82nd Episode
There was an incident like that, too.
I didn’t particularly feel the need to clear up Seop Baek’s misunderstanding. I calculated that my intentions would naturally become clear as we proceeded. Although, getting hit was somewhat unexpected.
Rather than waste time on trivialities, I decided to use the time to attempt everything possible right away.
And so, as I was walking, I abruptly extended my hand towards Seop Baek.
“Seop Baek.”
“What is it, aspiring kidnapper?”
“…”
The title feels a bit long.
Whatever. It doesn’t matter. If I can just get through today, it wouldn’t be a problem even if I were called a kidnapper or murderer.
I told her without retracting the hand I had extended.
“First off, that ring. Let me hold onto it for now. It’s dangerous.”
“Ring? Oh… this one?”
Seop Baek glanced at the ring on her finger and let out a gasp.
After pondering for some time, Seop Baek ultimately handed the ring over to me with reluctance, though her face clearly showed her regret.
I quietly looked at her and tilted my head.
“Why? I told you it was dangerous. If you keep it, you’ll go to Hell.”
“I… I know that, but…”
“But?”
“This… this is the first gift Mr. Jung Yong ever gave me…”
Seop Baek muttered in a whisper and then lowered her face.
With her mouth tightly shut, she quietly extended the ring to me. Her fingertips were trembling.
“No, here, take it.”
“…?”
First gift, huh? What am I supposed to do with that? Why did you stop talking and make me curious?
I scratched my head at Seop Baek’s incomprehensible reaction and then extended my hand to take the ring she offered.
At that moment, a crackling of black electricity surged through my hand as if trying to burn it.
“What the F*!”
I quickly pulled back my hand, startled, and stared at the ring. Seop Baek, wide-eyed like a rabbit, alternated her gaze between the ring and my hand.
Dum-dum. A ominous sound echoed, and a panel appeared before me.
[Error ― Transfer Prohibited]
[Protected by an unknown powerful force. This item cannot be transferred to others.]
As we stood there, unable to say anything in surprise, the Demon King clicked his tongue from the side.
“Tsk. As I suspected… that woman’s corruption as a sacrifice has already concluded.”
“What?”
When I gave him a questioning look, the Demon King shrugged and pointed at me.
“Hey, Hero. Take another look at that ring.”
“Look at it? What are you talking about?”
“You always do that thing where you summon a weird panel, don’t you?”
“Oh. The Eye of Mimir…”
“Most likely, the description has become more detailed than before. The residual aura of that accursed woman has grown stronger. That damn woman always works this way.”
“More detailed…?”
Though I didn’t understand what he was saying, I nodded and attempted to activate The Eye of Mimir.
However, my action stopped midway when I realized something. I turned my head with uncertainty towards Ruci, then asked perplexedly.
“So… How do you know about The Eye of Mimir?”
“What? Strange person. Don’t you remember using it right in front of me?”
“Wait… you, have you been seeing everything?”
“I sense a magical hindrance. But even so, if I can see the remains from my past life, why wouldn’t I see the panels?”
Instead, Ruci stared at me as if I were saying something ridiculous.
Ah, so the Demon King could see the panels revealed by The Eye of Mimir all along. That’s why he was unusually quiet whenever I checked them, was it?
Anyway, I quickly gathered my wits and focused on the ring. As always, the panel’s information appeared before my eyes.
[Item Info]
[Name: Precursor of Isgrath]
[Adjustment: Approximately triples all attributes of the wearer (before item effect applied)]
[Details: A ring imbued with the precursor of Astarte, who killed the ancient dragon Isgrath, known as the Blue Flame Demon King. The wearer is branded with the imprint to become Astarte’s sacrifice. The imprinted artifact grants the bearer, as the incarnation of Astarte, immense power until they are sacrificed.]
[Available Enhancements: 0]
[Special Status Applied – Non-transferable and indestructible upon wear]
[Current Status: In use / Imprint activated]
Question marks weren’t present. Instead, a flood of staggering information was revealed.
I could see it.
What was once a ring full of question marks, giving no useful information, was now spilling all its secrets.
“What the… is this?”
It was clear.
It seemed that once the imprint was activated, the system would display the status screen until the sacrifice happened. So, this was what they called a condition-branch item?
Considering my life as a hardcore gamer back on Earth and still failing to check something so fundamental, it made me wonder if I’d drowned too deeply in these “otherworld” scenarios.
On the one hand, I sighed at my complacency; on the other, the unveiled reality of the ring was indeed spine-chilling.
“What does it say?”
Ruci asked. Seop Baek also looked curious from the side.
However, the one whose curiosity I had was Ruci herself. She seemed to know something about the ring’s nature. So I turned the question back to her.
“Hey, Ruci. Do you know anything about this ring?”
“Not in detail. All I can share is what I vaguely sensed in my previous life.”
“Sensed? What did you sense?”
“I felt that wretched woman’s disgusting stench all over it.”
Ruci’s tone was filled with irritation. She spat several times, her mouth twisted, and deep lines were etched into her forehead.
I carefully asked, trying not to offend her.
“So, Astarte. I see her name mentioned here. Who exactly is Astarte?”
“The Blue Flame Demon King, you mean? One of the so-called ‘Four Demon Kings’ that humans love to nickname.”
“The ‘Four Demon Kings?’!?”
“Yes… a nasty old hag who lived far too long.”
Even without my sharing the contents of the revealed ring, the title ‘Blue Flame Demon King’ slipped out from Ruci’s lips. That confirmed the ‘Astarte’ she spoke of was the same one mentioned in the ring’s description.
And apparently, the Demon King’s identity was… one of the Four Demon Kings, equal in power to the notorious Resurrection Sect, no less.
“Huh. This is absolutely insane…”
What am I supposed to do? What should I do about this?
Seemingly dragged into a preposterously large-scale event, I felt a renewed awareness through Ruci’s words.
I clutched my head and exhaled deeply.
“Damn it, does this even make sense? How could such a ridiculous item come out of a random box gacha? And why Seop Baek…”
And just at that point, I suddenly shut my mouth without noticing.
Upon contemplation, that truly didn’t make sense. I realized.
‘If that white explosion was triggered intentionally to kill us…’
It would be improbable for the ring, an essential medium of that explosion, to have been obtained by Seop Baek by mere coincidence.
It was intentional. The probability that the person who sold this ring to Seop Baek was a member of the Resurrection Sect was high.
‘Could it be that the Cassas like that, or others from the Resurrection Sect, were keeping an eye on us?’
Hence… They must have passed such a dangerous object to us when they got the chance.
To kill… to kill me and Ruci.
Seop Baek… was sacrificed again and again because of us.
‘Damn…!’
The troubles were mounting, one after another.
I inwardly groaned, shook my legs, and pushed forward into the back alleys of Kern.
Walking through the winding alleys, dodging vagrants sprawled about like baggage, after a short while, I soon stopped in front of a familiar shack.
“Alright, here we are.”
“Ah. This is the…?”
“Hmm. Hero, this doesn’t look like the home of any great expert who could train you.”
Of course, this was the shack where Gena and Zenon lived.
On our third visit, adding a bit of humor, I had a sense that I could navigate here blindfolded and standing upside down now.
I smiled wryly and looked up for a moment.
‘…Perfect timing.’
The sun was slightly tilting westward, indicating that it was around 1 or 2 PM.
When I visited this house in my previous life, it was almost noon.
‘At that time, Zenon was preparing to leave.’
And I met Zenon right at the doorstep.
So, if Zenon’s departure time hasn’t changed much… Zenon isn’t home right now.
Currently, only Gena should be guarding this shack alone.
“Let’s start, shall we?”
Muttering with feigned confidence, I proceeded immediately.
“Anyone there? I’ve come to deliver good news.”
Knock, knock, knock. As I knocked on the door, I tossed out a remark that could drop anyone’s trust drastically. Of course, in this world of Paraiso, such things didn’t matter.
Still, this line didn’t necessarily work wonders.
“…”
“…”
I waited with the group, side by side.
After about three minutes, Ruci started pulling at my collar.
“Is there anyone home? There’s no response, is there?”
“…Indeed.”
At that point, I began feeling something was off and tilted my head.
Why was there no response?
I thought through several possibilities.
‘They’re pretending not to be home. They went out for a short while. Other situations…’
Several scenarios were possible, but the most probable one was that they were pretending not to be home.
I remembered Zenon had strongly advised her not to leave the house. It would likely be accurate.
‘Should I just forcibly drag them out?’
The thought crossed my mind but promptly disappeared with a bitter laugh.
Frankly, breaking down a shack and dragging a girl out could be done easily, but I have no intention of actually becoming a kidnapper.
I wanted to make Gena willingly become a hostage through legitimate means.
After all, I expect more from her than just a mere hostage for threats.
‘For all we know, there might also be a trap, too…’
In fact, that was a bigger reason. There was a possibility that the cunning ‘Master Mage Zenon’ had rigged the shack. Naturally, the house where his precious younger sister lived would have some sort of defensive system in place.
It’s best to avoid unnecessary friction. I need to conserve my strength for the ‘relevant’ conflicts ahead.
‘Hmm. Guess there’s no other way.’
Ultimately, I decided to use my last resort.
I approached decisively. Standing closely at the door, I quietly pressed my ear against it.
“…”
Faint breathing sounds were heard from inside.
“… Big brother…”
A faint voice leaked out. I could picture Gena pressing her ear against the other side, listening carefully. I swallowed my bitter smile.
Sorry, but you two, the fact that you’re each other’s weakness is painfully obvious.
“The door, please. Your older brother, Zenon, is in danger.”
“…!!”
“Time is of the essence. Hurry.”
Look at that.
With just one lie from me, a choking sound can be heard from inside.
I smirked at the door, and simultaneously, the tightly shut door of the shack creaked as it slowly opened.
“Big brother… in danger… what do you…?”
Through the slightly opened gap, Gena’s red eyes swept over me.
And after examining my face for a long moment, Gena’s eyes widened.
“Ah! You…!”
Third first-meeting, huh. Who would’ve thought first meetings could get this repetitive? My life is legendary. Damn it.
I repeated the first greeting I had been through countless times.
“You. Do you know me?”
