CH 76

Chapter 76

I didn’t cry. I wasn’t even close to crying.” Still, I lost my temper and shot back.

Jung Garam snorted, “I think I understand why Bae Jaemin had so much fun seeing you twitch.”

However, unexpectedly, Seo Dawon defended me. “It’s because Lee-kyung-ie encountered Bae Jaemin back at the Tower of Command. Also, he sees the memories of the dead every time he signs a contract…He says it feels like he’s possessed the person involved.”

Jung Garam stared at me for a moment, “I’m the one who got done in, but why is he the one that’s making a fuss…” He grumbled but ceased his teasing.

In fact, the skill to revive the dead required me to view their last moments. Briefly assimilating with the dead left a significant impact on me–it’s not some random memory, after all, but the very moment they are killed. I even threw up after Seo Dawon’s contract.

However, I couldn’t exactly express to these two that I was in pain because of their memories…After all, that’s not what you should say to the ones that actually died…

“How are we going to engineer a meeting between Moon Issak and Bae Jaemin?” I changed the topic.

“We’ll have to send Kim Sangyoon.” Seo Dawon answered straight away, as if he had already thought ahead.

Sangyoon-ssi…?

“How’s that going to work? Do they know each other?”

“Of course not. Moon Issak never socializes.”

“He’s a total psycho.” Jung Garam added.

Ah, I think the reviews from my servants are way worse than Bae Jaemin’s…Just who is this person that’s supposedly a stickler for rules, unsociable, and yet, according to Jung Garam, a psycho?

“Um…This Moon Issak person…What does he do?” I asked curiously.

Seo Dawon and Jung Garam opened their mouths at the same time, “He’s the youngest executive secretary of the Korean Dungeon Association.”

“That guy. He’s one strict old soul,” Seo Dawon shook his head. “He is such a fastidious man that during the Red Lotus’s heyday we often got fucked over by him.” 1

I couldn’t believe that such a stick in the mud would not get cowed by the Rankers but, instead, manage to attack them instead…How on earth did Moon Issak pull that off?

In addition, the [ Korean Dungeon Association] was the foremost–and highest in the hierarchy–government agency for Users and Dungeon related matters. The association even directed the police-like organization that caught criminal users. In short, they were the executive branch for Users.

If he had risen to the executive secretary position in such a highly competitive place, he must be competent…

“But…Can Sangyoon-ssi really mark a person like that?” 2 I wondered if Kim Sangyoon could handle someone like that.

Seo Dawon succinctly answered, “Of course not.”

“Ah, then?…What then?”

“So, I’m sending him in together with Garam-ie.”

Huh…but Kim Sangyoon can’t see Jung Garam, right?

And given Jung Garam’s crumpled forehead–the young Treasure Hunter standing to the side with a sullen expression–Seo Dawon must not have discussed this plan in advance. Unexpectedly, Jung Garam did not protest; his pouting lips were uncharacteristically quiet.

“Garam-ie will observe the situation, check in with me, and I’ll communicate with Kim Sangyoon. That guy doesn’t have to know that Garam’s been revived just yet…If those two are in a pinch, I’ll intervene as well to hide all traces of Garam’s presence.”

“Okay.” I also thought that either Seo Dawon or Jung Garam should accompany the Warrior, so I had no specific complaints.

After organizing the party divisions simply and quickly, Seo Dawon  looked at Lackey, wriggling at my feet. “Lackey will pretend to be Lee-kyung-ie in this room again.”

[Clack clack.]

Lackey seemed to respond to Seo Dawon’s voice before, soon losing interest and laying on the ground, tearing off bits of the carpet. Still, I was relieved that it didn’t seem to react too sensitively besides its lukewarm reaction. The skeleton dutifully stayed within this room without escaping as well.

So then…Seo Dawon and I were the only ones left…

Would he and I go together to find Koo Hui-seo? Seo Dawon confirmed my guess and ordered me to move with him.

After dividing our roles, we shared examples of situations that might arise and gave our opinions on how to deal with them. First, it would normally be difficult to find Moon Issak, but fortunately, this problem was easily solved by Jung Garam’s ability.

“So, I went to the hallway opposite to Choi Lee-kyung during the search, earlier.”

“Ah, yeah?”

“The maids were all sweeping and cleaning with the doors wide open there…all except for one room which left its door closed. That room was marked with a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.” Jung Garam shrugged, indicating that the closed room must be Moon Issak’s. That theory seemed plausible–Bae Jaemin might have been further misled as we reserved a room on the same floor as this man.

Furthermore, only our floor and the floor below were in operation in this annex. The upper floor was more luxurious–and therefore more expensive; I don’t think a person of Moon Issak’s station would reserve a cheaper room downstairs…

Jung Garam, while searching for the [anti-vision] anchor, sprayed an item called the [Ten Thousand Li Perfume] in front of that door, in case of an emergency. 3

The [Ten Thousand Li Perfume] was a scented spray normally used for shadowing or tracking–a peculiar item that could only be detected by its user. No matter where the target may be, the user could trace this scent back to them.

Of course, since Jung Garam was currently an incorporeal soul, he would not be so easily detected by others. However, if one put the [Ten Thousand Li Perfume] on the door, he could be alerted if the person inside were to leave and approach his location.

Fortunately, the [Ten Thousand Li Perfume] was not activated while Jung Garam was exploring earlier, but, once sprayed, the item would last for three days. He would be able to track whoever stepped out of that room in that time frame.

“We can accurately determine the timing of when Moon Issak leaves his room. Once he steps through that door, we can monitor his movements on my map.”

Thanks to his quick thinking, we could avoid waiting for him outside his room all day. However, inviting him to eat at [Tea Banquet] together was another matter.

“Is there a possibility that Sangyoon-ssi knows Moon Issak?”

From the way he made a few phone calls to grab a reservation at this hospital, it seems as if he knows a fair amount of people…

However, both Jung Garam and Seo Dawon looked skeptical when I asked Kim Sangyoon in the next room over.

“I’ve seen him once…I’ve never held a conversation with him nor gotten his personal contact, though.” The Warrior said.

“Ah…So then I guess it’s difficult for you to invite him to dinner?”

“W-what? Invite him to dinner?” Kim Sangyoon looked down at me with an anxious expression and fidgeted his large hands. “Um, Moon Issak….Uh…His personality is a bit…” He hesitated.

Just how horrid is this man for someone like Kim Sangyoon to disparage his character? Perhaps I was just ignorant, Moon Issak was famous enough that Kim Sangyoon, who had never spoken to him once, already knew about his character.

Kim Sangyoon did not stop there; he looked around and bowed his head, whispering to me, “I heard…that Seo Dawon also had an impressive personality back in the days.”

“Yes…..Eh?”

“Moon Issak was called the ‘Seo Dawon of the civil service department’…. Well, rumors like that were plentiful. He was arrogant and didn’t treat others well, picky, and was prone to rioting…”

“I-I see…”

The problem was that Seo Dawon and Jung Garam were not even three steps away from Kim Sangyoon, who was ignorant about the proximity of the subject of his gossip.

Seo Dawon smiled and gave a meaningless exclamation, “Ho~oh?” Jung Garam looked at Kim Sangyoon in excitement, twisting and biting his lips to hold back his laughter.

In this unusual atmosphere, I tried to hurriedly change the subject, but Kim Sangyoon finally drove the nail in the coffin. “However big Moon Issak’s infamy may be, it couldn’t possibly be as big as Seo Dawon’s…Hehe.”

“Hahahah!” Laughter erupted out of Jung Garam’s convulsing body.

Kim Sangyoon with bright eyes said, naively, “Um, what I just said now…please keep it a secret from Seo Dawon-nim.”

I nodded my head, but I couldn’t bear to look at him because I felt so sorry for the Warrior.

TL: RIP Sangyoon again. Good luck at your funeral.

Footnotes

엿 먹다 = to eat hard taffy. This is slang for “fucked up” in Korean. It’s also used quite vulgarly to tell people to “fuck off” or “fuck you” Marking is a common video game or sports term. It means to take something as your opponent so that others can focus on other things. According to Wikipedia, Li (Chinese: 里, lǐ, or 市里, shìlǐ), also known as the Chinese mile, is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one-third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer (500 meters or 1,640 feet).