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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 32: I Want To Buy Some Information (2)
A heavy atmosphere settled in the confined space. The insincere guy, who had been staring at me for a moment, quietly opened his mouth.
"What is the meaning of this?"
I ignored the insincere guy's words and first assessed the situation.
The insincere guy and the black mask were sitting in the center of the table, and behind them, people wearing white masks were lined up.
There was a single loaf of bread on the table, which didn't seem to fit, and a small mirror hung on the wall.
After roughly grasping the situation, I looked at the black mask and spoke again.
"It's hard to see your face. I want to buy some information."
The black mask finally looked at me.
"What's your intention?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you asking because you don't know?"
"Are you talking about the buffalo bastard?"
"It seems you're joking."
"...I'm confused. I just disciplined a buffalo-like guy who picked a fight with me. I didn't know you'd make such a fuss over this. Aren't the rules here different?"
I shrugged and asked back. Since they hadn't intervened in any fights that happened here before, they couldn't blame me now.
"By the way, I didn't know there was a place like this here. It doesn't seem like a place to enjoy the Dream of the Night. And it doesn't seem like a place to pick stars either. Is this perhaps a place where you have important conversations with people like me?"
The black mask started staring at me intently.
We met each other's gaze and checked each other's energy.
I couldn't tell for sure because only the eye part of the mask was open, but he was definitely above third-rate.
The black mask chuckled and opened his mouth.
"Interesting. You want to buy information?"
"Yes. It would be nice if you could give me a good price."
"Why are you so sure?"
I replied nonchalantly.
"The underground auction, no matter how important, wouldn't be this secretive. Plus, if I put together the actions you've shown me, the answer is clear. And most importantly..."
"...Most importantly?"
"Garibong told me."
"Who's that?"
"My subordinate. He died 300 years ago, but still."
At that moment, the black mask briefly exchanged glances with the insincere guy. The insincere guy spoke in a flat voice.
"Ruin Samael. Heir of the Samael family. Addicted to hallucinogenic herbs. Addicted to Zolpidem. Used to hang out with Bayern's Blok, but recently they've grown apart. Depression, insomnia, and nervous breakdown. Personality disorder..."
"Shut up! How dare a subordinate interrupt when the boss is talking."
I scolded the insincere guy, and the black mask tilted his head.
"The personality part seems right, but this is strange."
The black mask stared at me intently and said,
"Who are you?"
"Can't you tell? I'm Ruin Samael."
"At this point, we need confirmation."
The black mask gestured, and three guys in white masks rushed at me, showering me with needles.
"You'll regret this."
I wrapped myself in Wind Barrier, grabbed a chair, and countered their attacks.
Clang—
While the needle was embedded in the Wind Barrier, I slammed a chair onto one of their heads. At the same time, I gathered a fireball in my other hand and hurled it at another masked figure.
With a whoosh, the white mask was engulfed in flames. At that moment, the last remaining one reached right in front of me.
I deflected his attack with Wind Push and grabbed a loaf of bread from a nearby shelf, smacking him in the head. As I prepared to continue my attack...
"Ugh!"
The impact felt heavy, and I looked to see the guy I hit with the bread knocked out.
'What?'
It was absurd that he passed out from just a bread hit, so I looked down and saw that the bread was unscathed.
It was a rock-hard loaf.
Unfazed, I approached the white mask who was still on fire and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. I shoved his face, which was making strange groaning noises, into the shelf.
Crash—
'Water Shower.'
Water sprayed from the air, extinguishing the flames on the mask. But I still had a tight grip on his neck, turning my head to glare at the black mask with murderous intent.
"Think carefully. I'm Ruin Samael. I don't know who you are, nor do I want to know. If you have eyes, look closely. I could have killed the one who attacked me, but I mercifully only knocked him out."
"..."
"But there won't be a second act of mercy. I don't know you, and you don't know my abilities. That's why the leader's judgment is important, you idiot. Your subordinate almost died because of your gesture. Try it again. I'll blow this whole place up and scorch your mask and the insincere guy's with fire. Why? Can't you do it?"
"He truly is a madman."
"Good thinking."
As the black mask stood up, radiating killing intent, the insincere guy suddenly shook his head.
"That's enough."
The black mask's killing intent instantly subsided. Then, with a single gesture from the insincere guy, the white masks disappeared, carrying their unconscious comrades.
'Hmm?'
I was genuinely surprised this time because it turned out that the insincere guy wasn't the black mask's subordinate, but the other way around.
I naturally assumed the black mask was the leader because he looked stronger, but this was unexpected.
I had been engaged in a pointless power struggle.
But showing any sign of surprise would put me at a disadvantage in this psychological battle. Instead, I exaggeratedly nodded and smiled brightly.
"So the leader is finally stepping up."
The insincere guy chuckled and nodded.
"Good. It seems you genuinely have no ill intentions."
"Are you finally willing to sell me information?"
The insincere guy shook his head with a smile.
"I apologize, but that would be difficult."
"Why? I have plenty of money."
Of course, that was a lie. I was just trying to get ahead of the insincere guy in case he got suspicious. I could always haggle if I didn't have enough money after hearing the information.
"Information isn't always just about money."
"So you're saying..."
The corners of the insincere guy's mouth lifted a bit more.
"There's no reason for me to make a deal with you, Ruin."
"Why?"
"I can't do business with just anyone. That's how it is in this line of work. Sometimes, it can backfire. And Ruin, let me give you a piece of advice: sometimes it's better to pretend you don't know even when you do. I gave you so many hints..."
Ha, this insincere bastard is really pissing me off.
"But since things have turned out this way, let's make an exception just for today. I admit I misjudged you, Ruin."
Look at this manipulation.
Back and forth, hot and cold.
I was about to ask if he was playing with me day and night, but before the insincere guy could change his mind again, I quickly nodded.
"What do you want to do?"
"I happen to be curious about something, so how about we exchange one piece of information each?"
I carefully examined the insincere guy to figure out his intentions, but I couldn't read anything. His expression was unchanging, as if he had a poker face.
I chose my words carefully and then spoke.
"Let's do that. I'll ask first."
"Go ahead."
"I want detailed information about the powers in Khaoto. Troops, funds, businesses, everything."
The insincere guy pondered for a moment, then smiled and replied.
"Alright. That shouldn't be a big problem. Haha. It seems Young Master has been involved in the recent changes in Khaoto's power dynamics."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
This guy is definitely tricky. He suspected my involvement just from me asking for information.
"Haha. It was just a passing remark. I'll have the information delivered to you in a document."
The insincere guy nodded, and the black mask bowed and went somewhere.
* * *
A moment later, the black mask returned with two books and placed them on the table.
They were documents containing information about Bayern and Dark Soul, and upon examination, they were quite detailed.
After browsing through them, I closed the books, and the insincere guy asked,
"Are you satisfied?"
"More or less."
"Then it's my turn now."
The insincere guy went straight to the point.
"What's the name of the artifact you possess?"
"What?"
As soon as I heard the question, I realized the insincere guy's intentions. The question was a trap.
"That's a bit difficult."
The insincere guy said without any hint of disappointment.
"Then I'll ask something else. The magic you use, Ruin, where does it originate from?"
"The value of the information seems a bit different."
"That's not true. I could have just given you information on either Bayern or Dark Soul. Since I gave you information on both, I feel you've sufficiently paid for my question."
At this point, I started to get curious about their true identities. I smiled and answered honestly.
"Samael."
The insincere guy stared at me and said,
"...You're not lying, are you?"
"Yes. Is that the answer you wanted?"
The insincere guy slowly nodded.
"Alright. I may have taken a bit of a loss, but shall we wrap things up?"
"Wrap up? You want to end this?"
"Haha. Why are you acting like this? Would you like to have another Dream of the Night?"
I met the insincere guy's gaze and slowly shook my head. I had no intention of ending things here.
"It seems like I'm the one taking a loss here."
I stood up and slowly started walking. I had been feeling a sense of déjà vu from the left side of the room. The corners of the insincere guy's mouth gradually rose.
"Hmm... I didn't expect you to do this."
As the insincere guy clapped, the black mask jumped up from his seat. I pointed at the black mask with my middle finger and said,
"Sit down. How dare a subordinate interrupt when the boss is talking? Hey, insincere guy. Why did you ask about the name of the artifact? Was it because of the disguise as the old man from Dark Soul? It could have been magic."
"..."
I continued speaking, following the flow of my thoughts.
"You were curious whether it was magic or an artifact. You already knew that illusion is a 5-star spell. So why did you ask in such a roundabout way? Why? Were you curious about my level of ability? Were you contemplating whether to kill me or not?"
"Haha. You're exaggerating."
I stopped walking and looked to the left. The mirror on the wall felt familiar.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I thought I looked pretty good, so why did that buffalo bastard say such things?
At that moment, with a thud, the black mask jumped up from his seat and lunged at me. But I wasn't surprised because I was watching through the mirror.
'Grease.'
The floor beneath my feet became slippery, but the black mask quickly twisted his body and regained his balance. He definitely moved like someone beyond third-rate.
But by then, my incantation was complete.
"a blade that slices through the wind, Wind Cutter."
I held the invisible blade, visible only to the kind-hearted, and danced with it. The black mask also wielded his black sword and countered my attack.
"Let's stop here."
At the insincere guy's command, the black mask retreated with a rather surprised look, and I turned back to the insincere guy. Even at this moment, his expression remained unchanged.
"Calm down, Ruin. You're exaggerating."
"Are you saying you didn't intend to silence me now?"
"Of course not. You seemed too agitated, so I was just trying to calm you down."
"Then why did you deceive me?"
"What are you talking about?"
I pointed at the mirror and looked at the insincere guy.
"Are you going to pretend you don't know even after seeing this?"
That was when it happened.
I could feel the insincere guy's expression stiffen for the first time.
"Don't you like how it looks?"
"You're going to keep pretending, huh? Then I'll have to show you."
As I clenched my fist as if to shatter the mirror, the insincere guy's tone finally changed noticeably.
"...I don't understand. How did you know?"
"Finally revealing your true colors, you insincere bastard."
"It would be wise to stop there."
Looking at the insincere guy who spoke firmly, I punched the mirror hanging on the left.
Swish—
As if I had thrust my hand into a completely different space, my fist, and then my wrist, sank into the mirror.
"And if I don't stop?"
"You'll die."
The insincere guy shook his head and looked at me.
Black threads poured out of the mirror, staining my fist and wrist black.
"Cool."
I smiled at the insincere guy and drew in the Mana from the Yin Dimension. Three circles instantly rotated in reverse...
And the black energy that had stained my wrist up to my arm started to get sucked back into the mirror.
"What, what's happening?"
Hearing the insincere guy's panicked voice for the first time, I detonated the dark lightning.
Crackle—!
It was the moment the insincere guy's mask completely shattered.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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