Part 2 Chapter 146: Because the Only Thing That Grows with Age Is Cunning. / 870
TL: Hanguk
[Pitch-Black Flame Fire Moth]
As the Black Flame Fire Moths threw their bodies together and transformed into their final evolution,
"Good. They've changed. Come on, guys, let's catch them!"
"Puhuhut. Got it, meow!"
Kkueng!
Theo and Cuengi began catching the Fire Moths with their pitch-black flaming wings, and
Kihihit. Kking?! Kking!
[Hehe. Butler! You're watching, right?! The great Blackie is working super hard carrying them!]
"Yeah. Our Blackie's doing a great job."
Blackie was putting on a show, desperate to earn some Roasted and Dried Sweet Potato.
He burned a lot of calories this time, so I guess I can give him one piece.
Unaware that he didn't need to work, just move around a lot, to earn his Roasted and Dried Sweet Potato.
"Hehe. Dad, Taecho is working hard too!"
"Oh my. Our Taecho is doing so well too."
Taecho, following Blackie's lead, hoisted a massive Pitch-Black Flame Fire Moth carcass over her head and carried it into the Void Storage, eager to earn Sejun's praise.
After they finished off the tastiest final evolution of the Fire Moths,
"Water Bomb!"
Sejun wiped out all the remaining Fire Moths, and
"Kyoot kyoot kyoot. Cancel."
Iona, who had been using Parallel World Magic, withdrew her mana and dissolved the parallel world.
[The Fire Moths of the level 3 world <Yuson> have been driven to extinction.]
[The quest has been completed.]
[As a reward for quest completion, 13 seconds have been credited to <Unique Power: Temporary Creator God>.]
The quest completion messages appeared shortly after.
"Good work, guys. Now, the next one is...."
As Sejun was looking for the next destination,
[Sejun-nim, this is an emergency!]
[System Eok-Samchiri] spoke up.
"Emergency?"
[Yes. A Necrium has appeared! It seems the Necrium was also absorbed by Causality.]
"What?! Where?!"
It's a jackpot!
Sejun asked excitedly, and
[The level 10 world <Uman>.]
"Uman? Got it! Let's go, guys!"
The moment he heard the answer, he moved straight to <Uman>.
And then,
[The End of Calamity, Necrium]
"Pfft. What is anyone supposed to do with this?"
Too small to get anything out of it.
He found a single Necrium barely the size of his palm. It looked like it still had a long way to grow.
"Here. Eat up and get big."
Sejun fed the Necrium. The Necrium used all nine of its heads to eat eagerly, but
How long am I supposed to wait for this thing to grow?
It was way too slow.
"This isn't going to work. Vice Chairman Theo and Iona, you two stay here and feed the Necrium while raising it."
So he decided to leave Theo and Iona behind while he went to do other things. Killing two birds with one stone by giving those two some date time as well.
"Meow?! No way, meow!"
Theo, who hated being separated from Sejun, naturally refused, but
"In exchange, ten hours of Lap Monopoly Rights."
"Puhuhut. Deal, meow! But come back quick, meow!"
He accepted immediately at Sejun's offer.
After leaving the Necrium in the care of Theo and Iona, Sejun moved to Black Tower Floor 99 with the rest of the group.
A short while later.
"All right. Employees who received Meal Tickets as quest rewards, line up!"
When Sejun came out of the kitchen carrying enormous pots,
Moo!
"Sejun-nim, thank you!"
Buzz!
The Sejun Company employees who had completed quests lined up and exchanged their Meal Tickets for food. The other reward, Tower Coins, had already been distributed by [System Eok-Samchiri].
Kkwek!
"Yeah. I know you guys have been working hard too. Here. Eat up."
Sejun also gave honey water to the Mushroom Ants and commended them. Thanks to the Mushroom Ants, Sejun's farm kept running even when he wasn't around.
"Now, shall we do some harvesting? Come on, guys, wake up. Time to work."
Kueng...
Kking...
"Mm...."
After distributing all the food, Sejun woke up the companions sleeping in his arms and harvested the crops.
As Sejun and his companions were busy harvesting,
"Sejun-nim, hello."
Jeras came to visit Sejun.
"Hm? What brings you all the way here, Jeras?"
When Sejun asked,
"I've come because there's something I think you'd be interested to hear."
"Something I'd be interested in?"
"Yes. It's about a Great Black Tower Land Deed."
"A Great Black Tower Land Deed?! Where is it?! Tell me, quick!"
Sejun urged Jeras with an excited voice.
He only needed five more Land Deeds to own the Great Black Tower, but recently there had been no progress in finding them, and the situation had been incredibly frustrating.
"Last evening, Halbain of the Mensbeer Family, a prominent figure on Black Tower Floor 92, announced that he would give a portion of his wealth and the Land Deed for Black Tower Floor 92 to whoever passes his test."
"He'll give his wealth and the Land Deed to whoever passes the test?! Hmm. I'm not confident about tests, though...."
What should I do?
Sejun mulled it over.
-Gwahahaha. Come on. Glasses are full, so cheers!
-Bwahahaha. Cheers!
Just then, the Dragon Leaders drinking away caught Sejun's eye.
That's right! I have nine brilliant Dragon Leaders on my side!
'If I hear what the test is about and casually ask the Dragon Leaders...?'
"Heh heh heh. Jeras, when can I take the test?"
"I heard it's available starting today. I'd recommend hurrying if you can. Once word spreads, people will come flooding in."
"Then let's head down right away. Guys, gather up!"
Sejun called his companions together, then,
"Dragon-nims, please have these. And later...."
He made a separate request to the Dragon Leaders before moving to Black Tower Floor 92.
***
When Sejun arrived on Floor 92 of the tower and found the house of Halbain, the local figure of influence,
"Wow. There are more people than I expected."
"I know. I can't believe this many have already gathered...."
The line of applicants waiting to take the test stretched a hundred meters.
"Sejun-nim, I have other business to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave."
"Sure. Take care."
Jeras, who had guided Sejun here, departed, and Sejun went to stand at the end of the line.
About ten minutes passed, and
What kind of test ends this quickly?
Before he knew it, there were only three applicants ahead of him. On the other hand, the line behind Sejun had grown to three hundred meters.
"Cuengi? Can you hear anything?"
Curious about the test questions, Sejun had Cuengi try to eavesdrop, but
Kueng.
[Cuengi can't hear anything.]
It was no use.
A moment later.
"Next."
It was Sejun's turn, and he entered the building where the test was being held.
Once inside, an elaborately decorated room appeared, and in the center of the room was a bed. On the bed, a massive old lynx with dry, brittle yellow fur lay half-reclined under the covers, watching Sejun.
The old lynx's left ear was half-severed, and his uncovered upper body was covered in countless scars. His appearance vividly showed just how many hardships he had endured.
Just then,
"H-humble Yalin Mensbeer pays his respects to the Great Black Dragon!"
A young lynx who had been standing beside the bed nursing the old lynx bowed deeply to Sejun and cried out, and
"Humble...Halbain Mensbeer...pays his respects...to the Great Black Dragon. Please forgive me for greeting you this way, as my body is not well."
The old lynx also struggled to raise his upper body and bowed his head to Sejun.
"Oh. Yes. Nice to meet you. But the test...?"
"You have passed."
"What? What kind of test was it...?"
"Heh heh heh. It wasn't all that remarkable a test. Even if it had been far more difficult, the Great Black Dragon would surely have passed with ease. Yalin. Give that to the Great Black Dragon."
"Yes, Grandfather. O Great Black Dragon, please accept this."
At Halbain's words, Yalin knelt before Sejun and respectfully presented a box with both hands.
'I gave out ten bottles of liquor to each Dragon Leader for nothing.'
Click.
Feeling a twinge of regret, Sejun opened the box. Inside were the Land Deed for Black Tower Floor 92 and a pile of gemstones.
[Approximately 1 billion Tower Coins' worth.]
[System Eok-Samchiri] calculated the value of the gemstones and informed Sejun.
"O Great Black Dragon, allow me to explain, lest there be any misunderstanding. What I have just given you is merely the reward for passing the test."
"I don't know about that. It feels like I received this without even taking a test... And is there really anything free in this world?"
Sejun answered, looking at Halbain with a steady gaze.
"Heh heh heh. You are right. Nothing in this world comes free...."
"Halbain-nim, if there's something you want, please say so. If it's a reasonable request I can fulfill, I'll hear you out."
Sejun nodded as if he'd expected as much.
Honestly, the old Sejun used to love getting things for free, but lately he had been gradually coming to understand the fearsome nature of Causality, and his thinking had shifted toward paying a fair price whenever possible.
"Then I shall speak frankly. You see, Yalin here is my grandson. I must have committed many sins in my life, because every member of my family except Yalin departed this world before I did. And so, with my own remaining days numbered, I have been searching for someone who could protect my grandson Yalin after I am gone."
Halbain glanced upward with sorrowful eyes before continuing.
"And then the Great Black Dragon appeared. O Great Black Dragon, I ask that you protect my grandson Yalin from the Crimson Hyena and other threats for just ten years."
"Ten years?! I'd rather just take out the Crimson Hyena for you."
In response to Halbain's request, Sejun offered an alternative. Rather than making a long commitment spanning ten years, it was far easier to deal with the Crimson Hyena in under an hour.
"I appreciate the offer, but I must decline. The Crimson Hyena is merely one of the countless enemies Yalin will face in his life ahead."
"What? Then you're asking me to stay by his side and protect him for ten years?"
Sejun's expression soured slightly. He had received a reward, yes, but this was an unreasonable demand that far exceeded its value.
"No. I am not asking you to keep Yalin by your side and raise him. Only that, should you learn of danger to Yalin, or should Yalin reach out to you for help, you step in at those times."
Halbain did not want Yalin to grow up like a flower in a greenhouse. He wanted him to become a tough weed. He was simply trying to buy time until the boy could hold his own.
"Very well. If that's all it is, it's nothing difficult."
"Thank you. And might I make one more proposal?"
"Go ahead."
"Should Yalin die within those ten years, I ask that you swear, in the name of the Great Black Dragon Park Sejun, to avenge him."
"Avenge him?"
"Yes. I ask that you take vengeance on all those involved in Yalin's death. In truth, I possess two more Great Black Tower Land Deeds. And I am also aware that the Great Black Dragon has been collecting Land Deeds as of late. If you grant my request, I shall give you half of my fortune and both Land Deeds."
Halbain looked at Sejun with desperate eyes. He had offered half his fortune for his lone grandson, but it was money he couldn't take with him anyway. Halbain felt no attachment to it whatsoever.
And then,
"...You're a shrewd one. Because now, I stand behind Yalin."
Sejun spoke after accepting Halbain's proposal. He could see through Halbain's scheme, but he decided to turn a blind eye out of respect for the old man's devoted love for his grandson.
"Heh heh heh. Because the only thing that grows with age is cunning. I assure you, nothing will ever be done to tarnish the great name of the Great Black Dragon. Yalin, give the Great Black Dragon your thanks at once!"
"O Great Black Dragon! Thank you!"
And so, the rumor spread that Yalin had come under the protection of the Great Black Dragon, and a few days later,
"I suppose it's time to go now...."
"Grandfather... goodbye."
Halbain smiled a bright, peaceful smile, as if he could finally rest easy, and closed his eyes. Forever.
*****
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