Chapter 49 – Chameleons

Boss, the leader of the Chameleon Troupe.

After observing their target, Lee Shin, she walked until she reached an artifical forest. When she was certain the area was secure, she quietly murmured, "You didn't mention that he had a child."

Jain's voice echoed from the ground. "His records don't say he did. Either it's a recent thing, or he's so careful that even we can't find anything about her past a month ago when her birth certificate was filed and backdated."

"...Backdated?"

"Yep. Seems like it must be a pretty big secret~ Though, considering how much that girl looks like the Princess of England..."

"I see." Boss nodded. "Then we will conquer England."

"...Are you serious?"

Boss leaned against a tree and said, "He immediately saw me. Not only that, he wasn't phased by my pressure. And when I subtly nudged him with my shadows, they dispersed."

"...Oh. He's the real deal then. The actual key to killing 'that man.'"

"Yes." Boss nodded. "So if it is necessary, Chameleon Troupe will conquer England and offer its princess to Lee Shin if he will join us."

Jain hummed, and the sound of clattering keys from a keyboard echoed. "...Have you considered just talking to him?"

Boss blinked. "...What?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, he seems to be a pretty straightforward person. And he doesn't have any real attachments. Orphaned, no friends, a private life... the only thing he seems to care about is that princess and his daughter there. If we offer to take care of them, he'll probably say yes."

"..."

"...Did you not think about that, Boss?"

Boss furrowed her brow. "...Of course I did. I definitely did."

"...Pft."

At that time, heavy footsteps approached and then a man with bulky muscles approached. Letting out an imposing voice, he said, "I'm back, Boss."

Boss turned to look at him and said, "Cheok Jungyeong. Did you finish watching the first years already?"

"Yep." Cheok Jungyeong cracked his neck and said, "I was going to watch the second years... but the first years caught my eye. That Suho kid. He's not bad."

Jain's voice echoed. "Not bad? Coming from you, that means he's outstanding."

Cheok Jungyeong chuckled. "Not yet. Maybe in a year or two. But he has fighting spirit. That Jonghak kid though... he's barely passable. Maybe if he gets beaten into the ground a few more times."

Boss hummed, listening to the evaluation of the two supposedly ideal candidates from the first years. "...I see. And Chae Nayun?"

Considering that the Immortal's granddaughter had climbed her way to Rank 2, Boss was curious about what Cheok Jungyeong thought about her.

But before Cheok Jungyeong could say anything, Jain spoke up.

"Eh?" Jain's voice echoed. "Boss. You saw her."

Boss blinked. "...I did?"

"Yeah. She was the girl with Lee Shin."

"...The child?"

"No, the-" Jain's voice trailed off. "...Did you not see her, Boss?"

Boss frowned. "...See who? All I saw was Lee Shin with his daughter."

"...Wait a minute." Furious clattering echoed. And then Jain said, "I sent you a clip of some footage from a drone, Boss. Look at it for me, please."

Boss's frown deepened. But she pulled out her phone and played the footage back.

Like she remembered, there was Lee Shin holding his daughter, Evandel.

But then Boss's obsidian eyes widened. "...That girl was not there."

Chae Nayun. A young girl with light brown hair and brown eyes. She was smiling and standing next to Lee Shin with a casual air.

But Boss had not seen her.

"...Jain. Did she have anything like Siren's Necklace on her?"

"No, Boss. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any magical artifacts on at all."

Boss stilled. Then she murmured, "...Does that mean the Immortal's Gift was passed on?"

Chae Nayun's grandfather, Chae Joochul, was a legendary figure. A man who was so entrenched in the Hero Association and the Hero industry, the Chae family was effectively unstoppable.

And one of the main reasons for that was his combat power, born from a Gift that resonated with nature itself, granting control over earth, wind, water, and fire.

Although not to the level of Lee Shin, who managed to peer through even a high-ranked perception distorting artifact like Siren's Necklace at a glance, Boss had high perception. Even if she didn't, she had a high sensitivity to magical power.

And yet, while seemingly staring directly at Chae Nayun, Boss hadn't seen her.

"Hoh?" Cheok Jungyeong sounded impressed. "To dodge Boss's gaze... That's pretty impressive. Maybe I should take a look at Chae Nayun properly..."

Jain's voice echoed. "As long as you just look. Even if the Immortal's losing his emotions, his family is his bottom line. Unless you want him hunting us all down..."

Cheok Jungyeong's eyes flashed with anticipation.

But Boss shut him down. "No."

"...Of course, Boss. I'm not stupid." Cheok Jungyeong chuckled. "...It might be fun. But even I know I'll be killed against that monster."

Boss nodded. "As long as you know."

Cheok Jungyeong cracked his neck. "...But that Lee Shin guy. Can I take a close look at him? Test him out?"

Boss paused, weighing the pros and cons. Then she said, "...When he isn't with his daughter."

"Obviously. I don't harm children, Boss." Cheok Jungyeong nodded and then headed off.

Boss remained in the forest clearing, lost in thought.

Jain's voice echoed and she said, "Sorry Boss. I have something else to do, so I'll be busy for a bit. If you need me though, text me."

"...Got it."

After that, Boss was alone.

She stayed leaning against the tree for a while and thought about the situation a bit more.

'Lee Shin...'

An American, orphaned in Korea due to a Djinn attack, lost to the foster care system...

He wasn't involved in 'that' incident.

Jain had confirmed it.

By all circumstances, he should just be an ordinary Cube Cadet.

'But he saw me. And he wasn't afraid.'

She was sure of it.

Lee Shin had immediately seen her observing him. He assessed her threat level and intentions. Then, when he realized she was harmless, he had immediately put her out of mind.

Not out of ignorance, but out of deliberate action.

Because he had decided his daughter was more important.

For a brief moment, Boss remembered someone. The man who took her in and taught her everything.

The same man killed by 'that person.'

And the reason why Boss was adamant on spending everything to pull Lee Shin to the Chameleon Troupe, even if it meant conquering England and stealing their princess as an opening offer.

"Bell." Boss murmured. "...This time. You will die."

===

Lee noticed someone watching them. A heavy gaze.

Not quite malicious, but also not simple curiosity.

And although he tried to shake it by taking Evandel and Nayun on a long trek through the campus, buying his daughter all sorts of snacks, the gaze didn't fade, only grew more intense.

So after making an excuse about needing to use the bathroom, and handing Evandel for Nayun to watch for a bit, he made his way through the crowd and around the back to an empty lot behind some buildings.

The moment he did, a towering man with hulking muscles appeared from the shadows, wearing a tank top and dark jeans.

Looking at Lee, he said, "Your perception... it's better than mine. How did you see me when I was miles away until now?"

Lee stared at the mysterious man, gauging the threat.

'This guy...'

A body trained to the extreme, and from physical training alone. One with muscles honed for martial arts and combat, not show.

'...He's like me.'

That was the conclusion Lee had after a single glance.

A man who walked like he didn't fear death because he knew his body inside and out. One who had trained to the limits because he was chasing the pinnacle.

...And a man who held traces of swordsmanship in the subtle ways he carried his body.

Seeing that, Lee was quiet. Then he said, "Why did you abandon the sword?"

The man paused. Then his gaze sharpened to look at Lee. "...I could say the same thing to you." His eyes swept up and down on Lee's body before he said, "...That body's used to a spear. But you have it too. The air of a swordsman... just like me. Interesting."

That was the only warning.

In the next, a fist was in front of Lee's face.

But-

> Lightning Rush activates!

-Lee slipped to the side and threw a knife hand towards the man's heart.

It was a slowed world. One where time was at a snail's pace.

...But that monstrous man was moving at normal speed, shifting his fist into knife hand as well before sending it down to cut at Lee's arm.

Lee couldn't move to deflect it without damaging his body.

As much as he hated to admit it, that man's physique was better.

But he didn't need to deflect it either.

A broken or severed arm could be easily remedied.

That man losing a heart could not.

So Lee continued.

But just before he pierced the man's heart, Lee stopped his attack.

Because the man had as well.

"...You're good." The man laughed and stepped back, eliminating any hostile intent.

Lee paused and then stepped back too. "And you're impossibly strong. Just what kind of bullshit training- No, what kinds of things did you eat to get that physique?"

It wasn't jsut training.

Lee knew that for sure because the training that Lee Shin did before Lee got here was already the utmost limits of human strength.

To get to that monstrous man's level... there were definitely divine elixirs, magical artifacts, or other things involved to bring him up to that level.

"Cheok Jungyeong."

Lee blinked. Then his eyes sharpened. "...Cheok Jungyeong? Goryeo's First Sword?" He laughed and said, "...Fate must be pretty funny. Your namesake arrested someone with the same name as me only to be exiled and die in obscurity."

Cheok Jungyeong snorted. "As if that rat could even hold a candle to someone like you." He hummed, giving Lee another once over. "...Boss will probably come to say hi. Think about the offer. We'll give you whatever you need."

After leaving those words, he vanished.

...No.

He didn't vanish.

He kicked off the ground and moved at such a high speed it seemed like he vanished.

Lee watched Cheok Jungyeong vanish and clicked his tongue. "...Okay. I'll do the damned paperwork for using elixirs and other consumables. Screw this. If people like that are hanging around this world, I need to get stronger, ASAP."

===

Back at the forest, Boss was still waiting there, lost in thought.

"Oh good. You're still here, Boss."

Boss blinked and saw Cheok Jungyeong reemerge. "...Back already?"

"Mmhm. You're right. We should definitely get Lee Shin onboard. He's like me."

Boss paused and narrowed her eyes. "Like you how?"

Cheok Jungyeong grinned. "How else?" He pointed at himself and said, "He's a reincarnator too."

"What?" Boss blinked. "Who?"

Cheok Jungyeong laughed. "I was confused at first since he seemed to use a sword... but there's no mistaking it. That stance, that aura, the way his eyes pressured me and his ki engulfed me as he struck with godly speed... And even his name." Cheok Jungyeong grinned and said, "It's God Spear Li."