Chapter 164: Reality (40)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: Reality (40)
Evening. I was sitting in the living room with the mother and daughter, drinking coffee. The atmosphere was calm, a stark contrast to the fierce intensity of the day.
I took a quiet sip of my coffee and looked at Im Hye-rin. When our eyes met, she gave me a bewitching smile.
She closed her eyes for a moment, a faint smile on her lips. Then, she composed herself and slowly began to explain.
"I'll give you a brief rundown of the request."
Im Hwa-yeon also lifted her coffee cup, listening with a serious expression. The air around them had completely changed from the morning; they now exuded the aura of a Guild Master and an S-Class ability user.
"First, this job involves transporting an item alongside the British Templar Knights."
"Transporting an item…"
"Yes. But it's not a simple delivery. It's a rather important item that needs to be moved safely along a specific route."
At that moment, Im Hwa-yeon, who had been listening quietly beside me, asked with a puzzled look.
"But why would they ask for help all the way from Korea for such an important job? The UK has plenty of ability users."
Im Hye-rin sighed softly before answering.
"I don't know everything either. But I heard that the power struggles within the royal family have intensified, causing chaos among the ability users. For the Templar Knights to operate independently without getting entangled with internal factions, they must have had no choice but to borrow a hand from the outside."
I tapped my coffee cup lightly with my finger, mulling over her words.
"So, the situation is complicated enough that internal affairs are forcing them to bring in outside help."
"Exactly."
A brief silence fell. Then, I asked the question that was on my mind the most.
"So, what exactly are we transporting?"
"I don't know either."
When I furrowed my brow, she continued quietly.
"The information provided to our side is limited. Only certain individuals know the item's identity. We are strictly tasked with the transportation mission."
I quietly set down my coffee cup and looked at her.
"In that case, it must be an incredibly important item."
Im Hye-rin looked at me without a word.
"And there must be factions trying to get their hands on it."
She let out a small sigh and nodded.
"Yes, there's always a possibility of a clash."
I nodded silently.
I don't know what it is… but this seems like it's going to be quite dangerous.
Just then, Im Hwa-yeon, who had been listening quietly, muttered.
"…Will you be okay?"
I looked at her. Her eyes were filled with worry. The anxiety of not being able to join me was written all over her face.
I smiled and gently stroked her head.
"I'll be fine. You don't trust me?"
"I do, but…"
Im Hwa-yeon bit her lip anxiously. I pulled her into a light hug to comfort her.
"Train hard, and we'll go together next time."
She leaned her head against me slightly and replied in a small voice.
"…Okay."
Just then, Im Hye-rin spoke softly.
"The pay is as good as the risk."
I looked at her and smiled.
"I'm sure it is."
High pay for high risk was just another way of saying it was dangerous. And I had a feeling this job wouldn't end with a simple delivery.
Im Hye-rin tapped the table lightly with her fingertips and added.
"It'll be far beyond your imagination. If the British Royal Family and the Templar Knights are involved, you could receive a C-Class artifact at the very least."
I was lost in thought for a moment before quietly repeating her words.
"An artifact…"
High-grade artifacts weren't something you could buy with money. B-Class and higher artifacts were resources strictly controlled by the World Association and major national powers.
They were strategic assets that even nations had trouble securing.
Offering one as a reward meant the mission's risk level was just as high.
A moment of silence passed.
Then, Im Hye-rin slowly looked at me and said.
"I'll ask you one last time. Are you willing to go, even if it's dangerous?"
There was no playfulness in her gaze.
Well, I could always get some gear or grow stronger in another creation before I go.
I smiled and replied.
"Yes. It may be dangerous, but with a reward that great, there's no reason to refuse."
Im Hye-rin nodded, satisfied with my answer.
"Good. And I heard from the Association President that you only awakened recently?"
"Yes."
"Then… you probably don't have any equipment, do you?"
I shrugged and smiled.
"For now, I only have the basic gear I received from the Association."
She looked me over for a moment, then nodded.
"Then follow me. I'll give you the equipment you need."
I followed her down to the mansion's basement.
After descending a deep staircase, a massive metal door came into view.
The door was engraved with complex, strange patterns, and a faint aura of Aether seemed to flow from it.
This isn't just a simple storage room.
Im Hye-rin approached the door as if it were nothing.
When she placed her hand on one side of it, a low mechanical hum sounded.
[Verifying identity…]
A moment later, the patterns glowed with a blue light and moved smoothly.
[Authorization confirmed. Opening.]
The metal door slid open with a soft hiss. Im Hye-rin led the way inside.
"Let's go in."
I followed her inside.
The moment I stepped in, I instinctively looked around at the sight before me.
A vast space.
The walls were lined with all sorts of weapons and artifacts.
Among them were items that, at a single glance, were on a completely different level from ordinary weapons.
There was a wide variety, from guns and swords imbued with powerful Aether to bizarre pieces of equipment whose purpose I couldn't identify.
Just then, a voice filled with awe came from beside me.
"Wow… I've only been in here once…"
Im Hwa-yeon's eyes were sparkling as she looked around.
She admired the weapons with great interest for a while before speaking playfully.
"Mom, can't I grab one for myself…?"
I chuckled to myself at her trailing words and cautious glance.
Im Hye-rin glanced at her daughter, crossing her arms lightly.
"You should focus on your training. I'll get you one then. Don't even think about grabbing anything."
Im Hwa-yeon grumbled but continued to peek around, examining the weapons.
"Aw, come on, just one wouldn't hurt, right? There's so much cool stuff here!"
I smiled at her reaction and muttered.
"There certainly are a lot of things worth coveting."
At my words, Im Hye-rin turned her gaze to me, a gentle smile on her face.
"Take whatever you want… For you, Seo-yun, it's a gift♡"
I let out a small laugh and nodded.
"Understood."
Her tone was as sweet as if she were whispering to a beloved husband. Im Hwa-yeon watched this, looking dumbfounded.
"Hey, Mom! Isn't that unfair? You're only giving stuff to Seo-yun!"
"Hmph, are you the same as my son-in-law? They say a mother-in-law's love is for her son-in-law, don't they?"
Leaving Im Hye-rin and Im Hwa-yeon to their playful bickering, I turned my attention back to the equipment.
What should I choose…
I didn't need to think about a weapon. I already planned on using the Flying Heaven Sword.
That damn sword has at least started talking down to me less since I reached the supreme level.
The sword's resonance now felt like it was saying, 'I guess your current skill level is tolerable.'
I let out a small sigh.
Well, if it keeps resisting, I can just wrap it in the Demon-Sealing Cloth the Association President gave me and swing it around.
That left my choices to armor or artifacts related to healing. I had another way to get armor, so I needed equipment that could maximize my survivability.
But…
I have no idea what any of these things do.
The artifacts filling the room each had different patterns and unique shapes. They all seemed to hold powerful energy, but it was difficult to judge which one would be most suitable for me.
First and foremost, my survival is the most important thing…
I mulled it over, examining various artifacts.
As I was contemplating, I heard Im Hye-rin's voice.
"If you can't decide, would you like me to choose for you?"
I looked to my side.
Im Hye-rin had approached me at some point and was now linking her arm with mine.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Mother-in-law."
She smiled and, with a gentle touch, picked up a small black box.
I looked at what Im Hye-rin showed me after opening the box. Inside was a pair of rings. She smiled faintly as she took them out.
"These rings have a special ability. When worn together, you can know each other's location. In times of danger, they also provide a powerful shield effect and have a built-in healing ability."
She held the rings in her hand, lightly turning their shining surfaces. They emitted a soft glow.
"Here, hold out your finger. I'll put it on for you first."
I held out my hand, and she slipped a ring onto the ring finger of my left hand. A gentle energy flowed from it the moment it touched my skin.
"Now, my dear son-in-law, you put one on my hand♡"
"Mom!"
Im Hwa-yeon protested, utterly flabbergasted. But Im Hye-rin only smiled more bewitchingly and held out her left hand.
"This is purely for the mission. And please stop shouting."
"No! The ring finger is too much! You could wear it on any other finger, so why does it have to be the ring finger!"
"Don't mind Hwa-yeon… hurry and put it on♡"
Im Hye-rin's fingers came toward me. I slid the ring onto her ring finger.
Im Hwa-yeon, who had been watching, moved to grab a box of her own. Inside was a pair of rings with a different design from the ones we had just put on.
"Hmph, hold out your hand."
"Is my daughter taking that without anyone's permission?"
"You were about to take what's mine, too!"
I didn't plan on keeping the Flying Heaven Sword in my inventory forever. I was going to use it, even if I had to force it.
Since my weapons kept breaking in every battle, I didn't have a decent sword to use besides the Flying Heaven Sword. It still hadn't acknowledged me as its master, but its resistance wasn't as fierce as when I first used it.
"Well… I'll let it slide just this once."
Im Hwa-yeon grabbed my right hand, took out a ring, and slid it onto my right ring finger.
And so, a ring was placed on each of my hands.
"What does this one do?"
"It's a communication ring. The range is about one kilometer?"
It wasn't a particularly high-performance artifact, but since Im Hwa-yeon was glaring at me with wide eyes, I wore it obediently.
*
I spent a reasonable amount of time with the mother and daughter before returning home.
Should I enter a creation soon?
I had already decided which one to enter. I was planning to go into 'Lewd Yokai After School.' I didn't intend to stay long; my goal was to go in and get the Black Sky Armor.
The biggest reason was that I needed equipment to protect myself, considering what was to come. The Black Sky Armor was the perfect piece of gear to solve that problem.
And I kind of want to see Mi-ho and Chae-yeon again. It's been a while.
I immediately opened the Libido App and selected 'Lewd Yokai After School.'
[You have selected 'Lewd Yokai After School.']
[Initiating entry.]