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[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 23
Ring ring-!
Ring ring-!
-The number you have dialed is not reachable. Your call is being forwarded to the voicemail...
"...This idiot is pissing off."
Inside a luxury car heading to Seoul.
Seo Su-kyung, dressed in an elegant evening gown, cursed at her phone from the back seat. The call log showed four missed calls to Nam Kang-ik.
"Why isn't this idiot answering the phone?"
Seo Su-kyung grew increasingly irritated as ti passed.
She had even prepared the weapons and inford him of Professor D's movents.
The task should have been completed long ago...
But for so reason, there was still no contact from Nam Kang-ik.
"Could sothing have gone wrong?"
Although Nam Kang-ik was an idiot, he wasn't foolish enough to fail to deal with a single professor.
He might have accidentally killed him due to poor power control, but the possibility of him losing to the professor was less than 10%...
"...Did he really kill him?"
Such a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Knowing Nam Kang-ik's violent nature, it was possible. If that were the case, he might be unable to answer the phone because he was busy cleaning up the ss.
"...Well, it can't be helped."
Seo Su-kyung decided to think that way.
It would be a sha if Professor D was dead, but it couldn't be helped. He had insulted her, so dying as retribution wasn't an excessive end.
The only regret was that his skill in teaching the crazy Bill Roper would be wasted...
"Miss, we've arrived."
Seo Su-kyung, lost in thought, snapped back to reality at the driver's voice.
She looked out the window and saw a magnificent convention center, with well-dressed people entering the building with graceful movents.
"...Ahh."
From here on, she had to be alert. Although that building looked the most splendid in Seoul, it was actually a battlefield inside.
Stained with countless amounts of money and the blood of many people.
***
"You're right on ti."
As she entered the convention center, Seo Tae-hee happened to be waiting for the elevator.
Seo Tae-hee looked her daughter up and down.
A wrinkle ford on her smooth forehead.
"...What are you wearing? Didn't I send you clothes to choose from?"
"I told you that one with all the lace was too much. I'm not a child, how can I wear sothing like that?"
"Then why did you co in such drab clothes? What will your grandfather think? He's been waiting to see you."
"Ha, all those lovely grandchildren who wouldn't hurt even if he put them in his eyes have co from all over the world to congratulate him, so I doubt he was waiting for ."
"Seo Su-kyung...!"
Seo Su-kyung quickly shut her mouth when Seo Tae-hee rebuked her in a harsh voice.
Today was the publication commoration of the autobiography of Seo Jin-chul, the head of the Seo family and the CEO of International Group.
With family mbers and various political and business figures gathered, she had to be careful with her words and actions.
A single slip of the tongue in a place like this could greatly damage her reputation.
'Especially for soone like , who's in a disadvantageous position from the start.'
That's why Seo Su-kyung hated this kind of event. Everyone here seed like an enemy. She had to desperately pretend to be perfect to avoid giving them any ammunition against her.
"...By the way."
Seo Tae-hee glanced around and asked casually, "You've read the autobiography, haven't you?"
"Yes, yes."
"Don't give a half-hearted answer."
"I've read it so much I could recite it in my sleep, so don't worry."
Seo Su-kyung spat out the words as if she was fed up.
Seo Jin-chul's fourth autobiography, [Overcoming Adversity], was a book about the hardships he faced in his younger days, from restoring a city occupied by villains with the help of the Military to building his business.
Even though he celebrated his birthday modestly with his family, Seo Jin-chul always held a grand banquet for his autobiography publication commoration.
He had that much pride in his life, so reading his autobiography was a must for anyone attending.
Chairman Seo Jin-chul, with his sharp eyes, could easily tell who hadn't read his autobiography or had only skimd through it after a few words of conversation.
Ding-!
Just as the elevator doors opened and the two were about to board, guided by a staff mber…
"Wait, wait!"
…a man hurriedly grabbed the door just before it closed.
Seo Tae-hee and Seo Su-kyung's expressions hardened at the sight of the man.
"Oh? Isn't that my sister-in-law? Hahaha! It's been a while! How have you been?"
The man who greeted them with a hearty laugh and a handshake was Kim Tak-ho.
He was the husband of Seo Tae-hee's younger sister, Seo Jung-hee, and an executive at the Military Association Managent Bureau.
"Hello, Aunt."
The handso young man who boarded the elevator with him also greeted Seo Tae-hee. It was Seo Su-cheon, Kim Tak-ho's son.
The reason why Kim Tak-ho's son inherited the surna Seo instead of Kim was simple.
Because Chairman Seo Jin-chul had established a policy that anyone, whether from the paternal or maternal line, had to follow the Seo bloodline.
The pride of the Seo family was so great that the tradition of a patriarchal society in Korea, which had lasted for over a thousand years, ant nothing in this family.
"Wow, Su-kyung has grown up so much! Are you graduating soon?"
Kim Tak-ho, who had married into such a prestigious family, asked Seo Su-kyung with a friendly smile.
"Not yet."
A sowhat cold reply.
Seo Su-kyung had felt strangely uncomfortable around this uncle since she was young. He acted friendly, but there was sothing repulsive about his friendliness.
Unaware of her feelings, or perhaps not caring, Kim Tak-ho continued with a friendly smile.
"You'll be done soon anyway! I heard about your performance in the last Tun River practical training operation. I heard you sliced up a B rank villain like a radish?"
It wasn't strange that Kim Tak-ho knew about his niece-in-law's achievents, as a talent like Seo Su-kyung was always under observation by the Military Association. He continued his praise with a slightly envious tone.
"Anyway, take it easy. Because of you, our Su-cheon is drying up, completely drying up!"
Seo Su-cheon, who had been silent until then, let out a heavy groan as his na ca up.
Seo Su-cheon was also a promising cadet attending a military school in Germany, but there was a difference in prestige compared to Masterclass, so he didn't receive as high an evaluation as Seo Su-kyung.
'...This is why I'm uncomfortable with this uncle.'
From a very young age, Seo Su-kyung had noticed that Kim Tak-ho subtly compared her to his own child.
Trying to stimulate Seo Su-cheon and motivate him by using her... It was a typical and shallow trick.
'It's useless anyway.'
In Seo Su-kyung's eyes, Seo Su-cheon wasn't that talented. He would reach a certain position with the help of his family, but it would be difficult for him to beco a first-class soldier.
The more Kim Tak-ho acted like that, the more Seo Su-cheon's inferiority complex grew.
And an inferiority complex that reached its limit would eventually explode.
'...Look at that. He's doing it again.'
Seo Su-kyung glanced at Seo Su-cheon's expression.
Seo Su-cheon was glaring at her, very discreetly, so that only she could see.
Glaring at her as if he would snap her neck at any mont.
***
During my 137 restarts as a Blood Demon, I had sucked the blood of countless beings.
If I died from a large-scale extermination spell cast by a Military on the battlefield in the 78th playthrough, I would definitely try to obtain that Military's spell in the next 79th playthrough.
In this way, as the playthroughs progressed, I discovered and acquired stronger and more useful spells.
It was through this process that I was able to rise to the position of one of the Four Great Evils of High society and finally beco the most notorious villain in the world.
'Of course, even then, I couldn't defeat the 7 Heroes.'
Although I made most of the coveted spells I found my own, there were so spells that remained unobtainable no matter how many playthroughs I went through.
The rare spells that kept appearing before my eyes every ti I died at the hands of the 7 Heroes...!
One of them was the Mist Form spell.
'Because it was the best evasion spell I had ever seen.'
The Mist Form spell, transford the caster's body into fog, making them immune to physical damage.
It was said that damage could only be inflicted under certain conditions, but those conditions remained unknown.
Enemies with the Mist trait were that difficult to deal with. If the Imugi hadn't been in the middle of molting, I would never have been able to obtain this spell.
[Casting the spell "Mist Form".]
[Your ENP increases to 85/180.]
"W-where did he disappear to?!"
"Uwaaagh?!"
As I cast the spell, I turned into mist and scattered into the air, then reford my body at my desired location and struck each of them from behind.
Even I was surprised by how helplessly they collapsed.
'My Blood Demon trait is only at level 3.'
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a level high enough to rcilessly beat up elite Military cadets like those from Masterclass.
That's how overpowered the Imugi's Mist Form spell was.
'The forced balance adjustnt wasn't for nothing...'
I had been troubled by the Imugi's curse, but seeing the power of the spell, I felt quite comforted.
With the Mist Form spell, it seed unlikely that I would suddenly die from taking massive damage.
At least for the ti being...
"Damn it! How dare you use such a trivial spell in front of ! Uwaaaa!"
The large stranger, seemingly enraged, suddenly began to throw punches indiscriminately in the fog.
At first, I thought he was crazy, but it seed that wasn't the case. The air current changed with his powerful punches, and a strong wind started to blow.
'Creating a wind strong enough to blow away the fog with just his punches.'
Thanks to him, the strangers' vision was completely clear.
The only person I knew who could do that with their bare hands was currently in this academy.
'As expected, this guy is Nam Kang-ik.'
I had roughly guessed it from his speech and physique, but...
In Military Chronicle, Nam Kang-ik was a character who boasted extraordinary combat abilities, known as "Iron Fist" since his school days.
Later, he beca an incredibly powerful damage-dealer type Military, his nickna changing to "Iron Fist" on the battlefield, and he often joined the 7 Heroes.
One peculiar thing about Nam Kang-ik was that he acted as Seo Su-kyung's lackey, both in his school days and in the Military.
'I had a hunch when I realized they were Emission Departnt students, but...'
As expected, these guys were clearly here at Seo Su-kyung's behest.
Knowing who was behind this made even more dumbfounded.
To go this far just because I scolded them during class...!
'She's definitely not a sane character.'
I had thought this before, but I was still surprised that a character like Seo Su-kyung appeared as a main companion in a ga that even children play.
Perhaps it wasn't Seo Su-kyung who was insane, but the developers?
"Co out! You rat bastard!"
Nam Kang-ik continued to throw punches tirelessly. His fierce punches, thrown in all directions, were now creating a gale.
'He's strong. Doesn't he get tired?'
Even Nam Kang-ik couldn't maintain that level of strength for long. I continued to circle them in mist form, waiting for him to tire out.
Once Nam Kang-ik's strength was exhausted, I would appear from behind and launch a surprise attack, ending the situation.
That was my plan.
Until the ssage suddenly appeared.
Ding-!
[The deep resentnt attached to your soul cries out.]
[The Imugi's Curse is activated.]
[Misfortune stat increased!]
[The "Mist Form" spell is canceled due to decreased concentration!]
Whoosh-!
With a sudden dizziness, my concentration wavered, and the spell was canceled.
I was caught off guard as my body suddenly reford.
'The curse activated at this ti?'
Spell cancellation due to decreased concentration was a phenonon that usually occurred only when the ENP reached its limit or the caster's Intelligence stat was very low...
I hurriedly tried to cast the spell again.
Ding-!
[Casting the spell "Mist Form".]
[Spell casting failed.]
[The cooldown has not yet ended.]
[The cooldown for "Mist Form" is 13 minutes and 28 seconds.]
'...That's a long ti.'
13 minutes was ample ti.
Plenty of ti for those enraged guys to beat to a pulp.
"Hahaha! It seems your precious spell isn't working, is it?"
Nam Kang-ik and the strangers raised their weapons triumphantly. Although a few of them had collapsed, there were still too many for to handle alone.
I had defeated the Imugi, yet I was being held back by these guys...
"Everyone, stop!"
Just then, a voice was heard coming up the mountain path.
A voice so sharp that it shook the entrance to mountain.
"That voice, could it be...?"
The strangers' faces were filled with panic.
The owner of that voice was soone who could send chills down their spines.
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[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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