Chapter 48 - Grip and Shake (3)
Gallery users saw my reaction and mistakenly thought I was angry at the action itself, unaware of Shadis's grievance. They assumed I didn't know the truth about her entanglement with the constellations.
But they were wrong. I knew exactly what the root cause of this incident was.
I left a comment on one of the hottest related posts, just in case. Since I was stepping in directly, rescuing Shadis wouldn't be too hard, but I didn't want to stop there. I wanted to screw over that pervert constellation—the Pitch-Black Whispering Serpent—who had crossed the line big time.
But the replies to my comment weren't hopeful. Constellations had their own constraints, so challengers had almost no way to do anything to bad ones.
The satisfying revenge I craved was realistically tough.
Someone offered that realistic solution in reply.
"Tch..."
I bit my lip at the cold reply. The community was crawling with constellations right in front of me, but none stepped up to contract with Shadis. They needed to be high-rank enough for contract status, and once contracted, they wanted profit, not loss.
You seem to like Shadis a lot.
He sighed and replied to my comment. His words made me flinch for no reason. To other constellations, I looked like any ordinary user, but it stung my chest anyway.
I racked my brain to justify protecting Shadis. Saying it myself like some real constellation made my hands and feet crawl with secondhand embarrassment—the stuff gallery users always said to me.
He pointed the way again. I stared at his final reply, eyes wide, speechless for a moment.
"Reina? I..."
"I'm just here for a private matter."
I opened my eyes in the car, where I'd been checking the community, and shook my head at the driver's hesitant words.
"You really getting out here?"
The driver glanced sideways and muttered. Dazzling lights and throngs of people that screamed money. This was the entertainment district in the layer 40 residential area—a massive casino straight out of an Earth nightlife city.
Pretending to be classy.
Arms crossed, staring out the window, I snorted at the elegantly dressed people in dresses and sharp suits laughing as they came and went.
Matching its flashy, luxurious exterior, this was a high-end spot for those with real wealth and power. But behind it all, far beyond simple gambling, the tower's true nature played out raw and unfiltered. The grand underground colosseum betting arena was one such example.
For tower challengers, where risking life was daily routine, they were already slaves to desire. Gladiator fights wagering money or gear? Nothing special. Even top rankers were the same—big earners meant big spenders on this stuff.
"Just so you know, everything here is legal. It's actually one of the Federation's key managed revenue sources."
"Worried I'll cause a scene?"
"I'm concerned since you're going yourself. You always despised and avoided places like this. You might see some shocking stuff."
Marc, sitting quietly in the passenger seat, emphasized that everything here was legal. Newcomers might be shocked, but it wasn't wrong. Underground arenas, prostitution—all legal, legitimate business. This was the tower.
"Don't worry. I'm planning to get Shadis out legally too."
"...Sigh, not sure it'll be that easy."
We got out of the car. Through my half-lowered sunglasses, I spotted the facility manager rushing over from afar.
"Never dreamed the famous Moonlight Sword Radiance would grace us hehe."
The potbellied manager forced a smile, desperately gauging my mood. Professional as ever, no cracks in his service, but he couldn't hide his bewilderment at why I was here.
"Not here for fun, as you guessed."
Unlike the flashy outfits around me, I wore my usual baggy tracksuit top and the jeans I'd just started wearing.
I snorted at his attitude and jerked my head toward the interior.
"Looks like we have business."
"...Very well. Right to the VIP room, then."
Sure enough, the manager already knew about Shadis and seemed to expect me. Running a business this big meant staying on top of such info.
"This way."
They led us deep into the facility, to a quiet room where the crowd's presence barely registered. Table between us, we skipped chit-chat and dove straight in.
"Here to get Shadis out. She's someone I'm watching. Can't leave her here."
"I see. But we can't do that."
Opinions clashed from the start. Boldly, the manager outright opposed me.
My eye twitched. Since reaching this position, no one dared contradict me. I'd thought myself above it all, but apparently, I'd been dyed by this world's rules over the years.
"I'll cover Shadis's debt instead. Problem solved, right?"
"Sorry, but it's not just money the dark elf owes."
Astounding sum for Shadis, pocket change for me. Knowing they couldn't win a money fight, they pivoted.
"Wanna go at it for real?"
I'd play nice with a Federation legal business to a point, but not tolerate games. I scoffed, removed my sunglasses, and drew power—my radiance crushed the room.
"N-no way! Misunderstanding!"
The manager slammed his face on the table, trembling, waving frantically.
"You know better—don't test me. Let's settle reasonably."
"Fine... how about this."
I eased off; he caught his breath, wiped sweat, and proposed a compromise in a shaky voice. They never planned to hold Shadis forever—just grab a big cut.
"These trash bastards dare."
Marc drew his sword first, aiming in a flash. I had to restrain him.
"But Master! Their scheme's obvious! They're using you!"
"I know."
Their proposal? Me fighting in the arena once. Obvious play: use the unthinkable big fish—me—for a historic show.
Perfect pretext.
But my first thought wasn't anger or absurdity—it was opportunity. Doing this for Shadis. Showing gallery fans how vital she was to me. Maybe attract constellations willing to invest in her.
That was true salvation for Shadis—and revenge on that scum constellation.
"Why go this far? You really that into the dark elf?"
Marc looked baffled. Piercing to the core of it all, I gave a wry smile.
"I do what I want. Got strong for that, and I'll keep doing it."
Chasing protagonist Jeong Chan-su as a possessor, now peeking at the gallery users after learning its truth—I never forgot myself. Never let others sway me. That was my creed in this alien body, alien world.
"Plus, I owe Shadis."
Her snowball started it all, leading to things gallery users loved. And I still owed them for the Layer 170 blessings.
They sang for a fresh event— this should do it.
I planned to give them a fun spectacle as thanks.