“For the passionate friendship between Japan and Korea!”

Clink—

In the large hall, over fifty people clinked their glasses together.

“Ahhh—this cider is amazing.”

Though it might sound strange, the law prohibiting underage drinking still applied even to superhumans. While they were less prone to intoxication compared to ordinary people, any mistake caused by drunkenness would be several times more dangerous than those of ordinary humans. Therefore, the only beverages allowed were non-alcoholic.

“Hey! Can’t we sneak just one drink?”

“Nope. If you get caught, you’re expelled.”

“Tch, so strict.”

Despite their grumbling tone, the students wore smiles on their faces. Although drinking was prohibited, they enjoyed the festive atmosphere of the welcome party and had a great time.

“Now, we’d like to invite Jang Seungbae, the representative of the Korean Superhuman Academy scholarship group, to say a few words. Please give him a round of applause.”

Clap, clap, clap.

“Hello. I’m Jang Seungbae, an instructor at the Korean Superhuman Academy. First of all, I’d like to thank you for organizing such a meaningful event today….”

The representative gave the usual formal greetings. Thus, the leaders of the Korean and Japanese Superhuman Academies exchanged conventional pleasantries.

Just as the atmosphere was starting to get dull—

“Now, we’ll have a ‘Ask Anything’ session! If you have any questions about Tenri Academy, feel free to ask anything at all!”

A Q&A session about Tenri Academy began, and questions started pouring in. Questions about the schedule, the curriculum, and even whether the food was tasty.

Among the myriad of trivial questions, one question caught Sungshik’s attention.

“Hello. My name is Kim Narae. My question is about Japanese artifacts. I heard that there is a place called ‘Isonokami Shrine’ in Tenri Academy where artifacts from the Kanto region of Japan are collected. I’d like to know when and how I can visit it.”

“Oh~ You seem to have a deep interest in Japanese artifacts. It’s the first time someone has shown such interest during this session, so I’m thrilled! As you mentioned, the ‘Isonokami Shrine’ in our academy is a place where artifacts from Japan’s Kanto region are gathered. These artifacts should ideally be in the Tokyo National Museum, but thanks to the prestige of our academy, they are stored in our shrine.”

The Japanese representative, who answered the question, subtly showcased the academy’s pride as they continued speaking.

“For that reason, some of the items on display are indeed important artifacts. After the Great Upheaval, there have been cases where superhumans awakened through artifacts, so we at Tenri Academy have made efforts to allow even the general public to visit. Therefore, the shrine is open for a relatively long time, from 10 a.m. to midnight. Since you asked when you can visit, you can go right now if you wish.”

After the lengthy response, gratitude was exchanged. While listening to the answer, Sungshik thought to himself:

‘In the past, the trait gained by Tenri Academy graduate “Nihondo Ryu” clearly came from an artifact at Isonokami Shrine. I wondered how they managed to obtain a trait from an artifact managed by the academy, but it turns out it’s just an open museum.’

Gaining a trait from an artifact typically required close interaction with it. Therefore, when Sungshik had wondered how “Nihondo Ryu” awakened through an artifact at Isonokami Shrine, it seemed the academy had deliberately allowed access for that purpose.

‘I should move now. I need to identify what kind of artifact it was.’

While he had heard that a trait was obtained from that location, he didn’t know the specifics. Sungshik decided to act, feeling an inexplicable urgency that today was the day to visit.

Since everyone was immersed in the welcome party, slipping out alone was easy. It was already dark, and the sky had turned dusky. Glancing at the clock as he exited the venue, Sungshik noted it was 8 p.m.

Following the signposts installed throughout the academy, he made his way toward his destination. Since it was accessible to the public, he expected it to be near the entrance, but it turned out to be closer to the academy’s central area.

Tenri Academy allowed general access as long as identity verification was ensured, so he spotted groups of people who seemed to be ordinary citizens along the way.

After walking for a while, he arrived at Isonokami Shrine. It was quite large, situated on a site that seemed to exceed 300 square meters, with a modern three-story building.

“What the—this is supposed to be a shrine?”

When he heard the word ‘shrine,’ Sungshik imagined a traditional Japanese structure. The modern building before him, so different from his expectations, left him momentarily bewildered.

The interior was rather quiet. Only a few people wandered about, and there wasn’t even a security guard at the entrance.

‘Are they relying entirely on the surveillance cameras? Even if the artifacts are of less historical value, it feels reckless to leave them so unprotected.’

It was true that many of the publicly displayed artifacts at Isonokami Shrine were of lesser historical significance. Still, seeing them left so exposed made him chuckle dryly.

Sungshik began examining the artifacts, starting from the far-left exhibit. There were a considerable number of items, even on the first floor.

‘If I have to check all of these one by one, I’ll be here all night.’

It felt like he’d hit an obstacle right from the start. But nothing worthwhile came without effort. Determined, Sungshik began inspecting the artifacts one by one.

‘Insight.’

[Ancient Corded Pottery]

Grade: None

Category: None

Description: Pottery used during Japan’s ancient Bronze Age.

‘Just a regular artifact.’

The utility of ‘Insight’ for this task was immense. It allowed him to determine whether an artifact possessed special power or was an ordinary relic.

Before his regression, he hadn’t heard specific details about the artifact that “Nihondo Ryu” had obtained. All he knew was that it came from Isonokami Shrine.

‘If I didn’t have Insight, I’d have wasted days searching.’

Without Insight, he would have had to rely on a trial-and-error approach, personally testing each artifact. Thanks to Insight, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Ancient Japanese Chamber Pot

Grade: None

Classification: None

Description: A chamber pot used during the Nanboku-chō period in Japan.

‘…No wonder it smelled kind of musty.’

After exploring one-third of the first floor, all the artifacts on display were ordinary. A quick glance at the clock hanging on the central wall showed the hands pointing to 9 PM. The pace of work was much slower than expected, making him wonder if he would need to split his efforts over several visits.

‘Ugh, this is way harder than I thought.’

Stretching briefly, Sungshik’s eyes caught sight of a boy heading up to the second floor. For some reason, the boy caught his attention.

‘That kid... no way.’

A sudden chill ran through him, and he quickly used "Insight" on the boy climbing the stairs to the second floor.

―Loading information on the object.

Name: Nihondo Ryu

Grade: 1 Star (★)

‘!’

The information pulled by "Insight" shocked Sungshik. Before his regression, Sungshik had never actually seen "Nihondo Ryu" in person. Thus, identifying the boy based solely on appearance was impossible.

Yet, the moment he saw the boy, he felt a strong intuition.

‘Could that intuition just now be thanks to my "Hyper-Sense" trait?’

The thought wasn’t baseless. Before his regression, Sungshik had overcome countless obstacles and survived to the end, thanks to his "Hyper-Sense" trait. These inexplicable, almost mystical feelings, like the one he had just now, always made him think the trait was the reason.

Among all the traits he had possessed before the regression, "Hyper-Sense" was one he would seriously consider choosing again if given the chance. Especially in situations like this, it was invaluable.

Sungshik quickly followed Nihondo Ryu to the second floor. Unlike the first floor, the second floor displayed more sophisticated and antique artifacts.

Glancing around.

Sungshik discreetly observed Nihondo Ryu, who was examining artifacts one by one in a corner. Carefully, he approached the boy while pretending to casually view the exhibits, allowing him to follow closely without drawing attention.

He silently activated "Insight" on the artifacts in Nihondo Ryu’s path, inspecting them one by one.

‘If Nihondo Ryu ends up obtaining the power of a trait before my eyes, I’ll have to stop that from happening.’

Although he felt a bit sorry for Nihondo Ryu, Sungshik resolved to claim the trait for himself. After all, in the future, when Japan was annihilated, Nihondo Ryu’s trait was on the verge of flourishing before being abruptly snuffed out.

It was too valuable a trait to be wasted like that. Moreover, the trait was far more synergistic with Sungshik’s own abilities, potentially providing him with a significant advantage in his growth.

‘That’s why I have to claim it this time.’

Some might criticize his reasoning as rationalization, but treasures always belonged to those who seized them first.

‘Ugh… this is exhausting.’

Using "Insight" on each artifact in Nihondo Ryu’s path was more taxing than expected. Most skills required mana to use, and while "Insight" consumed only a small amount, Sungshik’s current mana pool was at an F-grade level. Furthermore, his lack of skill mastery meant the continuous use of "Insight" demanded significant focus, depleting his mana faster than anticipated. He needed to locate the artifact that granted the trait as soon as possible.

‘But… somehow, it doesn’t seem to be on the second floor.’

It was another intuitive feeling. The artifact didn’t seem to be here.

At that moment, Nihondo Ryu, without even fully exploring the second floor, abruptly headed to the third floor.

‘Yikes.’

Caught off guard, Sungshik hurriedly followed Nihondo Ryu up the spiral staircase to the third floor.

The third floor’s exhibition hall had a modest, almost quaint atmosphere, with small and unassuming artifacts on display. Nihondo Ryu, who had been scanning the room, moved toward a corner where a collection of small pocket watches was displayed. Sungshik, mechanically using "Insight" on nearby artifacts, suddenly froze in shock.

[Chronos’ Pocket Watch (Sealed)]

Classification: ?

Description: ?

‘This is it.’

He didn’t know the exact form of the artifact that granted the trait, but the moment he saw it, he felt certain. Sungshik nearly sprinted toward it, as the distance between the collection of pocket watches and Nihondo Ryu was less than 100 meters.

“……”

As he passed by quickly, his eyes met Nihondo Ryu’s. It lasted for a fleeting moment.

‘Please.’

Though unlikely, Sungshik felt as if Nihondo Ryu’s eyes conveyed a silent plea to entrust the matter to him. The absurdity of the thought made him chuckle.

It was a situation that could have raised Nihondo Ryu’s suspicions, but fortunately, the boy simply returned his gaze to the artifacts.

‘Now, what do I do?’

Having identified the artifact with special power, Sungshik hesitated. There were too many people around to claim it outright. If he were absolutely certain it was the right artifact, he might have taken the risk, but he couldn’t be 100% sure the pocket watch was the one.

‘Hmm, I thought I’d be able to confirm it with "Insight," but maybe my level is too low. The information is incomplete.’

Sungshik deliberated. His unique trait, "Consumption," allowed him to absorb the power of a target. However, if the target was an inanimate object, such as an artifact, it often resulted in damage to the item after its power was absorbed.

In other words, using "Consumption" could damage the artifact’s exterior, creating potential issues for its subsequent handling.

‘Hmm, now that I think about it, how did Nihondo Ryu acquire this trait in the first place?’

As Nihondo Ryu passed by nearby, something happened.

BOOM!

Like the roar of thunder, an earth-shaking rumble erupted, causing the ground to tremble violently.