Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Coin Toss
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"So that's how it was."
On the day of the Cosmic Grimoire theft incident, in the Climber Association Chairman's office.
He had demanded an explanation from Wolverine Guild Master So Seori regarding the events that had unfolded that day.
"Did you truly not know from the start, Chairman?"
"I can't know every single detail of a situation like this."
The chairman sipped his tea silently. After emptying his cup in moments, he poured himself a fresh one.
He started to pour more for his guest, So Seori, but stopped short.
She hadn't even touched her cup.
"Why did you stop it? By speaking up yourself, you've essentially acknowledged Han Yu Seong's ownership of the Cosmic Grimoire."
"Rules are rules. The reason I'm sitting in this chair is because I've always followed those rules."
Though she had calmed somewhat from earlier, she was still agitated. The chairman gently slid his teacup toward her.
Only then did So Seori glance at it hesitantly and take a small sip.
"Feeling a bit calmer now?"
"If you hadn't been there, Chairman, I could've smashed that middle-school brat's smug nose. What a shame."
"Haha, looks like you've settled down."
The chairman let out a hearty laugh and took another sip of his tea.
This was exactly why she found the chairman uncomfortable.
Not because he was the chairman, but because he was an elder who always spoke the truth and commanded the room. Standing before him made her feel like a child.
'This is why seasoned elders are...'
She was weak against serious types. Especially those who were upright and incorruptible.
"So you're laughing like that because you have some plan in mind?"
"Wolverine Guild Master."
His voice lowered, signaling they were getting to the point. He set down his teacup.
"You asked if I knew nothing from the start? Yes, that's right. I didn't know."
"...Pardon?"
His frank, sincere words caught her off guard.
"No, why? How? Does that mean you just came to the Wolverine Guild without a clue?"
It wasn't unreasonable for her to be so surprised.
Chairman Kim Seok Hyun's skill was Lucky Coin.
A skill that simply generated a single coin, yet it was rated as one of the most powerful skills around.
An angel on the front, a devil on the back.
When Chairman Kim Seok Hyun infused it with mana and posed a question in the form of a word of power, the coin would reveal the answer.
With this skill, he had always found the 'better' path and used it for humanity's sake, rising to the position of chairman.
"Of course I used the skill. But my coin doesn't reveal everything."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Lucky Coin (Passive) [Coin manifested in mid-air and placed on table]
He placed the coin that had appeared from thin air via the skill onto the table.
"But this coin told me that going with Han Yu Seong was the 'better' choice."
"And you're saying this current mess is flowing in a 'better' direction?"
He picked up the coin from the table, flicked it into the air, and caught it.
"The result isn't now. It's the process. When I got Han Yu Seong's call, I used the skill. His direct contact struck me as odd."
So Seori listened quietly to his words.
He opened his hand, revealing the front side: the angel.
"The goddess of fate commanded me to go. So I did."
"But there's a dangerous entity living in that grimoire. It's risky to let him have it."
The chairman flicked the coin again without a word. This time, the back side greeted him: the devil.
He set it on the table and replied.
"I don't know this being called Moon Byul. But even if I'd known about this process in advance, I still would've followed him."
Slowly, he slid the coin across the table toward her.
"Even if it seems like it would lead to a bad outcome right now."
This time, he flipped it over with his finger. The front side, the angel, appeared.
"Because I believe my choice will ultimately bring a good result. I trust my skill, So Seori."
Only then did So Seori understand.
Why this man, so acutely sensitive to tower collapses and Awakener crimes, had remained calm even after hearing the grimoire's true nature.
"If you put it negatively, I blindly follow my skill. That's why I have no freedom."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I always toss the coin and act according to what heaven decrees."
He took the coin back.
"I did it to become chairman, and I even tossed it on the day I gathered the guild masters."
He gazed at the coin he always toyed with, as if it were something wondrous.
"I'm a machine that acts on what this skill commands. Like a fate set in stone, until the day I die."
He was speaking to So Seori, but not looking at her.
"I tossed the coin to find the Cosmic Grimoire's owner. That's why we held the meeting and entrusted it to the guilds. And now, the grimoire that showed no reaction until then has changed, hasn't it?"
He assumed the position to toss the coin again. But something felt different.
"Should I leave Han Yu Seong taking the grimoire as is?"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Lucky Coin Ting!
> Mana disperses as skill activates before her eyes.
> Thud.
> Front side: Angel (Affirmative)
"Do you still not believe it?"
"Of course I believe you. But... you and Han Yu Seong haven't faced Moon Byul. He's not human. One mistake could lead to catastrophe."
Of course, So Seori trusted the chairman's skill. It had saved Korea multiple times.
Still, she felt uneasy. She couldn't picture a good outcome whether Han Yu Seong and Moon Byul clashed or cooperated.
"Wait and see for now, Wolverine Guild Master. I'll help if I can later."
She knew it deep down. He had used his mana-intensive skill right in front of her anxious self, showing her directly.
It was consideration. The best he could offer.
With the chairman going this far, she had no grounds to push further.
"Understood. I'll trust you, Chairman, and take my leave. I have work to do."
"Take care, Wolverine Guild Master."
She rose, headed for the door, then turned back.
"Ah, just one thing."
She flipped the coin on the table with her finger.
"You are human, Chairman. A human who can flip the coin with his own will anytime."
"..."
"Goodbye."
"You've given this old man some fine words, So Seori. Thank you."
She hurried out, face flushed with embarrassment.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Alone in his office once more, something nagged at the chairman.
'That thing is not human.'
According to Wolverine Guild Master So Seori, a sort of transcendent being dwelled within the Cosmic Grimoire.
A transcendent that believed itself human and mimicked humanity.
Was it truly not human? Or was it?
He had already used his skill twice today.
Once before meeting Han Yu Seong, once with So Seori.
"I wonder how many more times I can toss it today..."
He had one secret he couldn't share with anyone.
Each toss consumed vast mana along with a sliver of his life force, depending on the question.
That was why he, an S-rank climber, had declining physical abilities.
Fortunately, his age provided a convenient excuse for any suspicions.
"Curious, isn't it..."
What was the true nature of the being in the grimoire?
He checked his remaining mana.
For an ordinary question, he could manage one more toss today. But another would leave him helpless no matter what happened.
Even so.
"Really curious."
For the first time in ages, the chairman was gripped by intense curiosity.
"Holding back just causes trouble."
In the end.
"Is the 'thing' in the Cosmic Grimoire that the Wolverine Guild Master spoke of human?"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Lucky Coin Ting!
> Skill activates normally; total mana depletion washes over him.
> Thud.
> [Result: Only the chairman knows]
Alone in his office, he stared at the coin.
"Ho. Quite intriguing."
The result was known only to him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The same day, back in the guild master's office, Iru Ri greeted So Seori.
"Sis, you call me over and then show up this late? I've been waiting forever."
"Whing whing!"
"You... how are you already out?"
"Ah, today was an early quit!"
Judging by her reaction, Iru Ri hadn't heard the news yet.
"Did you hear about what happened today?"
"What happened?"
As expected.
So Seori explained the so-called "Cosmic Grimoire theft incident" to Iru Ri.
"Eek?!"
She seemed pretty shocked too.
"Wait, so Mr. Moon Byul is...?"
"We won't see him for a while, at least."
So Seori said it flatly.
"We can't just let this slide! We have to do something!"
"I know, I've already taken measures... or have I?"
Iru Ri yelled at So Seori for her offhand remark.
"No! We had a meeting planned!"
"It'll be fine, don't worry. Sis has it all figured out."
The chairman cherished human lives above all. Surely, the wish embedded in his coin's word of power included protecting Iru Ri.
If he said it was okay, it probably was.
"I'm in big trouble, what do I do."
"Whing whing."
Wisph comforted the distraught Iru Ri.
"I said it's fine, just wait. It'll sort itself out."
Besides, Moon Byul was fond of Iru Ri. Even as a transcendent, he clearly had human traits, so nothing life-threatening would happen.
The chairman's skill was proof, but So Seori didn't mention it.
"I need to thank Mr. Byul for the skill..."
Seeing her regret, So Seori found it odd.
'Wasn't she scared of him?'
They must've grown close. To her, he was like a secret friend.
But something felt off upon second thought.
"Wait, it's only 3 PM. How are you already out? The tower?"
There was no such thing as quitting midway in the tower.
Exceed the time limit and you'd fail and get ejected, but otherwise, only emergency escape stones or clearing worked.
"Don't tell me you used an escape stone? I told you to save those—they're expensive!"
So Seori grabbed Iru Ri's shoulders in a mock spanking gesture, like scolding family.
"Aack! No! I cleared it!"
Iru Ri shot back in informal speech before the "hit" landed.
"Cleared? Now you're lying too?!"
"Aack! For real! Wisph!"
"Whing whing!"
Wisph feebly patted So Seori's cheek.
"For real? How? It's only been... no, minimum two hours for clear time."
Finally, Iru Ri unpacked her bundle of stories.
About how the attack skill from Moon Byul let her blast through the highway in one go and insta-kill the boss.
"A laser that huge covering the whole highway... Sis?"
Before her stood So Seori, stunned, staring at the ceiling as she listened.
"I swear, it was too strong to even test properly in the training room..."
"Y-yeah, I get it. I believe you."
Contrary to Iru Ri's thoughts, So Seori intuitively knew it wasn't a lie.
At the same time, her buried worries resurfaced.
"Haa, is that old geezer really trustworthy?"
This was way more dangerous than she'd imagined.