Chapter 275: Awakening of the Eye (2)
cF0809I briefly glanced at Horn. Her lips glistened with grease, the corners of her mouth curved in satisfaction, and her belly bulged outward.3oVzlQ
TWjShe looked every bit the victor after a battle against SSS-grade beef.AM3VUz
kKfI looked away from Horn and turned my gaze forward again. The winter night sky, filled with stars, stretched out before me.KV1jQO
xtwgAs I gazed at the full moon dominating it, an inexplicable melancholy washed over me.rxG
iYh6VfsMaybe it was because of the amount of money I had just spent, now flickering in my mind like the stars above.9KnbIv0
FHWQx‘She ate 20 portions all by herself…’k1zmIt
TTBSSS-grade beef. As its triple “S” implied, it was the best meat I had ever tasted.dmMr
4XdvThe fat was evenly marbled, the texture so tender you could eat it with your gums. The more you chewed, the more umami it released. It was, quite literally, a flavor avalanche.wxgKkT
GTzCsP9The problem was the price. 300,000 won per portion. And Horn devoured twenty of them without flinching.mj4z
zncI had set down my chopsticks after an hour. No matter how delicious it was, after a few bites, it gets cloying.XEj
dbCBfwHorn, however, picked up three pieces at a time without hesitation. For over five hours, she didn’t stop her chopsticks for a second.m07tbwS
m5GRHer ravenous, combative appetite drew the attention of the staff. The restaurant owner came over with a smile to ask if we needed anything else. A rather opportunistic attitude, honestly.RiJ
Kux0T6SI understood. I’d have done the same. So although it annoyed me a little, I couldn’t say anything.gf749J5
VIfi‘Well as long as she enjoyed it, that’s enough.’15cfv7
DYdAnyway, with the money in my account, spending 7 million won wouldn’t even make a dent. After handling several major matters, I had amassed a considerable fortune. Around 70 billion won.pXIyvDY
T55IODIn my past life, I wouldn’t have earned even a fraction of that, not even in my dreams. But in this life, I became a millionaire at eighteen.n1h
2UCTCZThe interesting part is, this was just the beginning.YNZuJ
VWvJbThat number would only snowball from here, until I lost all sense of money.dwX2H
0DH2JIn truth, ever since I became one of the Seven Stars, money stopped holding any real value. It’s merely a means to maintain the dignity that the title demands.Jso0G
yRIOEven so, accepting that emotionally was another matter. Maybe because of memories of scraping together every last penny, 7 million still felt like a huge sum. It’s something I’d need to get used to gradually. Or just keep living frugally like a pauper in spirit.6YA
AEmP‘Better to see the bright side. This is the life of sharing. I can’t be stingy forever.’h1x5B
rPDkSuddenly, my gaze dropped to the black envelope in my left hand. SSS-grade beef.2x3a
28XQSince Choi Seol-Ah had whined endlessly about not getting any, I ended up buying two takeout portions for her.Em6kw
mDion“Two portions should be enough.”uur
YyWThat thought turned out to be naive. How could I have known there would be guests?JkODUFN
NriWhen I arrived at Choi Seol-Ah’s house, I saw two people sitting at the table. One I recognized, the other I didn’t. The homeowner, Choi Seol-Ah, was trembling in a corner, hiding.Vd07uSU
MyetDs“We’ve been expecting you, Heavenly Sword.”Jmn2jg
IzCQThe familiar face was Altair. I quickly scanned his condition—a reflex more than a conscious act.AfA7
GaFRlc‘Limbs intact, no visible injuries.’MCwSu9
pWxx7GpHe was fine. His expression was relaxed too, which meant none of the Auditore members had sustained serious injuries. Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.XRd3
GMvzMIWhat intrigued me was how they had returned so quickly. From Hawaii to Korea, even with a spatial portal at the airport, it took about eight hours. Still, congratulations came first. I’d ask more later.iSmj09J
702y2z“Well done, patriarch.”vDusT
Dp07I gave him a faint smile. He smiled back. Just as I was about to look at the man sitting next to him…LB3m3d
j1sr4rHorn clung to my jacket sleeve (or maybe to the black envelope) and hid behind me. I could feel her fingers trembling. The man watching her let out a deep sigh.UmhmUA
NMnw8“I see you’re well.”Ubdd7
sfhbUVAHe spoke in a dry, plain voice.9UOReU
lATA0Z6“…Yes. As you can see.”C1E
l8nYYHorn replied in a barely audible murmur.T9y
WodMf“Thanks to Lord Heavenly Sword and the others, I’ve been fine, Lord.”SGA2m4
u3J“Lo-Lord?”ifIJeV
FRu5rRQI repeated the word unconsciously and looked at the couch. The stern-faced man, arms crossed, was observing us. Looking closely, I realized he wasn’t human. His ears were elongated, like Horn’s before she used magic.4IW
OwzP“I didn’t have time to inform you, Heavenly Sword. This gentleman came specifically to see you. If his presence becomes a problem, I’ll take full responsibility.”Fbd
gQlvAltair quickly added.kWk0
lmSV3“By the way, he’s the one who brought the Auditore members here.”rFFLNKq
XeBPWith those hints and my limited game knowledge, I figured out who he was.RVQA3
uCdRRuvDragon Lord, the Red Dragon Valerion. Leader and supreme representative of the dragon clan.EDArFjA
i3v9OAnd there he was, in the human world, sitting on a couch next to Altair. At Choi Seol-Ah’s house, Horn’s contractor. It felt like a sitcom episode.0Z8
PzZ6OJ“……”19gJlB
Bei6The strongest dragon stared at me. In that moment, I saw it. A cross-shaped glint sparkled in his pupils. It was the Magic Eye.lxlL63
wGfnyKdValerion rose from the couch and stepped forward. Amid a heavy silence, he spoke.JnGOG
NkUcluH“If I’d known you were in this world, I would have come sooner.”hfCcL
XcaIn a polite tone.Im9
Gthrl5C“It’s been seven hundred years since we last met.”1QAvBp
Ep0I“……”JwIzrWp
FDV2Without a word, I threw the black envelope in my hand.7HaWS
d8cThud!qBnqc5l
7fGxWith a shriek that shattered the solemn mood, the envelope landed squarely on Choi Seol-Ah’s head.U0bmwD
kigwOiL“Put that on the grill.”eaeVK
K4TRxI said, without taking my eyes off Valerion.0lyIwWA
wsYi“I’m going to talk with him in the other room.”Z8mmBu
ICUzXy***rZF
JQnI entered the adjoining room with Valerion. I locked the door behind us, wary that someone might enter while we talked. The topic was far too sensitive.UBKY
qYe1dd“Don’t worry about our voices leaking out.”Xmwiu
1ylNwValerion snapped his fingers as he said this. A translucent barrier enveloped the small five-pyeong room. It was a silence spell. I recognized it immediately as the same one Meain had used just before the attack in Joaquin.zsi5Q
zgZxqz“So Meain is favorable toward humans?”Nvh1WTS
4heXI looked at him. He was staring at me too.Zrr
21HEy“It’s not that we particularly like them. Dragons simply adjust our demeanor depending on who we’re dealing with.”b4V8
67OThe Dragon Lord answered with his characteristic coolness.guzEp9
WlcInR“In short if we’re being nice, it’s because it’s you, Lycan.”Oyen1
Lz2My mind clouded. The clarity with which he said my name left no doubt—he was certain this body belonged to the First Corps Commander, Lycan.0pUeTmy
0RqHow should I respond? As I pondered this, the Lord sat cross-legged, as if he were in his own living room. Do all dragons have that kind of adaptability, like Horn?mrXv12
j0vQ4c“I don’t know the full details, but it’s obvious you avoid that ‘name.’ So I’ll call you what everyone else does Heavenly Sword. I won’t ask why you’re here or what you plan to do. It seems like you’re not exactly the same person I remember.”ftOE
EhJQEbI scratched my eyebrow with my index finger and then nodded. The Lord was sharp and knew how to talk. With people like that, it was easy to get along. I liked him.OdCIM
wTEvGkVI mirrored his posture. Silence settled over the room once more. Two men seated face-to-face. It was a strange feeling, even if neither of us had planned it. He was quiet. So was I.lN4
NTl165sBut someone had to break the ice.JEH
yRCf“So, what brings you here, Lord?”CCi
MwvDuI took that role. After all, I’m a swordsman. And now, I cut through the silence.tVq
gpzp“My original intention was to thank you, Heavenly Sword. You saved my granddaughter from being sold.”LeeFAcu
IrG“It wasn’t intentional… But I guess that’s how it turned out. Though if you used ‘original,’ that means your purpose has changed, right?”TOBXwP
sjphb“Yes. I’ve heard a few things about you. The way you move like lightning gave me a clue. And I wasn’t wrong.”kFOdX
cOvUfThe Lord straightened his back and rested his fist on his knee. In a solemn posture, he asked.EpN
9omiZDP“From what I can tell, you’ve lost both your power and your memory from seven hundred years ago. Am I right?”FOLw2I
jdFfec2I nodded. It was better to admit it directly than to try and deny it. A decision based on instinct.WmZbl7
lQGwxJ“You’re more or less correct, Lord. It seems I lost my memory and my power, and ended up here in the human world. I only recently discovered that this body originally belonged to a demon.”sGL
jfG5I lied a little. I couldn’t tell him everything. That would mean giving too many explanations. Some of them impossible—like that I’m a possessed soul, or that I received the Blessing of the Sword God.czbMz
P6LtHYEven if I wasn’t met with hostility, I couldn’t trust him so easily. After all, we’d only just met. Not even being Horn’s grandfather changed that.AA7HX
O9sIFxIf he tried using his Magic Eye to tell if I was lying, we’d see.RVHV6
Ah7sCY“I see.”HWOysj
pfFLuckily, he didn’t. Now I feel like the bad guy. Damn it.l2M51QP
Tsw“So… your Magic Eye is still sealed?”q818R1T
ZabOtHQHis comment caught me off guard. I asked immediately.kprt
AQvrh“Did you just say ‘Magic Eye’?”TKpp
K8cThe Lord looked puzzled.yKLiw0
gGkHBCg“Don’t tell me you forgot that too. I thought you’d at least remember that much.”kXOnm
VK5cBw“I told you—I don’t remember anything. But the Magic Eye is supposed to be exclusive to dragons, right? How do I have one? Could it be that I was originally a dragon?”Bba
sI0IOIRThe Lord shook his head. It took him a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, and then he replied.F8Bts
JRW8“The Founder Hero inherited the Magic Eye from the previous Lord.”iixDHz2
jQd8“I… kind of knew that.”bGmey
t9tVJPG“Well, it’s the same with you.”V219
lw5He said.AXGktN
deTZlPV“You inherited a Magic Eye too. The second most powerful one after the Eye of Rings—The Reversal Eye.”Hx8
Czs18NI was speechless. Valerion continued, his voice grave.RXB
WpZ“I’m here to help you awaken that eye.”OEu
KdiD“…Why would you do all this for me? Just because I used to be the First Corps Commander before losing my memory?”yqoj
GBpnRsThe Lord gave a brief smile. It was strange seeing another expression on his face.70spVD2
TLrWP“It’s funny, but seven hundred years ago, I hated you. You and the Founder Hero, Balor Joaquin. Because the previous Lord only ever paid attention to you two. It was childish jealousy. But now I understand. I understand why he did.”ypJ
SykuuSzHe closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them. A reddish glow rimmed his pupils.ACoLhd
8LH4R“The war is coming. Not just between humans and demons. A greater war, against higher entities.”y76yK
AlRKEgOValerion’s Magic Eye was the Eye of Clairvoyance.12a
4meT7dDUnlike blessings like Media’s [Poet’s Blessing], which only predict, this eye sees the future with certainty.E13uKH
7ETpThat’s why his words were a prophecy.sUd
S1IEj“The only one who can stand against them is you, Heavenly Sword…“5Bf
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementBro has all buffs from different race. Power of a god, soul of a human, body of a demon and eye of a dragon