#062.
*Shiver.*
A shudder ran through me at the horrendous memory.
Having seized the flesh of Qin Shi Huang, completed after a lengthy refinement, Seobok was able to ascend to the realm of the Demon Immortal.
I had fought countless enemies while struggling through the apocalypse, but.
‘That kind of monster was a first.’
Seobok was on a different level.
How should I put it—if the beings I had faced back then had still remained within the domain of humans to some degree, that bastard was.
‘A Transcendent.’
It wasn't for nothing that he was called a Demon Immortal.
With a single attack embodying the sun, the Immortal Imperial Palace had collapsed, and Baek-ui had suffered a tremendous blow.
If not for *his* sacrifice, I would likely have been annihilated there.
But thanks to his sacrifice, I, William, and the key executives of Baek-ui had all survived, and later, we were able to take revenge on Seobok.
"You couldn't have killed Qin Shi Huang with your own hands. There's no way that suspicious man would've left behind any danger that could cost him his life."
Qin Shi Huang was a man of deep suspicion.
That is why, even though he fell for Seobok's trickery, he left behind one final bastion.
A condition that under no circumstances could Seobok harm Qin Shi Huang's life.
That is why, even though Seobok needed to kill Qin Shi Huang to seize his flesh, he couldn't lay a hand on him.
"So you waited for the right time. For people like us to appear and kill Qin Shi Huang."
Before the regression, we killed Qin Shi Huang without knowing that, and Seobok seized the flesh of Qin Shi Huang that had been completed through a long refinement.
A great catastrophe had occurred because of that, but not this time.
Having already experienced the future that was to unfold, I wouldn't repeat the same mistake.
"Now, what can you do when caught in my hands?"
"Kehkehkeh!"
The bastard who failed to seize Qin Shi Huang's flesh was nothing more than a mere alchemist.
Devoid of any combat ability, at best a sorcerer who deceived people's eyes.
"Sp-spare me. If you just spare me, the power of eternal youth and immortality, eternal life..."
"Bullshit!"
That sly three-inch tongue wouldn't work.
*Swish!*
Sword light flashed.
*Thud!*
The bastard's head fell off.
His flesh scattered like dust.
He was originally a being who would seize the completed flesh of Qin Shi Huang to become a Demon Immortal and trigger the catastrophe of the apocalypse.
But he met a futile death without ever reaching that future.
‘...It's over!’
Finally, it was over.
And.
"*Uwek!*"
I spat out a mouthful of blood that had been lodged in my throat.
‘Guess I really overdid it.’
Berserkification that gnaws at the body, steroids with severe side effects, and even morphine.
A dosage that would make even a junkie shake their head.
Worse yet, the pain suppressed by the morphine came flooding in, making my entire body ache.
No, it was more than just aching.
‘I don't think just one or two bones are broken.’
My wrist, and even the area around my ribs, throbbed.
It seemed I had gotten completely pulverized blocking Qin Shi Huang's monstrous crescent blade.
Still, it was a relief.
Because I had been able to finish things before my body completely broke down.
"Let me heal you."
Yael approached and manifested Recovery.
*Hwaahak—*
The moment a pure white light spread, I could feel the pain lessen somewhat.
‘For now, I've dealt with all the troublesome ones.’
While enjoying a brief rest and lost in thought.
*K-k-kung!*
Under the throne, a mechanism installed there activated, revealing stairs leading underground.
"This is...?"
"You can tell at a glance. It's the path leading to the treasure vault."
A secret place that only opens once Qin Shi Huang has been defeated.
"*Kyaah!*"
Just as everyone was looking there, a scream rang out.
Yael jumped as if she had seen a ghost.
"What? What is it?"
"What's going on!"
The surprised party approached and asked.
"Th-there..."
"There?"
"B-buh..."
"Buh?"
"B-bu..."
"Bee?"
"*Kyaah*, a bug!"
"...A bug?"
Where her pale finger pointed, a red caterpillar was wriggling and crawling about.
She doesn't bat an eye when people die.
‘I guess monsters aren't scary, but bugs are.’
Shaking my head, I approached where the bug was crawling.
Near the traces of Seobok, who had scattered into dust, I picked up the bug crawling atop various scattered pills with my hand.
"*Kyaah!*"
Making a fuss even though she wasn't the one who caught it.
Besides, this wasn't even a real bug like it appeared.
『Scarlet Transformation Pill (赤化丹)
Classification: Consumable (Medicine)
Durability: None
Unique Effect: Permanently increases senses.
Transforms into the Scarlet state (one time only).
Description: An illusory pill created by the alchemist Seobok by mixing all sorts of miraculous medicines.
Upon consumption, temporarily transforms the body into vapor, allowing free movement anywhere.』
What looked like an illusory pill was a bug, and what looked like a bug was an illusory pill.
Seobok, who had imbued it with illusion techniques using human emotions of doubt and distrust, had made the bug and the pill appear swapped.
*Flash!*
The bug—no, the Scarlet Transformation Pill—I reinforced it.
Reinforcing it for a while like that, I finally completed the reinforcement.
『+99(★★) Scarlet Transformation Pill (赤化丹)
Classification: Consumable (Medicine)
Durability: None
Unique Effect: Permanently increases senses.
Transforms into the Scarlet state (one time only).
Reinforcement Effect (9/99): Permanently increases senses by an extremely minute amount.
Reinforcement Effect (15/99): Permanently increases senses by a minute amount.
Reinforcement Effect (20/99): Permanently increases senses by a very small amount.
……
Reinforcement Effect (99/99): Permanently increases senses by a moderate amount.
Full Max Effect (Max): Permanently increases senses by a moderate amount.
Transcendence Effect (★): One additional use of Scarlet Transformation.
Transcendence Effect (★★): Acquires Special Barrier 'Sixth Sense (六感)'』
The Infinite Reinforcer can reinforce all items.
Of course, things like exclusive artifacts with special conditions are impossible, but something like this consumable was trivial.
The increase in senses, and above all, the existence of a special barrier appealed to me.
"Didn't you reinforce that? Why on earth would you... with a bug...?"
Yael, who saw me reinforcing a bug, looked at me with doubt—or more precisely, as if looking at a bug.
Somehow, she had an unpleasant look on her face.
Wait?
What if I do this?
Pinching the bug between my index finger and thumb.
"Ahh—"
I brought it to my wide-open mouth.
Dropping the bug straight into my open mouth.
*Crunch!*
"*Kyaak, kyaaaak!*"
Absolute chaos.
Of course.
"*Uuup!*"
"*Ugh...*"
Yeongung and William's expressions weren't so great either.
But contrary to what they thought.
*Shwaaa.*
A refreshing fragrance spread throughout my body.
A bizarre feeling, as if my senses had sharpened in an instant, enveloped my flesh.
‘The senses themselves, and how should I put it...’
Like what I had felt with Uncheonpilseung earlier, I could feel the flow of the atmosphere, people's movements, in minute detail.
‘This will definitely help in battle.’
If I could maintain these senses constantly, they would clearly be of great help in combat.
And.
"Shall we head out now?"
The Scarlet Transformation Pill is merely an appetizer.
The secret stairs that opened with Qin Shi Huang's death.
They are the entrance leading to the vault where the treasures Qin Shi Huang had accumulated are piled.
‘This time, without fail.’
What I had failed to obtain before the regression.
This time, with no one to interfere, I would definitely complete that treasure.
*
"Wow!"
"It's beautiful..."
An artificially made cave.
But the luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling, walls, and everywhere evoked the night sky.
A similar scenery had been produced in the corridors as well, but because it stretched on endlessly here, it was even more spectacular.
How long had we walked?
In the distance, we could see artificial golden light spilling out.
‘Finally.’
What welcomed us when the darkness, the night sky ended, was.
*Flash, flash!*
The brilliant light radiated by gold, silver, and jewels.
"Oh my!"
"My goodness!"
Only exclamations came out.
And no wonder, for a mountain of treasure was situated right before our eyes.
It wasn't a metaphor; there was truly a mountain made of gold, silver, and jewels.
The light emanating from the gold was blinding.
It was so intense that it took quite a while to adapt.
"Everyone, stop."
I stopped their natural steps drawn toward the treasure.
*Step.*
I walked ahead first and stared at the plaque installed at the entrance.
「Excessive Greed Invites Disaster (過慾招禍)」
Excessive greed brings disaster.
"Keep that in mind."
I gave a warning before we entered in earnest.
"Do not lay a hand on the treasures until I say so."
"What happens if we touch them?"
A natural question.
"You see the plaque outside?"
"Yeah."
"Excessive Greed Invites Disaster. Excessive greed brings disaster."
"Don't tell me...?"
"If you pick up a treasure, it becomes bound to you, and if you touch another treasure while having a bound one, the vault collapses."
After growing stronger and killing Seobok, who had become a Demon Immortal, I discovered the path from the Imperial Palace to the vault and succeeded in reaching this place.
However.
‘That bastard's greed was the problem.’
Despite seeing the words *Excessive Greed Invites Disaster* written on the plaque, someone had acted on greed.
Because of that, the treasures rotted away, the Imperial Palace collapsed, and we couldn't obtain any rewards.
‘That damn bastard.’
I intended to find him someday and slam my fist into his face.
Well, I'll leave that aside for now.
"But can you find the treasure you want here?"
William conveyed his doubt.
There were so many treasures strewn about, swords and armor aside from gold and jewels, so how could one distinguish what was good or what was important?
"I can."
I could answer with certainty.
It might be impossible for others, but possible for me.
『Appraiser's Eye』
The unique ability possessed by the Infinite Reinforcer.
With this ability, I could clearly identify what effects a treasure possessed and what grade it was.
Activating the ability, I scanned the surroundings.
‘I feel strange saying this now, but it's truly enormous.’
Even a rough scan revealed it was filled with tremendous treasures.
Not just ordinary treasures, but I could see the lowest-grade artifacts and even low-grade artifacts mixed in.
But those weren't what I wanted.
‘There!’
A sword stuck between gold ingots.
At a glance, due to its worn scabbard, it looked like a mere relic, but.
『Chunjun (純鈞)
Classification: Sword
Grade: Low-Grade Artifact
Durability: 200/200
Unique Effect: Exudes the oppressive dignity of nobility, reducing the enemy's abilities.
Description: When the thousand-year Red Mountain collapsed, tin appeared; when the ten-thousand-year Marsh River dried, copper emerged. The Thunder God hammered the iron, and the Jiao Dragon held the bellows.
The artisan, receiving the mandate of heaven, spat blood yet ground away for ten years to complete the sword. However, he died with his strength exhausted.
Goujian asked.
‘If someone were to offer me a thousand fine horses, two great cities of a thousand households each, and three wealthy villages in exchange for this sword, may I trade it?’
To this, Xuezhu answered.
‘You cannot trade it.’
Goujian deliberately furrowed his brow and asked again.
‘Why is that? Speak your reason.’
Xuezhu cried out in agitation.
‘Because this sword is an unparalleled masterpiece created jointly by heaven and man! This sword is already a peerless masterpiece—what are mere horses and cities compared to it!’
Goujian nodded in satisfaction.
‘Those words are correct. It is a priceless treasure, so I shall keep it forever.’』
A low-grade artifact, one step higher than the lowest grade.
It was one of the keys needed to complete my plan.
"William. Take this."
That is why I told William to take it.
"..."
He seemed to hesitate slightly, but soon nodded and tucked the sword away.
‘It's not over yet.’
Chunjun was but one of eight keys.
Because there were still seven more keys left to find.