Chapter 517: Model

Neuru’s ambassador.

Hwangmyeong Group’s brand identity core model.

I didn’t agree to either of those, but the two clan heads began to argue with each other.

“Hwangmyeong Group’s brand identity core model? You can do that yourself, Hwangho.”

“This body is already at the center of Hwangmyeong Group, so I don’t need to model it myself. Neuru already has a lot of ambassadors, and you’re too greedy if you want Jo Euishin too.”

“Well, that’s true. Hwangho is doing everything after all.”

“Yes, I am in control of the Hwangmyeong Group.”

Hwang Jiho replied furiously, and it seems like Seodol was convinced.

The fact that Hwang Jiho controls the Hwangmyeong Group is something that royal lineage clans acknowledge.

Though it doesn’t look like Seodol has given up yet.

“We have a model whose contract will expire next season. There’s no player who uses black energy waves anyway, so we’ll have to pick a new color.”

“Black energy wave users are rare, but it’s not like there aren’t any. It looks like you were already rejected by Jo Euishin, so why are you so desperate? It’s pathetic.”

Hwang Jiho was right.

Indeed, Seodol was the epitome of pathetic as he also rushed to give Hong Gyubin his order before.

Come to think of it, Seodol and Kwon Jein have a connection too.

“I’ve been recommended some candidates, but I don’t like them. And even if it’s the same shade of black, it’s completely different.”

Seodol said so as he floated a hologram.

It showed a chart of the color black, having subtle differences in hue that only designers could see.

‘It all looks the same though…’

Though everyone seemed to disagree with me.

“It would be a problem if there are that many candidates.”

“Jein always takes a long time to choose a dress. Even similar-looking dresses look completely different when worn.”

Following Mok Wooram and Jared Lee, Hwang Jiho nodded too.

He agreed, but he still didn’t like Seodol’s suggestion.

“The color of energy waves are subtly different. How imprudent. It’s not like it would take a hundred years to find the right color and the right player.”

“It’s not imprudent. Jo Euishin’s is here, sir.”

Seodol pointed to one of the numerous black colors on the chart.

The check box next to the black was painted in color, and I think it’s the shade that he liked.

No, wait.

Did Seodol use honorifics just now?

Seodol’s eyes fixed on me doubled my reluctance.

“There’s black-like ink, and there’s black-like blackwood. But what I want is black like the night sky. That’s the color of Jo Euishin’s energy waves.”

“The color of the night sky. That I agree with.”

“Right? Neuru’s next season’s main concept is the night sky. If Jo Euishin becomes Neuru’s ambassador, we will release a limited set of accessories with the motif of the Namless Supernova only in Korea.”

“That’s nice. Looking at the accessory catalog, I think it’ll match Eungwang High’s uniform.”

The clan heads suddenly seemed to agree with each other.

Seodol’s plan seems fairly specific.

I asked him for a favor, and I want to maintain a good relationship in the future as much as possible, putting me in a difficult position to refuse.

‘I thought Seodol accepted my favor because he wanted to take revenge on the OTK…’

It looks like he accepted to make it easier to convince me to accept Neuru’s ambassadorship.

There was nothing for me to gain from being in the spotlight, and I had incredibly huge amounts of work to be done.

I had no time to be Neuru’s ambassador or Hwangmyeong Group’s core model.

‘…Depending on the scenario, having that status might make things easier though.’

Joo Soohyuk, PMH’s title hero.

With his performance these days, he’ll become a star player who will succeed Yeom Junyeol.

On top of that, he’s the child of the Joo-Oh Group.

There is a scenario that would stem from Joo Soohyuk’s celebrity status, and that reputation may be needed for me to enter the place where that scenario would take place.

There won’t be any place where I can’t enter with Hwang Jiho’s help, but standing out at this point could help me do it on my own.

‘Worst-case scenario, I would have to borrow Yeom Junyeol’s like at the Hwanmong Auction. I want to avoid that.’

The answer didn’t come up in the end.

Both sides had pros and cons, so I just refused at first.

Though Seodol’s persistence made me think about it again.

“It’s an attractive offer, but Jo Euishin isn’t saying yes. Give up, no, put it on hold.”

Hwang Jiho encouraged Seodol and wrapped up the conversation.

Why did he argue with him at first if he’s going to say that?

Hwang Jiho seemed to have seen through the fact that I was worried about whether to accept or not.

Seodol acted pathetically for a few more seconds, but Hwang Jiho forcefully shut him up.

“Did you forget why we’re here today? Get it together. Do you want to wait until your ears completely get crushed and you can’t listen to night whispers?”

Seodol’s face changed when Hwang Jiho brought up how the Oath of the Three Knights eradicated his mice.

His excited formal language finally dropped.

“…Call me anytime you change your mind, Jo Euishin.”

I felt relieved at the drop of honorifics.

Jared Lee looked relieved too.

“Now let’s talk.”

At Hwang Jiho’s signal, the Tiger Clan subordinates dragged several huge carriers in.

Inside them were the attackers from the theme park.

After checking their conditions by flowing energy waves into the carriers, the tigers carefully unlocked the lock.

The carrier’s door opened and the crumpled blonde attackers were revealed, their joints and bones twisted in awkward directions.

“…I can’t believe they’re still alive.”

Upon confirming that the attackers were still breathing, Mok Wooram looked surprised.

Hwang Jiho, who was looking inside the carriers with a cold face, asked.

“And the bastards with sunglasses?”

“They came to their senses so we crushed them by force and put them inside a boundary. They’re being handled by the chief sorcerer.”

Those who weren’t using Jared Lee’s face seem to be superior to those here.

Wait, but Jukho is in charge of this one too?

Maybe her student, Kim Yuri, volunteered to help as well.

“They’re losing their minds. They’re too weak…”

Hwang Jiho stared at Jared Lee as he scrutinized the blond attackers.

Jared Lee’s face was sharp.

They looked just like Jared when he was young.

From his reaction, Jared Lee seemed to know something.

“I can feel it as I look slowly up close. It’s close to a human being, but I can’t call them that.”

The atmosphere sank heavily at Hwang Jiho’s words.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was bizarre that the same-looking attackers were stuck in their carriers.

I felt chills when Hwang Jiho concluded that they can’t be called humans.

On the other hand, Seodol, who showed little interest in the blonde attackers, paid closer attention to Hwang Jiho’s words.

As if he didn’t want to touch them, he used rat-colored energy waves to examine the bodies.

“They look like Jared Lee from when he was young, but it doesn’t look like that on the inside.

The internal structure of their bodies and their energy waves aren’t like humans.”

“So are they royal lineage or descendants?”

“No way. They wouldn’t dare engage with us if they were.”

Seodol replied irritably to Mok Wooram’s question.

Mok Wooram immediately bowed and apologized.

It was only after receiving a long apology did he look relieved of his sudden irritation.

Why was he unreasonably annoyed with my classmate?

Hwang Jiho stopped him too, but Seodol seemed greatly dissatisfied with how Mok Wooram suggested that the attackers could be of royal lineage.

‘So they’re not humans, royal lineage, or descendants. No matter what they are, they’re a pain. Then that means…’

The answer came up when I recalled the beings who made up this land after the occurrence of otherworldly conflict.

“These are enemies.”

Enemy, a creature that appears between otherworld gaps and attacks humans.

They usually take the form of hideous and bizarre monsters.

However, there were also enemies that looked human.

The government and the association went all out to make sure that the term to be used to refer to creatures from otherworlds be “enemies” instead of “monsters” to make sure people won’t let their guard down on enemies that don’t look like monsters.

‘The one who tamed these enemies must’ve made them look more human.’

There was an enemy tamer among the Oath of the Three Knights who attacked.

Being beside humans made us overlook that those things could be enemies.

“…Yes, those are enemies.”

Jared Lee spoke first.

“I didn’t expect these things to be alive. I killed them all before I left the OTK.”

Jared Lee’s voice was dreary.

“But here are the enemies that you couldn’t kill. Your laxity almost ruined the picnic.”

Hwang Jiho spoke like the head of the Tiger Clan.

Sadly, however, the topic was a school picnic, and he didn’t look so dignified with his —.— shirt on.

“Enemies who looked like you attacked a student of our school in my territory. Now tell me the origin.”

Since Jared Lee owed his life, he had no choice but to speak.

“It looks like I have to tell you why I was scouted by the Oath of the Three Knights. I don’t have an outstanding skill that distinguishes me from others, but my overall ability is fairly high and my physical ability and attack skills are useful. You could say I’m a well-balanced type.”

“In other words, a good type to use as a standard.”

“Yes. So they started to model me and made enemies. The Knight of the Water Shadow’s light skill gave substance to them.”

Jared Lee’s explanation made Hwang Jiho question.

“Strange. How can a human’s light skill make such a sophisticated enemy?”

“…Because it’s not just their power alone.”

“Did a superior being lend them power? I guess it’s possible if it’s a superior being related to revenge.”

Jared Lee shook his head.

“They used England’s earth power*.”

(T/N: Hi everyone! Here to come in with a major (sort of) change. What we refer to as intelligence (ji-ryeok) for the past few hundred chapters should have been earth power (ji = earth, ryeok = power). I translated it as intelligence because ji also means intellect. Now it’s become more obvious that the correct translation should be Earth since they draw their powers from the ground and not just the myths. I apologize for this long-overdue correction. Thank you, and happy reading!)