Necromancer Survival - Chapter 229

Chapter 229

     Flustered, I blinked at Choi Kyung-sik, sitting across from me. Honestly, Choi Kyung-sik-ssi. Didn’t you say that Han Kiseok’s girlfriend worked for Geum Miyoung’s company…?!

     However, Choi Kyung-sik tilted his head and muttered, as if he were commenting on someone else’s melodrama. “Then, are they just close friends? If you look at Lee Soo-yeon’s account, her most recent photo showcases them eating and hanging out… They looked so sweet together.”

     ‘Why did you tell me this faulty data as if you were delivering certain information…?!’

     I made a face at Choi Kyung-sik, asking what should be done with my eyes; Choi Kyung-sik turned his head away and avoided my gaze. In the meantime, Han Kiseok would not let this situation go and began to question me, “Why would you think I had a girlfriend?”

     “That’s… So… On your social media account…”

     “My account?”

     “Um… Lee Soo-yeon-ssi, right? You ate dinner with her… Anyway, you two looked so sweet together.” I simply parroted what Choi Kyung-sik had said. I felt like I was portraying myself as a gloomy guy who had nothing better to do than to spy on Han Kiseok’s social media all day. I’d already graduated from that kind of behavior…

     Fortunately, Han Kiseok didn’t seem to think much of my admission; he smiled softly and waved his hand. “Ah, Soo-yeon-ssi? She has a different boyfriend. She was a hoobae 1 in my guild; we eat together occasionally.”

     ​​”R-Really?”

     “Yeah… I didn’t expect you to care about that.” With that said, Han Kiseok looked strangely happy.

     At that moment, Seo Dawon, behind me, suddenly pressed on my shoulders with both hands. “….!”

     “What’s wrong?”

     Startled, goosebumps raised all over my skin; Han Kiseok noticed my reaction and gave me a curious glance.

     “Ask him why he wanted to meet you, Lee-kyung-ah,” the Mage murmured.

     The mage hadn’t touched my finger–our preordained signal–yet, so I tried to stay calm and do as Seo Dawon asked. “Ah, it’s nothing. But… Excuse me.”

     ​​”Yeah?”

     “I was wondering why…you wanted to meet today…”

     “Uh…” Han Kiseok looked into my face for a moment before soon adopting a comfortable smile. “No particular reason… I just kept on wondering how you were doing–we lost contact after graduation.”

     “R-Really? I never really heard from you…”

     “I did try to contact you.”

     “Me?”

     “Yeah. You don’t remember…? I simply thought you changed your number.”

     Jung Garam, who had been listening to Han Kiseok speak in silence, whispered, “Choi Lee-kyung, what’s this? What kind of relationship did you two have?”

     ‘Honestly, I have no recollection of any of this…!’

     Of course, I felt wronged. I definitely would have remembered if Han Kiseok had tried to contact me before…

     Then, I suddenly remembered that, right after becoming a User, I had to register my belongings before entering the Hub. I had left my cell phone with the Hub’s administrative folk.

     Usually, those that had just become Users must undergo many procedures to legally obtain their ‘User’ status, including detailed physical examinations, criminal history background checks, and tax payment inquiries. In particular, communication devices, such as mobile cell phones, needed to be processed so that they may be used inside the Hub. This process was quite complicated and took a long time.

      ‘Did he call me during that period…?’

     Even so, it’d been quite a while since our high school graduation–I didn’t wholly believe that Han Kiseok tried at all. It was just…It was clear that he was simply bored and curious today.

     ‘In the past, I was Han Kiseok’s way of killing time…’

     I hummed evasively; Han Kiseok must also not have wanted to stay on this subject. He quickly changed the topic. “By the way, are you looking into some guilds?”

     “Huh?”

     “You can keep running dungeons…with Kim Sangyoon, but it’s more convenient for Users to be in guilds.”

     It was beyond convenience–nowadays, guild membership was almost essential.

     When one entered a guild, one could use the ‘guild dungeon,’ and gain access to raid information that fit the guild members’ levels. Therefore, the growth rate between guild members and those excluded could be akin to the distance between heaven and earth.

     In addition, if one went further than the small and mid-sized realm of organizations, guilds usually signed contracts with workshops to order potions in large quantities to provide guild members with potions that are much cheaper and of higher quality than the products on the market…

     Furthermore, when inter-User disputes arose, it was advantageous to belong to a large guild. The power of ‘named’ guilds couldn’t be ignored, and large guilds usually had dedicated law firms. The members received support from competent and talented lawyers to mediate cases of injury, distribution of rewards, or property disputes.

      So, if a lone User had a dispute with a User affiliated with a large guild… Of course, the guild member would find himself in a privileged position.

     I already knew what Han Kiseok was trying to imply–I too had seen and heard many things during the past year. In fact, after I became a User, I wanted to join a guild as well and went to many interviews. However, 80% of the time, I had been immediately turned away after my class was revealed; the rest of the time I had been rejected because my level and potential was far too low.

      I tasted bitterness in my mouth as those memories welled up from within the depths of my consciousness. Still, Han Kiseok didn’t seem to be mocking me with his question; I answered him with a bitter smile, “I have been looking around…”

     “Are you preparing for a guild interview?”

     “Not particularly, but…”

     “Then, what about my guild?” Words I could never expect tumbled out of Han Kiseok’s mouth.

     I looked at him, surprised. “What? A-Are you serious?”

     “Yeah. [Trap] accepts applicants without interviews if recommended by an executive.”

     I was speechless for a while, too startled by what had just happened. Han Kiseok had said he’d grant me entry into a guild within the top 10 rankings–[Trap]. I couldn’t even believe that he was an executive in that guild as well. “…You’re kidding, right?”

     “I mean it.”

     “But… No… You’re serious? You want me in your guild? And you’re a guild exec?”

     “Yeah.”

     I looked blankly at him; Han Kiseok smiled and placed the Americano to his lips. A question tumbled out of my mouth, almost against my will, “You… What’s your class? How are you already an executive?”

      Is Han Kiseok also a Priest…?

      Han Kiseok seemed to chuckle a little when he heard my question; soon afterwards, he rubbed his eyebrows with his right hand. Then, suddenly, his right pupil turned from its original black to dozens of colors–like a sparkling prism. I flinched back, surprised.

     Han Kiseok looked at me as he gave his response. “I’m a Mage.”

     “I-I see.”

     “Have you ever seen a Mage before? When Mages use their skills, their eyes change color according to the spells’ properties.”

     “Ah… Really?”

     “Well…not everyone can do that, though.”

     I was acutely aware of Seo Dawon’s presence while listening to Han Kiseok’s words. I’d never seen the Mage’s eye color change whenever he used his skills, but that may be a side-effect of his undead servant status.

     ‘Then, back when he was alive, what color did Seo Dawon’s eyes change into?’

     Naturally, futile but insidiously curious thoughts wormed its way into my mind. Then, as if Seo Dawon had read my thoughts, the Mage responded quite smoothly to my unasked question. “The color effect changes depending on what skill tree the User chooses for their second class evolution.”

     “……”

     “I think Han Kiseok chose the ‘Rationality’ tree… Since I chose the ‘Retrogade’ tree, my eyes don’t change color. Instead, I can make my magic circles visible.”

     I almost nodded, to show I understood, but I barely managed to rein in that desire and keep my head rigid. However, Seo Dawon placed his lips to my ears and whispered in a low tone, “Did you imagine it?”

     “……”

     “You personally wanted to see the change in my iris color?”

     I clenched my fist; Han Kiseok stared at me curiously. I wanted to rub at my ticklish ears, but I endured.

     Before the Mage could further interfere, I quickly asked Han Kiseok something I should have voiced earlier. “But… Why do you want me in your guild?”

     “What do you mean, ‘Why’?”

     “So… You must know my level… Also, I’m a Necromancer… I don’t think I’d be of much use to the guild.”

     Han Kiseok stared at me, as if I said something unexpected. To be exact…his expression betrayed his inner thoughts… Something like…

‘You unexpectedly have a firm grasp on your situation?’

     Perhaps, that was what he was thinking.

     I felt resentful at Han Kiseok’s expression. It felt like, inwardly, he was fishing for my rejection even though his words stated otherwise.