Chapter 153
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Return to Korea
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[Our flight is scheduled to arrive at Incheon Airport in 10 minutes.]
Ryu Min, who had been sleeping with a sleep mask on, subtly removed it.
‘We’re here?’
He glanced to the side and saw Yamtti’s head tilted at an eerie angle, like a ghost’s.
She was out cold.
‘She must be exhausted.’
In the four days they spent in Nigeria, they had accomplished quite a bit.
They had wiped out dozens of organizations, including the human trafficking ring, and even raided the IS stronghold.
In the process, they received thanks from countless kidnapped people and earned the Butcher title.
They had also looted thousands of items, and Ryu Min had neatly stored away hundreds of potions hoarded by the IS leader in his inventory.
‘Above all, I managed to fully win over the alchemist—without even using Yamtti’s Charm.’
Ever since he gave his advice, Victor had completely opened up to Black Scythe.
He could read minds, so he knew it was rock-solid.
And that wasn’t all he gained in Nigeria.
‘Once word spreads that Black Scythe wiped out IS, my reputation will skyrocket like never before.’
He had already laid the groundwork, so all he had to do was wait.
Everything was perfect and satisfying.
Ryu Min, smirking, shook Yamtti in the seat next to him.
“Wake up.”
“Umm... just a little longer.”
“Talking back to your master? Have you lost your mind?”
“Huh? Ah, M-Master?”
Yamtti jolted awake upon spotting Ryu Min glaring at her.
“Looks like your training’s incomplete if you’re talking back to your master.”
“S-Sorry! I thought it was a dream.”
“I’ll let it slide this once.”
“Th-Thank you! As expected of my master, vast as the ocean in mercy!”
“Wipe the drool off your mouth before flattering me.”
“Urk.”
“We’re landing soon. Pack your stuff.”
“Got it!”
Soon enough, the two arrived at the airport.
Including the flight time, the entire trip had taken exactly a week.
If it hadn’t been for the private jet lent by PleSeBa’s chairman, it would have taken even longer.
“Yamtti, you did well in Nigeria.”
“You worked hard too, Master.”
“Let’s part ways here. You can get home on your own, right?”
“Erm... It’d be nice if you took me home, Master.”
“You said you could go alone? Fine. You go first.”
“Hing. Then I’ll head out first. Take care, Master.”
Ryu Min nodded and headed to the parking lot, where he changed his appearance inside the car.
Rumble—
He reverted to his true Ryu Min form from his Lost Ark guise.
Before long, Ryu Min hopped into his Lamborghini and returned home, opening the front door.
“I’m back.”
“Bro? Bro!”
His brother, who had been bored watching TV at home, greeted him with an excited face.
“You made it back safe! I was so worried!”
“Of course. You think I’m the type to get beat up wherever I go?”
“The world’s dangerous these days!”
“Oh.”
Come to think of it, his brother only knew him as the fragile Prophet class.
He had no idea Ryu Min was Black Scythe, the CPF squad leader.
‘Here I am, hiding all this from my brother while advising Victor to spill his secrets.’
What a hypocrite he was.
Ryu Min gave a self-deprecating smile as he looked at his brother.
“Did you hold up okay while I was gone? Nothing happen?”
“It did! Well, actually, it was so boring I wished something would happen.”
“Don’t even joke about that. Boredom’s always better than urgency. That’s what peace is.”
If his brother had been born in crime-ridden Nigeria, he never would have said something like that.
‘Well, he’s still just a middle schooler, so I get it.’
A bit young to be jaded.
“But bro.”
“Yeah?”
“Didn’t you bring anything back from Japan? Like souvenirs...”
“...Nope.”
Ryu Min sighed inwardly.
His brother was definitely still a kid.
* * *
Player inventories were incredibly convenient.
They had no slot limits, allowing infinite item storage, and you could retrieve any item just by thinking of it.
That was how Ryu Min could pull out items for crafting so effortlessly.
‘Out of the thousands of items looted from those IS bastards, 105 are unique materials. More than enough to craft dozens of unique gear pieces.’
The organization members must have been hoarding them instead of selling on the PlePle market.
He could start crafting right away if he wanted, but Ryu Min had no need for unique gear.
He was already fully equipped in uniques, with even legendaries and god-tier items.
“Hmm, so many unique materials going to waste.”
Strictly speaking, they weren’t wasted.
He didn’t need them, but his acquaintances would go crazy over even one unique item.
‘I should craft a few and hook them up. Share some of my existing gear too.’
It was practically charity, but their survival was tied to his own, so it was necessary.
Tap tap tap—
Ryu Min’s fingers got busy.
He texted someone to set up a meeting.
* * *
“Prophet?”
Ma Kyung-rok, arriving at the meeting spot at Ryu Min’s call, had to widen his eyes in shock.
“What’s all this?”
“Unique items.”
“N-No, I can see that from the info, but why...”
“You wound me, Representative.”
“Huh?”
Ryu Min teased him playfully at the sudden remark.
“What’s our relationship? We’re in this together, fate-bound. Especially since I know your little secret hobby. Between us, is sharing items something you question with a ‘why’? Aren’t you keeping me at arm’s length? How bittersweet.”
“Ah... Th-That’s not what I meant. I was just asking if there was some other meaning. Don’t misunderstand, Prophet.”
Ma Kyung-rok, sweating bullets, desperately soothed the sulking Ryu Min, feeling utterly cornered.
With difficulty ramping up, falling out with the Prophet would tank his survival odds in the next round.
“Why so tense? I’m kidding. Kidding.”
“What? Haha, r-really? I thought you were serious...”
Ma Kyung-rok exhaled in relief, glancing at Ryu Min’s expression.
Ahn Sang-chul would have freaked if he saw this.
Ryu Min couldn’t help but laugh.
‘It shows how much my prophecies dominate his thinking. He can’t do without me now.’
The way he hung on every emotion proved the taming was complete.
Ma Kyung-rok, having tasted prophecy, could never escape Ryu Min’s grasp.
‘In other words, I’ve reached the stage where I can control Ma Kyung-rok at will.’
Even if Ryu Min spouted lies as “prophecy,” Ma Kyung-rok would believe them blindly.
Prophecy was his last lifeline.
‘He won’t notice if that lifeline’s rotten or sturdy. He’s that desperate.’
Ryu Min smiled at Ma Kyung-rok, who was still watching him nervously, and decided to toss him some bait.
He still needed the man by his side.
“I’ll tell you about the 10th round.”
“Oh, I’ve been waiting. Please do.”
Ryu Min concisely shared only the key info needed to clear the 10th round.
“Rounds get harder every multiple of 5. This 10th round will be like the 5th—only a quarter survive.”
“What... A quarter?”
“Yes. After this 10th round, the global player count will plummet. Fewer criminals is good, but not for you, Representative Ma.”
“Right... Players are our company’s customers, after all.”
Fewer players meant fewer PlePle market users.
That ran counter to Ma Kyung-rok’s goal of a Kospi listing.
“Don’t worry too much. Didn’t I tell you to prepare for this?”
“The VVIP system?”
With players dwindling, the company’s limits were clear.
But losing customers didn’t mean bankruptcy.
A company’s survival hinged on revenue.
“Upgrade existing members to VVIP and new traders to VIP for that special feel—revamp the site vibe. Boost benefits, shift to auction-heavy, and that’ll stem revenue drops. Plus, dumping my items in bulk will expand the market pool.”
“Hold on. I didn’t hear about mass-releasing items...”
“I’ve got a stockpile. Prepared some for you too. Since it came up, here.”
Ryu Min pulled dozens of unique gear pieces from his inventory.
Ma Kyung-rok swallowed hard at the sight of such high-end equipment.
“Wh-Where did you get all this...”
“I crafted them. Knew the recipes from seeing the future.”
“And the materials...?”
“What else? The ones you gathered by slaying criminals day and night. Plus some I had.”
“Ahh...”
In truth, Ma Kyung-rok’s materials barely scratched the surface, but he’d never know.
He wouldn’t care anyway.
His focus was solely on the unique gear.
“I prepared for you, Manager Ahn, Actress Seo Ah-rin, and your fiancée.”
“T-To go this far... Thank you so much. Should I pay in gold via trade...”
Ryu Min held back from snapping, ‘Don’t say what you don’t mean.’
Instead, he waved it off with a gentle, Gandhi-like smile.
“Take them all. No strings attached.”
“Ahh... Truly grateful, Prophet.”
He could hear the guy’s inner ‘jackpot,’ but it didn’t bother him.
The gratitude was genuine.
* * *
“Min! Saved you a seat!”
Ryu Min smiled and approached Min Ju-ri, who was waving from the café.
“Long time no see. Huh? You already ordered for me?”
“Yeah. Double espresso, extra shot, right?”
“Heh, spot on.”
Meeting monthly now, they knew each other’s quirks.
‘But we can’t let it progress further.’
Ryu Min knew her feelings, but romance was the last thing on his mind in these times.
‘Never felt anything beyond friendship anyway.’
Yet Min Ju-ri’s heart raced every time she saw him.
Even with his short stature and average looks.
‘First love’s magic, I guess. Rose-tinted glasses.’
In a way, it was for the best.
He couldn’t dominate her with Charm runes, so avoiding a fallout was key.
“Called me for more prophecy tips, Prophet?”
“What else? Buffer lady?”
The two chuckled, downed their coffees, then talked.
Ryu Min mostly spoke of prophecies, with Min Ju-ri nodding along.
“It’ll be fierce competition. Only a quarter make it, so everyone’ll scramble for quests in the time limit.”
“Got it. Sounds intense.”
“I know some low-difficulty quests—memorize them. Prioritize these, and you’ll rank easily.”
Ryu Min shared exclusive clear tips, going out of his way to ensure she passed.
The 10th round required solo play.
“Got it. Tips so good, no gold could buy them. Thanks!”
“No biggie.”
“Want gold? Trade feature’s up now.”
“Nah. Same nonsense from someone else.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Doesn’t matter. Focus on the round...”
Then, Ryu Min’s phone buzzed.
A notification from a subscribed news outlet.
“Hm? What’s this?”
“Oh, article alert...”
Peering at his smartphone, Ryu Min feigned surprise.
“Breaking news dropped.”
“What what?”
“Check the portal site. It’s everywhere.”
Curious, Min Ju-ri checked her phone too.
And couldn’t hide her shock.
A headline blared: IS Leader Commits Suicide.