When I Returned to Farming, National-level Big Juniors Flock - Chapter 69



Only Krnovel

69. Vortex

“A lot has changed here too.”

Oh Hyeon-seong, who had entered, looked around.

The interior of the relic storage room has a solemn atmosphere.

The atmosphere itself was no different then than it is now, but the internal structure and composition had changed a lot.

The last time I was in here was about six or seven years ago.

It’s a time when a lot of things can change.

“There are a lot of things I’ve never seen before.”

“Because newly acquired relics continue to gather here.”

As the number of gates appearing in the world increases, the number of relics also increases.

Of course, there were many cases where relics were consumed, damaged, or lost.

But at least the number of artifacts held by Korea has been on a steady upward trend.

In particular, the number of relics held in the first relic storage facility here would not decrease significantly as long as the country did not falter.

It was a place where only the most important and precious relics owned by the country were gathered.

“Of course, the most explosive increase in the number of relics occurred when we were at the front lines.”

Han Su-yeon let out a snicker.

When giant monster waves poured out of China.

Although it was the time when the most people died, ironically it was also the time when the most artifacts were discovered.

Currently, nearly half of the world’s national treasures date from that period.

“That’s when I got my hands on a weapon.”

This is the time when Oh Hyeon-seong, who had previously insisted on using only regular weapons, began using relic weapons for the first time.

That was also the reason he came here.

“This is where the senior’s sword was kept.”

They stood in front of a thick iron gate.

Oh Hyun-seong returned the weapon he had been using when he retired.

It was only natural, since by regulation all hunters belonging to a country were required to return the artifacts they had been given when they left their job.

This is also why, although the private sector has grown larger than before, it has not yet caught up with the entire pie of the national government hunters.

The amount of artifacts held by each government was so vast that no private organization could match it.

It was a strong attraction that high-ranking hunters could not help but covet.

Clank!

As the thick iron door opened, they entered the room.

“…”

But the revealed interior was miserable.

Shards of broken glass were strewn across the floor, and the inside of a shattered storage cabinet lay empty.

“I’ve heard the story before, but seeing it in person is even more gruesome.”

Oh Hyun-seong nodded his head.

This was a disaster that occurred four years ago, and it was the first and last time that artifacts were stolen from the First Relic Vault.

“The scene of the theft was left as is.”

A scene where national treasures were brutally looted.

It was such a humiliating sight for the agency in charge that the officials at the time tried to quickly clean it up, but Han Su-yeon stopped them.

At the time, further tracking was impossible, but I thought there might be traces left behind that could be discovered later.

“Even now, when I think about it, it was a questionable incident. Even if it was less serious than it is now, it broke through the highest level of security system and left no traces. On top of that, they stole not only the sword, but also artifacts related to my senior.”

“You said you left the more valuable relics right next to you and took even the second-class relics. Does that guy know anything about me?”

“If you know your senior, then you must be a person who has been deeply involved among the first generation of hunters. Or it’s just an incredible coincidence.”

Han Su-yeon said with a sour expression.

It’s an unpleasant incident even when I think about it now.

“But why did you suddenly say you wanted to see this place?”

“I’m going to try out this new artifact I just acquired.”

“Ah, that thing that was stolen from the French? I knew that my senior had it, but I didn’t hear exactly what kind of relic it was.”

“Then try it once.”

Oh Hyun-seong handed her the ring.

After receiving the artifact, she skillfully channeled her magic power into it and started it up.

A green glow began to fill her vision, and at one point she squinted and took off the ring.

“Haha… This might not be easy to get used to. I’ll need to train separately for at least a month to use it properly.”

Han Su-yeon caressed her cold eyes.

This is a very tricky relic to control.

One month was her standard, and it was something that hunters below her level couldn’t even touch.

Even Amir, a French national power-level hunter, took three months to become familiar with this artifact.

“This ring. It’s an object that allows you to see traces of other relics.”

“Ah, so that light from earlier… That’s why you came here too, senior?”

“yes.”

When I first heard that the sword had been stolen, I had just undergone several major surgeries in the hospital.

At that time, I was so focused on rehabilitation that I had no time to worry about the sword I had returned.

But even now, as time has passed, I still often think about it.

It was not a simple black weapon he had used in the past, but an object that had meaning to him.

“Let’s chase after him earnestly for once.”

Oh Hyun-seong put on a ring.

It was a national treasure, and his sword was of the highest class among them.

I thought there would be a strong trace left behind, and sure enough, very vivid green lights were revealed.

‘The traces are so tangled. I should take an envelope with me.’

Because it had been stored for a long time and was a relic storage facility, all sorts of traces were tangled up in a mess.

However, he has been practicing using this relic ring for the past few days, and has learned how to control time and objects.

It is about chasing only the traces of the exact desired time and object, and excluding everything else from the senses.

Of course, this required some superhuman intuition, but since it was an area in which Oh Hyun-seong was confident, he was able to accomplish it without difficulty.

Tsk tsk tsk!

“It’s visible.”

When only one trace was clearly revealed, Oh Hyeon-seong started to head out and follow the trace.

A scene where even though all government hunters at the time tried to track down the unprecedented incident, no trace was found.

However, since the traces of the relic could not be erased, the opponent’s movements were clearly revealed.

Rattling!

The two exited the facility and got into the vehicle, and began to pursue them.

Han Su-yeon drove, and Oh Hyeon-seong read the traces on the road.

“The chances of finding it today are slim. It happened more than 4 years ago, so if it spread all over the place, the path we have to follow will be incredibly long.”

“But it probably wouldn’t have been circulated that much. A national treasure can’t be circulated openly, and at most, it would have been touched by one or two people.”

Han Su-yeon answered his words.

She can say this calmly now, but at the time, she was so angry about the incident that she almost burst into tears.

Even though we were unable to catch the culprit despite using all the personnel available at the time, we were able to at least confirm that the information was not being leaked overseas or traded in the shadows.

Even if it was a private transaction, if it involved multiple people, it would have been heard in some way, so it probably didn’t involve many people.

“I want to see that face just once this time.”

“Oh, I see. Slow down a bit.”

The accelerator is pressed firmly.

Oh Hyun-seong, who was watching the traces of light, was startled and stopped her, thinking that he would need a real envelope.

****

Still!

With one kick, the door that had been locked was ripped off.

Oh Hyun-seong and Han Su-yeon entered at the same time.

It didn’t take long to search the inside.

“… It seems like there’s no one here.”

A cramped, shabby, empty house located in a slum.

There was no sign of human presence at all.

“It doesn’t seem like a place a hunter would live, but is this the place he used as a hideout?”

A house that has been neglected for a long time.

It seemed as though someone had been here for several years at the most, judging by the accumulated dust and the condition of the house.

Of course, up to this point, it is within the expected range.

But something completely unexpected happened to him.

‘That’s ridiculous… the traces are completely cut off?’

The traces of the sword were very clear.

But inexplicably, it was at this exact place that the traces disappeared.

It is completely disconnected and cannot be tracked anymore.

If it had been four years ago, this ring would not have even been discovered by the French, and it would have been impossible to do anything about it.

‘Is it a coincidence? If it was intentional, what did they do?’

Looking inside the house, I could see that the workmanship was very neat.

He left no traces that could be traced to his abilities.

A scene that seems to have perfectly copied the textbook’s instructions.

I don’t know if it was luck that the relic’s traces disappeared, but at least they were very adept at traditional tracking methods.

“Senior, look at this.”

At that time, Han Su-yeon, who was in another room, called him.

As we headed there, she pointed to the wall she was looking at.

A large, swirl-shaped gray pattern drawn on the surface.

“… What is this?”

“I don’t know.”

Han Soo-yeon shook her head.

She had never seen a pattern like this before.

Although he didn’t know what it meant, it looked odd at first glance and could be a clue, so Oh Hyun-seong took a picture.

“Is there nothing else besides this?”

I never thought I’d be able to easily find something I lost four years ago.

But I never thought it would be a complete waste of time.

Even though I was prepared for it to take a lot of time, I never thought that there would be no trace of the artifact.

“Should we investigate that pattern from our side?”

“No, let me ask first. I know someone.”

“Who are you?”

“A member of the Samjeonghoe.”

“Ah… the man who was hiding in the closet that time?”

Oh Hyun-seong contacted Lee Gil-sang by sending him a photo of a swirl pattern.

What is in the shade, to the shade.

I knew from the last site that you had some information power, so I wondered if I could get a meaningful answer.

Of course, there were some issues with the purity of the information, but if this is a concept that is used in the underworld, it would be better to first borrow the perspective of someone in the field.

Tiring!

The reply came quickly.

“what?”

“… Do you know about this pattern?”

“Me, really?”

“He said that we shouldn’t talk over the phone, so let’s meet in person and talk. He even sent me the location and time.”

“I didn’t expect this… Anyway, it turned out well. Let’s get moving.”

“Wait a minute, you’re going to come with me there? Aren’t you busy with work?”

“I have some free time these days. A few days will be no problem.”

In contrast to the recent terrorist incidents and the resulting surge of work at the Security Bureau, the Administration Bureau was relatively relaxed.

There were complex reasons, but the biggest factor was Ryu Ji-hwa.

Thanks to Ryu Ji-hwa, who recently returned, and who is now handling all the top-tier gates in the country, the burden on the management office that has to coordinate the gate scene has been greatly reduced.

Since returning home, he has already single-handedly defeated three S-rank gates.

It wasn’t for nothing that he caused a sensation during his activities in the United States.

Even the strongest hunters had to take a break after being deployed to the field due to exposure to the atmosphere and physical problems, but this guy was able to show truly terrifying activity levels thanks to his special constitution.

Anyway, if you have enough time, there is no reason to hesitate.

He was a dependable guy who would be helpful in some way if we hung out together.

“Okay, then let’s move.”

****

As the sky began to darken.

They headed to the location at the appointed time.

The place we arrived at was an abandoned factory located on the outskirts of the city.

A deserted place where not a single person walks.

“Why did you insist on meeting in a secluded place like this? Have you seen a lot of spy movies?”

“Um… well.”

To be honest, there was usually no need to make such a fuss when meeting up.

If I went to such a dark place and met someone, the only thing that would make my path look strange would be the route I took.

“Rather than a secret meeting, this is a perfect place to soak someone.”

“Haha, that’s true. But there’s no reason for that.”

Lee Gil-sang was deeply mistaken in thinking that he was some kind of huge being.

In fact, it would have been the same even if it wasn’t necessarily a mistake.

If you had seen the people gathered there at the time, you would have known that it would be difficult to handle even if you brought all the members of the four major criminal organizations in the country.

If Lee Gil-sang was someone who knew how to use his head, there was no way he would betray or attack so foolishly.

“Mmm, it’s delicious as expected.”

“Then, take it easy. Eat slowly.”

They sat side by side and munched on potatoes.

It’s not something that goes well with a gloomy place, but whatever, as long as it tastes good, it’s fine.

On a chilly day with steam rising even though it was indoors, Han Su-yeon’s expression melted as she ate potatoes that the fire spirit had cooked to a golden brown color.

‘for a moment…’

At that moment, Oh Hyun-seong and Han Su-yeon stood up from their seats at the same time.

The energy felt all around.

Because it was a sign that he was trying to hide so thoroughly, they felt even more sensitive.

“Senior, they’re coming while surrounding us, and there are at least dozens of them.”

“I’m a little confused.”

Oh Hyun-seong tilted his head.

Was this a trap set from the beginning?

But given his circumstances, is there any reason for him to make that choice?

It was then that he noticed something different about the approaching presence.

A presence that is felt to be much greater than that of Gil Sang Lee, who was an executive of Samjeonghoe.

It wasn’t just one person, but dozens of approaching hunters.

“What the hell are these guys doing?”

Hurrruk!

A spark rose from Oh Hyun-seong’s palm.

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