The Returner Chapter 205: What’s up with this chill (5)

Chapter 205: What’s up with this chill (5)

< 205. What’s up with this chill -5 >

– “I’m truly sorry about the matters last ti.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Last ti?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “Yes. Didn’t our people act quite rudely to you?” (Christopher McLaren)

“Ahh, you ant that?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in the juice with the straw, took a gulp, and replied.

“It’s all good. Well, I’m having a nice little break right now all thanks to them, actually.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “In that case.... I’m relieved to hear that. But, still. I’ll make sure that no such problem arises in the future, so I beg of you to graciously forgive them and let bygones be bygones.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Nah, it’s fine if sothing similar happens again.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “What do you an?” (Christopher McLaren)

“If it happens again, I can just send them back ho. I an, there’s no reason to force soone into doing sothing they don’t want to in the first place, right? I’m not a lecturer who gets paid bonuses depending on the test results of my students, anyway.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “....You’re right.” (Christopher McLaren)

There was a clear sign of fluster in Christopher McLaren’s voice. Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned and continued on.

“Only those who want to get stronger should get stronger. That’s all. It’s only a matter of ti, anyway.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “I don’t understand.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Well, you don’t really have to understand it. Anyway, was that everything you wanted to talk to about?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “Oh, wait. We’re currently selecting our next batch....” (Christopher McLaren)

“There’s no rush, so take your ti. You can discuss the date with Mister Choi Jung-Hoon.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

– “Thank you very much, Mister Yi.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Not at all.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and put the phone down.

“Isn’t it getting a bit warr?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

*SFX for a soft breeze blowing in*

The mont his words ca to an end, he felt a gentle breeze blowing in from sowhere near his head. He raised his head to look, and found Kim Dah-Som waving around a fan by his side.

“Heol?! What are you doing??” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“I thought you were feeling hot.” (Kim Dah-Som)

Sure, I’m hot.

Here’s the thing, though. I’m not King Euija from Baekjae or sothing, you know? You doing this makes feel a wee bit uncomfortable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue) (TL note at the end)

‘No, hang on. It was the sa story back in Berafe too, wasn’t it?’

Right, although the thod was a bit different back then.

‘Ice Widows’ simply froze up the surrounding air and lowered the temperature that way, didn’t they?

Now that I look back on those days, yeah, that was a whole lot more efficient than this one, but hell, where’s the romance in that, man?!

What an aircon-like creatures they were.

Besides all that, though. This kid is getting even more uncomfortable to be around with.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)

It was nice to see the girl lose so of her gloomy nature, but the thing was, she ca across a bit more terrifying now that she had beco a lot more hands-on than before.

“Groan....”

Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Kim Dah-Som with an uncomfortable expression on his face before spitting out a low groan.

She wasn’t soone who’d listen just because he told her to stop, anyway. The best thing to do right now was to switch his attention off of her. Unfortunately, not everyone seed to agree with his train of thought.

“Aren’t you feeling hot yourself?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min’s voice ca out a wee bit high-pitched than her usual self.

“No, I’m okay.” (Kim Dah-Som)

On the other hand, Kim Dah-Som’s reply was delivered in a lower octave.

“You’re supposed to be sick so why did you even co here? Might as well rest at ho, you know?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“I’m injured, so shouldn’t I be resting in a warr climate like this place?” (Kim Dah-Som)

“Oh, my goodness. I think this must be my first ti hearing about an injured person travelling to a beach, you know? Wait, maybe you’re faking it a bit?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Well, the doctor said I’m injured. But if you think I’m faking it, then maybe I should get into acting, wouldn’t you agree? Ah, that’s right. Unni, you’ve never acted before, have you? Or, was that more like you ‘can’t’?” (Kim Dah-Som)

“What was that?!” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.

Since the ti immorial, one should not intervene in a catfight. If you do, your only reward would be your busted back.

Ignoring the two females and their extended claws, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to the distant horizon where the ocean seed to stretch on forever.

‘Still, this is so weird.’ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Why was he feeling this unsettled, worried?

Now typically, if he did find himself so down ti, he’d stay cooped up in the house or the office to play video gas. If he was really bored, then he’d probably go out to the city and go on a tour of famous eateries and waste ti that way.

But then, just what’s gotten into him to make him co all this way? Even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself couldn’t quite figure this one out.

I’m getting more and more anxious.

But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)

He tilted his head.

Sothing like this had never happened before. He just felt weirded out right now. It was as if soone was busy chasing him down. A normal person would definitely feel worried and anxious with such a weird feeling.

No, hang on – it’d be rather normal for a regular person to get worried sotis for no reason whatsoever. But then, the person feeling worried this ti round wasn’t soone normal. It was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.

See, the thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuk’s balls were not just made out of any steel, but they were grade A steel of the finest quality.

The last ti he felt anxious/worried would be well over three hundred years ago.

No matter what the situation was, it’d only manage to annoy him to a varying degree. That was it. They never, ever made him feel this worried.

But now, he was feeling truly, utterly worried?

Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered even more from this ominous foreboding.

“Are you feeling cold?” (Kim Dah-Som)

When he began shivering all of a sudden, Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som duking it out with their eyes quickly shifted their gazes at him. At the sa ti.

“What do you an, cold? In this weather?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Are you not feeling well sowhere?” (Kim Dah-Som)

Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.

“No, well, it’s not that....” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

How should he explain himself here?

“Nah, never mind. I’m fine.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

For the ti being, he mumbled sothing and glossed over the whole thing. He saw no solid reason to tell them about this bad feeling of his.

Shuruk...

It was right around then – Doh Gah-Yun peeked her head out from the shadow below the deck chair Yi Ji-Hyuk was laying on, and put a blanket on top of him all of a sudden.

“....Huh?”

H-hey, it’s hot in here, you know....

And I haven’t co down with a flu or anything.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)

“Y-you know, I’m fi....” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Keep it on.” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Yes, you should cover yourself.” (Kim Dah-Som)

“....Yep.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som’s joint attack instantly disintegrated Yi Ji-Hyuk’s resistance.

‘Yep, just take it as being in a sauna. A sauna.....’ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

anwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon watching silently from the sidelines threw out a probing little question.

“By the way, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

“Yeah?”

“According to what you told us, you have lived for a.... fairly long ti on the other side. Didn’t you?” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

‘Long ti’ not as in grandpa level of long ti, but more like a sage type of long ti.

“Sure, I did.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“So, I was curious....” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

“Yes?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Haven’t you, you know, had chances to ‘et’ other won on that side?” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

“..........”

Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this cold wind blowing against him.

‘A good thing that I’ve got a blanket now....’ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Without it, he’d definitely co down with flu. Yi Ji-Hyuk shivered and took a look around him.

‘....Why are they all looking at like that?’ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

They might even start killing people with their razor-sharp glares at this rate.

...Mm? I’ll be the one dying?

“Won, is it....” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk stared into the distance with contemplative eyes.

“Didn’t have any.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Liar!” (Seo Ah-Young)

Seo Ah-Young sharply and brutally interjected.

“We aren’t talking about one, two years here! So, how does you not having a single girlfriend during all that ti make any sort of sense?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“Nope, never had one. I definitely did not have anyone like that. Never.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“....Why do you sound so unconvincing?” (Seo Ah-Young)

Yi Ji-Hyuk ford a slightly fed-up expression and shuddered grandly once more.

“You guys have no idea.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“Eh?”

“You don’t know how terrifying that was.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Everyone stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with puzzled faces after hearing that declaration. Just what on earth was he talking about?

“What are you even saying?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“....Well, there is this thing. But, don’t worry about it.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk was way too busy trying to wipe the face of a certain person off his mind at the mont.

‘I’m not related to you anymore! Shoo! Shoo!!’ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Unfortunately, his spine was still tingling from that creeping chill for a while now. How could Yi Ji-Hyuk not feel anxious in this case?

‘Maybe I should take so traditional dicine after I get back ho.’ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

....I must be injured or sick sowhere.

Yeah, that has to be it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)

Yi Ji-Hyuk did his very best to push away and ignore his sixth sense, which had never failed him once until now.

Of course, the price for doing that would be huge.

***

“So, is it finally opening up?” (Alpha)

Alpha stared at the Gate, his eyes gleaming brightly. A pretty similar phenonon as the last ti was happening before his eyes. If there was one thing different this ti, then it’d have to be the size of the Gates; this one was far, far bigger than before.

“Correct. It’s opening up.” (Argolas)

Argolas agreed with Alpha’s assessnt.

It had taken so ti, but the operation to open up a Gate was a success. Not only that, this particular Gate was not imperfect like the previous one, either.

Built upon the foundation of the negative energy Alpha managed to gather, Argolas was able to create a perfect portal that linked this world to the demon world.

“If only the Gate I opened the last ti was as perfect as this one. Lord Beltreche wouldn’t have died in such an empty manner even if the thirteenth demon king intervened.” (Argolas)

However, the story was different this ti. Perhaps most importantly, the personage arriving through this Gate was on another level compared to Beltreche.

It wasn’t as simple as the packing order, either.

Beltreche was a being that climbed up to the position of a demon king through its clever sches and the powers of the demonic creatures it controlled. However, the being about to enter this world reached its current position as a demon king simply through nothing but its own incredible magical power.

Of course, this didn’t an that Beltreche was weak. In the demon world, it’d be hard to tell who was superior existence between the lizard-like demon king and this incoming being.

Because, even though the latter boasted superiority in magical power, the forr would boast superiority in its ability to command monsters as well as its tactical way of thinking.

However, things would be different in this world.

In this world, one couldn’t rely on the thod of using one’s countless subordinates. No, one had to rely on one’s own powers to solve their issues in this place.

Which ant that Delkaran would definitely be in superior position than Beltreche was. And, if the demon king got here with its magical power fully intact....

Guwoooo!!

Suddenly, the Gate began distorting out of shape.

“Is there a problem?” (Alpha)

“This Gate can’t handle the incoming lord’s magical power.” (Argolas)

“Does that an this is another failure?” (Alpha)

“I can’t say for sure yet.” (Argolas)

They didn’t need to wait for a long ti before finding out whether it was a success or a failure. Because, only a short while later, they could spot a shadow within the Gate’s boundary.

“Ohhh.”

Argolas watched on, before hurriedly kneeling down to the ground.

This was the glorious occasion of a demon king descending to this realm. The demon quickly shot Alpha a glare, but the human simply stood upright and stared at the Gate with intrigued eyes.

“Keuk.”

This insolent human not displaying any hint of respect towards a demon king really got on Argolas’s nerves, but unfortunately, that man was nominally the ‘contractor’.

He was not soone Argolas could use his power to bully.

“It’s coming out.” (Alpha)

Along with Alpha’s observation, a sowhat pale figure slowly began materialising outside the Gate.

“I welco your arrival, oh great demon king.” (Argolas)

Shuwuwu....

The figure erging from the distorting and twisting Gate, was a mysterious-looking humanoid wrapped up tightly in a black cloak seemingly made out of unidentifiable material.

‘It’s a humanoid this ti, is it?’ (Alpha)

Beltreche possessed a pretty terrible imitation of a human-like shape, and anyone could tell it was a monster through and through. However, this new guy looked sowhat human, at least from the outside.

Two legs and two arms, plus one head – when considering the creature being a demon, it sure was comndably humanoid, indeed.

Shuwuwu....

Sounds akin to leaking air escaped from Delkaran’s mouth.

“Argolas.” (Delkaran)

“Yes, oh great demon king!” (Argolas)

“Our lord demands the head of the 99th demon king.” (Delkaran)

“Our lord... do you an....?” (Argolas)

“Your master, as well as my master. The true perfect being of the demon world. Yes, I refer to him.” (Delkaran)

Argolas trembled greatly.

Up until now, the order this demon carried out had been to find a way to turn this world into a new demon world. Argolas had figured that clashing against Yi Ji-Hyuk was a necessity since he’d prove to be a hindrance to this process.

However, the story had changed now.

If that great being demanded the execution of Yi Ji-Hyuk, then this order now beca the supre task Argolas had to fulfil, even if that ant sacrificing everything to do so.

“It shall be done according to the great one’s wishes.” (Argolas)

Shuwuwu....

Delkaran nodded its head and emitted that sound of leaking air again.

“Hurry.” (Delkaran)

“.....”

“The 13th demon king has already arrived in this world.” (Delkaran)

“Euh....”

Argolas’s expression crumpled the mont it heard about the 13th demon king. It was unimaginable what might happen once that maverick of the demon world joined forces with Yi Ji-Hyuk.

“I shall endeavour to prevent that from happening. However, this small one’s just a lowly weakling. I do not possess the strength necessary to stop the 13th demon king.” (Argolas)

“It’ll be quite simple.” (Delkaran)

Delkaran’s eyes glowed ominously in deep crimson hue from within the darkness of the cape.

“I shall go to the 99th demon king before she finds him.” (Delkaran)

“As you wish.” (Argolas)

“I shall repay the debt of blood in the exact sa manner as that man had raped and pillaged the demon world. If he desires to protect this world, then I shall completely destroy it as the just compensation.” (Delkaran)

Delkaran’s voice eerily resounded out as if it was coming straight from the deepest pit of hell.

Another demon king had descended to this world.

Fin.

(TL: King Euija was the last ruler of Baekjae, one of the ancient Korean kingdoms, which perished so ti in the 7th century A.D. As for the Ice Widow thing, I don’t know what the author is trying to say so I just TLed it straight. I don’t think he’s talking about a particular strand of cannabis, though. Probably so kind of a monster/creature MC used to lord over....)