A Miracle Merchant
"Thank you for coming all this way."
A genial impression.
A gentle smile.
Park Kangsu offered me a handshake with a benevolent face.
"Ah, yes."
As I shook his hand in a daze,
"I've been dying to meet you, Hunter Lee Taepyeong."
Park Kangsu clasped my hand tightly with both of his.
"Me?"
"Yes. Your reputation precedes you, doesn't it?"
"Is that so?"
"Not only did you clear the special floor in China, but you also brilliantly cleared the Demonic Outbreak on Tsushima Island in Japan."
Well, that was true.
Since it was a fact, there was no need to play humble, so I just nodded.
"I hear you are also very close friends with the world's number one Hunter, Leo White of the United States?"
"We're not, though?"
"Pardon?"
"We're not exactly close friends."
It was just that guy unilaterally trying to get close to me.
Because he didn't want to die.
"Haha, still..."
After a brief moment of fluster,
"You're still an amazing Hunter who established his own guild at such a young age."
Park Kangsu smoothly carried on the conversation.
"Ah, yes. Thank you for the compliment."
There was no need to throw manners out the window from the very start.
For now, Park Kangsu seemed to want to get on my good side.
Setting aside the fact that he was a cult leader.
Let's have a chat first.
Although several things bothered me,
there was a high probability that Park Kangsu's ability was the real deal.
"Shall we have some tea?"
"Sure."
Guided by Park Kangsu, I headed to the reception room.
The space was just as gaudy as the main hall.
On the door, instead of a cross, was the Babel Tower.
On the windows was stained glass that seemed to depict Park Kangsu.
The floor was marble, and the various decorations were glittering gold.
Total nouveau riche taste...
To put it simply, that was it.
It looked like a lot of money had been spent,
but it was far from classy.
Pure nouveau riche style.
"Hmm..."
Among them, what caught my eye
was a large framed picture hanging on one wall.
A painting of Park Kangsu.
With the Babel Tower in the background,
Park Kangsu stood in front of it, raising both hands as he bathed in light.
And hundreds, thousands of followers were bowing down toward him.
This went way beyond mere self-absorption.
"Leader, the tea is ready."
"Ah, please bring it in."
Two women entered,
placing teacups and a teapot in front of Park Kangsu and me.
Park Kangsu poured the tea for me himself.
"This is a very fine tea from Japan."
I see.
It just looked like green tea, but I guess something was different about it?
"Please, drink."
It was astringent.
As expected, barley tea is the best...
I took a single sip and set the teacup down.
Unlike me, Park Kangsu slowly savored his tea.
Judging by his deliberately slow movements,
he seemed to be trying to bait me into asking a question.
That way, he could take control of the conversation.
...Using such a cheap trick?
I stared blankly at Park Kangsu,
then pulled out my phone and started playing a game.
I absolutely detested petty tricks to seize control like this.
"..."
"..."
A long silence ensued.
As if I didn't care in the slightest what he was thinking,
I just kept playing my game without looking up or asking a question.
"...Hunter Lee Taepyeong."
I guess he realized this wasn't working.
Park Kangsu, who had already emptied his cup twice, finally spoke.
"The reason I asked to see Hunter Lee Taepyeong today is none other than..."
"-nim."
I uttered just a single syllable.
"Pardon?"
"You should call me 'Hunter-nim'."
"Huh?"
"You're not the type to speak down to people just because you're older, are you?"
"What?"
"That 'what' was informal, too."
"Uh, uh..."
"Leader Park Kangsu."
"Ack?"
"See? It's annoying, right?"
"No..."
"Hunter-nim. Leader-nim. I think it's only right we address each other with '-nim'."
Park Kangsu stared at me with a dumbfounded face.
"Ah, I understand. Hunter Lee Taepyeong-nim..."
"Yes, Leader-nim."
I flashed him my signature genial smile.
Just as Park Kangsu had done.
"Please, go on with what you were saying."
"...Yes."
Park Kangsu cleared his throat.
"I assume you watched today's service."
"Yes. Everyone sang quite well."
"S-singing...?"
"Yes. You know, that song about offering public values, blah blah blah."
I hummed the melody I vaguely remembered.
"No, rather than that..."
Park Kangsu wiped the sweat forming on his forehead.
"You must have witnessed the 'miracle' I performed."
A miracle.
Was he calling awakening and strengthening a miracle?
Being able to awaken and strengthen someone without them entering the tower was impressive.
But once you enter the tower, you awaken automatically anyway.
And as you climb the tower, you naturally grow.
That was just how the system worked.
The system.
He kept subtly talking as if awakening and strengthening were miracles only he could perform.
But if you really think about it.
Whether it was awakening or strengthening.
Anyone who entered the tower could get it.
If he had just called it a 'skill', I would have accepted it with an 'Ah, I see.'
But because he kept trying to peddle it as a miracle, it only rubbed me the wrong way.
Exactly like.
A scammer.
It was similar to when I fell victim to rental fraud.
-This house is very clean.
-I'm telling you, there's no other place like this around here!
-If you don't sign the contract now, you're a sucker! A sucker!
...Feels sketchy.
I silently waited for Park Kangsu's next words.
Perhaps because my reaction was different from what he expected,
Park Kangsu's expression stiffened slightly.
"The reason I called Hunter Lee Taepyeong today is none other than..."
"-nim."
"...C-cough! The reason I called Hunter Lee Taepyeong-nim! Is because I want to make you a good offer."
A good offer.
"What is it?"
At my question, Park Kangsu flashed that genial smile once again.
"Just as you saw in today's service, don't you want to become stronger?"
"..."
"A Hunter who couldn't even cross the threshold of the 10th floor is now on the verge of reaching the 20th floor."
"..."
"Double."
Park Kangsu grinned, baring his teeth.
"I will double your abilities."
So this was his main point.
"I heard you have not yet reached the notorious 50th floor."
That was true.
Right now, I was only clearing the 40s.
But,
that wasn't because I couldn't reach the 50th floor.
It was just because I had no intention of going there yet.
"I will help you climb that 50th floor."
"..."
"And that's not all!"
"..."
"The 50th floor, no, even up to the 60th floor!!!"
Park Kangsu shouted, the veins in his neck bulging just like when he was preaching.
"I will make sure you climb them aaaaaall!!!"
My eardrums are going to burst.
I stared at Park Kangsu with a bored expression,
and just as he began to break into a cold sweat,
"Sounds good."
I finally spoke.
"But it's not free, right?"
Park Kangsu cleared his throat.
"Haha, well..."
"There must be a price."
Park Kangsu narrowed his eyes and looked at me.
"...As expected, you're quick-witted."
"It's more that I hate small talk."
"Hahaha. What I desire is not that grand."
Park Kangsu leaned forward.
Then, in a low voice:
"Public values."
Just as expected.
Public values.
I had figured it out ever since the followers started singing that weird song.
The only question was.
How much public values.
Frankly speaking,
there was bound to be a limit to the public values he could squeeze out of ordinary awakened followers who weren't even high-level Hunters.
The bare minimum.
If converted to money, would it even be 50 cents?
At best, it would be around 10 or 20 cents.
Of course, pennies add up to dollars.
But,
what if you could earn hundreds or thousands of dollars right from the start?
Tens of thousands.
Hundreds of thousands.
Millions.
Unlike when dealing with pennies, you could earn exponentially.
That was exactly what Park Kangsu was trying to do now.
Stopping the petty collection of pennies,
and trying to catch a big fish like me to make a fortune all at once.
Do I look insane?
I scoffed inwardly and looked at Park Kangsu.
"How much?"
"Half."
Pfft.
A hollow laugh escaped me because it was so absurd.
Does he even know how much public values I earn
to demand 'half'?
He was either crazy or didn't know his place.
"After you become stronger through my Strengthening,"
"..."
"you just need to offer half of all the public values you obtain in the future."
"Half, you say..."
"Ordinary followers offer ninety percent."
This guy is a straight-up highway robber.
"However, since Hunter Lee Taepyeong-nim is special,"
"..."
"I decided to take exactly! Half."
Silence fell.
*Snicker.*
In the end, I couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
I mean, of course I did.
It made absolutely no sense.
"...Why are you laughing?"
Park Kangsu looked at me with a stiffened face.
I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and caught my breath.
"Whew..."
"..."
"No, it's just so absurd that it's hilarious."
"...What?"
"Think about it. Half of my public values..."
*Pfft!* Laughter burst out again.
"I was just wondering if you even know how much public values I earn to make such a demand..."
"...Hunter Lee Taepyeong-nim!"
"Hehehe..."
"Do you not know what a special blessing Strengthening is? Even now, there are Hunters waiting with bags of public values just to receive my Strengthening...!"
Ah, I really can't hold it in.
Just imagining Hunters waiting with bags of public values,
it's so funny I might pee myself.
He's not a cult leader, he's a comedian. A total comedian.
"Lee Taepyeong!"
"Attach '-nim', Leader Park Kangsu."
Park Kangsu's face turned red as if it was about to explode.
"Y-y-you bastard...!"
"Now it's not even Hunter Lee Taepyeong, just 'you bastard'?"
"...!!!!!"
His benevolent smile had long since vanished.
With Park Kangsu jumping up from his seat and huffing in front of me,
*Sip.*
I took a sip of the now cold tea.
Ah, it really is astringent.
So bitter.
"...You will regret this."
Park Kangsu's voice trembled violently.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I think the regret will belong to the followers who brought their public values to you."
"..."
"I've lived just fine without any 'miracles' until now."
"You...!"
"Why would I suddenly need your 'miracle' now?"
I looked at Park Kangsu with a bright smile.
Unfortunately for him,
I was no longer weak enough to hope for things like 'miracles'.
"Is that all for your offer?"
I set the teacup down and stood up from my seat.
Park Kangsu, who was just watching me while trembling with rage, screamed.
"I said you will regret this!"
"..."
"Do you think the 50th and 60th floors are easy?!"
Hmm.
What if they aren't? What are you going to do about it?
"One day, you will need me too!"
"..."
"Even if you come crying and begging to me then...!!!"
Park Kangsu shrieked in sheer spite.
I watched him while picking my ear.
"Well, I'll just beg then!"
I turned around and opened the door.
As I stepped outside,
*Glance.*
Perhaps having heard the commotion inside,
the followers were staring at me with stiff expressions.
I nodded my head toward them.
"Thanks for the tea~!"
Once I made it outside,
as if they had no intention of driving me back anymore,
the black car and the men were nowhere to be seen.
*Ring, ring.*
I called Kang Mina.
"Ah, Mina. Could you come pick me up?"
—Huh? Where are you?
"Gakseonghoe."
—...Whaaaat?!?!
Gakseonghoe.
How should I crush them?