* * *
"Can you wait a moment? It takes us a while to retrieve the high-quality items from the vault."
Joseph said this as he led Jang Man and Dung Beetle to a luxurious room.
The faint perfume smell emanated from the entrance, and the floor was covered with a carpet made from the hide of a monster Dung Beetle had never seen before.
It was reminiscent of the luxurious homes of the conglomerates one could occasionally see on TV. However, Dung Beetle frowned as soon as they entered the room.
Amid the scent of perfume... was the smell of blood and oil that hadn't been masked completely.
The pungent odor had a different type of intensity from the chilling smell Dung Beetle had encountered in the dream with Mignium.
Dung Beetle glanced at Joseph and Jang Man, but it seemed that neither of them had noticed the smell.
This meant that only he could smell it…
Is it because I have the ability to wield mana?- We can see things that ordinary people cannot see, hear sounds they cannot hear, and smell things they cannot smell.
The explanation from a Superhuman documentary he had watched with his colleagues a while back came to mind.
Feeling curious, Dung Beetle focused on his ears instead of his nose.
- Move quickly! Get them out… from the underground vault!
- Bring the silver bullets! If we miss the opportunity to sell them now...
- GP... the tracker! We can’t lose…
The faint footsteps and shouts of the staff outside the room were clearly audible.
Even though he could hear the sounds with his own ears, Dung Beetle still couldn't believe it as he tilted his head in confusion.
Is it really this easy?
Using mana to enhance your senses was much trickier than simply increasing muscle strength.
He remembered that the Superhuman in the documentary said it took years of training to enhance senses.
Then, what was this supposed to mean?
All Dung Beetle had to do was just focus on his senses, and he could hear sounds coming from a distance without much effort.
Was the documentary lying? If not, then was it because of Mignium's...
"Old Man, you still don't drink tea, do you?"
Joseph's remark interrupted Dung Beetle's train of thought. Perhaps feeling awkward while they were waiting, Joseph took out the kettle and began brewing some tea.
"Haa… How can a sailor drink tea... Water and booze are more than enough."
"Haha, I thought so. What about this customer of mine?"
"I'm fine too."
"Well, that's a pity. These are quite good tea leaves."
Joseph poured water into the teapot. The scent of black tea wafted with the steam from the kettle.
The strong aroma of the black tea was enough to mask the smell of blood and oil.
Briefly relieved from the pungent smell, Dung Beetle examined each of his senses.
Eyes, nose, ears...
And just like that, once he finished experimenting with his newfound sensing ability and as Joseph finished his cup of tea…
Clunk!
The door opened, and ten subordinates carrying various bags entered the room.
"Haha, we've kept our customers waiting for too long. I assure you, the wait will be worth it."
Joseph's subordinates quickly set up a makeshift stage as they installed platforms and lighting fixtures while lining up the ten boxes.
Joseph stood up from his seat and turned his back to the boxes. He bowed exaggeratedly, like a home shopping host, and greeted Jang Man and Dung Beetle.
"Shall we start with the guns first?"
He began his explanation as he opened the bag on the far left.
"Isn't it better to start with something light? The M2311! An improved version of the M162 Koreans are more familiar with."
Inside the bag was a gun that looked like a shortened version of the M16 assault rifle, slightly longer than a forearm.
"It may look small and light, but it's deadly enough. Why do you think more than a hundred mages have fallen victim to this guy throughout history? Koreans all know about its high reliability and familiar grip! There's nothing better than this for sneaking a bullet in the back of the head of a mage."
Joseph continued with his lively explanation, like a real show host. He even held the gun in a shooting stance and quickly disassembled it to show the inside.
Jang Man, who had been watching the excited Joseph, sighed and interrupted him.
"Joseph."
"Yes, what is it, Old Man?"
"This guy hasn't served in the military."
Joseph's face twisted for a moment, but as if it had been a lie, it quickly returned to normal and he spoke with a smile on his face.
"So, you haven't received any shooting training...?"
"...Never."
"Aha, then there's no need to use Korean military equipment."
As soon as he heard Dung Beetle's answer, Joseph turned around and gestured to his subordinates who had been waiting.
His subordinates moved without a single complaint and quickly took away the first to the sixth bags from the room.
Six of the bags were just military equipment?
Seeing only four bags left, for the first time, Dung Beetle felt regretful that he hadn't served in the military.
"Don't feel too disappointed. The real deal always comes last, doesn't it? All the remaining weapons are far superior to the military supplies that came out earlier."
Joseph, seemingly trying to change the somber mood, immediately opened the seventh bag.
This time, a gun that was slightly bigger than an adult's forearm appeared.
In other words, it was too big to be a pistol and too small to be a rifle.
"Remington MH7503. An upgraded version of the pump-action shotgun, loved all over the world, modified for use against magic users.”
A shotgun? Seeing Dung Beetle's interest was piqued, Joseph continued with his explanation.
"Although the cost of specially treated silver bullets is high, no other weapon is more effective against Necromancers who can reanimate corpses. It's so easy to use and reload, that even a child can handle it.”
Clack, Joseph kindly demonstrated how to load the bullets. Even though the magazine could only hold three rounds, each shell contained a massive amount of buckshot pellets.
Seeing Dung Beetle engrossed, Joseph grinned and opened the next bag.
"Next is the EK-33 grenade. One of the finest masterpieces made by the U.S. military. The best available grenade for non-professionals."
Inside this bag were grenades the size of fists lined up in a row.
"If you throw this at the Necromancer beyond the zombie wall, you’ll literally see the Necromancer die merrily."
A modified shotgun and grenades—Joseph, who had introduced two weapons fitting for an illegal smuggler, stood in front of the ninth bag. He paused for a moment before speaking up.
"From here on, I'll be showing you some special weapons."
Clunk! Unlike the previous bags, the means of securing this one were stricter.
And the item inside this box was completely different from the previous weapons.
A sword.
Inside the box lay a long steel sword.
"This sword was supplied to the knights of the empire during the last war. It is made from a special ore that cannot be found on Earth."
"...”
"It may seem like a sturdy steel sword to ordinary people, but when it cuts through the shields of mages, its power is comparable to that of a bazooka."
Joseph continued with his explanation, but Dung Beetle was unable to take his eyes off the sword.
Was it because it was beautiful? Or was it because he wanted it? No, it was neither.
That sword... was the same one the Player had.
It wasn't just a similar sword.
The image of the Player wielding the identical sword was imprinted on his retina like a brand.
It was once a supply used by the knights of the empire.…?
He had stumbled upon a clue to track down that damn Player.
Faced with this unexpected fortune, Dung Beetle resolved to obtain that sword no matter what.
"It seems you really like this sword. Well, unlike those on Earth, weapons that come from beyond the dimensional portal are special."
Seemingly misinterpreting Dung Beetle's gaze, Joseph grinned as if he was certain that the deal was as good as closed and added.
"If you like this item, you will certainly like the final item."
Joseph then approached the last bag.
Unlike the previous ones, this one was long and horizontal, somewhat resembling a scabbard.
But for some reason, Joseph, who was standing right in front of the bag, didn't open the bag right away. Instead, he briefly made eye contact with Jang Man.
Jang Man gave him a small nod, and taking that as a cue, Joseph opened the final bag.
Whoosh—
As the bag opened with a puff of smoke, what appeared inside was...
A rod...?
The glowing ivory-colored rod with carvings of horse-like figures at both ends and wave patterns etched into the body in a consistent design.
It looked more like an exquisite piece of art instead of a weapon.
"Don't let its appearance fool you. The true value of this item lies elsewhere."
Joseph didn't touch the item. When he raised his hand, a subordinate approached him and handed him a pair of white gloves.
It didn't seem like it was just for show because Joseph's face was serious as he lifted the rod cautiously.
"This item was crafted by a dwarf. And not just any dwarf, but a master craftsman. It seems that they intended to use it as a handle for an axe or a hammer, but unfortunately, Stalin released poison gas at Gubongsan, so only the handle could be completed."
A handle? Dung Beetle now understood why the rod looked like that. And at the same time, a question popped into his mind.
How could a handle be considered to be a weapon?
As if answering Dung Beetle's question, Joseph continued.
"However, since it was made during the days of Gubongsan4, it holds immense value on its own. Would you like to try holding it?"
Joseph handed the rod to Dung Beetle carefully.
Dung Beetle hesitated, wondering if it was okay to hold such a precious item without gloves, but since it would be strange to refuse, he grabbed the rod.
And at that moment, something spoke to Dung Beetle in his mind.
[Oh, a perfect virgin who's never even held a woman's hand. But your soul reeks of corpses and fire. Are you cursed?]
Dung Beetle was startled and looked at Joseph, who was smiling broadly.
"Did you hear the voice? As expected, you're Superhuman. I guessed as much since the Old Man brought you here personally."
He assumed that I was indeed a Superhuman? Though the remark was puzzling, Dung Beetle asked him about the rod first.
"...What exactly is this?"
"That item is made from the horn of a unicorn."
"..."
"I don't know about the technique used, but it's a unicorn horn imbued with the unicorn's thoughts. Because of that, it speaks to those who possess mana at times."
"...So, you are saying it's a possessed item?"
"At the same time, it grants resistance to all sorts of contamination and poisons."
Joseph continued his explanation proudly.
"It might not block radioactivity or hydrochloric acid, but it's highly effective against mana-based poisonous gases and curses. I can guarantee that against a Necromancer, this is more effective than ten priests."
Perhaps feeling displeased with Joseph's explanation, the rod added more details in Dung Beetle's mind.
[O Virgin who is holding me, do not be mistaken. There is no contamination that the Holiness of this Horn cannot block! I may not know what radioactivity is, but I assure you that it can block that as well.]
Dung Beetle glanced back and forth between the rod and Joseph, and as the rod seemed to be on the verge of uttering another "O Virgin...", he quickly handed it back to Joseph.
"So, what do you think? With the items I just showed you, you should have no trouble dealing with any Necromancer."
A modified shotgun, grenades, an anti-magic sword, and a unicorn's horn— Even with his limited knowledge about Necromancers, Dung Beetle could tell that each of these weapons would be highly effective against them.
The problem was...
"I'm not sure if I can afford all four items."
"Haha, don't worry about the price. I wouldn't dream of ripping off the Old Man's customer."
It sounded like he was fine with ripping off other customers, but Dung Beetle didn't bother to point that out.
"I'll give you all four weapons for both of the money bags you offered initially. How about it?”
A wide smile spread across Joseph's face.
"I'll also ensure that you have plenty of grenades and ammunition."
Joseph demanded his entire fortune without even blinking.
Dung Beetle considered negotiating, but looking at Jang Man sitting next to him, he abandoned the thought.
Without Jang Man, he wouldn't have even known about this place.
Jang Man, who had introduced him to this person, had not even made any comment about this… so negotiating now could be considered as an insult to his honor.
"Both money bags, deal."
"Haha, as expected. You truly act like how the Old Man's customer should!"
Dung Beetle put down the bag he was carrying and promised to send the other bag, which wasn't with him, through a messenger.
Although it was enough money to live off for several years, he didn't regret his decision.
Because it wasn’t the money that mattered to him.
***
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