The Return of the Talented Monopolist is Special

Clark and his party had taken some time to locate Eugene and Julia as they fought off a sudden horde of zombies. After much struggle, they managed to rescue both Eugene and Julia.

Though the exact origin of the zombies was unclear, it seemed likely to be connected to the Tyrant’s appearance. Of course, only Eugene was aware of this fact.

A few days later, after safely returning to Pencel—

Julia lay asleep on a hospital bed in Pencel’s infirmary, while Eugene sat on a chair beside it.

“You… like me, huh…?”

Nom nom.

Julia muttered in her sleep, drooling on her pillow.

“Tsk.”

Eugene held his throbbing head and looked at Julia with a mixture of bemusement and exhaustion.

“She has such a cute face… and yet…”

How could someone drool so much?

“But that’s not the issue here.”

Even in his weakened state, plagued by the headaches and palpitations caused by the stimulant he had taken earlier, Eugene couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“In my previous life, three organizations stood out the most during the war between the Sun God Church and the Darklands.”

These were the Mage Tower, the Warrior’s Cradle, and the Tower of Records.

The Mage Tower was a gathering of elite mages who pursued the ultimate goal of uncovering the source of magic.

The Warrior’s Cradle was an organization centered around three prestigious families, whose members specialized in weapons such as swords, sabers, and spears.

Finally, the Tower of Records was cloaked in mystery, its appearance, structure, scale, and location all remaining unknown.

The Tower of Records had dismantled countless schemes of the Sun God Church and was rumored to foresee even the future.

Their true identity remained a mystery, even as the Sun God Church unified the Darklands.

“And the little girl drooling in her sleep before me is the daughter of the current Master of the Blue Tower and the Mage Tower Lord.”

One of the three colossal organizations that held the fate of the Darklands in their grasp—Julia was the daughter of the Master of one of them.

To Eugene, she was nothing less than a lucky charm, a bridge that could connect him to the Mage Tower.

Moreover, Eugene had learned more than just a few lessons from the recent events.

“The future has changed significantly. And because of me, those changes will only intensify.”

So far, Eugene had never failed in anything he attempted. Unbeknownst to him, this had bred a degree of arrogance and recklessness.

To others, his actions might have appeared as confidence and ingenuity, but Eugene knew better.

“Dark Tower’s knight-class zombies, assassins of the Red Scorpion, traitors of the Black Tortoise Knights, and finally, the Tyrant and the Mad King.”

Although some things had been anticipated, confronting them in reality had proven far from easy.

There were also incidents he had not foreseen at all.

Several times, Eugene came dangerously close to losing his life, narrowly escaping tragedy each time.

The conclusion was simple.

“Memory alone isn’t enough to fully protect me. Knowing and being able to respond are entirely different things.”

As someone blessed with perfect memory, a reincarnator, and a wielder of Mukwang, he believed he could control any situation. But that wasn’t the case.

Especially when it came to his encounters with the Tyrant and the Mad King—those were neither within his memory nor something he could control.

From this, Eugene had learned not to overestimate his abilities or recklessly dive into situations.

Of course, the rewards he gained from overcoming these challenges were significant.

As Eugene reflected on what he had gained from this ordeal—

Creak.

“Young Master, how is your health?”

Gungwi entered the infirmary and took a seat beside Eugene.

“I’m dying here. I feel awful. I think I need one of those top-tier energy tonics you’re so famous for making.”

“You must have been in quite the predicament to resort to stimulants. It sounds like you almost died.”

“I’m surprised I’m still alive myself.”

“Then I trust you gained something worthwhile for your troubles?”

Eugene responded with a faint smile, silently recounting the accomplishments he had gained from the ordeal.

“First, I successfully executed a symbolic swordsmanship technique. My activation speed still needs work, but at least I can now wield my very own symbolic sword style—Rose Sword.”

Rose Sword.

That was the name Eugene gave to his symbolic swordsmanship.

When facing the knight-class zombie, Eugene had perfectly manifested the Rose Sword, slicing through an enemy who had demonstrated flawless defense and offense in a single stroke.

The power of the Rose Sword was unparalleled, surpassing every other technique and swordsmanship Eugene had ever used.

But Eugene wasn’t satisfied.

“Symbolic swordsmanship has so much more room for growth. I might even be able to utilize the scattered rose petals during activation for additional effects.”

The types of symbolic swordsmanship varied greatly from person to person.

For Eugene, it involved motifs like flowers, with petals, stems, and even thorns serving as mediums for his techniques.

“Take the Pencel traitor, for example—they used a turtle shell as their symbol, creating an attack reflection effect.”

In Clark’s case, he might manifest yet another unique effect entirely.

Simply put, symbolic swordsmanship was a “growth-oriented” technique.

Because of this, Eugene’s potential for development was virtually impossible to measure.

“What did you gain that’s making you smile like that? Can’t you share the joke so we can laugh together?”

Gungwi’s curiosity was written all over his face, but Eugene kept his thoughts to himself.

“On top of that, I can now use magic. I even cast a Fireball equivalent to a third-rank spell.”

Although he had only learned this one spell by imitating Julia, given the opportunity—

Eugene’s mind flashed to the countless spells that had once shifted the tides of war between the Sun God Church and the Darklands.

He glanced at Julia, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.

By closely observing her magic, Eugene had deduced a sense of its mechanics and had made dramatic use of it in his fight against the Pencel traitor.

That had been what saved his life.

This newfound ability was a secret Eugene could share with no one—except Julia.

After all, Eugene was now the only person on the continent capable of wielding both aura and magic.

And finally—

“I reached the third star of Mukwang, thanks to the Tyrant and the Mad King.”

Reaching Mukwang’s third star had been an unexpected gain.

This wasn’t just progress in aura mastery but a significant evolution of Mukwang itself.

Considering it hadn’t even been a year since Eugene achieved the second star, his growth rate was nothing short of astonishing.

As for the auxiliary effects of Mukwang at the third star, Eugene had an idea of what to expect, but testing it directly would confirm things.

“Come on, say something! You’re grinning at Julia like a fool…”

“Stop rambling and just confirm it during training later.”

“Hoh  sounds like you’ve gained something after all.”

Gungwi stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“What happened with the Crimson Scorpion?”

“Thanks to applying the Tracking Fragrance, I’ve sent the Golden Moon Group—an information network under the Robert family—after them. It’s a stroke of luck we managed to wound them.”

“It was a close call. ReThought might die back then.”

The white pill contained a unique substance: the Tracking Fragrance.

At the time, Eugene had thrown a dagger at the Crimson Scorpion’s assassin, leaving a wound. But the dagger wasn’t just for throwing; it had been coated with the Tracking Fragrance. As the blade cut through the assassin, the fragrance seeped deep into their body.

“That Tracking Fragrance puzzled me even while I was making it. The recipe you gave me was so unusual.”

“But it worked well, didn’t it?”

“Absolutely. It seems to have no range limit. Even now, if I focus outside to track the scent, I can pinpoint the direction they’re in. But seriously, where did you learn such a recipe?”

“That’s…”

Eugene stopped himself. The recipe for the Tracking Fragrance came from his memories of his past life.

It had been one of the rare concoctions created to hunt down powerful figures of the Darklands, like the Mad King.

“There you go, holding back again,” Gungwi grumbled.

“Some things are better left unknown. Just don’t ask.”

“Ugh.”

Gungwi pouted, clearly displeased with Eugene’s secrecy. He was often frustrated by Eugene’s tendency to keep so much to himself.

“Fine, what about her?”

At that question, Gungwi grabbed a pen and paper, scribbling quietly instead of speaking aloud. He was cautious because everyone in Pencel believed Julia was just an ordinary mercenary from the Highlands.

“Preparations for Julia’s transfer to the Darklands are complete. Just give the order.”

Eugene nodded, then burned the paper with a matchstick, reducing it to ash.

“And there’s one more thing… You should stay cautious for now.”

“Why?”

“One of the members of the Xuanwu Knights… You took care of them, didn’t you? People have noticed that the timing of that knight’s disappearance aligns with the time you and Julia went missing.”

“And that worries you?”

“Of course it does!”

Eugene chuckled and waved a hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. Nothing’s going to happen.”

Though Gungwi trusted Eugene, the fact that their adversary was Pencel left him feeling uneasy.

Just then—

“Mmm…”

“Looks like Julia’s waking up.”

Julia wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth as she sat up.

“U-um… Mr. Apothecary! When did you arrive?”

“I just got here. Did you sleep well? Are you feeling alright?”

“Thanks to you. Hehe.”

Julia smiled sweetly at Gungwi, and it seemed like they had become quite close.

‘Gungwi may have a rough appearance, but seeing how easily he gets along with Rauler and Julia, he’s not as bad as he seems.’

“Who’s talking bad about me? My ears are itching.”

“Just pay attention and be careful, Julia.”

Julia, already informed by Gungwi, nodded quietly.

At that moment, there was a knock.

Knock knock.

The sound of a knock echoed, and a familiar face appeared.

“Master, may I have a word…?”

It was Geumgeom.

He had intended to speak to Eugene, but when he met Gungwi’s burning gaze, sparks flew between their eyes.

‘You’re illegally following me to Pencel and talking to my Master again?’

‘Illegal? Is there a law like that on the continent? I think I’m providing more practical help to the Master than you are.’

‘What nonsense! I could do that job too!’

‘Then try it! Go ahead!’

Geumgeom and Gungwi had occasionally clashed silently with glares whenever they bumped into each other in Pencel.

“Ahem.”

Eugene signaled, and they both snapped out of it, turning their attention back to him.

“Eugene, the instructor Emacs is looking for you.”

When Eugene stepped out of the room, he found Emacs, the training instructor, waiting for him.

“Yu Jin Robert, the head of the family has ordered you to come to the family hall. Please head there promptly.”

“Yes.”

It was finally happening.

Geumgeom had tried to reason with Emacs, saying that Eugene had not fully recovered yet and suggesting they go later, but—

“No, he has been called for now. Go.”

Emacs responded coldly, and Geumgeom, unable to do anything, reluctantly lowered his tail.

Eugene ignored the pain in his still-healing shoulder as he followed Emacs to the family hall.

Gungwi watched Eugene’s retreating figure and swallowed dryly.

‘If the Master says he will handle it, then he will…’

Upon arriving at the family hall, Eugene, Geumgeom, and Emacs faced Clark.

“Eugene, straighten up your appearance.”

Unlike his usual friendly tone with Eugene, Clark spoke solemnly.

“Yes, Sir Clark.”

Eugene, in response, addressed Clark as “Sir” rather than “Uncle,” showing his respect.

This was a sign of how serious the situation in the family hall was.

While Eugene maintained a calm demeanor, Geumgeom fidgeted nervously.

“I hope nothing… bad happens. Hoo…”

“I think Geumgeom is more likely to have something happen to him first. Stay still.”

Geumgeom had also worried when Eugene had arrived in Pencel and beaten the Ince brothers.

It was clear he cared deeply for Eugene.

“Everything will be decided based on the clear judgment of the head of the family and Sir Clark. If there is no mistake, there is nothing to worry about.”

“Yes.”

Emacs, though his words and expression were cold and icy, showed trust in Eugene through the content of his speech.

Having trained Eugene for six months, Emacs had witnessed firsthand how fiercely and diligently Eugene had lived as a trainee.

Leaving the two men behind, Eugene and Clark opened the door to the family hall and entered.

Goooo…

The inside of the family hall was eerily silent, dark, and cold.

It felt as though the oppressive silence had blocked out both light and warmth.

At the far end of the family hall, in the upper section, a man was visible.

He was hidden in the shadows, barely visible, and no aura or life force could be sensed from him.

Yet, despite that, the heavy air created by this man pressed down on the entire family hall.

On either side of him stood Muel and Sirius.

Eugene and Clark bowed their heads to them.

Next, Jade.

Without responding to their greetings, he immediately spoke.

“Eugene Robert.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I will ask you a few questions now.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jade did not drag out his words.

“Eugene Robert, a trainee of Pencel, have you ever harmed a member of the Black Tortoise Order?”

The deep, trembling voice reverberated heavily through the family hall and reached Eugene’s ears.

If Eugene gave even a hint of hesitation or falsehood in his response, he would be severely punished.

Eugene answered.

With a voice that held no trace of doubt or wavering.

“Yes, I killed him.”

At that instant.

Fwoosh!

Jade manifested a sharp longsword in his right hand, formed from a thick, concentrated aura.

Then, Jade launched the longsword directly at Eugene.