Chapter 86 : Chapter 86

Chapter 86 - Shaman (2)

If asked to explain exactly what a shaman's profession was, even Eliya, the only practitioner of that profession in the entire world, would find it difficult to explain clearly.

The closest explanation would probably be a ‘feeler’.

Shamans were those whose sense of Qi had developed to the extreme. Those who could feel supernatural things that could not be explained by logic with their five senses. Those who learned the history dwelling in all creation with their own bodies.

Shamans could ‘see’ concepts beyond what was visible, they could ‘taste’ history, and in the end, they were beings who could even perform short ‘precognition’ as such information piled up in layers.

Their senses were so sensitive that they couldn't even lead a normal life without numbing themselves with special incense and medicine. Otherwise, they would suffer from the pain of their brains feeling like they were on fire due to the amount of information flooding in just by breathing.

However, even such a sensitive shaman would sometimes meet an incomprehensible human that she couldn't understand at once.

And such humans, in most cases, were already at a high place, would soon rise to a high place, or would spread an infamy that would make everyone tremble in fear upon hearing it.

However, even if all those cases were combined.

It would not compare to the shock given by this man who had leisurely walked into her room a little while ago.

‘...What is this guy.’

The first thing she felt was a question. Then, bewilderment. Finally, a shock close to terror.

What Eliya felt from individuals who would grow greatly in one way or another was a color that could not be understood as a ‘human’.

The ‘shaman’ part of her had no problem analyzing the opponent, but it was just that Eliya as a human couldn't empathize with this person's mind. That kind of problem.

But this guy.

He was invisible.

She couldn't feel anything. It was the same even when she forcibly awakened her senses that had been dulled by anesthesia.

Her human self recognized this guy. But her shaman self couldn't feel this guy at all.

He was clearly a real human in front of her, but it was as if he were a ghost.

‘...’

If that was the case.

Although there was nothing she could know about ‘this man’.

A shaman who knew a certain amount about the ‘providence’ of how the world turned could tell him something about it.

“You, you're going to die soon, you know?”

The single will that dwells in all things.

Most people were not even aware of its existence, but she, a shaman, could vaguely perceive a certain ‘thing’.

Providence always tried to correct everything, and it had a picky personality that rejected everything that didn't suit its taste.

Perhaps she was the only one in the whole world who possessed correct knowledge about it, so she should at least be able to tell him this much.

This man.

Was ‘something’ completely outside of this world.

Therefore, providence would attach itself to this man to correct it.

And like a grim reaper stuck to his back, it would always tighten its grip on his neck.

“...”

But the man who heard those words showed no particular reaction and just stroked his chin once.

It wasn't as if he had heard something shocking.

“Ah, as I thought, right?”

It felt like he was reconfirming something he already ‘knew’.

“...What?”

“If there's a bug, it's natural for the system to come and debug it. I expected it would be like that... I'm glad you confirmed it.”

“...Huh?”

“No, otherwise there's no way my background would be this messed up. It's also strange that Darien is the only one who can't read my mind... So in the end, it's still in the uncorrected state from the beginning. Really...”

She couldn't understand a single word of what he was saying.

But among the strange words, she could figure out one thing for sure.

“...You, you know about providence?”

“I do. It wouldn't do for a top-tier veteran not to even know the system's principles properly.”

This man.

Knew about ‘providence’.

Perhaps in more detail than she did.

“If the administrator inside the Tower is the Guardian, then the administrator outside the Tower is you. No, rather than an administrator, you're just at a level where you have a little authority... Anyway, you're the only one who's even aware of it.”

The man who spouted such words then placed something in front of him.

It was a strange-looking vessel. Come to think of it, he did say something about requesting an item appraisal.

“Take a look at this. Thanks for confirming the information. But you're probably the only one who can unblock this thing's passages right now.”

“...”

At the attitude of casually handing over an item even after hearing that he would die for an unknown reason, Eliya, while dumbfounded, meekly accepted the item.

Because she was curious about what kind of item a person like this would care so much about.

“Whew.”

Fortunately. The shock was a little less the second time.

Because this small vessel also had the same properties as the man in front of her.

A foreign object that did not conform to providence at all.

Just where did this man fall from to be casually handing her things like this?

Still, unlike this man, she could read some things from it.

“Right. Seeing your reaction, it seems you can see that much.”

And as if he had noticed that as well, the man dropped such a remark.

“Just tell me how to unlock its sealed functions. In return, I'll grant you one request too.”

“...Alright. I can do it. But let me ask one thing.”

Eliya opened her mouth with a slightly trembling voice.

“You know about providence, and you know that it will come to get you someday... how can you be so calm? Do you have a way to deal with it?”

“Nope.”

It came out as an immediate answer.

As Eliya blinked blankly, the man smirked and continued.

“But I do intend to use it.”

“-What do you mean?”

“That providence you're talking about, it might seem grand, but it actually has a lot of loopholes. I plan to poke at them.”

It was crazy talk.

He was laying out a plan that she, a shaman, couldn't even dare to attempt.

“That doesn't make s...”

“It does.”

The man said, cutting her off.

“Especially, if it's me, it's possible. And the start of that is you appraising that vessel right now.”

A sentence filled with a firmness that couldn't be dented.

He was treating something that no human since the dawn of time could have done with the difficulty of taking a walk in the back hills.

“...”

Eliya decided to revise all the impressions she had felt earlier.

She had thought he was a fairly normal human, just that he couldn't be read by a shaman's senses. He looked ordinary. His behavior was calm.

“...Hah.”

But, this man.

He was undoubtedly more of a madman than any other human she had ever met.

***

[ Side Quest: The Shaman's Request ]

[ With your brilliant negotiation, you have succeeded in commissioning an item from the picky shaman, but this is only the beginning. Fulfill the shaman's request to officially seal the deal! ]

[ Objective: Obtain an impressive item from within the Black Market within 24 hours. ]

Hmm.

I nodded my head at the quest window that had appeared after a very long time.

As expected of a shaman, she was a character with a certain degree of importance in the main scenario, so just getting involved like this would result in a separate quest being processed.

The objective itself was very vague. Obtain an impressive item.

Considering the picky personality of Eliya in the original work, it was an appropriate quest content.

“...Yes, well. I think it has a completely different feel from what you're thinking, Kim Gyu-sik-ssi.”

“Pardon?”

“The shaman's expression when she saw you off earlier, how should I put it... it was like she didn't expect you to take what she said so seriously. She'd probably accept it even if you just picked up a random stone and brought it to her...”

“She probably would.”

“...Pardon?”

“But that wouldn't be any fun, would it.”

“...”

Leaving Seo Hye-in-ssi, who had shut her mouth, I walked on with long strides.

Well, it was true that Eliya seemed deeply impressed by me just now, so the quest itself could be cleared by bringing her just about anything.

But the nature of a top-tier veteran was that when an opportunity to suck something dry came along, you had to eat until your teeth rotted to protect that title.

“Here is...?”

“The arena. A landmark that every black market has.”

Seo Hye-in-ssi and Ahab let out such words one after another.

Yes, just as they said, this was a common sight in a black market like this.

You know, those terrifying fighting pits where full-contact brawls with no rules took place, where weapons often appeared, and where human lives were tossed about like chaff.

“...But this place is managed by [Wanderer]. Only those with proper entry permits can enter.”

Indeed.

[Wanderer] was a criminal organization that had firmly established its presence in the underbelly of the Climber world. If the Climber Association was on the sunny side, these guys were on the shady side.

There was a reason why other guys didn't even think of picking a fight even though they had built a magnificent building in the middle of the lawless black market.

Well, that might be so, but.

“I can get in.”

Saying so, I took out a ring from my pocket.

[ Dark Seal / Grade: Special ]

[ A ring imbued with an unknown energy. It seems to be used as a token of promise by a certain group. ]

I had extorted this from that guy before.

With this, there would be no problem getting in here.

“...”

Ahab glared at me as if he were shooting daggers with his eyes.

It was the look you give someone who is about to cause trouble.

“...What are you plotting now?”

“The shaman asked me to get an impressive item. Didn't she.”

Anyway, the shaman was a person who held a pretty solid position even in this underworld, and I had just officially received a request from such a person.

And the arena, as dangerous and chaotic as it was, was a place full of items that couldn't be easily obtained on the sunny side.

In other words.

It meant I could cause a ruckus in here as part of ‘fulfilling the shaman's request’.

That person would take care of the aftermath.

She didn't specify how the quest should be done.

So I'll just do it my way.

“...Are you insane?”

“I'm frighteningly sane.”

“Alright. Let's say the justification is there, but what about the practical problem? The arena built by Wanderer is not a place to be taken lightly, no matter who you are.”

“No. As long as the justification problem is solved, it doesn't matter.”

“...What?”

This guy still hadn't learned properly.

Look at Seo Hye-in-ssi next to him.

Didn't she already have a resigned smile on her face as soon as she heard the context of the conversation so far?

“...You're going to go inside, smash everything you need, take everything you want, and come out, right?”

“Yes.”

“By yourself?”

“Yes.”

Seo Hye-in-ssi nodded with a refreshing smile.

“I will prepare for the cleanup.”

Hmm.

An ideal division of labor.

Watch and learn, Ahab.

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