Chapter 318: Ironclad (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 318: Ironclad (2)
For a moment, I was speechless.
What did he just say?
My mind raced, trying to process why Cheol Jiseon would drop this bombshell in the middle of our meal.
The Meteor Sword had asked him for help in a mission to kill me.
And Cheol Jiseon had decided to confess it all to my face.
His invitation to eat had been unexpected enough that I’d canceled my plans with Moyong Hi-ah to be here. But this? I hadn't seen this coming at all.
As I sat there, a single question echoed in my mind.
Why?
It wasn’t that I was unaware of Jang Seonyeon’s scheming. I’d already been informed by Pe Woocheol that the Meteor Sword had approached Cheol Jiseon days ago. Even without that heads-up, I would have expected it. Given what happened in my past life, Jang Seonyeon concocting a plan to harm me was inevitable. The only difference was that last time, his target had been the Sleeping Dragon.
But unlike the Sleeping Dragon, who had ignored him, I had no intention of sitting idly by. That single change had undoubtedly spurred Jang Seonyeon to act sooner. I wasn't certain of his exact methods, but judging by his attitude, I was confident he wouldn't wait long.
Frankly, I preferred it that way. I wanted him to make his move. For that to happen, he needed to approach Cheol Jiseon. The key to everything lay in Cheol Jiseon’s hands.
Which was precisely why I was so confused. Why would Cheol Jiseon betray Jang Seonyeon and tell me everything?
“Why are you telling me this…?” I finally asked.
“Because we are friends…?” he replied.
I almost smirked. Friends? Did he really believe that just because I’d called him that? The irony was that I was sure neither of us actually bought it. I kept him close because he was useful, but did he genuinely consider me a friend? Unlikely.
“Right, we are friends,” I said, chewing on a side dish as I studied him.
His pupils were trembling, the emotions behind them unreadable.
“But that’s not enough reason for you to tell me this,” I pressed. “You seem to have a better one. I wonder what it is.”
If Jang Seonyeon had made the same offer he did in my past life, then Cheol Jiseon must have had a compelling reason to side with him. So why throw that away and come to me? Just because we were “friends”? I wasn’t some naive fool.
It was hard to take him at his word. As my question hung in the air, Cheol Jiseon’s pupils trembled again. He must have agonized over this decision, but that didn’t mean I would go easy on him.
Just as I was about to press him further, he spoke again.
“…When you heard this from me,” Cheol Jiseon began, his nervous gaze locking onto mine, “you didn’t ask why it was happening. You asked why I was telling you.”
“…Hmm?” That came out of left field.
“It’s almost like… you already knew this would happen…”
“…!”
His words struck a critical point. My eyes widened slightly in surprise. That was a mistake on my part, a tiny crack in my composure. Now I was starting to see him in a new light.
This bastard? Had I underestimated him?
“How can you be so sure?” I asked.
“I’m not. It’s just a thought. But…” His pupils slowly steadied as he spoke. “It feels like what I’m thinking might actually be true.”
“…Woah.”
“You… you hate the Meteor Sword. You despise him.”
“Why do you think that?”
“There isn’t anyone in the Academy that doesn’t know that.”
He had a point. The whole Academy knew about the scene I’d caused with his group and my very public argument with the Meteor Sword. The rumors that spawned from it were nonsense—claims that I felt guilty or was jealous of him. How ridiculous.
Though, one thing was true.
“Yes, I hate that bastard. But what’s wrong with that?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it. However, it does help me in my current decision.”
“Decision,” he said. I noted the word.
“Hating him isn’t enough of a reason for you to rat him out.”
“Snow Phoenix.”
That got my full attention.
“Poison Phoenix… Sword Dancer, Sleeping Dragon, Sword Dragon…”
“What are you—?”
“The descendant of the Sword Venerable… and even the Dragon Warrior.”
A strange, cold energy seemed to radiate from Cheol Jiseon’s fidgeting fingers.
“It’s the people around you. Having just one of them as a friend would be an incredible achievement, yet you stand at the center of them all.”
It sounded like he’d done his homework, but he was really just stating the obvious. Still, why bring this up now? Cheol Jiseon’s pupils were completely steady.
“All the rumors about you make you seem terrifying and cruel. Your face, too.”
“Hey, did you have to mention my face? Do you want to die?”
“…Sorry.”
The comment irked me, if only for a second.
“But despite that, everyone around you is pure and impressive…”
“So what? You think it’s weird that they’re around me, even with all those shitty rumors?”
“Yes, very.”
“Then what do you want me to—?”
“It’s strange that those rumors even exist, considering the people around you.”
He tapped the table repeatedly, watching me with an inscrutable look.
“On the other hand, the rumors about the Meteor Sword feel oddly off when it comes to you.”
As Cheol Jiseon continued, his demeanor shifted, growing colder and more serious.
“The biggest thing… is that you keep me by your side.”
I crossed my arms. “So what?”
“…From the entrance exams until now, you’ve kept me close.”
How amusing. I’d only ever thought of him as a bastard with a unique power. Since when had he become so observant?
“The Meteor Sword warned me about you and asked for my help to kill you. Despite that, you continued to keep me close. That means I must have some value to you.”
“Since when? When did you start thinking about this?”
“Ever since… the Meteor Sword approached me.”
So it hadn’t been long. Cheol Jiseon was proving to be much sharper than I’d given him credit for. Reading the situation was one thing; being certain was another level entirely.
“You need me,” Cheol Jiseon stated.
“That’s right, I do,” I confirmed, not bothering to deny it. There was no point. I needed him. More specifically, I needed the power he possessed.
“So,” I said, leaning forward to lock eyes with him. “Why are you telling me all of this?”
“…Because you asked why I told you what Jang Seonyeon said.”
“All of that is interesting, but it’s not enough of a reason to betray that bastard from the Taeryung Clan. There’s something more.”
All he had done was point out my history with Jang Seonyeon and my need for him. That wasn't sufficient reason to choose my side. Jang Seonyeon needed Cheol Jiseon, too, and had likely promised him anything he wanted. So why choose me? I didn't even know what Cheol Jiseon desired, and I had no intention of giving it to him.
Cheol Jiseon paused before answering.
“…The Meteor Sword didn’t feel good.”
“Feel?”
“Yes… Something felt off about him.”
He didn’t feel good? That was a simplistic way to choose sides. If Cheol Jiseon were as immature as I’d thought, he might have sided with Jang Seonyeon. But he was turning out to be different.
“Also—” He seemed to have another reason, so I pushed him.
“…Also?”
Cheol Jiseon started trembling again, but this was different from his earlier nervousness. A palpable fear seeped into his shaking shoulders and quivering pupils.
Why such a reaction?
“The Meteor Sword threatened me, but you…”
“Me…?” I urged, my arms still crossed.
Cheol Jiseon answered with his eyes shut tight, as if he couldn’t bear to look at me.
“…It felt like you were going to kill me.”
In the rowdy cafeteria, that chilling phrase hung in the air. No one else heard it; I’d set up a barrier the moment he started talking about Jang Seonyeon.
I turned his words over in my mind.
Kill you, huh.
Why did he think that? I’d done my best to be kind. I was less shocked by the accusation itself and more by the fact that he had figured it out.
How did he know?
The fact that I planned to dispose of Jang Seonyeon—and Cheol Jiseon along with him. His perceptiveness was surprising. I thought I’d hidden it well.
…How fascinating.
I’d written him off as a whiny, weak crybaby. Unexpectedly, he was far more observant.
“Why would you think that? I had no plan to kill you,” I said with a smile.
Cheol Jiseon didn’t seem convinced. Sure, I’d killed a few people since my regression, but not so many that killing intent constantly clung to me. Seriously, how did he know? I doubted he’d answer that, though.
“Fine, let’s say I did plan to kill you.” I paused, letting the silence stretch. “But friend,” I slid my chair back slightly, shifting my posture, “do you think I won’t kill you now just because you chose my side?”
“…”
“I don’t think you believe such a thing.”
I thought highly of Cheol Jiseon’s power, but it came with inherent risks. It was a power that transcended martial arts, difficult to control from the start. I needed it, but the truth was, I planned to dispose of him once I got what I needed. It would make my future much easier.
“Plus, don’t you think Jang Seonyeon would do the same?”
“…The Meteor Sword would use me until the end.”
“But not me?”
“…Yes.”
“How strange. Then you should’ve taken Jang Seonyeon’s side to have a higher chance of survival.”
It would have been the logical choice—stay alive, even if it meant being used forever. I couldn’t understand why he’d come to me, knowing I intended to kill him.
Cheol Jiseon’s hands shook as he responded to my smirk.
“It’s all pointless if you beat the Meteor Sword anyway.”
“Friend, why do you speak as if I’m going to kill everyone? That’s scary.”
I hadn’t expected this from Cheol Jiseon. Since when was he so sharp? I’d thought him completely incompetent.
Maybe it was because his opponent was Zhuge Hyuk? Being compared to the brain of the Demonic Cult would make anyone seem lacking. But now, this was becoming a hassle. I hadn't anticipated him figuring everything out.
In short, he believed I would defeat Jang Seonyeon and preferred to take his chances with me rather than be killed as collateral damage.
“But why should I accept you?” I asked.
“Because I’m useful.”
“How narcissistic of you.”
He was useful, alright. The problem was, I didn’t yet know how to utilize his power effectively. I stared at him for a long moment, then decided to shift the conversation. Perhaps I could learn more about the other side, now that things had developed this way.
“There is one thing I keep failing to comprehend.”
“…What is it?”
“You said Jang Seonyeon asked for your help to kill me.” The mere fact that he asked implied he believed Cheol Jiseon’s power could make it possible. “But how can you help him?”
“He didn’t ask me to kill you directly…” Cheol Jiseon’s answer was a evasion, but the implication was the same. For Jang Seonyeon, the outcome was what mattered.
I knew what kind of power Cheol Jiseon possessed. I’d experienced it firsthand and observed it from a distance.
“So, you have that much strength? Enough to be capable of such a thing?”
“…”
“What is it?” I asked, though I already knew. I was curious if he would answer truthfully. What would I do if he actually revealed his power? I’d cross that bridge later.
“Uh…” His fingers fidgeted nervously. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, so I kept watching.
“I…” Cheol Jiseon fell into deep thought. I was patient; if he told me, the silence would be worth it.
Finally, he clenched his fist and spoke.
“…I’m able to open the gate to the Abyss.”
It was the answer I’d been hoping for.