Chapter 130

In the end, the only thing I managed to win at the auction was the Tear of Gold that Kang Sojeong had asked for.

Once the auction wrapped up and the commotion was settled by the host, I headed to the organizers’ desk to collect the item.

“May I see your bid card?”

“Yes.”

I handed it over. After carefully checking it, the staff finally passed me the item. I stowed it in the Space-Saving Box I had prepared and turned to leave.

That’s when I felt someone twist my wrist and grab hold.

“Hey.”

When I turned my head, it was Wang Tiansin.

She gripped my arm and scanned me up and down with narrowed eyes.

Third ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Eye (A) activates.

I gave a quick glance at the bright status window glowing in front of her before I asked,

“What is it?”

Wang Tiansin just stared at me, like she was seeing straight through me.

‘Well, she actually is seeing through something.’

After a brief silence, she released my wrist with a small click of her tongue.

“Your skill...”

Starting with a weighty tone, she shook her head and stepped back.

What the hell? I was about to ask what she meant, but she spoke first.

“Your body can’t handle it.”

Her words, delivered like advice, made me freeze for a moment. I can’t handle my own skill?

Her Third Eye can’t pierce the beast sleeping in my hand. Which means she must have meant my actual skills.

All of mine were high-grade—definitely not the kind an F-rank should have. But saying I couldn’t handle them?

‘No way.’

I’d been using them just fine until now.

Still, I wanted to know her angle, so I didn’t brush her off.

“Then what should I do?”

“Well... if I had to warn you, I’d say that if you keep using them, your body will surpass its limit.”

Huh. But that warning was meaningless—I couldn’t just stop using my skills. So I added another condition.

“Even if I raise my rank?”

“...Yeah.”

That was unexpected.

If the problem was just the gap between rank and skill grade, then closing that gap usually solved it. Hard to do, sure, but not impossible.

Her answer made me recall my own status window. There was still one line I hadn’t figured out. If you could even call it writing.

■■ ■■ (EX).

I had no idea what it was. I’d used every other skill at least once, but this one—I didn’t even know the activation condition. The only hint was that it would manifest on its own when the time was right.

‘Is that the one she means?’

The thought sparked instant interest.

“Which skill are you talking about?”

Her Third Eye could at least roughly discern the direction of a skill. Then she should be able to sense what that hidden one was.

“I have quite a few, so I don’t know which you mean. Is it a mental-type?”

I prodded, but instead of answering, she stared at me. Too long. Then her status window disappeared.

“No.”

“Then what?”

Her voice was firm.

“It’s not even your skill. I can’t see what it is.”

What the hell does that mean?

With that, Wang Tiansin turned and left with her attendant. I wanted to grab her and press for answers, but reason stopped me.

Getting into a spat with someone of her stature here would only double the attention on me. Besides, there was a nagging thought from her words.

‘Not my skill?’

That was... extremely interesting.

A Plunderer. Someone who could take another’s skills by killing them. I hadn’t thought about it for a while, but it was still a fascinating subject.

Killing someone and gaining their skill—how efficient, how simple.

Sure, there was the minor flaw of not knowing you were a Plunderer until you killed someone, but still.

Her words—not your skill—sounded just like I had stolen someone’s. Of course, I’d never killed anyone, so it didn’t quite fit. But... there was one thing.

‘The deleted run.’

That was the term the status window had used when I was under Im Haekyung’s mental domination. With gods existing, I doubted the system used words lightly. A hypothesis formed.

‘If the deleted run really happened... and in it I killed someone and plundered that EX skill... then forgot it all?’

Well, without proof, it was just a theory.

I stared at the spot Wang Tiansin had left, then turned away. That could wait. For now, I needed to get Joo Seowon and leave for the hotel.

When I got to the first-floor lounge, I spotted him in the seat I’d left him in earlier.

He was drinking and gazing out the window. I’d half-expected him to be nodding off, but surprisingly, he seemed clear-headed.

I walked over and sat across from him. His eyes followed me.

“...Seo Jehyun? You’re done?”

“Yeah. Didn’t need you. How much are you drinking? No water?”

“I didn’t order water. ...This one’s weak though, want it?”

He held out his glass, but I slapped it away.

“Ah!”

“I’ll get my own.”

“...Seriously? You’re not even going to get drunk!”

Ignoring him, I fetched a glass of iced water and sat back down.

Grumbling, Seowon looked at me with faint hope.

“...The sword?”

“Not there. Guess it doesn’t come out the first day.”

“What?”

Not hope—certainty. His face twisted. He set his glass down, glanced around, and lowered his voice.

“You mean... it wasn’t there at all?”

“Of course not. What’s a little missing supposed to mean?”

“...But the intel came from an insider.”

“Then either things changed or your source lied.”

“Damn...”

He clutched his head like he had a migraine. I leaned back, watching him, then reached over and brushed his hair once.

“Still, I got something else.”

“What else?”

“The deal today. Tear of Gold.”

“...At least that’s something. Tae Hyunjin’s sword... it’ll show up tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

If not, we’re fucked.

We’d put all our effort into day one, and if that failed, I needed backup plans—B and even C.

‘Actually... there’s something else to mention.’

I glanced at the top of Seowon’s bowed head, then spoke.

“Wang Tiansin came today. In person.”

“...Wang Tiansin?”

“Yeah. The one you were in contact with.”

“They usually send proxies...”

“Guess she felt like coming herself.”

Whether her talking to me was luck or not, I couldn’t say.

After a moment of hesitation, I said,

“Seowon.”

“What.”

“Reach out to her again. Say you spoke with her today.”

“What? You actually talked to her? On purpose?”

“Not really. We just ran into each other.”

He frowned, clearly not convinced. I just shrugged.

“I mean, we did talk a bit. But it was nothing serious, so stop doubting everything.”

“God... nothing ever goes according to plan with you.”

“Want me to hit you?”

On that, I had to agree. Nothing had ever gone this far off-plan in my life. Since arriving here, things rarely went the way I intended.

Seowon skipped answering the threat, frowned, and deflected.

“...It’s late. Isn’t it weird to message her now?”

“Just do it. She only just left the auction too—plenty of time to check her phone. Even if she’s asleep, she’ll see it tomorrow.”

He sighed but did it. I sipped my iced water, glancing at him.

He even showed me his phone like I was inspecting it before pocketing it again.

“Good. Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

We headed straight back to the hotel and into the room.

I wasn’t tired yet, but sleeping now would help with tomorrow’s schedule.

‘He looks steadier than I thought.’

I gave Seowon, who was putting away his clothes, a light once-over.

“Not tired?”

“Huh? Dunno. I was earlier, but now...”

“Give me your jacket. I’ll hang it.”

He took it off and handed it over. Up close, I caught a faint whiff of alcohol.

‘What?’

I pressed my nose to the fabric. His eyes widened.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“Smells like booze.”

“Well, yeah, I drank.”

“Did you spill it?”

“I... maybe a little.”

I gave the lightweight drunk a pitying look and hung it up.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Seowon, cut down on the drinking.”

“I didn’t have much!”

“Better if you quit altogether. Same for smoking.”

I expected him to argue, but instead he stayed quiet. Then, curiously, he asked,

“...Hey. Why don’t you drink? Cigarettes I get, but alcohol?”

People sure loved to ask that. I was about to give a simple answer, then paused.

‘Hmm...’

He seemed to notice.

“...What, some kind of trauma? Doesn’t fit you.”

“Not really.”

“So you’re not going to say?”

“It’s nothing serious. But if I told you, someone might be upset.”

“...Who?”

I tilted my head, smirked at him.

“Do Yehyun?”