Chapter 708: Eternal Spire (86)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 708: Eternal Spire (86)
First, I told Bi-yeon to pause the boss raid for a moment.
‘A promise is a promise.’
But thinking back on it, I realized too late that I’d been so tense that day that I forgot to ask the most important thing.
‘How long do I have to stop the raid for?’
I immediately called out to the System.
“System? How long do I have to keep the raid on hold?”
There was no answer.
“System?”
Just in case, I tried calling her by name.
“Luna?”
Only then did the familiar system message pop up.
[The Tower’s System, Luna, asks why you called.]
‘I guess she liked the name.’
A smile naturally spread across my face.
“Luna, about stopping the boss raid like we talked about—how long do I have to wait?”
[Luna says it is possible once the participants reach a certain growth threshold.]
I let out a deep sigh and flopped onto the bed.
“Then… it might take quite a while.”
[The Tower’s System, Luna, says she is sorry.]
I stared up at the ceiling with a smile.
“It’s fine. I promised, after all. But Luna, there’s something I’m curious about.”
[The Tower’s System, Luna, asks what you are curious about.]
This was the truly important part. It was obvious that Luna was a being who had been alone in an empty space for a long time without anyone to talk to. So, rather than just digging for information, it was better to build rapport by talking to her naturally.
“What do you usually… do when you’re alone?”
A moment of silence followed, and then a sentence appeared that felt slightly different from the usual system messages—it had a more human nuance.
[I just… lie down alone every day.]
“All day?”
[Yes.]
“Isn’t it boring?”
[It is boring. But there isn’t much else I can do.]
“Well, now you have a name. From now on, talk to me whenever you’re bored. I’ll strike up a conversation whenever I have time.”
[…Really?]
“I promise. Here, this is what humans do when they make a promise.”
I held up my pinky finger to the empty air.
“When two people hook their pinkies together, they have to keep that promise no matter what.”
After a brief silence, Luna’s message appeared cautiously.
[…Then I promise, too.]
Somewhere in my mind, I could faintly picture a scene of Luna shyly lifting her pinky to match mine.
“Good. From now on, contact me whenever you’re lonely. As long as I’m not busy, I’ll definitely answer.”
[Okay… definitely.]
“You’re actually kind of cute, aren’t you?”
[Luna denies being cute.]
Just as I was about to chuckle, I heard a knock on the door.
“Geum Taeyang, it’s me.”
It was the familiar voice of Ryu Seol. I reflexively shouted back.
“Uhyo! Come in.”
The door opened, and Ryu Seol walked in tentatively. But her vibe was different today. There were clear traces of tears around her eyes, and her expression was unusually dejected.
“Were you crying?!”
“…I wasn’t. So shut up.”
She left it at that, sat down on the floor, hugged her knees, and buried her face in them.
“Oi, oi! Did something really happen? Did someone mess with you? Or did I do something wrong?”
Ryu Seol remained silent for a while before quietly nodding.
“…No, it’s just… I’m feeling a bit down…”
Her voice was small, but unlike her usual self, it trembled precariously.
‘Heh, did she find out about Jessica and Park Min-jun? There’s no other reason for her to be in this state.’
I licked my lips, barely hiding my devious expression as I approached her and patted her on the back.
“I don’t know what happened, but… hang in there. Seeing you so slumped like this makes my heart ache.”
Ryu Seol kept her face buried in her knees. I could see her shoulders shaking slightly.
“…Geum Taeyang.”
“Yeah?”
“Since you’re a thug… you probably understand a man’s heart well, right?”
“Understanding a man’s heart and being a thug are two different things. Besides, I don’t really care to know what’s in a guy’s heart…?”
“Just shut up and listen!”
‘Look at this bitch’s attitude…’
Ryu Seol composed herself and continued more seriously.
“Do you think… people change?”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
Ryu Seol slowly raised her head. Her eyes were bloodshot and her pupils were shaking.
“Min-jun… hic…”
“I can’t understand you if you don’t speak properly.”
Ryu Seol covered her face with her hands.
“I was sure Min-jun liked me… so why is he hanging around a woman like Jessica all day… and even doing those things so casually? Are men just okay with any woman as long as she’s a woman?”
‘She’s not a woman, she’s a man…’
I corrected her in my head but gave her an answer anyway.
“Of course. Do you think any guy with a dick would turn down a beauty?”
Ryu Seol flinched and turned her head. My answer was apparently much more blunt than she expected.
“But… Min-jun is!”
“That’s just how men are. Especially a greenhorn like Park Min-jun. If someone just spreads their legs, he’ll probably dive right in with a grin on his face.”
I intentionally used a cold tone to drive the point home. In times like this, facing reality is better than clinging to a fantasy.
“But…”
Ryu Seol’s voice trembled even more.
“I… I thought Min-jun was different…”
“There’s no way he’s different. Men are all the same.”
“Sob…”
“Tell me exactly what happened. Stop just crying.”
“…Well, I went to Min-jun’s room… and there… there were, like, moaning sounds… hic…”
“Stop right there. I don’t want to hear any more than that.”
“…What should I do?”
“What do you mean, what should you do? You lost Park Min-jun to Jessica. In our circles, we call that being NTR’d.”
Ryu Seol’s expression froze, and a shadow instantly cast over her face.
“…I’ll kill them… I’ll kill them both…”
“Whoa, this bitch is going dark.”
I could see the light dying in Ryu Seol’s eyes in real-time.
“Hey, hey. If you go after Jessica, you’re the one who’ll get hurt. That bitch is no pushover.”
“I don’t care… against a mere healer…”
“You really don’t know anything about Jessica, do you? That bitch isn’t just a healer.”
“What do you mean? And how do you know so much? Are you… a traitor too?!”
I sighed and gave Ryu Seol a light flick on the forehead.
“Get a grip, you idiot.”
“Ow! Did you just hit me?!”
“Yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it?”
Ryu Seol shouted in a fit of rage.
“Ugh… It’s an order! Bark like a dog right now!”
I snorted.
“I don’t want to.”
“Huh…?”
It was about time to stop acting like I was under hypnosis.
“What? Surprised the hypnosis didn’t work?”
“H-How…?”
“Sorry, but it wore off a long time ago.”
Ryu Seol’s eyes wavered.
“Just when…?”
“A few days ago. By the way, you know what happens if you get caught using mental abilities in the training center, right?”
Ryu Seol flinched and shrank back at my words.
Because of frequent incidents involving mental skills across various guilds, a codified rule had been established. Mental abilities were strictly forbidden. If caught, one could be kicked out of the city at best, or killed at worst.
“But don’t worry. I don’t plan on telling anyone yet.”
“…Why?”
“Why else? I’m Geum Taeyang, the Sweet Gentleman. I’m infinitely merciful to beautiful women!”
“…That’s ridiculous.”
“Oh? Did you just smile a little?”
“N-No, I didn’t!”
Ryu Seol quickly turned her head away. I could see her ears turning bright red.
I laughed and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Well, don’t use that mental stuff anymore. I won’t let it slide next time, got it?”
“…Fine. More importantly… is Jessica really that strong?”
“Of course. I heard it directly from Guild Master Austin. Jessica is a healer, but her close-quarters combat is top-tier too.”
“…Then… what do I do…? Do I just have to stay here, feeling this helpless?”
I sighed and spoke in a deliberately mischievous tone.
“Where did the usual bitchy and confident Ryu Seol go? Why is there just a loser sitting here?”
“……”
Ryu Seol couldn’t say a word; she just hung her head and bit her lip hard.
This was a side of her she would never normally show. But today, she was completely broken.
I lifted her chin.
“Ryu Seol, look at me.”
“…What.”
“Is acting like an idiot going to bring Park Min-jun back? Is it going to help you beat Jessica?”
“…No.”
“Then why are you acting like this?”
Ryu Seol hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
“…Then what am I supposed to do?”
I replied with a confident smirk.
“You just have to take him back, right?”
“…Take him back?”
“Yeah.”
A faint light began to return to Ryu Seol’s eyes.
“…But, how…”
“Do you know who the man standing in front of you is? I’m an expert in this field! I’ve stolen dozens of women, a true Geum Taeyang among Geum Taeyangs who has polished his techniques on countless females!”
Ryu Seol was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.
“…You’re a real lunatic. You’re probably the only person who would brag about that.”
I shrugged nonchalantly with a sly grin.
“I’m saying it because I’m that confident. Isn’t the help of a lunatic exactly what you need right now?”
Ryu Seol let out a hollow laugh, as if she found it absurd.
“…Ha, this is so ridiculous. But it’s even funnier that I’m actually starting to believe you because you’re talking like that.”
“So, how about it? Want to be my disciple?”
“Disciple…?”
Ryu Seol fell into thought for a moment before asking anxiously once more.
“…But even if I become your disciple and get stronger, will Min-jun actually look at me?”
“Strength alone isn’t enough. You have to develop the charm a woman should have.”
“The charm a woman should have…?”
“Yeah. Honestly, do you think a virgin like you can beat the techniques of a seasoned pro like Jessica?”
“A-Are you saying… I should…”
I gave her a greasy smile.
“Exactly. It’s time to pop that cherry and face her woman-to-woman.”
I spouted this nonsense with a serious face while watching Ryu Seol’s reaction. Her face turned beet red, and she glared at me with panicked eyes.
“Y-You’re just trying to play me, aren’t you?! You’re trying to get with me!”
I shrugged.
“Oi, oi. If I wanted to eat you, I would’ve done it a long time ago. And who do you think cares about your virginity anyway? Honestly, a plain girl like you isn’t even my type.”
“What…? I’m plain?! Do you want to die?!”
I sneered even more casually, putting on a provocative expression.
“Hmph. Honestly, compared to my women, you are plain. Do you have anything better than Seo Eun-ha? Are your tits bigger than Han So-young’s? And—”
I snapped my fingers, and Bi-yeon was summoned right next to me on cue.
“Are you prettier than her?”
Bi-yeon waved playfully.
“Hi there~!”
Ryu Seol seemed lost for words, her mouth just hanging open.
“Nothing to say, right? In my eyes, you’re on the ugly side.”
A beauty like Ryu Seol had probably never been treated like this before, but it was necessary to crush her pride for now. Besides, it was true that my women were more beautiful.
‘They suck my vital essence every day; there’s no way they wouldn’t get prettier.’