Chapter 426: Chapter 426

However, checking artifacts wasn’t something that the secretary could help with. After all, he didn’t have the eyes of a constellation.

-Constellations don’t usually check all of these things.

The goddess of sloth lay down and rested her chin on her hands as she watched what Choi Yeonseung was doing.

Choi Yeonseung was an earnest constellation in many ways, but he also sucked at being one in some regards.

Even though constellations could see the intricacies of items with their unique eyes, no constellation sat down and analyzed every single item they acquired. Checking loot was the responsibility of the subordinates, not of the superior.

However, Choi Yeonseung ignored what the goddess of sloth said and kept going through the artifacts.

‘Stryborg’s Old Wind Spear... It’s a decent artifact. Is it from Russia? It’s C-grade or so.’

Choi Yeonseung picked up a spear, classified it, and set it aside.

Just as with hunters, artifacts could also be divided by grades. It required all types of tests and complex examinations, but taking one good look was enough for Choi Yeonseung.

‘Wind Beast’s Staff... It’s alright, but it’s durability is low and the item itself is damaged. Has someone dropped it while moving it or something? D-grade.’

The artifacts were surprisingly more useful than he had thought. From Choi Yeonseung’s perspective, he should’ve been delighted to have found so many useful artifacts, yet part of him was dissatisfied.

...There were quite a few Korean artifacts.

‘What kind of bastards leak artifacts like this?’

It was easy to forget because it was pushed aside by hunters, but artifacts also represented a significant source of power for a country.

In the early days of the gate, when the hunters were still weak, it was the national treasures that had turned into artifacts that provided most of the combat power.

Originally, some of those treasures were supposed to be hidden away and treated as valuable cultural heritage. However, there was no one to argue about such principles when monsters flocked into the city.

People had managed to survive thanks to those artifacts.

These days, the number of artifacts was staggering and there were also artificial ones... In any case, their importance hadn’t diminished.

As far as these smuggled artifacts went, the good news was that those from South Korea were relatively few!

‘I don’t know how I feel about this...’

Choi Yeonseung decided to check it out later.

[Ipetam:

Durability: 600/600 Attack Power: 330.

The skill ‘Evil Sword Dance’ is available. The skill ‘Vampiric Conversion’ is available.

Level Restriction: 380. There are additional effects when dealing with humans. The skill ‘Murderous Impulse’ will be forcibly invoked.]

‘...!!’

Choi Yeonseung was suddenly surprised as he was going through the artifacts. He found one that was classified as A-grade.

Ipetam—every first-generation hunter had heard of this one. It was also known as the Demon Sword.

‘That Japanese A-grade hunter lost control while using Ipetam.’

Choi Yeonseung recalled a shocking incident in which an A-grade hunter had suddenly gone crazy and wildly swung his sword at random people. It had later been revealed that Ipetam had caused him to go berserk.

That was why the artifact had received the nickname of Demon Sword.

‘As expected, it has vicious skills.’

Choi Yeonseung frowned as he looked at the sword.

Looking at its stats alone, the artifact was so powerful that it would be a waste to throw it away. It also had a special skill for individual combat, but there was a significant drawback: the caster would be overcome by a murderous impulse as soon as they picked up the blade.

‘But... why is this here?’

Even defective A-grade artifacts were of immense value. Naturally, the Japanese government had just put a lot of restrictions on this artifact instead of discarding it.

A-grade artifacts weren’t that easy to come by, and it was never known when an emergency that required high-grade artifacts would occur.

However, Choi Yeonseung had found it in the dingy warehouse of some smugglers he had never heard of...

‘Seeing how damaged it looks, I’m guessing someone sold it to this organization to make some easy cash? That’s how the world works.’

Choi Yeonseung shook his head. He had been under the impression that this only happened in South Korea, but now he realized that it was the same in all countries.

[The ‘Observer Who Returned From a Cold Place’ asks you to keep your promise.]

“Don’t worry.”

After Choi Yeonseung was done checking the artifacts and was satisfied with them, the observer constellation spoke to him. Evidently, she hadn’t led him to that warehouse for free.

[The ‘Observer Who Returned From a Cold Place’ asks you to make her household members stronger in return.]

The Goddess of Discord and Estrangement and the Giant with the First Flame would’ve found this absurd, but the observer constellation had actually made a pretty clever deal.

In return for handing over the artifacts that the subordinates of the other constellations had collected one by one, the observed constellation asked Choi Yeonseung to make her subordinates stronger.

It was an unusual proposal, but Choi Yeonseung could understand it.

‘It’s probably because of the name Undefeated Incarnation of Training.’

As Choi Yeonseung was grasping the characteristics of other constellations, the other constellations were also figuring him out.

It wasn’t strange for a constellation to make a deal with another constellation specifically because of its unique traits.

‘Yeah, it’s not a bad deal.’

Illeya was one of the most promising talents in the Icarus clan. He would’ve trained her properly even if the observer constellation hadn’t come up with this proposal.

-By the way, how are you going to make them stronger?

The goddess of sloth was curious. She wondered how Choi Yeonseung would strengthen both his household members and the ones of other constellations.

-I only know one method.

-...

The goddess of sloth felt rather uneasy after hearing that.

Would it be okay...?

***

“We won! We won!”

“...”

“We won! Odaigon, are you deaf?”

“Ah, I get it! Lower your voice, human! You have no shame!”

Odaigon hit Hwang Gyeongryong.

Due to the recent turmoil in the Abyss, the number of monsters around the area had increased rapidly, and the household members in Choi Yeonseung’s realm had been forced to fight them.

Even Lee Changsik had come to the Abyss to help Choi Yeonseung. In this situation, Choi Yeonseung’s subordinates had split up into two teams.

Lee Changsik fought with Hwang Gyeongryong, and Odaigon joined Hwang Gyeongryong’s team because he felt sorry for him...

Everyone else had joined Lee Changsik’s team...

“No matter how I think about it, it’s very unlikely for Mr. Hwang to win.”

“That’s right. That’s what I think as well.”

Even the orcs who were close to Hwang Gyeongryong didn’t think he would win because he was still stuck in a block of ice. However, the result was astonishing.

Hwang Gyeongryong and Odaigon had won.

“Did you see that, you green orcs?! How dare you disregard me like that? I am Hwang Gyeongryong! No one can look down on me!”

“Agh... Mr. Hwang won...”

“I can’t believe it...”

The orcs were crestfallen, their shoulders drooping in disappointment at the shocking outcome. They stared at the mountains of corpses in front of them. They had been certain of victory because they had killed many monsters, which was why they were completely astonished by their defeat.

The orcs wouldn’t be able to face their constellation after this...

“Stop it already, you fools. ”

The Goblin King finally spoke up after seeing the orcs’ reactions.

“Why do you think you killed one less monster than us?”

“Because we were too slow?”

“Is it because we didn’t train as much in martial arts?”

“It is because we depend on livestock when farming?”

“...”

Odaigon was about to hit an orc but restrained himself. Instead, he pointed at Lee Changsik and said, “Look at that human.”

Lee Changsik was standing there with a blank expression.

“Why do you think he’s not upset? He lost on purpose by one monster because he didn’t want us to quarrel!”

“What... What?!”

“T-that...!”

It wasn’t just the orcs. The other household members were also shocked and murmured among themselves.

Odaigon nodded and banged on the ground with his staff.

“What do you think when you see this? Orcs, tell me!”

“Traitorous bastard!”

“We have to punish him by making him work in the easiest and cleanest parts of the farm! Traitorous bastard!”

“...”

Odaigon hit one of the orcs across the head with his staff.

The orcs looked at Odaigon in fear. No matter how strong they had become by learning martial arts, none of them could win against the outstanding Odaigon.

“Tell me again!”

“...W-we should be friends instead of fighting?”

“Yes! What could be uglier and more shameful than the quarrels and antagonism between household members? Reflect on it once again!”

“Tsk!”

“What did we do wrong...?”

The orcs grumbled but bowed at Odaigon’s disappointed gaze.

“Sigh. Damn fools...”

Odaigon clicked his tongue and returned to Hwang Gyeongryong, who was staring at him with a very complicated expression.

‘This guy...!’

Hwang Gyeongryong’s initial plan was to make fun of the orcs and the other losers. However, Odaigon had suddenly changed the mood and forced them to reconcile.

Couldn’t they at least let him make fun of them and then reconcile...?

Because of that, Hwang Gyeongryong missed the opportunity to laugh in their face.

“Why are you making that face?”

“Ah... It’s nothing.”

“I guess I should thank that human over there. He’s surprisingly wise for a human.”

Hearing that, Hwang Gyeongryong frowned and thought to himself, ‘Wha... Then what am I, you asshole?’

He was also human!

“Follow me, human. Master has ordered you to return to Earth,” Odaigon told Lee Changsik.

Lee Changsik nodded and followed after Odaigon. After they got away from everyone else, Lee Changsik said reticently, “Hey...”

“Huh?”

“...I’m sorry, but I didn’t lose on purpose.”

“...”

Odaigon looked around after hearing that. There was no one on the dirt road of the large farm except for a few cows walking along and bellowing peacefully.

“...Uh, don’t tell anyone.”

“I understand. I’ll comply with your request.”

Lee Changsik was a bit worried about how the clan was doing. He had heard from Choi Yeonseung that they had won a clan battle, but he didn’t know the specific details.

“...?!??!!!!”

Lee Changsik was astonished as soon as he returned to the Demon Clan. There were several times more people than usual!

***

Nguyen Bao, the CEO of Dragon Artifact, was one of the industry’s leading developers.

Of course, the artifact business wasn’t just about being good at development. If they recklessly threw in various materials and cores to create powerful magic, they could end up with hunters turning away and asking, “Who would pay money for that?”

There was a reason why a great developer couldn’t also be a great businessman.

However, that was an old story.

Recently, Dragon Artifact had been dominating the highly competitive artifact market thanks to the artifact designed by Choi Yeonseung.

‘He’s such a great person.’

Bao nodded at the news. Many people had been worried when Choi Yeonseung had taken over Dragon Hwang’s position.

However, Bao had always believed in Choi Yeonseung. If he didn’t have faith in such a genius, who would?

“Sir, the chairman has contacted you.”

“!”

Bao was surprised by that. Since Dragon Hwang was gone, ‘chairman’ meant...

Bao hurriedly picked up the phone.

“Yes? What’s going on?”

“I have something to ask about artifacts. Do you have time?”

“!!!”

Hearing that, Bao jumped to his feet. The secretary next to him asked in surprise, “What’s wrong?”

“Hehe. Just wait here. I’ll come back with news that will surprise everyone.”

Bao walked out confidently. There was only one reason for Choi Yeonseung to call him. He was obviously thinking of coming up with a new artifact!

“Hihi, I wonder what masterpiece he’ll produce this time!”

***

“Can you change the appearance of these artifacts so they don’t get confiscated?”

“...”