Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Leak (3)
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"You seem surprised as well."
Of course I was a little shocked to hear they planned to take me out.
But since Lee Seojun and I had suspected it was a trap from the start, I just nodded in response.
"How do you plan to capture the Destroyer?"
"...It's too early to say. If you cooperate, I'll tell you."
"Cooperate? If you're asking me to fight the Destroyer, then you've got the wrong idea."
"I don't want you fighting directly, either."
Seo Do-kyung shook his head and denied it before explaining properly.
"I'd like you to heal the injured heroes during the battle with the Destroyer."
"Isn't that the same thing? The Destroyer won't just stand by while I'm healing."
I pointed out that even entering the Destroyer's line of sight would be dangerous, and Seo Do-kyung's face clouded over in thought.
"Isn't there any way? If you help, we might save heroes on the brink of death."
"You're just beating around the bush that you want me to go die."
I considered pretending to reluctantly agree for a price but decided to refuse once first.
"Anyway, pretend you didn't hear that. I don't have a hobby of pointless suicide."
"For your safety, we'll provide heroes specialized in defense and artifacts. Would that still not be enough?"
"That's a given. Or were you planning to send a healer out bare-handed?"
"......"
Seo Do-kyung fell silent at my words, unable to even refute.
Lee Seojun watched me keep refusing and asked curiously.
—Lee Seongmin. You're going to refuse?
As if.
"First, tell me how you plan to capture the Destroyer. If it seems feasible, I'll help—for a price."
"The fact that we're capturing the Destroyer is top secret. Are you absolutely sure you won't leak it?"
"There's no one I'd tell anyway... but I won't say a word to anyone else."
This much was true.
I had no intention of telling anyone else what I'd heard directly.
Of course, unfortunately for Seo Do-kyung, there was the minor issue that the Destroyer, far away, could hear our conversation right now.
'At least I didn't lie.'
In any case, Seo Do-kyung nodded as if he'd made up his mind after hearing my response.
"I'll trust you."
"You're just wishing you could. But pay up properly for the compensation."
"......Honest, aren't you? When the Destroyer enters the S-Rank Gate, we plan to lay special mana bombs around it."
It seemed they were planting special mana bombs around the Gate.
I had no idea what those bombs were, but Lee Seojun did, judging by his slight frown.
—They're serious. Special mana bombs, of all things.
"Special mana bombs..."
I nodded as if I roughly understood.
—They're worth about 500 billion each. They annihilate a precise radius of 1-2 km with no fallout afterward.
Listening to Lee Seojun's eager explanation beside me, I gathered they weren't ordinary bombs and asked Seo Do-kyung,
"You think those bombs can take out the Destroyer?"
"There's a chance. Even if it doesn't kill it, it'll deal massive damage. That's when I'll step in with the other heroes."
"And you're recruiting me just for that moment."
Now that I knew their method, I could prepare accordingly.
Worst case, activating an absolute barrier the moment they raided the Gate wouldn't let them harm me at all.
'But that'd be no fun.'
Having decided to play along with their plan, I brought up the most important part: the price.
"Next up, compensation."
"What do you want?"
"Last time I healed those two, I got a Level 10 Skill Stone. This time, at least three."
"......"
From his reaction, Seo Do-kyung didn't have three Level 10 Skill Stones.
I figured the [Star's Pursuit] he'd given me before was his only one, so I quietly waited for his answer.
"That's tough. Even the Hero Association might not have three."
"How many participants then?"
"Over 30. Why?"
"No Skill Stones? Fine, cash it is. You said about 30, so 300 billion."
At the mention of 300 billion, Seo Do-kyung shook his head with a stiff expression.
"Too much. 300 billion..."
"I'll knock off 100 billion per Level 10 Skill Stone instead."
Even after saying I'd deduct 100 billion for each Skill Stone added to the base 300 billion, he didn't respond.
'But.'
He had no choice but to accept.
"By the way, I can even revive the dead."
"......What?"
"Even if someone dies to the Destroyer, I can bring them back. Does that pique your interest?"
Seo Do-kyung's eyes widened in shock at my words.
Afterward, I demonstrated my resurrection ability to Seo Do-kyung.
First, like at the black market, I revived a dead animal.
Then, I brought in a person from somewhere for the next test.
—I didn't expect you'd bring a person.
It looked like he'd bought them off with money.
Specifically, someone drowning in debt.
In any case, after killing and reviving them, I proved it easily.
"Incredible. To think you can even revive the dead."
Seo Do-kyung grilled me on every detail of my resurrection power, but I answered simply.
"I can revive them if it's within five hours of death."
"Five hours is plenty."
Having confirmed my ability again, Seo Do-kyung changed the plan.
"Then hide far away. Come after the battle ends to heal them."
"Only if the payment's good."
"But scraping together 300 billion in two days will be hard. What about Level 9 or 8 Skill Stones?"
Come to think of it, it was in two days.
I pondered Seo Do-kyung's offer of Level 9 and 8 Skill Stones, then nodded.
Getting paid later was fine, but upfront was safer, so I agreed.
"400 billion for Level 9. 100 billion for Level 8."
"......Reasonable. I can manage that."
Seo Do-kyung accepted without much haggling, determined to rope me in.
"Mind if I ask why you want the Skill Stones?"
"Collecting them is a hobby, and to raise my people."
For the record, collecting Skill Stones was close to a hobby.
But they'd also be useful for powering up future allies, so it wasn't pointless.
"Your people? Planning a guild?"
"You're asking too much."
I told him to stop prying.
He clearly wanted to get friendly, but I had no intention of playing along.
"See you in two days."
With that, I left with Lee Seojun, discussing the special mana bombs on the way back to the warehouse.
"The Association President must be supplying those bombs, right?"
—Who else? Do you have a plan?
"Well, now that I know, I could block them if I wanted."
But I wouldn't.
"Let's take one hit."
—Pardon? The special mana bomb?
"Curious about its power, and what happens if a clone dies."
Plus, I had a self-resurrection ability.
If I died to the bomb, I'd likely revive good as new.
"If it's strong enough to kill me, it'll be useful anywhere."
A bomb that could kill me would be handy in any world.
I headed to the warehouse, sent Lee Seojun back to the Hero Officer Academy, and that was that.
The next day.
Having roughly wrapped up healer and Destroyer matters, I started my routine as usual.
As expected, during morning physical training in front of the auditorium, some cadets shouted.
"Instructor! We've been watching, and one's just jogging leisurely!"
"Doesn't that go against the purpose of training?"
"We all need to run hard together!"
Probably the ones yelling wanted to pick a fight with me.
In a world where aspiring heroes should train endlessly, it was impressive they'd complain over one person.
"Focus on yourselves."
But Instructor Choi Ji-an dismissed them as not worth hearing.
"I'm telling you now: this training is for you. Jogging leisurely? Fine now, but you'll regret it later. Ignore others and focus on yourself."
She said to treat others as competitors and focus inward, making the complaining cadets frown.
—Yawn~ Seeing those guys tanks my favorability.
"Doesn't matter."
They wanted to beat me anyway; their favorability was already rock bottom.
'Does favorability even exist?'
From what Lee Seojun said, it seemed real, but no way to check.
Anyway, training started, and with Instructor Choi Ji-an leading, the cadets ran diligently.
"What's going on?"
Park So-yul, running beside me, asked.
Even with mind-reading sealed, her situational awareness was sharp.
"Guess they don't like me."
"Why?"
"Took first with one innate ability."
Park So-yul, who read people well, nodded.
"Makes sense."
"It does?"
"People get jealous over nothing."
She answered with eyes briefly wise beyond years.
Then, back to normal, she eyed some slowly running cadets.
"What about them?"
"They hate me, so wanna punish them separately."
Park So-yul and Cheon Seo-yun beside her both frowned in disapproval.
More precisely, they hated anyone touching the guy who fed them daily.
"Go ahead without me today."
"Why?"
"They want to deal with me."
But Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul ignored me.