Chapter 52: Aftermath (2)
〚Item: Temperance Stone [Rare-SSS]〛
It was an item I had never seen before. Even with the knowledge of the future at my disposal, this item was entirely unfamiliar to me.
Infusing more mana into the Golden Eye of the Sun, I read the detailed information about the stone, and I couldn’t help but let out a short exclamation.
“This kind of item exists?”
The skepticism was inevitable.
The Temperance Stone had only one ability: to stabilize the state of a dungeon.
Whether it was a Dungeon Blackhole, Dungeon Rampage, or Dungeon Break, this item could stabilize the dungeon under any circumstances.
If humanity had access to such an item, it could genuinely escape the mysterious threat posed by dungeons.
Even if people were sucked into a Dungeon Blackhole, the Temperance Stone could stabilize the environment, allowing hunters to enter and rescue lives.
During a Dungeon Rampage, it could prevent the dungeon from exploding like a bomb.
And during a Dungeon Break, when monsters tried to spill into reality, it could stabilize the situation and reinforce the barriers further.
This was an item that could quite literally flip the world upside down.
Yet, such an item had never appeared in the future.
‘It must be one of two things: either the elites monopolized this item, or this is the only one in existence.’
While the item’s rarity category, Rare, suggested the possibility of multiple stones, there was no guarantee that Earthlings could obtain the others.
“I can guess what you’re thinking, but unfortunately, I only have one. And no one else knows that I’ve acquired this item. Even if I claimed to have used one of two stones I supposedly possessed, no one would suspect otherwise,” said the Chairman.
If that were the case, the incident could be naturally resolved.
The narrative could shift from me single-handedly defeating assassins and escaping a rampaging dungeon to the Temperance Stone stabilizing the dungeon, hunters helping me escape, and my subsequent transport to Miracle Hospital.
“With a card this valuable, you could gain so much more. And you’re using it just to create my alibi?”
The Temperance Stone, while untested, was clearly an item of immense value.
It far exceeded other rare-grade items, which could be purchased for mere billions of won, in terms of worth.
Despite my skepticism, the Chairman simply nodded, as if to ask if this was enough to rebuild the trust between us.
It was a tempting bait—a lure to reel me in.
Ultimately, he wanted to leverage my vendetta, my burning desire for revenge, for his own gain.
Even though he might claim loyalty to his benefactors and friendship with my parents, his true nature wasn’t benevolent.
If he had been righteous, he wouldn’t have ignored or stood by as his mentor, the former Chairman, and his friends, my parents, met such tragic ends.
His current position was only possible because he chose to disregard them.
‘But he’s still useful.’
He might not become a steadfast ally, but maintaining a mutually exploitative relationship with him wasn’t a bad idea.
Just because he wasn’t good didn’t mean he was evil either.
‘If you plan to use me, you’ll have to pay a fair price for it.’
More importantly, the Association’s power could serve as a strong shield to protect me while I was still relatively weak.
If Seo Mina could lend some support and the Seohwa Guild also backed me, that would make things even better.
Handing the Temperance Stone back to the Chairman, I eased my expression. My decision was made.
Though uneasy, it was more important to cooperate and safely navigate the situation.
He wasn’t someone who would hinder me, and ultimately, though our methods differed, our goals aligned.
“Let’s do it. I’ll cooperate,” I said.
The Chairman nodded, as if he’d expected my answer.
“I’ll handle this matter. That punk from Changseong and their old man will take a hit from this card too. And you won’t owe me for this one—it’ll be equivalent exchange. A clean and fair trade is best for our relationship, don’t you think?”
He understood well that this alone wouldn’t earn my full trust. That was likely why he phrased it this way.
“Fine. Then I’ll leave this matter to you. And if you capture Moon Kang-un, let me know. That bastard sent assassins after me twice, so I’d like to see his face at least once.”
“Park Seo-ha, make it happen,” the Chairman said.
“Tch. Fine. I’ll get it done. But it’ll take a few days. He’s hiding deep, and it’ll take some effort to find him.”
With that, I left the Association and stepped outside.
‘Changseong. They’re so aggravating.’
Among my parents’ enemies, the ones most fixated on me were Changseong Group and Chairman Lee Seoyong.
While others dismissed me as a freshly awakened rookie, they watched, observed, and restrained me.
‘I need to grow stronger, and fast.’
This time, I had managed to skate by with the Association’s help, but there would be limits to relying on them in the future.
‘I need to head to the Abyss.’
The fastest way for a hunter to grow stronger was to conquer dungeons and explore the Abyss.
‘That profession will make me even stronger.’
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. Even in the past, the person who acquired that profession had spent years struggling and nearly died multiple times.
‘But I have information.’
Years later, the man who rose to SSS-rank, on par with Dan Gunjihyuk, the Dangun Genius, frequently boasted about his accomplishments.
He enjoyed sharing his journey through interviews, from acquiring the quest to completing it.
I can confidently say I’ve read more about that information than anyone else. He, like me, was once a low-level adventurer wandering the Tutorial Zones.
Despite his limitations, he never gave up and continued to push himself.
Eventually, after scraping together every penny he could during his days of hardship, he bought equipment and ventured into the Abyss.
Through sheer luck, he obtained the starting quest for that legendary profession.
With a combination of persistence, effort, and fortune, he became the protagonist of a living success story.
‘I’m sorry, but I’ll be taking that legend for myself.’
He wasn’t supposed to get the starting quest for another three years.
As of now, he was still a low-level adventurer struggling in the Tutorial Zones.
While I felt a tinge of regret, there wasn’t any guilt.
‘When we meet later, I’ll throw him some money or something.’
That’s all the sentiment I had for him. I didn’t have the luxury to worry about others when I had my own problems to deal with.
‘First, I need to head to the Black Market.’
I was searching for an item to release the seal of Lucifer’s Second Wing.
I immediately returned home and accessed the Black Market through the portal installed in my basement by the head of my guild.
“5,000 coins. That’s the lowest price.”
“What the hell?! Why does this cost 5,000 coins? What, should I go collect 5,000 Navy Coins instead? You can get it for less than 2,000 outside!”
“Hah! Then go buy it outside! Don’t buy it here. Plenty of other buyers would pay for it. Don’t cause a scene here.”
I passed through the bustling marketplace and headed straight to Black Money.
‘If it’s unique-grade, it should be in the auction house.’
The grade hierarchy goes from Common to High to Rare, followed by Unique.
Items in the Unique grade are essentially one-of-a-kind and command significantly higher prices.
Above Unique, there are Epic and Heroic grades, items so rare that even seeing them requires incredible luck.
The Ancient grade is a massive jackpot, while the Legendary grade is so rare that there are only a handful of people worldwide who’ve ever obtained such items.
For most hunters, the highest grade they can realistically aspire to is Unique.
As such, it’s a popular target for those with deep pockets.
‘Especially for demonic items, which are even rarer.’
Such items are rarely discovered, and there’s always high demand for them. Infused with demonic energy—also known as Magi—these items excel in curses and other malevolent uses.
Regardless of grade, Magi items often have higher demand than holy items.
Naturally, any demonic item that makes its way into the Black Market ends up in the auction house.
As I made my way to the auction house, a guide wearing a rabbit mask blocked my path.
“May I see your card? I apologize, but the auction house is only open to members ranked C or higher.”
I pulled out a card from my pocket with no grade indicated on it. The rabbit-masked guide froze in shock as his eyes darted between my card and my face, obscured by my mask and hat. Finally, he bowed his head.
“I apologize for not recognizing you. Please, allow me to escort you to the premium seating area. Follow me.”
He led me politely. It was only natural—this card, without any grade displayed, was a one-of-a-kind card personally created by the owner of the Black Market for me.
If I asked the head of my guild to acquire a Magi item, they could undoubtedly get it.
My sole reason for participating in the auction was simply curiosity.
The rabbit-masked guide ushered me into a spacious room reserved for VVIPs.
Once I was seated, he handed me a booklet containing details of all the items up for auction, along with refreshments.
“If you need anything, press the button beside you, and I will come immediately. Enjoy your time.”
With that, the guide left, and I skimmed through the booklet, stopping when something caught my eye.
“An Ancient-grade rune?”
Runes are one of the additional systems unlocked upon entering the Abyss after completing the Tutorial Zones.
They grant permanent buffs akin to passive skills, differing from the innate abilities and skills acquired by meeting specific conditions.
Yes, they’re more like blessings than skills.
‘That’s why every hunter desires them.’
Runes have no limit to how many can be equipped.
While the odds of acquiring one are abysmally low, obtaining even a single rune provides substantial power.
To date, the highest publicly known rune grade is Ancient, such as the <Survival of the Fittest – Ancient – SSS> rune owned by a top-ranked American hunter.
This rune’s power allowed its user’s body to evolve to adapt to extreme conditions, pushing beyond its limits.
My eyes glimmered as I stared at the unnamed rune in the catalog, the only one without detailed information.
‘I’m claiming this.’
Even if it meant spending the entirety of my four trillion won.
—
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