Chuen, who had been quietly enduring Guru’s pitiful gaze, finally managed to utter a single sentence.
“Thank you, Hanguru.”
“Gwuu’s na is On Gwuu now.”
Guru twisted her body shyly as she replied.
“Ah, that’s right... I’m really glad for you.”
That’s right?
Her tone sounded like soone who had known Guru for a very long ti.
Finding this strange, Guru cautiously asked,
“How do you knoow Gwuu......?”
Ah. Chuen let out a quiet hum as her indifferent face tilted slightly.
She’d only co to know about Guru because of On Jurim’s request.
‘The one who dropped Hanguru off at Milal Orphanage is already dead.’
...Better not say that out loud.
“The ‘spirits’ tell everything.”
No sooner had Chuen finished speaking than colorful goldfish began flying through the air and circled around her.
“Hoowaaa.... These fishies tell you da stuff?!”
Startled by their beautiful appearance, Guru gasped, and Chuen replied slowly,
“Yes. For example... that little sprout you carry around? Your actor fwiend grew it for you. Said it grew up together with a potato.”
“Huhhkk!”
So that’s what it was? She really knew everything! Guru covered her mouth in shock.
Seeing Guru rendered speechless, Chuen lowered her gaze.
“......”
Did she know too much and make the kid uncomfortable?
Most people were put off by how deeply Chuen could peer into everything.
So maybe this child would also find her creepy or want to avoid her.
She thought she was used to it by now, but sohow, it still brought her down.
While Chuen remained silent with a neutral face—
“Yoouuu awe da bestest!”
Guru began showering her with praise—“Da bestest,” “da coolest,” “da ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) supawest”—and Chuen, unfamiliar with this kind of flattery, blinked and bashfully responded,
“I-I’m not that great...”
Her lips, previously sealed in a straight line, now curled faintly into a smile.
It was a feeling she hadn’t quite grasped when she used to watch the child from outside the boundary through her spirits.
But now, actually eting her in person and feeling that enthusiastic reaction... it made her heart flutter.
“...This feels nice.”
I think I understand why everyone loves you.
The words passed like a breeze, muttered under her breath. Then, suddenly, Chuen sprang up and turned toward the hearth.
At the sa ti, one of the goldfish opened its mouth and released a single soap bubble.
‘Huh?’
The bubble floated gently, growing larger as it approached—until it encased Guru inside.
Now trapped inside a soap bubble, Guru opened her mouth in confusion.
“Eeehhng?”
***
‘If I sing one more song tomorrow, the producers’ll probably give rice or sothing, right?’
Yeah. Suspicious lady or not, feed her first, then call the cops—or wake soone up.
Iromi, holding back tears, gathered up a rice ball and turned around.
That’s when a man appeared right in front of her.
As their eyes t, he opened his mouth.
[“Still not asleep, huh.”]
Chinese?
Sshk!
In a flash, the man splashed an unknown liquid across Iromi’s face.
“Ah...”
Thud.
She collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
The man reached out to grab her, but a pale hand appeared beside him and smacked his away.
[“Chuen.”]
[“You didn’t co for , did you, Zhang Wei?”]
[“Seems like a misunderstanding, but not entirely wrong either. After all, you are part of my objective.”]
Zhang Wei, whose wrist was seized by Chuen, scowled and shook her off.
Tension thickened the air between them.
Clenching his fists, Zhang Wei began to steady his increasingly heavy breaths.
“Huff... huff...”
The rough breathing gradually slowed until even the sound of it disappeared.
[Activating skill: ‘Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.’]
anwhile, Chuen activated her skill. One of the goldfish lded into her body, and the spirit’s power and will flowed into her.
Opening her eyes, Chuen slowly spread her feet shoulder-width apart, lowering her center of gravity.
Her hands moved deliberately—clenching into fists and releasing—as she gathered energy within her.
Ssshh—
Her breath deepened into a rhythmic pattern.
Zhang Wei, sensing the tension, flexed his muscles.
This Chuen... was a master of martial arts.
But he himself was a trained Hunter, a forr martial artist too. She wouldn’t be too hard to subdue.
‘More importantly...’
Zhang Wei sharpened his senses, trying to locate Jurim’s presence.
Lately, Jurim had been going out quite far at night, which was helpful for Zhang Wei’s plan—but the uncertainty of his return ti posed a risk.
If Jurim ca back earlier than expected...
‘I have to end this fast.’
All he had to do was tag one of Jurim’s items with a tracking device and drag Chuen off to Zhou Shu.
The tracker would lt on contact with skin, making it impossible for even soone like Jurim to notice. Once done, the identity of Jjapso and all of Hyeonak’s secrets would be exposed to his holand.
That was Zhang Wei’s mission as an agent of the State Security Departnt.
Sshuak—!
Chuen struck first. Zhang Wei leapt back to increase the distance.
He quickly cast a magic-smokescreen to prevent mana detection, then pulled out the item Lee Soyeon had given him.
[tallic Armor Changer (S)]
A round orb filled with viscous liquid and centered around a mana stone.
As he pressed it against his chest, mana swirled and Zhang Wei’s body began to transform.
With a tallic screech, sothing wrapped around his body.
Thin tal fibers wove around his skin like new muscle tissue.
Chuen tried to interrupt, but his now-armored arm blocked her strike with ease.
The armor ford along his limbs, each joint moving in sync with his body as if it were alive.
He slowly lifted his head and stared at Chuen.
Now the armor’s shape was clearly visible. Smooth, tallic fibers covered Zhang Wei’s entire body, and his helt resembled a skull.
[“Hoo—so this is how it feels. Kinda addicting.”]
[“What... is that...?”]
[“A gift, personally bestowed by Zhou Shu.”]
Seeing Chuen’s shaken expression, Zhang Wei smirked in satisfaction.
But at the sa ti, he failed to notice that his transford appearance had just provoked soone.
He took a step forward, and the battle resud.
While Chuen was overwheld by his powerful assault—
Thump—
A round sponge projectile struck Zhang Wei’s shoulder and bounced off.
“...?”
He turned, baffled, in the direction it ca from.
There stood a child, aiming a toy Nerf gun straight at him—one you’d expect a magical girl from an ani to carry.
[Crystal Magical Nerf Gun (E)]
A harmless child’s toy. Fires sponge darts with infinite reloads.
Grants 100% hit accuracy to the wielder. Has a low chance to inflict a 2-second Slow debuff on hit.
“Ha—!”
Zhang Wei scoffed at the cutesy lavender Nerf gun.
Zzzzt—!
Suddenly, a dart shot so fast it was impossible to see and slamd into his shoulder.
When he looked down, his shoulder plate was dented inward.
Crackle!
Ssshhkt—
Electric currents surged from the impact point, splitting his armor.
[“What the hell...!”]
Before he could recover, another sponge dart flew toward him.
Zhang Wei casually swatted it aside with his other hand.
But the attack wasn’t over.
A chick drone opened its mouth and took aim.
From its dandelion-like puffball body—
Zzzzztt—!
A Mach 7, electromagnetically-guided projectile was fired.
[“Grahhkk!”]
There was no ti to dodge.
Even Hunters—superhuman as they were—couldn’t react to that speed.
In an instant, the tallic armor covering his left and right arms shattered.
Zhang Wei stood stunned.
If it had been during his clash with Chuen, he wouldn’t have felt this embarrassed.
But to be hit by that toy bullet?
There was no word for it except—humiliating.
That’s when Guru tucked the Nerf gun away, picked up a fork with both hands, and began toddling forward.
To anyone else, she looked like nothing more than a cute little girl—but Zhang Wei, rattled, took a step back.
In a battlefield where chick drones might fire at any second, a child brandishing a fork was pure nightmare fuel.
[“Am I dreaming? Why does that kid have a drone...?”]
Even if this was Hyeonak Guild, how could they let a five-year-old handle such a dangerous weapon?
As Zhang Wei stood dumbfounded, Chuen, now standing between him and Guru, let out a laugh.
‘That’s because... she’s the drone’s master.’
And the owner of phisto Series Prototype mk.1 was now sprinting full speed toward the battlefield, eyes glowing with excitent.
‘Why is she here...?’
Chuen and Zhang Wei both panicked—but for different reasons.
Yet in front of the child, only one thing shined brightly.
‘Miwwacwe Changey!’
The eyes of the 5-year-old crafting prodigy sparkled.
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