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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 60
After meeting with Fengyun, it was already night and the sun had set.
"I think I'll stay here tonight. Is that okay with you?"
"I even followed you to the tower, why wouldn't a hotel be okay?"
Baekya and Ryu Haneul headed to the hotel restaurant.
"Are you sure you're okay? The 3-night, 4-day workshop wasn't a lie, was it? Won't the guild be looking for you?"
"You don't know how amazing this junior of yours is."
"How amazing?"
"Well, to begin with, she was always quite free-spirited. S+ rank Hunters aren't that common, you know."
"That's true."
"Also, after I cleared the 51st floor and blocked a Rank 1 gate, I got a free pass to do whatever I want. The guild's image has improved so much."
"Right, I saw your video. The one where you were flying down with the instructors. It was awesome."
"Y-Y-You saw that?"
"Of course, I did. I watch all the videos of high-rankers."
"...I came because of you, senior."
"That sounds like you wouldn't have come if it wasn't for me. Did I teach you that way in the future?"
"Does it matter if you ask? You have no way to confirm it even if I lie. You'll believe whatever I say if you want to, and you won't if you don't want to."
"Ah, I haven't taught my disciple well. What will you do with your life?"
"Senior!"
After dinner, they went up to the 30th-floor hotel bar.
The authentic bar was cozy and inviting, with dim orange lighting and the soft accompaniment of live piano music.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window that took up an entire wall, the Busan night sea stretched out refreshingly.
"Glenmorangie X Signet. Two glasses."
Baekya ordered a strong drink out of habit.
"...Haneul. How old are you biologically right now?"
"18 years old."
He recalled Ryu Haneul's biological age standing next to him.
"...Please change one glass to a suitable non-alcoholic cocktail."
"Senior. Don't be ridiculous. I'm over a hundred years old too."
"If I admit that, I'll become too old."
"Then aren't you about 19 years old too, senior?"
"I'm 21. Or was it 22? Anyway."
The bartender showed no reaction to this strange conversation.
Even with a ring-shaped halo, it would be understandable, let alone an S-rank Hunter chosen by a Constellation.
It was best to wait patiently until the two came to a conclusion.
Baekya thought for a moment before making a decision.
"Two shots of a decent whiskey with mint soda or grapefruit soda, 500ml or more, please."
Ryu Haneul couldn't be satisfied with that, but she could at least accept it.
The two sat at the bar table and sipped their drinks.
"It's been a while since I've had Western liquor."
"You don't even drink much, so why did you say something ridiculous like that?"
"No. I usually drink Eastern liquor. My Constellation likes it."
Ryu Haneul pointed to the purple halo above his head.
Baekya laughed, showing his teeth.
"That's how it goes. I prefer evenings, but my Constellation always wants to go out when the sun is up."
In the Awakened society, conversations about each other's Constellations were only shared between very close relationships.
The contract with a Constellation was a sacred vow between the two, one that no one else could intrude upon.
Sharing stories didn't mean they influenced each other.
It simply meant they trusted each other completely.
The next morning, they received Blackstone's customer number and password. In the afternoon, they departed for Seoul.
A white yacht cut through the sea, leaving a trail of foam in its wake.
They planned to sail north along the west coast and enter Seoul through the Ara Waterway.
Since they had set off leisurely, the sun was already setting as they approached Seoul.
The sun dipped below the western horizon.
Baekya stood on the deck, gazing at the scene for a long time.
'It's done.'
The preparations were complete.
'The Winter Vanguard's Standard and the World-Reflecting Mirror have returned to their Legendary Artifact status. The Winter Vanguard's Standard... no, should I call it a vest? Anyway, it amplifies abilities and works well with Law of Light.'
The artifacts had regained their original power.
'With the addition of the "Mirror" that creates my own world, I can force any opponent into a one-on-one battle. That's enough. I may not achieve overwhelming victories like before, but at least I won't get beaten up anywhere.'
He could now enter the Tower again.
'51st floor, 52nd floor... and someday, the 99th floor!'
Just uttering the name inwardly stirred a myriad of emotions within him.
'Siyeol.'
His tongue moved from his lower front teeth to the roof of his mouth, forming a name that never touched anything.
'You were such a reliable presence by my side.'
He would reclaim that name.
He was his disciple, raised by him.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Huh?!"
He sensed someone nearby.
Baekya turned his head.
Ryu Haneul was standing there, his hand resting on the railing.
The last rays of sunlight fell on his face, as white as porcelain, and his long hair fluttered in the sea breeze.
"I've been standing next to you for a while, senior, but you never looked back."
His violet eyes, filled with inner light, held a hint of both mystery and eeriness.
They were the kind of eyes Baekya liked.
He answered concisely.
"The preparations are almost complete."
"Yes."
"Now, all I have to do is keep climbing."
"That's good to hear."
"Once I climb 7 or 8 floors, I should be able to handle a few Regressors easily. Around the 10th floor, I can announce Baekya's return. If I can surpass the 75th floor... from then on, I'll surpass my former glory days."
"Only good things await you."
"There's going to be a huge uproar. Those Regressors aren't ordinary folks, you know? They're all big shots who hold important positions in this country."
Baekya joked.
"I wonder how much Hong Ilha will try to hinder me every time I conquer the Tower and come out. He might even openly raid me."
Ryu Haneul asked, like a sly cat.
"What are you worried about?"
"I felt my limits during my solo climb on the 20th floor. I almost died, you know. That's when I thought, 'From now on, just raising disciples won't cut it.'"
"So that's why you became the Association President. And you met with a lot of politicians too."
"Exactly. After all, society needs to be stable for Awakened individuals to receive adequate support and systematic training."
"You're right."
"But the moment I step up in earnest... wouldn't the entire Hunter scene in this country be turned upside down?"
Ryu Haneul understood what Baekya was saying.
The Rookie's solo climb, the Returner's comeback, the nine Regressors, the history of Baekya's fall... none of it was trivial.
Whether it was revealed or not, it was sure to cause great turmoil in society.
A world where apartment prices were determined by whether a nearby school had a defensive barrier installed, where the Samjeong Group's mana stone power plant reduced winter electricity bills to 100 won increments, and where a Ranker's overseas trip led to a drop in the KOSPI index.
Chaos in the Hunter world meant chaos for all of South Korea.
"I'll admit what I need to admit. If you asked me whether the stability of this country was my goal or a means, it was a means. But as much as it was a means, I put a lot of effort into it. Now, it's become as important a value as conquering the Tower."
"Does it feel like you're breaking it with your own hands?"
Baekya didn't deny it.
"Yes."
The fragments of the sunset disappeared below the horizon, and the shadows cast on his face also vanished.
Only darkness remained.
Ryu Haneul tilted his head back and tied his hair, tangled by the sea breeze.
A few stray hairs stuck out from his slender, white nape.
"I don't understand any of it. To be honest, both my Constellation and I are closer to the evil alignment."
"Well, they don't call you the 'Heavenly Demon's Reincarnation' for nothing."
"But I made one promise. I can promise it a hundred times, a thousand times over."
The halo, symbolizing heaven and earth, glowed softly above Ryu Haneul's head.
"I'll go with you. Wherever you go."
Baekya finally burst into laughter.
"Thank you."
He looked at the Aitel Tower, which was Constellation to appear in the distance.
That tower made his heart race, just as it did 15 years ago.
'Yes. I need to know. What's on the higher floors.'
He turned to Ryu Haneul standing next to him and asked.
"Hey. But if you're here, who's driving?"
Ryu Haneul shrugged.
"No one?"
Baekya's face fell.
"What?"
"These days, all ships are GPS-operated. It's the same with airplanes; you just need to take care of takeoff and landing. Didn't you know?"
"Let's go inside right now."
"Hahaha."
* * *
"I'm back!"
"You're back?"
Hong Wolha went out to the entrance to greet his older brother who had returned after two days.
Ilha was wearing a vest he hadn't seen before, and it emanated a dazzling aura.
It was so intense that Wolha couldn't focus until a status window popped up.
The Heavenly Demon, who usually stuck to him like a shadow, was nowhere to be seen.
'Thank goodness.'
Wolha felt a strange sense of relief.
Ilha spoke slowly, as if talking about everyday matters.
"The exam date is out."
Ilha grinned.
"Think you can pass?"
Wolha was getting used to Ilha's casual speech patterns.
He sometimes wondered if Ilha had always talked like that.
"Yes."
Ilha entered the house and asked a question.
"In the Awakened Special Law, what is the justification for the mandatory mobilization of Awakened individuals in the event of a gate outbreak?"
"It's based on the constitutional clause stating that all citizens have the duty of national defense. Awakened individuals fulfill their military service obligation not through regular military service but by complying with mobilization orders during gate outbreaks or other Aitel system-related incidents."
"Under the Awakened Registration Act, what is the justification for registering Heroic-grade or higher artifacts?"
"It's the same principle as requiring a permit to possess swords!"
Wolha answered without any hesitation.
It was the kind of speed only someone who had memorized everything perfectly could achieve.
Ilha asked a few more questions and then smiled faintly.
"You'll really pass."
He then took out the 'Aesthetics of Reversal' ring from his inventory and handed it back.
"Here. They inscribed a simple protection spell on it. It's Common-grade, but it's still an artifact now, so take good care of it."
【Aesthetics of Reversal (Heroic)】
【Reflects 100% of all attacks C+ grade or lower (physical, magical, mental, etc.) and 90% of all attacks B+ grade or lower.】
Wolha suppressed the question that rose to his throat, 'Common-grade?'
He believed Ilha would tell him someday.
"I'm going to wash up and sleep. I'm a bit tired, so I might sleep in. Eat breakfast first tomorrow morning."
Ilha went into his room.
As he opened the door, a flicker of green light seemed to flash on his right hand.
* * *
When I came to, I was standing in the middle of a dreamlike forest.
Trees grew tall, reaching for the sky, and tens of thousands of fireflies flitted about, emitting a soft glow.
"Ah."
At that moment, I realized I was dreaming.
It went according to plan.
I had lured the curse to transfer, and it seemed to have worked.
I stepped on the pleasantly rustling fallen leaves and walked towards an open space in the middle of the forest.
There, where an unusually large number of fireflies gathered, he stood.
The swordsman, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora and a stylish coat.
Unlike when I saw him at the Ghost Princess's castle, the front buttons of his coat were undone, revealing a bondage-style outfit full of black leather straps and silver rings.
A wry smile formed on my face.
"I thought you were just some hidden asset of a guild or a large corporation."
That bondage-style outfit was the symbol of the Black Star Cluster.
Individuals favored by a Constellation that humans couldn't and shouldn't try to understand, wielding terrifying powers.
The swordsman replied in an androgynous, mechanical voice.
"I also thought you were a secret rookie from some guild."
The light from the fireflies was an eerie green, but my surroundings were filled with a warm, candle-like color.
I looked at my sleeves and saw no handkerchief.
I looked down at a small puddle.
Above my head, a holy crimson crown shone brilliantly.
"...."
"To think you'd dispel that curse. What a shame. If I had control over him, I could have moved freely throughout Northeast Asia."
"I can't allow that. Do you know how hard I've worked to protect this country?"
"The old you could have protected it."
The swordsman stretched out his hand.
Shweeeak! Shweeeak! Shweeeak!
Three green ghosts flew towards me, their mouths wide open.
It was 'Gwi Ryeong Tan' (Ghost Spirit Shot), a signature technique of Hunters who wielded spiritual energy.
I channeled mana into the ring on my left index finger and blocked it.
【Aesthetics of Distortion (Heroic)】
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A force field that distorted space in a strange way flickered, and the Ghost Spirit Shots slid along its curved surface.
The swordsman clicked his tongue.
"Don't think you'll die easily. You'll pay for hindering us all this time."
Tssssss...!
Suddenly, the entire forest seemed to writhe as if it were alive.
Countless branches and fireflies seemed to be glaring at me.
"Why don't you tell me what kind of damn plan you're cooking up this time."
I channeled mana into the 'Winter Vanguard's Standard' and replied.
"Who knows? Maybe I'll kill you painlessly."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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