Chapter 181

The next day.
Leone was paged first thing in the morning. The destination: the boss’s office. The fact that she was being called before regular business hours, when the office staff hadn’t even arrived yet, made her nervous.
“Why did you call me…?
The last commission had instilled in Leone an obsessive need to be strong, but that wasn’t the only change: she was finding it difficult to be the Kim she so admired.
“Not that it’s scary or uncomfortable.
I felt the distance between me and Kim.
Distance as a human being and as a fighter, not as a rational being. How much effort and experience does it take to get to Kim’s level of mentality and skill.
I can’t even begin to imagine.
“You’re not the only one.
Each of Leone’s instructors and seniors had something special about them. Actually, they all had their specialties, and they all sucked at everything else, but she didn’t know that.
It was a no-brainer.
What else would be the point of interaction between the elite and the trainees? They would only teach what they were best at. The seniors’ weaknesses were masked and their strengths were emphasized.
Naturally, all of the seniors became Leone’s high walls.
If that’s the case, how much of a tasan must Kim be to lead them…….
“Boo, you called?”
“Uh-oh. Sorry about this morning.”
“No, I was just doing my morning training.”
“When was the last time you went outside?”
It was an unexpected question, and I needed time to think about it.
Leone reflected on my life, and then paused.
“…I think it’s been a week or so.”
“What a bunch of sincere hikikomori.”
“I don’t see any reason to leave…….”
In fact, Leone didn’t even know if she was commuting to work.
My company takes care of all the ceremonial alcohol. There is a dormitory for employees, but I didn’t apply for it. I thought, “Why do I need a house when I have a sleeping room and a shower in the company?
“I guess I’m better off in the dorms after all.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s worth the time traveling back and forth.”
Kim Yi-hyun made an ooh and aah sound. Her coworker Yoo Da-hee could be described as a hard worker, but Leone was on a different level. The problem is that it doesn’t seem like a desirable lifestyle.
“I thought you said Asterike used to drag you around.
Asterique seems to be busy with event matches these days. It’s only one match, but there’s a lot of merchandise and other offshoots. She keeps an eye on Roscoe to make sure he doesn’t get out of control.
“I’ll leave it to Yoo Dahui.
I don’t want to take her with me because it would be uncomfortable. The only person Leone felt comfortable with was Yoo Dahui. It’s always good to have motivating peers.
“I’m not allowed to stay in the company after all?”
“Not a problem, if you don’t mind. It’s where I left it.”
Apparently, even Ekidna, a severe workaholic, often stays at the company. The fact that she doesn’t complain is a testament to the quality of the facilities.
We’ve all been there, even Chelsea, the shrimp napper on the couch.
“Forget the dorms, maybe you should consider a walset in the future. You’re not used to it, and it’s good to have a place to call home. Mental health-wise.”
“Oh, that might be true.”
He seemed to take the advice seriously. That doesn’t mean he’s going to spend his breaks looking at real estate, but that’s just a nagging thought.
“Let’s cut to the chase.”
I put the AP-116 on my desk, which I had already taken out.
“It’s a drug that permanently enhances spells. Don’t worry, I got it legally from Ishrad, and it’s already been administered to me and Ekidna.”
Kim and Asterique had already used them. I also distributed it to Edwin, who proved his trustworthiness, and Ekidna, who has become a mainstay at Dustborne. Chelsea didn’t show any side effects either.
‘Edwin became more of a monster. Echidna can transform her fork into a dagger.
This makes no sense for Arya. She’s strong against corruption, but she’s not a spellcaster.
Ishrad gave him a total of 12 bottles of AP-116 as a sign of respect. After splitting half with Rap, six of them were in Kim’s possession, three of which she used, but she never took them out and they’ve been collecting dust ever since.
“You write.”
This was the original plan. There’s no reason not to give it to a 6-star character.
“I don’t know much about it, but isn’t it valuable?”
“It’s precious. If I had to put a dollar amount on it, it would be worth a billion.”
“Uh, billion…!”
Leone’s jaw dropped.
“My, my, my, how could I. Oh, no, no, no!”
“Just think of it as a bonus for last week’s work.”
“I didn’t really do anything, but….”
“It’s loud, and I can’t sell it anyway.”
“Shouldn’t I sell it?”
“It’s a drug that’s only manufactured in limited quantities in Ishrad.”
Even a rumor that you’re on the market can lead to you being tracked down. If you’re caught, the Blacksmith himself will apologize to you. There are a few Isurad companies in Kilikia.
After listening to the explanation, Leone hands over the flask with a reluctant look on her face.
“…I’ll work harder to reciprocate.”
More here?
I wondered if I would overwork myself, but I couldn’t even light a candle.
If you’re willing to work hard, what can you do?
“And take this.”
“What? What else?”
“Come to think of it, I don’t have any equipment for you to use.”
I passed on gear I didn’t love but used from time to time. A blade that I rarely draw anymore. I was carrying it all the way to [Churyeongjeong], so it was almost cumbersome.
It was a quickie.
“I think Tammam would love it.
He’s always been rough with it, and lately he’s stopped picking it at all. Tatam, who loves his work like a child, would strangle him if he knew. He’d rather pass it on to a talented subordinate.
Of course, Leone didn’t know about this.
“I will reward you with ……168 hours of sleepless training.”
That’s killing me.
* * *
The event match had more impact than we could have imagined.
The site crashed as soon as tickets went on sale, and all tickets sold out in a matter of hours. Rothko called it an encouraging achievement and smiled a capitalist smile.
It’s a rare box office hit at a time when average attendance for league games is falling. There were a number of reasons why aggro was so popular.
Faroufaru Management had hit the publicity hard, and there were more people who remembered Asterique’s name than they thought, and the city was thirsty for entertainment.
“Because the city’s been a little rough lately.
Criminals are being arrested every day. As law enforcement teams raid the underworld, they are uncovering crimes unrelated to the distribution of larvae.
The situation has been going on for almost a month now, and even though it’s in the back alleys, it’s slowly reaching the ears of the general public. There are many people who are worried.
“It was time for a change of pace.
And fundamentally.
The match itself was fulfilling its role as entertainment.
On game day, there was excitement in the stands.
“I can’t believe I got to see this Legends match with my own eyes…!”
Dustborn engineer Jake Ebert burst into tears of joy. Just a few years ago, he was a rookie, and he got Asterike’s autograph in his brother’s name.
“I don’t care if I die here!”
“Kill yourself. When you die, there’s controversy.”
“Great, so how do I express this feeling….”
“Or a full-price slap on the wrist.”
“Isn’t that a basic skill?”
What a treat.
But for Asterique’s fans, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. It was because of the opponent. It could have been anyone, but for the fans, it was a meaningful opponent.
‘Aluminum. It’s been a while.’
Asterique was the first player she faced with the [Vibranium Composite Sword]. It was a turning point in her career, a moment when she soared from the first division.
The narrative was pretty good for a one-off event match.
‘I don’t think Asterike herself would mind.
It was such an easy game to win.
I doubted he would remember.
Poof, poof.
There was a touch on my arm.
“Look at those two.”
Next to Kim, Ekidna gestured with her chin two seats away. The seats were filled with Asterike’s friends and acquaintances. The Putty sisters were no exception.
“Sister is sister, you look eerily similar.”
“Creepy, that’s a strong word.”
“Oh, well. I didn’t mean that in a negative way.”
Sarah Putty was a scruffy little thing when she was rescued, but now that she’s cleaned up and dressed in clean clothes, she’s a much different animal. Her pink hair and eyes are so similar, you can tell she’s related.
“Chelsea, what is this?”
“A pom-pom. Pick it up and wave it.”
“Why? Why are you holding it up and shaking it?”
“To cheer you up.”
“Why are you cheering? What’s in it for me?”
“Huh? Wouldn’t that, uh, cheer me up…?”
“Do you win when you’re strong?”
“It’s more of a merchandising ploy, but it’s also statistically more likely to win…….”
Considering the age difference, they could be considered mother and daughter, which is disrespectful to each other. Chelsea is the older one, and she’s smaller, so she doesn’t look 20 years older.
Echidna, watching from afar, cringed.
“She’s cute. She’s got an innocent Chelsea vibe.”
“Phew. That’s an impossible combination.”
Even Toure, who has a love-hate relationship with Chelsea, giggled. His tone was harsh, but his gaze was warm. They weren’t the kind of guys who would sincerely criticize the family of an acquaintance.
“Don’t get too cute.”
“Gee, what are you doing on your day off?”
“You never know. There could be a terrorist attack.”
It’s a story of possibility. Currently, there are remnants of the Legion in Kilikia. They wouldn’t storm the stadium without being insane, but terrorists are usually insane.
At best, I pointed it out, and the mood around me calmed down a bit.
The men exchanged glances, and Bryce took the lead.
“Hyun, do yourself a favor and don’t do it on a day like today….”
“I didn’t mean to say I was going to terrorize you…?”
“When you say that, it sounds like something is actually going to explode.”
“…….”
This is a bit unfair.
But I can’t argue with that.
Based on the results alone.
There was no bloodshed.
There were no bombings, no shootings.
Asterike hasn’t gotten her hands on [Vibranium Composite Blade], but her spell control has risen immeasurably in the meantime. In game terms, she pushed Aluminum with just one skill.
It was a colorful game that was a feast for the eyes.
Sparks erupted as Asterike swung her mundane longsword. The aluminum withstood the onslaught with high-tech heat-resistant equipment, and the old-fashioned clash of sword against sword was a sight to behold.
But there was a catch.
As they collided, Aluminum’s mouth moved. It looked like he was saying Moore. I’d heard of him saying things before matches before, so it wasn’t unusual.
But Asterike’s reaction was troubling.
“What was that? I kind of limped a little bit.”
“I see, that was a very un-Asterike mistake.”
“Ugh. Neither you nor Mr. Edwin can watch the game, it’s a production, production.”
Kim watched the Chelsea game with his mouth tightly shut. He realized that watching baseball was like smoking a cigarette.
Even though it was designed to be a best-of-three series with more volume, it was quickly over. Alvarez won the first game like a top player, but Asterique won the second.
“Wow, amazing!”
“Ugh. If I’d bet on this… Oh, no, not as much as a six-month pay cut…!”
Asterique smiled and waved as the crowd erupted. The fanservice was once again in full swing. Kim smiled and waved back.
The question remained.
“He won’t listen to anything you say.
1I was concerned about the cause of the loss.