Chapter 24 : A Guest in the Hidden Plains

A beautiful woman dressed in a black rider suit stood hesitantly at the door.

It was Seolha, who had come straight to Woo min’s house.

The reason she was hesitating was the outfit that clung tightly to her body.

She hadn’t expected to make a business trip all the way to Suwon by bike.

The outfit revealed her body line so blatantly that her face was burning with embarrassment.

“Let’s just go back.”

she said to herself.

“let’s make another appointment next time.”

Just as she was about to turn her steps around—

Ding dong—

The door lock clicked open.

“Oh my, Seolha?”

Jin-sook, who had accidentally opened the front door, caught her eye.

Jin-sook greeted Seolha with a bright smile.

Then,

“Ah, hello!”

Seolha bowed with a flushed face.

She didn’t fit the image of a bewitching sorceress at all.

She looked more like a shy girl.

“Come on in quickly.”

Despite Jin-sook’s warm welcome, Seolha hesitated.

This was embarrassing.

If she walked in dressed like this, all eyes would be on her.

“Well, it’s just that…”

She shook her head.

Her first impression was ruined.

She hadn’t wanted to show this side of herself.

Worried if she might be seen in a bad light, she looked anxious.

Noticing this, Jin-sook, who was quick-witted from 25 years of housewife experience, quickly changed the subject.

“Oh my, I’ll get you something to wear. Just wait a moment.”

She went back inside and brought out a cardigan.

It couldn’t cover her whole body, but it hid the boldly exposed lines.

“Th-thank you.”

“Oh, no need for formalities, just come on in.”

The problem was solved as Jin-sook grabbed Seolha’s hand and pulled her inside.

Seolha, entering the house in a fluster, was first greeted by none other than Woo Hyuk, Woo min’s younger brother.

“Se-Seolha-nim!”

Woo Hyuk was startled when he saw her and shouted.

Was he really that happy?

He flopped down on the seat.

Next came Woo min’s father, Jin-su, who came out wearing socks.

“Oh, I heard from Woo min.”

He shook hands with Seolha and gave Woo min a subtle glance.

“P-pleased to meet you. I wonder if it’s really okay for me to come looking for you like this.”

“Oh, of course. It’s actually a pleasure.”

“Right. Seolha-nim is always welcome.”

The family exchanged greetings while taking out the gifts they had prepared.

Premium 1++ grade Korean beef was a given.

Luxury items like a Chanel Bag, a Saint Laurent Wallet, and the latest iPad.

Only high-priced items.

“I heard it’s your mother’s birthday, so I prepared a little something…”

Feeling embarrassed to come empty-handed, she had swept the nearby department store.

Definitely Korea’s number one ranking.

Such generosity.

“Oh my, what is this?”

Jin-sook was receiving a luxury bag for the first time in her life.

It was a famous Chanel.

Look at the shiny leather.

It was too precious to carry around.

Of course, others felt the same way.

Jin-su’s gift was a premium leather wallet.

Woo Hyuk, who entered university this year, had an iPad.

“Seolha, you must be tired. Please rest for a moment in my room.”

Suddenly, Seolha was pulled away from the family circle.

If she stayed there, she would be overwhelmed by their questions.

With their scatterbrained family personalities, they would bombard her with all sorts of inquiries.

Let’s protect Seolha.

Opening the door, Woo Hyuk gently pushed Seolha inside.

The family looked at them with reluctant eyes but pretended not to notice.

Bbiee!

Bbyak—

Pachi pachi!

Inside the room, Seolha was greeted by the three eldest pets.

Bbyak fluttered his wings.

Somi’s ears stood up straight.

And Toto wagged his short front legs.

“Squ, squirrel!”

Seolha’s expression softened completely as if all her tension had disappeared upon seeing Toto for the first time.

She sat down on the floor with her knees bent, and the three siblings hurried over and snuggled into her arms.

Then they rubbed their faces against hers.

“You guys aren’t really demonic beasts, are you?”

“What’s its name?”

“Toto. It joined us just a few days ago.”

“Toto, huh.”

Seolha gently stroked the head of the unfamiliar Toto, murmuring.

She had almost thought about leaving just moments ago, but seeing the adorable beasts was truly healing.

She was glad she had come.

“Oh, this is perfect timing. I was going to give you a usage ticket as well.”

“A usage ticket?”

As Seolha played with the three siblings, he subtly handed her a ticket.

Seolha tilted her head and looked at me with a smile.

“Just try using it for now. I don’t have enough magic stones to give you a free usage ticket, but I’ll give it to you first when I have time later.”

“…Okay.”

She didn’t know what it was exactly, but it was a gift from Woo min.

Without hesitation, she ripped the ticket.

Instantly, a new skill was registered.

“Pyeongya Entry.”

Using the skill skillfully, she teleported with a blue glow.

Woo min also followed Seolha and entered the plain.

There, Seolha, who had arrived first, was standing blankly.

“This is inside the tower…”

With a bewildered expression, she looked around.

Entry to the tower was allowed once a day.

She had already climbed repeatedly to the 46th floor this morning, so how was she inside again?

At that moment,

Something jumped up from the bushes.

The first earth rabbit revealed itself.

It waved a paw at me and Seolha.

“Is that Somi?”

No.

It looked similar but was slightly different from Somi.

“This is the land I got as a reward from the tower. It’s a hidden plain, and right now, our three siblings and the earth rabbits live here together.”

What?

She looked at Woo min with an expression of disbelief.

Of course.

Bbiee!

Bbiee bbiee!

Her eyes were instantly drawn to the crowd of approaching land rabbits.

“You’re so cute.”

Seolha grabbed her chest.

They were deadly.

Not just one.

There must be at least fifty at a glance.

The cuteness was fifty times multiplied.

So was the amount of damage.

“I wish I could give you a free usage ticket to come in anytime, but I don’t have enough magic stones right now.”

Woo min spoke while organizing the rabbits before Seolha, who was surrounded and might collapse under the cuteness.

Magic stones.

Now that he thought about it, Seolha was carrying quite a lot herself.

“Magic stones? I actually have some.”

“Really?”

Seolha was Korea’s undisputed number one ranking.

The magic stones she received as rewards alone exceeded one ton per day.

Not just tower rewards.

She also earned a fair amount through gate defenses.

Most of it she sold through the association, but if Woo min needed it, the story changed.

He could provide as much as necessary.

Money?

He had more than enough.

No time to spend it anyway.

“Wait a moment.”

After checking her inventory briefly,

Rumble rumble rumble.

She dumped out the magic stones.

“Only what I got today.”

“Th-this much?”

A whopping 1.5 tons.

1,500 kg of magic stones casually poured out.

First, let’s give her the free usage ticket.

“If you use this, you can enter anytime. Even if I’m not here, the land rabbits will welcome you.”

Bbiee!

Then the first earth rabbit nodded.

They said not to worry.

They would be ready to welcome her anytime.

“Really, any time is okay?”

“Of course. Naturally.”

Hearing Woo min’s answer, Seolha silently nodded.

An entrance ticket worth more than money.

She really was glad she came.

***

A fresh Monday morning.

Dohyun, who had just returned from the U.S., greeted the team members with a tired face.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Yes, team leader.”

Good morning my foot.

They hadn’t even rested over the weekend because of work.

“Maknae, go buy coffee for the team. And bring some cake they want too.”

“Yes.”

Dohyun handed the card to the youngest.

The exhausted staff had nothing else he could do for them.

The maknae trudged out with the card.

Then Seo Rin approached.

Lately, due to frequent gate rampages, time was short.

Maybe that’s why her skin looked rough and her face swollen.

“Team leader, we got a call from the police department.”

“Really? Got it.”

As expected, it was coming.

The police department wouldn’t let this incident pass quietly.

Young Cheol, who risked everything to protect them, was watching with sharp eyes.

Honestly, there was nothing to feel guilty about.

If they said it was a no-show caused by a system error, it would probably be overlooked.

There was no evidence, and even the records left on the system had all been deleted.

Knowing this in advance, Dohyun took the prepared file and sighed as he headed to the police department.

Located on the eighth floor of the same building, the police department was a place he visited at least once a day because of the stubborn chief.

Knock knock knock—

He knocked on the chief’s office door with practiced skill, hearing Young Cheol’s voice.

“Come in already.”

His voice trembled oddly.

Opening the door, Dohyun saw him sitting on the sofa.

Next to him stood a woman he had never seen before.

“Oh, what is this about?”

“I heard you were looking for me when I was on a business trip.”

Dohyun handed over the file.

“Y-yeah, that’s right. At the agricultural high school store.”

Something felt strange.

Like they were watching the woman beside him.

“I haven’t seen this person before.”

“Hello. I’m Mitsuru, dispatched from Japan to provide education for the Global Association branch.”

She bowed with an emotionless gaze.

“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you.”

Dohyun extended his hand toward Mitsuru.

But Young Cheol stopped him.

“Uh, you better leave quickly. You’re on probation after all.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

They let it slide, which was suspicious.

Normally, Young Cheol would have been shouting at the top of his lungs.

It looked really suspicious.

“Maybe you caught a cold. You don’t seem well today.”

“C-cold. That’s right. It’s been getting cold lately. You should take care of yourself too.”

Young Cheol smiled awkwardly and hurriedly sent them off.

But Dohyun wasn’t going to let it go so easily.

“Well, I bought some souvenirs from my business trip.”

“Enough already, just get out.”

Trying to withstand, Young Cheol’s complexion gradually turned pale.

He looked like he was about to collapse at any moment.

At that moment,

“I think you should leave now.”

It was Mitsuru who grabbed Dohyun’s wrist.

An odd aura.

She was no ordinary secretary.

Something was going on.

But there was no use continuing this now.

For today, it had to end here.

“Alright then. Chief, let’s have a drink sometime.”

“Ah, alright.”

Dohyun left the chief’s office with a suspicious expression.

Then,

Thud—

Young Cheol suddenly dropped to his knees.

“I-I did what you told me. Please keep your promise.”

He looked like he was about to die.

His pale face and lips looked like he was poisoned.

Stomp.

Mitsuru kicked Young Cheol’s head coldly with her foot.

“Didn’t I tell you to move naturally?”

“B-but…”

Young Cheol’s body trembled slightly where her foot was.

Fear.

He was completely terrified in front of the woman.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again next time. So please…”

“This is the last time. You’re still useful.”

After saying that, she took her foot off Young Cheol’s head.

Then,

Pam! Grang.

She dropped a small glass vial.

When the liquid inside spilled onto the floor, Young Cheol quickly sat up.

His pale complexion and unsteady breathing returned to normal.

“Thank you very much.”

Mitsuru had completely captured Young Cheol.

In the Korean Association, a mysterious wind was blowing.