------------------
HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
------------------
Chapter 36: 4 Billion (1)
Numerous docks in Grave aimed at one location.
The target was two black pillars standing in a nearby vacant lot.
Between them was a blue veil.
It was a portal leading to UnderHeaven.
Whoooosh—
Baek Ho was gazing at the portal through the hovercar’s window.
The legion of soldiers, who had not even been seen when the urban elves were chasing Gwisin, were now densely surrounding the portal.
The hovercar driver said they were guarding it to ensure safe passage through the portal.
Seonhwa said it was to show Baek Ho’s father, who would be watching from above in Grave.
"Young Master."
Seonhwa placed her hand over Baek Ho's hand.
"When will I be able to serve you again?"
"Well, I don’t plan on becoming a commander."
"......"
"I just want to live like I always have, as a fixer in the city."
Seonhwa smiled faintly at Baek Ho’s words.
Where did the image of him wanting to become a great commander, like his father, go?
She hid her disappointment and nodded.
"I will always wait outside for you, Young Master."
Baek Ho turned his head to look at Seonhwa.
The tiger ornament hairpin in her hair caught his eye.
It was one of his mother’s keepsakes, and the last words she left with her fellow Reapers were to take good care of Baek Ho.
"Is that so? Before that, it might be quicker if you retire and come to the city."
"Heh... You never let anything slide."
While Baek Ho and Seonhwa exchanged warm glances, a loud shout came from the seats ahead.
"I said no!"
"You have to wear it."
The sharp noise made Seonhwa furrowed her brows.
She turned her head and looked forward.
In the VIP hovercar, large seats were lined up, and beyond them, in the galley where the crew was preparing drinks, Frank and Nana were having a squabble.
"You're really making me wear this junk?"
Nana raised an eyebrow and picked up the long black coat.
It was the standard issue Reaper coat—nothing special at all.
"Yep."
"Seriously? Are you for real?"
"What's the problem?"
"It looks awful! Why should I wear this?"
"Baek Ho told you to."
"...Tch."
Nana stomped her foot on the floor, then reluctantly put the coat on.
She was wearing a combat suit underneath—the kind Reapers usually wore.
From head to toe, she looked pretty plain.
"...Holy shit."
Nana glanced at herself and chuckled.
What a boring outfit.
She would’ve preferred the princess dress she used to wear on stage.
"Well, let's just call the coat a 'couple's outfit' with the master. The rest doesn’t matter, right?"
"Exactly."
"Alright."
Nana snapped her mechanical arm, then reached out to Frank.
"Hand me the knife."
"Why do you need that...?"
"Want me to hit you, or are you just going to give it to me?"
Frank pulled out a small purple knife from inside his coat and handed it over.
It was used for removing any debris that might get stuck in a Necroshell.
"Wait, we had this kind of stuff?"
Nana smirked as she slid the knife down along her thigh.
“H-Hey! What are you doing?!”
The blade slipped neatly between the fabric and her skin.
Starting at her upper leg, she sliced through her pants, turning them into a pair of short hot pants.
Then she tore the top of her shirt wide open, exposing her shoulders and collarbones.
If not for the coat she wore over it, she would’ve looked practically half-naked.
“What the hell is this…?”
She said, tilting her head.
“What do you think?”
“I’ve got to cover my face, so I figured I’d stand out another way. Maybe then Master will give me another look, don’t you think?”
With that, she strode confidently toward where Baek Ho was sitting.
Seonhwa gulped hard at the sight.
She wanted to scream—What kind of outrageous behavior is this?!
But no words came out.
For some reason, the whole thing reminded her too much of Mother Selena—and her throat tightened.
“Hey, pretty lady.”
“…What do you want?”
“Mind if I borrow him for a sec?”
Nana casually perched herself on the armrest of Seonhwa’s seat.
Then, leaning in toward Baek Ho—who was still staring out the window—
she whispered playfully—
“How do I look? You’re gonna tell me I’m pretty again, like last time… right?”
Baek Ho, who had been doing his best to ignore her, suddenly snapped his head around.
“When did I ever say you were—”
But the moment he caught sight of her revealing outfit, he immediately turned back.
“Ahem.”
“Oooh~ Looks like our Master’s a bit shy, huh?”
“Can you please stop calling me that?”
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“No.”
“Aww~ Feeling a little flustered?”
Nana grinned brightly, forming a circle with her thumb and index finger.
“Okay, then I’ll shorten it and just call you ‘Lord.’ That’s fine, right?”
“What kind of bullsh—”
Before Baek Ho could finish, a voice came over the intercom from the ceiling, announcing that they would soon enter the portal and to prepare accordingly.
“Here, put this on—quick!”
Frank came running, out of breath, and shoved a mask into Nana’s hands.
She stepped into the hallway and pulled it up over her chin.
With a soft whir, the mask came to life, expanding to cover her entire face.
It was the same full-face model she’d worn when they first met.
“Hey.”
Nana gave Frank a nudge and pointed to the upper part of the mask.
The section above the nose was a semi-transparent screen.
“Look.”
“What are you—”
She held up both middle fingers.
Right on cue, the characters 凸凸 lit up across her visor.
[TL/N: The character 凸 resembles a raised middle finger and is used in Korean and East Asian internet slang to signify "flipping the bird."]
“Double salute.”
Frank’s face crumpled.
“No… This isn’t my Nana… My Nana was elegant… pure…”
“Stop sniveling. And who said I was your Nana? I’m Baek Ho’s.”
“Ugh… Give her back! I want the real Nana!”
He collapsed dramatically onto the floor and started throwing a tantrum, arms and legs flailing.
Nana kicked Frank in the side, matching the rhythm of his tantrum.
“If you don’t wanna die, get up.”
“No!”
Frank turned away, pouting.
Nana’s mask display slid down to reveal her eyes—curved into playful crescents as she smiled.
“I was gonna introduce you to my group members, but never mind~”
Frank rolled his eyes upward to look at her.
“…What are you talking about?”
“Yumi’s your favorite, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“How about a one-on-one fan meeting with Yumi?”
“A one-on-one… with Yumi…?”
“You don’t want it?”
Frank shot up like he’d been electrocuted.
He dropped to one knee in front of Nana, mimicking the formal bow of Yeomra’s agents.
“Newbie Frank! From this moment on, I pledge loyalty to Nana—my one and only big sis!”
He pulled a purple glow stick from inside his coat and held it out solemnly.
Nana accepted it with theatrical flair, tapping each of his shoulders like she was knighting him.
“Very well. I hereby appoint you as Lackey No. 1.”
“Thank you, ma’am!”
Seonhwa clicked her tongue at the scene.
Every single one of them was completely unhinged.
And poor Baek Ho would have to live with them from now on.
She turned to glance at him.
He was still staring out the window, eyes blank and unfocused.
There was nothing in his expression but quiet resignation—an emptiness that came from having given up.
He looked like a man who’d surrendered to the madness.
＊ ＊ ＊
A few days later.
Deep in the lush forest of Paradise.
—Chatter-Chatter
The Liberation Army camp was unusually noisy today.
The rangers who’d gone out on patrol had returned with something unbelievable.
Meanwhile...
One man, still unaware of the news, lay curled up in bed, quietly soaking his pillow with tears.
“My Victory... is it peaceful where you are...?”
His face was covered in burns, and a Cow Mask rested beside him.
“How am I supposed to go on without you...?”
Just last night, he’d dreamed of driving his beloved hovercar one last time.
Since then, he’d been trapped in mourning.
“Hey! Cow-face!”
The tent flap slammed open, and someone in a Pig Mask barged in, smacking him on the back.
“This isn’t the time to be sulking! Get up and come outside!”
“Just let me be...”
A second figure—this one wearing a Chicken Mask—came in and started dragging him out of the tent.
“Stop it... I’m still injured... My Victory... huh?”
His grumbling stopped abruptly.
Right in the middle of the camp sat a massive object—gleaming under the sunlight.
A brand-new, top-of-the-line hovercar.
It bore the elegant insignia of Yeomra Corporation.
“H-How did this...?”
His eyes widened as he spotted the neatly engraved lettering on the side of the vehicle—
< Victory Ⅱ >
“Ahhh!”
Below that, someone had scrawled a messy red message with spray paint—
< You filthy rats. Don’t forget the Young Master’s grace. >
Seonhwa’s sharp voice echoed in his head, and the tears came flooding back.
“B-Baek Ho-niiiim!”
And just like that, thanks to Baek Ho, the Cow Mask man’s heartbreak was swept away.
＊ ＊ ＊
At the headquarters of Yeomra Corporation, 6 Chasa walked in formation through the lobby.
Each of them carried a large crate, bound tightly with Spiritual Binding Ropes—tools traditionally used by chasa to restrain spirits.
Employees nearby murmured among themselves, pointing at the crates with growing excitement.
“Wow… Are they really giving that to our department?”
“Normally, there’d be chaos between corporations, everyone scrambling to claim it…”
“But no one can say anything this time. We got this through Yeomra’s strength alone.”
The Chasa boarded the freight elevator and ascended to the upper floors.
Their destination: an Alpha-Class research lab, accessible only to senior researchers and above. It was one of Yeomra’s most highly classified facilities.
—Murmur-Murmur
Inside, researchers halted their work, all eyes drawn to the crates. Their gazes brimmed with curiosity and hunger for discovery. Whatever was inside could very well push Yeomra’s technology to the next stage.
The crates were delivered to the innermost chamber.
A series of layered security doors opened one by one, finally revealing a vast interior.
Rows of glass tanks lined the space, each one containing submerged parts of monsters preserved in fluid.
And at the center of it all stood CEO Baek Ran, dressed in a white lab coat, alongside Yeomra’s top researchers.
“Hurry up!”
At her command, the Chasa moved swiftly.
They unfastened the spiritual rope and opened the crate. Inside were the dismembered remains of Nilberis.
“The unrecovered parts were likely devoured by the monsters, ma’am.”
“I see… This is sufficient.”
With trembling hands, Baek Ran gently lifted Nilberis’s head.
His features were flawless, his silver hair smooth like silk.
With a look of near-ecstatic reverence, Baek Ran placed the head into a large glass flask prepared beside her.
“Next.”
At her word, one of the Chasa rummaged through the crate and pulled out a broken crimson staff—snapped in half.
It was a sacred artifact of the Urban Elf Clan, crafted by soaking the roots of the World Tree in dragon’s blood.
Though broken, its value as a raw material for artifact forging remained immense.
“Ah… how radiant it is…”
“Ah… it’s magnificent…”
Baek Ran gently ran her hand along the surface of the broken staff, her eyes full of admiration. A nearby researcher hesitated, then cautiously spoke.
“What do you intend to create with it, CEO?”
“I already have something in mind.”
“And who’s it for?”
Baek Ran smiled brightly.
“Who else? For my nephew—the one who took down Nilberis with his own hands.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Baek Ho's black G-Wagon raced down the city's roads, cutting through the neon lights and the pouring rain.
The vintage vehicle caught the eyes of a few car enthusiasts, and in response, the powerful engine roared with a deafening sound.
Vroooom—
Inside the vehicle wasn’t as quiet as the outside. As always, I_Vu’s song played, but this time, there was something different—it was live.
"Scritch, scritch~♬ Broken bits~♬"
Nana, sitting in the passenger seat, hummed the song softly, while Frank, sitting in the backseat, jumped up, excitedly adding his own commentary.
"Freeze you in the freezer~♬"
"Freeze me, I_Vu!"
With each movement of the car, the photo frame on the dashboard swayed left and right. Inside, there was a photo.
Baek Ho was frowning.
Frank was smiling brightly, looking incredibly happy.
Nana, using her mask, was playfully making a rude gesture.
Next to them, three members of I_Vu wore black suits, their faces somber.
The photo was taken on the day of Edelin Nana’s public funeral. After it was taken, Baek Ho and the others were immediately escorted out by security.
"Who wants to pick the next song~?"
"Frank! Frank!"
"Really no one? (sniff)~ Nana’s upset."
"Wah! Don’t be upset!"
"Does our Master want a song?"
"Baek Ho’s been blocking out the noise since earlier!"
"…Ah, no wonder."
Seeing Nana’s pouty expression, Frank’s mood also sank. Then, Baek Ho quietly spoke.
"A ballad, anything."
Frank and Nana’s faces instantly lit up with huge grins. Moments later, Nana’s soft voice began to fill the car.
⋮
In the rain-soaked city—
Memories with you are washed away—
Am I even still alive—
Will you ever come back—
My beloved—
It’s okay if you forget me—
Just come back alive—
In this endless rain—
Today, I still wait for you alone—
⋮
"It’s not bad."
"…Thank you."
"Sniff... Sniff..."
Through the rain-soaked windshield, the entrance to the slums in Sector 31 came into view.
The trio’s destination was Mujin’s house, which they hadn't been able to reach by contact. Their goal was the 4 billion Nana had entrusted to him.
------------------
HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
------------------
