CH 231

After looking around the Red Market, we returned to the place we started from without finding anything.

“I expected it, but… there’s no sign related to Li Wei.”

“According to the sibling producers, it’s been over a few months since he was kidnapped, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Hearing Ha Tae-heon’s words, I cleared up my complicated mind. At this point, I really had to accept Edward’s offer.

“May I ask the people here one last time? About Producer Li Wei.”

“Let’s try it.”

As Min Ah-rin said, we went in looking for a small shop selling inventory bags. Li Wei was a producer who dealt with space. It was a decision I made because I thought that an inventory producer with the same spatial ability would know more.

“Excuse me.”

“Welcome.”

When I went inside with Ha Tae-heon, who was holding the wooden door, the store owner rubbed the cigarette he was smoking into an ashtray and turned it off. The smell of cigarettes was no joke.

“I want to ask you something.”

The owner, with a thick beard and plump body, looked at me.

“Do you know a producer named Li Wei?”

“Li Wei? Li Wei…”

The owner, who was worried as he scratched his beard with his thick hand, opened his mouth.

“If you’re talking about the Li Wei with the ability to control the space, of course, I know. Isn’t he a famous producer?”

As expected, he didn’t even know that Li Wei was here. I changed the question and asked again.

“So what do you know about the other producers who sold their inventory here? An old producer wearing black round sunglasses.”

“Ahem… an old inventory producer.”

This time, as if something had come to mind, the owner spoke immediately.

“It reminds me of an old man who works today and tomorrow. As you said, he was an old man with a round, small sunglasses.”

At that explanation, I made eye contact with Ha Tae-heon. It perfectly matched Li Wei’s appearance, whom I met at the red market in Korea before.

“Can you tell me when was the last time you saw him?”

“Let’s see… 3 months? About 4 months ago? I haven’t seen him in a long time. If you go into the back of our store and turn left, you will find the old man’s store, so go check it out. It has now disappeared cleanly.”

The place where Li Wei was before he was kidnapped. It wasn’t bad information.

I thanked the owner for being willing to help and left the store, then I told everyone.

“I found out where Producer Li Wei was doing business. We’d better go see it right away.”

He was probably pretending to be an ordinary producer, selling inventory bags like he did at the Korean Red Market.

I didn’t know how the Praus Cult found out Li Wei’s identity, but it was certain that it wasn’t easy enough to find and catch the opponent hiding in the red market.

We went deep into the red market and soon arrived at the place the store owner explained to us. But what I saw in front of me was nothing but empty land and there were no other traces to be found.

“It must be here… but, there is nothing.”

“Hmm…”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was touching the corner of his mouth, looking at the ground where Li Wei was supposed to be, opened his mouth.

“Let’s go back today and come back tomorrow. I think we need some items that Edward has.”

“Do you think so too?”

“We won’t find anything in this state right now.”

Cheon Sa-yeon’s answering expression was also shadowed like mine. It was uncomfortable for him to have to get help from Edward too.

In the end, I had to bring in Edward. I had a complicated mind.

* * *

“That’s good. Leave it to me!”

The next day, Edward, who received our request, exclaimed vigorously with a happy expression. It might be cumbersome and dangerous, but I felt even more sorry for being so willing to do so.

“Are you really okay?”

“Of course. Rather, I was worried that you wouldn’t need my help. I’m happy to be able to help.”

Edward looked up at me with twinkling eyes. His behaviour was somehow like a puppy, so I eventually smiled and patted his head.

“We should pay more attention to safety now that Eddy is with us.”

At Cheon Sa-yeon’s words, Woo Seo-hyuk took out a small ring from his arms. Not only Woo Seo-hyuk, but also Park Geon-ho, Kim Woo-jin, Kwon Jeong-han, and Min Ah-rin were the same.

“What is that?”

“This is a one-time invalidation item. It was previously given to us by Master.”

The ring with green shiny jewels felt familiar somewhere. Edward, who looked at the ring with interest like me, asked in a surprised voice.

“Oh, Cheon Sa-yeon-ssi. Is this the ring I made a while ago?”

“Right. It’s a very necessary item in the current situation. Eddy, if you’re going to follow to the red market, I think it will be good to wear at least one or two invalidating items.”

I was wondering what it was made by Edward. Rather, Cheon Sa-yeon would have provided the guild members with protection items… I mean, there was a surprisingly delicate side of him.

“Don’t worry.”

Edward smiled at waht Cheon Sa-yeon said, then he took out the bracelet and necklace he was wearing, and showed it through his clothes.

“It’s an invisibility item and an invalidation item that makes the body transparent for about five minutes. I didn’t want it to be a nuisance to everyone, so I prepared it in advance.”

“Transparency and invalidation. That’s okay.”

Finally, with Chloe’s consent, we left without further delay.

Everyone held each other’s hands with displeased expressions because we had to fly in the sky just like we did yesterday. Kim Woo-jin, who had given up the seat next to me to Edward, also took Woo Seo-hyuk’s hand with an uncomfortable look.

“Fox. Please.”

Piik!

I even put Fox next to Edward. Even if anything happened, at least one Edward would be protected by Fox.

We flew high into the sky and went to the closed subway entrance, removed the vinyl cover we had put on again yesterday, and went down the stairs.

“Then, can Edward-ssi know all of the item information with your ability?”

Min Ah-rin, who had been chatting with Edward while heading to the Red Market, asked with a curious face, and Edward nodded his head.

“It’s similar. My sister is the ability to see the energy of the other person and I can see the effects of items. If it’s a made item, I can check the materials and how it’s made.”

“Incredible. Are you an S-rank?”

“Hehe, yes. That’s right.”

Come to think of it, I remembered hearing explanations about the ability when I was taken to Samael with Edward before. If it was the ability to check the information of the item, it was closer to the discriminator than the producer. Besides, he was an S-rank, so it was a pretty precious ability.

‘Oh? Wait a minute. If it’s possible to identify…’

A sudden thought came because of Edward before I rushed into the red market.

“Han Yi-gyeol-ssi?”

“Edward-ssi. Could you please take a look at one item?”

Edward tilted his head at the rather sudden request.

“Sure. What is it?”

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi, about that sword last time.”

Ha Tae-heon, who immediately recognized what I meant, slowly took out an SS-class sword from his inventory. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the sword.

“This is the SS-class sword I got from the gate. I don’t know what kind of ability it has because it hasn’t been through measurements yet.”

“Wa, that’s cool. I think it will take about 10 minutes, are you okay?”

“Yes. Please take a look.”

To make a more accurate judgment, Ha Tae-heon and Edward moved under the light. Since the sword was a bit heavy, Ha Tae-heon had to keep holding it.

I was pleased while looking at Edward, who was seriously examining the sword, and Park Geon-ho, who had a strange expression on his face, opened his mouth.

“I haven’t heard of Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon getting such a sword. Han Yi-gyeol, how did you know?”

It was a question I expected from the moment I decided to bring up the story about the sword in front of everyone. I replied with a smile, pretending not to know.

“Yeah, I know because Ha Tae-heon-ssi told me.”

“Hm… Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon told you?”

“Yes. But I don’t know how he got it.”

I thought I answered quite plausibly, but the eyes of everyone staring at me were full of doubt. Why?

“Han Yi-gyeol-ssi, I’m done checking!”

Edward and Ha Tae-heon, who figured out the sword much faster than expected, returned. Edward made a somewhat recalled face and pointed the sword.

“As expected, it’s SS-class. Do you feel the energy is great? And it has a special ability.”

“A special ability?”

“This sword can dispel abilities an opponent has.”

Dispel the ability? I couldn’t hide my surprise at the unexpected explanation.

“Is that really true?”

“It’s precisely the ability to cut off the energy in the heart. The energy of the ability is concentrated around the heart, so if you cut it off, you won’t be able to use your ability.”

In other words, it meant that it could destroy the energy in the heart. It was understandable to some extent when I thought about Kang Seung-geon, who lost his energy due to an explosion and was unable to use his ability.

“Other than that, is it impossible to attack?”

Edward shook his head at Ha Tae-heon’s question.

“No, just like any other sword, it can attack. The special ability of the sword is activated only when it pierces the opponent’s heart.”

“That’s the trigger condition.”

“Yes. If the heart is pierced by this sword, the energy will be cut off and the ability will disappear. But they don’t die. Because it only cuts off the black energy. If you want to kill someone, you have to cut off the neck or other places.”

As he looked at the sword once again, a powder of light shone in Edward’s two eyes. It was very similar to when Chloe used her ability.

“I’m an S-rank, which has a lower grade than the sword, so I can’t know the attributes of this sword in detail. There is a high possibility that other abilities are more hidden. I think it would be better to get a proper measurement from a professional measuring ability later.”

“I will do that. Thank you for checking it out.”

“No. It was a pleasure to see such a wonderful item, too.”

As I listened to the two of them chatting, I turned my head involuntarily and noticed that Cheon Sa-yeon was staring at the sword persistently. What’s wrong with him again?

‘No way… are you jealous?’

Cheon Sa-yeon continued to look at the sword until Ha Tae-heon put it back in his inventory.

‘No, why the hell he’s jealous when he has two swords, S-class and SS-class?’

I really couldn’t understand. It wasn’t enough to be jealous and now Cheon Sa-yeon, who seemed to be in a low mood, gave a sigh.