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Prologue
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After being expelled, I started a general store…?
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The weapons of the gods
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I became a monopolist.
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On an autumn day when the red maple leaves swayed.
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“I’m sorry, but please leave our guild.”
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A woman with a blank expression spoke.
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Baek Seorin, the guild master of Samdocheon and the only S-rank sorcerer in South Korea.
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“Choi Seo-jun, you no longer belong in Samdocheon.”
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She notified me of my dismissal.
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“Is there a reason?”
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“You know why. An E-rank appraisal ability is useless.”
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Among appraisal abilities, E-rank is the lowest.
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It meant that I was not qualified to be an appraiser for Samdocheon, the top guild in South Korea.
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Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
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Even though I was just an E-rank, appraisers were a rare profession, and I had diligently done my job.
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For them to say they didn’t need me anymore…
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“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Ki-tae, a C-rank appraiser.”
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“He’s your replacement.”
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A tanned man, Kim Ki-tae, extended his hand with a triumphant expression.
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He looked extremely excited about becoming Samdocheon’s appraiser.
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After all, being an appraiser for South Korea’s top guild wasn’t an opportunity that came easily.
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“I heard you were Samdocheon’s appraiser. It’s an honor to meet you.”
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Despite his words, Kim Ki-tae’s expression was full of ridicule.
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It was the kind of sneer that mocked how an E-rank appraiser had managed to hold this position.
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However, I didn’t feel bad at all.
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No, in fact, Kim Ki-tae’s presence was dazzling.
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Of course, it had to be.
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A savior had appeared to rescue me from this appraiser’s hell.
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‘Finally…!’
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Even for me, the bluebird of happiness has arrived!
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I grabbed Kim Ki-tae’s hand tightly.
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“Why are you suddenly…”
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“Welcome.”
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“…Huh?”
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Completely clueless, Kim Ki-tae awkwardly accepted my congratulations with a bewildered expression.
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Even his dumbfounded reaction was amusing.
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A fresh-faced rookie, the perfect prey for exploitation.
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Where did they find such a perfect recruit?
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As expected of the Black Witch.
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Baek Seorin’s cruelty never failed to impress me.
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“Congratulations on your new job.”
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I sincerely congratulated Kim Ki-tae on his employment.
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And my fresh start as well.
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On an autumn day when the maple leaves swayed.
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I was expelled from the guild where I had worked for ten years.
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Artifacts from the past possess special powers.
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Their value varies greatly depending on which era they came from and which historical figure used them.
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For example, Excalibur from the legend of King Arthur or Gram from Sigurd’s tale is considered national treasures.
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The more famous the historical figure, the stronger the artifact’s power.
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The job of appraising and grading these artifacts belonged to appraisers.
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At first glance, it seemed like an important profession, but that was only true for those with high ranks.
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An E-rank appraiser like me was stuck appraising artifacts that were no better than junk.
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Especially in a massive guild like Samdocheon, the workload was overwhelming.
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Appraisal, appraisal, appraisal, appraisal, appraisal…
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‘It was a nightmare.’
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Like slapping barcodes onto products, appraisers were nothing more than human scanners assigning grades to artifacts.
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On top of that, the shortage of workers was so severe that unless a replacement was found, it was nearly impossible to resign—modern-day slavery.
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So why did I put up with this job?
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‘Because the honey was too sweet to resist.’
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A satisfied smile appeared on my lips as I looked at my shelves.
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A ring of regeneration, a poison-resistance necklace, vision-enhancing goggles…
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The shelves reaching the ceiling were packed with items highly favored by hunters.
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It was my personal artifact collection, painstakingly gathered over my ten years at Samdocheon.
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The workload was brutal, but the pay was excellent—that was Samdocheon’s secret to success.
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If not for that, I would’ve quit long ago.
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Anyway.
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“That should do it.”
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I stretched my back and looked around.
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A cozy general store with an entire wall dedicated to artifact shelves.
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It was my very own shop, my first venture after leaving Samdocheon.
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I couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.
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‘There’s no way this won’t sell.’
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Near Incheon, a hunter’s paradise, there are many hunters, and the merchandise is abundant.
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Now that I’ve set up my shop, all that’s left is to enjoy the sweet rewards.
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As I was organizing artifacts for a while, I suddenly looked at the object in my hand.
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“Oh, right. I had this too.”
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I was holding a small hand mirror.
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A magical tool that reveals an Awakened’s abilities.
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It was an outdated artifact no longer used in modern times.
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Though looking into it wouldn’t change anything, I infused it with magic out of curiosity.
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“As expected.”
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The mirror turned brown, indicating an “E-rank.”
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Since my appraisal rank was E-rank, this was the obvious result.
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But then…
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“Hmm?”
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Just as I was about to put the mirror away, I blinked at the sight of it glowing in rainbow colors.
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‘Rainbow?’
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I had never heard of rainbow-colored ranks among the classifications for Awakened individuals.
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However, as if it were just an illusion, the rainbow glow disappeared in an instant.
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“Did I see that wrong?”
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Looking at the mirror, which was still brown, I tilted my head and withdrew my magic.
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“I must be sleepy.”
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It wasn’t until after I took a nap that I realized it wasn’t a mistake.
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Knock, knock, knock!
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The sound of a steady knock woke me from my light sleep.
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‘Did I doze off?’
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Checking the clock, I saw that an hour had passed.
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Knock, knock, knock!
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“The door’s open, you can come in!”
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“Excuse me.”
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As the door opened and the visitor stepped inside, I tilted my head in confusion.
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‘Is there some kind of cosplay event happening?’
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The man who appeared looked like he had stepped out of a history book, dressed in a modern-era military uniform.
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“Sorry, but could I have something to drink? I’ll compensate you for it.”
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“Of course, water is free.”
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Seeing how exhausted the man looked, I poured him a cup from the purifier and handed it over.
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“Thank you.”
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After drinking the water, the man glanced around the shop with a curious expression.
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“What kind of place is this?”
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“Oh, this is a general store—”
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Just as I was about to explain, a system message appeared before my eyes.
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You have encountered a figure from a failed timeline.
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â—† The Connector of Transcendents (???) has been activated.
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“Connector?”
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“Is something wrong?”
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The man looked at me curiously, but I stared at him in shock.
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The awakening message seemed to have appeared because of him.
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And its content was unsettling.
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A figure from a failed timeline?
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‘This man…?’
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I took a closer look at him with newfound suspicion.
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A bicorne hat perched on his head. A sword at his waist. A blue-and-white military uniform.
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The more I observed, the more familiar he seemed.
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As if I had seen him somewhere before.
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“Excuse me, but may I ask for your name?”
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“Napoléon Bonaparte.”
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“……!”
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The first customer of my general store.
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He was the hero who led the French Revolution to victory.
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The great conqueror, Napoléon.
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