Epithet .
The appraiser Jin Ming was an SS-rank Virgo star and the man who had claimed to be Lee Geon's disciple at the United Exchange.
At the same time, he was also the one Lee Geon had consulted regarding the dagger.
The very dagger from twenty years ago.
The dagger that had cast Lee Geon into the trap.
Sure enough, Jin Ming carefully held out a box to Lee Geon.
It was undoubtedly the dagger Lee Geon had entrusted to him after defeating Sophie.
[Short Sword Stained with Death Qi]
Grade ???
- Unable to retrieve information
Hugo was startled when he saw it.
He had every reason to be.
"Hey, didn't you show that to Heiji just a few days ago?"
Hadn't Lee Geon shown that same sword to Heiji while asking about the culprit?
At that, Lee Geon smirked and pulled something from his coat.
Hugo was astonished.
"That's...!"
What Lee Geon produced was an identical dagger.
"The one I had was a replica."
"What? A replica? I've never even seen you make that before."
Lee Geon tossed the blade, caught it, and scoffed.
"A tiny little knife like this? I could make it while taking a shit."
"....!"
Hugo was aghast.
Even with the discerning eye (S-rank) he had forcibly acquired because of his Constellation, he hadn't noticed a thing.
Besides, Lee Geon never made more than one copy of any work. Replicas were even less worth mentioning.
So Hugo had assumed Lee Geon had no talent for copies whatsoever.
*'At that level, it might as well be the original...!'*
But his admiration for that skill was short-lived.
"Forget that! How could you trust a Virgo star and leave it with him!"
The Leo faction's case was worth it; they had stolen the bastards' items, and keeping them alive provided significant benefits.
If they were kept alive, the items taken from Leo could be used continuously.
But what about a Virgo star?
"To put it bluntly, this guy could have already sold you out to Virgo!"
"What?!"
Jin Ming was the one who was shocked now.
"Anyway, Geon, you need to be more suspicious of people...!"
"How dare a geezer with a face like a sparrow say that! You lanky beanpole with nothing to look at but a face!"
"....?!"
It was brutal treatment directed at a star. For Hugo, it might have been the first time in his life he'd experienced it.
But Jin Ming was furious.
"Do you think I would sell out a master of twenty years! You perennial last-place constellation!"
"....!"
Hugo took damage, utterly dumbfounded.
He was startled by the wording as well, thinking it was just his usual personality.
"A master of twenty years! Since when have you even known Geon...!"
"Ah. He's right, though. You two are brother disciples."
"?!"
At Lee Geon's confirmation, Hugo took secondary damage.
It implied Lee Geon had secretly been raising another disciple without his knowledge.
But the damage didn't end there.
"Besides, if you consider the order, the appraiser would actually be your senior brother."
"?!!"
Tertiary damage.
"On top of that, in information gathering, you're a million times more useful, so I left it with you."
Quaternary damage!
"Anyway, get along now. You know he's Seongjae's friend, right?"
The dying Hugo made a desperate outburst.
"I don't know...! How could he have a friend like that...!"
Jin Ming looked at him pityingly.
"Wow, seeing you in person, you really are as unpleasant as my son said. So stubborn and rigid. A total boomer."
"...Ughk!!"
Hugo collapsed.
The finishing blow was a critical hit.
Well, it was all the same to Lee Geon.
Jin Ming, too, had simply employed any means necessary for his own purpose.
Why?
[Short Sword Stained with Death Qi]
Grade ???
- Unable to retrieve information
[The information of this sword has been destroyed by a sinister force]
[No information remains on the sword]
[Material information cannot be confirmed due to the low level of the Eye of the Master]
[No tracking skill can trace the owner left on the sword]
In fact, even Hugo, a specialist in tracking, had failed to obtain any clues from the sword.
But Jin Ming could do it.
Why?
Jin Ming (SS-rank) Virgo
Awakening Name (Baptismal Name): [One Who Discerns the Authenticity of All Things]
- One Who Discerns the Annals of Eternity
Effect: Can extract memories from all things.
- Skills of the One Who Discerns the Authenticity of All Things -
[Memory Reading SS-rank (Virgo)]
[Memory Transmission S-rank (Virgo)]
[Disciple of Lee Geon-nim (Personal) B-rank (Virgo)]
[Memory Implantation S-rank (Virgo)]
...
Personal Traits
[Rootless Confidence] Luck buff 30%
[Artisan's Eye] Observation ability buff
[Diligent and Sincere] Stamina 20% increase
[Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder] Works must be A-rank or higher
[Zealot] Nullifies brainwashing and hypnosis-type skills
Traits He Wanted to Hide
[Mental Sensitivity] Stamina 50% discharge
[Voice] Drains the opponent's spirit
That was it.
Jin Ming's primary skills were "memory-based."
He could extract memories not only from humans but also from objects, spaces, and even monsters.
While he certainly had a natural eye for detail, his status as an SS-rank appraiser was not for nothing.
By tracing back memories, it was impossible for him not to know whether something was genuine or fake.
So, from the moment Lee Geon glimpsed his ability, he had felt that this guy was the only one for the job.
*'Well, it's a bit inconvenient that he can't read my memories.'*
The reason he couldn't read Lee Geon's memories was simple.
[A mere mortal cannot dare to intrude upon the body of the Serpent Holder's host]
That was why he had him read the dagger's memories.
*'Well, it's no ordinary object, so I was told it would take quite some time.'*
"So, who was the culprit?"
At that, Jin Ming quickly glanced around.
"Lee Geon-nim, excuse me for a moment."
Simultaneously, Jin Ming flicked a sword-shaped emblem.
*Ting!*
A shining barrier materialized around them.
[A borrowed skill from Pisces has been activated.]
[A 'Ward Against Eavesdropping' will be generated for 30 minutes.]
[The rental fee of $500,000 has been deducted.]
[Thank you for using the service.]
[The aquatic energy prevents any internal sounds from leaking outside.]
As the barrier of light permeated his body, Jin Ming tensed up sharply.
"You said that five years ago, an identical sword to this one appeared at an auction, correct?"
"Yeah. And I heard an SS-rank appraiser examined it back then too."
That was precisely why Lee Geon had sought out Jin Ming.
To find out who had come to sell that sword at that time.
Jin Ming swallowed hard.
"Actually, five years ago... the person who appraised that sword at the time was probably my predecessor."
"!"
"I am the second generation. Although our abilities differed, that person was also one of the Ten Stars of Virgo."
"Oh. Your senior would know the culprit better then. Can you contact them?"
"They passed away."
"!"
"Timing-wise, they were murdered exactly one week after appraising that sword."
The expressions of both Lee Geon and Hugo changed.
Someone potentially connected to Lee Geon's case had been murdered?
It was naturally suspicious.
That wasn't all.
"And this sword... when I extracted its memories, I found fragments of memory deleted here and there. The traces were wiped absolutely clean. This is something that should be impossible; an immense power beyond the human realm is involved."
"....!"
In short, the adversary was no ordinary being.
Hearing that, Hugo could understand as well.
No matter how exhausted Lee Geon was from restraining the Red Eye, would it have made any sense for him to fall into a trap just from being stabbed by such a blade?
As expected.
"A powerful curse skill was placed on it. This is a level that could even kill a Constellation."
"....!"
Curse skills are the specialty of Cancer, the Crab. But with their skill, they couldn't kill a Constellation.
Meaning, this wasn't something a single star could accomplish.
Furthermore, it had been said that the power didn't match any of the known Twelve Constellations.
"It's certain that the culprit received power from someone else to stab Lee Geon-nim."
Lee Geon grinned mockingly.
*'As expected, an unknown civilization is involved.'*
Jin Ming hesitated before continuing.
"Anyway, I managed to scrape together and examine fragments of the memories..."
"And?"
Jin Ming squeezed his eyes shut. The words he uttered were shocking.
"The one who stabbed Lee Geon-nim was the Virgo Star!"
"....!"
Jin Ming's hands trembled with a sense of betrayal.
Though the memories were erased to the point of almost being gone, blurred and shattered into pieces, it was certain.
What emerged from the dagger's memories was their own constellation's leader.
"Just in case, I secretly searched the Virgo armory, and found the same things there..."
Jin Ming opened his bag.
At the contents, Lee Geon laughed, and Hugo nearly fainted.
A flood of weapons identical to the one that had stabbed Lee Geon poured out.
Perhaps this was the reason why Jin Ming, despite being SS-rank, had such low faith in Virgo.
It didn't matter anyway.
Hugo recalled the European Union commission his son had brought.
That was definitely a request from Virgo.
"Then, don't tell me Virgo called you here, Geon... Huk!"
Hugo couldn't finish his sentence.
Because Lee Geon instantly drew the returned sword.
*Sugeong-*
After twenty years.
No, despite the hundreds of years trapped in the tower, it was pristine without a single blemish.
Lee Geon's gaze locked onto the eerily chilling blade.
"Geon?"
"The curse skill you said was contained here."
"Pardon?"
"The skill that could even kill a Constellation. Can it be restored?"
"....!"
Hugo and Jin Ming gasped in horror.
"You don't mean...!"
Lee Geon's serpentine eyes flashed menacingly.
"It can kill a god, they say. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
Jin Ming trembled at Lee Geon's murderous intent, unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
But then Jin Ming spoke up.
"I know a regeneration magician who can reawaken exhausted skills. I will contact them."
Lee Geon smiled. At the same time, he handed something to Jin Ming.
It was a necklace.
"It's a protective relic I made. Keep it on, just in case."
"Lee Geon-nim!"
Of course, it also included surveillance and tracking functions.
But whether Jin Ming knew that or not, the appraiser was deeply moved, saying he had been granted an item by Lee Geon-nim.
Well, that wasn't the priority right now.
"Right now, the monster that's appeared here comes first."
"!"
*'I'll deal with Virgo after handling the Trial of Strength.'*
After all, there was a time limit.
He looked at Hugo.
"Didn't you say your subordinates went ahead as the advance party?"
"Yes, they should be..."
Just then.
"Lee Geon-nim!"
"!"
Hugo's subordinates appeared in the distance.
They were the ones sent ahead under Hugo's orders.
They looked at Lee Geon and held out a 'Treasure Finding Cloth.'
"Lee Geon-nim! Look at this! We found a few strands of the monster's fur you two mentioned!"
"We were lucky! It was discovered on someone attacked by that monster...!"
At this, Hugo, pushed to the back, looked flabbergasted.
"Hey. The one who gave the order to retrieve that was me..."
But his subordinates paid him no mind.
"With just this, you can figure out what kind of enemy it is, right, Lee Geon-nim?!"
"Since your analytical skills are far superior to our Constellation leader's."
Hugo felt a surge of indignation, but it didn't matter.
"Lee Geon-nim, is it the monster you've been looking for?"
Lee Geon flashed a sharp grin.
"Bingo."
"!"
[Fur of the God-Devouring Demon (SS)]
[Target of the Trial of Strength]
His intuition was spot on.
And the monster that appeared here was the one deemed unassailable.
Virgo might have summoned him to harm him, but.
*'If anything, this is a gain.'*
Thanks to this, he found his target quickly.
"Where did you say it was last spotted?"
But right at that moment.
"It is impossible for you, Lee Geon-nim. Give up."
An unfamiliar voice reached them.
* * *
It was the voice of a sturdy young man.
Perhaps in his late twenties. True to the Archer, his appearance was outstanding, but he gave a humorless, blunt, and extremely rigid impression.
A large, very tall man was approaching them.
His height was even greater than Hugo or Lee Geon himself.
[Caution. Extremely high loyalty to the Archer.]
[Exceptionally low faith in the Serpent Holder.]
At this, Lee Geon's eyes widened, and Hugo was horrified.
"Ben!"
It seemed Hugo was very familiar with him.
Sure enough.
[Benjamin Gott]
- SS-rank of the Archer
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am called Gott, in service of the Archer Star."
Lee Geon sneered.
"Oho, the poverty-stricken constellation. So you did have other star members? I thought you only had two."
Hugo bristled.
"Even so, we're not *that* small!"
It didn't matter either way.
*'It's my first time seeing an SS-rank.'*
It was because they hadn't shown themselves during the Bridge of a Thousand Monsters, citing the low rank of the creatures.
And these were the new strongest among humanity, with only ten in the entire world.
*'They were called the Ten Stars, weren't they?'*
Lee Geon recalled the ranks of the star members Hugo had told him about.
[Star] Pontiff - Absolute ruler
[SS-rank] Ten Stars (Commander) - Top tier of the constellation
[S-Grade] Seongdanjang (Branch Leader) – The top of each nation
[A-Grade] High – City-busting level
[B-Grade] Mid – Region-busting level
[C-Grade] Low – Porter / minimum combat capacity to join a subjugation squad
---------Below-----------
[E~F-Grade] Ordinary citizens (laity) – offerings, funds (from age 3, like an inborn faith, you may choose one of the 12 Zodiac Palaces)
And Gote was a Ten Star like Yoo Ha.
Of course, Yoo Ha was still S-grade. So it seemed she was disregarded by these SS-grades.
Anyway, the SS-grades were candidates and representatives of the Saints, essentially the supreme commanders who oversaw the Seongdanjangs.
In fact, Gote’s faith in the Divine Palace was considerably high.
Yet, for some reason unknown to him, he was oddly antagonistic toward himself.
Just as expected.
“It seems you came to capture the monster that appeared here. Please go back before you get hurt.”
At that sneer, the Divine Palace Seongdos screamed.
“Gote! Do you know who that is?!”
“That’s the legendary Lee Geon-nim!”
“He even had an archery duel with our Lord, and our Lord just lost! Our Lord is so lame…”
At those words, Gote viciously pressed down on the heads of his two subordinates.
“Have you lot forgotten that you are Divine Palace Seongdos?!”
“Aaaaack!”
“We’re sorry!”
“Anyway, I’ve truly heard a great deal about Lee Geon-nim from our Lord. Though still, you must be worse than our Lord. Word is that Lee Geon-nim’s battles were mostly successful thanks to our Lord’s help.”
“!”
Yoo Geon glanced sideways at Hwee Go, and Hwee Go trembled.
Now that he thought about it, Hwee Go had said that to put on a show in front of his subordinates…
But Gote, having no way of knowing, continued.
“In any case, since Lee Geon-nim couldn’t do anything without Hwee Go-nim, please remain quiet when our Lord isn’t around. Because you’re a nuisance.”
No! Stop it!
Hwee Go’s expression grew increasingly entertaining, but Lee Geon smiled brightly.
“Oh really? Taek-su said that? A nuisance?”
At that, Hwee Go turned deathly pale, as if it wasn’t true.
But Gote was serious.
“Yes. He said he absolutely cannot send you to the battlefield alone.”
Hwee Go covered his face as if all was lost.
Nevertheless, Gote spoke.
“Anyway, this one is impossible. Please return.”
“What?”
“I went as the advance scout, but that thing is not in a realm humans can capture. Lee Geon-nim cannot handle it.”
And he took something out.
“Only this weapon, and I, can capture it.”
And at the familiar weapon he drew, Lee Geon’s eyes grew round for some reason.
At the same time, he burst into laughter.
Oh-ho. Look at this?
(To be continued…)