Chapter 95: Chapter 95

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Chapter 95: Iro (5)

The woman’s identity wasn’t revealed by her own words but from the mouth of a researcher sprawled on the ground.

[H-How dare you… Do you even know who this person is…!]

‘This person.’

I thought she might be his superior.

[Director…!]

“Director?”

So she’s the head of the "Future Research Center."

[Iro.]

A graceful and elegant woman.

Her snow-white hair was tied up and pinned with a jade hairpin.

She wore layers of translucent garments that clung delicately to her slender yet voluptuous figure, giving her an appearance akin to a goddess from Eastern mythology.

[You foolish child.]

Her voice, soft as cotton candy, addressed the wounded subordinate.

[You… came all the way here yourself…!]

The researcher whimpered, unable to even spit out the blood pooling in his mouth.

He was clearly in pain and anguish—ironic, considering he had laughed while turning his colleagues into monsters and crushing dozens of people beneath their feet.

Thwack!

I stepped on the one trying to crawl away like an insect.

The woman paused mid-motion, her hand reaching toward her subordinate.

She seemed startled by my actions.

[Your skills are… just as impressive as I’ve heard. Truly.]

Hiss—!

The basilisk, drawn by the woman’s fleeting glance, slithered toward me.

Hsss! Hssssss—!

To think it dared move.

Should I kill it?

Would it be alright to kill it?

Would it be presumptuous to think that’s what it was contemplating?

[Still, would you kindly stop there?]

The woman continued speaking.

Hsssss!

The basilisk flicked its crimson-black tongue.

The violet aura shimmering in its bright yellow eyes made my head spin.

[I’m asking this personally. I promise the price will be worth it.]

And so—

"Accelerate."

Before she could make a move, I lunged to seize her, intending to take her hostage.

Swoosh!

But her fingertips brushed my cheek instead.

[It’s wise to heed a request when it’s framed as such from my lips.]

Her tone was calm, her movements unhurried—exactly as they had been earlier.

“How…?”

My acceleration skill didn’t work.

It wasn’t just that she countered my speed, which was 30 times faster.

No, she maintained her ordinary pace, perfectly synced to the change in tempo.

‘She knows how much slower everything is and adjusts accordingly!’

Chills.

The overwhelming gap in power was unmistakable.

Even without crossing swords or being bitten by the serpent, I could feel it.

I couldn’t help but feel it.

[If word spreads that a mere subject dared to harm one who received a name by me…]

Swoosh!

Her fingers grazed my cheek and slid along the curve of my ear.

[And that my reputation has been tarnished…]

Her breath brushed against my ear.

An exquisitely elegant warning.

However—

“I refuse. If I let you go now, you’ll just come after me again.”

[Of course, I wouldn’t leave you in any state to try again. I guarantee it.]

“If you sought trust, you should have started with a greeting instead of poisoning me.”

[!!]

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

She then covered her mouth with one hand and curved her eyes into a crescent moon shape.

A crystal-clear, bell-like laughter followed.

Tick.

My acceleration skill expired without any results.

[Amusing. It’s been so long since I’ve had a conversation with a stranger.]

After laughing for a while, she wiped the tears from her eyes and, with a voice still tinged with mirth, proposed an alternative.

[A hundred years.]

[?!]

[For disrupting the order of external affairs.]

[D-Director…?]

Iro’s eyes trembled.

[For abandoning your duties and obsessing over insignificant creatures—three hundred more years.”

[W-What…?]

[And finally…]

The woman crawled forward, trembling.

She paid no attention to the blade I held to her neck.

[For losing to a mere subject and sullying my name—an additional five hundred years.]

[!!]

My sword moved of its own accord, piercing the enemy’s neck.

Though blood trickled from the wound, the woman seemed unbothered.

[Nine hundred years should suffice, don’t you think?]

[Ni… Nine hundred…! Ce… Center Chief! N-No! I can’t go back to that hell! Pl-Please, just give me one more chance…!]

[Even if you plead like that, there’s nothing I can do. This is the only way to end it quietly…]

What awaited him was a hell far worse than anything he could imagine.

[Nine hundred years in purgatory… Even after you’ve lived your natural life and long beyond, you won’t meet me again. Are you satisfied now?]

Purgatory.

A word used in ancient myths to describe a version of hell.

What would happen if one were sent there?

Though I couldn’t bring myself to ask, the woman seemed to read my thoughts and spoke.

[You will burn endlessly in unquenchable flames. Your flesh will melt away without a trace, only to regenerate and melt again. This will happen ten thousand times, a million times… This child will scream, begging for someone to end their misery the moment they regain their voice.]

I didn’t know what kind of hell this world had.

[Please… Just kill me! Y-Yes, you! You can kill me! Please…!]

But judging by the man’s reaction as he desperately tried to impale his own neck on the blade before him, perhaps ignorance was bliss.

[After all you’ve done for me, Center Chief… Ugh…!]

[It’s unfortunate. I truly cherished you, but… given my position, there are far too many eyes watching.]

[I still have so much research left to complete! Please…!]

[If that were the case.]

Her gaze suddenly sharpened, cutting through the air.

[You shouldn’t have crossed the line.]

It felt as though the temperature around us plummeted.

Even though her glare wasn’t directed at me, I could feel the chill seeping into my bones.

[The research you’ve been working on—I’ll assign it to your successors tomorrow. The legacy won’t die, so don’t worry.]

[Sob…!]

[Do you understand?]

Without waiting for an answer, the Center Chief snapped her fingers.

Snap!

With a resounding noise that echoed through the heavens and earth, something appeared.

Rumble—!

[Purgatory’s gate is now opening!]

It was a gaping maw of crimson flames.

A massive, fiery pit that seemed intent on consuming the entire world.

“That… is a gate…?”

The grotesque scene of dark-red flames licking the air was horrifying.

Beeeeeep!

[Warning!]

[You have been exposed to excessive karmic flames.]

[In 10 seconds, you will suffer a status ailment: Soul Burns.]

[Evacuate immediately!]

Amidst the chaotic messages flooding my vision, I saw it.

Sssss—

A massive serpent slithered toward the man.

Hisssss—!

It opened its jaws wide, and—

[Aaaaaahhhhhh—!]

It swallowed him whole.

Then, just as quickly as it had swallowed him, it spat him out.

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Sssss—Splat!

Right into the inferno’s center.

[Ple… Please! Miss! Eunhooo—!]

‘!!’

Then, as if its business was concluded, the hellish gate began to close.

Rumble—!

[Purgatory’s gate is now closing!]

“….”

This was insane.

The gate had opened and closed in an instant, leaving me utterly dazed.

It felt as if I’d glimpsed a secret I was never meant to see.

‘What… what is today?’@@novelbin@@

In just one day, I’d stood at death’s door and witnessed the gates of hell up close.

[You seem quite shaken.]

“…Ah.”

I had to pull myself together.

Even if the woman standing before me, who had casually opened and closed the gates of hell, was staring at me with sharp eyes, I needed to stay focused.

Because…

The most important part was yet to come.

[It seems my business here is done, so I’ll take my leave—]

“Wait.”

At my call, the woman turned back to face me.

“How do you plan to pay the price?”

[Hmm?]

“You did say you’d pay the price properly.”

Finally understanding my words, the woman let out a small "Ah" and spoke.

[I swear on my name. Should any obstacle arise in your path, I shall personally—]

“My apologies.”

Swish!

I interrupted, fixing my gaze on her clear turquoise eyes as I spoke firmly.

“I’d prefer it if you paid right now. The price for that man’s life.”

If you desire peace, then you must pay the appropriate price.

Right here, right now.

Twitch!

The woman’s straight eyebrows arched slightly in displeasure.

But I didn’t back down.

She was someone who spoke in units of centuries.

A vague promise was no different from an empty check.

“I have a personal dislike for IOUs.”

[An… An IOU?!]

Ssssss!

The serpent raised its head sharply, flicking its tongue with a hissing sound.

But you know.

Thanks to someone today, I've seen everything there is to see, for better or worse.

“So, considering you’ve gone out of your way to keep things quiet…”

Nothing intimidates me.

“You don’t seem to want this to escalate, do you?”

[Well, I’m not sure what you’re implying.]

The woman asked, her expression one of slight discontent.

Even the faintly arched brow and the way her hand spread as if resigned exuded elegance.

But then.

“If this issue reaches the company, it seems like it could be quite troublesome for you.”

Twitch!

Hearing my words, her lofty demeanor faltered.

[Di-director, sir! No, please! I can’t go back to that hell again! Pl-please, just give me one more chance…]

[Even if you say that, there’s no other way. We must resolve this quietly…]

She practically confessed her weakness, and it’d be foolish not to take advantage of it, wouldn’t it?

[…You’re sharper than I thought.]

“Let’s call it being observant.”

[Or perhaps I underestimated you.]

It was a remark I’d heard often enough, so I replied nonchalantly.

At that, she shook her head slowly and pulled a fan from her sleeve, tapping it against her chin.

[How shall I settle this…?]

Her hesitation seemed to indicate that my request posed a significant dilemma.

“There’s no need to overthink it. Whether it’s an item, a skill, or even information—I’ll gladly accept anything.”

[Oh? Information, you say?]

“For instance, what happens after this restructuring, the company’s real purpose, whether you people are even human—anything would do.”

There was so much I was curious about, but finding someone who truly knew was no easy feat.

Those who could answer directly were few and far between, and even the Setani twins, who weren’t much different from me as contract workers, weren’t much help.

[Telling you such things in advance would get the Control Bureau on my back.]

“All I need to do is keep quiet.”

But it seemed she couldn’t divulge too much, even if she wanted to.

Despite my disappointment, I pressed on, only to have her sidestep the topic with a smile.

[Sharing secrets ahead of time is no fun, wouldn’t you agree?]

“Fun isn’t the point. Life and death aren’t a game.”

At this, a benevolent smile spread across her face.

As if she found amusement in my dismissal of entertainment.

[You’re a human who carves their own path.]

“A path…?”

[So there’s no need to rush. As long as you don’t stop walking, the future will come naturally.]

Hmm.

What I meant was that I wanted to prepare in advance for the inevitable future.

As I clicked my tongue in frustration, she continued.

[Instead, let me find you an item. There’s no treasure meant for someone who hasn’t even attended the initiation ceremony, but…]

Tap, tap.

Then, with a flick of the fan in her right hand,

[Hold out your hands.]

She curled her eyes mischievously.

“With pleasure.”

I held out both palms, facing the sky, and the fan in her hand swept gently over them.

As it passed, a trail of smoky mist swirled and then dissipated, leaving behind two solid objects.

In each hand, one item.

[Choose between the two.]

In my left hand was a stiff, rough scroll.

In my right hand, a hand-sized orb dripping with cool droplets of water.

“This is…”

Just as I was about to ask what they were, translucent message windows appeared above each item.

▣ Manual of Tendon Tearing, Bone Splitting

-A martial art scroll containing techniques to sever tendons and fracture bones, inflicting great pain on enemies.

Once fully read, it disappears, granting the Tendon Tearing, Bone Splitting (Lv.1) skill.

-Stat Requirement: Intelligence 15 or higher.

A close-combat attack skill.

▣ Millennium Flame Carp’s Core

-The essence of a carp that absorbed mystical energy for a thousand years.

Consuming it increases all stats by 1 point.

-However, failure to consume it immediately may attract the wrath of the Millennium Flame Carp seeking its lost core.

An incredible elixir that boosts all stats by one.

‘They’re completely different in nature.’

At first glance, it seemed like raising a skill would be the better choice.

Stats can be increased through other rewards, but skills are hard to acquire unless under special circumstances.

But gaining a point in all stats—seven in total, or six excluding resistance—is an extraordinary reward.

‘Six points… That’s huge.’

[Now, make your choice.]

Alright.

If I have to choose one of the two, it’s got to be…

“I’ve made my decision.”

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