Chapter 83
Chapter 83
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: The Long Road to Poison Gong (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Seo Kang-seok felt a bit confused. Suhyun didn’t seem to be lying. Besides, there was no reason for Suhyun to lie to him.
Did that mean Suhyun had really scouted his abilities and decided to make this investment?
‘Does that even make sense?’
Unless he was swimming in money…. Joo Won-jun had openly treated him like a slave, and they’d known each other from before. But Suhyun? They’d been strangers until just recently. Even if he’d done some investigating, Seo Kang-seok couldn’t believe Suhyun had seen any real value in him.
“No answer? Are you going to fix it or not?”
“I-I will. I’ll fix it.”
“Good. Look at my other team members—you need to have confidence, no exceptions. Some of them have it without any real basis. Don’t go that far, though….”
Suhyun handed over the documents along with an electronic card.
“Chuck this at Joo Won-jun’s face.”
“Th-that’s….”
“Kidding. He’ll be stunned when you pay him off, but he won’t push it further. I’d prefer tossing it in his face myself, but if you don’t like that, I won’t force you.”
“…Thank you.”
Seo Kang-seok only seemed to grasp the reality once the money was actually in his hands. He bowed his head deeply and said,
“I don’t know how much help I can be, but I’ll give it my all, like a horse or ox.”
“You’re being dramatic. No need to go that far. Just be loyal in proportion to what you’ve received.”
“At that rate, giving it my all like a horse or ox wouldn’t even be enough.”
Seo Kang-seok smiled bitterly. He couldn’t even imagine what it would take to earn back what Suhyun had just given him.
“Well then…. Welcome aboard. Let’s get along from here on out.”
“I’ll serve you faithfully.”
Suhyun shook Seo Kang-seok’s hand and nodded. Since he’d come here agonizing over the decision, he wouldn’t waver now.
“You’ve got a lot to handle, so go take care of it. I can assign someone if you need help. The hospital where you left your daughter—is it a good one?”
“No, I can manage alone. And the hospital’s fine. Their healer’s skilled.”
On Cameron Planet, most superpowered individuals ended up working in the field. Sure, there were exceptions, but everyday abilities like igniting fire or creating ice weren’t all that useful. Compared to that, the pay in the field was beyond imagination, so most took the risks and trained for it.
Healers, though, had demand even outside the field.
‘They sure have it easy. Almost jealous.’
Come to think of it, Suhyun was putting himself through unnecessary hardship. He found himself envying some healer he’d never even met.
“Got it. Handle it however you want, then.”
“By the way…. If it’s not too rude, could I ask what that is?”
“No need to be so polite. We’re working together now, so just ask if you’re curious.”
Any of the other members would’ve straight-up asked what Suhyun was holding. Suhyun set the transparent orb down on the desk and said,
“I’m stumped myself, still figuring it out. You’ve hunted before, right? What do you usually do with unidentified items?”
“I’d ask the merchants we hunters mainly trade with, or other hunters.”
“Reliable?”
“Reliable enough, but they often don’t know either, so don’t expect much. A big PMC’s database or the government’s would be more accurate.”
“Already checked those.”
If something this unusual was in any database, Suhyun would’ve known. He’d asked just in case it might’ve leaked to the private sector, but no satisfying answers.
“Isn’t it an artifact?”
“It might be… or might not. It’s weird in every way—feels ordinary, but no reaction.”
“Hmm….”
“What, got an idea?”
As Seo Kang-seok reached out to pick up the orb, he said,
“No, just thought my daughter would like it.”
“…….”
What a doting dad. Suhyun cursed him inwardly.
“Huh?”
“If you’re about to say your daughter would like it again, think twice before you speak.”
“No, not that…. It’s an artifact. This thing.”
“?!”
* * *
Suhyun was surprised but didn’t dismiss Seo Kang-seok’s words. He jumped right into testing, and Seo Kang-seok used the orb to demonstrate telekinesis.
‘It’s my power!’
Suhyun’s telekinesis was formless, top-tier in pure ability terms. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize his own superpower.
“This is tricky.”
“Non-powered folks using superpowers for too long isn’t good. Confirmed? Set it down.”
“Yes.”
Seo Kang-seok carefully lifted a cup in the room with telekinesis, then set the orb down. Suhyun picked it up to check. Still no reaction.
“Did it feel like an artifact the moment you grabbed it?”
“Yes.”
Seo Kang-seok had handled artifacts before. He’d been on Gaon-gil; it’d be weirder if he’d never seen one. That instinctive sense of how to use it upon touch—that’s what he’d felt from this orb.
“Isn’t the team leader coming?”
“Yeah, probably….”
A few possibilities flashed through his mind, but one stood out now. Suhyun called in the other members for tests.
“It’s clear now. Only non-powered people can use it.”
If Suhyun’s powers were blocking it, the others should’ve been able to. But none of the other superpowered members could handle it.
“This thing’s genuinely bizarre….”
Suhyun sank into thought. The fact that only non-powered users could wield it wasn’t even the most shocking trait.
The telekinesis that had emerged from the orb at first. It had clearly been influenced by Suhyun. He realized how this orb stored abilities.
‘A variable artifact. Never even considered that.’
It absorbs a superpower directly and transforms into an artifact that stores it. Up until Suhyun took it out, it must’ve held the lightning axe’s power.
Amazed and intrigued, but tricky to use.
‘Kim Chang-sik’s power is obviously out, and Shaya’s isn’t that appealing either. Should store my healing or one of the telekinesis variants….’
On second thought, telekinesis was out too. Its versatility made it hard to handle. Suhyun could wield it like a limb after years of practice, but expecting that from others was unrealistic.
‘Gotta store the healing power.’
Decision made, Suhyun swore the team to secrecy. He didn’t want word of this artifact getting out. Its unique nature might attract unwanted attention.
No need to invite trouble.
With that wrapped up, Suhyun leaned back, propping his feet on the desk.
‘Secrecy’s handled, Seo Kang-seok’s recruited…. Nothing missed? Rest can wait, so time to plan.’
What Suhyun was pondering was simple. An excuse to skip the Dragon Slayer Project once it started and vanish.
‘Safest bet’s a disappearance.’
Lame excuses could sour relations afterward.
If the Dragon Slayer Project actually launched, non-participants’ value would rise post-event. Especially for Suhyun and Uncle Jo Company.
But the world didn’t run on numbers alone. If Uncle Jo Company was suspected of dodging to preserve strength, they could face backlash later.
The best option? A genuine unavoidable circumstance.
Easier said than done. Suhyun’s team was under government oversight. Proposing a trip to an unknown area would likely get shot down.
‘Government approval, plausible disappearance reason, and some profit on top would be ideal….’
“Sir?”
“Come in.”
It was Seo Kang-seok.
“Thanks to your consideration, I finished everything and came back.”
“Good work. Perfect timing. I’ve got something to discuss.”
“Yes?”
As Seo Kang-seok sat, Suhyun laid out his dilemma. Seo Kang-seok listened blankly at first, then freaked out once he realized what he was hearing. You don’t drop this on someone who just joined yesterday.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh…. Is it okay to tell me?”
“If it’s okay to tell, I tell. Everyone’ll know once it happens anyway. Just giving you, the tight-lipped one, a heads-up. Anyway, any ideas?”
Suhyun wasn’t asking just because he trusted Seo Kang-seok. Hunters had their own ecosystem, distinct from mercenaries. Their profitable territories differed, so hunters might know things mercs didn’t.
He hadn’t expected much, but Seo Kang-seok had an immediate suggestion.
“Hmm…. For a disappearance, what about Poshukan?”
“Poshukan? That place east of Ames Plains?”
Keep heading east from Ames Plains, and you hit the Poshukan region. As far as Suhyun knew, there was nothing special there. Jungle like Calcutta, but fewer resources, and plenty of lucrative spots elsewhere—no need to go.
“Tell me why.”
“It’s not that dangerous, but for a disappearance, no search party should follow, right?”
Uncle Jo Company vanishing now would definitely trigger a search party unless something stopped it.
“True.”
“I suggested Poshukan because of the poison zone. It’s one of Cameron’s top poison zones.”
“What?”
Suhyun sat up straight at the unexpected info. Poison zone. Infested with venomous creatures. You’d run into them occasionally exploring Cameron.
Most avoided them, but some with specific goals sought them out. And right now, Suhyun had to be interested in any poison zone.
“Poshukan’s vast, lots unexplored, so launching an expedition’s easy. If a search party comes, leave traces near the zone and hide. They won’t enter it. Good excuse for vanishing, no?”
“…….”
Suhyun pondered. Seo Kang-seok’s idea was convincing. An expedition to unexplored Poshukan? Government wouldn’t block it. Reports from prior teams existed; they’d assume Uncle Jo could handle it.
Plus, a poison zone. With his poison troubles, Suhyun wanted to head there yesterday.
But….
‘I’ll be fine, but taking others? Some’ll die for sure.’
Seo Kang-seok clearly hadn’t meant entering the zone—just using it as cover. He thought going in was too risky.
Suhyun, though, had to go inside. Couldn’t ignore a poison zone while suffering from poison shortages.
Solo it was, then.
‘Will my disappearance alone suffice to skip Dragon Slayer?’
Uncle Jo was basically Suhyun’s one-man show, so plausible, but he wanted it airtight. Coming back to a disbanded team would suck.
‘Gotta talk to the president.’
He’d brief the others anyway. Tell Jo Seung-hyun how risky Dragon Slayer was, and he’d pull the team without Suhyun.
“By the way, how’d you know about a place like that?”
Suhyun hadn’t even heard of a poison zone in Poshukan. It was pretty off the radar.
“My father told me. He’d go in for rare poisons when needed…. After I started working, he sent me instead.”
“I see. Not an easy trip, so he must’ve been skilled.”
The journey to a poison zone was rough, and inside was worse. One slip, and you’re dead. Cameron had poisons without antidotes galore.