Possessing Nothing Chapter 49-51

(T/N: Please deal with the change in names. I'm sorry.)

"Sorry for being late."

There was no need to say that actually. Nevel was only gone for five minutes after all. As always, he took a deep bow towards Sungmin and spoke.

"I have come in contact with the blacksmith. The other side wished for a conversation. Is it fine right now?"
"It does not matter."
"Understood, then."

Nevel raised his hand at Lee Sungming's answer. When he slashed down with one of his long fingers, the scenery cracked apart.

"I'll leave this place for now, then."

After saying that, Nevel disappeared into Sungmin's shadow. Sungmin didn't understand what just happened, and only blankly stared at the gap in s.p.a.ce.

"Quite young."

He heard a voice. The one who stood up from behind the spatial crack was a dark elf with murky blonde hair. At first, Sungmin didn't realize that she was a dark elf. It was the first time he saw one after all.

"Don't be so surprised."
Seeing Sungmin's surprised expression, the dark elf laughed. She brushed her hair and spoke.

"Selgerus. I don't know how many times I'll see you in the future, but we should know each other's names at least. Don't you think so?"
"…Uh… I'm Lee Sungmin."

Sungmin stuttered his name. Elves and dark elves were cla.s.sified as sub-humans - beings other than humans that possess intelligence. Strictly speaking, orcs were capable of communication, and were cla.s.sified as sub-humans, but most people cla.s.sify orcs as monsters. After all, the term 'sub-human' was created by humans.

"What weapon do you use?"

Asked Selgerus. She had baggy work clothes on, as well as a large ap.r.o.n. However, due to her muscle development, her body figure could be seen through the baggy clothes.

"I use… the spear."

He was supposed to be introduced to a blacksmith, but never did he imagine that the blacksmith would be a female, much less a dark elf. This made Sungmin surprised. In his head, the image of a blacksmith was a muscular, big male, or a dwarf if it was a sub-human. Of course, it wasn't like he saw a dwarf for real anyway. Sub-humans were small in number and were hard to find.

"Spear. The spear, huh… is there a particular shape you prefer?"
"…Something like this."

Sungmin took out the spear from his interspatial pocket. Selgerus nodded his head after looking at the spear.

"It's the martial world style. A martial artist?"
"I'm not from the martial world though…."
"Can you show me what spear techniques you use?"

(T/N: martial world may have been translated as 'murim' or 'wu lin' before)

Asked Selgerus. Hearing that, Sungmin hesitated a little. Demonstrating one's martial techniques was a taboo for martial artists after all.

"Why. You don't want to?"
"…Is it necessary?"
"It is necessary."

Replied Selgerus without hesitation.

"I need to know what kind of techniques you use and create a spear that matches it."
"You mean you can match it after seeing my martial arts?"
"You seem to be mistaken on something."

Selgerus laughed. It was as though she was laughing at Lee Sungmin's ignorance.

"I'm not a martial artist. I'm a blacksmith. My job is not to comprehend what kind of martial arts you are using, but to comprehend you that is using the martial art. The way you swing the spear, the way you hold the spear, the way you use the spear. I'm going to use that. If you don't want to, then it's fine if you don't. For me, I just need to craft the spear with the money I was given."

Only then Lee Sungmin understand what Nevel was trying to say before. Either lower your standards, or lower your pride; that blacksmiths are all stubborn. He took a deep breath and replied.

"Understood."
"You're quite quick to the catch. I thought you'd be more stubborn. You don't suspect me?"
"I do not know you, but I trust a little in Erebrisa that connected you to me."

Since he hadn't used Erebrisa properly, he couldn't totally believe in it. However, Erebrisa was something that even the G.o.d of suffering and trial, Msh, was using. Although he couldn't know for sure, Erebrisa should have that much worth.

"I'm 400 years old."

Selgerus suddenly spoke. 400 years old. Lee Sungmin's eyes trembled hearing that unrealistic number. However, he wasn't that surprised. He knew well that elves and dark elves had long lifespans.

"I started hammering since I liked to. That was around 350 years ago. Of course, my starting point was different from dwarves who are innately blacksmiths, but…. My 350 years as a blacksmith is definitely real. Do you know why I'm saying this?"
"I don't."
"What you need to trust in is not Erebrisa, but me."

Selgerus smiled bitterly.

"Well, I know that it's funny for me to say this to someone I've just met."

Sungmin bit his lips after hearing that. What moved his heart was not when she told him to trust her, it was that their starting points were different.

The race of dwarves were born talented in smithing. All of their products are top-tier. Dwarves, just by being dwarves, receive the love from the G.o.d of pa.s.sion and flames, Ather, and the G.o.d of the land and creation, Gaën. An item created by a young dwarf was miles better than a human crafter that had practiced for decades.

Compared to that, the 350 years of hammering from the dark elf Selgerus may mean nothing. However, the 350 years of her work was the real deal. The starting point was different - the talent possessed was different. This was something that Sungmin was agonized over several times.

"I will trust in you."

Sungmin came to a decision and raised his spear above his head. When he started demonstrating, Selgerus was surprised instead. Until now, she had met many people through Erebrisa, but there weren't many martial artists who showed their arts just because she asked.

To a martial artist, a martial art was a technique to kill the enemy, and a technique to protect oneself. Considering that, it would be difficult for them to demonstrate it to others. Selgerus did tell Sungmin to show her his techniques, but didn't expect him to actually do so.

First, he started with the three basics moves of the spear; deflect, block and pierce. Starting from the three moves, he then continued into the Nine Skies Infinity Spear. He didn't just do that though, he mixed it with Shadowless Phantom. In practice, he would use his stepping techniques along with spear techniques. After all, it wasn't like the enemy was going to stand still.

Selgerus silently watched as Lee Sungmin swung his spear. Only after a long time did his spear demonstration end. Selgerus observed all of it without blinking even once, and spoke.

"You trust me?"
"Yes."
"Why? Because I asked you to?"
"Because you said your 350 years of effort was real."

Selgerus laughed at his answer.

"Aren't you too easily trusting?"
"It's the first time I've heard that. I've always heard that I'm uselessly doubtful though."
"I guess I can't betray your trust then."

Selegerus giggled and took out her hands from the ap.r.o.n.

"27 million erre. I'm usually strict with payments, but I feel good today, so I'll make you something worth more. Though, it would take some time."
"That doesn't matter to me."
"I think you'll be a fine regular customer."

Selgerus shrugged her shoulders.

"As long as you don't die, that is."

The spatial gap closed up. Not long after, Nevel appeared from inside Sungmin's shadow. He took a deep bow and asked.

"Is the blacksmith I mediated for you to your liking?"
"She said I'll be a fine regular customer."

Hearing his answer, Nevel made a weird expression. After observing Sungmin for a while, he spoke. (T/N: is it 'he'?)

"There are things called first impressions, or biases. Actually, Miss Selgerus is not the style of blacksmith that people prefer."
"Because she's a dark elf?"
"Yes. As I have told you, we, Erebrisa, only provide the best among the things that our members want. The best blacksmith… most members think of dwarves when they think of one. A dark elf, much less a female one, is out of the question."

Nevel smield bitterly while saying that.

"The reason why I connected you, sir Lee Sungmin, to Miss Selgerus, was also because of that. She is not usually preferred as a blacksmith, and is usually underevaluated compared to her skills. Thanks to that, she's also on the cheaper side compared to blacksmiths of her level."
"As long as her skills are real, I do not care."

Seeing Sungmin nonchalantly reply like that, Nevel giggled.

"Did I not say so? That we only provide you with the best. Miss Selgerus's skils are indeed real. She is the first dark elf to earn the t.i.tle of a meister. Originally, Miss Selgerus does not like customers that we bring her, but… if she said that you'll become her regular, then she'll most definitely create the best of weapons for you, sir. Oh, under the 27 million erre line of course."
"You mean she won't do more than that?"
"That is up to her to decide. After all, we're only mediators."

Sungmin nodded his head at Nevel's reply. After a bit of silence, he asked something else.

"I wish to ask about quests that can be received as a mercenary. I heard that Erebrisa takes 5% as mediation fee, but if I accept a quest through Erebrisa, what happens to the mercenary guild's fee?"
"It will be waived."

Nevel replied immediately.

"The fee that Erebrisa takes includes the mercenary guild fee. The rewards are also given not through the tuild, but through us."
"What about the achievement records then?"
"That is automatically updated on the mercenary guild. Would you like to check?
"No, it's fine for now. I don't have a rank tile yet."
"It'll probably arrive soon. I will organize a list of decent S-rank quests for you."
"Is that for free?"
"You're my exclusive member, so I can do you that much. And also…."

Nevel stared at Sungmin's face for a while.

"Somehow, the more I face you… the more I feel like I should help you. It's just a feel, but… this is quite strange."
"It's the first time I've heard of that."
"It's just what I feel after all. Isn't there something called good will? It is sudden, and there is no reason for it. It's not like you feel good will towards someone because of a reason, right?"

After saying that, he laughed.

"Then I'll see you next time."

Nevel disappeared. Sungmin felt slightly weird after listening to Nevel's words. Good will? He didn't think that Nevel was into men, but felt strange because this was the first time he heard such words.

And thinking about it.

He felt that he was strangely lucky until now. Whether it was Jack, Hans, Wiji Hoyeon, Baek Sogo, etc. the people who were quite deeply relate to him all showed him good intentions.

There are no coincidences.

What Msh told him not to forget kept rolling around in his head.

That day, Sungmin practiced his spear techniques in his back yard, and only returned to his house late at night. Although it was a little dusty since it wasn't cleaned, there were no problems after he cleaned it up.

There was a kitchen, but he didn't make food. He had food in his interspatial pocket. After eating, he started circulating the Purple Cloud Divine Art.

Entering the world of cultivation, Sungmin naturally remembered back to the fight with the ogre. This was his first fight as a peak-level expert ever since he climbed down from the mountain, no, across all of his two lives.

(T/N: The power levels in Korean wuxia tend to go from: 3rd rate(三流) - 2nd rate(二流) - 1st rate(一流)- Peak(絶頂) (MC's current level) - Exceed(超絶頂). If you don't like that last one, I'm open to suggestions.)

He felt many things. He even felt weird. The biggest problem was his proficiency. The three years in the mountain made his body 'used to' all the restraints. Thanks to that, the lack of prohibitions made him feel incongruent, and he felt yet again incompatible due to the difference from the time when he was not a peak-level expert.

He had to get used to this.

There were a lot of problems. His body right now was very unbalanced. When he lived in the mountains, he tried to balance nutrition as much as possible, but the prohibition of taste made all meals taste horrific. Thanks to that, the quant.i.ty of his meals decreased.

It wasn't just his meals. He couldn't sleep for a long time nor could he sleep deeply. That went on for two years. With the prohibitions on his smell, hearing, and sight, those three senses didn't develop well either. Only the sense of touch was indiscriminately developed.

There weren't only disadvantages though. By sealing other senses, a sense that didn't exist developed within him.

The sixth sense.

This existed as a skill inside his status window as well.

-Sixth sense.
You can sense what you cannot see with your eyes; cannot hear with your ears; and cannot smell through your nose.

The pa.s.sive skill, sixth sense, had a vague explanation like all pa.s.sive skills did. However, what he was feeling was very real. Although his senses were vague just as the description was, sixth sense did exist.

'But I cannot rely on sixth sense and touch alone.'

There was a need to train in the other senses. He didn't have to go as far as to 'train' them, but he at least had to set the unbalance between the senses right.

Purple Cloud Divine Art was maintained and his qi kept circulating. He breathed in regular intervals and as he did so, his thoughts started fading. He drove his consciousness to sleep in the state of thoughtlessness. The reason he was able to hold on to his impoverished psyche was thanks to mind cleaning magic and the Purple Cloud Divine Art.

The next day.

Lee Sungmin headed to the mercenary guild from early morning. He thought that his rank tile would be out since a day had pa.s.sed. He was planning to receive the rank tile, and check on any quests he could get from the mercenary guild.

The Behengerr mercenary guild was crowded early in the morning. It was thanks to the mercenaries that had come for breakfast, or due to some of them drinking overnight. When Sungmin entered through the door, the mercenaries' commotion suddenly died down. They watched as Sungmin walked in, before starting to whisper amongst themselves.

Sungmin had become a famous person in the Behengerr mercenary guild. He projected sword qi the day he joined, and exterminated an ogre chimera and showed that he was more powerful than an S-rank. Moreover, he was still 18 years sold, so it was natural for them to take interest in him.

"So you've come."

Bern was at the bar from the early moring. He spoke to Sungmin who approached him and put his hand in his pocket.

"Nice timing. Your rank tile just came out."
"I'm here to get that."

Spoke Sungmin with a smile. The rank tile he received from Bern had an engraving of a gold 'S' character. He fidgeted with it for a while before thinking back to the rank tile he had in his previous life.

'At that time, it was a copper C….'

Seeing him laugh, Bern spoke.

"S-rank mercenaries are given 5 million erre per month as support. It's more than enough to live on."

He didn't have to take any quests, and he would still get 5 million erre per month. S-rank mercenaries had that much value just by existing. Even though Eria was wide and summoned all sorts of people from all sorts of dimensions, a peak-level expert or mage that was able to get an S-rank mercenary tile was not that frequent.

"What happened to the ogre chimera's body?"
"Hm?"

Bern widened his eyes after hearing Sungmin's question. His expression said that he never imagined that Sungmin would ask something like that. After looking at Sungmin's face for a while, Bern shrugged his shoulders.

"We're investigating into it. Although nothing special was discovered until now… there's a high chance that a black magician is involved in this."
"You mean there was a black magician nearby?"
"I presume so. In the first place, that forest is not a suitable place for orcs to have as their territory. It would be reasonable to think that a black magician created a chimera out of an ogre and released it into the woods."
"Why would he do that?"
"Are you asking my opinion as a guild master? Or as a mage?"
"Both."

There was a reason Sungmin was asking Bern about this. Bern was the head of Behengerr mercenary guild branch, and a very capable mage at the same time. Being asked that by Sungmin, Bern stayed silent for a moment before speaking.

"He wanted to test something."
"Test… you say?"
"The chimera's mouth was sewn shut. It was unable to take any meals. Ogres aren't that barbaric amongst monsters. They have a very high reason. They don't a.s.sault villages because they're afraid of expeditions."

He heard about that from Roode already. Bern saw that Sungmin was not saying anything and kept listening, so he spoke on.

"Starved monsters become very violent. Humans become weak in the face of hunger… but in the case of monsters, it's the opposite. They become stronger and even more violent. Do you know why? It is to survive. Only the strong and the violent can hunt."
"So, that's why the ogre's mouth was intentionally shut?"
"It was in order to force it to starve. If you were a few days late, a village would have disappeared. Or… the black magician would have recollected the ogre."

Sungmin thought that it would be the latter. That was because he had never heard the news of a village being wiped out by an ogre in his previous life. As Bern said, the black magician probably released the ogre into the woods and forced it to starve and observed its actions. Then, he would have collected it back before it could cause any trouble.

'It changed.'

In his previous life, the ogre chimera was not killed. But this time, it was. Wouldn't this become a variable? Sungmin was worried about that. There was a very high chance that the black magician that released the ogre chimera is also the owner of the dungeon that would be discovered half a year later.

"Perhaps the black magician was nearby. As for you… I thought you were quite lucky. If you met him, then it would have been hard for you to return."
"Is it that much?"
"This guy is capable of subduing an ogre and create it into a chimera, and even control it on top of that. This black magician should be at a very high level. But why are you curious about that now?"
"It's just a personal curiosity. It was the first time I saw a chimera."

Sungmin replied that and put the mercenary tile inside his chest pocket.

"Then. I'll see you again."
"Oh… wait."

Bern grabbed Sungmin who was about to leave. He made an awkward expression and spoke.

"There's a person who wishes to meet you."
"Who is it?"
"Xeon. Do you know him?"

Asked Bern. Hearing that

Sungmin's expression stiffened. He tried his best to relax his expression and shook his head.

"…I do not."
"I thought so. You just became a mercenary after all. Xeon… is an SS-rank mercenary. He's the highest-ranked mercenary among the ones registered in Behengerr branch."

He did know.

Lee Sungmin knew of Xeon. An SS-rank mercenary. Shaolin's inner disciple as well as an expert in the fist. The leader of Corona mercenaries.

How could he not know? The mercenary group that Sungmin belonged to in his previous life was none other than Corona. In other words, Xeon was the leader of the group that Sungmin belonged to. However, it wasn't like there was any connection between Sungmin and Xeon. For Xeon to care… Sungmin was a puny existence.

Corona mercenary group was a large-scale mercenary group. There were over 100 mercenaries that belonged to it, and they had 5 S-rank mercenaries on top of their leader Xeon being an Ss-rank.

There were dozens of C-rank mercenaries in Corona. Sungmin, who was a no-cla.s.s, and had no special traits of his own, was some random trash that the higher people in the guild did not care about at all. Although Sungmin joined while he was E-rank and endured all the way to when he became a C-rank, he was still a random n.o.body that any guild had several of.

"It wouldn't be bad for you to meet him at least once. With your skills, there should be many groups that would want you. Corona mercenary group, lead by Xeon, is considered the best mercenary groups among the ones in Behengerr. Of course, you probably don't plan on staying Behengerr forever, but Xeon and Corona are names that are well known even in neighboring cities."
"…Did he wish to meet me immediately?"
"He's already waiting inside."

Bern smiled bitterly.

"I know that it's sudden. But…"
"Okay."

Sungmin slowly nodded his head.

"I'll meet him once."

The choice was his anyway. If he declined, Bern's position would become awkward. To repay Bern who gave him various benefits, it would be better to meet Xeon at least once.

It was all an excuse anyway.

Sungmin just wanted to meet Xeon once.

The room was filled with smoke from a cigar. The guest room that Bern used had become a personal room for Xeon for now. Bern entered through the door and frowned at Xeon.

"At least open the window."

Xeon, who was puffing a cigar, only shrugged. Sungmin started at Xeon who slowly put down the cigar.

This was the first time he met with Xeon one to one. Although he did belong to Corona, there were no contact points between him and Xeon. Even when he applied to Corona, and later belonged to it, he never saw Xeon in person. To Corona, the person called Sungmin was no more than a ch.o.r.es-person that ran errands and did cleaning.

"Quite decent."

Muttered Xeon as he looked at Sungmin's face. Xeon had wide shoulders and short hair. Sungmin had always seen him from afar. To him, the mercenary known as Xeon was a target of admiration.

Xeon is a former no-cla.s.s.

It was 15 years ago that Xeon was summoned to Eria. He was summoned as a no-cla.s.s and was opportunate enough to learn the Hundred Steps Divine Fist of the Shaolin, and was acknowledged of his martial art when he went to Shaolin's mountain in Eria. Although the details weren't told, Sungmin admired and respected Xeon just because he was a former no-cla.s.s. He always thought that he would become like Xeon one day.

"…My name is Lee Sungmin."
"Xeon."

Xeon put the cigar back in his mouth.

His target of admiration from a long time ago, was sitting right in front of him.

Sungmin felt a gaze.

Xeon was staring at Sunmin's face silently with his mouth shut. The thick smoke from the cigar in Xeon's mouth hindered Xeon's vision, but Sungmin could feel Xeon's gaze from beyond the smoke.

Xeon felt interest in this boy that was in front of him. Yes, boy. Sungmin was still a boy. Although he looked quite older due to the sufferings and hards.h.i.+ps he went through, Sungmin's age was still 18. Not old enough to be called an adult(弱冠 – 20 years old).

"Great, I should say."

Xeon put down the cigar. Bern looked around the smoke-filled room with a frown and opened the window. However, Xeon didn't care about what Bern did. Although Bern was the head of the Behenger branch mercenary guild, as the leader of the Corona mercenaries, Xeon's position should be higher if not equal to Bern's.

"I heard you were 18, but… you're trained quite well. You've killed an ogre chimera?"
"…Yes."

Even while listening to Xeon's evaluation, Sungmin didn't know what kind of expression to make. Was he supposed to be happy? Or was he supposed to feel bitter. In his previous life, he never caught his attention even once.

"You're proficient in hiding your aura. Meaning, you're used to hiding your qi. Although your physical development seems slightly immature, your muscles are definitely trained well."

The reason he was lacking physical development was because he didn't have proper food. Sungmin was also aware of that. Xeon looked at his hand.

"Your hands. They are the hands that swung the spear more than thousands of times. I like them."
"…Thank you."
"A no-cla.s.s, huh?"

Xeon picked up the cigar he put on the ash tray. After sucking on the cigar a few times, he put the cigar out on the ash tray.

"Is it suffering, or effort, that you went through?"
"…I consider it to be both."
"Probably."

Xeon giggled.

"I was also a no-cla.s.s after all. I know how s.h.i.+t this world is to no-cla.s.ses. …I can only praise you for achieving such a level despite that."

Otherworlders, who became famous in Eria as a no-cla.s.s was extremely rare. Xeon, the leader of the Corona mercenaries, was one of them. The reason Sungmin chose to enter the Corona mercenaries as their bottom run was also because he admired Xeon.

No. Strictly speaking, it wasn't really admiration. What Sungmin of the previous life wished for was salvation and sympathy. Sungmin… wished Xeon to save him. Because they were both no-cla.s.ses. He expected Xeon to sympathize with him and give him good things.

Of course, no such thing happened. There were many no-cla.s.ses in the Corona mercenaries who entered it with the same mindset as him, and Xeon did not give them a single glance.

"Enter the Corona mercenaries."

Spoke Xeon.

"I have already heard of your skills. A solo kill of an ogre chimera. With that kind of achievements, you should become an SS-rank soon. If you enter, I will put you right by my side."
"…You mean you'll let me have the vice-leader position?"
"I don't think it's a bad offer."
"Is it because I'm a no-cla.s.s?"
"No, I'm just greedy of your skills. You seemed to have stepped in to the realm of peak-level experts at that age. With enough time and support, you may surpa.s.s the wall of the peak-level once and for all."
"And you mean you can provide me with that time and support?"

Xeon's mouth turned into a grin at that question. He put his hand inside his chest pocket and took out a small wooden chest. Sungmin thought that it was an interspatial pocket, but it was not. The chest held a small pill inside. A very clear fragrance started circulating around the room which was full of stuffy smoke.

"This is…."

Bern who was watching from the side, spoke in surprise. Sungmin's expression also stiffened.

"Lesser restoration pill."

Xeon crossed his arms.

"It's one of the secret pills of the Shaolin. Although not as much as the greater restoration pill, its effects overpower any ordinary spiritual medicine."
"…You will give me that?"
"Instead."

Tap. Xeon closed the wooden chest.

"You will tell me about the arts you've learned."
"Just the names?"
"No, their scriptures as well."

Sungmin made an expression of absurdity. No matter how precious the lesser restoration pill was, it was hard to compare it with the Shadowless Spirit, Nine Skies Infinity Spear, and the Purple Cloud Divine Art.

"I decl…."
"I'll give you a greater restoration pill."

Xeon spoke before Sungmin could finish his words.

"If you tell me the scriptures of your spear technique, I will give you the greater restoration pill."
"…I don't understand. Why do you wish to know?"

Xeon was an expert in the Hundred Steps Divine Fist. As an inner disciple of Shaolin, he learned the secret arts of the Shaolin, which was considered as the best sect out of the Ten Great Sects. Why would Xeon need to know a spear art that he didn't even use - Sungmin did not understand.

"Because I cannot trust you."

Replied Xeon.

"I do not plan to learn the art you tell me. However, I'm going to keep it in mind. Only then would I be able to prepare for your betrayal."
"You think I will betray you?"
"Not just you."

Xeon put the wooden chest back inside his pocket and spoke.

"I do not trust people. Just because I give trust to someone doesn't mean that that someone will trust me as well. Humans are such creatures. You… are a talent I desire to get, but at the same time, someone too big to hold. That is why you will tell me the scriptures of your arts."

Even so, telling him to teach him the scriptures of his own arts was a shameless thing to do, was it not? When Sungmin's expression turned worse, Xeon added.

"Like I said, I do not plan to learn your spear techniques. I will just keep it in mind. If you tell me the scriptures and enter the Corona mercenaries, I shall give you both the lesser and greater restoration pills. What do you think?"

It was shameless of Xeon to ask him to tell him the scriptures of the arts, but the things Xeon was willing to pay in return were very tempting. If Sungmin could consume the lesser and greater restoration pills, Sungmin will grow immensely.

"I decline."

However, this was Sungmin's answer. Xeon frowned at his answer.

"Is what I'm offering you insufficient?"
"No, they are not. The greater and lesser restoration pills… I believe that those two are worth more than a peerless divine art."
"Then why?"
"Just the same reason as you. I also cannot trust you."

It wasn't that he didn't trust in people. He didn't trust in Xeon. Hearing Sungmin's answer, Xeon shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"That's a pity."
Saying that, Xeon stood up.

"If you change your mind then come to me at any time. My conditions will not change."

Sungmin did not reply to those words. When Xeon left, Bern, who was silent all this time, spoke up.

"It seems like Xeon is very wary of you."

Although it was a pity that he couldn't get the lesser and greater restoration pills, this couldn't be helped. The risks of telling another his own arts were too big.

"Oh, yes. I'll tell you something that you might take interest in. The ogre chimera that you killed. We decided to investigate them with the magician's guild in Behengerr since it is hard for me to do it alone."
"Is that so?"
"Would you like to see it before you go?"
"What would I know?"
"You were the one to fight it. The other side also said that they wanted to listen to your opinion."

When Bern said that, it became harder to refuse. Since it wasn't like heh ad anything urgent right now, Sungmin nodded his head.

The magician's guild of Behengerr was not that far from the mercenary guild. Thinking about it, this was Sungmin's first visit to the magician's guild. In his previous life, he had nothing to do with magic at all. Although he was able to learn a few spells thanks to Scarlett in this life, that didn't mean that he was proficient in it.

"Are you interested in magic?"
"Interest… yes."
"Magic is a splendid field of study. If someone asks what miracles are, I will immediately reply that miracles equal magic."

Bern's expression as he said that showed pride for his magic. Sungmin, who was looking around the magician's guild with interest, suddenly spotted a sphere levitating in the air.

"What is that?"
"A magic stone. Do you know what it is?"
"I know it as the stone that stores mana."
"You're right. Magic stones are stones that can store mana. All artifacts use magic stones, including interspatial pockets."
Bern, as though he had just found the opportunity to do so, started explaining the mechanisms behind interspatial pockets. Inserting magic stones into the existing bags or boxes, and hiding them through spatial distortion magic, and then inserting mana after casting spatial expansion magic, etc, etc. Sungmin half-ignored the grandiose explanations

"This way."

Bern lead Sungmin the way while chatting the whole time. The place Bern took Sungmin to was the bas.e.m.e.nt of the building. Walking down to the end of the long corridor, Bern stopped in front of a red door.

"The ogre chimera research is done here."

When Bern knocked on the door, the door soon opened. Sungmin gasped after breathing in the disgusting air that was inside the room.

"Hm."

Bern also didn't seem to imagine that such a scene would be waiting for him. The room… was horrific. Butchered ogre body parts were levitating in the air, and the internal guts were strewn around everywhere.

"You're here?"

A man clad in a white gown approached Bern and Sungmin.

"…What is this?"
"Investigation, of course."

Said the man while shrugging. Unlike the wrinkle-less young face, his hair had lots of white strands. Making a nonchalant face, the man looked at Sungmin.

"…Oho."

The man's eyes sparkled.

"This is an incredibly… rare… hmm."

The man approached Sungmin while saying that and stopped.

"Oh, I'm late to introduce myself. I'm called Kim Jonghyun."

The man nodded stooped down a little.

"Who are you?"

His curiosity-filled eyes headed towards Sungmin. Sungmin was quite surprised at the name 'Kim Jonghyun'. Not because he knew who he was, but because the name style was the same as his own.

"…I'm Lee Sungmin."
"A Korean?"

Kim Jonghyun also laughed and asked back at Sungmin's answer. When Sungmin nodded his head, Kim Jonghyun laughed again.

"Well, just because we're both Korean doesn't mean that we're from the same dimension. We are very probably originating from different Koreas of different dimensions."

Eria was like that. It summoned people of other worlds at random from all sorts of dimensions. Even the martial cultivation world had different varieties, and Korea, the place Sungmin was born and raised in, was the same.

"The Korea… no, Earth I was born in became a hot mess due to the appearance of monsters. Monsters popped out from everywhere, and hunters and magicians were born after awakening processes. What was your Earth like?"
"…There were no monsters."
"Then it's a different dimension. Well, in any case, it's still nice to meet another Korean."

Kim Jonghyun extended his hand and offered Sungmin a handshake.

"…Though, that's not the only reason I'm delighted."

Kim Jonghyun made a mysterious smile.