SSS-Rank Awakening: My Talent Multiplies Everything novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18: A Deal.

Kael looked at Dun’s face and could clearly see the tension hidden beneath his calm expression. The man was trying his best not to panic, but his eyes had already betrayed him.

Kael quickly realized he needed to smooth things over before this situation became even more awkward.

"Sorry," he said with a small shake of his head. "That was rude of me. My name’s Kael. My mother is admitted here, so I came to visit her."

He paused briefly before continuing in a more casual tone.

"As for how I know about your research... let’s just say I heard some things here and there."

Dun stared at him silently.

Heard some things my ass.

Nobody knew about the research.

He had kept everything hidden precisely because he knew what kind of people worked in this hospital.

Immediately, suspicion rose inside him.

"Did the director send you?" Dun suddenly asked.

The atmosphere inside the elevator instantly turned cold.

Kael’s eyes darkened sharply as rage surged across his face.

"Why the hell would I work for that bastard?"

Even Dun was slightly startled by the reaction.

He hated that corrupt oversized pig himself, but something told him the young man in front of him hated the director even more than he did.

Kael soon realized he had overreacted and exhaled lightly before calming himself down.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Just had a bad run-in with that fat pig."

Dun blinked once before suddenly chuckling.

"Well, every run-in with that man is a bad one."

Kael couldn’t help but agree.

Even though today was technically their first meeting, the director had already secured a permanent place on Kael’s list of people he despised.

Dun’s expression gradually became more serious again.

"Then what exactly do you want from me?" he asked. "If you’re from the media looking for an interview or some miracle headline, then I’m afraid you came too late."

His eyes dimmed slightly.

"The research already failed. There’s nothing left to continue anymore."

Kael frowned immediately.

"Failed? Why?"

Dun leaned tiredly against the elevator wall before answering.

"Funding."

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

"No money means no research. My relationship with the director has never been good, so he cut off my funding a long time ago. I’ve been using my personal savings to continue everything since then, but those already dried up."

He let out a quiet sigh.

"So yeah... you could say the project is dead."

Just then, the elevator came to a stop with a soft ding.

The doors slowly slid open.

Dun stepped forward, but before leaving, he paused and turned back toward Kael.

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid," he said with a tired smile. "But there’s nothing left for this old man to offer."

"What if I provide the funding?"

Dun froze mid-step.

Slowly, he turned back around.

"What did you just say?"

Kael met his gaze calmly.

"I said I’m interested in funding the research."

Dun stared at him for several seconds in complete confusion.

"Why?"

Before Kael could answer, the elevator gave another warning sound reminding them both to either enter or leave.

Dun rubbed his forehead lightly before stepping out.

"Come with me," he said. "Let’s talk in my office."

Kael followed behind him through a quieter hallway before eventually arriving at a small office tucked away near the back of the floor.

The moment the door opened, Kael was greeted by pure chaos.

Books were piled everywhere. Stacks of papers covered almost every visible surface while handwritten notes and research files were scattered across desks and shelves.

It looked less like an office and more like the aftermath of a storm.

Dun scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I wasn’t expecting visitors, so... it’s a little messy."

Kael shook his head.

"It’s fine."

Dun gestured for him to sit before walking around the desk and dropping heavily into his chair.

The relaxed expression from earlier disappeared as he looked directly at Kael.

"So," he began seriously, "you said you want to fund the research."

His brows furrowed slightly.

"But why? I already told you the project failed. Most people would be pulling their money away from something like this, not investing in it."

Kael shrugged casually.

"Let’s just say I have confidence in both the project and the person behind it."

Dun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Clearly, he still wasn’t fully convinced.

Kael noticed the hesitation and quickly decided to lower the man’s guard a little.

"My mother has late-stage mana sickness," he said quietly. "So you can think of this as me investing in hope."

His tone carried genuine sincerity.

And technically, he wasn’t lying.

Although there was supposedly an elixir appearing in an auction three months from now that could cure almost anything, it was still nothing more than a rumor at the moment.

There was no guarantee it would actually work.

Even if he somehow managed to obtain it, there was still the possibility of failure.

So supporting Dun’s research could also serve as a backup plan.

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