Chapter 45: Unique Item—One

Kim Hyun-joon stopped at the item exchange and purchased ten quest request tickets.

Each ticket cost over two million won.

Hunters passing by glanced at him as if to ask, ‘Why would anyone buy that?’ but he paid them no mind.

He was certain the returns would far exceed the expense.

“I need somewhere out of sight… This should be perfect.”

He made his way into a secluded mountain area.

As he followed the trail, he was reminded that Gangwon Province truly had clean air and endless mountain ranges.

“This should be far enough.”

After surveying his surroundings, he pulled ten quest request tickets from his military backpack.

He moved more cautiously than usual, for a simple reason: only one person could receive the benefit.

Ding.

A notification asking whether he wanted to use the item appeared, but he ignored it.

Instead, he began tearing the quest request tickets apart.

All ten of them.

In an instant, the shredded pieces scattered across the ground.

Anyone watching would have assumed he had lost his mind.

It was no different from throwing away at least twenty million won onto bare dirt.

But the true change began now.

Ssssss.

The torn tickets twitched as if alive, then gradually fused together into a single item.

“This is like the hidden piece that an American hunter discovered.”

Before his regression—was it when he had been a sergeant?

An overseas hunter who worked as an influencer had uncovered it.

The man was famous for constantly boasting about his wealth, and apparently he had stumbled upon it by accident while tearing up quest request tickets out of curiosity.

Nine would not work. Eleven would not work either.

It had to be exactly ten for the phenomenon to occur.

And the merged ticket became—

Ding.

[You have discovered a hidden piece for the first time!]

[As a reward, the item’s effect increases significantly!]

[Quest Request Ticket — Putting a Hat on the Stone Monkey]

Quest Type: Folklore

Difficulty: C

Time Limit: twelve hours

Success: Rotten Heavenly Peach, Fragment of the Ruyi Staff

Failure: Experience reduced by forty percent

Rank: Unique

The item’s rank had risen by one tier in this manner.

Only once, and only for the first discoverer.

Afterward, others attempted the same method, but the rewards were said to be drastically reduced.

“So that is why that American hunter bragged so much.”

After reviewing the details, Kim Hyun-joon smiled in satisfaction.

It was the moment he obtained his first Unique item.

“If I sold this now, it would easily fetch tens of billions of won.”

The same method could recombine tickets into a Unique item again.

But from the second time onward, the efficiency dropped sharply.

It would carry only the outer shell of a Unique item, while in reality being little better than a decent Rare.

No matter the offer, he had no intention of selling it.

Trying to sell such an item in his current position would only invite trouble.

His growth mattered more than immediate profit.

If he became strong, money would follow.

“Difficulty C. Plenty of time. The failure penalty is not too severe.”

There would be no need to prepare additional equipment.

Before his regression, the American hunter who used this item had clearly stated so.

— I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, an entirely different world had spread out before me. Equipment? Of course I was fully prepared. But it did not matter. I was empty-handed.

He had also mentioned that it was not particularly dangerous, so using it now posed no issue.

He did not hesitate long.

Tearing the ticket, he activated the item.

Whoosh!

At the same time, he felt his body being pulled somewhere.

His vision darkened.

When Kim Hyun-joon opened his eyes moments later—

“Are you the one who has come to help this humble monk?”

An elderly monk in robes stood before him.

“…Pardon?”

He could not help but be startled.

He had anticipated spatial displacement, but not to find a monk standing directly in front of him.

The monk wore layered, loose-fitting robes.

At a glance, it was obvious he belonged to the Buddhist order.

“I was praying to the heavens for assistance. I did not expect a benefactor to arrive.”

“Ah, yes.”

As the monk pressed his palms together and bowed, Kim Hyun-joon unconsciously returned the gesture.

It felt like the proper response.

“This old monk has little to offer, but will you help? I have a disciple who has been quite troublesome.”

“Yes. I will help.”

After swiftly assessing the situation, Kim Hyun-joon nodded.

‘So this is what makes it Unique rank.’

Although the phenomenon differed from a Rare item, he was not overly flustered.

He could thank the American hunter’s interview for that.

Though he had moved to another space, he would return once the time limit expired.

That was how it had been for the American hunter.

‘If there were a penalty preventing return, it would have been clearly stated.’

The system did not lie.

“You have decided so quickly. Thank you. Please place this hat upon my disciple.”

The monk handed him a circular golden band.

The headband-like ring felt strangely familiar in his hands.

‘Wait.’

A thought flashed through his mind.

The Stone Monkey. A hat shaped like a headband. And the monk before him.

“Does your disciple’s name happen to be Sun?”

“It does. His name is Sun Wukong.”

“…Damn it.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

There was a reason the item description had said Folklore.

He had not expected the quest to involve placing a hat on Sun Wukong from myth.

‘And they call this Difficulty C.’

For a brief moment, he wondered whether his current strength would be enough.

Sun Wukong was a mythical being.

Ding.

[Sun Wukong’s overall stats are temporarily reduced.]

[Sun Wukong’s traits and skills are temporarily sealed.]

[Sun Wukong’s level is temporarily adjusted from thirty to four.]

His concern lasted only an instant.

A hologram appeared, displaying Sun Wukong’s strength adjusted to match the quest rank.

“That changes things.”

He had expected to lose experience upon failure, but this development was fortunate.

The system truly did not lie.

‘…Still. His original level was thirty?’

The world’s current top-ranked hunter was around level eighteen.

Just how strong was he normally?

Awe blended with curiosity.

“He has been troublesome lately, but it will be fine. This old monk will watch.”

At the monk’s gesture, Kim Hyun-joon ascended the stone steps.

After some time, he spotted a monkey lying spread-eagle in an open mountain clearing.

With eyes closed and soft snores escaping him, he appeared deeply asleep.

Torn robes were scattered nearby, prompting a quiet sigh from the monk.

“I tried hiding the hat inside those robes to place it on him, but he somehow noticed and tore them apart in anger.”

The monk handed him the hat, asking him to complete this essential step for his disciple’s cultivation.

‘The monk who gave me this must be Tang Sanzang.’

And this headband must be the Golden Headband.

The only means of controlling Sun Wukong.

The tale was too famous not to recognize.

‘Sun Wukong should be fictional.’

Yet the landscape, the wind brushing his cheek, the scent of grass—everything felt strikingly real.

‘Think later. Focus on the quest.’

Taking the headband, he approached Sun Wukong, then halted.

“Do you have a weapon I can use? It might not be easy to put this on him. A spear would help.”

Even weakened, bare hands might not suffice.

“I have no blades, but there should be staffs over there.”

Several wooden staffs lay scattered where the monk indicated.

Apparently, Sun Wukong used them to pass the time.

One was the perfect length to substitute for a spear.

“This will do.”

After briefly asking to borrow the monk’s time, he approached Sun Wukong.

Even standing beside him, Sun Wukong remained asleep.

He looked like an ordinary monkey—

Except larger than a grown man.

‘Let us keep this peaceful. You have to wear this anyway.’

He slowly moved to place the Golden Headband on Sun Wukong’s head—

Whoosh!

Sun Wukong suddenly sprang upright, throwing a punch toward his head.

Though casual in appearance, the blow carried considerable force.

‘If that lands poorly, something could break.’

As expected.

Even weakened, he remained a being of legend.

But this was manageable.

He deflected the strike with the staff.

Whoosh! Whip!

He redirected punches aimed at his head using the second form of Imperial Spear Technique.

A kick targeting his abdomen was countered with the first form, destabilizing Sun Wukong’s footing.

When Sun Wukong abruptly charged, he infused mana into the wooden staff and forced him back.

“What are you?!”

After several failed attempts, Sun Wukong finally shouted.

“Me? A hat salesman.”

After a few exchanges, Kim Hyun-joon realized something clearly.

With his power restricted, Sun Wukong was manageable.

“If you put it on quietly, I will leave right away. It is free.”

“Shut up! My master sent you!”

Sun Wukong seized a wooden staff with agile precision.

‘That is natural acrobatics.’

Kim Hyun-joon did not stop him.

He wanted to test himself against Sun Wukong using a staff.

Staffsmanship and spearmanship shared fundamental similarities.

‘His staff technique versus my spear technique. I am curious which is superior.’

He also wanted to gauge how far his strength could reach.

Even with a staff, he did not believe he would lose.

There was no trace of mana within Sun Wukong’s body.

That, too, must have been due to the restriction.

“If you were not sent by my master, you would already be dead!”

Sun Wukong spoke as though deliberately holding back.

Kim Hyun-joon merely shrugged.

“Die!”

With a shrill cry, Sun Wukong swung his staff wildly.

‘It appears reckless, but his fundamentals are solid.’

Was this innate genius?

Even compared to the basics Kim Hyun-joon had refined for months, Sun Wukong’s technique surpassed his—both in power and adaptability.

He thrust and swung sharply, then flowed seamlessly into movements that disrupted balance.

But not for long.

‘Demonic Spearman’s Step.’

The moment he activated the skill, Sun Wukong’s expression shifted.

“What?!”

His speed increased dramatically—instantaneously.

Sun Wukong strained to track his movements, but it was futile.

Whoom!

His strikes began missing entirely.

With mana sealed and stats reduced, the outcome was inevitable.

“Grrr!”

Dragged about, Sun Wukong finally exposed an opening.

‘Execution Spear.’

Kim Hyun-joon seized the opportunity and shattered his stance.

Using a staff instead of a spear lessened its full potential, but it was sufficient.

“Aaaah!”

Sun Wukong could not comprehend the technique.

Who would expect a worn wooden staff to unleash such force?

“No! I said no!”

Clawing at the ground in resistance proved meaningless.

Dragged forward by the staff, Sun Wukong was forced to wear the golden headband that gleamed brilliantly.