Chapter 166: Unintentional Luck (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: Unintentional Luck (2)
The Spear Saint, who was guiding them, babbled on and on.
"The Association's Seoul Branch is the second largest in the world. The reason? Korea plays a pivotal role in the hero world, after all. Our land might not be that big, but our influence is by no means weak. And I have a lot of affection for Korea. I was a student at Joaquin myself, you know. Anyway, fitting for its scale, the Seoul Branch stores nearly half of all artifacts. One of them is the Monolith you're looking for."
Kang Geomma stared at his back and thought to himself. For someone built like a mountain, he sure had a long tongue. He talked more than most teenage girls.
Medea had initially been sick of the Spear Saint's chatter, but she soon gave up. She just let him babble. Even so, this was actually an improvement.
"We've arrived."
Before long, they reached a door. It was a massive door, large enough to occupy an entire wall in both height and width. It was made of processed titanium to block unauthorized access.
The Spear Saint gave a slight chin-flick to one of the agents accompanying them. The agent quickly pressed his thumb against the fingerprint scanner.
Psssssh.
The titanium steel door split down the middle and slid open. The Spear Saint ordered the agents who had been trailing behind them.
"You guys wait outside."
Trudging inside, Kang Geomma looked around. Countless items were enshrined inside glass cases. One look was enough to tell they were rare treasures.
'The vibe is incredibly sci-fi.'
A thick mist mixed with a chemical scent blanketed the floor. The Spear Saint explained that it was a specially processed oxygen sprayed to prevent even the slightest damage to the treasures.
Kang Geomma gave a half-hearted nod to the smug Spear Saint. Grinning with satisfaction, the Spear Saint continued to lead the way.
After walking for about five minutes, a dolmen-like structure stood right before them.
'...That's the Monolith?'
It was certainly massive for a stone, carrying a sense of grandeur. But that was it. Kang Geomma couldn't hide his bewilderment, and the Spear Saint, noticing this, added:
"Bwahaha! Just the reaction I expected. Didn't Manager Seong tell you? He said it looks like a mere chunk of rock."
"I did hear that. I thought it was a figure of speech... but seeing that it's an actual rock is a bit baffling. It makes me doubt if it's even an artifact."
At Kang Geomma's words, the Spear Saint replied.
"Don't worry, it's definitely an artifact. The Association's researchers have investigated it steadily for years and concluded that it is indeed one. Don't be too disappointed. Look here, do you see these drawings made with charcoal? They show exactly how our ancestors lived."
Indeed, looking closer, there were patterns engraved on it. They were drawings depicting primitive life.
"Not only that. The one who drew this was the sole surviving Ancient..."
Mid-sentence, the Spear Saint stealthily glanced at Medea. Her cold, icy green eyes were staring right at him.
Medea stood with her arms crossed, saying nothing. The Spear Saint cleared his throat loudly. He suddenly patted Kang Geomma on the back.
"Anyway, my guidance ends here. Medea and I will head up to the reception room. If you need anything, you can call an agent using the intercom over there."
Kang Geomma found this readily offered goodwill puzzling. It wasn't that he felt bad about it. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Still, a question was a question. Why was the Spear Saint showing such kindness?
Was it to gently coax him into joining the Association, as Medea had suggested? To Kang Geomma, it didn't seem quite like that.
Even when he looked at the Spear Saint's face to read his true intentions, the man only laughed heartily.
Come to think of it, the Spear Saint hadn't even asked why he wanted access to the Monolith. It was something he could have easily been curious about.
Even if it was a reward, how could they leave him alone in a space packed with rare treasures without knowing what he might do? What if he lost his mind and swiped something?
Before the two disappeared, Kang Geomma called out to the Spear Saint's broad back.
"We've only just met. Why are you going this far for me? Even if it's a reward, how do you know what I'll do if you leave me here alone?"
The Spear Saint turned his head halfway. The corners of his mouth curled up in a heroic grin.
"The weak do not question the actions of the strong. You are far stronger than I am. Therefore, I am simply following my own convictions."
"..."
"I know what you're thinking. It's natural to wonder how I can trust you and leave you behind in this treasure vault. But what of it? Compared to the thousands of lives you saved, these petty treasures are utterly worthless. So, do what you came here to do. We old folks will get out of your way now, bwahaha!"
His laughter, echoing off the titanium walls, only subsided when his retreating figure was swallowed by the shadows.
After the two members of the Seven Stars disappeared, Kang Geomma stared blankly in that direction for a moment. Then, he approached the Monolith once more. He peered closely at the drawings engraved on the stone and muttered,
"An ancient mural depicting a hunt..."
Kang Geomma furrowed his brows. The more he observed the drawing, the clearer it became that this was no ordinary mural.
The shapes of the hunting humans and their prey resembled each other. The only difference was that wings sprouted from the backs of the hunters, while the prey had none. It was a deeply unsettling drawing.
Kang Geomma hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand. Regardless of his impressions, anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
'Will a status window pop up this time too, like during the "Sword Saint's Longing"?'
With that thought, the moment his palm touched the cold, rough surface of the stone—
* * *
[NEW! Emergency Quest Triggered.]
You are viewing the memories of someone from the Mythological Era.
[※ You can acquire the second Memory Fragment of 【???】. Total acquired: (1/7).]
[※ This quest can be cleared simply by watching.]
[※ However, if you move your body, you will not be able to obtain additional rewards.]
* * *
Would you like to accept the quest? (Y/N)
[🕛 Time remaining to accept – 0:03]
* * *
He stared blankly at the status window for a moment. Cleared just by standing still and watching? Compared to last time, when he had to engage in a bloody sword fight with himself, this was an unexpected stroke of luck. To put it bluntly, it was a total freebie.
Groooooooan...
But immediately after, a deeply piercing emotion seeped through his fingertips and into his ears. A voice like a resentful, agonizing wail.
In an instant, Kang Geomma's head shook reflexively in panic. The sorrowful, spiteful emotions pricked his spine like needles.
...!
Startled, Kang Geomma almost pulled his hand away. However, his consciousness faded faster than he could think.
(Y/N)
▲
* * *
The reception room of the Seoul Branch.
"For now, our Academy will organize things like this and release it to the press... It pisses me off that the reporters won't have to worry about finding stories for a while."
"In return, the Hero Association will handle the rest. Just bear with it until then."
The Spear Saint responded to Medea's words with a solemn expression.
Medea tossed a stack of documents onto the table and let out a short chuckle.
"Gorilla, when did you get so smart? Are you really the same guy who used to rank near the bottom back in our cadet days?"
"The human brain is also a muscle! If you train your body consistently, your intelligence naturally rises as well!"
Medea shook her head. She lacked the energy to banter back, having stayed up for several nights straight.
"...My mistake for asking. By the way, earlier... you almost said something about my ancestors, didn't you?"
"I-I apologize for that. I meant to watch my mouth, but it slipped. I'll be more careful in the future."
"Forget it. I didn't plan on keeping it a secret forever anyway. Most people around us already know. Still, I wanted to tell Geomma myself."
"..."
"That I am a descendant of the humanity that received heaven's punishment."
* * *
Whoosh.
A cool breeze blew. The rice stalks swayed like golden waves.
People clad in tanned leather were in the middle of harvesting the ears of grain.
They held crudely made tools, cutting down the stalks. It was a tool made of iron—a sword.
Although from a modern perspective it was shaped somewhere between a sword and a sickle, the Ancients simply called it a sword.
The sword provided convenience to the Ancients. It helped harvest crops with ease and improved the quality of their hunting. Thanks to it, the challenge of survival was resolved.
All of this was progress brought by the sword. Until just a few years ago, the Ancients had bowed politely to the heavens, praying over and over. They revered celestial beings, hoping for even a small drizzle of rain. Their lives were a cycle that began and ended with prayer.
The sword liberated the Ancients from such worldly shackles. They became able to build a peaceful life with their own hands. Thus, proud smiles never left their faces.
They no longer had to beg the heavens. A passive attitude toward life transformed into an active one.
In this way, the celestial beings were rapidly forgotten from humanity's minds.
And it did not take long for them to realize that this was the beginning of the end.
·
·
·
A young girl wove flower buds together. She intricately twisted them to make a crown. It was a wreath made for her father, who would soon return from hunting.
"Daddy will love this, right?!"
Having finished preparing her surprise gift, the young girl looked around. The harvest was in full swing. The adults were gathering the ears of grain they had cut with their respective tools.
"Hehe. White rice and meat side dishes again today~"
Just watching them made her feel full already. A silly grin spread across the girl's face.
Rumble...
Just then, a clap of thunder echoed through the clear sky. The girl suddenly looked up. Her bright, sparkling eyes widened to their limits.
"Huh?"
A person was standing in the cloudless sky. How were they floating in midair? On top of that, she noticed something else. The figure was stepping loftily through the empty air, shedding feathers.
The person high up had wings on their back. A pair made of pure white feathers. Suddenly, she remembered something her grandmother had told her.
Back when her grandmother was her age, there were beings people used to pray to, and their agents would occasionally show themselves...
"An angel!"
The thought flashed through her mind, and she clapped her hands.
To think she would actually see an angel! The unrealistic sight was simply fascinating to her. She was far too young to understand the gravity of the situation.
She decided to open her eyes wide and imprint the angel's image into her memory.
"Wow, so pretty."
The girl gasped in spite of herself. It was a beautiful figure that made her lose herself the more she looked.
But suddenly,
Swish, swish, swish.
The single angel began to multiply. Five, six, seven. The girl gave up counting once the number exceeded her fingers. She just stared blankly up at the infinitely multiplying dots.
Eventually, the shadow cast by the angels blanketed the entire wilderness. Only when the sky was completely packed did the adults finally look up.
"T-That is...!"
The village elder cried out. His face turned pale blue with terror. Fear seeped into the staff he held.
Why is he doing that? Just as the girl tilted her head, a voice echoed inside her mind. She clutched her head at the surging headache.
[How tragic.]
The sound was fragmented. The Agents of the Stars. Their voice was one, yet whole.
[In the end, this generation also ends in failure, sinking into demonic corruption.]
Bwaaaaaaaap—
A horn resounded. The angels lowered their stances.
[O Stars.]
Countless wings fluttered in unison, as if by promise.
[We shall execute the heavenly punishment.]
Ivory feathers drew in light and immediately scattered. They flew at a speed imperceptible to the eye, sweeping across the earth. In an instant, the land that had been golden with grain was dyed dark red.
The girl looked around with a stunned face.
The heads of the women harvesting rice fell as easily as grains of rice. The men who had gone out to hunt had their flanks torn open, spilling their entrails. The angels flew heavily, their wings soaked in human blood.
Watching this scene, she knew she would meet the same fate.
"..."
A crimson wing cast a shadow before her. The girl dropped the flower crown she had been clutching. The winged monster opened its mouth.
[You are young. But rest assured. The Stars have promised that they will no longer lay a hand on the generations after yours.]
The angel raised a hand tangled with blood and entrails.
[So close your eyes in peace, young failure.]
The girl did not cry. Her eyes merely gleamed with a glassy, inorganic light, like porcelain.
Tsk.
Right then, the sound of someone clicking their tongue came from behind. Her gaze naturally shifted there.
"How am I supposed to just stand by and watch this? Even if it's an illusion, you expect me to tolerate you touching a kid?"
A person with black hair and very unfamiliar clothing. He was the only black spot in the middle of this pure white hell. He drew a short blade.
"And these bastards are angels? Bullshit. At best, they're just overgrown pigeons pretending to be agents of God."
Clink. A metallic sound rang out. At that moment, the eyebrows of every angel twitched. All eyes converged on Kang Geomma.
Hummmmm. The blade, filled with wrath, vibrated even louder. Kang Geomma closed and opened his eyes.
A sword is the will to live forged in iron, a human tool imbued with a pioneering spirit, and—
[The Blessing of the Sword God is manifested.]
It is also a weapon meant to kill enemies.