Chapter 91
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Christine Craig
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On the plane back to the United States.
Christine still couldn't hide her bewilderment.
Was it because her fiancé's business partner looked younger than she expected?
Or because his true identity turned out to be the Prophet?
Or was it that her fiancé of six months had been hogging all the information about the next round for himself?
None of the above.
What truly bewildered Christine was the Prophet's statement that she would be in danger during the 11th round.
‘It’s a good thing Father wasn’t there.’
He probably would have lost his temper with that small Asian man, forgetting all about his dignity as a pastor.
Her hot-tempered father was more than capable of it.
‘But he said a lifeline would be sent down to save me?’
Christine recalled the conversation she had with the self-proclaimed Prophet.
-A lifeline? What does that mean?
-It means someone will save you.
-Who is it?
-I cannot tell you that.
Thinking back, it was an absurd thing to say.
‘He can’t tell me who? Is he really a Prophet?’
If he saw a future where she was saved, he must have seen who saved her.
Why wouldn't he mention it?
‘Who could it be? Don’t tell me my fiancé will…?’
Lost in thought, Christine shook her head as if to clear her mind.
‘How foolish. To think I’m taking such a ridiculous prophecy seriously.’
From his vague information about the 7th round to not revealing who would save her.
His prophecies were all hollow.
Of course, in a world with resurrection, she couldn't definitively say the ability to see the future didn't exist.
‘But I just don’t think that Asian man is a Prophet.’
She couldn't shake the feeling that her fiancé was being deceived.
[We will be arriving at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport shortly.]
She looked up to see they had already reached the airport.
After collecting her suitcase, she went to the gate and saw a familiar face waiting for her.
It was the young butler, Jeffrey Bishop.
"Christine. I trust your trip to Korea went well."
"Ah, Butler Bishop. I didn't know you'd be here to pick me up."
"The pastor instructed me to bring you straight here without any detours."
"Hah, of course he would."
With a short sigh, Christine boarded the black van.
The vehicle left the airport and drove to the outskirts before stopping in front of a church.
A sign read [Shiningwood Church].
It was a mega-church with over 100,000 members, the largest in the entire United States.
A church of this scale was influential enough that even the governor of Texas couldn't treat it lightly.
And Christine was the daughter of the pastor of this influential church.
She was more than a suitable match for the son of a chaebol family.
*Creeeak-*
Opening the church doors revealed a massive chapel reminiscent of a concert hall.
*Step, step-*
She walked through the chapel and toward the back, where the pastor's office was located.
Jeffrey knocked on the door. *Knock, knock.*
"Pastor. Christine has arrived."
"Let her in."
As he opened the door and stepped aside, Christine walked in.
Inside was a middle-aged man with an expression that screamed stubbornness.
It was Christine's father, Nathan Watson.
"You're back."
"Yes, Father."
"So, did you have a good meeting with your fiancé in Korea?"
"Of course."
"What kind of person is he, in your opinion?"
"He's clean-cut and seems like a decent person."
"Did he, by any chance, act disrespectfully toward you?"
"Never. He doesn't seem like a bad enough person to do that. In fact, he was very courteous to me."
"Of course, he should be courteous. Do you know whose daughter you are?"
Nathan smiled with satisfaction.
"So, what do you think? Does he seem like a good person now?"
"I'm not sure."
"No progress in your relationship?"
"We're not at that stage yet."
"You've been dating for six months and you're still at that point?"
Christine flared up for a moment.
"Dating? We just see each other without any mutual feelings. Can you even call that dating?"
"Just be patient a little longer. The Oseong Group is a world-renowned Korean conglomerate. A marriage to the eldest son of such a family will only be a benefit to you, not a loss."
"I know that, but…!"
Christine, who had raised her voice in frustration, calmed herself down.
She and her father had already concluded their discussion about the marriage.
There was no way he would listen if she tried to back out now.
His old-fashioned way of finding her an arranged marriage partner while claiming it was for her own good proved that much, didn't it?
"Even if you don't like him, you'll grow fond of him over time. You might even become inseparable."
"I doubt it. I find those clean-cut types somewhat unsettling. They say people like that try to appear perfect to hide their ulterior motives, don't they?"
"You shouldn't harbor such suspicions. As a child of Jesus, your spiritual training is still lacking."
"Well, I am your daughter."
"…"
A moment of silence passed between the mother and daughter.
"So, what has your fiancé been up to lately?"
"He said he's preparing for a new business venture."
"A business. Even though the world has connected with the divine realm, he hasn't been able to forsake his worldly greed."
"The same goes for you, Father."
"…I am not one of the chosen vessels of God, am I?"
"Do you really believe this is God's choice and God's power?"
A light emanated from Christine's hand.
It was a warm and gentle light just to look at.
It was the Priest's basic skill, [Heal].
"Ooh, indeed, my daughter. Befitting a Priest who has received the grace of an angel."
"…"
The grace of an angel?
Christine was so dumbfounded she was at a loss for words.
She had tried explaining the wickedness of angels countless times, but her father was impossible to reason with.
"So, is your fiancé making good use of God's gift?"
"Yes…"
"What did he say his level was?"
"He said he's level 29. He's also consistently ranked 2nd or 3rd in the entire zone."
"He must be quite skilled. To think his level is even higher than our Jeffrey's."
Nathan chuckled in satisfaction.
"So, are the preparations for his new business going well?"
"It seems he's planning to create a social market for players. He said it's opening in a few days."
"I see. As expected of the scion of a major corporation, he has a good eye for items. To think he came up with that on his own."
"He wasn't alone. He has a business partner. Who also happens to be a Prophet…"
"A Prophet? What do you mean by that?"
When he pressed her for details, Christine waved her hand dismissively.
"I forgot his name, but his partner claims to have the Prophet class. Says he can see the future? He gave me some information on the 7th round as if doing me a favor, but I don't know if it's trustworthy. It was all just nonsense."
"So there's a friend like that, is there? A Prophet…"
Nathan wore a thoughtful expression.
"In these chaotic times, there is no ability more attractive than seeing the future. Why don't you get closer to him?"
"I don't know. He just kept spouting unbelievable things, like I was going to die or be in danger."
"Hm? What's this all about?"
Christine told her father about the prophecy that she would be in danger come the 11th round.
"It's just a bogus prophecy. You don't need to pay it any mind."
"…"
But what father would stand by idly after hearing his daughter might die?
"I'd like to meet this Prophet person."
"There's no need. There's no way the prophecy will come true."
"Representative Ma wouldn't have lied, would he?"
"He probably just got lucky. It's easy for anyone to get it right if they make their prophecies that vague."
"Hmm. So you don't believe the prophecy?"
"I don't. There's no way I'd be in danger."
Christine's rune was the [Rune of Life].
It was an incredible rune that allowed her to gain experience and bonus stats by healing the injured or saving lives.
Because of this, Christine had been helping people since she first learned Heal, allowing her to grow quickly.
Moreover, players who recognized the value of a Priest flocked to her, so she was rarely in any danger.
In a manner of speaking, it was as if dozens of human shields had gathered around her.
"Don't be careless. Couldn't someone in the group that follows you betray you?"
"Don't worry. Have you forgotten that I'm the zone's representative?"
No one would dare disobey her command, as she held the right of dominion.
"Still, having that right of dominion can always make you a target."
"But there are more people who want to protect and stand with me than those who would betray me. Please don't worry about my safety."
"Alright, if you say so… but always be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances."
"Yes, Father."
"You must be tired from your trip. Go and get some rest now."
As Christine left the room, Nathan called for Jeffrey, who was waiting by the door.
"Jeffrey."
"Yes, Pastor."
"My daughter's fiancé has a partner who is a Prophet. He dared to utter nonsense about my daughter dying, under the guise of prophecy. Investigate his background and see whether he's a charlatan or not."
"In the name of Christ, I will carry out your command."
As Jeffrey left, the corners of Nathan's eyes lifted.
‘I don’t know who this bastard is, but how dare he try to sway my daughter with such nonsense?’
He needed to find out his true intentions.
‘And if the prophecy turns out to be false?’
He would give that whelp an early taste of hell.
***
After meeting with Christine, Ryu Min gave Russell the same information about the 7th round.
-What? This is all I need to remember? Don't win against temptation?
-It's 'Don't be deceived by temptation.'
Remembering their meeting, Ryu Min let out a faint smile.
‘Why does everyone react the same way?’
It wasn't that he didn't want to tell them about the 7th round; it was that this was genuinely all they needed to remember.
‘There’s no need to say more, and I shouldn’t. Doing so would only ruin the 7th round for them.’
As long as they remembered the phrase, "Don't be deceived by temptation," they should be able to pass the 7th round without much difficulty.
‘It’s a bit early, but I also dropped a hint to Christine that I’ll save her in the 11th round.’
He had cast the bait; now he just had to wait for her to bite.
Of course, the one who had to save Christine wasn't her fiancé, but him.
This was why he hadn't revealed who would be saving her.
‘If I told her Black Scythe would save her, her fiancé, Ma Kyung-rok, would obviously get jealous.’
Therefore, it was best to keep it hidden for now so as not to ruin the relationship between Ma Kyung-rok and Black Scythe.
A knot, once broken, is difficult to tie again.
‘To make use of Ma Kyung-rok, it’s best to maintain as good a relationship as possible.’
After that, Ryu Min holed himself up for a while.
All he did at home was browse Today's Item for shopping or combine magic stones.
[You have created a 'Low-grade Green Magic Stone'.]
[Combination successful!]
[The 'Agility +4' option has been added to the Hermes' Feather Hat.]
‘With this, I’ve socketed all my equipment with low-grade magic stones.’
Next up were the mid-grade ones.
The combination method was the same: combine two low-grade stones.
The method for making high-grade stones was also the same.
‘I have one lowest-grade magic stone of each color left, but I should probably hold onto them.’
Just because they were the lowest grade didn't mean they were useless.
As long as he had enough magic stones, he could combine them to upgrade them to mid-grade, and even high-grade.
‘In a few days, Player Place will open. If things go as expected, people will be listing not only magic stones but also various combination materials for sale.’
When that happened, he could sweep up all the magic stones and, through repeated combinations, create high-grade ones.
Perhaps even the highest-grade magic stones.
‘And I need to get my hands on the material items I need first to craft unique items.’
There were various ways to obtain unique items, such as defeating boss-level monsters or receiving them as quest rewards.
‘Among them, combining is the easiest.’
He knew the combination formulas by heart, so it wouldn't be difficult.
‘The problem is the supply of materials.’
Once Player Place opened, that problem would be solved as well.
‘Of course, that’s only if a lot of people use it.’
Ma Kyung-rok had already hired an advertising agency to attract users.
‘He said he slipped some cash to a reporter to get an article written, let’s see…’
Ryu Min typed "Player Place" into an internet search bar, and several articles popped up.
[The First-Ever Player Market, Opening on June 11th!]
[A Market for Players? The World's First Social Market Set to Open.]
[Unneeded Items? Register and Sell Them Yourself! PlePle Opening Soon.]
It seemed he had hired several reporters, as multiple articles were displayed.
At this point, the large-scale promotion was already done.
‘Now, I’ll just have to leave it to fate.’
Before that, though, there was still one more place to promote it.
Since it was Sunday, Ryu Min changed into his outdoor clothes.
"I'm heading out for a bit."
"Alright, hyung."
He went to a place with no CCTV, equipped his Feather Hat, and activated his skill.
‘Invisibility.’
*Swoosh-*
Blending in with his surroundings, Ryu Min's figure vanished without a trace.