S-Classes That I Raised to Devour - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 28. Volunteer Work (1)
Dark Alley. Chae Mujin brushed his bangs aside.
“I just want to talk. Why are you running?”
“Ugh….”
“And why are you screaming? You scared my fist.”
Darkness Dark, collapsed on the ground, trembled severely. Anyone watching would think he’d been beaten half to death, but Chae Mujin had only struck him once.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
The moment I reached to examine his shoulder, Darkness Dark stabbed my chest with a hidden dagger.
“I saw every little twitch you made, you bastard.”
“Aghh!”
I grabbed his wrist and broke it. The fallen dagger looked peculiar enough that I picked it up and checked—sure enough, it was an item.
「Equipment—Seven Jewel Poison Dagger」
Rarity: Rare
Quality: F
A dagger forged from the Seven Jewel Poison of a Poison Spirit. Even a formidable Hunter can be killed within 7 seconds.
• On hit, injects the target with ‘Seven Jewel Poison’.
“Dangerous items like this go into Collection.”
“You, you bastard! Do you know who I am?”
“Who are you? I’m Chae Mujin.”
“…Oh Sungtae.”
“Nice to meet you, Sungtae. The gun at your waist—you gonna hand it over? Unless you want your other arm broken too.”
“I won’t shoot. Even with one hand, I can’t aim properly anyway. And I already know your Level is higher than mine.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
I treated his broken wrist with Healing Light. Oh Sungtae was startled for a moment, then straightened his clothes.
“…Doesn’t look like you’re one of the underground types, so why did you trick me?”
“Because I wanted you, obviously.”
“What? You bastard….”
Oh Sungtae shrank back.
I was dumbfounded.
“Keep those dog-like fantasies to yourself. I’m talking about a contract—a contract. You’re the one who makes them, right?”
“You’re confusing me with your unclear words… I get the contracts supplied. I’m more of a distributor.”
“If you’re going to lie, at least try. There’s no one but you selling contracts with binding force. If what you said was true, there’d be multiple people selling contracts.”
“Ah.”
“Just the essentials: work under me and make contracts only for me. Payment per contract—”
I held up one finger, and Oh Sungtae’s face twisted.
“Ten thousand won? Are you joking? Do you know how much Mana and time it takes to make one contract?”
“Seems like Mana and time are all it takes to make a contract? And it’s not ten thousand—one large denomination bill.”
“A hundred thousand won? Hmm….”
“At the Black Market, they sell for a million won. Is a hundred thousand alright?”
“The Black Market takes a 90% commission. The actual amount I get is a hundred thousand won.”
I’d suspected illegal sites charge high commissions, but 90 percent? That’s brutal.
“Sounds like you were treated like an idiot. Even for an illegal site, who charges 90%? And it’s not a hundred thousand.”
“What? Not a hundred thousand? Then you’re saying a million per contract?! That’s insane!”
“Ten million.”
“……?!”
“But the condition is an exclusive contract. You make them only for me, for life.”
“Oh my…!”
Oh Sungtae suddenly bowed low. I thought it was another trick, but he grabbed my ankle and rubbed his head against it.
“Boss! Why did you take so long to find me!”
It looked like he’d lick my shoes if I let him, so I pushed him away.
“Don’t celebrate yet. I want to see if these contracts actually work first.”
“Of course, sir. But I left the contracts at home. Should I go get them?”
“Why would you? We can just go together.”
“I’ll call an autonomous taxi right now.”
“Call two. I’ll follow ten meters behind.”
“Ha-ha, very thorough of you, sir.”
Even if he seems simple-minded, I can’t trust someone who carries weapons.
Who knows if he’s planted a bomb along the way to his house?
‘An ordinary bomb would be fine, but a Mana bomb would be dangerous for me too.’
It never hurts to guard against the worst-case scenario. In the Hunter’s world, death lurks everywhere.
‘I’ve already set up insurance.’
I subdued Oh Sungtae and cast a Buff on him. Magic Attack Power +1 Buff. The duration is twelve hours.
He won’t even know he has a Buff on him.
If he tries to escape or lure me into a trap, I’ll just use the skill I learned at Level 50.
「Skill—Buff Link (A)」
• You can instantly teleport to any target who has your Buff. Mana consumption increases proportionally to distance.
Buff Link has no cast delay. The moment I sense a trap, I teleport to Oh Sungtae’s location and subdue him. Done.
“Hand over the gun.”
“There’s a saying to treat your gun like your lover. Are you asking me to give up my lover?”
“I can’t take your life, can I?”
“You’ll give it back later, right? The Seven Jewel Poison Dagger is also my entire fortune….”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Phew, Emily. Hang in there a little longer.”
The Automatic Pistol I received actually had the name “Emily” engraved on it in Korean.
It looked clean on the outside, but something felt off about it.
Click.
I separated the magazine and checked the rounds. Standard 9mm rounds.
‘Not Mana Bullets, then. Well, finding ammunition that costs a million per round isn’t easy.’
I’d confiscated all his weapons now. He might have more in his inventory, but I have no way of knowing.
‘Wait, actually…’
I stepped back two paces and studied Oh Sungtae. Even though I’d broken his wrist, I had healed it for him.
[Collection Target has been updated]
Collection Target: Oh Sungtae
Favor/Debt Value: 0→
3
[Collection List]
Traits:
‣ A Man’s Word is Worth More Than Gold (Unique)—10,000,000 [Collection Impossible]
Skills:
‣ Mitra’s Contract (Unique)—10,000,000 [Collection Impossible]
Items:
‣ Lowest Grade Mana Stone (9)—1,000 [Collection Impossible]
‣ Seo Jiyun’s Signal Device—3,000 [Collection Impossible]
“What are you carrying around in that inventory of yours, Sungtae?”
“…Yes?”
“I happen to know the Observation Technique. You’ve got something suspicious in your inventory, right? Show me.”
“H-how did you…?!”
“I have my ways of knowing everything.”
“Wait, Boss. If I take those things out of my inventory, I’ll die. Seriously!”
“You’ll die if you take them out of your inventory?”
“Y-yes, there’s a situation like that. I swear it’s nothing dangerous to you, Boss!”
“Hmm.”
Even ordinary people living normal lives have their secrets. How much more so for someone operating in the Black Market.
‘I have a strong feeling I’ll end up involved in this.’
Oh Sungtae is the only one who can make binding contracts. The person in need just has to cope with it.
“I’ll let it slide for now, but you’ll have to explain later.”
* * *
Oh Sungtae’s apartment was a typical shut-in’s dwelling. Windows covered with blackout curtains. Garbage piled like mountains. But the computer and chair were state-of-the-art.
“What kind of drink can I get you?”
“Just water.”
“We don’t have water.”
“…Never mind then.”
I’m not here for a house tour anyway, so I decided to skip the sightseeing.
“Do you make contracts in advance, or on the spot?”
“On the spot. They disappear once the expiration date passes.”
“So there’s an expiration date.”
“Using more Mana extends it, but my Level is too low.”
“Alright, just make me one test contract to see how it works.”
“Yes, sir.”
Oh Sungtae spread both arms. Then a Bone Quill Pen appeared, and he began writing in the air.
—Oh Sungtae loses his vision for 1 minute whenever he lies to Chae Mujin.
Clap!
With a snap, the Bone Quill Pen vanished and a Golden Parchment materialized in Oh Sungtae’s hand.
“Now both parties just need to sign with blood on the contract.”
Oh Sungtae pricked his thumb with a needle and made his mark. The needle and parchment were handed to me.
But I didn’t mark it immediately—I examined the parchment first. It felt rough and textured, and smelled faintly of almonds. A light squeeze nearly tore it.
“Does it matter if it tears?”
“As long as the part with the writing isn’t damaged, it’s fine.”
“How long can you usually keep one?”
“One hour per Mana point. Since we’re signing right now, I set it for ten minutes.”
“It just disappears when the time runs out?”
“Yes, it dissolves.”
Listening to his explanation, I realized that keeping him as an exclusive contractor rather than a one-time vendor was the right call.
Like Oh Sungtae, I pricked my finger and signed. The contract then dispersed like smoke, swirled around us, and vanished.
“Is it done?”
“Yes. Now I’ll test it by lying. I’m a woman.”
The moment Oh Sungtae lied, his eyes turned gray.
“It really works.”
“Yes. I genuinely can’t see. You’ve confirmed the contract is real, right?”
“Can you make it so he can’t lie at all? Like, ‘Oh Sungtae cannot lie to Chae Mujin.’ Something like that?”
“Theoretically possible, but…”
“If it’s possible, it’s possible. What do you mean ‘theoretically’?”
“Let me show you why I said that.”
—Oh Sungtae cannot lie to Chae Mujin.
Oh Sungtae quickly produced another contract and marked it, then handed it to me.
I was confused.
If this contract actually went through, Oh Sungtae would never be able to hide his true thoughts.
Since I had nothing to lose, the moment I marked the contract—
Whoosh!
Unlike the previous contract, this one burned away.
Not hot, but unmistakably wrong.
“What is this?”
“The contract failed to form.”
“Why?”
Oh Sungtae shrugged with an expression like ‘why are you asking the obvious?’
“Because I didn’t want to.”
“……?”
“My contracts can impose binding force. However, if even one party doesn’t genuinely want the terms, the contract fails to materialize.”
“You can’t force someone into a contract?”
“No. Even torture won’t make a forced contract possible.”
“Have you tested that?”
“Not me personally. Other buyers have tried.”
“So that’s why it wasn’t popular? Nobody in the Black Market does honest deals anyway.”
“Ha-ha, right.”
It had binding force, but couldn’t be forced into existence. A fitting limitation.
But thinking about it more, this wasn’t a limitation at all.
“With this contract, you can also tell if someone’s being genuine, right? Like, if you’d been confident you’d never lie to me even once, the contract would have gone through.”
“Are… are you a genius?”
“And about this binding force—can you make it lethal?”
“Technically yes, but if I set death as the penalty, contracts almost always fail.”
“Because people don’t want to die?”
“Get one thing, and you understand ten. Right. If there’s even the slightest resistance to death, the contract won’t form. But minor penalties—a finger, an eye, something that doesn’t cost your life—those have high success rates.”
“Good. Now make contracts exactly as I call them out.”
“Yes, sir. I’m listening.”
The Bone Quill Pen appeared again, and Oh Sungtae began crafting contracts exactly as I dictated.
—Oh Sungtae manufactures contracts exclusively for Chae Mujin. Chae Mujin pays 10 million won per contract. Violation of this contract results in death.
“Ugh….”
Oh Sungtae hesitated, looking at the finished contract.
“What? Are you afraid of dying too?”
“No, that’s not it, Boss. What if you die? Then I’d just become a normal person again.”
“Oh, you’re thinking ahead. Can the contract be edited?”
“Before marking, yes.”
“Then add one more line: this contract is valid only as long as Chae Mujin lives.”
“Should I also add that you pay 10 million won immediately upon contract creation? There’s no timeline mentioned, and I’m anxious.”
“You’re not an idiot, are you? Fine.”
“Then… hmm… this seems about right.”
Oh Sungtae murmured to himself, then seemed to make up his mind and marked the contract. I marked it in turn, and the contract….
Fssshhhh.
Rather than burning away, it transformed into smoke and wrapped around both our bodies.
The contract had taken effect.
“Ha-ha-ha! I’m counting on you, Boss! Um, about that…”
Oh Sungtae suddenly smiled awkwardly.
“I actually have some debt….”
“I figured. How much?”
“20 million won.”
“That’s not much.”
“I thought so too, but then the interest ballooned to 300 million….”
“Did you borrow from a loan shark company?”
“I was trying to pay it off by making more contracts, but….”
“Good grief. I need to make another contract—no more gambling while in debt. So what’s the total?”
“311 million in total.”
“Where did the extra million come from?”
“National pension, insurance, unpaid phone bills.”
“You look like a villain, but you’re the kind of person who pays everything they’re supposed to, aren’t you?”
I had 500 million in my account, so covering his debt wasn’t difficult.
“I’ll advance you 330 million—debt plus living expenses.”
“Yes! Boss is the best! Boss is the best!”
“It’s not free. I’m prepaying you for 33 contract orders.”
“Still, thank you!”
“Give me the account number of the loan shark company you borrowed from.”
“It won’t accept bank transfers. Cash only.”
“So it wasn’t a company—it was a usury operation.”
Things were getting slightly complicated, but manageable for now.
“I’ll draw up a check. Tell them to come collect it.”
“Um, Boss? When we pay them back, could you step away for a bit?”
“Again? Why?”
“Those guys are pretty rough. I’m worried sparks might fly your way.”
“Hiding in the background should be fine?”
“Yes, definitely.”
He seemed confident enough, but given that he tried to stab me with a poison dagger, trust doesn’t come easy.
‘Trust is something you build slowly anyway.’
I went to the Bank, drew the check, came back and handed it to Oh Sungtae, then hid behind the blackout curtains.
A moment later—
“Sungtae! Got the money, huh!”
A rough-voiced man arrived at the apartment. I couldn’t see his face from behind the curtain, but his voice alone told me everything about what he looked like.
“Y-yes, here it is.”
“Whoa, where’d you pull this from? It’s not fake, right? Huh? If it is, that’s boring.”
“It’s r-real. That settles the debt, right? Please give me the Antidote now.”
“Whoa, hold on. I gotta verify this check is real, don’t I?”
I heard the sound of rummaging through a bag—he was pulling out equipment to verify the check.
Listening in, I realized that Oh Sungtae’s usury connection was highly suspicious.
‘An Antidote? They really poisoned the borrowers to keep them from escaping?’
Up to that point, I could sympathize. What loan shark would trust an illegal borrower?
“Okay. Check’s real. But we’re short on cash.”
“What? Principal is 20 million, interest is 280 million. That’s 300 million total.”
“That was yesterday. Add today’s interest, and it’s 320 million.”
“What?! That’s bullshit!”
“Why you cursing? You got another 20 million or not?”
“Ugh, um… can we make it tomorrow? For 20 million?”
“Tomorrow it’ll be 40 million.”
At that point, I stepped out and spoke.
“So 20 million more will settle it, right?”
“Who the hell are you!”
The loan shark raised his gun defensively. Without hesitation, I pulled two 10-million-won checks from my wallet and threw them at him.
“Don’t worry about who I am. Take the money and get lost. Actually, hand over the Antidote too before you go.”
“H-huh? Are you serious?”
Still holding his gun, the thug picked up the checks with one hand. After confirming they were 20 million, he grinned wickedly.
“Looks like you’re the money man, huh? The Antidote? Sure, I can give it. If the price is right.”
“The price was settled. 320 million.”
“Nope. That was interest. The Antidote costs extra. 500 million.”
At the mention of 500 million, Oh Sungtae had a fit.
“You insane bastard! I borrowed 20 million, and you want 800 million?! Even for usury, that’s too much!”
While Oh Sungtae raged, I calmly extended my hand.
“Show me the Antidote first.”
“Pay 500 million first.”
“You don’t have it, do you?”
“So what? Want a bullet in your head? Cough up everything you got, asshole!”
The loan shark had upgraded to armed robbery. Ignoring him completely, I took another step forward and spoke.
“All life has dignity and worth. I’d like to agree with that, but people like you make it impossible.”
“You a Hunter or something? Hunters think bullets phase through them? I’ll kill you!”
“You’re the one who wants to die.”
The instant I took another step forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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