Chapter 16: Unexpected Reward (2)

Translator: miraclerifle

Ju-Heon was slightly shocked.

He recalled reading about the mission’s reward. There had been a message about saying the reward would be distributed after he left the tomb. However, Ju-Heon was confused because he was not familiar with this.

Did the mission's reward mean that he would get an item, experience, or money like in a game?

Another message popped up as Ju-Heon questioned what might happen.

[Before the reward is distributed, please take some time to seriously make a decision.]

< The Decided Path >

Path of Domination

Path of Affinity

It was an odd message.

“......?”

However, Ju-Heon started to frown.

There was no way the intelligent Ju-Heon would not notice what this message was trying to say.

This was asking about dominance and affinity.

That was why Ju-Heon more annoyed than shocked.

He was thinking it was very odd timing. It happened just as he was debating between dominance and affinity.

‘It’s not like someone is testing me.’

He felt as if someone was making a fool of him. It was probably nothing, but he felt like the times when he was being made fun of by artifacts in the past.

However, he wouldn't get an answer even if he contemplated it for days. No matter how it was asked, Ju-Heon's decision was already made.

He made his decision.

“The Path of Domination.”

He would not submit to an artifact even if it meant he would die. He would not get an incurable illness from these bastards again.

The next message window popped up as if it registered his decision.

[The Mission's reward has been distributed.]

Ju-Heon started to laugh after seeing that message. It made it sound like something would happen but nothing seemed to have happened.

‘If this so called reward is something useless...’

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

5 minutes later.

Ju-Heon who had been sitting on the toilet with his legs crossed started to shout in anger.

“Why is nothing coming out?!”

He even checked his belongings just in case but there was nothing new in there.

It wasn’t like he expected an item that would fall with some sound effect like in a game. However, shouldn’t it at least give him an idea about what the reward is?

It was at that moment.

It happened as Ju-Heon rummaged through his pants pockets saying this was the last place he would check.

‘Huh?’

He felt something small at his fingertip. It was so small that he might have thought it was sand and just dusted off his pocket.

But it felt different.

It was soft and round.

Ju-Heon started to laugh after he took it out.

The small pebble in his hand was none other than...

‘An eundan?’ [ A silver-coated granule made from several kinds of herbs, used to be believed to cure many ailments but mainly used as a breath refresher now.]

“Is this the reward?”

The chances of that being the case was high. The Ju-Heon of this time would be far from having an eundan. He had run an errand to get an eundan for Chairman Kwon many years later, but he had never taken one himself.

The spy skill activated and information popped up as Ju-Heon stared at the eundan.

[??? (?-Grade - Consumable Artifact)]

- Instant Food

It did seem to be an artifact. He was certain because this information only popped up when he was looking at an artifact.

However, the fact that it could not determine what it was probably meant that the spy skill was too low in level or it was an artifact it could not determine.

‘The only thing I can tell is that it is for eating.’

He could not let his guard down because it was an artifact.

It looked like an eundan, but it could be filled with pesticide or be a drug that makes him hallucinate.

‘To eat it or not to eat it?’

Ju-Heon soon made a decision after debating it for a bit.

‘Yeah, such is my luck if I end up dying.’

He couldn’t be too scared to use this thing.

If he ended up dying because of a damn artifact, well, then that was it.

That meant that he didn't have what it took to be an artifact user.

Ju-Heon put the eundan in his mouth and crunched on it. It let out a strong scent of herbal medicine.

It tasted like a normal eundan until here, but the issue came afterward.

“Ugh!”

His whole body suddenly started to heat up. Ju-Heon started to grind his teeth as he started to feel pain as well.

‘Damn it. Did I just eat some poison?’

However, at that moment...

‘Huh?’

Something amazing started to happen.

Something happened to the large burns that had been eating away on Ju-Heon’s arm. His skin started to boil from the inside and squirm before it restored itself.

Boil boil.

“Ugh!”

The burns were gone by the time the pain subsided.

Ju-Heon laughed as he looked at his arm. The injuries he received because of the artifact's resistance had completely disappeared.

This level of healing was impossible for any regular medicine.

‘Now I'm certain.’

He had taken a healing artifact.

It was one of those healing artifacts that were rare to find and low in number.

‘Based on the effectiveness, it is at least a C-Grade(General-grade) artifact.’

However, that was not the end of his reward.

An unexpected message popped up after his injuries from the artifact had been healed.

[You have successfully survived the artifact's venomous aura and healed yourself.]

[You have learned about the existence of < Tolerance(Immunity) >.]

“Ho.”

Ju-Heon who had gotten on a train was shocked.

The precious healing artifact was one thing, but most importantly...

‘Tolerance.’

Ju-Heon was shocked because tolerance was an ability he had never seen before.

‘There’s something called tolerance in addition to dominance and affinity?’

He had never heard about it. It was probably something that was created just for him.

That was why Ju-Heon started to smile.

‘If this is tolerance to an artifact's venomous aura, then the playing field has completely changed from here.’

That was the case.

The thing that most artifact users feared was illness. They feared the venous aura from the artifacts destroying their body and making them sick.

This was why healing artifacts were necessary for survival. This was also why the monopolizers monopolized the healing artifacts in the past.

But tolerance?

‘People wouldn’t have had to beg for healing artifacts if something like that existed!’

Ju-Heon started to laugh out loud as if he had gone crazy from that thought.

‘I can do it.’

He would not need to care about affinity if he could develop tolerance. He would also not need to waste time and money or have someone restrict him or hold a healing artifact against him to do something.

In simple terms, it was like not needing to buy HP potions in a game.

This was an amazing advantage.

He had an advantage over everyone else.

That was why he started to laugh at this absurd situation. It looked as if someone had decided to help him out.

Returning him to the past, giving him the Tomb Raider skills, and even this odd system.

‘Is this all that damn crow artifact’s doing?’

He thought about that artifact from the ruins where he had died.

It seemed as if that artifact had sent him to the past and given him some special services with it.

Why did it do it? Ju-Heon had no idea.

Maybe it was bored rotting around in the ruins alone. Maybe it was planning on eating him up later.

He had no way of knowing what the artifact was thinking. He didn't even know that artifact’s grade or identity.

What he was certain about was that the bastard has given him a chance along with some extra bonuses. Ju-Heon was not an idiot who would not use this chance properly.

It happened at that moment.

His phone started to ring.

The caller was the Oh Seung Woo group he had ordered to go to the Las Vegas underground auction house and find out JK, Chairman Kwon's whereabouts.

Ju-Heon picked up and said just one thing in a cold voice.

“What is it? It’s not time for the auction yet.”

[Ah, you picked up. I called you because we had something to show you!]

The Oh Seung Woo group had brought back some tempting information.

“I do not know what to say.”

Mouri Hiroyuki, Colonel Mouri, was shaking as if there was a sword at his neck.

Some generals from the JSDF as well as the Prime Minister was in front of him.

“Just how......”

One of them started to speak.

“How the hell are you doing things?!”

“My apologies!”

Colonel Mouri who was responsible for the artifacts and the excavation team this time was about to go crazy.

He had left Abe in charge of excavating the artifacts in Korea. He had thought it was weird that he couldn’t contact Abe anymore, but the Future Diary user had informed him about Abe's whereabouts.

Abe Kyoshi was killed by that Korean Tomb Raider. She had even said that the artifacts, including Muramasa, were all taken by that Korean.

“You told me you would take care of things! Of all things to lose, you had to lose one of Japan's symbolic items?!”

“You dare to lose Muramasa?!”

They were angry.

How could they lose a Japanese artifact to Korea? This was extremely shameful to them who claimed to carry on the samurai mindset.

“My apologies!”

However, it was obvious that they would continue to be angry. Lo and behold, one of the generals turned on a monitor.

The hottest topics in the world news started to flow out.

[The unknown tomb appearances, there are possessed artifacts inside them?]

[Abe Kyoshi, JSDF Santō rikusa (Major) tried to bury 50 Korean citizens alive in the Tomb Appearance region.]

[The survivors claim, “Japan tried to shut us up to take the treasure for themselves.”]

[Japan knew about these unverified tombs?]

[China: Japan is very disrespectful.” A warning about Japan.]

[US: “The tombs are a worldwide problem. Disappointed in Japan for hiding the solution.”]

That was the case. Once Korea broadcasted it as breaking news, other countries started to send it out as breaking news as well.

These mysterious tombs were a worldwide issue already. It would be weird if other countries did not focus on them as well.

That was why they were going crazy.

The existences of these tombs and artifacts that they tried so hard to keep a secret to other countries had been leaked.

“And those damn Americans are feigning ignorance!”

“I, I have no excuses, sir! This is all because of that Korean who was mentioned in the Future Diary......”

“You were the ones who said you would take care of that Korean!”

“That!”

Mouri really wanted to die as his superiors started to shout so much their veins were showing.

Although the rank of Colonel was not low, he might need to commit seppuku to make up for this mistake.

‘Damn it Abe, you useless bastard!’

Furthermore, the entire world was saying that Japan was a disgrace. They didn't seem to have fully learned about tombs and artifacts, but the other countries now knew that there was something inside them.

“Damn it! Our plan for Japan to monopolize the artifacts is ruined!”

Mouri urgently shouted after hearing their frustration.

“Sir, it should be fine! We have already ordered the Future Diary user. We told her to track down that Korean......!”

“Is it reliable?!”

“Yes sir! We are also getting help from the TKBM Group group so that the scholars can use the Future Diary as well, so......we should be able to read more prophecies than before.”

“TKBM’s Chairman Kwon Tae Joon?”

“Yes sir.”

“I understand. Make sure to capture that Korean with the Future Diary. We will make sure he regrets turning things like this.”

historical

“Yes sir, I will make sure to do so!”

Mouri bowed and started to grind his teeth.

At around the same time, Ju-Heon was laughing while hearing Oh Seung Woo’s unexpected pieces of information.

“I see. So there are a total of three people listed as JK on the auction house attendees list.”

[Yes. Ow! Do you know how hard we had to work to confirm the attendees list......]

“That's none of my concern.”

[What? You really!]

“Anyway, I'll go to check that list right now, so......”

It was at that moment.

[You have been marked by an S-Grade artifact.]

[Your future is being read.]

Ju-Heon started to frown at the sudden spy message.

This was the first time it had popped up like this, but he had a good idea as to what might be going on.

He was certain.

‘It must be the Future Diary.’

It might be because he had met with Abe who was influenced by the Future Diary. The Future Diary had marked him and started to read his information.

This would make the Future Diary tell them all of his future actions.

Oh Seung Woo’s group who became scared that Ju-Heon suddenly stopped talking cautiously asked.

[Ju, Ju-Heon? Did we do something wrong again? Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you coming to check the list? Or are you not coming?]

“No, I'll be there.”

Ju-Heon then took Muramasa out and started to laugh violently.

Of course, he would take care of these people with the annoying prophecies first.