Chapter 142

“You’re back? What did you talk about that took so lo— What’s wrong with your eyes? Have you been crying?”

“Sniff, crying? No. I just got some cat hair in my eye.”

Kang Cho-won’s story was touching.

The only reason he hadn’t monopolized the power of the Thunder Immortal was entirely for the sake of his younger siblings.

Kang Nabi and, most of all, Kang Ha-neul.

He had kicked away the easy path to the Transcendent-Level because he hoped the two of them would build their skills and grow strong enough to defeat him in the tournament.

Kang Cho-won had no interest in power handed down through generations. Rather, he calmly stated that only if his “weaker siblings” inherited the Thunder Immortal’s abilities would they be able to survive in this harsh world.

Knowing that Kang Ha-neul would surely lose his temper and claim he was being looked down upon again if he found out, I didn’t bother telling him the truth.

I wiped my eyes with Mala-nim, whom I pulled from my sleeve, and spoke.

“It’s nothing. Shall we head out?”

“Where to now?”

“We need to meet Kang Nabi. She should be nearby.”

The second person to visit was indeed the “Spear of Thunder,” Kang Nabi. Unlike Kang Cho-won, she wasn’t soft-hearted, so there was no doubt she would be the toughest opponent.

“How about we launch a preemptive strike?”

“Attack her?”

“Exactly. We launch a surprise assault so she can’t participate in the tournament in top condition.”

Although we were peers in the Special Unit, I had almost no contact with Kang Nabi. Aside from the raid on the Sea of Decay, the times we’d worked together could be counted on one hand.

However, if anyone thought I didn’t know her weaknesses or whereabouts, they were dead wrong. Through the profiles registered on the Special Unit Bamboo Forest, I had easily grasped everything from her favorite foods and preferred mission types to the brand of soap she used to wash her feet.

However, Kang Ha-neul immediately shut down my genius suggestion of ambushing Kang Nabi by slamming his spear shaft into the ground.

“I’ve been letting you talk, but what kind of absolute nonsense is this?”

“Ack!”

“I will defeat those two through skill alone. I hate the thought of those arrogant jerks laughing at me, but I have no intention of hatching cowardly plots that only criminal organizations would use.”

After basically accusing me of plotting like a criminal, he headed back toward the training ground. Left alone, I quickly hid myself in the ceiling before anyone could arrive.

“I’ve been running around like crazy just to help him, yet I haven’t heard a single word of thanks.”

『Fear not.』

“You think I haven’t fallen far enough to hold hands with a demon yet? I told you, my name isn’t ‘Demon’!”

『Fear not?』

Mala-nim was asking, ‘What do you plan to do now?’

Despite being rejected, I intended to keep supporting Kang Ha-neul from the sidelines and from the shadows. From Division 3’s perspective, it was infinitely better for him to inherit the Thunder Immortal’s power. Of course, the direction of that support was up to the helper—so he might not actually want it, but did that really matter? All roads lead to Busan, as long as they don’t actually go to Busan.

“First, shall we go find Kang Nabi?”

『Fear?』

“Do I know where she is? Of course. My nose doesn’t lie. I’ve memorized the scents of every foot cleanser used by the Special Unit members, so tracking her is a piece of cake.”

『Fearfearfearfear…』

She wasn’t very far away. She was in an office building near Yeouido. The building was being used for tournament registrations, and as I drew closer, it was swarming with people. Even after I’d thinned out the competition, its popularity was clearly no joke.

While scanning the long line for Kang Nabi, I saw a promotional poster for the tournament on the wall.

“The winner’s prize is definitely…”

『Fear?』

Mala-nim emerged from my sleeve and pointed at the text mentioning the New Monster Wars RE:VIVE! Super Account.

However, I had no intention of taking that. As a true lover of Monster Wars, using something like that to hit Rank 1 would be an insult to the game. And since I was purely cheering for Kang Ha-neul’s victory this time, I hadn’t the slightest intention of entering the tournament myself.

“If I could get the power of the Thunder Immortal, I might have entered, though.”

『Fear not?』

“Just in case, I did bring an adoption application. Like you, Mala-nim, if I use this to become Kang Cho-won’s sibling, I might gain eligibility for the succession.”

『Fear…』

Anyway, the immediate priority was finding Kang Nabi. If she accepted me as an “oppa” during our talk… no, if she revealed a weakness, I planned to casually tip off Kang Ha-neul.

I tracked her scent with my nose to the floor for about ten minutes. Feeling something, I straightened up, and Mala-nim asked what was wrong.

『Fear not?』

“No, this is…”

A familiar scent had been added. One belonged to Kang Nabi, but the other didn’t come from the Bureau.

It was a dampness like a silent, heavy mist. The distinct sulfur smell that wafts from those who have mastered Black Magic.

However, this presence was definitely not a demon, yet possessed a deep and dark magical power.

As far as I knew, there was only one person in Seoul with such mana.

Stepping out of the line to confirm their identity, I headed toward the building’s emergency staircase. Standing before the thick door, the voices of two people drifted through.

“—I cannot comprehend your motives. Are you even aware of how many laws you would be breaking with that choice?”

I could feel the anger in the voice of Kang Nabi, who usually managed her emotions as well as Ha Yeri. However, the woman on the other side accepted that emotion calmly and revealed her reason for wanting to enter the tournament.

“—I told you, I am merely respecting the will of the deceased.”

“—You must want the power of the Thunder Immortal for yourself. Are the demons of the Necropolis not enough for you?”

“—No matter how much power one has to oppose the Archdukes, it is never enough. And don’t you think it suits the intent of this little farce?”

Baek-seon.

The Transcendent-Level Awakened who had reached the pinnacle of Black Magic.

Since Velada regained her original strength and Baek-seon took complete control over the Special-Grade Gate, the Necropolis, she had grown even stronger—now capable of freely summoning and commanding the Four Knights who were once the Archduke Gamigin’s closest aides.

“This is not a farce. What do you know of my family’s traditions to speak so lightly of them?”

“In my eyes, it’s nothing but a play. If this were a hundred years ago, either you or your brother would have been killed long ago instead of just wasting food. Ah, for the record, those aren’t my words, but his.”

“……”

“Above all, isn’t it better for the Thunder Immortal’s power to go to someone who can use it better? For example… sigh. Isn’t that right?”

The door opened.

Feet came into view. A few strands of snow-white hair fell over the tops of feet clad in black flats and black stockings. I looked up and met a gaze looking down at me.

“Still a pathetic male even after all this time. Crawling on the floor with those grand abilities of yours.”

“Hello, Baek-seon-nim.”

“Lruyeh. Can you stop making me correct your form of address every time we meet?”

“I’m just very shy around strangers.”

I stood up and naturally moved toward Kang Nabi. It was a gesture of taking her side since we were both part of the Special Unit—the “blood is thicker than water” approach—but she remained prickly.

“By the way, what were you two discussing?”

“It is none of your business.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be better if I heard a detailed explanation? I might be able to mediate so the problem doesn’t escalate.”

The Special Unit, especially Division 3, and Baek-seon were in a cooperative relationship. The demon corpses in the Necropolis were perfect for honing combat instincts, so the members, including Kang Ha-neul, periodically entered that Gate to train.

In exchange for the Gate usage fee, the Special Unit periodically dealt with the tentacles that were gradually expanding their territory on the surface. From her perspective, it wasn’t a bad deal.

At my question, Lruyeh spoke in her usual serene tone.

“This girl seems displeased that I am participating in the Thunder Martial Arts Tournament. As long as you are here, there is no need to worry about this turning into a conflict with the Special Unit.”

“You should worry about this turning into a conflict with my family, not the Special Unit.”

“Oh, is that so? It seems the people of your family don’t think that way.”

“……”

“Both of you, please calm down.”

I squeezed my body between the two of them. Kang Nabi frowned and took a step back, but Lruyeh simply looked up at me as still as a doll.

This isn’t really my role, I’m just losing out by meddling.

Since Lruyeh knew my true identity, she wouldn’t cross the line recklessly, so calming Kang Nabi was the priority. I approached her as she nervously twisted a strand of her yellow hair, which was sparking with electricity, and asked:

“From what I heard outside, it sounds like Baek-seon-nim wants the power of the Thunder Immortal. How is such a thing even possible?”

If that were possible, I wouldn’t have brought an adoption application to try and become Kang Cho-won’s sibling. In the first place, the power was inherited through the bloodline; even if I actually became family with Kang Nabi, obtaining the power should have been impossible.

Noticing my intention to block her path in the narrow staircase, Kang Nabi let out a small sigh and raised a hand to her chest.

“Sigh, I’ve calmed down, so step back. You’re too close.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Hayan, the method you asked about is exactly why I’m telling Baek-seon-nim that there are ample grounds for illegality. No, before that, it is a matter of the laws of heaven and nature.”

“The laws of heaven and nature?”

“I told you, I am merely respecting the person’s own will.”

Ignoring the small voice coming from behind my back, Kang Nabi revealed what she had done.

“Do you know my grandfather? I mean, the previous Thunder Immortal?”

“Yes, I heard he passed away recently.”

“Baek-seon is currently commanding his corpse as a familiar.”

“…Are you serious?”

It was a concept I had truly never heard of.

The power of the Thunder Immortal is inherited by the bloodline. In other words, the Thunder Immortal himself could be the subject of that inheritance. It would require fulfilling the absurd condition of being resurrected after death as a Transcendent-Level Awakened, but that very thing had happened right before my eyes.

Lruyeh—the master of Black Magic, or rather, what now looked like a devious body-snatcher—shrugged at my glaring eyes demanding an explanation.

“Just so we’re clear, even I cannot command another of the Seven Immortals at will. This is entirely of his own volition.”

“By ‘his,’ do you mean the Thunder Immortal?”

“Yes. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

It wasn’t just Kang Cho-won and Kang Nabi that Kang Ha-neul had to defeat to gain the power.

“He said he couldn’t stand the sight of all three of them being so weak.”

One of the Seven Immortals, the master of that very power, had returned from the afterlife to personally discipline his own grandchildren.