Chapter 183

〈 Chapter 183, Part 1, Episode 9, Chapter 17 〉

“Baeg Cheongyoung… huh…”

A white and blue flower.

It was a name that reminded me of someone, but I wasn’t quite sure yet. For now, I set aside the seed of suspicion growing in my heart and asked about the whereabouts of the Cube first.

“Alright… then. Ahem. So, Baeg Cheongyoung. How did you come to know about the Cube?”

“It’s simple. I was Director Mo’s trusted aide. Mo Taegyeong only entrusted matters related to the Cube to me.”

“Mo Taegyeong? Hmm, lonely.”

I thought it was unlikely that Mo Taegyeong, who never trusted anyone, would entrust something as significant as the Cube to someone else. But there was loneliness embedded in Bonghyo-Baeg Cheongyoung’s heart.

“Yes. I also pledged loyalty to the Director. So, naturally, I offered my loneliness too. Though I never imagined it would lead to Xiao Lin’s death.”

“…Illusory Dragon’s doing, I guess.”

“Yes. Thanks to Master Illusory Dragon, I could save my younger sister. Plus, the members of the Illusory Dragon Group.”

Baeg Cheongyoung genuinely seemed grateful to Illusory Dragon. If this person is indeed ‘him’ as I suspect, keeping him close to Illusory Dragon might be dangerous on many levels.

Should I kill him? But just because their names sound similar isn’t enough reason.

“What do you think about Illusory Dragon?”

“Huh? You were talking about the Cube…”

“Do you love Illusory Dragon?”

“You’ve lost your mind… ahem.”

Baeg Cheongyoung frowned openly. Without realizing it, he had almost sworn, showing that he wasn’t thinking rationally when it came to Illusory Dragon.

“Master Illusory Dragon has undoubtedly given me a new life. But to think about it logically? That’s absurd. It’s inappropriate to have romantic feelings anyway, and initially…”

Baeg Cheongyoung shook his head with genuine disdain.

“My ideal type isn’t someone lazy like that but rather a workaholic career woman.”

“…”

Listening to his sincerity, I confirmed it. Baeg Cheongyoung is safe. As someone who has experienced the Illusory Dragon route thoroughly, I can guarantee that Illusory Dragon is far from becoming a workaholic; they’re just too lazy for that.

“So, why are you loyal to Illusory Dragon?”

“Well, obviously because they freed me from Mo Taegyeong’s control. Oh, and one more thing.”

Baeg Cheongyoung sipped his tea to clear his throat.

“I simply dedicate my loyalty to someone who trusts and acknowledges my abilities. Illusory Dragon gave me full authority to use all my skills.”

“Sounds more like Gongmyeong than Bonghyo.”

“My idol. Hehe.”

I twirled the straw of my strawberry shake. Illusory Dragon is completely smitten with Gaeul, so there’s no way they’d have any romantic feelings toward Baeg Cheongyoung, who only offers loyalty.

“Hmm, then it’s acknowledged.”

Baeg Cheongyoung is safe. I relaxed a little.

“Sorry for being nosy. Let’s get back to the Cube.”

“Yes.”

“First, tell me where you know the Cube is located.”

I leaned back into the sofa while asking. Baeg Cheongyoung’s eyes curved slightly as he covered his mouth.

“Are you testing me?”

“That’s right.”

“Fine. Even though I don’t know what Phoenix Sir has acknowledged in me—probably not my abilities—I’ll prove myself through this.”

“Alright then.”

I waved my hand, giving him permission to go ahead. Baeg Cheongyoung pressed his watch, displaying a screen covering all of China.

“The number of Cubes I currently know about is five.”

“Holy crap.”

What is this guy? I took a sip of my shake to maintain my composure. Baeg Cheongyoung marked three points within China.

“One is stored with the remains of the Spiritless Warrior in Shanghai. I assume that after defeating an enemy, the Spiritless Warrior embraced the Cube and rested forever.”

“Yeah, I handled that.”

“…Figures. Tch.”

Baeg Cheongyoung clicked his tongue regretfully. I raised my hand to cut him off.

“Why didn’t you use the Cube?”

“I didn’t know how.”

“Ah. Okay. Continue.”

“Yes… Another one is here.”

Baeg Cheongyoung pointed at a location east of Luoyang (Luo Yang).

“Correct.”

“Indeed. Every time I sent operatives there, heads rolled, so I was suspicious.”

“That’s guarded by Callipera. Probably triggering an event if we defeat Black Death.”

“Yes? Hmm, well, thanks to Dongchang’s intel, I confirmed the Cube’s presence. Mo Taegyeong knew about it too but was very troubled since he couldn’t obtain it.”

“Because if he went himself, his own head would roll. Heh heh. Alright, what’s next?”

The third one in China. Unfortunately, I already knew about that one.

“…Let me ask you something.”

“Yes.”

“Was it Black Death?”

“…Hmm.”

Baeg Cheongyoung glared at me from across the table. I tried to joke around, but it seemed he read my thoughts and sighed disappointedly.

“So, it was Earth Dragon, huh? I thought it might be an S-Rank Monster lurking deep in Lake Dongting without moving. Perhaps guarding the Cube?”

“Sorry, that one’s like Illusory Dragon—same class.”

“Damn.”

Baeg Cheongyoung sincerely regretted his misjudgment.

“Then, shouldn’t you take care of it? Retrieve the Cube from Black Death… oh wait, you’ve already done that, haven’t you? That’s why you’re so relaxed. Right?”

What is this kid’s ability? It’s not solitude but mind-reading?

“It shows on your face.”

“…Even though I pride myself on maintaining a poker face?”

“Never gamble again. You’re terrible at lying.”

Baeg Cheongyoung pierced my heart with his words, sharp and cutting. Though my mood twisted, I decided to listen to him carefully. There was nothing wrong with hearing him out.

“Yes. I’ve retrieved it, and it’s already gone.”

“Did you use it somewhere?”

“Correction. To be precise, I destroyed Black Death’s nest and burned it. In this world, only I can eliminate the Cube.”

“…”

Baeg Cheongyoung tilted his head curiously, but I decided to brazenly play dumb. After all, isn’t it the truth? I merely omitted how exactly I disposed of it, and neither he nor anyone else needed to know.

“A single Cube is enough to activate its effects. Having two will unnecessarily open dimensional gates and cause chaos.”

“Is that so? Then there’s nothing to be done. Since you’ve already secured one from the Spiritless Warrior.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

No one knows more about the Cube in this world than I do. Baeg Cheongyoung readily nodded in agreement with my statement.

“So, three in China. Where are the other two?”

“P’yŏngyang.”

“That’s something I already know, so let’s skip it.”

“Yes? …Wouldn’t it be better to accept it?”

Baeg Cheongyoung seemed quite puzzled that I would leave the Cube alone despite knowing its location. On the surface, gathering monster cores in P’yŏngyang seems less profitable than using the Cube.

“Not immediately. Later. When the time comes.”

“There’s also a saying about hoarding things.”

“Fruits should be harvested in season for the best taste.”

“If you say so. And the last one is…”

Baeg Cheongyoung swirled his finger over the map, spanning beyond China, across Asia, and reaching Europe. His finger finally stopped in central Europe.

“Oh.”

“Why the reaction?”

“No reason. Just feels fated.”

I was considering making my next destination Europe anyway, but it wasn’t where I thought the Cube would be.

“Is there really a Cube here?”

“Yes. To be exact, Mo Taegyeong secretly acquired it in Southeast Asia and stashed it as a slush fund.”

“Of course. There’s probably no safer place to hide something than there.”

But what if another one appears? In the original story, uncontrolled cubes reacted together, causing a dimensional gate incident.

The Bern Gate. A mid-to-late game overseas quest where two Cubes were obtained simultaneously.

“Wait a second. Then something doesn’t add up…”

If one of the three Cubes belongs to Mo Taegyeong, the other must be something someone else stashed away like a secret fund. Suddenly, things got complicated.

“…Maybe I should open an account too.”

“Planning to embezzle funds?”

“It’s not bad intentions. All for world peace.”

We need to find the missing Cubes by any means necessary. Although it might result in the unfortunate disappearance of half the world’s slush funds, it’s not my fault.

Dimensional gates are natural phenomena. Purely a calamity from heaven.

“Alright, so Mo Taegyeong’s secret account, right?”

“Yes. If you wish, I can arrange an overseas trip anytime.”

“…Good thing I didn’t kill Mo Taegyeong.”

“Even if he were dead, wouldn’t you just blow up the bank to retrieve it, Phoenix Sir?”

“That’s true, but still…”

Though that would be the fastest way, doing so would make us public enemies to some terrifying people. One of those people happens to be Money Ghost, one of my collaborators.

“Any other Cubes you know about?”

“Yes. That’s all.”

Although it’s disappointing, it’s impressive that a regular person knows about five Cubes. I thanked him for his information and took a moment to think.

The first Cube: I obtained it after killing Tentacle Toad in Yeouido and used it to save Cheon Gaeul.

The second Cube: I unearthed it in Daejeon and used it to meet Chang-yeom.

The third Cube: Still in Pyongyang, but we lack the strength to take down Nuclearian yet.

The fourth Cube: I extracted it from the Spiritless Warrior’s remains and entrusted it to Cheon Gaeul.

The fifth Cube: I retrieved it after destroying Black Death’s nest. Though the ending was somewhat unsatisfactory, it worked perfectly for a date with Chang-yeom.

And now, the locations of the sixth and seventh Cubes have been revealed.

One is east of Luoyang, formerly known as Horogwan, guarded by the S-Rank Monster Callipera.

Another is in Europe, in a Swiss bank. The Cube, entrusted by Mo Taegyeong as a slush fund, can’t be retrieved by anyone except him. While Qing Song buried it in concrete underground, Mo Taegyeong boldly deposited it in a bank.

“People don’t trust others but trust systems, interesting.”

“He probably also trusted the greed of those who deposit money. Although the black market is rising with the times, there’s still no better place to store physical items.”

“True. Got it. That concludes our important discussion.”

Core, SR-6974, Cube.

And <Bonghyo> Baeg Cheongyoung’s name.

I’ve learned everything I wanted to know. To commend him for clarifying the whereabouts of the elusive Cubes, I decided to offer him a choice.

“I understand your abilities. Now, I have one more question for you.”

“Yes. What is it?”

Baeg Cheongyoung straightened up eagerly, waiting for my question. It was amusing how much he appreciated the recognition, and I was curious how far his smile would stretch.

“Do you believe that a subordinate’s mistakes should be borne by their superior?”

“…”

Baeg Cheongyoung turned pale. Being intelligent, he quickly grasped the intent behind my words.

“Hah, but the mistake was made by the subordinate, so I believe the subordinate should bear the responsibility.”

Baeg Cheongyoung stammered nervously. It was entertaining watching him fluster, so I decided to keep teasing him. This was my intention from the start.

“Yes, so I’ll hold the subordinate accountable. <Bonghyo> Baeg Cheongyoung. I’m holding you responsible for trying to deceive me.”

“…I’ll gladly accept any punishment.”

“Anything? Did you just say anything?”

“Yes. Even if…”

Baeg Cheongyoung closed his eyes tightly, showing resolute determination.

“My… guts may be shattered, but!”

“I don’t plan to crush them. You just need to do this.”

I whispered my plan to Baeg Cheongyoung. Though it’s about three weeks away, his eyes widened in shock upon hearing it.

“This… this is insane!”

He exclaimed rudely in front of me, clearly bewildered.

“Why? You just need to inform the public about Mo Taegyeong’s changes. Simple, right?”

“How can anyone possibly do such a disgraceful act?!”

“I’m a spirit, remember?”

“Even so, how could you possibly expect anyone to swallow that!”

Baeg Cheongyoung shivered as if goosebumps were rising on his skin. I just laughed.

“Then will you eat it yourself? Choose.”

I gave him the option.

Whether he eats it…

Or Illusory Dragon does.

His choice will be revealed to the world on July 1st when the “food” is released. I’m looking forward to it.

“Hehe. Speaking of which, someone who likes that said this to me.”

Recalling the voice and tone, I mimicked it.

“In this world… there are no bad people who like ….”

“Ugh.”

“Sorry about that.”

I quickly apologized.