Chapter 45

I suddenly remembered what Sanna had said to Ian.

-Saintess Casilla has become a Demonkin. Ian-nim. Please, treat her…

At the same time, a thought occurred to me.

It would be impossible with Yang Won-hoon’s half-baked Divinity. But wouldn’t it be possible for Ian?

So, if I just have one more dream…

I shook my head abruptly.

What am I thinking right now?

This is the biggest reason to be wary of Demons.

Their ability to beguile.

They constantly spin tales that would tempt any Awakener: that you can become stronger than you are now if you join our side, that your capped Potential Rank will rise, that there’s no need to worry about being found out.

I think I finally understand what that means.

He’ll hand over the entire Black Market if he becomes human?

Because I was holding the answer key named Ian, I was almost taken in for a moment.

“Will you tell me now? How you were so sure that Byeon Hui-yong was a Demon.”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Well…”

Yang Won-hoon let out a breath, a troubled look on his face.

“I was certain that you, Mr. Choi Gi-woong, were conducting research similar to mine. Of course, I didn’t think you’d manifested this kind of power.”

“……”

“Oh. Was I wrong?”

“Yes. You were.”

“Phew. I guess I got ahead of myself. But it doesn’t matter. My research is almost complete.”

His voice was filled with conviction.

“It’s understandable that you’d think I’m strange. Haha.”

He scratched his head and continued.

“Let’s meet again sometime. You’ll understand what I was talking about then.”

“?”

“I’m not lying. Not about becoming human, and not about handing over the Black Market.”

Those were his last words.

Kwang!

The door burst open as if it had been smashed.

It was Head of department Kim Yoon-joong.

He strode in without hesitation and checked my condition first.

Signaling that I was fine, I slowly got up and said,

“It’s true.”

At my words, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s face crumpled mercilessly.

It was understandable.

Even if he was a criminal, for a precious S-Rank Awakener to have become a Demon…

“Mr. Yang Won-hoon. We’ve received a tip. You’ll have to come with us.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong was an A-Rank, and I was a B-Rank.

A single gesture from Yang Won-hoon would send our heads flying.

That’s why I had even asked for help from Chairman Poong Taeseok of Daehyeon Group beforehand.

But there was no need for that.

Yang Won-hoon readily nodded his head.

“Let’s go.”

The enjoyable Party came to an end in an instant.

People were leaving their seats amidst the chaotic atmosphere.

In their place, the Association’s forensics team took over. The mood was hectic in many ways as they tried to identify everything from where Yang Won-hoon had sat, to the tableware he used, to his path of movement.

“It’s positive.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong came closer and handed me the results.

“It’s the end of the world. Tsk. This leaves no room for negotiation.”

“Will Yang Won-hoon be killed immediately?”

“Normally, that’s what should happen, but with an S-Rank, the process gets a bit complicated.”

“The damage would be immense, right?”

“Yeah. It’s the same even if the Association President steps in himself. If we’re going to kill him, we have to take him to Jeju Island to do it.”

“Then the Black Market…”

“The leader is a Demon, so how would his underlings be any different? We have to assume they’re all in it together and screw them all over.”

It was nothing new.

In fact, everyone had expected this would happen.

It was also an unparalleled opportunity to rack up achievements.

Nodding, I told him exactly what I had heard from Yang Won-hoon.

After hearing everything, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s face turned bizarre.

“What kind of nonsense is that. A Demon what? Becomes human?”

Even so, he glanced at me furtively.

“Don’t tell me you were tempted by that bastard?”

“……”

“Wh-what. Why aren’t you answering?”

“What if, by some chance, Yang Won-hoon becomes human.”

“That won’t happen.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong cut me off.

“You think we haven’t tried something like that? That experiment was abandoned a long time ago. More than one or two guys turned into Demons while messing around trying to make them human.”

“I’m just saying, what if.”

“There’s no ‘what if’ about it, but even if it were possible.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong shook his head firmly.

“You can’t trust a word a Demon says.”

In a corner of the hotel, two people sat crouched, quietly watching Choi Gi-woong.

“What a mess. What’s the situation right now? Why did Association employees suddenly raid the place?”

“I don’t know. Whatever it is, it doesn’t look good.”

“‘I don’t know’? Hey. When the CEO asks, you should try to find out, not just say ‘I don’t know.’”

“The food here was delicious. What a shame.”

“…Never mind. Let’s not even talk. More importantly, shouldn’t we try to talk to Choi Gi-woong?”

“In that atmosphere?”

“We can at least try to talk to him. And do a little PR for our side while we’re at it.”

“It’s not that, but do you think he’d even give us the time of day?”

The employee gestured toward Choi Gi-woong with his chin. The CEO turned his gaze and let out a sharp breath.

“Is that Poong Taeseok right now? Is Poong Taeseok holding Choi Gi-woong’s hand?”

“It looks like he’s saying, ‘Thank you, you’ve saved my pride.’ I’m just guessing from his lip movements, so I’m not sure.”

“Whoa, damn. Then what. Executive Director Bae Hyeon-jo, Chairman Lee Jeong-hwan, and now Poong Taeseok… Choi Gi-woong? Where the hell did he come from? What, is he the Association President’s son or something?”

“Nah. Even Association President Yeo Ju-kyung doesn’t have that kind of vibe. Unless she’s just crushing people with power.”

“…Hey. Don’t you smell something here?”

“It stinks, alright.”

“Don’t you have any brilliant ideas to get in on that?”

The CEO said urgently.

“So… should we give him some weapons? Or maybe give him a deal on some Skill Books?”

“A deal, not for free?”

“Hey! We have our pride.”

“What pride is there in running a neighborhood corner store? Besides, giving him something mediocre won’t have any effect.”

“Who doesn’t like free stuff? What do you mean it won’t have an effect!”

“Didn’t you just hear? The Dungeon regulations that even Poong Taeseok couldn’t solve were lifted with a single word from Choi Gi-woong. And he didn’t even make a big deal out of it. What do you think that means?”

“…That it was no big deal for Choi Gi-woong?”

“Giving a mediocre weapon or Skill Book to a person like that will just get you a lukewarm response.”

“How do you know what I’d give! I’m a man who goes all out when I need to!”

“Even so, it’d be B-Rank, A-Rank at best, I bet.”

“……”

“Let’s not do that and go all out with an S-Rank. CEO.”

“S-Rank? I have an S-Rank… Hey, hey! No way. Absolutely not! Do you know how hard I worked to get that…”

“How are you going to become a first-rate company with such little nerve?”

“Instead of that, listen. We’ll distribute a ton of B-Rank Skill Books to the Association in Choi Gi-woong’s name. Then Choi Gi-woong will.”

“Later, he’ll probably say. ‘This place? Ah, they’re the ones who saddled me with a bunch of useless B-Rank Skill Books. I don’t need to pay them any mind.’”

“It’s better than giving nothing.”

“It might be different for other people, but I bet there are a lot of people trying to put Choi Gi-woong in their debt right now.”

“Damn it, then what do you want me to do!”

“If you’re going to give something, give something substantial. Enough that he won’t feel awkward asking for a difficult favor.”

“Even so, I can’t do that!”

“Sigh. What’s the point of having a Skill Book you can’t even break the Seal on? You should use it to make an impression at a time like this.”

“You don’t know this, but the Seal is almost broken now.”

“You mean the title you barely managed to decipher after paying an Oracle three billion won? Wow, amazing. Well done, CEO. As if our little corner store wasn’t broke enough, you go and throw three billion won into the air.”

“……”

“Instead of that, just trust me and go all out.”

The employee said insinuatingly.

“I’m telling you, Choi Gi-woong won’t just accept it for free. CEO. We’re in a tight spot. We could go bankrupt at any moment, are you just going to sit around like this?”

“Haa. This is driving me crazy. Fine. But let me think about it a little more.”

“Go ahead and think about it until after you’ve gone bankrupt and I’m unemployed.”

“Are you going to keep being sarcastic?! I said I’ll think about it!”

“Go ahead and think. By the way, what kind of Skill was it again?”

“Why.”

“Because they said Choi Gi-woong is a magic-type Hunter. It’ll be more effective if it’s in that category.”

“I told you I’m not giving it to him. And yes, it’s a magic type.”

“Don’t give it to him, then. But how can you be so sure when you only know the title?”

“Because the Skill Book’s name has ‘magic’ in it.”

“Really? What’s the name of the Skill Book?”

“Saint Dragorin Ian’s Advanced Magic Compendium (2)”

“Why is it so long?”

“Damn it, now I’m getting anxious! What if he refuses?”

Let’s put aside the complicated thoughts.

Whether a Demon can become human or not, I can’t trust Yang Won-hoon’s words, and even if I did, there’s no way to do it right now.

Ultimately, only Ian knows the answer.

So, for now, it’s right to do what I can.

First, I sent the Abraxas Heart to Wi Jeong-rak’s side.

He was ecstatic, saying the final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

Just in case, I even had him move it to a different location, not the underpass.

Anyway, he said the Elixir would be completed within a week, so my Mana naturally got resolved up to A-Rank.

The next important thing is Advanced Magic.

Damn it. This is also something that can only be resolved by having a Past Life Lucid Dream.

There is one other way.

I can fight with my life on the line, just like during the initiation with Jung Hye-in.

Until just a little while ago, I thought the cart was before the horse, but my mind is gradually leaning that way.

Ares’s magic alone showed me how incredible Advanced Magic is.

So, I’m going to try an experiment.

To see if it works even if I create a fake crisis.

Thwack!

“St-stop!”

Stop what?

I ignored him and planted my fist in Kim Soo-gyeom’s stomach.

“Keoheok!”

Kim Soo-gyeom’s eyes flew open as he collapsed.

In that moment, my sensory signals blared a red alert.

I spun around quickly. An arrow grazed past my body, a half-beat too late.

Looking in the direction it came from, Choi Soo-jung is gasping with wide, rabbit-like eyes.

[Spatial Leap]

As soon as gravity swallowed me, my body arrived in front of Choi Soo-jung.

I kicked her in the side just like that.

Kudangtang, Choi Soo-jung was sent flying, rolling on the ground several times.

With good timing, Lee Won-sik ran over with his shield raised.

[Binding]

As if the brakes were slammed, Lee Won-sik’s body came to a dead stop.

I opened my palm. I don’t use it often, but it’s one of the martial arts used in the Eastern Mage Tower.

The instant my palm touched the shield, I unleashed my Mana.

Crack!

The lump of iron crumpled like paper and caved inward. All the way to the solar plexus of Lee Won-sik, who had been standing his ground.

Jjeojeojeong-!

“I controlled my strength just enough to barely win, so why are you acting like it hurts so much?”

The kids who had been on the ground shot back up.

“Th-that wasn’t your full strength?”

“If it was my full strength, you’d all be dead by now.”

I had intentionally controlled my strength to D-Rank.

I didn’t even use long-range attacks, afraid they’d call me cheap.

“I told you guys to come at me with all you’ve got. Why are your attacks so clumsy?”

“B-but what if you really die, Oppa!”

“……”

“Oh. I mean, that won’t happen, right?”

“It won’t.”

“But it’s strange. For some reason, when I try to attack you, Oppa, my body just doesn’t move right.”

Kim Soo-gyeom and Lee Won-sik also nodded with embarrassed faces.

Fortunately, that’s a problem that will be solved soon enough.

“That’s something that will naturally be fixed after you get hit a lot.”

“H-how much?”

I answered with a smile.

“An uncountable number of times.”

During the two years Ian went around Training, he killed people ad nauseam.

Not in a world with only fake Skills like this one, but in a place teeming with masters who only used real Mana.

That was engraved into my Soul.

Anyway, for my experiment to have any meaning, they need to attack me with all their might, with the intent to kill.

Hwoong! Hwoong!

Outside the private training ground, I can see people training hard.

If it’s those people.

I led the kids outside.

“What’s important is the concentration of power.”

“Concentration of power…!”

“S-Rank Awakeners are no exception. When you move your body, an opening is created. Even when you use a Skill, an opening is created.”

“An opening!”

“To fight efficiently, you have to aim for that opening.”

Kim Soo-gyeom shot his hand up.

“Then does that mean we should always wait for an attack and then counter?”

“No. Attacking first is more advantageous.”

“Why is that?”

“Because combat is designed to make it easier for the attacker to find openings than the defender.”

“Aah…”

From then on, the explanation continued.

“Keoheok!”

“Ugh!”

“W-wait a minute!”

Of course, it was accompanied by practical application.

I conducted all of this in the main Training Arena so that other people could see and hear.

The effect was indeed fast.

At first, the people from other teams, who had been paying little to no attention, started to glance over.

By the time the fifth practical session was underway, someone had taken a seat.

Since they weren’t on the same team, they were far off to the side.

When the kids collapsed for the seventh time, that number had grown to ten.

They would nod at my words, then look surprised. Then, watching the kids get hit and fall, they’d make faces that screamed with envy.

By this point, it was about time for a reaction.

Sure enough, one of the hesitant agents cautiously approached.

“Squad Leader Choi. I’m sorry to bother you, but could you teach me a thing or two as well?”