Lohengrin's Spear
▶ Main Mission — Altar Protection cleared.
▶ All altars have been defended.
▶ Your name has been registered on the 41st floor's highest record.
▶ Difficulty increased due to Constellation intervention. Rewards have been upgraded.
[Highest Record Achieved.]
[Lohengrin's Spear has been awarded as a reward.]
◈ Durability: 8,000 / 8,000
◈ The spear once wielded by Lohengrin, Knight of the Holy Grail.
◈ Contains immense Holy Power. Allows deployment of Holy Light Aura by consuming the user's stamina.
◈ Multiple holy spells recorded within. Versatile as a support weapon.
◈ Strength +70
◈ Agility +20%
◈ Holy Light Aura usable.
◈ Holy Cross usable.
◈ Cure usable.
◈ ……
◈ Purification Lv 30 — permanently active.
A spear imbued with white light. It belonged to Lohengrin, son of Percival the Red Knight, one of the Knights of the Round Table.
“Ho, I sense the aura of the Holy Grail from this spear.”
“It makes sense. It was the weapon of the Holy Grail’s guardian.”
“Then it is a Constellation’s weapon?”
“Right. It doesn’t qualify as a holy relic, though.”
As the name suggested, this spear was merely one of the many weapons Lohengrin had wielded. Even if it never reached relic status, its history remained.
Thanks to the Constellations’ interference in the mission, I had obtained an extraordinary reward far beyond what this floor should normally offer.
『The Seeker of Wisdom has taken notice of you.』
『The Evil of the Heavens expresses regret.』
『The Evil of the Heavens claims that only pure martial arts can reach a higher realm.』
“How about giving me an elixir or two as compensation instead?”
I grumbled while looking up at the empty air.
Though I primarily used martial arts, I was no martial arts fanatic like Shin Junseok. Martial arts simply allowed me to utilize my Devour-enhanced physical abilities to their fullest. Aside from my reinforced Brute Strength, I had no body technique comparable to Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts.
“Does Geudae possess no conscience?”
“What did I do?”
“Let us cease this conversation. Why has shame become Yeo’s share alone?”
No. Why was the goddess the one lamenting?
I furrowed my brow.
The next day.
I immediately called Young, the Black Network’s contact.
We met at a café near the guild house.
“You wish to put this spear up for auction?”
“Yeah. Tell Madam.”
“Understood. She will be pleased.”
“Is the spear that valuable?”
“High stat increases even among Legend-grade items. Plus mental defense bonuses and various support spells.”
Not bad. She had a good eye for items.
“Madam asked me to relay a message.”
“What is it?”
“No traces will remain.”
She was referring to the incidents in Mexico and Italy while obtaining the Wildfire Hearths.
“Unnecessary.”
“Madam never acts without reason.”
Young spoke with certainty.
Though assigned to my service, she was ultimately Madam’s subordinate. A capable individual with both loyalty and skill. Useful as long as she didn’t stab me in the back.
Still—
“Even so, baring your fangs at me would be troublesome.”
I released a subtle killing intent. Several customers sat in the café, but the sharpened murderous aura was directed at only one person.
Young broke into a cold sweat.
“……I will keep that in mind.”
“Take good care of Lohengrin’s Spear.”
I downed the rest of my coffee and stood up.
“Are you leaving already?”
“You already ate the cake.”
“One is insufficient.”
“You’ll ruin your stomach eating like that.”
I scolded the whining Nyx and returned to the guild house.
The guild house, now relocated to Yongsan. Ten stories total, each floor roughly three times larger than the previous building. The purchase alone had cost over ten billion won. Money really did flow out like water from a bottomless jar the moment it came in.
“Maybe I should start watching my wallet from now on.”
“Did Yeo not consume the essence of a primordial species? That should suffice.”
“The problem is there are too many places the money needs to go.”
Besides the Tyrannosaurus, there were multiple primordial species essences I needed to Devour. I also had to collect fossils of apex primordial species like Triceratops, Mosasaurus, and Brachiosaurus.
And that was not all.
I needed to invest in Raiden Corporation, the company I had thought of during the trip to America. If long-distance leap technology became commercialized, travel time would be drastically reduced. In the original timeline, the global spatial movement network would only spread in 2036. But what if I advanced that timeline?
The flow of the world had already changed from before the regression. In that case, investing in Raiden could accelerate the commercialization of spatial leap technology.
“In capitalism, money is time.”
The way to buy time with money. Instead of personally acquiring necessary items, I would pay with currency.
One consolation was that the Constellations’ intervention had significantly raised the mission difficulty. Since the rewards had increased accordingly, gathering money had become somewhat easier.
“Huhu, you have become a slave to capitalism.”
“Not a slave. Without money, the goddess wouldn’t be able to eat the cakes she loves.”
“Then that would be troublesome. Work harder.”
If I converted the work Nyx did into wages, it would far exceed the cost of cakes. But I decided not to mention that. Imagining the goddess demanding a raise gave me a headache.
The moment I entered the guild house—
“Aaaagh!!! I’m so frustrated!!”
A woman’s voice echoed loudly through the lobby.
“It seems Jiyoung has lost to Ping Lei again.”
Lee Jiyoung, the neighborhood punching bag during guild training. Complaining every time she lost had become routine. Her unique skill, Vibration Barrier, lacked mobility, and both Ping Lei and Karla possessed abilities advantageous in anti-barrier combat. Even so, Jiyoung always challenged them with a sullen face.
But—
“Something feels different today?”
Her voice carried stronger emotion than usual.
Past the first-floor lobby was the training hall. Jiyoung’s eyes glistened with moisture. Kim Youngsoo was grinding his teeth while suppressing his anger. Karla silently stroked her scythe.
“This is the first time Yeo has seen that child this angry.”
“Yeah. Why is Jiyoung so upset?”
“Hmph. Yeo is speaking of Karla.”
Following Nyx’s words, I looked again. Beneath Karla’s expressionless face, anger flickered.
“This isn’t a funeral home. What happened?”
“M-Master.”
“Don’t stutter. Speak.”
“W-Well…… Waaah!!!”
Jiyoung burst into thick tears like chicken droppings while trying to speak.
Wow, why make things so awkward?
“Stop crying and come here.”
“Hic, hic.”
Nyx gently embraced Jiyoung.
At this rate, I wouldn’t get any explanation.
“Youngsoo hyung, could you summarize the situation?”
“Embarrassingly, we were defeated by another country’s team during the 42nd floor mission.”
“Losing happens. No need to get that worked up over it.”
I replied casually, but inwardly I was surprised. Kim Youngsoo was only slightly ahead in his rank bracket, but both Karla and Jiyoung already possessed combat power comparable to Platinum rank. With a bit more growth, they could challenge Diamond rank—in other words, they had the skill to aim for Ranker status. Who had they run into to suffer defeat?
“The thing is, it seems the opposing side specifically targeted our guild.”
“Targeted……?”
“They said it was the Egyptian guild, Red Desert.”
“Hyung, was there someone named Abdul Hamad on their side?”
“Yes. So the Guild Master already knew.”
Of course I did.
Grind— The sound of teeth clenching echoed.
The contractor of Seth, the Constellation at the center of the Sinister faction, the gathering of evil Constellations. In the previous timeline, he had joined hands with Ping Lei, who shared the same patron, and ruled the underworld across the globe. A villain on par with Ping Lei.
That was why I had requested the Korean Players Association to investigate Abdul Hamad. If the evil Constellations began moving, then Seth’s contractor, Abdul Hamad, would surely show suspicious behavior.
“So this is how they want to play it.”
“Guild Master, do you have an idea?”
“This mission was indeed a targeted attack, just as you said, hyung.”
“Why would an Egyptian guild target ours……?”
“Abdul Hamad is the Lord of the Oasis, Seth’s contractor.”
Kim Youngsoo’s mouth fell open in shock.
How much had Seth invested in Abdul Hamad? It seemed he had poured divinity into him, just like Alexis, Zeus’s contractor, had done.
“But it is strange. How did they know when your guild members would climb the Tower?”
“From Gold rank onward, you can target anyone as long as you have CP.”
◈ Durability: 1 / 1
◈ Designate a guild or individual to compete in a mission.
◈ Purchasable from dimension merchants.
“Guild Master, does that mean we could be targeted again in the future……?”
“Defense is possible. There’s something called a Personal Information Protection Scroll.”
“That’s a relief.”
“We won’t need to use it.”
Did you just say “relief,” hyung?!
I cut off Kim Youngsoo’s weak remark with a firm tone.
“We have to repay them for this.”
I activated the Tower of Babel app and summoned the dimension merchant Mors.
“You called? Oh…… dear customer.”
“That was a long greeting.”
“No, it was not. You must have misheard.”
“Whatever. Give me five Duel Targeting Scrolls.”
“Each one costs 20,000 CP. Is that acceptable?”
“Do I look like I’m short on CP?”
“Someone whose stock price has been rising lately wouldn’t be.”
Mors glanced at me nervously while pulling out five rolled-up scrolls.
“Go.”
“Call me anytime. Then I shall take my leave!”
Mors disconnected without his usual chatter. He must have sensed my foul mood.
“Where are Ping Lei and Enrique?”
“Hic, they went out with the analyst.”
“Tell them both to come back.”
Abdul Hamad.
I had already been tracking your traces. How kind of you to come out on your own.
If you had only touched me, I would have let it slide after some light punishment. But laying hands on my people is unforgivable.
There was also our bad blood from the previous timeline.
I would make you experience a truly horrific time.