Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 76

Top Star Blessed by the Gods 076. A Bolt from the Blue, No, a Kidnapping (2)

076. A Bolt from the Blue, No, a Kidnapping (2)

2022.01.15.

I’d had a feeling ever since we entered the building forest [a dense area filled with skyscrapers], but surprisingly, the place Yeon-woo was led to was quite normal. No, it was more like a place that was more business-like than anywhere else. It seemed too normal for someone that Knife Scar called ‘Chairman’ to be running a place with such an illegal stench. It looked no different from an ordinary, average company. The only differences were that it was a bit fancier, a bit more luxurious, and the security was tighter than an ordinary company.

“He says to come in.”

The secretary, who had gone in to announce Yeon-woo’s arrival, came out and led him inside. The highest floor, towering in the middle of Seoul’s building forest. Inside a large office with one entire wall made of glass, offering an impressive view. There was nothing but a large, heavy desk. And in front of it.

“I heard getting here was a bit rough, so let me apologize in advance.”

Surprisingly normal. A businessman who looked very neat and handsome turned around to greet Yeon-woo. Of course, the image reflected in Yeon-woo’s eyes was completely different.

‘……As expected, he can’t be normal.’

He looked to be in his early to mid-thirties. Neatly combed hair and a tidy, handsome appearance. Everything from the suit he was wearing to his tie and accessories looked expensive. The firmness and physique of his body, which could not be hidden by the tailored suit, were unusual. At first glance, he gave the impression of a sensitive elite, but the atmosphere emanating from the man was not that of an ordinary person. But among all the man’s unusual features, the one that caught Yeon-woo’s eye the most was,

‘……It’s terrible?’

The terribly tangled skein of resentment that he was surrounded by.

***

Numerous tangled, dark red threads. The number of vengeful spirits and thoughts surrounding the man was enormous, but what caught his eye even more was the spiderweb-like tangle of threads. Yeon-woo had only seen such a sight once before.

‘A curse.’

A spell that causes harm to the opponent with intense wishes. It was only once, but the memory was so intense that he couldn’t forget it. The memory was so intense that even the terrifying number of vengeful spirits and thoughts surrounding the man were not noticeable.

[How dare you come in here with that filthy body?!]

The person who was surrounded by the curse, whom he had seen only once, was immediately scolded and kicked out as soon as he entered Madam Kang’s shrine.

[No, Bodhisattva [a being destined to attain Buddhahood]. If you could just listen to me for a moment…….]

[Listen to what! It’s bad luck! Get out of here right now?!]

Chwaaa! [Ew, spit! What, what are you doing?!]

[What else? I’m sprinkling salt!]

[What? Are you crazy?! I came to you because you’re said to be somewhat effective, but what? Salt? You quack shaman…… Ugh!]

[Don’t be scorned by a quack shaman and get out of here, you bastard! Where are you coming with all that dirty resentment? Get lost because it’s bad luck!]

He was probably a person with considerable social status. His clothes, watch, and shoes. And even the car he came in. Just adding up the value, it was worth more than a dozen fortunes. Several secretaries even came to calm Kang Yeon-ha down. But Madam Kang was firm.

[Judging by what I see, you must have done a lot of dirty work, but if you want to live even a little longer, repent and give back to others! That’s what will extend your lifespan!]

The guest’s face, which had been looking dumbfounded, quickly changed.

[Do you, perhaps, see anything?]

[Why? What are you asking a quack shaman?]

[Bodhisattva. Please, just save me once. Huh? I’ll pay you any amount of money…… Ew!]

[Tsk! When you’re unlucky…….]

The guest, who was covered in coarse salt until the very end, called out to Madam Kang with a blank face, but Madam Kang was merciless. Until the moment she closed the gate,

[Yeon-woo! Bring more salt!]

Madam Kang did not hesitate to sprinkle coarse salt by the bucketful. After the uninvited guest was completely chased away,

[Avoid guys like that at all costs. That kind of guy will devour everyone around him. A poisonous curse is glaring with its eyes wide open, trying to burn everything around it.]

[A curse?]

[Why? Are you interested? If my son is curious, I should teach him.]

[No. I’m fine.]

Madam Kang, who was always trying to get Yeon-woo to take over, threw out bait, but Yeon-woo was not naive enough to be caught by it. Anyway, that was the first time he had seen a curse. Since then, Madam Kang had never accepted guests involved in curses.

‘And a few days later, there was a news article about a sudden death.’

For a while, news that the chairman of a famous construction company, who had not suffered from old age, had died suddenly without any symptoms heated up the news. There were very conflicting opinions as to whether it was a simple heart attack or murder. The expression on his face was very terrified, even though it was said to be a heart attack. The room where the chairman was found was in a mess, as if a thief had broken in. And the chairman was crawling, trying to contact someone urgently. However, there were no signs of intrusion from the outside, and the autopsy results were clean, so it soon faded away.

……But it was different for those who knew the truth.

‘Being wrapped up in such a terrible grudge, it’s no wonder he suffocated to death.’

The exact cause of death may not have been respiratory failure, but that’s exactly how it looked in Yeon-woo’s eyes at the time. The dark red, eerie threads were enveloping the uninvited guest like a cocoon. It was no wonder that he looked like he was suffocating to death.

‘But…….’

Yeon-woo shifted his gaze back to the man in front of him. A thick, dark red color that made him feel bad just looking at it. It was a curse thread that reminded him of the one time he had seen it in the past. But the problem was,

‘The thread is connected to somewhere else.’

The curse did not end with wrapping around the man. That meant only one thing.

‘The target of the curse is not this man.’

The greater the power of the pouring magic, the more it exceeds the limit that one person can accept. The more that happens, the faster the target of the magic is affected and the curse is completed, but the excess power of the magic affects the surroundings. This means that nearby targets can also be strongly affected. So, in the case of that man, he is not the target of the curse, but rather someone within a very close range of influence.

‘It’s obvious why he called me.’

Just by glancing at the man once, Yeon-woo quickly came to a conclusion.

“I don’t know why you forced a perfectly fine person to come here…….”

The reason is obvious. Yeon-woo was determined to refuse right away. But.

-Tring!

[There is a new feature available.]

[You can check it upon completion of the request.]

A familiar window appeared in front of him. The wording was endlessly unfamiliar.

‘What is that? A new feature available?’

Moreover, the location of the phrase was coincidental. It was floating above the man’s head. Moreover, it had the modifier ‘new’! Even if he didn’t know, it must be pretty good. The system had never given Yeon-woo crap so far.

“……Anyway, I’m not doing it.”

There was a moment of silence, but Yeon-woo finished his sentence safely. Like he had to listen to the man’s story, the notification window was floating above the man’s head. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t interested……

“Hmm?”

The man’s straight, well-shaped, thick eyebrows twitched slightly at Yeon-woo’s answer. A cold gaze settled on him with a hint of interest.

“How can you refuse before knowing what I’m going to say?”

“Whatever it is, I don’t want to get involved.”

“Then why did you come all the way here?”

“I don’t know who made me come here by force?”

“Hmm. I will apologize once again for that. If you want, I can bring that person before you.”

“I refuse. And I came here to refuse.”

As soon as he finished speaking,

-Tring!

[There is a new feature available.]

[You can check it upon completion of the request.]

Once again, the status window floating above the man’s head sparkled. But Yeon-woo steadfastly ignored it.

‘I hate annoying things.’

The new feature was very attractive, but it was a curse. And a terribly terrible one. He had no intention of helping a human being who had broken into someone else’s accommodation and threatened them.

“Hmm…….”

The man’s eyes narrowed. It was a gaze that seemed to dissect the other person. Of course, he couldn’t have welcomed it.

“I have no intention of listening to your coercive request, and I’ll give you a warning.”

“A warning?”

“You better not think about messing with me anymore. You won’t have a good ending anyway, so there’s no need to pile up more karma [the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences], right?”

After saying that, Yeon-woo turned and walked towards the door. The ‘new feature available’ floating in front of him was bothering him, but what could he do. As he strode towards the door, the burly men and the secretary standing in front of the door flinched. Can I stop this? Should I? He could see what they were thinking. Regardless, Yeon-woo reached out towards the door without hesitation. He was about to get out of this terribly cursed place.

But.

“Stop.”

A cold voice fell like frost. He was just about to twist and pull the handle he had grabbed. But.

Thud!

As soon as the man’s words fell, a thick hand appeared and the opening door closed in an instant.

‘Ah, annoying.’

Yeon-woo’s brow furrowed.

“What does that mean, what you just said?”

“What do you mean?”

“That you won’t have a good ending.”

“Hey.”

Yeon-woo turned around and crossed his arms. “The way you brought me here is also a method. Just by looking at you, I don’t think you’re a proper office worker. Isn’t it too optimistic to think that someone in that kind of position will have a good ending?”

The man’s eyebrows twitched once again.

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have. This company was established legally and does not commit any illegal acts.”

“The way you brought me here itself is already illegal, isn’t it?”

“I won’t deny that there is some past. But doesn’t everyone have that much?”

“Everyone? That’s very different from the world I live in. Let’s not see each other, people from different worlds. If you think about it now, aren’t you imprisoning me? What country’s law allows you to arbitrarily restrain others?”

“……Everyone, get out.”

At the man’s low voice, the burly men and secretaries bowed their heads and went outside. Only the two of them were left in the spacious room. The man got up from his chair and strode towards Yeon-woo with his long legs.

“I was sincere when I apologized for the rough method. I want you to know that the reason I stopped you now was because I was in such a desperate situation that I committed this rudeness. I have no intention of insulting or threatening you. I hope you believe me.”

A cold, cool, and beautiful face that had come close stared straight at Yeon-woo.

‘Hmm……?’

Yeon-woo suddenly felt something strange.

‘What is it? Usually, intention identification should work around this point?’

Whether Yeon-woo wanted it or not. The upgraded intention identification always did its job faithfully. Normally, in a case like this, it would have displayed ‘truth’ or ‘lie.’ But.

[‘Intention Identification’ is not possible for this target.]

“……?”

What is it?