NOVEL NEXT Chapter 296
Chapter 297. Group Order (1)
Suddenly, Alisa, who had her scales ripped off by Keter, tried to bite Keter’s neck.
Since the distance was so close, even Keter couldn’t avoid it, so he blocked it by extending his arm instead of his neck.
Chomp!
Her teeth were not human. Sharp like a beast’s, they pierced Keter’s skin in an instant.
Dragon teeth can even chew through diamonds. Human flesh and bones would be torn apart easily—
Chew chew.
For some reason, Keter’s arm didn’t get chewed.
“Huh? Tasty.”
Moreover, it was delicious.
Alisa had eaten quite a few humans in her life. But she ate them out of hunger, not because they were tasty.
At best, dwarves were somewhat edible, and elves could be called a delicacy.
But Keter was much tastier than an elf. It was a flavor she had never experienced before, almost euphoric.
“You’re eating a lot for just one scale.”
Keter pulled Alisa’s hair. But she didn’t let go easily. Even as her hair was being pulled, she held on until the end.
Keter, feeling like his arm might really get torn off, shot Tuska at her neck.
Crunch!
“Ouch!”
Only then did Alisa open her mouth.
Keter quickly pulled his arm out and marveled.
“Almost as tough as Hyperion.”
It wasn’t a full-powered Tuska, but it was still a serious shot. Yet, her neck had no wound, just a red mark as if slapped.
Hyperion’s Iron Blood Divine Technique was at least a skill, but Alisa’s pure physical defense matched it without any technique.
‘The Syndicate doesn’t have any weaklings, huh.’
Ivan, who could use all sorts of Great Magic almost risk-free simultaneously, and the bucket guy just watching, all felt extraordinary.
“Slurp. Keter, is giving me an arm in exchange for taking my scale that precious?”
Alisa was beautiful, even among beauties, but her actions were no different from a wild beast. The stark contrast in her image made her stand out even more.
Keter also became interested in her. Specifically, in her Dragon Jade.
“What can you do with a scale the size of a finger to demand an arm? At least 1,000 scales.”
“Hoho, do you crave my scales that much? If you satisfy me in bed, you can have them.”
“Unfortunately, I promised my wives I wouldn’t sleep with other women anymore. How about someone else? I’ll take 100 scales as an introduction fee.”
“I don’t see anyone but you.”
“I guarantee he’s as tasty to chew as I am.”
“Hmm… Really?”
“A Solver’s life depends on trust. I don’t lie.”
As Alisa pondered the introduction, the bucket guy Tuska approached and handed her a glass bottle.
“Dragon teeth have the authority to rot wounds. Even Elixir can’t heal it. Sprinkle this.”
“Oh, now that you mention it.”
Keter had been eating poison since childhood and could drink most poisons like water. Recently, he ate the Rock Ant Queen’s core, increasing his poison resistance.
But the poison from dragon teeth was closer to ‘authority,’ so his resistance didn’t work.
Keter didn’t sprinkle the liquid from the bottle Tuska gave him on the wound but took a sip first. Then he sprinkled the rest on the wound.
Whoosh! Sizzle!
Orange flames rose from the wound as if oil had been poured on fire, then quickly died down.
“The rest can be healed with Elixir. If you don’t have any, I’ll give you mine.”
“No need. This wound doesn’t warrant Elixir.”
Though full of holes, Keter didn’t care. In fact, he felt slightly good. Pain was an old friend of his.
Tuska didn’t insist. He quietly stepped back and just watched Keter. Then Ivan asked Keter,
“How did you escape my Three Thousand Worlds?”
Ivan was quite shocked. No one had ever escaped the Three Thousand Worlds before, but Keter had broken it.
While bickering with Alisa, he pondered but couldn’t find an answer.
“Even if I say I’m not a regressor, would you believe me if I told you how I escaped the Three Thousand Worlds?”
“…That’s a separate issue.”
“True, Ivan. You and our Syndicate are separate matters.”
Kilian appeared without a sound, holding tea in both hands.
“I thought you’d like it sweet, so I added plenty of sugar.”
Kilian handed Keter a cup of cocoa tea. He also gave cups to the other three and sat opposite Keter.
“First, an apology. The Syndicate has no intention of being your enemy. This incident was Ivan’s solo act, I want to clarify.”
“Wow, harsh.”
“I clearly told Ivan that Keter isn’t a regressor. Yet, he captured you as one, so it’s karma.”
“If I’m not a regressor, why did you come for me?”
Kilian pointed at Keter’s Toban.
“The Five Elements Divine Tool Toban. A new owner appeared, so we just wanted to check who it was and say hello.”
Keter stared into Kilian’s eyes. Calm eyes. They seemed sincere.
And from an alibi perspective, it made sense. Toban holds the power of authority. It’s worth keeping an eye on.
“Aren’t you curious how I knew Toban’s location and passed its trial?”
“Not uninterested. But isn’t that usually a secret? Who would reveal such secrets? Common sense.”
“Scary. You’re too easy to talk to.”
“Haha, is that so? Keter, you’re more interesting than the rumors. Ivan may have a sharp personality, but his abilities are real. For you to make Ivan let his guard down and boldly infiltrate our Syndicate’s base, that’s no small feat.”
“Praise feels good. So, are you going to show up and interfere every time I do something?”
“Interfere? No, I have no intention of doing such negative things. You know, the appearance of a Transcendent Being can shake the world. Especially the owner of the Five Elements Divine Tool. It’s not just our Syndicate. The Special Operations Unit must be watching you too.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
The Syndicate was just the first to approach, but the Special Operations Unit was likely to come too.
Keter took a sip of the cocoa tea Kilian brought. It was said to have a lot of sugar, but it was just sweet enough.
“So, there was a misunderstanding, and I can just go back now?”
“Just like that?”
“I have more important things to do.”
“Meeting like this is fate. I can’t just let you go. I have a proposal.”
“Business is welcome. If it’s a threat, you’ll learn how I escaped the Three Thousand Worlds firsthand.”
“Again, we have no intention of fighting you. Quite the opposite. We want your help.”
“Help. That stirs the blood of a Solver.”
“Didn’t you say you’re short on time?”
“It’s a Syndicate request. I think you can give me an Artifact as a reward. I need Artifacts.”
“Of course. If you want an Artifact as a reward, we can provide it.”
“So, what do you want to request? Let’s hear it.”
Keter thought he’d decline if it took too long but accept if it was short.
Lately, he hadn’t been solving much, and the Solver’s blood was itching, but stabilizing Sephira came first.
‘I also need a lot of Artifacts for the final destination.’
The final destination of this journey, where Artifacts could be used as ‘offerings.’ The more Artifacts, the better.
“Keter. You can see the three here, but they all live as they please.”
At Kilian’s words, the trio living as they pleased made faces. Keter nodded.
“Right?”
“But it’s all due to unfulfilled anger or desires. If this continues, it will eventually go awry.”
Kilian spoke while looking at Ivan. Ivan, feeling guilty, averted his gaze.
“So, I want to ask you, the Solver, to help resolve our Syndicate’s frustrations. Including these three, a total of seven members. The reward will depend on how many you resolve.”
“If I resolve just one?”
“An Artifact would be difficult, but I can give you a Level 5 Magical Tool.”
“If I resolve all?”
“I’ll give you an unsealed Artifact.”
“Unsealed means an Artifact with its true name revealed?”
“You know about true names. Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hoho… The reward is suspiciously good.”
“That’s how hard it is to satisfy a Transcendent Being’s desires. Honestly, I don’t expect you to resolve all seven.”
“Me neither. How can I accept all seven’s demands?”
“Then, will you accept the Syndicate’s request?”
“I came here for a fight, but I can’t go back empty-handed. I’ll accept.”
Kilian smiled and stood up.
“Thank you for readily accepting our request, Keter. First, will you take the requests of these three? I’ll call the other four here.”
“One week. I can’t wait longer.”
“Hoho, as expected, you’re a busy man.”
With that, Kilian opened a door in the air and disappeared. Keter immediately approached Ivan.
“Anything to say?”
*
Ivan bit his lower lip. Kilian, who could be called the Syndicate’s representative, had abandoned him. Abandoned, or rather, it was karma.
Ivan felt betrayed.
‘My solo act, ugh.’
That meant even if Keter became hostile, the Syndicate wouldn’t help.
‘It’s my fault, but…’
Even ordinary people don’t easily admit their mistakes.
Moreover, Ivan is a Transcendent Being. His pride is thousands of times stronger than others. So, saying “I’m sorry” was as hard as dying.
Keter scratched at Ivan’s feelings.
“Say sorry, and I’ll forgive you.”
At Keter’s words, Alisa and Tuska chimed in.
“Say it quickly. Can’t you see we’re waiting?”
“Ivan, admitting your mistake is also maintaining a Transcendent Being’s dignity.”
“Ugh…”
If left alone, he might have said it, but being rushed made him even more reluctant.
“Mi… Mi…”
“Hmm? What? I can’t hear you?”
As Keter teased Ivan by circling him, Ivan finally exploded.
“…You crazy bastard! You did something suspicious first!”