noveldrama
Chapter 246
Chapter 246
Chapter 246
“If you don't forge a new weapon for me by the end of the second semester, you're dead meat!”
“Make sure you prepare mine, too.”
Bang!
Leaving behind threats, Luize and Sung-Ha left the room with a slam. But Se-Hoon didn’t even glance in their direction, gazing blankly at the ceiling while sprawled on the sofa.
Those guys... they've definitely changed.
It was clear the influence of the Three Dogs’ synesthetic mindscapes had made them more familiar with each other, making them more adept at coordinating together. On top of that, their individual skills had improved.
While it’s good that their growth has been hastened, the way their personalities are changing is a bit worrying...
Sighing heavily, Se-Hoon turned his head at the sound of a coffee cup being set on the table. Amir had taken a seat across from him and was casually swirling the coffee in his hand.
“I borrowed the kitchen for a bit.”
Seeing how relaxed Amir was, Se-Hoon was reminded of the Frost Dog. He sat up, curiously eyeing Amir.
“It looks like you've changed the most.”
Before, Amir was always tense and wary around him, but now, Amir was even lightly teasing him here and there.
Noticing Se-Hoon’s look of curiosity, Amir nodded in agreement.
“It feels weird to me, too. My mind tells me to stay nervous, but my heart feels at ease...”
“Is it uncomfortable?”
“Yes, a bit. It's like conflicting emotions keep clashing within me.”
“Hmm...”
Se-Hoon fell into thought. Should he find a way to clear the Three Dogs’ synesthetic mindscapes from them?
But he didn’t need to decide in the end, because Amir did for him.
“But, well, it’s not that bad, right?”
“Huh?”
Not understanding, Se-Hoon stared at Amir, who sipped his coffee.
“It's just that I'm not used to it yet, and it doesn’t feel entirely unpleasant. Also...” Trailing off, Amir put his cup down before looking straight at Se-Hoon. “Isn't this what you wanted?”
“...This is what I wanted?”
Se-Hoon was completely lost now.
“You said you envisioned those future images of us, right?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Then, our feelings towards you in that future... who could they have come from?”
“That would be... ah.”
Se-Hoon’s expression went rigid. He couldn't reveal the truth about the Three Dogs, so he had made a vague excuse. However, that had inadvertently led Amir to believe it was what Se-Hoon wanted from them.
Are the other two... thinking the same?
His face flushed. He belatedly realized he was being treated like a shy person who couldn’t express his desire to be close to others at his age.
Aggrieved, his face twitched. He wanted to explain himself, but Amir chuckled quietly, taking his reaction differently.
“There’s no need to be so embarrassed. Everyone has a side like that.”
“No, it's just that...”
“Anyway, since you seem fine with it, I think I’ll stick with this path.”
At the sight of Amir's expression, which made it clear any further explanation would sound like an excuse, Se-Hoon gave up with a deep sigh.
“Then don’t call me Se-Hoon anymore. Just call me ‘brother.’”
He wasn't thrilled about the misunderstanding, but he had to admit he felt more comfortable conversing with them now.
“Uh... calling you a brother all of a sudden is a bit...” Amir hesitated, looking awkward.
“Would you prefer ‘Master’?”
“Just give me some time to get used to it.”
Realizing it was a losing battle, Amir immediately adjusted his stance, making Se-Hoon chuckle just as he was about to sip his coffee.
“So, why did you stay behind?”
“Oh, I wanted to report and discuss a few things.”
Pulling some documents from his void pocket at his waist, Amir handed them to Se-Hoon.
“While you were sleeping, I met with the President and negotiated with him. We're currently recovering all of the hidden assets of the Dream Demon and the Pleasure District. Sixty percent has been reclaimed so far.”
“Hmm...”
“We're also investigating the customers and traitors who didn't visit the Pleasure District that day, based on information I've secured.”
It was difficult to believe they had made such progress in just three days. He knew that the information in the personal secretaries’ office would have been helpful, but there had to be another major factor at play.
“By President... you mean Wurgen?”
“Yes, that's correct.”
“I figured.”
Who could stop the head of UD Group when he was personally tearing things apart?
Reading the materials Amir prepared, Se-Hoon asked, “So, how much of a commission is he taking?”
“He said he isn’t taking any.”
“Seriously?”
Looking up in surprise, Se-Hoon sought confirmation.
“Yes. He claimed he was satisfied with just being able to expand his business. He also offered to assist us with storing or disposing of the assets as we wished.”
“I see...”
Se-Hoon smirked.
Looks like he’s walking on eggshells.
To Wurgen, the battle must have been an extremely embarrassing stain. Not because he hadn’t been able to have a proper fight, but because his own body part, which he'd lost long ago, had hindered him. To make matters worse, the body part was the one he had purposely not retrieved in order to understand the enemy’s intentions, but it only led to his current predicament.
“Was there anything else he offered?”
“Yes, there’s one more thing,” Amir confirmed, placing another void pocket onto the table. “Parts from the Single Numbers are in here. Most are damaged, but some are still usable, and he said we could use them as we like.”
Staring at the void pocket on the table, Se-Hoon frowned.
“Is... this all?”
“...Pardon?”
“Hold on.”
Placing his hand on his chest, Se-Hoon drew on the power of Boundaries and triggered a spell that Wurgen had embedded in his body.
Wooong-
As darkness mana seeped into his chest, a black circle appeared in front of him, from which a black skeletal finger emerged. Grabbing the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx he had recently reforged, Se-Hoon called out to Wurgen.
“Sir, can you hear me? Sir—”
“Quiet,” a soft voice said in his mind.
A moment later, he discovered that Wurgen’s eye, looking displeased, had suddenly appeared on the back of his hand.
“Sir, isn’t this a bit much?”
Not bothering with pleasantries, Se-Hoon expressed his disappointment and anger straightaway.
Faced with a sudden and unexpected complaint, Wurgen’s eye circled around until he spotted Amir.
“What’s his problem?”
“I gave him the settlement details, and he just...”
“...I see.”
Assessing the situation from Amir’s few words, Wurgen turned his gaze back to Se-Hoon.
“You think your share is insufficient?”
“Yes, it’s far too little.”
“Hmm... and here I was, thinking I was being considerate.”
With what he gave, Se-Hoon could purchase a major corporation by selling all of the hidden assets, and despite the damage to most of the Single Number parts, they still remained usable. Yet Se-Hoon still found it lacking?
“Honestly, money doesn’t mean much to me anymore. I can earn as much as I want if I put my mind to it.”
Before, his physical limitations and lack of resources made things difficult, but those problems no longer existed.
Looking at him with intrigue, Wurgen questioned, “So, you’re saying that the hidden assets mean nothing to you?”
“Yes. And even if I consider them, it’s still not enough.”
“I don’t understand how you find...”
“Your arm.”
Curtly cutting Wurgen off, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes and looked down at Wurgen’s eye.
“If one of your fingers is a Legendary item, then considering I helped you retrieve an entire arm of bones, don’t you think you should reward me more?”
“...”
“Here I was, thinking you’d come to appreciate the value of your body after this incident...”
Wurgen’s eye twitched. Se-Hoon had intentionally made a pointed remark about the recent ordeal with Tuner.
What an arrogant brat...
In the past, he would have dragged Se-Hoon into the Netherworld right then and there and worked him to the bone, but things weren’t that simple anymore. Just as the recent incident had boosted UD Group’s stock, Se-Hoon’s value had also skyrocketed.
No, I can’t call him a brat anymore.
Although it was mostly due to Se-Hoon's advantage in terms of skill compatibility, he had still single-handedly taken down the Destroyer of Fragmentation, a monster capable of killing even Wurgen. And given the uncertainty of how the Demon Force would play their cards from now on, it was critical to maintain a peaceful relationship with Se-Hoon.
Quickly calculating his options, Wurgen frowned.
“Fine. What do you want? I’m quite busy nowadays, so spit it out.”
“Let me use the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx freely.”
It was an incredible item, but demanding legendary materials or a part of his soul every time he tried to use it was just too much.
Wurgen sighed deeply.
“You can do whatever you want with that. Anything else?”
“I’m certain there are more dangerous situations lying ahead. Do you have anything that could help me get through them?”
“...Wait.”
Wurgen closed his eye and faint waves soon emanated from the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx, as if a particular function had been unlocked.
Intrigued, Se-Hoon patiently watched. And not long later, Wurgen opened his eye again and explained, “I’ve made it so you can summon the Einherjer at any time. Use them if needed, but be cautious with the demon and beast-type soldiers. Summoning them comes with a heavy burden.”
“...”
Se-Hoon was completely shocked. The Einherjer were a force of elite undead, all comparable to S-rank, and were fighters who had proven themselves invaluable in the battle against the Destroyer of Fragmentation.
He’s being quite generous, alright.
Perhaps because he got caught trying to skimp on the rewards, Wurgen was going all out.
“Anything else? Speak up now and don’t come complaining later,” Wurgen briskly asked, scowling.
“Then...”
Hesitating, Se-Hoon glanced at Amir who had been watching in a daze before pulling out an item he had been storing in his Dream Storage.
Woong-
At the sight of the orb of ice with a crimson core, Amir’s eyes widened upon recognizing what it was.
“Is that...?”
“It’s the crystallized soul and blood of Zayed. I managed to save it at the last moment.”
“...”
Turning away from Amir, whose jaw had dropped in shock, Se-Hoon showed Zayed’s crystal to Wurgen.
“Please help me research a way to bring him back. This is my final condition.”
“Hmm...”
Wurgen closely examined the crystal.
“Do you really think it’s possible to bring him back?”
“I want to try. It’s not something I can give up on without even attempting.”
Recalling the Frost Dog’s plea, Se-Hoon was determined to do everything he could.
“Tsk... this last one is the most troublesome.”
Though Wurgen found the crystal itself fascinating, a failed attempt could earn Se-Hoon and Amir’s resentment, making it a risky endeavor. But on the flip side, what he could gain if he succeeded was likely to be substantial.
Well, I don’t want to throw him away after what I’ve seen these three days...
Weighing the pros and cons, Wurgen finally came to a decision.
“Fine. I guess it won’t hurt to try.”
“Thank you. I’ll send the crystal to you later.”
“Do as you wish. It’s work hours soon, so I’m going. If you need anything else, tell that guy over there.”
With their business done, the eye on Se-Hoon’s hand closed and disappeared. Then, once Se-Hoon confirmed Wurgen’s departure, he broke out into a grin of satisfaction.
That’s quite the haul from someone like Wurgen.
To have extracted that much from the president of the UD Group was practically a miracle. Meanwhile, as Se-Hoon mentally patted himself on the back, Amir seemed to have regained his senses.
“May I... may I hold it for a moment?” His voice was trembling.
“Of course.”
Reaching out with both hands, Amir carefully received Zayed’s crystal,
Woong—
He immediately knew that his Frost Alchemy could not replicate the intricate structure. The most remarkable aspect, however, was the warmth emanating from the ice-encased crystal.
“...”
Amir held the crystal gently, allowing the warmth to seep into his hands—as if Zayed himself were in there. Gazing into it, he fell into thought. Soon, his silver eyes began to glow and his Winter Sky Eyes revealed something he had never seen before.
A soft, clear spring sky, faint yet vivid, stretched out. Under it, Zayed was likely resting peacefully, awaiting the moment he would awaken.
Entranced by the scene, Amir soon closed his eyes.
I see.
For decades, his life had been devoted to revenge, and once he achieved it, he had become lost, unsure of his purpose. But when he saw the sky, Amir understood what he had to live for from now on.
Firstly, for Zayed, his cousin, who had sacrificed so much for him.
“Se-Hoon.”
And secondly...
“I swear with my heart that I will serve you as my brother for the rest of my life.”
...for the benefactor who had saved them both.
[The bond with ‘Amir Singh’ has grown to Lv.4.]
[Since the bond has grown to Lv.4, your Relationship with ‘Amir Singh’ can now be redefined as ‘Reverence’.]
[Relationship: Reverence]
[In life, the most important thing is finding a path based solely on one’s own standards. However, for someone who has always been wary of others and is confused by a contradictory world, such a path isn’t easy to come by. Yet, with a comrade’s help, dedication, and compassion, a guiding point can be established.
From that moment on, even if their future remains uncertain, they will harbor no regrets—for they’ve chosen to revere the one who has illuminated their path.
*A Fatestone is created each time the subject reveres the target.
*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases while the subject’s reverence is maintained.
* The probability of the subject’s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases with the deepening of the bond with the target.
*Currently created Fatestones: 1]
With the appearance of the notification messages before Se-Hoon, Amir bowed his head, expressing his gratitude. He seemed more at peace than when the Frost Dog claimed his revenge.
And that sight made Se-Hoon chuckle.
“Good.”
He had gained a loyal brother who would serve him for life today.