“How many beads burst in the third chamber…?”
Ho Cheon-an chuckled, only recalling that it was more than three. How many times had he tried to eliminate those green beads? They were spread out so thoroughly that getting rid of them required not just skill but a lot of luck.
“What’s the point whether one comes out randomly from three or from twenty if I don’t know what the contents are?”
Every time a bead burst, the reward list grew richer, but the number of rewards he could actually receive was fixed. What good was it for the reward list to change lavishly when in essence, he had no clue what any of those rewards were?
The third chamber was meant for enjoyment, yet players were clenching their teeth, repeatedly resorting to the save and load technique for rewards.
Ho Cheon-an gazed at the restless Black Cat, who was prancing about as if she was a child at an amusement park, eagerly urging him to keep moving and peering ahead.
“Ah, Senior, let’s hurry! Aren’t you curious about what could be ahead?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Ho Cheon-an looked at Black Cat skeptically. While it was true that he had chosen this mini-game to give her some stimulation, he hadn’t expected the difference between reality and the game to be so vast. Riding a roller coaster in a game and experiencing it in reality were completely different, just like the mini-game within the monitor versus Hyeon Cheon-ja becoming reality.
“If Black Cat, who thoroughly enjoyed the mini-game, is thinking about what score she might hit in this ‘Qi Jin Yi Bo’… then…”
While Hyeon Cheon-ja’s score couldn’t be dismissed, judging by Black Cat’s happiness, the likelihood of her causing trouble for Ho Cheon-an over Qi Jin Yi Bo was almost zero.
“Maybe I was too greedy.”
Since he would have plenty of chances to figure out Black Cat’s true intentions as they continued working together, solidifying their favorability now would be a good thing. Although raising the expectations was a bit burdensome, at least she would follow along without complaint once or twice, right?
“Senior! It’s a stele!”
“Oh.”
From a distance, he could see the stele.
Black Cat activated her lightness skill and vanished in an instant, and Ho Cheon-an sighed and began to sprint after her.
[Challenger! Congratulations on passing all the tests!]
[You have successfully demonstrated your qualification to inherit the treasure of this Hyeon Cheon-ja by passing all the tests of martial arts prowess and luck.]
[You are now the owner of the three items laid upon the altar, so take them with confidence!]
The ecstatic Black Cat nudged Ho Cheon-an forward. He gave a wry smile and, with Black Cat’s force, stepped onto the altar. Three items were displayed on the altar: one bead-shaped object, one bracelet-shaped object, and one box.
“Let’s check the first one!”
“Okay.”
With Black Cat’s encouragement, Ho Cheon-an approached the first treasure, the bead-shaped item, and began to deduce its identity.
“There should be one or two round Qi Jin Yi Bo…”
Round items were plentiful in the Martial World—things like Gongong-Ok (玉), Meongmeong-Goo (球), and Yangyang-Ju (珠). Thankfully, the mini-game guide, Hyeon Cheon-ja, kindly left an explanation beneath the Qi Jin Yi Bo.
[Challenger! This item is a Health Pill.]
[Keep it in your possession, and in summer, it will emit a cool aura, while in winter, it will radiate warmth, and because it carries some auspicious energy, it will help prevent minor ailments.]
“Certainly a precious item, but… not of much help for an expert.”
“Indeed.”
For Black Cat, a peak expert who surpassed the peak stage, it was a meaningless item. At that level, barring extreme conditions, her body wouldn’t be affected at all. Minor ailments were a non-issue.
“Still, it remains a valuable item.”
“That’s true.”
Ho Cheon-an tucked the Health Pill into his pocket. Despite being summer, the chill emanating from the bead felt warm in his chest as soon as he put it away.
The second item was a bracelet.
When Ho Cheon-an saw the bracelet’s design, he could already make a guess about it.
“Looks like this has come up. Not bad.”
[Challenger! This item is called Qichae (氣絲釧).]
[Infusing your internal energy will create threads within it that are strong enough to hold a person’s weight. The threads can be retracted and deployed freely based on the bracelet’s operation, so I hope you use your wisdom to figure out how to use it.]
“Uh?”
Black Cat tilted her head, as if the explanation didn’t make immediate sense.
“So it feels a bit like this.”
Ho Cheon-an put on the bracelet and unleashed his internal energy. Typically, infusing internal energy into an item required one to be at a peak level, but the bracelet crafted by Hyeon Cheon-ja absorbed his energy naturally.
When Ho Cheon-an pulled on the small hook attached to the bracelet, translucent threads began to emerge.
“Oh, so this is how internal energy transforms into threads.”
“Is the internal energy becoming threads, or are the threads reacting to the internal energy? I’m not entirely sure.”
The emerging threads retracted neatly when Ho Cheon-an operated another gem.
“It can be used in combat, but its true potential lies in exploration.”
Even experts could find endless uses for threads in overcoming difficult cliffs, obstacles, and formations. Black Cat waved the bracelet Ho Cheon-an handed her and seemed to quickly get the hang of it, nodding after testing it around the stele.
“This is quite a unique item. Depending on the concept, it seems very practical!”
“Alright, let’s take turns playing with that and check the last one.”
“Um. Should we? Just looking at it, it looks like a Spiritual Medicine, but I have no idea what kind.”
Is this it? Ho Cheon-an turned his gaze towards the final fruit of their mini-game exploration.
[Challenger! This item is the Jade Wine Child Decree Pill (玉酒子令丹).]
[This is an elixir made from the leftover ingredients used to make celestial beverages. Though it is made from leftover materials, each one is extraordinary and won’t cause side effects when consumed and will greatly assist your internal energy and physique.]
Ho Cheon-an picked up the box with some nervousness.
“If Black Cat is at the brink of the peak, she might want this one too.”
Although the Health Pill and Qichae were both essentially treasure-like items, the Jade Wine Child Decree Pill was undoubtedly the most coveted by Black Cat, standing at the threshold of her peak.
Noticing Black Cat lost in thought, Ho Cheon-an swallowed dryly.
“Senior, now that I think about it, we never discussed the distribution.”
“…You’re right.”
“This isn’t a request from the Sacheon Outcast; it’s supplementary income, so we need to establish a new contract, right?”
Ho Cheon-an nodded nervously.
“Alright! You can take everything we got from today’s mini-game! This will be your signing bonus! If any similar opportunity arises, call me for sure!”
“…Huh?”
“Huh? That’s not right, Senior! I’m making a huge investment here! We need a clear agreement!”
Ho Cheon-an silently stared at Black Cat. Was she serious?
“How would I know if I could find opportunities like this again?”
“Oh come on, Senior. There’s at least one more, right? That’s why you’re trying so hard to charm me, isn’t it? It’s just too pathetic to show signs and backtrack now.”
Seeing Ho Cheon-an’s confused expression, Black Cat smiled inwardly.
With the expectation that Ho Cheon-an’s memories would be blurry from the drug, she anticipated that he would grow skeptical after waking up.
Though he was naturally dull, he wasn’t a fool.
It was only natural for Ho Cheon-an to harbor suspicions toward Black Cat after waking up.
And Black Cat thought it was fine to be on the receiving end of such wariness and suspicion.
After all, Black Cat wouldn’t be able to get any closer to Ho Cheon-an than she was now.
‘If I revealed my face…’
Black Cat thought of Ho Cheon-an as a unique and interesting person but had no confidence that showing her true face would not enchant him.
‘He could end up joining the Wolbok-dang or losing his mind.’
Black Cat recalled Jeon Hu-dam, the newest member of the Wolbok-dang. In the end, he had thrown away his life to join the Wolbok-dang, having seen Black Cat’s face.
If she revealed her face, the likelihood that Ho Cheon-an would follow suit was also high.
Black Cat took a moment to imagine Ho Cheon-an witnessing her bare face, then how he would drastically change afterward. Just a person obsessed with her. Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts.
She didn’t want to change Ho Cheon-an like that.
So she believed this boundary was the most appropriate for now. A position where she could observe Ho Cheon-an’s essence. Black Cat was content with that.
That’s why she didn’t care about being suspected or hated. Even if she felt some reluctance in her private sphere, in public, they were both Sacheon Outcasts and comrades, bound by the agreement to nurture one another as outcasts.
There was no doubt that in Black Cat’s perspective, personal relations were only achievable through Black Shadow Qi Technique and masks, and such ‘personal relationships’ were nothing but fragile things that could be shattered at a moment’s notice.
She had definitely thought so until yesterday.
‘You showed me something too interesting, Senior.’
Today’s experiences were enough to blow away all of Black Cat’s previous calculations. The exhilarating strike in the first chamber. The pleasure and beautiful fireworks witnessed in the second chamber. The unforgettable thrill and glamour of explosions from the third chamber.
She realized all these experiences were delightful because they were shared with Ho Cheon-an.
Because Ho Cheon-an celebrated with her in the first chamber, that joy was doubled.
It had been delightful because Ho Cheon-an, who was able to surpass the second chamber alone, kindly explained the rules and provided understanding.
And it was joyful because he had passed her the bombs with a smile in the third chamber.
Now, Black Cat could no longer deny it.
‘I want to experience more of this with Senior Ho.’
A strange feeling, a yearning to share with another person, filled Black Cat’s heart with anticipation.
For the first time in her life full of bad memories of others, she felt a genuine desire to connect with someone.
With that heartfelt proposal, Black Cat waited eagerly for Ho Cheon-an’s response.
