Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Collection (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
While I was lost in thought, Lee Seojun spoke up.
"Lee Seongmin. You're not thinking of selling off the artifact you took from the Geneva Cult bastards, are you?"
From the way he said it, it sounded like he was trying to dissuade me. I looked at Lee Seojun and asked,
"Why not?"
"Because the black market might disappear. It's crawling with Villain Alliance and Doomsday Cultists. If the Geneva Cult starts poking around in there, war will break out right away."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
And because I'd been openly chatting with Lee Seojun, every member of the organization was staring at me with puzzled looks.
"The outcome might be fine, but it'll make it hard to get rare artifacts, materials, and Skill Stones sold on the black market."
I nodded at Lee Seojun's words, signaling that I understood.
There were definitely items only available on the black market, so it might be best to leave it alone.
"Um, Boss. Who are you talking to right now?"
Then Kim Young-ho, standing in front of me, cautiously spoke up.
Since it would make things easier later if I revealed it upfront, I came up with a vague explanation.
"I was talking to a colleague."
"Pardon? You mean there's a colleague here?"
"Not here. A bit farther away."
In other words, I was saying we'd communicated without any kind of device.
But thanks to the abilities I'd shown yesterday, most of the organization members seemed to buy it.
"Anyway, Kim Young-ho. You brought back the highest price, so you deserve a reward."
"Thank you!"
This time, I used the ability from the 14th world to grant Kim Young-ho a job.
'Grant job. [Destroyer].'
A rare-grade Destroyer among common, rare, unique, and one-of-a-kind ranks.
After granting it to Kim Young-ho, I even told him which abilities to pick.
"Choose Heavy Blow. Then Shock Enhancement and Battle Continuation."
"Got it."
After downing an experience potion as well, Kim Young-ho looked at me expectantly.
"Am I a D-rank Hero now?"
"That's right. Oh, but only your physical abilities have increased, so you won't be able to acquire Skill Stones or anything."
"So it's different from a real Hero awakening."
Kim Young-ho looked a bit disappointed but still nodded in satisfaction.
"But can you do this to existing Heroes too?"
"Yeah."
"Then it would be more effective on actual Heroes than on me."
"Just take the money."
That was true, but without responding, I handed him 50 million won and sank back into thought.
'Anyway, since we're putting the black market on hold, I should deal with the ring issue first.'
Thinking about the ring problem gave me a headache—it meant running all over the place.
"How should I handle the ring situation?"
When I asked Lee Seojun, he pondered for a bit before replying.
"With your power, Lee Seongmin, getting the ring back would be easy. But you'd be branded a Villain for sure."
"I don't plan on just getting it back. I want it returned dozens of times over."
The problem was that the moment I reclaimed the ring or whatever, I'd be labeled a Villain, just like Lee Seojun said.
"Honestly, you can move however you want, Lee Seongmin. But if you charge in looking like this or only target the ring, this organization will fall apart."
In other words, to protect the organization, I needed to go in disguised as someone else and rampage indiscriminately.
'Do I really need to protect a shitty organization like this?'
Aside from Kim Young-ho, there wasn't anyone particularly useful.
Still, they needed to make money to buy rare items from the black market, so I decided to hold off.
"Tell me the corporation's name and location. And the locations of the other organizations and the artifact shop."
"Y-yes."
When I asked about the place where they'd taken the ring, the organization member seemed to guess what was coming and answered immediately.
"I figured as much—it was Daeyang Corporation. Rumor has it they hoard rare artifacts and Skill Stones."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Apparently, they collect all sorts of artifacts and Skill Stones to support any family member who awakens."
"Perfect."
It seemed just right as compensation for taking my ring.
"The artifact shop has a VIP underground area too. They start at 10 billion won there."
Lee Seojun was explaining so enthusiastically, it felt like he was egging me on to raid it right now.
"Especially the artifact shop. Total scammers. They buy from me at half price and sell for at least double."
"......"
It looked like he wanted some vicarious revenge through me.
"Oh. Before that, are you going in a different appearance?"
"Probably."
"Since it'll be a big deal, you need a strong impression."
A strong impression?
I gave Lee Seojun a quizzical look, and he quickly explained.
"Change into something so distinctive that no one could possibly link it to you or this side. A foreigner would be good."
I wasn't sure about the strong impression part, but turning into a foreigner seemed fine.
If a foreigner did the ransacking, it was unlikely anyone would connect it back here.
'Decision made.'
Having settled on a foreign appearance this time, I ordered the organization members to head back.
"You all go rest until I call you."
"Um... could you heal me first?"
I looked at the organization member who'd hesitantly asked for treatment.
Part of me wanted to snap that he didn't deserve it after screwing up, but I couldn't just leave them like that, so I healed them one by one.
"And Kim Young-ho. We'll hit the black market soon, so keep that in mind."
"Yes. I'll prepare."
"Prepare what? Go rest up."
After sending everyone away, I pondered for a moment.
"Should I change this body's appearance now, or make another clone?"
"You can make another clone?"
"I can make as many as needed."
But controlling them would be exponentially harder.
'I can barely handle two properly—three would be impossible.'
In the end, I decided to change my current body.
"Let's change this one."
"Okay. I'll put some real effort into designing it this time."
"......"
I didn't quite trust him, but it had to be better than what I could come up with, so I nodded silently.
"How's this? Not bad, right?"
"......"
I pulled a full-length mirror from my subspace and examined the transformed appearance Lee Seojun had described.
For starters, the insane height of about 230 cm and the body easily over 200 kg were armored in pure muscle with zero body fat.
'Is this a person or a monster?'
No joke—if you ran into this on a night street, anyone would scream.
"My forearm's as thick as an adult man's thigh."
To be precise, from wrist to elbow, it matched an adult man's thigh in thickness.
"I even came up with a code name: 'Destroyer.' What do you think?"
Destroyer?
Coincidentally, it was the same as the job I'd given Kim Young-ho.
Of course, there was no connection between the job Destroyer and what Lee Seojun meant.
"It definitely looks like it could destroy everything."
People would nod if I said this body could demolish a corporate building barehanded—it was that intimidating.
Anyway, operating in this form made it highly unlikely anyone would link it to this organization.
"As you know, don't just hit the artifact shop, Daeyang Corporation, and the other organizations precisely. Someone might think of the ring."
"These idiots are really making this a hassle."
"True, but think positive. You'll get artifacts, Skill Stones, and more this time. Maybe something useful for Absolute Clone."
Thinking of Absolute Clone eased my irritation just a tad.
If looting a shop and a corporation could boost Absolute Clone's performance, it was a net gain.
"Still don't like moving around like this."
With that, I opened a subspace using the power of space and pulled out a backpack.
"What's with the backpack?"
"Need something to carry the loot."
"Isn't it a bit small?"
"It's fine. This backpack has [Spatial Storage]."
The [Spatial Storage] I'd made with the authority from the 5th world was 100 meters by 100 meters.
More than enough for artifacts, so one backpack would do. With that, I set off.
"Let's move."
"Sure. I'll guide you to the locations."
"Mm."
Flash—
Hearing Lee Seojun, I first teleported to the rooftop of a tall building in the city center.
From a spot overlooking the urban sprawl below, Lee Seojun confirmed our position.
"Looks like ND Corporation headquarters. Head to that building's rooftop over there."
Flash—
I spatial jumped again in the direction he indicated.
"Ah, there it is. See that big building? That's the artifact shop."
The place Lee Seojun pointed to was a three-story building around 400-500 pyeong.
As an artifact seller, it was bustling with armed people in weapons and armor coming and going.
"Big building."
"Inside, they're categorized by weapons, armor, accessories, and such. The really expensive stuff's underground, of course."
"Skill Stones?"
"Obviously."
I nodded and decided it was time to start.
'Better make an entrance.'
With that thought, I spatial jumped to 100 meters above the artifact shop's entrance.
Flash—
"Huh? Wh-what? Lee Seongmin, you're falling!"
"On purpose."
I let gravity take over, plummeting vertically and crashing into the ground.
Boom!
Not even a scratch from a 100-meter drop. For my greeting, I clenched my fist.
I'd once told Lee Seojun my stats were EX-rank—it wasn't a lie.
'I've just been holding back normally.'
But now, with no need to hold back, I swung at the air with moderate force.
Kaboom!
The air exploded with a sound like space itself tearing, my strike over 500 times stronger and faster than a normal person's.
Then the shockwave hit the artifact shop, ripping off the outer wall.
Kr-boom!!
"Collection... no, time to secure funds."
Ignoring the stunned stares from all around, I strode into the artifact shop.