Chapter 345
Chapter 345
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 345
Chapter Title: Honest Answer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Xin-hwaaa... shuuiii......”
“Call me Sin. No need for the tones.”
It was one of the VIP rooms in the Red Hat, but not the one where I'd been talking to Jeokdu just moments ago. A different room.
“Kuueuk— Haojiu bu~ji eueueu......”
Crawling out from under the wide table in that room was Park Kwanglim, inching along like a caterpillar.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
Ever since getting trapped in the [Cthulhu World], I'd learned to read and write about fifty languages. It was all for deciphering grimoires, though, so conversational fluency wasn't part of the deal.
Still, I could get the general vibe.
“Nice to meet you? Oh, you missed me?”
“Ah— Wo tou you erjireu— geuchiman, na shwi~eueu— Hen hao.”
Mumbling a mix of Korean and Chinese, but nothing too important. Just whining about a spinning head and saying he felt good.
I turned to Jeokdu and asked,
“How much did you stuff him with, exactly?”
“The booze was pretty strong.”
Jeokdu's reply as he leaned against the doorframe.
It sounded like a non-answer, but this room where Park Kwanglim was rolling around had an insane number of empty bottles scattered everywhere.
All of them strong liquor, over 50 proof. Forced him to drink till he dropped?
“Complaining? I'm treating your brother just like he asked, aren't I? He didn't seem to like them sober much.”
Jeokdu chuckled silently, shoulders shaking as if it was hilarious.
Watching him nod and squirm like that brought on a twinge of irritation.
“......”
I grabbed Park Kwanglim's arm and rolled up his sleeve. Horrific self-harm scars.
“Sin-hyun-ah, I don't know what that Chinese guy showed him, but—it's gonna take time for daily life to be normal again. Well, if Brother wants, I can handle rehab too.”
Annoying, but I had to admit it made sense.
Still reeling from the Busan shock, caught by cultists wielding surreal powers—anyone's mind would crack.
To ease Park Kwanglim's delirium, Jeokdu had shown his own brand of “kindness.” Booze brings oblivion and fun, after all.
“Huu~ Whatever—tsuhe-fuu......”
No clue what that was. Didn't seem like he was trying to say anything meaningful.
“Kwanglim, you're good now. Just sleep.”
I bent down and cast a spell.
[Ka's Golden Sands]
Golden sand poured over Park Kwanglim's head. A sleep-induction spell.
“Euum....... Little brother......”
Just like last time, seeing his little brother in me. He resisted for a second, but soon passed out.
And a few more.
Giiiing—
Magical runes seeped into Park Kwanglim's body.
“You're taking good care of him. Brother, is that Chinese guy that precious?”
“No.”
I straightened up with a curt reply.
“Just pity. And we worked together.”
Casting a few spells like this was as easy as breathing now.
It reminded me of the totally different line I'd fed Tudor, but whatever. Humans are contradictory by nature.
“A saint now, huh? Treating a con artist who sold your name around like this. If my life's ever ruined, can I get some of that pity too?”
What the hell was this psycho gangster babbling about?
I lightly tapped Jeokdu's chest with my mana-infused left hand.
“Better pray that never happens. Client.”
Jeokdu chuckled silently again, clearly amused.
“Alright, fixer. Booze haze cleared up enough—shall we get cozy and make some progress?”
* * *
The nightclub's kitchen.
Food smells assaulting from all sides.
Into this chaotic space where chefs bustled noisily stepped Jeokdu's crew in crisp suits, all in perfect sync, and a masked wizard.
Familiar vibe for everyone.
Nothing new for me either. In a way, it was a cliché scene, and I'd seen this path in the game already.
Yeah, there.
Jeokdu would open that freezer door with a flashy move any second.
“Brother. This way.”
Posing like a magician unveiling a trick.
“......”
I followed into the freezer without a word.
Obviously, a secret passage.
Beyond it stretched a gloomy corridor.
“Not impressed, wizard?”
“Why waste that flair on weird stuff? Try a TV station.”
Jeokdu shook his head with a silent laugh at my jab.
“Eum~ I'm a diligent mobster, and it's a hobby that helps the business. Charisma comes from surprise, you know.”
“Ah. Sure.”
Jeokdu led on, chuckling happily.
Unlike the nightclub's flashing lights, this was dimly, ominously lit on purpose.
Narrow corridor with iron doors spaced evenly. Like a prison.
Jeokdu opened one and offered a seat.
“Space for important talks. Everyone gets honest here.”
Thumping bass from the lively nightclub above.
Faint moans from the next room.
Filthy bloodstains everywhere.
A secret spot for torture or hardball negotiations.
But with a sofa and table, at least this room was for talking.
I sat, and Jeokdu spoke right up.
“Brother, not my place, but—that ain't normal. Saw her take our hand then betray us right away?”
The “that” was the person I'd been calling Hyeon-a.
How many betrayals in one day?
Jeokdu offered to hand me over to Hyeon-a.
She attacked me and ambushed Jeokdu in the same move.
I'd anticipated her betrayal and prepped death golems along the expected path.
“And we baited that betrayal.”
“Point is, allying one day and betraying the next. I know cultists...”
In this dank basement fresh off a torture session, Jeokdu flashed an overly fresh smile.
“You can't think of soul-selling monsters as people.”
Contradictory talk.
Jeokdu loved allying with cultists. Easy to betray.
‘That's why I don't like Jeokdu much.’
As a sociopath, he fit cultists better than TV producers.
But as a hardcore narcissist, he became a crime boss instead.
“Brother.”
“Yeah.”
“Drink?”
Sigh.
“Told you, I'm good.”
“I'll have more. Hyung-sik. A glass. And that, that thing. What's it called? Tray thing. That too.”
The one-eyed brute behind Jeokdu nodded silently and left.
Even now, Jeokdu was probably pricing me out for a real buyer.
All that alliance, sworn brothers, client talk—pure bullshit in this asura field where no one trusted anyone.
Not that I was innocent here.
‘Not moving for Park Kwanglim, Jeokdu, or even Hyeon-a.’
I was plotting a future totally different from what they dreamed.
“Really not drinking?”
“Get a wizard drunk and see what disaster hits.”
“Eum~ Fair point.”
Soon the one-eyed brute—Bang Hyung-sik—returned with glasses, bottles, and that “what's it called? Tray thing.”
“Right. This. What's its damn name?”
Bang Hyung-sik couldn't speak, so I answered.
“Tablet PC.”
“Mm-hmm—”
Jeokdu mumbled around his glass and handed it over.
“Brother. Check this first.”
Photo on the tablet screen.
Twisted clouds in bizarre patterns. Lightning flashing within. A short-haired woman tiny in the midst.
“Rare shot.”
A natural disaster unique to the [Cthulhu World]: [Byakhee Storm].
Byakhees are easy to spot, but a clear photo of one is super rare—newspapers pay big for tips.
Players get achievements too. Who snapped this?
“Some reporter named Kap. Old pic, taken in Mokpo.”
Kap......
“Mokpo? From the fight with the Eternal Unity Cult?”
“You know it? Yeah. Byakhee nabbed their Dokgo Kyum in Mokpo.”
That led to Dokgo Kyum's transport to Sejong City, where I busted him out around Buyeo.
By the time I wrapped Busan and returned, he'd vanished somewhere.
“What's tha— Oh.”
I remembered. Park Kwanglim had dug up that info for me.
“Yeah. Turns out the Eternal Unity Cult was smuggling something from Egypt then.”
“I see.”
“Brother. That, yeah. Tap for next page.”
Jeokdu slurped his drink casually.
Next page: a large wooden container.
“Bought this intel from a broker named Purmir. Cult grunt passed it to Hyeon-a. See 'Mokpo' marked?”
Makes sense.
“What was inside?”
“Asked those Blue Tiger Gang pals who visited today. Four statues, they said.”
“Statues?”
“Yeah. Some animal ones? Honest guys, but clueless. Wasted effort.”
Jeokdu grinned brightly, tilting his glass. Meaning he tortured them till they talked.
Animal statues......
That narrowed possibilities a lot.
Artifact story, not human—smash 'em and problems solved.
“Brother, next page.”
Next photo: vast landscape, not Korean.
“Where's this?”
“Blue Tiger bro's house. Totally redone interior. Few more shots, keep swiping.”
“Damn—total mess.”
It was always an odd mansion, not your average estate.
‘Had a machine-gun watchtower.’
Now even worse.
I memorized the visible details and handed the tablet back.
“That's all I got. My guys went dark after that last pic.”
“Plenty. I'll wrap it tomorrow. No worries.”
“Cool. Hyung-sik, hair tie.”
The one-eyed brute pulled out a small hair tie.
“What can we do to help?”
Jeokdu asked, then tied back his vivid red hair with it in his mouth.
“I'm good.”
“No need?”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“Hmm—”
Jeokdu flicked his head a few times after ponytailing his bright red hair, then continued.
“Didn't you like groups?”
“Never.”
“In Busan—”
God, this guy had no tact.
“Correction. Tastes changed.”
“While changing tastes, wanna shift more? Play with me. Lots of fun stuff.”
['Jeokdu, Leader of the Jeokdu Gang' proposes you join the Jeokdu Gang. Accept?]
Not a short gig—full invite.
Hadn't even finished the job, and he's pushing. Charm stat too high?
I shook my head.
“Told you similar before. Better hope that doesn't happen.”
This time, solo.
No more dragging people in. Sick of extra characters.
Jang Hyun-deok?
Plenty of pro drivers to hire instead. Park Kwanglim's ultimately Tudor's inferior anyway.
Could even find Tudor's replacement in Paju.
“That so? Can't force it.”
Jeokdu smiled freshly, but—
[Jeokdu's favorability drops sharply due to your rejection.]
Fun wondering what tricks he'll pull next time.
Insurance in place anyway.
“I'm off. Lots to prep.”
“I'll walk you.”
“No need.”
Tomorrow, straight to Hyeon-a.
Hope no big curveballs.......