You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 135

"Do you remember the dungeon where we got caught up during basic training?"
There was no way I could forget that.
Wasnât that the world from the previous life that Orbis forcibly connected to Earth?

Han Jae-young spoke in a calm voice.
"The last time I contacted Yoo Han-ul was about three months ago. He said he was going back to the castle with the statue and would bring the Golden Drakeâs heart."
"............"

The timing of the communication cut-off was similar.
I sank into thought.
âNow that I think about it⦠Yoo Han-ul did say he was bidding on the Golden Drake's heart.â

That was also the reason he rushed out of the New York Embassy.
The materials needed to be a powerful mana battery for those who had been turned into statues by the selfish wish of a powerful mage.
Did he go to deliver that and end up missing?

âFoolishly, whoâs going to recognize that anyway?â
Was he being a hero, or was he just foolish?
Back then, when we were deciding whether to kill the mage, Count Burk, to save the villagers who had been turned into statues, I was the one who suggested we shouldn't kill him.

And honestly, the reason I said that wasnât out of goodwill.
It was just a lie to make the mage lower his guard so I could completely finish him off. I couldnât say it that directly, so I pretended to be all noble about saving the people turned into statues.
But Yoo Han-ul didnât stop at just saying such empty words like me.

Without a word to me, he went into the dungeon alone and disappeared.
Maybe "hero" and "fool" are synonyms after all.
âThe Golden Drake's heart wasnât even that necessary. I already infused the mageâs mana into the barrier, so it would hold up for years.â
When the mageâs soul was destroyed and his mana burst out, I managed to absorb some of it. However, because of physical limitations, the rest of the mana was used to maintain the barrier.

In the end, the Golden Drakeâs heart wouldnât have been needed; Yoo Han-ul got lost doing something pointless.
Lost in thought, I suddenly had a question and asked.
âWait a minute, going back to the dungeon with the statue means... Yoo Han-ul left for New York again?â

The entrance to the dungeon near the castle where the statues were located was in New York.
Of course, theoretically, there could be multiple entrances to that dimension.
Considering Orbis' purpose, there could easily be hundreds of them scattered across Earth.

However, finding a new entrance would take time, and even if they found one, they couldn't be sure of where it would lead.
Thatâs why I put off searching for my backup, didnât I?
So, returning to that castle, entering through New York would be the most logical approach, butâ¦

âI was wondering about that too, so I asked him through a message. I asked if he was leaving again after just returning to New York and if he had informed the government.â
Right, the government wouldnât be happy about Yoo Han-ul leaving again.
It hadnât even been a few months since I returned after going missing, and though it wasnât publicly known, there had been an unfortunate incident involving Layla Lopez.

It didnât make sense that Yoo Han-ul, an S-rank Hunter, would leave so soon after such events.
Naturally, the government would try to stop him.
Of course, Iâd ignore such things, but Yoo Han-ulâs personality was different from mine.

âSo, what did he reply?â
âHe said heâd take care of it himself, and after that, there was no contact. At the time, I thought it was just because he was busy.â
âAny exit records?â

âThe government says thereâs no record of his departure.â
Yoo Han-ul didnât need to hide his identity and sneak off, so it meant he must have entered a domestic dungeon.
âAfter all, Yoo Han-ul has the advantage when it comes to gathering information.â

Doesnât the system act like a guide?
It even helped me with the forced companion invitation, so if I asked it to find an entrance to a dungeon, it would have certainly helped.
âIâm not sure if itâs fortunate or unfortunate that he went missing here. In fact, since it happened here, the government is more worried.â

âIâd imagine so.â
From the governmentâs perspective, it would be concerning that such a powerful dungeon exists within the country, capable of making someone as strong as Yoo Han-ul go missing.
Itâs already been over three months, which likely means the dungeon exploration failed. If thatâs the case, a Dungeon Break is probably imminent.

Itâs like a time bomb ticking somewhere in South Korea.
âSo, should we start by figuring out which dungeon Yoo Han-ul entered?â
âThe last GPS signal was lost in Sokcho, Gangwon-do. Weâre searching through dungeons from there.â

ââ¦Of course, he had to go to a high-density dungeon area.â
The Sokcho area, with its many dungeons like Cheongdae Mountain, Jubo Mountain, and Taebong Mountain, wasnât exactly a secret.
To search through all those dungeons to find where Yoo Han-ul might have gone...

âLetâs put personal feelings aside... but from the governmentâs perspective, this is a huge problem.â

It was practically a nightmare.
It hadnât been long since Yoo Han-ul and I returned after going missing, and now his disappearance had happened.

Yoo Han-ulâs significance in this country was incomparable to mine.
Unlike me, with a few rumors about being a hero, Yoo Han-ul had actually fought directly with S-rank monsters in front of countless cameras.
âSo, hereâs the crux of the matter.â

Han Jae-young handed me a document. The paper was filled with mundane things like confidentiality agreements.
âThe government has secretly requested HP Guildâs cooperation in the investigation of Yoo Han-ulâs disappearance. Iâm sure theyâve asked other S-rank hunters too. Youâre included, Jeong Da-on Hunter.â
âWhy me?â

I raised an eyebrow.
âIâve only been awakened for half a year, and Iâm just a burden to everyone.â
â...Is that because of what you said a few months ago? Are you still holding a grudge?â

Demons tend to remember grudges for a long time.
â...That was half a joke.â
âJoke, huh... That sounds like a lie. So, of course, youâll be joining the search party, right? After all, Yoo Han-ul helped save us when we were lost.â

âNo.â
âExcuse me?â
Han Jae-young looked at me as though he hadnât heard me correctly.

âWhat did you just say?â
âI donât see a reasonable reason to join the search party.â
âEh?â

Is this really that surprising?
I explained one by one to the shocked Han Jae-young.
âIf thereâs a monster strong enough to make Yoo Han-ul fail the dungeon exploration... Itâd be impossible for an ordinary group to deal with it.â

I know Han Jae-young is a strong fairy-blooded hunter.
But after experiencing Yoo Han-ulâs power firsthand, I realized that his strength is on a whole different level.
âDid he get some hero buff or something? Itâs so annoying.â

Why is it that in the human world, the Demon King canât descend, but a white whale can wreak havoc?
Anyway, if Yoo Han-ul disappeared, even if a bunch of other S-rank hunters gather, thereâs no guarantee they can handle the monster that defeated him.
âI donât think me joining the search will be any help. It could even put my life at risk.â

Of course, if I pushed myself, I might manage.
But why should I?
Good deeds will be rewarded? Quest is in progress.
Good deeds? What?

I glanced at the system message that appeared in my mind and sneered.
âBesides, it seems like itâs been a while since he went missing, so his chances of survival are pretty low. You want me to stake my life on a chance like that?â
The contact had been lost over three months ago.

If it was just a day or two, maybe, but too much time had passed.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
âIâm not sure if investing new resources to find Yoo Han-ul, whose survival chances are uncertain, is a rational decision.â

Thereâs always opportunity cost in the world.
âWell.â
Han Jae-young clicked his tongue.

âJeong Da-on, I really canât figure you out. I thought you were an angel, but now you seem like a demon.â
Wasnât she a fairy, though?
I joked, but Han Jae-youngâs eyes were filled with doubt.

He never expected me to act so uncooperatively.
âYouâre out saving people you donât even know, but youâre calculating when it comes to Yoo Han-ul?â
âOf course, I have to calculate. I could die, you know? You should think about it too, not just as a guild leader.â

âI didnât bring personal feelings into it... Did you?â
Han Jae-young stared at me with disbelief.
âWhen we were missing, and Yoo Han-ul saved us, was that just a personal favor?â

âOf course. Did you think Yoo Han-ul helped us thinking heâd get something in return?â
Han Jae-young looked stunned.
Yoo Han-ul didnât go into the dungeon to help me or Han Jae-young.

And the foolish hero probably didnât expect any reward for his help.
If he expected something in return for his favor, that wasnât really a favor anymore.
âAnd by the way, when Yoo Han-ul went missing during the Gwanghwamun Dungeon Break, you didnât even care.â

When Yoo Han-ul suddenly disappeared after rushing out to save the children, Han Jae-young wasnât shaken.
Bringing it up, Han Jae-young frowned.
âAt that time, there were many civilians and apprentice hunters in the office that needed protection. I couldnât act.â

âNow youâre still responsible for many guild members. Can you just jump into a dangerous mission like this?â
ââ¦Jeong Da-on, what exactly are you trying to say? If youâre criticizing my judgment at the timeâ¦â
âItâs not a criticism. Iâm saying that judgment was probably the rational one.â

How many people would risk their lives to save others?
One out of a hundred? One out of a thousand?
And you canât force someone to sacrifice their life for others.

In that sense, Han Jae-youngâs actions may not have been righteous, but no one could fault him.
â...The system will probably judge the same.â
Han Jae-young sighed quietly.

â...So, you really arenât going to join the search?â
His sharp gaze seemed to be probing my sincerity.
âIf Yoo Han-ul stays missing, wonât you be at a loss too?â

âMe?â
âIf the national hero disappears, people will start to place even harsher expectations and judgment on Jeong Da-on, whoâs just starting to rise.â
Han Jae-young seemed convinced that I had some kind of ulterior motive for my behavior.

âWhen that happens, just using flashy magic in front of cameras wonât impress anyone.â
Well, I have been acting a bit conspicuously in front of Han Jae-young.
His attempt to pull me in by playing on my potential loss was clever, but it wasnât going to work.

âI donât really see it as a risk. Actually, with the rival out of the picture, I think itâs more of a blessing.â
â...Did you two fight enough to want to kill each other behind my back? I thought you were friendly, despite the subtle differences.â
âSee, you should have believed me when I said we werenât close.â

âI didnât expect this level... well, fine.â
Han Jae-young picked up the documents on the desk with a perplexed look.
âI really donât understand what youâre thinking, Jeong Da-on, but Iâll tell them you wonât join the search party.â

âRight, go ahead. Itâs the weekend tomorrow, and Iâm going to rest.â
ââ¦Alright, then. Could you please leave?â
I didnât hesitate.

When I left the guild leaderâs office, the door slammed shut.
By the way, I didnât close it.
From inside, I could hear a deliberate "Whoops, it was the wind," but I didnât pay it any mind.

Whether Han Jae-young was angry or not, it was none of my concern.
What I needed to focus on now.
The negotiations I needed to have werenât with the government or Han Jae-young...

âIf you have something to say, go ahead.â
The system requests assistance from Jeong Da-on regarding Yoo Han-ul.
Quest: SAVE THE WORLD is in progress.
Quest: Good deeds will be rewarded? is ongoing.
User, Jeong Da-on, is receiving the favor of most social members.
Helping the weak is considered a socially just action.
 
âIâve already given a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why I wonât join the search.â

I said this to Han Jae-young, but in truth, I was speaking to the system.
âI was given a favor, not a debt.â
I gave the system a sidelong glance.

In reality, I had known all along that Yoo Han-ul was still alive.
There was no way he could die that easily.
Besides, the system had been sending messages asking for help.

Howeverâ¦
âGiven the systemâs urgency, this doesnât seem like a minor trouble.â
If Yoo Han-ul had gotten involved in something related to Orbis in the world of his past life, I would need to investigate.

So, while responding to Han Jae-youngâs words and entering the search party seemed like a waste of my efforts, the system clearly seemed desperate.
âWhere thereâs a take, there has to be a give.â
I wasnât about to work for free in a situation like this.

A hero might sacrifice themselves to save others, but not me.
And I wasnât some foolish hero; I was a crafty devil.
Whatever I could gain, I would make sure to get.

I smiled at the system.
âThen tell me, you stupid collective intelligence. What will you give me if I save your sleeping hero?â