Chapter 97
Seong-Hwi was able to figure out how to use his 2,948,084 Karma through his battle against Budiono.
No matter how much I think about it, Health comes first. It felt like my body was being overburdened, he thought to himself.
The Wings of Evolution had immense potential, but the energy consumed when using them was just as immense.
I can purchase two B-rank cubes.
He could purchase two Health stat cubes, but that wasn’t the best option. Seong-Hwi stared at his wrists—more specifically, at the silver bracelets engraved with two three-legged dragons. He decided to raise the stat of the Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong.
[Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong B(8) obtained.]
[Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong C(99) → Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong B(8)]
[Changing the effect of Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong.]
[The left bracelet boosts Health by B(30). The right bracelet boosts Strength by B(30).]
[Health and Strength cannot receive this effect because they are C-rank.]
The artifact he had even before the Dark Forest was close to reaching its full potential. Seong-Hwi used 800,000 Karma to restore his Health and Strength stats to C(99), and opened a Health silver cube.
[Health B(7) obtained.]
[Boosting Health by B(30) as per the effect of Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong.]
[Health C(99) → Health B(37)]
The bracelets allowed his Health stat to reach B(37). He could feel his slow-twitch muscle fibers getting thicker and more durable. Mana seeped between each fiber.
I can’t wait to see if these bracelets will boost even S-rank stats.
Seong-Hwi stared at the bracelets in satisfaction and glanced at the silver ring on his middle finger, engraved with 1ML.
[First-Class Murder License Ring (Item)
Rank: F(0)
Description: A first-class murder license ring acknowledged by the Union. The mana certificate appears in midair when mana is infused into the ring.]
Remy had given Seong-Hwi the ring as a bonus payment for handing him Mitasra. The average Dark Hunter had fourth or fifth-class murder licenses, but Seong-Hwi had a first-class one.
It’s almost on the level of the spec force captain. He gave me what I needed the most.
Seong-Hwi had a complex relationship with the Union—more specifically, it wasn’t amicable. He killed the leader of Suppression Team 8, Roman Duris, and hunted Dark Humans without a license.
But with this, it’ll be different.
This ring would justify everything he had done. He infused mana into the ring, and a certificate made of blue mana appeared in midair.
First-Class Murder License
The human Cheon Seong-Hwi shall not be held accountable for the murder of his kind. This includes all murders, including premeditated, impulsive, mass, and the like.
Issued by: Lee Kang-San.
Seong-Hwi recalled what Remy had said when he handed him the ring.
“Kang-San gave me this long ago. I haven’t even imprinted it with my mana because I had no use for it. You can use it. I will register you on the Union list.”
It was a first-class murder license issued by Lee Kang-San. The one who issued it was more important than the license itself, because it meant the issuer would take responsibility for the actions of the one who held the license. Seong-Hwi’s license was issued by the World Ranker, Lee Kang-San.
Who could make Lee Kang-San take responsibility for a crime?
No one in the Union was brave enough to do such a thing. Hence, Seong-Hwi was deemed innocent for all his actions under Kang-San’s name.
Hah, I’d bet this is how it feels to hire a lawyer who was a former chief judge.
Earth was no different from the Mirror World. Whichever world one was in, they all ran on power.
***
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, Animal Farm
***
Darkness fell on the peaceful, clay-colored streets of Kigali on South Earth, surrounded by clay-colored buildings. It was weird to call a street in a lawless district like South Earth peaceful, but just like how a person could look peaceful but not internally, so could a city.
Seong-Hwi leisurely walked down the streets of Kigali, wearing the black hood of the Bucephala Hoodie and his hands in the large hoodie pocket. He could feel a few gazes on him, but none were idiotic enough to approach him.
He stopped before a modern mansion that did not fit Kigali’s vibe. Two humans with machetes on their waists stood guard, but that was only what one could see.
There are at least a thousand, Seong-Hwi said inwardly as he counted the presences he detected.
He said, “I’m here by recommendation of Massacre. Black Market offered me a job.”
The steel door slowly opened, and a man waiting inside bowed courteously.
“Welcome, Semi Ranker Cheon Seong-Hwi. This way.”
Seong-Hwi followed the guide inside the building without hesitation. His heart pounded with exhilarating anxiety and the assurance that he could escape the building if worse came to worst.
This is all thanks to the Wings of Evolution.
Although one could never let their guard down, it was more difficult to die a dog’s death with such high stats and extraordinary skills.
***
I might die if I don’t get my shit together, Seong-Hwi thought as he followed the guide inside the large hall.
A fire flickered from a giant fireplace on one side of the hall, and the walls were filled with frames, antiques, items, and such. Ten people sat on various chairs like couches or rocking chairs, each exuding impressive auras.
I... recognize a few of them.
Seong-Hwi first noticed a handsome man with blond hair and green eyes staring at him curiously. He was Enrique Vidal, the Adventurer King from Ibiza, Spain. The beastly man with slicked-back white hair and blue eyes was Yuri Nazakov, the Mad Dog of Moscow.
He also noticed a tall man standing as still as a statue next to a rocking chair. He had curly hair, dark brown skin, and wore a red cape.
Leo... I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. Then that old man must be the one.
Seong-Hwi stared at the very old black man in the rocking chair that Leo was protecting. He had short, curly hair and gold-rimmed glasses.
“Welcome, Cheon Seong-Hwi. I’ve been searching for someone to fill the versatile wing position, so I’m grateful you accepted my invitation. Oh, I’ve yet to introduce myself.” The black man with an impressive physique smiled amicably and continued, “I am Filipe Kabuka, the leader of Clan Black Market.”
He was the Black Merchant Kabuka, a High Ranker at sixth in the human ranking.
As I expected, it’s no ordinary job.
The fact that Kabuka, who rarely showed himself, was here personally meant the job was bigger than one could imagine. It was only natural since it involved an Elixir.
“I haven’t said I would accept the job yet. I’m only here to hear you out,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
Leo’s eyebrows twitched, and Kabuka simply chuckled with an amicable smile.
“What’s with the attitude? Who the hell do you think you are?”
Someone else picked a fight. Seong-Hwi turned toward the fireplace and saw a white man the size of a bear sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace.
“Who is that dumbass? Do you seriously expect me to work with that thing?” Seong-Hwi taunted.
The white man smiled ferociously. “Kekek! Look at you, acting tough... Are you trying to intimidate me, or what? You must feel like you’re in control of the world because you’ve been the talk of the town lately, huh?”
“If only, then I’d be able to purge ridiculous bastards like the lot of you from it.”
Enrique whistled and chuckled, “Haha! You sure have a way with words!”
However, the white man did not laugh. “Son of a bitch! Are you saying that while knowing two High Rankers are in this room?”
Two? Seong-Hwi wondered.
He quickly scanned the room. Ten people, excluding Leo, were sitting in the room, nine excluding Kabuka. There were three women and six men. His scanning eyes stopped on a petite Asian woman with short hair, staring blankly at the fire flickering in the fireplace. She was wearing skinny jeans and a black windbreaker.
“Kehehe! Do you recognize her? She’s the Puppeteer, ninth in the human ranking! Madam Onie Yuki!” the white man shouted passionately, seemingly wishing to get on the woman’s good side.
However, the woman continued to stare at the fireplace without a response.
Onie Yuki?
Seong-Hwi skimmed through the fragments of his memory. Onie Yuki was the human who suddenly vanished from the ranking six months after Seong-Hwi was Lost. In other words, she had died.
There were many questions regarding her death since she was a High Ranker, albeit a Dark Human. Did her death have something to do with this job?
The job was likely much more dangerous than Seong-Hwi had expected, but it only exhilarated him because it meant the job was the real deal.
“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s not cause a divide in the team before it’s even made,” Kabuka said.
The white man snorted and crossed his arms.
Kabuka turned to Seong-Hwi and said, “I will give you an advance of fifty million Coins.”
“Hm?” Seong-Hwi said, doubting his ears.
“And to the one who gets me what I want... I will reward one billion Coins.”
Seong-Hwi’s eyes widened. A billion Coins was an unfathomable amount.
Wealth on Earth was determined based on whether one was a millionaire, referring to those with a million dollars in assets. There were more millionaires than one would think; roughly fifty million people worldwide, around the same as the population of South Korea.
However, the number of billionaires in the world was far fewer, roughly around three thousand. In other words, Kabuka said he would make the one who got him what he wanted one of those billionaires. Of course, Earth’s currency differed from Coins in the Mirror World, but Coins were worth more in many ways.
The eyes of most people sitting in the hall brightened. It was only natural to be enticed by one billion Coins since it was enough to aim for an item with S-rank potential if one ever appeared on the market.
“Accept it already. The old man said he would explain the mission once you did,” said a middle-aged man in bizarre glasses with a brown beard and hair.
A Southeast Asian woman beside the man added, “It’s one billion Coins. Even if we don’t get whatever he wants, we still get fifty million Coins. We’ve already gotten ours through a quest.”
Seong-Hwi stared at Kabuka. Black Market, alongside Loaners, had the most Coins in the Capital, so Kabuka was likely not lying. Regardless, Seong-Hwi had planned to participate in the mission even if he had to pay Coins. He had only acted disinterested to avoid suspicion.
[Activating Unique Skill: Borrowing Destiny.]
[Devil of Los Angeles]
Seong-Hwi swallowed his saliva, the same desire as the others around him lingering in his eyes. It felt as if he exuded a powerful lust for blood and the stench of a filthy back alley.
“Oh?” Kabuka stared at Seong-Hwi in satisfaction.
Those who desire Coins can be easily controlled. Anyone can become friends through Coins, Kabuka thought.
He brought his fist toward Seong-Hwi and said, “If you accept, I will give you fifty million Coins and set a little penalty. After that, I will explain the job. What do you say? Will you join us?”
“Of course.”
Seong-Hwi walked toward Kabuka and bumped fists with him.
[Kabuka’s Request (Common Quest)
Rank: A
Description: Bring the item that Filipe Kabuka desires directly to him the moment it is obtained. This mission is strictly classified. Any breach of contract will activate the penalty.
Condition: Advance payment of 50 million Coins.
Penalty: Mana sealed for 1 year.]
...
[Kabuka’s Request accepted.]
[50,000,000 Coins obtained.]
“Alright, let us get down to business,” Kabuka remarked.
***
“The story dates back a few months.” Kabuka fixed his gold-rimmed glasses and continued, “A dungeon was discovered in the third zone metropolis, Pollon Nest.”
“Pollon Nest is birdfolk territory, right?” Enrique asked.
“Correct.” Kabuka nodded. “But there was a complication. The dungeon was in birdfolk territory, but the one who found it first was a demon.”
“A demon?” The white man who picked a fight with Seong-Hwi widened his eyes after hearing a superior race was involved in the job.
“And the birdfolk are the angels’ subordinate race. It was only natural for the two superior races to clash against each other for the dungeon.”
“Holy crap... What kind of dungeon is it?”
“An S-rank dungeon,” Kabuka replied.
Everyone’s expressions hardened.
“Once the conflict between the two races seemed to escalate, a plan of arbitration was announced at the Sēmen, the great race conference.”
Their faces grew stiffer as the story’s scale escalated beyond their expectations.
“The demons initially had the upper hand because they were the ones who discovered the dungeon, but Clan Cadaver is currently at war against Clan Nivalis. Not even the demons wish to antagonize both dragons and angels. Hence, they settled for the arbitration.”
“Which is?” a gentle-looking, overweight African man asked.
Kabuka immediately answered, “A proxy battle.”
“Proxy battle?”
“The birdfolk, the angels’ subordinate race, and the undead, the demons’ subordinate race, will excavate the dungeon simultaneously.”
The others nodded. If both the demons and angels were to get involved, the battle would likely escalate beyond control. However, even if the birdfolk and undead were to kill each other, it would not result in war between the superior races.
Of course, the Sēmen would suggest this kind of solution, Seong-Hwi mumbled inwardly.
The great race conference primarily upheld the World Law and arbitrated racial conflicts. However, they only represented the values of superior races. Any races below them had no say in the Sēmen.
“But the Sēmen added a condition to the proxy battle,” Kabuka remarked.
“A condition?”
“The birdfolk and the undead must each add ten humans to their party.”
“That’s... a weird condition. Why did they involve humans when they could share the pie among themselves?” Enrique asked.
Kabuka shook his head and answered, “There’s a reason for that. The dungeon discovered in Pollon Nest is from our dimension.”
“Our dimension? That means...”
“Earth!”
Everyone’s eyes shone.
Kabuka removed his gold-rimmed glasses and continued, “I’m sure they couldn’t care less about an inferior race’s opinions, but the Sēmen wants to give off the impression that they settled this matter fairly.”
“Hah! Does the Union know about this?”
“They do, but they don’t,” Kabuka answered as if giving them a riddle. “The angels designated humans most loyal to them to join the birdfolk party. Who do you think they are?”
“The core figures of the dependence faction: Lazarus’s Vatican,” Seong-Hwi answered.
Kabuka looked at Seong-Hwi, impressed by his intellect. “Correct. The bastards at Clan Vatican worship the angels like gods. Ten of them have joined the birdfolk party... Lazarus may perhaps be among them.”
“Then we must be part of the demon party. Isn’t that right, demon worshiper Kabuka?” Yuri Nazakov remarked confrontationally.
“How dare you?!” Leo shouted as he stomped his foot.
Kabuka raised his hand to calm Leo. “That is a misunderstanding. I do not worship demons. It’s just that business with them is highly lucrative, and this job is simply an extension of that. Well, regardless... you’re not wrong. We are on the demons’ side.”
“Well, well... Why does it feel like we’ve stuck our heads into a crocodile’s mouth?” Enrique said conflictedly, scratching his handsome face.
They had been roped into a proxy battle between angels and demons. One side consisted of birdfolk plus ten humans, and the other consisted of undead plus ten humans.
“So, it’s a game of chicken on who clears the dungeon quest first,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
The white man who picked a fight with him gulped, white as a sheet. It was a high-risk, high-return job. There was no way that a job that could earn them a billion Coins would be normal.
“Exactly. It’s a suicide mission that the humans aren’t even the protagonists of,” Kabuka replied.
“And... what exactly are you trying to obtain from there? What do you want us to steal from that chaotic mess?” Seong-Hwi asked despite already knowing the answer.
Kabuka’s eyes blazed with powerful desire. “Hehehe! You catch on quick. You don’t have to worry about clearing the dungeon. You just have to pretend to explore the dungeon with the undead and return with what I want.” He longingly shouted, his voice cracking, “Bring me the Elixir! The brew of life!”