Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Precursors (1)
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Strong monsters destroyed ecosystems. Especially dragons, which stood at the apex of the monster food chain pyramid. Once one appeared, all the monsters around it had to either die or flee.
“Looking back, there were so many astonishing things that I almost forgot to say you’ve had a hard time. Good work.”
“I agree.”
“You won’t need to go to the Dragonia underground anymore. No, actually, it’s become a place you shouldn’t go to.”
“If you’re talking about the government, I’m not too concerned.”
“That you’re not concerned doesn’t matter. The Korean government will handle it. I heard they’ll stop you by any means necessary? Anyway, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing left for you to do there. The rest can be handled by construction companies and B-rank mercenaries.”
“You’ve already gathered people?”
“The power of money is greater than you think. It gets people to enter a place where dragons might appear.”
From the looks of it, the chairman had recruited people to go there by dangling massive amounts of money as bait.
“Take a break for a while. It’ll be good for both of us.”
“If possible, I will.”
“Ah, that elixir we secured last time… You’ve already taken it? That’s what I heard from Jack.”
Suhyun flinched inwardly. The timing was too perfect. For a moment, he thought he’d been caught.
“Yes, it was effective.”
“Jack would beat his chest if he knew. He’s no weakling, but I worry he’ll lose confidence because of you.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. He’s got a strong will.”
Suhyun stood up and bowed his head. It was a farewell. The chairman turned his chair and waved his hand.
* * *
“I-it’s really okay, right?”
“If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?”
“Um… Should I call Grandma? It might take a few months, but…”
“No need. What could go wrong?”
Having resolved to take the elixir, Suhyun immediately called Shaina. For something like this, he didn’t need a lot of people. One to check his condition and prepare for emergencies was enough.
Shaina wasn’t confident about the elixir either, so she was extremely anxious when Suhyun said he was going to consume it.
“Then I’ll drink it.”
“Hey, hey!”
Suhyun drank the elixir without waiting any longer. He’d thrown away a weapon that might let him face a dragon for this. If it didn’t deliver equivalent value, it wouldn’t be worth it.
“How is it? You okay? Does anything hurt, or do you feel bad…?”
“Sh…”
“Sh?”
“Be quiet.”
“…Okay.”
The elixir was lukewarm, but the moment he swallowed it, a boiling sensation surged strongly from within. It felt like downing strong liquor all at once, but far more intense and persistent.
Suhyun clenched his fist. He felt vitality surging endlessly.
Crack!
A powerful energy punched through the floor. Shaina jumped in surprise and looked at Suhyun.
“Sorry. Can’t control it well.”
“You’re not aiming at me, right?”
“Maybe I am. Dodge on your own.”
“Hey!”
The boiling in his chest faded after a while. It was like he’d been doped up. Suhyun let out a long breath to dispel the stuffiness.
‘My superpower has definitely… gotten stronger.’
Suhyun concentrated his telekinesis into a point and maxed out the output. It wasn’t visible, but anything there would have been torn apart by the force.
Normally, exerting this much power would drain his stamina. But there was no strain at all.
‘The vessel itself has expanded.’
The capacity for using superpowers and the recovery after using them—both had grown to an incomparable degree. A sense of fullness that felt like it would keep refilling no matter how much he used.
However…
‘My time abilities haven’t changed?’
The time-based abilities he needed and pondered the most showed no change. They were the same as before.
‘Damn, what the hell?’
Even Suhyun was getting frustrated at this point. Unlike his other superpowers, he couldn’t get a handle on the time abilities. There were no other users to observe, no reports to reference…
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s settled now.”
He could measure the exact numbers at Ji-eun’s lab, but even without that, he knew the elixir worked.
Suhyun suddenly thought of Kim Jong-tae. The con artist who’d tried selling drugs laced with superpower-enhancing ingredients. But compared to this elixir, his stuff was child’s play.
‘It really exists… Though the recipe and production time make it pointless.’
“Team Leader. Team Leader.”
“What is it?”
A voice calling Suhyun came from outside.
“Someone from the Development Planning Department is here.”
“?”
Suhyun straightened his disheveled clothes from using his superpower and opened the door.
“The Director?”
“No, someone below him, I think.”
* * *
“It’s been so long, Team Leader!”
“Ah, yeah.”
Suhyun looked at Jo Min-wook with a lukewarm expression. The man, now section chief of the newly established Management Policy Division, grabbed Suhyun’s hand and shook it energetically.
“You encountered another dragon and came back alive? I’m truly beyond surprise! Like I said last time, but whatever! As long as you’re unhurt, just be careful from now on, right?”
“You can just be direct.”
“Direct? How could I say something like that? Anyway, Team Leader, mind if I ask about your schedule going forward?”
“My schedule? Superpower training today… Let’s see, I’ll train Gu Jung-chul, Kang In-gyu, Kim Chang-sik, Kwak Hyun-tae. Then check documents.”
“Um… No rest?”
“I rest in between.”
“No, not that! Entertainment, you know, entertainment!”
“I don’t really need that…”
‘How old is this guy?’
“That schedule doesn’t have to be today, right? Hang out with me today!”
“Huh? Not really interested.”
“Just one day together!”
Kim Chang-sik, who’d been listening to their conversation, chimed in.
“If you’re worried about us, it’s fine, Team Leader. Go ahead!”
“What’s with that cool expression and cool words, you punk? Don’t scheme just because you want to slack off.”
“…….”
“Come on, don’t say that!”
Jo Min-wook grabbed Suhyun’s arm and dragged him outside. Kim Chang-sik secretly sent him an encouraging signal.
* * *
“Team Leader, do you like alcohol?”
“Not really.”
“Cigarettes?”
“They dull the body.”
“Women?”
“I’ll get one if I need to, so don’t worry.”
“…Then what do you like?”
“Hmm? Fighting?”
“Fighting? Fighting? Fighting, huh…”
He hadn’t expected that answer, but Jo Min-wook didn’t panic. He’d resolved himself before coming here.
-Make Kim Suhyun rest for a while, no matter what!
If he failed, Suhyun might never rest. Jo Min-wook racked his brains, lost in thought. With most options blocked, he had to cater to Suhyun’s hobby somehow.
Pyongyang was a city built from the early days of Cameron’s development, with virtually everything. From legal to illegal.
‘But if I take him somewhere weird and he gets mad, my head’s gone.’
He had to be extremely careful. Taking him to a secret slave market and pissing off Suhyun would get him smashed.
‘Something to satisfy his tastes, legal so he doesn’t get mad… That’s it!’
“There’s a great place!”
“Yeah?”
Suhyun nodded with little expectation. But Jo Min-wook pressed on, eyes gleaming.
* * *
“How is it?”
“It’s a fight… but you pay money to watch this? People do?”
“Yes? This is super popular! These premium seats can’t be bought with money normally! I got permission from the Director…”
They were now in an arena reminiscent of the ancient Colosseum. Of course, it wasn’t hosting soccer or baseball. What was happening was fighting. Life-or-death fighting.
Taming monsters was never easy, but killing them was relatively straightforward. Capitalizing on that, people had devised one form of entertainment.
Battles between monsters and humans.
“This event has been around since Cameron’s early days. Back then, pioneers gathered casually for bets, and it grew and grew into this.”
Despite opposition from numerous groups, lobbying by certain interest-driven factions kept the event legal.
Their lobbying made sense. This was Cameron’s most popular sport, bar none. The life-or-death clashes between monsters and humans delivered an intensity and tension no other content could match. Regular sports didn’t compare.
“I like this one a lot, so I keep up with it. My favorite fighter is Joo Dong-soo. Unlike others, he charges in strong at close range…”
Suhyun yawned unconsciously. Jo Min-wook realized his mistake.
‘Oh no. Wrong choice?’
He’d come here because Suhyun liked fighting, but on second thought, it might not suit him. Suhyun fought the strongest monsters on Cameron’s frontlines, risking his life. This might seem as boring as kids play-fighting.
“T-Team Leader, before it starts, you can bet on fighters.”
“Money? Sure. It’s boring anyway, so I’ll bet. Where’s the info?”
“There, above. Holograms project it, so check and decide. Regular bettors use separate programs, but…”
‘He really likes this stuff.’
Suhyun nodded as he thought that. As Jo Min-wook predicted, Suhyun wasn’t that interested in these fights. Sure, mercenaries loved them, but unless he was fighting himself, they held little meaning.
“Today’s fighters: Joo Dong-soo, Lee Jik-seu, Ahn Seung-min… Looks like matches 1 and 2 are the mains. Monsters: raptor, troll, Euterpe lion…”
“What kind of people usually enter this place?”
“Superpower users, of course? Ones aiming for a big score.”
Jo Min-wook excitedly began explaining. Awakened superpower users often thought alike: they were chosen, and they’d live beautifully with their powers.
But reality was harsh. Unless they had something like healing, there weren’t many ways to use superpowers. Big money meant big risks.
Mercenary or explorer work was the easiest, but not everyone risked their lives for it. Even clueless people knew from the internet or news how dangerous it was.
This monster arena was one place for such people.
“But superpowers can’t be too strong either.”
“?”
“One-sided wins aren’t popular. Exceptions exist, but people prefer tight, nail-biting fights…”
“Isn’t that a bad hobby? If they want that, just grab a gun and fight themselves.”
“Haha, not everyone has the guts to risk their lives! So, Team Leader, where are you betting?”
“Uh… Let’s see. Fighters usually win, right?”
“Yes, mostly. Too many monster wins and the business dies. Still, some bet on monsters for the big payout. Illegal, of course.”
“Time-based bets, attack count bets…”
‘They gamble on everything.’
Suhyun had already amassed wealth beyond most rich people. But his world was always beyond Cameron. This inner world fascinated him every time he encountered it.