Chapter 234: Episode 44 – Swindler (2)
[You... perhaps at that time...]
I saw the trembling expression of the dokkaebis and remembered some bad memories. Biyoo floating beside me was also frowning. It was natural for her to be furious. This was a dokkaebi behind the tragedy of the 41st Shin Yoosung ‘disaster.’ His name... was it Paul?
I thought he would go to purgatory and be severely punished...
The bureau’s punishment was like hitting cotton. What type of punishment was joining the Murim Redevelopment Team?
“You’ve lost a lot of weight in your face while I haven’t seen you?”
[Uhh, kuooooh....!]
“You were an intermediate dokkaebi back then. Now you are... lesser-grade?”
[You! You...!]
I saw his agitation and felt like asking for the ‘solo meeting rights’ to beat him up again. The story of this guy being beaten up, was the wenny person reading it well?
[Stop and back off, Paul.]
Another dokkaebi moved forward on behalf of Paul who was unable to speak.
[Are you Kim Dokja?]
I looked closer and this dokkaebi was also familiar. I had heard this voice somewhere before. Eh? Wait... this guy?
“Uh, was that you? The person working under Bihyung... The name...”
[Youngki. Indeed! You are Kim Dokja!]
The dokkaebi happily greeted me. I dimly remembered. He was the dokkaebi responsible for the sub-channels under Bihyung.
[I heard rumours that you were alive. I didn’t expect to see you at a place like this...!]
“Is Bihyung doing well?”
[He was visibly gloomy after you disappeared.]
I felt a little sorry that Bihyung had become depressed. That guy Bihyung must’ve liked me. “Haven’t you cleaned up well? You previously didn’t even know how to update the scenario.”
[Ahahat. That is a shameful story. I am now an intermediate dokkaebi.]
He was an intermediate dokkaebi. This guy was part of the Korean Peninsula scenario so Bihyung must’ve received a high-speed promotion. It felt like a lot of time had passed but it had been less than one year.
[By the way, Dokja. What do you mean by selling the skills?]
Youngki watched me with calm eyes. No matter what, a dokkaebi was a dokkaebi. I couldn’t take it easy.
“I meant it literally. I will persuade the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint to sell you the skills.”
[How will Dokja...]
“I have my ways. What skills do you need? The Red Phoenix Shunpo? Or the Hundred Steps Godly Fists?”
[We already have the Hundred Steps Godly Fists. What we need is...]
“The Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship?”
Youngki nodded at my words. It was as I thought. The Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship. It was the name given to the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint’s Breaking the Sky. One of the top-ranked skills in the First Murim that anyone would covet was Yoo Jonghyuk’s Breaking the Sky Swordmanship.
I felt the Breaking the Sky Master growling by my side and quickly agreed. “Okay. I’ll sell it. No, I won’t sell it. I’ll give it to you.”
The Breaking the Sky Master looked up at me with absurd eyes. Youngki was astonished.
[R-Really?]
“Instead, do me two favours in exchange. The first one, place the Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship as the prize for the scenario you will soon open.”
[Huh?]
I smiled at Youngki’s stupid expression. Did he think I would just give him the Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship?
“Aren’t you going to open the ‘Martial Arts Competition’ scenario soon? The Black Demon Sword is included in it.”
[H-How do you know...!]
“Why are you so startled? You always do this. It is a regular scenario for Murim. A precious sword of Murim will appear and a huge crowd of people will fight for it.”
[That is true but... how do you know about the Black Demon Sword?]
How did I know? The Martial Arts Competition was an event scenario that Yoo Jonghyuk repeatedly participated in when he came to First Murim. I didn’t know how many times I made a comment telling the author to skip the competition.
“It doesn’t matter how I know. In any case, add the Breaking the Sky Swordmanship as a prize. Give it as the first place prize.”
Youngki’s eyes rolled quickly. It was probably a great suggestion for him. There were a limited number of things that the dokkaebis could do with the techniques bought from the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint. They could secure additional subscriptions by adding it to a large scenario or sell it at a high price through the Dokkaebi Bag. Youngki was currently figuring out which one would be more profitable.
[Okay. I have nothing to lose if I do this. It will be saving on the cost of buying the technique. Only...]
“Only?”
[You said two favours. What is the second one?]
I laughed softly at the prudence. He had become pretty clever since reaching intermediate level. “The second condition is simple. I want everyone here to participate in the Martial Arts Competition scenario.”
[Everyone here...?]
Youngki’s eyes narrowed. He finally figured out my ploy.
[It is an interesting suggestion but... it is difficult.]
“Why?”
[I don’t know about the other incarnations but it can’t be the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.]
I thought he would say this. The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint was likely to win if she participated in the martial arts competition. The participants of the martial arts competition would naturally be reduced and the dokkaebis would suffer losses. I acted like I was yielding a big thing. “Then everyone apart from the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.”
[Then it’s fine. The martial arts competition is in two weeks. Until then, please prepare the skills of the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.]
I responded to the waiting Youngki. “I understand. Don’t forget to properly invite us to the scenario.”
[Of course. Then I’ll see you again soon.]
“Give my regards to Bihyung.”
[Haha, understood.]
Maybe he was glad that things went well. Youngki laughed joyfully as he disappeared. The dokkaebis that followed him also started to leave. Paul was staring at me the whole time and I glared as hard as I could.
After a while, the dokkaebis disappeared and Jang Hayoung standing next to me grabbed my collar. “Hey, what the hell did you do just now? Sell the techniques? Enter the martial arts competition? What the hell...”
Woof woof! Woof woof woof!
「 We won’t sell our techniques! What the hell are you thinking? 」
The dazed Breaking the Sky Master responded too late. It was the expected reaction. In fact, this much was what I guessed.
“Kim Dokja!”
...It was as expected. Yoo Jonghyuk caused a huge cloud of dust as he ran over and grabbed my neck. He shook me like a man betrayed. I flapped like a paper doll without strength and said, “Let me speak.”
“Shut up! What the hell are you thinking? Selling the techniques...!”
“Please calm down. I did it because of you.”
“...What?”
“Don’t you know what we just got?”
Yoo Jonghyuk’s hands stopped for the first time at my words. Then a message came to my ears.
[A new sub scenario has arrived!]
[The sub scenario ‘Martial Arts Competition’ has begun.]
Yoo Jonghyuk read the details of the scenario that just arrived and was silent for a moment. “...The Black Demon Sword?”
“Yes. You said you wanted it.”
“...”
“If you look closely, there is also the Demon Spirit Bead. It is the third place prize but I don’t remember well...”
Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes were greatly shaken as he watched me. He suddenly released me. This jerk, you didn’t need to be so moved.
In any case, he seemed to be persuaded. The problem was the other side. I turned and saw the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint standing with a stiff expression.
「 An existence born with the power of a giant god. The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint’s existence is no different from a god. 」
There was nothing wrong with the description from Ways of Survival. She felt overwhelmingly threatening just standing there.
I smiled and waved my hand. “Did the conversation between teacher and student end well?”
“...You aren’t sane.”
“Listen to my story before saying anything.”
“I have no time to mix words with a person like you.”
The heavy fog around us was thickening. I quickly added, “Breaking the Sky Sword Saint, it isn’t possible to maintain the old ways forever.”
The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint’s thick eyebrows were fiercely curved.
“Is it so important to keep the non-humanistic principle? What if you lose everything you have because of it?”
Yoo Jonghyuk looked at me like I was mentally ill. “Kim Dokja! Don’t say anything else!”
Of course, I kept talking.
“In the first place, your real strength isn’t the Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship, right? You’ve abandoned it for a long time after reaching transcendence. Why don’t you sell it for something?”
The ground around me started vibrating. Eventually, Yoo Jonghyuk placed me behind him as protection and raised the Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds.
It felt as if the gravity of the whole area was strengthened. It felt like a giant mountain was pressing on my shoulders. Jang Hayoung and Han Myungoh couldn’t even scream as they sank into the ground. The group would be wiped out if this continued.
“Teacher, wait...!”
Yoo Jonghyuk cried out but the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint didn’t stop.
...Was she going to do this? She was really stubborn.
[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ has triggered the status of a constellation.]
Sparks appeared around me and the surrounding gravitational pressure was temporarily relieved. I smiled at the startled Breaking the Sky Sword Saint. I might have an incarnation body but I was still a narrative-grade constellation. “I haven’t sold it yet so don’t be too harsh.”
“You were hiding.”
“In any case, you can regain the martial arts technique if you win the competition. Won’t you win the competition?”
The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint looked calmer and the pressure she gave off subsided. It wouldn’t be a problem for her to overpower me if she used her real strength but she seemed to take me as Yoo Jonghyuk’s colleague. She told me, “I can’t participate in the competition.”
“It would be no fun if an adult plays with kids.”
“The children of Murim are much stronger than you think.”
“I’m aware. However, your disciple is strong.”
The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint understood what I meant and I patted Yoo Jonghyuk’s shoulder as he stood next to me. “There will be Jonghyuk in the competition.”
Yoo Jonghyuk turned and stared at me with wide eyes. I didn’t know why he was surprised. Did he think he wouldn’t participate?
The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint’s eyebrows wriggled again. “He’s still weak.”
“You can make him stronger. He is your disciple anyway.”
“I never said I would accept him as a disciple...”
At this point, Yoo Jonghyuk stared at the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint with wide eyes. In any case, the teacher and student were both not honest.
[The exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ has been activated!]
Well, I knew that not being honest was their virtual.
「 It is too early for him. 」
「 Jonghyuk will die if he goes to the competition. 」
「 He isn’t at a level to compete with those teenage masters. 」
I couldn’t fully hear the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint’s thoughts because of my low understanding level. Even so, it wasn’t hard to know what she was thinking. In the end, I had to do this for the teacher and student.
“If you accept Yoo Jonghyuk as a disciple, I will let you meet your clan.”
“...What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. You haven’t found your clan yet, correct?”
The Breaking the Sky Sword looked at me with a strange expression. “I don’t know how you know this but my clan has been wiped out. There are no giant gods left.”
“No, there are still some left.”
“What...”
I looked up and spoke,”Master of the Underworld, are you still watching?”
Hades was now in my channel. I owed him for last time so it was time to give a greeting. However, it wasn’t Hades who responded to my call.
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ is looking at you with a strange smile.]
“...It has been a while, Persephone.”
Damn. This queen was hard to deal with. When did she enter? I was about to open my mouth when I heard more messages.
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ says she has heard the story.]
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ will listen to your request.]
As expected, Persephone was quick when it came to good stories. The problem was that this queen never did anything without an ulterior motive.
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ says there is a condition.]
...As expected.
“...Please say it.”
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ is inviting you to the feast of constellations.]
Feast of constellations? It was strange. Was now the time for a constellation banquet to be held? Persephone’s message followed as an answer to my question.
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ is inviting you to the Gourmet Association.]