CHAPTER 236: THE KEY

[A few minutes earlier...]

"WRAP YOUR arms around me, Yool-ah."

Argh.

Yool knew that he had to be physically close to Graham in order for them to teleport. However, he still felt awkward being that close to him.

They weren’t alone in the room, after all.

Jang Semi, Hwang Minho, and Hwang Minsu were there.

Fortunately, it seemed like the three didn’t care about them.

"Do I need to hug you?" Yool asked awkwardly. "Can’t we just hold hands or something?"

Graham smiled and tilted his head to one side. "Do you want me to give you a princess carry?"

That would be worse.

Hence, Yool immediately wrapped his arms around Graham’s waist. "Is this right?"

"Yep," Graham said cheerfully while wrapping his arms around Yool’s shoulders. "Semi Noona, Minsu Noona, Minho Hyung, please go ahead."

"Alright. I’ll bring the Hwangs with me," Jang Semi said. "Just come out three minutes before midnight. We’ll clear the way for you."

"Got it, Noona."

Just like that, Jang Semi and the Hwang Siblings disappeared.

Yool checked the time on the wall clock.

There were only fifteen minutes left before midnight.

"You said Song Moonho and his people might be waiting to ambush us at the Namsan Tower, right?" Yool asked worriedly. "Do you think Jang Semi-ssi and the Hwang can really make way for us? It’s not that I don’t trust them. I just don’t want to underestimate Song Moonho."

After all, Graham wasn’t even able to land a decent attack on Song Moonho during their fight earlier.

[But Graham might get offended if I say that, so let’s just keep our mouth shut.]

"I won’t let Song Moonho make me wipe the floor again," Graham promised in a determined voice. "This time, I’ll fight him to death."

"Don’t be too reckless."

"It hurts my feelings that you’re taking the old bastard’s side, Yool-ah."

"It’s not like I’m taking his side because I believe in him or something. I just honestly think that he hasn’t betrayed us yet."

"Are you going to wait until he betrays us before you see him as an enemy?"

"No? I just have a feeling that Song Moonho hasn’t lost his mind yet," Yool said, a bit defensive. "I mean, he’s too arrogant to join hands with the enemies."

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that?" Graham asked, obviously sulking. "Song Moonho protected his scumbag of a younger brother for years."

Oh, right.

Yool couldn’t refute that.

"Let’s just stop talking about Song Moonho," Graham said, still sulking. "I’m getting jealous."

"Why would you get jealous of Ahjussi? I don’t like either of you romantically."

"Liar."

"Come on. Are you saying you know my feelings more than I do?"

"Only when it comes to the old man," Graham said bitterly. "Yool-ah, you like Song Moonho."

Yool was slightly offended.

[I like Ahjussi... romantically?]

***

[OF COURSE, they’re here.]

Semi already expected to see Zaizai and Dawn there— two of the most powerful members of the Autumn Guild— waiting for them in front of the Namsan Tower.

Even so, it was still annoying.

Zaizai, the tank, was currently having a one-on-one fight with Hwang Minho.

It was so intense that the square-headed villains couldn’t come near the two.

Zaizai, who wielded a huge sledgehammer, kept swinging her weapon at Hwang Minho who was using huge and thick vines to block Zaizai’s attack.

It was dangerous to come near the two since both of their attacks were destructive.

The concrete and everything Zaizai’s sledgehammer hit would instantly break. On the other hand, Hwang Minho’s gigantic vines were also destroying the concretes where they emerged from.

Hence, debris was flying around.

And because of the Mana that the two powerful Hunters were using, even a piece of stone flying left and right would instantly kill a Civilian. Even a low-ranking Hunter, probably.

"That girl is really Song Moonho’s protégé."

Semi heard Hwang Minsu curse under her breath.

The only girl among the Hwang Triplets was known for using her crystal-like barriers as an attack instead of a defense.

[Like how she’s using it now.]

Dawn, Song Moonho’s protégé, was also a Necromancer.

But unlike Song Moonho who only used undead monsters, Dawn actually used monster skeletons only. Even so, the monster skeletons still had the power they possessed when they were still alive.

That was why Hwang Minsu was having a hard time.

Hwang Minsu was creating crystal cubes to trap the skeleton monsters. And then she would clench her hands— crushing the trapped skeletons monsters inside.

However, it seemed like Dawn had an unlimited source of skeleton monsters.

[They keep coming out.]

While Hwang Minho and Hwang Minsu were fighting Zaizai and Dawn respectively, Semi wasn’t just standing there while guarding the entrance to the Namsan Tower.

She was actually poisoning the square-headed villains that surrounded them.

Since everyone was busy protecting themselves while the powerful Hunters were fighting, Semi secretly threw a few pills in the sky that caused black clouds to hover above them.

Those black clouds would poison the unsuspecting square-headed villains once it "rained." Of course, it was a trick that wouldn’t work on powerful Hunters. But it was enough to get rid of the small fries.

[HUNTER JANG SEMI!]

Oh.

Semi was a bit surprised when her Status Window suddenly popped up in front of her.

[Hunter Han Graham and Civilian Gong Yool will be here in three, two, one...]

Semi actually didn’t get to countdown with the System because, out of thin air, a portal appeared and spat out the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

[Song Moonho!]

***

YOOL was surprised when he found himself in front of the Namsan Tower in just the blink of an eye.

The scene that greeted him was a bit chaotic because powerful Hunters were fighting.

However, nothing shocked him more than seeing Song Moonho come out of the portal that appeared out of nowhere.

[It’s as if Ahjussi knows when we would appear exactly.]

Yool’s thoughts were interrupted when he met Song Moonho’s gaze as he landed on the ground elegantly.

"Hi, baby."

Eww.

Yool frowned.

As expected, that ahjussi would ambush their group once he arrived at the Namsan Tower.

[Is Ahjussi really gonna betray Wony and the Big 4?]

"Yool-ah, hide behind me," Graham whispered. "Run to the entrance as soon as I attack the old bastard..."

Hmm?

Graham’s voice suddenly faded away.

When Yool turned to Graham, he was shocked to see Song Moonho standing where Graham was supposed to be.

And Graham was suddenly sent to where Song Moonho was standing a moment ago.

"You switched places?" Yool asked in disbelief. "When did you get that kind of ability, Ahjussi?"

"That’s a trade secret, Yool-ah," Song Moonho said, smiling. And then he grabbed Yool by the waist. "Now, let’s go to the other world together."

Wait, what?!

The next thing Yool knew, he was already being sucked in by the entrance of the Namsan Tower with Song Moonho.

What kind of plot twist was this?

[I thought only I could cross to the other world?!]

***

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