Chapter 13 –
I grasped the pouch revealed at the bottom of the lake.
[Kibisis – Grade A]
[Description: A magical pouch gifted to Perseus by the Hesperides. A sacred relic capable of storing items efficiently.]
[Effect: Contains Lightweight and Spatial Expansion magic.]
Kibisis.
A divine relic given to Perseus by the Hesperides—the goddesses who tended the golden tree—when he set out to slay Medusa.
A pouch that allowed him to safely carry Medusa’s head, which could turn anyone who looked at it to stone.
It was enchanted to hold anything, regardless of its size or power.
The description might have been simple, but this was an item not even gods or hunters could easily obtain.
“So that’s what it was. The pouch Beowulf had in my previous life must’ve been Kibisis.”
Back then, after becoming a god, Beowulf had carried countless treasures in a single, small pouch.
I’d assumed it was a high-end subspace item, but it turned out to be a divine relic.
‘This’ll be useful.’
Though similar in purpose to a subspace pouch, Kibisis operated on an entirely different level.
For instance, cursed items placed inside would have their curses sealed—just as Perseus had sealed Medusa’s head inside it.
‘I’ll figure out its full use later.’
For now, just its basic storage function was more than enough.
It could easily fetch hundreds of millions on the market, but I had no intention of selling it.
Because the value it would bring me far exceeded any monetary worth.
“Let’s grab the sword before the Abyss collapses.”
I placed the Giant’s Sword—Beowulf’s final weapon—into the pouch.
[Giant’s Sword – Grade A]
[Description: A massive sword crafted personally by the giant Kianu. Its immense size and weight make it impossible for an ordinary person to wield.]
Like the Solitary One’s Sword, this was another Grade A weapon.
I couldn’t use it right now, but with enough training, it would become usable.
I planned to store it away until then.
Even if I never used it, I could sell a Grade A weapon to an arms dealer for a tidy profit.
As soon as the sword was stored, the Abyss began to fade.
The long-standing Digon Forest, now sealed, spat me out not at the Abyss’s entrance, but into a quiet, deserted alleyway.
Beowulf and Grendel’s corpses were nowhere in sight.
They must’ve been teleported to different locations—just like me.
“Lucky.”
If I’d suddenly appeared alongside Beowulf’s body, it would’ve caused serious problems.
Though he wasn’t well-known in Korea, Beowulf was a legendary hero who had once protected humanity from the onslaught of monsters pouring out of the Abyss.
If people found out I’d killed him, I’d have a mountain of trouble to deal with.
I couldn’t let that truth out—not yet.
I would reveal it only when I was ready to handle the consequences.
“Well, that’s one problem taken care of. Time to head back.”
The Ares Guild likely wouldn’t even notice that the Digon Forest Abyss had vanished.
And even if they did, seeing Beowulf poisoned and Grendel brutally slain, they’d never suspect a human.
They’d assume it was a tragic clash between mythical creatures and heroes.
‘There’s no evidence I was involved.’
That’s all that mattered.
I fastened Kibisis to my belt and exited the alley.
“We bring you breaking news: the blacksmith god Hephaestus has declared war on the god of war, Ares, and stormed his pantheon with his guild members. The area surrounding the Ares temple in Yongsan is now completely off-limits due to the ongoing conflict…”
The TV at the diner was broadcasting footage of Hephaestus swinging his hammer at Ares, with Aphrodite pretending to hold them back.
‘Still can’t forget the cameras, huh? Some things never change.’
Judging from how quickly war broke out, the blacksmith god must’ve been really pissed.
More than his son’s death, he was enraged at being humiliated.
The weapon Blacksmith’s Wrath—one of Hephaestus’s failed creations—was forged with the fury of having his wife stolen by Ares. So this reaction made sense.
That’s exactly why I’d left the weapon at the scene.
Thanks for taking the bait, Hephaestus.
‘Still… I didn’t expect them to find Periphetes’s body this fast.’
I thought it would take weeks, but they found it in ten days.
As expected of a god’s guild.
At this rate, they might find Beowulf’s body sooner than I anticipated.
‘I need to act quickly.’
After the emergency broadcast ended, the screen switched.
“You two seem like such a loving couple.”
“Hehe, thank you. My husband adores me.”
“Of course. I married the most beautiful woman in the world. I have to cherish her.”
Aphrodite and Ares were being interviewed on a talk show, acting all lovey-dovey as a married couple.
Right after that… a disastrous love triangle turned battlefield.
‘This isn’t good for Aphrodite’s image either.’
“Tsk, see? Gods are no different from humans,” muttered a guy eating next to me. “Pretending to be nice in front of the camera while being scumbags behind the scenes.”
“Seriously, those two are always in the tabloids. Why do they keep getting invited on shows?”
“Because Aphrodite runs the entertainment world. And every time she shows up, ratings skyrocket.”
“Didn’t she have another boyfriend?”
“Ares has a mistress too. Some announcer or whatever…”
“He’s got an inferiority complex about being overshadowed by Tyr, the other war god…”
The gossip spread across the diner like wildfire.
They called the gods liars and hypocrites, but still clung to the belief that gods fought for their sake.
They acted like they knew it all, yet blindly believed the very lies they should’ve questioned.
‘In the end, it’s just gossip.’
Of course, in my past life, I wasn’t much different. I suspected the truth—but never fully believed it.
Perhaps noticing the customers’ chatter, the restaurant owner changed the channel.
“Add joy to your day! Dionysus’s handcrafted wine from Mount Orlando! Order now and receive luxury wine glasses as a bonus…”
“Idun, how can we improve crop yields?”
“With this nutrient pack, blessed by the goddess of life herself!”
“With Merlin’s spellbook, you too can become a 1st-class wizard! Order now!”
Skipping past divine infomercials, the owner settled on a news channel.
“Breaking: Rising star Lee Hyun has solo-cleared the B-grade Abyss Frozen North Sea—a feat even the fire god Zhu Rong’s guild had failed to accomplish.”
The news was covering Lee Hyun’s latest achievement.
Though B-grade, clearing an Abyss alone was rare—hence the major coverage.
This was the moment.
The beginning of Lee Hyun’s rise to stardom.
He stood before the camera with a spear and a sheepish, sincere smile.
He’d be revealed as the chosen of the Creator God five years from now.
For now, he was merely a promising rookie.
‘I’d kill you right now to eliminate future threats…’
But I didn’t know when the Creator had approached him.
For all I knew, he’d already been granted power.
If I acted carelessly and provoked the Creator into descending…
‘I’d be helpless.’
I could only make my move once I was certain he hadn’t been contacted—or confident I could win even if he had.
So I’d leave Lee Hyun alone for now.
After finishing the broadcast, I cleaned my plate.
“That’ll be 10,000 won.”
I paid and stepped outside.
‘Cutting it close.’
I’d spent nearly everything on equipment and travel expenses for the Abyss raid.
‘Time to find a fence.’
I’d prioritized raiding over profit—resulting in zero income despite several successful Abyss clears.
Especially in places like Hepha’s Labyrinth or Digon Forest, I couldn’t sell anything due to the risk of leaving evidence.
But there was one Abyss where I could sell what I’d taken.
‘The mana stones I got from the Venomous Nest where I hunted the Hydra.’
Even just those would bring in a few million won.
“Money, huh…”
In my pursuit to grow stronger and kill the gods, I hadn’t given much thought to cash.
Even in my past life, I wasn’t exactly money-obsessed.
Once strong enough, wealth came naturally to hunters.
‘But now… I need to be more mindful.’
Right now, I was still weak—and broke.
Without a guild, it was hard to join official parties. I had to solo or act as a mercenary.
That meant covering all my supplies myself. And that cost money.
‘Back then, I had steady pay hauling gear for Hephaestus’s guild…’
But I’d quit that job. No way I had that kind of cash anymore.
I needed money for gear—urgently.
But the auctions used by guild hunters only accepted mana stones of B-grade or higher.
C-grade and below weren’t efficient enough for Abyss raids.
You’d need ten C-grade stones to match a single B-grade one.
So guilds didn’t even bother with them.
Instead, general companies used them—for tech, fuel, and more.
The catch? Most of those companies had direct ties to guilds.
Meaning an unaffiliated individual like me had little chance to sell them legally.
‘And my stones are only D-grade at best.’
I needed a different, more… unofficial method.
“No choice, then.”
I headed to Daerim-dong—to visit an old acquaintance from my past life.
A black market fence.
