Chapter 594: Encounter (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 594: Encounter (1)
After wavering for a few moments, her gaze met mine.
“Very well. Let’s do it your way.”
I knew it.
She readily accepted my proposal, as if it didn't matter to her either way.
No, perhaps she already knew.
That while those bastards were necessary for her goals, they were just as dangerous.
“But all I can do is coordinate. I can't offer any more help than that.”
“Of course.”
That was enough.
As long as she could serve as a bridgehead to get inside Hexagram.
Whatever I did on the inside, it would be easier to handle the aftermath alone.
That way, I could do whatever I needed without worrying about anyone else watching, right?
Still, I was curious.
“But can you really do it?”
Could she really mediate between me and those guys?
I was one thing, but they had suffered a lot at my hands. They had to be grinding their teeth in hatred.
After a moment's thought, she nodded.
“I believe it's possible. Provided one condition is met.”
“A condition…?”
“Jincheon… you have him, don't you?”
A question filled with certainty.
I expected this.
She was the only one who knew a part of my secret.
The moment I heard Jincheon's name, I realized what she was about to say.
“…We have to win him over?”
“That's right.”
I understood it in my head.
Jincheon was a Hexagram executive.
If we could win over one of their executives before mediating with the rest, things would go much more smoothly.
The problem was how to win him over…
“Isn't that impossible?”
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't see a way.
I mean, honestly.
Would you shake hands with the enemy who cut off both your arms?
Not that he had any hands left to shake with, but still.
“He looks like he's dying to kill me every time he sees me.”
There was this one time.
He must have been exhausted from the long interrogation, because he said he was finally ready to talk.
He told me to lean in close, so I brought my face near his, and what do you know?
“He suddenly tried to bite my ear off.”
Just thinking about it now gives me chills.
If I'd pulled my head back even a fraction of a second later, he might have chewed my ear clean off.
That's how much his resentment toward me had been soaring with each passing day.
Was it really possible to quell that rage?
“Wouldn't it be better to just… dispose of him quietly?”
“No.”
Han Ju-hee shook her head firmly.
“That's only the second-best option.”
Second-best, huh.
So she had considered it, at least.
Which meant she had a way to earn his support.
I asked her.
“How?”
She answered.
“First, let's reattach his arms.”
“…”
How the hell were we supposed to do that?
* * *
The rifts brought despair and terror to humanity.
But at the same time, they led to countless advancements in science and technology.
Rare minerals and monster byproducts found in dungeons were superior versions of existing materials, and mana stones replaced conventional energy sources as a clean, non-polluting alternative.
These discoveries solved previously unsolvable problems across various fields, and as a result, science and technology were once again advancing at a dazzling pace.
A prime example of this was the prosthetic arm.
Before the rifts, prosthetics were little more than orthotic devices shaped like hands, with no real function.
Researchers struggled to create a true-to-life substitute by connecting them to the nervous system, but they were blocked by insurmountable barriers, leading to a frustrating lack of progress.
But the prosthetics created after the rifts were on a completely different level.
How different, you ask?
A single sentence is enough to answer that.
The highest-grade prosthetics are nearly indistinguishable from real limbs.
Of course, they're also ridiculously expensive.
Anyway, there was a reason I was suddenly thinking about prosthetic arms.
Because we needed one.
Who for?
Isn't it obvious?
The bastard locked up in our guild's underground training room.
But that wasn't the only surprising part.
“Alright, we're going to build a prosthetic arm now.”
She was suggesting we build it ourselves.
I couldn't understand it.
I mean, why?
Prosthetic technology had already advanced as far as it could, reaching a singularity.
Top-of-the-line prosthetics were expensive, but considering her wealth, the cost was a drop in the bucket. Why go through the trouble of building one?
As if sensing my thoughts, she answered.
“It's not that I didn't consider buying one. But do you think something you can just buy with money will be enough to erase all of his anger?”
“…You have a point.”
No matter how incredible a top-grade prosthetic is, it's still a fake.
Especially for a martial artist like him, who had trained his entire life, even the slightest difference would feel stark.
No matter how realistic the arm was, he'd be dissatisfied, and every time he was, he'd vent his anger at me for cutting off his real ones.
“That's why I'm saying we should build it ourselves. I'm certain that if you and I work together, we can create a prosthetic arm far superior to anything on the market.”
“Hmm.”
It wasn't an impossible idea.
She probably didn't mean we'd build it entirely from scratch.
“We'll buy a top-of-the-line model and customize its internal functions to our liking. For example, the power output, the capacity of the auxiliary mana stone battery, and… the configuration of the mana nerves that connect to the nervous system.”
In short, she was suggesting we keep the exterior and completely overhaul the interior.
That was the best we could do.
After all, no matter how amazing a mage is, it's absurd to think we could surpass the know-how of artisans who have been crafting prosthetics for decades, or even centuries, to create a perfect arm.
“And this isn't just to quell his anger.”
I tilted my head at her words and asked.
“Then what is it for?”
“Even if we give him a prosthetic so advanced it can replace his real arms, there's no guarantee his anger will completely subside. He might… bow his head obediently while waiting for the perfect chance to attack you.”
“Hmm… that's true.”
That's the thing about anger.
A fleeting rage might just make you fly off the handle, unable to control your emotions. But a bone-deep fury makes you calm.
You wait with a calm heart.
You endure, you tolerate, you persevere, and you keep enduring until the perfect opportunity for revenge arrives.
…Just like me now.
“That's why I plan to install a device in the arm we create.”
“A device…?”
“A kind of control mechanism, in case the arm we build is ever turned against you or me.”
She smiled coldly.
* * *
Creating something is never an easy task.
The higher the desired quality, the more the difficulty multiplies.
And what they were trying to create was an unparalleled item that didn't exist anywhere in the world.
Even for her, who had a knack for crafting artifacts, and him, who possessed abilities others did not, the two of them went through countless trials and errors.
“Hold that part a little tighter.”
“No, that's not the problem. Hunter Han Ju-hee, your side is…”
“I don't know what the problem is, so you'll have to be more specific.”
…They also clashed a great deal.
It was inevitable, given their strong egos.
However, their conflicts and hardships were clearly rewarded.
They succeeded in creating a perfect prosthetic arm, one that could be called the ultimate masterpiece.
The two stared blankly at the finished product.
Han Ju-hee asked with a look of disbelief.
“We… we really did it.”
“So it seems.”
The thing they had created was that incredible.
Not only did it perfectly replicate the sensation of moving a real arm, but they had even succeeded in implementing a sense of touch, allowing the wearer to feel textures through the prosthetic.
That wasn't all.
Since it was meant for an S-rank Hunter, they had significantly boosted its power output, allowing it to exert immense force with minimal effort.
A cold sweat ran down Kim Do-jin's spine as he imagined Jincheon performing his martial arts with this arm.
‘If I fought him while he was wearing this, I might actually lose…?’
But that was just a thought.
He would never have to fight him again.
“With this, we can definitely bring him to our side.”
“I'm sure of it.”
Filled with conviction, the two immediately placed the prosthetic arm in its custom case and headed for the Twilight Guild's hideout.
They arrived in front of the underground training room.
“As we discussed, I'll go in first and talk to him.”
“Okay.”
It was what they had agreed on beforehand.
For them to have even a brief, calm exchange, it was better for Kim Do-jin not to be present.
She immediately opened the door and stepped inside.
It was an empty space, built for training, with nothing else in it.
A middle-aged man sat there alone, his eyes closed.
Having refused all food and water, he was gaunt. He opened his eyes, looked up at Han Ju-hee as she entered, and curled his lip in a sneer.
“I heard light footsteps and wondered who it was… so it's you.”
“I never thought we'd be reunited like this.”
“How did you get here? Don't tell me you've sided with that damn bastard.”
Jincheon began to radiate hostility.
She calmly shook her head and explained the situation.
That her goals now aligned with his, and that Kim Do-jin was willing to take a step back for his sake.
Hearing this, his eyes widened slightly.
“…Is all of that true?”
“I'll swear on anything you want. There are no lies in what I've just told you.”
She was hiding something, though.
The fact that he was her husband's illegitimate son.
But aside from that, she hadn't lied, so she stood with confidence.
Jincheon fell into thought for a moment.
“If it's true… it would certainly be an unparalleled opportunity for us.”
His head understood.
If there were no lies in her words, he knew he had to set aside his personal feelings for the sake of the organization.
But his heart was always the problem.
“But it's not easy.”
The man had cut off both his arms.
Which meant his destiny as a martial artist, his lifelong pride, was over.
“It's not easy to see the man who stole my martial arts—my everything—as an ally.”
“I know.”
She had expected this.
So she placed the large bag she had brought with her down in front of him and spoke.
“That's why I brought something that might help offset some of your grief.”
Click!
She pressed a button, and the lid opened.
What was revealed was an arm.
So exquisite it was hard to tell at a glance whether it was real or fake.
“A prosthetic arm…?”
He guessed what it was from the mechanical parts visible at the cross-section. As he asked, she nodded and continued.
“It's a prosthetic arm that Mr. Kim Do-jin and I built ourselves. It's on a different level from anything on the market.”
“Hmph.”
He scoffed.
He knew that prosthetic development had reached a singularity.
But it was still not enough.
What he needed wasn't for daily use, but for combat.
One that could feel every sensation vividly and move swiftly at his command.
An arm that could never be replicated unless it was real—an arm that was now gone forever.
That's why he was even angrier.
To think they would try to quell his rage with a mere object like that.
“A prosthetic that can't feel anything is useless to me…”
“You're wrong.”
She cut him off sharply.
“This arm can feel everything. And it will move exactly as you wish.”
“What…!”
Jincheon was stunned.
She broke all the chains binding his body, pointed to the prosthetic, and said.
“If you don't believe me, try it on first. It's not too late to decide after that, is it?”
“…”
Gulp.
Swallowing dryly, he slowly moved toward the arm.