Chapter 177: Living a Normal Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Living a Normal Life
"What's with the hand?"
Meirena's eyes went wide.
What do you think?
"If you doubted the leader of a faction, you should naturally pay the appropriate compensation."
"Co-compensation?"
"Mental therapy for verbal abuse, and PTSD treatment for my spirits. Oh, and we'll also be filing charges for defamation and insult. I trust you know that the requirements for specificity and public exposure have already been met."
"P-PT... Speci...ficity? What does all of that mean?"
"In this world's terms, it means... you've committed a crime so grave that your entire family line would be wiped out. Something like that."
"How could that be..."
Meirena's mouth fell open in a perfect 'O'.
As if she had no idea what she just did was that serious, her pupils shook violently.
Good.
When you want to rattle someone, throwing a bunch of complex jargon at them is always the best way.
Honestly, even I barely knew what I was talking about, so how could she possibly understand?
Jinhyuk quickly followed up.
"But! I'm not saying I want to tear down the pillars of the Spirit Realm. If you just give me 'Water's Blessing' once, I'll let this slide."
'Water's Blessing'.
It was a skill that only a select few among the high-ranking water spirits could use. When received, it increased a summon's growth rate by 10%.
'Though it only lasts for a week and applies to only one of my summons, it's still not bad.'
After all, he needed to focus his build-up on Goguma rather than the spirits of the five elements.
"Is that all it takes?"
"Normally, I wouldn't, but just this once, I think I can let it slide. It seems my wounded spirits have calmed down a bit too. Right, guys?"
"Y-Yeah. Yes!"
"M-My body and mind feel so warm."
"I feel like all my wounds are healing."
The spirits of the five elements nodded mechanically.
"Understood. It is not a difficult request... I can certainly do that much as an apology. I am sorry for doubting you once again, Player Kang Jinhyuk."
[Meirena uses her unique ability, 'Water's Blessing'.]
[When applied to a summon, the blessing increases its growth rate by 10% for one week.]
A jewel shaped like a water droplet fell into his palm.
This was one of the blessings that only mid-to-high-ranking spirits could bestow.
"Thank you, customer. The payment has been received in full."
Now, for the final touch...
Jinhyuk walked slowly.
He saw Alfred, the Chancellor of the Empire, standing amidst the tables bustling with players and residents.
He looked utterly overwhelmed, trying to screen and select talents who could at least serve as decent alternatives.
He was sweating buckets through his beard, looking downright pitiful.
Jinhyuk approached Alfred closely.
And whispered as he brushed past.
"..."
In a voice so quiet that it could only be heard by someone standing right next to him.
Then.
"...Gasp?"
A sharp gasp escaped Alfred's mouth.
His rapidly dilating pupils were filled with sheer shock and terror.
A secret that should never be revealed.
A secret known only to a select few within the Empire had just leaked.
He wanted to grab the man and interrogate him right then and there.
"W-Wait a minute...!"
But Alfred's hand only swiped helplessly through the empty air.
Jinhyuk had already vanished like smoke.
Leaving behind only the words: 'I will visit the Empire in a week.'
* * *
By the time he exited the Tower, the sunset was dyeing the entire world in shades of crimson.
Unlike the chaotic battle he had been fighting just moments ago, this world was incredibly peaceful.
Office workers heading home...
...and people laughing and chatting passed by.
"Everyone looks so peaceful."
Alice, who had taken off her mask at some point, stepped up to Jinhyuk's side.
Then, she glanced at him.
"Do they know? That the daily life they enjoy right now could be shattered at any moment?"
If humanity failed to conquer the next floor of the Tower within ninety days, they would face extinction.
If an Outbreak occurred, the city where the Gate opened would turn into a living hell overnight.
That was the reality that could strike at any moment ever since the Tower of Trials appeared.
"As long as I don't fail, that won't happen."
"Confident, aren't we? Well, I suppose that is your charm."
"Stop talking nonsense and just follow me. We're going to keep the others waiting too long at this rate."
Cheon Yu-seong and Teresa had already headed to the meeting place. Since Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa were also coming for the first time in a while, it would be best to hurry.
However.
"It's not nonsense."
Alice's voice sank, colder than usual.
Her eyes pierced straight through Jinhyuk.
"You seem terribly selfish, but in truth, your actions are always designed to save as many of your kind as possible."
Punishing the wicked and saving the innocent.
Only the methods and means differed; the core premise remained unchanged.
His desperate struggle to grow stronger was, in the end, to prevent the extinction of humanity.
"In fact, turning all your competitors into enemies and taking the brunt of the attacks yourself... that must be calculated so that others won't get hurt."
"You're overanalyzing things... I'm just paying back the bastards I don't like, tit for tat."
"I wonder. At least, not from where I'm standing."
"Did you learn mind-reading when I wasn't looking? So, what's your point?"
"I'm giving you advice."
Alice shrugged.
"No one can control every situation. One day, you too will face a choice so difficult that you won't be able to bear it alone."
Even sages make foolish choices.
Even wise kings make decisions that lead to the ruin of their nations.
It was only natural.
For a flawless being did not exist, save for God.
"I know it's reckless."
"And I don't dislike that side of you either."
Alice wasn't scolding Jinhyuk right now.
Nor was she criticizing him for biting off more than he could chew.
She simply...
"Try to trust the people around you a bit more."
...wanted to be of help.
Because she knew how lonely it was to sit on a throne alone.
"A crown is surprisingly heavy, you know."
As a family head who had protected her clan amidst countless enemies.
As a contractor bound by a covenant.
She simply wanted to share that burden.
"Mogi!"
Goguma, who had been curled up in a ball, opened his eyes wide and sparkled.
Seeing him wag his tail vigorously, Jinhyuk felt a warm tug in his chest.
'Comrades...'
Jinhyuk chewed on the word in his mind.
In his past life, everyone who approached him calculated their own interests, ready to turn into enemies at any moment.
To climb the Tower, he couldn't trust anyone. He had to look out only for himself.
That was the norm, and that was the only way.
'Right. So this is what it feels like.'
To have people by his side with whom he could share both joy and pain, people he could trust with his back.
Perhaps... the people waiting for them at the meeting place right now were also beings he could call comrades, just like Alice and Goguma.
"So, you talked all that big game, but in the end, you just want me to buy you something delicious in a bit, don't you?"
"When someone is speaking seriously, please just take it gracefully for once."
"You're a vampire, not a person."
Look at her, trying to lose her own identity now.
"So, is this about a full-course meal of cheese dakgalbi, generously sprinkled with seaweed flakes, drizzled with sesame oil, and finished with fried rice, or not?"
"Of course it's because of that... Wait, no! Hey!"
"I knew it... They say appetite can make even a vampire dance."
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue.
At that, Alice's face flushed red, and she snapped.
"Do you really want me to XXX you, then XXX you, and make you get XXX'd? You want to go today? I've been taking it easy on you, but if I really wanted to, I would have totally XXX'd you with XXX!"
When they first met, she had maintained a somewhat dignified atmosphere, enough to earn the adjective 'noble'.
Now, she had completely degenerated to the point where even a slum gangster would weep.
...It's not because of me, right?
No way. Surely not.
Probably not.
Probably...
Feeling a strange sense of responsibility, Jinhyuk headed toward the meeting place.
And Alice followed behind, shouting incessantly.
* * *
About an hour later, Jinhyuk and Alice arrived at the meeting place.
Despite it being a weekday evening, the streets of Myeongdong were bustling with people.
The two entered a Chinese restaurant famous for its delicious food in Myeongdong.
Inside, Teresa and Cheon Yu-seong were already there, along with Lee Tae-min, Yu Yeon-hwa, and Kim Hee-woong, whom Jinhyuk had entrusted with the Black Crow Guild.
"Oppa, over here!"
"Hyung! You're here! Oh, Alice is here too."
Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min welcomed them.
Indeed, since the two hadn't been invited to the ball, it must have felt like an even longer time since they last met.
Which made the reunion all the more welcoming.
"Jinhyuk, you worked hard."
"Worked hard? What hard work did a guy who did nothing but pull off scams do?"
Teresa and Cheon Yu-seong also greeted him in their own ways.
I was going to think well of that bastard since he came quietly this time, but he just had to add some weird comment.
"Welcome, Boss."
Finally, Kim Hee-woong also bowed politely.
Come to think of it, he really needed to manage the Black Crow Guild a bit...
He had heard last time that a massive influx of new recruits had joined, and that seemed to be true.
The dark circles hanging under Kim Hee-woong's eyes were no joke.
"You must be having a tough time. I'm sorry I couldn't pay closer attention because I've been busy."
"Not at all, Boss. Just having you in that position is enough to be grateful for. Thanks to you, I was able to settle down and grow the guild like this."
Kim Hee-woong bowed with utmost sincerity.
Far from being recognized for his work by the former guild leader, Shin Geon-su, he had only been exploited. Thus, just being able to stand in this position made him live each day with gratitude.
After those light greetings, the after-party officially began.
The dishes were Beef Noodle Soup, featuring thick meat and hand-pulled noodles—the restaurant's specialty—and Guobaorou, boasting an exquisite, crispy texture.
With the addition of xiaolongbao and baijiu, a rather splendid table was set.
"Oh. What an elegant dish."
Alice let out an exclamation of admiration.
Having recently fallen head over heels for modern food, Alice was thoroughly enjoying her hobby of savoring various Korean, Chinese, and Japanese dishes.
"I have gone through so much trouble cleaning up after my humble contractor, but have I finally received the reward for my hardships?"
"What? Cleaning up after me?"
"Indeed. If not for the 'Blood Lord', you would not have achieved your desired goal. I do not know how you utilized this noble one's power, but I shall personally inquire about it after dinner."
Alice held her head high.
She held it so high that only her neck was visible.
Hmm.
This won't do.
I need to teach her a lesson for the first time in a while.
Jinhyuk subtly placed a dish he had prepared on the table.
After picking at various dishes for a while, Alice suddenly noticed the food Jinhyuk had set down.
"What is this greyish, soft-looking food?"
"It's called stinky tofu. It's a dish that famous streamers are practically fighting each other to eat."
He omitted the part about it being used for penalty games, but it was true that it was highly popular.
People were going crazy trying to get it as quickly as possible via express air shipping, after all.
"Oh? It is that famous?"
"Yeah. And this is mint chocolate ice cream I bought from Baskin-Robbins. It's my favorite dessert. If you eat the stinky tofu and then take a bite of the mint chocolate, oh man. You'll never be able to eat any other food again."
Probably... forever.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
At the same time, Alice's eyes sparkled as she grabbed her spoon.