Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 16
Wolha and I left for the Gate early in the morning.
It was the same place where Ilha and Wolha used to work together.
"It's this way."
"Should we take the bus?"
I stopped Wolha, who was heading towards the bus stop as if it were natural, and called a taxi right there.
"Hyung, you can't just spend money like this."
"Time is money, Wolha. Didn't you say that even an hour will be precious later on?"
I asked Wolha a question in the taxi.
"We just need to go there and stamp the papers, right?"
"Yeah, we're going to terminate our employment contracts."
"Terminate the contracts?"
"You know, that law Baekya-nim made in the past. The one that requires Gate mining companies to get a stamp from porters whenever they quit."
I had made so many laws that I couldn't quite remember.
Wolha looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you acting like you don't know? You worked there longer. You must have stamped the papers when I recovered and we switched companies, right?"
"Did we?"
"If they didn't get your signature, it's illegal, isn't it? Should we report them now and get a reward?"
The moment he mentioned a reward, his eyes lit up, and it was quite a sight to see.
"Forget it. It's all in the past."
I remembered.
When I was cracking down on those artifact scams, I added a clause to the Awakened Protection Act.
'Didn't we make it so that the company closes down if a porter dies?'
'We did?'
'So the mining company owners don't report porter deaths and just mark them as having quit on their own.'
'Wow, that's a new one.'
'What should we do about it?'
'Wouldn't it be enough to get their signature every time they quit?'
'Wouldn't everyone find it bothersome? And there's the actual issue of porters leaving without notice.'
'It's a matter of life and death.'
I knew that Ilha and Wolha were quite skilled and hardworking porters.
They wouldn't let them go easily.
That's what I thought the whole way there, and as expected, I was right.
A Gate that had opened near Namhansanseong Fortress.
[TL/N: Namhansanseong Fortress — is a historical fortress located in South Korea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.]
A mining company located on the second floor of a commercial building next to it.
In that place, which had an atmosphere somewhere between a labor recruitment office and a mercenary agency...
The tough-looking managers grumbled.
"Hey, you can't just disappear for weeks without saying anything and then suddenly quit like this."
"We assumed you'd both come back, of course. We even kept your spots open and took good care of your equipment."
"Come on, young people shouldn't act so disloyally. They say you should even seek out hardship when you're young. At least finish up today's work for us, huh?"
Things were getting messy.
Wolha spoke firmly, but the seasoned managers tried to brush it off with friendly smiles.
"We're quitting. Bring us the contract."
"Don't be like that, just think of it as earning some pocket money and help us out for today. We have to pay our dues to the guild, you know?"
Every time they smiled, the smell of cigarettes wafted from between their yellowed teeth.
I desperately suppressed the urge to test the synergy between the 'Ghost Princess's Handkerchief' tied tightly around my wrist and the 'Champion's Sword' sheathed on my back.
No.
Why am I even suppressing it?
Since things have turned out this way, should I just split the loudest one in half and then start the conversation again?
Wolha will calm down if I appease him a bit.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
As I reached for my back, the Gate outside the window caught my eye.
The Gate that had consumed the entire interior of the neighboring commercial building.
Come to think of it, I remember receiving a report about the Gate at Namhansanseong Fortress.
The raid was successful, the mining output was good, and the Golem mobs were non-aggressive, making them ideal for mining.
I distinctly remember them dropping artifacts related to the 'Hardening' skill.
Durability is a crucial factor for me in my current weakened state, especially since I don't have the overwhelming firepower I used to.
Didn't I almost get trampled to death by hooves just yesterday?
"..."
I looked at the fingers of the company executives, and they were all wearing rings that seemed to be defensive artifacts.
"Then I'll just go in and say goodbye to my former colleagues."
"Hyung!"
Wolha was shocked the moment I spoke.
His usually gentle expression hardened with worry.
Yeah, I understand.
He probably thinks his airheaded brother is about to get scammed again.
This time will be different.
"But I'll go in alone. And I'll stamp the papers as soon as I come out."
Alright, let's go hunt some Golems in secret.
* * *
The executives of 'Uri Mining,' the subcontractor in charge of managing the Namhansanseong Rank 3 Gate, had been in a state of chaos lately.
'Million Loans is completely bankrupt. Everyone's dead, and the building burned to the ground.'
'What happened to our boss?'
'They investigated the burnt jawbone found there, and it matches our boss's gold tooth perfectly.'
Their main job was as mining company executives, but their side hustle was as scammers, luring in porters for Million Loans.
Initially, the idea was to keep the porters in debt so they couldn't quit easily.
But as their relationship deepened, the commission they received for each person they sent increased.
'This month, we earned more from referral fees.'
The mining company's profit margin wasn't that high.
After paying rent to the guild that owned the Gate, daily wages to the porters, and taxes, there was nothing left.
Naturally, their eyes turned towards the side dish rather than the main course.
Before they knew it, they were more enthusiastic about their side hustle than their main job.
'This is a gold mine!'
'I didn't know those guys worked so hard.'
'Let's sell another artifact. Someone get a fake one quickly.'
That's how they caught Ilha and Wolha.
With a debt exceeding 800 million won, the brothers were supposed to work themselves to the bone, filling their pockets, and then die.
But something completely incomprehensible happened.
Million Loans went bankrupt, and their President died along with it.
In that situation, as if they had been waiting for it, Ilha and Wolha came to them, saying they wanted to quit.
They had many questions.
Did you pay off your debt to Million Loans?
What exactly happened to the President?
...Did you guys do something?
But as mining company executives who were officially unrelated to Million Loans, they couldn't ask those questions.
In their current predicament, the executives were simply grateful that the brothers wanted to leave, and even more so that one of them was willing to enter the Gate where there was no phone signal.
【Would you like to enter the cleared Gate 'Aringen's Abandoned Open-Pit Mine'?】
【Y/N】
Before it was cleared, this Gate was a rocky plateau filled with giant Golems.
Now that it has been cleared, most of the high-ranking mobs were gone, but even the F-Rank and E-Rank monsters roaming the field like remnants of a nightmare were fatal to porters.
The place where Mana Stones were abundant was at 12 o'clock from the entrance.
That was also where the porters worked.
Step.
But contrary to his words about greeting his former colleagues, Ilha headed in the opposite direction, towards 6 o'clock.
Of course, the executives welcomed this.
'Thank you.'
Even in this desolate and dimly lit Gate, it was hard to see each other if they were even a little bit apart.
There were also many towering rock pillars like those in the Tower, blocking sounds here and there.
No one would know what happened, even if something did.
Step.
Ilha continued walking.
He also looked around as if searching for someone.
Then…
General Manager Hwang, the longest-serving executive at Uri Mining and a C-Rank Awakened, called out to Ilha.
"Stop right there."
"What?"
A disrespectful, informal reply came back.
Ilha didn't even turn his body, just glanced back at them with a look of disillusionment and mockery that didn't suit him.
Feeling a subtle displeasure, General Manager Hwang pointed a finger and said—
"Why are you acting so awkwardly? Why are you here looking for your 'dear hyungs'? You know no one comes this way because there are still Golems left, right?"
"Oh, really? I didn't know that."
"And this punk keeps talking informally? Hey, how old are you?"
Age doesn't really matter. The concept of time was a bit different inside the Gate.
"Stop talking nonsense and come here, you brat. It's okay! We won't kill you! Just answer a few questions, and you can come back to work tomorrow."
The executives all laughed at the same time.
Cling.
General Manager Hwang drew a long sword from his waist.
Ilha raised an eyebrow, as if surprised.
"You're going with such a cliche?"
At that moment, General Manager Hwang suddenly thought that Ilha was taller than he remembered.
'What's this?'
Looking again, his features seemed much more defined, and his deep eyes held an indescribable charisma.
It reminded him of high-ranking Awakened chosen by Constellations.
Ilha reached for the scabbard at his waist.
[TL/N: Scabbard — a long, thin cover for a sword, dagger, knife, or similar edged weapon.]
His deliberate, slow movements made General Manager Hwang anxious.
"...Kid, put that sword down. You'll get hurt badly."
The other executives snickered.
"Hey! Come here and beg. General Manager Hwang is scary when he's angry."
"You're F-Rank! Idiot. What do you think you're doing against a C-Rank?"
"Do you think you suddenly have some hidden power or something? You bought an artifact and now you think the world is yours? We have artifacts too! Much better ones than yours."
But General Manager Hwang couldn't laugh.
'Could it be that sword and shield set…? Nah, it's a fake, just for looks. Even if it were real, an F-Rank like you stands no chance against a C-Rank like me. So what's with that look in your eyes?'
Looking at the longsword's blade tinged with a gray aura, his lips suddenly felt dry for some reason.
Hum. Hum. Hum. Hum.
And as the blade began to glow red like molten steel in a furnace, General Manager Hwang thought—
'Huh?'
—That something was going very, very wrong.
* * *
【Radiant Sword】
Baekya gripped the red-hot sword and accelerated.
Thump.
His first step was just a warning, but from the second step, his speed clearly increased, and from the third, he left long afterimages.
【Skill... is activated.】
【Title... is activated.】
Battle Maniac, Battle Healing, Slayer of Humans, Sword Unification...
Countless passive skills and titles activated, amplifying all of his Awakened stats by tens or even hundreds of times.
"This bastard really wants to fight!"
General Manager Hwang shouted, seemingly trying to suppress his fear with anger, and swung his sword.
Even with the vigorous vitality unique to Awakened, he couldn't completely offset the effects of his indulgent years, his belly protruding and his chin sagging. However, his swordsmanship still retained some of its former sharpness.
Swish!
The sword strike, swung in the shape of the number 4, aimed to tear Baekya's body apart.
In response, Baekya swung the Champion's Sword off-beat, interrupting General Manager Hwang's combo.
Clang!
With a dull metallic sound, General Manager Hwang stumbled back.
"What?!"
His eyes wavered as if he were having a nightmare.
There was a stat difference between an F-Rank and a C-Rank that no technique could overcome.
'Did he re-awaken or something?'
General Manager Hwang gritted his teeth at the incomprehensible phenomenon.
To him, Ilha was still just an F-Rank, after all.
The image of Ilha bowing and scraping to receive his daily wage resurfaced.
"You dare!"
General Manager Hwang let out an enraged shout and raised his sword once more.
Clang. Clang! Clatter!
'Not bad?'
Baekya thought as he parried General Manager Hwang's sword.
The president of this mining company, whom he had killed a few days ago, was a retired C+ rank magic-type Awakened. However, due to the aftereffects of his injuries, his reaction speed was incredibly slow.
'He's much better in close combat.'
General Manager Hwang parried the sword Baekya thrust towards his shoulder and dodged the kick aimed at the side of his knee.
Swish!
An upward slash, adapted from a Brazilian kick with a changing trajectory mid-swing...
Thump. Thud!
He skillfully blocked the attack, using both his sword and the ring, which seemed to enhance his defenses.
He parried the Champion's Sword with his ring-clad hand while simultaneously pushing and thrusting his own sword. It was quite a skillful move.
It was a counterattack technique that required not only skill but also guts and good equipment.
'If the ring is this good, the other artifacts the Golems drop must be good too. Let's quickly subdue him and go catch some Golems.'
Baekya let out a mocking laugh.
"So you dare!"
【Trait 'Radiant Laughter'】
"Ugh!"
General Manager Hwang's body stiffened as the trait activated.
【Ghost Princess's Handkerchief】
At that moment, he decided to test the artifact's function.
【Distortion Barrier】
Swoosh!
A sinister energy swirled around the red-hot sword.
The Champion's Sword flickered in-and-out of sight.
It was as if he had used 'Invisibility.'
"What the...?"
General Manager Hwang's pupils trembled.
Swish!
Baekya stepped forward like a gust of wind and swung his sword.
'What?!'
General Manager Hwang saw his left arm fly into the air, severed below the elbow.
"Manager!"
"This bastard!"
The other executives shouted in anger, drawing their weapons.
At that moment, General Manager Hwang saw Baekya's white, ring-shaped halo flicker.
Like a screen with static, a red light flashed between the frames.
He couldn't comprehend what was happening, but the truth was that the 'Distortion Barrier' had momentarily disrupted the illusion concealing Baekya's true halo.
'Re-awakening?'
General Manager Hwang tried to shout a warning.
The opponent was not the Ilha they knew.
The monster disguised as Ilha put on the Hardening ring and raised his sword.
"Now my body can finally handle it."
He muttered.
With a smile as if he had regained something precious that was once forgotten—
"Get him!"
Four executives charged at him simultaneously.
The man who was once Ilha smiled brightly.
The still-invisible sword swung like thunder and lightning.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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