The Shaolin Temple we arrived at after climbing up for a long while was, just as Ryu Sunghyun said, enormous in scale.
It was strong enough as a faction that even Hyun Dowoon and I, who knew from reading wuxia novels just how strong Shaolin was supposed to be, were surprised.
It was like they’d picked up a piece of a city and moved it here—buildings were erected everywhere, and men who looked like they belonged to Shaolin were walking around.
“Vice-Guildmaster, is this where you woke up?”
When I asked right up close, Ryu Sunghyun flinched for a moment, then soon nodded.
“Yes. The exact spot was further inside, but this is it.”
“Those guys were treating you like you were straight-up their trainee. Seems like it’s related to where you woke up.”
At my opinion, Ryu Sunghyun thought with a stiff expression and opened his mouth.
“Mm... since this is a space Gyunil created, I think it’s likely he’d steer things so they flow in a direction favorable to them.”
Steer things so they flow in a direction favorable to them.
That part of Ryu Sunghyun’s words stuck out in my head.
‘Is it like those guys who chased after Hyun Dowoon without thinking, trying to take care of the one with the USB?’
If so, this space might have been intended to bind up Ryu Sunghyun, an S-rank dealer, inside the Shaolin Temple.
And we were already halfway caught in that intent.
‘That’s one more reason we need to shake Shaolin off.’
Just following along obediently still felt like there were too many nagging, uncomfortable parts.
Even if things got complicated, it might honestly be better to just run away if it came down to it.
“This way.”
With a showy, high-handed air, the baldy monk coughed ahem and led us to a spot not too far from the entrance.
Going inside and looking around, it seemed like it was meant for when outsiders visited—where they’d greet them while having a cup of tea.
‘So, a reception room.’
As I thought blandly, Hyun Dowoon came over and whispered.
“Hey, isn’t this flow kinda weird? If we were really powerless civilians, do you think we could get out of here? This feels like we’re about to get detained.”
“What would Shaolin even gain by detaining us.”
That was what I answered, but I could also feel, on my skin, an oddly uncomfortable atmosphere.
I turned my gaze out the window. One of the three who’d brought us here had grabbed another baldy monk and was saying something to him.
After pointing at the building we were in and giving what looked like an order, the other guy bowed politely. Then he walked over to the building entrance and stood there.
Even without hearing their voices, I could roughly understand what was going on. It was an order to keep watch so we couldn’t come outside on our own.
After watching that scene with a restless feeling, I moved my gaze to Ryu Sunghyun.
Hair long enough to cover his chest, and a yellow hair tie. And beyond that, every piece of clothing he was wearing was Shaolin attire no matter where you looked.
Neat and clean, with the same yellow cloth wrapped around it like his hair tie. If he looked like that, I could understand why those baldy monks’ eyes had flipped and they’d chased him yelling that he was their disciple and he needed to shave his head, but....
‘It doesn’t feel like that’s all of it.’
As I frowned at that vague, hard-to-grab discomfort, the baldy monk who’d guided us here came back in.
“Amitabha. Donors, wait here for a while. You, follow me. The Abbot is waiting.”
“...Understood.”
The baldy monk pointed right at Ryu Sunghyun and gestured for him to follow. Ryu Sunghyun hesitated, looked at me briefly, then moved his feet.
As I watched the two of them leave, Hyun Dowoon grabbed my arm and whispered.
“Is it okay to let him go like that? He said the Abbot. What if something happens?”
“If it’s anything reasonable, the Vice-Guildmaster will win.”
That was partly because Ryu Sunghyun was S-rank, but even if that Abbot was as strong as an S-rank, it wouldn’t be easy for him to beat Ryu Sunghyun.
Ryu Sunghyun as he was now, after meeting ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ in that unidentified rift last time and achieving one more step of growth, was strong enough to be counted among the top even within S-ranks.
Maybe if he fought seriously, he might even beat Kwon Taehyuk, the former Rank #1.
Because Ryu Sunghyun was a rare natural-type Awakener, and on top of that, he had the attribute ‘light,’ with no limitations.
‘It’s the situation where my older brother ends up clashing with that so-called Abbot that’s the problem, though....’
No, that’s not it. What did Ryu Sunghyun do wrong?
My older brother probably didn’t want to open his eyes in a place full of weird baldy monks like this and feel the terror of getting his head shaved, either.
If it went sideways, we’d have no choice but to smash things up here and there and run.
“Kid.”
After checking there were no other eyes on us, I called softly.
Then the shadow bird that had been hiding in my shadow ever since we entered the city revealed itself again.
Kiiik.
Flapping its wings as it flew up, the shadow bird landed familiarly on my arm.
‘So Cha Sahyeon really isn’t showing up.’
Originally, that was what I’d been calling to Cha Sahyeon. As if announcing his absence, only the shadow bird sat on my arm and tilted its head.
“Do you still not know where your master is?”
Kiiiii....
Maybe it understood my words, because the shadow bird cried weakly, then only flapped its wings a couple times. My chest felt tight at that.
That strong Cha Sahyeon—what the hell happened that he couldn’t come find me? If the shadow bird was fine, it seemed like the skill still worked.
Just in case, I asked.
“Then can you tell me where the other team members are? Like earlier.”
It had been the shadow bird that told me where Kwon Seoyul was. Maybe it could also tell me about the other teammates scattered all over.
At my request, the shadow bird tilted its head this way and that like it was conflicted, then looked up at me and cried.
Kiiik, kiiik, kik.
“......What?”
What are you saying?
When I just blinked without understanding, the shadow bird let out a big sigh. Not like it was a person or anything, but seeing a bird open its beak and sigh like that was the first time in my life.
The shadow bird stared blankly at Kwon Seoyul for a moment.
Kwon Seoyul, who was looking around the room with a swaggering gait like a neighborhood thug, sensed the bird’s gaze with S-rank sensitivity and frowned.
“What.”
The shadow bird glared at Kwon Seoyul for a long time without a single cry, then nodded.
Only then, at how it looked like it was measuring Kwon Seoyul’s strength, did I finally catch the meaning packed into the shadow bird’s actions.
‘It couldn’t go because it was worried about me.’
Like it was proving it really was Cha Sahyeon’s skill, the way it thought was exactly the same.
Still, the corner of my heart loosened in a soft way, so I stroked the bird’s back and asked again.
“Besides that crazy bastard, we’ve got the Vice-Guildmaster too, so don’t worry about here and go. If it gets really urgent, I’ll call you again. That works, right?”
Kiiik.......
Answering weakly with a truly uneasy air, the shadow bird soon spread its wings and flew.
The bird that passed through the building wall and went outside rose high into the sky before anyone else’s gaze could reach it, then disappeared.
Thud, thud.
Not long after I sent the shadow bird off, footsteps came from the entrance. Heavy, rough footsteps.
“Donor, are you inside? I will enter for a moment.”
The one who came in was one of the three baldy monks we’d seen earlier, and behind him were two other men with unfamiliar faces.
The two behind him were each holding a long staff in their hands. The ends of the staves were pointed toward the ceiling, not at us, but it was obvious they’d deliberately brought weapons.
“The Abbot is calling for you. This is sacred grounds, so do not do anything foolish and follow quietly.”
The baldy monk standing at the very front said that while looking straight at me.
When he flicked his gaze briefly behind him, the two standing there holding staves moved. It was the moment Hyun Dowoon swallowed dryly, grabbed my arm, and tried to pull me behind his back.
Bang!
With a harsh boom, the wall shook. The approaching men stopped, sucking in their breath.
Kwon Seoyul, who had kicked a nearby chair away without hesitation, stretched his long leg out and planted it on the opposite wall. Blocking the front, Kwon Seoyul smiled in irritation.
“Hey now. Where do you think you’re coming close, trying to die.”
“T-this, what kind of bizarre...! In sacred training grounds, what kind of reckless act is this!”
“Shut your mouth and fuck off. Don’t be annoying.”
I pressed my forehead at Kwon Seoyul, who had unsealed his mouth and was running it before I could even stop him.
‘Yeah. I was wondering why he was quiet for once.’
He wasn’t quiet—he was just banking up his irritation.
“Huh? Fuck, what’s with that club. You trying to hit me with that? Yeah? Do it, do it. Hey, swing it. Come on, swing it.”
“Ah, uh......!”
When Kwon Seoyul sneered and suddenly shoved his body in, one monk who reflexively raised the staff he’d been holding got shoved back viciously and collapsed onto the floor.
“Oh, wow.”
Beside me, still holding my forehead, Hyun Dowoon let out a short exclamation.
Kwon Seoyul, who couldn’t even squeak back when he got bullied by me and Hyun Dowoon, finally got a situation where it was fine to treat someone however he wanted, and he went wild like a colt with its reins cut.
“Y-you, you bandits...! Is there no one! Drag these men outside at once! Now!”
The baldy monk who’d been frozen with his mouth open shouted with a face flushed red and purple.
So it ends up like this. I scrubbed my face dry and said to the thug—no, to Kwon Seoyul, who was cackling and laughing.
“Hey. Break the wall.”

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