Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Eye of the Golem
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Another me, identical in height and appearance.
The creature reacted to Do-jae's movements, launching an attack.
"Ugh."
The weight behind its fists, the speed in its legs—it was all identical to Do-jae.
But the creature seemed to see Do-jae perfectly, while Do-jae could only fight by sensing its presence the moment it moved.
‘Is this even a fair fight?’
It was obvious that if their skills were equal, the one who couldn't see was at a tremendous disadvantage.
Do-jae couldn't even think of landing a blow on the creature.
‘Plus, is there nothing inside it?’
What made things even more difficult for Do-jae were the creature's movements.
It executed maneuvers with a flexibility that was incomprehensible for a human body.
For instance, things like this.
Whoosh—
It would twist its torso not just 180 degrees, but 270, even 360 degrees, attacking with the resulting momentum.
And that wasn't all.
As if it had no joints, it would swing its arms like whips or fold its waist in half.
Backward, at that!
This created a difference in destructive power, evidenced by the blood seeping through the Golem Armor on Do-jae's arm.
‘If only I could see!’
What if he could see the creature?
Or at least, if he could know where it would move?
He thought he might have a decent chance then.
While the creature's movements were free, its attacks were relatively simple.
All it did was push and strike.
It was predictable enough that if he could just see its path of movement, he could anticipate it.
‘Right, if I can just know its location!’
A thought flashed through Do-jae's mind.
He couldn't summon a golem, but wasn't it possible to *create* one?
‘Golem Summon!’
Pop—
[Target is not valid for Golem Summon.]
A message window appeared before his eyes.
Even in the pitch-black darkness, the message window was clearly visible.
‘Yes.’
Do-jae cheered inwardly.
Why was he happy even though he had failed to summon a golem?
It was for this reason.
Thud—!
The creature fell.
Do-jae had predicted its path and tripped it.
‘Golem Summon!’
[Target is not valid for Golem Summon.]
‘Golem Summon!’
[Target is not valid for Golem Summon.]
‘Golem Summon!’
‘Golem Summon!’
‘Golem Summon!’
...
The message window floating in front of the creature followed it wherever it moved.
He was using a method he'd thought of by recalling how the message window had appeared over the mana stone during his last Golem Summon.
‘The left!’
As the creature rushed from the left, Do-jae charged right at it.
Since he only knew its location and couldn't see its precise attacks, launching a preemptive strike was more effective.
Crumble—
He rammed it with his elbow, and the creature's chest shattered, sending stones showering down.
In that moment, the golem's core was revealed.
Do-jae didn't miss the light emanating from the golem's core.
‘So that was it.’
There had been a faint energy he'd felt since entering this place.
An energy so weak it was hard to grasp even when he focused all his senses, like trying to hear a cat's footsteps.
But when the golem's core was exposed, he knew.
It was mana.
Grind—
The creature began to repair its chest.
He could hear the sound of stones fitting back into place.
‘Now I can sense it.’
Once he felt the flow of mana, he could sense it more clearly afterward.
He still needed the help of the skill's message window, but his accuracy had improved significantly.
‘It's coming.’
Swoosh—
Once again, Do-jae read its direction and dodged the attack.
He didn't create distance.
He moved just enough to stay within reach of the creature's chest.
Shove—!
He thrust his fingers into the creature's chest.
‘This feels weird, but I should end it quickly.’
Pop—
Do-jae pulled out his clenched fist.
The creature immediately crumbled to the floor, turning into a pile of rocks.
Rumble—
As soon as the battle ended, the sealed entrance opened.
Light finally streamed in, and Do-jae could see the fragment in his hand and the drawing on the floor.
***
‘The slate had a drawing of someone going into battle, and the first room's drawing was of a fight with a monster. Then, in the second room, someone was kneeling before another.’
After clearing the second room and inserting the fragment into the slate, Do-jae pondered the meaning of the drawings.
The drawing on the floor of the second room was enormous, unlike the previous ones.
So large that he could move around and fight on it with room to spare.
‘The third was the only one without her. Instead, the atmosphere was incredibly bleak.’
The woman with the hawk mask was absent from the third drawing.
What was drawn was a city.
It wasn't a modern city, but one that exuded an ancient atmosphere.
It was a very heavy-feeling drawing of that city being destroyed and collapsing.
The third trial ended rather easily, so he was able to see the drawing quickly. To put it simply, the trial could be described as a 'spot the difference' puzzle.
A trial to find the one true fragment among countless pieces.
He cleared this one easily as well by using the Golem Summon skill.
‘In the fourth, it looked like someone was giving orders.’
The drawing for the final trial depicted someone giving a command.
Figures resembling priests in long cloaks were gathered in a circle, and from a high place, the woman with the hawk mask was gesturing toward them.
And the fourth trial, in particular, was filled with malice.
A diverse mix of enemies, each with a fragment embedded in one eye, attacked all at once.
Of course, they weren't real—just illusions visible to the eye, so his attacks didn't land. But what was unpleasant was that there were humans among them.
People like Shim Young-jin, Jeong Eun-hee, and Song Deok-hoon.
President Choi and the examiner who killed the ogre also appeared.
What was even more infuriating was when his parents, whose memories had grown faint, appeared vividly and attacked him. He was shaking with rage when his own younger sibling came at him with a knife.
‘So what was it trying to show me...? Am I overthinking this?’
He had examined all five drawings, including the one on the slate, but he couldn't grasp their meaning.
The only thing he'd figured out was that the art style was the same.
In the end, were the drawings just works of art?
Do-jae inserted the final eye fragment into the slate.
Thrum—
When the last hole in the slate was finally filled, it began to vibrate with a magnitude different from before.
- You have finally gathered them all. However, your thoughts and actions are crude beyond measure. To the point where I doubt you are truly one who possesses the Heart.
The voice did not hide its deep disappointment.
Do-jae thought it was a rather picky god but decided to play along.
"I apologize for not meeting your expectations. But you did say you would become my god if I cleared all the trials."
A being who called itself a god would not lie.
Do-jae was curious to see how this great being would react.
- That is correct. I have no intention of taking back my words. I shall become your god and acknowledge your worth.
Rumble—
As it finished speaking, the slate crumbled.
And within it was a blue gem.
It shone many times more brilliantly than the fragments he had collected so far.
- Receive it. This is proof of my acknowledgment. My power shall illuminate the path you walk!
Crack—
Crackle—
The blue gem, floating in mid-air, cracked, and a tremendous amount of mana swirled out from within it like a tornado.
The storm of powerful mana was so intense it made his skin tingle.
Fwoosh—!
The raging vortex of mana condensed into a single point and flew toward Do-jae.
And then.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
...
He gained 10 levels in an instant.
But that wasn't all.
[You have cleared the quest.]
[You have obtained the reward.]
['Eye of the Golem']
[You have acquired a new title.]
['Self-Reliant' has been added.]
[When no golem is summoned, gain Attack Power (15%), Defense (15%), and Movement Speed (15%).]
The quest rewards came pouring in.
Do-jae's eyes glowed with a blue light.
And he had also acquired a new title.
It was a versatile title.
Finally.
[You have acquired a new skill.]
[Passive Skill 'Eye of the Golem' has been added.]
***
"Wow..."
Do-jae was admiring his blue sword.
Then he looked at the other sword and let out another sound of awe.
"Whoa..."
What he was currently looking at wasn't the sword itself, but the information window floating above it.
There, the information on both swords was written in detail.
[Equipment Information]
Name: Harpy's Plume
Category: Sword
Description: A treasure symbolizing the Harpy Queen. A master blacksmith received a feather from the mighty, mana-infused wing of the Harpy Queen and forged this masterpiece over half a month. However, as harpies have no hands, it was used merely as a decoration in the queen's nest.
Effects: Attack Power +30 / Durability +10 / Movement Speed +5
Skill: Queen's Flurry Lv. Max
[Equipment Information]
Name: Iron Sword
Category: Sword
Description: A mass-produced sword. Forged in a smithy that churns out dozens a day. It's sturdy.
Effects: Attack Power +5
Skill: None
The two swords showed a clear difference.
One was a weapon with a unique name; the other didn't even have one.
Furthermore, the difference in their descriptions and effects was stark.
In the case of 'Harpy's Plume', the sword had a clear background, but for the 'Iron Sword', even reading the description felt a bit pathetic.
‘So it was a Harpy Queen, not a Mother Harpy.’
Do-jae put both swords back into his Subspace and walked out of the subway restroom.
Displaying weapons in public could cause problems.
No matter how much the Hunter Administration and Hunter Association bent the laws in their favor, they had decided that allowing people to carry weapons freely would lead to bigger issues.
‘Eye of the Golem. I've gained a very good skill.’
[Skill]
Skill Name: Eye of the Golem
Level: Max
Category: Passive
Description: Allows you to see a new realm through the Eye of the Golem. Increases Mentality. The higher your Mentality, the more detailed the information you can see.
Effects: None
Mana Cost: 1 + a
The Eye of the Golem brought many changes for Do-jae.
It allowed him to see information not just on weapons, but also on the nameless ores and materials in his Subspace.
But the most prominent effect of the Eye of the Golem was...
[Character Information]
Name: Go Deok-hyun
Classification: Human
Details: 38 years old, Male, 164cm, 47kg, D-Rank Hunter (License Revoked), Pickpocket (3 prior convictions)
Status: Tense / Excited / Anxious / Wary / Confident
...that he could see the status information of other people, not just himself.
The content was quite different from when he checked his own information, but this was still an incredible advantage.
*Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.*
It means if you know the enemy and know yourself, you will not be in peril even after a hundred battles.
If he utilized this skill, he could at least tell if an opponent was stronger or weaker than him. He could avoid unwinnable fights.
‘First, shall I follow that man?’
After reading the information on the man named 'Go Deok-hyun', Do-jae immediately began to follow him.