[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 70
“…This is…?”
After digging through the display shelf for a while, my eyes finally landed on sothing.
A dark-colored coat buried at the very bottom of the pile.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary, thin coat made of simple material. It was old, yet showed no signs of wear or damage. More importantly, it emitted an eerie coldness—like it had just been pulled out of a freezer.
That unsettling chill stirred sothing in my mory.
“I feel like I’ve seen this sowhere before…”
After going through 138 playthroughs, I had co across more pieces of equipnt than I could count.
Where had I seen this? In which run?
I flipped the coat over, examining it closely for any markings or traces. That was when I found a small emblem inside the coat—one that jogged my mory.
A fractured Glacier Insignia, embroidered into the inner pocket.
It was the symbol of the Gatekeepers of the Frozen Isle, a military unit that guarded the harshest lands of this world.
“Ah, damn! So that’s where it ended up!”
Manager Jang, who had been organizing items, smacked his forehead and rushed over.
“That’s not for sale. I ant to set it aside separately, but I must’ve thrown it in there by mistake.”
“What is this item?”
“It was found buried under a pile of corpses on the battlefield. Looks like it’s cursed. Every ti soone puts it on, even the sturdiest of n start shivering like they’ve been plunged into the depths of winter. They eventually collapse with foam at the mouth…”
Jang added that he had brought it in to sell to the Voodoo Departnt students, figuring they could use it for curse-related experints.
‘A piece of equipnt used by the Gatekeepers of the Frozen Isle… being sold as experintal material?’
Ridiculous. Those prideful bastards would sail all the way from the Antarctic just to obliterate anyone who disrespected their gear like this.
“How much is it?”
“Huh? I just told you—it’s ant for the Necromancy students…”
“As long as you’re selling it, does it really matter who buys it? I happen to be very interested in curses myself.”
Jang hesitated, looking a little conflicted, then slowly raised five fingers.
“500 credits?”
“What nonsense! You think I want you to pay that much for a cursed item and deal with all the backlash? 50 credits, take it or leave it.”
50 credits?! This was a deal I couldn’t afford to pass up.
“That’s far too low. I’ll give you 150.”
“…Huh? You’re offering 150 for sothing I priced at 50? You serious?”
“Of course. I have a habit of properly evaluating an item’s worth.”
That was a lie. I had no such habit. If I hadn’t experienced this world over 100 tis, I never would’ve said sothing like that.
Ding—!
[150 credits have been deducted.]
[Remaining credits: 0.]
[Item 「Gatekeeper’s Coat of the Frozen Isle」 is now bound to you.]
[You have completed your first transaction at Jang’s Shop.]
[First-ti purchase bonus: Jang’s favorability has slightly increased.]
The system ssage confird that the coat was now officially mine.
But I knew better. The ssages weren’t over yet.
“A habit of properly evaluating value, huh…? I’ve been running this shop for over ten years, but I’ve never t soone with such refined principles! You really are sothing else!”
[Due to the pleasant transaction, Jang’s favorability has increased significantly.]
[Your relationship with Jang has improved to “Favorable.”]
[You have acquired Jang’s trait 「Appraisal 1」!]
[As a result of your improved relationship, you now receive a 10% discount on future shop transactions.]
Jang’s beaming face made it clear just how pleased he was.
In reality, this was a well-known Military Chronicles trick. Jang’s favorability increased when you overpaid for an item and decreased when you haggled for a discount.
‘Boosting his favorability early on is beneficial in the long run.’
Later in the story, when I’d need high-value items, the prices would be so steep that even if I wanted to overpay, I wouldn’t be able to.
Right now, I had spent just 100 extra credits to gain a useful trait and increase favorability—an absolutely worthwhile investnt.
“That was a great deal! Make sure to stop by again!”
* * *
As soon as I left the shop, I looked for a secluded place. I needed sowhere quiet since I was about to cast a spell.
“That place should do.”
A park caught my eye. I walked over, sat on a bench, and pulled the coat out of my shopping bag. The mont I touched it, an eerie chill crept up my hands.
“There’s no way I can use it in this state.”
Just as the shopkeeper had said, the coat was cursed. Most likely, the lingering resentnt of the war’s fallen had seeped into the fabric, drawn in by its energy.
“Caesar, analyze the curse on this.”
[-Activating D-Scouter.]
[-Please cast the spell ‘Identify Reality’ to utilize the scouter’s functionality.]
As Caesar’s voice flowed from my glasses, I imdiately cast ‘Identify Reality’. My vision shifted into a multidinsional perspective, peeling away the layers that concealed the coat’s true form.
[-Target identified. Beginning analysis.]
[-Analysis progress: 11%... 27%... 40%... 68%... 89%...]
Perhaps because of my rank-up at the abandoned academy, the process felt noticeably faster than before.
Within seconds, the results appeared on my glasses.
[Item Analysis]
Na: Gatekeeper’s Coat of the Frozen Isle
Grade: Rare
Effects: 15% Defense, -50% Solar Energy, 100% Cold Resistance
Special Effect: Solar Block
Current Status: 1 Curse Applied
Curse Na: Resentnt of the Frozen Dead
Grade: C
Duration: ????
Required Items for Removal: Water of the Frozen Isle, ???, ????, ???
A few details imdiately stood out.
First, 100% Cold Resistance.
“So it really was that kind of curse.”
The curse itself wasn’t particularly unusual. Magic items found buried under war-torn battlefields often carried one or two curses like this.
What caught my attention the most, however, was the Solar Block effect.
“Losing 50% Solar Energy… That’s going to be rough.”
The Frozen Isle lay sowhere between the North and South Poles. Due to its extre latitude, it experienced months of endless daylight followed by months of total darkness. The Gatekeepers had designed this coat specifically to shield themselves from the unrelenting sun during the months of midnight sun.
For most people, who relied on sunlight to sustain themselves, this coat would be nothing but a hindrance…
“But for soone like , of the Night Clan, it’s the perfect item.”
As long as I could remove the curse, this coat would be an invaluable asset—cutting my dayti debuff in half, one of the most crippling weaknesses of a blood demon like myself. Thankfully, the curse wasn’t even that strong.
“This is nothing compared to the Imugi’s Curse I dealt with in the last cycle.”
[Casting ‘Curse Dispel’]
[ENP increased to 35/180]
[Attempting to remove ‘Resentnt of the Frozen Dead’...]
As I activated the Deconstructionist Departnt’s second-tier spell, the intricate structure of the curse was revealed before my eyes.
The Imugi’s Curse from my last cycle had been far too powerful to remove without the required purification items. But this one…
For a C-grade curse, my current level should be more than enough.
[Bonus success rate applied if affiliated with the Voodoo Departnt.]
[You have no points in the Voodoo Departnt.]
[Bonus success rate applied if Deconstructionist Departnt proficiency exceeds the target’s spell score.]
[Your Deconstructionist Departnt proficiency surpasses the target’s spell score.]
[Successfully dispelled ‘Resentnt of the Frozen Dead’!]
Saaaaah—...
A chilling wind swept through as the piercing cold that had once clung to the coat dissipated into the air.
“Lucky.”
I didn’t like relying on luck, but there was no denying it—I’d gotten lucky. Finding a cursed coat at a shop and being able to dispel it imdiately was almost unheard of.
I took off my old coat and draped the new one over my shoulders.
[Equipping new item: Defense 15%]
[Solar Block effect activated.]
[Dayti debuff reduced by 50%.]
The mont I put it on, my breathing steadied. A wave of calm, like sinking into a sea of blood, washed over . Even under the glaring midday sun, I felt at ease.
“Really lucky.”
“What’s so lucky?”
A voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts.
I turned my head. Standing there, looking at strangely, was Hival Harari—who had apparently been watching for so ti.
“I’ve been watching for a while now. What exactly is so lucky? Did you get a rare drop or sothing?”
“Were you following ? That’s quite the hobby you’ve got.”
“Who said I was following you? I saw you leaving the shop and just happened to co this way.”
“I see. Then don’t follow again.”
I cut him off coldly and stood up. There was no benefit to getting involved with him.
“You just dispelled a curse from that coat, didn’t you? What spell was that? Another Deconstructionist Departnt technique?”
He trailed after , bombarding with questions as I walked away.
I responded in an even colder tone.
“Am I obligated to answer? You’re not even my student.”
“Wow, acting all high and mighty. Guess my grandfather was right about you.”
Freeze.
My steps ca to an abrupt halt out of pure reflex. Slowly, I turned my head and asked, “What do you an by that? What about your grandfather?”
“My grandfather used to say this—‘The more skilled a professor is, the more likely they are to have so kind of defect. And at the very top of that list is Professor D.’”
A sinking feeling of dread crept up on .
Hoping—praying—that I was wrong, I hesitantly spoke.
“Your grandfather… don’t tell …”
“You seriously don’t rember? Solomon Harari. He told he used to work with you.”
Ah.
Why is it that bad premonitions are never wrong?
For a mont, my mind reeled.
Do Jin-hak knows Solomon Harari?
When I first set up this cover identity, I was certain no one at this academy would have ties to Do Jin-hak. After all, few people despised human interaction as much as he did.
And yet, since I arrived, I kept running into people connected to him—Kim Taekhee, Sarah... And now, Solomon Harari?
The more I learned about Do Jin-hak’s past, the more terrified I beca.
This is bad...
Normally, I would have just brushed it off with sothing like, “Did sothing like that happen? I don’t recall.” A cynical response that would be perfectly in line with Do Jin-hak’s personality.
But Solomon is different.
Brushing it off with a simple “I don’t rember” wouldn’t work here. He was too important of a figure for that.
Pretending not to know would only make look suspicious.
“…Yeah. I know that na.”
Once again, I decided to take a gamble—just as I had with Kim Taekhee and Sarah. Hoping I’d find a way to slip out of this ss sohow.
“Now that I think about it, I do recall your grandfather ntioning a grandson.”
“Oh? Really? That’s surprising. Grandpa isn’t exactly the type to speak well of . But anyway, now you get it, right?”
“Get what?”
“Co on, I just told you. I’m Solomon Harari’s grandson.”
“Whether you’re Solomon’s grandson or granddaughter, why should I care? You’re way too full of yourself.”
I spat out the words as coldly as possible, trying to end this conversation as quickly as I could.
But then, Hival stared at —eyes wide with disbelief. As if I had just said sothing terribly, terribly wrong.
“Wow… Your personality is seriously sothing else. After pulling sothing like that, shouldn’t you at least pretend to feel guilty? Or did you think I wouldn’t know anything?”
Sothing like that?
A chill ran down my spine. The bad feeling in my gut grew stronger.
What the hell is he talking about?
What kind of ss had that bastard Do Jin-hak gotten into with Solomon Harari?
And then, Hival scoffed, as if he couldn’t believe he even had to say it out loud.
“Grandpa told everything. How you scamd him. Took a fortune in research funds for your chira experints—and then vanished without a trace. He always said that if he ever got his hands on you, he’d rip you limb from limb.”
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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