Hannam-dong officetel.
Fresh out of the shower, Seyeon stretched with a sigh.
Why do these damn Transfers keep showing up back-to-back?
She clicked her tongue as she popped open a beer.
Every time she tried to get anything done, a Transfer would appear.
Normally she would have split the assignment with other freelance hunters, but this section was the 50th-floor range—deadly with poison even without monsters.
Without her divine protection, no one in the area could enter without proper gear. She had no choice.
Seyeon sprawled across the sofa and opened Instagran.
This—drinking beer while mindlessly scrolling—was her idea of bliss.
Xiaoqian spotted at Incheon Airport!
Xiaoqian? That crazy old man is here again?
It might sound rude, but what could she do? It was the truth.
Seyeon had met Xiaoqian before.
He had challenged her to a fight out of nowhere just because she "looked strong."
Back then, they were on similar cleared floors, so she barely managed to keep up.
He'd beat me to death now.
While Seyeon was still struggling around the 80th-floor range, Xiaoqian had climbed past the 100s.
Even then, he'd been terrifyingly strong.
Now? He was probably on an entirely different level.
He's probably the strongest among the old-timers in the world.
Shrugging, she kept scrolling.
Xiaoqian kidnapped someone at Incheon Airport? What kind of clickbait is this?
Xiaoqian might act wild, but he had his limits.
He wasn't the type to cross certain lines.
Not kidnapping—apparently the guy followed him on his own?
"Of course. Some clueless idiot probably—pfft!!"
Seyeon spat out her beer.
Drops dripped from her mouth, soaking her freshly worn pajamas—but she didn't care.
W–what.
A picture had been posted in the comments.
A man following Xiaoqian obediently, surrounded by menacing men in suits.
Blurry, but unmistakable.
Why is he there?
She shoved her phone closer to her face.
She tried denying it—tilting her head, squinting, checking it again and again—but there was no mistake.
It was Yoo Jin-hyuk.
Why is he at the airport? Why is he following that old man?!
Seyeon shot to her feet, searching her contacts for Jin Yunho.
She was about to hit call when—
Jin Yunho.
Her phone rang first.
"H—hello—"
Jinhyuk has been kidnapped!!!
Yunho shrieked—almost a scream.
It was a first.
She had never heard him this frantic.
"What happened!?"
I don't know. I'm heading to Incheon Airport now.
"Can't you stop the flight?"
I already asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They refused. They said no one can touch Xiaoqian's private jet. They won't tell me why, but he must have come in on diplomatic status.
"Dammit. I'm going too."
If we reveal Jinhyuk is a Runner, maybe even the president would intervene… but that felt too reckless, so I held back.
"You did the right thing. And you saw the photo, right? He followed Xiaoqian willingly."
A heavy sigh came from the other end.
Yunho's head was full of all kinds of thoughts.
It wasn't that he doubted Jinhyuk.
But the timing—everything—lined up too perfectly.
Every sign pointed toward defection.
"I'll see you at the airport! I'm hanging up!"
There was no time to wait for the elevator.
Seyeon leapt straight out onto the balcony.
A divine light wrapped around her body.
Meanwhile at Incheon Airport—
Jinhyuk let out a quiet oooh as he walked through the VIP-only passage.
A private area where he wouldn't encounter any other passengers.
The décor and furnishings were top of the line.
He tried not to look too impressed, but it wasn't easy.
I'll get my phone back eventually, right?
They had taken his phone before entering the VIP area.
Xiaoqian had handed his over without hesitation, so Jinhyuk didn't complain either.
So there's a private lounge too.
The smell of delicious food drifted from the spacious buffet.
No one else was using it.
Xiaoqian was the only one with access today anyway.
"Hold your hunger for a bit. The plane has better food."
At the end of the VIP passage stood several waiting attendants who bowed deeply.
"Wait here. I'll finish this conversation."
Xiaoqian walked off.
While he paused for a moment, his secretary, Jingyan, approached Jinhyuk.
"Don't get on."
Quiet words—spoken in Korean, not Chinese.
Jinhyuk looked at her.
"You still have time. You're on Korean soil. If you leave before Xiaoqian comes back, the guards won't be able to stop you harshly. But if you board that plane…"
She stared at him.
"You'll regret it. And you won't be able to undo it."
They had just met today.
She had no obligation to risk anything to warn him.
But she felt pity.
He had no idea he was about to lose his freedom—following along so innocently.
He wants to follow?
No one had ever refused Xiaoqian's invitation.
Anyone who caught his eye invariably became a powerful or famous figure.
But they all realized too late—
Power and fame came at the cost of freedom.
You became a puppet who could never go against Xiaoqian's will.
"I appreciate it. But I'll be fine."
Jingyan's eyes trembled.
"You won't be. That's why—"
"I'll be fine."
She couldn't say more.
Xiaoqian was walking back.
Jinhyuk gave her a tiny nod before casually looking away.
"Let's board."
Jingyan's lips parted in disbelief.
Most people would hesitate after such a warning.
But Jinhyuk didn't hesitate at all.
He stepped onto the private jet like someone heading out on a picnic.
Jingyan shook her head sorrowfully.
It was too late now.
The jet took off from Incheon and reached cruising altitude.
Was this modified from a military plane?
It wasn't the flashy type of jet he'd seen on TV.
Huge, rugged—like something the airborne forces would use.
He was looking around when Xiaoqian suddenly leaned forward.
Maybe they were serving in-flight meals?
"You're a Runner, aren't you?"
Good thing he wasn't drinking anything.
If he had been, he would've sprayed it all over the old man's face.
Xiaoqian didn't wait for a reply.
"You have to be. With that level of strength, the only people in Korea who aren't publicly known are Runners."
"Even if I say no, you won't believe me. But how do you know how strong I am?"
Xiaoqian tapped his own eyes.
"These aren't ordinary eyes. I can see what others can't."
"Like ghosts or spirits?"
"No. Things like energy or battle potential. So, Runner or not?"
"I'm not."
"You lie well. Not even your eyes waver. Fine, whatever."
He held out his hand, and Jingyan passed him a document.
"Sign it. I'll make you one of the strongest in the world."
"I'm not naturalizing."
"Just read it. It's not naturalization—it's about joining my faction."
"That's the same thing to me."
Xiaoqian let out a dry laugh.
"Courage—I'll give you that. No one has ever stood in front of me without shrinking like you have. But there are limits. Cross them and I can't overlook it."
His expression hardened as he glanced around the plane.
"You're alone here. No one can help you. Now do you understand your situation?"
"Can I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"This plane is going to Lijiang, right? I boarded because I heard we could get there quickly without transfers."
"I heard Koreans were suspicious. Doesn't seem to apply to you."
A crooked smile spread across Xiaoqian's lips.
"Why would it go to Lijiang? We're headed to Shanghai."
"I see."
Jinhyuk nodded calmly.
Xiaoqian frowned.
Why is this brat so calm?
Not just calm—utterly indifferent, like it wasn't even his problem.
Jinhyuk sighed.
If we were stopping in Shanghai, I would've just taken business class earlier.
At least that came with food. And it was faster.
This jet? No meal. Longer route.
Unacceptable.
He reached into his bag.
A moment later, he pulled out a round tin wrapped heavily in packing tape.
Before anyone could react, he stuck it to the ceiling.
Then he pulled out Hermes' Shoes from his inventory and slipped them on.
Everyone stared at him with question marks on their faces.
What on earth was he doing?
"How long do you intend to show me that nonsense?"
"All done."
He dusted off his hands and smiled.
"That's a bomb."
"…What?"
"I'm confident I won't die even if it goes off."
No bluff.
It'd be cold, sure, but if he wrapped himself in Darc's Thousand-Year Ice before the blast, he wouldn't even get a scratch.
Falling from the sky? Hermes' Shoes would cancel the weight.
"Turn the plane around. To Lijiang."
"You're pushing this too far. Do you know who I am?"
"I do. But being a Ranker doesn't mean you can stop a bomb from exploding. Well… you'd survive even if the plane went down, I guess."
There was a limit to how cute arrogance could be before it stopped being tolerable.
Xiaoqian's face twisted with fury.
He opened his mouth to snap back—
"You don't believe me, right? That it's a bomb."
Jinhyuk pulled out another tin.
"This one goes off in one minute. Check it inside the Tower."
Xiaoqian's jaw clenched.
He snatched the tin and disappeared into the Tower.
Jingyan stared at Jinhyuk, pale.
The bomb itself didn't scare her.
What terrified her was how furious Xiaoqian would be after this.
Before long, Xiaoqian reappeared—
"You insane bastard! You brought that onto my plane?! Do you have a death wish?!"
He grabbed Jinhyuk by the collar, enraged.
Understandable.
The tin had detonated inside the Tower moments ago.
The blast was monstrous—easily powerful enough to erase this jet from existence.
"Since you grabbed my collar, Lijiang won't cut it anymore. Let's go to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain."
"I should kill you right—"
"You told me earlier to understand my situation, right? I'm giving that back to you. If you kill me, it blows. If time runs out, it blows. So—"
Jinhyuk casually drew a circle with his finger.
"Turn the plane toward Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Oh, and bring me my phone. I need to check the route. Otherwise…"
A smile spread across his lips.
"I'll blow it up."
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T/N:
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