Chapter 117
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Devil's Contract (1)
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'Not a bad haul after all.'
I'd received a total of thirteen Skill Stones as payment for my healing services.
All of them were rare ones that Lee Seojun had personally vetted and approved.
But there was one thing I'd overlooked: all the people who showed up midway through.
'I thought it'd be over after treating just ten.'
Because I'd announced that I'd be operating every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., people kept coming right up until closing time.
In the end, I'd seen thirty or forty patients, but only thirteen of them had been properly treated.
'At least I snagged the skill I wanted.'
And among those thirteen Skill Stones, one was exactly what I'd been after.
[D-Rank (Lv6) Skill Stone]
Using this allows you to acquire the D-Rank skill 'Precise Calculation'.
According to Lee Seojun, it was a skill that let you perform all kinds of calculations without a single mistake.
And since it was brain-related, just like the others, it might help with my Absolute Clone, so I acquired it.
'It does seem to be helping.'
Separate from my own thoughts, Cheon Seo-yun had commented during our morning physical training.
"Feeling better?"
"Better how?"
"You're moving a lot more naturally than before."
She meant that while I previously couldn't even control my own body properly, now I was moving relatively smoothly.
Hearing that, I wondered if it was thanks to Precise Calculation, but upon checking, there were other factors at play too.
Innate Ability
└ ① Absolute Clone (EX+) (Proficiency: 1.003%)
└ ② Hero Summon (SSS) (Proficiency: 0.001%)
Absolute Clone's proficiency had reached 1%.
This was the result of creating five clones and running them nonstop.
'Finally hit 1%.'
It had been several days since the uninhabited island survival ended, so roughly a full month of constant effort to gain just 1%.
At this rate, even after graduating school, I'd only be at 36%, but increasing the number of clones would solve that.
'Might as well make some more while I'm thinking about it.'
I created two more clones and sent them deep into the uninhabited mountains.
Now with a total of seven clones, my body started creaking like before again, and the next day, Cheon Seo-yun tilted her head in confusion.
"Why'd you go back to normal?"
"Who knows. Maybe it was just a temporary improvement?"
Cheon Seo-yun kept giving me puzzled looks at my answer but didn't press further.
And so, day by day, I went about school life, and today after classes, I was heading to the clubroom as usual.
"Hey, did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"If you go to that one lecture hall at 8 p.m...."
I overheard two students whispering nearby but ignored them and kept heading to the clubroom...
"One girl said she'll do it if you make one promise."
Huh?
I slowed my steps upon hearing that.
Curious about the details, I focused on eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Do what if you make the promise?"
"Sex, man. Sex."
"She'll have sex with you?"
"I don't know the details, but that's what it sounds like."
I slowed even more after hearing that.
As I deliberately lagged behind, Lee Seojun asked curiously.
-Mr. Lee Seongmin. What's going on?
"Some weird conversation next to me, so I was listening."
I gave him a quick summary along with my response.
Lee Seojun's reaction was openly skeptical.
-A promise, huh? Sounds like the Doomsday Cultists are making a move.
"They're recruiting contractors now, right? Don't they need to sign a contract like with me?"
-Yeah. Since their leader's the Demon of Contracts, verbal agreements work too.
If verbal contracts sufficed, recruiting would be a breeze.
That explained why Lee Seojun had said the Doomsday Cultists were the largest in sheer numbers.
"Interested?"
"In, interested? I mean, yeah, but..."
"I'll teach you. If it's real, let me know."
"Let you know? Wouldn't it be better if you checked it out yourself?"
"I'd love to, but I've got training with the team tonight."
As I caught the rest of their talk, Lee Seojun pondered aloud with his guess.
-Pretty sure it's that bastard U Yun-hak making moves.
"U Yun-hak."
I grimaced slightly at the mention of him stirring things up.
His innate ability was scouting-specialized, so I'd debated killing him, but with the next event unknown, I'd spared him for now.
'Didn't expect him to move first, though.'
Lee Seojun had a guess for that too.
-Probably because you wiped out their online gambling, Mr. Lee Seongmin.
"But online gambling was an original event, right?"
-Precisely, it was supposed to be either the Villain Alliance or Geneva Cult raiding us.
Lee Seojun shook his head slightly, explaining the difference.
-We could've blocked the Doomsday Cultists' online gambling too, but not by storming in and smashing everything like you did.
"Then?"
-You befriend the instructor and ask them to handle it... but it always ends with them escaping.
No one dismantled and absorbed the organization like I had.
"Anyway, if we leave it like this, contractors will definitely increase."
-If we deal with U Yun-hak, who knows how the next event will play out.
The random events were a headache in all sorts of ways.
I could handle whatever came up, but I worried about other students getting caught in the crossfire.
"Let's keep him alive until the next event and handle that student first."
There wasn't much time left until then.
So, we decided to let U Yun-hak live a bit longer while stopping the contractor recruitment.
"Once we solve this, it'll be quiet until the next event."
-If that student keeps it secret, yeah.
Two of the big three crime groups—the Villain Alliance and Geneva Cult—were already on paths of no return.
If the Doomsday Cultists followed suit, we'd be dealing with random events the whole time at school, so caution was warranted.
Clank—
I entered the clubroom and sat down, scanning the empty space with no one there yet.
A few more minutes, and the club members would trickle in one by one. Then I'd summon dinner.
Clank—
"I'm here."
As expected, Park So-yul was the first to arrive just minutes later.
After her came Cheon Seo-yun, Joo Ha-yeon, and Hong Ju-a in order.
It was dinnertime anyway, so they were all coming to eat here.
'Time to summon the food.'
I planned to eat dinner via Collection Cuisine Summon, then wait until 8 p.m.
Head to the spot that student mentioned, deal with the contract issue.
-Oh, Mr. Lee Seongmin. Be careful when you go later. U Yun-hak might be watching.
Come to think of it, given his innate ability, surveillance was likely.
'Should I change my appearance?'
I was mulling that over when Cheon Seo-yun spoke up.
"Spar with me today."
"Spar? Might be tough today."
"Why?"
"Got something to take care of."
Even as I answered, Cheon Seo-yun stared at me, demanding more with her eyes.
I ignored her gaze and pretended not to notice, using Collection Cuisine Summon to set the food on the table.
"Something to do? Does that mean no massage today either?"
Hong Ju-a followed up, frowning about her massage.
I knew she relied on my massages for stress relief, but I'd done it just two days ago.
"Didn't you get one two days ago?"
"Headaches are back. Is the effect wearing off?"
"No way."
With +10 Massage skill, the effect wouldn't fade.
She was probably just piling on more stress.
"Hong Ju-a, how many hours are you sleeping?"
"Me? Two hours today."
"......"
"Midterms are coming up soon."
Hong Ju-a said it proudly, as if it were a badge of honor.
Seemed like midterm stress was getting to her.
"But studying's going great lately. Not to brag, but I'm expecting good results this time."
Sacrificing my massages for cram sessions, apparently.
I recalled her potential was 70 and wondered if she could beat the higher ones.
'Just Cheon Seo-yun and Joo Ha-yeon next to me have higher potential.'
Potential didn't directly translate to exam scores, though, so I nodded encouragingly.
"Good luck."
"Of course. So, massage today too, in that spirit."
"......"
In the end, I agreed and summoned the rest of the food.
'But actually doing it, there's one snag.'
After dinner in the clubroom, I massaged Hong Ju-a and gently shooed Cheon Seo-yun away with some pats.
Now, time to get to work—but U Yun-hak watching was still a problem.
"Even if I break the contract, if he sees it, he'll just start over, right?"
-And he'll come after you too, while he's at it.
"Gotta handle U Yun-hak and the contract at the same time."
Dealing with U Yun-hak was easy.
Just move two clones—no big deal. But anything short of killing him would raise his suspicions.
"No helping it."
-Giving up?
"Nah. Time to act like with Jake."
I moved two clones here. Turned one into an ordinary female student appearance.
She'd head to the spot I'd overheard on the way.
The other clone I transformed into a certain person.
-Uh...? Mr. Lee Seongmin. You're going with that guy?
"It's already a mess anyway."
Me and Lee Seojun stared at the other clone.
The one transformed into Luca, the head of the Villain Alliance.