Chapter 117

[You have successfully uttered the Will Incantation.]

[Temporarily increasing the proficiency of Eye of Perception based on the completion level of the Will Incantation.]

[Eye of Perception's proficiency has increased.]

The proficiency of Eye of Perception became 3.

'What… did I just do?'

I did as my mind bid me to do, my lips moving subconsciously. It wasn't something I learned from someone, nor was it a skill. I simply thought it would be fine to move according to my instinct and tried it. There was an itch in my chest, and I simply expressed that itch in the form of 'words'.

The result was that Eye of Perception's proficiency was increased to 3, though only temporarily.

[Eye of Perception's insight recognizes a 'false authority'.]

I realized the 'authority' the Yellow Charm Gate was forcing on me was distorted.

[Destroying the fabricated authority.]

[The fabricated power is being erased.]

The heavy pressure on me disappeared.

[One of the Yellow Charm Gate's clear conditions has been fulfilled.]

[Calculating your achievement.]

It seemed there were various ways to clear this gate, and I achieved one of those possible routes. In cases like this, the reward would change depending on the clear method.

[A 'Peerlessly Perfect Clear Piece' has been fulfilled.]

[A brown Clear Crystal is being generated.]

A brown Clear Crystal. In my past life, this kind of crystal rarely made an appearance among hundreds of thousands of clears. To put it simply, it could be seen as an 'enhanced Clear Crystal'. It was a higher grade than the purple Clear Crystal you normally saw, and naturally, it often promised greater rewards.

Two timers appeared in front of my eyes.

Eye of Perception Duration 2:00:28

Brown Clear Crystal Duration 3:00:22

Eye of Perception's current proficiency was 3. The timer was showing that this increased proficiency would last two minutes, and the remaining time was ticking down in real-time.

'The brown Clear Crystal having a duration of three minutes probably means…'

If I didn't find it within that time, it would transform into a regular purple Clear Crystal.

Somewhere in this shattered world that was smashed to pieces like glass shards was a brown Clear Crystal.

'I'll find it.'

Finding it didn't feel all that difficult to me.

'Over there?'

I walked to one side. I'd experienced this sensation before, back when the Nameless Observer forcibly increased the proficiency of Eye of Perception for me.

'There's not much time.'

There was only one minute and thirty seconds of upgraded Eye of Perception left.

'I have to run.'

I began to run. While running, I saw the flow of the wind and how I should run for the greatest efficiency. Even as I adjusted my form, a niggling feeling in my chest told me that if I accomplished something here, I would be able to achieve even greater growth.

'Will Incantation.'

I had the feeling I would be able to use it at will.

'If I did that again…'

I would probably reach a new realm, whatever that was. The type of incantation likely changed which ability of Eye of Perception, particularly one of the active traits, was affected.

'But I don't have time right now.'

There was one minute and ten seconds left. Even finding the brown Clear Crystal in that time would be cutting it close.

'This feeling. I'll be able to feel it again sometime soon.'

I decided not to be too greedy. I ran and ran. When there was only forty seconds left, I saw the brown Clear Crystal shining to the side.

'If I break this, the gate will be cleared.'

Without intentionally wanting to, Eye of Perception read the brown Clear Crystal's information.

[Brown Clear Crystal Illusion]

The illusion of a Clear Crystal generated within the Yellow Charm Gate. Though it is an illusion, breaking it will accomplish the clear and rewards will be distributed. However, the full reward will not be given.

I put it in my Inventory for now. This was a fake. The real one was hidden somewhere not far from here.

"Darongi."

[???] marks appeared over Darongi's head.

"I'll give you fried chicken if you dig a hole here."

It didn't take long for the [???] to turn into [!!!]. He hopped to the ground and started clawing into it like a ravenous madman. I couldn't even see his paws, they were moving so fast.

[Using the innate ability Hole Digging.]

Darongi dug into the ground composed of a material I couldn't identify.

'I can feel it. Down there.'

The proficiency 3 Eye of Perception clearly saw Darongi going through the ground towards the brown Clear Crystal. It was a completely different feeling from seeing something with my physical eyes. It was like a vivid movie was playing in my head.

Eye of Perception's duration ended.

[The effect of the Will Incantation has faded.]

[Eye of Perception's proficiency has decreased.]

With that, I could no longer see Darongi. The image that had been so clear in my mind vanished.

'It's okay.'

The brown Clear Crystal's timer still had fifty-five seconds on it. If I really couldn't get the real one, I could at least break the fake.

After about ten seconds, Darongi crawled back out the hole with a face full of soot and the brown Clear Crystal in his teeth. Unlike before, I couldn't read its description in detail.

[Brown Clear Crystal]

Clear Crystal generated within the Yellow Charm Gate.

I couldn't tell if this one was real or not, most likely because Eye of Perception's proficiency had gone down again.

'And…'

I pulled out the transcendent item I'd recently acquired, 'Isabel'. I saw from the Will Incantation-boosted Eye of Perception just now. The advanced Eye of Perception could read detailed information, and one of the things I saw was that I had to strike a certain point in the middle of the brown Clear Crystal to produce the greatest effect.

'Here I go.'

One clean strike was best, if possible. I aimed towards the point I remembered.

[Using the special skill Excellent Strike.]

Isabel was definitely a transcendent item, no doubt about it. She was weightless in my hand and shot unerringly towards the point I aimed, like she was pinpointing the target and assisting me.

'I hit it exactly.'

It was possible the 'point' on the illusion was different from the 'point' on the real thing, but I did the best I could right now. That was the most important thing, wasn't it?

As my sword plunged into the crystal, I heard a notice I hadn't before.

[Ignoring the prey's unique trait.]

Right, that was a special ability of Excellent Strike.

Can use the special skill 'Excellent Strike'—a medium chance to ignore the prey's unique trait

It was a medium chance, but I'd never heard the notice up until now.

[You have succeeded in perfectly destroying the 'fabricated power of the Yellow Charm Gate'.]

[The 'Peerlessly Perfect Clear Piece' has turned into a 'Peerlessly Perfect Clear'.]

[Congratulations!]

The brown Clear Crystal broke into countless fragments and covered my body.

[The 'power of the Yellow Charm Gate' searches the Player's body.]

[The 'power of the Yellow Charm Gate' is the 'power of a strong wish'.]

The name of the real power the Yellow Charm Gate possessed—not the false or distorted power—was 'power of a strong wish'. The creator of this wish was likely my sister. What kind of influence would a power imbued with Noona's wish have on me?

I felt a strong flow of mana. It was so strong there was no way the proficiency 2 Eye of Perception and the proficiency 1 Observer's Eye could possibly analyze it.

[The 'powerful wish' takes effect in its true form.]

[The 'powerful wish' evaluates the 'most beneficial thing for the Player'.]

['Isabel' is being imbued by the 'powerful wish'.]

I understood the gist of it. It wasn't hard for me to figure out why Isabel was being imbued by the 'powerful wish' and why this reward was being given to me.

'Because Isabel is my strongest weapon.'

The power of this place had evaluated that having some kind of effect on my strongest weapon would be the most beneficial thing for me.

[Isabel - Growth-Type - Partially Sealed]

An artifact found in the tomb of Isabel, Queen of the Sword Forest. It is imbued with a special spirit ki that chooses its master.

Grade: Transcendent

Attack power: 72-84 (currently sealed)

Effects:

Disabled

Disabled

Disabled

Disabled

Disabled

Disabled

Ego activated (Activation time has been greatly increased due to a strong wish)

30% offensive innate ability damage amplification

Special note:

In a partially sealed state. Most of its strength is sealed.

The ego has selected its 'bride'. The 'sword's bride' selection is valid for 300 years.

Under the influence of a strong wish.

There was a change in the item description itself. The ego activation time greatly increased, and an additional special note was added.

I heard a voice.

(Oi. Are you out of your mind?)

What was this sword saying as soon as she woke up? Now that it wasn't my first time, I was a little more used to conversing with her.

'Why?'

(Stay far, far away from that bitch named Cheon Sooji. Got it?)

I was wondering what she was going on about, and it happened to be some unrelated drivel.

(Do you understand or not?)

I wasn't intending on getting close to her anyway. Cheon Sooji was a member of Taeguk Shield, and it was right to maintain an appropriate distance while making use of each other.

(You're dead if you cheat on me.)

Isabel was now imbued with a 'strong wish', but I started wondering if that was really a good thing.

(You're a married man, you hear? Get a hold of yourself. You only need one woman by your side other than your mom and family.)

It was already flabbergasting that a sword had a gender, but I didn't pay much attention to it since I wasn't in a hurry to date right now anyway.

(You're my bride. You're still super lousy and goddamn weak, but you've got a decent foundation, so I'll raise you. 'Til you're nice and plump and r—) Isabel suddenly changed the subject. (You know that skill you just used when attacking the brown Clear Crystal?)

I used 'Excellent Strike', yes. Isabel clicked her tongue in disdain.

(You've been using a trash technique like that? Lemme see here.)

A little time passed.

(You're still my bride, so you need to fit the part. Fine. Sword Path Tracing? That's a relatively decent innate ability, at least.)

[Isabel is arbitrarily using an innate authority.]

This sword could use not just an innate ability, but an innate authority. Was it really okay for something this broken to show up in the beginner period? I was shocked, but it was good for me, so I decided to shelve those thoughts.

[Fusing Sword Path Tracing and Excellent Strike.]

An innate ability of mine was fused with a special skill I got as a title effect, with absolutely zero item use or sacrifice. It was done purely through Isabel's power.

A crack appeared along Isabel's blade.

(It's alright, don't worry. I'll recover from an injury of this level soon enough.)

And then came a notice.

[Fusion was successful.]

I unlocked a new ability.

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