Chapter 31. City of Dionysus (1)
Majesty Yoo Jaeha narrowed his eyes too.
“Rulebook?”
It was only a voice, but this was the first time Rulebook had contacted them first.
“What the hell?”
Jooheon looked around.
“Where are you hiding, bastard?”
[As if I’d tell you that.]
[Would you at least hear my proposal first?]
“What proposal?”
Rulebook answered.
[It’s about this city.]
[Please stop damaging it any further.]
Jooheon said nothing.
[I’ll reward you.]
[A good reward too.]
[Unlike last time, when I reluctantly had to give you something, I’m making the offer myself this time.]
“......”
[How about it?]
[Not a bad deal, right? ♥]
Majesty Yoo Jaeha immediately cut in coldly.
“Don’t listen.”
“That thing is plotting something again.”
Rulebook’s tone changed at once.
[Shut up, Yoo Jaeha.]
A cold silence fell.
[Don’t act like my creator.]
[You abandoned me.]
Majesty Jaeha’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
[You damned perfectionist.]
He said nothing.
His expression didn’t change either.
But his hand curled slightly into a fist.
Rulebook turned its attention back to Jooheon.
[Don’t listen to him, Mr. Seo Jooheon.]
[That Majesty...]
[He turned his friends and family into dolls.]
[You’ll end up the same way eventually.]
Silence.
Jooheon glanced at Majesty Jaeha.
Jaeha didn’t look away.
He didn’t deny it either.
He simply stared somewhere into the distance.
Like he was looking at something very old.
Jooheon watched him for a moment.
Then turned away.
“Rulebook.”
[Yes?]
“So what’s the reward?”
Rulebook fell silent for a moment.
Majesty Jaeha also looked toward Jooheon.
But Jooheon’s face remained perfectly calm.
“I asked what the reward is.”
[You like looting Artifacts, right?]
[Then I’ll specially tell you about a world that’s easy to invade.]
“Ha.”
Jooheon’s eyes sharpened as though dismissing the offer as nonsense.
“Give me my subordinate’s heart.”
[U-Unfortunately, one of the Executors already took that heart.]
“Then give me my daughter.”
[T-That isn’t within my authority either.]
“Then get me into Amaterasu’s Cave.”
[Are you insane?!]
“Why?”
[You’re level 1, and you want to go somewhere meant for level 100!]
Jooheon shrugged.
“Problem?”
Rulebook sounded flustered.
[...Ah, fine! Actually, that works out.]
[You can’t reach somewhere of that rank yet anyway, so I’ll tell you about an easier world instead... ♥]
Jooheon chuckled.
“You’re misunderstanding something.”
[What?]
“You hate me.”
His eyes turned cold.
“But this time, you offered me a reward first.”
He slowly looked around the city.
“That means...”
“There’s something here.”
[There isn’t.]
“Liar.”
[There really isn’t.]
“Then why are you stopping me?”
[......]
“Because the city is already too damaged.”
Rulebook hesitated.
[It’s... an aesthetic issue.]
“Aesthetic?”
Jooheon snorted.
“Since when does Rulebook care about aesthetics?”
[......]
“If you’re willing to offer me a reward first, then there’s obviously something in this city.”
He smiled.
“Want me to dig it out?”
Rulebook went silent.
[...Seriously, this man.]
Jooheon grinned.
“I’m going to tear out the core.”
[No!]
[I’ll reward you, so go back to your original world!]
Jooheon smiled.
There’s something in every world.
Those bastards were wary of him entering Amaterasu’s Cave.
They were also wary of him moving through other worlds.
Sure enough, Rulebook’s voice rose sharply for the first time.
[Return to your original world!]
[I’ll give your world a protection Artifact!]
Jooheon’s smile deepened.
“So there really is something.”
[......]
Rulebook fell silent again.
Jooheon savored that silence and turned toward Majesty Jaeha.
“Do you know where this world’s core is?”
Majesty Jaeha stared at him for a moment.
Then slowly smiled.
“...I think I might.”
[Wait, wait—!!!]
For the first time, Rulebook sounded genuinely panicked.
Jooheon spoke.
“If you don’t want me touching it, tell me who the Chief God-level Artifacts are.”
[!!!]
Rulebook was visibly shaken.
Majesty Jaeha looked surprised too.
That made sense.
Artifacts had affinities and counters.
Once an Artifact’s identity was known, countermeasures could be prepared.
And the identities of the highest Chief God-level Artifacts were something most Majesties didn’t know.
“You’re actually demanding that...?”
Sure enough, Rulebook sounded troubled.
[...Their identities are outside my authority—]
“Then I’m tearing out the core.”
[......]
“I’ll give you three seconds.”
[...Fine.]
[I’ll tell you secretly, so don’t touch this city.]
“Deal.”
[Ra.]
[Vishnu.]
[Enki.]
[Nüwa.]
Jooheon’s lips curled upward.
That was enough.
He needed to find Artifacts capable of exploiting their weaknesses.
“Next reward.”
[Wait!]
[Wasn’t that already enough?!]
“Give me information on the Executor who took Yoo Jaeha’s heart.”
“Just one.”
Rulebook hesitated.
[Fine.]
[I’ll tell you exactly one.]
[Betrayne!]
“Betrayne?”
[One of the Twelve Executors.]
[He has a fragment of Yoo Jaeha’s heart.]
Jooheon nodded.
“Good.”
“Next reward.”
[Hey! Why are you asking for another reward?!]
“Because you only told me one Executor.”
[What?!]
[You said one was enough!]
Jooheon shook his head.
“Come on.”
“The numbers don’t balance.”
[This is driving me insane!]
“You only gave me one name.”
“So lastly...”
He grinned.
“Tell me why you personally came to this city.”
[...I really can’t tell you that!]
“Then the core—”
