Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Chapter 32: Omen (3)
Translation: godtl
"Ah! Mr. Si-mun, you're here."
A man with broad shoulders.
Park Jin-uk approached with a businesslike smile.
"Hello. Have you been well?"
Si-mun returned the greeting with an equally warm smile.
"Hah! Thanks to you, I've been doing well. I also really enjoyed your broadcast the other day."
"You watched my stream?"
"Well, you are a VIP."
Si-mun didn't voice the question—How does finding one person make me a VIP?
'It's probably because of that kid Si-hyeok.'
Though they were brothers and had a senior-junior relationship, that wasn't the only reason.
Fundamentally, the status held by ranker-level players worldwide was beyond imagination.
Naturally, from Jin-uk's perspective, he couldn't treat the family of such a ranker lightly.
Perhaps sensing Si-mun's thoughts, Jin-uk smiled smoothly and added,
"By the way, I only designated you as a VIP yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes. After watching your stream yesterday, I became certain—this person is going to make it big."
Si-mun scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"That's embarrassing. I must have looked pretty lacking in the eyes of a Diamond-rank."
"Not at all."
Jin-uk shook his head firmly.
"Of course, watching Bronze-Silver-Gold tier gameplay can be... a bit uncomfortable at times. But what I saw from you yesterday was at least Platinum-level."
"Thank you for seeing me that way."
"I mean it. I was especially shocked to see you take down Drakan so easily as a Silver. It's like your base stats themselves are extraordinary..."
Jin-uk trailed off with a peculiar tone.
"Haha. I guess my stats are a bit unusual."
Si-mun laughed it off without elaborating, and Jin-uk seemed to resign himself with a disappointed click of his tongue.
He had clearly picked up on Si-mun's unspoken refusal to discuss his Status Window.
"Anyway, seeing that level of skill made me think—So his offer to make a cure really is credible."
"Huh? You didn't already know when you agreed?"
"Of course I trusted you, but... to be honest, there was still a tiny bit of doubt."
As Jin-uk smiled awkwardly, Si-mun nodded in understanding.
By modern standards, Arena Diseases were incurable.
For a low-level player to suddenly claim he could cure it—would even a Diamond-grade player readily believe that?
He must have clung to it like a drowning man grasping at straws.
And since it was the older brother of Kim Si-hyeok saying it, he probably thought, Even if I'm being fooled, I'll believe it just this once.
'But what can I say? I've already made it.'
Si-mun grinned as he recalled the cure resting peacefully in his inventory.
Perhaps misinterpreting that smile, Jin-uk suddenly exclaimed,
"Ah! I've been rambling. Here's the information you requested."
He pulled a small note from his pocket.
When Si-mun stared at it intently, Jin-uk subtly tapped the phone lying in front of him.
"If you prefer, I can send it as a message... but even though it's analog, this is the most secure method."
"That makes sense. A message isn't necessary."
Texts could potentially be leaked, but a note could simply be burned after reading.
Si-mun unfolded the paper.
[Busan Metropolitan City, Dong-gu, Beomil...]
The note contained not just Go Mal-suk's address but also details about her current situation, whether she was Awakened, and other unsolicited information.
When Si-mun looked up with a puzzled expression,
"Consider it a service. I figured you'd be visiting her, and knowing her circumstances would help avoid unnecessary trouble."
Jin-uk merely smiled amiably.
'Truly a professional through and through.'
A moment later, Jin-uk added somewhat awkwardly,
"By the way... she is a player, but she's quite notorious."
"Yeah, I'm somewhat aware of that."
Si-mun nodded lightly at Jin-uk's slightly guarded tone.
"Thanks for the consideration."
Fwoosh.
Without hesitation, he flicked his fingers and set the note ablaze.
"Eh? You're burning it already?"
"I have a good memory, you see."
Of course, it wasn't just his memory.
'The Philosopher's Stone—I've memorized it all.'
-Of course you have! I'm an intellectual woman, after all.
His confidence also stemmed from trusting his greatest ally, the Philosopher's Stone.
Jin-uk watched with fascination.
"That's truly remarkable. Activating an ability without any casting or incantation—just a flick of your fingers."
"You know I'm an alchemist, Jin-uk."
"That's why it's even more astonishing. You might not have seen it, but the chat went wild. I've never seen Magic Class players foam at the mouth like that."
Those arrogant Magic Class players, spitting in excitement at each other? Unthinkable.
From Park Jin-uk's perspective—knowing full well what Si-mun's profession was—this was an immensely enjoyable situation.
Cough!"Now that we're on the subject, Si-mun-ssi," Jin-uk asked in a deliberately casual tone,"are you really just an alchemist?"
"Huh?"
"You don't have a double class or something like that, do you? I've met a few alchemists in the Arena before, but none of them synthesized items the way you do."
Was he really that curious?
Si-mun chuckled before answering."It's not a double class—just something related to my trait, let's say."
"I knew it! It's your trait, isn't it? Must be a high-grade one, too. Color me jealous."
As if someone with the SS-rank 'Blessing of the Night' has any right to say that.
Our Philosopher's Stone really is superior, though.
Just thinking about the Philosopher's Stone—capable of curing mana disability, enabling regression, and even synthesizing Mythic-grade equipment—made his shoulders straighten with pride.
Of course—
Ah! Oppa, really! Saying things like that makes me blush!
He pretended not to hear the immediate response from that little rascal.
"By the way,"Jin-uk continued,"since you've been so considerate about my request, I think I can offer you something satisfying in return."
"What do you mean by that...?"
Park Jin-uk blinked rapidly.
Si-mun opened his inventory—
And extended a potion bottle filled with a deep indigo liquid toward him.
"What's this?"
"See for yourself."
Jin-uk took the potion with a puzzled expression—
"......"
And froze on the spot.
The shock must have been immense.
His silence lasted longer than expected.
Three minutes? Five?
But Si-mun waited patiently without saying a word.
I know exactly how an incurable patient feels when they finally meet a cure.
He hadn't come here to extort him with the treatment in the first place.
Park Jin-uk, the Night Hunter, was someone who would become his younger brother's closest confidant.
And beyond that—
He could be a good business partner, too.
Even before regression, it was common knowledge that Jin-uk had been the one managing the guild's major operations while Si-hyeok oversaw things broadly.
Si-mun had every intention of borrowing that exceptional ability ahead of time.
"Haah......"
Jin-uk exhaled a deep sigh.
Maybe it was his thug-like appearance, but the way he sighed was no different from someone exhaling a cloud of cigarette smoke.
"This is... I don't even know what to say..."
He struggled to find the words.
The hand clutching the [Mana Sclerosis Cure] trembled so violently it was hard to believe it belonged to a Diamond-rank player.
Jin-uk clenched that same hand tightly, took several deep breaths, and only then raised his head.
"First, I should apologize. You've given me something so precious, and I couldn't even muster a proper response."
"Don't say that. We made a deal, didn't we?"
"A... deal?"
"Yeah, a deal. You took my request, and in return, I made the cure. That was our arrangement, right?"
"Hahaha."
A weak laugh escaped Jin-uk's lips.
Does this sharp-witted man realize... just how much value this cure holds?
Was he really suggesting that something as monumental as this—worth more than intel from major factions, more than an assassination—was a fair trade for simply tracking down one person?
No, that can't be it.
Jin-uk shook his head firmly.
The Kim Si-mun he'd observed was no fool.
Just look at how effortlessly he shut down that damn junior of his.
Then why?
Why would he pay for a mere request with a cure that could fetch an astronomical sum if dumped on the Black Market right now?
Jin-uk studied Si-mun, who waited in silence, offering no explanation.
"First, I understand that you hold me in some regard."
Probably because of his junior—his younger brother—so he must see him favorably.
But.
"That alone doesn't explain it. So the only conclusion I can draw is... you want something from me, don't you?"
"The Night Hunter's reputation is well-earned, I see."
Si-mun grinned broadly and nodded.
"Correct. While I do think highly of Park Jin-uk as a person, in the end, I do have something I want."
"May I ask what that is?"
Jin-uk didn't say he wouldn't answer.
In fact, judging by his deadly serious expression—
He looks ready to dig up a corpse for me if I asked right now.
I really picked the right person.
Satisfied, Si-mun answered with a pleased tone.
"Park Jin-uk-ssi. How would you feel about going into business with me?"
"Business... you say?"
"Yes. To be precise, it'd be more like acting as a proxy or consignment seller."
"What do you mean... Huh!"
Had he realized what Si-mun was getting at?
"N-no way!"
Park Jin-uk's eyes widened as if they might tear.
The alleyway stairs at sunset.
The man's footsteps climbing the irregular, crude steps were remarkably light.
"Of course."
At the Philosopher's Stone's words resonating in the center of his chest,
Si-mun nodded lightly.
However, the Philosopher's Stone's voice wasn't as bright as its owner's.
'Is it just that you don't like his looks?'
Perhaps struck to the core,
the Stone's voice instantly rose in pitch, drawing a soft chuckle from Si-mun.
This clueless little thing.
'Don't worry. He's an incredibly capable and reliable person.'
Though the Philosopher's Stone pointed out Jin-uk's rough appearance,
Si-mun knew better—that beneath that exterior, Park Jin-uk had an unyielding will and a loyalty strong as steel.
He was the kind of man who, even knowing Si-hyeok would one day die by the hands of the Continent Guild,
stayed by his younger brother's side until the very end.
'So stop worrying and just focus on creating the best environment to produce the cure. The more we make, the better lab we can secure.'
As Si-mun climbed the final step,
"Ah! You're finally here!"
A man's voice called out from the entrance of his studio apartment.
With slightly disheveled hair, plump cheeks, and a sly smile,
Si-mun tilted his head at the middle-aged stranger.
"Who are you?"
"Oh dear. I was so excited I forgot to introduce myself."
The man quickly pulled a business card from his inner pocket and handed it over.
Si-mun's eyes widened slightly as he took it.
"Seongsam?"
"That's right. I'm Section Chief An Ho-jin of Seongsam."
"What business does Seongsam have with me?"
"Haha! You know how scouts are. You're a rising super rookie, aren't you? I came to offer you a great opportunity."
At that, the corner of Si-mun's eye twitched slightly.
A scout from the Seongsam Guild?
'Yu-jeong has tight control over Seongsam Guild's personnel decisions.'
If the Seongsam Guild wanted to recruit him,
Yu-jeong herself would have moved, not some random scout.
No, even if she didn't come in person,
'She would've at least contacted me first...'
Given Yu-jeong's personality, she wouldn't just send someone unannounced like this.
Moreover,
'I don't know anyone named An Ho-jin in the Seongsam Guild.'
The fact that he introduced himself as a section chief was suspicious too.
The only section chief in the Seongsam Guild was Park Min-cheol, a Diamond-rank player.
'And his business card doesn't even list which department he's from.'
He probably wasn't a scammer, though.
No one in Korea would be crazy enough to openly impersonate Seongsam.
Which meant,
'He's likely affiliated with the Seongsam Group but not the Seongsam Guild.'
Someone connected to Seongsam but not part of the guild.
A memory perfectly fitting this situation surfaced.
Before the regression.
'Hyung. There are exactly two things I regret in my life. One is that day, when I just hid behind you...'
A conversation he'd once had with Si-hyeok over drinks in China.
'The other is not being able to help Yu-jeong. That girl reached out to me a few times about guild problems.'
Yu-jeong, who never showed weakness to anyone—
especially not to Si-hyeok, whom she treated as an equal rival.
For her to have asked Si-hyeok for help 'multiple times' was shocking.
'If only I could've helped Yu-jeong even once, aside from the war with Uncle... Would she still be with us now?'
The incident where she had beheaded high-ranking Korean officials,
even her own grandfather, Chairman Lee Sun-cheol, before taking her own life.
'Maybe the reason Yu-jeong went to such extremes was...'
As his thoughts reached that point, realization struck.
'This man is connected to Chairman Lee Sun-cheol. And to whatever drove Yu-jeong to that point.'
But.
"I-I can't believe it! Seongsam actually sought me out!"
He didn't foolishly reveal his thoughts.
Instead, he reacted like a Bronze-Silver-Gold player thrilled by an offer from a major guild.
"Hah! Judging by your reaction, Mr. Si-mun, I think we can have a productive discussion."
After all, scouts were,
for the most part, sensitive to even the slightest emotional shifts.
"'Mr. Si-mun. Rather than standing around here, how about we grab a cup of coffee and talk?'"
Si-mun responded with a deliberately guileless, bright smile.
"'Sounds great! There just happens to be a place nearby with excellent coffee. Let's head there.'"