Chapter 35: How a Veteran Grows (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: How a Veteran Grows (2)
Prickle.
At the needle-sharp bloodlust, the two of them took a few steps back.
“Well, this is... I put quite a bit of effort into setting this stage, but it's completely ruined now.”
The man wearing Han Sang-jin's appearance gave a bitter smile.
His voice was laced with helplessness.
“I know. How did he figure it out?”
The female employee was equally annoyed.
They had cast a 'Dimensional Distortion' barrier over the entire Awakened Association building and used 'Character Replication' magic to copy their targets' appearances.
Furthermore, they had analyzed each individual's stats and unique abilities, reconstructing the entire system.
All of this was done to ensure that even if someone possessed 'Clairvoyance', 'Mind Reading', or even an 'Eye', it wouldn't be an issue.
Yet, for some reason, the plan they believed to be flawless had been exposed.
And so utterly in vain.
They simply hadn't calculated that Jinhyuk had used the 'Brand of the Flame Soul' to silence the person in charge. They must have assumed that even if he hid his identity, he would have at least made a secret contract with the Association President.
After all, there was no reason for him to insist on a low rank and give up his advantageous position without such a backroom deal.
They had also overlooked the fact that the 'Eye' Jinhyuk possessed was an out-of-spec anomaly.
The barrier they created had failed to replicate the system configuration of the copying conditions, which was why Jinhyuk had felt a strange sense of incongruity from the very beginning.
[The 3-Star 'Dimensional Distortion' barrier is weakening.]
[Time Remaining: 0h : 2m : 59s]
Damaged by the dagger, the barrier began to shake.
This was because its core had been destroyed.
'A 3-Star Dimensional Distortion barrier...'
To create something that only a boss monster of a low-floor dungeon would use.
It was certainly understandable why they were disappointed.
The Coins and mana spent to set up a stage of this scale would easily exceed the monthly budget of a small-to-medium guild.
Jinhyuk tilted his head toward the two.
“It looks like your expensive little prank ends here. Now, tell me. Why did you approach me?”
“Hmm. Shouldn't asking for our identity come before asking for our purpose?”
“Why would I ask that? I already know who you are,” Jinhyuk replied nonchalantly.
At that, the eyebrows of both individuals twitched.
“Oh? You know who we are?”
“He's bluffing. Just trying to feel us out.”
Bluffing, my foot.
It wasn't difficult to deduce their identity with the information already at hand.
Wealthy, highly informed, and willing to use any means necessary.
There was only one organization so desperate to recruit talents who were still flying under the radar.
“You're Demonic Humans. Judging by your mana levels, you've probably just finished your class quests.”
“...!”
“...!”
Their pupils shook wildly.
For a brief moment, both the man and the woman failed to control their expressions.
“Ha... You really are something else. This is actually a bit shocking.”
“Now I understand why the executives had their eyes on you. I wondered why they were pouring so many of the Association's resources into recruiting just one person, but this explains it.”
They had contacted various promising prospects before.
There were rankers who had made a name for themselves in the past in the [Tower of Trials].
And there were rookies who only began to stand out now that it had become reality.
Yet, not a single one of them had figured out their identity upon their very first meeting.
“I don't have time to listen to your admiration, so get straight to the point.”
There was only one reason he was humoring this meaningless conversation.
He was curious about what kind of interesting proposal these veiled figures would make.
Jinhyuk glanced up at the ceiling.
About two minutes remained.
Once the barrier was broken, the exact moment the dagger fell would mark the end of this conversation.
“Don't glare at us with such bloodlust. It seems you have some bad prejudices against Demonic Humans, but most of those are just rumors.”
“Hmm. The very people who first created 'Coin Farms' are trying to clean up their image now?”
“Let's call it pragmatism. Of course, if you're the type to believe that bullshit about human life being priceless... then further conversation would be pointless.”
“Interesting. Keep going.”
“First, if you join us, we will give you this instead of a down payment.”
The man pulled a reddish-orange gem from his breast pocket.
Could that be...?
Jinhyuk's brow furrowed.
It was an item he recognized.
'Twilight Dew.'
It was a treasure held by 'Quaysha', a Half-Avian and one of the spiritual beasts.
Healing, regeneration, enhancement, detoxification, and more.
Below the 10th floor of the tower, it was highly regarded as an almost all-purpose tool.
It could even be used to thaw a 'Frozen Tear'.
And yet.
“...You're just giving this to me?”
Even if he put it up on the Auction House right now, he would get offers to trade it for a Relic within an hour.
“Personally, I think it's a waste too, but our higher-ups believe in spending generously when necessary. If you formally join us, you'll receive benefits that make this look like nothing.”
The man shrugged.
Then, he immediately tossed the Twilight Dew toward Jinhyuk.
Thud!
A heavy sensation registered in his palm.
Jinhyuk firmly grasped the gem, which was about the size of a child's fist.
Wow.
They certainly were generous.
Since the first condition was so hot, he looked forward to the second.
“Then, what's the next condition?”
“Second, we will take care of any one person you want gone.”
“Doesn't matter who?”
“Yes. As long as the target is human... anyone.”
His tone overflowed with confidence.
Well, though they weren't reflected in the official rankings because they were Demonic Humans, their skills were not inferior even when compared to high-ranking players.
'If they say they'll eliminate someone, they really will.'
It was practically a blank check guaranteeing success.
Right then.
Huh?
Wait a minute...
A flash of inspiration struck Jinhyuk's mind like a bolt of lightning.
“What happens if you fail to kill the target?”
“What?”
“I'm just saying, what if?”
“That won't happen.”
“Exactly. Our assassination squad is made up of players far stronger than us,” the two asserted confidently.
They had declared it as an absolute certainty.
They had said it with their own mouths.
That they would succeed no matter what.
“Then, if you fail, we can consider this contract null and void, right?”
“T-that's...!”
“Why? Losing confidence now? The second condition itself is meant to demonstrate the absolute power of the Demonic Human Association. If you fail, isn't that a contradiction in itself?”
Jinhyuk smirked, provoking them.
He threw in a sly grin for good measure.
The man bit his lip.
“……Fine. But if the request succeeds, you must immediately come with us to meet the executives.”
“Deal.”
Nodding, Jinhyuk pulled out his smartphone.
He tapped on his contacts, where a photo and name were saved, and showed it to them.
“This guy is the target.”
“Never seen him before.”
“Me neither. Is he really that troublesome?”
“More or less... He isn't very active in public, so he'll be unfamiliar to you.”
Almost no one would know him.
At most, it was just me, Yu Yeon-hwa, Lee Tae-min... and maybe a few others you could count on one hand.
“Target confirmed.”
“We'll meet as allies next time. Take care until then, handsome.”
Right on cue.
Clatter!
The dagger embedded in the barrier fell.
Time had completely run out.
Retrieving his dagger, Jinhyuk scanned his surroundings.
'They've already vanished.'
The two were nowhere to be seen.
Along with the sudden hum of voices, the original appearance of the Awakened Association, which had been cut off, was revealed.
Now he could finally receive his certificate for passing the second test.
Ah! Before that.
There was one thing he had to do.
Jinhyuk quickly opened his status window.
[The Whisper function has been activated.]
– Hey, got a second?
He sent the message and waited a moment.
Then.
– What is it?
A stiff, annoyed voice replied.
The recipient of the whisper was none other than Cheon Yu-seong.
What a cold bastard.
– You said you wanted to get stronger, right?
– What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden?
– Just answer me. Did you or did you not?
– ...I might have said something like that.
– Then I'll tell you the secret. You have to gain as much real combat experience as possible against unconditionally strong opponents.
– What?
– Fight, fight, and fight again. You have to cross the line between life and death to get stronger. This is a secret training method only I know, but I'm sharing it with you because I care.
– Are you crazy? Did you eat something bad?
– Love you, future Sword Saint. Your hyung believes in you. Even if you get seriously hurt, don't come looking for revenge on me.
– You son of a...!
Jinhyuk unilaterally blocked the whisper.
Whew.
He had given him a warning in his own way, so the rest was up to him.
By the way.
'I wonder what the outcome will be when the Sword Saint fights the Demonic Humans?'
To be honest, it was a prime popcorn-worthy event...
It was just a shame he wouldn't be there to watch.
* * *
About an hour had passed.
Having secured his second-test certificate, Jinhyuk walked out of the Association building.
However, there were other figures standing next to Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa.
The ones he had asked to handle the Black Crow Guild's affairs...
Kim Hee-woong and Alice.
“Oppa. These people said they know you...”
“Hyung. Isn't that guy the chief of staff of the Black Crow Guild?”
Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa asked with anxious faces.
To them, the Black Crow Guild held nothing but bad memories.
It was understandable.
Since they didn't know the full story, they had no choice but to react this way.
“It's fine. They're acquaintances.”
Since things had turned out this way, he decided to take this opportunity to introduce them to each other.
He also had things to discuss regarding their future schedule.
Jinhyuk briefly introduced them.
Of course, he altered some of the details.
For instance, he hid Alice's identity by claiming she was a player who had come over from Northern Europe.
'If I reveal that she's a True Ancestor, it'll cause a massive uproar.'
Though Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa were skeptical at first, they eventually nodded in acceptance as time went on.
“My friend Kim Hee-woong here will be managing the guild. Yeon-hwa, Tae-min, keep in touch with him when you have time. He can help you with everything from booking dungeons to various conveniences.”
“Yes. Just leave it to me. Since you are friends of Representative Kang, I will take responsibility and help you.”
Kim Hee-woong clenched his fist.
He had been overworked and mistreated under Shin Geon-su.
Now that he had escaped those shackles, his expression looked bright.
“Wow... S-so, Oppa, you're the guild master of the Black Crow Guild?”
“On paper, it's this guy, but I'm the one actually running it.”
“Hyung, seriously, in just a few days you cleared a ruin and took over a guild. Are you even human? I mean, how...”
Lee Tae-min trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.
He already knew Jinhyuk was a veteran.
But wasn't this constantly breaking the limits of his imagination?
It was insane.
There was truly no other word for it but insane.
At the same time, his heart began to beat wildly at the fact that he was acquainted with such a monstrous veteran.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
'Meeting Hyung is the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me.'
Large guilds and rankers around the world were acting all high and mighty.
But compared to Jinhyuk, they were laughable.
It was like bragging about learning calculus in front of Stephen Hawking.
'No matter what happens, I will trust and follow him to the end.'
Lee Tae-min had already made up his mind.
* * *
While Kim Hee-woong was talking with the two, Jinhyuk's gaze turned to Alice.
“And you... sigh.”
Seeing her cheeks puffed out in a pout, he let out a sigh without realizing it.
“Forget it. Let's not even talk about it.”
“Why! What! I didn't want to go that far either. But they were getting on my nerves!”
“Is it normal to blow up a building just because someone called you a kid?”
When he heard the whole story from Kim Hee-woong, he could hardly believe his ears.
Just for that reason...
Damn it. If all Koreans had a personality like hers, forget the Miracle on the Han River—the Korean Peninsula would have returned to the Stone Age within a year.
“Besides, you've lived for thousands of years, and you can't even let a provocation like that slide?”
“T-that's... because no one has ever dared to provoke me until now.”
“...Unbelievable. Truly.”
Whether it was the selfish queen or her coddling subordinates, there was a reason vampires had such high pride and suffered from prince or princess complexes.
Clicking his tongue, Jinhyuk prepared to move.
“We need to go hunting right away, so get inside the ring.”
“Huh? Isn't hunting by yourself enough?”
“It's a mob-pulling hunt, so I need a supporter. Oh, and don't worry. If you help me this once, I'll let you rest for a while.”
While he needed Alice this time for efficiency, he would be perfectly fine on his own afterward.
“Well, if you say so. But is there even a place left for mob-pulling? You said the guilds have monopolized everything up to the 3rd floor.”
The Tower of Trials only goes up to the 50th floor.
So, unless the 4th floor opens, there shouldn't be any hunting grounds unknown to others.
That was what everyone believed.
However.
In truth, the Tower of Trials didn't just have 50 floors.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
“From now on, I'll show you exactly why a veteran is called a veteran.”