Episode 81 – The Debt of Life
Kim Do-hyun sat stiffly in the leather chair that felt far too expensive for him, even though his body still carried the aches of recovery. The office around him didn't resemble what he expected from a guild headquarters at all. There were no walls covered in glowing weapon racks, no trophy shelves stuffed with monster cores, no flashy aura stones humming with power. Instead, the space felt quiet, almost reverent. Large framed paintings covered the walls, each stroke heavy with emotion, as if whoever painted them had tried to bleed memory into canvas rather than impress visitors.
The faint scent of drying oil paints clung to the air, mixing oddly with the polished wood smell of the floorboards. The captain of Candace Guild, Han Sen, sat before one of the unfinished canvases, brush dangling between his fingers, gaze unfocused on the half-drawn figure of a girl whose features were still missing. He wasn't painting anymore. He was staring.
