The doorbell rang on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Do-Jun set down the newspaper he was reading and walked to the front door to check the door camera. Standing at the entrance was a middle-aged woman who appeared to be in her early to mid-fifties, with tightly curled, permed hair. Do-Jun immediately recognized her as Kim Ae-Soon, the head of the Changshin Villa residents’ association. When Do-Jun opened the door, Kim Ae-Soon greeted him with a cheerful smile. “Good afternoon! It’s always a pleasure to see your handsome face, young man. Here, take this. We made a big batch of pickled garlic leaves at the residents’ association. I thought of you and your family and brought some over. Enjoy it.” Do-Jun smiled warmly and accepted the container of side dishes she offered him. “Thank you.” “Oh, and there’s another thing... We hold a market every year, but we’re short on help this time. Could you lend a hand? All you’d need to do is help with cooking on the day,” Kim Ae-Soon said. Do-Jun glanced at the promotional flyer she handed him, titled “A Market of Love andKindness.” The food to be sold included jeon, noodles, soondae, tteokbokki, fried snacks, and more.[1] What caught Do-Jun’s attention was that the proceeds would go toward helping low-income families, elderly people living alone, and other neighbors in need. Although the event’s purpose was admirable and Do-Jun was willing to participate, he didn’t think he would be able to make it. “Is it on Friday?” he asked. “Yes. Are you busy that day?” Kim Ae-Soon asked. “I have work that day, so it might be difficult for me to help out.” “Ah, that’s too bad. If your situation changes, let me know. Oh, and feel free to keep the container.” “Thank you again for the food.” Kim Ae-Soon chuckled, waved goodbye, and left. Do-Jun returned to the dining table and sat down, intending to resume reading his newspaper, but his eyes lingered on the flyer as he fell into thought. Artifacts came with various stats, including some with absurdly low probabilities—effects that restricted the actions or attacks of others. In the Core, residents referred to such items as “Forbidden Artifacts” and considered them treasures among treasures. “No way.” Kiriel couldn’t believe his eyes as he inspected the artifact he received as a reward for clearing the Trial. At first glance, it was an unremarkable silver ring, but its stats were truly extraordinary. Grade: Treasure of the Deep Realm Description: Enables the skill Magic Seal. (Magic Seal: Seals the target’s magic for 5 seconds. Reusable on the same target after 24 hours.) “This is a Forbidden Artifact!” he exclaimed. Though it was graded below Relics of the Deep Realm, its effect was so powerful that it could be considered broken. It was a lower-tier alternative to “Skill Breaker,” the Relic-grade Forbidden Artifact owned by Imfelheim, which nullified the skill attacks of opponents up to five times a day. If Magic Seal was used wisely, this ring could produce effects far superior to Skill Breaker. In battles between powerful opponents, where a single second’s mistake could result in fatal injuries, the ability to seal magical energy for a full five seconds was a game-changer. Kiriel calmed his pounding heart. With this ring, he could potentially move up three to four ranks. “Ah!” He suddenly realized something. Grinning mischievously, Kiriel headed to Earth. Hakase was not pleased with the way Kiriel was grinning stupidly at him. Some ridiculous proposal always followed that expression, and just listening to it made Hakase feel like an idiot by association. “Lizard. Look at this,” Kiriel said. Hakase glanced sideways while chopping carrots on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Kiriel wore a silver ring on his finger. Though it looked ordinary at first glance, Hakase’s eyes widened as he checked its stats. “My word. Where did you get that?” he asked. “I passed Karim’s Trial. It got dangerous at the end, but I managed to clear it safely.” The Deep Realm was vast, filled with numerous traps and trials. Traps were just that—traps. For instance, hellfire lava capable of melting adamantium could suddenly erupt, or someone might hallucinate and fall into a sea monster’s jaws while believing it was solid ground. This made the Deep Realm especially challenging to adapt to. Trials, on the other hand, were a step above traps, often regarded as their superior counterpart. Even the strongest individuals who had adapted to the Deep Realm struggled to overcome them. The fortunate part was that trials only activated when someone willingly took on the challenge. Karim’s Trial, while considered low in difficulty among the discovered trials, was still challenging enough that even Kiriel, a Transcendent, barely managed to clear it. Completing the trial rewarded its challengers with corresponding treasures, usually grade-1 artifacts. “I’m jealous,” Hakase said candidly. Obtaining a Forbidden Artifact was enviable, especially one graded as a Treasure of the Deep Realm. If it had been a Relic-grade artifact, Hakase might have been too bitter to continue his day. “With that, you could raise your rank a bit,” Hakase said to Kiriel. “Exactly. Overtaking one or two guys above me would be like taking candy from a kid. But that’s not the important part.” “With this, I can go to the King of Earth and...” “Wait.” Hakase’s expression turned grim. “You’re not planning to challenge the king, are you?” Kiriel shrieked in protest, “Are you insane?” “Good. For a moment, I thought you’d lost your mind.” “I’m not going to challenge him. I just want a title.” “A title?” Hakase asked, intrigued. “If I succeed, I’ll become ‘The Man Who Survived More Than Five Seconds Against Earth’s King.’” Hakase scratched his head. “That’s... a tempting title.” To survive five seconds against Earth’s king? That would undoubtedly be a legacy worth bragging about for generations. Do-Jun stood in a barren dimension where not a single blade of grass grew. Opposite him, Kiriel was carefully reading aloud from a colorful flyer. “A market of love and kindness. This Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m...” It was the same flyer given to him the day before by Kim Ae-Soon, the head of the neighborhood women’s association. “If you can’t last five seconds, you’ll be helping out at the market that day. Got it?” Do-Jun said. He wanted to help with the market but felt conflicted because it was scheduled during work hours. Conveniently, Kiriel had asked for a sparring match, saying he wanted to test something, and Do-Jun took this as a chance to contribute indirectly. Kiriel’s test was simple: to see if he could endure against Do-Jun for more than five seconds. “Yes, I understand.” Kiriel’s face brimmed with confidence. Had he perhaps grown significantly stronger since their last encounter? Do-Jun extended his qi senses to confirm Kiriel’s level once again. However, it was the same as when they had first met—no notable improvement. So it must be that ring, Do-Jun concluded, glancing at the silver ring Kiriel wore on his finger. Although its exact effects were unclear, it clearly gave Kiriel something that boosted his confidence that he could last at least five seconds. “Shall we begin?” At Kiriel’s question, Do-Jun nodded. “Here we go!” Kiriel shouted. Immediately, the ring on his finger emitted a dazzling light. Do-Jun drew his internal energy, and Kiriel’s face turned pale. The week flew by, and soon it was Friday. Changshin Villa had transformed into a bustling marketplace for the day, selling a variety of foods. Despite the scorching sun in a clear sky, visitors remained undeterred. They enjoyed delicious meals under the shade of canopies. Not only the residents of Changshin Villa but also people from nearby condos and neighborhoods had flocked to the event. The annual market was a tradition for the residents of Bangbae 3-dong, akin to a local festival. Although the food prices weren’t particularly cheap, knowing that the proceeds would go to underprivileged neighbors encouraged people to open their wallets generously. “Two orders of haemul pajeon[2] for Table 5!” One of the volunteers called out. Kim Ae-Soon was busy greeting familiar faces and taking orders. She urged Kiriel, “Kiriel, can you get those haemul pajeons to table five quickly?” Kiriel stood staring blankly at a frying pan, but soon poured batter mixed with squid, mussels, and other seafood onto it. The seafood pancakes cooked evenly on the oiled pan as Kiriel, lost in thought, flipped them until they were perfectly done. He placed two pancakes on a plate and brought them to table five. “You look like someone stole your soul or something, Kiriel.” Hakase was seated at table five. With the market in full swing for the day, Hakase had decided to close his food stall as a courtesy. Normally, he would have holed up in his nest working on his engineering research, but curiosity about Kiriel’s recent ordeal pulled him here. Hakase asked, “So, how did it go? I’m guessing you couldn’t last five seconds against the king of Earth. How long did you manage?” “The ring didn’t work at all.” “What? What do you mean?” “I had the slightest hope that I might last five seconds. But for some reason, the King of Earth was able to use his full power without restraint,” Kiriel explained. Hakase was stunned. He had never heard of a Forbidden Artifact failing to work. “Try it on me,” he said. The Magic-Sealing Ring glowed brightly. For Hakase, it took a full five seconds before he could use his magic again. The ring’s effect was undoubtedly functional. Kiriel swallowed hard. “Remember when I said that the King of Earth might actually be a god?” “He’s not just possibly a god. He’s definitely—” Just then, he was interrupted. “Kiriel! Another order’s in!” “Dammit. That’s the sixtieth pancake today. Anyway, enjoy your meal.” Kiriel dashed back to the cooking station. Murmu of Three Moons was challenging Karim’s Trial. For Murmu, however, Karim’s Trial wasn’t particularly difficult. He often came here to collect artifacts, and this trial was one of the quicker ones to finish. “Oh, arrogant adventurer! This place shall become your grave!” Karim, an ancient soldier, appeared. Standing over fifty meters tall and clad in massive armor, he wielded a formidable spear. Murmu summoned his magic, channeling it into his fist. The veins on his forearm bulged, pulsating with overwhelming power. As Murmu clashed with Karim’s spear, the resulting shockwave devastated the surrounding area. After a brief but fierce contest of strength, the victor was decided. Karim’s armor shattered into fragments, and the soldier fell forward, defeated. [You have cleared Karim’s Trial.] [You have received a random artifact as a reward.] [You have obtained the Magic-Sealing Ring.] Murmu’s eyes widened as he examined the artifact’s properties. It was a Forbidden Artifact. Murmu trembled and began to cackle. “Hehehe.” He planned to ask how many seconds he could last now, once Kiriel returned. 1. Jeon is Korean pancake, soondae is blood sausage, and tteokbokki is spicy rice cake! ☜ 2. ”haemul” means seafood and “pajeon” is green onion pancake! ☜