< 119. Shock and Terror (17) >
Ha Eun-sung had been feeling down lately.
There were several reasons for this.
First, there was no end in sight for paying off the 180,000 Talents of debt. Although he had no major complaints about his current lifestyle, the uncertainty was pressing down on him, causing anxiety.
He also worried about what would happen when the dragon he had borrowed from woke up. Would Min-jun leave him in a state of free-floating ghost? Min-jun seemed normal in everyday life, but when it came to debts and problems, he acted like a merciless money demon.
Another factor making him gloomy was a recent shocking revelation. It was something related to a frying pan.
'I was brainwashed all this time!'
The happiness he felt from eating food cooked in the frying pan had all been mental manipulation.
Ha Eun-sung felt a mix of disbelief, fear, and disillusionment.
The unexpected loss was profound.
'It was all fake?'
The joy and thrill he had experienced because of the frying pan were all results of this supernatural manipulation and lies.
In reality, the dishes he had been eating from Cash weren't that great.
Or, to be more honest, they were horrendous.
After the frying pan was reclaimed, Ha Eun-sung experienced Cash's true cooking skills during a resumed lunch meeting, and he cried. Not just a metaphor, he genuinely shed tears. He still couldn't understand how scrambled eggs could be so spicy it felt like his nose was being torn apart.
He had been eating such food all this time.
The pranks played on his brain had merely transformed it into exquisite cuisine.
'It's not like Wonhyo's skull water or anything…'
The deprivation of falling from the peak of sensory perfection to the depths of reality was more intense than he had imagined.
Both Cash and Ha Eun-sung were already suffering withdrawal symptoms from the frying pan. He began to understand why people get addicted to drugs.
Ha Eun-sung pondered seriously, staring with vacant eyes at the shelves in the supermarket.
'What is happiness…?'
If happiness can be felt through mental manipulation, then living in that state forever might not be such a bad thing.
To be completely soaked in a false happiness, even if it was deceitful, while erasing all the pain, anxiety, depression, and worry… how wonderful would that be?
While he was lost in such thoughts, someone caught his eye.
'Why is this person so annoying?'
He was at the supermarket with Cash, preparing for their next lunch meeting. Cash was eager to serve proper food after being independent from the frying pan, and though Ha Eun-sung was terrified, he dared not stop her. At the supermarket, they moved separately.
Yet Ha Eun-sung's senses kept catching a man.
Even in a polymorphed state, the dragon's keen senses were not completely dulled. Ha Eun-sung sensed something suspicious about the man. The man was acting like he was looking elsewhere but was hovering around Cash.
"······!"
Ha Eun-sung silently followed the man. Hiding between the shelves, he observed the man through them. He saw the man continuing to move around Cash according to her movements.
'What is this?'
At that moment, Cash suddenly looked up. Had she noticed something?
No.
She glanced around, then approached Ha Eun-sung, who was hiding behind the shelves. At that moment, the man turned his head to follow Cash's path. Ha Eun-sung hurriedly ducked his head to avoid making eye contact and pretended to inspect whatever he had picked up from the shelves.
"...Are you going to buy that?"
Cash's voice was filled with suspicion. Ha Eun-sung looked at what he was holding. He hastily put back the "Orc Nip Cream (350ml, 1+1 Special)" and turned his head, but the man was already gone.
"Did you notice anything strange, sis?"
Cash shook her head.
"No? Why?"
"Just in case."
Ha Eun-sung pushed the cart and moved along with Cash. He explained what he had seen. Cash's expression grew serious.
"It might be nothing, but..."
Cash shook her head.
"No, that body is a dragon. I can't ignore this. I need to inform Min-jun."
As Cash pulled out her phone.
At that moment, Ha Eun-sung's vision began to violently shake.
"······?!"
Rumble!
The ground shook violently.
"Eeeek!"
"It's an earthquake!"
The tremors were so intense that the shelves collapsed and products spilled everywhere. The view was shaking up and down, side to side. Ha Eun-sung grabbed Cash and moved to a relatively safe spot. Even as people struggled to move, his dragon-like balance and reflexes allowed him to navigate with ease.
The earthquake, which had lasted for quite a while, finally stopped. Ha Eun-sung set Cash down, who he had been supporting with both hands. Amidst the people, cries, sighs, and screams echoed. Minor injuries were widespread.
"What on earth is the weather agency doing? There was no such prediction for today!"
Complaints erupted. Weather forecasts include disaster situations for the day, and major events like earthquakes are usually predicted with accurate timing and announced in advance. However, errors like this occasionally occur.
There were grievances about the poor skills of Korean meteorologists and suggestions to scout from other countries.
Ha Eun-sung realized he could not find any trace of the man. Cash was staring seriously at her phone.
"Why? Let's go outside."
After a brief silence, she spoke.
Staring at a message someone had sent.
"The recent earthquake doesn't seem natural."
"Really?"
Cash was looking at an automatically generated message from the immigration office.
-(Media Distribution Prohibited) Earthquake occurred at 17:36 on [Date] in the vicinity of Jagok-dong, Seoul. Suspected to be a magical phenomenon. Agents in the area are requested to verify if there is any extraterrestrial involvement and report to the immigration office...
Cash's eyes deepened.
That place was where Min-jun was right now.
Min-jun was considerably flustered.
He looked at the scene before him. The Jagok-dong hideout, which had been adjacent to the greenbelt, was now filled with dust where trees and grass had been just moments ago. As the dust began to settle, the sight was overwhelming.
It was as if a giant creature had thrashed around on the earth, pushing through it.
What was once a barren plain without a single tree now stretched out in a fan-like shape.
'Fortunately, it doesn't seem like anyone was killed.'
The clever angles and directions had spared lives. The people were just gaping at the scene, unable to speak or even approach.
'This is a bit much. What did I do?'
He had only defended himself.
To block Blade's attack aimed at him, he had lifted the frying pan given by his predecessor, using it as a shield to protect himself. He had bought just enough time to cast a spell. Considering the material and Endelion's craftsmanship, he had judged that it could withstand at least one attack.
But once again, it was too much.
Endelion's creations have this inherent aspect, but this was compounded by Del's relentless persistence.
Whirr! Whirr!
The sword that had fallen to the ground wept.
The host's form had vanished without a trace. It was likely pulverized into tiny fragments scattered in the air.
No matter how excellent the Ego Sword was, it couldn't do anything without someone wielding it.
The battle was Min-jun's victory. However, the way he achieved it was far different from what he had anticipated.
He muttered his predecessor's name.
'Del…'
At the moment when the sword and the frying pan clashed, a thunderous sound erupted as if the world was collapsing. Simultaneously, the ground shook violently. Min-jun understood what was happening. He had redirected the recoil that was originally meant for him into the ground like a lightning rod. Of course, he sustained no damage in the process.
Blade's thrust shouldn't have had such immense power. The frying pan had magnified it by dozens or even hundreds of times. The attack that was aimed at Min-jun was enveloped in a strange wave, amplified to an extreme, and then deflected back. The owner of the frying pan received no recoil at all.
Min-jun stared blankly at the silver frying pan, repeating what seemed like an uncountable number of times.
'Del, you're always… so excessive.'
However, it couldn't be denied that this had made things easier to finish.
And he could clearly feel the manufacturer's philosophy. The intention to crush anything that touched it to the molecular level, and conversely, the objective to protect the wielder without a scratch.
"······."
Min-jun approached the sword lying on the ground. It was fortunate that the host wasn't a particularly formidable combatant. If he had been a Tier 1 Weapon Master, it was hard to imagine how strong he might have become.
He put away the silver pan and took out the black pan. Whether consciously or unconsciously, he was desperately avoiding holding both types of pans at the same time. It seemed like it would make him feel self-loathing.
He asked the Ego Frying Pan.
'How is it? Do you sense anything?'
Min-jun was surprised once again.
The chatty Ego Frying Pan exhibited the virtue of silence.
It didn't respond immediately but took some time to ponder before answering.
=Hmm, could you please come a bit closer?=
Min-jun had no intention of directly wielding the sword just in case.
Whirr! Whirr!
Meanwhile, the Ego Sword was desperately resonating as it saw the approaching agent. It felt a sense of frustration.
The opponent must have known its identity.
Choi Seon-ah had predicted it.
Thus, the likelihood of the agent grabbing its handle immediately was very low.
The sword lamented. This was its limit as an object with a sense of self, not as a living being. Was it going to be re-imprisoned and neglected again? Would the dark years spent in a police evidence locker in Mexico be repeated here?
A profound sense of despair welled up.
The sword pondered.
'Did Choi Seon-ah foresee this situation as well?'
The mind of the Ego Sword turned towards the past.
After concluding that a prophet was necessary, Blade had experimented with various seers, attempting to find one who met his criteria.
However, none of them fit his standards. The moment he imposed brainwashing, their prophetic abilities became almost useless, and upon reviewing their memories, none of them turned out to be particularly extraordinary. The results were unsatisfactory.
As a result, Blade had created a list of individuals who he suspected might be seers or who might be receiving help from such individuals, even though he did not officially announce it. He believed that there were certainly hidden seers due to various circumstances.
When he received the request to eliminate Kwak Do-chul, Blade took action because he suspected that Representative Choi Pan-seok was such a person.
He was deeply intrigued by this orc representative. Analyzing his actions, it became clear that he had repeatedly made decisions that were impossible without foreknowledge of the future, which had led him to his current position.
There were quite a few candidates worldwide who met such conditions, and because of that, this representative was low on the priority list. However, this opportunity prompted him to review the memories.
Just as he was heading to the representative's office with a suitable host in mind,
"······!"
An unexpected voice came from behind the closed door.
"Come in. I've been waiting."
The orc welcomed the assassin.
And he was not alone.
The woman sitting next to him was Choi Seon-ah, the wife who had requested Kwak Do-chul's assassination.
Blade maintained an impassive expression on the host's face. He glanced back and forth between the two.
"It seems you must have known I was coming. Information shouldn't have leaked, but you were aware."
The headquarters does not reveal the contractor's personal information to the client. Moreover, it is generally not possible for the contractor to directly visit the client.
But if all this was foreseen,
"The seer is not you."
He turned his head and looked at the daughter sitting beside him.
There seemed to be no other reason for her to be present at this moment.
"Is it you?"
Choi Seon-ah nodded quietly.
"Instead of attacking us immediately, why don't you hear us out?"
Of course, he had no intention of killing someone who had not been judged as a villain.
But instead of responding, he feigned ignorance and asked,
"Why should I do that?"
Choi Seon-ah smiled.
"Because you want me to stay alive. And, this is the only way to save me. Even if you brainwash me, my prophetic abilities won't manifest properly. We need to work together."
Blade scrutinized the woman who spoke thus.
Her pale, sallow face. The fact that she was in such poor health that she spent half the year in the hospital was known to the contractor as well.
Outwardly, it was only known that she was weak…
Blade shared the heightened senses of the host, which were nearly superhuman. A peculiar scent emanated from her body.
"Addiction?"
She nodded and said,
"If it continues like this, I won't last more than a year."
< 119. Shock and Terror (17) > End