“You look healthy. Had a good sleep?”

“If passing out counts as sleep, then yes.”

He’d expected to ask various questions when Jae-hee woke up, but the answer was more straightforward than anticipated. Sa-yoon looked curiously at the man who had awakened much faster than expected. He’d thought he’d be bedridden for at least half a day more. Even though it was a C-rank’s attack, he’d struck a vital point and inflicted a critical wound, so he’d expected him to be down for at least a day, but his vitality was monstrous. Well, summoners were generally known to have good vitality to compensate for their lower combat power. Especially since Jae-hee was an S-rank summoner, his recovery would naturally be better than most awakened ones.

Shik-shik!

Sa-yoon’s snake circled around Jae-hee, investigating the newcomer. It didn’t seem wary, rather interested. Just look at how it was wildly wagging its tail like a rattlesnake. They say all creatures love him, and it seemed even his snake was falling for him.

Are all summoners like this?

Though he knew summoners had strong animal affinity, seeing it firsthand made the scene before him somewhat unfamiliar. The snakes Sa-yoon raised were all blindly loyal to him and highly cautious, frequently attacking non-Night Rats guild members. Even guild members would sometimes get bitten if they weren’t executives, which said it all. Yet here it was wagging its tail at Jae-hee whom it met today.

The kids will go crazy if they find out.

The snake had unknowingly become Night Rats’s mascot and was deeply loved by the guild members. Sa-yoon chuckled softly, imagining guild members clutching the snakes and rubbing their cheeks against them, saying “How could you do this?” with betrayed faces.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you laugh so comfortably.”

Ah right, this guy was here.

He’d momentarily forgotten about Jae-hee while lost in thought. Sa-yoon pulled up a nearby chair and placed it in front of Jae-hee. The guy made a puzzled expression. Sa-yoon gestured toward the chair with his chin.

“Sit.”

The man blinked once at the sudden command before obediently getting up and moving to the chair. He’s only docile at times like this, but wouldn’t listen at all when using Heaven’s Secret Revelation. Thinking how nice it would have been if he’d listened this well when told to stop at the villa, Sa-yoon plopped down on the bed where Jae-hee had been.

A dry rather than awkward silence flowed through the room. Jae-hee’s eyes were fixed on Sa-yoon with the same direct gaze as always.

“…”

Sa-yoon opened and closed his mouth several times as if having something to say. His head throbbed. Equal, equal, equal. The word circling his mind was too difficult for Sa-yoon to grasp. Had he ever treated anyone as an equal before? Even if he had, it was only in his distant childhood. How could he treat someone as an equal now? To begin with, after what happened at the villa, was it even possible to speak of equality between him and Jae-hee?

Though he’d acted boldly in front of Jongsik, his mind was complicated when it came to actually dealing with Jae-hee. He needed sufficient time to think, but his plans were disrupted by the guy recovering faster than expected. It was quite a headache having to face someone with Heaven’s Eye without time to organize his thoughts.

What should he say…

“How are you feeling?”

“…?”

While pondering the topic, Jae-hee spoke first. Sa-yoon let out a hollow laugh at the unexpected question.

“You’re the one who was stabbed and just woke up.”

“I asked because I saw you bleeding yesterday. You seem fine now.”

Ah, The Eyes of Genius.

He had indeed bled more than usual yesterday. Nodding unconsciously as he’d probably shed more blood than when running around looking for trait holders, Sa-yoon chuckled when he remembered that the person asking about his wellbeing had been bleeding from every orifice. The situation was quite amusing – both covered in blood yet asking after each other. However, he had no intention of playing along with this unproductive and ridiculous conversation.

It wasn’t the situation for that, after all.

“Lee Jae-hee.”

When called, the man who had been petting the snake’s head nuzzling against him looked up. Sa-yoon briefly glared at the snake rubbing its head against his hand. The snake lowered its head and backed away under its master’s gaze. Ignoring it as it clung to his leg like seeking attention, Sa-yoon got to the point.

“What’s your goal?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking what your goal is in approaching me. Thinking about it, I don’t think I heard this at the villa. You wouldn’t have approached just out of curiosity. If that were the case, you should have caught me at your house in Pohang that day, not at the cafe. Since you would have known then too that Unknown and I were similar beings.”

Thinking about it, that part had been suspicious. If Jae-hee had simply approached to uncover Unknown’s identity and learn its connection to him, there had been plenty of opportunities to talk at Jae-hee’s house. Though they were fighting at the time, he could have at least used Unknown as bait to catch his interest like he did at the cafe.

But that day, Jae-hee had been preoccupied with blocking his attacks and silently let him leave. He hadn’t tried to stop him or even mentioned the word “Unknown.” So his actions now – stopping him and using Heaven’s Secret Revelation even at the cost of his lifespan – didn’t make sense.

Especially now of all times, when his rank had dropped to C.

When asked what his purpose surely must be, Jae-hee felt his neck with his pale hand. After clearing his throat several times with small coughs, the man gave a slightly sheepish smile.

“My throat is dry.”

Tch. Sa-yoon clicked his tongue and threw him water from the refrigerator. Acting like a complete master.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

Jae-hee caught the roughly thrown water bottle without difficulty and moistened his throat. Only after consuming half the bottle did he wipe his mouth and exhale. Hoo, a breath resembling a sigh settled in Sa-yoon’s room.

“My reason for approaching is the same as I mentioned before. I wanted to uncover truths that someone had covered up. It’s in my nature to have to do so.”

“You used a skill sacrificing your lifespan just for that weak reason?”

“I never said it uses lifespan.”

“…”

“It seems your skill can check even the detailed information of what’s written in status windows.”

Damn it.

He’d meant to dig for information but ended up providing it instead. This is why he had a loose mouth. After briefly showing his dismay before erasing it from his expression, Sa-yoon decided to brazenly push forward since he’d been caught anyway.

“Yeah. So stop with the excuses and tell me your purpose. Such a flimsy excuse isn’t enough reason for you to use a skill at the cost of your lifespan.”

“I suppose not.”

You’re laughing?

The atmosphere wasn’t comfortable even superficially. It was far from friendly and definitely not a situation to laugh about. Yet Jae-hee answered with a slight smile. As if making light banter.

He really is crazy.

If not for being a trait holder, Jae-hee would have been perfectly suited to be a Night Rats guild member with his level of insanity.

At this point, I must have some special pheromone that attracts lunatics. From the Night Rats guild members to Geon-joo, and now Jae-hee. As he harbored reasonable suspicions about why everyone he met was crazy, the man opened his mouth.

“While I am interested in you, Sa-yoon, fundamentally I seek to explore something higher.”

“…What do you mean?”

Maybe because he was crazy, he spoke in such difficult terms. Sa-yoon frowned and questioned the man who was acting like someone lost in their own fantasy world. Jae-hee put down the water bottle and stared at Sa-yoon. No, more precisely, it felt like he was looking at something beyond Sa-yoon’s eyes.

Feeling like he was being seen through, Sa-yoon unconsciously drew his weapon and took a defensive stance. His heightened nerves warned him to watch the opponent before him. Jae-hee’s persistent gaze was utterly chilling.

Different from containing killing intent. Just that eerie sensation that everything would be exposed when their eyes met was chilling.

“I’ll admit I approached after seeing your rank drop. I thought this was my chance since I couldn’t easily approach when you weren’t weakened like now. I apologize if I was rude.”

“I didn’t ask for an apology.”

“I know. You asked for my purpose.”

Jae-hee remained calm even before someone holding a blade. More than calm, he was relaxed. As if he knew Sa-yoon’s sword couldn’t kill him. Making an unpleasant expression at feeling seen through again, Sa-yoon watched as Jae-hee raised the corner of his mouth in a slight smile.

“Kwon Sa-yoon.”

He called Sa-yoon’s name and stood from his chair. Sa-yoon raised his dagger’s blade as he approached. Whoop, as Jae-hee came close, the blade’s tip pointed at his neck. In a situation where one more step would let the knife pierce Jae-hee’s neck, the man leaned forward.

The blade grazed his neck. In that state, Jae-hee braced himself against the bed where Sa-yoon sat and spoke while maintaining direct eye contact.

“Kwon Sa-yoon. I want to penetrate the source.”

“The source?”

“Yes. The source of all this. The system, for instance.”

System. Sa-yoon’s shoulders twitched at those words. Jae-hee continued without pause.

“Things like gates and monsters. And even higher than that. The beings presumed to be the source of all supernatural phenomena occurring in the current world.”

“…”

“Gods.”

Crazy bastard.

“They are my ultimate goal.”

At that moment, lightning struck outside the window. Flash! A blinding light flared followed by wild thunder that shook the heavens. The lightning that struck despite no rain seemed to announce heaven’s wrath. Sa-yoon looked at Jae-hee before him, feeling a strange thrill run from his toes to his head.

The man before him wasn’t looking at him. He was gazing out the window. At the window where lightning had just struck. Sa-yoon moved his lips as he watched the man staring out the window with his lips slightly raised as if in rapture. After a long while, Jae-hee’s gaze returned to Sa-yoon.

“For that, I need you. Because you’re more intricately entangled with this system than any awakened one I’ve seen. You possess the most secrets and are the most complexly involved. Having you by my side will let me learn many things. That’s why I sought you out and approached when you were weakened. Because my plan needs you.”

“Ha.”

“And you need me too.”

His tone carried absolute certainty. So much that denials would be useless. Sa-yoon burst out laughing in disbelief. Jae-hee’s voice mixed into Sa-yoon’s laughter that seemed to shake the room. ‘Kwon Sa-yoon. If we cooperate, we might be able to save your destiny. And we could save this ailing world too.’ That voice was beyond righteous – it was fanatical.

Pure and Ultimate Good.

And the possessor of Heaven’s Eye that sees through everything.

That person was seeking cooperation with him, who had the trait of True Evil of Humanity. He says this despite surely knowing his trait.

Saying he’d save his destiny. That he would see through even the gods, that he would save the current world going mad from the gods’ machinations.

Words couldn’t be more arrogant and reckless. Sa-yoon stopped laughing and looked at Jae-hee with narrowed eyes. Now he seemed to understand. The meaning of Jae-hee’s “One Who Breaks the Flow” trait.

He was the joker who would flip this game.

See? I was right about having pheromones that only attract crazy people.

The world was wide and full of lunatics, but it felt like all the lunatics were gathering around him. And he was the king of lunatics among them.

“This should be interesting.”

Sa-yoon took Jae-hee’s offered hand.

Whether it was equality or cooperation, at least it didn’t seem like working together would hurt.