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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Hudson's Miracle
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"Mr. Hudson. There's an item you absolutely must see!"
"...I told you to knock first."
The manager flung open the door to Hudson's room in a hurry.
Hudson furrowed his brow and scolded the manager.
"S-Sorry! But this is the 'talisman' you specifically instructed us to acquire...!"
"Talisman?"
At the word 'talisman,' Hudson's irritation vanished in an instant. Instead, he looked at the manager with eyes brimming with interest.
If the manager was bursting into the room with such excitement, it had to be an 'ultra-rare talisman.'
'The Philosopher's Stone? Lu's Sun Jewel? No way it's Sindra's Breath, right?'
Any of those three would be worth billions if he could get his hands on them.
Of course, they were things he wanted but could never obtain.
Soon, Hudson paused upon seeing the talisman the manager pulled from the jewelry box.
"This is...?"
"Aren't you pleased? It's the Fairy Queen's Tear!"
"...Who brought this?"
The Fairy Queen's Tear.
This was one of the talismans he'd ordered them to secure at all costs.
But it was also something nearly impossible to acquire.
And for good reason—the Fairy Queen's Tear was an item carried only by the exceedingly rare 'Fairy Queen's Knights.'
Finding a Fairy Queen's Knight was hard enough, but killing one required at least three powerhouses who had reached level 10.
Powerhouses like that?
They were few and far between, even in Arcana.
Level 10 earned you the title of 'Star-Blooded,' a mark of honor that commanded respect anywhere you went.
It was the coveted level Hudson himself hadn't yet reached.
"At first, I thought some beggar had wandered in, but he left this tear as collateral."
"Then he's in the VIP room right now."
"Yes."
Hudson leaned back in his chair.
As he touched the 'Fairy Queen's Tear' handed over by the manager,
[The 'Observer's Hand (Lv. 8)' skill analyzes the item.]
A parchment floated before his eyes.
『Fairy Queen's Tear (Raid) (Immortal)
The crystallized first tear of the Fairy Queen.
Allows equipment to break through its 'limit restrictions.'
Even if the unrestricted equipment is destroyed, the tear remains intact. However, to reuse it, the 'Tear Revival' quest must be completed.』
"This is definitely what I've been looking for..."
He coveted it.
He coveted it like mad.
But he couldn't just swallow the collateral outright.
The casino operated under Hudson's name and was funded by his vast wealth, but it was under heavy scrutiny from the 'Council.'
No business in Arcana could run without the Council's oversight and supervision.
If word got out that he'd embezzled or seized it unlawfully, they'd come for him—imprison him or kill him.
Not to mention.
'The kind of person who'd casually use a Fairy Queen's Tear as collateral.'
To pledge something like that without hesitation meant at least level 10. Or perhaps a 'Transcendent.'
If it was a Transcendent, the manager would have recognized them.
He'd made sure they memorized all known Transcendents' names.
So not a Transcendent?
Then level 10. Or maybe weaker, but they'd gotten the tear by sheer luck?
In that case, killing and taking it was feasible. If done quietly, even the Council wouldn't notice.
But what if they were too strong to kill quietly?
Or what if they were part of an alliance, guild, or party?
'A few days ago, five stars fell.'
The news of the 5-star Transcendent Wilhelm clashing with the Demon King and dying had spread not just through Arcana, but the entire world.
There were only 32 stars of the goddess that allowed transcendence. Star-Blooded competed for those stars. Wilhelm had been the madman hoarding five.
Even he had lost everything to the Demon King. The stars fell across the continent, and with them, several 'Immortal Talismans' were randomly buried.
Immortal Talismans. The Fairy Queen's Tear was one of them.
So, it was possible they'd gotten it by chance.
'A Player? Or a hidden NPC whose name isn't known?'
His head was spinning.
An unknown Player whose name and face he didn't know? That warranted caution.
In Pangeniar, Players revealing their identities to each other was taboo. Death here linked to reality.
Even hidden NPCs were to be treated with suspicion.
Pangeniar was full of powerhouses lurking in the depths. They were impossible to predict. Players killed by them? Countless.
Some even called Players 'sinners' and hunted them professionally.
That's why Players hid their identities as best they could.
"Did he seem strong?"
"...I'm not sure. But he stayed calm even when the guards tried to rough him up. And when they pressured him, he showed no fear."
The guards were mostly level 6. Expensive free knights Hudson had hired. Staying composed under pressure from multiple ones meant at least level 8.
At least level 8.
After much deliberation, Hudson stood up.
"Let's go to the VIP room. I need to meet him myself."
*
And so, now.
He faced the man who'd turned the casino upside down.
'Ha. No clue.'
...Even meeting him face-to-face, he still had no idea.
A muscular man and a beautiful woman with tanned skin.
He glanced at the pile of gold stacked on the roulette table.
Word was, before coming down, this man had turned 250 gold into over a million in profit. Impossible without the God of Gambling descending.
'Does he have a talent like the Golden Hand?'
The Golden Hand. The talent all legendary gamblers possessed. But if he had it, the dealers would have handled him.
The dealers were Golden Hand holders too.
'Pure luck? No way.'
He'd walked in knowing it would play out like this from the start.
For a moment, 'Golden Grace' flashed through his mind, but that didn't make sense either.
Golden Grace was a well-known hidden trait. But awakening it required too many talents, all useless otherwise, so no one bothered.
What kind of guy is he?
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hudson, the owner of this casino. If it's not too much trouble, how about a cup of tea?"
Hudson extended his hand.
"Sure."
The man shook it without hesitation.
It was Hudson's final move to gauge him.
Hudson let out a small sigh of relief.
He possessed the 'Observer's Hand' skill, which detailed everything he touched. No matter how high their magic resistance, he could at least sense their level...
'...Nothing. I feel nothing. See nothing.'
He couldn't read him.
Either insanely high magic resistance, or something that nullified the skill outright.
Whatever it was, this was no pushover. Hudson swallowed hard.
"Haha. Shall we head up together?"
Hudson forced an awkward smile.
*
['Observer's Hand' skill has been nullified by 'Giant's Magic Resistance.']
He smiled faintly.
'Definitely a Player.'
As expected. Hudson was a Player.
Observer's Hand was one of the class-linked skills that appeared when a 'Merchant' maxed out their basic observation skill to level 10.
It also required the 'Sensation' and 'Meticulousness' talents, so only gamers who'd played the game could have it.
'He followed the talent tech tree I posted exactly.'
Of course, he knew all this because he'd tested it himself.
Before the homepage vanished, he'd uploaded countless 'tech trees' to the strategy boards.
Hudson was undoubtedly a Player who'd picked 'Merchant' from the start and followed that path to the letter.
And the fact that he'd used Observer's Hand meant,
'He can't see my level. Can't read me.'
That confirmed it.
Even Players couldn't see levels floating over heads like he could.
So, the reason he could see others' levels was surely the effect of one of his unknown hidden traits: 'Great Sage,' 'Glutton,' or 'Heavenly.'
"Straight to the point. Sell me the item you put up as collateral."
Hudson cut right to it.
"How much?"
"2 million gold. More than generous, I think."
2 million gold.
He was certainly big-spending.
The Fairy Queen's Tear had immortality and reusability.
But its ability was just breaking equipment 'limit restrictions,' so aside from a tiny niche, demand didn't match its fame.
So he responded bluntly too.
"10 million gold."
Hudson's eyebrow shot up.
"...10 million gold could buy five mansions in Arcana District 1. You think the collateral's worth that?"
A typical merchant's annual revenue was around 10 million gold.
Billionaires carrying that much in liquid assets were rare.
Naturally, it was a heavy sum even for Hudson.
Running a casino brought in big money, but not all of it was his.
Lobbying the City Council alone ate over half his profits. Add taxes and miscellaneous cuts, and what was left was pocket change.
"I don't need it, but you do."
Still, he wouldn't claim he didn't have the money.
Of course. He wanted it desperately. He'd borrow or even kill for it.
"I'm just collecting them as 'keepsakes.'"
"Don't you need level 10 to get into the City Council?"
"...!!!"
Hudson's eyes widened like they'd pop out.
How did he know?
Hudson had been stuck at level 9 for over a year.
But becoming a councilor in Arcana required level 10.
The reason for his stagnation was simple.
'I can't hunt solo.'
Hudson had grown through money.
The classic 'carry.'
He'd hired mercenaries, bought free knights, hunted monsters in droves to rocket to level 9.
But the next step? Solo only.
His level was high, but his stats were low.
Low stats meant he couldn't equip good gear, no matter how great.
Good gear usually had 'minimum stat requirements.' Holding it didn't activate its power.
Low stats, unusable gear, crap combat skills—solo hunting was impossible.
That's why he needed a talisman.
Especially one like the Fairy Queen's Tear that could lift 'stat restrictions.' It was vital for him.
But the shock was brief. Hudson forced himself to stay calm.
"...Who sent you?"
He couldn't help but smirk at Hudson's reaction.
"I'm the 'Star Awakener.' If someone sent me, it'd be a star, right?"
"Cut the lies..."
"Would you believe me if I showed you a 'Star Guardian'?"
He pulled a book from his inventory.
Hudson's eyes widened again at the sight.
"T-Teleport Book?"
"No matter how narrow your eyes, you can tell it's a 'Star Guardian,' right? Here."
He hadn't met Hudson unprepared.
Teleport Book.
The reason he hadn't used it as collateral was simple.
'...For escape.'
A precaution for the worst case.
If Isabella held out for 30 seconds, he could portal to the sanctuary.
But things were going better than expected—no need for 'escape.'
Riiip!
<[Generating portal to 'Desert Sanctuary.']>
<[All 1-day uses have been expended.]>
The Teleport Book floated in the air, opening a portal for 30 seconds.
A blue portal. Beyond it, the 'sanctuary' visible.
And then.
"Huh! A 'Mythic'...!"
Beyond the blue portal, the massive 'snake' seared itself into Hudson's mind.
Not an ordinary snake—that was an imugi, on the verge of becoming a dragon.
A Mythic. One of the 'Star Guardians' that protected only the stars!
'He took the bait.'
Of course, Dramat couldn't leave the sanctuary to guard the star's lair.
But it was perfect for intimidating Hudson.
To heighten vigilance. To deter any funny ideas. It worked perfectly.
"...St-Star Awakener... why me? I haven't even earned the 'qualification' yet."
Star Awakeners were needed to find stars after hitting level 10 and qualifying.
They hid their identities, making them hard to find—and even harder to get a star from.
"You've qualified. I came to you."
But occasionally, Star Awakeners sought out Star-Blooded.
Or even without level 10, through 'special events.'
And no one had encountered more Star Awakeners than him.
Most offered the target's greatest need—with harsh conditions.
Gulp!
Hudson swallowed hard, eyes gleaming.
Luck surpassing the Golden Hand.
Immune even to a Merchant's special skill, Observer's Hand.
Knew exactly what he needed most, and showed a Star Guardian.
Had to be a Star Awakener. One of the most enigmatic beings in this world.
Even if not, at minimum a Transcendent. Monsters who forged paths where none existed.
Whatever, they'd show the surest way to level 10.
This was a chance. An once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"Wh-What must I do? No, never mind. I'll do anything. Just tell me!"
*
Evening. A nice restaurant.
Under dim lighting, a woman sat staring at her phone.
'Already 10 minutes past.'
It was Kim Hana.
She'd rushed over after work still in semi-formal attire, but even so, she drew every eye around her.
Kim Hana's expression darkened.
She'd hurried so as not to be late, but 10 minutes past the appointed time, and her appointee hadn't shown.
No man had ever kept her waiting like this.
Still, it was to express her gratitude.
'Yeah. I'll wait a bit longer.'
Another 10 minutes passed.
"Ma'am. Would you like to order?"
"Just water... sorry. My companion's running a little late."
"No problem."
Now the staff were starting to glance her way.
Gulping water, Kim Hana pondered.
No text or call, this late—did he forget?
Should she call?
No. It'd hurt her pride.
As she agonized, another 10 minutes ticked by.
Kim Hana sighed.
"...Sorry I'm late."
A voice from behind.
Looking at Park Hyun-myeong settling into the opposite seat with an apologetic face, Kim Hana forced a smile.
"No, it's fine. I just got here too. What'll you have?"
...Looks like they should eat fast and she could head home.