The Basiliskâs Fang found inside the West Sea Rift. A fang that Hong Ye-seong didnât make, yet bears his inscription.
In truth, even without the inscription, considering the fangâs personality, Hong Ye-seongâs claim seemed plausible. Like father, like child, as they say.
As Uijae remained silent, deep in thought, Hong Ye-seong began to whine.
"Huh? Huh? Come on, please tell me! Iâm going crazy with curiosity."
It really did resemble its "father"âstubborn and quick to assert its will.
But the real "father" of the Fang, Hong Ye-seong, knew nothing about the West Sea Rift. Simple logic would suggest that the Hong Ye-seong in front of him wasnât the one who made it, but rather a different version. Given that the Rift distorts time and space, it wasnât an entirely far-fetched thought. Uijae had already confirmed the possibility himself.
"There are plenty of cases where someone looks exactly the same but is a completely different person."
There was no trace of Hong Ye-seong in the fragments shown by Yoon Gaeul, but those were merely pieces from a world that had been destroyed. Somewhere out there, a fragment featuring Hong Ye-seong might exist. Uijae stared blankly at the grass swaying in the breeze.
âIâll have to meet Yoon Gaeul againâ¦.â
If he could discover how a fang crafted by another version of Hong Ye-seong appeared in the Rift, it might help him recover the people buried there. And he needed to ask more about the end of the world.
As Uijae stayed lost in thought, Hong Ye-seong tapped the floor impatiently.
"Hey? Secretary Kim, youâre listening to me, right? Youâre thinking about it, arenât you? I can wait."
Uijaeâs gaze drifted past Ye-seong to the porcelain rooster, which was trembling non-stop, likely due to the phone vibrating beneath it ever since it sat on top. The only person who would be this persistent with their calls⦠was probably Lee Sayoung. Uijae glanced skyward, watching the fluffy clouds drift by. It was a moment of escapism.
âGreat, Iâm screwed.â
"Secretary Kiiiim!"
Uijaeâs eyebrow twitched at the voice that sounded as if it was on the verge of hysterics. Not only was Hong Ye-seong disturbing his thoughts, now he was interrupting his moment of escape too. Uijae let out a long sigh. He had restrained himself three times already. A surge of irritation bubbled up.
â...Why is this guy acting so self-righteous after kidnapping me?â
Lee Sayoungâs masked face floated into his mind, and Sayoungâs teasing voice began playing on a loop.
âI thought I told you to avoid unnecessary contact with others. If you like making friends so much, why donât you join a mountain-climbing club or something?â
Just imagining Sayoungâs taunts made Uijaeâs fists clench. It felt like climbing one mountain only to find another, even taller one in front of him.
âEven if I escape, Iâll still have to listen to Lee Sayoungâs complaints later, huh?â
Uijae quietly spoke up to the fidgeting Hong Ye-seong.
"Youâre asking where I got this from, right?"
"Oh! Finally ready to answer, huh? Yes, where did you get it?"
Uijae stared at Hong Ye-seong, who was nodding eagerly. His posture, once straight on the cushion, had gradually become more slouched.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Huh?"
Hong Ye-seong blinked in confusion. By now, Secretary Kimâs posture was as lopsided as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one knee up, arm draped lazily over it, his tone brusque.
"Why should I tell you anything? What reason do I have to trust you?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah. Youâre offering just a verbal promise and expecting me to spill everything. Who does that? You should be offering a proper contract. If I tell you, what will you give me in return? Isnât that how it works?"
"I said Iâd keep it a secret! And Iâll even make you a weapon!"
"Oh, yeah, Iâm sure nobody will find it suspicious when a hunter from the secretaryâs office suddenly shows up with a weapon made by Hong Ye-seong."
Uijae had initially planned to brush it off with some sarcasm, but after being tossed around by Lee Sayoung all day, he was starting to get genuinely irritated.
"And why should I have to answer just because you ask? Isnât this kind of a power trip?"
"Wow⦠Iâve never been called out like this since I awakened. This is kind of refreshing."
Hong Ye-seong, now caught up in accusations of abuse of power, pounded his chest in disbelief.
"Iâm Hong Ye-seong! And whatâs wrong with a parent asking where their lost child was found? Are you really not going to tell me?"
He tried appealing to emotions, but it wasnât working on Uijae at all.
If Uijae revealed that he had found the Fang in the West Sea Rift, it would be the same as declaring that he was J. Was there any benefit to revealing that? Absolutely none. And since Hong Ye-seong had close ties with the Awakener Management Bureau, even if he promised to keep quiet, the information could easily leak out.
There didnât seem to be any valuable information left to gain from Hong Ye-seong, and on top of that, Lee Sayoung was likely throwing a fit outside.
"You just said a minute ago that you didnât make it. Now youâre calling yourself its parent? Which is it?"
With no more room to retreat, Uijae, emboldened by his situation, started pushing back hard, mocking Hong Ye-seong relentlessly. Ye-seongâs mouth fell open.
âThis guy⦠Did he pick up his snark from being around Lee Sayoung too much?â
To make things worse, the man sitting in front of him was wearing a gas mask, making it feel like Lee Sayoung himself was sitting there.
"You also said youâve never even seen a basilisk. Iâd like to tell you, but⦠honestly, itâs hard to trust you."
Sure, Secretary Kim had never seen a basilisk either, but the aura he was giving off suggested he knew far more than he let on. Flustered, Hong Ye-seong slammed the Fangâs black blade down. He raised his unscathed hand and waved it.
"Look, itâs got my name on it, and this sharp little guy isnât turning its edge against me. It recognizes its creator."
"Let me see it."
Suspiciously, Ye-seong handed over the Fang. The blade, which had seemed comfortable in the loving hands of its "father," now writhed as if it was struggling, but Uijae gripped it tightly.
---
**[Updating Basiliskâs Fangâs thoughts!]**
**[Fangâs thoughts: If you strike me, Iâll cut your hand off.]**
---
The Fang didnât recognize its owner, but Uijae had a plan.
---
**[Trait: Basiliskâs Poison (S+) is now active.]**
---
âGet a grip.â
---
**[Updating Basiliskâs Fangâs thoughts!]**
**[Fangâs thoughts: I take back what I just said.]**
---
With the Basiliskâs poison active, Uijae effortlessly subdued the Fangâs rebellious attitude. Without hesitation, he brought his hand down onto the blade. Though it landed squarely on the blade, his hand remained unscathed. Hong Ye-seongâs eyes widened in shock. Uijae, completely unfazed, spoke casually.
"Maybe the bladeâs just dull. I donât think this proves anything."
"Wait! Let me sharpen it. Iâll sharpen it and weâll try again."
Somehow, their roles had reversed, and Hong Ye-seong was now the one trying to prove that he was the Fangâs creator. His obsession with confirming his "paternity" had taken over.
âThank goodness Hong Ye-seong is so simple.â
As Uijae watched him get up and search for a whetstone, he let out a sigh of relief. But just then, Hong Ye-seong paused and muttered.
"â¦Something seems to be happening outside."
"Pardon?"
"......"
Without answering, Hong Ye-seong fidgeted with his phone. A moment later, the mechanical voice of a TTS message echoed through the air.
âMr. Hong Ye-seong, could you please move up the auction restart time? ^^ Weâre encountering some issues.
âPlease disregard the previous message, Mr. Hong Ye-seong.
âDo NOT come outside under any circumstances.
The messages sounded like something straight out of a horror storyâthe last words of a survivor. Uijaeâs face turned grim, but Hong Ye-seong looked serious.
"If Jung Bin is saying something like this⦠it means the situation outside is really bad, doesnât it?"
"......"
"Gyu-Gyu is probably laying low after what happened last time, and the others wonât do anything because theyâre afraid of me. So the only one who would pull something isâ¦"
Their gazes met in the air. It was clear they were both thinking of the same person. To confirm their suspicion, the porcelain rooster had finally stopped vibrating. Uijae squeezed his eyes shut.
âDamn it, Sayoung. What kind of mess did you get into this timeâ¦?â
---
A groan escaped from Gyu-Gyu as his disheveled white hair spread across the ground. A pair of black combat boots pressed firmly onto his shoulder,
"Urgh, ahâ¦."
Gyu-Gyu groaned, his messy white hair sprawling over the ground. A black combat boot pressed firmly onto his shoulder, causing him to let out a strangled breath. He coughed violently, clawing at the boot with his hand while twisting his lips into a sneer.
"You think stepping on me like that is going to break my shoulder?"
"......"
The figure in the gas mask standing on Gyu-Gyuâs back tilted his head slightly while holding a phone to his ear. From the other end, a faint automated message announced that the call could not be connected. A mocking voice asked from beneath the mask.
"Who are you trying to call? â¦J?"
The moment the name "J" left his lips, the boot pressed down harder, a loud cracking sound resonating as bones shifted unnaturally. But Gyu-Gyu, still sneering, kept his gaze fixed on the gas mask. Lee Sayoungâs voice dropped to a menacing whisper.
"What makes you think you can get away with this?"
"Cough⦠ah, damn that hurtsâ¦."
"You should be careful who you pick a fight withâ¦."
Suddenly, a wailing siren pierced the air from somewhere nearby. Gyu-Gyu instinctively turned his head to glance toward the noise, but Sayoungâs foot dug harder into his shoulder, shifting closer to his collarbone, forcing Gyu-Gyu to writhe in pain.
"Just because you mercenaries are used to fighting dirty, doesnât mean you can play the same game here."
Sayoung, phone still wedged between his shoulder and ear, began taking off his gloves, whenâ
*Shing!*
A black chain shot toward him. Sayoung clicked his tongue and stepped back in time to avoid it. Gyu-Gyu clutched his shoulder, coughing violently as he was freed from the pressure. The chain, having missed its mark, slithered back to its owner. The sound of metal clinking echoed as a deep sigh followed.
"Lee Sayoung⦠Gyu-Gyuâ¦"
The sound of the sirens had been accompanied by the arrival of Jung Bin. He calmly wrapped the returning chain around his arm as he approached, his usually gentle smile replaced with a stern expression.
"I think an explanation is in order."