SMSK 05

Chapter 5. Divine Relic (1)

“Everyone, leave us. I need a private word with this man.”

The Ruin Merchant Guild’s leader, Karayan.

Very few people knew her true identity.

Outside of a few high-ranking officials residing on the top floor, no one truly knew who she was.

But now, a mysterious man had suddenly appeared and seen right through her.

And what’s more—Karayan agreed to a private meeting with him.

‘What? She agreed to that so easily?’

It was only natural for her guard knight, Loren, to be concerned.

Reading the mood, he quickly stepped forward to volunteer his protection.

“Master, just in case anything happens… I should stay here.”

“No.”

But Karayan shook her head without a moment’s hesitation.

“He’s right. If he had any malicious intent, we’d all be dead already.”

“B-but…”

“It’s fine. Leave us. I’ll handle this myself.”

“…”

Nod.

Reluctantly, Loren bowed his head and followed the others out.

Still, even if she said she was fine, it was impossible for Loren to erase the growing sense of unease.

‘…No, this won’t do.’

Shff…

In the end, unable to quell his worry, Loren decided to play his trump card.

One of his secret techniques—Shadow Meld.

It was a skill that allowed him to hide a fragment of himself inside someone else’s shadow as a contingency.

Loren often used it to watch over Karayan when they were apart.

“Ha…”

But just then.

A low chuckle from the man echoed through the room.

“I asked for a private meeting with the Guild Master.”

“…!”

Shift…

The man’s eyes locked onto him.

His gaze was razor-sharp, as if he’d seen right through Loren’s trick the moment it began.

‘Wh-what the…?!’

Startled, Loren quickly deactivated his skill.

His body froze, like a rabbit caught in a predator’s gaze.

Screeeeech…

A suffocating silence settled in.

Even as the door to the top floor slowly shut, the man’s eyes remained fixed on Loren.

Though his body looked thin and starved, the man exuded an air of nobility that was hard to ignore.

Completely overwhelmed, Loren gulped nervously.

‘He saw through my skill… in that split second?’

Cold sweat dripped down his spine.

This man had not only slain the infamous Butcher Barva in one blow—but now he had instantly seen through Loren’s Shadow Meld?

Just how powerful was he?

Clack, thud!

But those thoughts vanished as the door shut completely, sealing off the top floor in silence.

The stunned officials outside could only stare in disbelief.

…No one would know what was said between the mysterious man and the Guild Master now.

* * *

‘Phew.’

Once I confirmed the door had closed, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

‘I just took a shot in the dark to spook Loren…’

But it turned out he really did intend to use Shadow Meld on Karayan.

Good thing I cut off that possibility early.

If I hadn’t, he would’ve kept interfering in everything I did from within her shadow.

Whispering through sound transmission techniques. Getting in the way.

‘That absolutely can’t happen.’

Anyway.

Now that I’d driven away the meddlers, I turned my eyes back to Karayan.

She still looked skeptical, her face half-doubtful—like she wasn’t quite sure I had really saved her life.

To ease her suspicion, I spoke up.

“When that vagabond girl said she would become a major power in this world, I just laughed it off.”

“…!”

“I never thought you’d actually make it happen.”

Karayan’s eyes went wide.

Those were words only her and her benefactor knew. Hearing them now, she finally cast off her doubt.

“I—I’ve been waiting for you to return…!”

Thud!

Karayan dropped to her knees and bowed her head at my feet.

Her voice was thick with emotion she could barely contain.

It was clear she was truly overjoyed to be reunited with her benefactor at last.

“I won’t ask why you came to me, or why you took so long. None of that matters.”

“…”

“If it’s your wish, anything… anything within my power, I’ll do it.”

Strictly speaking, none of this made logical sense to her.

Why had her benefactor been among the slaves?

Why did he kill Butcher Barva?

More importantly… what was he here for?

She probably had hundreds of questions swirling in her mind.

‘But that doesn’t matter.’

Normally cold and calculating, Karayan had one weakness—her benefactor.

That was her character setting in the game.

In fact, there was even a moment in the game where Karayan learned of her benefactor’s death.

A few days later, she lost the will to live and took her own life.

‘Her devotion might seem excessive, but hey—it’s part of her story.’

For Karayan, this reunion wasn’t just emotional—it was the entire purpose of her life.

‘Which means…’

I, who saved her life—no, who is pretending to be that benefactor—could now ask her for anything.

No need for small talk. I needed to use this window of opportunity to get what I wanted and leave quickly.

From the moment I set foot on the top floor, I had one goal in mind.

“Leah de Karayan.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard nearly all stolen goods on this continent end up with the Ruin Merchant Guild.”

“Th-that’s correct.”

“Good.”

I nodded and continued.

“Years ago, my prized sword was stolen.”

“…!”

“I heard rumors the guild keeps a secret collection vault for divine relics. I’d like to take a look. My sword might be there.”

The secret collection vault.

A space even VVIPs of the black market didn’t know existed, reserved for only the highest officials.

Everything inside was worth billions.

‘Normally, no outsider is ever allowed inside.’

But—

“…Yes. I’ll escort you there right away.”

As I said, Karayan couldn’t refuse me right now.

To her, I was far more valuable than any of those weapons.

‘And not just because I’m her “benefactor.”’

I’d killed Barva with ease and saw through Loren’s Shadow Meld in a flash.

She clearly saw the benefit of earning my favor.

Karayan had always been highly skilled in such “calculations.”

『A world overrun with monsters. A land where all great human civilizations have fallen.』

This was the central catchphrase of Roel’s game world.

As expected of a hardcore open-world RPG, the world was steeped in darkness and despair.

‘…Humanity no longer rules this continent.’

Hunted by monsters, humans couldn’t build great cities anymore. They huddled in isolated pockets, hiding away.

Fewer people dared venture into the monster-infested “Uncharted Zones.”

As interaction between cities diminished, each developed its own laws and customs.

Now, centuries later, the world was slowly marching toward its end.

‘Think of it as a dark fantasy apocalypse setting.’

Anyway.

Why am I rambling about all this?

‘…Because I need to decide exactly how I’ll deal with Karayan going forward.’

Leah de Karayan.

She reigned like a queen over the criminal underworld of this broken world.

There was no need to explain how much influence her Ruin Guild wielded.

‘If I establish a formal alliance with Karayan, I could get massive support from her guild.’

Funding.

Rare items.

Even assassinations of hard-to-kill NPCs.

I could use the guild in countless ways.

‘But I can’t let that convenience blind me.’

Every benefit comes with a cost.

The Ruin Guild was undeniably evil.

If I allied with them recklessly, my relationships with other NPCs would be ruined.

‘Especially with all the “good” factions—they’d turn on me instantly.’

The Middle Temple.

The Holy Houses.

The Saintess Society.

The Ruin Guild had many enemies—and I would inherit them all.

‘And once allied with the Ruin Guild, I’d never escape the shadows.’

Like in noir films—there’s only one way out of the organization: death.

The Ruin Guild was the same.

Once tied to them, you bore their mark forever.

The moment that mark was branded, the areas I could travel and the NPCs I could interact with would be severely limited.

My freedom would be gone.

It would be a massive penalty for my future.

‘So, the answer is simple.’

Don’t make enemies of the guild—but don’t get too close either.

I needed to maintain a vague, ambiguous relationship—just enough to milk them for all they were worth.

And the edge of that “line” I’d drawn was the secret collection vault.

“We’re here.”

Karayan led me to the secret vault, and I took a look around.

Soft magical lights lit the room.

Dozens of brilliant weapons gleamed behind security spells.

I was amazed—seeing items I’d only viewed through a screen now before me in the flesh.

‘These are the divine relics.’

Divine relics.

As the name suggested, each weapon had a special ability bestowed by the gods.

For example, this blue spear—Fang of the Sky Dragon—unleashed a lightning field with every swing.

‘But I don’t need something like this.’

I moved past the spear and scanned the other weapons.

‘I need just one kind of weapon right now.’

I recalled my fight with Barva.

Right after I used my skill, my one-handed sword cracked apart.

Soon after, it crumbled to dust.

‘…I need a sword durable enough to handle Soul of the Swordmaster.’

If I used a mediocre weapon, it would shatter every time I used my skill.

And that would cost me a fortune.

Weapons shouldn’t be disposable.

Especially in a world like Roel, where master blacksmiths were nearly extinct.

So I needed something strong enough to last until the end of the game.

“My sword isn’t here.”

“…!”

Karayan’s eyes trembled.

“Then… you may take any divine relic you like.”

“…Anything?”

“Of course. Consider it a reward for saving my life. No divine relic could be worth more than that.”

Perfect.

Everything was going exactly according to plan.

Sure, some might say I was taking advantage of Karayan too much, but…

I had saved her life.

Or at least, she believed I had.

‘In that sense, I’m being generous.’

I swept my eyes around the vault once more.

‘…Huh?’

That’s when I saw it.

A single longsword.

‘No way.’

I was stunned.

“Why… is this weapon here?”

I murmured to myself, stepping toward it like I was in a trance.

A blue blade radiating a cold aura.

But as it reached the hilt, it shifted into a crimson hue—a strange, dual-colored weapon.

No doubt about it.

It was Frost Twilight, one of the most highly regarded weapons among all players.

At one point, it was voted the #1 most desired sword-type item in a survey of top players.

“You have a good eye.”

Karayan spoke softly beside me.

“We acquired that divine relic, Frost Twilight, just a few days ago. A peerless blade. It’s the most expensive weapon in our collection.”

“…”

“Do you like it?”

Gulp…

Hearing her words, I swallowed hard and looked around, nervous.

Frost Twilight.

Its skill effect was always top-tier among all weapons.

Just finding it here made the vault visit worthwhile.

‘But something doesn’t add up…’

…At this point in the story, was Frost Twilight supposed to be with the Ruin Guild?

Weird.

If I remembered correctly, it should be in someone else’s hands by now.

Slide…

While lost in thought, I slowly reached for the blade on the display…

CHING, CHACHACHACHING—!

“…?”

And that’s when it happened.

The moment I touched Frost Twilight, it began rattling violently, shrieking with a piercing sound.