studiobondurri Chapter 146
Chapter 146
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter: 146
"The fact that you came brought everyone together, and now you're leaving right away? Does that seem right?"
"I said I'm sorry. I had to rush off to meet my master."
As Hanbit stepped inside Edlen, he listened to the girl’s complaints with a patient smile.
[Liventia Norton]
Now living once again under the name her father had given her—Liventia.
She was undergoing training to become the city’s governor, and the atmosphere around her seemed to have shifted slightly.
Still, traces of "Lia" remained unmistakably visible.
"How's life treating you?"
"It's good. Except for the endless things I have to memorize."
Liventia shrugged as she spoke, her expression bright.
Hanbit smirked and asked, "You’re not running away anymore?"
"Running? Not a chance. If I get caught by Artsvel, I'm dead."
— Hahaha
— Some things never change.
— Running = Death.
— Conditioned fear. Lol
Liventia shuddered and shook her head.
With the weight of her future role as mayor on her shoulders, there was no way Artsvel would go easy on her.
Of course, since this was a path Liventia had chosen herself, she was fully committed to it.
"The city’s atmosphere has brightened a lot."
Avantgarde , who had been following behind, glanced around.
The citizens, once burdened by excessive taxes, now appeared noticeably more relaxed and cheerful.
It was likely thanks to Henry, who had swiftly put things in order as acting governor.
"We’re here."
While they talked, the three of them arrived at the central government building.
Leading the way, Liventia stepped forward and entered through the entrance.
"Let's go in.”
***
"Is this the work of those bastards from the Holy Kingdom again?"
A large reception hall on the second floor of the government building.
The gathered former comrades listened as Black Dragon relayed the story.
"I had a bad feeling about it… You were basically on the brink of death."
Artsvel, who had voiced her concerns early on, let out a deep sigh.
The events in Ifrit had been nothing short of a constant series of life-threatening dangers.
"An entire city was nearly wiped out."
Cowen kept a sharp eye on the monster wave, likely worried that a similar threat could reach Edlen.
"We're safe here. There’s no space suitable for them to use as a nest. And with Aysis—who was at the center of those experiments—taken down, things should stagnate for a while."
Aysis wasn’t the only scientist conducting monster enhancement experiments.
Even though the others weren’t on her level, there were still re
Having already heard what happened at the entrance, she had been anxiously pacing by the elevator, waiting for them.
"It’s fine. Luna got me out safely."
"The ones who swarmed you are the problem. Is he inside?"
"He’s been here since this morning. Black Dragon, let me take you in."
Following their lead, Hanbit stepped into the conference room.
There, standing with his arms wide open, was a man in a Hawaiian shirt.
"Welcome, Black Dragon."
"…Hello."
The man had a striking appearance.
With his white beard, white hair, and sunglasses, it was hard to gauge his exact age.
Now that Hanbit thought about it, he was the only one wearing a suit.
"Well then, let’s all take a seat first."
Following the man’s lead, Hanbit settled into his designated chair.
Luna sat beside him, while across from them were the two representatives of Vestige.
"I’m Diorama, the CEO of Vestige. It’s an honor to meet you."
"I’m Black Dragon. The honor is mine as well."
As they exchanged brief introductions, Hanbit carefully observed Diorama’s expression.
However, the man’s smile made it difficult to read his true thoughts.
"Isn’t that uncomfortable for you?"
Diorama adjusted his face as he spoke.
"Oh—my apologies."
Hanbit realized he was still wearing his mask.
Being the only one hiding his face felt rude.
Shff—
He removed his hat and mask, setting them down on the chair beside him.
The moment Hanbit’s face was revealed, Raphina’s eyes widened.
"Huh?"
His appearance was nearly identical to his in-game character, Black Dragon.
No—if anything, it was an exact match.
"This is unexpected… I didn’t think you’d look exactly the same," Luna muttered, inspecting his face.
It was rare for someone to replicate their character’s looks so precisely.
Most people preferred to create the idealized, perfected version of themselves in the game.
But Black Dragon didn’t need to.
Even in reality, he was one of the most strikingly handsome people Luna had ever seen.
"You might want to watch out for your fan club," she warned with a smirk.
"Huh?"
Hanbit tilted his head in confusion at Luna’s teasing remark.
Diorama, who had been quietly observing, slowly nodded.
"You’re a very trustworthy-looking man. Truly Black Dragon in the flesh."
Unlike the others, he wasn’t even surprised.
Instead, he seemed pleased, as if he saw it as a positive thing.
Though, in truth, Hanbit hadn’t deliberately designed his character to match himself—it had just turned out that way.
"Now then, why don’t we get the difficult part out of the way first?"
Diorama smoothly transitioned into business.
Reaching into his bag, he retrieved a small box and placed it on the table.
"As compensation for the Bell Mora Episode strategy guide, we’re offering 1.5 billion won. And if you can provide us with a particular piece of crucial information… we’ll throw in something extra."
Click—
He slowly opened the box.
Inside was an envelope, resembling an invitation.
"What is this?" Hanbit asked.
"It’s an invitation to Astra, an exclusive community accessible only to a select few among the early pioneers."
Diorama’s calm explanation contained a term that instantly stood out.
Hanbit’s expression shifted.
"…Astra?"
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]