Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Chapter 40
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: A Question That Doesn't Reach!
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"Ugh, my solar plexus."
Rubbing the spot where Kim Yang had hit me, I picked up a slice of pizza. Kim Yang was already on her second slice, glaring at me with half-lidded eyes.
Kim Yang, deep in her combative feast.
She seemed annoyed about me asking to borrow money, but I was dead serious.
"Kim Yang, I'll pay you back, so please."
"I-I don't have any money. G-Get lost."
Listen to that rough tone.
Well, if your boss suddenly asked to borrow cash, I'd probably hate it too.
"No, I can pay it back. For real. It's for Meracle."
"P-Pay it back? Wha- Meracle?"
Kim Yang tilted her head, staring at me.
A look that screamed, what does that mean?
"Wh-Why Meracle?"
"We need some funds for promotion this time."
"P-Promotion? Where?"
"6th Floor."
"......"
"We did a solid job promoting on the 4th and 5th Floors, didn't we?"
"Th-That?"
We sure did.
Thanks to it, we've got plenty of clients coming from the 4th and 5th Floors.
Once something sticks in people's minds, they naturally gravitate back to it.
Especially on the 4th Floor—plenty of folks think Meracle's the top dog in the business.
Heck, that's how we even reeled in that elf granny.
"This time, I want to make a real splash in Cyber City. Looks like we've got our shot."
Kim Yang eyed me suspiciously and took another bite of pizza. She chewed, swallowed, then shot back.
"B-But... I really don't have any money."
"......"
"My sa-salary's that bad."
Why's she suddenly harping on her pay? Salary negotiation time?
"If this goes well, I'll bump up your salary at renewal. Deal?"
"I'm j-job hunting."
"......"
"B-Better agency."
"Hey, even if you jump to Tower Match or Wedding Company, you won't get treated this well."
"B-But... higher salary."
"......You wouldn't really go, right?"
I asked half-jokingly, and Kim Yang grumbled.
"P-President... value your employees."
"Got it. I get it."
Still, better prepare for if she bails.
'Hire Reneah?'
Lately, she'd been quietly helping Kim Yang out.
"Anyway, you've got money. Lend me a bit."
"Wh-What the-."
"That pocket money from the Immortal Peach Boat ferryman. You're not touching it."
"Ah......"
Last time, I'd scored that hefty pouch from the ferryman at Immortal Peach Boat.
I knew Kim Yang had it stashed away in her drawer, untouched.
"Kim Yang, you know that's the dumbest thing? Hoarding cash. People gotta invest."
"Th-That's why... you're a beggar, President."
"......Wolfgard solution's back up."
Rescue team's here—bull market's roaring again.
Call it a Christmas miracle.
"Yeah? Let's expand our client pool to the 6th Floor while the iron's hot. Prime opportunity."
"You've been on the phone lately... th-that?"
"Spot on. Chatting with Hellight. Asking 'em to toss us a side gig."
"......"
Kim Yang took a bite of the chocolate brownie we'd ordered on the side. The sweetness lifted her mood—she cracked a slight smile.
"C-Conditions."
"Conditions? Like what?"
"Un-Until you pay me back... n-not President."
"......"
"J-Juseon."
Something about it rubbed me the wrong way.
"Sigh, fine. But draw the line at work."
"D-Don't worry. Juseon."
"Way too casual. Alright, it's a go? Gotta make some calls."
"W-Wait."
"Yeah?"
I wondered what now—Kim Yang tilted her head.
"Ch-Christmas plans... why'd you ask? N-Not about the money."
"Oh, that?"
What else?
"Business trip."
I braced for defense right after saying it, but Kim Yang just stared.
"What? Expected a headbutt."
"F-Fine. Ad-Additional pay, right?"
"If this pans out, who needs extra pay? Year-end bonus too."
"......Okay."
Kim Yang nodded and took another bite of brownie.
It was sweet—her mouth corners twitched up.
- X: Christmas is almost here.
- J: Yes, correct.
- J: About 2 hours left.
- J: Do you have plans?
- X: Nothing special.
- J: Shall I recommend a spot to spend Christmas?
"......"
Inside the tent.
Nangong Yeon's fingers froze mid-tap as he stared at his phone screen.
Lately, place recommendations had been popping up more often amid the usual suggestions.
A question bubbled up.
'What if... I went to one of those places?'
Someone might be waiting there. It felt like everything could change.
- X: No, that's fine.
Nangong Yeon pulled back another step.
- J: Understood.
The usual flat response.
Yet it stung with disappointment, oddly enough.
Dismissing it as silly, Nangong Yeon pocketed his phone and stepped out of the tent.
He'd been keeping it on him constantly lately—proof he'd adapted to this world, in his own way. It made him proud.
"Ah, Young Master! You've emerged!"
"Isn't it amazing? They spray artificial snow here."
"It's coming down like crazy."
The martial artists gazed up at the sky like kids.
Cyber City blanketed the whole metropolis in fake snow for eternal white Christmases.
"Is Christmas really that big a deal?"
"Heard tons about it, but didn't expect this."
"They were handing out free snacks over there."
The martial artists were getting swept up in the vibe, buzzing a bit. But there's always one buzzkill in every crowd.
"Then tonight's our chance, right?"
Cheol-ho proposed it with a straight face.
"They'll be all relaxed for their holiday. Hit 'em with a surprise attack and wipe out Hellight for good."
No one spoke.
Hearts wanted to, but heads knew it made sense.
Cheol-ho pressed on, brimming with conviction.
"Young Master, you need to pull yourself together. We've been camped here over half a month."
"......"
"How long are we staying like this? Ignoring the family head's letter—what's the plan?"
"How did you-."
Nangong Yeon faltered, then ground his teeth.
"Cheol-ho, it was you. Reporting our situation to the clan."
"I serve the family head. You're not the head yet."
Even so, Cheol-ho sounded desperate.
"Young Master! Get it together! Even with the letter, we need results if we're holing up here. But these pointless daily raids? Makes us no better than bandits!"
"What insolence-!"
"Cheol-ho! That's too far!"
"Daring to compare the Young Master to thieves?!"
The others rounded on Cheol-ho, but his gaze burned earnest.
"Good advice is bitter medicine! It's their festival—not ours!"
All eyes turned to Nangong Yeon.
A few hours from now, Christmas would hit Cyber City.
Perfect timing, if you wanted to call it that.
Nangong Yeon slowly parted his lips.
"Nangong clan's Cheol-ho. Answer my question."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Why did we come here?"
"To make the Nangong name echo against those who trampled our traditions."
"Correct."
Nangong Yeon continued.
"Our hard-built traditions were crushed, so we came for vengeance. But tell me, Cheol-ho—if we raid tonight, what's the difference between us and them?"
"That's-!"
"There's a Christmas truce. Even in this stinking metal jungle, it's the one time you feel human!"
"......"
"All battles halt! Peace descends."
He let out a short 'huff'.
White breath accompanied his next question.
"Nangong clan's Cheol-ho—answer. Us trampling their traditions versus them trampling ours. What's the difference?"
"......"
"I know your concerns, but we'll ramp up the assault properly after the day passes. Worry not."
"......Understood."
Cheol-ho bowed and fell silent.
Seeing he'd come around, Nangong Yeon bellowed to the rest.
"The Nangong clan cherishes our traditions—and thus respects others'! That's the gentlemanly way! That's benevolence!"
"Woooah!"
"Well said!"
As Nangong Yeon grinned, fist clenched in satisfaction—
"Who-."
Silence crashed down like a held breath.
"Defiles the Nangong name."
A voice from childhood, never quite familiar.
Quiet as recited verse, yet it thundered louder than war drums to any listener.
Robes of mingled azure and white.
White hair whipping in the wind, innate pressure crushing the young.
Nangong clan head, Nangong Pa-cheon.
One of Old Martial World's absolute powerhouses stood before them now.
"F-Father-!"
"We see the family head!"
"We see the family head!"
Flustered, Nangong Yeon and the martial artists hurriedly clasped fists in salute, heads bowed.
A tremor beyond the cold.
Nangong Pa-cheon's gripped sword shimmered with azure sword qi—the pride of Nangong.
"Young Master, Nangong Yeon."
"Yes! Family Head!"
A near-shout of a reply.
Yet nowhere near enough to quell Nangong Pa-cheon's wrath.
"Answer—who defiles the Nangong name right now?"
"......"
"Who swore to claim the heads of those who dared shatter the West Moon Sword and set out—."
"......"
"Who squandered half a month in meaningless brawls—."
"......"
"Who stoops to the level of money-grubbing thugs—."
And moreover.
"Who, blinded by trinkets, neglects Nangong honor?"
"...!"
Nangong Yeon's eyes flew wide.
Trinket.
The phone hidden in his chest felt impossibly heavier.
'Father knows!'
He couldn't deny getting lost in chats with J, slacking on clan duties.
Once Hellight fell, no reason to linger on the 6th Floor.
Then it'd be goodbye forever.
And.
Maybe the one chatting...
Was the her he imagined.
Couldn't deny the dawdling—his lips quivered, no words came.
A blue line slashed.
Nangong Yeon thought he'd died. He'd seen the sword arc to his chest.
Crack!
But his body bore no wound. Just the alien snap of breaking metal.
"Ah......"
Nangong Yeon's hand dove into his robes, yanking out the phone. Split clean in half, totaled.
"Spare us the unseemly display."
Despite the warning, Nangong Yeon couldn't stifle the surge in his throat.
Clutching the shattered phone, the emotion? Regret.
"Ah... aaah......"
Unasked questions flashed like a montage.
Why ask his type in women.
Why the slow reply on his fiancee's breakup.
Why know intimate details of Buster and mercenary fees.
Why Buster's mercs dined there on a corp card.
Why, when he said no umbrella, did mercs bring one.
She was always ready to answer.
But he never asked.
Lacked the courage.
If she truly was the one he pictured—no path in sight.
"Hic... heup."
Thick teardrops fell.
Family head before him or not, the crashing regret and longing wouldn't shake loose.
Now unreachable, that regret—from another angle?
Love.
"Heup-! You...... were you?"
No matter how he asked the bisected phone—
"Always... waiting? For me to ask?"
Even voicing the questions she'd waited endlessly for—
"Hic! Dear....... please, please answer. Was it you? The time I sent—was it ours-?!"
On his knees, cradling the phone like treasure, Nangong Yeon broke into wrenching sobs.
"Dear! Answer me! Dear! Tell me!"
The place you mentioned.
Perfect for Christmas.
The spot you so wanted to share—
"Dear....... please, just tell me."
Begging till he retched.
Like a severed bond.
The phone gave no reply—
"Luminous Plaza."
Black suit, roguish smile, impeccable timing.
If anything, he mismatched Cyber City's backdrop.
A man utterly out of place amid the martial artists.
"Y-You-."
The tear-streaked Nangong Yeon looked up at Kim Juseon—who grinned and bowed.
"I deliver your miracle."
Welcome.
"To Meracle."
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