Chapter 61
[■ Please make a certain S-rank treasure consume this.]
[■ And so, may the god sealed within the egg hatch.]
[■ The treasure you possess. The Four Shards of Jeong-eun and the Dragon Bracelet react.]
[■ Would you like to feed it to the egg (???)?]
[■ Treasures consumed in this way will never return.]
“……What is this even saying?”
I stared at the system window, dumbfounded. What the hell was this supposed to mean?
“Has it finally lost its mind?”
No matter how I looked at it, it was bizarre. Feed a treasure to an egg? Was that even possible? I couldn’t make sense of it, no matter how closely I looked at the system.
And not just any treasure.
Something this high-rank.
It wanted me to feed in treasures of S-rank or higher.
If I did that, would the egg hatch? And if it did, what would come out?
A god?
It said it would hatch a god. The system was describing whatever was inside the egg as a god.
……I have no idea what that means.
How could a god possibly be inside an egg? I frowned.
[■ Would you like to feed it to the egg (???)?]
[■ Treasures consumed in this way will never return.]
The system appeared again, as if urging me to feed it right now.
……The Shards of Jeong-eun and the bracelet.
The bracelet had been won from victory in the Colosseum, and Jeong-eun’s bracelet was a bound treasure.
It was a treasure that couldn’t even be unbound, yet somehow I could feed it to the egg?
If I do that,
would it hatch?
“……Hmm.”
I closed the system window for now. Whether I fed it or not was my choice, so I decided to refuse for the moment.
This wasn’t something I needed to decide right away. Of course not. This wasn’t some ordinary item—it was an S-rank treasure.
Items so valuable that the state would have to take direct control over them.
And I was supposed to casually feed one to an egg? Whether it was even possible aside, this was not something to take lightly.
“……Let’s leave the egg for now.”
I couldn’t choose immediately, so I put the egg aside for later.
“As for the box……”
I looked at the box that had dropped as a reward.
[■ Pandora’s Box]
“This.”
I knew what it was. I’d obtained one as a reward before.
Back then, it had definitely seemed like it could randomly produce an item.
……But back then,
the reward had changed, probably because of the God of War.
Would it happen again this time?
I carefully reached toward the box. I wanted to open it right away, but—
[■ 30 hours remain until the box can be opened.]
“What?”
To my astonishment, the box had a time limit on it. I couldn’t open it immediately?
I’ve never seen anything like this before…….
Everything about this was strange. I scratched my cheek, puzzled. What exactly was I supposed to do about this?
What do you mean, what do I do? For now……
I couldn’t open it, so I’d have to move on.
That was the conclusion I reached. To be honest, there wasn’t much of a choice. The situation left me no room for one.
“……Hoo.”
With a sigh, I lay back on the cot.
I didn’t understand the egg, and I didn’t understand the reward.
Right now, I didn’t even have the spare capacity to think about those things.
“……Terrorists.”
The terrorist who had been hiding inside the Association.
Those bastards seemed to know something about the incident from ten years ago.
I didn’t know whether Yoon Yeon’s words were true, but if the terrorists of today were really connected to that incident from ten years ago…….
……
My fist clenched tight, and a rough creak of bone echoed from my knuckles.
I’ll find them.
No matter what it took, I would find them.
And once I did,
all of them.
I would erase them from this world. Holding that resolve close, I bit down on my lip.
Blood trickled out, but I didn’t care at all.
* * *
As soon as dawn broke, I moved out right away. Irene had called for me.
When I arrived at the Knight Order’s meeting place, Irene and Jin Yeonhui were already waiting.
There was someone else standing in front of them as well. A face I’d never seen before.
“I’m Choi Ji-seok from the Association headquarters.”
A man in his thirties with glasses. He was listed as a B-rank superhuman.
“I’ve been informed that someone infiltrated the Gwangju branch.”
At his question, Irene looked between Yeonhui and me.
As soon as I felt her gaze, I took the report out of my coat.
“Here it is.”
“Thank you. I’ll review it.”
It was the report concerning what had happened at the time.
“If what you’ve said is accurate, then for now we’ll suspend all activity at the Gwangju branch and conduct a full internal audit of every member.”
“……Is it okay to halt Association operations?”
We had no idea how the terrorists would respond, and there was also the matter of the Gyeolon enterprise. Was it really all right to stop everything?
Before I could even finish wondering, Choi Ji-seok answered.
“In this matter, the First Knight Order will move directly.”
“……The First Knight Order.”
The leading force among the Knight Orders under Association headquarters.
They were called the elite, and regarded as the strongest knights in Korea.
“At the same time, we’ve also begun an investigation into Gyeolon enterprise. If it turns out they’re truly connected to the terrorists…….”
As he spoke, Choi Ji-seok adjusted his glasses.
“We’ll have an answer before long.”
Was the confidence in his voice simply faith in the Association’s investigative methods?
I couldn’t tell.
“I’ll let you know the results as soon as we have them. And also—”
Choi Ji-seok’s gaze turned to me.
“Now, about the bound treasure.”
“Ah……”
“Knight Lee Jinwoo, you said the bound treasure cannot be released.”
“That’s correct.”
Forced binding, with no way to transfer it. At my answer, Choi Ji-seok’s eyes narrowed.
“You haven’t identified what kind of treasure it is?”
“……No. That’s right.”
I had identified it, of course. I knew the rank and everything else, but I had to pretend I didn’t.
“Then we’ll need to measure its rank first.”
“What happens after the rank is measured?”
“If it’s low-rank, there won’t be a problem. But if it’s a bound treasure, the Association headquarters will probably have to convene a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“If it’s a bound treasure, there’s a high chance it’s A-rank or above. And if it turns out to be S-rank, the government will be notified.”
The government. The words alone made my throat tighten.
If it was S-rank, the government would step in. I had no idea how, but they would.
Then—
“And if it’s even higher than that?”
“Higher than that……? You mean the possibility of SS-rank?”
“Yes.”
The government was already involved at S-rank. So what if it was SS-rank? What then? Choi Ji-seok let out a faint chuckle at my question.
“SS-rank treasures aren’t exactly common…… so it’s probably not the case. But if, by some chance, the bound treasure you possess is SS-rank…….”
“If it is?”
“You may have to remain under government protection until we find a way to解除 the binding.”
“…….”
Hearing that, I twisted my face. Protection, my ass. That sounded like—
They’d lock me up, wouldn’t they?
That was certainly how it came across.
“Don’t worry. The chance of it being SS-rank is truly minuscule.”
Probably lower than getting struck by lightning twice.
Choi Ji-seok said that under his breath, but—
……Tch.
It didn’t help me feel any better. I already knew it was SS-rank.
……And I’d gotten hold of that precious kind more than once.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sword was one of them, and I already possessed several SS-rank items.
“This is something the Association needs to verify immediately…… but unfortunately, the assigned enchanter is away at the moment, so we’ll need a few more days for this.”
Roughly three days. Choi Ji-seok said the required time was somewhere between three and five days.
“I’ll send the report straight up the chain. Since this involves terrorists, I expect they’ll handle it with extra thoroughness.”
“……Thoroughness?”
“Yes. If a spy has truly appeared inside the Association…… then no one can be trusted right now.”
Maybe not even the knights.
Choi Ji-seok murmured quietly, and his words irritated me.
The knights too.
If the superhumans under the Association had betrayed them, then why would the knights be any different?
He’s not wrong.
I had no idea how deeply the terrorists had infiltrated everything.
The ripple effect from the Gwangju incident was turning out exactly like that.
And the biggest problem with this whole matter was—
I hadn’t realized a backlash far greater than I expected was waiting for me.
* * *
After Choi Ji-seok left with the other staff members to hear the report, we headed straight to the 6th Knight Order’s office.
They had renovated an empty building and turned it into an office. The inside was neat and tidy.
“Uuuum……”
Irene walked over and sat down in the most obvious seat, the captain’s chair.
“……Such a pain……”
She muttered in a tired voice, then reached into the refrigerator beside her and pulled something out. Cake.
The cake Taeyong Jin had given her in Gwangju yesterday. Irene took it out and bit into it.
It wasn’t even fresh anymore. Judging by the missing slices, she’d already eaten about two pieces from the cake.
“……This is delicious……”
Her expression of admiration was completely honest. She looked genuinely happy.
Normally she was like a machine, but then there were moments like this.
After a few more bites, Irene set down the fork she’d been holding and spoke to me.
“……Lee Jinwoo.”
“Yes……”
I flinched at the sound of my name.
“……Why…… did you…… do that?”
“Pardon?”
“……Why did you…… step in like that?”
Irene looked at me with unusual clarity.
“……I’m sorry.”
I apologized first, but—
“……Not sorry. The reason.”
Irene didn’t seem to want that.
I turned the question over in my head.
“……The Gyeolon enterprise seemed suspicious, and I thought it didn’t make sense for them to be oppressing civilians. Then I heard there might be terrorists involved, so I wanted to help.”
“……That help?”
“…….”
Hero’s Super-sensory has been activated.
I caught a flicker of Irene’s emotions through my senses. Her feeling was annoyance.
“……I…… told you…… it was dangerous.”
“……That was……”
“……I sent you because I thought it was a simple job…… and if you go and create danger for yourself……”
Irene tapped the table with her finger, one click after another.
“……How am I supposed to…… trust you?”
“……I’m sorry. But……”
“……Pointless interference is just meddling……”
“…….”
It was what she’d said last time.
Hearing that, I shut my mouth.
“……I wonder why you did it. Was it because they were terrorists……?”
“Yes……?”
“Because it involved terrorists…… you’re being…… unusually…… sensitive……?”
At Irene’s words, my body went rigid.
“……Why?”
Why was I so strangely sensitive? Why had I acted so recklessly, so stubbornly, beyond reason?
As she pointed that out, Irene pressed in with a sharp gaze.
“……What reason?”
What was the reason?
Why had I reacted like this the moment the word terrorist came up?
Irene asked with a face that plainly said she couldn’t understand it, and—
“……That…… is……”
Just as I clenched my fist and tried to force the words out—
“Wait.”
Irene stopped me.
[■ Hero’s Super-sensory has been activated.]
After that, I felt a presence nearby.
“Excuse me……!”
It was an Association staff member from outside.
“……There’s apparently a mysterious superhuman causing a disturbance near Jongno right now, and the Association wants the 6th Knight Order to step in…….”
A superhuman causing a disturbance? I widened my eyes at the sudden report. And they wanted us to respond specifically?
“……Mm.”
With a sigh, Irene spoke.
“……Perfect timing…… better this way.”
With the hand that had been tapping the table, Irene pointed at me.
“……You’re going.”
“……Irene?”
“……Since it’s come to this, let’s make it definite…… go.”
“……Just like that?”
“……If you go alone, you’ll be bored…… so I’ll assign you a partner.”
A partner?
Not long after Irene said she’d assign me a companion—
“Good day. I was told you called for me……”
a familiar face appeared.
“…….”
O Jimin.
The suspected terrorist, the one who had infiltrated the Knight Order.