Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Spendthrift Necromancer (167)

ChaosCold sweat ran down Jonas's forehead. Kim Minwoo had been far stronger than expected. Even after using the Power of Shadow, he'd lost.

Worse.

Countless cameras were already recording him kneeling there in nothing but his underwear.

Normally, those civilians wouldn't have even dared meet his eyes.

Now they stood far away holding up phones with openly satisfied expressions. It was an enormous humiliation. The problem was that it didn't end there.

Being recorded?

Fine.

If he'd won, he still could've left the country. What some East Asian nobodies said afterward wouldn't have mattered at all. The real problem was being captured.‘How do I fix this?’He didn't know.

It didn't seem fixable.

That was why he was sweating cold.

“Answer.”

Kim Minwoo's sword moved a little closer. Jonas vividly remembered the swordsmanship that had cleanly sliced off his T-shirt and undershirt.

Jonas squeezed his eyes shut.

Was there any meaning in refusing to answer?

Honestly, no.

They'd already caused every bit of trouble possible.

The Korean government wouldn't stay quiet either.

Now that they'd already become enemies with Griff, there was no reason for them to worry about the family's reaction. They'd use whatever means necessary to dig into his memories.

Once they committed to it, he had no answer.

“……

I'll talk. In exchange, guarantee our safety.”

“Fine.”

Kim Minwoo nodded.

Every media outlet in existence was already watching.

Killing them wasn't possible anyway.

“I'd like to speak somewhere private.”

“What a hassle. Merhen?”

She snapped her fingers.

A thin barrier of air surrounded the area. Only four people were included inside: Han Younggil, Han Sia, Jonas, and Kim Minwoo.

“Sound's blocked. Talk.”

“……

This is the Power of Shadow. We have dealings with them.”

“So they didn't just help you Level faster.”

“……

Looks like you already knew.”

“I did. I met them in Korea.”

Jonas nodded.

Shadow was a global organization.

They operated secretly, but there was nothing strange about someone like Kim Minwoo knowing of them.

He knew about the accelerated Leveling.

Then this wasn't a bluff.

Jonas felt slightly relieved. If Kim Minwoo already knew some of it, then the information Jonas gave would be slightly less valuable.

“Either way. This power is also part of the benefits.”

“So how did you get it?”

“I prayed.”

“……

Prayed?”

“Yes. One day, the family head told us. He said we had been chosen. That we had boarded the ark. So we should pray desperately toward Shadow. Then power would be granted.”

Han Younggil, who had been quietly listening, frowned sharply.

“You expect us to believe that? You gained that much power from one prayer?”

“I thought it was nonsense too. But it worked. What do you want me to say?”

“Fine. Let's assume that's true. Then why didn't the other Mages use that power? If one prayer lets them become as strong as you, shouldn't they all have it?”

“Didn't you hear me? I clearly said ‘we.’”

“You're saying Griff's ordinary Mages aren't included in that?”

“You can't put everyone on the ark.”

Han Younggil frowned.

So that was why he'd wanted somewhere private.

It made sense.

There was no reason for Griff's Mages to hear this.

“……

Sorry for interrupting. Continue.”

“Go ahead, Mr. Jonas.”

“……

Ask.”

“How broad is this ‘we’?”

“The family head and some of the senior leadership. Around twenty people in total.”

“Are there differences in how much power you receive?”

“I don't know the details. But probably. Common sense says the family head would receive more. In other words…… you picked a fight with the wrong man.”

Jonas's eyes burned as he spoke.

Kim Minwoo?

Strong.

But the family head was stronger.

Far stronger than the public knew.

That was the cold truth.

“You don't need to worry about that. Worry about your underwear.”

“…….”

“If it came through prayer, there must've been a specific object. Not something vague like ‘Shadow.’ What exactly did you pray to?”

The EXP duplication bug.

And now the power Jonas had displayed.

There was clearly something enormous behind Shadow.‘An Outer God?’Or some other existence?

He still didn't know.

Now it was time to dig.

Jonas's expression stiffened at the question. Cold sweat rolled down his face as though he'd recalled something terrifying.

“I-I can't say.”

“You know we're already this far in. Let's make this easy.”

The price for the information was protection.

In other words, if Jonas refused to give up the information, they were free to make him want to.

Kim Minwoo looked at Han Younggil.

He nodded reliably.

“Mr. Jonas. Would you like to test how long you can keep your mouth shut against a government willing to use any method necessary?”

“…….”

Jonas bit down on his lip.

Han Younggil was right.

From mind-affecting magic to all kinds of Skills.

There were countless ways to extract a confession.

Even as a high-Level Awakened, Jonas couldn't hold out forever.

And even if the Griff family extended a hand to rescue him, that wouldn't succeed overnight.

That was why he'd cooperated obediently until now.‘Damn it…….’He'd tried to dodge the issue vaguely.

Looks like that wouldn't work.

After a long silence, he pulled something from his inventory.

It was a very small spider statue.

“I only prayed. To this statue.”

Kim Minwoo accepted it.[You acquire Spider Statue!][Spider Statue][Rank: Normal][A statue that appears to depict ‘something.’]‘……

Huh?’Based on the description alone, it was worthless junk.

That was when.

Han Sia beside him spoke.

“I've…… seen that before.”

“You have?”

“Yes. The family has many statues much larger than this one. The name was…….”

Han Sia frowned as she searched through old memories.

Then she spoke.

“The family head used to kneel before the statue and say, ‘O Great Hadronox.’”[You have learned information about the Shadow Apostle, ‘Hadronox’!][Information hidden by shadow is revealed!][Spider Statue changes into ‘Statue of Hadronox’!][As you gazed into the abyss.][The abyss also gazes into you!]

That was when.

The scenery around him changed completely.‘What?’Kim Minwoo looked around.

Then his eyes widened.

An enormous spider, as large as several buildings combined, stood before him.

Eight bright-yellow pupils stared directly at him.

The spider's eyes glittered as though it had discovered treasure.―Found you.

Cracks began spreading across the surroundings.

The illusion-like world shattered.

“……

Team Leader Han?”

“Yes.”

“Was I here the whole time?”

“Yes, you were…… why?”

“Nothing.”

Apparently he hadn't actually moved.

If he had, the Legion Commanders would've been unsummoned because of the distance.

But that hadn't happened.‘An illusion?’Maybe.

He examined the changed item.[Statue of Hadronox][Rank: Special][An effect hidden beneath shadow has been revealed. A statue that appears to depict ‘Hadronox.’]‘Hadronox…….’He'd learned several things.

It was a monster resembling a spider.

It was called a Shadow Apostle.

It was the being Shadow worshiped.

And.‘It can conceal item information…….’True to the title Shadow Apostle, even the first ability it displayed was sinister.‘Is this an Outer God?’Hadronox = Outer God.

There were a few reasons that assumption felt uncertain.

The biggest was the title.

Not the ‘God’ of Shadow.

The ‘Apostle’ of Shadow.

Didn't that make it sound like something else existed above it?

Either way.

He understood one thing.

The fact that he'd seen an illusion the moment he learned its name meant this creature was tremendously powerful.‘It isn't an Earth-level monster in the first place.’If something like that openly wandered around Earth?

Earth would've already ended.

Instead of moving openly, however, this bastard was acting even more viciously. Like spreading cancer, it was recruiting Earth's humans.

There was already Shadow itself, plus the Griff family connected to them.‘No way that's all.’They helped people Level faster.

Wasn't that enough to make anyone drool?

Probably multiple organizations were connected to Shadow.‘What do they want?’He didn't know.

But one thing seemed clear.

They were arranging the board.

Then there was no need to play on their board.‘I've already gotten the information I needed…….’At times like this, the best answer was tearing apart the entire picture so it could never become what they wanted.‘Time to cause trouble.’He looked at Han Younggil and offered a handshake.

“Thank you for today.”

“Haha, not at all. This was nothing.”

“Take these.”

Words alone didn't mean much.

If you were giving, give generously.

He handed black cards to Han Younggil and his team.

“What are these……?”

“Ilseong-exclusive Black Cards. Permanent 50% discounts on all products, plus 50% points back. If you ever need to buy something, feel free to visit.”

“Can we really accept something like this……?”

“Of course. You did a lot today.”

If they hadn't actively blocked Griff, Jonas and his people would've already succeeded in leaving the country.

Considering that, handing out Black Cards was trivial.

They worked at every Ilseong location, so they'd be useful.

Han Younggil hesitated.

Then his team members' intense gazes overwhelmed him, and he finally nodded.

He wanted the card too. How many products carried the Ilseong name, from appliances to vehicles and equipment?

And the benefits were insane.

50% discount with 50% points back!It was effectively the right to buy a one-million-won product for only 250,000 won.

Of course he wanted it.

Gulp.

He'd been thinking about replacing his car too.‘The new model was called Voltron, right?’If he could buy it at a quarter of the price, he was absolutely getting one.

Han Younggil and his team swallowed and accepted the cards.

“We'll use them well. If you ever need our help again…….”

“Of course. You'll be the first people I think of.”

The Gate Management Department.

A division filled with elites even among Awakened. Maintaining close ties with them would surely prove useful again.

Every prisoner was handed over to the Korean government. The only person remaining was Kim Haeun.

The very reason they'd blocked the departure in the first place, and Han Sia's mother.

She stared blankly at Kim Minwoo and Han Sia for a moment.

Then approached with a bright smile.

“Sia! You knew Mr. Kim Minwoo? You should've told Mom earlier.”

“…….”

“Thank you for saving us.”

Kim Haeun greeted him in place of the silent Han Sia.

The smile told Minwoo everything.‘She switched patrons.’Makes sense.

The woman was addicted to gambling.

What mattered most to her was a reliable source of money. Until now, Griff had provided that, so she'd obediently followed their orders.

Even gaslighting her own daughter.

But now?

From Kim Haeun's perspective, there was no longer any need.

A new money source had appeared.

And one wealthy enough not to lose badly to the Griff family.

That was probably why she wore such a radiant smile, even though a venomous snake lurked beneath it.

“Well, looks like you've found your mother too. What would you like to do, Miss Han Sia?”

“……

I want to ask one thing.”

“Go ahead.”

Han Sia stared at her mother.

She had craved her love.

Depended on her.

She had been Han Sia's everything.

Once.

Han Sia still loved Kim Haeun. More than twenty years of one-sided love couldn't disappear in a day.

But now…….

“Mom.”

“Yeah?”

“I know.”

“Know what?”

“That you don't love me. And…… that you love money more than me. That you're…… completely addicted to gambling.”

“W-What are you talking about all of a sudden……?”

“I heard everything. And I confirmed it. You don't have to hide it anymore. I know now.”

“Sounds like someone told you something strange…….”

“So.”

Han Sia cut her off and looked at Kim Minwoo.

“……

Treatment would be good, right?”

“For gambling addiction? Yes. There are plenty of excellent facilities. It may take some time, though.”

There were countless hospitals under Ilseong's name.

“Then please arrange it.”

“You may have to live apart. Are you okay with that?”

“We already did while I was at the Academy. It won't be much different.”

Kim Haeun's face turned white.

“You…… you're planning to put your own mother in some kind of psychiatric hospital? How could you……!”

“It's for your own good.”

Han Sia answered calmly.

She had finally met someone who truly acted for her sake.

Maybe that was why.

She no longer depended on her mother for everything.

She had found a new pillar to lean on.

Her gaze was no longer directed toward Kim Haeun.