Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Main Player (1)
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A long silence fell.
Bewilderment was visible on his stiff face.
Hwang Chan-jin's cold, sunken gaze pierced sharply into me, but I met it head-on, unfazed.
“Then let me ask you this, Kim Se-hyeon. Why are you so strong?”
Hwang Chan-jin was the first to speak after the battle of nerves.
So that's how you want to play it.
“I was the one who asked.”
“I'm grateful you gave me the elixir. I'll repay that debt one way or another, but I have no obligation to answer your question.”
Hwang Chan-jin was firm.
Of course, revealing that would be like showing his hand.
I never thought he'd tell me easily.
“Fine, then.”
Was it because I backed down so easily?
Hwang Chan-jin wore a surprised expression.
‘For now, I should finish what I was doing.’
Next up was severing the deal with the devil.
It was obvious what would happen.
There was no way those creatures called devils would sit back and watch Hwang Chan-jin's sister recover smoothly, ending the deal.
“Seductive Succubus. I know you're watching. Come out.”
I spoke into the empty air.
If angels watch people they've taken an interest in for the purpose of sponsorship, devils mark and observe those they find entertaining.
There was no way the Seductive Succubus, having been bested by me once, wasn't keeping an eye on me.
[Such an unromantic man. So, what is it?]
Just as I expected, the Seductive Succubus slowly revealed herself, as if her invisibility had worn off.
Perhaps because it was her first time seeing a devil up close, Hwang Chan-jin's sister flinched in surprise, pulling the blanket up over her nose.
“Last time, I only asked for one thing. A simple one at that.”
The Seductive Succubus's eyes narrowed.
[……Right. A bet is a bet. What do you want?]
“Forcefully terminate the deal Hwang Chan-jin made with a devil.”
[What?]
The same reaction erupted from two different places.
The other, of course, was Hwang Chan-jin.
“Kim Se-hyeon, what are you talking about? Why would you go that far….”
“It's not for you, it's because I pity your sister. Think of it as after-sales service, so just stay quiet.”
If Hwang Chan-jin made a deal with a devil from the start, it must have been a low-ranking one.
That meant the Seductive Succubus, a mid-ranking devil, could forcefully intervene.
It was a different case from Besial, who is subordinate to me.
The result of a ‘bet’. The progress of a ‘deal’.
The former might be impossible, but the latter was entirely possible.
The Seductive Succubus pressed a hand to her forehead.
[Don't say it so simply. The devil that guy made a deal with isn't even under my direct command, so interfering is a pain. And is that all? Thanks to you killing off Corrupted Ignis, who was supposed to appear as a boss, things have gotten complicated.]
“I know. So I'll add a condition. This is the last one.”
[……If that's the case, it's a fair trade.]
The Seductive Succubus nodded and disappeared.
She only tried to avoid it because it was a hassle, not because it was impossible.
This would relieve her of the pressure of not knowing what I might demand next, so she would find a way to forcibly terminate Hwang Chan-jin's deal no matter what.
There was also the option of demanding the power of bewitchment permanently.
Bewitchment was certainly a good power.
But it was definitely not good enough to take up one of the two remaining slots I had.
[That's true. There's always the method of bewitchment (physical).]
Besial said, peeking his head out.
In short, he was saying that a fist solves everything.
“I'm not that barbaric.”
[……Who? What did you say?]
He blinked his eyes like a goldfish, as if he'd misheard.
……This bastard.
“Want me to show you what's more barbaric? The coins you've been bringing in lately seem to have decreased. Should I increase your quota?”
[Hey! Even now, I have nothing left after giving you your cut!]
“If you don't like it, stay quiet.”
“……Kim Se-hyeon.”
After Besial disappeared, muttering something about what's barbaric and what's not, Hwang Chan-jin slowly opened his mouth.
“I know full well you wouldn't do something like this without some ulterior motive.”
At the very least, he's aiming for the angels' sponsorship.
Hwang Chan-jin's eyes said as much.
“However, it's also true that you saved my sister, and that I owe you a great debt I can't easily repay.”
His expression was blank as always, but his intense gaze was fixed somewhere.
Perhaps as a last shred of pride, he avoided meeting my eyes until the very end.
Hwang Chan-jin added one last thing.
“……Thank you.”
After drinking the elixir, Hwang Chan-jin's younger sister, Hwang Yu-jin, was completely cured of her illness.
Her complexion hadn't fully recovered in terms of stamina, but after a day, she would likely be able to move around normally like anyone else.
‘It's a rare moment, so I should probably leave them alone.’
Taking the hint, I left the building and opened my inventory.
There was still one bottle of elixir left in a corner.
‘Two bottles of elixir can be obtained by defeating Corrupted Ignis without weakening it at all.’
If it was weakened even once, you'd only get one bottle.
If it was weakened three or more times, you wouldn't get any at all.
But trying to find and kill Ignis right at the start of Chapter 12 would be hindered by the chapter's other missions.
In other words, if you proceeded normally, the chances of not getting an elixir at all were higher.
That's how hard it was to obtain an elixir, so if there was a way to get more, it was best to take it.
One of the two bottles was used unexpectedly, but I didn't regret it one bit.
‘After all, one bottle was enough for my original purpose.’
Besides, it wasn't like there were no other ways to get an elixir.
It would require a bit of investment, but if I ever needed more, I could just get it then.
‘And above all else…….’
I recalled the information on Hwang Yu-jin that I'd checked with Extreme Eye before leaving the building and smirked.
Was it a bonus service from the Seductive Succubus?
The moment her contract with the devil was severed, Hwang Yu-jin awakened as a player.
Talent runs in the blood.
As if proving that setting true, Hwang Yu-jin's traits were also outstanding.
How her potential would blossom depended on Hwang Chan-jin.
So there was no reason for me to be disappointed.
***
“……As expected, this is the first place.”
I tapped the map with my fingertip.
Gyeryongsan.
The place where Paradise's stigma mine was located.
It wasn't strange that the stigma mine itself would be discovered.
But the fact that Paradise possessed it at this point in time was definitely a problem.
In my memory, a significantly weakened Paradise was supposed to discover the stigma mine by chance around Chapter 20, after losing their fight against the guilds.
And of all places, they were supplying the Bonghwang and Pentagon Eagle guilds.
It was hard to gauge just how much stronger those two had become.
“The method for reading a stigma's grade or its contents shouldn't have spread yet.”
My finger stopped.
At this point, stigmas were an item still in the early stages of research, even if you searched the whole world.
People only knew that using a stigma granted power; no one knew the specifics.
If they were handing out stigmas randomly, and the players who received them were using them indiscriminately…
‘Could it be they're just mass-producing small fry full of D and E-rank traits?’
That was highly likely.
Most stigmas only contained D or E-rank power.
Even C-rank ones were considered rare.
‘No.’
There must be people in China and the US who have progressed quite far in the game.
Among them, there would surely be someone who knew how to appraise stigmas.
This was definitely not something to be optimistic about.
In any case, I should probably start here and clean up the rest one by one.
“Um…… excuse me.”
Just then, Min Dan-ah approached me with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
“Min Dan-ah-ssi? What's the matter?”
“……I don't think I'm a good fit for those places.”
Min Dan-ah said with a deep sigh.
Not a good fit? With the top five guilds?
She didn't just join; she had my recommendation backing her up.
She would be receiving the best benefits the guilds could offer, so why wouldn't it be a good fit?
‘It's not that I don't understand at all, though.’
It was optimal for personal growth, but her preferred direction might be different.
It was the same when playing games, wasn't it?
The type of people who actually disliked large guilds.
There are surprisingly many people who want to join a small, leisurely, quiet place.
Min Dan-ah could be one of them.
“So, I've found a place I'd like to join instead.”
“And where is that?”
“Your group.”
Min Dan-ah looked me straight in the eye, as if she had made up her mind.
For a moment, I was so dumbfounded that I unconsciously stroked my chin.
‘I never expected this choice.’
It might be small, but it was far from quiet, leisurely, or lacking in influence.
I stroked my chin, lost in thought.
If she joined one of the top five guilds, she would receive full support and grow quickly.
If she came to my side, I would have to make time to help her, but I was scheduled to be quite busy for a while.
Above all, there weren't that many advantages to it.
“……Then let's do this.”
After organizing my thoughts a bit, I spoke.
“Right now, our side is in a difficult position to recruit additional members. So, how about you learn various things at the Jamryong Guild until then and transfer over later?”
“Is it like an expeditionary training?”
“……It would be more accurate to say you're attending an academy.”
Yes. Jamryong is an excellent academy.
After all, it's the number one guild in our country.
As I recall, Kim Ji-hyeon and Lee Seon-yul sometimes act as training instructors for volunteers, and I can trust those two to handle it.
Kim Ji-hyeon…… If she gets her, she'll get stronger, albeit with a few emotional scars.
“Ah, by any chance.”
Come to think of it, there was something I needed to ask.
I stopped Min Dan-ah, who was about to leave after agreeing, and asked her a question.
“Don't you have an older sister?”
“Huh?”
Min Dan-ah's eyes widened.
“That's right. I have one older sister. But how did you know that?”
She's trying to hide her fidgeting, but she can't stop her fingers from twitching.
Looking at Min Dan-ah, I quietly recalled a certain face.
Min Ji-ah.
A member of Paradise, one of the three known as the Guides.
Her title: Guide of Madness.
There was a reason she was called that.
It was because she brutally murdered any player she saw, like a wild beast.
In the end, she came to hate the very power of players and chose suicide, but not before leaving countless victims, earning her infamy in every playthrough.
I've faced Min Ji-ah myself, so I know her well.
That's why I could say with certainty that Min Ji-ah was far more troublesome than the other two Guides.
‘There was only one reason Min Ji-ah went mad.’
The death of her only sister, Min Dan-ah.
And she didn't just die; she was toyed with and then murdered by players.
The story after that is predictable.
There are good and bad people among players, but to Min Ji-ah, who learned that truth, such distinctions meant nothing.
They were all just players.
‘In other words, as long as Min Dan-ah is alive, I can start without having to worry about a major adversary like Min Ji-ah.’
“Se-hyeon-nim?”
Min Dan-ah's call snapped me out of my thoughts.
When did she get so close?
Her noticeably dry lips naturally came into view.
“Ah, I asked because I thought I might have seen her somewhere.”
“Wh-where? Where did you see my sister!?”
Min Dan-ah pressed her body closer.
She immediately realized the proximity, blushed, and stepped back.
“It was quite a while ago, so I don't remember. I'm sorry.”
“Oh……”
A shadow fell over Min Dan-ah's face.
I sighed inwardly.
‘I only asked in case she knew something.’
Judging by her reaction, Min Dan-ah doesn't know Min Ji-ah's whereabouts either.
I had a rough idea.
It wasn't a 100% certainty, just the most probable guess based on the information I had, so I asked Min Dan-ah just in case, but it yielded no results.
Still, as long as Min Dan-ah is alive, Min Ji-ah won't become the Guide of Madness.
I gave a slight twist of my lips as I watched Min Dan-ah walk away, her face deliberately averted.
“Uriel.”
[Yes, it's Uriel!]
“Tell Gabriel. I've decided on the reward I want.”
It won't be long before the war with Paradise begins.
To prepare for that, I needed to further strengthen our forces.