Chapter 335: The Seven Deadly Sins (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 335: The Seven Deadly Sins (2)
Once a doubt coiled itself in my head, it refused to leave, tormenting me endlessly.
“The most important stroke in this formula is…”
Even during class.
“Now!”
“Ngh… I’m coming!”
Even when my team was in the heat of a dungeon raid.
“Hnngh… Hey… what are you thinking about right now?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing.”
“If you don’t want to fucking die… haah… focus on me♥”
Even during sex, which I loved so much.
The doubt, in varying degrees of intensity, lingered in my mind no matter what I was doing, preventing me from concentrating fully.
And this line of thought gradually began to spread, turning into suspicion toward the people around me.
If the Seven Deadly Sins were truly positions prepared for us, then wasn't Shin Yu-jeong the perfect fit for one of them, Wrath (Ira)?
Could she, like me, be one of the 504?
Just as the blade of suspicion turned toward her, she spoke.
“You seem a little off today.”
“……”
She had gone to the bathroom to wipe off her sweat, and the words she uttered upon her return came as a shock.
In all the time I’d had sex in this body, I had never heard anything other than praise…
When I became sullen without realizing it, she approached me with a flustered look.
“Hey, hey… I didn’t say I wasn’t satisfied. I just meant it seemed like you couldn’t focus, that’s all.”
As she spoke, she pushed her firm, gravity-defying breasts toward me.
“W-Wanna touch them? Or bury your face in them?”
“…I’ll do both.”
The sly vixen.
To use the number one and number two best ways to placate a man at the same time.
Burying my face in her breasts, as firm and bouncy as a fully inflated inner tube, my mind began to calm.
“Feeling better now?”
“Yeah.”
“Honestly… you’re not a child.”
Shin Yu-jeong soothed me, stroking the back of my head with a gentle hand.
Unlike her usual self, her tone held a faint trace of maternal affection.
I wrapped my arms around her slim waist, pulling her closer and burying my face even deeper, to the point where it was slightly difficult to breathe.
Then, I arbitrarily redirected the suspicion I had so arbitrarily raised.
Right.
There’s no way it could be Shin Yu-jeong.
Besides, I already know what her Trait is, don’t I?
As I calmly cleared the doubts filling my mind one by one, she spoke.
“Hey.”
She called out to me.
“Are you… you know, worried about something?”
“Do I look like it?”
“Well, I mean… your expression is stiffer than usual… so I was wondering if something was wrong. And also…”
“Also?”
I repeated her last word, lifting my head slightly from her chest to study her face.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed as if she felt embarrassed about something.
“Well… if you have something like that, talking to me about it might help?”
“……”
Is it helpful or not?
Her words were incredibly vague, but her sentiment came through.
In short, she was worried because I looked troubled. That was it.
She had a way of touching my heart when I least expected it.
“Worried? Nah, I’m not.”
“That’s a relief, then. Well… if something comes up later, let me know, okay?”
“Okay.”
The truth was, I did have a worry.
A major one that was tormenting my mind.
It was none other than my own future.
If my hypothesis was correct, the reward waiting for me at the end of this path was one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
And among them, it was highly likely I would receive Greed.
Setting aside why a virtuous person like me would end up with something like Greed…
Yes.
It was one of the Seven Deadly Sins, of all things.
One of the seven emotions that Christianity describes as the root of all sin, the cause of all crime.
Was this really the path I should be taking?
What would happen to me after I obtained it?
The terrifying nature of the reward made my whole body shrink back.
But this was all assuming my hypothesis was completely correct.
I tightened my grip on Shin Yu-jeong’s waist and fumbled for the bracelet on my wrist.
Two beads rattled in my palm.
When this was placed on my wrist, two different voices had spoken.
They told me to accumulate Karma (業).
Unlike back then, when I hadn't given it much thought, the word now sounded incredibly ambiguous.
If the final goal for a ‘One with Aptitude’ was to become one of the Seven Deadly Sins, shouldn't they have told me to accumulate Bad Karma, not just Karma?
This gave rise to another hypothesis.
If there was room for Good Karma to be included in the process of accumulating Karma, didn't that mean there was also a possibility for something other than the Seven Deadly Sins to appear at the end of the path for me and the other 504 people?
“Ah, my head hurts.”
My head was throbbing from all the thinking.
I wish I could just live like this, buried in a woman’s chest, feeling their soft skin.
“Haaaah.”
“Ngh… Hey, that tickles.”
As I took a deep breath through my nose, a fragrant scent wafted up.
The smell of the same body wash I used.
Mixed with it was a sensual body scent.
Drunk on the aroma that soothed both mind and body, my eyelids grew heavy.
I felt like I could finally get a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.
As my consciousness flickered like a streetlamp at the end of an alley, a single thought surfaced.
If the ‘quality’ that the ‘One with Aptitude’ referred to was something that led to the Seven Deadly Sins or something similar…
“Then Seo-yeon… why…?”
What kind of quality did my daughter possess to be invited into this dangerous game?
“Hey, why are you suddenly bringing up Seo-yeon-sunbae’s name? Huh? You bastard, why’d you say her name? Answer me!”
I fell asleep.
* * *
The Black Market, which I revisited after two weeks, hadn’t changed much from my last visit.
Except for one thing.
In front of the massive door leading to the upper levels.
On the terminal that opened the door, a message I had never seen before was displayed.
「The pass issued on December 12th has expired.」
「Subsequent visitors, please use the call button to receive guidance from the administrator and have your pass reissued.」
“Hmm.”
Reissuing the pass.
Just in case, I placed my hand on the terminal and noticed the mana wavelength had changed slightly.
It seemed their intention was to either identify intruders through the pass reissuance or block entry altogether.
“Not gonna happen.”
Five seconds was all I needed.
To find and copy the new mana wavelength added to the terminal.
This way, I could pass through without any problems next time, too.
Unless they suddenly decided to post guards.
“Well… I should probably prepare for that, too.”
The next time I need to enter the upper levels, I should pick some dumb-looking guy and steal his pass.
Then I can just copy its appearance, and even if they post guards next to the terminal, I’ll be able to enter without raising suspicion.
As for the wavelength, I can just imprint the new one myself whenever it changes.
“I’ll do that later.”
There was no need to do it right now.
Unless another incident occurred, it was unlikely they would post guards.
If I ever needed to cause trouble on the upper levels again, I could do it then. It wouldn't be too late.
After organizing my thoughts, I turned away without a second thought.
My purpose for visiting the Black Market today was to pick up the item I had commissioned from the ‘Witch’s Cauldron.’
“Hohol… you’ve come.”
As I entered the shop, the old woman greeted me as if she had been waiting.
I smiled back and offered her a greeting.
“Have you been well, Grandma?”
“Eung… what could possibly happen to this shriveled old hag?”
I wonder.
She might look that way on the outside, but I doubt her inside is the same.
The shape of the mana she emitted seemed far from that of a grandmother.
I couldn't determine her age by its shape alone, but… at the very least, she didn't seem like a grandma.
Haaah, I’m curious.
Is she pretty?
“Why are you staring so intently at this old hag’s face?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just thinking you must have been very beautiful when you were younger.”
Feeling her pointed gaze, I hastily threw out an excuse.
It was something I’d said on the fly, but it wasn’t entirely a lie.
Her wrinkles were so deep that it was hard to tell, but… looking at the contours of her face and the shape of her eyes, she probably wasn’t ugly, at least.
My words seemed to please her, as a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Hohol…! Flattery will get you nothing extra, you rascal.”
“I wasn’t trying to get anything extra.”
After giving me a look one might give a weirdo, the old woman turned and walked deeper into the shop.
When she started walking back toward me, she was holding a small pouch.
“You came for the elixirs, right?”
“Yes.”
“Here, take it.”
I took the leather pouch the old woman offered and untied the tightly knotted string, opening it slightly.
Instantly, the thick scent of medicinal herbs and distinct streams of mana wafted out.
Inside were seven brown pills, each the size of a thumbnail, and one slightly larger golden pill.
The amount of mana, now greater than when they were just petals, satisfied me.
“Thank you, Grandma. It was worth coming all this way to make the request.”
“Hohol, I told you. When it comes to making elixirs, this old granny is the best.”
I know.
That’s why I went to the trouble of using Son Si-woo’s name to find you.
“But… are you planning to feed all those elixirs to your comrades?”
“That’s right.”
I had considered taking one or two for myself, but seeing the elixirs solidified my decision.
“An elixir of this level won’t have much of an effect on me anyway.”
Perhaps an elixir made from all the petals of a single hundred-year-old moon-viewing flower might be different.
But one made from single petals, one by one, would barely make a dent.
“You seem to trust your comrades a great deal. To give them all such expensive elixirs.”
“Well… I guess so?”
Even if the elixirs had little effect on me, their value remained unchanged.
But money didn't really stir any emotion in me.
If I wanted to make money, I could make as much as I wanted.
Frankly, with all the offers for photoshoots, commercials, and TV appearances pouring in these days, if I were short on cash, I could just pick a few and earn hundreds of millions in no time.
Then she asked.
“Have you never considered that your comrades might betray you?”
Betrayal.
“Not at all.”
I couldn't speak for other teams, but it was impossible for mine.
Shin Yu-jeong and Im Na-eun were already mine, marked and all, and Elena… well, we were lovers, anyway.
And as for Seo-yeon… daughter or not, she just wasn't the type to backstab anyone.
The old woman’s eyes widened slightly at my unhesitating reply.
If she didn't know the nature of my team's relationships, it was understandable she'd be surprised.
“Anyway, I’ll put these to good use. If I get my hands on some good ingredients next time, I’ll be counting on you again.”
My words of thanks seemed to snap the old woman out of her thoughts, and she waved her hand.
“Hohol… come anytime. Rare ingredients are always welcome.”
“Yes, I will.”
Just as I was about to leave after our goodbyes.
“Ah, and.”
The old woman’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I have a favor to ask of you. If you have time, would you come see this old granny?”
“…A favor?”
My eyes widened slightly as I looked at her.
I had done business with her several times since Son Si-woo’s days, but this was a woman who had never once uttered the word ‘favor.’ And now, suddenly, a favor.
“Yes. This granny will reward you handsomely, so come by when you have some time.”
What on earth could she want to ask of me?
I was curious about the details, but it didn't seem like she would tell me now.
The fact that she specifically told me to come back later must mean she needed time to prepare as well.
“Is there a deadline or anything?”
“Mmm… if possible, it would be good if you came next year, after this year has passed.”
There were only a few days left in the year anyway.
Well… I guess she meant I shouldn't come too soon.
“Then I’ll see you sometime next year.”
“Yes, do that.”
After a brief farewell, I left the shop immediately.
Just you wait, my little chicks.
I’m about to give you a spec upgrade!
* * *
Clack, clack.
The sharp, angry sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Finally reaching her destination, the woman, Jung Si-a, spread her arms and threw the doors wide open.
The space she burst into was none other than the Guild Leader’s office.
Inside, Son Si-woo, who had been racking his ridiculously inadequate brain over some approval documents, looked up with startled eyes at the sudden commotion. He frowned upon seeing Jung Si-a approaching him.
‘Here we go again.’
This was a frequent occurrence.
For some reason he couldn't fathom, she would denounce him as a fake and berate him.
‘It’s not an entirely bad feeling, though.’
At first, his heart would drop, but now he had come to enjoy it in his own way.
Perhaps because of her terminal case of chunibyo, where she believed herself to be a princess, people didn't believe her words.
To be precise, she was respected, but still treated like a child.
‘But her face and body are no child’s.’
Despite that treatment, her appearance was magnificent.
Her black hair was glossy, as if cut from black silk.
Her sharp eyes were reminiscent of a haughty cat, her arrogant gaze seeming to look down on others.
A small, straight nose and lips like cherries.
She gave off the impression of a cat acting coy with its butler, suddenly transformed into a human.
In other words, she was a stunning beauty.
And to be berated by such a beauty?
‘Ooh yeah…’
Wasn't that a heart-pounding experience?
Hiding these feelings, he greeted her with a nonchalant attitude.
“What is it? I’m a little busy right now.”
Usually, when he said something like this, she would fly into a rage and shout.
He expected to hear something like, ‘How dare you make such a face when greeting this princess! Do you truly wish to be flogged?’
But today, she was different.
“Hoh… you say you are busy?”
Her words rose at the end, but the corners of her mouth didn't lift an inch.
Jung Si-a approached, her face expressionless.
“In that case, I shall not drag this out and get straight to the point.”
Just as a strange, intense pressure began to build his tension, she reached the desk and raised her arm.
KWANG!
Her raised arm slammed down hard on the desk.
“……!”
Son Si-woo jumped in shock.
The fact that he didn't scream was proof that he'd grown, even if just by a booger's worth.
His eyes, wide like a rabbit’s, darted to the spot beneath her palm where it had struck the desk.
A white envelope lay there.
When she lifted her hand, the hidden words were revealed.
“Letter of withdrawal…?”
That was certainly what was written on the envelope.
As Son Si-woo looked up at Jung Si-a with an uncomprehending expression, she answered.
“This princess shall hereby withdraw from the guild as of today!”