Chapter 101: The Deal

What... did you say?

I'm not sure when exactly King Man-geum started identifying as such, but perhaps this was the first time he had ever heard such abusive language since he recognized himself.

But since I'm already resolved to die, I have no intention of stopping.

"What's with these crappy titles you slap on yourself as if they're something to brag about! What are you supposed to do with those delusional dreams? They're just delusions that you'll forget once you wake up!"

Delusions, you say?

"Yes! Did you think you were something special because humans crawled over and brought you things? Just accept the curses I've brought according to the established rules and give me my reward!"

The endless expanse of space, a void that swallowed everything, a massive planet burning menacingly.

And the absolute will that expanded enough to cover the universe.

All of it disappeared.

I was back in the dark room where it all began.

A wide space with stars smaller than water droplets forming a mist and the sea on the ceiling.

The small old man in front of me laughed aloud as if he was truly enjoying himself.

"Kukuku... To think such a tiny creature could possess unexpected talents. Indeed, you're too good to hand over to the beings that crawl in from beyond the veil."

The phrase "beings that crawl in from beyond the veil" refers to the beings of the abyss. King Man-geum stands as a great will opposing these abyssal beings.

An old god.

An old and ancient god that has existed on this land since before the first dawn.

Or perhaps they are merely called by different names and he was no different from the beings of the abyss.

It seems the unnecessary demonstration was over.

After wiping the sweat-soaked nape of my neck, I spoke.

"Among the beings of the abyss, there was one who asked me a similar question before."

"What did you answer?"

"I told him it was unnecessary, so just stay still."

"What answer do you wish to give me?"

"It's unnecessary. Don't do anything and just stay still."

"I am different from them."

"No, you are the same. As the master of the Thousand Gold Temple, take only what you are supposed to take from me and give only what you are supposed to give. I desire nothing from the being that exists beyond what my eyes can see."

"Why so? If I help you, you can know what you don't know and do what you can't do."

All-knowing, all-powerful—omnipotent.

That's quite the claim. I'm not sure if you can actually deliver, but you might at least make it feel that way.

"I desire nothing from beings beyond this world. I already possess knowledge I never sought and more power than I need. I wish to stay in a world where I know only what I know and can do only what I can do."

"Isn't such a world boring? Here, it's a soft world where you can press to enter and pull to tear. You don't have to stoop or kneel. You can create a world that fits your body."

"I do not want such things."

Although I spoke in a roundabout way, this is truly what I desire.

A normal, quiet world without the existence of things like Cthulhu or any magic or superpowers.

That's where I came from.

Already, relying on the power of a cosmic being who rules the world of dreams is beyond my wishes.

King Man-geum seemed to be thinking about something. His expression was distant as if he was gazing at faraway mountains.

After what seemed like an eternity, his mouth finally opened.

"Alright, I understand."

Phew, I did it. I persuaded him!

I'm glad I didn't have to push myself too hard or show off my strength like in the case of [The King in Yellow].

However, King Man-geum smiled happily and continued speaking.

"Then, let's make a deal instead."

"A deal?"

King Man-geum suddenly leaped backward with a swift motion.

Where he landed, a platform had appeared which certainly hadn't been there just moments before.

It was an opulent platform that was covered with dozens of dragons sculpted from gold.

From atop the platform, King Man-geum struck a haughty pose and declared in an excessively grand voice,

"Yes! A deal! In the name of this King of Man-geum, who sits on a thousand pieces of gold and wields ten thousand pieces of gold, the owner of this thousand gold temple made of sparkling gold and the dreams of all people, let us conduct a fair and honest transaction according to an ancient promise!"

"...Are we returning to that topic of the thousand gold temple now?"

"Wasn't that the very reason you came here?"

"That was indeed the case. I intended to quickly conclude our business and leave before His Majesty decided to summon, tease, test, and toy with me."

"An adult's interest can indeed make one uncomfortable, you little brat."

With that, King Man-geum burst into hearty laughter.

Ah... Yes, I had suspected it might come to this.

The [Lord of the Ancient Dream], though a deity too high in the hierarchy to be spoken of properly, had his incarnation in King Man-geum, a character known for his whimsical and fickle nature, much like the goblins he ruled over.

"The item I brought is...."

"Yes, this was it."

Clatter.

Suddenly, the cursed jewels I had brought poured out between me and King Man-geum.

"It seems you've brought a treasure that smells of that yellow fellow. With this much, we could even build a new pavilion in the Thousand Gold Temple. What do you desire?"

This wasn't just about stating a wish like any other time.

Still, I couldn't shake off a lingering sense of unease.

"I need shoes of silent steps."

"Not enough."

"Huh?"

"The shoes of silent steps are one of the treasures of the Thousand Gold Temple. Did you really think this was enough to get them?"

Damn it. Is this some kind of joke?

I'm not new to trading at the Thousand Gold Temple; I had already calculated their worth before bringing them here.

The shoes of silent steps are a fine artifact but they're more of a value item.

What I have brought now were the cursed treasures from the twelve golden dancers and their bodies. They were filled with the massive magical power and curses of the [King in Yellow], whom King Man-geum despises.

With such an amount, I should be able to buy five pairs of those shoes and still expect change.

Rather than engage in pointless arguments, I decided to try a different approach.

"Don't I have another item with me?"

"Are you referring to this?"

Suddenly, the bag that Tudor had handed me materialized out of thin air.

To be honest, I wasn't even sure what was inside, but the scale of the enchantment on the bag was no small matter. Whatever was inside, it wouldn't be cheap.

"There's a nasty tiger inside the bag."

A tiger? What's that about...?

Among the items related to Tudor, there was none that contained such a keyword.

If we were to search among items unrelated to Tudor... there were too many so it was difficult to specify any one in particular.

"But this is still not enough."

"Your Majesty, isn't that joke a bit too much?"

"What, you think the owner of the Thousand Gold Temple is just bantering with someone like you?"

A triumphant smile spread across King Man-geum's face.

If left to his own devices, he would just play pranks all night long.

"Then let's leave it at that. I'll just boil these for my own nourishment."

"Ah, what a shame. Such a young lad with so little patience."

"It wasn't fun at all."

However, it wasn't all just for fun. He must have had something he wanted to say. To prevent any further waste of time, I cut to the chase.

"Just make the original offer you intended. What do you want from me?"

"Get the tiger."

"A tiger? Are you asking me to catch some mythical beast from the mountains?"

"No, not that. Here, take a look at this."

When he gestured, the lock on Tudor's bag clicked open.

To think it could be opened so easily...

Of course, the magical barrier constructed wasn't meant to withstand someone of King Man-geum's stature.

Still, the enchantment Tudor had set was reinforced by my own magic, effectively doubling the locks... yet it was undone so effortlessly that I couldn't help but sigh.

"Open it and see."

The bag slowly floated towards me.

"Understood."

Click.

When the bag opened...

Crash!!

Out from inside leaped a huge,

Really huge black tiger.

- Grrrrr...

No, calling it a tiger didn't seem quite right.

It was more of an unreal entity made of blurry shadows as if it was cut from the darkness of the night sky.

Inside its translucent and shimmering black body, I could see particles of light scattering like stars.

"This creature is quite handsome. Take it with you."

"But Your Majesty, this is..."

"Yes, it's a curse of very high purity. However, I've twisted its direction, so it will not harm you directly."

"That's a relief, but what am I supposed to do with this half-formed apparition of a tiger?"

"Kukukuku... I can clearly see what you're thinking. Listen carefully. This creature has a nemesis."

"A nemesis... you say?"

"Yes. A nemesis of the black tiger, most likely a white tiger. Defeat that one."

It seems this so-called white tiger must be linked to the beings of the abyss in some form or another.

Like others from the abyss, it forcibly lends its power and seeks to achieve its own desires.

But why should I engage in such labor merely to gain something trivial like shoes of silent steps?

"Your Majesty, I am willing to do this, but could it possibly be..."

"In return, I will give you the winged robe of the night veil right now."

"What?"

"Do I need to repeat myself for you to understand?"

"No, the winged robe of the night veil? Really?"

"Yes."

"You'll give them to me right now? For real?"

"Yes. I will give them to you immediately. However, since you're receiving the reward in advance, you are bound by causality to eventually carry out the task I've assigned to you."

No, this changes the story entirely.

I wondered why he was making such a fuss over something as trivial as shoes of silent steps, and then he mentioned the winged robe of the night veil?

The winged robe of the night veil were incomparable to the shoes of silent steps.

They truly were a treasure of the Thousand Gold Temple.

"Very well."

"Good. Then take this tiger and return."

When King Man-geum gestured, the huge tiger looked down at me.

- Grrrrrrr...

It was a truly huge tiger, almost three meters tall. Was I really supposed to accompany such a beast from now on?

Looking back at King Man-geum, he wore a pleased smile and slyly glanced toward the ceiling.

What was up there? Shifting my gaze in that direction, I saw the sea from earlier, with surreal creatures like jellyfish and whales swimming.

Ah, I see.

This is a dream. Like the crane that emerged from the professor's package earlier, this tiger too was merely an image constructed from a curse.

Once I stepped outside, it would likely transform into something else. At least, it would be something that could fit into a bag.

"That makes sense. Understood."

King Man-geum nodded his head with a smile.

Although he had forcefully brought me here and put me through quite an ordeal, considering his high status, he had made significant concessions and shown considerable consideration.

Taking that into account and honestly feeling that he should not be any more capricious, I bowed my head to him as a sign of respect.

After I had shown my respect and was about to lift my head, the voice of King Man-geum reached me.

"Kim Shin-hwa."

"Yes."

"How would you feel about devoting yourself to me?"

"Devote... you say?"

Though it was an old-fashioned expression, it essentially meant becoming a follower and servant of King Man-geum.

"This is a different offer from the previous one. If you do not like the idea of joining the Thousand Gold Hall, I could create a special place or position just for you. Or, if you prefer, just having the title might be enough. Aside from that, you can continue with what you originally intended to do."