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Translator: uly
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Interest Converging on Geon-woo and the Secret of Soul Fusion
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"My lord, seeing them drag along all those elite users like that, they clearly weren't up to any good."
Ilryeong spoke with a stern expression as she watched the retreating figures of the Royal Guild members.
'That bastard's two-faced. Of course he was scheming something. But from the looks of it now, he's scrapped those plans.'
= Really?
'If Arthur's pulling off such an open retreat like that, it's the real deal. They'll definitely use an intercity teleportation magic circle, and with that many people, the cost will be insane. Plus, even if they come back to Belloca, word'll spread fast. Going and returning like that would be pointless.'
= So you're saying if they planned to keep at it, they wouldn't have left Belloca?
"Exactly. But pulling off such a grand show and then stopping midway? Arthur's not the type. He's an idiot, but he loves the theatrics."
= Theatrics?
"Ah, I watched some old movies while resting. Anyway, don't sweat the small stuff. Let's get going. We've got plenty to buy and sell."
With that, Geon-woo led his jiangshi onward toward Belloca's sanctuary avenue, lined with shops.
* * *
A few days later, somewhere in Onbiroad.
"What the hell? Kang Geon-woo's got over 10,000 souls?"
Cheon Su-wan of the Maesaeng Guild asked with a look that said he must have misheard.
He too had been a mercenary in the 1st Expedition Team.
"Arthur confirmed it himself. The guy freely handled messages and brushed off his mental attack like it was nothing."
Alphonse, another 1st Expedition Team alum, infused mana into his glass, chilling it as he spoke.
He enjoyed his liquor ice-cold.
"Brushed off Arthur's mental attack?"
Cheon Su-wan asked again, disbelief etched on his face.
"It was just a light probe, sure, but still nothing to sneeze at."
Alphonse calmly reaffirmed his words despite the repeated questions.
"So Kang Geon-woo really fused over 10,000 souls into soulstones? How? Where'd he even get that many souls?"
"No idea. Maybe he stashed the soulstones back then."
"That doesn't add up! It was 1,000 soulstones for 1% of Neuron Age stock. He only brought 4,000. And even if not, there was no way to store soulstones separately back then. Where could he have hidden them?"
"Wouldn't rule it out, considering how chummy he was with Onbiroad's locals."
"Even so, 10,000 souls!"
"Anyway, Arthur's stepping back for now. Says he's got his own stuff to handle."
Alphonse subtly drew a line, making it clear he was just relaying Arthur Felian's message.
"So what now? Just let him be?"
Cheon Su-wan muttered discontentedly, downing his glass in one go and wiping his lips with his sleeve.
"Annoying as he is, we can't chase him around killing him till he leaves Onbiroad entirely."
"Should've taken him out before he met up with his mercenary crew. Didn't expect him to rally everyone to the sanctuary."
At Alphonse's words, Cheon Su-wan backed off too, expressing his regrets without pushing further.
Truth was, Cheon Su-wan had no desire to handle Geon-woo solo.
One wrong move, and he'd be stuck dealing with it alone—something he wanted no part of.
Even if it worked, the gains weren't worth it. Why bother?
Geon-woo rubbed him the wrong way, sure, but he wasn't stirring trouble right in front of them.
"The plan to use Arthur's gone sideways, and everyone else is busy with their own crap. Let's pull back too. A few souls matter more than that punk. Worst case, we handle it on Earth."
Reading Cheon Su-wan's mind, Alphonse agreed to leave Geon-woo alone in Onbiroad.
Not a full drop, though—his mention of Earth left room for a cleaner finish later.
But Cheon Su-wan's expression hardened at that, and he shook his head.
"Earth...? Count me out. I'm not getting involved that deep."
Facing Kang Geon-woo in real life.
Cheon Su-wan wanted no part of that, ever.
"Pfft, your fangs are dulling. Gone soft."
"You saying you're any different?"
Alphonse teased, but Cheon Su-wan shot back defiantly, glaring.
He was dead certain Alphonse wouldn't touch Geon-woo on Earth either.
They'd sooner off themselves than face that guy in reality.
The eight from the 1st Expedition Team were all human weapons, no doubt—but there were tiers even among them.
Neither Cheon Su-wan nor Alphonse would admit it aloud, but they knew they weren't Geon-woo's match.
"...He came in seven years late. Still, I'd win now."
"Probably. But if Arthur backed off like that, he's no pushover."
"10,000 souls, big deal. We've got 20,000."
"Right. If Arthur had broken the 20,000-soul wall, he could've crushed Geon-woo. We're the strong ones now."
"So let's forget him. Our stuff's more urgent."
"Fine. Suits me too—less stress."
"No point building bad blood unless we're ending him our way, clean."
"Yeah. Agreed."
In a major city far from Belloca.
The conversation between Cheon Su-wan and Alphonse—once Geon-woo's comrades—wrapped up like that.
And in another city, a warzone.
"Damn, late. Got too deep hunting demons. Tch."
A petite hunter cloaked head to toe in robes emerged from a gate linked to demon territory.
She bolted straight for the central teleportation magic circle.
"Heard he already tangled with Arthur. Should've been there."
She was surely ahead of Geon-woo now.
Seven years wasted? If she hadn't pulled ahead by now, she'd have no face left in this game—time to retire clean.
"Still, a guy like that'll surge soon enough."
She just wanted to stand side-by-side with him, even briefly, before then.
Unlike back when she'd craved to follow but couldn't.
One expedition member who'd long harbored rivalry toward Geon-woo headed for Belloca.
* * *
Oblivious to the ripples his return had caused among Onbiroad's top users, Geon-woo was gathering intel on souls in Belloca.
With no user connections, he had to rely on Onbiroad's natives.
"Whoa, the real Dark Phoenix leader? Thought another fake showed up."
"Yeah. Not the first poser either."
"But this one's legit. Bears' territory vouched for him."
"Lord Kolon and him, yeah, like that!"
"Like what? Heard it was quick."
"You punks mocking Lord Kolon?! Wanna get thrashed?"
"Lord Kolon's chill about this stuff, but rules are rules. Spreading weird rumors about him sharing a deep drink with the Dark Phoenix captain? Come on."
"Anyway. You wanna know about soul fusion?"
The rowdy bunch chattering every which way were Onbiroad native mercenaries.
Geon-woo had entered a pub where Belloca's mercs gathered.
He and his jiangshi occupied a round table.
The mercenaries eyed Geon-woo's group like heroes, their goodwill plain.
"You know I'm an outsider. Ark Capsule user."
"We know. Who in Belloca doesn't know Dark Phoenix's leader is a foreigner?"
"Yeah. But after taking down that demon assault leader, things got messy, and I couldn't return for seven years."
Geon-woo brought up the Hellfaris subjugation.
He knew it was prime bait for their favor.
"So that's how it was."
"Freaked us out when you vanished—thought you were dead."
"Yeah. You Dark Phoenix were the only mercs to claim a demon boss's head, then poof."
The mercenaries warmed to his words.
"Hm, but coming back, I realize how much I've missed. Especially soul fusion stuff. It's user business, but thought you might know something."
Geon-woo restated why he'd come.
"Not big on outsiders."
"Dunno much myself."
"Heard something once. Users taking souls home, or fusing them into soulstones."
"Old news!"
"No, fuse a ton, and their avatars get better?"
"Avatars improve? So more soulstones make you stronger?"
"Not directly. Like, potential? Boosts that kinda thing."
The mercs spewed half-heard gossip.
"Hey, quiet! You lot yap less than the bartender here. Barten! Spill if you know—for our hero Dark Phoenix!"
"Yeah! Barten! Outsider stuff, so don't hold back!"
Suddenly, the vibe shifted to grilling the barkeep.
Geon-woo chuckled inwardly.
The bartender had been his intel target from the start.
In merc pubs, he doubled as info broker.
Helping mercs while pocketing profits.
He'd know user soul secrets.
"What? Ganging up like this? Free? Dream on! To loosen my lips, buy twenty Ragulo at least!"
But the veteran barkeep, seasoned with mercs, didn't budge.
He whipped out Ragulo as his shield.
"Ragulo? That stinking swill? Bastard!"
"His signature drink or whatever—swore never twice!"
"Twenty glasses?"
"Barten, you trying to vanish in a dark alley home?"
Outcries erupted at Ragulo's name.
"Don't care! Buy or not? Ordered drinks get drunk, no exceptions!"
"Damn him!"
"Hey, whatever, I'll down one!"
"Me too! It's just booze!"
"Whoa, calm down. That ain't booze. Poison that guy brewed!"
Clueless mercs stirred fresh chaos.
But the barkeep had pledged intel.
And breaking out Ragulo? Final test for Dark Phoenix.
Only they'd handled it before.
= My lord, absolutely no Ragulo.
'No desire for a repeat. Once in a lifetime's enough!'
Geon-woo steeled himself at Ilryeong's warning.
He'd tried it once—never again.
"Gaaah! Uwaaaah! I'm dying!"
"Devil's brew, told ya!"
"Sacrifices made."
"So..."
A few Ragulo casualties later, eyes turned to Dark Phoenix.
Its fame? Only their members downed it.
The jiangshi silently tilting glasses—enjoying? Debatable.
"Always ends like this."
= Yeah, brewing booze no one but jiangshi can stomach. That barkeep's something else.
Geon-woo sighed, Ilryeong shook her head.