Chapter 12

I reflexively dodged the flames and looked back at the merchant.

Surely this doesn’t mean he’s planning to fight me here?

But there are plenty of people in this world who act outside the bounds of common sense. All I’d done was call trash “trash,” yet the merchant was glaring at me like he might kill me on the spot. Judging from the glances around us, he must have been worried that if he let me walk away here, everyone would realize his scam was real.

He’s the one who shouted, though?

I was a bit taken aback myself. So this is how a life-threatening situation shows up?

Apparently, among the magic stones that scammer was selling, there was a flame stone. Even if I had called his goods trash, a C-rank hunter targeting an F-rank with a B-rank magic stone? One wrong move and that could kill me.

Should I bolt?

I cast a sidelong glance to secure an escape route. Even if all he meant was to threaten and intimidate me, my squishy body had a very real chance of ending up dead.

Fortunately, the thing I was worried about didn’t happen.

“You can’t be causing a scene here.”

Just then, a man wearing a black half-mask stepped into the shop and stopped the merchant.

The man in the half-mask was wearing a suit and white gloves. What was odd was that even though I was looking straight at him, it felt like I was seeing a blurred shadow. The reason was...

It’s an item.

Black Mask (A)

An item that prevents others from identifying who you are.

Perfect for concealing your identity!

Also, the tone in my status window was a little different. Who wrote that?

Anyway, at the man’s words, the merchant’s face—which had been so red he looked ready to explode—suddenly went slack, like he’d been hypnotized, and he quietly set down the stone he was holding.

...Hah. Look at that.

The man praised the suddenly docile merchant in a gentle, almost soothing voice.

“Good. Well done.”

“Yes...”

“So, Mr. Cheolwoo, you’re saying all the stones are the same type?”

“What? No, uh... yes.”

“Hmm, I see. All the same magic stone, you say...”

Staring at the merchant, who was nodding and confessing everything as if in a trance, the man suddenly picked up one of the stones. After turning it under the light for a moment, he smiled softly, then squeezed—and in an instant, the stone crumbled in his hand.

Crack. The supposedly B-rank magic stone turned to powder and fell to the floor.

“And it’s not even S-rank.”

“...”

“That’s troublesome.”

Troublesome, huh. The man didn’t make another move after saying that, but I could see the merchant’s pupils slowly dilating.

What kind of skill is that...

The man had been using his skill on the merchant from the moment he’d stepped into the shop and spoken to him.

A power that manipulates the mind at will, controlling behavior and compelling confessions.

A mental-type skill.

And not some middling B or C-rank ability—this was clearly a high-level skill.

Just witnessing it being used sent chills crawling up my spine.

From this man—who was about my height and build—came an oppressive pressure that seemed to press down on the very air.

Without realizing it, my chest tightened and I had to quickly loosen a shirt button just to breathe. No physical force was being applied to me, and the skill wasn’t even aimed at me—it was aimed at the merchant—yet the vast gulf in power weighed down on me mercilessly.

This is unpleasant.

I’d felt the difference in mana before when briefly encountering Ryu Taeyoung or Joo Seowon, but that had been something I could endure even as an F-rank. Maybe it was because neither of them had used their skills on me with hostile intent, but while it had been uncomfortable, it had never been this crushing.

I knew that the higher the rank, the wider the gap between them, but I hadn’t expected it to be this much.

This is interesting.

My adrenaline began to rise in response to the power pressing down on ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ me. After rendering the merchant completely unable to move, the man slowly turned his head toward me.

My mind was working furiously to pinpoint where this pressure was coming from, what kind of emotion it could be classified as. The answer was obvious.

Fear.

It was such an unfamiliar feeling for me that I almost found it exhilarating.

Once I’d grown used to the gaze from behind the black half-mask, the suffocating fear began to fade. But even after the oppressive atmosphere lifted, a tingling sensation lingered in my hands and feet. He must have eased off his mana intentionally. Well, since the merchant had fainted on his feet, there was no need for him to keep the skill going.

Then, fully withdrawing the skill, the man raised the corner of his mouth slightly and asked, “Appraiser?”

Appraiser? Oh, right, that was an actual profession.

Appraisal skills varied widely by rank, but the high-level ones were extremely useful in dungeons—after all, just by looking, they could tell whether something was S-rank or A-rank. Not only for items, but also for gauging potential threats.

Come to think of it, I’m basically an appraiser too. Though in my case, it’s not a skill—it’s just the status window.

While I stayed silent, the man started talking to himself.

“You look young—college student? No matter how good an appraiser you are, talking like that isn’t good. There’s such a thing as manners in this world...”

How much of that did he see? Since there were too many hunters around, I’d turned off my status window and hadn’t noticed him approaching.

Even without the status window, though, not realizing someone with this much mana was nearby was still a problem. Mana and hunters were still foreign concepts to me, but that didn’t excuse my sloppiness.

“Of course, that’s not the point. Anyway, your appraisal ability seems pretty good—are you affiliated with anyone?”

So he was just exceptionally skilled at hiding his mana.

Still, getting scouted on the spot here was... something. This world really never runs out of surprises.

“I’m not affiliated.”

“Really? That’s unexpected...”

“I only awakened recently.”

“That’s even more surprising.”

He smiled faintly, but for someone who’d just asked about my affiliation, he didn’t push recruitment. Instead, he asked something else.

“Hmm... so what were you here to buy?”

“Some magic stones, but they didn’t seem great, so I was going to check elsewhere.”

“Want me to give you a recommendation? Since we met by chance.”

Tilting his head slightly, he smiled as if he’d be happy to guide me. When I nodded, he struck up casual conversation as we left the shop together. Looking back as we walked out, I saw what looked like security personnel heading into the store.

That confirmed it—this man was definitely in charge of the place. Which was surprising, since it was such major information, and Lim Sungyeon’s novel hadn’t mentioned it at all.

***

“This place mainly deals in S-rank items. It’s pretty good—want to take a look around?”

“Sure.”

Following him, I arrived at a shop selling high-grade items and very expensive magic stones.

There was no point in getting weapons here right now; what I needed was...

This.

Teleport Box (A)

Comes as a pair. Allows one-time teleportation between the two boxes, regardless of distance.

Note: One-person capacity only.

The price was steep, but the utility was broken enough that it was worth buying a few. The ability to move without regard to location was practically a life-saving cheat code.

Which means it’s always a good idea to stock up.

“How many of these do you have right now?”

“Now? Seven pairs.”

“I’ll take them all.”

“All?”

The young, sharp-eyed woman running the shop lowered her glasses to look me over. Those glasses, incidentally, were also an item.

Glasses of Truth (A)

Displays “O” if the target is telling the truth, “X” if lying.

Not just her—everyone nearby was covered in items. As a result, the status windows popping up around me were like a swarm of badly placed pop-up ads.

I’d deliberately turned the window back on just in case, but it was annoying.

Anyway, I bought the teleport boxes along with a few simple items.

“Nothing else you want?”

“No.”

I planned to come back again later, so this was enough for today. Smiling in satisfaction at my shopping haul, I packed everything into the space-saving box I’d just bought.

Checking my phone, I saw a text from Joo Seowon.

Done shopping, sir?

Why’s he talking like that? When I didn’t reply, another message came through immediately.

You’re going to ignore me anyway, right?

Sharp, aren’t you?

I’ve found Do Yehyun’s location, so call me.

Well, even if his tone is weird, as long as he delivers results, that’s what matters. Feeling almost proud of him, I replied.

ㅇ

After a pause, another message came in.

You little shit, if you’re going to reply like that, at least send two characters.

...Annoying bastard.

Clicking my tongue, I ignored him and pocketed my phone—only to feel the gaze from behind the half-mask.

“Looks like you’re busy.”

“I’ve got something scheduled after this.”

“I see. Then let’s leave it here for today... I hope we can talk again sometime. Anyone would want to work with a good appraiser.”

Smiling again, he added casually, “It was a pleasure, Mr. Jehyun.”

Even though I’d never given him my name, he said it without hesitation. He must have dug up my info from the start. Which meant all those questions he’d asked were to gauge my reactions.

If I’d known he ran this place, I’d have taken some precautions. Not that it matters—crossing paths was only a matter of time anyway.

“Likewise.”

At my reply, his smile deepened. Was he about to use a skill? I let out a small sigh and added, “I’m a fan.”

That should throw him off. I met his gaze, my lips curling upward.

Honestly, it was a half-impulse remark. If he’d gone to the trouble of wearing a half-mask, having his identity seen wouldn’t exactly be pleasant. But he was the one who toyed with me first, so this much should be fine. And since we’d inevitably clash later, there was no harm in leaving a strong impression early.

Sure enough, he seemed to get what I meant—his expression tightened slightly, the corners of his mouth dropping just a touch under the mask. Feeling satisfied, I left the shop I’d earlier called ugly.

I really hadn’t expected to learn this much just from coming to buy a few items.

Name: Im Haekyung

Age: 32

Rank: S

Title: –

Main Skills: Brainwashing (S), Mental Suppression (S), Mind Control (S)

Growth Limit: S

The guildmaster of Haeseong. I never imagined I’d run into him this soon.