Chapter 15
Hidden Piece – The Ink of Truth
At first glance, the liquid sloshing inside the bottle looked just like ordinary ink.
When I first heard that this ink was classified as an X-grade item, I couldn’t believe it either.
But later, when Lee Su-yeon explained its true power to me, only then did I understand.
Why this black ink was considered an X-grade item.
[Ink of Truth – X-grade]
[Description: An artifact born from a mind completely freed from worldly desires, leaving behind only sincerity and truth.]
[Effect: Allows one to distinguish between truth and lies.]
That single sentence—“distinguishes truth from lies”—was enough to explain why it was an X-grade artifact.
Its usage was simple.
Dip a brush or fountain pen into it and write with it—or sprinkle it onto someone speaking.
Even gods couldn’t escape judgment when faced with the truth revealed by this ink.
It was thanks to this ink that Lee Su-yeon became a “Recorder.”
Once she started using the ink, she corrected lies and only recorded absolute truth.
She began with the epic tales of heroes and then moved on to telling the stories of unknown guild members.
As her records of truth grew, her fame as a Recorder spread even further.
“Lee Su-yeon uncovered the truth hidden within a web of mythical lies and documented it.”
Because all of her recordings were based in truth, everyone trusted them—and feared them.
When she started writing about myths, the gods began to protect her.
After all, they needed someone to record their stories.
And so, she became known as “The Recorder.”
How much did Lee Su-yeon know about the gods’ plans in her past life?
She had died just before the final expedition, saying, “Not all gods tell the truth.”
So perhaps she had her own suspicions.
Even if she didn’t know then, I need her now.
Lee Su-yeon is the only person who can wield the Ink of Truth to its fullest.
She alone had the eye to see through the true nature of this filthy, tattered armor.
And more than that—
Just the fact that she knows myths better than anyone makes her an invaluable asset.
It’s not like I knew every Hidden Piece and myth of the gods.
Most of the gear and information I currently possessed were things I either obtained myself in my past life—or heard about from others.
I’ll use some of it for myself. The rest, I’ll give to Lee Su-yeon and train her to become a Recorder. Then her power becomes mine.
If I can follow the trail of truths she records about the gods…
Then—
I can discover what else the gods are hiding.
The countless stories they kept from humanity in our past lives.
The truths buried in lies.
The reasons we had to ascend to a higher dimension…
I would be able to tear off the masks of those who deceived us to the end.
And figure out… who “That One” really is.
I recalled the words of Xenon, the God of Destruction, as he perished before me:
“Ha… hahaha… So you are the true trial. That One foresaw all of this. Fine. Kill me. Become the accursed trial of those false gods.”
And I also remembered what she said in the Labyrinth of Herpha, when she gifted me the Iron Brush:
“You may be weak now, but you have more than enough qualification to become great.”
“That One.” “The Great One.”
I needed to know what those words meant.
To take one step closer to that truth, I needed Lee Su-yeon.
I had separated about a quarter of the Ink of Truth and stored it away.
I’ll only give it to her when I’m sure she’s on my side.
There was no need to risk wasting a one-time opportunity.
And perhaps… it might even help her.
Who knows?
This might be the catalyst for her growth.
So rather than giving it to her all at once, I’ll give it in stages—only when necessary.
For her development—and for my gain.
I’ll use the rest for now.
The Ink of Truth will be of great help in the journey ahead.
With that, I stood up, ready to go find Lee Su-yeon.
I needed to find out if she could become one of my people.
I hope this conversation ends smoothly.
The day after I acquired the Ink of Truth, I headed to the Seoul Library, where Lee Su-yeon worked.
As I entered, the familiar smell of books and the quiet air of the library greeted me.
On my way there, I had been thinking the entire time:
How can I win her over?
In my past life, she had already become a Recorder and followed me of her own accord. I hadn’t done anything.
But now, I needed a method to recruit her.
Just handing her a rare item like the Ink of Truth wouldn’t be enough.
Anyone who’s easily swayed by an item is not someone I want.
I would only give her the ink if I was sure she was trustworthy.
And I had no intention of revealing my hand first.
The problem was… I had no clear idea how to approach this.
This is hard.
Even in my past life, I had never been the one to seek people out first.
Most of the time, others approached me—and even then, I rejected most of them.
Too many were untrustworthy.
So what do I do…
While I was deep in thought—
“Here again today?”
Lee Su-yeon approached me first.
She wore the same bright, talkative expression as before.
A smile that made people lower their guard.
Now I understood how she managed to record even the most difficult gods.
“How was it? Did the Beowulf epic I told you about help?”
“Yes, it helped a lot.”
“That’s good! I love hearing that I’ve helped someone who visits the library. So—what brings you here today?”
She smiled warmly at me.
“Nothing else really. I just wanted to talk with you today.”
At my words, Lee Su-yeon looked surprised and glanced around nervously.
“Uh… I don’t usually have personal conversations with visitors…”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Huh? It kinda sounded like it. Isn’t this the part where the visitor, enchanted by the friendly librarian, comes back to ask her out?”
“You’ve been reading too many novels.”
“Ah… how did you know?”
Her energy was exhausting. I felt like she was draining me.
So I cut to the chase.
“This isn’t personal. It’s business.”
“Really?”
“Believe it or not.”
“…Hmm. Okay. But I think I’ll finish work a little late today. Is that okay?”
“I don’t mind waiting.”
She gave me a slightly conflicted look.
Maybe she still didn’t believe me, but I didn’t bother correcting her.
Maybe misunderstanding me would work to my benefit—I could learn more about her that way.
“Can we talk once I’m done?”
After thinking for a moment, she nodded.
“Alright. Just give me a little time—I’ll take the afternoon off.”
“I’ll wait.”
About 30 minutes later, she returned in casual clothes, her heels clicking as she walked over.
“You’re quick.”
“It sounded like something important. I had time off saved up anyway, so I figured I’d use it.”
She smiled and led the way.
“There’s a nice café nearby. Want to go there?”
“Sure.”
We headed to a large café near the library that had private rooms.
It was run by Set—the Egyptian god associated with war, chaos, and the underworld.
It once felt odd to think the god of death ran a coffee shop.
But Set had once said:
“Since the invention of coffee, humans started tormenting themselves just to keep working. They pull all-nighters, sit through endless meetings, all thanks to coffee. What better drink for a devil?”
Perhaps because of that twisted love, his café was especially famous for its quality.
“Is this your first time here? It’s pretty well-known.”
“I’m not really into coffee.”
I couldn’t afford to casually drink a beverage created by a god. Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t.
We each ordered a coffee and sat across from each other.
“So, what do you want to ask?”
“What do you think about the gods?”
“The gods?”
“Yes.”
With Lee Su-yeon, I didn’t need to play games like I did with Choi Ju-man.
Someone with her personality responded better to directness.
I pointed at a poster on the café wall showing Set—his jackal-like head somewhere between a dog and a deer—wearing a sharp black suit, sipping coffee.
Too modern for myth. Too strange for reality.
A god from legend, now walking in our world.
“Like that. Gods who once only existed in myths now rule over this world.”
I asked what she thought about them.
“…Well, to be honest, I’m thankful. Thanks to them, we can live to see another day.”
“What if… they were planning to destroy the tomorrow we’re supposed to live?”
“Hm… I haven’t thought that far. I’ve been too busy adapting to this changed world.”
“I see.”
She probably wasn’t alone in that.
The world had changed too fast. Five years wasn’t enough to adjust.
“But… if the gods really were planning to destroy our future, then we need to find clear evidence—and let the world know.”
I looked into her eyes as she spoke.
Bright brown, unwavering.
Most people would be angry, calling this blasphemy.
But Lee Su-yeon? She was intrigued—fascinated by a new possibility.
“Well, you asked me a question, so I’ll ask one too. Give and take, right?”
“Go ahead. I’ll answer anything.”
That was what I wanted.
With a sly grin, she leaned forward.
“You’re the one who killed Beowulf, aren’t you?”
She showed me her phone screen.
A local paper reporting that Beowulf and Grendel were found dead.
Everyone had been too focused on the drama between Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus, so no major outlet had picked up the story.
It was a quiet, unnoticed death.
“I read the news. You asked about Beowulf, and shortly after—he died. That’s when I started to suspect. Then, with what you just asked me… I’m sure of it.”
She paused.
“You killed Beowulf.”
“I did.”
I admitted it without hesitation.
“Why?”
“Because he was trying to become a god.”
He wanted to use and rule over humans.
If he became a god, he’d be a powerful enemy.
I couldn’t allow that.
“A human who kills a hero trying to become a god…”
Hearing my answer, Lee Su-yeon muttered and her expression changed.
I knew what that look was.
Curiosity. Fascination.
“…Interesting.”
That was the kind of person she was.
Even after hearing I’d killed a famous hero, she wasn’t afraid—just curious.
Her voice brimmed with excitement.
“So, did you come back to erase the evidence?”
“You’ve already asked two questions. It’s my turn now.”
“Ah, right. Go ahead.”
She looked at me, eyes gleaming even more than before.
Not with fear—but with the thrill of discovering a new story.
As soon as I met that gaze, I was sure.
I didn’t need to ask anything more.
Because—
I’d seen that look before, countless times in my past life.
The way she looked when she begged me to let her write my story.
“Please, tell me about yourself!”
That starry-eyed look—almost burdensome.
So, there was only one question I needed to ask.
“Have you ever thought about recording my story?”
“…Huh?”
“I mean—do you want to document the story of a man who kills every god and hero?”
She blinked.
“It’ll be more shocking than any myth out there.”
And then—she nodded.
“Alright.”
