Chapter 98: The Cathedral in the Ruins (3)
Gongse Sword.
It was a sword art Edwin Silver had mastered at the cost of an enormous fortune.
He knew perfectly well that Gongse Sword was a martial art copied from other sword styles.
Even so, he had imrsed himself in it more thoroughly than anyone else in the world.
There was only one reason.
‘Never again will I lose.’
The guilt of helplessly losing soone precious right before his eyes.
After that horrific day, Edwin Silver devoted himself to two things.
One of them was the sword art called Gongse Sword.
As scientific technology advanced by leaps and bounds and all kinds of weapons—including firearms—were developed, the power called ‘Surreal’ gave physical martial arts a chance to shine in real combat.
Among them, the aning carried by Gongse Sword was especially unique.
‘The strongest sword art for one-on-one combat.’
That catchphrase of Gongse Sword was not just an advertising slogan.
In reality, Edwin Silver had sliced through and carved countless pieces of flesh with the Gongse Sword he had honed.
This sword art had even beco a powerful weapon that helped him rise to the position of executive within a gacorporation.
Thus, Edwin Silver’s faith in Gongse Sword was absolute.
At least, until just monts ago.
‘…….’
A flash surged in.
A powerful flow ford from a single slash.
Facing that attack, Edwin Silver realized it.
‘So this is the Gongryu Sword…….’
The sword art known to have been used by the Supre Swordsman, Lee Hamin—Gongryu Sword.
A power that made him keenly realize that the sword art he had learned was a counterfeit.
Certainly, the motion of swinging the blade and the energy that followed resembled Gongse Sword.
But sothing fundantal was different.
‘This is…….’
The fatal flaw inherent in the existing Gongse Sword.
True to its na, it focused solely on continuing ‘offense.’
‘It’s perfect.’
That flaw had been compensated for in the man’s sword art.
A perfect sword art that had reached the realm where offense and defense were one.
A pure white single slash drew a line, carving through twenty-five layers of multicolored afterimages in one stroke.
At the sa ti, the colors shattered into countless fragnts and scattered.
Through those brilliantly dispersing lights.
The face of a man appeared.
“Has it been proven now?”
Afterimages created by borrowing the magic called Surreal.
By ordinary ans, it was a power that could never be blocked.
Yet it had been possible thanks to Diesel’s ability called ‘Surreal Awakening.’
‘So in the end, this sword art was sothing only my older brother could use.’
Lee Hamin’s ‘Eyes that Perceive.’
An awakened ability that read all Surreal phenona.
The Gongryu Sword his older brother had created was a sword art optimized to slice through mana arrays as they were, nullifying magic itself.
‘This isn’t sothing just anyone can imitate.’
Techniques that required the power of a Seed were sothing no one else could copy.
If that was the case, wouldn’t it be impossible to teach even Edwin Silver?
‘No. That man can cut magic to begin with.’
The Seed’s ability, Cutting Surface.
The power to sever all Surreal phenona.
With such an ability, Edwin might be able to digest the Gongryu Sword better than anyone.
Diesel looked at Edwin Silver.
The dramatic air he had been putting on until just now was gone, replaced by the 모습 of a middle-aged man sunk into serious contemplation.
“How is it?”
“…….”
“Sorry, but I can’t give you much ti to think.”
Even at this very mont, far away, Kali was probably fighting corporate agents.
No matter how exceptional a Double lee Mage she was, dealing with two agents escorting a gacorp executive at the sa ti would not be easy.
So Diesel made the first move.
“Let’s make a contract.”
A thod most familiar to a corporate human.
At those words, Edwin looked at Diesel and opened his mouth.
“The conditions?”
“There are three in total.”
“Speak.”
“First. All information about is classified.”
“About you?”
“Yes. Hide the fact that you even made contact with . The mont you violate this, I will imdiately halt the transfer.”
Soday, news would spread that Diesel possessed abilities similar to those of the Supre Swordsman, Lee Hamin.
Revealing it could be used to advantage.
But for now, it was premature.
‘At least until I can stand on equal footing with that Ripple Knight bastard, it has to stay hidden.’
A mber of Despotis who was targeting the Arc Blade.
With Diesel’s current level, it was an opponent beyond him.
“Fine.”
Edwin answered readily.
It was a condition that benefited him to so extent as well.
If word got out that there was a man who had inherited the Gongryu Sword, Edwin would surely be put in a difficult position too.
Such an extraordinary martial art was better off known by as few people as possible.
“Second. As I said, hand over those two Network Elves.”
Diesel said this while jerking his chin toward the coffins beyond Edwin’s shoulder.
“……Fine.”
After a brief mont of consideration, Edwin nodded.
‘He’s agreeing more easily than expected?’
Given how devoted he was to Ophelia, a Half-Android, Diesel had thought he might at least propose a compromise.
Sothing like handing over only one of the two.
But to accept it so coolly was unexpected.
‘Does he have another route to secure Network Elves?’
He might even already have spares.
‘Well, that’s none of my business.’
Muttering that to himself, Diesel presented the final condition.
“And third.”
“…….”
“Hand over all information regarding Network Elves.”
“Hmm…….”
A newly discovered Otherworldly Race.
The mont Diesel learned of their existence, he instinctively realized it.
‘This is a huge opportunity.’
Among other worlds, the most unexplored place was the Electrosphere.
What made that space even more significant was the fact that all the world’s technology relied heavily on the Electrosphere Network.
‘If they’re an Otherworldly Race living in a place like that, their abilities must be exceptional.’
All natives of a given realm shared one trait.
They freely wielded the power of their own world.
Then the ‘power’ possessed by Network Elves would be…….
‘An overwhelming hacking ability, obviously.’
At Diesel’s final condition, Edwin Silver muttered.
“All information regarding Network Elves…….”
“Yes.”
“May I add one condition on top of that?”
“What is it?”
“It’s similar to the first condition you ntioned.”
Edwin continued, staring at Diesel with sharp eyes.
“Do not leak the information you receive to the outside.”
“…….”
“If so, I will accept.”
Quite a sloppily tacked-on condition.
There was no coercive force to ensure compliance, nor any compensation clause in case it was broken.
At that, Diesel smiled inwardly.
‘Figures, coming from a corporate man.’
Dangling sothing one must abide by in order to obtain information, while inflating the value of the information one provides.
From this one-sided contract, he could feel the intent to seize even a little bit of initiative.
And the tightrope walk of keeping it exactly at the appropriate line was excellent.
It did not sour Diesel’s mood, yet still secured benefits.
And at the sa ti, there was almost nothing for himself to lose.
Even if Diesel were to leak the information, it would likely not deal Edwin a particularly severe blow.
‘After all, before long, anyone worth knowing will know anyway.’
Countless calculations were mixed into a single short exchange.
Was this the seasoned shrewdness of a gacorporation executive?
Diesel rather liked that about him.
“Alright.”
“Edwin Silver.”
Edwin sheathed his silver blade and offered a handshake.
“What should I call you?”
In response, Diesel also withdrew the blade from the Arc Blade.
Then, grasping Edwin Silver’s hand, he spoke his na.
“Diesel.”
“Confird.”
The chairman of the ihua Group, Zhou Wei, smiled with easygoing geniality.
“You’ve confird the items, correct?”
Kali, who had co with Diesel to receive the mission completion reward, spoke up.
“Yes. The condition was extrely clean. Not a single scratch. I found it quite impressive.”
The Panda Beastman let out his characteristic hearty laugh and continued.
“May I contact the two of you from ti to ti?”
“From next ti, go through a Fixer.”
In a way, this job had been quite an exceptional case.
Normally, the presence of an interdiary known as a ‘Fixer’ was essential to the way Ghostcatchers carried out jobs.
Kali added, her expression tinged with slight regret.
“I don’t mind, but if we keep taking jobs like this, we’ll end up on their bad side.”
Since this one was not an official job, it would not cause any major problems.
Both the client who commissioned the work and the target who was dealt with wanted confidentiality.
At the very least, there would be no shady rumors circulating.
“I understand.”
“That’s fine and all, but what about the job fee?”
“Ah, of course, it is prepared.”
When Zhou Wei gestured in the air, several staff mbers appeared from outside the room carrying boxes.
“These are the promised Qubits and the additional reward.”
When the staff handed Qubit cards to Diesel and Kali, she imdiately checked the amount.
“Fifteen million……. Good, confird.”
Then she sharply turned her head toward the boxes.
“Which one is mine?”
“All of them.”
“Hmm……?”
Kali scrunched up her face in confusion and asked.
“All of it is mine? Diesel, didn’t you ask for additional compensation?”
“I decided to take sothing else.”
“Sothing else?”
Kali narrowed her eyes and glared at Diesel.
“What is it this ti?”
When Diesel shrugged instead of answering, Kali let out a small sigh.
“Sa as ever.”
Click, click, click…….
The locking devices installed on the boxes disengaged, and the lids opened.
Along with that, jewels of all colors revealed themselves, sparkling brilliantly.
“Oooo…….”
“Jewels, huh.”
“As expected, money is the best.”
“Money?”
At her words, Diesel asked with slight puzzlent.
“If it’s money, wouldn’t it be better to just take extra Qubits?”
Jewels were assets that were extrely difficult to liquidate.
Of course, they had the advantage of imnse value.
“What are you talking about. These aren’t just ordinary jewels.”
Kali picked up one of the closest gems.
“These are jewels mined from other worlds.”
As light from the fixtures passed through the jewel, it reflected brilliantly across the entire room.
‘Hmm…….’
Jewels from other worlds.
Perhaps because of that, characters briefly flickered through Diesel’s vision.
‘That one must be from the Celestial Realm.’
For so reason, in that place, even stones had faint miracles carved into them that praised gods.
“Just holding onto these makes their value multiply several tis over. It’s a kind of investnt.”
Then jewels from various other worlds—the Fire Faction, Nord, Hindu, the Immortal Realm—were successively stuffed into Kali’s pocket.
“Hehehehe……. How much is all of this worth…….”
Watching Kali laugh while making strange noises, Diesel muttered a thought to himself.
‘I might feel a bit sorry…….’
How many jewels like those would it take to match the reward Diesel had been promised?
‘This additional reward really needs to stay completely hidden.’
If Kali were to find out, her eyes might flip over.
[Hey, Diesel.]
[……?]
When his na was suddenly called through a closed communication channel, Diesel was slightly startled and looked at her.
[Let’s talk for a bit later.]
[Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not telling you.]
[Huh? What are you talking about?]
Kali continued, her face full of confusion.
[It’s about your clan. There’s sothing I need to say.]
[Ah.]
Ahem, ahem.
Diesel cleared his throat a couple of tis and nodded.
[Sure.]
“Then I’m heading out first, okay?”
“Please take care.”
Having gathered all of her share, she trudged out of the room.
Then Zhou Wei stepped closer to Diesel and spoke.
“Shall we move now?”
“…….”
“The additional reward that Mr. Diesel will receive…….”
A great rite that turned a holess man who wandered the streets into the chairman of a gacorporation.
“It is in order to perform the Ji-Cheon Man-Geum Rite.”
It was ti to receive the real reward.
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