Chapter 98

Chapter 98
## Chapter 98: Banshee’s Tear

Choi Seung-gi required an entire week to conclude his analysis of the gemstone.

“What on earth caused such a delay?”

Choi Seung-gi offered an explanation to my inquiry.

“This object proved to be significantly more malevolent than I initially anticipated. Our internal capabilities fell short, forcing us to solicit expertise from external sources.”

He slid a document across to me.

“At any rate, here is the summary. For the time being, we have designated this jewel as ‘Banshee’s Tear’.”

Quite the dramatic title. Masking my skepticism, I began scanning the contents of the report.

“It is a toxin.”

“Correct. It consists of layer upon layer of incredibly dense, powerful venom that has petrified over an immense span of time.”

This so-called Banshee’s Tear wasn’t a gemstone in the traditional sense—it was concentrated, solid poison.

“To get straight to the point… indeed, it functions as a catalyst. You should find it possible to meld it with your current spear and the secondary one you delivered.”

“That is excellent news.”

The projections suggested a monumental increase in utility. At my silent encouragement, Choi Seung-gi pressed on.

“One additional detail—even after its application as a catalyst, roughly half the volume will remain. My recommendation is to integrate it into the spear’s edge using filigree techniques.”

Filigree work?

“Proceed, I am interested.”

In basic terms, the process involved etching delicate channels into the blade of the spear and filling them with an alloy infused with fragments of the jewel.

“And what results should I anticipate?”

“The result is poison.”

The realization clicked for me. Essentially, any strike that connected would deliver a toxic payload.

“Naturally, an inlay of the pure jewel would be far more devastating, but after the catalytic process, the remaining quantity won’t suffice for that.”

This was the reason he proposed blending it with supplementary materials to increase the volume for the inlay, Choi Seung-gi clarified.

“You only have a single opportunity for this. Once the two weapons are merged through the catalyst, our existing technology won’t permit any subsequent alterations.”

Consequently, the choice had to be made now. I saw no reason to decline, yet his heavy emphasis suggested a significant hurdle.

“The expenditure?”

Choi Seung-gi gave a firm nod.

“You are commissioning a truly formidable weapon. Correspondingly, the labor costs are staggeringly high. This specific type of filigree demands master artisans and specialized tools, and the secondary materials are far from inexpensive.”

When he revealed the quote, my mouth hung open slightly despite my best efforts.

“Good grief.”

The price tag would incinerate sixty percent of my accumulated wealth, even accounting for my most recent profits.

“Are you attempting to swindle me?”

“Certainly not. Granted, the manufacturing overhead is astronomical, but the final product will be equally extraordinary.”

I took a moment to reflect. The investment was absurd, but…

Poison bypasses magical defenses. Had this been an item powered by mana, I would have recognized its potency immediately.

Paradox Flame had its uses, but when facing enemies with high magic resistance, I was forced to burn through their defenses first—a tedious process.

Poison? That complication vanished. Unless an opponent possessed both magical shielding and toxic immunity, this weapon would devastate anything missing one of those protections.

Furthermore, I was a specialist in prolonged battles of endurance. Adding damage-over-time to my repertoire? It was an ideal fit.

“Proceed with the work.”

It was worth the cost. Honestly, if my funds were lacking, I would have sought a loan to make this happen.

“Understood. We shall commence the process immediately.”

It would take a substantial amount of time to complete. Until the armament was finished, I would have to postpone any raids on Grade 1 Erosion Cores. I couldn’t exactly charge in empty-handed.

“While I wait, do you have any loaner spears I might utilize?”

Choi Seung-gi agreed without hesitation.

“That can be arranged. I’ll prepare a selection of appropriate weapons right away. Shall I deliver them to the Association?”

“Yes, that would be appreciated.”

I concluded my meeting with Choi Seung-gi with a handshake and moved on to my next destination. There was one more individual to consult before returning to the Association.

“Owner Sa Seung-hee.”

— Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. I’ve been briefed on the situation. My congratulations. I understand you paid a visit to Wonder Club as well.

Her tone was noticeably cool. I understood the source of her irritation.

“Yes, they attempted to enlist me. I declined their offer.”

She had clearly assumed we would align ourselves with Wonder Club.

— What? You actually turned them down?

Her surprise was evident.

“They are a collection of shiftless individuals. They possess power, certainly, but they lack the ambition to do anything with it.”

They had the audacity to suggest I stop dominating all the Grade 1 Erosion Cores. I had expected such an attitude, but it was still irritating to encounter.

— That is true enough. However, I didn’t anticipate you would refuse them.

“I strive to honor my commitments when circumstances allow.”

Perhaps not in every instance, but for an arrangement like this? Certainly.

“On that note, I intend to focus on lower-tier Erosion Cores for roughly a month.”

— May I inquire as to why?

I detailed the current state of my equipment to Sa Seung-hee.

— I see, you require a window for weapon enhancements. That poses no problem. The upcoming task requires preparation anyway.

Preparation for the assault. I wondered what that entailed.

“A month of preparation?”

— Approximately that long. However, the preparation involves…

Sa Seung-hee’s voice trailed off, marked by a sense of reluctance.

“Don’t hold back.”

— It involves managing certain people.

Managing people?

“I didn’t expect interpersonal conflict to be a prerequisite for clearing an Erosion Zone.”

— To gain entry to that specific Erosion Zone, a particular artifact is required.

And securing that artifact meant that a confrontation with humans, rather than monsters, was unavoidable.

A clash with people? That was manageable. But tracking down an object?

“What exactly is it that I need to acquire?”

— A crown. It features a frame of platinum and gold, decorated with eight distinct varieties of gemstones. A very flamboyant item.

A crown. I assumed it wasn’t merely a piece of jewelry.

“Does it possess a unique function?”

— If you channel mana into it, the undead are rendered unable to harm you. The Korea Hunter Association currently has it locked away in their vaults.

I couldn’t mask my confusion at Sa Seung-hee’s revelation.

“The undead cannot touch it…?”

— Activating the crown reduces the power of hostile undead to a third of their original strength, if not less.

Incredible. That piece of information triggered a blunt question.

“Then why is it being left to rot in an Association warehouse instead of being put to use?”

— There is a dispute regarding its ownership, from what I’ve been told.

Ownership? What kind of nonsense was this? This wasn’t a disagreement over land titles or resource rights.

“No, truly. Those fools have no sense of priority.”

— I couldn’t agree more.

A dispute over ownership? I was stunned. The vast majority of threats currently emerging in Korea were of the undead variety.

The Association possessed a miraculous tool that could strip them of two-thirds of their power!

And yet, they allowed it to sit idle because of some petty claim of possession? I struggled to find the right words—idiots, lunatics, sociopaths… my thoughts were a storm of profanity.

“Fine, explain this ownership complication to me first.”

How significant could the issue be to warrant shelving such an asset?

— Roughly five years ago, there was an operation targeting a Grade 1 Erosion Core.

The mission was centered around the Korea Hunter Association, with elite hunters from the UK, US, and Japan Associations participating.

The world’s premier hunters gathered for that specific core suppression.

— It took place in Iowa, in the United States.

The Association rarely organized hunters directly for core missions, but they had a compelling motivation.

— We required the agricultural output of Iowa.

It wasn’t for consumption as food; most global produce already flowed through Korea.

Iowa’s harvest was primarily designated for biofuel. It was a matter of necessity, so the Association coordinated the hunters to neutralize the Iowa core.

That was when the situation deteriorated.

— That particular core was an anomaly—it yielded only a single reward upon its destruction.

That reward was the crown we are discussing. It is incredibly potent. It diminishes undead power to a third, without fail. With such an item, one might even consider an assault on Beijing’s Gonzalo Prison.

However, a single prize for a campaign involving thousands of combatants and multiple international organizations? That was a massive complication.

“Nobody could agree on who had the right to it.”

One trophy. A ridiculously powerful one.

— Thousands of people gambled their lives, yet there was only one drop. It was so influential that any party not receiving it would have grounds for grievance.

Sa Seung-hee took a breath before continuing.

— During the ensuing conflict over the item, thirty percent of the hunters who participated were killed.

People murdering one another over equipment? It wasn’t a new concept. It happened in my previous world as well.

Men spoke of “cursed blades” or “demonic swords” to rationalize their behavior. In reality, it was just the self-destruction born of avarice.

Regardless, the question of who owned the crown remained unresolved. To prevent further carnage, they negotiated and reached an accord to house it at the Korea Hunter Association until a permanent owner was determined.

“And how do they intend to select that owner?”

— Annually, there is an event held to add new individuals to Hope’s List.

It is open to hunters who are not yet featured on that list. It follows a tournament format. No matter how many enter, ten victors are chosen.

Those ten individuals then earn the right to challenge any hunter currently on the list. If they emerge victorious, they usurp that person’s position.

One cannot refuse a challenge if they are on the list. There are other methods to climb the rankings, but this is the most definitive path.

“What in the… that is madness. So they intend to resolve the fate of the crown through some global martial arts competition?”

I swore aloud instinctively. Sa Seung-hee continued her explanation.

There were two prerequisites for claiming the crown: one had to win the tournament and then challenge—and defeat—a hunter ranked within the top twenty of Hope’s List.

Winning the tournament but defeating a hunter ranked 21st or lower wouldn’t suffice.

“A cunning strategy by the Association. Koreans already hold the majority of those top positions.”

If it fell into the hands of a foreigner, their hunters would gain an overwhelming advantage.

— Precisely. The majority of the top twenty are Korean nationals. Even if a challenger wins, there is a high probability the crown remains with a Korean.

From the Association’s perspective, the odds were heavily stacked to keep the crown in domestic hands.

Was this truly “cunning”? It was debatable. Regardless of who held it—Korean or otherwise—it would be a tool to annihilate Erosion Zones and monsters.

Yet they had manipulated the rules simply to exclude foreigners.