Chapter 256. The Matter of Making a Living (7)

“Go check on him quickly. He must be in shock.”

It was an urgent dispatch from Guk Ryang. Soeju dashed toward the Castle, his brow furrowing in alarm. He ran until his feet burned.

The pressure had arrived almost immediately after the labor union announced its cause. From his perspective, Eun-Ho was likely terribly shaken. He could even be blaming himself, thinking that the union members were suffering because he had stirred things up in the first place.

Please... Don’t give up on the bigger cause...

However, upon reaching the Wailing Forest, Soeju stopped in confusion.

“Who ordered weapons? Over here!”

“If you’re here for food supplies, please line up on this side!”

Is this a market? Soeju thought.

And not just any marketplace, but one that was bustling with activity.

“Excuse me, pretty unnie!”

“Hi, I’m Ji-Eun from the Labor-Management Cooperation Team. How can I assist you today?” she asked brightly.

“This one! How much is this lunchbox? And is it any good?”

“It’s a thousand points! I’ve tried it myself and it’s really delicious. Would you like to try one?”

“Really? Then I’ll take one.”

Soeju stared in disbelief.

Weren’t they supposed to give away the relief supplies for free?

The recent surge in prices had made life almost unbearable. Most of the union members, who didn’t have any grand ideals, would surely consider leaving the union. Though standing up to the company to reclaim workers’ rights sounded noble, hardly anyone would risk their neck for it right away.

I even heard the number of members had already dropped quite a bit...

Since Eun-Ho’s team had to hold onto the wavering public sentiment, Soeju had assumed they would at least distribute essential supplies for free.

Even Soeju, nicknamed the Leader of Capitalism within the company, had thought so because he gave them to Eun-Ho for free.

Soeju: I sent the items that can be delivered immediately from the list you gave me.

Lee Eun-Ho: Thank you. I’ll transfer the payment as soon as we receive the goods.

Soeju: Don’t worry about it. Think of it as my support for the cause.

Lee Eun-Ho: Thank you.

Soeju grabbed the back of his neck in shock without realizing it.

Lee Eun-Ho: Then we’ll use it as operating funds for the union.

So that’s what he meant.

He had wondered how physical goods sent from the store could become operating funds.

He just sold the items he received for free at full price and converted them into cash?!

“Oh, but this lunchbox has a lot of meat, so it might feel a little heavy,” Kim Ji-Eun continued smoothly, “how about trying it with this juice? It’s freshly squeezed from starfruit.”

“What’s that? Juice?”

“And it helps your body absorb the nutrients from the meal better, while also aiding digestion. The flavors go really well together.”

What in the world? Why do these people sound like seasoned merchants?

“Ah, I’m not planning to eat right away, so fresh juice might be a bit—”

“Oh! Then it’s even better." Kim Ji-Eun showed a delighted smile. “This juice is vacuum-sealed, so even if you drink it a few days later, it won’t separate. It’ll still taste great.”

What kind of training did this team receive?!

“See how bright my skin looks?” she said playfully. “That’s because I’ve been drinking a cup every now and then. Since it’s rich in vitamins, it’s great for skin care and brightening—”

“Alright, alright! Just give me one!”

Wearing a perfect capitalist smile, Kim Ji-Eun completed another bundled sales pitch and rang up the purchase. “Thank you, ma’am!”

After bowing politely to the customer who left carrying armfuls of goods, Soeju quickly called out, “Ji-Eun! Over here!”

“Oh! Mr. Soeju! When did you arrive?” Kim Ji-Eun asked.

“Just now. But seriously. What are you trying to do here?”

“Pardon?”

This was the part that confused Soeju the most. Sure, he had sent them a long list of necessary supplies, but there was still a limit. Even now, he could see the items delivered that very morning dwindling rapidly.

“If you sell everything all at once, what will people eat later? You need to keep inventory for a long fight!”

Yet Kim Ji-Eun simply blinked her large eyes and tilted her head. “We have plenty of stock.”

“Plenty? At the rate you’re selling, everything will be gone by the end of the day!”

Kim Ji-Eun smiled cheerfully. “That’s right. We have enough for one day.”

“What?!”

What kind of answer is that? Enough for one day? Were they planning to survive only a single day?

As Soeju frowned in utter disbelief, Kim Ji-Eun reassured him with a gentle smile, “We’re going to resolve everything today.”

“Huh?”

The company systematically ostracized the union, warning pro-union employees they would keep facing pressure. As a result, the union members were struggling just to survive.

Yet they plan to solve all of it in just one day?

Questions piled up in Soeju’s mind until they nearly burst out of his head. He finally forced out a desperate cry. “How?!”

“I’m not really sure about that,” Kim Ji-Eun admitted. “But would you mind if I get back to work? Customers are waiting.”

Apparently, Kim Ji-Eun’s attention was entirely focused on the long line of union members, and not the flustered Soeju.

She bowed apologetically and hurried away. “Jae-Hyuk! Please take care of Mr. Soeju!”

“Got it, Noonim!” Choi Jae-Hyuk, who had been stretching nearby, walked over and gave Soeju a reassuring pat. He said calmly, “There’s no need to worry so much.”

“Of course I’m worried! That’s exactly why I’m saying—”

Since Kim Ji-Eun had left, Soeju tried to pour out his concerns to Jae-Hyuk instead, but Jae-Hyuk clenched his fist confidently and declared, “Our Hyungnim always has a plan.”

It was clear he hadn’t heard a single word Soeju said.

Just how did Eun-Ho train these team members to be this optimistic?

***

Snip!

The platinum-blond hair that had once flowed down to his waist was cut off near his shoulders. The severed locks fell into the threads below, then into the layers beneath them. As if passing through a grinder, they were shredded piece by piece, scattering into fragments.

Blood seeped along the tightly woven threads, spreading like a spider’s web.

[Warning!]

[Warning!]

[Warning!]

While the dark blue threads slowly turned red, the system continued blaring incessant alerts.

[Severe bleeding has been detected.]

[Leave the current location immediately and stop the bleeding!]

Ugh, it’s so noisy.

There was the ticking of the clock’s second hand, the endless warnings, and the scraping of thousands of Sword Threads against his skin.

“Ha... How ridiculous.”

Not only had he been caught like an insect in a spider’s web, his once-flowing hair had been hacked into a mess. Most ridiculous of all was that, even with a blade pressing toward his throat, he was still worrying about the old man’s scolding.

“Haha.”

Therefore, he laughed and laughed until his skin threatened to tear apart. Every time he laughed, his flesh split open like sausages being scored with a knife.

“But how!” Staring blankly at the thousands of threads surrounding him, Mu Ah’s lips moved soundlessly. “How is this level of precision even possible?”

These threads wrapped around his flesh, pierced it, and burrowed into him while he remained completely trapped.

He simply couldn’t understand. “Your mind is unstable. I can feel it. And yet how are you so normal?”

[Phase two of Seduction Mist has been initiated.]

[Caster Mu Ah has been designated as the Master of the Flesh.]

Perhaps the ability hadn’t worked, though that honestly made no sense either. However, considering Eun-Ho’s brazen attitude, he had been forced to accept it.

[The Primordial Time Axis rejects the touch of a mortal.]

[Eliminating the disturbance within sacred time.]

Even so, the system should have operated differently, yet that man had blocked a threat from it head-on.

He hasn’t even completed his promotion yet...

This had never happened before. It should never become a precedent. The system was the very foundation that controlled this world, including its rule and its order.

Where did things go wrong? Mu Ah wondered.

Meanwhile, Eun-Ho’s breathing grew rough as he approached.

Even the threads digging into Mu Ah trembled faintly. “Your mental power must be running out.”

“Maybe you should worry about yourself first,” Eun-Ho replied.

Filling such a vast space with Sword Threads like a spider’s web was far more difficult than it appeared. Moreover, the area was nothing but a white void, leaving the threads nothing to latch onto.

In other words, Eun-Ho was extending thousands of threads using only his senses, maintaining the tension so their far ends wouldn’t bend or fall. As if that weren’t enough, he carried it all out under the effects of a seduction skill.

“How long have you been working here?”

“Not even a month, probably,” Eun-Ho replied.

It was an extraordinary talent, a talent so monstrous it felt almost demonic.

“You’re the first monster I’ve come across that reminds me of the old man.”

Eun-Ho frowned. “The old man?”

Mu Ah could only respond with a mocking smile.

With emotionless eyes, Eun-Ho scanned the tragic state of the director. “Price adjustment. You can do that, right?”

“Prices?”

Eun-Ho was referring to the thousandfold inflation squeezing the life out of the union members. Since it had been Mu Ah’s own administrative order, he understood immediately what Eun-Ho meant.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Oh, are you asking me to buy you?”

Still, he had no intention of bowing his head just because of one sentence from Eun-Ho. There was neither reason nor need to.

“Fine. How much do you want?”

More than anyone else, Mu Ah understood why Eun-Ho hadn’t cut off his head yet. The price surge had been enforced through Mu Ah’s own administrative order. To correct it, Eun-Ho couldn’t possibly kill him.

If Mu Ah died now, the old man would simply appoint a new Operations Bureau director and today’s battle would become meaningless.

Of course, the old man would probably tear him apart before that.

Still, that was the perfectly reasonable logic behind his casual provocation.

“If you want to negotiate using my value, you’d better take me away carefully—”

However, Eun-Ho turned out to have far less patience than expected. “It seems like you still have the luxury to joke around.”

Snap!

Eun-Ho grabbed the sword’s hilt, its blade wrapped in dark blue threads, and clenched it hard.

Then, the gaps between the Sword Threads narrowed. The armor wedged between them could no longer withstand the pressure and shattered apart. Torn flesh caught between the crossing threads was sliced clean off and fell away.

“Keugh!”

There was no room left for wriggling or clever wordplay. Eun-Ho proved that with action rather than words.

[Severe bleeding has been detected.]

[Stamina has dropped below fifty percent.]

[49%, 48%, 47%...]

Not bad.

As much as Mu Ah had enjoyed political protection, no one had ever pushed him this far before.

[Conditions met.]

[Recovery Program has been activated.]

[Restoring bodily damage immediately.]

[39%, 43%, 47%...]

Of course, his formidable defenses meant Eun-Ho wouldn’t get much further than this.

Mu Ah sincerely praised him, “It seems my system has judged you to be a threat. You should feel honored.”

After all, his Recovery Program activated only after calculating the data from the enemy’s past, present, and future. Final conclusion? He was facing a fatal opponent.

Until now, only directors serving under the old man had triggered it.

Yet Eun-Ho showed no reaction, as if he didn’t know or didn’t care. He simply muttered, “You’re stubborn.”

If he couldn’t cut through cleanly like slicing tofu, then he would simply saw through it instead.

[Restoring bodily damage immediately.]

[52%, 58%, 41%...]

Splat!

[36%, 48%, 31%...]

Splaaat!

“Man. No mercy, huh?”

“If you’re already feeling that, you’re going to have a hard time,” Eun-Ho replied.

The threads within Eun-Ho’s line of sight began to move faster.

“Wait. Don’t tell me you’re—”

The first thing to be severed was Mu Ah’s right arm.

“Keugh!”

Next to be severed was his right leg.

“Hey! Wait! Let’s talk!”

Finally, his left leg was cut clean off, its pale red cross-section exposed.

“Urghk!”

Chunks of flesh dropped like the strands of blond hair from earlier, breaking into smaller and smaller pieces. The system flickered erratically and finally began to give up.

[Caution!]

[Repeated injuries are disrupting bodily restoration.]

[Leave the danger zone immediately.]

“Listen to what I’m saying!” Mu Ah barely held onto his fading consciousness and forced the words out. “You’re not even going to—keugh—try negotiating?!”

“Negotiating?”

“Yeah! You know you could use my life as leverage to lower the prices! Or negotiate with the company and demand rare jewels or something... There are tons of options!” Mu Ah meant it sincerely. “If you’ve captured a high-value hostage like me, you’re supposed to use him!”

“I plan to.”

“What kind of lunatic uses a hostage like this?!”

It was absolutely, positively, not because the physical pain he hadn’t felt in a long time had reached an unbearable level.

“You’re supposed to keep me alive nicely and threaten them like, ‘If you don’t cooperate, I’ll cut his head off!’ That’s how negotiations work!”

However, Eun-Ho simply replied, “But I already won. Why would I negotiate?”

He wasn’t just lacking patience, but also mercy. In other words, he was completely insane.

The moment Mu Ah realized that, he gave up.

“I’ll lower it. I said I’ll lower it!” He raised his remaining limbs. “I just need to restore the thousandfold increase, right?”

This was no time for politics or negotiations. The madman clearly operated on an entirely different logic.

Swoosh—

Resigned, Mu Ah reached out with his one remaining left arm to call up the system.

“No.” Eun-Ho stopped him and then gave an order. “Raise it.”

“What?”

“Prices.”

It was a strange command that made Mu Ah wonder if he had misheard.

“Not a thousand times. But raise it ten thousand.”

“Huh?”

“And come with me,” Eun-Ho said. “We’ve got a lot to do.”