A man with a young face—he knows Vladimir's true identity.
A superhuman affiliated with Universal 8, from Russia, also known as the Prince of Blood or the Lord of the Night.
Because of that, he tries to be cautious in his words and actions, doing his best to remain composed—but in that brief moment, he lost control of his emotions.
And Vladimir noticed it.
"What's the matter, driver? You don't like what you're hearing just because your master stepped out of the car?"
"He's still a young man," Baek Chaemun said urgently.
"What, did I say something wrong?
That damn brat locked himself up saying he was training and wouldn't come out, so now I had to rush all this way. Honestly, I don't like it. If I had it my way, I'd wipe out Baek Muhak of this country, Tian Youhan of China, and that Akira bastard in Japan too."
The words were harsh, but his tone was light.
Thanks to that, the driver didn't seem to sense any real danger.
But Baek Chaemun was different.
He had known Vladimir for 50 years already.
And he had firsthand experience with how dangerous Vladimir could be.
"I'll make sure to properly educate him," he said, sweat pouring down his face.
Vladimir's brows furrowed even deeper at that.
"Relax. I'm not going to eat him. Just asking if I rub him the wrong way. Hey, answer me. Do you dislike me?"
"…No, sir," the driver answered with a stiff expression.
"Look at this punk's face. Fix your expression. I said smile. Smi~le. Yeah?"
"I'll train him thoroughly. Please…"
"I know your skills, Baek Chaemun. But maybe it's because I just got off a flight—I'm feeling a bit sensitive. Hey, driver.
This body saw that Baek Muhak brat back when he was a tiny little snot-nosed kid. And now I'm supposed to be disrespected by the dog he raised?"
"…Please don't insult my master."
The driver's voice was rigid, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
At the same time, Baek Chaemun put a hand to his forehead.
"Insult? Did you just say I insulted him, you damn little brat?"
The light from Vladimir's red eyes flared up again in an instant.
Suddenly, the driver saw a terrifying hallucination: a wild beast, like nothing he'd ever seen, charging at him madly.
It let out a predator's roar, opened its enormous jaws, and lunged to devour him.
The sight was so horrifying that his grip on the wheel loosened, and his legs began to tremble.
As the sharp stench of blood hit his nose, his heart started to pound violently.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
It was so intense, it almost hurt his chest.
But the pain didn't matter anymore.
He was going to die.
He was certain—he'd die in a gruesome, horrific state.
The fear was so overwhelming that tears and snot began flowing at the same time.
"P-please… save me…"
He whimpered instinctively, not even aware of himself. Only then did the blood-red predator in front of him disappear.
The smell of blood also faded, and the scenery returned to the road he had originally been driving on.
How much time had passed?
It felt like dozens of minutes had gone by, but the scene outside was unchanged.
In reality, the car had moved perhaps 10 meters at most.
"You okay?"
Baek Chaemun let out a deep sigh beside him and patted the driver's shoulder.
Only then did the sense of reality return to him.
And perhaps because of that, the sight of Vladimir lounging comfortably in the backseat, with his handsome face relaxed, was now absolutely terrifying.
"Would it be alright to stop the car for a moment?"
At Baek Chaemun's question, Vladimir gave a wide smile and nodded.
"Go ahead. But this guy still doesn't look too good. Loosen that face, yeah? Smile, come on? At least you didn't die, right? Smile. Life's short—you should enjoy it."
At those words, the corners of the driver's mouth slowly and painfully curled upward.
It was a clumsy smile.
***
Soohyeok had decided not to enter the Portal for a while.
The internal injuries from his fight with Park Mugi would continue to torment him if left untreated, and if he forced himself to move, they'd start eating away at his body like poison.
The best thing was to avoid getting hurt in the first place, but since he was already wounded, the only option was stable recovery.
After just one day of rest, his family was the first to show their joy.
"Our son, always running around so busily—you're home all day today. And it just so happens I have tomorrow off, too."
Now that he thought of it, it was the one day a month Jeonghee Han got off work.
"Then should we go out on a little outing nearby for a change?"
Yang Seungbon smiled brightly as he suggested it.
That was thanks to Soohyeok appearing outwardly fine.
"Sounds good. But Dad, are you okay with it?"
Soohyeok nodded without hesitation and smiled widely.
His internal injuries were bothering him a little, but not so much that he couldn't go on a walk with his family. In fact, since his discharge, he hadn't spent any meaningful time with them, so he welcomed the opportunity.
"I already told the publisher I'm taking a day off. And I told them I won't be available tonight either."
"Oh… so you two already had it all planned."
"It's not just the two of us. Sooah's off tomorrow too."
Even Sooah, who had recently started a part-time job and couldn't join them for dinners, was included in the plan. It turned out that everyone had made plans without telling Soohyeok.
"Wow, you didn't even tell me."
"What's a jobless guy got to be busy about?"
At Seungbon's dry remark, full of teasing, Soohyeok puffed out his cheeks.
"Jobless people are busy in their own way."
"Well, come to think of it, you've been getting home a bit late sometimes—even in the evening. Doesn't seem like it's just exercise…"
Seungbon narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him, and Soohyeok quickly looked away.
It was because of his late returns that his family had started getting suspicious. If he had simply come straight out of the Portal, he wouldn't have been that late—but he had to visit a bathhouse to wash away the lingering scent of battle clinging to his body.
"Son, are you hiding something?"
"Nope."
"Hmmm…"
Seungbon squinted even more.
"Ack!"
Just then, Yang Seungbon screamed when a hand suddenly smacked his back.
"That's enough. Stop it. He's a grown man—you don't need to know every little thing he does. Even as a parent, there's a limit to interference. Right, Soohyeok? Mom understands everything."
Han Jeonghee said with a smile as she withdrew her hand from Seungbon's back.
"I mean, I'm just worried, that's all. He only just woke up recently…"
"But if he stays cooped up at home all the time, it'll just wear him out more. I'm actually happy—these days I can see with my own eyes that he's getting healthier."
"Well, that's true, but…"
As always, the winner of the marital spat was Han Jeonghee.
She had been strong-willed even in her youth, so it was no surprise that now, in her later years, Yang Seungbon couldn't do much against her.
"Anyway, ahem, what I'm saying is, let's go somewhere nearby tomorrow—like Hangang Park. Maybe watch a movie, eat out."
"I love it. If we eat out, that means no setting the table tomorrow!"
"Right. Mom's off kitchen duty. I'm in."
"Soohyeok?"
Han Jeonghee's smile had a strangely threatening edge to it.
Feeling the pressure from her presence, Soohyeok quickly scratched the back of his head and added,
"I mean, I'm happy because it means Mom won't be tired. No other meaning behind it."
"Hehe, that's my boy. Only my son understands me."
"Okay, okay. Dinner's out, but we'll need a packed lunch for the day."
"You're going to make it, right?"
"Dad's making it, right?"
The question came from both directions at once.
Han Jeonghee also gave Soohyeok a look of encouragement, but it was well known that Yang Seungbon's food tasted far better.
"Of course. I'll show off the skills of the family's head chef."
Yang Seungbon rolled up his sleeves with confidence.
***
The next morning, early dawn—Yang Seungbon chopping away at the cutting board marked the start of the family's short vacation.
"Alright, everyone up and get ready. Breakfast is omelet rice!"
"Ooh, omurice! No wonder the smell of fried rice was so good."
Woken by the sound of cooking, Soohyeok sat up and walked out of his room, voice filled with excitement.
"Time to show off the family head chef's skills."
Looking like a culinary king, Yang Seungbon lifted a frying pan in one hand and began tossing its contents in style.
As Soohyeok sat watching him, Jeonghee and Sua also emerged from the same room one after another.
"Thanks to you, I feel like life is worth living again. Ah, I love the smell of food."
"Yeah, I like it best when Dad cooks."
With the women joining them in the living room, the space suddenly felt cramped.
Then again, the "living room" was really just a tiny area connected to the kitchen.
With the added heat from the stove, the room felt quite warm even though the weather outside was cool.
It wasn't uncomfortable—after all, he was with family—but Soohyeok couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious.
His bank account balance crept into his thoughts.
'About 500 million won left…'
After buying the ATV and earning more over time, a good sum had accumulated.
With a small loan, he could definitely afford a 30-pyeong (about 1,000 square feet) apartment that wasn't too old. That size would be more than enough for a family of four. The kitchen and living room would be properly separated, and there'd be at least three bedrooms.
'Maybe I should just come out with it and move forward while I can…'
Greed stirred within him.
Maybe Sooah sensed it.
She made eye contact and shook her head.
Soohyeok agreed silently.
With Seungbon's sensitive nature, the shock might be enough to knock him over.
Even Jeonghee, who tried to treat him like an adult and respect his independence, probably wouldn't take it well.
They'd inevitably worry that the son who was once in a vegetative state might disappear again.
In moments like that, reason is no match for emotion.
Soohyeok had no choice but to sigh inwardly and set his desire aside.
'Besides, I have other things to spend money on anyway.'
He couldn't use the money for the family or the house just yet, but that didn't mean he had nothing to spend it on.
Park Moogi had warned him: Universal 8 was on the move.
He didn't know how things would develop with them, but it was obvious—without power, he'd end up a pawn, not a player.
He needed strength. Enough to rival or even threaten each of the Universal 8.
And the fastest way to get it… was to spend money.
'Hold on. I need to hold on.'
As Soohyeok smacked his lips in frustration, the mother and daughter turned on the TV and began chatting