Before the Nati Clan trio awakened, after settling the rewards from defeating the raid boss, Sungshik was bombarded with a flurry of questions.

One of the questions asked at the time—

“That sword you’re holding doesn’t seem ordinary. Is it really a [Legendary] grade weapon?”

It was something everyone had been curious about. The Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, which absorbed and then released black lightning, had astonished and envious gazes fixed upon it.

A weapon that could absorb attacks and return them? And it had absorbed the boss’s attack and countered it. Everyone thought that if they had such a weapon, their combat power would increase significantly.

So, when someone asked about the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, interest spiked.

“[Legendary]? Hmm, no. That’s not the case.”

“Oh…”

“It’s not [Legendary] but a [Mythic] grade weapon.”

“M-Mythic?”

Sungshik’s response shocked everyone.

A [Mythic] grade weapon. Until now, only one had been revealed to the world.

The sword of the Sword Emperor, Hak Ilcheon. That was the only publicly known [Mythic] grade weapon.

Because of this, speculation had been growing over who would obtain the second [Mythic] weapon. The most likely candidates were the Martial Emperor Sevrant, who was said to rival the Sword Emperor, or a few superhumans who had ascended to the rank of Seven Stars.

But no one had expected Sungshik to claim that second spot. While the weapon had seemed extraordinary, no one had imagined it would be a [Mythic] grade sword.

“Wow, incredible.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a [Mythic] grade weapon in person.”

“No way…”

At that moment, everyone had the same thought.

Sungshik would become one of the world’s most powerful rankers, standing alongside the Sword Emperor and Martial Emperor.

Not long after, when Kim Subin found herself alone with Sungshik for a brief moment, she cautiously asked:

“Sungshik, are you sure it’s okay to reveal that your sword is [Mythic] grade so easily? You don’t even have a clan… I’m a little worried.”

Sungshik simply shrugged.

“Who would dare?”

That single sentence brimmed with confidence.

Kim Subin couldn’t help but chuckle. He had a point.

A Seven-Star rank superhuman. One of the world’s few top-tier rankers.

Who would dare covet Sungshik’s sword?

Realizing that her worry was unfounded, Kim Subin smiled.

“You’re right~ Who would dare lay their hands on a great superhuman’s sword? I was foolish to worry.”

Her playful tone made her seem even more endearing.

In fact, today was the first time Kim Subin learned that Sungshik had reached the rank of Seven Stars.

Considering his rapid growth, she had assumed he was around Five-Star rank, and if the rumors were true, perhaps even Six-Star.

But Seven-Star? That was something she had never imagined.

That was why she still felt a sense of disconnect when looking at Sungshik, which led to her concerns.

At that moment, an unexpected voice entered his mind.

—It doesn’t matter. I am ‘bound’ to you, so no one else can even lay a hand on me.

The words of the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

It was true. The Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword was a weapon that could only be wielded by a successor of the Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts. Anyone other than Sungshik, who had inherited the technique, couldn’t even touch it.

Furthermore, Sungshik and the sword were already spiritually connected. Even if another successor of the Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts existed, they wouldn’t be able to claim the sword. Not that any other successor existed in the first place.

‘Well, that’s true… but even if it weren’t bound to me, I would never let anyone take what’s mine.’

—Keh keh keh, you arrogant brat.

Despite its words, the sword’s gaze showed approval of Sungshik’s confidence.

The past successors of the Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts that the sword had encountered all possessed an arrogance befitting their power.

After all, those who had mastered the Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts to near perfection had few equals.

And so, word spread that Sungshik’s weapon, the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, was a [Mythic] grade weapon.

Before long, this news reached the ears of the recently awakened Nati Clan trio.

At that moment, they made an irreversible decision.

In an era where superhuman power had surpassed national authority, the Nati Clan trio—each ranked 5-Star+—had wielded extrajudicial power.

They had committed countless atrocities, abusing their strength to engage in violence, extortion, and threats without hesitation.

Yet they were cunning enough to stay just within the limits of what the Superhuman Association would tolerate.

This way, they frequently made headlines, steadily building their infamy.

“To lose our power is worse than death.”

For them, losing their strength was akin to a death sentence.

Giving up the privileges they had enjoyed through their power was unthinkable.

Moreover, they had made many enemies.

If people learned they had lost their strength, countless individuals would come seeking vengeance.

“You saw that sword. It absorbs attacks and returns them. If we can just use that power, we might grow even stronger than before.”

They recalled the battle with Gardes, when the sword absorbed and reused the black lightning.

If they could harness that power, they could restore their damaged mana circuits and regain their former status.

To them, obtaining the [Mythic] grade weapon meant a second chance at power.

“That Seven-Star rank or whatever… maybe it’s all just the sword’s power.”

“Exactly. From what I heard, that birdbrain just absorbed black lightning, sent it back, and then unleashed some powerful skill from the sword, and that was it, right? What if all of that was just the sword’s power?”

As they imagined themselves wielding the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, their bodies burned with anticipation.

Their eyes were already consumed with greed.

Since they hadn’t personally witnessed Sungshik’s fight against the Thunderbird, they had no true grasp of his strength.

“But how do we steal the sword?”

“I have a great idea. I never thought I’d use this here. Heh, the heavens are helping us.”

Their plan was simple.

Among the trio, Kim Yoonsang had coincidentally obtained an item—‘Kurtz’s Sleep Spores’—which he had mixed with a specialized sedative for superhumans, creating the ‘Superhuman-Exclusive Sleeping Drug.’ It was expensive and hard to come by, but Kim Yoonsang had managed to acquire it with great effort, and now, they decided to put it to use.

Coincidentally, after the raid, a hotel had been reserved for the afterparty. From the second day onward, the group planned to unwind for three days and two nights, with banquets at the hotel.

The trio decided to seize this opportunity. On the night of the banquet, they would approach Sungshik, offer him wine laced with the sedative, and once he fell asleep in his room, they would steal the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

Moreover, this entire area was within their sphere of influence. The hotel manager had ties with the trio, making it easy for them to manipulate the hallway’s CCTV footage or obtain the master key to Sungshik’s room, ensuring the perfect crime.

It felt as if the heavens were truly aiding them. No matter how many possible scenarios they ran through, the success rate seemed overwhelmingly high.

That sword. The [Mythic] grade sword was destined to be theirs.

The raid team moved to the hotel. Despite being advised to go to the hospital for treatment and rest, the trio insisted on attending the gathering, claiming they wanted to strengthen their bonds with the group.

On the first night, the raid team settled in, and on the second evening, they held a banquet in the hotel’s grand hall.

As expected, the star of the banquet was Sungshik.

“Let’s dedicate this honor to the great superhuman Big Sir, who led our raid team to success!”

The banquet’s host started by praising Sungshik, setting the tone for the evening. The food served was exquisite, and after the meal, various superhumans approached Sungshik to exchange a few words and establish connections.

As the banquet neared its end, the Nati Clan trio approached Sungshik with wine in hand.

“Good evening, Big Sir. We heard that you saved our lives during the raid. Our gratitude is long overdue. Though late, we’d like to express our thanks.”

“Ah, well… sure.”

Sungshik replied with mild reluctance. Their attitude was a complete reversal from how they had behaved during the raid. Seeing them now, smiling and ingratiating themselves, struck him as insincere.

—Look at this. In the end, ‘power’ is everything. If you have power, even these lowlives will crawl at your feet.

The words of Heaven-Splitter echoed in his mind. Not long ago, they had discussed this—how power brought everything else with it. Seeing these men suddenly change their demeanor only reinforced the truth of those words.

“To express our gratitude, we brought the finest wine—Cheval Blanc. Please, have a glass.”

The trio poured the wine into a glass, catching Sungshik’s interest.

Cheval Blanc was one of his favorite wines before his regression. After the Gate Break, it had become nearly impossible to acquire. Sungshik had always enjoyed unwinding with a glass of wine after a battle.

Judging by the label, it seemed to be 150 years old. Even before the Gate Break, wines over 150 years old were incredibly rare.

“Oh, I won’t refuse. I’ll enjoy it.”

He technically wasn’t of legal drinking age in this life, but that hardly mattered. In terms of consciousness, he was among the oldest here.

Besides, there was a saying that wine wasn’t just alcohol but culture. Fully embracing this old European notion, Sungshik took a sip, savoring the taste.

The wine met his expectations, perhaps even exceeding them due to how long it had been since his last drink.

However, as he enjoyed the wine, something felt off.

‘Hmm?’

He sensed his body resisting some foreign energy within the wine, breaking it down and neutralizing it.

At that moment, a system message appeared.

—Status effect (Sleep) resisted.

Sungshik’s eyes narrowed. The trio had tampered with the wine.

—Oh ho, what an amusing little trick. It looks like they used a sleeping drug… but they have no idea what it means to have undergone a superhuman’s Rebirth. Tsk, tsk.

Indeed, their plan was solid. The superhuman-exclusive sleeping drug was colorless, odorless, and potent.

For an ordinary person, even a small dose would be lethal. For superhumans, it was strong enough to knock them out almost instantly. In fact, even 5-Star rank superhumans would succumb within ten minutes, while 6-Star rankers would fall asleep in about twenty minutes.

They had mixed in a double dose. The trio had been certain that the moment Sungshik drank the wine, he would be out cold.

However, they had overlooked one crucial factor—they had vastly underestimated Sungshik’s body.

Having reached 7-Star rank and undergone his first Rebirth, his body had developed a near-immunity to poisons. He wasn’t entirely impervious, but toxins that could affect most people were ineffective against him.

And then, there was the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art.

—Anyone who has mastered the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art beyond a certain level is naturally immune to all poisons.

As a technique that harnessed the power of destruction, the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art passively negated any harmful foreign energies that invaded the body.

Sungshik briefly considered how to deal with them.

Then, deciding to play along with their little act, he glanced at them. He had already caught the flash of greed deep in their eyes. For a brief moment, he had even noticed them stealing glances at his waist—where the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword rested.

‘You’re quite popular, Heaven-Splitter.’

—Kehaha! I thought these creatures were lower than beasts, but at least they have eyes.

Suppressing a smirk at the sword’s comment, Sungshik decided to entertain their scheme.

“Hmm, I suddenly feel quite drowsy. I think I’ll head up to my room first.”

The trio’s eyes gleamed. They believed their plan was unfolding exactly as expected.

But they didn’t know.

In just a little while, they would come to regret their actions bitterly.