Seo Munhyeok ultimately tracked Pyo Haram down.
It had taken exactly one day after receiving his information from the Goblin Information Broker.
'This should be the place...'
A narrow alley.
Garbage piled along both sides.
Banners protesting redevelopment hung from every utility pole and tree.
Crumbling houses.
Walls marked with large red X's sprayed across them.
Dressed neatly, Seo Munhyeok stood out like a sore thumb in the aging hillside neighborhood.
“What's a young man doing around here?”
“Think he's here to collect another debt from the Kims?”
“Shouldn't somebody warn Mr. Kim?”
The residents whispered behind his back as though his shadow carried their voices with it.
His hearing, far keener than any ordinary person's, caught every word.
He pretended not to notice and continued toward his destination.
'The address... Ah. This must be it.'
He stopped before a black iron gate marked with a large red X.
The building looked worn and desolate, but the bags of household garbage piled outside made it obvious that someone still lived there.
“Ahem.”
Even without extending his senses, he could immediately tell there was someone inside.
Feeling oddly nervous, he cleared his throat and adjusted the expensive fruit basket in his hand.
Then he knocked.
Knock. Knock.
“Y-You Dragon Heart thief!”
“…?”
The door flew open alongside a sharp shout.
A man burst out, immediately pointing an accusing finger at Seo Munhyeok.
This reunion...
...was nothing like what he'd expected.
His entire body froze.
'Thief... me?'
He had gone hungry in his life.
He had struggled financially.
But he'd never stolen from anyone.
There had to be some misunderstanding.
Determined to clear it up, Seo Munhyeok hurriedly explained why he had come.
“Mr. Pyo Haram, I presume? Please forgive my sudden visit. There is something I'd like to ask you. I'm the Hunter from the Aberrant Dungeon that appeared in Seoul several days ago—”
He never got to finish.
The other man wasn't listening at all.
Instead...
...he threw a punch.
“You came at the perfect time! Give it back! My Dragon Heart!”
“Excuse me? W-Wait, what are you—!”
The expensive fruit basket slipped from Seo Munhyeok's hand and scattered across the ground.
He didn't even have time to notice.
He was already busy dodging the flurry of punches raining toward him.
Naturally...
The punches of an E-class Healer couldn't even brush the hair of an S-class main dealer.
While Pyo Haram gradually became short of breath, Seo Munhyeok remained perfectly composed, trying to understand the situation.
'His eyes are unfocused.'
'Does he have some kind of mental illness...?'
'Or drugs?'
Madness flickered between the strands of Pyo Haram's unkempt bangs.
His bloodshot eyes.
His deathly pale complexion.
The dried blood staining the corner of his mouth.
'He's in terrible condition...'
This wasn't going anywhere.
Realizing words alone wouldn't calm him down, Seo Munhyeok reluctantly chose force.
“Please forgive me.”
“Gah!”
He had no intention of hurting him.
Regardless of everything else...
The man before him was the one who had saved his life.
He simply couldn't let this continue forever.
Using as little strength as possible, he caught Pyo Haram's wrist, turned him around, and gently pinned him against the wall.
“AAAH! My shoulder! You insolent brat! My shoulder came out of its socket!”
“…No, it didn't. The human shoulder is anatomically capable of rotating this far.”
“It hurts! I said it hurts! Stop talking!”
Even pinned flat against the wall, Pyo Haram continued snarling like a cornered wild animal.
As Seo Munhyeok frowned at the assault on his ears...
...he noticed something else.
The hand he was holding was covered in dried black blood.
Not a drop or two.
The entire palm was stained.
That much blood couldn't come from a minor wound.
'Was he injured?'
Just as Seo Munhyeok instinctively loosened his grip to check...
Pyo Haram, who had suddenly gone quiet, muttered something.
“…My mana... why...?”
“Pardon? What did you say...?”
At that instant...
An enormous quantity of mana surged out through the hand connecting them.
Seo Munhyeok stiffened.
He had never experienced anything like it.
'What is this...?'
The moment he instinctively tried to pull away—
Pyo Haram twisted around to glare at him.
Black pupils...
Slowly tinged with crimson.
The instant Seo Munhyeok recognized the change—
BOOM!
KRAAAASH!!
The explosion blasted him backward.
Needless to say...
He lost his grip on Pyo Haram.
The force was enough to blow apart the black iron gate and a large section of the surrounding wall.
Protecting his head with both arms, Seo Munhyeok peered through the cloud of dirt.
He spotted Pyo Haram sprawled on the ground.
“Cough! Hack! Ptoo! Damn this worthless body!”
“…Are you alright?”
“W-What?! Don't come any closer!”
The dust slowly settled.
After coughing several more times, Pyo Haram glared at him and raised one hand.
It looked partly like a warning...
...and partly like preparation for another attack.
Hummmm—
Sure enough.
Seo Munhyeok could feel mana rapidly gathering before Pyo Haram's palm.
There was no doubt.
The explosion had come from him.
Seo Munhyeok frowned.
'I was told he was an E-class Healer.'
'Why is he using magic?'
Had he somehow undergone a second Awakening inside the Dragon's nest?
Even then...
Changing from a Healer into a Mage?
Despite experiencing multiple timelines, Seo Munhyeok had never heard of such a thing.
'More importantly...'
He quickly looked around.
First he needed to make sure no civilians had been caught up in the incident.
Fortunately...
He sensed no one nearby.
Relieved, he immediately pulled the greatsword from his Inventory.
He had to prepare for whatever spell Pyo Haram was about to cast.
“Hand over the Dragon Heart and leave peacefully.”
Even now, Pyo Haram wore a confident grin while saying things Seo Munhyeok couldn't make sense of.
Receiving no response, his gaze sharpened.
The mana gathering before his hand became increasingly unstable.
Hummmm—
Another explosion.
Perhaps an even larger one this time.
Planting the tip of his greatsword into the ground, Seo Munhyeok tensed every muscle in preparation.
Then—
Pffft—
Pik...
Pshhh...
“…?”
“…?”
Instead of another explosion...
A tiny puff of air escaped from Pyo Haram's palm.
No...
Could that even be called wind?
'...Why does it sound like a balloon deflating?'
The confidence instantly vanished from Pyo Haram's face.
It turned bright red.
He alternated his gaze between his own hand...
...and Seo Munhyeok's greatsword.
“…For fuck's sake... seriously...”
Grinding his teeth, he wore the expression of a man who had just bitten into something foul.
At that exact moment, a crow perched on a nearby power line let out several loud caws as it flew overhead.
It sounded suspiciously like it was laughing at him.
About five minutes later...
...the situation finally settled down.
Pyo Haram had been sitting on the ground the whole time, swearing nonstop and venting his frustration.
Then—
Grrrrrrr...
His stomach growled loudly.
Naturally...
His expression became even uglier.
Completely drained, he collapsed face-first onto the ground, kicking his feet and repeatedly pounding the dirt with his fist.
“Um... the ground is cold. Why don't you get up first...”
Unable to keep watching, Seo Munhyeok awkwardly put away his greatsword before speaking.
Covered head to toe in dust, Pyo Haram suddenly lifted his head.
“Hey.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Why'd you come here again?”
“Well... I'm not sure whether you remember, but during the Aberrant Dungeon that appeared in Seoul several days ago—”
“Get to the point.”
“…I came because I wanted to ask you something.”
“And to thank you.”
“I see. You've got questions.”
“And you owe me thanks.”
“Right?”
...Why has he been speaking informally to me this whole time?
Seo Munhyeok's brow twitched slightly.
As far as he knew...
He was four years older than the man in front of him.
Still...
Now that they were finally managing to hold a conversation, this wasn't the moment to argue about honorifics.
Suppressing his mild irritation, he continued.
“Yes. That's right. Do you remember me? You helped me defeat the Dragon.”
“Yeah, yeah. I remember.”
“…At the time I didn't have the opportunity... but thank you. Thanks to you, we prevented the Dungeon Break.”
“And I survived as well.”
“Mm-hmm. That's enough about that.”
“You came all the way here, so whatever you're curious about must be pretty important, huh?”
“…Yes.”
The corners of Pyo Haram's mouth slowly curled upward.
Only moments ago his pride had been lying in ruins.
Now he looked utterly confident...
...even arrogant.
“Good.”
“I'll graciously answer your questions.”
“But.”
But?
Seo Munhyeok tilted his head.
Unlike his confusion, Pyo Haram's face suddenly became solemn and dignified.
Without realizing it, Seo Munhyeok swallowed.
He quietly waited for what came next.
At last...
Pyo Haram spoke.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“Got any money?”
“…?”
...Wait.
What exactly did I just hear?