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CHAPTER 123 – A CONVINCING EXCUSE
“Hello, Ryu Min. Or should I call you ‘Prophet’? Which do you prefer?”
At Christine’s words, Ryu Min gave a shrug.
“Call me whatever you’re more comfortable with.”
“Would you have time to talk for a bit? No, not just briefly—rather, for a while.”
“Yes. Please, have a seat, Christine.”
With Ryu Min’s permission, Christine sat in the chair across from him.
Jeffrey stood beside her as if guarding her.
Ryu Min’s gaze naturally shifted to him.
“Aren’t you going to sit as well?”
“I’m fine.”
Jeffrey answered bluntly, but Christine raised her brows and gave him a subtle look.
‘Butler Jeffrey? We agreed you wouldn’t do anything that might make the Prophet uncomfortable, didn’t we?’
As if he read that look, Jeffrey cleared his throat—hm-hm—and corrected himself.
“If it’s acceptable, I will sit.”
“Of course. Sit comfortably. There’s no need to be on guard.”
Ryu Min smiled as if telling him to relax, but Jeffrey’s expression remained stiff.
He wasn’t the type to smile easily in front of others to begin with.
Perhaps thinking the atmosphere was turning awkward, Christine quickly introduced Jeffrey.
“This is Jeffrey, the butler from our congregation. He’s been with my father since I was little—he’s practically family.”
“Is that so.”
Ryu Min had already recognized him.
He was the assassin who had tailed him last time under Nathan’s orders.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ryu Min.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t their first meeting, but he deliberately said it anyway and held out his hand.
It was to see the reaction—yet contrary to expectations, Jeffrey took it with an uncomfortable expression.
“I’m Jeffrey.”
‘If he’s uncomfortable around me, then he’s got at least some conscience.’
Reading his thoughts, he didn’t seem like a truly bad person.
More than anything, his feelings toward Christine were unexpected, but Ryu Min didn’t mention it.
Ryu Min didn’t want to blow this meeting up, either.
“What brings you to Korea, Christine? Did you come to go on a date with Representative Ma?”
“Well, that wouldn’t be bad either, but I came to see you, Ryu Min.”
“Me?”
“You told me before, didn’t you? That when Round 11 comes, I’ll be in danger.”
With a serious expression, Christine asked,
“I want to hear more about that in detail. Can you tell me?”
“Hmm.”
Ryu Min deliberately put on a conflicted look.
Right now, as a Prophet, he was essentially the one holding all the power.
If he made them wait, they’d only grow more impatient.
And sure enough, Christine looked at him with an anxious face, then finally couldn’t hold back and spoke.
“I’m not saying I want to hear it empty-handed. I’ll pay a sufficient price for hearing the prophecy—”
“No price is necessary.”
Ryu Min wanted her to hear it for free.
That way, it would be better for making her carry a debt in her heart.
“It’s a matter of someone’s life. I can’t ask for payment.”
“Ah… then…”
“I’ll tell you. Specifically, what happens. I hesitated to speak in greater detail because I feared it might affect the future, but thinking about it, I suppose it’s fine to tell you a little.”
Ryu Min pointed out the detailed parts exactly as Christine wanted.
“I don’t know the Round 11 quest either. However, based on the scene I saw—Christine, a group that refuses to acknowledge your existence will try to harm you.”
“In what way?”
“It’s hard to even put into words. Let’s just say your life will be in danger.”
“If my life is in danger, does that mean my life gets saved again?”
“Yes. Like I said before, a savior will appear to save you.”
“Who is it?”
Ryu Min quietly shook his head.
He couldn’t very well say in front of Ma Kyung-rok that Black Scythe would be the one to save her.
It was obvious Ma Kyung-rok would be jealous.
“Just like before, I can’t tell you. Because a single word from me could affect the future. Honestly, even speaking in this much detail is something I need to be careful about.”
“Still, if I knew who it was, it would be better—”
“If I speak that name, the future could change. You might not be saved, and you might die.”
“……”
“What’s certain is this: when the time comes, you must not let go of the person who saves you.”
“Are you telling me to cling to him?”
“If you want to put it negatively, yes. If you want to put it positively, I’m telling you to keep the connection. If you miss that chance, then the life you barely saved will end before you even reach Round 15. That’s as far as I can tell you.”
“Hmm…”
Christine’s thoughts grew heavy.
‘An attack from a group that won’t acknowledge me…?’
Who could have imagined such a tragedy would happen in Round 11?
“Can’t I at least know who the group threatening me is?”
“No. From the scene I saw alone, that part isn’t something I can know.”
Regret surfaced on Christine’s face.
‘If I could at least know who the one threatening me is…’
Thankfully, someone would supposedly save her like a prince on a white horse—but if possible, it would be better to remove the risk factor in advance.
‘No… or do I have to let things flow as the future says, so I can form a connection with this so-called savior?’
Deliberately go through a crisis and wait for a lifeline to be lowered?
If she hadn’t known at all, maybe. But now that she knew, it would take that much courage to do it.
“Don’t worry too much, Christine. Just let it flow as fate dictates.”
“But…”
“What’s more pointless than worrying about a future that hasn’t even come yet? Perhaps my future could be wrong. The future changes moment by moment because of the results in the present.”
“……”
“That’s why I don’t fret over it too much. I’m only warning you. Isn’t surviving the next round more important than worrying about what danger might exist in Round 11?”
As if it made sense, Christine nodded.
What could be more foolish than buying worries for yourself?
There was no need to cling to something that hadn’t even happened.
For the time being.
“Since we’re on the topic, I’ll tell all of you about the Round 9 quest.”
At those words, Ma Kyung-rok, Christine, and Jeffrey’s gazes gathered in one place.
Information about the next round—it was exactly what they wanted.
Soon, the information they’d been waiting for flowed from Ryu Min’s mouth.
All three focused their attention on him.
They tried not to show it, but all of them listened as if they didn’t want to miss a single word.
“Mm… Round 9 isn’t particularly difficult.”
“Right. If we want, we can choose an easy difficulty and clear it.”
Ryu Min agreed with their words.
“Just like Round 8, in Round 9 you can choose the difficulty. The choice is yours.”
“If that’s the main quest, then what about the sub quest?”
Ryu Min shook his head with an expression that said he didn’t know.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t see that far into the future.”
Of course, it was a lie.
The sub quest had to be his alone.
Still, someone suspected him.
“You saw all the way to Round 11, but you’re saying you couldn’t see Round 9’s sub quest?”
That was Jeffrey.
His tone was thick with distrust, but Ryu Min didn’t care.
Either way, he held the power.
Even if he said shit was soybean paste, they’d have no choice but to believe it.
“It’s not like I can see only the exact point in time I want. I can only see information up to the next round, or fragmentary events after that—things like that.”
After he went that far, Jeffrey had nothing to say.
If he couldn’t see the future, what was there to do?
In that moment, Christine shot Jeffrey a sharp sidelong look, signaling him.
‘Butler Jeffrey. Did you really have to make it so obvious you were doubting him?’
‘My apologies.’
Reading that look, Jeffrey apologized by blinking his eyes.
‘He’s still doubting me.’
Ryu Min thought he should reveal a bit more information.
“When Round 11 comes, Players from all over the world will be mixed together. You’ll carry out quests alongside Players from other countries.”
“Ah… together with other countries?”
“Then we could all meet, couldn’t we?”
“That’s right.”
Ryu Min didn’t deny it.
Not all zones would merge, but some countries would be mixed.
“Then in Round 11, can we meet a Player called Black Scythe too?”
Christine’s question was unexpected to Ryu Min.
There was no Player who didn’t know the name Black Scythe, but he hadn’t expected her to show interest.
‘If I answer wrong, Ma Kyung-rok will get jealous.’
When he glanced at Ma Kyung-rok’s thoughts, he didn’t seem to be thinking much yet.
He was simply treating it as the kind of question you ask because you might get to see a popular celebrity.
“Of course. You’ll be able to meet Black Scythe in Round 11 as well. Though you’ll meet Representative Ma even sooner.”
“Me?”
“Yes. When the next round begins, all zones in the Republic of Korea will be integrated into one.”
At the unfamiliar fact, Ma Kyung-rok’s eyes widened.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Because there aren’t enough people, only one zone will be created for the Republic of Korea. Black Scythe, Representative Ma Kyung-rok, An Sang-cheol, Actress Seo Arin—everyone. That means you’ll be able to see them all in one place.”
“Then… does that mean we’ll be able to see you in the next round as well, Prophet Ryu Min?”
‘That would be a problem. I’m Black Scythe.’
The words rose all the way to his throat, but Ryu Min wasn’t about to let them out.
“Of course you’ll be able to see me as well. But just because we’re in the same zone, it would be troublesome for us to meet.”
“Why?”
“You mean, meeting and acting together with the people you gave prophecies to?”
Ryu Min slowly shook his head as if that wasn’t it.
“If we make a wrong move, the future could change.”
It was a convincing excuse.
The Prophet’s words are law.
Especially when those prophecies have hit with a 100% success rate so far.
There’s a basic assumption that the next prophecy will be right as well.
There is no doubt.
Even if he looked at shit and called it soybean paste, even if he looked at cola and called it poison, you had no choice but to believe him.
Anyone who’d heard prophecies multiple times and benefited from them would be the same.
‘If you meet someone who heard the prophecy, the future can change. A nice excuse.’
Along with saying zone integration would happen in Round 9, Ryu Min presented that excuse.
Because they must not come looking for him.
‘As long as I keep my mouth shut, my face is different, so they’ll never be able to find me.’
That was why he’d never revealed his nickname even now, worried they’d suggest meeting up.
Besides, even if he said now that he was Black Scythe, would anyone believe it?
‘Even if they wouldn’t believe it, I still can’t say it. I have to make them firmly believe the Prophet class exists.’
Well—judging by the fact that no one argued with his excuse, it seemed he’d already trained them as much as needed.
Just as Ryu Min intended.
‘There’s no easier opponent to deceive than a steadfast ally.’
Later, when the number of people shrinks until you can count them at a glance, his identity would be exposed, but—
‘Before that, I need to prepare a way to hide my nickname.’
He already had a plan, so there was nothing to worry about.
All that remained was to put it into action when the time came.
Just then, a text came to the phone belonging to Lostyak.
[A watched seller you registered in Player Place has listed an item.]
Seeing the message, Ryu Min curled his lips upward.
‘Looks like Joo Seong-tak listed an item.’
Expecting what kind of item it might be, he opened the Plpl app.
He went into the Watched Seller section, clicked Joo Seong-tak’s ID, and the item he’d posted appeared.