Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Rusted Moon Flower Sword
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Honestly, I hadn't expected much when I walked into the shop.
As the owner said, everything had already been verified two or three times and sorted by price range, so the armaments were all about the same quality.
Besides, my main goal was Cheon Seo-yoon's mental power, not picking out weapons.
So, I planned to roughly scan them with Read, find something decent for her, and get out.
That was until we entered what looked like a warehouse...
['Greed' says a thick stench of blood is wafting from the third display case.]
Blood smell?
I casually moved to the back and touched the armament Greed mentioned.
A long, thin-bladed longsword, rusted in spots and looking shabby overall. I activated Read.
[Moon Flower Unit Vice Leader's Longsword]
[Grade: Common (Low)]
[Description: Beloved sword of Song Chae-young, vice leader of the Moon Flower Unit, a prominent women's martial group during the Goryeo Dynasty. It looks unremarkable, but reveals its true power when certain conditions are met.]
[Conditions]
-Outstanding talent from a female swordswoman's mana.
What the hell is this?
I was surprised but quickly acted nonchalant and moved behind Cheon Seo-yoon.
Then I backtracked mentally.
This was a conditional armament.
One that only shows its true value under specific conditions—information even a magic device called an 'Armament Identifier' couldn't detect.
If that was the case, it wouldn't be rotting in a warehouse like this. It should've been displayed somewhere with a price in the hundreds of millions.
Its inherent value was at least High (Low) grade, and the conditions matched perfectly, making it ideal for Cheon Seo-yoon.
My Read skill and Greed's dog-like nose had paid off.
['Greed' says calling it a dog-like nose is highly insulting...]
Whatever.
Just in case, I asked Greed if there were any other unusual ones.
If so, I'd buy one myself.
Unfortunately, Greed shook its head firmly.
"Excuse me."
I grabbed the clearly annoyed owner for one more verification.
Cheon Seo-yoon poked my side, looking uncomfortable with the scene.
I just smirked.
I was curious how that dissatisfied face would change later.
Anyway, once the owner left, Cheon Seo-yoon started seriously picking out armaments.
I moved to a nearby display case, pretending to browse to kill time.
Announcing I'd found it right away would've been weird.
But then.
She picked up the obviously shabby longsword and swung it around.
She even spat on the blade without hesitation, and I started feeling like time was wasting.
"How long are you gonna take picking..."
Imagining she'd camp out for two or three hours, I decided screw plausibility—just tell her.
"You're lucky. Buy this one. It's the best here."
"..."
Cheon Seo-yoon clenched her fist, then let out a deep sigh.
"...Hah. Can't you just wait outside? Forget the bet—I'll buy lunch."
"Watch this first."
Before she could ramble, I tossed her the sword.
It spun through the air and landed perfectly in her hand.
"It's already pretty beat-up, and repairs would cost extra... Hmm?"
The grip felt good in her hand, cutting her off.
She swung it down once out of habit, then side to side.
Her eyes widened more and more as she swung it around.
She had a natural feel for swords, so even without its true power showing, she sensed something different.
"Hey, put that down."
I quickly stopped her as she reached for tissue paper again and guided her to the next step.
"Try channeling mana into it instead."
"Mana? Why mana? If I overdo it and it breaks..."
"Trust me. If it breaks, I'll buy you a new one."
"Really?"
Her attitude softened, and she hesitated before closing her eyes.
Mana surged from her hand into the sword, and the Moon Flower Unit's longsword crumbled with a sizzling crackle.
"Eek, I told you it was dangerous..."
Cheon Seo-yoon flinched, shrugging her shoulders, but this dissolution wasn't the end.
It was the prelude to rebirth.
New blade grew like fresh flesh, and she let out a bizarre moan.
"Ah. Uh. Ah..."
* * *
[Moon Flower Unit Vice Leader's Longsword]
[Grade: High (Low)]
[Description: Beloved sword of Song Chae-young, vice leader of the Moon Flower Unit, a prominent women's martial group during the Goryeo Dynasty...]
[Conditions]
-Tracking Strike: Infuse mana into a slashed foe for extra damage or plant a tracking seed without their knowledge.
Ignoring the owner's twisted, red-and-blue face, we left, and Cheon Seo-yoon grinned like an idiot.
"Hehe."
She cradled the longsword like a sacred treasure, stumbling along with the happiest look on her face.
A clichéd question slipped out.
"That good, huh?"
"Of course. Snagged something worth over a hundred million for just twenty million. Heehee."
Cheon Seo-yoon beamed ear to ear, then realized something and continued sheepishly.
"...Ahem, anyway, thanks. It's all because of you."
"No need. You just got lucky."
"Nah. You don't know, but I'm really unlucky... Whatever, anyway..."
Feeling she'd said too much, she clamped her mouth shut and abruptly changed the subject.
"But seriously, how'd you know? That it was conditional."
Now I was the one embarrassed.
Both Read and Greed were secrets I couldn't share.
I racked my brain and came up with an excuse.
"Saw something similar in a book once."
"Oh... Smart people really are different. You got that eidetic memory thing, right? Remember everything after one look?"
"Not exactly..."
It kinda was, though.
Not that I remembered after seeing—it just came to me when I touched it.
"Let's grab lunch. My treat."
Cheon Seo-yoon suddenly tugged my sleeve.
I hesitated, then nodded.
It was lunchtime anyway, and I needed a place to talk about unfinished business.
Looking around, I soon spotted a decent menu.
One I liked, and since her tastes matched Yoo So-young's, she'd love it even in her sleep.
Sundae gukbap...
Maybe because I'd recalled related memories lately, I couldn't resist asking.
"How about gukbap?"
"G-Gukbap? No, let's do steak. Steak..."
She insisted on something pricier, but I ignored her.
We entered a shabby but charming diner.
Even after ordering, she grumbled.
But when the gukbap arrived—milky broth piled high with toppings, fragrant aroma wafting—it shut her up.
She slurped a spoonful of broth with a satisfied "Kaaah," then dug in voraciously.
She ate so heartily, just like someone else.
I stared at her for a brief moment.
Then I pulled a neatly folded paper from my pocket.
"Here, take this."
"What's this?"
She popped a pickled radish into her mouth and took the paper.
I played it casual.
"Had a chance to read a book on mental power. Thought it'd help you, so I jotted it down."
"...Mental power?"
"Yeah. Dunno your situation, but you only use pure mana. That seemed off."
"What the... you..."
Worried her pride might make her snap, but surprisingly, she fell silent.
Even the crunching of radish stopped, making the quiet awkward.
Before it got worse, I spoke up.
"Heard someone say once: You're not unlucky—happiness just hasn't found you yet."
"..."
"The stuff on that paper is precious. Treat it like your second stroke of luck and study it hard."
I chugged the ice water to hide my embarrassment.
But it wasn't empty flattery.
It was a true treasure to me.
I'd personally adapted and written the early sections of the Three Reaches Technique.
Mental power's principle is stillness in motion—starting from calm control over wild energy...
In that sense, the Three Reaches Technique's opening was a perfect alternative.
It began with intact internal contemplation and focus.
No mid or late sections meant no mana accumulation, but still a valuable gift.
Especially for free-spirited Cheon Seo-yoon...
If she mastered it for combat, she'd unleash mental power more easily.
"...Thanks. I'll give it a read."
She stuffed the paper away, face slightly flushed.
She scooped some gukbap, paused, then cautiously asked.
"But why're you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"
"Hm?"
"It's weird. Didn't you hate me?"
"Well..."
I pondered my answer, then came up with a plausible excuse.
"...The glow from that necklace."
* * *
That night, as an owl hooted mournfully.
I lay in bed feeling much lighter and logged into Demon Hunt Net.
I checked the ongoing auction.
Hadn't expected much with the high starting bids.
Unknown Poet's Fountain Pen: 20,000,000 won.
Gentleman's Necklace: 25,000,000 won.
Whoa.
Bids had easily surpassed starting prices. Participants kept increasing.
Rich folks eyeing the accessories and their synergistic effects—it was raking in profits.
"Maybe 'cause I've been doing good deeds lately."
Things were going smoothly.
Grinning, I lifted my shirt slightly.
No running shorts or Air X's—just something comfy wrapping my body.
0000's chain armor.
No clue who 0000 was until the seal lifted, but I'd probably slept in it too.
It wasn't like normal metal— softer and lighter than fabric.
Perfect for 365-day wear, especially for my weak defense.
"Anyway."
I'd wrapped up the protagonists' growth support for now.
Joo Ah-rin was left, but no need for extra help.
Next week loomed the midterms.
Surviving that hellish main episode would naturally yield canon-related rewards, fueling another growth spurt.
"Time to prepare."
I opened the green window and started adding items to my cart.
Burner, portable gas stove, sleeping bag, and...
"What's a tomahawk?"
Even tasty-looking ingredients filled the basket.
Midterms were survival = competitiveness.
I paid nearly 2 million won in one go.
...Then.
[The Time Shop (Lv1) opens.]
[The Time Shop is a special perk for time-limited trait holders.]
[Purchase various armaments and stats using time as currency.]
I opened the cheat key I'd neglected lately.