Chapter 243. The Preceding Destruction
Clearing the Mutated S-Class Gate.
Once again overcoming a hurdle, I returned to my daily life.
According to Seo Esther, the Guild Master of the Magic Tower.
This time, the abnormal Mutated Gate in Seoul was considered a peculiarity with very low risk for an S-Class gate, and it seems strange noises came from unexpected places.
– “Uh… Hello, Iori Hunter. First of all, thank you for coming… I’ve heard that you’re no longer affiliated with Imabari, but you responded to the request incredibly quickly.”
– “Of course! I’m just repaying the favor for everything from Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter. Besides, how could I forget a promise just because my company affiliation changed? Haha. It would be shameful for an S-ranker whose face is already recognized. You must have been quite worried since the Imabari Guild was torn apart, but don’t you worry!”
– “Ah…”
– “The S-Class Four of Japan will keep their promises no matter what. I’ve already persuaded the management office people.”
– “Well…”
– “But I’m sorry, could you give us some time? Right now, Japan is in a bit of turmoil, and the new S-Class team from Imabari, including Ito-kun, is currently inside the Fujisan Gate. So, I’m the only one available to move right now.”
– “Yes. I understand the situation for now…”
After a moment, I received a message confirming that this minor conflict was also resolved smoothly.
– “Iori-san. I’m sorry, but while you were on the plane, we cleared an S-Class Gate on our own in Korea. So, we no longer need external personnel. You’ll probably have to return home as it is.”
– “Huh? No way….”
When Esther, who can converse in Japanese, started to explain the situation directly, a ranker from Japan expressed his disappointment yet was relieved that the gate was closed safely.
Don’t worry too much about this. The dispatch of S-Class Hunters, which was brought up through Moritake, naturally includes dealing with monsters.
Iori left for Japan, stating firmly that she wouldn’t cowardly count it as a failure.
However, since she had come, she went home with a full load of roasted seaweed from a local food company and Korean cosmetics, but that didn’t seem like something I needed to worry about.
“Hmmm.”
Thus, the abnormal mutation incident of Neo Sisters’ regular team came to a fairly smooth end.
But for a certain alien living in a studio, significant concerns still remained.
Thud. I set down my mobile phone and began contemplating.
‘Should I try to think from a different perspective?’
First, I was a mage with the powerful magic called [Enhancement Heart].
Now, let’s assume that a certain enormous entity was merely F-Class, but possessed one special ability that made them an excellent rare skill carrier.
If that were the case, honestly speaking, an alien great mage would never guarantee the freedom of such a pathetic target. This had been a consistent thought I had since right after the contract was signed.
Especially during my peak era, it would definitely have been so.
In a situation where miracles could only be stolen by killing the target flowing in my blood.
Moreover, would a sacrificial being possessing the skill I desired be someone whose body could shatter at any moment? I couldn’t just leave that to chance.
They could die from being hit by a car.
Or perish in a gas explosion.
If I made a more refined analogy with recent causes of death, an F-Class could die from Dungeon Break at any time.
Therefore, acknowledging that there’s an ethical problem with their skills and offering a ten-year grace period was understandable, but I dared not follow the additional benevolence shown by Kang Chang-ho.
Even when I honestly disclosed that I was F-Class, that Earthling allowed the sacrificial target to roam freely in the city.
‘In comparison to the Alphauri, Kang Chang-ho is quite the gentleman.’
If it were the country from a long time ago.
Had I been in the same situation as Kang Chang-ho –assuming I couldn’t craft the spells myself- I would have caught the rare skill holder and attempted an absurdly unreasonable negotiation.
‘If I just had fast internet, delicious food, and high-quality electronics, wouldn’t it be possible to cultivate Earthlings?’
If I said that I would protect them perfectly for a hundred years without any exposure to threats, perhaps a one-in-a-million or even a one-in-a-billion person might voluntarily step into the testing ground.
I imagined not using [Dragon’s Eye] but instead a CCTV-stuffed observation cage for mammals.
And returned to the present.
Although my contemplation took a bit longer, the conclusion of all this thought was that this S-Class seemed to possess some sense of conscience.
If Kang Chang-ho is a person who communicates better than expected, that process could surely happen.
‘Shall I attempt negotiations?’
An additional deal.
By entirely wiping out a connection with a certain enhancement-obsessed character, it might be possible to not struggle within that short ten-year time frame anymore.
In a high-end restaurant, I had drafted [Knight’s Pact].
At the time I signed, I hardly cared since the effectiveness of the pact wouldn’t apply to me anyway.
Upon reflection, considering how the contemporary physical waiver was presented might mean I could attempt an illicit contract nullification based on interpretation.
[1. Kim Gi-ryeo transfers full rights to his body to Kang Chang-ho upon turning 34,
Kang Chang-ho will not use the transferred rights for anything other than the activation of Enhancement Heart.]
Look at that. If this were written in the contract like this.
[(To be added) Kang Chang-ho shall not use Kim Gi-ryeo as a sacrificial offering for Enhancement Heart in the future.]
Just by appending such a one-liner, the previous contract becomes trash in an instant.
Moreover.
‘That Earthling seems to think he can just give up the first sacrificial target if things go wrong.’
I sat down and pondered further.
‘Based on his behavior during the Kagoshima raid and yesterday’s mercy, it seems similar. Has his tendency relaxed ever since securing a backup sacrificial target from China?’
Then the answer came quickly.
It seemed a negotiation for nullifying the Enhancement Heart-related contract must be fully discussed with the interested parties.
Contract nullification. Contract nullification.
Of course, to realize this plan, Kang Chang-ho would need to prepare a powerful compensation that would make him abandon his initial goal.
Money. Power. Moreover, even in aspects of trivial desires such as human relationships, recognition, and belonging, there seemed to be no sign of disappointment from a social outsider.
Rather than waste on futile attempts, it would be better to prepare the gift he had desired from the beginning.
‘If it were something that could replace this piece of meat with potential for postnatal growth…’
By the way, both [Dragon’s Eye] and the aim for Kim Gi-ryeo’s life reflect this.
Kang Chang-ho, that guy, seems oddly interested in methods that fundamentally enhance internal magic power.
Is it that he feels some complex due to having lower mana than other S-Class?
‘Hmm. Personally, it doesn’t seem necessary.’
Amidst my thoughts.
Ding dong, ding dong.
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, there was knocking and ringing at the door.
But before those sounds even reached my ears, I had already turned my gaze toward the entrance a half-beat early.
The primitive mages of this planet were clumsy at hiding their presence, especially those high-ranked hunters dispersed their existence all around without assistance.
Ding dong, ding…
Just as the doorbell rang again.
I opened the tightly shut front door without asking the usual question of who it was.
“Uh?”
“It’s not a day for class today, so what brings you here?”
The Awakened standing in the hallway seemed startled for a moment. But he quickly settled his expression and continued the chat calmly.
“Greetings, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter. As I informed you this morning, I had personal matters to discuss. I apologize if this is an inconvenience.”
The visitor was the famous National Hero.
However, turning my gaze revealed an unfamiliar mage standing awkwardly beside him.
“Ah! Hello…”
An awkward greeting from the nameless man.
As the National Hero just mentioned, he already confirmed my exact address via text message a few hours prior, so what could be the reason for bringing along a seemingly B-Class mage?
“Yes. Hello. Shall we come inside first? It’s hot outside.”
I pushed open the door wider, holding the doorknob.
Buzz buzz buzz…
In the distance, the sound of summer cicadas wafted faintly.
*
Beep.
The landlord activated the air conditioning unit that had been turned off.
By the time the cool air began to clear the stuffy ambiance,
Gi-ryeo finally understood the visitors’ purpose.
“I’ve applied the skill with this. I treated the wounds as much as I am able… surprisingly, the injuries have regenerated quite a lot, so I don’t think there’s a need to see you again? Your condition is fine enough to heal completely with a low-grade medicine. Thank goodness.”
The appraiser, who had stepped into a mutated gate dubbed the [Six-foot Corridor], had returned with his body riddled with holes.
To a third party’s eyes, the injuries he had suffered didn’t seem solvable by just a potion or two.
That’s why, worried about those deep gashes likely to trouble him for days, the hero ultimately brought a recovery specialist from the guild along.
‘Well, the magic cast is better in terms of stability than a potion.’
There was a reason for bringing the mage instead of just gifting potions.
Recovery-related drugs usually experience diminishing efficiency when consumed in large doses within a short time. This phenomenon wasn’t special to the Alphauri either, and it was often referred to as the threshold.
And a creature that continued to take the medicine after hitting that threshold would invariably meet a horrifying end.
‘The pharmacologists from Earth aren’t foolish. Have they completed research on recovery medicine properties already?’
Healing spells enjoy a relative freedom from the tolerance issue.
Since the person must cast magic individually, it possesses weaknesses unlike potions, and the healing arts here, being a very pure and primitive form, distinctly differ from the Alphauri’s body regeneration magic.
Once Gi-ryeo organized his thoughts, he stood up and brought out tea.
“Oh, thank you.”
“Wow~ Is this green tea? The aroma is wonderful.”
The fine tea was served to the guests.
Fidgeting, the National Hero, holding the teacup, seemed to want to say something, but he finally opened his mouth after observing the atmosphere.
It was a light small talk before getting into the main topic.
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter, by the way, aside from this matter, I had something else to deliver to you later.”
“Delivery?”
“It’s called [Koi Medallion]… said to be good for enhancing stamina. The volume isn’t much, but it drops in decent quantities each time.”
In truth, what the Hero was genuinely curious about wasn’t this topic, but he deliberately avoided asking obvious questions.
Would it really be alright?
What production value would there be from rehearsing that kind of mechanical phrase?
The hunter with black hair swallowed those futile words internally a few times.
Right at this moment, the thoughts of some conversation that had taken place within a certain gate resurfaced.
During the sudden S-Class Gate conquest.
Enhancement Heart. Kim Gi-ryeo had tried to hide his injuries to avoid triggering the abstract time bomb that was his condition.
Thus, he made a point to every hunter present that even if I exit this place, never let it slip that I am injured.
The conquerors questioned what good it would do to conceal such a thing when healing from serious injuries and why he was fussing over it, to which Kim Gi-ryeo pondered his words to persuade the Earthlings and ultimately spoke up with a bright idea.
– “Hmm, let’s mimic Jeong Ha-seong?”
The unwavering top hunter, Jeong Ha-seong.
His stellar conduct had long been to conceal his negative states for the sake of reducing social disorder.
Hunting creatures with iron-like fangs and claws was a hunter’s job, so it was natural for people to get scratches.
The Hero never revealed a single minute crack even as he splashed hundreds of thousands of won worth of potions over himself.
“Just because Jeong Ha-seong did that, my actions aren’t strange, right?”
The Alphauri alien audaciously desired only the necessity of that excuse, invoking someone else’s efforts as a rationale.
And this left a substantial impact on the Hero himself.
Kim Gi-ryeo imitated me.
‘That person is also trying to avoid some confusion…’
Surely, he believed he acted right since gaining power, but hearing that someone mimicked him resulted in this unsettling feeling.
Slurp.
With green tea refreshing his throat, Ha-seong managed to continue speaking.
“This studio is probably just for the occasional work commute, but if you don’t mind me asking, where’s your main home? I’ll send the package there.”
However, as soon as the next line from his colleague came, the Fire Mage’s gaze began to flit nervously.
“What do you mean? I don’t have a house other than this one?”
