Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Please Put It on 12-Month Installments
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“Hah... hah... One more... Ugh! Just one more time...! I still have one mansion left in my name...”
Nakayama's desperate cries echoed from beyond the firmly shut elevator doors.
The pride of the samurai who once commanded the Japanese archipelago was nowhere to be found.
All that remained was the pitiful scream of a gambler gone mad in a desperate bid to break even.
I leisurely headed to the surface alongside the Association President.
'Did I go a bit too far?'
Sure, I'd deliberately dodged his attacks by the thinnest margins to stoke his competitive fire.
Nothing drives a person crazier than a fish that's just out of reach.
But I hadn't expected a few rounds of sparring to fry his brain that badly.
The same guy who'd dramatically drawn his sword moments ago, vowing to save the nation, was now crawling toward me like he wanted to grab my ankle.
'Gambling really is terrifying... I should never touch it in my life.'
I nodded to myself, reaffirming the value of honest labor income.
Song Jin-woo, the Association President pressing the elevator button beside me, clicked his tongue and glanced my way.
“Sorry for stepping in midway. But any further, and it would've been too taxing on your body.”
His gaze swept over my arms and legs.
He looked genuinely concerned for me.
“Taxing?”
“Power always comes at an equivalent price. Push too hard or ramp up speed beyond limits, and there's always a risk.”
The Association President's voice was dead serious.
He meant every word.
“It could shave years off your life, burn out your mana circuits, or in some cases, even erase your abilities entirely. No matter how strong you are, the human body has its limits.”
I appreciated the concern, but he was barking up the completely wrong tree.
Sure, for your average hunter, he'd be spot on.
A C-rank hunter going all-out for B-rank damage? They'd be hospitalized the next day.
But my ability was a power born by shattering the very framework of specs from the start.
If punching a billion times a second wore down my joints that much, I'd have been ground to dust and scattered in the Han River ages ago.
My Swiftness was an authority that existed above the laws of physics.
'No need to explain all that, though.'
Better to let him think my power had limits—it'd make slacking off and making excuses way easier later.
“Ah... yeah, the end was getting pretty tough.”
I deliberately relaxed my legs and staggered around, putting on an act.
“Can't fool the Association President's eyes, huh? One more round, and I really would've been in trouble.”
“See? What did I tell you? You can't abuse your body just because you're young.”
The Association President clicked his tongue but looked relieved.
He checked the elevator floor heading to the surface and lowered his voice.
“I'm not prying or testing you about your abilities, so don't misunderstand. If our association's treasure gets hurt, it's a national loss.”
“I understand. I wanted to stop too.”
I'm no devil who'd make a guy who'd lost every last yen write an IOU and keep sparring.
He'd only been president for a short while, from what I'd heard.
“Don't worry about the 3 billion yen.”
Just before the doors opened, Song Jin-woo whispered discreetly.
“The Japanese side won't want to advertise that they held an official gambling match either. They'll need a justification.”
“Justification...”
“They invited Korea's top hunter, the Blue Vest, to learn a thing or two. They ought to pay the proper fee, right?”
Made sense when he put it that way.
“We'll bill it as special training ground rental and Blue Vest special match fees. No loose ends.”
I was impressed.
The president's seat wasn't for just anyone.
Look at that savvy—laundering gambling winnings into legit labor and facility fees in an instant.
“Hearing you say it makes us sound like we're conspiring for something shady.”
“Haha. What a joker.”
The Association President flashed a warm smile and patted my shoulder.
“You're only the second one to make me launder money like this. The first... well, you probably know him too.”
I don't know many people.
Whoever it was, he must be a famous senior living an equally efficient life.
“Then I'll be off. Still have classes left.”
“Alright. Make sure to eat.”
I bowed to the Association President and exited the lobby.
A cold winter wind brushed my cheek as I stepped outside.
Checking my bank account, there were so many zeros I gave up counting.
I'd love to leave it sitting in my account forever, but...
It was already earmarked for specific uses.
“Lunchtime. Wonder if the workshop's open.”
I headed straight for the workshop, not giving the academy a second thought.
Day four as a temporary instructor.
Lounging on the sunbed so often had me hooked on this salaryman life.
“70 floors is tall, huh.”
The holy site of artisans, one of the top five not just in Korea but worldwide.
Standing before Pantheon's headquarters, I craned my neck upward.
Gazing at the 70-story skyscraper piercing the heavens, I suddenly felt small for haggling over 200 million or 400 million yen earlier.
“Pantheon, Pantheon—I've only heard the name.”
I stepped through the revolving doors.
Thanks to the heads-up I'd given, the front desk attendant jumped in surprise at the sight of me and grabbed the intercom.
“Perception interference...! You're Kim Cheol-su with the reservation, right? J-just a moment! The president is coming down personally...!”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the elevator from the back of the lobby dinged open.
Ding!
Thud thud thud thud thud!
A pink-haired woman came sprinting toward me across the marble floor, her footsteps echoing loudly.
Thick horn-rimmed glasses that looked ready to slip off any second.
A baggy white lab coat.
She was the head of this massive corporation, Pantheon.
The genius magic engineer, Joo Ah-rin.
“Huff! Huff...!”
She skidded to a halt right in front of me.
“So...! So...!”
“Hello.”
“Where are they!?”
Joo Ah-rin glared at me, looking ready to grab my collar.
“Where are our cute little babies!?”
Babies?
She couldn't mean the mana stones, could she?
'This woman... the rumors are true.'
She was infamous in the industry.
A mad scientist whose skills were top-notch but who lost her mind at the sight of rare mana stones or artifacts.
“Calm down. Right here.”
I pulled the pouch of mana stones from my pocket.
Her eyes locked onto it like a magnet.
She swallowed hard, and honestly, it was a little scary.
“Open... open...!”
I untied the pouch and revealed the glowing red crystals. The lobby air heated up in an instant.
Five top-grade Japanese fire mana stones.
The ones Nakayama had bid 1.2 trillion won each for.
“Hraaaaaah!”
Joo Ah-rin let out a guttural scream and collapsed to the floor.
Trembling, she adjusted her glasses and said,
“Insane... 99.9% purity? This isn't artificially refined, is it? How is a natural one this pristine...!”
Her eyes gleamed behind her glasses, reflecting the stones' red light.
'But why are these your babies?'
I grumbled internally as she led me to the 66th-floor VIP lounge and sat me on the sofa.
A luxurious room overlooking the entire Gangnam skyline.
“A-hem! Sorry about that. It's been so long since I've seen top-grade materials, I got a little excited...”
Joo Ah-rin sat across from me, jiggling her legs nonstop.
“So, what do you want to make with these? Anything you say!”
“A gift for a fire-attribute mage. What would she like? It's for a woman.”
“Ah. Accessories are always a safe bet!”
“Accessories?”
“Yes. Mana stone compression tech has come a long way. We can shape these into 1-carat sizes.”
I pictured Yoo Na-yeon for a moment.
Earrings or a necklace would suit her well.
'A ring would be best, though.'
From what I'd seen at the department store, blasting magic from her hands, an ego weapon closest to her fingers would maximize efficiency.
“A ring, then.”
“Got it. I'll pour our chief designer's soul into it. Oh, and one important thing.”
Joo Ah-rin's glasses flashed.
“This isn't just a regular artifact—you're commissioning an ego weapon, right?”
“Yes. I want an ego weapon.”
S-rank mana stones sell out instantly for ego weapon crafting.
No one shells out trillions for a weapon just a tad better than A-rank.
“You probably know, but I'll disclose the risks again. The ego infusion process is super unstable. Fail, and what happens to the stone?”
Joo Ah-rin spread her arms wide, mimicking an explosion.
“Boom. Not even dust left—it vaporizes. Retry? No can do.”
A 5-trillion-won magic trick into thin air.
My hand shook just thinking about it, but I nodded calmly.
These were mana stones I'd already decided to gift.
Fail, and I'd try again next time.
“I know. Proceed like that.”
“Five S-rank stones... statistically, unless you're really unlucky, at least one ego weapon should come out. Of course, if your luck's absolute trash, zero.”
“Luck? I'm confident there.”
I hate gambling, but looking back, my luck was ridiculously good.
S-rank childhood friend looking out for me, got chummy with the easygoing Association President, even lucked into EX-rank awakening.
“Production time is five weeks. Labor, fabrication, other materials included—total estimate is 20 billion. Oh, VIP discount already applied. The materials are so perfect, I wanted to make one myself.”
“......Please put it on 12-month installments.”
Factoring in next year's taxes, it was too shaky for a lump sum.
“Sure. Just sign here.”
I pressed the pen hard and signed.
My smartphone buzzed with a payment confirmation text.
But I wouldn't check my balance for a while.
It hurt too much.
'Mr. Nakayama. Thank you so much. I won't waste that 3 billion yen you gave me.'
Without him, I wouldn't have been able to stretch out my legs in bed for months.
Running around repaying 2 billion a month.
When the ring's done, should I play it cool and slip it on her finger myself?
Imagining Yoo Na-yeon's 'I scored an ego weapon!' face eased my aching gut a bit.
“We'll contact you when it's ready, sir... Oh?”
“Please... I beg you.”
“Ah. Sure. But begging me won't boost the success rate.”
Reality was cruel.