By Zephyria “Is it in your Inventory?”
“……”
“The thing I made.”
Eui-jae was breathless. He clenched his trembling right hand with his left. The eyes with golden patterns were still scanning his entire body with a crushing gaze.
It felt like his body was being rummaged through, and the origin of his existence was being observed. He felt nauseous, as if he was about to vomit. Eui-jae gritted his teeth and replied.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The only thing Hong Ye-seong had made in his Inventory was the ticket, and he had already given it to Lee Sa-young before the auction started, so he didn’t have it now. Besides that, there was nothing else that came to mind, so Eui-jae asked the obvious question.
“…Are you perhaps talking about the ticket?”
“Tsk, if it was just the ticket, I wouldn’t have dragged you all the way here.”
Hong Ye-seong, who scolded him as if he was asking something obvious, muttered as if he suddenly came to his senses.
“Ah, I forgot to say this first.”
The lightheartedness from before was gone, and he looked like a slightly deranged person.
“I didn’t bring you here to argue with Secretary Kim. I brought you here because I was sure. I saw it clearly with my own two eyes, the thing I made is in your Inventory….”
Eui-jae glanced sideways at the empty air. The only things in his Inventory were Elixir, Mana Stone, and Basilisk Fang.
‘Hong Ye-seong might be after the Mana Stone….’
Elixir were mass-produced, and if he was after the Mana Stone, he would have openly demanded it. Hong Ye-seong had been searching for Mana Stone more than anyone else.
The only thing left was the Basilisk Fang, but he had no connection to that either. He had taken it from the West Sea Rift, and Hong Ye-seong was an ordinary person who hadn’t Awakened yet when J entered the West Sea Rift.
While Eui-jae was racking his brain, Hong Ye-seong quickly continued.
“Sorry, but I don’t have much time? Secretary Kim, it’s not good for you to waste time either. Don’t you think Lee Sa-young will be looking for you? Let’s just get what we need from each other and go our separate ways.”
Only then did Eui-jae notice Hong Ye-seong’s face.
“I’ll grant you whatever Secretary Kim wants, so take it out.”
Behind the rotating golden patterns that shone brilliantly, there were eyes that were red with burst blood vessels.
Why had he kept his eyes closed throughout the auction? One would think he would be curious about the process of his carefully crafted weapon finding a new owner. He had simply thought he was sleepy because he had been up all night… but there was another reason.
The System is generally lenient to the Awakened it chooses. After giving them new ability and skills led by their earnest desires, it rarely interferes first. However, it mercilessly imposed penalties on ability that violated the System’s laws, even if it was an ability it had directly granted.
Just like Romantic Opener’s teleportation ability, the Emotional Eye, which could see into other people’s Inventories to a limited extent, was also an ability that violated the System’s laws.
If he used the Emotional Eye, he could have finished the ticket inspection in an instant, but he had gone to the trouble of tampering with the ticket detector, which was a lower version of the Emotional Eye, in the bathroom….
‘There must be some kind of penalty that prevents him from using the Emotional Eye for long.’
The more the patterns rotated and the more new letters appeared, the more blood vessels burst behind the gold. Nevertheless, Hong Ye-seong did not close his Emotional Eye.
“I said, hurry up and take it out.”
Hong Ye-seong urged. Every time the patterns changed, an unpleasant sensation as if his skin was being shredded came over him, and Eui-jae had to bite the inside of his cheek to endure it so he wouldn’t gouge out the other person’s eyes. He tasted a bitter taste of blood.
As the strange standoff continued,
Ziiing￣
The cell phone in his pocket rang. The only people who would call him were Ha-eun or Lee Sa-young. Either way, it was a call he had to answer. Moreover, if it was Lee Sa-young, the situation would become even more serious. The person who had been standing right behind him had disappeared in an instant.
‘…I think he’s looking for me?’
His neck felt cold. He had gone to the trouble of hugging him to cheer him up, but he couldn’t bear to see him upset again! It was also uncertain whether the unconditional apology strategy would work this time. Besides, the last resort should only be used once a day.
Ignoring the unpleasant sensation, Eui-jae was about to take his cell phone out of his pocket when.
“Cluck!”
“Cluck-cluck￣!”
Hong Ye-seong closed his eyes and opened them wide, and the golden patterns became even clearer. Eui-jae stopped moving for a moment because of the unwelcome sensation that came over him again. Not missing that small gap, the porcelain Cluck flew up like a bolt of lightning with a loud cry and snatched the cell phone from his hand.
Eui-jae, who had his cell phone snatched away in the blink of an eye, looked at the porcelain Cluck with a dumbfounded expression, but the porcelain Cluck simply sat crouched on the cell phone and tilted its head.
“Cluck.”
‘Damn it, how can a chicken be so agile.’
Meanwhile, Hong Ye-seong groaned and covered his eyes. Thin streaks of blood slowly flowed down below his hand. The sensation of being shredded all over his body disappeared as he covered his eyes. Only then did it become a little easier to breathe.
“Oh… Cluck, did you take it?”
“Cluck-cluck.”
“Good job. I’m sorry! It’s my first time kidnapping someone, so I forgot to take the cell phone first.”
Ziiing, ziiing…. The vibration showed no signs of stopping. The body of the porcelain Cluck, which was sitting on the cell phone, trembled along with the vibration.
A gentle breeze swept through the wooden floor, carrying the smell of blood. The blood flowing from Ye-seong’s eyes showed no signs of stopping. Eui-jae put aside his desire to argue and checked on Hong Ye-seong’s well-being first.
“Are your eyes okay?”
“Ah! It’s because I used the Emotional Eye for too long. I have something I got in preparation for times like this.”
Ye-seong, who answered cheerfully, took out something that looked like a white bandage from his Inventory and tied it around his eyes. In an instant, he became like a blind The Artisan hiding in a mountain valley, and he said casually.
“Ta-da. Nam Woo-jin made it for me, and it makes me feel a little better when I wear it.”
“Then could you return my cell phone for a moment? I have to contact them. You know Guild Leader Lee Sa-young’s personality.”
“No way. The cell phone is the hostage. If you cooperate, I’ll help you clean up. I’ll even make excuses with you!”
“About that….”
Eui-jae, who touched his throbbing temples, took a short breath and said honestly.
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“……”
Hong Ye-seong stared intently at Eui-jae, even though he couldn’t see because he was wearing a bandage. It was such a persistent gaze that he was glad he was wearing a Gas mask. The vibration that had stopped for a moment started again. The porcelain Cluck yawned, opening its beak wide. Ye-seong muttered after a long time.
“I thought you were denying it, but that’s not it either.”
“Yes. I’m really asking because I don’t know.”
“Hmm….”
Hong Ye-seong tilted his head and asked with a thoughtful expression.
“Doesn’t Secretary Kim have a weapon in his Inventory? Something like a long sword. About this big.”
Hong Ye-seong spread his arms wide. The length and shape were somehow familiar.
‘…Could it be.’
Was he looking for the Basilisk Fang? Did Hong Ye-seong make that? Eui-jae’s face was filled with a puzzled look.
The Basilisk Fang was a weapon that had suddenly appeared in the West Sea Rift. It didn’t fit the timeline, but… if he showed it to Hong Ye-seong, he might be able to find out something about the Rift. He had a strange feeling that he had to. And he was certain that he had to.
J had a duty to bring out those who were buried there.
Eui-jae ignored the blood from his bitten lip and opened his mouth.
“…I do have one.”
Hong Ye-seong jumped up and down on the spot.
“Ah, see, you do! Show it to me.”
“But this… I don’t think it’s equipment that Hong Ye-seong made.”
“Hey, I’ll be the judge of that, just show it to me. Quickly!”
He took out the Basilisk Fang from his Inventory. Fortunately, it didn’t act up like last time, saying it didn’t fit him or that he was too weak to hold it. Eui-jae carefully handed the Fang to Ye-seong.
Hong Ye-seong held the sword in his arms and stroked the scabbard and handle for a long time. Only after groping the shape of the sword several times did he mutter softly.
“…This isn’t something I made.”
Was it just a simple misunderstanding? Eui-jae bit his lip again and clenched his fist.
At that moment, Hong Ye-seong grabbed the handle of the Basilisk Fang and pulled it out of the scabbard. It was as skillful as someone who had handled it many times. As the black obsidian-like blade was revealed, a pure white System window appeared in front of Eui-jae’s eyes at the same time.
[Suitability test in progress…]
At the same time, Hong Ye-seong muttered.
“But it’s also something I made.”
“Pardon?”
[‘Basilisk Fang’ is updating its thoughts!]
[Would you like to confirm?]
Eui-jae nodded his head in a daze.
[Updating…]
[Fang’s thoughts: Father?]
‘Father?’
What was he talking about? Eui-jae’s eyes widened. Hong Ye-seong’s fingertips began to glow blue. He stroked the back of the sword with his fingertips. Blue dots appeared like stars on the black blade. The dots soon became letters, and the letters became a name.
Art Star
“Talent Ye, Star Seong.” Ye-seong.”
“……”
“You know? My name.”
Eui-jae nodded silently. Ye-seong stroked the blade with a gentle touch this time, as if caressing a child. His hand was clean, even though it could have been cut.
“I engrave my name on everything I make. So that I can confirm its existence only when my hand touches it. Well, it’s like a kind of genuine certification….”
“……”
“I have really good information? If there’s a good material or a strong Monster, I get contacted by Inhat DM from Korea or overseas. They ask if I can make something with it. Because.”
Ye-seong’s finger flicked the blade. A clear sound that he had never heard before rang out from the blade. It somehow sounded like a child’s laughter.
“I’m the only person in the world who can make those things into equipment.”
“……”
“But even I haven’t heard that a Basilisk has appeared. I’ve never heard of the Basilisk, seen it, or touched its spoils, so there’s no way I could have made this sword.”
Of course he had never heard of it. The Basilisk was the Master of the West Sea Rift, and J was the only one who had met the Master of the Rift. It was a fact that only J knew.
“But this kid… says I made him.”
Why was Hong Ye-seong’s engrave engraved on a weapon he had picked up in the Rift?
He had never entered the West Sea Rift. None of the Hunters who had entered the Rift had possessed the Basilisk Fang. He was certain of those two things. No one knew the West Sea Rift as well as J.
The many thoughts that came to mind were soon all tangled up in a mess. His pulse gradually quickened.
“Where did you get this?”
“……”
“…Ah~ hey, Secretary Kim. I’m really embarrassed right now too? I really didn’t know something like this would pop out. I just thought my weapon was circulating in some black market….”
Ye-seong scratched his head roughly. It was closer to embarrassment than annoyance.
“Aish, I guess you wouldn’t tell me even if I just asked.”
“……”
“I promise you this. I won’t ask who Secretary Kim is, I won’t dig into it, and I’ll keep this meeting a secret. I’m not curious at all. Well, I’ll even make you a weapon if you need one.”
“……”
“Instead, let’s be honest about this much.”
Hong Ye-seong carefully put down the Fang and grabbed Eui-jae’s arm. Eui-jae hesitated for a moment to push his hand away. The loose bandage slipped down, revealing his bloodshot eyes shining brightly.
“Where did you get this.”