Chapter 83: Fate (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: Fate (2)
Even while making small talk with All Mute, my eyes kept drifting toward the corner of my vision. I had a hard time trying not to make it obvious.
* * *
■■■'s Enchanted Enhancement
〈■■■〉
Rank: EX
Description: -Locked-
Enhancement Level: +2
*Enhancement increases according to progress.
* * *
...A silhouette flickers—so long since I last saw it that it feels almost unfamiliar.
However, the overall structure was from the past. That is to say, it felt quite different from the status window Yoo Se-in used to pop up periodically.
It was hard to put my finger on it. Should I say the texture of the text felt drier, perhaps...?
'Is it because it's an EX-rank Armament? Does it have its own dedicated status window?'
Mmm. Thinking carefully about it, I didn't think it was just because of the Armament Rank. My gut told me it was a matter of the enhancement materials.
Old Man Wieland's words suddenly came to mind. He had said that in this world, the rarer the material, the wilder the jump in an Armament's rank.
Conveniently enough, Weapon had collected a bizarre material from the Demon Realm. Since it was enhanced with an unknown material, it was only natural that its performance and effects were an unknown quantity as well.
'Come to think of it, I still don't know what this Armament can actually do.'
So far, I couldn't tell much of a difference from Murasame.
Murasame, reborn as an S-rank Armament through repeated enhancements, could hold up against my power well enough. An EX-rank Sashimi should be showing off something extraordinary, but nothing significant had happened to trigger it.
The only noteworthy moment had been during that spar with Leon. This Armament had nibbled away at the magic power flowing from the Dragon Heart. This too was just a feeling, but in that moment, the Sashimi had looked like a baby eating baby food.
And not long after that, today. As if opening its eyes for the very first time, this Armament manifested a status window.
It was deeply surprising. But because I wasn't alone, I couldn't show it on my face—nor could I properly check it.
'Meeting Kali Yuga briefly just now seems to have triggered it.'
Gulp.
Saliva moistened my dry throat. It was a decisive clue that the enhancement material was linked to the Counterforce.
Weapon, you bastard. What in the world did you pick up in the Demon Realm? Then again, I was an idiot for greedily taking it without a second thought...
'Birds of a feather, I suppose.'
I shook my head. Isn't there a specialist for this kind of thing?
I immediately planned my schedule of who to meet as soon as I returned to Korea. It would probably be tomorrow.
Because today, I was going to score big.
Wait for me, Ryozo. I'll do my patriotic duty and return home in glory.
My smile widened.
"Heh."
"Heh...?"
All Mute's expression darkened. Anxiety was plain on her face.
'You read me right, All Mute.'
Between All Mute and me, Rachel just blinked her eyes. Yeah, Rachel. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.
Episode. Fate
The cleanup was wrapped up on Rachel's end.
She began constructing an A-frame carrier using a few broken pillars. After tearing off a couple of rafters, she bound them together with standard-issue bandages.
"Tada! How is it, Geomma-kun?"
"Looks plausible."
"Riiight?"
"Except for that name you're calling me."
"There you go again, hurting my feelings, Geomma-kun."
"..."
After showing off once, she lifted the unconscious people all at once. Having changed her class to porter, Rachel forged ahead. With every step she took, the dirt ground sank beneath her feet.
All Mute and I walked behind Rachel as if providing cover.
Arms and legs dangled limply from the mound of stacked bodies.
Anyone looking would think she was an undertaker. Except ridiculously strong.
'That's gotta be easily over 1,500 kg...'
Once again, as expected of the Spear Saint Family, known for their brute strength. Even back in her cadet days, she was the undisputed top in pure strength, but now she really seemed to have turned into King Kong.
Walking at a pace similar to mine, All Mute muttered softly.
"Rachel's Big Three lifts total 3,000."
Ah, I see.
'Even hitting 500 on the Big Three makes you royalty.'
She lifts six times that.
Even though I'd lived in this world for quite a while now, moments like this reminded me that I was an outsider. Me, Kang Geomma—the guy using magic and the Blessing of the Sword God, exerting the most superhuman power of all.
As a side note: according to what Weapon told me before, the Spear Saint Family builds strength through high-weight repetition workouts. Supposedly, their recovery resilience is so bizarrely high that torn muscles naturally knit back together in seconds. I hadn't paid close attention to Rachel's blessing back when playing Miracle Blessing M, so I didn't know. But seeing it with my own eyes, it was just as broken as the Nibelung Family's 'Blessing of the Sword Spirit.'
That was probably why even though All Mute was completely drained with fatigue, her junior, Rachel, was overflowing with energy.
Thanks to her absurd recovery capability, she must have shaken off the terror from earlier in an instant.
Recklessly combative.
A fighting spirit that spares no thought for self-preservation.
The Spear Saint Family was the epitome of what people envisioned heroes to be. The Nibelung Family was great and all, but people did tend to criticize them as being a bit too straight-laced.
'And why the two families are rivals, well...'
As my thoughts wandered, light suddenly dazzled my eyes. We had finally emerged from the seemingly endless tunnel-type dungeon.
Tumbling tumbleweeds bounced against my feet. A wilderness reminiscent of a Western movie welcomed us. The sunlight in America stung much sharper than back in Korea.
Dripping with sweat, Rachel turned around.
"Senior. Can I set this down now?"
"Hold on."
All Mute closed her eyes in an instant. The air current around her shifted.
'Blessing of Sensory Shutdown.'
She shut down all her senses except her hearing. The visual perception forged solely through her sense of hearing was literally superhuman. Perhaps even superior to the sensory perception I had crash-learned through the Blessing of the Sword God.
A moment later.
"Should be fine."
Having completed her perimeter scan, All Mute half-opened her eyes. Rachel immediately set down the makeshift stone-and-timber carrier. Tumbleweeds that had been brushing against her feet now stacked up to her knees.
The eyes of the people stacked like a mountain were still dull and lifeless. They would likely need separate treatment. As if reading my mind, All Mute chimed in.
"There's a Lancelot Company Texas Branch near here. I'll ask them to dispatch personnel immediately. We need to secure these people's identities too."
"Is it because it's the most famous company? Looks like there are quite a few branches in America."
"Fifty-two."
That's a lot. Excessively a lot.
"There's one in every state in the US. And they're spread out around the world too."
"So the scale is literally world-class, huh."
"And we're about to benefit from that right now."
All Mute offered a subtle smile. With her tension easing, her face looked slightly weary.
While All Mute contacted the company, I turned my head.
"Phew."
Rachel lifted the front of her top to wipe away her sweat. Beneath her black sports bra, sharply defined abs were on full display. Not just a six-pack, but an eight-pack.
'Is that even a human body?'
My eyes locked directly with Rachel's as she wiped her face. I flinched, and Rachel let out a sinister grin. I always get nervous when she acts like that.
Rachel approached, exuding the strong scent of sweat. You'd expect it to be musty, but it was surprisingly sweet. It wasn't perfume; it seemed to be her natural body odor.
"No matter how good vegetables are for you, eating only veggies every day will make you sick, Geomma-kun."
...What is she blabbering about all of a sudden?
"You've gotta eat meat once in a while, right?"
Rachel bit down on the collar of her shirt with her teeth. Exuding even more vitality from her sculpted abs, she continued.
"I'm open anytime, so— Ack!"
All Mute grabbed Rachel by the scruff of her neck and hauled her up. Rachel squirmed and clawed at the air like a criminal being sent to the gallows.
"You brat. Can't even hold yourself back for a single second without playing pranks?"
"Aww, come on! I almost had him! I might look like this, but I've been eyeing Geomma-kun for ten years already—!"
"Enough."
All Mute sent Rachel flying. Pretty damn far, too. The sight of her receding against the Texas sunset had quite an artistic flair.
By the time Rachel reappeared covered in dust from head to toe, All Mute and I burst into snickers. The nightmare we had just experienced felt like a lie.
This is what heroes were. Walking the knife's edge between life and death, yet able to laugh heartily once they survived.
'I guess I've become one, too.'
The dark-haired kid who used to be a wandering outsider was blending smoothly into this world—into Miracle Blessing M. Going forward, I would act even more heroically and adapt to this place.
Vroooom.
Before long, as the sun dipped into the west and evening set in, several trucks emblazoned with the Lancelot Company logo rolled across the vast land.
Workers wearing overalls poured out of the trucks. They startled upon spotting me, but when All Mute gave a hand signal, they quietly began loading the civilians onto the trucks. This must happen often. Lancelot's employees didn't kick up any unnecessary fuss. They united and focused squarely on their jobs.
Of course, there are exceptions everywhere.
"Um, Heavenly Sword-nim... C-could I get an autograph...?"
"Hey, you over there! The rookie's slacking off!"
"...Uwaaah! A once-in-a-lifetime chance!"
The dragged worker left heel marks in the dirt. She was unceremoniously tossed into the truck bed along with the civilians. Watching this unfold, I remarked:
"Korea's better at this kind of stuff."
"..."
"You saw it this time, right? The construction on Joaquin Graduate School was wrapped up in just a single month."
"..."
"I wonder if America could do that. Uniting as one in such a relaxed atmosphere seems kind of tough here, don't you think?"
"..."
All Mute looked like she had a million things to say. Wow, look at that vein bulging on her temple. I smirked and brushed it off.
'Korea wins.'
While evacuating the patients, the three of us carefully observed every single employee's face. It was an instinctual reaction.
'Villains can be anywhere, and they can possess anyone.'
There was a possibility a villain was hiding among them. The life of a hero was too full of twists and turns to rely solely on hopeful assumptions. The more battle-hardened an adult gets, the more suspicious they become. A single worry adds another wrinkle.
I scrutinized each person with a sharp gaze. No one looked suspicious on the surface. Not that I wanted there to be one—quite the opposite, actually.
Feeling my intense gaze, one employee looked thoroughly embarrassed. It seemed he was quite touched that I, a Seven Stars Hero, remained on-site until the very end.
"May your dedication be rewarded."
The workers tipped the brims of their hats and bowed to us. When I gave a simple nod in return, tears welled up in their eyes.
After showing extraordinary respect to me, they sped away, leaving behind a cloud of dust. The three of us, along with the tumbleweeds, silently watched the convoy of trucks depart.
"Phew."
All Mute wiped her brow, relieved. Then she turned her gaze toward me, looking a bit pouting.
"There's an airport a bit further down. My private jet is there, so let's take that and head to headquarters together."
A proposal while pouting, huh? Thrilling. Though, was I just imagining things, or did she put an extra accent on the word 'private jet'?
"How about we go using a better method? Faster, and pretty good."
"I feel a bit bad saying this, but... I don't think Korean technology has anything like that?"
"Let's revisit that opinion after you try it out."
I swiftly grabbed All Mute and Rachel by their wrists. Taking advantage of their confusion, I blasted Lightning Magic into them. Tiny particles surged through the nervous systems spread across their bodies.
"It's gonna be a bit electrifying."
The next instant—KABOOM! Following a deafening roar of thunder, the three of us transformed into three bolts of lightning and spiraled into the sky.
* * *
"Ah, Heavenly Sword-nim! I just received the report from the employees a moment ago! Whew, to think you saved our two flagship stars from a crisis... Man, how can I ever express my gratitude?"
"Ah! Of course! You naturally deserve compensation! Just say the word. Our company will provide whatever support we possibly can."
"Now, now, don't stop me, Elizabeth. Trying to negotiate here would mean devaluing the lives of our Hero Company's stars. Plus, this is the Heavenly Sword. From a business perspective, we have nothing to lose either. Now then, what is it you desire, Heavenly Sword-nim?"
"...Ah, uh, um. Yes, I suppose that might be possible... Ah, yes, it's possible! Yes, a promise made in business must be kept... Yes, that too?"
"Ah, ah! I didn't mean it was impossible! It's just that this is a matter requiring an emergency board meeting before anything else... Ah! I was absolutely not trying to negotiate! If the Heavenly Sword wants it, we must pull it off by all means."
"Yes... yes... It was a pleasure meeting you as well. Safe travels, then..."
* * *
There was a legendary self-made figure in Lancelot Company.
His name was Kane. Formerly the manager of All Mute, Kahn Elizabeth, he was inaugurated as CEO of the company two years ago, backed by the full support of the board of directors.
Even among Americans known for being good at business, Kane had a razor-sharp mental calculator. He was a master at maximizing the company's profits while convincing the other party, "Sweet deal!"
On top of that, he was also Bongseon Rachel's road manager. Walking an unbeatable golden path, he seized control of Lancelot, the world's top Hero Company.
Literally the stuff of salaryman legends. After all, he had vanquished political enemies and won the corporate power struggles. Although it was made possible by All Mute's full backing, Kane himself was exceptional as well.
That's why he always took immense pride in himself. Kane had earned the right to—or rather, he had earned it.
"...Kane."
All Mute looked at Kane's back with pitying eyes. Looking out the window, his eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Are you okay?"
"...Why wouldn't I be okay? Ellie, he saved your life and Rachel's. An expenditure of this level is..."
His pupils were completely hollow for someone claiming to be okay, though. A look of total desolation. It was the exact face All Mute's dog made after getting neutered.
"It's... fine... No, it'll be fine. R...right...?"
All Mute swallowed her groans for a moment.
Outside the window, dawn was breaking over New York. Tiny dots formed in the sky. They were the board members of Lancelot Company commuting by helicopter.
To CEO Kane, they were no different from butchers coming to slaughter him. Or wait, had the butcher already come and gone once?
Immediately after his meeting with Kang Geomma, Kane had called an emergency board meeting. Act first, report later. It was something a company CEO should never, ever do.
"...Kane..."
All Mute placed a hand on Kane's shoulder.
"...Hang in there."
"...Yeah..."
Kane nodded, looking at the approaching helicopters. A tiny drop of morning dew—a tear—welled up at the corner of his eye and trickled down.