Chapter 125
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Ryu Min's Request
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Before heading to the warehouse.
Ma Kyung-rok was walking down the night street.
It was because of Ryu Min's call, asking him to come to the alley for a private talk.
'What could he possibly have to say to me in the dead of night?'
If there was something to discuss, couldn't it have been done over the phone? Why summon him like this?
And at such a late hour?
Ma Kyung-rok found the Prophet's uncharacteristic behavior puzzling.
His bewilderment continued even after meeting Ryu Min.
"Ah, Prophet. There you are."
"……."
"Anyway, you said you had something to tell me?"
"……."
Ryu Min wasn't even pretending to respond; he was just setting the mood.
'What important thing could he be building up to like this?'
His expression was gravely serious, as if he were shouldering the world's worries alone.
"Representative Ma. This might come out of nowhere, but there's something I need to confess."
"A confession?"
At the word "confession," Ma Kyung-rok's mind raced through various possibilities.
'No way, it can't be that.'
The worst-case scenario flashed through his head, but he quickly dismissed it.
It was the kind of plot twist that belonged in a trashy drama.
"The truth is, I know your secret, Representative Ma."
"……My secret?"
A flash of wariness appeared in Ma Kyung-rok's eyes.
"As you know, I'm the Prophet. That means I've inadvertently glimpsed your future. That's when I saw your secret."
A long sigh escaped Ryu Min's lips.
Ma Kyung-rok had no idea it was all meticulously calculated acting.
"You were... hunting in the real world too, weren't you?"
"……."
"I know. That you only target criminals, not ordinary people. That's why I don't think badly of you, Representative Ma. Of course, I don't see you as an enemy either. If I did, do you think we'd still be partners after all this time?"
"……."
"But I wouldn't call you a complete ally either. It'd be a lie to say I wasn't wary, knowing you kill for fun every night."
Ma Kyung-rok understood without him needing to spell it out.
No matter who the target was, killing made you a murderer.
From an observer's perspective, it had to be repulsive.
That was the normal reaction.
And Ma Kyung-rok had anticipated all of this.
He just hadn't expected such a direct confession.
"Prophet, have you ever killed a bug?"
"……."
"Of course you have. Maybe not recently, but as a kid, you pulled off their legs, right? Kids who don't know the pain it causes get curious and do cruel things—without even realizing it's cruel."
"……."
"That's what I did. As a child, I killed countless bugs. They were filthy. Anything disgusting to look at had to be crushed—that's how I saw it. And it didn't change when I grew up. To me, the world was crawling with repulsive bugs hiding in human skins."
This time, Ryu Min fell silent.
"I decided to clean up those bugs starting in high school. That's when I realized I was a chaebol heir, and this parasite latched on, leeching off me. He was so revolting. I couldn't hold back the impulse and got rid of him. It was simple. With money, nothing's impossible."
"……."
"That's when it started. I began seriously clearing out the bugs. It might sound psychopathic, but honestly, it felt great."
"……."
"I haven't counted how many I've killed since then. Let's just say fingers and toes aren't enough."
Ryu Min stared at Ma Kyung-rok, unsure what expression to make.
Ma Kyung-rok continued, as if he still had more to say.
"Is what people call a psychopath describing me? I don't know for sure, but one thing's certain: I don't touch ordinary people. You know I only go after those foul-smelling scum."
"……."
"Prophet, the first time I saw you, I had my suspicions. If you can see the future, couldn't you see my little hobby too? And if you did, why let it slide all this time?"
"……."
"I wondered, but I never asked. No point in exposing my dirty laundry and tarnishing my image. I never imagined you'd bring it up so openly first."
Ma Kyung-rok's face, speaking in a low voice, was more serious than ever.
"You knew I was a murderer and let it slide? Why? Why not report me to the police?"
"I'll be honest."
Ryu Min feigned a tense expression as he spoke.
"I wasn't confident. Not in beating you in a fight, nor in handling the fallout."
"……."
"Besides, there's no evidence left, right? You think the police would believe me just because I say I saw it in a vision? Even if they did, would it hold up as proof?"
"Then why tell me now?"
As it came time for the main point, Ryu Min's expression turned even more earnest.
"I need you to do some trash cleanup for me, Representative Ma."
"What do you mean? You don't mean...?"
"Yes, exactly what you're thinking. There's a place overflowing with trash that I know about. I desperately need your help."
The cleaner Ryu Min was referring to was Ma Kyung-rok.
No one was more perfect for extorting dark magic power from humans.
"Have you heard of PleSeBa?"
"Yes. Isn't it a cafe only players can join?"
"You know it. But you've never thought about joining?"
"I'm not into online groups. Even if I did, I wouldn't have time for offline meetups. Why bring up the cafe all of a sudden...?"
"The truth is, that cafe is crawling with murderers if you look closely."
"What?"
Ryu Min smiled faintly and explained in detail.
He described PleSeBa's murder interview process and how they ensnared players.
These were facts no one could know without joining themselves.
"To think a cafe is infested with vermin like that."
Disgust rose on Ma Kyung-rok's face.
He looked like he wanted to kill them all right then and there.
"But Prophet, how do you know all this? You didn't... join, did you?"
Ma Kyung-rok's suspicion went beyond mere membership.
These were details only executives would know.
"Don't misunderstand. I've never joined. I just happened to meet one of their executive players and glimpsed his future."
"Ah, I see..."
The suspicion faded from Ma Kyung-rok's eyes.
"To sum up what you're saying, Prophet: every player in PleSeBa passed a murder interview, so they're all trash that needs dealing with? And you're asking me to handle them now."
"Exactly. Sure, they've scrapped the murder interviews since changing executives, but the existing members are all guilty of murder or aiding it. Looking at the present and future, I can't just let that group slide."
"Why not report them instead of handing it to me?"
"Even if you did, punishing them in reality would be impossible. They've destroyed most evidence, and as players, you can't just lock them up by force."
"That's true."
"That's why I need your help, Representative Ma. Nothing builds Dark Knight's dark magic power like killing people, right?"
Ma Kyung-rok's eyes widened in surprise.
"You even know about my class..."
"Of course. You pick up all sorts of info when you're seeing prophecies."
Ma Kyung-rok nodded and asked for confirmation again.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
"Kill all the PleSeBa trash. Lure them to quiet spots, and you go in, relieve some stress, and harvest their dark magic power. It won't be doable in a day. There are too many; it'll take months."
"How will you handle the luring?"
"I'll scare them with wanted posters using their faces and offer to help them flee overseas. I've already turned one of their executives to my side, so manpower won't be an issue."
"Hmm."
He didn't show it, but Ma Kyung-rok was quietly impressed by Ryu Min's proposal.
'He had a full plan ready.'
He'd half-thought it might be a joke.
He was even prepared to laugh it off like an idiot if the Prophet suddenly yelled "Surprise!" and backpedaled.
'Now I get it. The Prophet is 100% serious.'
If it was serious, that changed everything.
'This is an opportunity. A chance to get dark magic power easily.'
The Dark Knight class demanded a ton of dark magic power.
It was like a high-performance foreign car—great stats, but guzzles fuel.
Overwhelmingly stronger than average classes, but the burden was real.
'He's offering to ease that burden?'
All he had to do was show up to a table already set.
It was an offer too tempting to refuse.
Yet Ma Kyung-rok hesitated a bit.
There was a catch holding him back.
Burden, namely.
This wasn't his usual private kills; it was murders in tandem with the Prophet.
Sharing that sin made the weight different.
Ryu Min knew that too.
'He needs motivation.'
Nothing grandiose.
Just a little push, and he'd move on his own.
Ryu Min pulled an item from his inventory.
"Here, take this."
"Huh? This is..."
Ma Kyung-rok was baffled by the sudden gift.
"A dark magic power potion. I figured you'd need it, Representative Ma."
"Ah."
Only then did Ma Kyung-rok check the item's options and react in shock.
It really was made for him.
"It's a bribe. I'm not asking for free labor, so don't feel too burdened."
"Ah..."
It felt like an unexpected gift.
In that moment, Ma Kyung-rok's hesitation vanished.
"You've set the table and thrown in a gift like this..."
"It's not an easy table to set."
"I'll make good use of it, Prophet. Leave the trash cleanup to me."
Ma Kyung-rok and Ryu Min both smiled in satisfaction.
* * *
"Ughhh..."
Ma Kyung-rok slapped the face of a player on the verge of death, who was gasping his last breaths.
"Is that all?"
"Ugh."
"Answer me. Got anything else?"
"N-No... I've emptied my inventory... everything..."
Ma Kyung-rok glanced at the items spread out before him and asked once more.
"You're sure?"
"Y-Yes, I'm sure. Ugh. P-Please..."
The player trembled violently.
"Get this monster off me...!"
A dark aura clung to the man's lower body like a leech, slowly draining his life force.
It hurt, but the fear of being eaten alive by the beast was worse.
"Fine. I'll trust you."
Ma Kyung-rok reined in his energy.
His blade became enveloped in dark aura.
"As promised, I'll make it quick."
"Th-Thank you..."
Before the words could finish, the player's head hit the floor.
Ma Kyung-rok stored his swung sword back in his inventory.
'They're dead anyway. Grabbing some items won't be an issue.'
A satisfied smile tugged at Ma Kyung-rok's lips.
He'd scored more than expected.
Most would go to the Prophet, of course.
'If you're Korean, you've gotta have that give-and-take.'
Grinning, Ma Kyung-rok used trace erasure.
The five corpses vanished like a lie.