Chapter 104: A Business Proposal
“……Smuggling?”
At the unexpected declaration, everyone’s faces stiffened.
Then Kali, the first to grasp the situation, spoke.
“Smuggling is extrely hard for a newly founded clan to break into. You do know that, right?”
“I did.”
“Then why would you of all things choose that…….”
“I don’t think it’s bad.”
When Kang Da-hee cut in, Kali turned to her and asked,
“Not bad? Do you know what the most important thing in smuggling is? Trade routes—routes. Routes built on trust that guarantee they won’t skim off the goods you entrust to them. Even in the legal daylight world layered with legal safety nets, scamrs still find ways to screw people over. Who would trust a route made by a newborn clan with jack squat in the illegal smuggling world?”
“That’s exactly the part Mr. Diesel will take care of.”
“Take care of it?”
“Transformation-type Specter, Azula.”
“…….”
“You’re planning to use her smuggling routes as they are, right?”
Sharp as ever.
At Kang Da-hee’s guess, Diesel nodded.
“Yeah. After we eliminate Azula, we’ll take over the smuggling routes.”
Various smugglers, including ‘Mr. John.’
Through Ar, Diesel had already obtained their personal information.
If he used those properly, he could reap huge profits without much effort.
“Hmm…….”
But even after Diesel’s explanation, Kali’s expression didn’t improve.
“Then how are you going to manage the production sites? They don’t live next door to us. At closest, Kaesong, and at farthest, probably near Mount Baekdu. Do you think our manpower can cover that distance?”
As Kali said, the drug cultivation sites produced in the north were spread across a wide variety of regions.
From the foothills of Mount Baekdu, which had strong connections to the Shamanic Realm, to massive ‘greenhouses’ located in Pyeongan Province.
Managing such a vast area with the current numbers of the Aguiggun Clan was close to impossible.
No matter how capable they were, it physically made no sense.
In response, Diesel stated his idea without hesitation.
“No. We don’t need to cover it.”
“What……?”
“I’m going to flip the route.”
“……Flip it?”
Instead of bringing illegal goods from the north into the city of Seoul.
“Are you saying we’ll smuggle from Seoul to Pyongyang?”
At Kang Da-hee’s words, Diesel nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Ho…….”
“Hmm…….”
“What about the items?”
Understanding Diesel’s intent, Kang Da-hee asked the most important question.
Items that could be sent north from Seoul—an area the Aguiggun Clan could manage.
To that, Diesel said, as if putting a period at the end of the sentence,
“Weapons.”
“Hmm…….”
“Weapons, huh……. Well, not bad.”
At Diesel’s words, everyone sank into thought.
“We should be able to secure suppliers near our Safe House. Of course, it’ll only be conventional weapons like ammunition and explosives.”
“There’s a shop I know around Sector 1-9A. The owner secretly runs a corporate weapons replica factory, and both performance and price are pretty good—perfect for smuggling.”
“As for bladed weapons, I can make so recomndations. I’ve gotten close to a blacksmith while having weapons made for myself.”
What a beautifully functioning clan this was.
Before anyone had even been formally assigned tasks, each person naturally ca up with what they could contribute.
They couldn’t be more possessed of a strong sense of ownership.
‘Then I should give it my all too.’
What Diesel could do here was cleanly eliminate Azula, the Ghostcatcher.
This operation would be a major leap forward not only for Diesel, but for the Aguiggun Clan as well.
“Whew…….”
The training ground of the Aguiggun Clan.
Diesel took a deep breath as he withdrew the mana imbued in the Arc Blade.
Then the weapon he was holding muttered directly into Diesel’s mind.
〈I need to catch my breath too. Whew…….〉
A bizarre ghost with no respiratory organs awkwardly mimicked his actions.
At that, Diesel looked down at the sword hilt with an incredulous expression.
“What’s so tiring for you, you thing.”
〈What’s tiring? This body can’t help but be swayed by the owner’s emotions. And calling a thing—could you refrain from such harsh language?〉
“If you’re a thing, what else am I supposed to call you?”
Diesel was diligently carrying out the swordsmanship training engraved into the Arc Blade.
Among them, the especially important training of the ‘Gongryu Sword.’
“All right, break’s over. Let’s go again.”
〈You ruthless bastard. At least your spirit is just like your older brother’s.〉
As the brief rest ended, the Arc Blade suddenly issued a warning.
〈But you should avoid using the ‘original’ Gongryu Sword in real combat if you can. Your modified version is still okay, though.〉
“What? Why?”
A sword art known to be nearly invincible in duels.
He had learned its power firsthand during his fight with the level 6 swordsman Edwin Silver.
So why was he being told not to use it?
〈There’s nothing wrong with your swordsmanship. The forms are perfect. That’s the problem.〉
“What kind of bullshit is that.”
〈Because I’m not in good shape.〉
“Hmm…….”
The sword art created with full effort by the Supre Swordsman Lee Hamin in the past.
To execute those techniques, a perfectly sound ‘weapon’ was critically important.
〈The Gongryu Sword can’t afford even the slightest deficiency. Breathing, posture, movent, even mindset. But when the most important weapon is in this state, do you think proper swordsmanship will co out?〉
“But I already used it a few tis. What happened then?”
〈What do you an what happened? It worked because I was perfect.〉
At the continued wordplay, Diesel tightened his grip on the Arc Blade.
〈All right! All right! You’re really picky.〉
“Stop dancing around it and explain.”
〈But it’s not completely wrong. Back then, I overexerted myself trendously to maintain a ‘perfect’ state.〉
“Overexerted?”
〈Yeah. You know the saying about cutting into your own flesh? If I do that a few more tis, I’ll die. Ah, ‘die’ is a bit too human a concept—‘cease to exist’ would be more accurate.〉
“…….”
〈And no matter how much I strain myself, my output stays at 4.5%. The ‘perfect’ I ntioned is about mana control.〉
Mana control.
That ant if the mana control aspect alone were restored, he could use the Gongryu Sword freely.
“How do you fix that?”
〈I told you last ti, didn’t I? I need to consu a ghost.〉
Consuming another ghost.
And not just any—at least a Grade 5 ghost, Green Breed or higher.
For Diesel right now, it was an almost impossible thod.
〈But it’s not like there’s absolutely no way.〉
The Arc Blade offered hope to the troubled Diesel.
“Really?”
〈There is one human who might be able to fix , at least a little. Of course, even that one can’t make perfect.〉
“Who is it?”
〈A brat nad Magnus.〉
“…….”
The legendary craftsman who made artifacts—Magnus.
Diesel recalled the business card he had won at auction in the Black Market.
But the way he had been referred to bothered him slightly, so he asked,
“A brat?”
〈Yeah. He’s a fledgling with a bit of a social deficiency, but his skills are solid.〉
It had already been over seventy years since the Arc Blade had been consigned to the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
Then how old was Magnus now?
〈Anyway, if you go see him, you might be able to find so kind of thod. He’s an incredibly creative guy, after all.〉
“Hmm…….”
As he was lost in thought like that, a man appeared behind him.
“You seem deep in thought.”
“……Tae-oh.”
At that, I tucked the Arc Blade into my chest and turned around.
I still felt a bit reluctant to reveal this weapon to the half-dragon.
“Is it already training ti? I thought there was still so left.”
“I just ca down early. Today’s work wrapped up a bit sooner.”
Tae-oh Barosi asked with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Were you refining your swordsmanship? Or personal training?”
“Well…… both.”
“Then let’s see…….”
The half-dragon lightly kicked a blunt sparring sword lying in the corner and picked it up.
Then he tossed it straight at .
“……?”
I reflexively caught it and looked at Tae-oh for a mont.
“Shall we check today’s results?”
A half-dragon swordsman shrouded in many mysteries.
Perhaps I could obtain so knowledge about the ‘mana control’ the Arc Blade had just ntioned.
With that thought, I gripped the sword and took my stance.
“Your body is truly remarkable. There could be no more perfect body for manifesting swordsmanship.”
The half-dragon’s long pupils swept over my body.
“The sa goes for magic. All ten acupoints of the fingers being perfectly opened. You must have received the Lightning Baptism that Betty unleashed.”
“Yeah.”
“But there is one lacking point.”
Tae-oh Barosi clenched and unclenched his fist, examining the veins along his arm.
“The mana channels that receive mana. The mana veins that transport it.”
Then he tapped his own heart a couple of tis.
“And the final destination, the mana core.”
“…….”
“Of these three, which do you think is most important to a mage?”
It wasn’t a particularly difficult question.
All three organs were important, but if one had to assign priority, it would be the mana core.
Above all, it had the greatest influence on magical output.
When I gave that answer, Tae-oh Barosi looked at and asked,
“Then what do you think is most important for a ‘lee Mage’?”
“lee Mage?”
Among mages, lee Mages occupied a rather unique position.
They were the only mages who engaged in close combat.
But that didn’t an the importance of the mana core diminished for lee Mages.
After all, what they used was still magic that required mana.
“Are you saying that for lee Mages, sothing other than the mana core is more important?”
“That is correct.”
“……Why? A lee Mage is still a mage who uses magic. So magical output should be regulated by the mana core.”
When I organized my thoughts and voiced them, Tae-oh Barosi nodded and said,
“A very Spellcaster-like way of thinking.”
“Isn’t that basic knowledge that all mages learn?”
“Not at all. At least not for us lee Mages.”
What on earth was this half-dragon talking about?
Soon after, words that shattered common sense followed.
“If one cultivates properly, a lee Mage does not need a mana core.”
“What?”
Information I had never heard anywhere.
I frowned slightly and asked,
“Then how do you handle mana without a mana core?”
The mana core was the organ that manifested mana into magical power from the mana accumulated in the body.
Without refined magical power from it, a mage couldn’t use magic.
That was common knowledge among common knowledge.
Yet he claid one could handle mana without such an organ.
“It’s possible.”
Tae-oh Barosi took on a serious expression and continued,
“If you follow a certain technique passed down in the Brain Dragon Magic Tower.”
At the completely new information, I listened closely.
Then the half-dragon curved his lips into a smile again.
“Are you curious?”
“……What is it?”
“Then you’ll have to take a move from .”
Tae-oh crooked his finger at .
“To see whether you’re qualified to inherit the knowledge of our Brain Dragon.”
‘Here we go again.’
Up to now, Tae-oh Barosi had been a battle maniac obsessed with fighting.
Unlike ordinary Ghostcatchers, he preferred to resolve tasks through combat, and he was the kind of half-dragon who would grow thorns all over his body if he went even a single day without crossing blades.
“Co. I’ll yield the first move.”
“Fine.”
“Hahaha! That spirit of yours is quite admirable.”
Pajijijik……!
Without delay, I imdiately clad myself in the form of Leigong made of blue lightning.
‘Now the modified Leigong has no side effects at all.’
It had been shaved down with such efficiency that its power wasn’t much different from the original.
“No matter how many tis I see it, it’s a beautiful mana array. Of course, it doesn’t even compare to True Leigong.”
True Leigong.
A spell that further amplified its power by combining the Sphere of the Brain Dragon.
No matter what I tried, my body couldn’t endure the might of Leigong at that stage.
I had conducted countless studies within my newly refurbished matrix, but all had ended in failure.
‘How did he do it?’
To withstand such trendous output with a mortal body similar to mine.
Many thoughts arose, but I shook my head and brushed them aside.
Then I raised the tip of my sword and aid it at Tae-oh Barosi.
Tae-oh responded with a smile on his lips.
“Co.”
“…….”
“I will receive that spirit head-on.”
Spirit.
There was no such lofty mindset.
There was only obsession with what I wanted to obtain.
With that thought, I moved my body.
‘Diesel-style Modified Gongryu Sword.’
A modified version of the swordsmanship my older brother had created.
An honest downward strike with no embellishnt whatsoever.
“Ohho……. That form is one I’ve never seen before.”
Tae-oh Barosi muttered with interest as he observed my movent.
“What is its na?”
“…….”
A na.
I murmured the na my brother had given this simple form.
Unable to say it aloud, only in my mind.
‘……Modified Skull-Cracker.’
What would Tae-oh Barosi, a fervent fan of my brother, think if he heard that na?
‘Well, maybe he’d like it.’
With that thought,
the motion ant to smash the opponent’s skull headed straight for the crown of the half-dragon’s head.
Reviews
All reviews (0)