Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Artifact (2)
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“Artifact confirmation? Can we really do this?”
As the saying goes, only those who have tasted bear meat know its flavor—Uncle Jo Company’s operatives harbored a superstitious fear of artifacts. Considering the rumors about their prices, it was only natural they wouldn’t dare touch one carelessly.
“We have the rights to it, so of course we can check it. Even if we break it, no one’s gonna complain.”
“What kind of nonsense is that!”
“The government will be satisfied as long as we report properly on schedule. Come on. Who wants to pick it up?”
“…….”
In truth, artifacts were usually subjected to precise testing. Government labs or private companies would run checks in their own facilities to prepare for any contingencies before proceeding.
However, Suhyun skipped that process. Artifacts that posed a danger without prior confirmation were exceedingly rare to begin with, and besides, he already knew this one well.
“But once we confirm it, what then?”
“Once confirmed? We give it to whoever it suits best. We’re not in a position to sell it for cash right now. I’m the only superhuman we’ve got. Kakrita Valley might be manageable if you know the tricks, but we can’t just waltz through everywhere else like that.”
“Aw, man! Always so paranoid. I’ll do it!”
“Brave one, huh. Go ahead and grab it.”
The one who raised his hand was Kim Chang-sik. He swallowed once, then strode forward confidently and reached for the case.
“What happens if I grab it...?”
“Most artifacts give you an intuitive sense of how to use them the moment you pick them up. Give it a try.”
The Lightning Axe sent a stinging jolt of electricity through the user’s body the instant it was grasped. Aside from that, there were no issues worth noting. That current was meant to trigger the room’s traps anyway—it posed no threat outside.
“Haaah!”
“...You don’t need to yell like that to grab it.”
Kim Chang-sik gripped the handle of the Lightning Axe from inside the case and lifted it. Then he pitched forward flat on his face.
“?!”
Suhyun rushed over in alarm. The other operatives, who’d been watching casually from the side, jumped in surprise too.
“What happened?”
“No, this is...”
Suhyun immediately checked Kim Chang-sik’s condition. Fortunately, he was perfectly fine.
‘Did the current knock him out? No, that shouldn’t be enough to...’
Suhyun quickly pried the Lightning Axe from Kim Chang-sik’s hand. He focused his mind. It was as if an extra hand had sprouted—intuitively, he knew exactly how to wield the Lightning Axe.
“Hup!”
With a sensation similar to activating his own power, lightning arced from the axe blade. The bolt shot forward swiftly, struck the target, let out a crackle, and vanished.
“Uwaaah!”
“That’s this artifact’s power?”
“Seems like it. Lightning-type superhuman ability. Pretty useful.”
Suhyun swung the axe lightly. Lightning-based powers were always reliably effective no matter the situation.
“But why’d Chang-sik collapse?”
“No idea... His condition looks fine, though.”
He’d double-checked the artifact just in case, but the Lightning Axe showed no anomalies. It was exactly the artifact Suhyun remembered.
It wasn’t common for a healthy person to just drop like this. Suhyun debated taking him to a hospital. His vitals were stable, but if he stayed unconscious...
“Huh?!”
With a short yelp, Kim Chang-sik came to. Realizing he was lying on the sofa, he looked around in panic.
“What happened?!”
“That’s what we want to know. What’s the deal? Why’d you just keel over?”
“You okay?”
“My body’s fine, but...”
“?”
“I think... I awakened as a superhuman.”
“?!?!?!?”
* * *
Superhuman abilities were still an active field of research, but a few facts were widely known. One of them was awakening.
The conditions were unpredictable, but once awakened, the individual intuitively recognized their own power. Cases where someone awakened but remained unaware of their ability were extremely rare.
One superhuman had described the sensation as “like gaining an invisible new arm,” and Suhyun thought that was spot-on. It just took time and effort to master, but otherwise, it came naturally.
“Everyone, give it a try one by one.”
And Suhyun was the most shocked. Suddenly collapsing was one of the awakening symptoms. Plus, Kim Chang-sik wouldn’t joke about something like this unless he’d lost his mind—so it was safe to say he’d become a superhuman.
‘The lightning jolt?’
The conditions for becoming a superhuman were elusive, but he’d never imagined grabbing that axe could trigger it. Just to be sure, he had the others try too, but they showed no reaction.
“Can you use your superhuman ability?”
“Right now? ...Yeah, I think so!”
He was flustered, but Suhyun had long speculated that one of the team members might awaken as a superhuman. It was just the suddenness that threw him off. Suhyun nodded.
“Good. Let’s step outside and test it.”
“Awakenings can do that?”
“Don’t ask me. That Kim Chang-sik... just from grabbing the axe first...”
As Jung Seong-jae and Kim Dong-uk grumbled, Kim Chang-sik snorted and shot back.
“Jealous, huh? Huh? You punks.”
“Jealous?! What bullshit!”
“We don’t even know what power it is yet!”
“Haha. Being a superhuman is a win in itself, right? This is the reward for living right all this time.”
Since waking, Kim Chang-sik had felt something itching inside him. A sensation that if he pulled it out, something would happen. It could only be a superhuman ability.
“Damn... Why him of all people? If it was Team Leader Su-yong or Lee So-hee...”
“Shut up. Confirm it first, then talk. Plenty of time for chatter later.”
Suhyun rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. Whatever the power turned out to be, it seemed Kim Chang-sik was the one to wield the Lightning Axe. Artifacts drained non-superhumans’ stamina too heavily, compatibility aside.
“Like this? Whoa!”
“Don’t aim at people. Fire it the other way. Still no feel for what the power is?”
“It’s like... whoosh, just blasting it out... that kind of thing!”
Suhyun had dealt with novice superhumans dozens of times. He sighed patiently and continued.
“Don’t rush. At first, just imagine moving an arm.”
“Kraaah!”
“!”
From Kim Chang-sik’s fingertips, brilliant flames erupted like an explosion. Flames poured endlessly from his hand as if it were a flamethrower. The operatives’ jaws dropped at the sight of the flames rippling high in the air.
They weren’t experts, but even they knew that level of power was at least special-grade.
“What...”
“No way...!”
“Uh, uhahaha! Uhahahahaha!”
Overjoyed at his awakening, Kim Chang-sik laughed maniacally as he swung the flame stream through the air. Watching him, Suhyun sensed something off.
‘Flame spray. Not a ranged ignition—close-range emission from the hand... Wait, something’s wrong?’
The flames looked potent at a glance. Close-range emission powers often packed more punch than remote ignition. But even accounting for that, this seemed excessively powerful.
“Too strong.”
“Huh? Isn’t strong good?”
“Strong means high consumption. Look at his face.”
Kim Chang-sik’s expression showed no strain whatsoever. Suhyun snapped his fingers to call him over.
“Hang on. Stop. How’s your stamina? Not tired?”
“Not at all?”
Staring at his hands, Kim Chang-sik tilted his head, not grasping the question.
“Try again. Downward this time.”
Whoosh!
Intense flames billowed up. But Suhyun shook his head.
“What are you doing?!”
The operatives cried out in horror as Suhyun stood and thrust his hand into the flames. But his hand emerged unscathed. Feeling no heat, Suhyun sighed and spoke.
“Fake. No heat.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, otherwise he couldn’t keep spraying like that without a scratch.”
Superhuman abilities were so diverse that no two were exactly alike. And occasionally, there were powers that looked devastatingly strong but were actually harmless.
Hearing Suhyun’s explanation, Kim Chang-sik’s face twisted oddly.
“Fake flames...?”
“No power, but all the effort went into the visuals. Flashy as hell.”
“Puhahahahaha! Fake! Fake flames!”
“You laughing right now, asshole?!”
“You said being a superhuman is enough! But fake! Fake flames...!”
The other operatives burst into laughter at Kim Chang-sik’s crestfallen face.
“Disappointing, sure, but no need to sulk. A superhuman’s useful regardless.”
“R-right?”
“The Lightning Axe probably goes to you, Kim Chang-sik. Non-superhumans burn too much stamina with artifacts...”
A flashy-but-fake flame ability wasn’t ideal. But it was still a superhuman power. No reason to turn it down now.
“Fake flames, huh. What a headache. Report yourself as a superhuman, Kim Chang-sik. But no specifics on the power. You all keep your mouths shut too. If word gets out that Uncle Jo Company’s Kim Chang-sik uses fake flames, whole squad’s on the hook.”
“…….”
“Don’t mope. It’s tricky, but every power has its moment.”
“Even this one?”
“Probably not.”
“You little shit...”
“Joking aside, every power has its use. So quit whining, train for emergencies, and practice handling it. Not tiring no matter how much you use it? That’s a perk in a way.”
Kim Chang-sik sighed deeply, as if the ground would cave in. The elation that had soared moments ago now plunged to the depths. Suhyun’s words sounded like empty consolation.
Sure, Suhyun had universally useful healing, but he was stuck with flames that couldn’t singe an ant.
‘Reminds me of that guy from before with a similar power...’
Remembering how he’d been scared for nothing back then brought a hollow chuckle. Kim Chang-sik’s wasn’t that bad—might come in handy at some point.
* * *
After finishing the artifact check and confirming Kim Chang-sik’s health just in case, the operatives dispersed. No plans to bunk in one hotel either.
Suhyun took charge of the artifact, the Lightning Axe. The others insisted they’d sooner hang themselves than store it.
‘Might be better to hand it to the government than keep it in-house.’
Big mercenary companies often hid and managed artifact intel themselves. But Suhyun’s situation differed. Aligning with the government meant no secrets.
Entrusting storage to them wasn’t a bad call. Superior security, and they’d shoulder any loss or issue.
For now, Suhyun kept it. The Lightning Axe itself wasn’t thrilling, but he had an experiment in mind.
“Now, what the hell are you?”
Muttering, Suhyun lifted the transparent orb. Some gut instinct urged him to keep it hidden.
It wasn’t ordinary, for sure. Channeling artifact-activation energy drew power in—but nothing happened after.
“Hmm...”
He tried pressing the Lightning Axe against it every which way, no dice. Unconsciously, he activated the axe faintly while holding the orb. A bluish bolt lanced out.
Crack!
‘Messed up the control?!’
The bolt that should’ve fizzled on the wall shattered the lamp instead. Suhyun clicked his tongue, cursing his blunder. Testing powers indoors was idiotic, as expected.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
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