When did I first get it? It was the day I went to the goblin to save Sujeong, who had been captured. It was the first item I acquired from beating the arrogant chief I encountered there.

[Zigma's Shadow Dagger]

[Rating: Heroic

Durability: 150/150

Level Restriction: 30

Wearer Restrictions: This item belongs to the user 'Jackson.' However, it can be transferred once.

Attack Power: 105~130

Critical hit chance +10%.

-Skills: Shadow Play [Cooldown time: 20 minutes]

-You can hide your body in a shadow for one minute and then appear in the shadows of other targets. In your place will be a shadow clone.

A dagger made by Kiruku, a great leader of the Large Molar Tribe, who caught a goblin and grinded down its horns in the darkness for 24 hours.]

In fact, when I first encountered the skill Shadow Play that belonged to it, I hadn't thought much. A weapon wasn't as important to me as the Flying Kick Technique. It was much more efficient and stronger to use Rising Sun than to swing the dagger a few times. Additionally, I couldn't use it straight away because of the level restriction. I hadn't thought about using the dagger until I reached level 30 and after that, there wasn't an opportunity to use it properly. However, now...

In the moment when I was surrounded by the angry wave of dark arrows.

[Zigma's Shadow Dagger has been equipped.]

"Shadow Play."

The unique skill attached to the shadow dagger started to s.h.i.+ne for the first time. I permeated the dark world in an instant. This was the land of shadows. I arrived in a s.p.a.ce full of darkness and didn't even have time to look at the shadow clone attacking on my behalf.

[There are 5 seconds remaining until the demonization of the goblin priest, Ragneos.]

It was thoroughly dark and there was a round shape that floated over Ragneos' face. I instinctively reached out toward it.

[There is 1 second remaining until the demonization of the goblin priest, Ragneos.]

I suddenly appeared behind Ragneos and was quick, intense, and furious. There was only one second remaining as I stabbed the dagger into him.

"Kuaaack!" Ragneos screamed with great pain from the unexpected and deadly attack. There was a flash and all the dark arrows outside disappeared.

"My life was reduced by 10 years. You dog-like goblin."

[The demonization of the goblin priest, Ragneos, has been interrupted.]

[The oath of darkness has been interrupted and the magic has flowed back toward Ragneos.]

[For 3 minutes, all of Ragneos' stats have fallen by 50% and no dark magic can be used.]

"Cough! How did you get inside without breaking the Dark Veil?" Ragneos asked as he coughed up blood. However...

"Do you need to know?"

[You have dealt a critical hit!]

[The target is in a 'burned' state.]

[Ragneos' legs are paralyzed and immobile.]

Rising Sun overlapped with the Goblin Slayer t.i.tle and there were constant critical hits, causing the damage to rise exponentially. Still, I didn't intend to finish it with just this much. I was someone who finished things once I started them. "You shouldn't have met me today."

[You have dealt a critical hit!]  

[You have dealt a critical hit!]

[You have dealt a critical hit!]

[Ifrit's Curse is activated!]

[The target's health has been reduced by 10,368.]

…

[You have broken Ragneos' hip.]

…

Ifrit's Curse, which only appeared once again the spider queen, broke out a second time. The ensuing critical hits started to explode. It was a finale of endless ruthless attacks. Ragneos became tattered like a rag. He soon had only 1% of his health left. I pulled out the dagger that had been stuck in him. "Sigh..."

I looked up at the sky and took a moment to breathe.

Ragneos muttered, "Thi...s"

"Don't do something like giving a will because it is annoying." I dealt a blow to the artery in his neck.

"Ahh... igno...ra.. nt..." Ragneos' pupils were a dim grey. The horns he had been growing looked miserable. Then he fell down with a silent scream.

[Your level has risen!]

[Your level has risen!]

[Your level has risen!]

[Your level has risen!]

[Your level has risen!]

[World: The goblin priest Ragneos has fallen!]

[Giant Spider Queen's Inner Core has been acquired.]

[Bead Fragment Dyed in Darkness has been acquired. x3]

[Ragneos' Crazy Skull Staff has been acquired.]

I lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

[The first apostle, 'Prometheus,' is applauding your courage.]

My health was restored the moment I leveled up but it was too hard mentally. My previous attacks were a struggle where I threw everything in. However, the refres.h.i.+ng feeling uplifted me. It was something I hadn't felt for a long time—the feeling of accomplishment. This was the thrill of throwing everything into the fight. It had been a few decades. During my 20s, I had gone through many of these highs with my companions beside him. Now there was no one next to me...

"Are you okay, old man?" 

...There was.

"I'm okay. I'll just be tired for a while."

"Phew, I need to take a break." Kerenos lay next to me with his spear, eyes closed. 

I watched his face before turning my gaze back to the sky. "Rotten guy. Kukuk."

"Old man, aren't you the rotten one? Kukuk."

"What? You!!" I got up and kicked him but Kerenos escaped with quick movements.

"Calm down, old man."

"This stubborn guy who keeps doing bad things. Didn't you attack me earlier?"

"Haha, that..."

"Shut up. You! Come here. I'll turn your a.s.s into a rag!"

I chased the runaway Kerenos and kicked his a.s.s. Of course, I didn't use Rising Sun.

"Ack!"

[Goodwill with Kerenos has risen by 1%.]

Peok! Peok! Peok!

[Goodwill with Kerenos has risen by 1%.]

[Goodwill with Kerenos has risen by 1%.]

[Goodwill with Kerenos has risen by 1%.]

…

…

Thus, I was able to raise Kerenos' goodwill to 50%.

* * *

It was sunny in Windia. The east side contained a market that was selling all types of goods. There, Drain was touching Windia's fabrics. There was kobold leather, troll sink, and lycanthrope leather mink clothes. However, the thing that caught his eye was right in front of him.

"Oh my gooood! This is a really great material. What cloth is this?"

"It is unicorn leather."

"Wow! Ameizing! Unicorn! Reolli?"

'I can make the special outfit I want out of this!'

"Ohh, boy! How much?"

"$300,000, grandfather." 

"What? Bery bizi! Expensive! Disucountu pulease! Decrease it!"

The seller was called Venice. He looked like an elementary school student but he was very composed.

"I won't decrease it. If you don't have money then leave!"

Drain was in serious distress. He wanted to buy this. He wanted it the moment he saw the iridescent unicorn leather. He felt that the ultimate clothes he dreamt about might be born. This was his intuition as a designer.

'What to do... I only have $200,000.'

Drain decided to haggle. "Can't you cut it a little bit? It is an unappraised item."

That's right. The item that glowed with iridescent colors wasn't appraise yet boy was selling it for $300,000. However, the boy told Drain, "I'm in a hurry for some money. My mother is sick and needs medicine. I wanted to appraise it but it will cost money."

The boy Venice looked up with eyes that shone like lanterns. Sparkling, deer-like eyes, similar to the protagonist of a manhwa! Drain succ.u.mbed to these pure eyes. "Boy. You are a truly filial son."

It felt like he was watching his own son, who he adopted as a child, and his heart started pounding. He only had $200,000 in his inventory. However, there were a number of rare items. If he gave them together with the money, the price would be almost the same.

Drain said, "Boy. In fact, I only have $200,000. However, I'll give you all the clothes and leather that I have. If you sell them, it should approximately add up to $100,000. Will you sell it to me?"

Venice contemplated it for a moment before nodding. "I agree"

Thus, Drain was able to purchase the unicorn leather.

'Think of it as a donation. I donated. Good job. Bery well.'

He happily walked toward the appraisal centre. The place he arrived at was the designer's guild. It was necessary to have help to appraise high-grade unidentified cloths.

"Welcome, are you here for an appraisal?" A middle-aged man with round gla.s.ses greeted Drain.

"Yes! It is unicorn leather."

"Ohh, I'm looking forward to it. Let me take a look."

Drain handed over the $300,000 unicorn leather.

"Hmmm..." The man raised his magnifying gla.s.s and examined the leather.

After a while.

"The appraisal is over. I don't think it is unicorn leather."

"?????"

Drain quickly checked the item's information.

[Kobold Leather Dyed in a Rainbow Color]

[Rating: High

Durability: 50/50

*If you use this to make clothes, defense and charm will increase by 5.

The dyed leather of a kobold, commonly seen in the mines of Windia. The brightness is cla.s.sical yet it is avant-garde.]

Drain had a blank expression on his face. It cost a huge $300,000. He gave such a large amount of money that it should at least be a heroic rating, even if it wasn't legendary. If that wasn't possible, it should be the rare rating, which was one standard lower. He bought it with a big heart. The rating was only high but what were these options? Five defense? Five charm?

Ohh~?

'I was tricked!'

Unbearable anger burst inside Drain. He clenched his fists and once again asked the appraiser, "Is this really my leather? Reolli...?"

"Yes..." The middle-aged man who appraised it looked at Drain with pitying eyes. He seemed to notice that Drain had been scammed.

How disgraceful!

"Sigh, ddaeng kyu, thank... you." Drain hid his angry expression and tried to leave the store. Then...

"Excuse me."

"...?"

"The appraisal cost is $5,000."

* * *

Kim Sujeong was walking through Mulan's market. She had a philosophy to eat everything and tasted a variety of foods. Melon flavored slime noodles, earth flavored kobold meat, and c.o.c.katrice skewers!

'I'll have to tell Father about these dishes later.'

She had become Choi Chuntaek's No. 1 fan. He was able to fight and was good at cooking. Choi Chuntaek was close to her ideal person. However, the clock couldn't be turned back!

'I wish that Father was 30 years younger.'

Unfortunately, all she could do was to help eat the dishes he made. She was wandering around when she heard a familiar sound.

"Yeong yeong yeong yeong yeong!"

"...?"

The sound was coming from a shady alley. Kim Sujeong looked at it. "Grandfather Drain?"

"Kwal?"

"Miss Kim! Cer! Yeong yeong yeong yeong yeong!"

Drain grabbed her pants and started to cry. Kim Sujeong was baffled by the sudden situation and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Drain told her that he had been scammed.

"Oh my G.o.d, you bought an unidentified item for so much money! Do you know where that swindler went?"

"No, he had already left by the time I came back."

"Do you remember his ID?"

"I remember. His name was Venice."

Kim Sujeong was determined to catch the swindler on behalf of poor Drain when someone called out from behind her. "Hey, young lady."

"...?"

She turned her head and saw some st.u.r.dy men. They were grinning at her.

'...What?'

Then...

"Oof?!"

They suddenly covered her mouth.