A Stigma Beyond the Norm (1)

I emphasized it again and again.

That I was secretly breaking gates in their place, and that only a tiny handful of Cheonghwa Guild members should know.

So, at first glance, it made sense that Hyeonseo, Cheonghwa's next strongest fighter, had come in person.

…But her outfit made no sense.

'What the hell is that?'

A refined-looking face.

A light touch of makeup.

And finally, breasts that asserted themselves through her clothes.

If Geombakyi, whom I'd met on the fourth floor, turned into a woman, she'd look exactly like that.

'Could she be Hyeonseo's younger sister?'

Had Hyeonseo sent her younger sister in her place?

I even had that perfectly reasonable suspicion, but

-Ding.

[The trait 'Dragon Eyes' has….]

[Lee Hyeonseo]

Level: 801

"……."

Yes, apparently it really was her.

The same person who had wolfed down kimchi jjim in a place that reeked of shit, without an ounce of fat on her chest.

'He's a guy… Wait, is he really a guy?'

I may not be the most perceptive person, but I wasn't so bad at distinguishing men from women that I couldn't tell at all.

Why had she suddenly come out with a woman's body?

Had she gotten breast surgery in the meantime?

She'd been evasive when the subject of the military came up. Had she gone to Thailand and had them removed in the meantime?

'…No way?'

While all sorts of random thoughts ran through my mind.

A certain possibility crossed my mind.

I immediately examined Hyeonseo with Dragon Eyes.

[Lee Hyeonseo]

Status: Assimilation with Baek Rihyang (in progress)

"……."

So it really was because of Baek Rihyang.

I guess possessing her was making her body start to resemble hers, too.

'If I'd used it, that would've been a disaster… No, if that had happened, Baek Rihyang wouldn't have stayed quiet about it, would she?'

That left only one question.

Why hadn't Hyeonseo and Baek Rihyang told me about this?

Yesterday, I would've accepted the five-word explanation, 'because she's a hostage.'

But now that I'd run into Hyeonseo again.

I saw things a little differently.

'Did I misunderstand?'

…Honestly, it would've been hard to see her as a woman in the safe zone.

She looked like Geombakyi, and she was flat-chested.

To begin with, she reeked of shit instead of perfume.

But seeing her again, she looked like a fairy descended from heaven.

She was still androgynous.

But now she looked like an androgynous 'woman.'

As for confirming it…

Well, was there anything more to think about?

I could just ask her directly.

-Suddenly.

"It's been a while, Lady Hyeonseo."

I spoke in a nasal voice.

I got an answer only after siphoning a little magic power from the Necklace of Seclusion.

"Lady Hyeonseo~."

"Huh? S-Surely… Gulp!"

Apparently my voice had finally reached her ears. Hyeonseo clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise.

Then Hyeonseo, who might actually have been a woman, hurriedly looked around.

As if checking whether anyone nearby was watching.

-Whisper whisper.

"Let's go somewhere else first. I'll show you the way."

Hyeonseo eventually got up from the bench and started walking.

To avoid arousing suspicion while speaking with me, she even held up her phone and pretended to be on a call.

Thanks to that, I could talk to her comfortably, too.

"This may be a strange thing to say right after meeting you, but… were you a woman?"

"…Yes."

"Ah."

I'd been half-convinced until the very end.

So it really had been my mistake.

"My eyes must have been faulty. I'm sorry. I was a little exhausted from clearing the gate."

I offered a quick apology for now.

It must have been ridiculous to hear a man call her 'another man,' but that was all it was.

I hadn't exactly caused her any harm, so I figured she'd forgive me soon enough.

And in fact, Hyeonseo didn't blame me.

"No… Well, I mean… it was a situation where you wouldn't have seen me as a woman…."

"……."

Still, she seemed to be taking it very seriously.

Well, even I, as a man, would've found that embarrassing.

So how much worse must it have been for a woman?

'I shouldn't bring this up again.'

"How is Baek Rihyang's spirit? It seems to be assimilating with your body. If you don't like it, I'll look for a way to fix it, too."

I changed the subject immediately.

I could even provide after-sales service for the hidden piece I'd created.

It was a condition I'd set because I felt a little guilty.

"It's fine… It's still better than having a body that absolutely doesn't look like a woman's…."

"Ah."

Why did she keep charging straight into minefields?

Please, don't do this.

"……."

"……."

An awkward atmosphere settled over us.

Hyeonseo walked with her head bowed deeply.

I accompanied her in silence, keeping my mouth shut.

Aside from the occasional time Hyeonseo asked whether I was still following, silence reigned the whole way.

That silence was broken after we reached the area near the gate.

"You've arrived, Miss."

"…Oh."

'Hwang Hee-chan is here, too?'

Hwang Hee-chan had been perched on the barricade around the gate.

His eyes turned toward Hyeonseo.

Then he ground out the cigarette he had been smoking in a portable ashtray.

The face of the Awakened who dominated Korea was marked by unmistakable bewilderment.

"I didn't expect you to arrive with so little presence."

"……."

He was acting that way because of me, obviously.

Hyeonseo had agreed to bring me, but he couldn't sense my presence at all.

'Still, what can I do? Sorry about that.'

I didn't drop my invisibility.

No, I kept my mouth shut entirely.

I'd already met him when selling artifacts, so I had no intention of letting him hear even my voice, let alone see my face.

-Rustle.

'But I did come prepared.'

I took a sticky note from my inventory.

It said, 'What about the item?'

I'd written it with my left hand, so the letters were crooked.

Then, whoosh—

I threw it toward Hwang Hee-chan.

-Catch.

"…Hm?"

Nice catch.

As expected of Korea's number-one Awakened.

He'd been surpassed by Hyeonseo by now, and even Hyeonseo was dismissed as 'nothing compared to Cheol Kangmin,' but still.

Thanks to that, communication was more or less established.

"Let's go in first. I've finished setting up the relay equipment, so you won't be inconvenienced even if you stay for several days."

Hwang Hee-chan picked up the large suitcase from the ground.

He headed toward the gate portal.

"The item is in there. I'll show you once we go ins—"

-Ding.

[Gate Portal]

Size: Large

Type: Normal

Average Monster Level: 567

Boss Level: 643

Time Until Break: 6 days 14 hours

'Large. Perfect.'

As Hyeonseo muttered under her breath.

I followed behind, whistling inwardly.

Seen from this point alone, it was practically a scene from a noir film.

But what was the reality?

That became clear the moment we crossed the gate.

-Whoosh!

"It is an honor to meet you, Sir Cheol Kangmin!"

Bow.

The instant he traveled through the portal with Hyeonseo, Hee-chan bent at the waist toward me.

Korea's number-one Awakened and a living legend bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

The name Cheol Kangmin carried enough weight to bend even his ramrod-straight back.

Then, snap—!!

Hee-chan dropped to one knee, opened the suitcase he was carrying, and presented its contents.

"As requested, I prepared all 92 Teenieping cards, each in the limited-edition platinum version."

"……."

Still, was it really appropriate to use Hwang Hee-chan for a children's animation card errand?

Though since I'd demanded absolute secrecy, it did make sense for Hwang Hee-chan, a guild executive, to come himself.

Seeing a battle-hardened veteran act so seriously was, well… As someone from the Land of Morning Calm, it felt a little wrong somehow.

'Of course, I'll take them.'

I quickly approached with my Footwork.

Then I reached toward the suitcase.

I picked up the card binder and put it in my inventory.

-Swish.

[Could I get your autograph, too?]

While I was at it, I held out another sticky note.

Serin liked Awakened people, so I planned to get his handwritten autograph as well.

But Hwang Hee-chan's reaction to that was…

"An autograph…? For Sir Cheol Kangmin? From someone like me?"

"……."

I know. I know that, too.

Cheol Kangmin was the unofficial strongest person in the world.

If someone like that asked for his autograph, of course it would be absurd.

-Swish.

[Please.]

I handed him another sticky note.

The moment he saw it, Hwang Hee-chan's ramrod-straight back bent like a reed.

"I don't have anything suitable for an autograph right now, so I'll bring something prepared next time."

"Is there anything else you need? If it's something I can obtain, I'll get you anything."

Hyeonseo joined in, too.

The legend and successor of Korea's strongest guild were both frantic to give me gifts.

Seeing that, I thought, Ah. So this is power.

That thought…

'doesn't move me at all.'

Ugh, this was too much pressure.

With someone I'd seen in textbooks and a chaebol heir acting like this, I felt honored somehow, but also like I really shouldn't be letting it happen.

'If my identity gets out, I'll receive this treatment every day, won't I?'

I definitely couldn't let anyone find out that Cheol Kangmin was Ryu Hwi-min.

I firmly resolved that inwardly.

-Scratch scratch.

[Then wait at the entrance. I'll finish things up and be back soon.]

After handing over one last sticky note.

Step.

I set off with Dohwa in my arms.

I felt bad keeping either of them waiting for long, so I planned to clear the gate and return as quickly as possible.

'I have to finish within ten minutes….'

* * *

But, a little while later.

"My god. Now that I have even removed this cumbersome breast covering, I shall serve you at full strength."

"……."

Baek Rihyang, what do you think you're doing?

She suddenly possessed Hyeonseo, threw a fit about wanting to come along so she could attend to me, and now she was even taking off the poor girl's underwear.

"I can deal with the riffraff myself… Hm? What do you mean, what am I doing?"

Naturally, the body's original owner was Hyeonseo.

She must have been protesting furiously, but

"Foolish girl. Is this not an opportunity one could not learn even after paying a fortune? Is a mere breast covering truly so important?"

Baek Rihyang brushed her off.

I silently turned my head away, too.

'If she'd simply taken it off, I'd have told her to put it back on, but who cuts the straps because they're uncomfortable….?'

I would have to educate her a little later.

I had to tell her not to do anything Hyeonseo disliked unless it was on my orders.

"…Sigh."

'I guess this is the only way.'

For now, I cut off all the magic power flowing into the sword.

Then, swish—

The Moonlight Sword's invisibility faded, revealing its sharp blade.

"To think the day would come when I could see the divine sword again… What an honor…."

Baek Rihyang swallowed hungrily when she saw it, but…

Much to her regret.

I had no intention of granting her wish today.

"Usurpation."

Whoosh—!!!

The sigil on my forearm shone brilliantly.