Chapter 284: Aspiration (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 284: Aspiration (7)
Assume 1, show them 2, and you get 3 in return.
So you show them 4, you get 5. Show them 6, you get 7.
Finally, when I played my 9…
“What the hell can you do, you bastard?”
“……”
Instead of the expected answer somewhere between 1 and 10, he’d given me an 11—a response that shattered my entire frame of thought.
I knew a thing or two about magic.
I knew a spell called Fire Mine existed, and I knew it was the height of inefficiency.
And yet, that very inefficient magic had me caught by the ankle.
Dozens… no, hundreds.
I could tell, even if I couldn’t see them.
The intense sense of wrongness creeping over my entire body spoke for my eyes.
This was already his domain.
The pillars, the walls, the floor, even the railway tracks.
He hadn’t missed a single spot, diligently planting his mines everywhere.
How in the world?
I knew he’d had time.
When I was briefly distracted by Han Ju-yeon.
And when we exchanged a few short words.
Is that all it takes to plant hundreds of mines?
I knew Kim Do-jin’s fast casting speed was one of his strengths, but this was on a level that far transcended mere speed.
Impressive. Truly impressive.
The value I had assigned to Kim Do-jin skyrocketed.
A priceless treasure I wanted for no one else.
When facing such a prize, I—and my organization—adhered to a single policy.
Make them ours, or kill them.
To persuade him, I first needed to level the playing field.
Words spoken in a crisis held no credibility.
With the full support of an S-rank buffer, Kim Do-jin’s abilities were clearly A-rank or higher.
To crush him, I, K, also needed to prepare.
As I lowered my head slightly, a black ring on my left index finger came into view.
It was a type of restraint.
I wanted to avoid drawing suspicious eyes by using more power than necessary.
The method to release the restraint was simple.
After reciting the designated activation phrase…
“Release.”
All I had to do was take off the ring on my index finger…
“Hey.”
“……?”
Just as I was about to remove the ring, a single word from Kim Do-jin stopped me in my tracks.
“If we go any further, I think one of us is going to have to die, you know?”
“And?”
“How about we make a reasonable deal and call it a day?”
K tilted his head at the proposal, which was delivered with a cheeky grin.
Why?
He was clearly the one with the overwhelming advantage.
Things would change if I took off the ring, but he couldn't have known that yet. So why would he choose to back down when he was in a favorable position, rather than press his advantage?
And what kind of deal could he possibly offer in a situation like this?
Curious, he stopped trying to remove the ring and asked.
“Is there anything worth trading in this situation?”
What on earth did he want to trade?
Kim Do-jin grinned and took out a black orb.
The item he had acquired from the spot where he killed the ‘Sword Demon who betrayed humanity.’
“It’s an orb containing the Karma the Sword Demon accumulated over his entire lifetime. If your boss is a being like me, it’s something he’d be dying to get his hands on.”
I definitely remembered my boss mentioning it.
That an enormous amount of Karma was needed to grow one’s trait.
If so, this was one of the ways to rapidly accumulate the Karma my boss had been so desperately searching for.
Kim Do-jin continued.
“Let’s stop fighting. Just buy this and go back.”
It was certainly…
A tempting offer.
*
K accepted my proposal.
I’ll give him one thing.
When I offered a deal, he didn’t spout some bullshit about how he could just kill me and take it.
If he had, I would’ve just fucked him up, deal or no deal. So that’s a relief.
“Let’s finish clearing the dungeon first.”
A dungeon clear is only complete once the boss monster is defeated.
Fortunately, his men had already located the boss.
Kwoooar…
After hunting the boss monster—a creature formed from thousands of zombies clumped together—and collecting the rewards, the time finally came to part ways.
“…I will consult with my boss, determine a price, and contact you.”
“If you take too long, I’ll just consume it myself, so you know.”
“……”
I had stopped the fight at the perfect moment, right when I had the upper hand.
Negotiations always work best when you’re on equal footing, or better yet, in a superior position.
And one more thing.
You have to make sure the other party doesn’t go back empty-handed.
You don’t want them feeling uneasy on the way back because they have nothing to show for their efforts.
That’s why I brought out the orb from the Sword Demon.
I was originally going to swallow it myself, but I just couldn’t.
It’s not that I’m afraid of accumulating bad Karma, but my body had a visceral, negative reaction to the idea of taking on someone else’s.
“I will see you next time.”
That guy is something else.
To think he could bow politely and turn to leave after we fought so fiercely.
Ah, I forgot to ask one thing.
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
My belated question stopped him in his tracks.
“Your organization. What is it that you people want?”
“What we want, you ask?”
He smiled.
It was a completely different smile from before—one filled with a malice that clearly revealed his wicked intentions as he slowly approached.
“May I borrow your ear for a moment?”
“Ah.”
I’d rather not.
A man’s breath versus my curiosity.
Unfortunately, the latter won out.
As I cautiously leaned in, he whispered in a low voice.
“A world where everyone lives according to their station. That is our organization’s aspiration.”
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Is he saying that because they aren’t being treated according to their station now, they’re going to flip the world on its head to get the treatment they deserve?
As I frowned at their vague aspiration, he smiled and continued.
“It may be difficult for you to understand right away. But… if you live in this world long enough, you too will come to understand.”
“Haha.”
Is this what they call teaching a fish how to swim?
“I will eagerly await that day. Until then.”
After sending K and the rest of the Zodiac Guild members on their way, Ju-yeon, who had been silently standing by my side, spoke up.
“Do-jin, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“Yes, Nuna.”
Here it comes.
“Why did you stop fighting when you had the advantage? I’m pretty sure you would have won if you’d seen it through… or am I wrong?”
That was a different question than I expected.
I thought for sure she’d ask about being a ‘One with Aptitude.’
Anyway, to answer her question…
“I probably would have won. It just would have taken a bit more time.”
He must have had a way to overcome the crisis he was in.
He was far too calm for someone in such dire straits.
That kind of composure is hard to explain without the confidence that you can escape danger at any moment.
Of course, even if he had played his trump card, the probability of my defeat would have been close to zero.
“Because I had you, Nuna.”
I had an S-rank healer and buffer… no, I had Ju-yeon.
…But the more I call her Nuna, the more it’s starting to stick.
“Hee…”
Hey, don’t look so happy.
I was talking about you as a strategic asset, not as a woman.
“Then why did you stop?”
Why did I stop?
The reason was simple.
“Because it would be a waste to end it here, don’t you think?”
“A waste…?”
“What’s the point of catching a mere tail?”
K is nothing but a tail.
Well, maybe he’s in a slightly more important position than a tail, but still.
“To catch them for good, you have to go for the head.”
I let him go to get to the leader.
Zodiac has only just begun to establish itself in the open, using K.
What would happen if I suddenly attacked and eliminated them?
They’d probably destroy all related information and disappear for a while.
That would be a problem for me.
Unlike me, who has various sources of information, my only lead on them right now is K.
Ju-yeon, who understood my meaning perfectly, nodded her head.
“Uh-huh… so you let him go with the future in mind?”
“Exactly.”
See? My Ju-yeon is so smart.
“Then… I guess this matter is settled for now.”
“I suppose so, but.”
Something’s a little strange.
She’s been right here, hearing all sorts of important things, so why is she so calm?
“…Don’t you have any questions for me? I feel like you’d have a lot.”
“Yes, I have a lot.”
Ju-yeon replied with a bright smile.
“But I’m not going to ask until you’re ready to tell me.”
That’s thoughtful of her, but…
“Why?”
I’m curious about the reason.
She gave me a meaningful smile and explained.
“Because… whether I hear your secret or not, it won’t have any effect on me.”
“What does that mean…”
“It means.”
She approached with a light step and brought her face close to mine.
Even after moving around for so long, she still gave off a sweet scent as she continued.
“No matter what secret you’re hiding, my feelings for you won’t change.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
She added one more thing.
“Let me know when you’re ready to talk. I’ll wait until then.”
Her tone was filled with deep affection.
That emotion, made even heavier with the addition of trust, came rushing toward me at a furious pace.
“Just know that I’m always on your side, Do-jin.”
Thump!
I was hit.