"Death sentence. What a curious thing."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, take a look at this."

"Hmm. How did they process this?"

"Furthermore, the precision of it seems far from ordinary."

"Oh, it's full of wonders."

Bang Ryunil showed interest as he looked at the objects spread out on the floor.

"I've never seen anything like this before."

"If you've never seen it either, then it must be quite something..."

"How did they acquire this?"

"Who knows?"

Bang Ryunil.

As a direct descendant of the great elder of the Hwagum Sect, he was part of the prestigious Bang family. From a young age, he had never lacked anything and had encountered all kinds of precious items.

Even so, these were objects he had never seen before.

"But I don’t know how to use it."

"Oh, if you press here, it seems to activate."

"Eh? What is this for?"

"Not sure."

Of course, Bang Ryunil was curious about the objects in front of him, but unlike the priests, he didn’t make a fuss.

He had his dignity, after all.

Instead, he merely indulged his curiosity by watching the priests gather the items and handle them.

"Bang-hyeong! Look at this! I think you pull this ring."

Ping—

"Huh? What's this? The body and head just separated?"

"Let me see—"

In that instant, the round metal piece that had been pulled out caused a slight vibration. A moment so brief it could only be called a split second.

A blinding light exploded, and countless spiked metal particles shot out, with flames roaring.

"No...!"

"Dodge!"

KWA-BOOM—

With a deafening crash, the world turned white.

The inside felt like a whirlpool, and his skin was burned, leaving him with no sensation.

"Aaagh!"

"Cough!"

"..."

"Ugh."

As the explosion gradually subsided, Bang Ryunil and the three others, severely wounded, stood, with only a few able to remain standing.

In that fleeting moment, it was instinct that led Bang Ryunil to urgently activate his defensive technique.

However, everything in the training hall—his collected tools, the nearby herb garden, everything—had been turned to rubble.

The three who were injured were in a pitiful state.

"What the hell...!"

What is this?

For the first time in a long while, Bang Ryunil felt the threat of death.

"Ugh!"

"My... my finger!"

Cough!

The surroundings, charred as though struck by a fireball, filled him with uncontrollable rage.

"What kind of trick is this...!"

A fiery rage welled up as if his head might explode.

How dare they pull such a stunt?

Ryunil vowed to immediately go after the culprit and tear them apart. No, he would strangle them right now...!

But faster than that, something entered the training hall.

A yellow talisman wrapped in a blue light.

"Cheonyeongbu?"

A talisman that records a voice and transmits it to the target.

Ryunil received the talisman and infused it with spiritual power.

• Come to Seonyo Temple immediately.

"!!"

Unable to refuse the command from someone, Bang Ryunil had no choice but to postpone his revenge.

"Dammit! Just wait."

***

"Should I have attached a self-destruct device?"

Unfortunately, there was nothing like that. He never expected it to be so easily stolen.

From the start, Kalstein never thought of attaching a detonating device to his home belongings.

But one day, he would definitely make them pay for this.

"Hmm, come to think of it, I don't see the regular grenades I set aside for experiments."

Well, that’s that.

"Anyway, that guy's name is Cheon Yeong-geun, huh? Seems like he’s nothing special."

Did he live a life so poor that he resorted to petty theft?

Zhang Sajeo was dumbfounded by this.

"...Of course, he's one of the promising talents from the Hwagum Sect. He's highly skilled and even has a reputation in the capital. If he'd been a bit more diligent, there were talks that the Hwagum Sect’s position could have changed."

Oh, he’s that impressive?

On the contrary, Kalstein gave a satisfied smile.

"This could be fun..."

Hearing his mutter, Zhang Ilhong wondered if she'd misheard. Whenever she talked to Priest Ga-hwi, she felt like something about common sense was twisted.

"If you're thinking of seeking revenge... it’s better to stop. The one backing him is someone truly high-ranking."

"That’s even better."

"Huh...?"

"Anyway."

Zhang Sajeo struggled to regain her focus in response to Kalstein's odd charisma.

"Don’t worry. I’m not planning anything right away."

Zhang Ilhong placed her palm on her forehead.

Wasn’t that exactly what he meant?

She shook her head.

Let things happen as they will.

"By the way, Sajeo."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know anything about Geumyeongsan?"

"...?"

There was almost no information about the Golden Seal of Geumyeongsan. Since the establishment of the Hwagum Sect, countless powerful figures had emerged, but the fact that nothing had been discovered meant something clear.

"The outermost Golden Seal has been revealed to be a mere illusion, causing no harm to intruders, but that's it."

No one who challenged beyond the illusionary barrier had ever returned.

However, it was rumored that treasures capable of buying the entire Hwagum Sect lay beyond the Golden Seal.

"That’s what the testimonies of those who couldn’t even remember properly claimed."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So, there are people who claim they've been there?"

"There were those who said so, but nothing definite has been confirmed."

"Hmm."

"According to other accounts, there was once a massive battle between powerful monks, and the aftermath of that battle caused the Golden Seal to shake. For a brief moment, part of it was revealed, and a city paved with true silver was said to have been seen."

True silver?

"That metal, which is used in the making of relics, is a material that even high-tier monks cannot easily obtain."

"A material, huh? That’s intriguing."

To simplify it, a "법보" (Bupbo) is a superior version of a "법기" (Bupgi), a magical treasure.

But, honestly, they can’t even be compared.

Unlike regular artifacts called "법기" (Bupgi), "법보" (Bupbo) is so rare that low-tier monks might never even catch a glimpse of it in their entire lives.

So even the base materials used for making "법보" have unimaginable value.

"Anyway, let’s go check it out?"

"What? Where?"

She didn’t immediately understand what he meant.

"Where else? We need to find the treasure mountain, don’t we?"

"...?"

What exactly had she just heard?

Well, if it were that easy to find, it would still be around by now.

She wanted to say that, but seeing the priest's confident face kept her from speaking.

"...?"

Of course, Kalstein hadn’t thought of chasing after treasure just for the sake of it.

It was only that…

Woo-woo-woo— Woo-woo—

Since settling into the hut in Geumyeongsan, he had often felt an inexplicable and eerie sensation.

It was as if something was calling to him? There was something that irked his nerves strangely.

"I was curious about what might be there."

Wasn’t it said to be a relic from ancient times?

And the possibility of hidden treasures?

"Priest, you did hear me right? It’s unlikely that permission will be granted, and it could be dangerous."

"It’s fine."

"What’s fine?"

"It’s fine, really."

"...?"

She gave up on the conversation.

‘But why does he want me to come along?’

She had no idea what the priest’s true intentions were.

***

Koo-goong— Patch-chut—

The southernmost continent of the world Kalstein had transmigrated to.

The mountain peaks soared high, so steep and treacherous, it seemed as if they might pierce the very sun.

Suddenly, a hole appeared in the sky, and starlight poured down like a waterfall.

Swooosh—

Through the cascade of light, a blurry figure passed through the curtain and emerged.

"Is this the place?"

Descending to the lower world required immense resources.

He had received some support, but it wasn’t without draining his own assets. Yet, despite this, the reason he accepted the mission in the lower world was clear.

"I hope I can find some clues here."

He was searching for something.

"I can always finish the mission whenever."

The man took a mirror from his cloak and reflected the night sky upon it.

Shh- shh-

The faint starlight gathered densely and settled onto the surface of the mirror.

Woo-woong—

The surface shifted as though drawing constellations.

"Location confirmed."

There were no significant issues.

The mission would be over in no time.

Time was still on his side.

He moved first to take care of something personal.

"I should stop by the nearby places first."

As he moved, a blood-red wind began to blow in his direction.

***

Meanwhile, Kalstein was—

"Ahh… Priest, I... my body..."

"Pull yourself together! Sajeo!"

Neck Slice!

Thud—

"Treasure... Heaven. Is this True Silver? And over there— there's an elixir!"

"Neck Slice!"

Thud—

"Kyaaa!"

"Neck Slice!"

Thud—

Zhang Sajeo lost consciousness after Kalstein's hand strike.

"Ugh!"

Every time they passed through the gates, Zhang Sajeo would faint from the effects of the illusionary barrier, and Kalstein steadily moved beyond the Golden Seal.

Naturally, Kalstein was not affected by the illusions.

"Ugh... Where am I?"

"We're almost at the center."

"Already? We've passed the Golden Seal?"

She was taken aback.

When she briefly closed her eyes and opened them, the place she was standing had changed.

"But why does my neck hurt so much?"

"Not sure."

Kalstein didn’t feel the need to explain.

"Anyway, take a look at this."

"This stone tablet...?"

Zhang Sajeo studied the inscriptions on the stone tablet, falling deep into thought.

Kalstein nodded with satisfaction.

"Hm. I'm glad I brought you."

It was crucial to understand what was what in order to properly take everything.

For someone like him, lacking knowledge of the world’s common sense, she was practically a living encyclopedia.

"It seems like a warning."

"Is that so?"

"Heh..."

Valuable things are usually accompanied by thorns.

"Then even more reason not to stop!"

Without realizing, she instinctively wrapped her hand around her neck as if protecting it.

Why? Why did she do that?