bookpower Chapter 463: Gap (5)
Chapter 463: Gap (5)
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Garden-type otherworlds, or simply gardens.
It is the generic term for otherworlds that someone conquers.
There are various types of otherworlds — dungeons, towers, castles, mazes, and others — but gardens are simply those whose owner’s energy waves can change.
The place where Hwang Jiho and I were headed was the Tiger Clan’s garden, or the garden-type otherworld controlled by the clan’s chief sorcerer to be precise.
‘The garden’s entrance should be outside Eungwang High, but I don’t think it would be outside Eungwang District...’
Hwang Jiho led us to the school gate, specifically the west gate.
“I think it’d be faster... but I don’t mind calling an air limousine. I’ll call the driver.”
“Let’s walk.”
“Hahaha! I knew you’d say that.”
I suggested that we walk before he suggested doing anything cumbersome.
The Tiger Clan garden seems not too far away, and it would attract less attention if we walked rather than take an air limousine.
Well aware of this, Hwang Jiho smiled and nodded.
“There was a problem in the garden so it took some time to get in touch with the couple.”
“A problem?”
“Yes. I distorted the time inside the garden so that the couple could have a comfortable time, but some problem arose with the otherworld.”
Even conquered otherworlds have enemies in them.
On top of that, the couple was with the bear that took away their descendant...
Thinking that far, I remembered my battle with Gye Idam.
Although the depth of their emotions and revenge was unfathomable and incomparable to my case, I had a rough idea of what kind of time they spent in the garden.
Hwang Jiho explained the problem.
“The chief sorcerer is excellent at making boundaries and distorting time within the garden. The chief sorcerer is among the youngest in our clan, but everyone recognizes their skill.”
It seems that the chief sorcerer wasn’t from the mythical age like them.
Hwang Jiho often borrowed the power of that chief sorcerer so I thought they would at least be from the age of myths, but it turns out they weren’t.
Afraid that the Tiger Clan would get suspicious of me for no reason, I avoided asking questions other than the information that I needed.
But at that point, I was already wondering what the chief sorcerer was like.
That chief sorcerer gave private lessons to Kim Yuri too, so I was very curious.
I guess it would be okay to ask since it was Hwang Jiho who brought him up, and we’re headed to his garden anyway?
In the end, I couldn’t keep my curiosity at bay.
“What kind of tiger is the chief sorcerer?”
Hwang Jiho smirked, not giving an answer right away.
I don’t think he was offended that I asked that kind of question though.
He doesn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it, so I wondered why he wasn’t answering.
“...It would be better if you meet them first. I’ll introduce you today. I’ll answer all your questions after that.”
I really don’t know why he’s wasting time.
He surely didn’t look like he had any intention of speaking further.
“Hahaha! If you’re really curious, then I can tell you now.”
“Nevermind.”
“Hahahaha!”
While the old man laughed, we reached the school’s west gate.
Some students headed home from extracurricular activities were seen here and there.
As soon as we stepped out of the boundary, Hwang Jiho took the lead.
“This way. I’ll stay in front of you from here.”
The west gate side had MITRON which we frequented, but the direction where Hwang Jiho was walking was strangely unfamiliar.
The further we walked, the fewer people and buildings were seen.
I was flustered when I saw a path I’d never seen before.
Instead of people and buildings, branches and trunks of bamboo filled my view.
Were there really this many bamboos around here?
“Jukho is barely 500 years old, but his power is strong. Strong enough to handle our garden.”
“I am flattered. This is all thanks to your creation of a bamboo forest near Cheonik Mountain, Hwangho-nim.”
Rather pleased or perhaps flustered by Hwang Jiho’s compliment, Jukho said so.
I looked around the bamboo forest.
If this bamboo forest is connected to Cheonik Mountain, then does that mean it was affected when the mountain became weak?
Perhaps that’s why Jukho didn’t have much influence in PMH.
“I thought the couple would be waiting, but I don’t see them here.”
“They said they’d tidy their clothes before coming here. They haven’t been out of the garden at all.”
It was April when the bear was caught, and it was now November.
...The couple has been there all this time?
I heard that the flow of time inside the garden was distorted, so I wonder just how long the perceived time of the couple inside the garden was.
“...There they are.”
Hwang Jiho said as he stared at the other side of the dense bamboo forest.
Someone’s presence got closer little by little.
***
Players’ Association – Korea.
In one conference room in the Regulatory Enforcement Office, Hong Gyubin was sitting with a complex face.
Opposite him were Deputy Manager Yoon and Employee Jung, and their expressions weren’t pleasant either.
Deputy Yoon kept his mouth shut, but Employee Jung couldn’t keep it any longer.
“No, what do you mean we have to take our hands off here?! Our team leader worked so hard! If only Team Leader Park doesn’t cling to useless backgrounds...”
Hong Gyubin was in charge of several cases, two of which were very big ones.
One was the broadcasting station case, and the other was the TC Research Institute case.
The problem is that Namgung Group is involved in the former.
‘Who knew I’d be haunted by Namgung Gyubin again...’
Hong Gyubin’s old name: Namgung Gyubin.
He had given up on this family name, but his days as the successor of the Namgung Group seemed yet to disappear.
Team Leader Park, who was keeping tabs on everything Hong Gyubin does, raised the issue of conflict of interest, citing Hong Gyubin’s origin.
“How did that damn guy know where you were from...”
“...It wasn’t really a secret. I did some public activities as Namgung Gyubin, so it’s impossible for me to hide it.”
Hong Gyubin spoke soothingly to Employee Jung.
‘I think he’s got the information somewhere else, but I already have a lot of work on my plate. I can’t afford to investigate. I don’t think I’d find the snitch either even if I look into it.’
In the end, Hong Gyubin had to withdraw from the Namgung Group-related case and hand it over to Team Leader Park.
In other words, all the effort that Hong Gyubin has put in while working on the case over time had been blown away.
It sparked a flame inside Hong Gyubin, of course, but he pretended to be okay with it.
“Let’s focus on the TC Research Institute case. The CSAT is just around the corner, so let’s help those kids focus on that.”
“No, but we should try talking it out one more time so...”
“Deputy Yoon, have you identified the source of donation for the ‘Superior Being Artificial Descent Project’?”
Deputy Manager Yoon, who seemed somewhat absent-minded, finally snapped to his senses.
“...Sorry, can you repeat that please?”
“Ah, Deputy Yoon ran into his ex-girlfriend recently, perhaps is that why he’s— Ahk!”
Hit!
Deputy Yoon’s fist dug deep into Employee Jung’s side.
Deputy Yoon talked to Hong Gyubin again as if nothing happened, but his head was filled with thoughts of his ex-girlfriend whom he encountered not long ago.
She was standing next to Team Leader Park, the image vivid in his mind as he looked at her for a while.
She was still wearing the accessories he gave her.
The gift from Deputy Manager Yoon was a brooch with butterfly designs.
‘...She’s like a butterfly always in my head.’
Deputy Yoon finally settled down and started reporting to Hong Gyubin.
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