Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Where the Dragon Sleeps (2)
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*Knead, knead.*
A pair of soft hands pressed into his bare back.
As her thumb pushed down on the knotted muscles around his back, a thrilling pleasure spread through his entire body.
“Alright~ just keep your arms spread out. I’m gonna give you a massage.”
“…This is what you meant by ‘spread’?”
“Hehe. What, were you thinking of something naughty?”
Ha-eun chuckled slyly, her fingers circling around his shoulder blades.
“Well, isn’t it more abnormal *not* to think that in that situation?”
“Well… I mean, if-if you really want, I could indulge you a… little.”
She blushed and cleared her throat with a cough.
“No, thanks.”
“Hey, why not?”
“It doesn’t suit you, Nunna.”
Oh-jin turned his head with an indifferent expression.
Ha-eun’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean it doesn’t suit me! Hey, when this big sis walks down the street, guys practically drool! Just yesterday when I went shopping…”
“Who was it.”
“Huh?”
“I asked who was drooling over you.”
Oh-jin’s face twisted in utter displeasure.
A chilling killing intent filled the room.
“N-No, it’s just an expression, you punk! You think someone would actually drool?”
“Oh, is that it?”
The killing intent vanished.
“Jeez, you punk… you scared me.”
A smile Ha-eun couldn’t hide played on her lips as she coughed and turned away.
“Anyway. Just lie still, you brat.”
Ha-eun resumed the massage.
“So, why the sudden massage?”
“Well, it’s just…”
Her words trailed off as she pressed her lips together.
*‘Because there’s nothing else I can do for you.’*
The unspoken sentence tickled the roof of her mouth.
“…Just because.”
She had received so much from him until now.
She had only ever taken.
Things so precious she could never hope to repay them.
When she was a reckless kid, when she first became an Awakened, and when she was trapped in darkness by a curse.
And even now.
Looking back on her life, it was filled with memories of receiving things from Oh-jin.
*‘Compared to that…’*
What could she possibly give him in return?
“……”
In terms of Stars, she was still ranked higher.
But what did that even mean?
Oh-jin already possessed a strength that was far too great to be called a mere 6-Star.
She might be of some help for now, but in a little while, he would surely vanish into a distant place beyond her reach.
*‘There’s… nothing.’*
Money?
Oh-jin was already considered the Association’s ace, earning a massive income.
A house?
Compared to the one Isabella had gifted him, the home she had provided was no better than a dilapidated shack.
She at least wanted to make him a delicious meal.
But even that, with her clumsy skills, ended in failure every time.
The only thing she could squeeze out of her thoughts was giving a massage to him, exhausted from his self-torturous training schedule.
And that was something anyone could do, not just her.
*‘I’m…’*
A dark shadow fell over Ha-eun’s face.
“Nunna?”
“Oh, huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Ahem! It’s nothing, you brat.”
*Knead.*
She put more force into her thumb.
“Aargh! S-Stop!”
“Hehe. Such a baby for a grown man.”
“It’s not being a baby, I really think I’m gonna die!”
“Just quietly accept this big sis’s touch.”
“Keoheok! Nunna, I’m dying!”
For real, I’m dying!!!
—*Knead, knead.*
Ha-eun’s hands worked over his back.
As time passed, it became unclear whether he was receiving a massage or being tortured.
—*Ding-dong!*
“Hm?”
The doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?”
Ha-eun tilted her head and opened the front door.
*Click.*
Standing in the doorway was a stunningly beautiful woman with wavy, platinum-blonde hair.
“Hehe. Hello~!”
The woman, wearing a smile as gentle as a spring breeze, bowed her head and greeted her brightly.
Isabella Colagrande.
The daughter of one of Europe’s most distinguished noble families and the Awakened known as the ‘Saintess of Rome.’
And.
An enigmatic woman who showed an unusually strong interest in Oh-jin.
“…What are you doing here?”
Ha-eun glared at Isabella through narrowed eyes.
“Fufu. I have a favor to ask of Mr. Oh-jin.”
*Smile.*
Isabella beamed and slipped off her shoes.
She entered the house naturally and, before Ha-eun could stop her, scurried over to the living room.
“Huh? Hey, hey! Who said you could just walk into someone else’s house?!”
“Hmph.”
Isabella’s eyes narrowed as she looked down at Oh-jin, who was lying shirtless in the living room.
He was drenched in sweat, as if after a strenuous workout, and panting heavily.
“…What were you two doing?”
A cold glint flashed in Isabella’s eyes.
“W-We were just… I was giving him a massage.”
“A massage? Does getting a massage do that to you?”
“Uh… well. I guess I was a bit rough.”
Ha-eun scratched her head, avoiding her gaze.
“Ugh. My apologies. I must have been a sight.”
Oh-jin sat up with an awkward expression.
Since he was shirtless, his firmly defined abs and pectoral muscles were on full display.
“—Ah.”
Isabella’s pupils dilated.
“M-M-Mr. Oh-jin, your… clothes.”
She shivered slightly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
“Ah, my apologies.”
“N-No, it’s fine.”
*Gulp.*
Isabella swallowed hard, her heated gaze scanning Oh-jin’s body.
It was as if a delectable delicacy was laid out before her.
She let out a ragged breath, repeatedly licking her lips.
“What was the favor you mentioned?”
“Um… before that.”
Isabella puffed out her cheeks and pouted.
“Didn’t you say you would speak to me informally?”
“Ah.”
He had completely forgotten.
“Right. Sorry.”
“Honestly. If you keep this up, I’m going to pout.”
Oh-jin chuckled at Isabella, who had her arms crossed and was huffing playfully.
“Yes, I understand, Saintess.”
“Ah! You’re doing it again!”
“Haha. Just kidding.”
He laughed lightly and shrugged.
“So, what’s the favor?”
“Um… Mr. Oh-jin, have you heard about dungeons?”
“Dungeons?”
Dungeons.
They were similar to Gates, but with a few differences.
While Gates, once opened, remained for a certain period or even permanently, dungeons had a concept of being ‘cleared.’
In other words.
They were one-time Gates that closed once the boss inside was defeated or specific conditions were met.
*‘A dungeon, huh.’*
He had never actually been inside one.
But he had heard plenty about them.
*‘I heard high-grade holy relics drop there often.’*
Compared to regular Gates, the probability of finding high-grade holy relics in dungeons was said to be much higher.
They even offered separate clear rewards, so even if you didn’t find any relics inside, you could still reap substantial benefits.
Of course, with great rewards came powerful monsters and intricate, bizarre traps lurking within the dungeons.
“Why a dungeon all of a sudden?”
“A dungeon was recently discovered near Mount Baekdu.”
“……!”
Mount Baekdu?
“…Are you sure?”
“Fufu. It’s information investigated by my family, so there’s no mistake.”
“……”
A dungeon discovered at Mount Baekdu.
*‘Could this be the place where Lee Shin-hyeok said the holy relic was hidden?’*
The question naturally came to mind.
*‘But I can’t be sure yet.’*
The holy relic said to be hidden in Mount Baekdu.
A dungeon discovered at just the right time.
It was too much of a coincidence to be just a coincidence.
*‘The timing doesn’t add up.’*
The organization known as the Satellite Cult hadn’t even appeared yet, nor was Lee Woo-hyeok desperately chasing them down.
It didn’t make sense for the hidden holy relic to be discovered already.
*‘Unless.’*
Oh-jin’s gaze deepened.
*‘Has the future… changed?’*
He didn’t know.
He’d have to know the future in the first place to know if it had changed or not.
“Mr. Oh-jin?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking.”
“Hoho. You seem a bit surprised. Well, it’s not like dungeons are discovered every day.”
“Does anyone else know about this dungeon? Like a group aiming for the treasure hidden inside…”
“Hmm. I’m not sure about that. For now, you’re the first person I’ve told about the dungeon, Mr. Oh-jin.”
So Isabella didn’t know about the Satellite Cult either?
*‘No.’*
Isabella’s true identity was the 3rd Executor of the Black Star Society.
The being known as the Leech Queen.
If there was some connection between the Satellite Cult and the Black Star Society, she could be intentionally hiding it.
*‘In the end, I won’t know unless I check for myself.’*
*Tsk.*
Oh-jin clicked his tongue lightly.
“So, what’s the reason for telling only me about the dungeon?”
“On behalf of the Colagrande family, I would like to formally request you to explore the dungeon.”
“Explore the dungeon?”
“Yes. I heard that although you belong to the Association, Mr. Oh-jin, you also take on separate requests like a mercenary.”
“That’s true, but.”
Dungeon exploration.
*‘It’s worth a shot.’*
He might find the holy relic Lee Shin-hyeok mentioned inside the dungeon, and even if he didn’t, the massive rewards from the dungeon made it worth going.
“The payment for the request is about this much.”
She casually held out a check.
*‘Holy shit.’*
Just how many zeros were on this thing?
“With this much, you could hire two… no, three 8-Star Awakened, couldn’t you?”
He was an Awakened who had just reached 6-Star.
He might be called a global rookie, but a rookie was still a rookie.
“Hehe. I find you more trustworthy than those who are only high in ‘Stars,’ Mr. Oh-jin.”
Isabella’s eyes curved into a sweet smile.
“……”
Oh-jin’s eyes narrowed.
*‘Does she know about my power?’*
That although he was only a 6-Star, most 8-Star Awakened couldn’t even hold a candle to him.
*‘Well, it would be strange if she didn’t.’*
He recalled her appearance back in Italy.
There was no way a powerhouse who could slaughter a 9-Star Awakened with a single gesture wouldn’t recognize his true strength.
“Alright. I’ll take the request.”
“Yay! This will be the first time I get to party up with you, Mr. Oh-jin!”
“…Huh?”
Wait.
She was coming too?
“Who said you could just form a party with Oh-jin?!”
Ha-eun, who had been listening quietly, shot up to her feet.
“Don’t go and drag our Oh-jinnie down. You should just stay out of it.”
“Oh my, I’m quite confident in my skills, you know.”
“Hmph. What Star are you? Huh?”
“I’m a 6-Star.”
“6-Star? You’re trying to party with our Oh-jinnie as a measly 6-Star?”
“Isn’t Mr. Oh-jin also a 6-Star?”
“That’s different!”
Ha-eun scowled.
“Anyway, if you’re going, I’m going too.”
“I don’t have the funds to pay Ms. Ha-eun.”
“I’ll just split Oh-jinnie’s.”
*Says who?*
“…Stop fighting, you two.”
Oh-jin let out a deep sigh and looked at Ha-eun and Isabella.
*‘This is driving me crazy.’*
He wanted to go alone, but the atmosphere made it clear he couldn’t leave either of them behind.
“Fine.”
After a moment of deliberation, Oh-jin sighed briefly and nodded.
“The three of us will go together.”
It felt less like holding flowers in both hands and more like holding two antimatter bombs.
But what was I to do?
*‘This is just my life, I guess.’*
A glutton for punishment.