/

Chapter 14




───────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────
The Miracle on the Hudson
“Mr. Hudson, there’s something you must see!”
“...I told you to knock and come in.”
The manager hastily opened the door and entered Hudson’s room.
Hudson frowned and scolded the manager.
“S-Sorry, but the ‘Talisman’ you specifically instructed us to look out for...!”
“Talisman?”
But the word ‘Talisman’ instantly dispelled Hudson’s irritation. Instead, his eyes sparkled with interest as he looked at the manager.
If the manager was making such a fuss and entering the room himself, it must be an ‘ultra-rare Talisman.’
‘The Philosopher’s Stone? The Sun Gem of Ru? Surely not the Breath of Syndra, right?’
Any of these would be a Talisman he would pay a fortune to obtain, if he could.
Of course, they were things that were impossible to obtain, even if he wanted to.
After a moment, when Hudson saw the Talisman the manager took out from the jewelry box, he paused.
“This is...?”
“Aren’t you happy? It’s the Tears of the Fairy Queen!”
“...Who brought this?”
Tears of the Fairy Queen.
This was one of the Talismans he had specifically instructed to secure if found.
However, it was an item that was almost impossible to obtain.
After all, the Tears of the Fairy Queen were items that the ‘Knights of the Fairy Queen’ rarely possessed.
Finding a Knight of the Fairy Queen was difficult, and to kill one, at least three strong individuals, each with a level of 10, were required.
Such powerful individuals?
They could be counted on one hand in Arcana.
Level 10 was known as a ‘Blood Knight,’ a title that promised honor and treatment wherever they went.
It was a level Hudson himself had yet to reach.
“At first, I thought it was some beggar, but he entrusted these tears as collateral.”
“So he’s in the VIP room now.”
“Yes.”
Hudson leaned back in his chair.
When he touched the ‘Tears of the Fairy Queen’ handed to him by the manager, a parchment appeared before his eyes.
『Tears of the Fairy Queen (Raid) (Immortal)
The first tear of the Fairy Queen crystallized.
It allows you to break the ‘Limit Restriction’ on equipment.
Even if the restricted equipment is destroyed, the tears will not be destroyed. However, to use it again, you must complete the ‘Tears of Resurrection’ quest.』
“This is definitely what I’ve been looking for...”
He was tempted.
He was madly tempted.
But he couldn’t just take the collateral without permission.
This casino operated under Hudson’s name, with his substantial investment, but it was heavily influenced by the ‘Council.’
All businesses in Arcana operated under the supervision and oversight of the Council.
If it were known that he had embezzled or taken possession without authorization, they would come and either imprison or kill him.
Moreover.
‘Someone who could entrust the Tears of the Fairy Queen as collateral without hesitation.’
To entrust such valuable collateral without hesitation, they must be at least level 10 or a ‘Transcender.’
If it were a Transcender, the manager would have recognized them.
He had memorized the names of all known Transcenders.
So, not a Transcender?
Level 10, or weaker, who happened to obtain the tears?
If so, it might be possible to kill and take them. If done quietly, the Council wouldn’t notice.
But what if they were a powerful individual who made it impossible to kill them quietly?
Or what if they were part of an alliance, guild, or party?
‘A few months ago, five stars fell.’
The news of Wilhelm, a 5-star Transcender, battling and dying to a Demon King spread not only in Arcana but across the world.
There were only 32 stars that could be transcended, and Blood Knights competed for them. Wilhelm, who had five stars, was considered insane.
Even so, Wilhelm lost all his treasures when he died to the Demon King. The stars fell to the continent, and some ‘Immortal Talismans’ were randomly buried with them.
The Tears of the Fairy Queen was one of those Immortal Talismans.
So, it could have been obtained by chance.
‘Is it a player? Or a hidden NPC whose name is unknown?’
His head was spinning.
If it was a player whose name and face were unknown, he needed to be cautious.
In Pangea, revealing one’s identity to other players was taboo. Death in this world was linked to the real world.
Even if it were a hidden NPC, they were still a target for caution.
Pangea was home to many powerful individuals from the depths. They were unpredictable. Countless players had died at their hands.
Some even hunted players as ‘criminals’ professionally.
So, players tried to hide the fact that they were players as much as possible.
“Did he seem strong?”
“...I’m not sure. However, he remained calm even when the guards were clearing people out. Similarly, he didn’t show any fear when the guards tried to intimidate him.”
The guards were mostly level 6, expensive mercenaries hired by Hudson. The fact that he remained calm under the pressure of multiple guards meant he was at least level 8.
At least level 8.
After much deliberation, Hudson stood up.
“Let’s go to the VIP room. I need to meet him in person.”
*
And so, now.
Facing the man who had turned the casino upside down, but.
‘Ha. I still don’t know.’
...Even after meeting him in person, he still didn’t know.
A muscular man and a woman with tanned skin.
They glanced at the pile of gold on the roulette table.
Before coming down, he had heard that the man had made over a million gold from a 250 gold bet. It was impossible unless the God of Gambling had descended.
‘Does he have a talent like the Golden Hand?’
The Golden Hand. A talent possessed by all famous gamblers. But if he had the Golden Hand, he would have been caught by the dealer.
The dealer also had the Golden Hand.
‘Pure luck? No way.’
He knew from the start that it would turn out this way.
The phrase ‘Blessing of Gold’ flashed through his mind, but that was also impossible.
The Blessing of Gold was a well-known hidden trait. However, it required too many talents and was useless, so no one chose it.
What kind of person is he?
“Pleased to meet you. I am Hudson, the owner of this casino. If it’s not too much trouble, would you like a cup of tea?”
Hudson extended his hand.
“Sure.”
The man shook his hand openly.
This was Hudson’s last attempt to gauge the man.
Hudson let out a small sigh of relief.
He possessed the ‘Observer’s Hand’ skill, which allowed him to thoroughly assess everything he touched. Even with high magic resistance, he could at least gauge the level...
‘...I can’t feel anything. I can’t see anything.’
He couldn’t gauge anything.
It meant the man had either extremely high magic resistance or something that nullified the skill.
Whatever it was, he couldn’t be taken lightly. Hudson swallowed hard.
“Ha ha. Let’s go up together.”
Hudson forced a smile.
*
【The ‘Observer’s Hand’ skill was nullified by the ‘Giant’s Magic Resistance.’】
He smiled slightly.
‘It’s definitely a player.’
As expected. Hudson was a player.
The Observer’s Hand was one of the class-linked skills that appeared when a ‘Subject’ raised the lowest observation skill to level 10.
It also required the talents ‘Perception’ and ‘Attention to Detail’ to be fully developed, making it a skill that only a gamer could possess.
‘He followed the talent tech tree I posted exactly.’
Of course, the reason he knew all this was because he had tried it himself.
Before the website disappeared, I had posted countless ‘tech trees’ on the strategy board.
Hudson was definitely a player who chose ‘Subject’ from the start and followed that path.
And the fact that he used the ‘Observer’s Hand’ skill...
‘He can’t see my level. He can’t gauge me.’
This was now certain.
Even if he were a player, his level wouldn’t be visible above his head.
So, the reason he could see the other’s level must be due to one of the unknown hidden traits: ‘Great Sage,’ ‘Great Gourmet,’ or ‘Heavenly.’
“Let’s get straight to the point. Sell me the item you entrusted as collateral.”
Hudson said bluntly.
“What price are you willing to pay?”
“2 million gold. I think it’s a very generous price.”
2 million gold.
Indeed, it was a generous offer.
The Tears of the Fairy Queen had the characteristics of being immortal and reusable.
However, its ability was limited to removing the ‘Limit Restriction’ on equipment, making it one of the Talismans with low demand except for a few who needed it.
So, I was also straightforward.
“10 million gold.”
Hudson’s eyebrows shot up.
“...10 million gold is enough to buy five mansions in Arcana’s First District. Do you think this collateral is worth that much?”
For most Subjects, 10 million gold was about a year’s worth of revenue.
Even the wealthiest tycoons who possessed 10 million gold in cash were few.
Naturally, it was a considerable amount for Hudson as well.
After all, even if the casino made a lot of money, it wasn’t all his.
Especially, the amount spent on lobbying the city council exceeded half of the net profit. After various taxes, what was left was pocket change.
“I don’t have it, but you do.”
Still, he didn’t say he didn’t have the money.
After all, he would want it desperately. He would try to buy it even if he had to take out a loan. Or he might try to take it by force.
“I just want to collect it as a ‘treasure.’”
“To join the city council, don’t you need to be level 10?”
“...!!!”
Hudson’s eyes widened.
How did he know?
Hudson had been stuck at level 9 for over a year.
But to become a city councilor in Arcana, he needed to be level 10.
The reason he was stuck was simple.
‘Because I can’t hunt alone.’
Hudson had grown through money.
He had received what was commonly known as a ‘buff.’
He hired mercenaries, bought free knights, and hunted monsters on a large scale, quickly reaching level 9. But the problem was what came next.
To reach level 10, he had to do it alone.
However, his stats were too low.
With low stats, he couldn’t use even the best equipment.
Good equipment usually had a ‘minimum stat requirement.’ Just holding it didn’t make the equipment work.
With low stats, unable to use equipment properly, and with poor combat skills, he couldn’t hunt alone.
That’s why he needed a Talisman.
Especially, a Talisman like the Tears of the Fairy Queen, which could also remove ‘stat restrictions,’ was desperately needed by Hudson.
However, the surprise was short-lived. Hudson tried to look at the current situation as calmly as possible.
“...Who sent you?”
Hudson’s reaction made him chuckle.
“I am a ‘Star Seeker.’ If someone sent me, it would be a star.”
“Stop lying...”
“Would you believe me if you saw a ‘Star Guardian’?”
He took out a book from his pocket.
Hudson was surprised again when he saw it.
“A, a Teleport Book?”
“Even if your eyes are as blind as a bat, you should be able to distinguish a ‘Star Guardian.’ Here.”
He wasn’t unprepared when meeting Hudson.
Teleport Book.
The reason he didn’t entrust this book as collateral was simple.
‘...To escape.’
In case of an emergency.
If Isabella could hold on for 30 seconds, he could escape to the sanctuary through this portal book.
But things seemed to be going well, so he probably wouldn’t need to use it to ‘escape.’
Zzzzz!
<>
<>
The Teleport Book floated in the air, opening a portal for 30 seconds.
A blue portal. On the other side, the ‘Sanctuary’ was visible.
And.
“Huh! ‘Mythical Species’...!”
On the other side of the blue portal, the image of a giant ‘snake’ was etched into Hudson’s mind.
Not an ordinary snake, but an Imugi, a dragon in its pre-dragon form.
Mythical Species. One of the ‘Star Guardians’ who protect only the stars!
‘He’s bought it.’
Of course, Dramut couldn’t leave the sanctuary because he had to protect the star’s foundation.
But he was perfect for intimidating Hudson.
To raise his alertness. To prevent him from having any other thoughts.
“...S, Star Seeker... Why me? I haven’t even obtained the ‘qualification.’”
A Star Seeker was needed by those who had obtained the qualification at level 10 to find a star.
Star Seekers were hard to find as they moved around in secret, and even if found, obtaining a star was even harder.
“You have obtained the qualification. I came to find you.”
However, occasionally, a Star Seeker would seek out a Blood Knight.
Or, even if not level 10, it was possible to meet through ‘special events.’
And no one had met more Star Seekers than me.
Most Star Seekers gave the subject what they needed most and set a condition. A very difficult condition.
Gulp!
Hudson, who swallowed hard, his eyes lit up.
Luck that surpassed the Golden Hand.
A state that couldn’t be gauged even by the Observer’s Hand, a special skill of a Subject.
Knowing what he needed most and showing him a Star Guardian.
He was definitely a Star Seeker. One of the most mysterious beings in this world.
Even if not, he was at least a Transcender. Transcenders were monsters who could create paths where none existed.
Whatever it was, he would surely show the most certain way to reach level 10.
This was an opportunity. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
“What, what do I need to do? No, no, I’ll do anything. Just tell me!”
*
Evening. A cozy restaurant.
Under the slightly dim lighting, a woman sat looking at her phone.
‘It’s already been 10 minutes.’
She was Kim Hana.
She had rushed over in her semi-formal attire after finishing work, but she still drew attention from those around her.
Kim Hana’s expression darkened.
She had run to avoid being late, but 10 minutes after the agreed time, there was no sign of the person she was meeting.
This was the first time someone had made her wait like this.
Still, it was a meeting to express gratitude.
‘Well, I’ll wait a little longer.’
Another 10 minutes passed.
“Customer, would you like to order?”
“Some water... I’m sorry, my companion is a bit late.”
“It’s fine.”
It was the point where she was starting to feel the staff’s gaze.
While gulping down the water, Kim Hana pondered.
With no text or call, could he have forgotten?
Should she call him?
No, it would hurt her pride.
While she was thinking, another 10 minutes passed.
Kim Hana sighed.
“...I’m sorry for being late.”
At that moment, a voice came from behind.
Seeing Park Hyun-myeong sitting across from her with an apologetic look, Kim Hana forced a smile.
“No, I just arrived too. What would you like to eat?”
...I should just finish the meal quickly and go home.