Several days had passed since the reward negotiations concluded. The chosen rewards—specifically, the four “Awakening Secret Classes”—had not been handed over immediately. Unlike other classes, which came as tangible items, these were inherited through a process of self-awakening. So, it was agreed that all the selected rewards would be delivered together once everything was ready, and a messenger would be sent at that time.
But I couldn’t just sit around waiting idly for the rewards to arrive. Since the introduction of the ranking system, clan members had been moving more actively than ever before, albeit gradually. Despite a steady stream of external petitions arriving daily, countless clan members eagerly volunteered to handle every single request. They were so determined to raise their ranks that one user who came to petition even said, “No, you really don’t have to go this far for me,” which was both amusing and a little embarrassing.
Among them, the most remarkable progress was made by Lee Yoo-jung. There had been a lot of talk after she voluntarily dropped down to an F rank, but the rumors died down in just three days. That was probably proof that something had genuinely changed. In fact, even though she had only recently returned from an expedition, she had already completed two additional missions. They weren’t particularly difficult tasks, but it was definitely a positive sign, and I felt satisfied. (Though, to be honest, I was a bit uneasy—she had openly declared that her first goal was to reach B rank.)
I hadn’t been idle either. When I informed Vivian that she could use the facilities built in the ancient magical city of Magia, she was overjoyed. After securing her promise to deliver results, I focused on constructing a new Mercenary Academy. Since building a special facility within the city itself would serve as excellent publicity, Jo Seung-woo immediately agreed. Plus, having done this once before, it wasn’t a particularly difficult task.
Just as we quickly selected a site and began construction, a messenger arrived with perfect timing to inform me that the rewards were ready. They had been placed in the user-exclusive warehouse, and I was told to come and collect them at my convenience. I was about to head out right away when unexpected news made me pause. Just before leaving, an unforeseen visitor arrived. I would have preferred to meet later if it wasn’t important, but I couldn’t refuse—Seoji-hwan Jo, the merchant guild lord who held significant influence over one of the subordinate clans, had come.
“Thank you for allowing me to visit, Mercenary Lord.”
“Not at all. Please, have a seat.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“…”
Seoji-hwan bowed slightly, flashing a sly grin. I quietly observed as he took a sip of tea. On the surface, he looked like a friendly, portly middle-aged man, but in reality, he was no one to underestimate. His skills as a user might not be exceptional, but as a merchant, he was naturally shrewd. He had been one of the first to act when the old Koran Union was toppled.
“This tea tastes excellent. I feel a warm energy spreading through my whole body.”
“Ko Yeon-ju surprisingly has quite a talent for tea ceremonies.”
“Oh! Tea made by the Shadow Queen herself? My taste buds are truly spoiled today.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Heh heh… Well then, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get straight to the point. Is that alright?”
“Of course.”
Even now, while pretending to sip tea, he kept glancing around the room. Since I had been about to leave, there were probably signs of my preparations everywhere. After spotting those, he likely finished the formalities quickly and got right to business. Honestly, I preferred dealing with someone like him—no need for tiresome beating around the bush.
“Then I’ll be direct. I want to establish a Night District in this southern city.”
“A Night District?”
“Yes. Atlanta seems to be settling down gradually, and goods are circulating steadily. If we create a Night District here, we can reliably attract the flow of goods that don’t appear in the regular market.”
“Hmm. A Night District…”
I fell into thought.
A Night District—literally a kind of marketplace that opens at night. But it wasn’t just any ordinary shopping area. In reality, it was a place where brothels, gambling dens, black markets, auctions, even slave markets and assassination services operated. In other words, it was a street where the ugly, dark desires that couldn’t be exposed during the day were made manifest and traded. The imposing gates of the “Deungdeunghan” (a powerful faction) were also mainly active in the Night District, making it a rather dangerous place.
“If you’re worried about the city’s reputation being tarnished, I assure you there’s no need for concern. We will manage it carefully to prevent any problems from arising.”
His tone was persuasive, as if sensing my reluctance. When I looked up, Seoji-hwan was still smiling broadly. I imagined he must be hiding dozens, if not hundreds, of tricks up his sleeve. Still, his confidence suggested he had a plan.
“If you’re really uneasy, you can impose some restrictions on certain items. What I want is simply to create the Night District itself.”
“Restrictions…? Would that really form a genuine Night District?”
“…Excuse me?”
“The advantage of a Night District lies in being able to see and purchase those ugly desires directly. That’s what drives profit.”
Seoji-hwan’s smile vanished. It was like a small fish trying to boss around a bigger one. There was no way he didn’t know what I knew. Yet he brought it up for one reason. His usually sly expression slowly turned serious. After a brief silence, he spoke.
“…If you just give me permission.”
“…”
“And trust me with it, I’ll build the best Night District this city has ever seen—one no other city can match.”
“Ambitious, but given the nature of the market, problems are inevitable. In one way or another. If you’re confident you can manage those issues so they don’t leak outside…”
“I will personally oversee the Night District. If it’s done right, it could become the city’s top income generator. And if any problems do arise, the New Koran Union will take full responsibility.”
“Not just the Merchant Guild, but the Union itself. Sounds like you’ve already settled things internally.”
Seoji-hwan smiled faintly. I made my decision then—to approve the Night District. Honestly, if you had enough money and could stomach the unsavory sights, there was hardly a more fascinating and exciting place than a Night District. All kinds of desires from every direction tempting you, and before you know it, time slips away.
With my approval given, I glanced up to see Seoji-hwan rubbing his hands eagerly.
“Well then…”
“Forty-five percent.”
I cut in immediately. Seoji-hwan looked momentarily stunned, then gave a wry smile.
“I suppose you started high expecting around thirty percent… Let’s settle on thirty-three percent. I’m not unreasonable, especially in front of the Mercenary Lord.”
“Thirty-three percent it is.”
I had been thinking somewhere between twenty-eight and thirty-three percent, so I nodded without hesitation. We shook hands firmly. Good. That meant a steady source of funding had just been added.
Seoji-hwan promised to report progress personally and asked me to look forward to it before opening the door and leaving. And indeed, I could expect great things. Even back on the Northern Continent, the Night District in Koran had been the most prosperous place.
“Hmm, a Night District…”
No sooner had Seoji-hwan left than Ko Yeon-ju emerged from the shadows. I wasn’t surprised—she had obviously been eavesdropping.
She looked toward the door Seoji-hwan had exited and nodded lightly.
“Well, if it’s someone like Seoji-hwan, you can expect good results. He’s definitely resourceful.”
“Exactly. If it had been some mediocre nobody suggesting this, I wouldn’t have approved. But since it’s Seoji-hwan, I gave the green light.”
I nodded and picked up a record from the desk—a list I had prepared in advance after receiving the messenger’s notice. I had planned to hand it over when I left, but the timing was perfect.
“In any case, with this, running out of gold coins should be unlikely… Hm? What’s this?”
I shook the list a couple of times to indicate they should take it. Ko Yeon-ju flicked her hand with a sly smile and snatched the record. She read it carefully, but the smile slowly faded.
“This is…”
“I’m stepping out for a bit. Should take about twenty or thirty minutes. You can leave everything in the office.”
I stood up, holding the baby Chaos Mimic I had brought earlier. Ko Yeon-ju tapped the record lightly with her index finger.
“Just this list?”
“Yes.”
“Are you finally getting started?”
“I have to. There’s no more time to delay. If anything, it’s already late.”
“I don’t know who you have in mind, but… well, there’ll be whispers again soon.”
“Is that so? We’ll see.”
I smiled faintly and left the room.
When I returned after collecting the items from the user warehouse, the office was empty. But on the desk lay four crystals, quietly radiating a beautiful light.
‘Water Crystal’
‘Fire Crystal’
‘Light and Darkness Crystal’
‘Ancient Priestess’s Emblem’
To be precise, there were three crystals and one token in total—items carefully hidden away in a warehouse accessible only to clan members ranked S or higher. But now was the time to use them. Honestly, I should have done this much earlier, though as I mentioned before, it did feel a bit late. I gently ran my fingers over the items before lifting the heavy one in my left hand.
“…Beep?”
The baby Chaos Mimic flinched, curling its body briefly before relaxing its mouth. When I stroked it softly in approval, the faint trembling ceased. It used to stubbornly clamp its mouth shut whenever I tried to put something inside, but lately, it had become surprisingly obedient.
“Well then, shall we take a look?”
I carefully pinched the baby Chaos Mimic’s snout and, in one swift motion, tore it open forcefully from side to side.
“Beeeaaak!”
A sharp tearing sound rang out, followed by a high-pitched scream. Yes, this was exactly the feeling I wanted.
“Bip, biiiip… biiiing…”
It cried out as if deeply wronged, like it couldn’t understand what it had done wrong. I chuckled, flipped it upside down, and shook it gently. Thuds of something heavy dropping inside echoed repeatedly. After confirming nothing else was left, I tossed the squeaking creature aside and began organizing the items.
『Armor of Chiwoo the Heavenly King』
『Cloak of the Crimson Moon』
『Blessing of Rasillas』
『Binding Bola』
『Ring of Essence』
First, the incredible protective gear Seraph had selected and the items I had purchased. Of course, this wasn’t a complete set yet. Even if the armor was a one-piece suit, I still needed to get undergarments, a helmet, and boots. The Binding Bola was intended for surprise attacks or capturing prisoners, and the Ring of Essence… heh heh.
『Potion of Strength Increase』
(Description: Increases Strength stat by 2 points.)
『Potion of Endurance Increase』
(Description: Increases Endurance stat by 2 points.)
『Potion of Agility Increase』
(Description: Increases Agility stat by 2 points.)
『Potion of Magic Power Increase』
(Description: Increases Magic stat by 2 points.)
『Potion of Luck Increase』
(Description: Increases Luck stat by 2 points.)
Five stat-boosting potions. I had bought every last one available. Normally, you can only buy one potion at a time, but I asked Seraph if I could purchase them all at once this time. After all, I was the only one who knew about the secret shop, and letting me buy them or telling an acquaintance to buy them right after I left was basically the same. Seraph agreed and reported my request to the higher-ups, and Gabriel’s reply was simply, “Do as you please!”
Naturally, there were conditions. I could only consume one potion myself; the other four had to be distributed to four other users. That was unavoidable.
『Elixir (x6)』
Next came six bottles filled with a bright yellow liquid, gently sloshing inside.
Good, almost everything I ordered had arrived properly.
After confirming this, I turned my attention to the remaining four items.
The first to catch my eye was:
『Celestial Bow (天弓)』
A massive violet bow radiating a faint magical aura.
『Sacred Champion』
Next, a long, blunt mace gleaming with pure white light.
『Dancer of the White Night (白夜の舞姬)』
Third, a beautiful fan exuding a refreshing, subtle energy, like a finely crafted masterpiece.
『Sovereign of Sword』
And finally, a worn, plain-looking ordinary longsword.
Seeing the Awakening Secret Class, Sovereign of Sword, brought a smile to my face. The first three items were clearly powerful equipment, so I thought, “Ah, they’re throwing this in as a bonus.” But looking at the old sword, I couldn’t help but grin wryly. Still, I wasn’t short on swords, so I let go of any lingering attachment and activated my Third Eye.
『Sovereign of Sword』
(Description:
Long ago, there was a great swordsman,
Respected by all swords in the world,
Loved by the very essence of the blade.
In a time long past, a very distant time…)
One unusual thing was that the description of the Sovereign of Sword included a strange song, as if sung by an ancient bard. No other information was provided, which left me deeply conflicted.
At the time of choosing, all the Awakening Secret Classes felt incredibly appealing. It was hard to give up any of them. Ultimately, I had to set criteria. For the Celestial Bow and Sacred Champion, I could choose with confidence. The Dancer of the White Night was a choice between confidence and a gamble.
But the Sovereign of Sword was initially a pure gamble. It was undoubtedly a great class, but I already had a top-tier swordsmanship expert, so while I desired it, I wasn’t sure it would bring any real benefit.
However, after much deliberation, when I finally chose the Sovereign of Sword, that gamble turned into certainty. And that certainty led me to select it. In other words…
『The Sovereign of Sword is a class that has reached the pinnacle of melee combat. It is especially recommended for users already skilled with swords.』
『Current user Kim Suhyun’s class is the top-tier melee secret class, Sword Specialist. While inheriting this class will not reduce efficiency, it cannot be guaranteed that you will fully unlock its original power.』
『However, if either a history of reaching the pinnacle or the qualification to become the master of the sword is confirmed, the hidden power of this class can be unlocked.』
『True name “Master of the Sword” confirmed. Class acquisition is recommended. Would you like to inherit it?』
Four messages floated in the air. Reading the last two felt like being hypnotized. This class had never appeared in my first playthrough, and I didn’t fully understand how the Awakening Secret Class inheritance system worked. But I had definitely held the true name of “Pinnacle” before, and now I possessed the true name “Master of the Sword.”
“……”
Yeah, the choice was made that day.
Unable to resist the rising excitement, I pressed the ‘Yes’ button as if drawn by some force.
And moments later.
『Awakening Secret Class, “Sovereign of Sword” inherited.』
『True name “Master of the Sword” confirmed.』
『Congratulations. The hidden abilities of “Sovereign of Sword” are now revealed.』
『Beginning evolution of user information.』
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I originally wanted to post this at midnight, but adding more content made me about 35 minutes late. ㅜ.ㅠ
Thank you. I spent all day yesterday clearing my head. Thanks to that, my anxiety faded and my mind relaxed, so only then did my thoughts start to flow again. Haha.
I considered revealing all the explanations at once, but that would take up too much space, so I decided to spread them out over several chapters. I’ll clarify things little by little as the story progresses.
Also, the Binding Bola is not an SM item. Well, it can be used that way depending on the situation, but fundamentally, a bola is a throwing weapon with stones tied to the ends of cords. It costs 750,000 GP, so naturally, it has to be useful. :)
By the way, I finally got my unread messages down to single digits. I should be able to reply to all remaining messages within this week. :D