abcnovels
Chapter 41
Chapter 41
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 41
[Na Jeongwon: Everyone, gather around.]
[Na Jeongwon: We have something to discuss.]
[Lee Eunwoo: Come to think of it, there's less than a week left.]
[Lee Eunwoo: A Rank 2 Gate. Right in the heart of Seoul.]
[Lee Eunwoo: To think we'll be facing it without Baekya.]
[Cheong Siyeol: Don’t get too worked up over something that’s already happened.]
[Cheong Siyeol: It was bound to happen eventually.]
[Cheong Siyeol: The Azure Sky Sword Sect can mobilize on its own. We’ll have our guild members on standby.]
[Lee Eunwoo: I'll do my best too. My leadership isn't being questioned yet.]
[Na Jeongwon: Why hasn't Lee Baejeong said a word?]
[Na Jeongwon: We need the Gate Management Department's help if we want to naturally prevent the upcoming disasters.]
[Lee Baejeong: I was in a meeting.]
[Lee Baejeong: Unlike you all, I have a job. And I even pay taxes.]
[Lee Baejeong: I've submitted a proposal internally, but since I'm with the Awakened Support Agency, not the Gate Management Department, I'm not sure how effective it will be.]
[Lee Baejeong: Still, I've sent official letters to the Holy Church, the Magic Tower, and other large guilds affiliated with major corporations, so those guys won't be slacking off.]
[Lee Baejeong: I've also spread rumors that a high-ranked gate is about to open, using a 'reliable but unidentified source'.]
[Lee Baejeong: Come to think of it, this will be the first high-ranked gate we face without Baekya.]
[Lee Eunwoo: He must be grinning from ear to ear, right?]
[Lee Eunwoo: Hoping we fail?]
[Lee Baejeong: That's not possible.]
[Lee Baejeong: He simply wants everyone to realize how precarious our world is.]
[Na Jeongwon: Both of you, stop it.]
[Na Jeongwon: We've fought him before, we know the story. Don't assign any strange meanings to it.]
[Na Jeongwon: End it as soon as it opens.]
[Cheong Siyeol: Let's wrap up this topic here.]
[Cheong Siyeol: What have we learned about Baekya's location?]
[Cheong Siyeol: I’m asking you, Lee Eunwoo.]
[Lee Eunwoo: You didn't actually expect an answer, did you?]
[Lee Eunwoo: According to the Iron Blood Legion's tracking, he's somewhere on planet Earth.]
[Lee Eunwoo: LOL]
[Lee Baejeong: Ryu Haneul is protecting him so thoroughly that it's been impossible to track him down.]
[Lee Baejeong: Now that he's under the Sun-Moon Divine Sect's protection, a full-scale surprise attack like last time is impossible.]
[Joo Suhyeok: No. It's possible.]
[Lee Baejeong: You only show up for these discussions, don't you?]
[Lee Baejeong: I'll say it again.]
[Lee Baejeong: It's impossible.]
[Lee Baejeong: As Mr. Pistol has stated multiple times, we cannot provide any justification for Baekya's death at this point in time.]
[Lee Baejeong: Remember how much effort we put into controlling information during the last surprise attack.]
[Lee Baejeong: If we're going to catch him, it has to be within a legal framework. For example, if the Sun-Moon Divine Sect doesn't participate in this raid, we can hold their high-ranking officials accountable and summon them to the Management Bureau.]
[Lee Baejeong: Do you understand?]
[Joo Suhyeok: Enough with the seriousness.]
[Joo Suhyeok: I get it.]
[Joo Suhyeok: Let's say we leave Ryu Haneul alone. What about Choi Gimin?]
[Lee Baejeong: That son of a...]
[Lee Baejeong: We can kill him.]
[Lee Baejeong: It's legal.]
* * *
On a peaceful grassy field on the 33rd floor of the Tower—
I listened to Ryu Haneul's reply while lying down with my head on his lap.
"I know it's different from back then, but it still feels ominous. I'm sorry. I already said I'd follow you no matter what path you take. But I... hope you won't take that path."
He was more concerned about the fact that he was saying this to me, rather than whether I used ghosts or not.
I was 'The Sun' Baekya.
No one dared to try to understand my heart.
So those who, like Ryu Haneul now, tried to truly understand me, with gentle persistence...
They always managed to touch my heart.
I chuckled softly.
I reached out and playfully ruffled his black hair that fell around my face like a curtain.
"Really? Then should I not use it?"
"Huh?"
"You're worried, right? You're worried about me, aren't you?"
"...Yes."
"Then I should listen. Not many people have worried about me."
Ryu Haneul's face brightened visibly.
His stiff expression softened.
"Thank you, senior."
Just then, my Constellation shouted in my ear.
?“What kind of ridiculousness is this?”?
?“Did you take a blow to the head or something? Do you have any idea what could save your life if you find yourself in a similar situation again?”?
?“Enough with the sentimental nonsense. Get back to raising your undead army. I want to see it in action.”?
I couldn't argue with her.
To be honest, my Constellation was absolutely right.
Then Ryu Haneul spoke first.
It seemed he realized I was caught between my Constellation and him.
"Then, senior, how about this?"
"What?"
"You said you'd declare your return once you regain your strength, right?"
"That's right."
"How about you only use it until then?"
?“That's not a bad idea.”?
?“I'd like to tell you to keep using it, but since you're so fond of this kid, I'll compromise this much.”?
?Your Constellation 'Sunny' relents slightly.?
?“But remember, now that you have an army at your command, if you recklessly charge into battle headfirst, I won't hesitate to speak up. I've witnessed that far too many times.”?
It was an excellent compromise.
I hadn't planned on using it for long anyway.
Summoning didn't quite fit my combat style, and the Scepter was originally a Heroic-grade artifact.
It wasn't weak, but my main equipment was all Legendary or Mythical grade.
They weren't weapons meant for the front lines of the Tower.
I could use it until I declared the return of Baekya, and then gift it to a suitable swordsman or necromancer Hunter.
"Alright. Let's do that."
I got up from his lap and spoke.
Once I had decided to use it, I needed to master it.
I planned to hunt another monster and possess it right away.
The forest where monsters respawned was nearby, so there was no need to wait or travel far.
As I approached the forest, there was an immediate response.
A Mokin, a monster that looked like a mix of a human and a tree, revealed its grotesque body and charged at me.
["Imjohwasanggoryeongcheunyeongjujeonjangsaeng!"]
From its shriveled mouth, a maddening psychic energy blast shot out.
["Gal (Halt)!"]
But an even stronger psychic energy burst from behind me, countering the attack.
It was Ryu Haneul, his purple circular and square halo glowing above his head, who had shouted.
I sometimes forgot because he always smiled shyly in front of me, but he was the Heavenly Demon.
"Kee, keeek! Keekeekeeek!"
The Mokin stiffened and collapsed on the ground.
I used Appraisal to check its status.
?Status Effect: Suppression?
?Status Effect: Ten Thousand Devils' Anguish?
?Status Effect: Confusion?
The Mokin was completely overwhelmed, unable to put up any sort of fight.
"Si— no. Haneul, thank you."
I expressed my gratitude, my voice slightly strained.
The familiar name lingered on the tip of my tongue before fading away, leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
A sense of embarrassment and self-reproach washed over me.
Ryu Haneul raised an eyebrow theatrically and asked—
"Did I hear you wrong?"
"No. I... I misspoke."
"Well, since a senior can never be wrong, I must have misheard. Let's just pretend it never happened."
"Agreed."
I took out the 'Ghost Princess's Scepter' from my inventory once again.
Ryu Haneul grabbed the Mokin and dragged it out of the other monsters' attack range.
"Let's start."
"Yes."
A few hours passed.
As a result, I learned several important facts.
And I was able to strategize on when and how to use these guys most effectively.
"If they're under the 'Confusion' status effect and have lost their sanity, or if they're severely injured, I can possess even living beings."
"The combat power of a possessed minion is boosted by the Ghost's power, making them even stronger than when they were alive."
"The number of Ghosts I can summon... it's substantial. It seems they'll keep coming as long as I have the mana to fuel them."
"Yes. It seems the Scepter summons other souls and turns them into your servants, senior. Once they pledge loyalty to the king, they become his subjects."
"I can use Law of Light instead of normal flames. It strengthens them momentarily, but the lifespan of the possessed body is drastically reduced."
The Ghost before me burned with a more intense orange glow than usual.
Just as I did when using Incineration Ray or the Standard's wide-area incineration, I infused the normal flames with the power of the Law of Light.
Since the Ghost was a spiritual entity sustained by my mana, manipulating its flames felt remarkably similar to controlling Incineration Ray.
In truth, Ghosts themselves weren't very useful.
In the battles I would face, even C-Rank monsters would be instantly slaughtered.
The key was possession.
The combat power of a possessed Ghost was greatly influenced by the possessed body.
In other words, the tougher the fight and the stronger the enemies, the more useful this ability becomes. All I need to do is take down a few foes and then turn their corpses into my undead soldiers.
That's why having the Ghosts at my disposal is such a valuable asset right now.
"But to truly rely on them as my main fighting force, I'd need to stockpile a bunch of B-rank monster corpses, wouldn't I?"
"Your inventory's only 300L at the moment, senior."
"Exactly. That's why I can't fully utilize them yet."
Their reactions to this realization were polar opposites.
"Such a relief."
?“Such a waste.”?
?Your constellation 'Sunny' is clearly frustrated.?
?“Let's focus on raising your ascension level and getting that 'Vast Cosmic Inventory' back as soon as possible.”?
I responded to Sunny's nagging in my mind.
If I regain enough power to get that back, I won't even need to rely on these pathetic ghosts.
* * *
"Why does it feel like I haven't been back in so long?"
"You've been coming home only at night lately. Leaving early in the morning too. It feels like it's been a while since I've even seen your face."
I was out for dinner with Wolha.
It wasn't because I particularly wanted to be nice to my younger brother, who was busy studying day and night.
Objectively speaking, he had a lot of leverage over me.
From the suspicious money, gold, and Mana Stones, to the downfall of Million Loans, and even the bloodshed at the mine.
On top of that, he mistakenly believes I'm a Black Hole contractor.
If he reports me, things could get pretty messy.
So, I figured a little culinary bribery with some premium beef might be a good investment in maintaining our sibling harmony.
As I said, it's not like I'm suddenly overflowing with brotherly affection for the kid who's practically living at his desk these days.
Definitely not.
"Two more servings of striploin, please."
"Right away, sir!"
We sizzled and devoured our way through a mountain of meat.
I made a point of asking Wolha plenty of questions, feigning interest in his life. You know, the usual stuff: dream job, travel aspirations, fantasy car...
The department he wanted to join after passing the exam, the places he wanted to travel before starting work, the car he wanted to own someday, and so on.
"The Awakened Support Agency. I want to help out the top-tier Hunters, like Baekya."
"Travel? Who has time for that? Though, I wouldn't mind seeing a tropical beach someday."
"A car? I haven't even thought about it. Hmm. I think Audis are cool."
I wasn't interested in his preferences, but this was how I should show interest to be an ideal older brother.
It would be good to make him imagine a bright future and have expectations from me.
That's all.
Really.
Just as we were both starting to feel comfortably full—
An Aitel notification popped up in my vision.
And its content was quite shocking.
?Guardian 'Ajax' has been activated.?
The guardian I had stationed at the warehouse started moving.
Someone had entered my warehouse.
?"Whoever it is, they've got some guts. Messing with the The Sun's warehouse."?
?Your constellation 'Sunny' mocks your opponent.?
?"But I bet the thief has an inventory artifact with a huge capacity, right? What do you think?"?
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]