Chapter 115

Chapter 115

“I’ll get ready then.”

Clearly pleased by Se-Hoon’s invitation to accompany him, Erika turned to leave. To Se-Hoon, her joyful departing figure was a curious sight to watch.

I told her she could come, but she should know that it’s because I ultimately plan to make use of her... yet she’s still so pleased about that?

Upon seeing her, he thought she was sulking because he hadn’t forged her equipment yet, but it turned out that it was because she was feeling excluded. It seemed that was more important than the equipment itself.

Well... she also managed to get the Purifying Earthstone for me, so I should forge something for her the moment I get a chance.

Raising Erika’s equipment to top priority, he took out his phone.

This is where the path diverges.

To get to the Black Arms, Se-Hoon needed exactly two things.

The first was an S-rank or stronger bodyguard to protect him from any unforeseen circumstances. The second was an expert familiar with the Black Arms who could bring him there and guide him around.

But even finding someone who met just one of the criteria would be challenging enough, so finding someone who met both would be almost impossible. Yet, Se-Hoon immediately thought of two such individuals.

If I choose the one I’m more familiar with, it would be Ma Kwang-Soo.

Kwang-Soon easily met both criteria. For the first, he was an S-rank hero with years of experience, so he was definitely proficient in both protecting and killing. Then for the second, he had very likely infiltrated places like black markets, perhaps even the Black Arms, plenty of times with the Executioners—the group he had founded to track down and hunt demons—and should be able to provide him with information.

The problem with going with that guy is that it’ll get troublesome if we get caught even once though...

Because Kwang-Soo and his Executioners ruthlessly disposed of those who collaborated with the demons, they were treated as ticking time bombs in the underworld. Thus, if their identity were exposed during this trip, it would end with Immortal going back into hiding and even the dissolution of the Black Arms.

Eliminating him, then there’s only one person who’s ideal for this job...

Arriving at a decision, Se-Hoon immediately made a call.

—What can I do for you?

Hearing Eun-Ha’s brusque voice over the phone, Se-Hoon got straight to the point.

With a serious tone, he replied, “I’d like to consult something with you; could you spare me some time?”

—It seems it’s something we can’t discuss over the phone.

“Yes, I would prefer to meet and discuss it quietly in person.”

—Hm...

Eun-Ha hesitated for a brief moment.

—It’s almost lunchtime; how about we talk at my house? We should be able to have a quiet conversation there.

“Ah, that sounds good. In that case, I’ll head right over once you send me the address.”

—Understood. I’ll see you in front of my house soon then.

Hanging up, Se-Hoon looked down at his phone and smirked.

Her being an expert in black markets really doesn’t suit her, not back then and not now.

Publicly, Eun-Ha’s image was that of a law-abiding, exemplary hero—which the life that she lived was indeed close to. But... there was one thing that made her stray from that life: equipment.

She really does become unrestrained when it comes to equipment she favors; just the fact that she threatened to annihilate the Barmuth family because of me says it all.

Of course, she always made sure never to cross certain lines—like conspiring with the Demon Force or murdering innocent people—but legally gray activities were fair game. And she never hesitated to do so when necessary.

One such example was exploring black markets like the Black Arms to find things to eat.

If I remember correctly, it was the black market in Mexico where I first met her for the first time...

Before the regression, he had been startled when Eun-Ha suddenly appeared before him in the black market, where he was secretly selling equipment, and proposed a deal.

Rather than calmly respond at that moment though, he had reflexively swung his hammer, an action that just led to being beaten up and hospitalized. The deal he struck with her in this hospital was just another old memory, but it was as vivid as their first meeting.

Since she said it was an old hobby, she must be visiting them even this early. Plus, The Black Arms has few ties with the Demon Force and circulates a lot of equipment, so she might even be a VIP there.

If he could secure Eun-Ha’s cooperation this time, his safety while navigating the Black Arms and gathering information about Immortal was guaranteed.

The thought made him more and more determined to have her join.

Vrrr-

He received a message.

Seeing that it was Eun-Ha’s home address, he became slightly curious.

Hmm. I wonder how she’s managing in Babel.

Her rented homes had always been on the outskirts, giving them all a barren feel both internally and externally. Unlike then, though, she was now living on Babel grounds so it might be different.

Calling a taxi, he headed straight for the address in the message. Gazing out the window, he took a look around the area.

So it wasn’t the residential district but the business district.

The business district, where the headquarters of various corporations and guilds associated with Babel were located, was close to the central square and also near the main building of Borsippa.

There are genuinely no small buildings in Babel, but this is huge in a different sense.

Although having the headquarters of globally recognized corporations and guilds gather here was impressive on its own, the fact that the owners of the gargantuan buildings changed slightly every year was even more so.

Then again, it was natural since they would just be evicted if they weren’t able to pay the exorbitant rent set by Babel or couldn’t meet the promised performance levels in the contract.

And it’s not like these corporations can just outright move their headquarters away from locations since Babel is a major transit station for the Void Space Terminal. They truly are caught between a rock and a hard place.

To stay in Babel, everyone—the students, staff members, guilds, and corporations—had to abide by Ludwig’s rules and standards. That was the true reason why everyone naturally referred to Babel as the Emperor of Ascension’s private garden.

“Thank you.”

Thump-

Arriving at the address, Se-Hoon looked up at the building in front of him, a five-story building tucked away in a corner of the business district. Its clean facade was quite deceptive, making it look like an empty building that hadn’t been around long.

“Hmm. This looks like...”

At that moment, as he was squinting at the building, he heard someone arrive.

“Lee Se-Hoon.”

Eun-Ha, arriving a bit later than him, slightly bowed her head.

“Sorry, I’m late. There was a bit of work left, so it took me a while to finish up.”

“Do you like it?”

“This is really delicious. If I could eat this for lunch every day, I’d be more focused on my work... ahem. Never mind. Don’t worry about that.”

She quickly stopped herself, worried that he might interpret her words as a request to make her meals every day. But contrary to her worry, Se-Hoon took it as an opportunity.

“I could do that for you.”

“...”

Eun-Ha froze mid-bite into the bow, then slowly moved her gaze to Se-Hoon.

“For real...?”

“It’s not something I can’t do. You saw how quickly I finished them.”

“But wouldn’t making some every day be quite bothersome for you? If it’s because of what I just said, you don’t have to worry—”

“I just have one favor to ask in return.”

Cutting off Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon looked at Eun-Ha with a serious expression.

“To take me to the Black Arms—”

“No.”

Not allowing him to finish, Eun-Ha cut him off sharply, her face so cold that her previous vibrant expression seemed like a lie.

“I don’t know how you heard about that place, but it’s not somewhere a mere student should go. Especially when it comes to someone like you, who’s under the spotlight as a promising talent.”

“But...”

“I absolutely will not allow it this time.”

Her cold attitude was similar to the one he was familiar with before the regression, catching Se-Hoon off guard.

There’s no way she would reject me like this if she was that satisfied with her lunch... ah, wait. Is it because I’m just a student?

Pre-regression, they had met when he was already an active-duty hero, so any request he made for her ultimately fell under his responsibility. Right now though, he was just a first-year student who had just started to grow.

There was no sane educator who would ever agree to take a student to a dangerous place like the black market on a whim, no matter how tempting the offer.

Tsk, if she had found the weapons to taste like ambrosia, she would have lost her senses and taken me there.... It must be my lack of skill.

Using his equipment as a bargaining chip was off the table, so Se-Hoon began pondering how to persuade her. He very quickly thought of another approach.

“Let’s drop this subject—”

“When I was in middle school.”

He interrupted Eun-Ha, looking down toward the ground as he began his story.

“I was coming home late from school when I found a man collapsed and covered in blood in front of the gate to my house.”

“...”

“Completely shocked, I was about to call an ambulance when the man stopped me. He said he was fine and just asked for something to drink, promising to repay me later.”

The moment he started, the memory—blurred yet indelible—flooded his mind.

“So I took out my tumbler from my bag and gave it to him... just as a hero from the Heroes Association showed up. Turns out, the blood-covered man was the A-rank demon known as Immortal.”

“...!’

Having connected the dots, Eun-Ha’s eyes widened, and Se-Hoon looked up to meet her gaze.

“I don’t remember what happened immediately after, as I got knocked out by a brick fragment that hit me in my head, but when I finally came to... everything was already over.”

The hero who tried to subjugate Immortal ended up as a corpse with every limb torn apart and all the nearby buildings were destroyed—including his home. Se-Hoon’s parents, who had been waiting for him with dinner ready, were crushed under the debris.

“I was the only one who survived that day... you can guess why, right?”

“...”

“Because of the water. The god damned water I had given to that guy.”

Standing amidst the grim scene of the collapsed buildings and the bodies crushed underneath, the man—Immortal—nonchalantly told Se-Hoon, “I'll spare your life. I did promise you, after all.”

A mere tumbler of water had led to a promise of repayment that spared his life.

Remembering the scene from the beginning to the end for the first time in a while, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but smirk.

What a ridiculous guy.

It was just because a snot-nosed middle schooler had given him a sip of water that made Immortal decide to keep him alive during the entirety of the battle. It was such an utterly nonsensical thing to do, which had driven Se-Hoon mad in the past.

The fact that his parents had been killed so senselessly by such a man, and the fact that his life had been saved by that very same man, made him furious.

“I might have digressed a bit.... Anyway, what I’m trying to say now is that this guy has appeared at the Black Arms.”

“...”

“Of course, I’m not asking for you to kill him for me. No matter what, I feel like I have to be the one to capture and kill him.”

Even if he didn’t desperately want to kill Immortal now, back before the regression, he truly had. If the Immortal had been subjugated by someone else and he had been the past version of himself, then perhaps, he would have just killed himself from anger.

“So please, just help me find out what he’s doing there... and if he’s still alive. If I can just confirm that, I’ll come back quietly and be obedient from now on.”

To him, the story of his parents getting murdered was a story from decades ago, but to Eun-Ha, it would seem like just a few years in the past. And after hearing such a story, who could remain unmoved?

This might not work on her...

At this point, he could only hope that the weapons had enriched Eun-Ha’s emotions as he waited anxiously for an answer.

“...Whew..”

Eun-Ha closed her eyes tightly and then opened them.

“In the Black Arms, you shall only listen to my instructions. Do not reveal your identity no matter what happens. And we will return immediately after confirming the target,” she said slowly, enunciating the instructions.

“Dean...!”

“And one last thing.”

Noticing Se-Hoon’s relief, Eun-Ha looked at him strictly. What she said now would have no room for negotiation.

“Whenever I work overtime, you will be packing dinner for me. That is all.”

1. It’s not a common thing in American houses, but older Korean houses tend to have ?? (linoleum floorings) that covers the house floor ☜