I Teleported Into the Academy of a S*xy Game-Chapter 178: Investigation Scene (2)

Investigation Scene (2)

After spending several days in the hospital, I finally stepped outside. Before my departure, I had to undergo another examination and could only leave upon receiving a permit stipulating my return by nightfall. Nevertheless, I felt more than satisfied.

I had already reached out to Moon Soorin. A dedicated task force had convened at the party venue for ongoing investigations. The fact that the investigation was still active days after the terrorist attack spoke volumes about its gravity. Given the involvement of high-ranking VIPs, a meticulous investigation was inevitable.

I’ll meet up with Soorin Noona, assist with the investigation… visit my dorm, catch up with Lucy and Lumi… but seeing Professor Im Sol seems unlikely.

With a tentative plan in place, I arrived at the party venue, where a flurry of activity greeted me.

“Soorin Noona!” I called out to Moon Soorin, who was awaiting my arrival. Her radiant platinum hair immediately caught my attention.

“Hey, Hoyeon! Are you alright?” Moon Soorin approached me with widened eyes, examining me as if I were a long-lost sibling.

“I’m fine, Noona. I’m here to assist you.”

“Thank you. I’ve been quite busy here, so I have a lot to share for the investigation. Your presence puts me at ease.” Moon Soorin’s warm smile conveyed her genuine relief at seeing me.

“Trust only me. Just me.” With a determined expression, I entered the investigation room. Three draining hours later, I emerged. “Noona, I feel like I’m dying…”

“Ah, you’ve been through a lot. Here, have this.” She handed me a drink, as if intuitively understanding my exhaustion.

“Thank you…” I gulped it down, feeling somewhat revitalized.

While high-ranking officials had suffered casualties, this was the first instance of Pandemic mobilizing such a large demonic force, elevating the incident to a massive event.

The manpower deployed was staggering, and the relentless questioning, particularly about the barriers, left me utterly drained. Their fixation on a genius mage narrative made my exit strategy even more difficult.

I pondered why such a significant event was absent in the original narrative. Though the butterfly effect might explain it, there was no clear focal point.

Click, click— Journalists swarmed the venue, capturing every moment.

“It’s still a bit chaotic here. The number of journalists indicates people are still interested.”

“During the first day, it was even busier. Half were journalists, and the other half were investigators.”

“Ah, I see…” The mere thought was disorienting. Having faced relentless media scrutiny before, I could empathize.

“You should take a breather. I have some personal leads to pursue.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

During Moon Soorin’s absence, a familiar face approached.

“Student Lee Hoyeon, it’s been a while.” A cat-like woman settled beside me.

“Ah, Miss Min Yeji, hello.”

“Feels like we’ve had this ‘first meeting’ multiple times.”

“Indeed. Thanks to you, things worked out well. Much appreciated.”

Considering the presence of combat personnel, it made sense that Min Yeji was here for the investigation.

“How about reconsidering joining the guild?”

“Well, that’s a bit complicated…” I offered a gracious smile as I declined. Balancing guild responsibilities with meetings with women isn’t something I can commit to. ʀ𝘢𝐍∅𝐛Ɛş

“I can offer some conditions, can’t I? You’re too rigid, Student Hoyeon.”

Min Yeji’s casual demeanor made her seem more approachable than her role as Iron Blood Guild’s team leader would suggest. She was right; mere words of gratitude fell short.

“Ah… maybe we should explore a different approach instead of just joining the guild?”

After all, joining the guild isn’t the sole solution; establishing a mutually beneficial partnership is also viable.

“Should we? Alright then…”

As Min Yeji and I delved into potential business terms, the crowd around us grew thicker. Just as we were on the verge of wrapping up our discussion and pivoting to alternative conditions beyond guild membership, we found ourselves being approached.

“Student Lee Hoyeon, do consider the Noblesse Guild’s terms. We can match the Iron Blood Guild.”

“Excuse me, he’s in talks with the Iron Blood Guild!” Min Yeji interjected sharply, addressing the man who had rudely interrupted us.

“Give our Gladiator Guild a fair shot, too!”

“Really, these people! Don’t they have any manners?”

“Please, let’s not argue. Miss Yeji, hold on. Ah…”

How could these people act like this in front of a student?

Unable to voice my frustrations due to the crowd, I silently awaited Min Yeji to restore order and quell the commotion.

***

At the same time, a man exited the party venue, having wrapped up his investigation.

“Those bastards! They dumped everything on me and took off,” sighed Park Mingyu, the leader of the Buyers Guild.

Accustomed to managing tasks for high-ranking figures, he found himself mired in mundane responsibilities here. His days had been consumed by the investigation, leaving his guild duties neglected.

While stepping out for a smoke, he observed a crowd pouring out from a corner.

“That crazy woman needs to check her attitude. She’s ready to kill over a recruitment disruption.”

“Lee Hoyeon won’t fall for that face of Min Yeji.”

Hearing this, Park Mingyu furrowed his brows. “Lee Hoyeon? Here?”

Puzzled, as there was no reason for him to be at the investigation scene, Mingyu headed in that direction.

Upon arrival, he spotted Min Yeji and Lee Hoyeon in dialogue. Moments later, the former nodded and retreated in the opposite direction. Piecing it together, Mingyu realized, So she’s attempting to recruit him.

Lee Hoyeon, the genius mage making waves. If he joins the Buyers Guild, we’d be unstoppable.

However, he promptly dismissed the notion. Even the Iron Blood Guild had bowed down; he lacked negotiation leverage.

Hold on… I might actually have something.

The potent allure of a young man’s sexual desire. Nam Daeun was tied to a slave contract with the Buyers Guild.

Nam Daeun will soon be mine. While I can’t offer her immediately, after savoring her for a bit… I could lend her to Lee Hoyeon. Being in the same year, he’d surely appreciate her allure.

Though it wouldn’t be prudent in public, now seemed an opportune moment to subtly broach the subject, Mingyu pondered.

And thanks to that brat, Nam Daeun missed clinching first place. If he joins the Buyers Guild, consider it his reward.

Once he confirmed Min Yeji’s complete absence, Park Mingyu approached Lee Hoyeon, who appeared to be yawning, clearly fatigued.

“Student Lee Hoyeon, hello. We met at the party.”

“Hello… Ah, you’re Mr. Park Mingyu from the Buyers Guild, right?”

“Yes, indeed. You remember.”

It’s because of Nam Daeun. Surely.

Given Nam Daeun’s involvement, there was no other reason for Lee Hoyeon to remember him. With a newfound confidence, Park Mingyu offered a friendly smile and continued the conversation. Lee Hoyeon just managed to maintain a neutral expression.

Why is this guy talking to me?

Although surprised, Lee Hoyeon engaged with Park Mingyu without showing it.

“You truly live up to your reputation as a genius mage.”

“Haha…”

“I was also grateful for your heroic actions at the party.”

***

What is he getting at?

Despite being caught off guard by his sudden approach, the conversation flowed surprisingly well.

Park Mingyu is a skilled actor. His kind demeanor, comforting smile, and considerate tone put others at ease. Such social finesse is essential for the illicit dealings he’s involved in. Had I not sensed his ulterior motives, I might have been deceived.

Out of curiosity, I continued the conversation instead of declining outright.

“By the way, what were you discussing with Miss Min Yeji earlier?” He asked, getting to the point.

“She kindly offered me a guild membership.”

“Oh… So, can we now consider you a member of the Iron Blood Guild?” Park Mingyu’s face lit up genuinely as he clapped his hands.

“No, I actually declined.”

“Really? Perhaps the conditions weren’t to your liking? Did they offer too low an initial fee because you’re still a student? But you, Student Lee Hoyeon, are already at the level of an active hunter.”

“It’s not about that. I simply have no interest in joining a guild.”

“I see… Maybe Miss Min Yeji finds it difficult to present conditions that would entice you.”

“Excuse me…?”

“In the actual hunter industry, there are various offerings besides money or artifacts. Especially for male hunters… like a woman?” Park Mingyu subtly gauged my reaction.

Although his warm smile remained, his eyes couldn’t deceive me. Seeing my lack of response, he quickly switched to an apologetic expression, as if realizing his misstep.

“Ah, I apologize. That was out of line, wasn’t it? If I’ve offended you, I’m truly sorry. My intention was merely to shed light on the realities of the hunter industry.”

Look at him putting on a show.

I’m a 20-year-old who has just entered adulthood. Seeing a man over 40 bow and apologize so earnestly is quite a spectacle. Mingyu is really going the extra mile to deceive me.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

A woman… A woman. Hold on, could it be…? If he mentions a woman from the Buyers Guild… that’s the only way to trap me.

I scanned the area. I knew there was no one around, but I wanted to put on a performance for him.

“No… Such conversations aren’t necessarily bad.” I flashed a forced, sly smile, pushing the corners of my mouth upward as much as possible. A calculated move, considering there was no audience.

“Haha… After all, Student Lee is also a man. There’s hardly a man who would object to such discussions.” Park Mingyu then retrieved something from his pocket.

It’s a contract.

“Student Lee, you’re familiar with Nam Daeun, the renowned first-year student, aren’t you? She’s actually under a lifelong contract with the Buyers Guild. And… she also has a confidential agreement with me. To put it plainly, it’s akin to sponsorship.”

The term ‘sponsorship’ sent shivers down my spine. Holding Nam Daeun’s younger sibling hostage and labeling it as sponsorship? Anyone would assume she had willingly become a prostitute. Is this the sort of thing you’d do to your own daughter as well?

“Let’s cut to the chase. If you join the Buyers Guild, you can have your way with Nam Daeun. Her younger sister too. Look, here’s a photo of her sister. She’s quite attractive, and in the future—”

“Enough.”

Park Mingyu pulled out a picture of Nam Dahee, likely thinking it would seal the deal. But I couldn’t bear to listen any further; I felt sick to my stomach.

“Student Lee?”

“I’ve just recalled something pressing. We can pick this conversation up later.”

“No, it’ll only take a moment…” Park Mingyu’s voice trailed off as I chose to ignore him, making a quick exit from the party venue.

“Acceleration.” Despite my attempt to use magic for a speedy escape, my heart still pounded in my chest.

“Ah, I can’t use mana now…”

The mere effort to summon mana sent shivers down my spine. In that moment, I nearly forgot I was a patient; my sole focus was on leaving as swiftly as possible.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my noona.”

I realized I had almost forgotten to do so.

Returning to meet her would mean risking another confrontation with Park Mingyu, and I doubted my ability to keep my temper in check. My [Clear Mental Strength] skill wouldn’t entirely mask my emotions; I could technically control my temper, but not to the point of flawless acting.

“At least I’ve gained something from this ordeal.”

Park Mingyu remains oblivious to Daeun’s disappearance, likely assuming she had returned to the academy. Given the circumstances, that was a small relief.

Despite the unsettling nature of our conversation, it wasn’t entirely fruitless. Before making my way back, I sent Moon Soorin a brief message to explain my departure.

[Me: Noona, my hospital leave time is up, so I’ll be heading back. See you later.]

I glanced at my smartwatch briefly, but no reply had come in yet—likely because she was engrossed in her ongoing investigation.

With that, I left the party venue.