He took out his smartphone and slowly removed his horn-rimmed glasses.

When he took off the glasses, his black eyes changed to jade green. Nan made a phone call with the smartphone.
After several beeps, a clicking sound followed. Nan spoke in a dry voice.

“There’s a religion claiming to represent Mago. Investigate it within 2 hours.”

A voice came from the other end, that of a craftsman at the can market making and selling sword handles.

[Yes. I’ll check with nearby merchants. You can expect a reply in an hour. Oh, by the way, it’s my brother who went to the military shrine. He’ll be back soon. How about visiting here once?]

“He said to visit the temple. I’m curious about the mess that happened upstairs.”

With a thud, Nan hung up the phone and called another number.

After a few beeps, a taxi driver answered the call.

“Mago’s father. Trace his movements today and bring the final destination within 4 hours.”

[Hi, Mr. Sa! How do you see us? Two hours! Just wait for exactly 2 hours~]

Nan hung up the phone and put his smartphone into the suit pocket. The farther from Seoul, the slower the recovery was. Among them, the southern regions had to create their own survival methods.

Whether it was Yeongnam or Honam, it didn’t matter. In the southern regions, outsiders’ whereabouts and activities could be confirmed within 4 hours.

Twenty years ago, there was still a lingering caution towards the hunters from the capital region who had tried to dominate this place with their power.

The people in the south had ten eyes, the derogatory term they were called by those from the capital region.
Nan, taking a break from walking, sat down on a nearby bench. It was a moment of rest before the information arrived.

At times like this, the memory of their first encounter always came to mind.

“Oh, please stay still. Moving will only make it worse.”

“What on earth is happening right now…?”

Twenty years ago, during the height of his vitality in Busan, Nan found himself tied up in turquoise threads, lying on the floor unable to move.

Above him, a woman with long brown curly hair was holding the end of the thread, pressing his chest tightly with her shoe.

Despite her petite stature, she possessed incredible strength. Nan could immediately discern her identity. The top-ranked in South Korea, the incarnation of the Supreme, the turquoise monk, Kang Hana.

“Oh dear, do you think I’d do this willingly? It’s all because of your mother’s request. Well, live properly~”

“What do you think you understand by doing this?”

“Just, be quiet, will you?”

With a squelching sound, she exerted force on Nan’s chest with the foot she had placed there. Feeling his lungs being compressed, Nan barely managed to exhale.

Hana slowly bent down, looking at Nan from a distance as if her face was about to touch his.

Turquoise eyes filled her gaze.

Startled, Nan looked back at Hana, who, with a sly smile, said, “Look at this; there might be some potential here.”

“What are you talking about?”

With a swish, she unfolded a turquoise fan. Under the handle, turquoise decorations dangled.

Hana’s eyes became empty.

“Perhaps… the ending could change.”
I couldn’t understand what she was saying. However, in the completely different and dry atmosphere from just a moment ago, Nan swallowed hard.

Swinging the fan in her hand gently, she looked at Nan and said, “Let’s make a contract.”

“A contract?”

“I’m going to forcibly contract you as the Seat of Power.”

Seat of Power. At those words, Nan blinked and made a bewildered expression.

“A mere incarnation making a contract as the Seat of Power? Don’t joke around. Even a five-year-old would know that’s impossible.”

“Oh no? I can do it.”

Swiftly, Hana took something out of her inventory.

A ceremonial dagger with a large jade embedded in it.

Just when Nan briefly thought of her walking around with jade decorations like her own pseudonym, Hana chuckled.

“Let’s see, I think this one suits you. Conveniently, the name is the same too.”

“…What? Ugh…!”

With a squelch, she stabbed Nan’s right shoulder with the dagger.

In the sharp pain of the piercing dagger, he tightly closed his eyes.

Turquoise threads entered through the pierced right shoulder.

“It hurts, but endure it a little.”

“What is this now…! Ugh, what are you doing?!”

Hana casually pulled out the dagger, then probed the wound on his shoulder with her hand. Feeling the wound being agitated, Nan let out a loud scream.

“Just stay still for a moment! Do you think I’m doing this just for my own pleasure?!”

Once again, she stomped on Nan’s abdomen. After fumbling around for a while, she pulled out a green bead from Nan’s wound.
No, it wasn’t a bead, but rather a light cluster that looked like beads.

“Huh…”

She looked at the light cluster as if annoyed.

Shaking her hand a few times to flick away the blood, she swept her disheveled hair up.

“Done! Look at this. This is your soul. It looks pretty. It’s green like your mother; I like green.”

Without caring about the blood-soaked hair, she looked straight at Nan and showed the green light cluster.

In that sight, Nan forgot all about the pain, holding his breath.

He felt an animalistic chill, as if she could kill him if she wanted.

She softly smiled and said, “I’ll change your fate, Nan.”

“…There’s no offer without a cost.”

At his words, Hana laughed as if amused. With a rattling sound, the turquoise light faintly spread in all directions.

[Exclusive Divinity Trait: ‘Guardian of Order, the Divine Being with a Calling’ is activated!] [Utilizing the power of the Seat ‘Tae Sang Gae Cheon Jip Bu Eol Yeok Ham Jin Che Do Gum Goo Gyuk Yeok Eo Man Do Moo Wi Tong Myung Dae Jeon Ho Cheon Gum Gae Cheon Jok Haeng Goo Gae Cheon Jok Haeng Daek Cheon Jon Hyun Goo Gae Cheon Go Sang Je’]

“If I die, please take care of my daughter.”

Even with a sad expression, Hana smiled as if relieved.

At that time, Nan didn’t understand, but now he thought she seemed like someone who foresaw her own death back then.