The Poison Demon’s Strategy for the Martial Tower Chapter 82

Chapter 82: I Am Kim Tae-yang (1)

The elder gulped as he saw the red centipede shell I had taken out and placed on the workbench.

"Th…… This?"

"I obtained it from the Murim Tower."

He approached and asked .

"May I touch it……?"

"Of course."

His hands trembling, he lifted the centipede shell.

It was, in truth, a half-shattered centipede shell.

It hadn't fit in my backpack, so I had brought it in pieces.

But the elder stroked the centipede shell, held it up to the light, and even slled it.

"Identical……. Just as I saw it in my dreams."

And then he suddenly swung the grinder he was holding—CRASH! He struck it down.

‘What's with this man.’

"Good heavens! Not a single scratch!"

He cried out with an overwheld expression.

"I hadn't imagined you would handle it that way."

"My apologies. When I get excited, nothing else registers."

The elder next examined the centipede's jaw and legs, marveling at them.

"Perfect. A perfect object."

I leaned my back against the workbench and crossed my arms.

He asked .

"Which floor?"

"Well now."

"Which floor? I must obtain more of this."

"Even if I told you, it would be beyond reach."

You'd have to defeat the Black Bear Demon Beast on the 29th floor, after all.

In this world right now, there was no one besides who could bring this back.

He muttered to himself.

"Should I make a chest plate with this shell, or no—a shoulder plate? Greaves would also be good. Light and durable. Grind the jawbone into a sword? No, would it grind properly? It'll work. I'll need a lot of energy batteries. Those elongated legs—cut them into spear tips, that would do too?"

He seed to be envisioning his work in his head.

I asked him.

"And you won't be finishing the Hundred-Footed Dragon outside?"

At that, he spun around sharply.

"I don't need it anymore!"

He grabbed my shoulder.

"A dragon has flown right into my arms."

The old man got to work imdiately.

I still had quite a lot of red centipede shell remaining, but I chose not to disclose that for now.

I intended to decide after seeing the results of what he made.

If the things he made didn't suit , I planned to set aside ti and work on them myself.

"I'll be on my way."

"……."

"Elder, I'll see you again."

"……."

Instead of an answer, only the loud sound of the grinder rang out.

His focus was formidable—it seed as though he couldn't hear my words.

"One mont he's going on about the dragon and all."

The old man's na was Goe Sang-cheol.

True to his na, he was an eccentric old man.

* * *

I took a bus, then transferred to the subway.

In case Chief Han had people tailing , I spread my energy sense—but no tail had latched on.

The place I arrived at was a quiet park.

I had arranged to et another person today.

"Tae-yang."

Sitting in the park was Kang Hae-san.

He got up, wearing a jumper.

The armless fellow had tucked both of the jumper's sleeves into the side pockets.

In his ears were Bluetooth earphones for operating his phone.

"Kang Hae-san."

"Did the thing with Park Seon-su end well?"

"Thanks to you."

"That's a relief."

Kang Hae-san smiled awkwardly.

"Th, this."

He pointed to a black plastic bag he had set down on the ground.

When I picked it up, there were 2 banana-flavored milks inside.

"You liked this, Tae-yang."

"……."

"You don't like it? Sh, should I go swap it?"

"No."

【Kim Tae-yang gazes with warmth. 100,000 Happiness】

I stuck a straw into 1 of the milks and drank it.

I stuck a straw into his as well and left it on the bench.

Kang Hae-san bent down, deliberating whether to drink it or not—then gave up.

The last shred of pride, I supposed.

"This is your fee."

I pulled out an envelope from my pocket. It was an envelope containing 2,000,000 won.

With soaring prices it wasn't a great sum, but for him now—betrayed and completely stripped by relatives—it would be.

"Thank you."

Kang Hae-san stared at the envelope blankly.

"Hey, listen……."

Kang Hae-san began to speak.

"That, the dicine you ntioned before."

"The Murim Tower dicine."

"Right. The one that makes arms grow back."

"……."

"I looked into it, and they say it's impossib—"

"Who?"

"Huh?"

"Who said it's impossible?"

"Just. Here and there."

"People can fly through the air buzzing around, and split boulders with a single sword—and that's possible?"

"Aah……."

Kang Hae-san nodded with vacant eyes.

Sohow, this fellow's condition had been getting worse by the day.

I made up my mind to give him a bit more hope.

"Even if the dicine doesn't work properly, there are other thods."

"What is it?"

For an instant, life returned to Kang Hae-san's eyes.

"Energy-powered prosthetic arms have been coming out well these days, haven't they."

"Ah, right."

"They move almost like real hands. They're even sturdier, and with just a little practice, daily life isn't a problem."

"I know that, but……."

Kang Hae-san sighed and said,

"They're too expensive. One arm runs 4,000,000,000 won."

Right. Wasn't a single refrigerator nearly 100,000,000 won?

"4,000,000,000 won……. Even if I died and ca back, that's money I could never have."

"It's difficult for you, but it's possible for ."

"What?"

I pulled out my phone and showed him a photo.

It was a photo taken with Chairman Choi of Baekgyeong Group.

"Isn't, isn't that the Baekgyeong Group Chairman?"

"That's right."

"You're close with him?"

"Indeed. You know that his arms and legs are energy-powered prosthetics, right?"

"I saw it on the news."

Kang Hae-san looked at .

It was an expression that seed, sohow, to look up to .

"Then , ?"

"You what."

"Ah, no……."

"Ask Chairman Choi to fit you with prosthetics? At 4,000,000,000 each, that's 8,000,000,000 for 2?"

"Ah, no it's not that—"

"It's possible."

"What?"

Kang Hae-san's mouth dropped open.

Being lifted up and let down like this, he couldn't keep his wits about him.

"I can make the introduction."

"Tae, Tae-yang!"

"As long as you keep listening to like now and bring the information I ask for."

"I'll do it."

"……."

"I will. Just order to do anything. I'll do it all."

Kang Hae-san nodded his head.

Hope began to return to the fellow's eyes once more.

"Alright."

I rose from my seat.

I gave him a couple of pats on the shoulder.

And then I pulled out 1 more envelope with 2,000,000 won from my pocket.

"This is a bonus."

"Thank you……."

"Go take a bath, get a haircut too. Buy so clothes to wear. Short sleeves will do fine."

【Kim Tae-yang is satisfied. 100,000 Happiness】

I turned and walked away.

"Tae-yang! Thank you! I'll never forget this kindness."

Yeah.

Don't forget.

I…… won't forget either.

* * *

Between one thing and another, the ti had passed 5 o'clock.

"Perfect timing."

I walked toward the Murim Tower.

As the days were growing warr, the daylight had grown longer too.

It was a day and ti I had chosen deliberately.

'Climber Re-registration Procedure.'

Sothing the National Defense Headquarters was currently carrying out on a massive scale.

Calling back all dostic climbers to grasp their climbing progress and condition.

The ultimate intent would be to find , but well——this much was sothing I had anticipated.

Chief Han had promised not to search for , but I didn't trust it.

Even if not her, from the minister of the National Defense Headquarters or sowhere else, the investigation would surely be ongoing.

Hadn't they said the Blue House itself had stepped forward and set this in motion.

So when I t Chief Han earlier, I had deliberately ntioned the 're-registration procedure' and let my discomfort show.

The reason for that was precisely because I had made up my mind to undergo that re-registration procedure today.

"I spoke in an irritated tone, so she wouldn't have expected today."

I smirked and headed to the Murim Tower.

As I had expected, the queue was short.

According to information posted on the climbers' site, the re-registration procedure was simple.

First, they grouped people according to the floor they had climbed.

Of course, since the tower had a ti restriction, there were people who could enter and those who could not.

Those who could enter would simply enter, and those who couldn't would be bounced back at the door——at which point a gentle ripple appeared at the entrance door.

As research on the Murim Tower continued, research on those ripples continued as well.

The result was that they said you could distinguish by the shape of those ripples.

In a case where the floor didn't match at all, the ripple would surge and sway as if undulating; and in a case where the floor matched but the ti restriction applied, a ripple would form that seed to draw concentric circles.

I had climbed to Floor 30, so it was Floor 31's turn now.

Floors 31 through 33 were the review period for 3 days starting today.

At the entrance, a National Defense Headquarters official asked.

"Your na, alias, and the floor you've climbed."

"Kim Tae-yang, Poison Immortal. 30th floor."

* * *

National Defense Headquarters Section Chief Bong Ju-min was wearing a deeply sour expression.

"If only I hadn't been blackmailed back then……."

The Chinese spy who had hurled Transmitting Voice and thrown hidden weapons.

The day that bastard had blackmailed him to alter the National Defense Headquarters data was etched into his bones.

Bong Ju-min was on edge, worrying that the incident might co to light at any mont. Since being targeted by the Chinese spy, he'd lost 7 kg.

Even thinking about it made his newly fitted dental implants ache.

And then a bolt from the blue had struck him.

The 'Climber Re-registration Procedure'.

A comprehensive investigation of climbers.

"This is a disaster……! I'm certain to be found out."

His front teeth throbbed like mad.

Food wouldn't go down, and even the at he used to love held no appeal when it was right before his eyes.

"Through this espionage business I'm going to end up in prison……."

He trembled in fear, and then a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"What if I turn this crisis into an opportunity?"

This climber re-registration procedure, they said, was an order that had co down from the Blue House.

In that case there would certainly need to be clear results—so what if he arranged for the Chinese spy to be caught at this very ti?

"A special promotion of 1 rank might even be possible?!"

Bong Ju-min's eyes flashed.

Honestly, he had been deliberating whether to report the Chinese spy to his superiors and have him arrested.

But what if his superiors didn't believe him?

No, what if the Chinese spy caught wind of that report in advance and hard him or his family?

That fear had kept him holding back all this ti.

But not now.

The re-registration procedure was a directive from the Blue House, and accordingly, a large number of the National Defense Headquarters' masters had been stationed and prepared.

"So I should be able to catch him on the spot."

With over 100 agents from the National Defense Headquarters on standby, escaping would be impossible no matter what kind of Chinese spy he was.

"Right. This is it!"

Bong Ju-min prepared thoroughly.

At the ti, he had registered that Chinese spy nad Kim Tae-yang as 27th floor.

But though he had kept watch, the bastard hadn't shown up to climb.

In that case, there were 2 possibilities.

The first was that he would make contact with him again. To have him alter the climbing floor once more.

This could be handled simply by not answering.

Just to be safe, he had even moved house. His family too, all of them.

And he hadn't filed a new address registration.

Then only 1 thod remained.

"He'll co to take the review!"

And there, he would try to find him.

Because he'd have no choice if he didn't want to be found out.

"That's when I report to the National Defense Headquarters superiors! Order them to catch the Chinese spy right then and there!"

The bastard would be caught off guard.

He might kick up a fuss, crying that he was wrongly accused and demanding to sit for the actual review. But the outco was obvious.

A surging ripple would appear at the Murim Tower's door, and the bastard would be caught on the spot.

And he himself would receive a special promotion as the brave official who had reported the spy!

"Hehehe."

The plan was perfect.

And yet.

……The bastard hadn't co for the review.

"What is this."

Bong Ju-min, completely deflated.

He stood with a vacant expression.

Now today was the review day for the re-registration of 31st through 33rd floor.

As he stood there in a daze, his superior struck him across the back with a stack of files.

"What are you doing?"

"……Ah. Deputy Director."

"Section Chief Bong, aren't you going to get a grip?"

"I apologize."

"Chief Han is coming today too. Are you going to show her this blank-faced look?"

"No, sir."

"What's going on with you lately? Sothing wrong?"

"I apologize."

Bong Ju-min let out a sigh and turned his body toward the climbers who had co for the review.

And then, his eyes went wide.

"……He, he's here!"

That bastard.

Kim Tae-yang.

Criiick—.

Bong Ju-min ground his teeth.