Chapter 615

〈 Chapter 615: Part 2, Chapter 2, Scene 10 〉

Creeeek.

Riding in the self-driving taxi, we arrived at our destination, Yu-Sung’s Xroid showroom. Amidst the bustling crowd entering and exiting the massive showroom, a female Xroid dressed in a business suit greeted us.

“Are you Mr. <Baek Cheonghwa>?”

“Yes. I registered under my Korean name. These are my teammates who need fittings.”

Yuna, Raon, and Nuri were completely awestruck by the sheer size of the showroom, which dwarfed even the largest outlets. They wandered around like tourists in a museum, utterly captivated by the male-model Xroids.

“Wow, doesn’t he look like an older brother?”

“The facial features are sharp, but not quite blonde.”

“If we dyed his hair black, he might look something like…”

The three were too engrossed in admiring the Xroids to focus on anything else. I pointed to the last page of the catalog that the Xroid had brought me.

“We’d also like to visit the basement level, though we’re interested in purchasing an Xroid as well.”

“The basement is restricted to those approved by the Hero Association or Hunter Association…but I’ll escort you.”

The Xroid’s eyes momentarily glowed gold. Following her lead, we descended underground.

“Please send these three to the fitting rooms via the Xroids.”

“Understood. Please continue following me.”

The Xroid – with Yuha inside – guided me through the elevator to the subterranean level. There stood numerous Xroids posed like mannequins, showcasing a wide array of costumes.

Modern military uniforms. Hero suits straight out of hero fiction. Medieval fantasy armor. Wuxia-style martial robes. Fantasy hunter outfits.

Battle suits.

This is where Yu-Sung makes most of its money in the hero industry. For modern-day ability users who hunt monsters, protective gear that can withstand monster attacks is essentially extra lives.

“Which design would you prefer?”

“Custom-made.”

“Custom orders can cost several times more than standard prices. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course.”

We gathered funds specifically for this purpose by selling the Fengyuhuan. While weapons may or may not be necessary depending on one’s magical power, defensive gear deserves every penny spent.

“We’ll need body scans for three individuals.”

“Understood. And regarding the body data…”

“That’s fine. Just ask them directly if it’s okay for me to receive it.”

“Very well. We’ll send the data once the scans are complete.”

While I know their current measurements, battle suits require adjustments based on their present sizes.

“Quite the selection here. Are all these new products?”

“Yes. Actually, these are spare costumes made for our valued customers who use Yu-Sung services. In case they need to quickly replace their suits, we aim to provide immediate replacements.”

“Should I make a purchase?”

“We offer interest-free installment plans over sixty months.”

“How much does an A-rank battle suit typically cost?”

“For off-the-rack options, an A-rank <Milky Way> model costs about 200 billion won. With full optional upgrades, it can reach up to 350 billion.”

An S-rank suit might as well be called a personal aircraft.

With the funds provided by Yun Yuhwa, purchasing a battle suit would suffice for me, but how much must average heroes spend on these?

‘The biggest drain on early funds.’

Though the exorbitant prices seem like highway robbery, when viewed as an investment in one’s life, the price seems more reasonable. Among Yu-Sung products, Xroids and battle suits consistently prove their worth.

“Three custom suits at 500 billion each, one water-element A-rank at 300 billion, another female suit at 150 billion, and use the remaining 50 billion for taxes. Does that bring the total to exactly 2 trillion?”

“Are there other parties besides those currently present?”

“Yes, two more. One water-element ability user and one illusion magic supporter.”

“While we appreciate your large order…”

Yuha didn’t press further. Though surprised that I spent all 2 trillion without leaving a single won, she focused solely on making money.

In the end, it amounts to exchanging the Fengyuhuan for five battle suits, paid for with Yuha’s funds.

“I’ll proceed with the purchase then. Oh, and the design should be…”

“…Are you serious?”

Yuha openly glared at me with golden eyes filled with disdain. But I’m confident in my choice.

“Aren’t battle suits stored in magical gear as magical power and summoned as needed? If so, there shouldn’t be any issue with this design.”

“Well, yes…”

Yuha stammered, seemingly realizing this would become her hero suit someday.

“This is our first order for such a costume…”

“This is your chance to innovate. This is just the beginning. Once we finalize the concept, we’ll commission multiple suits.”

“…”

Yuha’s eyes widened dramatically before breaking into a smile.

“It seems we’ll be doing frequent business, Sir. We’ll take excellent care of you, though we’ll charge accordingly.”

“Of course. By the way, may I inquire about something?”

I produced Xian from the magical gear. Upon seeing the additional design I showed earlier, Yuha’s eyes sparkled with a different kind of excitement.

“This…”

“I’ll eventually order both, but we can only do one type now. What do you think?”

Pointing to the two women in the holographic mannequins, I asked:

“Would a magical girl look themed around planetary guardians work better, or tactical mechanical suits from sci-fi fantasies?”

Actually, it’s DLC he bought with money.

* * *

“Pleasure doing business.”

“Honor to serve. We hope to see you again at Yu-Sung.”

Leaving the grinning Yuha behind, I stepped outside. The three were adjusting their temporary suits while regulating their magical power.

“Sir, these feel pretty amazing?”

“Yu-Sung’s products have improved significantly. With this quality, we could head straight into battle.”

“It’s definitely better than our usual training wear…”

“These aren’t what you’ll be wearing.”

The three, who had been quite pleased with their uniform-like attire, froze instantly.

“Didn’t we buy these for ourselves?”

“Correct. The owner included these as complimentary gifts.”

“Impossible. Even mass-produced items cost hundreds of billions.”

“With trillions spent, giving these as complimentary gifts shows remarkable generosity. We’ve agreed to continue our partnership. All future combat uniforms will come exclusively from Yu-Sung.”

The most likely complainer, Raon, merely stroked her battle suit without showing any outward reaction. To her, the battle suit was truly an extra life.

“As long as the performance meets requirements, whether custom or off-the-rack…”

“Good mindset, Raon. Though if Yu-Sung had made garbage, I would’ve cursed them out.”

“Not to that extent.”

“True, not to that extent. Now let’s return to the office, have lunch, and rotate shifts. You’re free to leave after finishing up.”

Their expressions shifted strangely, as if jungle lions sensing new competition entering their territory.

“Sir, are you planning something strange?”

“Like revealing yourself as the president’s daughter-cum-commander?”

“Or trying to persuade someone through physical means, even if they’re a villainous officer?”

“What do you think I am, sending you off to do either of those two things?”

All three nodded simultaneously.

“Or…”

Nuri clapped her hands together with a mischievous grin.

“You’re going to do it with my sister.”

“You guys really don’t trust people. We’re genuinely here to get custom suits… Though saying that makes it sound weirder. Anyway, let’s go grab some food. We should stop by an ice cream shop along the way.”

“Why ice cream?”

“To treat Kim Penril to a meal.”

One of their tasks taught by Sun Gyeoul, and something all team members should know about Kim Penril’s dietary preferences.

“She only eats mint chocolate.”

Their expressions grew complicated, with one tilting their head in confusion.

* * *

A little later.

After dining with the new team members in the office, I ascended to the rooftop with Kim Penril for a brief tea time. Holding a tub of mint chocolate, she raised her palms, channeling magical power.

Whooosh—

Surrounded by emerald magical energy, Penril created a wind barrier centered around us, whipping violently like a storm.

“Hmph, basic technique used by all officers these days.”

“I’m aware. Doesn’t touching this external barrier result in being shredded by icy winds?”

“…Seems I haven’t underestimated the Dark Legion after all… Well, shall we continue our dealings?”

Penril faced me while stirring her mint chocolate with a spoon.

“The commander must provide three meals and two snacks daily to Officer Penril.”

“One container for breakfast, two for lunch, one for dinner.”

“Snacks must consist of the finest pastries unavailable anywhere else in the world.”

“Mr. Hwan is the best barista. His mint chocolate cake is undoubtedly the most delicious in existence.”

“Baristas and cakes aside… Yes, and this is most important.”

Penril pointed her spoon at me, drawing a line with her words.

“Firstly, I will absolutely not involve myself in any conflicts related to the Dark Legion. That means I’ll leave you to die if necessary. Understand?”

“Absolutely.”

Even as our ally, this means she’ll only fight enemies unrelated to the Dark Legion. From an experience point perspective, involving level 97 equivalent Penril in Dark Legion battles would result in significant experience loss.

“Even if I’m in a position to save your four ladies below, or if I’m the only one capable of saving them, if it’s a conflict with the Dark Legion, I’ll remain a passive observer. Got it?”

“Absolutely.”

Penril is a reliable comrade, but her growth has effectively reached its limit. Experience-wise, getting involved in Dark Legion battles would cost far too much.

“Secondly, should persuasion of P fail, I’ll nullify our contract and return to kill you on March 1st. No delays. It’s absolute.”

“Naturally.”

If fate exists within this world, this must be it.

P designated assassination day is March 1st. Over ten game overs concentrate on this date, with Penril’s assassination being the most probable bad ending.

“Don’t worry. P is destined to fall for my persuasion.”

“…Alright, I’m taking a huge risk here.”

The prerequisite for Penril becoming our ally is that P must unconditionally overlook her laziness.

“If persuasion fails, feel free to capture me and hand me over to P. The reason I fled from America to Korea was because I anticipated being captured by P.”

“…What makes you so sure you can speak so freely?”

“My ability to judge character?”

Unlike someone else inside, Penril is trustworthy. She gets things done when it matters.

“In that sense, let me tell you the greatest effect of having you join our team. Remember when I mentioned wondering if a commander’s power extends to officers?”

“Ugh.”

Though Penril visibly frowned, she didn’t express displeasure. She understands what would happen to her body if the commander’s power took effect.

“The maximum output for human form is S+, right? But what happens when my power mixes with yours?”

“…Can we reach SS+ growth without becoming monsters or beasts?”

“Exactly.”

No officer truly desires to transform into a monster or beast. If they can reach level 99 in human form, they’d choose that path anytime.

“In light of this, I’ll share a secret about the commander’s special ability. The taste of the commander’s bodily fluids is custard cheese cream flavored.”

“Unnecessary information.”

“And custard cheese cream happens to be Yuna’s favorite food and flavor.”

“Are you bragging about force-feeding Yuna in front of me?”

“No. The key point is that the taste isn’t limited to that.”

Approaching Penril, I lifted the spoon she had inserted into the tub. It held a scoop of mint chocolate, which I swallowed in one gulp.

“See, I’ve eaten the mint chocolate. Now, what happens?”

Click. Like cats grooming each other, I lightly licked Penril’s palm.

“Now I’ve become mint chocolate flavored.”