Chapter 141
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Marjie
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Marjie.
Their history, like that of other families, traces its origins back to a now-forgotten era.
An age known as the Era of Beasts.
A time when the stench of blood rode the winds, blurring the lines between man and beast, where only the raw instinct for survival raged unchecked.
But in times of chaos, heroes always emerge.
A man rose from the blood-red dusk, crushing countless foes and quelling the long chaos. In the end, he brought the Era of Beasts to a close and was enthroned as sovereign over a new order.
He was the Emperor.
Of course, he didn't do it all alone.
At the Emperor's side were seven heroes who had suffered alongside him and laid the foundations of the empire.
And one of them was Iliar Marjie.
The progenitor of the Marjie family today.
According to surviving hazy records, he was a man shrouded in a blizzard of grim aura.
Perhaps that's why.
The secret art he created bore a striking resemblance to his nature.
Dark Ice
Mana infused with extreme cold seeped into foes like deadly venom.
Millions of blooming black petals.
Embracing that chilling beauty within their bodies.
Enemies met their end screaming.
No wonder the Emperor, when evaluating the seven family heads, said:
"In short, decisive battles, Zahard could claim supremacy.
No one matches Solad in raw clashes of power.
None are as flawless as Anarion or as ever-changing as Gershtein.
Hakan is an impenetrable wall, and Florence's mysteries leave even me in awe.
But.
If all that slowly drags toward an inevitable end...
The final victor will surely be Marjie."
-Or so it's told.
This anecdote perfectly captured the essence of Dark Ice: its insidious erosion of enemies over time.
Once, some enthusiasts who prized this trait argued that Marjie was the strongest among the seven families...
But now?
Good luck finding anyone who thinks that.
The reason?
Even common folk know it well—the fatal flaw of Dark Ice, now widely known.
The black crystal flowers burdened not just the enemy, but the caster too.
If you had to compare, it was like a famed sword with a razor-sharp edge right up to the hilt.
No. Better yet, a cursed blade that shaved away your lifespan with every swing.
How did this come to be?
It started with the bloodline of the first family head.
Bloodline?
What's that got to do with anything?
Simple.
The first Marjie head was a miraculous child born between a human and an ice spirit. One of the rare half-spirits in all human history.
In other words, Dark Ice was never a power meant purely for humans. Naturally, as generations passed and the spirit blood thinned, side effects were inevitable.
A grave issue.
Made graver still by how it led to short lifespans among family members.
What a curse that felt like a blessing.
Thus, the family's solution.
Create an artifact to mitigate Dark Ice's backlash.
If they couldn't save everyone, at least ensure the family head survived...!
And so.
The Marjie head sought out the King of Dwarves himself.
Too long a tale to recount in full—skipping ahead.
After trials, tribulations, endless hardships (details omitted), the legendary artifact Eternal Dawn was finally born.
Yes. Things were looking good.
Until the artifact vanished along with the Black Dragon.
Another 700 years passed.
Another dark age for the Marjie family.
At its end, Katrina came to Good Neighbor.
Desperate to save her dying father.
"......"
Silence fell.
Katrina, having finished speaking, stared up at the CCTV lens as if awaiting a reply.
Jin was locked in a staring contest with the status window that had appeared after so long.
······55,000?
Unblinking eyes etched with a number he'd never seen before.
······55,000?
Hold on. What kind of quest is this?
Jin had gotten into the habit of checking rewards first.
Recognizing it as an insanely tough job, he belatedly scrolled through the details.
And unwittingly tilted his head, thinking:
Find Eternal Dawn or remake it?
I'm no treasure hunter or engineer?
This system's just slapping random crap on me now?
As Jin naturally glared at the status window with annoyance.
Chzzzt—
A small noise came from somewhere, followed by a raspy old voice.
[...Have the Marjies already forgotten what happened 40 years ago?]
It was Brof.
Jin had assumed he'd stay silent in the basement, but surprisingly, he responded to Katrina.
[It's a project that failed once already. And that failure cost this city irreparably.]
"......"
[You want to repeat that? Risk creating another Zone 50?]
Katrina replied desperately.
"I have no intention of repeating it. And this isn't the family's will. It's a personal request from my mother and me. So even if you fail, it won't escalate into another inter-family or corporate war. I swear it."
[......]
This time, Brof held his tongue.
How much time passed?
Finally, the speaker crackled again.
[Come see it for yourself. We'll talk.]
Right then, the staff room door creaked open.
Brof emerged, headset on, shaking his head.
Everyone has at least one story tucked away in their heart.
Like thinking a always-smiling friend had no worries, only to learn later their insides were charred from all sorts of troubles.
Or someone who always seemed confident crumbling alone time and again.
For Katrina, it was her father.
A real tearjerker button.
She didn't look the type, but mention her dad and her nose would scrunch, sniffles like a cold coming as she swallowed sobs.
To Jin, who only remembered her icy demeanor and occasional tics, it was a fresh sight.
Of course, he didn't say anything lame like, "Oh, you can make that face too?"
That'd make him a psycho to a girl crying over her parents' health.
As Jin nodded quietly, his expression suddenly darkened.
Watching her choke back tears over her dad made him think of his own parents.
Whoa. It's been almost two years since I last called.
Has the same time passed back in South Korea?
God, I hope not.
I hope they're not scouring cold streets looking for their son who vanished from his studio apartment.
An unavoidable worry.
Dig deeper, and the black waves would swallow him.
Jin shook his head vigorously.
Then, recalling Katrina's words, he deliberately spoke up.
"So. You need a new Eternal Dawn to save your sick dad, right?"
"Yeah."
Katrina nodded.
It was straightforward.
The current Marjie head's health was wrecked by Dark Ice backlash.
Hence, Eternal Dawn was needed.
End of story.
Even a kindergartener could get it, yet Brof crossed his arms with a hum.
"Already bedridden? Three years ago, it wasn't this bad......"
He trailed off, turning to Katrina.
"I need time to consult the staff."
A polite dismissal. Katrina rose wordlessly.
She shut the door behind her.
The moment she did, Brof spun to Wonder.
"What do you think?"
"Hm."
Wonder stroked his cleanly shaved chin.
"No downside for us. Especially since we bear no responsibility even if the artifact fails."
"I see. And you?"
Brof's gaze shifted to Silvia beside Wonder.
"Ah, me? Uh... Well..."
Silvia furrowed her brow in thought, then grinned sheepishly, scratching her head.
"Beats me. Do whatever's easiest for you, boss."
The most noncommittal answer yet. Brof's eyes finally landed on Jin.
"You?"
"Why ask? We're doing it."
"That confident?"
"Damn right! Like Wonder said, zero risk. Plus, it's not just you this time—Bagmar's here too. Worlds apart from three years ago."
"...True, but."
Brof's face grew serious.
Seeing Jin so insistent seemed to sway him a bit.
Truth be told, Jin was pushing this for another reason.
Yeah. No more slaving away.
Time to suck some honey.
At first, the quest's mismatch with his skills made him frown.
But thinking it over—gasp, wait.
Could this be a freebie?
Lightning struck his mind.
Think about it.
If he sweet-talked Brof into recreating Eternal Dawn with Bagmar?
And if they succeeded?
A quest impossible for him alone—solved.
55,000 XP.
A massive haul rolling in.
Nice.
He'd toss the leg, feast on XP like a broker's cut.
This the linker's high?
Elated, Jin told the muttering Brof:
"We're in, right? I'll go tell her."
Jin stepped out, scanning the shop—dripping with melted ice—then headed for the door.
There stood Katrina, leaning against the wall, gazing at Downtown's cramped sky.
Her Mustang jacket collar up, white breath puffing as she slowly turned.
"All sorted?"
"Yeah. We're taking it."
"Really?"
"First— you're sure no blame if it fails? Not that I doubt, but just in case."
"I swore."
Katrina gave a wry smile.
"Different from 40 years ago. That was a massive family-corporate project. This? Just a desperate daughter grasping at straws to save her dad."
"Suddenly?"
Jin flinched at her self-deprecating tone.
Her face, now blankly cold, triggered phantom PTSD.
As he awkwardly tried to continue:
Katrina spoke first.
"Marjies turn over generations fast, so factions split even among direct lines. 700 years of short lives bred this mess. Still is. When Dad dies, no one's grieving—they're all eyeing the seat like wolves."
She grimaced fiercely. The air chilled sharply.
"What changes if you grab the head seat? Nothing does."
Jin scratched his cheek at her mutter.
Lots bottled up, apparently.
An outsider like him had no words.
Still, he'd thought families fared better than street rats or corps...
This one came with [Short-lived] option.
Nothing's right in this world.
Crazy place.
As Jin chuckled dryly:
"Anyway, sorry for the hassle, but thanks for accepting. So, when do we head out?"
"I didn't do much... What?"
"When're we leaving?"
"Leaving? For where?"
Katrina shrugged at Jin's blank question.
"My house, duh."
She smirked faintly, adding:
"Recreating Eternal Dawn? How, without basic blueprints? Warning: can't leak 'em outside. Been that way since 40 years ago."
"Ah."
Jin nodded.
Makes sense.
He muttered to himself.
"Then go ask yourself. I'm out."
"...Huh? Where?"
Katrina blinked. Jin shrugged.
"Friend's place. Gotta game."
"Not teaming with Ruger?"
"Me? Nah. I smash stuff, not build. Hopeless at making things."
Jin waved it off.
For some reason, Katrina looked troubled.
"Anyway, I'm going."
"W-Wait!"
Her urgent call stopped him mid-ally.
"You're a Solo, right?"
"...Yeah?"
"Then. Hold on."
She pulled out her terminal.
Purist model—buttons to press.
Fancier than Jin's. She tapped away.
"Account number?"
"Why all of a sudden?"
"Hurry."
Jin recited his haltingly.
International Bank Account Number. IBAN for short.
Kalifa made it, tired of cash drops.
"Jin Evernight. Right?"
"Yeah, but."
"Sent the deposit. Check."
"...?"
As Jin tilted his head at the sudden "deposit":
Ding—
A clear chime. He pulled out his terminal naturally.
───────────
Deposit: 150,000,000C
Balance: 150,015,650C
LC55***0449100
───────────
Whoa?
Jin gawked at the bizarre string of zeros.
Counting digits—ten, hundred, thousand, million...
Katrina added:
"You're coming, right?"