The S-Class Guide As Sweet As Honey ( ENG)

Chapter 53

Italics- Jin Hyo-seop

Bold- Andante

As Jin hyo-seop examined the inside of the office, he was secretly nervous about what kind of amazing scenery might unfold. Fortunately, the interior was mundane—a typical office space, appropriately sized and cozy. The only issue was the musty smell of dust and an unpleasant, indeterminate odor from disuse.

"Please come in, though I don't have much to offer," Andante said with a small smile as he led Jin hyo-seop inside. Jin hyo-seop, still curious, decided to ask a question that had been on his mind.

"So, where is the sea?"

He was certain their office was supposed to be by the sea.

"Right here."

With a swoosh, the faded curtain was drawn open, and a gasp escaped Jin hyo-seop. He stared out at the sea beyond the window, realizing that he hadn't sensed the sea's presence or its smell until now. Instead, a dark, night-time sea stretched out before him.

"What is this..."

"This is also a result of the S-rank dungeon's influence. The seawater has taken root in the center of this city. Even though it looks stagnant, it's connected to the ocean."

Andante pointed to a dark gate visible through the window. It seemed that water flowed from there, giving the appearance of a lake, though listening closely, one could hear the waves crashing. Jin hyo-seop was captivated by the water's ebb and flow.

A city flooded with seawater due to the gate. A ghost city, uninhabited by humans. Surrounded by black water and a city of the dead. Many names came to mind, all pointing to one conclusion—a place few dared to enter or even approach.

"Are we in the underworld?"

Jin hyo-seop had suspected this when he first entered the desolate street, but he hadn't expected it to be the case when Andante led him to the office. After all, having an office in the underworld implied...

"Yes."

Andante smiled widely, his hair appearing darker in the dim surroundings.

"This is the underworld. And we have established our base here."

Jin hyo-seop swallowed nervously and carefully asked, "Does this mean that Noapi is affiliated with the Dark Guild?"

"Well, I'd rather not be called by such a humiliating name. We're just affiliated with the underworld. I think it sounds better."

Jin hyo-seop was unable to keep quiet upon seeing Andante scrunch up his nose in distaste. The name didn't matter much. What mattered was that they were part of the Dark Guild, a criminal organization that was hard to escape once involved.

As Jin hyo-seop's gaze became increasingly troubled, Andante chuckled.

"Didn't expect this, did you?"

"Of course not. How could I..."

"It's not feasible to live as a C-rank guild while hiding the fact that you're S-rank."

Andante lightly brushed dust off a pile of papers as he continued.

"We need to launder our identities, get new names, and if we lived like a real C-rank guild, how would we obtain the desired cores? We need a stage where we can operate from behind the scenes. And this place is perfect for that."

"..."

"Usually, if you want to do something while avoiding people's eyes, it's better to take an illegal route than a legal one. Don't you think so?"