You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿-Chapter 162

An item with the Soul Core.

It was undoubtedly something Orbis had put significant effort into creating.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

As soon as the system alert sounded, James Chen quietly whispered.

[This is the item you're looking for, Master.]

"Yeah, I see it."

I was currently observing Attorney Nam Seok-hee through the shared sight and hearing from James.

James, now completely under my command, allowed me to share some of his senses.

Though it was only temporary and had distance limitations, it was enough for now.

The meeting point with Nam Seok-hee was a secluded hillside on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

I had sent James Chen to meet her because Nam Seok-hee still didn’t know I was involved in this case.

‘I can't reveal my cards just yet.’

If Nam Seok-hee was directly linked to Theodora, there was no need to let her know that I was using James Chen.

Also, the ‘Good deeds bring ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) blessings?’ quest posed a problem.

While I had kidnapped Lee Un-gyeol, I had saved him from almost dying because of his solitude, so I was able to pass that part of the quest without violating it.

However, threatening Nam Seok-hee with her son as a hostage could violate the quest.

The system warns user ‘Jeong Da-on’.

It was already on the edge, so I decided it was better to stay out of the spotlight.

I waited at a distance, observing the situation.

Thud, thud.

I still had other things to do.

I kicked Lee Un-gyeol, who was lying motionless on the ground, as if he were dead.

His hands and feet were bound, and he was carelessly thrown onto the dirt floor.

He lifted his head with difficulty, and his eyes widened.

“This is...!”

In the hazy illusion of the air, Attorney Nam Seok-hee’s image appeared.

I had materialized the visual and auditory senses I received from James through illusion magic.

“Well, your mother has come to visit. You should at least see her. She’s your lifeline, after all.”

“...Threatening my mother won’t work.”

With that proclamation about his family's wealth, I thought Lee Un-gyeol might hold on to some hope upon seeing his mother, but surprisingly, he spoke in a hoarse voice.

“My mother has no interest in me. Maybe if it’s money, she’ll care, but she won’t give you anything you want.”

“What do you think I want?”

“You... you want information about Theodora, right? I’m not a fool.”

“That’s an amazing fact, indeed.”

“...”

I thought he might start flailing around like a fish, mocking me again, but Lee Un-gyeol clammed up, his mouth shut like a shell.

Since I had removed his solitude a few hours ago, this had been his state.

It seemed like the shock of almost dying had rattled him.

All the arrogant attitude had vanished, leaving only resignation.

[If it's money, I can give you as much as you want. Please tell me how much you need.]

Unlike Lee Un-gyeol’s words, Nam Seok-hee’s voice came through the screen, much more actively.

[I'm his mother. I'll do anything.]

She was ready to run out and give me whatever I wanted, even without reporting it, the moment she heard I had her son.

How reassuring for a kidnapper.

A true 'mother' who would do anything for her child.

James Chen chuckled quietly at Nam Seok-hee's words.

[If it's money, she says she'll give anything... I’ve heard the rumors, but she must be quite a wealthy person.]

[She must be desperate. All I want is my son's safety. You must have someone you care about too, so I’m sure you understand my feelings. Please, return my son to me safely.]

Her pleading voice was moving.

Is she really a lawyer?

When negotiating with a kidnapper, police advise empathizing with the criminal’s situation and appealing to their human side.

In that sense, Attorney Nam Seok-hee was exemplary.

I decided to watch how James Chen would respond.

James, confident in his ability to negotiate, insisted on handling the conversation with Nam Seok-hee himself.

Apparently, Layla Lopez had been more proactive than he had in bringing out the information from Nam Seok-hee. To prove his usefulness, James was working hard.

[Safety, huh...]

James spoke meaningfully, trailing off.

[That's like dangling two heads and selling dog meat.]

[What did you say?]

[Do I look like a fool to you? That item disguised as a brooch.]

James snapped his folding fan and pointed at Nam Seok-hee’s collar.

It was an incredibly irritating sight. I almost wanted to kick his shin.

The mechanical tone of the conversation through the translation device only made it worse.

[That’s a rather famous item. It’s not something you can buy with just money.]

Nam Seok-hee fell silent.

She hadn’t expected James to bring up the brooch.

She hesitated before speaking carefully.

[...Yes, this brooch is an item. If it made you feel threatened, I apologize. But... I needed to take minimal precautions.]

[Then you won’t mind removing the item now, right?]

[...]

[Take the item off and put it on the ground. Otherwise, your son’s fingers will be severed.]

James spoke with a chilling tone.

Nam Seok-hee hesitated clearly.

After all, she had rushed out because she trusted the brooch Orbis made.

Would she really show maternal affection by removing the brooch?

I watched the screen with interest, as Lee Un-gyeol also looked at his mother’s image.

“Are you scared I’ll actually cut off your fingers?”

I spoke to Lee Un-gyeol, who still appeared fearful.

“If that happens, you won’t be able to hold a sword. Your future is in your mother’s hands right now.”

Lee Un-gyeol’s face went pale at my words.

Did he think I was about to cut his fingers off?

‘Well, at this point, it wouldn’t even technically violate the quest.’

A few hours ago, I had intentionally brought ‘butterfly teeth’ and ‘slime’ cores into the dungeon where Lee Un-gyeol had entered to supply mana.

Thanks to that, I had been able to shake him down.

And the system’s verdict on the situation...

The system leaves the appropriateness of user ‘Jeong Da-on’s actions to the judgment of social members.

The result is being calculated....

The majority of social members judge that user ‘Jeong Da-on’s actions’ are ‘justified.’

The quest, ‘Good deeds bring blessings?’ maintains the ability restriction for ‘Jeong Da-on.’

Perhaps this judgment was influenced by the fact that I had removed Lee Un-gyeol’s solitude after his previous torment.

From my perspective, his actions had been justified, but from his point of view, it must have felt like empty boasting.

“Me, I... I...”

Lee Un-gyeol trembled as he spoke, and a foul odor began to spread on the dirt floor.

I waved my fan, watching the stench spread.

His face flushed red with shame.

For Lee Un-gyeol, this entire day must feel like a nightmare.

I wanted to torment him more, after everything he’d put me through for almost a month, but...

“You don’t have to be so scared. I said I won’t touch you anymore.”

Even with threats, there should be some back-and-forth.

“I told you, it wasn’t me who was trying to take your life. It was Theodora Yovanovitch.”

Lee Un-gyeol’s shoulders flinched again.

Right.

The one I needed to threaten wasn’t just Nam Seok-hee.

Lee Un-gyeol, who had been controlled by solitude, also had information to give up.

‘The moment I mentioned Theodora’s name, he almost died.’

Though I had obtained Layla Lopez and James Chen through solitude, handling it was a tricky task.

First, I had to completely subjugate the opponent’s mind and body, and then regularly supply mana.

Moreover, the mana that spread when I killed the solitude from Lee Un-gyeol wasn’t Orbis’ mana.

It was probably Theodora’s.

The fact that such a solitude had deeply rooted itself in Lee Un-gyeol meant...

‘Nam Seok-hee must have allowed this solitude to be planted in her own son.’

And Lee Un-gyeol must have known that too.

So, he probably said his mother wouldn’t be of any help.

If I’m right, Nam Seok-hee...

[What if I asked for my ransom with that brooch?]

At James Chen’s words, Nam Seok-hee’s expression shifted from troubled to sharp, her gaze running over him like a blade.

[What do you mean by that? This is just an ordinary self-defense item. If you want money, I can give...]

[Change of plans. Give me the item. That way, I’ll ensure your son’s safety.]

James’ voice resonated.

[If you really care for your son... You’d do this, right?]

What would she say in response?

I waited in silence, along with Lee Un-gyeol.

And then...

[...No, I can't.]

Nam Seok-hee answered.

The lawyer doesn’t wield the judge’s hammer, but that was a brutal sentence.

Lee Un-gyeol hung his head.

James Chen cruelly asked.

[You said you’d do anything for your son. Was that a lie?]

[...I knew something was off.]

And with that, Nam Seok-hee’s voice grew more alive.

Her previously tired face now radiated an energy that even surpassed James’ own.

[Asking for money in exchange for my son... I thought maybe he was in trouble and had teamed up with some thug to extort me.]

“...You’ve done something like that?” I asked.

Lee Un-gyeol couldn’t lift his head.

Nam Seok-hee continued.

[But now he’s offering money for it, and asking for that brooch... You must have another agenda.]

[What agenda are you talking about?]

[You’ve been cross-examining me all this time. And I’ve seen your face somewhere. Now I know. You’re James Chen, right? The one kicked out of the International Hunter Association.]

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Nam Seok-hee no longer appeared to be the compliant person pleading with a kidnapper.

Now, it was James’ turn to furrow his brow.

[You knew I was James Chen... And yet, you're acting like this? Just because you trust that pathetic little item?]

[That pathetic little item, you say.]

Weirdly enough, Nam Seok-hee seemed to have been waiting for this kind of fight.

[...I won’t give you a single thing you want.]

Her eyes, which had always looked tired, now sparkled with determination.

Crash!

At that moment, James’ senses, which I had shared, were suddenly interrupted. The images I had been watching vanished.

‘Hmmm.’

In the sudden silence, I took a moment to think.

As soon as Nam Seok-hee realized that James’ goal wasn’t money, she chose to fight him.

And as I watched this scene unfold, Lee Un-gyeol clenched his teeth.

Thud.

Blood dripped from his lips.

Naturally.

He had just witnessed his mother completely abandon him.

“Between parents and siblings, what should be upheld is called filial piety.”

And for me, this was an opportunity.

James Chen would take care of it.

“But, if the other person breaks that filial piety first, do you still have a reason to uphold it?”

“I...”

“Think about it. Doesn’t your mother value that item more than your life?”

The system thinks user ‘Jeong Da-on’ is cunning.

“And judging by the circumstances, that item... it seems like Theodora gave it to your mother.”

It made perfect sense if Nam Seok-hee was deeply connected to Theodora.

“Your mother won’t give up that item, which was a gift from Theodora. Even so, will you still protect Theodora?”

Long silence passed.

But I was certain I had won.

Lee Un-gyeol’s upbringing, and the fact that Nam Seok-hee had raised him, meant she would abandon her son for something less valuable than a piece of trash in her pocket.

“...If I tell you what I know, will you spare my life?”

And, as I thought...

Lee Un-gyeol looked up at me with humble eyes.

At the same time, those eyes also contained... long-held anger and betrayal.

“Well, of course.”

I wasn’t actually planning to kill him.

I smiled softly.

“I don’t hate you. In fact, I saved you. I judged that you were worth keeping alive because I recognize your ability.”

“...”

“So if you give me the right information... not only will I spare you, but I will help you actively.”

I had completely understood what kind of person Lee Un-gyeol was.

His overconfidence in his abilities was just a shell to hide his lack of substance.

In reality, he was nothing but a bundle of insecurities.

Perhaps the root of it was that his mother prioritized something above her child.

If that was the case, the approach was simple.

“Help me... you’re really going to help me?”

Pretending to recognize his ability and promising to use him.

“Yeah, I’m different from your mother. Just spending money isn’t enough. True gems must be polished until they shine.”

Lee Un-gyeol’s eyes wavered.

A person stuck in a pit doesn’t have the luxury to choose whether the rope is rotten or made of gold.

“You don’t want to get revenge on the mother who couldn’t even see your worth, right?”

I smiled as I extended my hand.

“Do you want to make a deal with me?”

This devil's whisper would sound like the call of an angel to Lee Un-gyeol now.

“I can make everything you want come true.”

Of course, the cost would be high.