hyeonu followed after the bodyguard while being pushed by Yeongchan.
âThis is it. The event will start exactly on time,â the bodyguard said while pointing to the white door.
âI understand. Thank you for the guidance.â
Hyeonu nodded, opened the door the bodyguard pointed at, and stepped inside. The room the door led to was plain. There was a large sofa, a table, and several chairs. They were things that were likely to be in a waiting room.
âMaster Gang, youâre here?â Dwayne, the man in the waiting room, approached Hyeonu.
âWhen will you stop calling me Master?â Hyeonu waved his hand at Dwayneâs words.
Masterâit wasnât a very good title. His hands and feet seemed to cringe every time he heard it.
âIsnât it once a master, always a master?â Dwayne didnât care about Hyeonuâs reaction.
Hyeonu shook his head and asked Dwayne about something else, âIs the sale of the item already over?â
âYes, it has already been converted to cash. I have been in contact with a few people who thought I was going to win. I was able to finish it quickly thanks to this.â
Dwayne immediately sold the item he received from Hyeonu. He sold it as soon as he got it from Hyeonu. The price was also generous. There were so many people wanting to buy it that the price kept going up. If he had more time, then he couldâve sold it for a higher price.
However, Dwayne didnât do this. It was because the quoted price was already enough.
âAre you going to reveal the sale price as well?â
âNo, Iâm going to keep it a secret. I donât think there is anything good about revealing it.â
âI agree with this. There will be people out there who find faults for no reason.â
No matter how well-intentioned, some people would look badly at Dwayne. This was a certainty. It wasnât a guess.
âI know that as well. The media... they arenât as good as some people think.â
Dwayne was plagued by many paparazzi that many celebrities couldnât hold out their business cards to. Therefore, he was already quick about this matter even if Hyeonu didnât say it.
âIs there enough money?â
âIt isnât lacking. The item was sold at a high price. There are many people around me who want to sponsor it as well.â
Dwayne had donated a lot of wealth to the foundation. As Hollywoodâs best action star, Dwayneâs wealth wasnât small. It was more than the average person imagined. Additionally, even his acquaintances were interested in Dwayneâs foundation. If they were going to make a donation anyway, it was better to make it to a place with someone they could trust than a place they didnât know.
âCan I make it too? Iâd like to make a larger donation...â Hyeonu spoke carefully.
âYou want to donate? Of course you can. No, how about going to the press conference together?â Dwayne cried out with delight. Hyeonuâs donation was worth more than just the amount.
âIt seems a bit... I donât think so. I think you can just mention it once.â
Hyeonu shook his head. He had no intention of rising to a burdensome position. It was enough just to be involved in good things in a small manner.
âOkay, then I will revise what I have prepared.â
Dwayne nodded. The script had to be revised due to Hyeonuâs sudden participation, but Dwayne found it fun. He was happy that celebrities like Hyeonu participated in the donation.
âIf Master Gang participates... I think his fans will participate.â
The more people that donated to the foundation, the more people that could be helped.
âThank you very much, Master Gang.â Dwayne hugged Hyeonu.
âDonât call me Master.â Hyeonu frowned and pushed Dwayneâs body away.
***
Dwayneâs press conference went smoothly. There were passable questions and passable answers. It was passable as if it had been prearranged. Yet even in such circumstances, an unexpected situation occurred. A sharp-eyed reporter with glasses raised his hand and asked Dwayne a question, âWhat is the selling price of the âOath of Eternal Allegianceâ item that you received from Alley Leader?â
âI think I initially said that I wouldnât take any questions about the selling price of the item... did I not say it?â
Dwayne raised an eyebrow at the reporterâs question. He had clearly said so at the beginning. Even so, these words came out.
âIs he taking me too lightly?â
.
âTake him out,â Dwayne spoke to the bodyguards who were lined up at the door. It was a quiet tone, but it was full of displeasure. The bodyguards became fearful of Dwayneâs words and pulled out the reporter who asked Dwayne the question.
One reporter was pulled out and the rest of the staff members sorted out the equipment the reporter had brought with him and left the conference room. A seat was emptied in an instant.
The reporters who saw it were speechless. However, they were inwardly delighted. It was a reporter they always thought was bad. He was the culprit who ruined the atmosphere. There were also rumors that a certain guild was paying him to write articles.
âI told you beforehand, but please understand that I canât tell you the selling price of the item. Instead, Iâll tell you something else.â Dwayne turned to look at the reporters.
âTell us something else?â
âWhat else is there?â
âIs there any news about Dwayne lately?â
âNo? Filming a movie isnât news that we need to know, right?â
The reporters started talking. Then they simultaneously looked at Dwayne as they waited for what he had to say.
âThere are many people helping with this foundation. Some of them are names you know very well.â Dwayne once again made eye contact with the reporters. âAlley Leader, Alley Leader has added his strength.â
The reporters quickly tapped on the keyboard the moment Dwayne finished talking. There was no time to be surprised. They had to write the articles faster than anyone else.
âStarting from March, an account where people can make donations will be opened. I look forward to your participation.â
Dwayne got up and bowed.
***
âTang-E, you fight by reacting to what you see. You should instead get into the habit of thinking. How will the opponent move? Anticipate it,â Hyeonu nagged at Tang-E as he held a sword in his hand. It poured in like a shower.
âUhh... Master dude is too strong,â Tang-E replied with a wronged expression. It wasnât that he was bad. Hyeonu just made it impossible. Therefore, he felt frustrated when Hyeonu said this.
"What do you mean? I am doing it for you.â
Hyeonu shrugged.
âHe is good at learning.â
Contrary to his words, Hyeonu was quite satisfied with Tang-Eâs skills. Tang-Eâs immediate skills were good, but he was more satisfied with the ability to noticeably improve the more Tang-E fought.
âI need to polish him a bit more.â
However, it wasnât time to give the carrot. He had to push Tang-E to the end until it built up.
âNow, are you done with the review? Letâs do it again.â
Hyeonu pulled out the Guardianâs Spear instead of the Mixed Sky Sword. He had to instill as much experience as possible in Tang-E. That way, he would be more comfortable fighting with someone other than Hyeonu.
âWhat are you doing? Do you want to do it with your bare hands?â Hyeonu called out again to Tang-E, who was standing still.
âNo, this damn Master dude. Iâm not fighting with my bare hands.â
Tang-E shook his head. He wouldnât do that even if he died. Rushing to Hyeonu with his bare hands was no different from asking Hyeonu to hit him. It was even worse when he was holding the spear. The spear was used like a club.
Tang-E grabbed the sword that Hyeonu had given him and ran to ward Hyeonu. Tang-E had no movement skills. He just had the buffs that boosted his movement speed along with his massive stats and agility. All he did was utilize his physical abilities alongside the appropriate magic power. It was just that his innate abilities were so good that this alone was enough.
âIt doesnât work in front of me.â
Hyeonu lacked pure stats compared to Tang-E, but when he combined his titles, skills, and items, he wasnât inferior when compared to Tang-E. Rather, he could be called overwhelming when the battle started.
âI told you. Donât be so ignorant.â
Hyeonu lightly hit the sword that Tang-E wielded. Then he swung his spear toward the gap that was created. The Guardianâs Spear moved through the air like a snake.
âIt is real...!â
âDamn Master dude!â Tang-E shouted when he saw Hyeonuâs strike. This was an attack with the will to strike unconditionally. Tang-E quickly moved his feet. He escaped from the trajectory of Hyeonuâs spear. Just then, there was a change in Hyeonuâs spear. It once again crawled on the ground like a snake. The direction was the one in which Tang-E had just moved.
Tang-E moved once again. He exploded his magic power and flew through the air toward the spot where he had just been.
âIf you canât avoid it, you have to block it, Tang-E.â Hyeonu saw it and smiled. Tang-Eâs choice was a mistake. The choice to avoid it was good, but this was only the first time.
Avoiding it twice without thinkingâit was no different from jumping into the firepit of a bigger crisis.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Hyeonuâs body twisted and pushed in the direction that Tang-E moved. The Guardianâs Spear struck Tang-Eâs side in his human form.
âAck!!â Tang-E screamed and collapsed on the spot.
Hyeonu approached the collapsed Tang-E and asked, âAre you in pain?â
âCan you say that, ignorant Master dude?â Tang-Eâs eyes rolled.
âI will give you a chance to get revenge. How about it?â
âA chance for revenge?â Tang-Eâs eyes shone.
âYes, a chance.â
Hyeonu smiled.
Then he handed Tang-E a mask.
âHello, everyone. Even today, the academy doesnât rest.â
Hyeonu wasnât the one Tang-E was going to get revenge against. It was someone else.