Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Return to Meracle!
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His throat was ruined by the drugs in a truly sudden turn of events.
He'd heard the effects were potent, but after dozing off during the wait for his CF shoot, he woke up to find his voice completely wrecked.
Aul panicked.
What was he supposed to do now?
His latest single, Carol, had been a massive hit, filling his schedule to the brim.
And with the year-end concert already booked too.
But with his throat trashed, any activities were impossible.
'I thought I was done for. The penalty fees alone...'
Surprisingly, the heavens were on his side.
A bolt of lightning struck out of nowhere, setting the building ablaze.
As he escaped and inhaled the smoke, it hit Aul like a lightning bolt of his own.
This was his chance to cash in big and retire.
"Kekeke! Heh-hek-!"
Panting heavily, Aul bolted desperately toward the ferryman.
"Ferry! Fer-ry me!"
He just needed to cross the Twilight River.
Once he reached Peach Immortal Paradise, he'd be completely cut off from the outside world.
'Five years there! No, three at least! Yeah, that'll do it!'
The public would forget him anyway.
Once his voice recovered in Peach Immortal Paradise, he'd head straight to 6th Floor Cyber City for plastic surgery.
Money?
He already had plenty.
His old security team, Wolfguard Tactical Solutions—he'd shorted their stock and raked in a fortune.
'I've got deals lined up with foreign funds. When I resurface in three years, the offshore accounts will be overflowing.'
Aul suppressed his pounding heart and kept running, running.
'New life starts now!'
Pretending to be a good guy had made him sick.
He hated always smiling to play the innocent type.
He loathed how fans who claimed to love him trashed him online.
And worst of all, how he was at the mercy of nobodies who couldn't speak up to his face.
He'd first touched those pills for "mental health" reasons.
It hadn't taken long for that to spiral into full-blown addiction.
"Halt right there!"
"Heeek?!"
He glanced back to see Kim Juseon charging after him, having already taken down Ryu Seram.
How the hell?
One of the Seven Apex Hunters, and she went down that easily?
His doubts were fleeting.
With Kim Juseon hot on his heels, there was no time to dwell.
"Fer-ry!"
All he could do was curse inwardly.
Once again, the gods favored Aul.
Kim Juseon had only recently restarted his training, squeezing it in around Meracle duties—so his stamina hit its limit fast.
"Ugh! Haak! Haak! My heart's gonna explode!"
Aul reached the ferry amid the agony of his throat splitting open and bellowed.
"Fer-ry! Take me now!"
His arms flailed wildly, his voice desperate. But the ferryman didn't budge.
"Why not! Fer-ry me-!"
"......"
The straw-hatted ferryman stared silently toward Kim Juseon.
His eyes held a mix of subtle regret, bewilderment, and longing.
"Hurry, fer-ry!"
"Wait up, boss! Don't leave without that bastard!"
"Fuck! Fer-ry now!"
Aul grabbed the ferryman's shoulder and shook it frantically. But the towering figure, easily over 2 meters tall, didn't even sway on the rocking boat.
"Ferryman! You remember me!"
"......"
The ferryman said nothing.
Instead, he grabbed Aul by the scruff like a cat and hurled him toward the approaching Kim Juseon.
"Aaaack?!"
Aul tumbled across the ground.
He looked up at the ferryman in shock, but the man only gazed at Kim Juseon as he finally parted his sealed lips.
"Si Cheong-gu Cham?"
"Pardon? I don't speak 5th Floor lingo."
Especially not archaic idioms from a Peach Immortal Paradise native.
But true to his elder immortal roots, the ferryman was stubborn.
"Bu Ryeong-i Cheong, Gu Sa Cham Jong."
He muttered something, then pulled a heavy pouch of coins from his robe and tossed it over.
Thud!
"Myeong Bu-i Jong, Gyeong Si Cheong-mul."
"Roughly, 'give this to Kim Yang'? She's doing fine, so no need to worry."
Kim Juseon pocketed the coin pouch.
Without hesitation, the ferryman poled his boat into the Twilight River and vanished into the thick fog.
Kim Juseon shrugged at Aul, who gaped up at him in disbelief.
"Ferryman's employer. His boss—the owner of Peach Immortal Paradise—has a daughter working for us."
"Wh-what?!"
"I know how much it costs to get in there. It's insane. One look at you and I figured you'd shorted the stock."
"Y-you can't do th-this?"
"Can't I? What's stopping me? Blackline Risk was just a side gig."
What, you think I invested here or something?
Sorry, but I know Ryu Seram's personality too well.
I won't touch Blackline Risk stock until she retires.
Her personal convictions always trump the company, like now.
"Blackline Risk's stock will tank. Can't be helped."
Crack! Crack!
He cracked his knuckles.
Honestly.
Truly honestly.
He'd wanted to do this since they first met.
He'd held back only because he thought Aul was the victim.
"But on the flip side, Wolfguard Tactical Solutions—the firm that first guarded you—their stock will rebound. Once it's proven they were victims of stock manipulation."
"W-wait! No reason to hit me! I'll surr-render! Don't!"
"Nah, I really need to."
A lot.
"My Wolfguard Tactical Solutions shares bought at 9,800 won tanked to 1,700 because of your short-selling bullshit!"
This was for the uncles and aunties still protesting outside Wolfguard HQ.
Smack!
"Ugh, wiped out."
It took another two days to descend from the 5th Floor to the 3rd.
Not intentional—Baek Yeonhwa kept holding him back, so it took time to slip away.
Her fetching iron chains at the end looked ominous enough that he had to use his acceleration ability.
'Time now...'
His phone read 3 PM.
He considered heading home, but decided to at least show his face for Kim Yang, who'd guarded Meracle alone for five days without him.
'No major work anyway.'
He'd handled the key matchings himself, and she'd sort any complaints.
Just note down client details if they showed up—simple stuff.
Arriving at the Meracle building after so long, he couldn't help but marvel.
"Ha... it's been forever."
Only five days, but after a long business trip to the 5th Floor, it felt eternal.
That's when the landlady—also the owner of the next-door soup joint—came out to toss food scraps and spotted him.
"Oh? Second-floor guy! Haven't seen you lately—where've you been?"
"Short business trip."
"Phew, good thing. Thought you'd skipped out on rent."
"...I'll pay tomorrow."
"Knew it. Oh! Made some extra side dishes with leftover seasoning—want some?"
"Yes, please!"
Jackpot.
He headed straight into the soup shop.
It was an off-hour, so the place was quiet.
The ever-on TV played the news channel, the anchor droning steadily.
- Famous singer A, who topped charts with her year-end carol, is under investigation for violations of narcotics control laws and capital markets law.
- A declared a hiatus citing throat issues, right before allegedly engaging in massive short-selling during a dip tied to a certain security firm's listed stock...
"Second-floor guy! Here! Added some seasoned sprouts and braised fish cakes too."
"Wow, thank you. I'll enjoy it."
Banquet in hand, he climbed the stairs and entered Meracle.
The door swung open to the familiar air freshener scent—and
"I'm ba—."
"......"
"......"
His eyes met those of two figures standing before a Christmas tree he'd never seen before.
One was Kim Yang.
Elephant trumpet in mouth, Santa glasses, and a Rudolph horn headband.
Full Christmas mode.
The other was Reneah.
Santa outfit with bushy white mustache.
And sunglasses to boot.
"Ah, dizzy spell."
Five seconds back, and he already wanted out.
The place was decked out head-to-toe in Christmas end-of-year vibes.
"My Meracle wouldn't do this."
Even with Christmas around the corner, this was too much.
"Boss! You're back!"
Pooo!
Santa Granny and the elephant trumpet stretched out in welcome to his return.
A quiet cafe on the 3rd Floor.
Amid patrons basking in Christmas cheer, a demure man and woman sat.
The man's name was Nangong Yeon.
Young mistress of the Nangong Family, renowned even in the 5th Floor Old Martial World.
Today, he was on a date with the woman across from him.
Her name was Jessica.
Eldest daughter of the Hellalite conglomerate chairwoman from 6th Floor Cyber City.
Their meeting was arranged by a marriage agency.
Coldly put, it wasn't bound by love.
The Nangong Family sought a political marriage to restore their fading prestige amid their obsession with tradition.
Jessica's was for bolstering Hellalite's core cyberware business with Nangong martial arts prowess, prepping for clashes with rivals.
In the end, marriage for mutual gain.
"The 3rd Floor has such a refined atmosphere."
Nangong Yeon murmured in quiet admiration, glancing around.
Coffee, lighting, plush sofas.
All novel to him.
"Yeah. The analog vibe isn't bad. I get why old folks chase nostalgia here."
Jessica shrugged, pleasantly surprised by the human scent absent in Cyber City.
"......"
"......"
Shared wonder, opposite takes.
In the awkward silence, Jessica changed the subject.
"Oh, right—that thing you gave me last time. Moonlit Sword."
"A treasured blade of tradition. It embodies our Nangong creed: unity of sword and man."
"Yes, I found it fascinating."
"Glad you think so."
They made efforts to understand each other.
Political or not, they'd be husband and wife.
No love needed—just no rough edges.
"So, I interpreted it my way."
"Pardon?"
Jessica extended her right arm proudly. The model-slim limb shifted to silver—
And soon gleamed with a painting-like moonlight glow.
A sword in its own right.
"Our Hellalite 5.0 latest model: Moonlit Sword edition. I melted down the Moonlit Sword and rebuilt it into my right cyberarm for this beauty—"
"M-melted? The Moonlit Sword?"
"Yes, perfectly aligning with your Nangong unity of sword and—"
Boom!
One punch split the table in half.
Screams erupted around them, but none could stop Nangong Yeon's rage.
His face flushed crimson with fury, veering purple.
Veins bulging on his forehead, he glared at Jessica and roared.
"You can't even respect tradition and culture—!"
The Nangong Family of the 5th Floor and Hellalite of the 6th.
The spark of their feud.