The two stared at each other, neither of them said anything. His grandson Kwon Palmo didnât know Specterâs face, but Kwon Noya did. He was the one who made Specterâs mask after all.
The two didnât care about appearances and were friends despite their age difference. Kwon Noya looked at Seo Jun-Ho with one eye squinted. âExcuse meâŠhave you two met before?â
Kwon Palmo tilted his head as he asked, but Kwon Noya shook his head.
âDonât worry about it. Palmo, fetch a glass of Agarit tea for our guest.â
âHuh? That precious teaâŠ?â
When Kwon Noya nodded, the giant headed to the kitchen, still stealing glances at Seo Jun-Ho. Seo Jun-Ho grinned as he watched his back get smaller.
âHe still listens well to his grandfather.â
âThatâs because you donât know. When he doesnât listen, he gets stupidly stubborn.â
Seo Jun-Ho picked up the sword on the anvil. âBut still, he learned well despite crying during all your scoldings. Itâs a great sword. The balance of the weight is perfect.â
ââŠHmph, I still have a lot to teach him.â
âAs always, youâre still terrible with compliments.â Seo Jun-Ho chuckled as he walked over to him. âWhy arenât you welcoming me back? Arenât you happy that I returned?â
âHappy?!â Kwon Noya had been heavily frowning but his expression quickly became disgusted. But it was only for a moment. His face cleared as he patted Seo Jun-Ho on the shoulder.
ââŠYouâve gone through a lot.
âThanks. Youâre still healthy. Your personality also seemed to have gotten softer.â
âFlattery will get you nowhere. Sit for now.â Immediately after offering Seo Jun-Ho a seat, Kwon Noya asked a question, his voice grave. âWhat was the reason?â
âWhat am I supposed to answer when you ask me like that?â
âI heard the summary from Shim Deok-Gu, but I didnât hear the reason why you decided to come back.â
âUm, well, seeing is believing.â
Seo Jun-Ho flicked his finger, and frost crystallized in the air. After staring at it with a piercing stare, Kwon Noya finally spoke. âIs that the Frost Queenâs skill?â
âYeah. I got her skill, and now I have a chance to save my teammates.â
âI see.â Kwon Noya understood everything. If it was like that, the kindhearted idiot in front of him would return as a Player without a second thought.
âSo letâs do our best from now on since we have a lifelong contract anyways.â
âHm?â Kwon Noya let out a meaningful sound. âThe lifelong contract I signed was with Specter, not some newbie named Seo Jun-ho.â
âHey, thatâs not fairâŠyouâre joking, right?â Seo Jun-Ho swallowed nervously.
Kwon Noya burst out into laughter. âAhahaha! Itâs a joke. I wanted to see that stupid face of yours for once.â
âWhat stupid face? Iâm very handsome.â
âHandsome my ass. You just look like a dandy. Our Palmo is the manly, handsome one.â
âOhh is that so.â Before Kwon Noya started bragging about his grandson, Seo Jun-Ho had to finish his business. âI came because you said the sword is done.â
âThe one you told me to make with dragon bones? Itâs finished.â
âHasnât it only been five days since I commissioned you?â
âHah, have you forgotten?â Kwon Noya went over to a shelf in the back and brought back a black scabbard. âI wield the hammer for you, and you wield the sword for me. Thatâs the promise we made.â
âIâm not the one that said that, right? Itâs cringey.â ïŒ
ââŠAhem, check out the weapon.â
Seo Jun-Ho took the scabbard into his hands, and his eyes started to sparkle. It was made of dragon bones, and the red symbol of Kwon Noyaâs workshop was carved in the middle.
âThe red and black comboâŠitâs so cool.â
âThe guy inside is even better,â Kwon Noya said, full of confidence. Seo Jun-Ho swallowed and looked at the hilt. It was the same black as the scabbard and was shaped like a dragonâs head. Filled with anticipation and excitement, Seo Jun-Ho wrapped his hand around it.
ââŠIt fits my hand perfectly.â
Despite the 25 years that passed, Kwon Noya still remembered his measurements. Seo Jun-Hoâs chest started to tingle and sour. But before he got all emotional, Seo Jun-Ho unsheathed the sword.
Shing!
A sharp sound reminiscent to that of the air being cut rang out. The blade that came out from the dragonâs mouth captivated him. It was like a work of art, and his jaw dropped as he studied it.
As he was doing so, Kwon Noya started complaining from behind him. âYou rascal, who throws someone a bunch of dragon bones and tells them to make a sword? I had to mix in some other materials.â
âAh, thatâs why itâs so shiny. It wouldnât be like this if it was just made of bones.â
âIts durability and magic conductivity is a lot better than if it was just pure bones.â
âLet me check. Item data.â
The information popped up in front of him.
[Black Dragon Fang]
Grade: Unique
*Durable weapon: This sword is extremely durable.
*Critical injury: Wounds caused by this sword are not easily healed.
*Persistent Hunter: If there is blood on the blade, its ownerâs location can be roughly estimated.
Use requirements: Level 23, 60 strength, 60 speed.
ââŠYes, this is what a sword should be,â Seo Jun-Ho muttered, entranced. He was using a random sword from the Associationâs storage so far.
Most items made by smiths were usually Normal-grade, or Magic-grade if it was made well. But Kwon Noya was one of the most skilled, most famous blacksmiths in the world. Perhaps that was why Black Dragon Fang was Unique.
âYour skill is as sharp as ever. Itâs an amazing sword. A dragonâs fang, I like that.â
âAs sharp as ever? I got even better, you rascal.â Kwon Noya smiled. He seemed happy to see Seo Jun-Ho grinning at the sword like a child. âYou evil bastard. I was planning on retiring to my room and playing Go, but youâre making me work again.â
âYou? Playing Go with your personality? Donât make me laugh. Youâre not even that good.â
âDo you think Iâm the same as before? Iâm good now!â
Their bickering eventually led to a Go board being taken out. At that moment, Kwon Palmo came in with an apron, carrying a tea table. âItâs hot, so please be careful.â He placed down the teacups and went upstairs after noticing Kwon Noyaâs look that asked him to leave them alone.
âItâs a rare tea. Donât spill any.â
âGeez Noya, you know Iâve had all sorts of expensive teas.â But as Seo Jun-Ho blew on the tea and took a sip, his eyes bulged. âW-what is thisâŠ?â
âKukuku, doesnât your head feel clear? And your eyes too? You want to drink more, donât you?â
âWhat kind of tea is this?â
âIâll tell you if you win.â Kwon Noya cackled, and Seo Jun-Ho had to grab a stone.
30 minutes later, Kwon Noya picked up the innocent stones and threw them on the ground.
âThis is a shitty game.â
âYou werenât supposed to play Go like thatâŠâ
âShut up!â Kwon Noya drained the last of his now-cold tea. âKid, have you heard of the Second Race?â
âMonsters with intelligence that are similar to humans? Orcs, elves, bansheesâŠthose guys?â
âThatâs what we called them before, but their standards of intelligence are different on the 2nd floor.â Kwon Noya began placing the stones on the Go board to help with the explanation. He pushed the black stones to one corner of the board. âSo, these black stones are members of the Second Race that Players have hunted in Gates thus far. We still call them monsters.â
âHow about the white ones?â
âTheyâre the ones we now call the Second Race.â
âWhatâs the difference between them?â
âIntelligence.â Kwon Noya tapped on his temple. âThe ones we now call the Second Race are now all responsive to communication.â
âWait. We can communicate with orcs?â Seo Jun-Hoâs eyes were filled with shock. All the orcs he had encountered so far could only screech gibberish.
âOrcs are a race with a lot of tribes. Thereâs not a lot of them that we can communicate with.â
âBut there are still some out there. But why are you suddenly bringing this upâŠ?â
âYou asked me about the tea.â Kwon Noya stroked the teacup. âItâs called Agarit tea. The elves cultivated the leaves themselves, and you canât buy it with money.â
ââŠNot even on the 2nd floor?â
âWho knows. If you make a connection with the elves, you might be able to get some.â
Seo Jun-Ho was a little disappointed since he liked the tea.
âNoya, can I ask you one more question?â
âSpit it out.â
âItâs easier to just show you.â Seo Jun-Ho finished his sentence and pulled out the âUnknown Ballâ he had won at the auction. Kwon Noya stared at the ball on the Go board and tilted his head. âHm? Itâs an interesting-looking ball.â
ââŠSo you have no idea what it is either?â
âYou bastard, Iâm not some sage from Chamseongdae. Do you think I know everything? ButâŠâ
Noya picked up the Unknown Ball and studied it. He eventually nodded. âThereâs one thing I know. This ball is Elven.â
âHow do you know that?â
âHm, itâll take too long to explain everything so Iâll summarize. I once met an Elven elder.â
âWait, so youâve gone to the 2nd floor before?â
âNot me. He was the one that came down.â
ââŠ!â
Seo Jun-Ho never imagined that creatures from the upper floors could ride the Dimension Elevator. The brand-new information truly shocked him this time.
âDonât go around talking about this. Itâs top-secret,â Noya said.
âYou know Iâm tight-lipped. Tell me more.â
âThe elf, how should I say itâŠgave off an energy that was both mystical and strange. The being in front of me was definitely humanoid, but it was like I was standing in front of water or a plant.â Kwon Noya stared at the ball as he spoke. âItâs the same feeling I get with this ball.â
ââŠAn Elven item.â Seo Jun-Ho looked at the ball with new eyes.
âYou wonât be able to find elves on the 1st floor, so go to a dark elvesâ forest instead.â
âDark elves? Is that necessary?â
âYou tell me. But Elven items that give off the energy of the World Tree can be activated.â
âThenâŠâ Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to sort his thoughts before he tapped on his Vita, looking for an article. He had seen a relevant article on a flight on the way here.
[New Gate in Grantham, England, featured monsters are dark elves. Recruitment open.]
âPerfect.â
He finally decided on the next Gate heâd conquer.
1. Palmo can be read as Mr. Arm
2. Oldest surviving astronomical observatory in the world thatâs in Korea