The Interview (2) – Or Rather, a Job Offer

Yoo Yi-jun?

It was a photo of Yoo Yi-jun.

“All you have to do is be with this man at a specific time on a specific date that I will provide.”

“…So you want me to hold him down and stall for time?”

“That’s right. You’re quick on the—”

“And that’s why you came to me, a succubus.”

“That’s also right. To tie up a man, you need a woman. Better than a woman is a beautiful woman, and better than a beautiful woman is a succubus.”

I probably shouldn’t ask why he wanted me to detain him.

If I said the wrong thing, he might realize there was a connection between Yoo Yi-jun and me.

“Still, you’ll have to give me some information. I need to know what kind of person he is. It would be a problem if he’s, say, an S-rank.”

David hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Very well. His alias is ‘Yoo.’ He’s an A or A+-rank Enhancement-type Awakener. He also has stealth-related skills and works as an assassin.”

“You’re asking me to tie up an A+-rank Awakener?”

“We will assist you. By that time, he’ll have taken a drug and won’t be in good condition. I’ll also provide you with a powerful… aphrodisiac.”

He said ‘we.’

The request to tie up Yoo Yi-jun must have come from some organization.

Yoo Yi-jun worked for a drug-related criminal syndicate.

So what kind of organization would want to pin him down?

It probably wasn’t the police.

While the police might have the ability to take down such an organization, I doubted they would do it this way.

Besides, his backer was Elemental.

If a high-ranking member of Elemental was his sponsor, the police wouldn’t be able to do a thing. No, it was more likely they wouldn’t want to.

Come to think of it, his backer was Elemental, wasn’t it?

Could they even touch Yoo Yi-jun’s group?

…Then is it another organization?

It could be that another criminal syndicate wanted to drive out Yoo Yi-jun’s group and take their place.

Our… guild, ‘Narak,’ did the same thing.

We drove out Blue Forest and took over their territory. And we were probably paying protection money to the same people they used to.

Peculiarities, peculiarities.

What was written in David’s file?

I remembered there wasn’t much to it.

Just that he seemed to have a lot of money, had no criminal record, and didn’t seem to be active in any particular field.

It was only basic information—

….

How could he be so rich without being an active Awakener?

I decided to ask, just in case.

“By the way, is there some kind of… noble cause behind this? Something to motivate me. If you can’t say, then don’t.”

“It’s just a dispute between guilds. As for motivation, I think this will do the trick.”

David, brushing off my question, held out a small potion vial.

Inside it was a red liquid.

“It’s the blood of a Succubus Queen.”

“A Succubus Queen?”

“Yes. Is this the first you’ve heard of one?”

“I only Awakened recently.”

“The Succubus Queen is an Awakener active over in America, something of a big shot in the underworld. It’s not officially known, but they say she’s probably around S-rank.”

So why are you giving her blood to me?

“They say she has absorbed the Essense of countless men, and that powerful magic flows through her blood. If a succubus like you were to consume it, it might have some kind of positive effect.”

Is it… similar to those potions from Elemental that increase elemental sensitivity?

But how could I trust him?

“How can I believe that? There’s no proof this won’t harm me, and drinking it could be the trigger for some kind of contract.”

“You really must have Awakened recently. There’s a certificate of authenticity right here.”

There was actually something that looked like a certificate of authenticity.

She sells her own blood with a certificate? What the hell….

“The blood of high-ranking Awakeners like the Succubus Queen is one of the more popular potions sold.”

I’d never heard anything of the sort.

Is this common in the underworld?

“Most importantly, we’re the ones asking for your help. Why would we give you something that could harm you?”

“…That’s true.”

“You don’t have to feel pressured. For now, it’s just a mission to hold him for a few hours.”

“…Let’s see the contract.”

*

There wasn’t really a contract.

He said that since things could change, I just needed to be at a specific place at a specific time.

The plan was to receive the down payment and the aphrodisiac there, then move on to Yoo Yi-jun. I would get the rest of the reward once the mission was complete.

The Succubus Queen’s blood was just to build trust, he said.

A rough timeframe was provided.

-It will probably be around this time. The schedule may change within this period, so please adjust your plans in advance.

-This is pretty short notice, isn’t it? This Saturday, Sunday, or Monday?

-Haha, it would have been better if we had known you sooner, Guild Master. To be honest, you are an additional… safety measure. You don’t need to be too nervous.

Today was Wednesday.

If the operation was on Saturday, there wasn’t much time left.

But he said I was just an additional safety measure. It seemed Yoo Yi-jun was a major variable, but their plan was already well underway with a main strategy in place to deal with him.

Should I take this job?

I knew Yoo Yi-jun’s group was a criminal organization.

A drug syndicate backed by none other than Elemental.

But it didn’t seem like David’s side had any noble cause either.

Frankly, they just seemed like another criminal organization.

According to Yoo Yi-jun, drugs were incredibly profitable, and it looked like they were greedy for a piece of that pie.

David had casually mentioned the amount for the down payment and the reward, but it was nothing compared to the income I could expect as a promising rookie at Elemental.

He must think I’m the master of some small-fry guild.

The vial containing the Succubus Queen’s blood glinted.

The down payment and the final reward included more of it.

-Try drinking some and tell me what you think after you see the effect. We can give you more of this instead of money, or we can take this out and give you more money. But the blood of a Succubus Queen isn’t something you can get your hands on this easily.

Looking at the certificate, it really did seem to be used as a potion.

The effects varied from person to person…

What effect would it have on me? We were both succubi, after all. What would my senior give me?

Mana? Essense? Or maybe… Innate Vital Energy?

Innate Vital Energy seemed too greedy.

Anyway, from the way he spoke, I’d suspected there might be other succubi out there… but I never imagined there was a Succubus ‘Queen.’

Her trait could be ‘Succubus Queen,’ or maybe it was just a title given to her for being a big shot who reached S-rank.

…Could I ever reach that position someday? Get to the top and, like, draw my own blood and sell it with a certificate.

….

Well, even if I can’t, this body is just my alt.

I can just climb the ranks with my main.

For now, let’s have a taste.

To open the vial, I had to tear the certificate.

As I ripped it, something fizzled and dissipated from the bottle’s opening.

Pop—

…Nice sound.

I guess this really is the blood of an S-rank Awakener.

Even though it was just a thimbleful in a tiny vial, I could feel the abundant magic within.

Here goes.

Ugh. It’s coppery.

And it has a slight fizz to it.

Smack, smack.

The metallic taste lingered, so I rinsed my mouth with water and swallowed.

….

…Is that it? Hello?

Nothing happened, except for a sudden itch on my back—

Ting—

[Sub-trait of ‘Succubus’ unlocked: Demonic Wings]

[Skill acquired for ‘Demonic Wings’: Demonic Wings – Enhancement]

[Skill acquired for ‘Demonic Wings’: Demonic Wings – Unfurl]

Huh?

First, I offered a silent bow to my succubus senior over in America.

Then, I opened the skill descriptions, which were subtly different from ‘Demonic Horns.’

[Demonic Wings: Gain wings with passive skills. You can consume Essense to strengthen the wings’ passive skills with ‘Skill (A): Demonic Wings – Enhancement’ and unfurl the wings with ‘Skill (A): Demonic Wings – Unfurl.’]

[Demonic Wings – Enhancement: Consume Essense to select and enhance the wings’ passive skills.
Current Skills: Flight (Impossible), Intimidation, Magic Field]

[Demonic Wings – Unfurl: Consume Essense to unfurl the wings. The passive skills enhanced by ‘Skill (A): Demonic Wings – Enhancement’ will only activate when the wings are unfurled.]

Aha.

So unlike the ‘Horns,’ I could choose which skills to enhance for the ‘Wings,’ and they had no effect unless I unfurled them.

Alright, let’s check the passive skills—

[Demonic Wings – Enhancement ▶]

Hmm…

Unfurl?

[Demonic Wings – Enhancement ▼
-Flight (Impossible) (Lv.1+1) (0/1000)
-Intimidation (Lv.1+1) (0/1000)
-Magic Field (Lv.1+1) (0/1000)]

Oh, so that’s how it’s structured.

It seems ‘Flight’ is impossible because my wing level is too low. Maybe they start out small?

As for ‘Intimidation’ and ‘Magic Field’—

[Intimidation: Upon seeing the unfurled wings, the target’s mental defenses are weakened, making them more susceptible to the effects of ‘Skill (A): Devil’s Whisper.’]

[Magic Field: A current of anti-magic energy flows through the wings.]

Oh. Neither of them is bad.

‘Intimidation’ is a debuff that applies just by seeing the wings, and ‘Magic Field’ seems to be a defensive barrier.

However…

I have to enhance all three separately.

But they’re all already one level up.

Corruption, or Awakening, the skill that raises all my other skills by one level… just what are you?

Anyway, how much Essense do I have right now?

[Essense: 6435/35481]

It costs 1000 to raise a level, so I should use my Essense to—

Ah, right.

I was in the middle of considering something else, wasn’t I?

….

But if the plan will proceed without me anyway, and if it has a high chance of success even without me, then it’s probably best to join in.

And this Succubus Queen’s blood is really good. No wonder it sells so well. Was that part of his investment offer?

Investment, investment…

….

-If this was your goal, you could have just contacted me separately. Is there a reason you went so far as to offer an investment and apply to join the guild?

-I heard succubi need Essense, so I was planning to provide some before the mission began. As I said, we’re on a tight schedule. I thought joining the guild would make it easier to give you Essense. Do you not need it?

-…I’m fine for now. I don’t have a particular need for it at the moment.

-Just as I’d expect from a succubus. Still, you never know. Contact me if you need it.

-If the need arises.

-Ah, and if you successfully complete the mission, I’m thinking of continuing to invest in you, Guild Master.

I recalled David’s arrogant posture and his sleazy smile. He looked smug to anyone watching, the look of someone who knew he had the upper hand.

And yet, his white flame was burning brilliantly.

My annoyance level had skyrocketed, so I’d kicked him out, but…

“Haa…”

The plan wouldn’t fail just because I didn’t participate, so I might as well join in and pick up the scraps that fall my way—

…Wait a minute.

A strange idea, one that made me wonder if it could actually work, popped into my head.