The Money-Mad Holy Knight Chapter 129

Chapter 129: Cuckoo (4)

"AAAHHHHH!!!"

A scream echoed through the dark room.

The woman who scread staggered as she pushed herself up from the bed. Her entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and her fingertips trembled—a clear sign of fear.

"Yun Hye-ji, why are you back already?"

Just then, a voice ca from beyond the wall.

Soone had rushed over in response to the scream.

"What's with all the screaming?"

Squeak!

The wall split open, and a bright white light illuminated the space. The light revealed the silhouette of a woman through the wall gap. She wore a leather jacket over a crop top that exposed her midriff.

It was the Guild Master.

"Hye-ji, what's with all the whining? It's not like your borrowed body should hurt."

She pushed her sunglasses up as she looked at the woman called Hye-ji with irritation.

"Sister!"

Without warning, she threw herself into the Guild Master's arms.

"Sob sob!. I... I'm dead."

Because she was crying and clinging to her, the Guild Master sister lost the chance to scold her. Instead, the Guild Master rubbed her back, trying to calm Yun Hye-ji down.

'What on earth happened to make her this frightened?'

Despite her gentle touch, the Guild Master's eyes had sharpened. It was because of the special mission she had given to Yun Hye-ji.

'Our guild mbers shouldn't be this weak...'

Guild mbers were among the very few beings the Guild Master could truly trust after possession. They were bound together by a sacred oath under the na [Guild].

"Have you cald down?"

"Yes, sister."

Yun Hye-ji found stability in the Guild Master's embrace.

'She really is the best sister.'

The Guild Master remained the sa before and after possession.

'Cool yet warm... And she was an incredibly successful businesswoman on Earth.'

The possessed body was impressive, but how amazing must sister's true form be?

As Yun Hye-ji sank into such thoughts, the Guild Master's question reached her ears.

"So, you got discovered by the Emperor?"

"No, that's... um, it was Erik."

Yun Hye-ji calmly recounted what had happened.

The Guild Master listened intently.

"Erik just destroyed the palace and... slashed my neck."

However, that explanation was so brief it ended in re seconds.

"That's it?"

"Sister, seriously—he just went boom! and slash! slash!—and I died."

The incident itself was simple.

"So, that Erik destroyed the Second Empress's isolated palace, slaughtered the palace servants, and kidnapped the Empress?"

It was an unprecedented incident—an imperial family mber, the Second Empress, was taken along with the destruction of the palace itself. However, the ti it took was brutally short.

'Losing the Second Empress as a card is a bit frustrating.'

As the Guild Master processed her complex feelings, an additional explanation ca.

"Erik also brought along Du-sik... no, Ji-hun as well—."

"Why are you telling this now?"

The Guild Master's special mission was specifically to identify Jang Du-sik's true identity. According to Kim Su-ho, the gangster Jang Du-sik was actually Park Ji-hun...

'There's no way Ji-hun would do gangster things, no matter what.'

She couldn't believe it. So she wanted to learn the truth through Yun Hye-ji, who had infiltrated as the Second Empress's handmaiden.

"That... it seems like Su-ho was right."

However, a completely different answer ca from what the Guild Master expected.

"What do you an? That tattooed gangster Jang Du-sik is Park Ji-hun?"

"Yes—."

Yun Hye-ji's body trembled.

"The one who smashed the palace servants' skulls was Jang Du-sik? How could that be Ji-hun?"

"Ji-hun probably had no choice either. It was Erik who gave the order."

"That's circumstantial. What's your evidence?"

"Jang Du-sik is a character made by combining clichés of gangsters from movies. This ti, Su-ho was right."

Movie dialogue from a certain organized cri group film, or sothing like that. The appearance of a half-shaved gangster in a tight-fitting t-shirt matched exactly with the gangster detective from the movie.

"You know, like that movie—'War with Gangsters' and the 'Gangster City' series."

"Is that really your evidence? He could actually be that kind of person."

Yet the Guild Master's suspicion remained.

Finally, Yun Hye-ji drove the nail in.

"That double-arm tattoo. He has a tattoo on his arm like a magical circle, or rather, a magical circle like a tattoo—."

"Enough. Just get to the point."

"Sister, my ex-boyfriend has that double-arm tattoo, so I know it well—."

Yun Hye-ji added that the tattoo on his arm was shaped like an Eastern-style dragon.

"That... um, Ji-hun's tattoo is Irezumi."

"The kind that Japanese yakuza get?"

"Yeah... It's not just similar—it's exactly the sa."

It wasn't anything else; the tattoo's appearance was identical.

"Plus, Du-sik... no, Ji-hun is surrounded only by beings who use divine power. He uses magical power too."

By process of elimination, only Jang Du-sik remained as a suspect.

The Guild Master couldn't deny it any longer.

"So, it really is Ji-hun."

The Guild Master finally accepted the truth.

Then, Yun Hye-ji openly vented her concerns.

"Ah, sister, what do we do, what do we do! Our Ji-hun—."

"Hey!!! Why 'our' Ji-hun?"

"Sister, you don't even date him but you talk like that. That national treasure face is sothing we all share. Even though he's a gangster now..."

The Guild Master frowned at Yun Hye-ji's innocent words.

"Hye-ji, he's not a man in his 40s or sothing. What's with this 'national treasure' talk?"

"This is all because of that tattooed punk ex-boyfriend..."

The Guild Master pressed her temples hard.

She was taken aback by Hye-ji's oblivious manner.

'Our guild mbers are good people, but they all seem to have a screw loose...'

Forr guild mbers were bound together by a sacred oath. In other words, they were people who spent more than half a day in front of computers. Even if they were a bit lacking, she had to take good care of them.

"Is that all?"

"Ah! At the end, Erik grabbed my neck and left a warning. I was so terrified that I forgot to ntion it—."

The Guild Master focused more than ever.

'That Erik.'

The monster-like Holy Knight who had seized Ji-hun.

And wasn't it a warning from that bastard?

"Ah, but he was really handso."

"Huh? Hye-ji?"

As the Guild Master tilted her head, Yun Hye-ji quickly got to the main point.

"Go tell him: don't do anything rash. I'll co find you."

It was a heavy, deep baritone voice, and words like "your ears are in for a treat" were added to it.

However, the Guild Master had a slightly different thought.

'I feel like Ji-hun said sothing similar before...'

For a mont, a possibility flashed through the Guild Master's mind.

[The mad Holy Knight Erik who kills first and asks questions later VS. the tattooed gangster Jang Du-sik.]

The answer was obvious.

The tattooed gangster Jang Du-sik made more sense than that insane Holy Knight.

So she just needed to prepare accordingly.

"Based on that statent, what does he know about us?"

"There's also a possibility it's just bluffing—."

"How could it be? Hye-ji, when you look at a person's actions, you get a sense of what they'll do later, right?"

That's how the Guild Master thought about it.

"Erik will find us no matter what, without any scruples about thods."

So she had to prepare.

"Half the guild mbers are still missing, and we don't have enough possessors. The High One opposes it, but—."

She made a decision.

"Let's try to touch the Union ourselves, even if it's just among us."

Currently, there were eleven chairs at the Round Table.

"If we can just create a twelfth seat at the Round Table, possibilities open up for us."

If one more seat is added, the Round Table would have a total of twelve voting rights.

Combined with the High One's power, then?

"Then we're guaranteed to control at least one-third."

The Guild Master began an adventure to match the rapidly changing situation.

"Sister, but what should I tell the High One?"

"Hye-ji, not all possessors are on the sa side. The High One is an outsider, an outsider! We're bound together by the guild at a much deeper level."

A sowhat dangerous adventure.

***

A crude underground basent.

In Erik's hand was a white sphere.

[Selection Trait Bestowing Orb]

It was a precious item—one that couldn't be obtained even if you wanted it, not just in-ga but in reality.

'They said it grants the possibility to grant characteristics to locals?'

Unlike enhancent tickets or similar items, these artifacts had existed since ancient tis.

'The Master said they awakened the uniqueness of their power thanks to the sphere.'

The Labyrinth was a place that hard humanity while also granting power.

This also applied to possessors.

'I'll gain a characteristic.'

The mont Erik was about to put the white sphere into his mouth.

"Eeek!!!"

A woman scread from the corner of the basent.

A dark-haired woman. An Oriental.

It was Cha Ye-rin, who had been assigned to Ruelle.

'You've brought her as well.'

Erik glanced at Ruelle.

"Hehehehe, so it's adjustable!"

Cha Ye-rin was undoubtedly Marquis Aaron. Therefore, she was relevant to what would happen next.

In other words, having her here would be helpful.

"Impressive."

Erik offered a single comnt of appreciation and approached Cha Ye-rin with the crystal sphere.

Her pupils shook wildly.

'Ah! Th-that of all things—.'

Cha Ye-rin coveted the sphere.

An in-ga item that only appeared as a reward for clearing the Labyrinth for the first ti.

And it was [a trait] that added one more, letting her choose it herself.

'If I eat that and take Rapid Growth, then do the leveling for the Third Class Change... Or no, if I take Blessing of Mana and increase my damage output...'

All sorts of assumptions floated through her mind.

Then Erik asked with a mischievous smile.

"You're drooling, aren't you?"

That heavy, deep baritone gave her a subtle sense of anticipation.

However.

Gulp!

Erik swallowed the sphere right before her eyes.

A thick smile at the corner of his mouth.

'It feels like I'm being teabagged...'

The act of obtaining high rewards and using them mockingly in front of soone's eyes.

Wasn't that exactly what those notorious guild mbers from online were famous for doing?

'Those online gangsters had top-1 rankings, so everyone just had to accept it...'

But this is reality.

Jang Du-sik opened his mouth as if to shatter Cha Ye-rin's fantasy.

"Did it taste good?"

"Ah, Du-sik. This really tastes like honey."

Erik felt like he was about to ascend.

He had lived for fifteen years without stats or skills.

His status window still had many deficiencies, but now he would gain [a characteristic]?

Whoooosh!

[Omni-Rounder]

[Rapid Growth]

[Blessing of Strength]

[Blessing of Mana]

...

All kinds of options flickered before Erik's eyes.

Characteristics appeared in order of performance.

The first to appear was a characteristic that increased all stats, and the rest also had top-tier characteristics that affected levels or stats.

'That's useless to .'

However, it was pointless to Erik.

Even if attack power increased proportionally to stats, he had no stats.

The sa with levels.

'The level of the Divine Edifice won't matter.'

After all, his status window was already separated into [Faith Managent].

So Erik moved on to the next selection.

And what appeared were.

Whoooosh!

[Discernnt Eye]

[Sixth Sense]

[Death Sense]

...

Characteristics that touched the realm of humanity.

In-ga, they were treated as garbage, but in reality, they would certainly be invaluable.

'That's proven by Park Chang-ho and Nishida Ryo.'

You sense ominousness.

You know death's threats in advance.

It would definitely be helpful.

Among them, Erik wanted to obtain the [Discernnt Eye] characteristic at the very top.

'Back in the day, I imdiately used a reset ticket on it because it was such a trash characteristic.'

He recalled the description window he saw in Park Ji-hun's ti.

[An eye that discerns preferences and judges truth and falsehood]

[On/Off]

If you use it, the screen color changes.

It becos covered as if with a semi-transparent, colorful fra, but it's just sothing you can toggle on and off.

'How will it be here?'

Erik's face full of anticipation, he selected the characteristic.

Then.

Burst!

[Erik - 4th Tier Divine Power]

[Possessed Skills: Creation, Wings of Radiance, teor Shower, Judgnt]

[Possessed Characteristic: Discernnt Eye (New!)]

[Possessed Gold: 31,581,888,500]

A clear new line was added to the status window.

And a rainbow-colored light blood before his eyes.

'Gold and pink light?'

Erik turned his head toward the flood of light pouring from behind his back.

[Jang Du-sik, who was blinking his eyes.]

The giant golden light source was Du-sik.

And beside Du-sik, a pink light even larger than the golden one shone clearly.

Erik turned his head.

'The pink light is...'

A pink light like cherry blossoms blood in full.

In the center of that light, Ruelle appeared.

She was staring into Erik's eyes.

"Erik, your eye color! It's so pretty, like a rainbow!"

A clear voice and cyan eyes.

Erik wanted to say sothing.

However,

He had no leisure to do so.

"Ugh, ugh! Th-this place. You barbarians!!!"

The Empress had regained consciousness.

She scread and shrieked the mont she opened her eyes.

"Du-sik, more gently than before."

"Understood."

At Erik's nod, a club ca crashing down.

Crack!

"Aaaaahhhhh!!!"

After being hit with the club three tis, the Second Empress had no choice but to regain her senses.

She carefully scanned her surroundings.

And she understood her situation.

"There is a sacred oath. How can His Majesty abandon ?"

Whoosh!

A shadow fell over the Empress's head.

Sothing gigantic and radiant was looking down at her.

"Empress, you are no longer a mber of the imperial family. The Third Prince was revealed to not be your biological child."

A statent delivered with an indifferent gaze, heavy and blunt.

The Empress's entire body broke into goosebumps.

'So that's Erik.'

The Empress squeezed her eyes shut.

Having been abandoned by the imperial family, the future that awaited her would be like hell itself.

"Thirteenth daughter, let's see... The Lupen River is friendly to the empire, so let's call you Ruen, with a similar feeling."

The Second Empress, Ruen, had her purpose set from the mont of her birth.

Therefore, she was given a na only when she ca of age for a political marriage.

A life full of hardship.

'They say there's nothing to trust in this world.'

That's why she had always kept a trump card in reserve.

And now.

"I would rather choose death."

The Empress pulled out her last resort.

Ku-ooooong!

The punishnt sacred law array that her father, the Archbishop, had inscribed on her back with his own hands glowed.

The light resonated with a sacred law mark the Empress had hidden in her crown.

And thus, the completed power.

"Let a divine hamr of punishnt fall upon this land."

It was the god's hamr—divine power forged into physical force.

A power that could instantly kill even a large-sized monster in one hit.

The Empress dropped it toward Erik's head.

'Beco my companion on the road to the afterlife.'

If the hamr fell, it was certain that both the Empress standing right in front and Erik would et their doom.

She chose mutual destruction.

Whoooo!

The golden hamr fell toward the giant Holy Knight.

It was the power of the Archbishop's divine power and the Empress's strength hidden in the crown for years.

Swish! Thud!

"Empress, is that all?"

However, the hamr stopped in vain.

The Empress's face went pale as she stared blankly ahead.

'Sh-she just catches it with her bare hands?'

As Erik applied force to his grip, the hamr forged from divine power crumbled to dust.

Just one gesture.

The monster Holy Knight asked her.

"Are there any other hidden moves?"

The eyes of the gigantic Holy Knight glittered in rainbow colors.

The Empress felt that mysterious gaze was truly terrifying.

Terrified before the monster, questions began.

"Are you a woman?"

"Yes, I—"

"I'm the one asking, and you just answer."

Strange questions followed.

Starting from gender, it was simple—confirming things like which religion her father belonged to.

As ti passed, the questions grew deeper.

"Do you know the High One?"

"I don't seem to know."

"Then what about Kahyung?"

"Guild Master?"

"Or what about guild mbers?"

Eventually, Erik continued asking questions alone, without even listening to the answers.

This continued for so ti.

"Who is the biological father of the Third Prince, and how did he gain the power of the moon?"

The most difficult question for the Empress to answer flew at her.

Unlike the previous questions, it wasn't the kind that could be answered with "yes" or "no."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

'I couldn't even choose death as I wished.'

She had chosen mutual destruction but failed.

As always, an alternative ca to mind.

That was the Empress's own safety.

"If I tell you everything, what happens to ?"

Then the gigantic Holy Knight burst with brilliant radiance.

With a dark smile, he spoke.

"I'll let you live."