Chapter 283. Great Change (2)
[44 days left until the start of the first development - ‘Advent of the Calamity’.]
[As the original author, you are given the privilege of accessing the outline of the development.]
[You may access the outline using your original Gift, ‘Observation and Reading’.]
[And don’t forget, you have the right to ask me a question or a favor.]
I ran with Boss to where the meteorite fell. After 3 minutes of running, we finally began to see a village that had appeared only a few moments ago. The village looked similar to the one I saw in Akatrina. Houses were made of bricks, like a classic Middle Age design.
“…What’s this?”
It wasn’t just us who came. Djinns and mercenaries of Pandemonium also gathered at the village. A few rambunctious Djinns seemed to anticipate a fight. However, most calmly observed the Demon Realm village which was shrouded in a dark fog.
“As I thought, you’re here too.”
Suddenly, a familiar voice called us. I pushed my hood down further, and Boss looked at our ‘business partner’.
It was Wicked—a member of the Nine Evils.
Boss asked Wicked, “Do you know anything about the current situation?”
“No, I don’t.”
Wicked shook her head, and so did the three executives who were with her.
So far, I had released only three of her six executives. I set aside the remaining three for later use in case we needed to negotiate with Wicked again. This was the way I intended to keep things for a while since Wicked’s Gift allowed her to become stronger as the number of her followers increased.
“…This phenomenon seems to be related to the Demon Realm. How can you not know what’s going on? Aren’t you a Djinn?” Boss probed.
“Djinns aren’t from the Demon Realm. I only serve my lord devil. I have no idea what’s going on either. Let’s head inside together and find out.”
Wicked’s explanation made sense, so we headed to the village together.
The village was pretty big and divided into different sectors. We continued to walk, taking in our surroundings when suddenly an Aileen-sized demon jumped out in front us from the corner of the street.
—Hello!
Frankly, I was pretty surprised (as was Boss and Wicked), but my pride wouldn’t allow me to jump in fear.
Wicked exchanged glances with her underlings. One of her executives stepped forward with a stern look.
“Who are you? Reveal yourself.”
—Mm. So we can communicate. That’s good.
As expected, the demon spoke Korean. He was small but had big curved horns growing out of his temple.
“Tell us about yourself and what you’re doing here.”
—My name is Kuong and I’m a merchant. Though I’m still trying to figure everything out….
I used [Original Author’s Privilege] on the demon.
「Demon Realm Merchant Kuong」
[Life Force 100/100]
[Alignment — Neutral]
[Realm — Stage-1 Average]
[Job — Middle-grade merchant]
[Status — Speaking the truth]
—I have a lot of things for sale that will be of help to you. Here, please take a look.
Kuong showed us his shop's catalog.
[Special potion]
[Protective Wall]
[Artifacts from Other Dimensions]
[Mercenary for Hire]
…
…
[Body Enhancer]
[State of Existence Enhancer]
—You can buy these items with DP, which is the currency we use in our world. You can earn them by hunting demonic beasts. Ah, do you know what demonic beasts are? They’re not much different from monsters. When monsters become contaminated in the land of the Demon Realm, they become what we call demonic beasts. I highly recommend this item here, ‘State of Existence Enhancer’! It’s expensive but worth all the cost!
“Land of the Demon Realm? Are you referring to Demon Realm Transformation?”
Boss frowned. People who participated in the Tower of Wish were all somewhat aware of ‘Demon Realm Transformation’.
—Yes. Today’s meteorites mark the beginning of Demon Realm Transformation. If you fail to work together to fight back, Earth will completely transform into the Demon Realm in no time.
All three of us fell silent. A sense of shock swept through us.
I looked down at the Demon Realm Merchant ‘Kuong’ and spoke in an intimidating tone.
“We get DP from killing demonic beasts… so what happens if I kill you?”
—Pardon?
“Can I earn DP by killing you?”
—Oh, but you can’t kill me. I’m only a hologram. My physical body is in the real Demon Realm.
[Status — Speaking the truth]
I didn’t exactly plan on killing him but regretted not being able to.
“I see.”
—There’s no use killing us anyway. We’re willing to do anything for you as long as you pay us DP.
“…Geez, another form of currency.”
DP, TP, SP. It was starting to get a little bit confusing… but that was no reason to shun them.
I did have a talent for making money. Even if I was to suddenly become stranded in the middle of nowhere without anything on me, as long as that place was somewhere in this world, I could survive without worry. Just like the saying went, success was a little bit of skill and a whole lot of luck.
“Do you have casinos here?”
—Ah~ The higher-grade merchants run them. But I do have lottery tickets!
“…Yeah?”
—Yep. They cost 20 DP per ticket and you can see the result instantly. First place winner gets 1,500,000 DP, second place winner gets 150,000 DP, third place gets 15,000 DP….
I could make 1.5 million DP with just 20 DP. Of course, just like all lottery, the chances of winning were probably slim to none. Kuong proceeded to explain.
— The chance of winning first place is 1 in 30,000,000. For the second place, it’s 1 in 9,000,000. For the third place, 1 in 300,000….
1 in 30,000,000.
1 in 9,000,000.
1 in 300,000.
At a glance, these numbers seemed insanely low, but why was it that I couldn’t stop the corner of mouth from twitching upwards in joy? I tried to appear calm.
“That’s pretty bad, huh?”
—The chances are pretty low, but we sell these tickets in other dimensions and worlds, so I do hope you understand~
“Yeah, well, it’s alright.”
It didn’t matter how low the chances were.
I was confident that my superhuman luck stat of 9.1 points would bring me a tremendous amount of DP, despite the ridiculously low probability.
**
[Africa, Underground Fortress]
「VIOLET’s gossip - Black Lotus Q&A」
Q. Why does Black Lotus oppose Orden?
A. I don’t know the details, but I think there’s a reason behind his hostility. Like, his family members were murdered by Orden or something.
Q. How strong is Black Lotus really?
A. I can answer this question with confidence. Black Lotus is equally as powerful as—if not more than—Chae Joochul. Chae Joochul is old, so I expect Black Lotus to take the lead as time goes on.
Q. Really? We know that Swordsman of Wish Kim Suho is also very powerful, and ‘Fenrir’ has killed Black Lotus once before.
A. I heard Kim Suho also acknowledged Black Lotus. In fact, Kim Suho might be stronger than Black Lotus in a fair 1 on 1 fight. But considering all other factors, I have to say that no Hero can stand against Black Lotus. As for Fenrir… I decline to comment. But I still think Black Lotus is stronger than Fenrir.
Q. What kind of atmosphere did Black Lotus have?
A. …He looked sad. He was cold, but I could spot a very human weakness in him. I feel like he has a deep scar in his heart, one that can’t be erased. Even his nonchalant attitude couldn’t hide his sorrow. He was a wounded beast… or a fragile snowflake.
Q. If that’s true, why do you think Black Lotus is so hurt?
A. I’m not sure. There could be many reasons. His battle against Orden, or that duel against Fenrir in the Tower of Wish, or maybe it’s the Association’s oppression….
But more than anything, I think it’s because Black Lotus is noble. He has the world at his feet and he leads the Chameleon Troupe. The higher you go, the colder and more fierce it gets.
===
Meanwhile, Yi Jiyoon was in the middle of spreading rumors through Violet Banquet. Though these rumors were all derived from her delusions, she didn’t feel guilty. In her mind, these rumors wouldn’t cause any harm to Black Lotus; plus, she really believed that her analysis was true.
Tap, tap— Tap, tap—
She accumulated more and more Violet Banquet points as the sound of keyboard typing grew louder.
Yi Jiyoon’s Violet Banquet ID grade was an astounding [Blue Diamond]. This was the reason people believed whatever she said without even thinking to cross-check the facts.
“….Mm. I should check up on my social media account now.”
After she finished the Q&A, Yi Jiyoon turned Violet Banquet off and pulled up her official social media account.
[Yi Jiyoon]
[Posts 2,480] [Follower 36.3M] [Following 103]
“Huhu.”
Fellow members of the ‘Orden Assassination Team’ treated the high-intermediate-rank grade-1 Yi Jiyoon as nothing but an immature supporter. But on the internet, she was an extremely popular celebrity thanks to her excellent ‘image marketing strategy’.
On her official social media account, she gained worldwide popularity by posting photos of her with other famous Heroes such as Chae Nayun, Yoo Yeonha, Kim Suho, and Shin Jonghak. On Violet Banquet, she ran a secret website called [VIOLET’s gossip], where she posted gossip like the earlier Q&A. Her initial goal was to earn Violet Banquet points, but along the way she had gained a lot of followers.
—So all you do is sell?
“…They’re still not done?”
Yi Jiyoon turned her smartwatch off and got up from her seat.
She opened the door slightly and looked outside through the gap. Aileen was still interrogating a demon.
—Yes, all we do is sell goods.
“How do you expect me to believe that?”
After countless meteorites landed on Earth, the underground fortress went through a huge change as well. One meteor passed through the ground and became a ‘shop’ stationed just outside the fortress.
—Look at us. We’re not built to fight. I’m shorter than you.
The demon twirled.
“…You’re kidding, right? Well, it’s true that you’re shorter than me.”
Yi Jiyoon stepped outside and stood next to Chae Nayun and Kim Suho, who were watching Aileen.
“Nayun, Suho, is she still not finished?”
“Hm?”
“No, but I think it’ll be over soon. Ah, right. What kind of stat did you get?”
‘Stat?’ Yi Jiyoon wondered what Kim Suho meant. Then, she realized he was referring to the ‘great change’ that happened last night.
“Oh, I got ‘Buff’. How about you two?”
“I got ‘Tenacity’ and ‘Extremity’.”
“Mine’s ‘Amplification’.”
Kim Suho received Tenacity and Extremity. Chae Nayun received Amplification.
“Huh? Why do you have two, Suho?”
“Um… I’m not really sure.”
“Maybe because he cleared the Tower of Wish?”
Chae Nayun tapped on Kim Suho’s chest. Kim Suho drew back, covering his chest with his arms.
“Ah, that makes sense.”
At that moment, the conversation between Aileen and the demon seemed to finally reach an end.
“So you promise not to tell anyone about our fortress?”
—Of course.
“We just want to kill Orden.”
—Sure. I don’t know who that is, but we can help you achieve your goal! As long as you have DP!
“Whatever. Hey, everyone, come on out!”
Aileen’s voice rang out.
All 177 members of the Special Task Force stepped outside their tents.
“We’re going to start training!”
With a shout, Aileen took out the [Training Simulator]. The device had been updated to reflect Rumi’s report of Orden’s Palace. It was now more realistic and precise.
“I want to lay this out to all of you. The mission start date is not going to change! We strike three weeks from now, just like we planned! We’re going to go kill Orden!”
Aileen’s high-pitched voice resounded throughout the underground cave.
“Furthermore!”
This was still not set in stone. The Association had told Aileen that they would ‘try and negotiate’, but Aileen decided to announce it to the members to lift morale.
“Black Lotus will be joining us on this mission!”
Thankfully the members took the news well.
Shin Jonghak widened his eyes in surprise. Chae Nayun nodded in seriousness, Kim Suho recalled Black Lotus with tension, and Yi Jiyoon hoped to finally take a selfie with Black Lotus.
“…Unni, is that true? I thought the negotiation was ongoing.”
The only person who knew the truth—Yun Seung-Ah—approached Aileen and whispered in her ear.
“…I heard that the cost of the negotiations is really high…. There are rumors that the down payment is 50 billion won.”
“Whatever, that’s the old geezer’s problem. We need Black Lotus to end Orden for good.”
Aileen declared indomitably despite Yun Seung-Ah’s concern before beginning their training routine.
**
[Demon Town in Central Asia]
I returned to the demon town after hunting exactly 100 demonic beasts with Boss and Wicked (she insisted on following us). Currently, Demon Realm Transformation was only 3% complete, and demonic beasts were only as strong as intermediate-rank monsters.
Kuong greeted us when we returned.
“I’ve got 1000 DP, so give me 50 lottery tickets.”
—Ah. We don’t sell them here.
With a smile, Kuong led us to the general store just around the corner.
—Welcome~ Come in~
I was the first to enter the store.
There were all sorts of cool stuff inside, and the shop owner was a giant who was as big as Cheok Jungyeong.
I approached the shop owner and spoke.
“Hey.”
—Nice to meet you. I’m Deong.
“Do all of your names end in ‘ong’?”
—That’s right.
“…Oh. Well, I’ll cut to the chase. Give me 50 lottery tickets.”
—You won’t win. It’s a 1 in 30 million chance. Humans never win.
For some reason, Deong didn’t seem to want to sell us the lottery tickets.
“I’ll show you that my luck is beyond human. Just give me the tickets.”
—….
Deong gave me a discontented look, but I kept glaring at him and he eventually gave in. He handed me 50 tickets.
—It’s not gonna work.
I scratched the 50 lottery tickets on the spot.
The first ticket was 6th place. 100 DP.
The second ticket was nothing.
The third was 6th place again. 100 DP.
Boss widened her eyes.
“Oh, it comes out pretty often for a 1 in a 30 million chance.”
“…Huh? Oh. He meant that it’s 1 in a 30 million chance for first place. Everything else has a higher probability.”
“Uh… I see. K-Kuhum. I’ve never bought a lottery ticket before.”
Boss let out a dry cough in embarrassment.
I continued with the lottery scratching.
The fourth ticket was 5th place. 500 DP.
The fifth ticket was 3rd place. 15000 DP.
—Wow! You won the third place! Congratulations!
—3rd place? That’s something.
“Oh. You’re pretty lucky.”
Kuong, Deong, and Wicked congratulated me but I still wasn’t satisfied. I scratched the reaming tickets. 15th, 23rd, 33rd, 50th…. Although I didn’t win first place from the first 50 tickets, I bought another set of 150 tickets with the DP I won from the lottery.
I started at it again. 69th, 75th, 83rd…. And when I finally reached the 109th lottery ticket.
I saw a golden glimmer at the tip of my fingers.
“Ah. This one’s first place.”
It was a very familiar feeling, so I scratched the ticket with confidence.
[First Place]
The result was exactly what I expected.
With a smirk, I shoved the first place ticket at Deong.
“You see? Now give me that DP.”
**
[Seoul, Korea]
…10 days had passed since the ‘Demonic Meteor Shower Incident’.
Humanity quickly adapted to the sudden change.
When the initial confusion settled down, the difference between ‘demon merchants’ and ‘demons’ was defined, and Heroes began purchasing useful weapons from demon merchants to hunt monsters and demonic beasts more easily.
Also, starting last week, articles about ‘Black Lotus’ started to increase in number. I didn’t know why, but since they were more or less worshipping Black Lotus, I just decided to let them be.
It was probably the work of my ‘luck’.
“…When is she coming?”
Currently, I was in Seoul waiting for Yoo Yeonha to arrive. Today was the day I was scheduled to meet Oh Jaejin, a member of the Nine Stars.
Oh Jaejin’s original setting was made of two simple sentences: ‘The only magician among the Nine Stars’, ‘The only 10-star magician in the world’.
‘What should I talk about with Oh Jaejin today?… Does he know about demon merchants and DP?’
“Ah, here she comes.”
At that moment, a limousine covered in bullet-proof material appeared in the distance.
“Hey, over here….”
I waved my hand at the limousine from the sidewalk. But, chweek— the limousine passed by me coldly.
“What the.”
‘Was that on purpose? Or did I make a mistake?’ I asked myself, confused.
It was then.
Chwaaa—
A gust of wind blew past me.
“…Huh?”
Then, the Dwarven Supercar I gave to Yoo Yeonha appeared beyond the wind.
“Phew.”
Yoo Yeonha was sitting on the seat of the snowmobile with a helmet on.
“Oh~ You look nice today.”
I smiled, and Yoo Yeonha took her helmet off.
Her long hair fluttered in the air, and for some reason, she was frowning. She glared at me with a dissatisfied, annoyed, vicious look.
Yoo Yeonha tapped on the seat behind her, her expression unchanged.
“…What’s with the face?”
“Just get on. I have a lot of questions for you but we won’t be able to meet Oh Jaejin if we’re late.”
“Mm? O-Okay. Sure.”
I got on the seat behind Yoo Yeonha. She grabbed the handlebars and pushed down on the accelerator. It only took the Dwarven Supercar 0.3 seconds to start. On the seat of a vehicle moving at 500 kilometers per hour, I asked Yoo Yeonha.
“Why can’t we meet him if we’re late?”
“It’s not that we can’t meet him. It’s more like we won’t be able to have a conversation with him.”
“…Yeah? What’s his side-effect?”
I was unsure since I hadn’t gone into a lot of details about him in the setting.
“Dementia.”
“Aha…? …What?”
Yoo Yeonha leered at me and answered nonchalantly.
“His side-effect is dementia.”