Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Ghost-Possessed Hand
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What on earth was the stalker's purpose in seeking out Kang Seol?
Kang Seol caught something in the other man's voice, which sounded desperately urgent for some reason. But he didn't put it into words.
He simply listened quietly to what the man had to say.
Conveniently enough, it was a secluded alley, so their conversation flowed without interruption.
"I need... help."
"As expected."
The only people desperate enough to wait endlessly without sleep for someone on the rankings were those at their wits' end.
And someone that desperate would surely want help.
"Why me, specifically?"
"Please, just hear me out."
"What's your name?"
"Han Yeo-myeong. Feel free to drop the formalities."
"We're not close enough for that yet. Let's talk somewhere more suitable instead."
Kang Seol led Han Yeo-myeong to a quiet tavern that doubled as an inn.
After booking a room, they sat at an out-of-the-way table on the first floor. With Han Yeo-myeong seated directly across from him, of course.
Han Yeo-myeong stood out from the others in one key way.
His hand...
His right hand was pitch-black, as if it had rotted away.
Swish.
Sensing Kang Seol's gaze, he tugged his sleeve down over it.
"Pretty strange, huh?"
"What happened to your hand?"
"It's possessed by a ghost. Cursed."
"Cursed?"
Such things did happen occasionally in the Eternal World.
From touching abominable or cursed items, or getting hit by grudge-filled evil spirits, and so on.
But Han Yeo-myeong's hand didn't quite feel like a curse.
At first glance, it had seemed rotten, but up close, it actually looked firm and smooth.
Not a curse, then...
Kang Seol's curiosity about Han Yeo-myeong's story grew.
Han Yeo-myeong began to unravel the tale behind his blackened hand.
"I have siblings."
"A younger sister?"
"Yeah, a little sister... and an older sister. Or had, I guess."
"What?"
"My older sister died. During our second adventure."
His story went like this.
Remarkably, the siblings had all met during the Friendly 5 Brothers adventure and sworn to return alive together.
But the Friendly 5 Brothers wasn't some walk in the park, and during a fight with trolls, his older sister had ended up on the brink of plummeting off a cliff.
Thud!
Somehow, Han Yeo-myeong had managed to grab his sister Han Sae-byeok's hand—just barely.
His younger sister Han No-eul had witnessed the whole thing.
- Oppa! Don't let go, no matter what! Unnie! Just hold on a little longer!
- No... if we keep this up, you'll fall too, Yeo-myeong.
"There were too many trolls. Sis tried her best, but..."
His hand was slick with sweat.
Han Yeo-myeong couldn't support her weight with just one arm.
Swish...
Swish swish...
His body was gradually dragged toward the cliff's edge.
- Ngh...
- No! Oppa!
The rest of the party was busy fending off trolls and couldn't help.
Han Yeo-myeong shuddered as he recalled the moment.
"I remember it all... Sis's voice, the way she looked at me, her final words."
- ...Yeo-myeong. Let go.
- Shut up! Han Sae-byeok!
- Han Yeo-myeong, sis loves you so much. ...Do it for No-eul.
- Fuck! Please, don't make me let go!
- ...I'll let go.
Swish...
The chilling sensation of her hand slipping from his grasp.
The emptiness and despair that followed.
And even as she fell, Han Sae-byeok's eyes filled with worry for him.
"Every night, she appears in my dreams... it's driving me insane. She comes to me every time."
"What does she say?"
"Save her... please save her."
"And the hand started then?"
"Yeah. A weird message popped up."
Unexpected Accident!
Physique: Ghost-Possessed Hand acquired.
"Unexpected accident... I see."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
Unexpected accidents.
The Eternal World had all sorts of systems.
Some brought positive effects, but others inflicted negatives.
Adventurers who witnessed horrors during quests might suffer mental breakdowns, or injuries could leave lasting aftereffects—those were the usual triggers.
Ghost-Possessed Hand... He got a rare physique.
To fix it, one would need to resolve the ghost's resentment or perform a high priest's purification rite. Otherwise, no dice.
That hand belonged to the ghost now.
But every cloud had a silver lining.
If Han Yeo-myeong could reclaim his hand from the ghost, it would grant him tremendous power.
That was the nature of the Ghost-Possessed Hand, as Kang Seol knew it.
"Does the hand not move at all?"
"Nope. I'm right-handed, but I eat with my left now."
"Must be inconvenient. So, what's your request? If it's about restoring your hand to normal..."
"Oh, no. This is my guilt and regret—no fixing that. What I'm asking is about my little sister."
"Your sister? Come to think of it, what happened to her?"
"She joined a guild. Things got distant between us after that incident."
Kang Seol could guess.
The little sister was pouring out her hatred for the brother who let her older sister fall. It was how she coped.
"She thinks I let go on purpose. Honestly, I'm not even sure anymore. Maybe I did..."
"Is her guild dangerous?"
"That... Do you know the Justice Guild?"
"No. Not interested."
"It formed early on. They have the top-ranked adventurer, which drew a crowd."
"......"
Kang Seol vaguely recalled running into them in the city. He hadn't paid much mind at the time.
"It's all lies, though. They're deceiving everyone."
"That's it?"
"No! That's not all. The leaders arbitrarily assign party members, and they use anyone hostile to the execs as cannon fodder."
"And?"
"People who've quit recklessly get massacred in villages... And lately, rumors of them allying with a shady guild..."
"All rumors."
"Th-that's not true!"
"Then what?"
"My sister... she reached out to me."
"......"
"She begged me to save her. Everything I told you? It's straight from her—internal info she's confirmed herself. No-eul said she's in danger... begged me to save her!"
Kang Seol rubbed his forehead.
"Even if it's true, that doesn't give me a reason to help you, Mr. Han."
"Why? Why not..."
"I'm no apostle of justice."
"......"
"Everyone has their own circumstances, Mr. Han. I don't have time to look beyond my own goals."
It wasn't wrong.
The path to Ascension was one of endless trials.
He had to conquer near-impossible adventures, growing stronger in body and mind.
The power he'd gained battling injustice was for Ascension—not for playing hero.
Act on justice once, and desperate lambs would flock to him.
And there was no guarantee they were all innocents.
It would spell certain failure for his Ascension.
Unable to spell it out explicitly, Kang Seol stuck to the conclusion. Han Yeo-myeong pushed back.
"Why! Why, when you're that strong... You said rankings don't capture the power gap! Second place is half your score... so you're at least ten times, no, dozens of times stronger..."
"I grew strong not to save those who cower behind the mighty, waiting for rescue. Save yourself, Mr. Han. The way to save your sister lies with you, not me. I can't save everyone around me."
"What..."
"Oh, and that hand."
"My hand?"
"It might not be a curse. To resolve your sister's situation, you need to shake off that guilt first. Anyway, that's all from me."
Kang Seol rose and left.
Han Yeo-myeong sat there in a daze, tormented.
Kang Seol watched him briefly before heading up to his room.
'Cold-Blooded' sponsored 200 Madness!
Why help that guy? Shit, he'll sort it out himself.
You got no siblings?
That's why I can't empathize more! He just beat me up for drinking his banana milk ㅡㅡ
Your bad lol. Banana milk's a serious crime.
Honestly, I'd have helped.
The events of the previous night lingered in Kang Seol's mind.
But the words he'd said to Han Yeo-myeong were also meant for himself.
I can't get involved in everything.
And life in Pandea had only just begun. Those who couldn't adapt to the new rules were naturally weeded out.
They can't survive here on my help alone.
Crises could strike at any moment in this world.
He couldn't be there to save them every time. His path was set, and his time was limited.
Han Yeo-myeong has the Ghost-Possessed Hand. Unlocking its secret would make reclaiming his sister straightforward.
If he unraveled the mystery in that hand, Han Yeo-myeong would gain a weapon unlike any other.
The Ghost-Possessed Hand was notoriously hard to acquire, and its power stood out from the early game.
And down the line, it could even help me...
Some adventures demanded special physiques.
Those usually offered far better rewards than ordinary ones.
The more he thought it through, the clearer it became: he should keep an eye on Han Yeo-myeong.
If the man resolved it himself, perfect. If not, lending a hand lightly wouldn't be a big deal.
Yeah, just a little support. As long as he changes on his own, not devoured by helplessness.
That was why Kang Seol refrained from jumping in rashly and chose to observe instead.
It was also why he'd sought out the hidden information guild in Kongori.
Even transmigrators might not know it existed—a secret space tucked away in an old tavern.
"We have plenty on the Justice Guild. Anything specific you're after...?"
"Negative info only."
"That'll be 150 gold."
"Here."
Rustle.
The intel matched what Han Yeo-myeong had said exactly.
It even seemed watered down in places—the Justice Guild's ugly underbelly was worse than expected.
As he scanned the documents, Kang Seol spotted a familiar name.
"Predator Guild?"
- And lately, rumors of them allying with a shady guild...
Who would've thought the shady guild Han had mentioned was the Predator Guild?
Kang Seol memorized every detail, tapping his lips thoughtfully.
"Any info on the Predator Guild?"
"Negative only?"
"Yes."
"100 gold."
Handed the info on the Predator Guild.
"Tch... nasty."
The pages brimmed with sordid details of their misdeeds.
Fwoosh...
Kang Seol burned the paper in a candle flame before asking,
"Why let it get this bad without stepping in?"
"10 gold."
Clink.
"Unclear. So far, they've only intervened in incidents involving transmigrators once—when a citizen was murdered."
"They know, but turn a blind eye."
"They have their own rules. That's just my personal take—no charge for it."
"Their own rules... Got it."
Kang Seol turned to leave, then paused and addressed the informant again.
"Oh, and I need a tail on someone for about a week."
"Single target?"
"Yes."
"Compared to you?"
"Much weaker."
Kang Seol passed along Han Yeo-myeong's details.
"20 gold, then. We'll tail nonstop—even when he sleeps."
Clatter.
Kang Seol paid the extra 20 gold and stepped out.
His next stop was the Dark Foresight. Time to spend his new ability points.
"Back again."
The manager recognized him and spoke up.
This is a place that studies black magic. The apparent manager asks your business. What will you do?
1. [Requires: Ability Points] I want to learn a new ability.
2. [Requires: Ability Points] I want to strengthen an existing ability.
3. I want to test an ability.
4. Do you have something to entrust?
5. [Requires: Shadow Summoner, Wall of Enlightenment] I've heard there's a Shadow Summoner here.
...
He'd planned to say the same as last time—that he was here to strengthen abilities—but he hesitated as the options looked subtly different.
Option 5 is lit up?
Last time, it had been grayed out as unavailable. Now it glowed vividly, just like the others.
Did some info unlock...?
Kang Seol didn't hesitate.
"I've heard there's a Shadow Summoner here."
"Word travels slow. You're probably talking about Summoner Chao."
"Chao? Yeah, sounds right."
"He headed to Nobira and went radio silent. It's a rough place full of thugs, so we're worried. It's been a month already. Someone like Chao shouldn't have much trouble with the riffraff there, but you never know with people."
Kang Seol rested his chin, deep in thought.
This question tied into an enlightenment episode that wouldn't surface until after at least six more adventures.
No need to rush it now, but dragging his feet could mean missing the timely clear.
New options appeared.
Shadow Summoner Chao, who might bestow teachings upon you, vanished after heading to Nobira. The manager seems worried. How will you respond?
1. That's too bad.
2. None of my business. See you.
3. No other Shadow Summoners?
4. [Requires: Enlightenment in a specific field] Maybe I could fill in for Chao.
5. Shall I look into Chao's whereabouts for you?
"Shall I look into Chao's whereabouts for you?"
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then I leave it to you!"
'The Missing Summoner'