chapter 176

The training continued for several days.

It was difficult to manage even two at first but increased to five in three days. On top of that, this was when each one had a different shape; I could control up to 30 if it was just moving them around.

This time, I tried moving each ball of water in different orbits. It didn’t have much meaning besides being something for practicing my control over psychokinesis.

The experiment guinea pig was Edward.

I made him stand still and tossed balls of water at him.

He dodged them with ease.

“…… Hey, at least get hit by one.”

“You said that you’d cut my bonus if I get hit though?”

“That’s so but still.”

This was a guy that didn’t work hard if money wasn’t involved so I set a bonus and said that I would decrease it by a fixed amount each time he’s hit. He started dodging them like the level 4 monster he was.

It was difficult to manage 30 balls of water at once but hitting someone with them was even harder.

However, as difficult as it was, it fueled my desire for some reason.

It was to the point that I started wondering if there was ever a time I worked so earnestly to achieve something after obtaining the Effort skill.

There were a few times my brain processed at maximum capacity to escape a tough situation but it was always just adapting to circumstances.

Ironically, the Effort skill had pretty much stolen effort from me.

Fist sized balls of water flew with dizzy movements.

Edward wasn’t on the speedy side at the base. However, thanks to the Necklace of Confinement clumsy attacks wouldn’t even get near him while he was copying my speed.

Even if the water twisted at a 90 degree angle he would instantly twist his body to dodge it.

If I could change the direction of all 30 balls of water at once then I could surround him to make it impossible for him to escape but such difficult movement was only possible with five.

The other 25 were being thrown at appropriate directions.

That was the limit of my current ability and going beyond that was not an easy task.

It was the same thing as moving five different arms in different ways after all.

In the end, I had to distribute my attention appropriately so that some are complex while others are simple.

However, it was difficult to get the balls of water to hit Edward with just that.

“Their movements are too simple.”

“I know that too. Damn.”

He continuously dodged my attacks. Even I who was controlling psychokinesis was feeling chaotic so I was wondering how he was dodging so well so I inspected him closely.

Edward’s line of sight was exactly on the five balls of water I was controlling. He was only focusing on the five that were changing randomly instead of the 25 that moved in a straight line.

In that way, he would retreat if a ball of water he was concentrating on approached or he would not take his eyes off of it if it gets near his body.

If all five of them got near him he would fly high up to run away entirely.

It was obvious in a sense but it was astounding how he was able to figure out the main point in such a short amount of time and use it in practice.

I realized that it would be difficult with the current method and so changed it.

I was weak at controlling psychokinesis but difficult battles like this were my specialty after all.

I made the five I control move to the outskirts on purpose and made the other 25 move anywhere towards him.

“Hmph. This kind of attack…….”

I instantly changed the ball of water I was controlling while he had his guard down.

In other words, I had attempted controlling five of the 25 that I sent towards him.

I had only chosen not to do so since training was the purpose. If I wanted to hit him then I had many methods up my sleeve.

“Huh?”

He who had only dodged in the same way flipped his body backwards in surprise.

However, he had been caught off guard after easily dodging continuously and since I had planned the attack aiming for that it was impossible to dodge.

The moment the ball of water was about to hit him.

Edward leisurely got away as his boy turned black.

It was Shadow Conversion.

“Hey! Isn’t it cheating to dodge by turning into Ether!”

“You never said that I couldn’t.”

“Are you really going to come out like that?”

“I’m sorry but it can’t be helped if it’s for my bonus.”

I fully understand how desperately he’s participating in this training.

I released all the restriction I had on the balls of water.

“What are you doing?”

He said as he came out of the Ether.

“Well. I’m planning on cheating a bit of course.”

“What?”

I raised my two hands and brought up the swimming pool water. A ball of water that swayed randomly then started rising against gravity.

The ratio of the water was 1. In other words, the weight of the water that can fit in a 1 meter cube was about 1,000 kilograms, or 1 ton.

It was incredibly heavy compared to how my strength could only move 200 kilograms.

However, if I had no need to control it.

I could raise as much water as I wanted.

The water scooped up from the swimming pool swept over Edward.

He dodged in a leisurely manner and shook his finger at me.

“Just this much isn’t enough…….”

A second torrent of water swept over him. And a third, a fourth.

I continuously poured the pool’s water at him.

Edward who got flustered started screaming.

“Come on! This isn’t training……!”

“Who told you to cheat?”

“God damn it!”

In the end, Edward could only end the training after being completely drenched in water.

“My…… my bonus is.”

I suddenly felt sorry for Edward who was discouraged while looking like a drowned rat.

“I’ll give you half.”

“Really?”

His head shot up with his eyes gleaming.

I felt like I was looking at myself when I looked at this guy. Doing anything as long as it was for money even if it crushed his pride.

I thought that I should at least be a bit kind to him. Treating him the same way I was treated would just be denying my own past after all.

Edward opened his mouth.

“But isn’t half a bit too little? Since you cheated as well, how about 70% to be equal?”

“Is this the timing for you to negotiate?”

“Ahh!”

I poured water over him as he screamed.

I canceled my previous thought.

This guy wasn’t someone that could succeed in life.

It wasn’t much as training but I felt that using psychokinesis got much more comfortable.

It’s because I realized I could use psychokinesis by not maintaining or controlling it but continuously adding strength to it.

In other words, if 30 enemies were pointing their guns at me, I could quickly use 200 kilograms of force on one, and then another person, and another person to produce several times the efficiency through this method.

What was important was the speed at which the power was used.

It would be better if there was delicacy as well but it was easier to continuously apply power.

Either way, the training didn’t stop.

There was no need to go outside the safe house and I thought that the American side wouldn’t like me leaving either. And since it was training on my own for the first time in a while, it didn’t feel like I was confined but fun on the contrary.

Around the time a week passed like that.

A person came.

“Heeey!”

“…… So it’s you?”

I frowned.

For the first person to visit in a week to be An Gyu-bum.

“What is that. That reaction. I came since I thought you’d be bored though.”

“Why did you come?”

“Well. It’s obviously because I had some things to do for business.”

He created a circle with his thumb and index with a smirk.

“If you’re saying that you’ll be a broker then I refuse. Why should I give you a portion?”

“There’s no need to see it so negatively. Isn’t it better to leave negotiation to a professional?” I’ll only take 30%.”

“7 to 3? Are you joking with me? What are you doing to take 3.”

More importantly, I couldn’t trust An Gyu-bum’s negotiation abilities.

It’s not once or twice that I saw him get the short end of the stick.

“Don’t only doubt. Okay then. How much are you planning on receiving from this?”

“I’m thinking about receiving about 50b for a 20×20.”

“I’ll get you 100b.”

“Hm…….”

“Also, an 8 to 2 deal. How’s that?”

20 cubits for 100b wasn’t a bad deal.

The middle value of the Space Expansion Marble was 10 cubits. I needed four 10 cubit to create a 20 cubit.

In other words, the average production cost that went into creating a 20 cubit was about 20b.

If I got 100b with that then it wasn’t that bad of a deal.

Even if I gave An Gyu-bum 20b, I would receive 60b in the end. There’s no way the Space Expansion Marble trade would end with one purchase so it’s obvious that I would get a massive amount of money.

However, that was only when it actually happens.

“How do I trust you to leave such a negotiation to you?”

“Hmph. If you don’t trust me then don’t worry.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? It doesn’t make sense.”

“You don’t need to trust me. The negotiation will be carried out by the Negotiation Team from headquarters after all.”

“What?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing for a week? Of course I was constantly contacting headquarters to create the best negotiation team. If you stop worrying and leave it to the GE Group then I’ll turn this negotiation into a jackpot.”

“Wa, wait. Are you telling me that you proceeded with this without my consent?”

“Nothing I can’t do.”

“No, what were you going to do if I didn’t accept it?”

“I knew that you would accept it. You don’t lose anything and you’re not one to refuse someone who’s trying to do his best to help you after all.”

That’s true.

It was pretty displeasing that he proceeded with things as he wanted but the conclusion earned me a profit. This guy was still annoying but he was still trying his best for me in his own way.

“Hm…….”

“Do you not like it?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Then sign the contract.”

“No, I think the ratio has to be adjusted a bit.”

“Even 8 to 2 is a huge ratio. We formed the greatest negotiation team and if you knew how much money we used to bring them here…….”

“9 to 1.”

“Alright.”

What is this. This guy. He talked like he would never accept it so why did he accept so easily?

“Why do you have such a face?”

“Because you accepted so easily.”

“I’m a businessman that faithfully applies my customers’ needs you see.”

“…… Is that so.”

The reason I always feel like I’ve been tricked is because of this guy’s sudden change in attitude. Of course, a 9 to 1 ratio was a pretty large profit for him as well.

That guy would receive 10b if I earned 100b after all.

Even if I applied the space expansion in 10 places the net profit would become 100b.

Thinking about it, I feel like I’m on the losing end.

“Let’s renegotiate.”

“Are you going to come out like that when it’s already been decided?”