Chapter 149
Two days passed, and Muka took first place in the second exam, putting Kazafu down a few pegs yet again. Talks of Muka of House Haswell possibly becoming an A-rank artisan spread throughout Ferrum, along with the legendary gambler who had bet ten million Coins on Muka with a decimal odd of 117.0 before the first exam began.
The dwarf who had stamped the betting paper bawled his eyes out and mentioned that the gambler was a human man, giving the human the nickname 117 Human. The Blue Anvil tribe, who authenticated the bet, searched for the 117 Human, but he never showed.
Seong-Hwi, the 117 Human who caused an uproar throughout Ferrum, remained in bed at the Haswell home. He had fully recovered but was reviewing his battle against Jazathura as he stared at the ceiling.
Jazathura, tenth in the goblin ranking... He wasn’t as strong as the uninjured Tutobure, but he was undoubtedly a top Ranker, he thought.
Of course, he was a top Ranker by inferior race standards. He fired cursed arrows, had mastery over the scimitar, was skilled in using his subordinates, and was a hunter who never missed an opportunity to strike.
Especially the imitative sorcery, Equation... It’s a difficult skill to deal with, exclusive to goblins.
Imitative sorcery followed the law of similarity, creating objects that resembled the target with the belief that inflicting injuries on the object would inflict the same injuries on the target. Jazathura had used Seong-Hwi’s blood as the medium and smeared it on a straw doll, binding the doll to Seong-Hwi through the law of similarity.
He was a master at that skill. His Sorcery Force stat was undoubtedly A-rank or higher. Seong-Hwi looked at his hands and asked himself, How did I break that sorcery?
He had not simply broken the sorcery, but reflected it, killing Jazathura instead.
At that moment, I felt a hunch... Yeah, something like a premonition, similar to the certainty for the future that Destiny Force grants me.
His blood boiled as death grew closer and his survival instincts soared. In that moment, his Destiny Force was automatically converted to Sorcery Force, and he understood what he needed to do in the boundless sea of information that he couldn’t remember anymore.
And then, the Sorcery Force moved on its own in a specific mana pattern—no, Sorcery Force pattern... as if I had already known it from the beginning.
As a result, the skill known as Sorcery Reversal was surprisingly activated.
I’m certain it was a goblin race skill!
Race skills could only be activated by the corresponding race using their secondary force. For example, Dragon Tongue was a dragon race skill, and Veritas Oculus was a high elf race skill. However, a human, the only race with no innate secondary force, had activated a skill exclusive to goblins without opening skill cubes or items. He had never heard of such a phenomenon.
Iridescent wings sprouted from Seong-Hwi’s back.
[Operating Wings of Evolution.]
[Nine Wings.]
[Converting Destiny Force to Sorcery Force.]
The Wings of Evolution turned light green, and the hexagonal pattern turned into crosses with rounded ends.
“Fuuu! Haaa!” Seong-Hwi took deep breaths as he focused his mind to try to feel the boundless sea of information again.
However, the mystical sensation he had felt in that crisis did not reappear.
But I remember every pattern I’ve used at least once.
Seong-Hwi moved the Sorcery Force in the same pattern, and the skill activated immediately.
[Activating Race Skill: Sorcery Reversal.]
A green aura surged, indicating the skill was successfully activated. Seong-Hwi examined his body in silence.
How did I activate a skill I’ve never learned or obtained from a skill cube?
[00:00:01]
[00:00:00]
...
[Terminating conversion.]
[Sorcery Force enters dormancy for 120 hours.]
...
Seong-Hwi thought about the reason until the secondary force conversion was terminated, but couldn’t think of one. However, he believed it had something to do with his ability to take the secondary forces of other races.
What if I can steal the race skills of every race?
Seong-Hwi clenched his fists. He was certain there was a hidden secret in the Wings of Evolution. If he uncovered it, he believed he might obtain the power he desired so desperately.
I should get Lina’s advice when I return to the Capital.
Just then, someone knocked on his door, and an artisan of the Haswell workshop he was familiar with entered the room.
“Hey, Seong-Hwi! Come down for a second!”
“Is Muka asking for me?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“No, a human is asking for you at the front door.”
“Pardon? Who is it?”
“No idea. He says he knows you. He called himself, uhh... your senior or something.”
Seong-Hwi jumped out of bed.
***
Seong-Hwi stared at the back of the robed man he was following and thought, I didn’t expect him to come for real.
He had left several letters with Jurie before he left the Capital, one of them being for the World Ranker, Tortoise Emperor, Lee Kang-San. It had been a contingency in case he failed to obtain a seat on the negotiation table with Bafor through Muka. After all, not only could a man of Kang-San’s level meet with Bafor, but he could become the greatest trump card if the situation called for it.
Kang-San opened the door of a certain pub, the bell on the door chiming. He saw a group of dwarves clinking beer glasses despite it being morning, and three elves munching on cabbage salad for breakfast.
“Let’s sit here,” Kang-San said as he sat at a table in the corner of the pub and ordered a sausage from the young dwarf who rushed to them to take their order.
“I’ll take any juice you have,” Seong-Hwi said to the young dwarf and turned to Kang-San, who took off the hood of his robe.
He hasn’t changed, Seong-Hwi thought.
Kang-San was a tough-looking middle-aged man with glossy black hair that was slightly curled, thick eyebrows, and an unwavering gaze. Seong-Hwi had met him a few times in his past life through Jurie. Although Kang-San helped Jurie, he was also the one who revealed Remy Martin’s secret to her, placing an eternal burden on her heart. However, none of that happened in this life.
“Alright, junior. This is our first time meeting, correct?” Kang-San asked.
“It is. I’m honored to meet the hope of humanity,” Seong-Hwi smooth-talked.
Kang-San smiled and replied, “You’re a good liar.”
“You have to be good at many things to survive in this world, especially if you’re face to face with a World Ranker.”
“You seemed surprised when you saw me at the Haswell workshop’s front door... I heard you possess a prophecy specialization D Weapon. Did you not foresee that I would come?”
Seong-Hwi did not avoid Kang-San’s inquisitive gaze and replied leisurely, “Do you think I know which juice the pub employee will bring me?”
Kang-San understood what Seong-Hwi meant, replying, “It must mean my visit is merely a trivial matter. Does that mean your D Weapon can only foresee broad situations?”
“Who knows?”
The two men stared at each other, an oddly tense atmosphere lingering between them. Just then, the young dwarf returned with a cup of yellow juice and a plate with four sausages on it.
Seong-Hwi took a sip of the juice, lowered the glass, and said, “It’s mango juice.”
“I see, it’s mango juice. It’s indeed trivial information. If that’s the case, why did you call me here? If my being here is of no consequence, can I go?”
“However, mango juice is my favorite juice.”
“Keh, you’re a glib talker. You’re not only bold and reckless, but also shameless.”
Kang-San chuckled and placed his hand in his pocket, pulling out the Black Tortoise the size of his palm.
Gruuu.
Hiss.
It had a dark green shell, a dark red tortoise head, and a white snake head for a tail. It charged at the sausages on the plate and began to eat them.
“This is my D Weapon, Lee Kang-Il,” Kang-San said.
“I see. This is the famous Black Tortoise.”
“Yeah. Isn’t he cute? I will ask you a few questions starting now, and I suggest you answer truthfully.”
“What will happen if I lie?”
“Kang-Il will have one more sausage to eat.”
Kang-San’s expression hardened as he exuded an aura of immense caliber.
“Kurgh!” Seong-Hwi grunted.
He couldn’t breathe. He felt the same as when he had encountered Curiositas in the S-rank dungeon.
[You are exposed to an aura of unfathomably higher caliber.]
[Applying Debuff: Fear.]
[Applying Debuff: Powerlessness.]
[Applying Debuff: Panic.]
...
The nine Wings of Evolution sprouted from Seong-Hwi’s back, allowing him to breathe under the immense pressure.
“Huff! Huff! Huff!”
“I can see why people call you Rainbow Wings.”
“Who the hell... Huff! Calls me that?! Huff! I’d much prefer... Record Breaker!” Seong-Hwi answered with difficulty as if an immense weight was on his chest.
Kang-San asked, “What is your name?”
“Cheon... Seong-Hwi!”
“Is it true that you know the future?”
“It’s... true!”
“How does the future fare for humanity?”
“At this rate... Extinction!”
Kang-San remained silent and stared at the Black Tortoise, munching on the sausages. The aura pressuring Seong-Hwi vanished like melting snow.
“Gahaha! I’m telling you...”
“The Red Hammer tribe isn’t so bad either...”
“Is this cabbage organic?”
Seong-Hwi could hear conversations throughout the pub. The dwarf group and the three elves did not seem to have realized what had happened.
“I suppose... you’re not one of them,” Kang-San remarked.
“Huff! One of what?”
“The Chaos Humans.” Kang-San turned back to Seong-Hwi and continued, “They naturally exude Chaos Mana when they detect a threat to their lives.”
“Huuu. Don’t you know the saying, what is play to cats is death to rats?”
“Are you the rat in this saying? That’s absurd. All I see is a venomous snake.”
Kang-San looked into Seong-Hwi’s eyes; they were filled with desire, wishes, and aspirations tangled and blazing.
He thought, He has a screw loose. Well, no one would be sane in a world like this.
Kang-San suspected Seong-Hwi might be a Chaos Human because of his unbelievable feats. He had made a name for himself out of nowhere and rapidly raised his rank. As far as Kang-San knew, there was no other way than being a Chaos Human to achieve such growth.
143rd, huh? Has he grown even stronger already? Since he killed Jazathura... He could even contest for a High Ranker spot.
If Seong-Hwi wasn’t a Chaos Human, there was only one other possibility.
“You must be extraordinarily talented, junior. I’m sorry,” Kang-San said.
“You might kill someone if you’re sorry twice. I thought I was your benefactor.”
“That’s true. My negotiation with Gula went well, thanks to you,” Kang-San replied as he brought his fist forward.
Seong-Hwi bumped it with his fist.
[300,000,000 Coins obtained.]
He had finally received payment for selling Mitasra, Clan Trophy’s head of the collection unit.
“Well, then. Now that we’ve taken care of immediate business, why don’t you tell me why you called me here?” Kang-San asked.
***
Seong-Hwi explained to Kang-San everything he had planned in Ferrum. As for information with sources he couldn’t explain, he played it off with the nuance that he found out through his prophecy D Weapon.
“There are a few holes, but... I admit it’s a well-thought-out plan. If this isn’t a made-up story, that is,” Kang-San remarked skeptically.
Seong-Hwi nodded. “It might seem hard to believe, but why would I lie about something that would be exposed in just a month?”
Kang-San stroked his chin and mumbled, “The Faber conference... The Steel King’s declaration to support Orbis... the item crisis... and the Elixir.”
If the dwarves declared their support for the angels as Seong-Hwi claimed they would, the Mirror World’s political landscape would shift in a direction surely damaging to humanity. Item demand was at an all-time high for humankind due to the lambs. Hence, the item crisis would be a critical blow for humans.
“So, what do you need from me?” Kang-San asked.
“Could you try to find out the Steel King’s intentions?”
“Bafor’s intentions?”
“Yes. He undoubtedly wishes to fix someone with the Elixir, whether it be an illness or a curse. Desperately, might I add.”
In Seong-Hwi’s past life, Bafor chose to support the angels, meaning the person he wished to fix was of utmost importance to him.
“I would like you to find out who it is and whether he would be willing to negotiate with us,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“That shouldn’t be too difficult. More importantly, do you have an Elixir?”
“Right here,” Seong-Hwi replied as he pulled the Elixir, a small bottle filled with a dark green liquid, from his pocket.
“I heard about what happened in Pollon Nest. I finally understand why the city was obliterated.”
“Obliterated?”
“Yeah, the angels razed Pollon Nest. Now I see it had to do with the Elixir. After all, Orbis doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes for the God of Heaven.” Kang-San thought deeply and continued, “Wait... I also heard that Floriana, a consul of the Sēmen, is in the area. She’s monitoring Uriel, the prime suspect of the culprit who razed Superficies.”
“It must mean the angels haven’t given up yet.”
“If the angels are involved, it will make this several times harder.”
Seong-Hwi slightly taunted, “Is it impossible?”
“Kekek, let me ask you something, junior. Are you sure you planned all of this for humankind? Or was it for yourself?”
Kang-San’s words were like a knife to Seong-Hwi’s heart. He was asking whether the negotiation with Bafor was for personal or humanity’s benefit.
Seong-Hwi answered calmly, “I don’t believe they are different.”
“Hah! You sure are confident. Are you saying you are the future of humankind? That... isn’t easy. I would know,” Kang-San mumbled as he stared fixedly at Seong-Hwi. He stuffed the burping Kang-Il back in his pocket and stood up, saying, “Leave the matter with Bafor to me. After all, it’s for the sake of humanity, and I owe you a debt.”
“Thank you very much.”
Kang-San left the pub, but Seong-Hwi couldn’t stand up for a while. His back was soaked with sweat, and all strength in his legs was gone.
“Huuu. Dammit, it’s so far away...” he mumbled.
He was made aware of the immense gap in caliber between him and Kang-San. The current Kang-San was more powerful than Seong-Hwi’s past self, but even Kang-San was killed by Curiositas. That was the kind of place the Mirror World was. Seong-Hwi was like a single, dim star in the entire universe.
Don’t be hasty. I’m doing well. I will climb to even greater heights if everything in Ferrum goes well! Seong-Hwi shouted inwardly to console his impatient heart.
His obsession with power had intensified after his battle against Jazathura. He needed to focus on self-control.
Just then, a woman chewing on a cabbage approached Seong-Hwi. She was a beautiful female elf with turquoise hair and eyes.
“Excuse me, human gentleman,” she called.
“Hm?”
“Could you share some of that dressing? I’d like to add some to this cabbage because it doesn’t seem to be organic. Is that olive oil or something?”
Seong-Hwi glanced at the Elixir in his hand. He looked back at the elf woman and said, “I’ll think about it if you pay me a billion Coins.”
The elf woman frowned and turned around, grumbling, “Tsk, you could’ve just said no. Why a billion Coins? What dressing could be that delicious?”
Seong-Hwi felt his impatience settling as he stared at the elf woman returning to her comrades.
Yeah, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Set your goals high, but don’t rush so you don’t stumble.
He grabbed a dark red, rust-like substance from his pocket. It was the coagulated blood of Sakozati, whom he had stabbed in the shoulder with the Sword of Koksan in his battle against the goblins.
[Activating Unique Skill: Borrowing Destiny.]
[Devil of Los Angeles]
[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]
[Night Stalker.]
He borrowed the destiny of Richard Ramirez, and a .22 caliber handgun appeared in his hand, enveloped in bloodlust.
I’ll suck all the Karma I can get from you bastards.
There were three weeks until the Faber conference. The more prepared he was, the better.