Bet — Part 3
“Thank you, Teacher! Truly, thank you so much!”
“You’ve saved my child’s life, Teacher!”
“I can’t express how grateful I am… I made the right decision by entrusting them to you!”
The moment word spread that the treatment was complete, the parents rushed in.
Every one of them was either the head of a mid-tier company or a President.
They each grabbed my hand, bowing so deeply it looked like their backs might break.
“Not at all. It was only possible because your children had strong willpower. I merely helped them overcome the Divine Fever.”
“Oh, how modest of you.”
“That may be, but who else could have cured Divine Fever? We tried everything to treat Seungyoon before this. We truly owe you a debt of gratitude.”
A simple thank you wasn’t enough, was it?
From the side, Manager Choi gave me a subtle nod.
The parents caught on immediately and made a signal of their own.
Those waiting outside came in, each carrying a magic chest.
“It’s a small token of our appreciation.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to go this far…”
“We heard from the President of Jeil Security that the treatment was originally part of a bet with Woojin. You were supposed to treat our children only if he won. But, of course, we couldn’t let that slide, especially since you went ahead and treated them regardless of the bet’s outcome. We all agreed to give you these gifts, no matter what.”
There were five chests lined up in a row.
Wait, five?
One of the guardians pointed to the chests.
“One is something we all pooled together for, and the rest were carefully chosen by each family. We made sure the items wouldn’t overlap.”
Gulp.
I instinctively swallowed, knowing exactly what was inside those chests.
Magical equipment.
Seo Woojin scratched his head.
“I arranged for a master to make the magic armor, but the schedule isn’t set yet. They’ll be available next week, so I’ve already made an appointment.”
“But I haven’t won the bet yet.”
“You made all of my friends reach Level 3, Teacher. That much is the least I can do, whether I win or lose. I’ll make sure you get the armor.”
“Haha, thanks.”
“Aren’t you going to open the chests?”
“Of course.”
Eyes filled with anticipation followed my every move.
Even Baek Sorin and Manager Choi were glancing at the chests with excited expressions.
I opened the first one.
As my hand touched the magic lock, it scanned my genetic information, confirming my identity before glowing softly.
Light raced across the surface of the chest’s magic array.
Then it began to creak open, glowing with a brilliant white light before bursting into a flash.
‘It feels like I’m opening a free loot box in Arcane Seoul.’
Finally, the chest opened.
Inside was a pair of boots.
They were sturdy, plated boots, with jewels embedded across the instep, inscribed with magical runes that practically screamed their worth.
“These boots contain a speed enchantment. They’re durable and made from an alloy, so they’re light and comfortable. Would you like to try them on?”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t hesitate and put them on immediately.
My body felt noticeably lighter, and a refreshing breeze seemed to swirl around me.
The [Swift] trait.
Acceleration is better for short distances, but personally, I’ve always preferred Swift. It’s one of the essential ingredients for higher mobility skills that I equip on Warrior Kim.
And it works even better when combined with Charge, Leap, and Sprint.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“These are even better than I expected. I’ll put them to good use. They’ll be incredibly helpful.”
“Oh, it’s nothing compared to what you’ve done for us.”
The unboxing continued.
The next item was a helmet.
Though it was more of a folding helmet than a traditional one.
Lately, portability has been a major trend, so most headgear is designed this way.
Just like my folding helmet, you can attach it to your back, and when you pull it over, it completely covers your face and head.
It even comes equipped with goggles and a gas mask, of course.
“It’s enchanted with detection magic. As long as you wear this, you’ll never be caught off guard.”
“You must’ve gone through a lot to get this. Thank you.”
The third item was a shield.
Another folding piece of equipment, this shield attached to my left forearm.
The difference was that when deployed, it expanded into a round shield.
The one I used before was basically just a bunch of metal plates thrown together.
“This shield comes with the [Fortress] trait, and the shield itself is of high quality.”
“Fortress… This is quite a rare item. Thank you.”
This was an activation-type trait.
When triggered, it significantly boosts defense and resistance. The downside is that it drastically reduces mobility, but it makes holding your ground much easier.
A must-have for any defense-oriented warrior.
And one of the key prerequisites for unlocking the Diamond Body trait.
‘Just one more step!’
I was now just one step away from obtaining Diamond Body.
The last chest remained.
As it opened with a flash of light, a hand axe was revealed.
It wasn’t very large—ideal for a secondary weapon.
But it was beautiful.
Crafted from pure alloy, the blade was razor-sharp, and a faint magical glow emanated from the mana core embedded just behind the blade.
“This is the Axe of Fury.”
“Fury!”
[Fury]!
That’s the trait Chairman Park Daeyeop had used.
It’s the lower-tier version of Berserk, but Berserk isn’t something I can use freely anyway.
I had to force it by stabbing myself with those cursed Berserker Glasses.
The best part is that Fury can be turned on and off at will.
It doesn’t bring with it the life-threatening aftereffects of Berserk.
I bowed deeply, genuinely grateful.
“This is an amazing item. Woojin was very insistent, so I accepted the job, but I never expected to be rewarded with such a treasure. I’ll use it well.”
“Haha, Teacher, if you use that axe with the shield I gave you, it’s the perfect combination. There’s no better synergy.”
“I can already imagine it. With the shield and axe, no Superhuman of the same level will be able to beat me.”
“Don’t forget about my boots! Use Swift to retreat if things get dangerous! Or you can charge in with Fury and Swift combined!”
“Being able to anticipate danger is key. With that detection magic, you’ll be safe as long as you stay aware of your surroundings.”
“Haha, thank you all.”
The last chest remained.
Even with everything I had received so far, I felt almost overwhelmed. My hands trembled as I reached for the final lock.
The chest shuddered slightly before slowly opening like a beast baring its jaws.
“Oh my!”
Baek Sorin gasped in awe.
Inside the open chest were only two bottles.
But they were no ordinary bottles.
The translucent crystal containers held a swirling light inside, reminiscent of the Milky Way.
Nectar!
A divine elixir capable of breaking the limits of high-ranking Superhumans, and for lower levels, it could shoot them up in power just by drinking it.
Though in reality, unlike a game, you still had to go through a fair amount of hardship even after drinking it, the effects were still undeniable.
One of the guardians wiped his nose as he spoke.
“I heard from Jeil Security’s President that your connection with Woojin began over Nectar, right?”
Another guardian chimed in.
“Even though Divine Fever has been cured, you never know when Nectar might be needed again.”
“Indeed. There will certainly be a time when it becomes necessary.”
“To prepare for that moment, we’ve gathered these Nectar bottles. It wasn’t easy—Nectar has been scarce lately.”
“I hope this will be of help to you.”
Nectar. Two bottles.
I could drink them myself or give one to Baek Sorin.
A stronger Baek Sorin would ultimately become my powerful sword.
I carefully accepted the two bottles of Nectar.
“Thank you. I’m honestly amazed. I never imagined I’d be receiving Nectar.”
“Hahaha, we had to do at least this much.”
“We may not be from prestigious martial families, but we’re not people who can be looked down on either.”
“Since Jeil Security gave you one bottle of Nectar, we had to give you two!”
Turns out, there was a bit of a competitive spirit among them as well.
The Jegeomun and Ilgeomun sects are ancient martial clans with a long history dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty. But these four companies? They’re nothing but nouveau riche that rose to power after the liberation.
Not that it matters.
As long as I get my treasure, I don’t care who gives it to me.
I bowed deeply once more.
“Thank you all sincerely. If you ever need anything from me in the future, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Haha, we’re grateful just for you saying that. If the time comes, we’ll definitely ask for your help. You won’t pretend not to know us, will you?”
“Of course not.”
It was a warm and friendly conclusion to the meeting.
Before leaving, the four students knelt down in front of me.
“Teacher… thank you for saving our lives.”
“I appreciate your gratitude, but this really isn’t necessary.”
“No, it is. How could we ever repay this debt?”
“You’ve already repaid me.”
“How can we call it repaid with just a few magical items? You’ve saved my life.”
“If you’re that grateful, then thank Woojin. Honestly, I only helped you because of him. If Woojin hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have paid any attention to this in the first place.”
“Even so, the fact remains that you saved us, Teacher.”
It was touching and heartwarming, but I wasn’t sure how to bring this to a close.
Seeing my discomfort, Seo Woojin stepped in.
He yanked his friends up off the ground and smacked them on the back of the head.
“Can’t you see you’re making the Teacher uncomfortable? If you’re that thankful, just do your best for him later! You’re all Level 3 now!”
“Oh, right.”
“Yeah, let’s do our best for the Teacher.”
“Wait… is that the right way to put it? Do our best?”
Maybe because they’d been isolated in their homes due to Divine Fever since childhood, they had this innocent air about them. It’s endearing, but honestly, they seemed a bit naive, almost clueless.
Despite all their private tutors, it’s as if some things just didn’t stick.
“Goodbye, Teacher!”
“See you again!”
“Thank you!”
One by one, they left.
Before Galaxy Mall’s representative, Kim Seungyoon’s family, departed, I quietly called him aside.
The representative eyed me with a curious expression.
“You wanted to speak to me privately?”
“Yes. Do you happen to have a signal jammer? I’d prefer this conversation not be overheard.”
“Of course.”
He pressed a button on his wristwatch, and an invisible wave of energy rippled out, surrounding us.
“Go ahead.”
“I actually have a request.”
“A request? If it’s from you, Teacher, I’ll do whatever I can. But why the need for secrecy…?”
“I need to enter the Forbidden Zone beneath Galaxy Mall’s Hanam branch.”
The Forbidden Zone.
The moment I said those words, the representative’s face hardened.
“Forbidden Zone? There’s no such thing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. If there were a Forbidden Zone, do you think we would’ve built a mall on top of it? Hanam is one of our flagship locations, and its sales are the highest among all our branches. Even if there had been a Forbidden Zone, we would’ve purified it long ago.”
Your response is awfully defensive for something you claim doesn’t exist.
I stared directly at the representative, speaking slowly, deliberately, making it impossible for him to deny.
“The underground parking lot on the 8th floor, between zones A-1 and A-2—are you saying there’s really no Forbidden Zone there?”
“There isn’t.”
He denied it firmly, but the slight flicker in his pupils gave him away.
No matter how ruthless a businessman he was, he was still human.
“Are you sure? Would it be fine if I went down to the 8th floor and started digging into the wall?”
“Teacher! Are you threatening me? No matter how highly I regard you, this crosses the line!”
The Galaxy Mall representative’s face turned red as he protested.
But I wasn’t here to threaten him.
“If I were going to blackmail you, I’d have tied this to your son’s treatment. Do I look like the kind of person who’d stoop so low just to extort money from you?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant.”
His aggression deflated the moment I mentioned his son’s treatment.
With the stick now delivered, it was time for the carrot.
I spoke in a calm, reassuring tone.
“I’m not asking for much. There’s something I’m looking for in the Forbidden Zone. All I need is permission to enter. Just block off the 8th floor for a few days, specifically zones A-1 and A-2, and let me and my disciple handle the rest. I’ll explore the Forbidden Zone, purify it, and reseal it when I’m done.”
“That’s… not exactly a simple request.”
He still wore a stiff expression, expertly controlling his facial and eye movements, but he couldn’t fool me.
I’d seen that look countless times in my old world.
It’s the look people give when they’re hiding something.
What was he trying to keep under wraps?
A flood of thoughts raced through my mind like fireflies.
I recalled the dungeon that opened during the zombie crisis in Episode 2, the one beneath Galaxy Mall.
It was a low-level dungeon.
The entrance was Level 1, and the boss could be cleared by anyone Level 3 or above.
The monsters inside were mostly zombies.
It made sense, given the zombie outbreak, but these zombies were armed with tools like saws, pickaxes, and hammers…
‘Wait… could it be?’
A sudden realization hit me.
My fists clenched involuntarily.
I had the urge to punch the smug face of the Galaxy Mall representative standing before me.
‘A businessman will always be a businessman.’
How do you survive as a businessman in this crazy world?
You can’t do it honestly.
You won’t make it.
You have to backstab people, betray them, bleed them dry, and suck them dry to claw your way to the top.
Why was the Galaxy Mall representative so reluctant to open the Forbidden Zone?
Simple.
Because he buried the workers alive like some kind of Qin Shi Huang.
In this world, it’s not uncommon.
If it gets out, people will criticize him, sure—but he can block it with money and power.
Disgust welled up inside me.
The fact that the same man who handed me magical artifacts with a smile just minutes ago was also capable of this made my stomach churn.
But that’s human nature, isn’t it?
You can be a great father and a loving husband and still be a bloodthirsty miser and a madman obsessed with money.
And I’m no different.
We’re both monsters of the same breed.
“Mr. Representative, I understand what you’re worried about.”
And so, I was able to persuade him.
“If you’d like, I can make a magical pact. I have an idea of what’s in that Forbidden Zone and who’s buried there. I won’t reveal anything, no matter what I see.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. I’ll purify the zone, seal it, and make sure nothing troubling ever comes up for you again.”
“Haaaaa…”
The Galaxy Mall representative let out a long sigh.
After a long moment of hesitation, he finally spoke, as if making up his mind.
“Under no circumstances, not anywhere, can you ever speak about this. Especially not to Seungyoon.”
“Of course. I give you my word. Do you want to make a magical pact?”
“No, no, I could never be so rude to the man who treated my son. I’ll trust you, Teacher.”
The schedule was set for three days later.
Two days were allotted for the task.
The Galaxy Mall representative seemed concerned that the timeline was too tight, but it was more than enough.
After all, I had the perfect dungeon strategy already laid out in my head.
Three days later, I entered the Forbidden Zone beneath Galaxy Mall, with Baek Sorin by my side.
–TL Notes–
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