Max Talent Player

Before he finished his deal with Kang Somyi, there was something he had to show her.

Hyukjin gave her the Daedongyeojido.

“It’s in your Inventory, yes?”

“Huh? Yes.”

Kang Somyi stared at him in puzzlement, wondering what was going on.

“Count to three.”

“Okay.”

She counted aloud.

“Check your Inventory again.”

“Alri—huh? Where’d it go?”

Hyukjin took out the Daedongyeojido from his Inventory.

“Why do you have that?”

“You saw the video earlier.”

“What video?”

“The video of me competing in theft with the thief Player. That was essentially a PvP.”

It wasn’t actually a PvP, but Kang Somyi was able to see it as one.

“...Ah, so you really do have the ability to steal?”

“As you just saw.”

Lying about having such an ability was a bit dicey. He would lie without hesitation if it were just Kang Somyi, but the Guardians were watching right now. Lying about being a thief was especially inadvisable in front of the Milky Way Neutron Star, the Guardian who had gifted him the Stardust.

Unable to wrap her head around it, Somyi simply asked, “Why did you show me that?”

“Once you have the Daedongyeojido, will you immediately choose me as your liege?”

The Korean explorer pouted. “Tch. I promised you that earlier, didn’t I?”

“I just want to be sure. We haven’t built that much trust between us, have we?”

Kang Somyi pursed her lips in slight displeasure, but she soon nodded.

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

She really believed what he said wasn’t wrong, a thought that made her feel somewhat better.

‘The person I choose as my liege should be this thorough, at least.’

He was showing her that he was quite thorough and cautious. Somyi recalled the admiration she had felt when watching him Play and when seeing his gift for drawing the big picture.

‘If I’m going to choose him anyway, I need to just believe and follow.’

There was no use crying over spilled milk—it was done and couldn’t be changed. She decided to just accept it.

“I can just choose you right away, right?”

“Yes.”

After being given the Daedongyeojido again, Kang Somyi used it immediately.

[The hidden power of the Daedongyeojido has been activated.]

[You can advance to the Explorer of Service.]

[However, you must set a Recipient of Service.]

She selected Kim Hyukjin as her liege without a single moment of hesitation. Somyi briefly knelt before her new liege, a ceremonial gesture.

[The Recipient of Service cannot be changed.]

She still made her choice. After making up her mind once, she didn’t look back.

[The Recipient of Service has been set.]

[Player Kim Hyukjin has been set as the Recipient of Service.]

[You have advanced to the Explorer of Service.]

* * *

* * *

As Somyi stood up, her jaw dropped. She didn’t hide her shock—her thoughts and emotions were written all over her face.

“What happened?”

“O-One moment. I need to process my surprise a little.”

In truth, Hyukjin knew exactly what had happened to her. Eye of Perception was reading it all.

[The Explorer of Service has chosen you as their ‘liege’.]

[The Explorer of Service has pledged their loyalty to you.]

[Eye of Perception reads all information regarding the Explorer of Service.]

Eye of Perception had a proficiency of [2]. But the actual proficiency Hyukjin was experiencing was at least 3.

‘No, I would believe you if you told me it was 4, or even 5.’

Hyukjin was experiencing a new world.

[When used on the Explorer of Service, Eye of Perception will display the maximum limit of its ability.]

Almost as if he were mentally connected to Kang Somyi, he could vividly feel her emotions. It felt as though he could see everything about her.

‘This is Eye of Perception’s future…!’

It was fascinating. What she was thinking, what her upbringing was like, what she wanted right now, what emotions she was feeling, he could sense them all. Almost like he had become Kang Somyi herself.

‘She’s incredibly happy right now.’

She was rejoicing about having gained the class of her dreams. Hyukjin could feel that clearly.

‘She wanted that class so badly?’

Kang Somyi was someone who was rather used to helping people, as well as someone who enjoyed the act.

‘A unique person who derives joy from serving someone.’

Normally, people liked being served, but this woman enjoyed serving someone else. It wasn’t that strange.

Information crashed into him like the rising tide.

‘She likes men, but she also likes women.’

It wasn’t terribly useful info, but he was able to see her sexual orientation. He could even see that she was currently slightly interested in Shin Yeonseo.

A mountain of information came in, including all her skills. Not only could he see what they were called, but he could see exactly what they did. The moment he looked at them, he saw it all.

‘Not only that…’

Most surprising was that he could see what hidden pieces the Explorer of Service class had. What hidden pieces it would have in the future, what scenarios it would involve in the future, it was all there, as if he had been gifted with the most powerful future sight.

‘I guess I can only read up to the intermediate period.’

The intermediate period usually referred to level 40-60. He could see all the information regarding Kang Somyi’s ‘class scenarios’ for that period.

‘This is amazing.’

That wasn’t the only revelation.

‘If I reach the expert period… if Eye of Perception’s proficiency greatly increases…’

When that happened, didn’t that mean he could analyze not just Kang Somyi, but other Players with this level of acuity? The Player, the scenarios they would get, even their hidden pieces. He would see it all. A new world would unfurl before him.

‘This is Eye of Perception’s future path.’

This sensation of glimpsing the future, of tasting the power of his future ability, sent shivers down his spine.

“Hoooo.” Somyi let out a long exhale. “I’ve regained my cool.”

“I see you’ve changed a lot.”

“This is all thanks to you. Thanks to my advancement, I’ve—”

“You’ve reached level 44, right?”

“How did you know?”

“Because I’m your liege.”

Yeonseo’s eyes turned as round as saucers. “What? Level 44?!”

Everyone in Giantgod was shocked.

“Hyungnim! Is this lady really level 44?”

“Fuck! Even I’m still level 41! Even Bum-gu is 41, arghh!”

“My level has been synchronized with yours. It’s a special perk of the Explorer of Service,” Somyi explained. “But my God, to think you were level 44… I didn’t think there were any level 44s out there.”

Goosebumps rose on her arms.

‘He was level 44?’

Korea’s official top Ranker was the Taeguk Shield Song Kiyeol. According to public knowledge, he was level 39. Most of the Players in Taeguk Shield were in their late 30s. That was the same for Song Junghye’s Blood and Iron Lion, as well.

‘I know Wings is also in their late 30s.’

But it seemed all of Giantgod Guild were past level 40, and the person she had chosen as her liege, Kim Hyukjin, was level 44.

‘His level being so high isn’t the only shocker.’

It wasn’t impossible for there to be people with high levels. After all, there were many Irregulars out there. As an explorer, that was a fact Somyi had long acknowledged.

‘But despite having such a high level and skilled teammates, his name… is completely unknown?’

That was what shocked her. This was a level 44 Player the world didn’t know. A Player who was leading a guild packed with level 40+ Players.

Hyukjin read Kang Somyi’s thoughts like a book, not because he wanted to, but simply because he saw them with a single look. Everything was automatically analyzed and registered by Eye of Perception.

“I was a bit surprised when you saw through my Cognitive Dissonance in the D-Tower.”

“Ah, so that unique barrier thing was Cognitive Dissonance.”

Somyi nodded in realization.

“So that’s how. He’s been making full use of that ability to thoroughly hide himself.’

But could he truly pull the wool over the eyes of everyone in the world with that one ability alone?

‘No, he’s got a co-conspirator.’

Hyukjin grinned. “I think I know what you’re thinking.”

“Huh?”

“My co-conspirator is the guildmaster of Taeguk Shield, Song Kiyeol. And if we go a little further, Sungshin CEO Song Kiyoung is an ally of mine. And technically, so is Michelle of the US. There are also a few Italian Players.”

“Ah…!”

Kang Somyi shivered like a current of electricity was running through her body.

“So you put up Sungshin as a front, and while doing so, you built relations with top Rankers.”

“Basically, yes.”

“Wow.”

Pure awe filled her. She had never thought in her wildest dreams that there would be a man like him in Korea. She could only think that it was no wonder that her teacher was so obsessed with him.

“I kinda doubted Teacher when he said you were one of the people qualified to become the star, but…”

Pure awe. That, too, was visible in Hyukjin’s eyes.

“You said the goal of explorers is to find the king, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Now my goal is to make you, no, make my liege, into the king.”

“What if I refuse to become the king?”

Somyi closed her mouth. After a moment of silence, she responded, “The true king will be unable to refuse the throne.”

“Why?”

“Because the king doesn’t rise to power of his own will, but is raised to the throne by the people.”

Hyukjin laughed. “Fine, whatever.”

Their deal wasn’t yet concluded.

“I’ve become your liege. According to the System, that is.”

“That’s right. I really think it was the right call to choose you as my liege. I’m truly happy right now; I just wish I could really express it.”

Her frustration was conveyed to Hyukjin. She was being completely, 100% sincere. Kang Somyi was a woman who was excessively honest about her true self.

“We’ll be heading to Nanba Terminal now.”

“Huh? I’m going as well?”

“It would be a shame to leave behind an explorer as useful as you.”

“But still… Teacher will be there…”

“You can just become a disciple who exceeds their teacher.”

Kang Somyi felt sincerely troubled. If she took Kim Hyukjin to Nanba Terminal, she would be going against her teacher Jackson’s plans. Those plans would be ruined by her, his disciple.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried Jackson will be displeased?”

“...Yes.”

“You misunderstand him.” Hyukjin shook his head. “He’ll actually be happy.”

“How come?”

“Jackson wants to turn me into a king more than he wants Song Junghye to become one.”

Jackson’s highest priority was Kim Hyukjin, something even Hyukjin roughly understood. He didn’t know if Jackson really meant it, but that was what he had said.

“For Jackson, the gift he prepared for Song Junghye getting swiped by me won’t be that terrible an outcome.”

“But Teacher purposefully sent me to you in order to…”

“In order to hinder me, yes?”

“Not exactly…”

“I know he instructed you to make the clear slow, but safe.” Hyukjin grinned. “Tell him you helped me in order to test my qualifications as a king. Jackson will be happy.”

“Still…”

She needed one last nudge.

“A hidden piece of yours is there.”

“I’ll go!”

“I thought you were worried about Jackson getting mad?”

“I’m an oblivious woman. Hehehe.”

Kang Somyi enthusiastically took the lead, the explorer who had been wary of stepping on her teacher’s toes nowhere to be seen. She looked to be in an extremely good mood.

“Hidden pieces are love, hidden pieces are life!”

And not long afterwards, the entire Giantgod crew arrived in Japan. Hyukjin immediately headed to the Nanba Terminal Dungeon. Under Kang Somyi’s guidance, they entered the dungeon and proceeded on a boat granted by the System. They went from the first island to the second, killing a few monsters on the island before moving to the third. The first two islands were already cleared, so they were able to move forward with ease.

[You have arrived at the 3rd island, ‘Furuima’.]

[Entering the ‘Furuima Field’.]

There, they began to see the members of Blood and Iron Lion as well as other Players.