Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: ACT. 46 Father and Daughter (3)
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-We owe that bastard a debt, too.
“Then I don’t need to offer any compensation…”
-Not unless you want a knife in the back of your head.
The sound of the call ending echoed.
William shoved the phone away with an irritated motion and, still cursing, pulled out a switch.
“Damn Yamato bastards. They think they’re on top just because I’m the one asking for help. I can handle this well enough without your help. I mixed my ability into those drug crates, just in case.”
A grim smile formed on William’s face as he pressed the switch.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he pictured what must be happening at the warehouse.
“Covered in that much of the drug, he’ll be half-crippled in no time. Heh heh. Well, that’s assuming he even survives the explosion…”
Drip.
Suddenly, blood trickled from William’s mouth.
*Why am I bleeding all of a sudden?*
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a searing pain, as if his chest were being burned from the inside out, washed over him.
William knew when this kind of sensation occurred.
When his body had been pierced by something.
“You son… of a…”
Army of Darkness, one of the abilities Kim Se-hyeon possessed.
He knew what the ability did, but he never imagined it could track him down so quickly, nor that it could strike without a single trace of its presence until the moment of impact.
The realization made William let out a hollow laugh.
‘I have to… retreat…’
As William’s eyes slowly fluttered shut, the last thing he saw was a knight as dark as jet black.
***
[The effect of the item, 'Yonggakju', has nullified all harmful effects.]
“…He really pulled out all the stops.”
I coughed, brushing the drug powder off my body.
It was a trap I hadn't anticipated at all, and I nearly fell for it, but the reward for defeating Leviathan had certainly paid off.
Still, Diamond Body is definitely a great skill.
The Yonggakju only blocked the effects of the drug.
The damage from the explosion was purely negated thanks to Diamond Body.
I shifted my gaze to the other crates.
It would be a pain if the same thing happened again, so this time, I’d check them properly and…
“…!”
I whipped my head around, following a presence I felt in a flash.
From quite a distance, someone whose form was indistinct was staring intently at me.
[Activating the skill, ‘Extreme Eye’.]
[system error : 104]
[Target's information cannot be confirmed.]
“Damn.”
In the brief moment I hesitated to check the system message, the figure had vanished.
It didn’t even register on my mana detection.
They either had something that concealed their mana, or they were incredibly skilled. One of the two.
Either way, it was annoying.
Even more so if it was an opponent that even Extreme Eye couldn't work on.
“I hope they’re not an enemy…”
[There it is. That line.]
“…They probably are, though.”
I wracked my brain, but no one came to mind.
Besides, it wasn't blocked by another power; it was a system error.
Another unsettling mystery to add to the list.
Hwang Chan-jin was enough of a headache as the only one whose Extreme Eye was blocked by something other than an ability…
“…”
[W-What? Why are you looking at me so scary? I didn't do anything!]
“…”
[Really! I really didn't do it this time! I-I might have badmouthed you a little when I was talking to the other devils a few days ago, but everyone does that. Come on, you can let that slide. I listen to you, right? Right?]
“Besial.”
[Why do you keep saying my name so menacingly?!]
“Why can’t I still confirm Hwang Chan-jin’s information?”
The last time I checked was when we were talking about Han Hyeok-jun.
It had been like this for a long time.
In fact, aside from our very first meeting, Hwang Chan-jin's information had been impossible to ascertain due to an ‘unknown cause’.
I had assumed it was Besial’s doing.
Back when Besial and I were on bad terms, I thought he was empowering his joker card, Hwang Chan-jin, to interfere with or keep me in check.
My relationship with Besial only improved after I returned from Hell.
Since a good amount of time had passed until then, it felt natural that I couldn't see Hwang Chan-jin's information. Until recently, I had just brushed it off with a thought like, ‘Still can’t see it today.’
[You can’t confirm Hwang Chan-jin’s information?]
“I have an S-rank skill called Extreme Eye. Unless the target has a corresponding S-rank skill to defend against it, it allows me to see their information. But with Hwang Chan-jin, it’s always been blocked, saying it’s due to an ‘unknown cause.’ If he were defending with a skill, it wouldn't display that message. That leads to the conclusion that someone who can interfere with the system has taken measures on Hwang Chan-jin.”
[…So?]
“So? It was you, wasn’t it?”
[What are you talking about? Why would I do something like that? Even if I'm an administrator, doing that gets your head chopped off. Not to mention, the amount of coins you have to pay is astronomical. I don't have that kind of wealth. Thanks to a certain someone.]
“What about a contract?”
[A contract is no different. Anyway, I have no coins. I can't do it. Why on earth would you think I did it?]
Besial pouted, seemingly offended by my persistent suspicion.
‘What’s going on?’
It was clear that some transcendental being had intervened.
There was no other way for such a message to appear.
But if it wasn't Besial…
Then who in the world was interfering with Hwang Chan-jin?
‘…Am I overthinking this?’
There was also the possibility that it wasn't to stop me, but to give Hwang Chan-jin their full support.
If that was truly the case, it wasn't something I needed to be overly concerned about.
In fact, for the time being, it was something I should welcome.
‘He gained such powers as soon as he awakened, so he could be connected to an archangel or a servant of God.’
I came to a brief conclusion.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding.”
[Huh? Uh…]
Besial’s expression was odd.
It was a look that clearly said, ‘Why is this guy apologizing all of a sudden?’
I began moving the drug crates into my inventory one by one.
It was around then that Zeta’s report came in.
***
“Now that’s news like rain in a drought!”
Jeon Do-jin laughed heartily.
“To catch those slippery A-team bastards and even root out the spy. You’ve done a great service. Thank you.”
“Did you know there was a spy?”
“I had my suspicions. I just never imagined it would be them.”
My gaze naturally drifted to Han Dae-yong, who was being led away.
His face was haggard from withdrawal symptoms, his eyes bloodshot.
The B.G Guild was, for all intents and purposes, finished.
The A-team players were among the captured, but William was nowhere to be seen.
That was to be expected.
Zeta hadn't subdued William; he had assassinated him.
[…My Lord, I ask for your forgiveness.]
‘No. You did well. You saw it as retaliation for him luring me into a trap, right? When facing an S-rank whose abilities you don't fully understand, killing them is better than a sloppy attempt at subduing them.’
An act committed out of anger, thinking I was in danger.
Truthfully, an assassin shouldn't act that way, but I willingly forgave him.
The fact that Zeta, who had never shown emotion before, had become angry brought me more joy.
Besides, this incident would only help Zeta become more adept at controlling his emotions.
“…What an irresponsible man.”
Cha Eun-ha spoke as if to herself.
Wondering what she meant, I fixed my gaze on her for a moment. Sensing my stare, she continued.
“His daughter is the same age as me, so I’ve met her a few times. I remember how she used to brag that her dad was the best in Busan, that he went around catching bad guys… It’s amazing how drugs can change a person like that.”
“My dad would never do that! It can’t be true! He’s always worked so hard to protect Busan! Please, please reconsider!!”
Just as Cha Eun-ha finished speaking, a young girl’s cry erupted from a short distance away.
I glanced at Cha Eun-ha with a questioning look, and she nodded.
“Dad…”
Jo Min-ah’s voice was slightly choked.
When I gently placed a hand on her head, she tried to smile as if to say she was okay.
“It’s okay. I’m sure he’s still alive.”
“You… think so? There must be a reason we can’t contact him, right?”
“Right. Maybe they even awakened and are way stronger than you two now.”
“Hehe… I hope so.”
I moved my hand to pat her head.
Jo Min-woo looked like he wanted to join in but was hesitating with a conflicted expression.
Well, boys that age often hate being patted on the head for reasons like pride.
Especially Jo Min-woo, who hated being treated like a little kid.
It seemed he wanted to cheer Min-ah up in his own way…
“Oh, right. So, Unni, what was your dad like?”
And in doing so, Jo Min-woo’s attempt took a very wrong turn.
“My dad was…”
Cha Eun-ha spoke in fragments before her voice trailed off, and she fell silent.
As the long silence stretched on, Jo Min-woo seemed to realize his mistake.
“Ah, um, Unni. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to…”
“Sorry.”
Cha Eun-ha turned and walked away.
Jo Min-woo looked at me with helpless eyes, pleading for help.
…What do you want me to do about it?
“Jeez. So tactless.”
On the bright side, it seemed to have lifted Jo Min-ah's somber mood.
He had achieved his goal of changing the subject by 200%.
“Try to understand. Eun-ha carries a lot of pain, too.”
Jeon Do-jin, who must have been listening, quietly approached.
“Um… I should apologize, right?”
“Of course. Whether you apologize or not, even with just a short sentence, makes a huge difference.”
Jeon Do-jin’s gaze followed Cha Eun-ha, who was already quite far away.
Jo Min-woo nodded.
Jeon Do-jin's eyes held the look of a father watching his daughter.
“Jeon Do-jin-nim.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“What exactly is your relationship with Eun-ha-unni?”
“I’m curious as to why you’re suddenly asking.”
“It’s just that it seems like you have a bond that goes beyond a simple master and student. It’s like watching a father and daughter…”
Jo Min-ah continued cautiously.
A peculiar expression crossed Jeon Do-jin’s face.
“A father and daughter… Perhaps we could have been. Are you that curious?”
“Yes!”
“Very well. It’s not a story that can’t be told.”
Jeon Do-jin cleared his throat with a *harrumph*.
The twins’ eyes sparkled, like children listening to an old tale from their grandparents.
“I was living alone with my daughter. It was just the two of us, but we wanted for nothing. I believe we had a good father-daughter relationship. That is, until she became a Player.”
“Wow. Can being a Player be hereditary?”
“I don’t know about that. However, I wanted my daughter to live an ordinary life. I knew better than anyone how difficult the world of a Player is. What parent would be happy to see their beloved daughter walk a path of hardship? But my daughter was stubborn, insisting she wanted to become a Player, too. I was dead set against it. We ended up having our first big fight, and my daughter left home. She went to the Jamryong Guild. I only contacted Jamryong to ask them to take good care of her.”
Jeon Do-jin’s face was tinged with bitterness.
“Then, a few days later, the Jamryong Guild delivered the news of my daughter’s death.”