49. Ask not what is beyond, but what is in your heart’s greed! I will give you the power!
Adikia felt thoroughly uneasy.
Should she report everything to the management office truthfully even now?
Or should she stay quiet, casting a silence spell for points?
A dilemma in every deal.
It was natural to doubt Yuna, who approached claiming to be Yudahee’s cousin, not knowing if she was a boss or an idiot.
Although she whispered only to Yudahee, can’t it be heard from that close distance?
The opponent was a manifestation, but undoubtedly an unidentified illegal immigrant with no registration in the management office, and that too related to the extraterrestrial.
It had to be reported to the management office immediately… but Adikia’s steps were halted by greed for the arena.
How thrilling it was just with the victory through the single contract with Yudahee in the previous match.
Even though the contractual relationship was still intact as Yudahee hadn’t declared its termination yet, it was a state where it didn’t matter if it was severed anytime.
In the midst of that, Yuna’s proposal was like an oasis appearing in front of a traveler wandering in the desert.
The offer to not contract with herself was, in a way, a story that was nothing more than an extravagant tale, but the magic in her voice stimulated Adikia’s psyche.
“Do you not want to be the first in the arena?”
“Ugh…!”
“Imagine… the scene of not only Yudahee but also the newly contracted person taking the first place… the awe-inspiring gaze of the surroundings and the bursting fireworks once again…”
“Ah, no… I can’t do that…!”
“It’s not strange, ask your greed inside! I will give you the power!”
“Ugh-uh-uh-uh! But I-!”
Yudahee was sending a signal to never do it, but would Adikia, caught in conflict, show such a thing?
An extraterrestrial existence…?
Come to think of it, have I already crossed the line?
Look at what’s lurking in Dike’s mind next to you.
If I wanted to stop, I should have done it before Yudahee fixed Dike.
Dike, who meticulously manages the household without writing a daily ledger, investing in stocks or gambling. It’s something unimaginable in the past.
It’s not easy to cross the line once, and it’s not easy two or three times.
Greed is not necessarily bad, it becomes a driving force that brings the potential for development… Adikia grabbed Yuna’s hand.
Even if caught, she could face severe sanctions from the management office, or even expulsion, but she judged it was enough to hold hands and act, considering that.
“Instead, tell me your real name. Not a pseudonym like Yuna. Your real name.”
Adikia stared at Yuna, biting it tightly.
Perhaps, it might be really irreversible once heard… but the train has already departed.
So, Adikia made a resolution in her own way that it wouldn’t hurt to hear at least the destination.
From Noble mtl dot com
Where else can one find something as beautiful as one’s determination?
Yuna liked this little goddess.
With a smile towards her, Yuna whispered her name in her ear.
“The weaver measuring the Milky Way… They call it Atlock-Nacha.”
…That’s how it happened.
While Yoo Da-hee and Atlock-Nacha were briefly out – Adikia remained sprawled in place for quite some time.
“Ah-. aaah- Why did I-!”
…A contract with the Great Old One!!!
“I’m going insane, I’m going insane, I’m really going insane…!”
As always, regret always comes too late.
But what can you do?
The contract had already been sealed…
Adikia, pondering her regret, suddenly slapped her cheek.
“Get a grip… Get a grip… That’s right… I’ve already hitched a ride on the tiger’s back…”
In that case, shouldn’t she see it through to the end?
“First place… It’s first place…! Yeah, I’ll go after first place once more!”
Adikia’s clenched fist pointed towards the sky.
—–
“Are you ready?”
“Perfect – absolutely perfect, old man! It couldn’t be better than this, hehehe…!”
Penelope, looking somewhat excited, grinned broadly in a triumphant pose.
Since returning from the lake last time, she had been in this state continually.
“This time… we’ll definitely win!”
Along with the state of the body, when observing the unconscious energies flowing, it was clear why it was happening.
The immense dopamine arising from enlightenment must be making Penelope feel ecstatic to the max!
“Tsk tsk, realizing it so late and ending up in such a state.”
Nevertheless, thinking it’s better than the silently gloomy past, Penelope took steps forward, and the scenery began to change.
Bustling arena waiting room.
Finally, the time for the second match had come.
Behind Balkan, there was a single box.
The item that Balkan had been tirelessly working on for the past time to give to Yudahee.
It should be an item with no problem in matching the value of Varisada.
Made based on Yudahee’s body remaining in the memories of the past, he probably thought it would be to her liking.
As Balkan entered the arena, looking around, Dekke and Adikia, who had taken seats on one side, caught his eye.
Surrounded by numerous people.
It was natural for them to be surrounded by worshipers, as they were not the heroes of consecutive victories, but Yudahee, who should be with them, was not visible.
Did she rise to the sky or sink into the ground? Even after looking around with wide-open eyes, there was no sign of her.
After searching together for a while, Penelope, who had suddenly become contemplative, was not jumping towards Balkan, but instead, she was opening the window of the divine gallery.
“Ha, old man! Yudahee, Yudahee is not participating?!”
“Huh?”
This was an unexpected turn of events.
Only now did Balkan open the window and investigate what was happening.
“Ugh, I never even considered this.”
Rumors circulated due to an investigation with the Management Bureau, stating that Yudahee couldn’t participate in the arena. And indeed, his name was nowhere to be found on the entry list.
Instead, a new contractor named Yunara occupied his spot.
Unconcerned with her own possessions, she had entirely forgotten about Penelope, who had become engrossed in testing her new abilities.
Although he attempted to approach her and hand over the sword, he was thwarted.
“My sword! Damn you, Yudahee!”
Just when he wondered if even Varisada hadn’t brought it, someone tapped Balkan’s shoulder.
Turning around, he found a charming redhead with a sword in hand, smiling.
“Balkan, am I right?”
Her smiling face seemed familiar, and it turned out she was the one who had recently climbed the divine gallery enthusiastically.
[“Wow, just saw Yunara in person. Isn’t this a mistake? Seriously looks photoshopped.”]
– Goddesses gossiping to spread rumors.
– MilkyWayYuna.jpg
– Where did you see photoshop in this? LOL The picture couldn’t capture even 1% of the real thing, right?
ㄴ Seriously, I just saw her, and words fail me. It’s on another level, for real.
ㄴI thought of saying something when she came into the waiting room, but damn, couldn’t even get close. LOL
ㄴWhy couldn’t you? Was it too crowded with people?
ㄴNo, there were fewer people than I thought.
ㄴBut why couldn’t you get close, then?
It’s not easy…
It’s not easy, seriously, hahahahaha.
No wonder Balkan realized it as soon as he saw the contractor.
For ordinary people, it would be difficult even to make eye contact.
Something indescribable in those jewel-like red eyes made it impossible for the opponent to forget words.
Moreover, unlike the seemingly delicate physique, it felt like looking at well-forged steel, much like Yudahee.
And unlike that, a sense of déjà vu, as if seen somewhere before, lingered in Balkan’s mind.
Was it that itching sensation in his hand… did he entrust a task to her before?
No, if that were the case, he couldn’t have forgotten it himself.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Yudahee’s sister, Yuna.”
“Oh, a sister… he had a family.”
Come to think of it, facial features… seemed similar to Yudahee.
Perhaps it was the resulting déjà vu, but… his hand still itched endlessly.
“Our Dahee asked us to deliver something. Apparently, she borrowed it during the last match and forgot to return it.”
And what was extended was none other than Varisada.
Before Balkan could react, Penelope moved faster than him.
“Varisadaaa!”
As if responding to her embrace, Varisada, instead of spewing out the sword’s name, seemed to vomit out a sound like “wooong.”
The appearance of a reunion of distant family members, the fitting behavior, seemed to captivate Balkan, but he just grinned as Penelope laughed.
Tsk, tsk.
He is truly ashamed to call himself a contractor.
Just as he was rejoicing, Yuna turned as if to return to her shrine.
Her fluttering hair brushed past Balkan, and he only then realized why his hand had been so itchy.
Why he had been feeling uneasy.
It was the hair, the hair.
“…I once received a request in the past.”
Yuna, who had been walking away, stopped in her tracks.
“It was a request to make a garment from a material harder than refined iron and tougher than a sky whale’s sinew… It was truly an exceedingly strange request.”
Yuna turned her body again, her eyes now filled with caution.
“No matter how much I hammered it, its form wouldn’t change, and it wouldn’t break. It was truly the finest material.”
“…That must have been quite challenging.”
“Challenging, but rather enjoyable. What joy is there for a blacksmith greater than handling a new material?”
The reason Balkan’s hand had been itching incessantly was none other than the fact that he had seen and handled the finest material once again.
“Armor made of spider silk that spans the universe. It was an experience that will never come again in my lifetime. And an unforgettable memory…”
Balkan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“For some reason, it feels as if that spider silk is once again shimmering before my eyes.”
Although it was a different, red-colored… hair, Balkan’s intuition whispered with certainty.
The spider silk from that time and the hair of Yuna, his contractor, were practically indistinguishable.
Even Balkan, who had handled countless things, had only touched that material once.
And now, a woman with hair identical to that material.
If that’s what it means…
An indescribable tension instantly lingered between Yuna and Balkan.
In the moments just before something erupted, a silence flowed like a current, and it was Yuna who spoke first.
“Are you going to tell me?”
“Well… honestly, I’m halfway contemplating it now. It might seem somewhat disrespectful to address her as Yudahee’s sister, but as a deity belonging to the Management Bureau, I can’t just let it pass.”
“Sigh…”
Balkan shook his head, appearing as if he were trying to clear his thoughts. However, Yuna knew all too well that it wasn’t the case.
Of all things, it had to get tangled like this.
A blacksmith who had dealt with his own spider’s web – it was truly an unexpected encounter.
And to recall that at the moment of a brief contact.
“Ahem, but you see, I have a bit of forgetfulness…”
Balkan’s outstretched hand seemed to be not just casually flicking his fingers, but rather, demanding something.
“If you could give me just a bit… a very small ‘something,’ I might forget about it…”
Is this the current state of a deity belonging to the Management Bureau?
Yuna’s eyes narrowed at the overly explicit request, but Balkan had his reasons.
Speaking was the worst move.
Regardless, the other party was hiding their appearance and trying to fit into this game. If he messed that up… one could imagine what might happen, even without saying it.
So, if it couldn’t be revealed anyway, why not take advantage of the opportunity and secure some benefits.
A chance like no other to get hold of the best ingredients…!
If you miss this, you’re truly disqualified as a blacksmith!!!
“Hmm!”
“…How much?”
“Well, umm-! About this much…! If I could just give about 10cm, I might forget about it altogether…!”
In Atlaq Nacha’s position, it was impossible not to give in.
The carefully held atmosphere crumbled.
“Sigh…”
How long had it been since she had her hair cut by the Demon Lord Jang, and yet here they were again.
Something… something was going wrong.
A nervous premonition passed through Atlaq Nacha’s mind that she might soon have short hair.