“Still haven’t left?”
Gabriel sighed in exasperation—of course, muttering it quietly so no one could hear.
Was he doing that on purpose, knowing full well? Or was he genuinely clueless?
Most likely the former. No, Gabriel was certain of it. Otherwise, there was no way he could wear such a smug expression so effortlessly.
For a moment, the urge to slap that grinning face surged within him, but Gabriel forced a smile instead. Reacting now would only be admitting how cornered he really was.
“By the way, I wanted to talk about that matter too.”
The tone was disarmingly gentle. Yet Kim Suhyun’s faint smile suggested he sensed the slight edge beneath it.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“Plenty. Lots of them.”
“Really? That’s strange. Since it’s all listed here, I assume it’s meant to be purchased, and there’s no limit on how many times. Doesn’t seem like there should be any issues…”
“Well…”
“Oh. Don’t tell me it’s something like I’m not allowed to sweep up all the Rare and Secret classes in the Rite of Passage. You mean, on moral grounds or something?”
“Hey.”
That bastard.
The curse slipped out naturally—again, only under his breath, but it nearly escaped aloud.
“Why don’t you curb your greed a bit? Now you’re even trying to get your hands on the Rite of Passage?”
“User Kim Suhyun, the classes in the Rite of Passage are reserved for talented prospective users. I hope you understand that.”
Uriel and Michael stepped in, unable to stand it any longer, but—
“?”
The response they got back was a look that clearly said, “So what?”
“Wait a minute. What exactly are you trying to say? You want me to give way for those users?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! How much more do you have to upset the balance to be satisfied?”
“Ridiculous? You really think this is ridiculous?”
“Hey.”
“Ha. Just one question—do you just blurt out whatever comes to mind? Or are you just plain stupid?”
“What did you say? That’s ridiculous again.”
“Earlier? The Third Eye? That was an extra reward. This is me, spending my own GP, taking action myself to achieve results. What difference do you see between the two?”
“…Ugh!”
Uriel’s face flushed bright red. Being cut off repeatedly by someone he considered beneath him was infuriating, and having no comeback only made it worse.
“Honestly. Who’s the one being ridiculous here? And it’s not like you even know where I’m hiding…”
Kim Suhyun, once again stirring Uriel’s frustration, calmly flipped through the list.
“Let’s see. Didn’t Hanbyul also get a Jewel Mage from the Rite of Passage?”
“……”
“Then it’s better to start by checking the trap points. Since you have the Third Eye too… but just in case, maybe buy a few more?”
“……”
He didn’t forget to mutter to himself, either.
Now he was openly provoking them. Gabriel sighed inwardly. The words “Go ahead, do as you please” were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them down.
There was no way to guarantee 100% that Kim Suhyun could sweep the Rite of Passage classes.
But to just let it slide like this—
“Ten… huh. Still quite a few left.”
“Let’s make the first purchase ten cards. Seventy days should be enough.”
The words he’d heard earlier grated on him. Even if it was just bluster, the biggest problem was that Kim Suhyun wasn’t alone. The secret shop was open to any user, and the Mercenary Clan members had been trailing Kim Suhyun for years, steadily accumulating GP. They could easily afford around 150,000 GP.
In other words, if about thirty people scoured the Rite of Passage for a month, Gabriel couldn’t guarantee anything. The Rite of Passage was a much smaller area compared to the Whole Plain.
There were ways to counter this, of course. They could hide classes so well that no matter how much they searched, they wouldn’t be found—or even recall them entirely.
But now that was impossible. Since Kim Suhyun had purchased the Rite of Passage entry ticket and made his intentions clear, the treaty stating “Assistants cannot intentionally harm users” tied their hands. Kim Suhyun, fully aware of this, had effectively cornered them.
And since he’d cleanly given up on the Third Eye rank-up issue, it was hard to call him unreasonable. The more the angels pushed back, the more petty they looked. They were truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Time passed with no breakthrough. Finally, Gabriel decided to step back.
“…State your demands.”
“Awakened Secret Class.”
Having toyed with them enough, Kim Suhyun didn’t hesitate to lay down his condition.
“Yeah, I figured as much. Rare, Secret… what was that?”
Gabriel’s voice cracked, clearly caught off guard. The carefully maintained composure crumbled.
“You bastard!”
The archangels were no different. A wave of unrest swept through them, and Raphael, unable to contain his frustration, cursed aloud. Even the Seraphim looked shocked. Only Kim Suhyun remained calm, staring straight ahead.
“I think you’re seriously mistaken.”
Kim Suhyun leaned forward slightly, reaching into his coat to pull something out. It wasn’t a cigarette this time. It was the record he’d brought on the recent ‘Tomb of the Barbarian King’ expedition.
“Rare and Secret classes aren’t my concern. Why? Because if I need them, I’m confident I can get them anytime.”
The angels snorted derisively. Rare and Secret classes weren’t someone’s name, and it was absurd to talk as if they already belonged to him. But before anyone could respond, Kim Suhyun waved the record in his hand. Naturally, all eyes turned to it.
“This record… I found it in the secret library of the Northern City.”
At that moment, the angels all held their breath. It wasn’t the mention of a secret library that surprised them—it was the two words that made them instantly grasp what Kim Suhyun was implying.
“The Victoria Dynasty Chronicles. I read it, and it’s fascinating. Unlike the vague records of the Northern Continent, this is based on actual past events… It’s an ancient text, or rather, a verified historical document.”
And then, as expected—
“This record was a huge help on this expedition. Ha ha.”
The angels could no longer stay silent. If they remained mute here, it would be tacit acceptance of Kim Suhyun’s claims. And once accepted, the situation would spiral wildly out of their favor. Uriel, thinking this, snapped sharply.
“Hah! That’s ridiculous. So you’re saying you can sweep up Atlanta’s achievements based on records from the secret library?”
“Exactly. Suddenly you’re so smart?”
“Just because you got lucky this once, you’re that confident? What proof do you have that other records are the same? Don’t you think it might just be luck?”
“I found records about giants too.”
Kim Suhyun smiled slyly.
“Well, we’ll see.”
Uriel shut his mouth instantly. He only gave a slight smile, but Kim Suhyun’s grin radiated near-certainty. That confidence stemmed from the fact that Kim Suhyun had already been through the first round. Of course, the archangels had no idea.
Regardless of whether they knew or not, Kim Suhyun’s words were true. The records in the Northern City’s secret library served as indicators to find the achievements sleeping within Atlanta. The obtainable achievements accounted for about 80% of all achievements in Atlanta. The angels knew this—they had set the parameters themselves.
Of course, the records didn’t provide perfect answers. But Kim Suhyun had boldly completed one of the toughest missions, the ‘Tomb of the Barbarian King,’ and returned.
Growing anxious, Gabriel bit his lower lip. Since the negotiation began, he hadn’t once taken the lead. Instead, he felt like he was being toyed with, pulled this way and that at the other side’s whim. He was completely trapped.
There was a clear reason why the archangels were being dragged around like this.
As mentioned earlier, the only option left for the angels was to let things be. They could dismiss Kim Suhyun’s claims as lies, then reverse everything except the confirmed rewards. In other words, they were daring him to do as he pleased.
But simply doing that was too risky, regardless of truth or falsehood.
Why?
Simple. Because Kim Suhyun’s actions over the past four years had proven his words.
Looking back, it was strange from the start that he received the perk involving Tanay. After that, Kim Suhyun founded the Mercenary Clan and began full-scale activities, sweeping up all the achievements in the Northern Continent. Well, he did discover the Istantel Row and Hamil achievements, but even those were suspicious—it was more accurate to say he distributed them.
Of course, this gave birth to the powerful Mercenary Clan, but every gain has its cost. The problem became clear during the Steel Mountain expedition. The average level of Northern Continent users was far below what the angels had expected.
Even if the first area was manageable, the success in conquering areas two, three, and four was thanks to Kim Suhyun. He was the one who took down the Father, defeated Kushan Thor after his demigod awakening, and played a decisive role in overcoming the Hell Duke.
In other words, if it weren’t for Kim Suhyun, the campaign to conquer the Steel Mountain Range would likely have ended in failure. The fate of an entire continent hinging on a single user—this was a scenario even the angels absolutely, absolutely did not want.
And that wasn’t all. The current situation itself stemmed from Kim Suhyun’s early accumulation of an overwhelming 20 million-plus GP. Tasks that would normally require hundreds or thousands working together were being handled swiftly by just a handful, naturally earning him massive GP rewards.
“What’s your move?”
Kim Suhyun’s voice cut through the silence—not so much a question as a veiled threat.
Yeah.
If you grant me what I want, I’ll honor the limits you want.
Don’t like that? Then I’ll just do whatever I want.
That was the message Kim Suhyun was sending.
“…Hmph.”
Gabriel lifted his head and stared up at the round, gray ceiling.
What had started as a negotiation over additional rewards had, through a series of formalities, expanded all the way to Atlanta.
How had things come to this? A wave of self-reproach surged within him.
Yet, on the other hand, he had to admit it was a rational move. Rather than chasing the countless rare and secret classes they already had or could easily obtain, aiming for the awakened secret classes was the smarter play.
Of course, deep down, his heart wasn’t in it at all.
“A bastard worse than a demon.”
That was probably the unanimous thought among all the archangels right now.
“Awakened secret classes, huh…”
A sigh escaped him moments later.
It was basically a white flag.
Kim Suhyun smirked.
“How many awakened secret classes are there in total?”
“…Originally, twelve. And currently, ten remain.”
“Then those ten.”
“No way. The awakened secret classes were supposed to be divided evenly—three per continent.”
“We already have two, so you’re saying we should just take the last one and scram? Are you kidding me?”
“Can’t help it. No matter how much you’ve contributed, I can’t just hand them all over.”
Gabriel flatly refused, as if this was the one thing he wouldn’t budge on. Kim Suhyun seemed to ponder for a moment, then shrugged.
“Fine. Then transfer the three assigned to the Western Continent to the Northern Continent. They don’t need them there anymore, right?”
So he knew that much. Gabriel couldn’t even muster a bitter laugh. Feeling utterly drained, he forced himself to stand. Then, with a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he looked Kim Suhyun squarely in the face.
“Alright. Four awakened secret classes. But we’re going to add some conditions.”
“Go ahead.”
“First, you have to swear an oath to us. To abide by the additional conditions I’m about to lay out.”
“That’s easy.”
Kim Suhyun nodded lightly.
“Second, you’re giving up any claim to the Rite of Passage, right?”
“Of course.”
“…Third, we’ll give you the awakened secret classes, but no matter who you pass them on to, we’ll be the ones to adjust the stat boosts from class inheritance. Especially for you.”
“Why not just say you’re going to remove them altogether?”
“Shut up. Are you going to accept it or not?”
“Can’t be helped. Fine.”
Kim Suhyun raised both hands mockingly. Gabriel ground his teeth.
“And fourth, you’re obviously giving up access to the secret library records, right?”
“Obviously? No way. I won’t give that up.”
“You won’t?”
“Have some conscience. You’re giving up the Rite of Passage and accepting adjustments to inheritance stat boosts, but you want to keep that too? Just four classes? If you want to do that, then give me the other six.”
“You…”
“I’m willing to share, though. I’ll only touch 30% of the records available.”
Gabriel thought it over carefully. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t touch 30%—he said he would. That wasn’t too bad. Well, the situation was already bad enough, but compared to the thieving greed Kim Suhyun had shown so far, this was almost a reasonable condition. Originally, he would have taken 70% without hesitation. That was how deeply ingrained Kim Suhyun’s reputation was.
“Thirty percent… Geez, I’m so grateful I could cry.”
Gabriel’s voice was icy.
“That means you accept the terms, right?”
Kim Suhyun winked one eye. Of course, in his mind, he was thinking, I’ll just take the best ones anyway.
“I’ll be watching closely. If you even slightly break this oath, I’ll revoke everything without mercy.”
Gabriel spat out his resentment like a curse, then snapped his fingers. With a sharp click, a burst of white light erupted. The negotiation ended, and the oath was officially sealed in an instant. Kim Suhyun whistled softly, then stretched out his hand while still seated.
“Well then, looking forward to working with you.”
Gabriel glared at him once more, then turned away in anger. The threats—no, the negotiations—were over. There was nothing more to discuss.
“Handle the rest with Seraph.”
At that moment—
“Oh, and thanks for letting me move the academy earlier.”
The unexpected comment made Gabriel pause mid-step.
It was sudden, but he felt like he’d been caught off guard. Come to think of it, Kim Suhyun had said he’d give up the Rite of Passage, but never mentioned giving up new users. Meaning, if a newly summoned user happened to get a class, there were no restrictions on recruiting them…
“Wait, hold on. Before you go, one more favor.”
Before Gabriel could finish his thought, Kim Suhyun spoke again.
Gabriel spun around sharply, scowling deeply.
“You…”
Kim Suhyun was waving ten Rite of Passage tickets he’d bought earlier, fluttering them in front of him.
“You said you wouldn’t touch the Rite of Passage…!”
“Of course I’ll keep the oath. I’m not asking to loosen the conditions.”
Kim Suhyun shook his head slowly, as if warning a growling lion right in its face.
“It’s just… since things turned out this way…”
He trailed off awkwardly, fiddling with the tickets and sneaking a glance upward.
Then,
“Can I get a refund?”
He smiled brightly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Sorry for the delay. I almost posted this at the scheduled time, but I thought it’d be better to finish the negotiation arc today. So I packed it full—please bear with me… (__)
I read every single comment from yesterday. Thank you so much! There were a lot of great and interesting ideas. I’m thinking the names should be cool but not too outlandish. I’ll keep adjusting as I read more.
And…
Yes, there were some really good suggestions.
But…
→ Huh?
→ I’m genuinely curious about the exact meaning of muhuhuhumuheuheu.
By the way, Royumi’s groom receives Royumi’s blessing.
→ Now I’m curious about what that blessing entails.
A female-only class that forces males to undergo a gender swap upon job change (reader-confirmed class).
The exclusive skill is whining about being male but ultimately crushed by harsh reality.
Special notes: When a female changes jobs, she forcibly reverts to her adolescent self, and some parts become very large.
When a male changes jobs, he gains an EX or higher skill rating bonus but some parts shrink drastically, causing jealousy among large-breasted women, resulting in a guaranteed status ailment.
→ ㅡㅡ
…And many more attacks like these came in. What are you going to do if I actually put these in? Of course, every reader comment is precious to me. I’m sure there’s some deep meaning behind these comments that I don’t understand. So I look forward to the interpretations and insights from the readers who wrote them.