Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

‘Ugh, the stench of alcohol…’

As soon as the door opened, I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose at the pungent smell. It was overwhelming, even though the king’s silhouette was barely visible from here. To reach his actual location, I’d need to pass through a couple more inner doors.

“You haven’t forgotten anything I’ve told you, have you?”

I’d been repeatedly cautioned not to upset the king’s mood on our way here. Fearing another lecture if I hesitated, I quickly nodded.

Satisfied, the court official gestured, and the guards at the door opened the inner gate.

Unlike the rather modest exterior, the interior was extravagantly luxurious, even though it was merely a passageway.

Bonsai trees blooming out of season, lavish curtains woven with jewels, elegant ceramic pieces, intricately patterned ceilings, and ornate door frames – even to an untrained eye, it was clear these were no ordinary objects.

And beyond, the king’s figure became more distinct.

“Am I going in alone?”

I asked when I noticed the court official who had been leading the way showed no signs of moving. In response, he handed me a bottle of alcohol. Then he informed me that no one but myself was allowed beyond this point.

‘I’m not sure if they’re not allowed or just don’t want to…’

In other words, the king was waiting beyond this inner gate.

‘To think I’d be alone with him so easily. It’s almost suspiciously simple. Let’s see. Lee Kang-to…’

Concerned about the overly lax procedure, I had sent a message to Lee Kang-to. We’d agreed that he’d tap my shoulder as a signal if he noticed anyone hiding near the king while in stealth.

I shook my head as I observed the subtly distorted scenery ahead. Far from giving a signal, he was rushing ahead eagerly. It seemed there was no danger.

“…!”

Perhaps I’d dawdled too long; the court official suddenly shoved me through the inner gate. I could have avoided it, but to avoid suspicion, I deliberately stumbled across the threshold. The door shut behind me with a clean snap, as if drawing a line.

“Mr. Kim!”

Unaware of my intentions, the goblin rolled over in shock, its bell jingling loudly. Startled by the noise, I pressed my index finger to my lips.

“Shh, no need for that! I’ve worked my magic so the Mr. Kims beyond the door can’t hear us.”

“You seem to be using your skills more frequently lately… Are you sure it’s alright?”

“It’s fine since Taeyang isn’t here!”

As long as we don’t get caught, eh? I was skeptical, but since he insisted it was fine, it felt awkward to press further. As I was about to tell him to ask for help if there was any trouble, the goblin abruptly cut me off.

“Answer my question too! Are you okay, Mr. Kim? That impatient Mr. Kim pushed you earlier.”

“Yes, it didn’t even tickle.”

“But they said Mr. Kim is like a paper doll and needs to be careful.”

“Haha, a paper doll! That suits you better than ‘blank slate,’ Le-Lee Kang-to.”

Lee Kang-to, who had been laughing heartily, quickly covered his mouth when I glared at him.

The goblin was quite something, remembering a story he’d heard only once when we first met. Honestly, it wasn’t a nickname I was fond of, and I’d hoped he’d forget it quickly. But I couldn’t fault him for his concern.

“Anyone would seem like a paper doll compared to high-ranking hunters.”

“Heh, I-I suppose so.”

“Even Hunter Lee Kang-to would be no more than a matchstick next to an S-rank, right?”

No close-combat fighter would let such a remark slide. Provoked by my natural counter, Lee Kang-to lunged at me, but I didn’t even blink.

“Your eyes must be crooked! Wh-where am I…”

“Choi Kwon-young, Yun Su-ho, Gyeon Ji-woon.”

“Ugh!”

“Anything else you’d like to say?”

Coincidentally, all the S-rank hunters I’d met, regardless of their specialization, were impressive in both stature and presence. This lean Lee Kang-to simply couldn’t compare.

Seemingly able to self-reflect, Lee Kang-to didn’t add anything further. Seeing him uncharacteristically tight-lipped, I felt my irritation dissipating.

“Well, thanks to you, I felt quite secure beyond the fortress walls.”

“It was all thanks to the power of my tail!”

Lee Kang-to perked up immediately, as if his earlier sullenness had been a lie.

“…Let’s put an end to this banter.”

Having no desire to engage in endless beauty talk, I swung open the door leading to the king.

At that moment, a stench so foul it might be mistaken for toxic fumes seeped through the door crack. The smoke rising from incense burners mixed chaotically with the smell of various alcohols, creating an unbearably pungent odor. The stench was so overpowering that I couldn’t even take in the lavishly decorated interior.

Unable to bear it, I covered my nose and slowly stepped forward. My feet kept bumping into various objects strewn about, as if the king had been throwing things around in his drunken state.

And finally, the face I’d been so eager to see revealed itself.

I stared bluntly at the king from a distance, disregarding all proper etiquette, but he seemed unaware of my presence and continued to gulp down alcohol.

“Huh, he’s already completely smashed.”

My worries about how he might react if I approached him suddenly proved unfounded; the king was already far gone, consumed by alcohol.

“More, more wine! Hmm, this is a royal command!”

True to his reputation as the father of the Sixth Princess, known for her heaven-sent martial prowess, the king had an imposing physique. But that was all. The more I observed him, the more of a mess he appeared to be.

His eyes, glazed over with intoxication, showed not a spark of intelligence. Even as he dozed off leaning against his bed, he continued to blow on the bottle, causing alcohol to dribble down his chin. His robes, likely made of expensive silk, were stained with various unidentifiable foodstuffs.

His unsightly appearance, worse than I had imagined, involuntarily drew a sneer from me.

‘To think that this pathetic creature caused so much suffering to so many people.’

I had wondered what kind of remarkable individual could do such things, and for what grand purpose. It was a stark reminder of how much easier it is to bring misfortune than happiness.

As I approached the bed where the king was slumped, I caught a glimpse of a black stain beyond the bluish aura – undeniable evidence of the plague, a plague flower.

“Is the plague this world’s way of punishing evil and rewarding good?”

I shook my head as soon as the words left my mouth. There were too many innocent victims for that to be true. Besides, he had lived longer than most plague victims and more luxuriously than anyone else in the land. It was hard to see this as divine punishment.

‘Wait a minute. This aura…’

The color was different, but it was unmistakable. The ominous flow of magic concealing the plague flower – it was the same as the tail wrapped around the Sixth Princess’s wrist.

“Arajin, Commander of the Royal Guards. He’s no ordinary person.”

The princess had testified that the plague flower was revealed when Arajin touched the king’s face. So this blue aura must be the work of Arajin, or someone closely associated with him. The ring on the princess’s finger must also be his handiwork.

I was certain that robbing the princess of her freedom and hiding the king’s illness wasn’t the extent of Arajin’s schemes.

‘If we consider the timing, he must have been in cahoots with the king even before being appointed as the Commander of the Royal Guards.’

What exactly were the king and Arajin plotting all this time? With the current information, it was hard to gauge.

To borrow Han Cha-hyun’s expression, there were missing pieces. If I only knew what the king was trying to retrieve from the underworld, or if not that, what he intended to do by gathering the essence of yokai, I might be able to see the bigger picture.

As I sighed, unable to grasp the elusive truth, the king suddenly opened his eyes wide. He grabbed the hem of my robe as I tried to step back in surprise, and shouted.

“How dare you!”

Yikes, had I let my guard down too much because he was drunk? My dismay was short-lived, though, as the king’s next words made me breathe a sigh of relief.

“Omnipotent Supreme Being? I am the true god of all the land! Hic, isn’t that right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Oh, it was just drunk talk. I’d been startled for nothing. I hesitated, wondering if I should humor him, but settled for a noncommittal response. The king, however, burst into gleeful laughter.

“Once I become a god, this wretched plague will melt away like snow.”

“A god?”

“Haha, the eighteen thousand gods have all become mere stories. I alone shall reign supreme.”

Become a god? It was hard to discern whether this was drunken rambling, truth, or a simple metaphor. It seemed disconnected from all of the king’s actions up until now.

However, one thing was clear.

If I was going to make a move, it had to be now.

“Do you truly believe that?”

“Hm?”

“Let me ask you once more. Do you truly believe you can become the god of On?”

I smirked as the king jabbed his finger at me, demanding how I dared to speak to him so informally. Even in his utterly drunken state, he still had the presence of mind to cling to his authority?

Enraged that I showed no fear at his outburst, the king immediately raised his hand. His rough movement showed no hesitation, as if he’d done this countless times before.

“Such insolence…!”

But it posed no real threat to me. I considered deflecting his hand but instead stepped back. What good would come from touching a plague-ridden human?

The king, his thoughts dulled by alcohol, seemed unable to comprehend why his hand had sliced through empty air. He blinked in confusion before his face turned beet red. Then, half-stumbling, he staggered across the room to grab a decorative sword hanging on the wall.

Seizing this opportunity, I crushed the mist bead I had received from Lee Kang-to.

Ting-a-ling!

Recognizing the signal, the goblin made a sharp metallic sound. Gray mist from Lee Kang-to’s item and white mist from the goblin’s magic rose in a chaotic swirl. Concealed within this haze, I changed my clothes and put on the antidote item I had just removed.

My vision slowly cleared. As I observed the king, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, I glanced briefly at a mirror in the corner.

Instead of colorful fabrics, I was now enveloped in a robe as black as the darkest night. The hat with two pointed feathers was of the same hue. The light makeup had vanished as if it had never been there, replaced by fierce red lines tracing my eyes. And just below, a butterfly pattern covered my cheeks completely.

It was exactly as Lee Kang-to had requested, without the slightest deviation.

“Thank you, Sori,” I whispered, barely audible to the king.

In response, I felt the goblin rolling around inside my sleeve. Suppressing the smile that threatened to form, I pressed my palm against my mouth and stood up.

‘It seems Lee Kang-to timed his item throw perfectly as well.’

I deliberately made my robes flutter as I took a step towards the king, causing him to retreat in a seated position. Looking down at him, I recited the lines the goblin, our most eloquent speaker, had prepared for me:

“I have come at last to claim you. You can no longer escape by clinging to our agreement.”