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[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 19: Shooting Star (3)
“Ugh…”
When he opened his eyes, he saw the concrete ceiling above him.
A flickering neon sign was hanging steadily in the hallway, and Frank's face was leaning in closely.
“Are you awake?”
Baek Ho found himself gently held in Frank's arms. The so-called "princess carry."
“…What is this?”
“I couldn’t carry you with the jacket stained in blood.”
“Let go!”
As Baek Ho struggled, Frank placed him back on the ground roughly. He wobbled as he landed, clutching his head, feeling dizzy.
“Ugh… this sucks…”
He looked around.
It was the underground parking lot hallway of the Mega Building where the D&F office was located.
Leaning against the wall, Baek Ho sighed.
{Warning!}
{Severe damage to the heart detected.}
{Adequate rest is recommended.}
Baek Ho checked his condition using his SmartCore.
Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, mental contamination, trauma stability, subordinate control, subordinate synchronization rate—most of the numbers were poor.
However, strangely, the statistics related to dark mana had all gone up a level.
‘…It increased this much?’
This was the most basic method of increasing the quality and quantity of dark mana.
It was like forging iron to increase its strength—just keep using it and filling it up repeatedly.
Though this would shorten his lifespan drastically, there was nothing he could do about it.
This was the fate of a modern necromancer.
In any case, the statistics related to dark mana had all increased through his contract with the Calamity Bird.
Amount of mana, recovery speed, materialization density, and consumption rate.
This meant that just facing the Calamity Bird through the illusion had caused a huge shock to his life force.
What if he could summon the full-bodied entity into the current world?
He might be able to sweep away the beasts as easily as sweeping leaves with a broom.
“How did you get here?”
Baek Ho pressed the elevator button and asked.
“I came by your car.”
“Who drove? You can’t drive.”
“I dragged it here.”
Frank raised his left ChangeArm, which had transformed into a hook shape, with all five fingers fused together.
It looked like a winch attached to a tow truck.
“You dragged it all the way here?”
“Yep.”
“…Impressive.”
“Frank knows.”
Baek Ho pressed the button to head back to the underground parking lot.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Checking the car’s condition.”
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat first.”
“No. First, check.”
The elevator didn’t stop and went all the way up to the office floor.
The door opened with a loud clang, and Baek Ho immediately pressed the close button repeatedly.
Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud—
When the door was halfway closed, Baek Ho reached out and held it.
He poked his head out to look around in front of his office.
“What is this?”
Someone was sitting there.
Wearing a thick flight jacket and a cap pulled low over their head.
From the silhouette, it looked like a woman.
The faint glimpse of white skin reminded him of someone.
“…Sophia?”
Baek Ho hurriedly stepped out of the elevator.
He crossed the hallway at a quick pace but then suddenly stopped.
I hope it doesn’t look like I was waiting. This is kind of hurting my pride…
Baek Ho turned his eyes to look at Frank beside him.
Frank was absentmindedly picking his nose.
"Hey, give me that banner."
"Why?"
"I thought I'd be a fan too."
"You're lying."
"If I ask, just give it to me."
Baek Ho snatched the banner from Frank's tuxedo jacket.
[UnderHeaven’s Brightest Star ★ I_Vu]
He held it in his left hand.
His right hand slid into his coat pocket, and he pulled out a purple light stick with a bead at the end.
"Whoa, that’s pretty cool. Where’d you get it?"
"Found it lying around."
"Frank’s not that stupid. You didn’t seriously buy it for me, did you?"
"As if. You’re way too full of yourself."
With the cheer gear in both hands, Baek Ho forced a smile and started walking.
I'm calm.
There's no reason to rush.
He kept repeating it to himself, making his steps lighter.
Baek Ho recalled what his eldest aunt, the CEO of Yeomra, had once told him—
In any negotiation, the impatient one always loses.
Never let it show if you're waiting.
The moment you show your impatience, you’ll end up stuck at the bargaining table under unfavorable terms.
Click—
He flicked the switch on the light stick, and the dim hallway was immediately bathed in a purple glow.
"Ooh!"
Frank’s mouth dropped open.
"Hold up the banner."
"Got it!"
Frank raised both banners high.
With an expression of pure joy, he followed Baek Ho.
[I_Vu ♥ I_KILL FOR YOU]
[What’s the point of resurrection without I_Vu]
The purple light created by Baek Ho soon reached the area around their office.
Sophia, who had been crouching in front of the office, stood up as she sensed the light.
She was wearing a cap and a purification mask that covered her entire face.
"......"
Her body froze. It seemed the plan was a success.
"Who’s this?"
Baek Ho chuckled as he stood in front of Sophia.
"You're the Witch of Chernobog, huh? What’s going on?"
"What’s going on!"
Frank waved the banners from side to side and repeated the words.
"Do you need something from me?"
"If you need something, go to the bathroom!"
"...Shut up."
Sophia slowly took off her cap.
Her blonde hair, not brown, but almost silver, flowed down.
"Did you change your hairpiece? Or did you dye it?"
"Ugh! The old one was better!"
"......"
As Sophia pressed on the chin of her purification mask, the mechanical device began to retract, gradually revealing her face—first her eyes, then her nose, and finally her mouth.
The more her face was exposed, the more Baek Ho and Frank's expressions grew noticeably tense.
It wasn’t Sophia.
"......"
"......"
Her skin was almost white.
Her eyebrows were dark, and her eyes were black.
She had an ethereal beauty, as though her features were a blend of Eastern and Western traits.
“Oh…”
Baek Ho let out a pure, genuine gasp.
She was easily one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life.
If that face had been crafted through any surgical procedure, then whoever did it must have been a god hiding among men.
But even such flawless beauty had its flaw—an inexplicable sadness, like black ink splattered across a pristine white porcelain vase.
“Have we met somewhere before? You look really familiar.”
“N-No, it’s our first time…”
“Even your voice... it’s not just pretty—it sounds familiar too.”
“Well, that’s…”
As Baek Ho struggled to recall a memory—warning alerts suddenly popped up before his eyes.
{Familiar 'Friend' shows unstable pulse.}
{Familiar 'Friend' showing rapid spike in blood pressure.}
{Familiar 'Friend' rapidly depleting mana levels.}
{Non-combat situation detected—recommend forced coma transition.}
Startled, Baek Ho glanced to the side.
Frank’s face had gone deathly pale, his jaw trembling uncontrollably.
“Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah. A-Ah.”
He kept repeating the same syllable over and over, then all at once, a dark blue glow erupted from his arms and legs where his Necroshell was embedded.
His tuxedo couldn't withstand the mana surge and melted away.
“What the hell—what’s wrong with this crazy bastard?”
“Ah… Ah…”
Frank’s head jerked back like a broken robot, and in a low voice, he mumbled.
“Vu…”
“What?”
“It’s I_Vu…”
The giant of a man collapsed backward with a heavy thud, making the entire hallway shake.
{Familiar 'Friend' has exhausted all mana reserves. Entering emergency coma state.}
Baek Ho looked down at Frank with an expression of utter pity.
“…Maybe we should just quit before things get any worse.”
He let out a deep sigh, but before he could do anything further, the woman spoke up again.
“Um…”
“Hold on. Let me deal with this guy first.”
Baek Ho switched off the lightstick, plunging the hallway back into darkness.
The only light now came from the flickering neon signs, casting a cold, blue glow over the woman.
“…Huh?”
The woman’s silver hair shimmered faintly under the neon light—and with that, a long-forgotten memory clicked back into place in Baek Ho’s mind.
A poster neatly attached to one side of the office came to mind.
It was the group photo of I_Vu, which Frank had desperately saved with tears in his eyes.
Baek Ho remembered one of the four women in white dresses.
‘Baek Ho, who do you think is the most beautiful among them?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I’m not going to answer any more questions about cars.’
‘...That one in the middle. The pale one.’
Baek Ho looked at the woman in front of him once more.
Now, he understood the reason for the familiarity.
“Are you from I_Vu...?”
He remembered the group name, but couldn't recall any individual’s name.
Seeing Baek Ho’s reaction, the woman gracefully bowed.
“Hello. I am Edelin Nana, the leader of I_Vu.”
She smiled brightly, the gloomy appearance she had earlier completely gone, replaced with an energetic aura.
It was as if she had switched modes to "Idol Mode" with the press of a button.
“Right? Oh, you look even better in person.”
Baek Ho remained indifferent, as usual.
Even though Edelin Nana had high recognition in UnderHeaven, she was no match for Baek Ho, the future head of one of the Seven Great Necromancer Families.
Maybe it was because he had heard this since he was young.
Or perhaps it was because he had experienced so much hardship growing up.
Even before women called ‘goddesses,’ Baek Ho was never intimidated or overly excited.
“Thank you...”
Edelin Nana bowed again politely.
Then, Baek Ho noticed.
She was staring intently at the placard in his left hand.
[UnderHeaven’s Brightest Star ★ I_Vu]
“That’s his.”
Baek Ho quickly pointed at Frank.
The light stick he was holding swung around, leaving a purple afterimage behind.
"Thank you..."
"For what?"
"For liking it..."
"When did I ever say that?"
"...Huh?"
"Never mind. So, why are you looking for me?"
Although Baek Ho could have greeted her warmly, he didn’t.
He thought about it logically.
Someone as famous as Edelin Nana wouldn’t hire a low-ranking fixer like him.
So, he came to a conclusion.
"Did my aunt send you? Or was it my older sister? Did they tell you to seduce me and bring me over?"
Naturally, she must have come looking for the next head of the Baek Family.
It was a method he'd used just a few months ago.
"Uh... I'm not sure I understand what you mean..."
There was another reason why Baek Ho thought this way.
"It won’t do any good to deny it."
Baek Ho lowered his eyes, glancing toward Edelin Nana’s chest.
Dark blue light was leaking from there.
‘UnderHeaven’s goddess is a reaper...’
That was why he had mistakenly thought she was Sophia.
The only female reaper bold enough to come directly to him was Sophia.
Baek Ho looked back into Edelin Nana’s eyes.
In the middle of her forehead, between her eyes, a faint glowing vessel could be seen.
The fact that it was placed unusually suggested that someone had used a trick to avoid detection by an undead scan.
"You."
Baek Ho extended his light stick, aiming it at Edelin Nana's forehead.
"Whether it's my aunt or my older sister, go tell them properly. I have no intention of returning home."
He neatly slid the light stick into his coat pocket, handling it as if it were a revolver.
"Go."
Baek Ho turned his body towards the office door. It was locked and wouldn’t open.
He fumbled through his pockets for his card key but couldn’t find it.
"Dammit..."
He muttered under his breath, regretting not setting it to fingerprint recognition.
Baek Ho brushed past Edelin Nana and headed toward Frank, and rummaged through his half-melted tuxedo.
Edelin Nana followed him closely.
"I want to hire you..."
"I’m not buying it."
Despite Baek Ho’s cold response, Edelin Nana didn’t give up.
Hesitating as if she was about to speak, she noticed a fallen banner beside Frank.
[I_Vu ♥ I_KILL FOR YOU]
She gathered her resolve and spoke again.
"Do you... kill people too...?"
"Seriously? Why don't you do some research on me first? You're just going off my looks and not making any effort."
Baek Ho continued searching for his card key, once again passing Edelin Nana.
He didn’t even spare her a glance as he placed the card on the office door.
Just as he was about to step inside, Edelin Nana grabbed the hem of his coat.
He felt a tremor at her fingertips.
"Wait a minute..."
Baek Ho frowned and turned around.
He was about to snap at her, but before he could, Nana’s soft, quiet voice cut him off.
"Please..."
"What?"
"Please... kill me..."
"...What?"
Edelin Nana raised her head and looked up at Baek Ho.
The moment their eyes met, Baek Ho saw a reflection of his past in her deep, dark eyes.
＊ ＊ ＊
UH Stadium Performer-Only Restroom.
Mujin stood in front of the sink, water flowing.
His long hair was still the same, but his clothes were different.
Instead of a coat, he was wearing a battle suit with "SECURITY" written on it.
“Damn it…”
He sighed as he placed a blood-stained hand axe on the sink.
“What the hell’s the point of all this over money…”
Bang! Bang!
The bathroom door shook violently, and shouts could be heard from outside.
–Open the door now!
–Nana-sama! Are you inside?
–Is everything okay? We'll save you right away!
The steel door was firmly shut.
The protective barrier designed to keep the performers safe was now aiding the kidnappers of the performers.
“Tch.”
Mujin raised the hand axe and looked to the side.
A white woman’s hand was neatly severed, lying there.
Mujin immediately used the axe to strike the severed hand.
Crack—
The SmartCore was completely destroyed.
Now, everyone would know that something had happened to Edelin Nana.
Tracking would be initiated, but up to that point, there was nothing he could do to help.
“That damn, no-good necromancer... I wonder if he’ll manage things properly.”
He swept his hair back, tying it into a tight ponytail with an elastic band.
He pulled out the hand axe from his waist and gripped it tightly.
“Who even cares about anyone at this point?”
By now, they must have realized outside that something major had happened to Edelin Nana.
There would be no mercy from him.
And as expected, things were going exactly as he anticipated.
BOOM—!
With a tremendous sound, one side of the bathroom wall collapsed.
Reaper guards wearing security battle suits flooded in with smoke grenades.
“Nana-sama has disappeared!”
“Kill the kidnappers!”
“The opponent is a Reaper from the Executioner Corps! Hold out until the Lifeguard team arrives…”
Shwooo!
Out of nowhere, an axe flew and buried itself into the skull of one of the Reapers.
Through the haze of smoke created by the smoke grenades, Mujin stood calmly, wearing headphones, with a bored expression on his face.
“Didn’t I tell you not to stop me?”
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[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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