“You want to know why? It’s because the artifact is dead.”

“!”

Irene’s brother, George Holten was the one to say that.

The man who became the < Monarch of Torture > after receiving a Heirloom from Ju-Heon threw the fossil artifact to Ju-Heon.

“I analyzed the thing you left with me. Even if you ignore the cockroach…… The other one. That one is a part of a god’s body.”

Julian, who had not seen it after Jaeha restored it, gasped in shock.

“What the hell is this? It looks like a dried octopus tentacle!”

It wasn't really dried octopus.

[A portion of an outer god’s leg (SS-Grade:Divine-Grade - Fossil Artifact)]

This was definitely an artifact.

However, none of them had ever seen it before. That was why Ju-Heon had used it after restoring it but the tentacle just multiplied. It didn't show the effects of a Divine-Grade artifact.

‘It’s not like I can eat this while drinking beer or anything.’

Well, Jaeha did say it tasted great and ate the multiplied tentacles.

Most importantly, it was called an outer god’s leg. That was from the Cthulhu Mythos that focused on alien life forms and was not a very well-known mythology.

Why?

It was not a myth based on ethnic traditions such as Greek, Egyptian, or Norse mythologies.

These were all myths created by humans.

Artifacts were items born from humans of the past. It wasn’t weird for an artifact like this to exist since even rumors could cause artifacts to appear.

However…

“It’s a dead artifact?”

“Yes. To be more specific, they imprisoned it in a cave and buried it alive.”

“……!”

Ju-Heon peeked toward his ring, watch, and necklace and the doggies whispered to him.

[The Supreme Leaders buried it. They make any artifacts that are too strong to kill but they don’t want alive into this weird form.]

[Those tentacle bastards were so weird that they ended up that way.]

[They were getting rid of the ‘outsiders.’]

‘These damn racist(?) artifact bastards. Are they discriminating because they were born from myths of this world?’

It didn't matter.

The Cthulhu artifact would only be used for war if humans used it.

"So what does this have to do with the 7 Great Tombs?”

George took something out of his pocket.

Ju-Heon scoffed after seeing another fossil Artifact.

"What is that one? Is it a squid leg now? Should I get you some mayo?”

But the fossil George took out was an unexpected item.

“Squid? No. This is the artifact from one of the 7 Great Tombs that has yet to appear.”

“!”

Ju-Heon's eyes opened wide.

Of the remaining 7 Great Tombs…

Ju-Heon was looking forward to the Tomb of Avarice.

‘That tomb is where I got the Archaeologist's artifact.’

He had been looking forward to it to see if that artifact would show up again. But now…

[The debris of the artifact of avarice from the 7 Great Tombs (Fossil Artifact)]

Special Trait: It is already dead. No warmth can be felt from it.

That artifact of avarice was in front of him.

"We found it while investigating the areas of the precursor. We were investigating because the tomb showed no signs of appearing and found this.”

This wasn't enough to tell whether it was his Archaeologist's Artifact, but……

“Hand it over. Hand over the fossil of the artifact of avarice.”

“!”

George was quite shocked.

‘How does this bastard always know which artifact it is without me telling him? This fucking bastard.’

Ju-Heon’s eyes flashed.

‘The fact that it is a fossil means that this bastard was murdered by that Supreme Leader or whatever.’

Why?

‘They took care of it in advance so that all 7 artifacts from the Great Tombs could not be gathered together.’

He was sure of it. The artifacts from the 7 Great Tombs had never been gathered together in the past either. The Tomb of Envy had disappeared without being cleared in the past.

But it was the Tomb of Avarice this time.

‘The artifacts would be put in a terrible situation if the 7 artifacts are gathered together.’

It would also benefit the humans, which was something artifacts hated.

Ju-Heon snickered.

‘There is a high chance that the tomb with the Crow will appear.’

Either that, or it would be a new treasure that appears.

Ju-Heon was very happy.

'Now that I have avarice, only gluttony is left.’

George must have read Ju-Heon's mind as he burst Ju-Heon’s little bubble.

“I don’t think you get it. You can't use this like this.”

“!”

"Why are you looking at me like that? You were the one who said that the octopus tentacle could only be used as a snack even after it was restored. This needs to go through a special process to be revived.”

"Revived?”

"According to the research team… They said that reviving a fossil artifact using a special process would allow it to create a tomb again in the location it was revived.”

Basically, they needed to do something to create an item that could summon a tomb.

Ju-Heon accepted that response.

“I guess you're right. This fossil Artifact looks to be a C or B-Grade at best right now.”

“In addition… Do you really think I would give this to a thug like yo…… ahh!”

“Great, thanks!”

“Hey!”

The rope had grabbed the fossil artifact and its eyes were sparkling.

Ju-Heon took it from the rope while snickering.

“Bro, you should always watch out for pickpockets.”

‘This damn thieving bastard!’

“Excuse me? What did you just say?”

“You didn't hear? Return this to the way it was.”

Jaeha screamed in anger after hearing Ju-Heon's response.

He had stayed up all night to restore the fossil artifact at Ju-Heon’s request but what?!

“I spent so much time restoring it! Why?!”

"Why? We need to turn it over to the Artifact Engineering team in its original state.”

“The Engineering Team?!”

Yoo Jaeha grabbed the back of his neck.

That was right. Artifact Engineering.

In addition to restorers and appraisers, the engineers were a third artifact-related occupation.

The artifact engineers analyzed an artifact’s ability and its makeup to turn them into industrial products. The products sold by artifact-related businesses such as Grave Company were all the result of their research.

That was how the pills from the Herb of Eternal Youth and the defense-type sweatsuit Ju-Heon's fans gifted him were created as well.

They would be able to turn this fossil artifact into an item to summon a tomb.

“Anyway, break this fossil artifact and return it to normal.”

“#$$#&*!”

‘Ow, this bastard!’

Well, he was probably joking but……

"Where the hell are you going to find those motherfucking engineers?!”

“Where else? My company.”

“Excuse me?!”

Ju-Heon was the Director of Grave Company, one of the world’s top three artifact-related businesses after all.

Although there were many official or freelancer restorers or appraisers, the artifact engineers were mainly associated with countries, university labs, or the R&D team of large corporations.

Ju-Heon’s R&D team had a lot of talented ner…… no, individuals.

It would be easy to hand them an artifact to analyze.

Ju-Heon immediately made the call.

However…

[Aigoo, Director-nim. A Fossil Artifact? That’s way beyond our level!]

[We can’t do…!]

The researchers told him they couldn’t do it.

Ju-Heon started to frown.

‘I knew it wouldn't be easy, but…’

Ju-Heon was very upset.

Why?

“You guys told me you could do it not too long ago. Didn’t you ask me to just leave it to you guys?”

[Well, that……]

They hesitated before adding on.

[Actually, we had a new intern who was so skilled that she could even handle fossil artifacts. She might be the only one in the world who could handle it.]

‘Oh, we had such a talent?’

Ju-Heon became curious.

“So what’s the issue when we have that employee?”

“Well, that intern suddenly quit and left…"

“!”

She submitted her letter of resignation and left?

[We are quite shocked as well. She had been so happy that she was finishing her probation period and was going to become an actual employee, but then she said that you are a shitty person……!]

[She probably went to interview somewhere else. She said anybody would be a million times better than Seo Ju-Heon……]

The muscles on Ju-Heon's face were twitching.

“Who was that terrible intern?”

[Her name is Joy…… huh? Now that I think about it, she looked similar to you, Director-nim……]

‘That triceratops-like bitch.’

“Excuse me? Ju-Won submitted her letter of resignation? She went to TKBM to interview?!”

Yoo Jaeha grabbed the back of his neck.

He would have probably ran off after hearing that Ju-Heon was the Director as well, but why TKBM?!

Well, it wasn’t that weird if he thought about it.

‘TKBM is one of the 3 major artifact companies in the world.’

TKBM, Grave Company, and Gooble.

These three companies had become such prominent artifact-business companies that no other companies could catch up to them.

Well, TKBM might have crumbled lately because of Ju-Heon, but it was still around.

"Aigoo, it’s still TKBM! What if she gets hired there?! Why did it have to be Chairman Kwon's company of all places?”

Ju-Heon didn't seem to care much about it.

“It’s okay. I have a way.”

Ju-Heon sent a message from his phone.

As they were doing that…

“My goodness, that Grave Company? Why did you leave without signing with them? That company is really good! I really shouldn't be saying this because I'm here to interview, but TKBM’s stock prices have been falling lately…”

Joy laughed while chatting with the person next to her as they waited for their interviews.

“I didn't like the Director there.”

It wasn’t that she really hated Ju-Heon.

She just didn't want to be paid by her bastard of a brother.

Why?

[A chicken to thank your employer.]

[Why are you messing around with a guy during work hours?]

[Give me a list of how you spent your salary.]

‘I'd rather not be paid at all.’

She didn't really need to work at TKBM, but she had originally worked for a NGO.

She knew that TKBM had been the company to financially support that NGO.

She was thankful for their help to prevent the financially strapped NGO from breaking up.

‘So Chairman Kwon should be a really good person.’

Joy, who had no idea that it was actually Ju-Heon who had supported her, wanted to pay back that benevolence(?).

It was at that moment.

“Number 3, 4, and 5, please come in.”

“Yes sir……!”

Joy entered the interview area. Chairman Kwon's son-in-law, Yoon Shi Woo, was the one who was in there.

Why?

‘Did she say her name was Joy?’

She was a promising candidate. He had recently learned that she was Ju-Heon’s twin. That was why he had scouted her.

He could have kidnapped her but he didn't want to deal with that shitty bastard Seo Ju-Heon.

That motherfucker shouldn't be able to say anything if his sister walked in on her own accord.

‘She’s talented and she’s hot.’

He would show her a good time as her boss. But who cared if he had such thoughts?

“Huh? What the hell? Where did number 3 go?!”

Yoon Shi Woo became flustered as Joy disappeared from the interview room.

"Where did that girl Joy go?!”

“Umm! She was outside until just a moment ago but then she saw a message on her phone and ran out……!”

“What?!”

Returning back to Ju-Heon’s group…

“It’s about time she showed up.”

Ju-Heon was leisurely looking at his watch.

And as he had expected…

Bang!

The door opened.

“Hey! Seo Ju-Heon! I'm going to kill you!”

“See, I knew she would come.”

Ju-Heon smiled mischievously. Joy, who had run like hell to get here, was huffing as she grabbed Ju-Heon.

“My picture! I'm going to kill you if you spread that picture!”

“Picture?”

“Why do you even have that picture?!”

"What the hell? Captain-nim, what kind of picture is it?”

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