Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Assessment (2)
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Friday night.
After Kang Seoyul had left.
Yuhwa and Shin Jia, now alone in the room, began to talk.
Well handle the media. Bihon should take care of the other details.
Sounds good. Thats my specialty, after all.
They were planning how to maximize the benefits from the Vagabond assassination incident.
And the plan was more or less established.
Is that everything, then?
We can add other things as the situation develops. But yes, thats it.
Once the business talk concluded,
a natural silence fell upon the room.
Normally, one of them would have left without a second thought.
But today, both seemed to have something more to say, their lips merely twitching.
This operation.
It was Yuhwa who broke the silence.
You agreed to Seoyuls proposal right away. Was it because hes the benefactor who took care of Pialle Allo for you?
She was curious why Shin Jia trusted Kang Seoyul.
Yes. Thats right.
Shin Jia affirmed it without much thought.
You pretended not to know last time. Youre being very cool about it now.
You wouldnt have believed me even if I denied it, would you?
Well, there is that.
Yuhwa shrugged at Shin Jias words.
Then why did you, Yuhwa, believe Seoyul so readily?
Lets just say Ive received his help in various ways.
Aha. So it was in return for that help?
Yes.
Yuhwa smiled leisurely.
Shin Jia also smiled with ease.
A moment of silence.
Shin Jia spoke nonchalantly.
The Doppelganger incident.
Yuhwas eyebrow twitched minutely.
And probably matters related to Secretary Kim Shinwoo.
!
This time, genuine surprise flickered across Yuhwas face.
It was only for a split second, but Shin Jia didnt miss the change.
Those two incidents, right? The help you received from Seoyul.
I dont know what youre talking about.
Shin Jia leisurely took a sip of her tea.
Ever since the day she received the message from Kang Seoyul to look after Yuhwa,
Shin Jia had sensed something was between them. She had immediately started investigating.
But she couldnt find a single clue.
She quickly discovered that Kang Seoyul and Yuhwa contacted each other frequently, but the catalyst for their meeting remained a mystery.
Yuhwas information security was just that perfect.
Everything Im about to say is just a hypothesis. I have no proof.
Therefore, all Shin Jia could do was speculate.
An inference using only their relationship and known information.
On the day the Doppelganger was arrested. Seoyul was also at the scene of the arrest.
Is that so? This is the first Im hearing of it.
Yes. I was the one who prepared the casino admission ticket for him, so I know very well.
That day.
The day the Doppelganger was arrested.
Kang Seoyul had urgently asked her to prepare a ticket to the casino.
And at that time, at that place, the Doppelganger was arrested.
Could that really be a coincidence?
What a remarkable coincidence that is.
The two women smiled simultaneously.
It was a numb smile that perfectly concealed their emotions.
To catch the Doppelganger, who couldnt be tracked down even with investigations from every country, at a casino he just happened to visit. Truly incredible luck.
Yes. It was lucky, even thinking back on it now.
The atmosphere grew tense.
I dont think so. The Doppelganger was a meticulous villain. So much so that not a single clue could be found. To arrest such a villain, and even get a confession, would have been impossible without solid information.
A strange light gleamed in Shin Jias eyes.
And youre saying that informant was Seoyul. Is that what you want to say?
Yes. The timing also lines up with when Seoyul and you, Yuhwa, began to interact.
If Shin Jia hadnt known about Kang Seoyuls extraordinary nature, she wouldnt have even suspected it.
But Shin Jia knew better than anyone just how incredible Kang Seoyul was.
It wouldnt be strange if Kang Seoyul knew information about the Doppelganger that no one else in the world did.
My ancestor is the most perfect person in the world, after all.
A smile played on Shin Jias lips.
Jia, you should become a writer. That was quite an interesting hypothesis.
Yuhwa hid her surprise as best she could and responded nonchalantly.
Id like to hear more. So how does the story about Uncle Shinwoo fit in?
That one is really nothing special.
She was fairly certain about the hypothesis that Kang Seoyul was involved in the Doppelgangers arrest.
Considering Kang Seoyuls exceptional abilities, it was entirely plausible.
But the Kim Shinwoo murder case was, quite literally, just speculation.
No, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to call it a product of fantasy.
You, Yuhwa, are level-headed, suspicious, and calculating.
Are you insulting me to my face?
No. Im complimenting you. Youre meticulous.
Which is why dealing with Yuhwa was always draining.
A meticulous person like you wouldnt place unconditional trust in Seoyul just for his help in the Doppelganger case. Thats what I thought. So what could have been the catalyst for you to trust him?
Then, the murder of Secretary Kim Shinwoo suddenly came to mind.
Once her thoughts reached that point, the Kim Shinwoo murder case that had occurred within the Bihon Guild naturally surfaced.
An incident that left many questions due to unusually tight media control. It happened right after the Doppelganger case, and its the only incident that coincides with the time you and Seoyul began to interact directly.
Shin Jias eyes sharpened.
So I formed a hypothesis. Perhaps there was some great secret behind that incident. Perhaps you, Yuhwa, became greatly indebted to Seoyul because of it.
Yuhwas expression went slightly blank.
It was too accurate a deduction to be dismissed as mere speculation and fantasy; she was at a loss for words.
Thinking this way, everything made sense. The reason you trust Seoyul. Your close relationship. Even the reason you seem to have some grasp of Seoyuls hidden power.
This entire hypothesis was built around Kang Seoyuls extraordinary nature.
A hypothesis that someone who didnt know Kang Seoyul well could never have formed.
How was it? My deduction. Was it plausible enough?
Shin Jia smiled triumphantly.
Yes. It was quite entertaining.
Then Im glad.
Seeing Yuhwas expression become stiffer than usual, it seemed she had hit the mark to some extent, even if not 100%.
At the very least, the Doppelganger part seems certain.
Shin Jia was convinced of it.
This has gone on long enough.
It was already past midnight.
Well then, Ill be on my way. Please get home safely, Yuhwa.
Shin Jia stood up, a victorious look on her face.
Since Ive heard an interesting story, Ill tell you one as well.
Yuhwa stopped her.
Pialle Allo. The mortal enemy who killed your mother.
Shin Jias expression hardened instantly.
She turned back to Yuhwa, her face asking why she would bring that up now.
Hes a villain from the Seekers of Truth.
Shin Jias eyes widened.
Since hes your parents nemesis, I thought you should know.
Yuhwas eyes shone with a cold light.
It was her rage towards the Seekers of Truth.
The damned organization that had inflicted the trauma of Kim Shinwoo upon her.
Im telling you that revenge is not yet over.
The two womens eyes glinted sharply.
***
Saturday.
In the morning, I finished a light demonstration of [Heavenly Punishment] in my private training room.
It was a bolt of lightning with a tremendous power befitting its name, Heavens Judgment.
Of course, as much as its power was great, its mana consumption was also immense.
I was exhausted from mana depletion after firing just one shot.
And now, it was lunchtime.
The item I had been waiting for had arrived.
Are you Kang Seoyul?
The delivery driver asked me.
Yes, I am.
Could I get your signature, please?
Yes.
I scribbled my name on the terminal the driver handed me and gave it back.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
I grunted as I carried the huge box into my room.
It was damn heavy.
Thud
Oof.
Safely inside, I set the box down in the middle of the room.
Nya-nyang!
Geumho started jabbing at the box with his front paws, tapping it lightly.
It was an adorable gesture, but
Thwack! Thwack!
Seeing the seemingly sturdy, high-quality packaging box get torn to shreds was also a little frightening.
A tiger, even when small, is still a tiger.
I smiled wryly, scooped Geumho up from behind, and placed him on my lap.
Stop that. Thats not nice.
Geumho immediately looked crestfallen at my scolding.
It could be dangerous, so just stay still. Got it?
Nyaa
As if he understood, Geumho curled up beside me.
It was a signal that he would be quiet.
I stroked Geumho once, then opened the completely tattered box.
Well, theres not much to open.
I tore the box open and placed the two carriers inside on the floor.
Needless to say, these were the carriers sent by the Collector.
Each carrier contained one Ancient Artifact.
Phew. This moment is always the most exciting.
The unboxing ceremony.
What thrilling words those were.
Click
Ahh~ love that sound.
I opened both carriers.
Next is.
I followed the carrier opening instructions and entered the 12-character password the Collector had sent me.
Chiiiiiing!
About 30 seconds later.
The two carriers began to emit a mechanical sound.
The security was completely disarmed.
Ooh.
Inside the carriers were a giant stone ring and a moderately sized dagger.
The Giants Ring and the Beastkins Dagger.
They were named [Giants Strength] and [Promosium Dagger], respectively.
The Promosium Dagger was a dagger that seemed to breathe with the untamed wild. It looked like something out of the Neolithic era.
Next, the Giants Strength was
How is this a ring?
Isnt this a hula hoop?
It looks thicker than my waist.
If this is a ring, just how big are giants?
The original work said the largest giant had a height of over 30 meters. I just cant imagine it from the numbers.
Nyaa
Geumhos eyes were sparkling as he looked at the beastkins dagger.
Just like the guardian of the beastkin he was.
Play with it carefully.
Nyaa!
At my words, Geumho darted towards it like an arrow.
I was planning to keep the dagger as a backup anyway, so I didnt need it right now.
And instead of the backup,
I turned my eyes to the item for immediate racial trait acquisition.
Alright. Shall we pray to the entire universe?
I offered a prayer before the Giants Ring.
Before [Giants Strength].
Please give me a stat-boosting trait!
Alright.
There was no hesitation.
I placed my hand on the giant hula hoop (ring).
Please let it be a good trait!
And a moment later.
Hallelujah.
My prayer had reached the cosmos.
***
Monday morning.
Today was the start of the practical exam.
What kind of test will it be?
I just hope they dont send us to a deserted island or something.
Me too. I want to sleep comfortably.
The exam details had not yet been announced. As it was the first exam of the notoriously difficult Korea Superhero Academy, everyone seemed nervous.
Seoyul, you dont look nervous at all.
Ha Siyeon, her own face subtly tense, asked me.
Not really.
Why would I be nervous when I already knew all the exam details?
Really? Is your heart different from ours?
Ha Siyeon muttered, absentmindedly placing her hand on my chest.
She probably meant something like, are an angels and a humans hearts different?
But I think she forgot we were in a classroom.
Whats this? Are you two dating?
Is this day one?
Did Shin Jia get dumped?
I put my head in my hands.
I had just given fodder to a pack of 20-something wolves hungry for romance. The best thing to do in these situations is to remain unfazed, but
N-No! Its just, Seoyul said he wasnt nervous, so I was uh
There was no way someone like Ha Siyeon, who was the perfect target for teasing, wouldnt react.
No way. Your face is all red, you must be dating.
You look even more suspicious when youre flustered.
Maybe its because its before an exam.
Everyones energy is weird.
It also seemed like they were trying to relieve their tension by teasing Ha Siyeon.
So the two elemental mana users got together~ is that it?
Ugh. Its not like that.
Well, judging by their expressions, it didnt seem like they seriously thought Ha Siyeon and I were dating, so I could probably just let it be.
The instructor was about to arrive anyway.
Everyone, take your seats.
Right on cue, Instructor Pi Jinho walked in.
I will now announce the details of this years practical exam.
In that moment, the playful atmosphere vanished, replaced once again by tension.
This years practical exam will be a virtual labyrinth conquest, held over five days and four nights.
Labyrinth conquest?
Thats more normal than I expected.
Sighs of relief could be heard from all around. They were relieved too soon.
And starting with you all this year, there is a hero who has cooperated in the construction of this educational labyrinth, which will be used by all academies worldwide in the future.
Ah.
No way.
The instructor smiled.
An unsettling smile.
A terrifying smile that the cadets had dubbed Jinhos Devil Smile.
World Rank 32. The Dungeon Creator, Meiden.
Ah.
Oh my god.
At that moment, groans of despair echoed from the surroundings.
I need to call home. To ask them to forgive their unfilial son for leaving first.
I should probably write a will too.
After this exam is over, Im going to confess.
You crazy bastards.
It had reached the point where such not-so-joking jokes were being thrown around.
I get it.
World Rank 32 hero, the Dungeon Creator Meiden.
She is the worlds only hero with the unique talent of creating dungeons. The dungeons she creates contribute greatly to the growth of other heroes.
However.
Her personality is a bit strange, shall we say.
To put it bluntly, shes a sadist who takes pleasure in tormenting others.
Apparently, nothing brings her more joy than watching people struggle in pain and despair within the dungeons she creates.
In any case, the labyrinths born from her skills all receive the same review.
Was this labyrinth even made for people to clear?
No matter how educational it was supposed to be, they had to enter a labyrinth created by such an infamous hero.
Do not worry. You will not die.
Ah.
Were doomed.
It was only natural for everyone to despair.
Heh heh.
Except for me, of course.
Alright, everyone move outside.
Ah. I cant wait.