Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Spendthrift Necromancer (23)

Park SiwooShadow.

An assassination organization that operated in darkness while dreaming of reviving a Great Being.

Its members came from many different walks of life, and plenty were active openly in society.

Living with a kind of double identity.

Their leader, Han Baekgil, stared at the pitch-black stone in his palm.

Stone of Life.

A gift bestowed by the Great Being.

Its effect was simple.

When the designated person died, the stone lost its color.

Just like Lee Seoyoon's stone in his hand now.‘She's dead.’Han Baekgil clicked his tongue inwardly.

Lee Seoyoon had been a talented prospect from the moment she awakened.

She was also an Awakened with a cruel nature buried inside.

Madmen recognized madwomen.

Han Baekgil had seen through her at once. That was why he'd approached her in advance and recruited her into Shadow.‘I intended to give her an important position later.’She was someone almost certain to grow into S-rank.

There weren't many people with that kind of talent even within Shadow.

And now such a valuable asset had suddenly died overnight.

“……

Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, he summoned the members.

The members entered wearing masks.

Numbers One through Seven.

Core elites, each assigned a number.

Han Baekgil looked at them and spoke.

Han Baekgil spoke.

“Lee Seoyoon is dead.”

“That psycho bitch died? How?”

“Obvious, isn't it? Didn't she just finish the job we gave her? She probably went hunting to blow off steam and got killed instead.”

The members inwardly nodded.

Lee Seoyoon's eccentric behavior was fairly notorious even inside Shadow.

Whenever she finished an assignment, she always went off to torment someone afterward.

“But that's a little strange, isn't it? She might've been crazy, but she wasn't stupid. She would've moved only if the target looked easy enough to eat…….”

That was true.

Lee Seoyoon enjoyed hunting. She wasn't someone who cared about life-or-death battles.

“She usually targeted people moving alone, right?”

“Yeah. She said parties were boring, so she probably did the same this time. Then she got taken out…….”

Han Baekgil raised a hand.

“There are two possibilities. First. A high-ranking Awakened concealed their identity and entered a low-ranking Gate. Or…….”

“A new face appeared and crushed Lee Seoyoon one-on-one?”

“Correct.”

Han Baekgil nodded.

If an A- or S-rank Awakened had gone in disguised, it wouldn't be strange for Lee Seoyoon to be hunted.

But the probability itself was extremely low. Lee Seoyoon usually moved around D- to E-rank Gates.

What could possibly be there to attract someone famous enough that you'd recognize their name immediately?

Of course, there might've been some hidden piece or something, but that wasn't very likely.

Usually, hidden pieces for high-level Awakened also began in higher-ranking areas.

“If it was a new face, who could it be?”

The members' eyes gleamed at the interesting subject.

People often assumed anyone with a high Achievement Rank would advertise it everywhere, but that wasn't always true.

There were plenty of Awakened who concealed their Achievement Rank to some extent.

A-rank might claim B.

B-rank might claim C.

They accepted slightly worse treatment in exchange for attracting less attention.

There were quite a few Awakened who moved that way.

Boasting about a high Achievement Rank didn't only bring advantages.

“That bitch had an A-rank Achievement, right? And she was Level 300. Whoever killed her can't be ordinary…….”

“Exactly. That's why I called you all here. If a genuine new face has appeared, then we have a new variable.”

The members nodded.

Of course, even if it was a new face, they probably weren't some literal brand-new rookie.

More likely, they were someone who had spent quite a while rolling around in the Awakened world.

There was no way some low-level newbie had killed Lee Seoyoon.

“Fine. I understand why we're here. So, Boss, what do we do if we find them? Kill them?”

“Not necessarily. Recruitment remains a possibility. Of course, if that fails…….”

Han Baekgil's gaze turned cold.

He didn't need to finish.

Everyone understood.

“Fine. Then I'll trace the movements of A-rank and higher Awakened. If one entered a Gate, they'll probably have a gap in their schedule.”

“I'll check the low-ranking Gate entry records. Focus on people who went in alone.”

Who had killed Lee Seoyoon?

Shadow began moving to find out.* * *After leaving the Gate.

Kim Minwoo comfortably returned home and called the bodyguards.

“Look into this person for me. Ah, and destroy this ID.”

“Understood.”

Park Siwoo.

Hanbit Orphanage.

He handed over a piece of paper containing simple information, along with Park Cheolwoong's ID.

He intended to dispose of it in advance in case Shadow caught the scent.

Less than ten minutes later, he received documents containing Park Siwoo's information.

As expected, Park Siwoo was currently at the orphanage.

He examined the notes under special remarks.[Skilled with swords from childhood. Several guilds approached after coveting his ability, but he ultimately failed to awaken.]‘Definitely a promising seedling.’The sooner he made contact, the better.

Park Siwoo's awakening became much more roundabout once a certain time passed.‘Meet him first.’Leveling?

He could do that anytime.

Hunt an Outer God within seven years.

Honestly, he could hit Level 200 in a few months, never mind seven years.

After that, his growth would hit a hard wall.

This was something that might let him break through it.

More than enough reason to move immediately.

“Prepare the car. We're going here.”

Hanbit Orphanage.

First, he'd meet Park Siwoo there.* * *Hanbit Orphanage.

At the orphanage located in Gyeonggi Province, children were running around as usual.

A friend the same age sat beside Park Siwoo, who was blankly watching them.

“What're you doing?”

“Nothing…… We don't have much longer here, you know. So I was watching.”

“Must be nice? You've even got time to zone out.”

“Nice, my ass. I'm already dying inside.”

“True. You've got your little sister too…….”

His friend nodded understandingly.

Just as he said, Park Siwoo's younger sister was staying at this orphanage too.

He had reached the age when he had to leave.

Even with a settlement allowance, that tiny amount would barely get him a room in some tiny exam hostel.

After brooding over the suffocating thought for a while, Park Siwoo asked.

“……

What're you going to do for a living when you leave?”

“Me? Told you. I'll just learn a trade. What about you?”

“I don't know. These days I'm starting to think I should do the same. If I'd awakened, maybe it'd be different…….”

His friend snorted.

“Awakening? If we haven't done it by our age, it's over.”

“……

Yeah. Probably.”

Park Siwoo quietly nodded.

Deep down, it stung.

Ever since childhood, his dream had been to become an Awakened.

The reason was simple.

An Awakened had saved him.

Thirteen years ago, an A-rank Gate had suddenly erupted in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

He had been on an outing with his family and lost his parents there. If Awakened hadn't arrived as reinforcements, he might have lost his only younger sister too.

From then on, he dreamed of becoming Awakened.

He wanted to become someone who saved others, just as he and his sister had been saved.

Of course, if you asked whether that person absolutely had to be Awakened, then not necessarily…….

But few professions were as respected as Awakened.

That was why most children at this orphanage also dreamed of becoming Awakened.

Unfortunately, only a tiny handful ever achieved it.

Then.

A line of vehicles stopped in front of the orphanage.

Both boys' eyes widened at the parade of cars that looked absurdly expensive at a glance.

“What the hell? Some big shot coming today?”

“I don't know. The director didn't say anything.”

Then an even more surprising sight unfolded.

People stepped out of the cars.

Among them was an extremely familiar face.

Kim Minwoo!

Even with sunglasses on, there was no way they could fail to recognize him.

After all, wasn't he currently the hottest Awakened in Korea?

And both hands of the people who looked like bodyguards were packed with so many gifts they seemed difficult to carry.‘Why is someone like him here…….’Then.

“Hey! You over there!”

“Pardon? Me?”

“Yeah, you. You're Park Siwoo, right?”

“Yes. I am…… Do you know me?”

“Of course. I know you. Very well, actually. How about we talk for a bit? Somewhere quiet.”

Kim Minwoo removed his sunglasses and grinned.* * *Inside a small café.

Kim Minwoo and Park Siwoo sat facing each other.

“Order anything you want.”

“No, thank you. I ate earlier, so I'm fine. Um, what did you want to talk to me about……?”

Park Siwoo seemed curious about the reason.

Then there was no point beating around the bush.

“Siwoo. You've got a lot on your mind lately, don't you?”

“……

Pardon?”

“You'll be leaving the orphanage soon, and you don't know how you're going to make a living. Am I wrong?”

“That's……

right?”

“Plus you have a younger sister, so you need to establish yourself first.”

Park Siwoo nodded.

“You know, your big brother here has a decent eye for people. From what I can tell, you're going places.”

“What do you mean by going places……?”

“You have talent as an Awakened.”

“……

What?”

“Didn't hear me?”

“No, I heard you. But I've never awakened before.”

“Kid. Your big brother awakened way later than you. And look at me now.”

“You're a super…… rookie.”

“Exactly. You just need to find your condition and awaken. Then you can become like me.”

“I'm sorry, but…… I don't know my condition…….”

“Of course not! Who the hell knows their awakening condition? Your big brother just tried all sorts of things and got lucky.”

In reality, he hadn't gotten lucky at all and simply knew it already, but there was no need to tell him that.

“I'm looking for talented people these days, and you caught my eye immediately. According to the orphanage records, you're pretty good with a sword?”

“Ah…….”

Park Siwoo nodded as though understanding.

Awakened was an excellent profession.

And people often stumbled into their awakening condition like winning the lottery.

Naturally, orphanages also worked hard to produce Awakened.

If they produced an excellent Awakened and sent them to a guild or organization, large donations often came back in return.

Training was one part of those efforts.

They handed children several types of practice weapons and trained them.

That let them discover weapons suited to their aptitude, and if they got lucky, sometimes one of them awakened.

Even if they didn't awaken, there was no downside to identifying promising talent.

Park Siwoo had once received that kind of attention too.

He was incredibly good with a sword.

But still hadn't awakened.

Could this be a lottery ticket I can scratch?

Guilds who thought that way had built relationships with Park Siwoo and supported him somewhat.

They'd even helped him try various things to discover his awakening condition.

But after a considerable amount of time.

Park Siwoo had become gum with all the sweetness chewed out.

Those who had potential usually awakened before fifteen at the latest.

This guy didn't awaken no matter what he did.

What good was excellent sword talent if he couldn't awaken?

There were only so many things worth trying.

Eventually, the guilds that had been watching Park Siwoo dropped out one by one.

That was why Park Siwoo was now worrying about how he'd make a living after leaving the orphanage.

Instead of studying.

Instead of learning a trade.

He'd bet everything on awakening once, and it hadn't happened.

“You haven't given up yet, have you?”

“…….”

Park Siwoo quietly shook his head.

Kim Minwoo saw that and grinned.

“I'll help you. Until you awaken. Whatever you're imagining, you'll receive even more support than that.”

“……

Um…….”

“Yeah, call me whatever's comfortable. Just call me hyung.”

“……

Yes. Hyung. I understand why you wanted to meet me. But I don't understand why you're going this far for me. All the other guilds already gave up…….”

Minwoo snorted.

Why was he going this far?

The world simply didn't know this genius's true value yet.

The person who truly deserved to be praised by the Sword Immortal as a genius wasn't Minwoo.

It was Park Siwoo.‘Because this bastard is the real genius.’Trait, Swordsmanship Genius.

Hadn't the game stated it outright on his starting screen?

This guy was a monster.

There was no downside to forming a relationship with him.

And most importantly.‘The chance of getting Achievement Points from this is extremely high.’Their value couldn't be measured with mere money.

Achievement Points directly raised Kim Minwoo's potential.

The higher his level, the better his chances of hunting an Outer God.

The only way to surpass the cursed Level 200 cap.

How could he resist?

“Absolutely can't.”

“Pardon?”

“I said your big brother can't resist.”

What kind of life was Park Siwoo originally supposed to live?

Minwoo didn't know exactly, but he could make a guess.

Long ago.

Even when the best player knew his awakening condition and directly piloted him, S-rank had been the limit.

And the current Park Siwoo didn't even know his awakening condition.

Because the condition was difficult, even if he eventually awakened, he'd normally end around C or B.

His swordsmanship genius trait would still carry him pretty high.‘A famous Awakened in Korea. About that level.’That was probably where he'd stop.

The first Skill Book was that important.

But what if someone destined to end there achieved an S-rank or higher awakening?

Could the story possibly avoid twisting after a change this large in a protagonist's fate?

If it worked, Achievement Points would pour in.

A lottery ticket guaranteed to win.

First thing to do was scratch it.

“S-rank? No. You'll definitely become something even greater than that. Let's do it. Your hyung will help you.”

They would write a legend in Korea's Awakened world.

That was why Kim Minwoo had come to find Park Siwoo.