Chapter 122
Onie Yuki returned once Seong-Hwi recovered some mana and assessed his body condition. The team immediately left Glasgow through a warp gate. They went through around a dozen warp gates, arriving at the first zone city, Monrovia, relatively close to the Capital.
“Mmm... My head hurts,” Sonya complained.
Enrique rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled, “I’m also feeling nauseous. It’s mana sickness. It’s no wonder, considering how many warp gates we went through in such a short time.”
The skill Warp Gate allowed one to leap through space. They had moved from the third to the first zone so quickly that their mana equilibrium was unsettled. Each zone had different mana and Chaos Mana densities; the closer to the center, the denser.
Suddenly teleporting to an area of low density after acclimating to a high-density area was bound to cause an imbalance, similar to a diver suffering from decompression sickness by rising from deep water to shallow water too quickly. This phenomenon was known as mana sickness.
“Hm? I’m fine, though,” Thumper said as he tilted his head in wonder.
Yuri crossed his arms and snorted. “Hah! Weaklings.”
“Come on, give me a break. I’m a manipulator. I’m nowhere near as stupidly durable as you. The same goes for Sonya; she’s a conjurer,” Enrique fussed.
Yuri pointed at Yuki with his chin and said, “Onie Yuki is a manipulator, too.”
“She’s... an exception. A High Ranker... wouldn’t get... mana sickness,” Sonya remarked as she retched.
Yuki looked at Sonya and said, “Then let’s take a short break. We won’t have to worry about pursuers now that we’re this far, so we’re safe.”
The teammates agreed. Although a black man, the marketer of Black Market’s Monrovia branch, told them that Kabuka was waiting sleeplessly for them, the team didn’t change their minds.
Yuki turned to Seong-Hwi, who had the rabbit beastfolk Thumper on his shoulders, and said, “And... We’ll have to settle some things before reaching the Capital.”
***
Seong-Hwi, Thumper, Enrique, Leo, Frank, Yuri, and Yuki sat in the safe house living room, staring at one another. Sonya was excluded because she had a severe case of mana sickness.
Enrique played with the Spy Drone Controller, and a drone flew above the group’s heads to create a thin hemispherical tent around them.
[Activating Unique Skill: Silence Zone.]
“Alright, we’re good. We can speak to our heart’s content now,” Enrique said.
Seong-Hwi nodded and began. “As I’ve told you, I can satisfy all your conditions.”
He was willing to divide the three hundred million Coins, which Lee Kang-San promised him, among his comrades and request Jurie for the rest if it wasn’t enough.
“First, I will give up my right of possession over all the dungeon artifacts,” he declared as he pointed at the black sack beside Frank.
Frank answered, “Well, as I’ve also said before, I approve.”
“Heh, I don’t care, as long as my conditions are met,” Yuri also agreed.
Enrique remarked, “I have no idea how many times you’ve saved my life, Seong-Hwi. I’m sure everyone else feels the same way. Besides, we wouldn’t have been able to leave that dungeon alive if it weren’t for you.”
Everyone nodded. If not for Seong-Hwi, they would not have survived the dungeon or the chase after leaving the dungeon. Even if Seong-Hwi were to betray Kabuka and take the Elixirs, they had no obligation to take Kabuka’s side.
“Wow, that’s Friend Seong-Hwi for you! They trust you a lot!” Thumper nodded, his pink ears swaying.
“Thanks. I won’t charge you for your lives. I’ll do whatever it takes to match your conditions. Also,” Seong-Hwi remarked as he turned to Leo and Yuki, the only ones who had yet to reply. “Have you made up your mind, Leo?”
“Huuu... How could you ask me that after you eliminated every other choice, Seong-Hwi?” Leo said, shaking his head. He continued, “I will only believe what I see with my own eyes. I must confirm Sir Kabuka’s true nature for myself. Once I do, I will be fully on board with your plan.”
“What you see with your own eyes, huh?”
Seong-Hwi smiled faintly. Leo, the Maasai warrior, trusted his judgment more than what anyone else thought. He was firmly rooted in his beliefs.
“Yes. I trust you because I confirmed what kind of man you are with my own eyes.” Leo stared at Seong-Hwi passionately and continued, “You are trustworthy. I could entrust my life to you. I could call you my friend. You aren’t telling me everything, but I believe you have fair intentions.”
“Same here! But what are you guys talking about? Can you let me in on it, too?” Thumper agreed without even knowing what he was agreeing to.
Seong-Hwi stared intently at Leo and remarked, “Thank you.”
He then turned to Yuki, who sighed softly and remarked, “Now that it’s gotten to this... I suppose there’s no point hiding it. The double contract I have with Kabuka is...”
Yuki told the party in detail the contract she had with Kabuka—about him taking her mother, Onie Rikako, hostage.
“That’s... more blackmail than a contract!” Enrique said dumbfoundedly.
“He’s bad! A super bad human!” Thumper shouted as he hopped in place, red with rage.
Yuki nodded and continued, “Exactly, it’s blackmail. I want to hand him that item and reclaim my mother. However... I am also indebted to you, Cheon Seong-Hwi.”
Complicated emotions intermixed in her eyes. She owed Seong-Hwi her life. Although the Mirror World was controlled by schemes and betrayal, her life was invaluable.
But Mom... I miss you. Without you... Without any hope of reviving you... I won’t be able to bear life in this world, Yuki thought.
Seong-Hwi stared at Yuki and thought, I see. Kabuka stole her mannequin of Onie Rikako.
In other words, Yuki had no obligation to take Kabuka’s side as long as she got the mannequin back.
“Then let’s resume this conversation once I bring someone who can settle this dispute once and for all,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“Who?” Frank asked.
“Sonya Gerhard.”
***
After separating from her teammates, Sonya returned to her room and rummaged through it as if her mana sickness was gone.
“Found it!” she said once she found a rolled-up note between the floorboards.
She quickly unrolled the note and read through it.
Good, they’re keeping up with us. The most important part is capturing Le-Yeyo alive. He has the Elixirs, after all, she thought.
The problem was how to do that while staying out of Onie Yuki’s and Cheon Seong-Hwi’s sights.
If I’m caught... she trailed off inwardly, shaking her head as if she didn’t want to think about it. I never thought he’d be so powerful.
Onie Yuki’s strength had been more or less within Sonya’s calculations, but Seong-Hwi was a complete outlier. There was no way he was only 945th in the human ranking; she would believe it even if he were a Ranker. She would have difficulty grasping victory against him even if she were to unleash her full power.
Sonya pulled out a pen and quickly wrote her response on the note.
However, someone behind her said interestedly, “You’ll take care of it before we reach the Capital, huh?”
Sonya gasped and summoned her D Weapon, Tannesberg Pinwheel, but couldn’t do anything else after feeling the chilling sensation on her neck.
“You’d best withdraw that pinwheel if you don’t want to become a headless ghost,” the one behind her said.
“W-who are you?” Sonya asked as she slowly turned around.
Seong-Hwi, with his presence completely erased by Shadowless Plum Blossom Branch, had the Zanaka Karambit on her neck.
“Seong... Hwi? Why?” she asked.
“Don’t even think about it. Even if you’re a complete attacker, you won’t be faster than me,” Seong-Hwi remarked as he brought the Zanaka Karambit closer to her neck, causing her neck to bleed. “This isn’t a suspicion, it’s certainty. Isn’t that right, Sonya Gerhard, the final spy?”
Sonya’s blue eyes sank deeply. She momentarily remained silent and asked, “How did you know? My acting should’ve been flawless.”
Her voice wasn’t aloof and detached like before. She was not stuttering, and she exuded a freezing aura.
Seong-Hwi answered, “That was phenomenal method acting. You almost had me fooled. You must have a good role model.”
***
Seong-Hwi began to doubt Sonya because of the skill she had used to kill Khanh Huyen, Tannesberg’s Winter Storm. People with the wind element were as many as the grains of sand on a beach. However, few could use wind skills mixed with the ice element. On top of that, Seong-Hwi was a returner who knew things others did not.
In my past life, Kabuka failed to obtain an Elixir and died a year later. After that, an internal war broke out in Clan Black Market, he said inwardly.
Black Market was a giant clan with just as many privileges. Hence, those who were given a share of the pie wanted to inherit everything Kabuka had. The leader of Black Market constantly changed during the initial stages of the internal war, but the clan stabilized after six months because of its new leader.
She was known as the Witch of the Winter Storm, and nothing else was known about her. All anyone knew was that she was a woman and mainly used wind skills mixed with the ice element.
Once the puzzle pieces were assembled, Seong-Hwi immediately doubted Sonya. It was no coincidence to encounter a woman who could use skills mixed with wind and ice while carrying out a Black Market quest. As soon as Seong-Hwi began to harbor doubts about Sonya, he began to think with the assumption that she was the Witch of the Winter Storm, who would take over Black Market in the future.
How many of his people would Kabuka have planted in the team? he wondered.
The known ones were Leo, Nakivarro, Gardner, and Khanh Huyen. Four of ten people, or forty percent, was an unsatisfying percentage. If there were one more, it would be exactly fifty percent.
A double spy. What if there was one more spy whom Nakivarro, Gardner, and Khanh Huyen weren’t aware of?
Seong-Hwi had figured out Kabuka’s intricate plan. Kabuka had quickly added Leo to the team after Seong-Hwi’s unexpected behavior. Since Leo was practically a known spy, the team would naturally be wary of him, which would be beneficial for keeping the attention away from Nakivarro, Gardner, and Khanh. However, if those three were exposed, Sonya would earn her teammates’ trust by killing them.
Truly, a plan a veteran geezer in the Mirror World would come up with.
However, Seong-Hwi had seen through it. Not even Kabuka could calculate for Seong-Hwi, who knew information about the future.
***
“Haaa... You were a spy too, Sonya?” Frank said exasperatedly as he stared at Sonya, restrained by Seong-Hwi.
“Ptooey! Dammit. You can’t trust a single human,” Yuri said as he frowned.
“A double spy, huh? That’s Filipe Kabuka for you. He hasn’t survived a decade in the Mirror World by a fluke,” Enrique remarked.
Leo stared at Sonya, a blonde woman with freckles, and shouted, “Say something, Sonya Gerhard!”
“Yes, I’m the last spy, so could you put this away? I can’t run away regardless,” Sonya answered, surrounded by Yuki’s living mannequins.
Seong-Hwi withdrew the Zanaka Karambit from her neck and sheathed it on his back.
“T-this bitch isn’t even stuttering! Was it all an act?” Frank said in confusion.
Sonya laughed mockingly and replied, “Humans who show their unfiltered selves to strangers are moronic.”
“What did you say? You sly fox—”
“Human friend! What do you have against foxes? Fox beastfolk are kinder than they look!” Thumper defended his fox friends as he stared at Frank.
“Huh? No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Enough with the skit and step aside, Frank. Traitors deserve death. No complaints, right?” Yuri remarked with ferocious eyes as he summoned the Black Dog of Grievance.
However, Seong-Hwi stood between him and Sonya.
“What are you doing?” Yuri asked.
“Calm down, Mad Dog. I said we’d resume the conversation once I bring someone who can settle the dispute.”
“I have nothing to say to traitors! What if that bitch had slit my throat while I was asleep? How am I supposed to stay calm?!”
Sonya snorted and said, “Heh! True... You slept like a baby even in the dungeon. I could’ve killed you the easiest.”
“You bitch!” Yuri shouted.
The Black Dog of Grievance pounced at Sonya, but Seong-Hwi grabbed its neck.
“I told you... to calm down,” Seong-Hwi said.
He unleashed his mana, instantly filling the room with energy of which its caliber had risen through the dungeon excavation.
“Urgh,” Yuri groaned, taking most of the brunt of Seong-Hwi’s aura.
His face reddened, and blood vessels bulged from his forehead. The Black Dog of Grievance also whined. Seong-Hwi reduced his mana output and released the struggling Black Dog of Grievance.
He asked Yuri, “Have you cooled your head?”
“Dammit!” Yuri shouted as he canceled his Black Dog of Grievance summon.
He turned around, returned to his seat, and closed his eyes with his arms crossed. Seong-Hwi stared at Sonya, who trembled from seeing his chilling, goal-driven black eyes.
“I’ll have you cooperate with us,” Seong-Hwi remarked.