Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: The Full Story of the Incident. And a Deal. Or Blackmail.
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Iliana Faust preferred extracting information through writing rather than speech whenever she needed to get it from someone.
This was because she possessed an artifact called Kainespring's Monocle, which could detect any lie once a day.
When the monocle's ability was activated, anyone telling a lie or any text containing falsehoods would appear purple. That made written information far superior to verbal accounts. She could simply scan a long written statement once to instantly discern truth from lies. It was the perfect artifact for someone like her, whose profession was detective work.
The only drawback was that it couldn't detect omissions of partial truths, but Iliana could cover for that with her own deductive skills.
That morning, I had written a statement about the truth of the double dungeon incident (omitting anything about Kang Ha-neul's abilities, of course) and handed it over to Iliana.
A few hours later, Iliana's client, Han Yeoreum, had come to meet me.
The information I gave Iliana has probably already reached Han Yeoreum by now.
That said, it was still unclear whether Han Yeoreum knew about my relationship with Iliana. If I had to guess, she probably didn't. If she had known that Iliana and I had already made contact as detective and client, she wouldn't have said things like "I don't know what tricks she used" when talking about Iliana.
I shouldn't say anything careless that might give Han Yeoreum more unnecessary information. Better not to bring it up first.
Having set my course of action, I put on a troubled expression and played innocent.
"The situation doesn't quite make sense to me."
"Which part?"
"Aren't you Han Gyeowol's older sister? You must know she blocked the media for me. So, you should already be aware of what I did in the double dungeon. Why hire a detective, then...?"
"Ahn Su-ho."
With that, Han Yeoreum cut me off.
"I did tell you. I hate wasting time."
"......"
"From that look on your face, it seems you've already grasped the situation. Cut the pointless probing and get to the point. Aren't you curious why I asked the detective to investigate you and came here to meet you myself?"
"I certainly am."
In truth, that was the most crucial fact in this meeting.
Why had Han Yeoreum taken an interest in me, someone with no prior connection to her?
True to her aversion to wasting time, the answer came immediately in her next words.
"Do you know Hunter Han Yong-su?"
I nodded at that.
Han Yong-su, an executive of the S-rank Black Dragon Guild. One of the only three S-rank superhumans in the guild and the leader of the preliminary exploration team for the Knight's Tomb this time around.
He was a side character who appeared occasionally in the original story, and his name had been repeatedly mentioned in articles about the double dungeon incident. I recalled he had been protecting the rear of the exploration team and fallen into a coma.
"If you know him, that makes this quicker. Hunter Han Yong-su recently regained consciousness. And at the dungeon raid conference on Saturday, he revealed new facts that hadn't come to light before."
Those new facts were probably related to me.
I had anticipated as much, but Han Yeoreum's following words still shocked me.
"He said the dungeon boss was desperately searching for you."
Han Yeoreum continued. The dungeon's master monster, Wilhelm. While fighting Han Yong-su, he had kept crying out to him. Demanding he bring the thief who trampled his honor and fled. Insisting he return the cross that proved his loyalty to his lord.
Wilhelm hadn't named me specifically, but it was a process of elimination. Before the exploration team entered, the only ones who had contact with Wilhelm were me and Kang Ha-neul. And among us, the only one referred to as "that bastard" was the male me.
"Most of it was incomprehensible, but I could tell it differed from the statement you submitted to the association. So, on my way back from the conference, I immediately commissioned the detective."
"Quick action on your part."
"I act on my thoughts right away. Besides..."
Han Yeoreum paused slightly, as if testing my reaction, before continuing.
"Hunter Han Yong-su said the boss called you 'pathetic' compared to that 'thief bastard.' Even if you're not combat-specialized, an S-rank superhuman is still an S-rank. An academy guard rated higher than Han Yong-su? How could I not be intrigued?"
"......He really exaggerates."
Even as I said that, Wilhelm had an excellent eye for judging strength. If he said I was stronger than Han Yong-su, it was almost certainly true.
Unexpected. Or maybe beyond my expectations.
The information gap between Han Yong-su and me, the situational differences, Kang Ha-neul's abilities, talismans, Whisper of the Morning Star, and more.
There were countless variables making an objective comparison difficult, but in that specific situation, it meant I had surpassed an S-rank superhuman like Han Yong-su. It underscored how extraordinary Kang Ha-neul's abilities were, but what caught my attention was something else.
The principle behind that ability is drawing out my potential to its limits. In other words...
With the aid of various artifacts, the superhuman Ahn Su-ho could reach S-rank levels. That realization personally surprised me greatly.
It's thanks to the Bone Alignment from Yeo In-hyeok.
Ahn Su-ho's original body had been so inadequate it was almost insulting to call him a superhuman. I chuckled, thinking of the white-haired old man probably still secluded in the mana storm atop Baekdu Mountain.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Just thinking how ironic it is. I thought I'd hidden it well, but all these coincidences piled up and exposed me. Never dreamed it'd happen."
"Ironic... Yeah, it is. Unfortunate for you, though. But don't be too down. Not many know about this yet. Just a handful of guild executives at the conference."
At least, for now.
Han Yeoreum added coldly, her eyes piercing me like ice.
"You used Gyeowol to block the media. And considering the false statement, it seems you don't want your strength revealed to others."
That was a natural conclusion from her perspective. But the reality was a bit different.
First off, I had no intention of playing the "hidden powerhouse" card. Sure, I'd keep artifacts like talismans secret—they were my trump cards for critical moments, so of course they'd stay hidden. But what I meant was I wouldn't pretend to be an E-rank superhuman while actually having A-rank power just to lure others into complacency or appear weak.
There was no reason to.
Revealing strength has pros and cons. Hiding it does too. In my case, showing my true strength openly was more beneficial. As a lowly E-rank, it'd be hard to even connect with the many characters who shone in the original story.
Thus, I had no plans to hide my strength. But this situation was different.
The power that Han Yeoreum, Han Yong-su, other guild superhumans, and even Wilhelm mistook for my innate strength wasn't mine at all. It was purely temporary, granted by Kang Ha-neul's abilities.
What good would it do if others arbitrarily assumed I was strong in that state? It'd just bring headaches.
That's why I was relieved when Min Chae-ryeong censored Kang Ha-neul's statement at her discretion, and why I downplayed my own feats when reporting to the association.
So, the current situation was indeed troublesome for me. Though for entirely different reasons, Han Yeoreum had accurately sensed my discomfort.
"What if I said it's troubling for me? Would you help?"
"Depends on what you do. I could help. Call it a deal."
"Sounds more like blackmail than a deal."
"Interpret it however you like. Just choose carefully."
"So, what do you want from me to propose this 'deal'?"
Han Yeoreum smiled brightly at my question.
"Simple. Join the Knight's Tomb raid."
The demand seemed straightforward on the surface. But its implications were anything but.
"Asking an academy guard to join a dungeon raid? Doesn't make much sense. Short on manpower?"
"Yes. We are."
Her immediate answer. She pulled out the tablet beside her seat and showed me a screen. It displayed a map of the Korean Peninsula dotted with glaring red points, alongside various stats.
"Hunter manpower has always been short, but it's especially bad lately. For some reason, dungeon outbreaks surged from mid-February."
"True. The news mentioned abnormal occurrences."
Dungeons in Korea were increasing in both number and rank compared to previous years. Knowing the future, I recognized it as a precursor to the massive dungeon crisis next year. But to these characters in the novel, it was just an inexplicable, anxiety-inducing anomaly.
"It's so bad the association is even considering re-hiring retired hunters or issuing temporary licenses to PMC mercenaries. That's why even this overrank dungeon, the Knight's Tomb, is struggling with personnel allocation."
"So you want my cooperation."
"I want to muster every available force. If the boss's words are true, you're at least S-rank equivalent. As someone participating in the raid, I'd love one more strong hunter... That's the surface reason, anyway."
"And the real one?"
"Nothing special. I said it already. I'm interested in you."
Interest. Simple curiosity. A remarkably light reason.
But coming from Han Yeoreum, it was anything but trivial.
"Interest, huh. More like curiosity, really. I rarely feel curious about anything. Not depression or apathy—just ennui. Once it sparks, I have to satisfy it or it nags at me."
"So you want to see me fight firsthand?"
"Yes. I want to know more about you as a superhuman."
Purely personal interest, yet she stated it boldly without shame. At her level, there was no need to hide it.
"So, will you accept?"
At that, I gazed out the window at the cityscape drifting by, lost in thought.
An invitation to an overrank dungeon raid...
It wasn't a decision to make lightly. In fact, no real deliberation was needed—I should refuse outright. Even stronger than before, diving into an overrank dungeon as a non-A or S-rank was sheer recklessness.
Last time in the double dungeon, it was pure accident, and even then, just escaping had pushed me to the brink of death.
I knew my current level well.
Objectively, Ahn Su-ho wasn't ready for an overrank raid. So, I should decline.
"......"
Yet I hesitated, purely because I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
The Knight's Tomb raid involved a coalition of numerous guilds. Just setting foot there would let me make faces with major guild executives useful for future storylines.
The Black Dragon Guild leading it alone had Seol Ah-hyun, the guild master I absolutely needed as an ally. If possible, I'd love to meet her this time.
...Come to think of it, it might not be that dangerous.
The Knight's Tomb was unusual—no regular monsters appeared. So, during the raid, I'd only need to focus on the final battle with Wilhelm at the deepest part.
Wilhelm was overwhelmingly strong, but with current forces, they could handle him. Han Yeoreum complained about manpower shortages, but those were worse in the original story's late-game when the tomb should have appeared.
Chipping in on a near-guaranteed successful raid was well within my capabilities now.
The issue is just chipping in means no real point to participating.
To build meaningful ties with other raiders, I needed to catch their eye. Like demonstrating S-rank equivalent power, as Han Yeoreum mentioned.
That required Kang Ha-neul's cooperation, which was the sticking point.
Things were still awkward with Kang Ha-neul since our last meeting. Not only that—I still hadn't uncovered her true identity, and worse, she seemed keen on hiding her abilities. If I suddenly asked her to "lend me your power for the raid," she wouldn't readily agree.
But passing on this chance for that reason was too regrettable.
"......"
I pondered the passing scenery for a long while. Han Yeoreum waited patiently without pressing for an answer.
How much time passed?
Just as Shin Ah-young's promised 30 minutes were nearly up, the familiar cityscape shifted to the alley in front of my one-room.
-Screech.
The moment I realized it, the limousine stopped. Turning to Han Yeoreum, I saw her tapping her wristwatch.
"Looks like I can't wait any longer. I have another appointment."
In other words, give your answer now.
Under that silent pressure, I hurriedly concluded my deliberations.
...Even without Kang Ha-neul's help, I have a way to contribute meaningfully to the raid.
As a fallback, I could provide intel on Wilhelm—his abilities, skills, attack patterns. Though that would inevitably invite suspicion.
But suspicion is still attention.
If major guild executives took interest in me for any reason, I could build relationships from there. That would still achieve my goal.
...No reason to turn it down, then.
"Alright. I'll join the dungeon raid."
After my long deliberation, those words came out. Han Yeoreum nodded slightly.
"Good choice. I'll have my secretary contact you soon—"
"One condition."
Interrupting her, I spoke. She tilted her head, slightly surprised, and looked at me.
"I'll participate, but keep in mind I might not be able to help with combat."
"Pardon? What do you—"
"However, I'll definitely contribute to the raid success. In my own way."
"Ha."
Han Yeoreum laughed at my words. More like a scoff, really.
"Is that so? No idea what, but it sounds entertaining."
Even so, her expression didn't seem displeased.