If the Body Is Strong, the Mind Does Not Suffer.

Lee Sa-young…? Cha Eui-jae looked at Nam Woo-jin with a stern face, but he turned away and started walking slowly again.

"From now on, the things I am about to tell you are stories that are not known to the outside world."

He pointed at the sky with his finger.

"It was not long after the death of J was announced… The whole country was in turmoil. It was also a time when the government was failing to fulfill its role."

A time of confusion when the nation lost its power. Naturally, those at the top would have covered up many incidents to quell the unrest. Cha Eui-jae thought about the things buried in those 8 years that he didn't know about.

They had already passed through the garden and were now deep in a quiet forest. Amidst the dense green, Nam Woo-jin's white hair shone brightly.

"Lee Sa-young was found in a laboratory."

"…"

"No, it would be more accurate to say it was a place that used to be a laboratory. Everything had melted away due to the poison. In the midst of the black ruins, he was sitting alone, wearing loose patient clothes."

The image he saw at the rift naturally came to mind. Just by Lee Sa-young's touch, the radiant garden instantly turned black, becoming a toxic swamp where nothing could live. Cha Eui-jae had witnessed the massive forest, which was as green as this place, decaying from Lee Sa-young's fingertips right before his eyes.

A deadly poison that even A-grade Hunter Seo Min-gi couldn't approach. Without his basilisk venom, Cha Eui-jae might not have been able to stay intact near Lee Sa-young.

"The surroundings were completely devastated. Approaching recklessly would have meant certain death."

Nam Woo-jin continued speaking slowly.

"Only Jung Bin, equipped with protective gear, could barely get close to him. But eventually, even he got poisoned and had to take an antidote."

Lee Sa-young, who was found after melting down Prometheus's laboratory, and who is now chasing them. Prometheus, who aims to artificially create awakened individuals. The clues that shouldn't have fit together were falling into place one by one. Cha Eui-jae felt a slight discomfort and frowned.

"Are you saying that Lee Sa-young is the first successful experiment?"

"Well, that, I cannot say for sure."

Somewhere, a bird's chirping could be heard.

"Whether he awakened because of their experiment, or the system answered Lee Sa-young's desperate prayers."

"…"

"Well, I believe it's the latter."

Despite telling quite shocking stories, Nam Woo-jin was smiling casually.

"At that time, their research hadn't progressed much, so they used people with some peculiarities as test subjects."

"Peculiarities?"

"Yes. Those who had been involved in a rift, or had wounds from a monster attack. In any case, something special related to the rift. They might have kidnapped people for experiments in that chaotic state."

Something special related to the rift, he said. For a moment, a faint whisper like a hallucination lingered in Cha Eui-jae's ears.

"Please… save me."

A boy who was dying, embraced by two people who had melted from the poison in the rift, which had been covered in deadly poison. J, who had wandered desperately, chasing the faint sign of a survivor, found him only after tearing down the collapsed outer wall of a building.

The boy, covered in poison, looked at J with great effort, despite his whole body melting. His weak lips moved. His voice was cracked and broken, perhaps due to the poison damaging his vocal cords.

"Please save me."

That sight reminded Cha Eui-jae of his 17-year-old self, who had desperately sought someone's help… He couldn't help but hold the boy's hand.

Even if, when he woke up again, he found himself in a tragedy where he had lost all his family and couldn't be sure of the antidote. Even if he had to live a life more painful than death. Even if all the resentment fell upon him.

He couldn't turn away from that desperation.

Cha Eui-jae looked at the white-haired man. Maybe that boy also became a target of Prometheus because he saved him back then. Nam Woo-jin, with his hands in the pockets of his white coat, was observing Cha Eui-jae.

Suddenly, Cha Eui-jae realized the discomfort he had been feeling all along. He didn't avoid Nam Woo-jin's burnt eyes and asked.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"…"

There must have been a reason why Lee Sa-young didn't tell his background. Just like he had his own secrets, Lee Sa-young must have his.

Their deal was possible because they didn't pry into each other's deep secrets. Of course, Lee Sa-young had investigated him, but he didn't pry into why Cha Eui-jae wanted to live quietly.

So he didn't want to hear Lee Sa-young's intimate story behind his back. Unless he told it himself.

"I don't think I deserve to hear this just because I'm Lee Sa-young's associate."

When Cha Eui-jae showed his discomfort, Nam Woo-jin looked rather pleased.

"That's the expected reaction. It would have been more troubling if you didn't react like this."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, think of it as a kind of shackle."

"What does that mean…"

Before he could question further, he felt a small presence behind him. Turning his eyes in that direction, he saw a boy standing at the edge of the garden. He could tell instantly.

That was… not a human. The boy's clear, glass-like eyes reflected Cha Eui-jae. The boy bowed his head in greeting.

"The patient's treatment is complete. I came to inform you, master, and guest."

"Then shall we end the walk? Let me guide you to your companion."

Before he knew it, the garden was gone, and the surroundings had returned to the library filled with books. Nam Woo-jin gestured for him to follow and walked ahead.

One day, when the end comes, the library he had carefully arranged would also collapse and decay. Did he know that?

Then, cutting through Cha Eui-jae's thoughts, Nam Woo-jin asked a question.

"By the way, do you know Hong Ye-seong?"

"Yes, I do."

Not just know; he had sworn to smack that damn guy's head. Cha Eui-jae had never forgotten his grudge against him, the Inheart magic stone parrot. When they reached the central hall, Nam Woo-jin turned around, took out two stiff tickets from his coat pocket, and handed them over. The black tickets, like exhibition admission tickets, had white brushstrokes written in both Hangul and Chinese characters.

[Yìxīng Artisan Exhibition]

"…Artisan Exhibition?"

"They call the auction for Hong Ye-seong's equipment the Artisan Exhibition. It will be held in a few days in Songdo, and only those with tickets can enter."

Nam Woo-jin kindly explained to Cha Eui-jae, who had received the tickets absentmindedly.

If it was an auction for Hong Ye-seong's equipment, there would be plenty of S-grade equipment. Hunters who were greedy for equipment would desperately want to participate. The tickets must be extremely expensive.

Of course, Cha Eui-jae only had a craving for kitchen utensils, so it felt like he was handed a rock.

"Why are you giving this to me…?"

"A reward for risking your life to save PRO-009."

Nam Woo-jin smiled brightly. Cha Eui-jae's head was filled with chaotic thoughts.

'I can't handle this. This piece of paper is bound to be the root of all evil in the future.'

What should he say about where he got this? Saying it was from Nam Woo-jin would be suspicious, and saying he found it on the street would be even more so. Posting it on Tomato Market would definitely cause a bigger aftermath than the magic stone incident. Fortunately, Cha Eui-jae was starting to anticipate the upcoming events.

"No, I'm a D-grade, so I don't need this. And I don't have money, so how can I…"

"Then sell it to other hunters. They must be going crazy trying to get this."

No, I don't want to throw bait to those crazy hunters. If it was found out that he was the seller of this ticket, the hangover soup restaurant might explode that day.

But in the end, the Artisan Exhibition ticket ended up in Cha Eui-jae's hand. Cha Eui-jae felt like crying a little.

On the way back, the Seowon Guild had prepared a vehicle. Grandmother and Park Ha-eun sat side by side, and Cha Eui-jae and Lee Sa-young sat together behind them. Park Ha-eun, still energetic, started chatting.

"Uncle, it was really fun there. There were so many books, and the people passing by were kind. There were tons of comic books. Some boy even did coloring with me."

"Really?"

"Yeah! And…"

Park Ha-eun squirmed and turned around, spreading her hand and making a V with the other hand over her palm.

He was familiar with that gesture. It was something that the gas mask guy did at the end of the weekend entertainment programs and dramas that Cha Eui-jae watched! Whether she knew his expression had turned sour, Park Ha-eun continued excitedly.

"The brother next to you did this for me."

"Huh?"

"He did it for me more than twenty times!"

Cha Eui-jae stares wide-eyed at Lee Sa-young. Lee Sa-young, who had been looking out the window with his arms crossed, turned his head to Cha Eui-jae. Their eyes met.

"You…"

Did you really… do that in real-time? And more than twenty times? Cha Eui-jae was at a loss for words. Lee Sa-young, who had been watching him, let out a short laugh. It was clearly a mocking laugh.

"Why? Are you so grateful you're losing your mind?"

"…"

"I didn't know I had a talent for taking care of kids. Thanks to someone, I found out."

"…"

Bastard… You really did that ridiculous thing for her?

Park Ha-eun must have been seeing things. Cha Eui-jae poked Lee Sa-young's side with his finger hard. The solid body next to him flinched.

***

"Huff… puff…"

At the base of Jirisan, a young man dressed in colorful hiking gear, a hiking hat, and sunglasses staggered down. He was panting so much that people climbing the mountain glanced at him. Moreover, the men in suits chasing after him made it even more noticeable.

Jung Young-sook, the secretary of the Hanmaum Mountaineering Club, clicked her tongue as she watched the young man being chased down the mountain.

"Oh my… shouldn't we report that young man?"

"Seriously. What are those agent-looking guys doing on the mountain?"

"Let's leave it. Maybe they're shooting a movie."

"Oh my, am I going to be in a movie?"

As the gossip of the mountaineering club members faded away, the young man's feet finally touched flat ground. He collapsed with a loud thud and raised his arms in victory.

"Damn it! Finally! Finally, I'm free!"

A gust of wind blew off his hat, revealing the young man's face. Tears filled his clear eyes. The man in a suit behind him took out a walkie-talkie and reported.

"Yes, Team Leader. Hong Ye-seong-ssi has just finished descending. We'll move to Songdo immediately."

"Uwaaah!"

"No, it's not the sound of a deer. It's Hong Ye-seong-ssi's cry of joy. Yes, yes. Understood."

The young man, overjoyed to be standing on flat ground, was Hong Ye-seong. The only existing S-grade artisan. He had just finished a long period of confinement at Banya Peak in Jirisan and returned to civilization.

"Yahooo!"

To participate in the auction to be held in Songdo!

And now— it was one week until the Artisan Exhibition.