Chapter 319. Deep in the Night (5)
At the same time, the ranking 1st and 2nd are lost in thought.
“Goodness. No matter how many times I try, I keep getting these bug-like numbers!”
“Excuse me, teacher. Sorry for interjecting, but isn’t 33Aw at least good enough for a guinea pig?”
Of course, there was quite a gap between human imagination and reality.
Kim Gi-ryeo was currently in a situation where his level had been completely exposed somewhere in a side path of that cave.
However, since he was separately facing a strong opponent on the grassy area, there was no way for him to know what crisis his distant teammates were in.
‘If they voluntarily lift him up as the leader like that… the beast with the spear must be exceptionally strong among the S-Classes here.’
This was the moment when all the falsehoods and efforts built around the alien creatures began to work negatively.
Jeong Ha-seong and Esther didn’t actively think about rescuing him because they were unaware of the truth.
Perhaps they had been caught by the beast without fighting back. They speculated Kim Gi-ryeo might have a plan or thought it would be great if that blond Awakened could defeat the most troublesome enemy and come to their aid.
The hunters trusted the now-fallen wizard too much.
In this world, believing and hoping was even more important than mana, the ingredient of magic.
But with the core ingredient twisted like this, could a miracle still work properly during such times?
“This is really strange.”
“Huh?”
“My, when I first ran away, I healed my wounds with a potion. But now I’m getting hurt in real time—why are they rampaging like that… wait, what is this? A zombie?”
The situation was not good in many ways.
The foreigners wearing black leather began to adapt to the flames like monsters who seemed to be unaware of pain.
‘I can tell even without the [Emotion] ability. Both of them have maxed out their gear…!’
The enemy was adorned with secret items that various nations hadn’t even registered in the PIXY database due to their rarity and danger.
Thanks to starting at the right spot, the Fire Mage managed to hold the enemies at bay from a distance for a considerable time.
They even pushed the enemies back with an overwhelming attack.
However, in just a hundred seconds, the gap rapidly narrowed.
Driven by the fear for her own and her allies’ safety, Esther tried casting a curse to daze the enemy, but a moment came where the situation became increasingly unstable.
‘It’s really infuriating. My wounds keep increasing but why aren’t they getting tired?’
What was even more confusing was this ‘why?’ aspect.
Why are these creatures mimicking beasts even though they are human?
Why did they seize the Dungeon?
‘They’re really not monsters.’
Or why did they aggressively hunt the S-Classes of other countries, who were quietly living?
The motivation of those barbaric rogues remained unclear.
*
“…How did you end up in this situation?”
A few years ago.
“Brooklyn.”
Eastern America.
A quiet lunchtime.
“Hey, Brooklyn Morgan. We’ve teamed up now, so let’s not ignore each other like that.”
It was a time when even recalling the exact date was difficult.
To be precise, this was around the early founding days of the Spectrum Guild.
Korea was still at a time when Seo Esther was contemplating whether to name her Magic Tower or her guild as a Hall.
The Spectrum already had three famous S-Classes, including Italian immigrants.
But, as you can guess from a different perspective, having top-tier psychics working for a company was somewhat contradictory.
This was a time when monsters were already rampant on the streets, and one high-quality magic stone emitted energy comparable to a year’s worth of output from a nuclear power plant.
The late-blooming S-Class psychics were talented individuals who could relatively safely tackle high-risk A-Class gates, and they were all high-income earners.
They were so wealthy that adding a few high (高) characters wouldn’t be enough.
Moreover, the monsters that citizens were afraid of were, due to circumstances, mostly killable.
“Where exactly did we leave off?”
To put it metaphorically, S-Class Awakened were the only beings in a world without guns capable of acting as hunters.
They had obtained power, physical strength, and money all through the phenomenon of awakening.
But surely, would these humans want to place an absolute ruler above them?
“The reason I signed a contract with the Spectrum.”
Labor is generally a good way to fulfill the desire for self-realization.
However, despite that advantage, at least among the S-Classes here, they weren’t tied to work for healthy purposes.
“You were curious about the circumstances that got me into this company, right?”
“What? You were pretending not to listen while you heard everything.”
Thud.
A man with a somewhat bear-like build leaned against the wall.
He maintained a relaxed posture as he calmly continued the conversation.
“Actually, I’m….”
Brooklyn Morgan, for whatever reason you had a contract, let me make it clear that the reason you became part of the Spectrum Guild was.
“Servitude?”
“Yeah. To put it metaphorically, it’s like servitude. My family was robbed of the factory we operated a few years ago.”
“Hmm.”
“But ironically, that scammer was more adept. As a co-founder from the start, he had a complete understanding of the business and moved from a house with a roof misaligned to a luxurious mansion in Rome in just three years…”
“Oh, Rome. That place is nice.”
“Moreover, after making money, he travels with several $5,000 bodyguards and until the Dungeon Shock, he really lived like a king enjoying life.”
The somewhat warm-looking man laughs heartily.
“So I got sick of seeing that guy’s face, barged into his house, and blinded him with my thumbs, promising I’d come back to do it again no matter how many times I had to treat him with potions. I actually kept that promise. So one day, a successful businessman was found at the bottom of the lake.”
Brooklyn had briefly questioned that.
“Was that after your awakening?”
“Of course. Thanks to gaining supernatural powers, I suppressed all his bodyguards and finally confronted him.”
“That’s amazing. It’s unheard of that an S-Class immigrant welcomed by all Americans was the protagonist of such a vile assault.”
Of course, the man leaning against the wall smoothly continued talking, as if he had prepared in advance.
“The Spectrum promised me a clean cover-up so that this incident wouldn’t leak anywhere.”
Debt amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars obtained through fraud, the suffering of his family, and somewhat cruel revenge, etc.
“A stable supply of dungeon materials is a bonus.”
“Alcoholic.”
“Clearly, all the stress-inducing matters have ended, yet I’m still thirsty. Putting aside the buzz, I actually find most drinks really delicious. It’s one of life’s small joys.”
As a provocative topic that could tickle humanity’s interest flows, Brooklyn finally shows some curiosity towards the person at the window.
He had killed someone while taking revenge on the enemy who harmed his loved ones and ended up working under the Spectrum in exchange for covering up his crime. Wasn’t this storyline quite similar to someone else’s past?
Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling.
In a room where clear sunlight shines through the curtains.
A woman with golden bobbed hair is boiling water to brew black coffee.
Coincidentally, not too long after a recently nationalized Italian saw this, he suddenly spoke to her.
“Brooklyn.”
Now that I think about it, he realized.
It seems you have a scar on your neck.
“A scar?”
“It’s hard to check in the mirror. Plus, it’s not that big, so it didn’t catch my eye until now.”
If an Awakened who continuously used recovery skills had a mark, it was likely due to a misstep during the process, not because the wound was neglected.
“Should I erase that for you?”
The man, who had been comfortably stretching his legs against the nearby wall, calmly said.
“With just an anesthetic and a pair of scissors, it could be cleaned up again. I can do it while you drink your coffee. I might almost be an expert at this since I’ve done it on my own skin many times.”
At first, he had asked about her reasons for joining, but when he noticed the woman didn’t seem interested in answering, he smoothly switched the topic.
“Even though you’re the one with a scruffy beard and leg hair, you’re concerned about skin care?”
“Hahaha. That’s fashion! What? You really think that looks terrible?”
Soon, a cheerful laugh resonates.
Brown hair.
A similarly brown beard.
With heels on, standing as tall as Brooklyn yet almost double the bulk.
“Enzo.”
Enzo Chiano.
An S-Class Hunter from the Spectrum Guild.
To be honest, the one who had led the conversation until now couldn’t exactly be described as a perfect handsome man.
He was more like an Awakened with an average farmer image.
Yet surprisingly, this person had approached Brooklyn solely for strategic allure.
Just like everyone else, he had a certain charm, including a macho vibe.
Could the heart solely arise from appearance?
Originally, mammals tend to be more easily swayed by the warmth of someone rather than the cold sculpture of Michelangelo, so there shouldn’t be any problem.
‘So is the recovery ability of S-Classes indeed valuable?’
The administrator of the Spectrum had commanded Enzo, a member of the founding team.
Brooklyn. Try to become close with this transcendent new human soul in any way possible.
And if possible, aim for a special relationship.
Receiving this suggestion willingly, Enzo Chiano spun a story reminiscent of Brooklyn’s past and similarities before joining, aiming to evoke a sense of camaraderie.
‘They must really want to make sure they have him on their side, even using such a trite technique.’
There wasn’t a strong sense of mission behind this.
Nor was he succumbing to the words of the [Knight’s Pact] contract sponsors that would lose their meaning if they died anyway.
It was just a plan of mischievousness he thought would keep things interesting.
“I can tolerate your beard, but that leg hair is just not acceptable.”
“If I suddenly get clean, that would be even weirder. How about I shave it later and show you?”
“Unless you want to drink an ice Americano in a 30-ounce size, leave it alone.”
The seemingly simple American S-Class Hunter was, in fact, quite complex inside.
In simple terms, he was twisted.
In other words, strange.
Extremely fickle, helping others sometimes but rarely at a frequency that kept him far from being seen as virtuous.
Living as if he had chosen alcohol over cerebrospinal fluid, it’s no wonder that nothing of a person could be unscathed or unbroken.
“Anyway, Brooklyn. Sit down for a moment. I’ll clear up that scar on your neck.”
Enzo had, for some time, tried to win the favor of the strong as ordered by his supervisor.
He just always acted kindly.
The act of giving something to others was quite focus-worthy even in the middle of a terrible hangover, and indeed Brooklyn’s attitude began to soften daily.
So, did the American lightning-type Awakened achieve his purpose smoothly?
‘That was an easy game.’
This was Enzo Chiano’s thought at one point.
‘Hmm?’
Of course, this was a thought he had before Brooklyn Morgan’s thrust attack pierced his liver.
Shortly after that.
Enzo was now smiling broadly at the face of the healing magician, he confidently proposed to Brooklyn to join him in the upcoming year-end party.
‘Oh dear. It turns out there’s someone crazier than me in this world.’
This was because Brooklyn suddenly beat Enzo Chiano as if he were a dog thief trying to steal away his pet.
